Lady Windermeres Fan

Lady Windermere's Fan

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lady Windermere's Fan, by Oscar Wilde (#5 in our series by Oscar Wilde)
Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
Title: Lady Windermere's Fan
Author: Oscar Wilde
Release Date: January, 1997 [EBook #790] [This file was first posted on January 25, 1997] [Most recently updated: September 17, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN ***

Transcribed from the 1917 Methuen & Co. Ltd edition by David Price, email [email protected]

LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN

THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY
Lord Windermere Lord Darlington Lord Augustus Lorton Mr. Dumby Mr. Cecil Graham Mr. Hopper Parker, Butler
Lady Windermere The Duchess of Berwick Lady Agatha Carlisle Lady Plymdale Lady Stutfield Lady Jedburgh Mrs. Cowper-Cowper Mrs. Erlynne Rosalie, Maid
THE SCENES OF THE PLAY
ACT I. Morning-room in Lord Windermere's house. ACT II. Drawing-room in Lord Windermere's house. ACT III. Lord Darlington's rooms. ACT IV. Same as Act I.
TIME: The Present PLACE: London.
The action of the play takes place within twenty-four hours, beginning on a Tuesday afternoon at five o'clock, and ending the next day at 1.30 p.m.
LONDON: ST. JAMES'S THEATRE
Lessee and Manager: Mr. George Alexander February 22nd, 1892.
Lord Windermere, Mr. George Alexander. Lord Darlington, Mr. Nutcombe Gould. Lord Augustus Lorton, Mr. H. H. Vincent. Mr. Cecil Graham, Mr. Ben Webster. Mr. Dumby, Mr. Vane-Tempest. Mr. Hopper, Mr. Alfred Holles. Parker (Butler), Mr. V. Sansbury. Lady Windermere, Miss Lily Hanbury. The Duchess of Berwick, Miss Fanny Coleman. Lady Agatha Carlisle, Miss Laura Graves. Lady Plymdale, Miss Granville. Lady Jedburgh, Miss B. Page. Lady Stutfield, Miss Madge Girdlestone. Mrs. Cowper-Cowper, Miss A. de Winton. Mrs. Erlynne, Miss Marion Terry. Rosalie (Maid), Miss Winifred Dolan.

FIRST ACT

SCENCE
Morning-room of Lord Windermere's house in Carlton House Terrace. Doors C. and R. Bureau with books and papers R. Sofa with small tea-table L. Window opening on to terrace L. Table R.
[LADY WINDERMERE is at table R., arranging roses in a blue bowl.]
[Enter PARKER.]
PARKER. Is your ladyship at home this afternoon?
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes--who has called?
PARKER. Lord Darlington, my lady.
LADY WINDERMERE. [Hesitates for a moment.] Show him up--and I'm at home to any one who calls.
PARKER. Yes, my lady.
[Exit C.]
LADY WINDERMERE. It's best for me to see him before to-night. I'm glad he's come.
[Enter PARKER C.]
PARKER. Lord Darlington,
[Enter LORD DARLINGTON C.]
[Exit PARKER.]
LORD DARLINGTON. How do you do, Lady Windermere?
LADY WINDERMERE. How do you do, Lord Darlington? No, I can't shake hands with you. My hands are all wet with these roses. Aren't they lovely? They came up from Selby this morning.
LORD DARLINGTON. They are quite perfect. [Sees a fan lying on the table.] And what a wonderful fan! May I look at it?
LADY WINDERMERE. Do. Pretty, isn't it! It's got my name on it, and everything. I have only just seen it myself. It's my husband's birthday present to me. You know to-day is my birthday?
LORD DARLINGTON. No? Is it really?
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes, I'm of age to-day. Quite an important day in my life, isn't it? That is why I am giving this party to-night. Do sit down. [Still arranging flowers.]
LORD DARLINGTON. [Sitting down.] I wish I had known it was your birthday, Lady Windermere. I would have covered the whole street in front of your house with flowers for you to walk on. They are made for you. [A short pause.]
LADY WINDERMERE. Lord Darlington, you annoyed me last night at the Foreign Office. I am afraid you are going to annoy me again.
LORD DARLINGTON. I, Lady Windermere?
[Enter PARKER and FOOTMAN C., with tray and tea things.]
LADY WINDERMERE. Put it there, Parker. That will do. [Wipes her hands with her pocket-handkerchief, goes to tea-table, and sits down.] Won't you come over, Lord Darlington?
[Exit PARKER C.]
LORD DARLINGTON. [Takes chair and goes across L.C.] I am quite miserable, Lady Windermere. You must tell me what I did. [Sits down at table L.]
LADY WINDERMERE. Well, you kept paying me elaborate compliments the whole evening.
LORD DARLINGTON. [Smiling.] Ah, nowadays we are all of us so hard up, that the only pleasant things to pay ARE compliments. They're the only things we CAN