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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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59 entire pint bottle of my Perrier-Jouet, Brut, ‘89; a wine I was specially reserving for myself. Continuing his disgraceful deception, he succeeded in the course of the afternoon in alienating the affections of my only ward. He subsequently stayed to tea, and devoured every single muffin. And what makes his conduct all the more heartless is, that he was perfectly well aware from the first that I have no brother, that I never had a brother, and that I don’t intend to have a brother, not even of any kind. I distinctly told him so myself yesterday afternoon. LADY BRA Ahem! Mr. Worthing, after careful consideration I have decided entirely to overlook my nephew’s conduct to you. JACK That is very generous of you, Lady Bracknell. My own decision, however, is unalterable. I decline to give my consent. LADY BRA [To Cecily.] Come here, sweet child. [Cecily goes over.] How old are you, dear? CEC Well, I am really only eighteen, but I always admit to twenty when I go to evening parties. LADY BRA You are perfectly right in making some slight alteration. Indeed, no woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating.... [In a meditative manner.] Eighteen, but admitting to twenty at evening parties. Well, it will not be very long before you are of age and free from the restraints of tutelage. So I don’t think your guardian’s consent is, after all, a matter of any importance. JACK Pray excuse me, Lady Bracknell, for interrupting you again, but it is only fair to tell you that according to the terms of her grandfather’s will Miss Cardew does not come legally of age till she is thirty-five. LADY BRA That does not seem to me to be a grave objection. Thirty-five is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirtyfive for years. Lady Dumbleton is an instance in point. To my own knowledge she has been thirty-five ever since she arrived at the age of forty, which was many years ago now, I see no reason why our dear Cecily should not be even still more |
