Gerald How long have you known it?

Mrs Arbuthnot For twenty years.

Gerald Is it fair to go back twenty years in any man’s career? And what have you or I to do with Lord Illingworth’s early life? What business is it of ours?

Mrs Arbuthnot What this man has been, he is now, and will be always.

Gerald Mother, tell me what Lord Illingworth did. If he did anything shameful, I will not go away with him. Surely you know me well enough for that?

Mrs Arbuthnot Gerald, come near to me. Quite close to me, as you used to do when you were a little boy, when you were mother’s own boy. (Gerald sits down beside his mother.° She runs her fingers through his hair, and strokes his hands) Gerald, there was a girl once, she was very young, she was little over eighteen at the time. George Harford—that was Lord Illingworth’s name then— George Harford met her. She knew nothing about life. He—knew everything. He made this girl love him. He made her love him so much that she left her father’s house with him one morning. She loved him so much, and he had promised to marry her! He had solemnly promised to marry her, and she had believed him. She was very young, and—and ignorant of what life really is. But he put the marriage off from week to week, and month to month.— She trusted in him all the while. She loved him.—Before her child was born—for she had a child—she implored him for the child’s sake to marry her, that the child might have a name, that her sin might not be visited on the child, who was innocent. He refused. After the child was born she left him, taking the child away, and her life was ruined, and her soul ruined, and all that was sweet, and good, and pure in her ruined also. She suffered terribly—she suffers now. She will always suffer. For her there is no joy, no peace, no atonement. She is a woman who drags a chain like a guilty thing. She is a woman who wears a mask, like a thing that is a leper. The fire cannot purify her. The waters cannot quench her anguish. Nothing can heal her! no anodyne can give her sleep! no poppies forgetfulness! She is lost! She is a lost soul!—That is why I call Lord Illingworth a bad man. That is why I don’t want my boy to be with him.

Gerald My dear mother, it all sounds very tragic, of course. But I dare say the girl was just as much to blame as Lord Illingworth was.—After all, would a really nice girl, a girl with any nice feelings at all, go away from her home with a man to whom she was not married, and live with him as his wife? No nice girl would.

[A pause]

Mrs Arbuthnot Gerald, I withdraw all my objections. You are at liberty to go away with Lord Illingworth, when and where you choose.

Gerald Dear mother, I knew you wouldn’t stand in my way. You are the best woman God ever made. And, as for Lord Illingworth, I don’t believe he is capable of anything infamous or base. I can’t believe it of him—I can’t.

Hester (outside) Let me go! Let me go!

Enter Hester in terror, and rushes over to Gerald and flings herself in his arms

Hester Oh! save me—save me from him!

Gerald From whom?

Hester He has insulted me! Horribly insulted me! Save me!

Gerald Who? Who has dared—?