The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: 250+ Titles in One Edition. Оскар Уайльд

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СКАЧАТЬ Thank you. [Presenting her cheek to be kissed.] You may. [Algernon kisses her.]

      Gwendolen. I felt there was some slight error, Miss Cardew. The gentleman who is now embracing you is my cousin, Mr. Algernon Moncrieff.

      Cecily. [Breaking away from Algernon.] Algernon Moncrieff! Oh! [The two girls move towards each other and put their arms round each other’s waists as if for protection.]

      Cecily. Are you called Algernon?

      Algernon. I cannot deny it.

      Cecily. Oh!

      Gwendolen. Is your name really John?

      Jack. [Standing rather proudly.] I could deny it if I liked. I could deny anything if I liked. But my name certainly is John. It has been John for years.

      Cecily. [To Gwendolen.] A gross deception has been practised on both of us.

      Gwendolen. My poor wounded Cecily!

      Cecily. My sweet wronged Gwendolen!

      Gwendolen. [Slowly and seriously.] You will call me sister, will you not? [They embrace. Jack and Algernon groan and walk up and down.]

      Cecily. [Rather brightly.] There is just one question I would like to be allowed to ask my guardian.

      Gwendolen. An admirable idea! Mr. Worthing, there is just one question I would like to be permitted to put to you. Where is your brother Ernest? We are both engaged to be married to your brother Ernest, so it is a matter of some importance to us to know where your brother Ernest is at present.

      Jack. [Slowly and hesitatingly.] Gwendolen — Cecily — it is very painful for me to be forced to speak the truth. It is the first time in my life that I have ever been reduced to such a painful position, and I am really quite inexperienced in doing anything of the kind. However, I will tell you quite frankly that I have no brother Ernest. I have no brother at all. I never had a brother in my life, and I certainly have not the smallest intention of ever having one in the future.

      Cecily. [Surprised.] No brother at all?

      Jack. [Cheerily.] None!

      Gwendolen. [Severely.] Had you never a brother of any kind?

      Jack. [Pleasantly.] Never. Not even of an kind.

      Gwendolen. I am afraid it is quite clear, Cecily, that neither of us is engaged to be married to any one.

      Cecily. It is not a very pleasant position for a young girl suddenly to find herself in. Is it?

      Gwendolen. Let us go into the house. They will hardly venture to come after us there.

      Cecily. No, men are so cowardly, aren’t they?

      [They retire into the house with scornful looks.]

      Jack. This ghastly state of things is what you call Bunburying, I suppose?

      Algernon. Yes, and a perfectly wonderful Bunbury it is. The most wonderful Bunbury I have ever had in my life.

      Jack. Well, you’ve no right whatsoever to Bunbury here.

      Algernon. That is absurd. One has a right to Bunbury anywhere one chooses. Every serious Bunburyist knows that.

      Jack. Serious Bunburyist! Good heavens!

      Algernon. Well, one must be serious about something, if one wants to have any amusement in life. I happen to be serious about Bunburying. What on earth you are serious about I haven’t got the remotest idea. About everything, I should fancy. You have such an absolutely trivial nature.

      Jack. Well, the only small satisfaction I have in the whole of this wretched business is that your friend Bunbury is quite exploded. You won’t be able to run down to the country quite so often as you used to do, dear Algy. And a very good thing too.

      Algernon. Your brother is a little off colour, isn’t he, dear Jack? You won’t be able to disappear to London quite so frequently as your wicked custom was. And not a bad thing either.

      Jack. As for your conduct towards Miss Cardew, I must say that your taking in a sweet, simple, innocent girl like that is quite inexcusable. To say nothing of the fact that she is my ward.

      Algernon. I can see no possible defence at all for your deceiving a brilliant, clever, thoroughly experienced young lady like Miss Fairfax. To say nothing of the fact that she is my cousin.

      Jack. I wanted to be engaged to Gwendolen, that is all. I love her.

      Algernon. Well, I simply wanted to be engaged to Cecily. I adore her.

      Jack. There is certainly no chance of your marrying Miss Cardew.

      Algernon. I don’t think there is much likelihood, Jack, of you and Miss Fairfax being united.

      Jack. Well, that is no business of yours.

      Algernon. If it was my business, I wouldn’t talk about it. [Begins to eat muffins.] It is very vulgar to talk about one’s business. Only people like stockbrokers do that, and then merely at dinner parties.

      Jack. How can you sit there, calmly eating muffins when we are in this horrible trouble, I can’t make out. You seem to me to be perfectly heartless.

      Algernon. Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins quite calmly. It is the only way to eat them.

      Jack. I say it’s perfectly heartless your eating muffins at all, under the circumstances.

      Algernon. When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble, as any one who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except food and drink. At the present moment I am eating muffins because I am unhappy. Besides, I am particularly fond of muffins. [Rising.]

      Jack. [Rising.] Well, that is no reason why you should eat them all in that greedy way. [Takes muffins from Algernon.]

      Algernon. [Offering tea-cake.] I wish you would have tea-cake instead. I don’t like tea-cake.

      Jack. Good heavens! I suppose a man may eat his own muffins in his own garden.

      Algernon. But you have just said it was perfectly heartless to eat muffins.

      Jack. I said it was perfectly heartless of you, under the circumstances. That is a very different thing.

      Algernon. That may be. But the muffins are the same. [He seizes the muffin-dish from Jack.]

      Jack. Algy, I wish to goodness you would go.

      Algernon. You can’t possibly ask me to go without having some dinner. It’s absurd. I never go without my dinner. No one ever does, except vegetarians and people like that. Besides I have just made arrangements with Dr. Chasuble to be christened at a quarter to six under the name of Ernest.

      Jack. My dear fellow, the sooner you give up that nonsense the better. СКАЧАТЬ