CECILY. Oh, I couldn’t possibly.They would make you far too conceited.[Replaces box.] The three you wrote me after I had broken off the engagement are so beautiful, and so badly spelled, that even now I can hardly read them without crying a little.
ALGERNON. But was our engagement ever broken off?
CECILY. Of course it was. On the 22nd of last March.You can see the entry if you like.[Shows diary.] ‘To-day I broke off my engagement with Ernest.I feel it is better to do so.The weather still continues charming.’
ALGERNON. But why on earth did you break it off?What had I done?I had done nothing at all. Cecily,I am very much hurt indeed to hear you broke it off.Particularly when the weather was so charming.
CECILY. It would hardly have been a really serious engagement if it hadn’t been broken off at least once. But I forgave you before the week was out.
ALGERNON. [Crossing to her,and kneeling.] What a perfect angel you are, Cecily.
CECILY. You dear romantic boy. [He kisses her,she puts her fingers through his hair.] I hope your hair curls naturally, does it?
ALGERNON. Yes, darling, with a little help from others.
CECILY. I am so glad.
ALGERNON. You’ll never break off our engagement again, Cecily?
CECILY. I don’t think I could break it off now that I have actually met you.Besides, of course, there is the question of your name.
ALGERNON. Yes, of course. [Nervously.]
CECILY. You must not laugh at me, darling,but it had always been a girlish dream of mine to love some one whose name was Ernest. [Algernon rises, Cecily also.] There is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence. I pity any poor married woman whose husband is not called Ernest.
ALGERNON. But, my dear child,do you mean to say you could not love me if I had some other name?
CECILY. But what name?
ALGERNON. Oh, any name you like—Algernon—for instance . . .
CECILY. But I don’t like the name of Algernon.
ALGERNON. Well, my own dear, sweet,loving little darling,I really can’t see why you should object to the name of Algernon.It is not at all a bad name. In fact,it is rather an aristocratic name.Half of the chaps who get into the Bankruptcy Court are called Algernon.But seriously, Cecily .. . [Moving to her] . . .if my name was Algy, couldn’t you love me?
CECILY. [Rising.] I might respect you, Ernest,I might admire your character,but I fear that I should not be able to give you my undivided attention.
ALGERNON. Ahem!Cecily![Picking up hat.] Your Rector here is, I suppose,thoroughly experienced in the practice of all the rites and ceremonials of the Church?
CECILY. Oh, yes. Dr. Chasuble is a most learned man.He has never written a single book,so you can imagine how much he knows.
ALGERNON. I must see him at once on a most important christening—I mean on most important business.
CECILY. Oh!
ALGERNON. I shan’t be away more than half an hour.
CECILY. Considering that we have been engaged since February the 14th,and that I only met you to-day for the first time,I think it is rather hard that you should leave me for so long a period as half an hour. Couldn’t you make it twenty minutes?
ALGERNON. I’ll be back in no time.
[Kisses her and rushes down the garden.]
CECILY. What an impetuous boy he is!I like his hair so much.I must enter his proposal in my diary.
[Enter Merriman.]
MERRIMAN. A Miss Fairfax has just called to see Mr.Worthing. On very important business,Miss Fairfax states.
CECILY. Isn’t Mr. Worthing in his library?
MERRIMAN. Mr. Worthing went over in the direction of the Rectory some time ago.
CECILY. Pray ask the lady to come out here; Mr.Worthing is sure to be back soon.And you can bring tea.
MERRIMAN. Yes, Miss. [Goes out.]
CECILY. Miss Fairfax!I suppose one of the many good elderly women who are associated with Uncle Jack in some of his philanthropic work in London. I don’t quite like women who are interested in philanthropic work. I think it is so forward of them.
[Enter Merriman.]
MERRIMAN. Miss Fairfax.
[Enter Gwendolen.]
[Exit Merriman.]
CECILY. [Advancing to meet her.] Pray let me introduce myself to you.My name is Cecily Cardew.
GWENDOLEN. Cecily Cardew?[Moving to her and shaking hands.] What a very sweet name!Something tells me that we are going to be great friends.I like you already more than I can say.My first impressions of people are never wrong.
CECILY. How nice of you to like me so much after we have known each other such a comparatively short time. Pray sit down.
GWENDOLEN. [Still standing up.] I may call you Cecily, may I not?
CECILY. With pleasure!
GWENDOLEN. And you will always call me Gwendolen, won’t you?
CECILY. If you wish.
GWENDOLEN. Then that is all quite settled, is it not?
CECILY. I hope so. [A pause.They both sit down together.]
GWENDOLEN. Perhaps this might be a favourable opportunity for my mentioning who I am. My father is Lord Bracknell. You have never heard of papa, I suppose?
CECILY. I don’t think so.
GWENDOLEN. Outside the family circle, papa,I am glad to say, is entirely unknown.I think that is quite as it should be.The home seems to me to be the proper sphere for the man.And certainly once a man begins to neglect his domestic duties he becomes painfully effeminate, does he not?And I don’t like that. It makes men so very attractive.Cecily, mamma, whose views on education are remarkably strict,has brought me up to be extremely short-sighted;it is part of her system;so do you mind my looking at you through my glasses?
CECILY. Oh!not at all, Gwendolen.I am very fond of being looked at.
GWENDOLEN. [After examining Cecily carefully through a lorgnette.] You are here on a short visit, I suppose.
CECILY. Oh no!I live here.
GWENDOLEN. [Severely.] Really?Your mother, no doubt,or some female relative of advanced years, resides here also?
CECILY. Oh no!I have no mother, nor, in fact, any relations.
GWENDOLEN. Indeed?
CECILY. My dear guardian,with the assistance of Miss Prism,has the arduous task of looking after me.
GWENDOLEN. Your guardian?
CECILY. Yes, I am Mr. Worthing’s ward.
GWENDOLEN. Oh!It is strange he never mentioned to me that he had a ward.How secretive of him!He grows more interesting hourly. I am not sure,however, that the news inspires me with feelings of unmixed delight.[Rising and going to her.] I am very fond of you,Cecily; I have liked you ever since I met you!But I am bound to state that now that I know that you are Mr.Worthing’s ward, I cannot help expressing a wish you were—well,just a little older than you seem to be—and not quite so very alluring in appearance. In fact, if I may speak candidly—
CECILY. Pray do!I think that whenever one has anything unpleasant to say,one should always be quite candid.
GWENDOLEN. Well, to speak with perfect candour, Cecily,I wish that you were fully forty-two,and more than usually plain for your age.Ernest has a strong upright nature.He is the very soul of truth and honour.Disloyalty would be as impossible to him as deception.But even men of the noblest possible moral character are extremely susceptible to the influence of the physical charms of others. Modern, no less than Ancient History, supplies us with many most painful examples of what I refer to. If it were not so, indeed, History would be quite unreadable.
CECILY. I beg your pardon, Gwendolen, did you say Ernest?
GWENDOLEN. Yes.
CECILY. Oh, but it is not Mr.Ernest Worthing who is my guardian.It is his brother—his elder brother.
GWENDOLEN. [Sitting down again.] Ernest never mentioned to me that he had a brother.
CECILY. I am sorry to say they have not been on good terms for a long time.