Exit

Lord Goring Robert, you don’t mind my sending you away?

Sir Robert Chiltern Arthur, you must let me stay for five minutes. I have made up my mind what I am going to do tonight in the House. The debate on the Argentine Canal is to begin at eleven. (A chair falls in the drawing-room)° What is that?

Lord Goring Nothing.

Sir Robert Chiltern I heard a chair fall in the next room. Someone has been listening.

Lord Goring No, no; there is no one there.

Sir Robert Chiltern There is someone. There are lights in the room, and the door is ajar. Someone has been listening to every secret of my life. Arthur, what does this mean?

Lord Goring Robert, you are excited, unnerved. I tell you there is no one in that room. Sit down, Robert.

Sir Robert Chiltern Do you give me your word that there is no one there?

Lord Goring Yes.

Sir Robert Chiltern Your word of honour? (Sits down)

Lord Goring Yes.

Sir Robert Chiltern (rises) Arthur, let me see for myself.

Lord Goring No, no.

Sir Robert Chiltern If there is no one there why should I not look in that room? Arthur, you must let me go into that room and satisfy myself. Let me know that no eavesdropper has heard my life’s secret. Arthur, you don’t realize what I am going through.

Lord Goring Robert, this must stop. I have told you that there is no one in that room—that is enough.

Sir Robert Chiltern (rushes to the door of the room) It is not enough. I insist on going into this room. You have told me there is no one there, so what reason can you have for refusing me?

Lord Goring For God’s sake, don’t! There is someone there. Someone whom you must not see.

Sir Robert Chiltern Ah, I thought so!

Lord Goring I forbid you to enter that room.

Sir Robert Chiltern Stand back. My life is at stake.° And I don’t care who is there. I will know who it is to whom I have told my secret and my shame.

Enters room

Lord Goring Great Heavens! his own wife!

Sir Robert Chiltern comes back, with a look of scorn and anger on his face

Sir Robert Chiltern What explanation have you to give me for the presence of that woman here?