Lady Windermere's Fan — Wilde, Oscar

LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN


                                  A PLAY
                            ABOUT A GOOD WOMAN

                                    BY

                               OSCAR WILDE

                                * * * * *

                            METHUEN & CO. LTD.
                           36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
                                  LONDON

                           _Sixteenth Edition_

_First Published_                                               _1893_
_First Issued by Methuen & Co. Ltd._ (_Limited Editions on      _1908_
Hand-made Paper and Japanese Vellum_) _February_
_Third Edition_ (_F’cap_ 8_vo_, 5_s._ _net_) _September_        _1909_
_Fourth Edition_ (5_s._ _net_) _June_                           _1910_
_Fifth Edition_ (_F’cap_ 8_vo_, 1_s._ _net_) _November 3rd_     _1911_
_Sixth Edition_ (1_s._ _net_) _November_                        _1911_
_Eighth Edition_ (1_s._ _net_) _1912_, _Ninth and Tenth
Editions_ (1_s._ _net_) _1913_, _Eleventh Edition_ (1_s._
_net_) _1914_, _Twelfth Edition_ (1_s._ _net_) _1915_,
_Thirteenth Edition_ (1_s._ _net_) _1916_, _Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Edition_ (1_s._ _net_) _1917_
_Sixteenth Edition_ (5_s._ _net_)                               _1917_

_The literary and dramatic rights of_ “_Lady Windermere’s Fan_” _belong
to Sir George Alexander_, _by arrangement with whom this play is included
in this edition_.  _The acting version_ (_Samuel French_) _does not
contain the complete text_.

                                * * * * *

                                    TO
                             THE DEAR MEMORY
                                    OF
                          ROBERT EARL OF LYTTON
                               IN AFFECTION
                                   AND
                                ADMIRATION

                                * * * * *




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_ 22_nd_, 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


                                  SCENE

_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!