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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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54 [They fall into each other’s arms.] [Enter Merriman. When he enters he coughs loudly, seeing the situation.] MERR Ahem! Ahem! Lady Bracknell! JACK Good Heavens! [Enter Lady Bracknell. The couples separate in alarm. Exit Merriman.] LADY BRA Gwendolen! What does this mean? GWEN Merely that I am engaged to be married to Mr. Worthing, mamma. LADY BRA Come here. Sit down. Sit down immediately. Hesitation of any kind is a sign of mental decay in the young, of physical weakness in the old. [Turns to Jack.] Apprised, sir, of my daughter’s sudden flight by her trusty maid, whose confidence I purchased by means of a small coin, I followed her at once by a luggage train. Her unhappy father is, I am glad to say, under the impression that she is attending a more than usually lengthy lecture by the University Extension Scheme on the Influence of a permanent income on Thought. I do not propose to undeceive him. Indeed I have never undeceived him on any question. I would consider it wrong. But of course, you will clearly understand that all communication between yourself and my daughter must cease immediately from this moment. On this point, as indeed on all points, I am firm. JACK I am engaged to be married to Gwendolen, Lady Bracknell! LADY BRA You are nothing of the kind, so. And now, as regards Algernon!... Algernon! ALG Yes, Aunt Augusta. LADY BRA May I ask if it is in this house that your invalid friend Mr. Bunbury resides? ALG [Stammering.] Oh! No! Bunbury doesn’t live here. Bunbury is somewhere else at present. In fact, Bunbury is dead. LADY BRA Dead! When did Mr. Bunbury die? His death must have been extremely sudden. |
