Lady Hunstanton Mrs Daubeny embroiders a little, too, doesn’t she?

Dr Daubeny She was very deft with her needle once, quite a Dorcas.° But the gout has crippled her fingers a good deal. She has not touched the tambour frame° for nine or ten years. But she has many other amusements. She is very much interested in her own health.

Lady Hunstanton Ah! that is always a nice distraction, is it not? Now, what are you talking about, Lord Illingworth? Do tell us.

Lord Illingworth I was on the point of explaining to Gerald that the world has always laughed at its own tragedies, that being the only way in which it has been able to bear them. And that, consequently, whatever the world has treated seriously belongs to the comedy side of things.

Lady Hunstanton Now I am quite out of my depth. I usually am when Lord Illingworth says anything. And the Humane Society° is most careless. They never rescue me. I am left to sink. I have a dim idea, dear Lord Illingworth, that you are always on the side of the sinners, and I know I always try to be on the side of the saints, but that is as far as I get. And after all, it may be merely the fancy of a drowning person.

Lord Illingworth The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past,° and every sinner has a future.

Lady Hunstanton Ah! that quite does for me. I haven’t a word to say. You and I, dear Mrs Arbuthnot, are behind the age. We can’t follow Lord Illingworth. Too much care was taken with our education, I am afraid. To have been well brought up is a great drawback nowadays. It shuts one out from so much.

Mrs Arbuthnot I should be sorry to follow Lord Illingworth in any of his opinions.

Lady Hunstanton You are quite right, dear.

Gerald shrugs his shoulders and looks irritably over at his mother. Enter Lady Caroline

Lady Caroline Jane, have you seen John anywhere?°

Lady Hunstanton You needn’t be anxious about him, dear. He is with Lady Stutfield; I saw them some time ago, in the Yellow Drawing-room. They seem quite happy together. You are not going, Caroline? Pray sit down.

Lady Caroline I think I had better look after John.

Exit Lady Caroline

Lady Hunstanton It doesn’t do to pay men so much attention. And Caroline has really nothing to be anxious about. Lady Stutfield is very sympathetic. She is just as sympathetic about one thing as she is about another. A beautiful nature.

Enter Sir John and Mrs Allonby

Ah! here is Sir John! And with Mrs Allonby too! I suppose it was Mrs Allonby I saw him with. Sir John, Caroline has been looking everywhere for you.

Mrs Allonby We have been waiting for her in the Music-room, dear Lady Hunstanton.

Lady Hunstanton Ah! the Music-room, of course. I thought it was the Yellow Drawing-room, my memory is getting so defective. (To Dr Daubeny) Mrs Daubeny has a wonderful memory, hasn’t she?