Lady Chiltern I don’t call women of that kind clever. I call them stupid!

Lord Goring Same thing often. Good night, Lady Chiltern!

Lady Chiltern Good night!

Enter Sir Robert Chiltern

Sir Robert Chiltern My dear Arthur, you are not going? Do stop a little!

Lord Goring Afraid I can’t, thanks. I have promised to look in at the Hartlocks’. I believe they have got a mauve Hungarian band° that plays mauve Hungarian music. See you soon. Good-bye!

Exit

Sir Robert Chiltern How beautiful you look tonight, Gertrude!

Lady Chiltern Robert, it is not true, is it? You are not going to lend your support to this Argentine speculation? You couldn’t!

Sir Robert Chiltern (starting) Who told you I intended to do so?

Lady Chiltern That woman who has just gone out, Mrs Cheveley, as she calls herself now. She seemed to taunt me with it. Robert, I know this woman. You don’t. We were at school together. She was untruthful, dishonest, an evil influence on everyone whose trust or friendship she could win. I hated, I despised her. She stole things,° she was a thief. She was sent away for being a thief. Why do you let her influence you?

Sir Robert Chiltern Gertrude, what you tell me may be true, but it happened many years ago. It is best forgotten! Mrs Cheveley may have changed since then. No one should be entirely judged by their past.

Lady Chiltern (sadly) One’s past is what one is. It is the only way by which people should be judged.

Sir Robert Chiltern That is a hard saying, Gertrude!

Lady Chiltern It is a true saying, Robert. And what did she mean by boasting that she had got you to lend your support, your name, to a thing I have heard you describe as the most dishonest and fraudulent scheme there has ever been in political life?

Sir Robert Chiltern (biting his lip) I was mistaken in the view I took. We all may make mistakes.

Lady Chiltern But you told me yesterday that you had received the report from the Commission, and that it entirely condemned the whole thing.

Sir Robert Chiltern (walking up and down) I have reasons now to believe that the Commission was prejudiced, or, at any rate, misinformed. Besides, Gertrude, public and private life are different things. They have different laws, and move on different lines.

Lady Chiltern They should both represent man at his highest. I see no difference between them.

Sir Robert Chiltern (stopping) In the present case, on a matter of practical politics, I have changed my mind. That is all.

Lady Chiltern All!

Sir Robert Chiltern (sternly) Yes!