I did not think you would remember me, Mrs. Cheveley.
mrs. cheveley
My memory is under admirable control. And are you still a bachelor?
lord goring
I … believe so.
·19· mrs. cheveley
How very romantic!
lord goring
Oh! I am not at all romantic. I am not old enough. I leave romance to my seniors.
sir robert chiltern
Lord Goring is the result of Boodle’s Club, Mrs. Cheveley.
mrs. cheveley
He reflects every credit on the institution.
lord goring
May I ask are you staying in London long?
mrs. cheveley
That depends partly on the weather, partly on the cooking, and partly on Sir Robert.
sir robert chiltern
You are not going to plunge us into a European war, I hope?
mrs. cheveley
There is no danger, at present!
·20· [She nods to Lord Goring, with a look of amusement in her eyes, and goes out with Sir Robert Chiltern. Lord Goring saunters over to Mabel Chiltern.]
mabel chiltern
You are very late!
lord goring
Have you missed me?
mabel chiltern
Awfully!
lord goring
Then I am sorry I did not stay away longer. I like being missed.
mabel chiltern
How very selfish of you!
lord goring
I am very selfish.
mabel chiltern
You are always telling me of your bad qualities, Lord Goring.
·21· lord goring
I have only told you half of them as yet, Miss Mabel!
mabel chiltern
Are the others very bad?
lord goring
Quite dreadful! When I think of them at night I go to sleep at once.
mabel chiltern
Well, I delight in your bad qualities. I wouldn’t have you part with one of them.
lord goring
How very nice of you! But then you are always nice. By the way, I want to ask you a question, Miss Mabel. Who brought Mrs. Cheveley here? That woman in heliotrope, who has just gone out of the room with your brother?
mabel chiltern
Oh, I think Lady Markby brought her. Why do you ask?
lord goring
I hadn’t seen her for years, that is all.
·22· mabel chiltern
What an absurd reason!
lord goring
All reasons are absurd.
mabel chiltern
What sort of woman is she?
lord goring
Oh! a genius in the daytime and a beauty at night!
mabel chiltern
I dislike her already.
lord goring
That shows your admirable good taste.
vicomte de nanjac
[Approaching.] Ah, the English young lady is the dragon of good taste, is she not? Quite the dragon of good taste.
lord goring
So the newspapers are always telling us.
vicomte de nanjac
I read all your English newspapers. I find them so amusing.
·23· lord goring
Then, my dear Nanjac, you must certainly read between the lines.
vicomte de nanjac
I should like to, but my professor objects. [To Mabel Chiltern.] May I have the pleasure of escorting you to the music-room, Mademoiselle?
mabel chiltern
[Looking very disappointed.] Delighted, Vicomte, quite delighted! [Turning to Lord Goring.] Aren’t you coming to the music-room?
lord goring
Not if there is any music going on, Miss Mabel.
mabel chiltern
[Severely.] The music is in German. You would not understand it.
[Goes out with the Vicomte de Nanjac. Lord Caversham comes up to his son.]
lord caversham
Well, sir! what are you doing here? Wasting your life as usual! You should be in bed, sir. You keep too late hours! I heard of you the other night at Lady Rufford’s dancing till four o’clock in the morning!
·24· lord goring
Only a quarter to four, father.
lord caversham
Can’t make out how you stand London Society. The thing has gone to the dogs, a lot of damned nobodies talking about nothing.
lord goring
I love talking about nothing, father. It is the only thing I know anything about.
lord caversham
