Gerald Mother, I didn’t know you loved me so much as that. And I will be a better son to you than I have been. And you and I must never leave each other … but, mother … I can’t help it … you must become my father’s wife. You must marry him. It is your duty.

  Hester Running forwards and embracing Mrs. Arbuthnot. No, no; you shall not. That would be real dishonour, the first you have ever known. That would be real disgrace: the first to touch you. Leave him and come with me. There are other countries than England … Oh! other countries over sea, better, wiser, and less unjust lands. The world is very wide and very big.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot No, not for me. For me the world is shrivelled to a palm’s breadth, and where I walk there are thorns.

  Hester It shall not be so. We shall somewhere find green valleys and fresh waters, and if we weep, well, we shall weep together. Have we not both loved him?

  Gerald Hester!

  Hester Waving him back. Don’t, don’t! You cannot love me at all, unless you love her also. You cannot honour me, unless she’s holier to you. In her all womanhood is martyred. Not she alone, but all of us are stricken in her house.

  Gerald Hester, Hester, what shall I do?

  Hester Do you respect the man who is your father?

  Gerald Respect him? I despise him! He is infamous.

  Hester I thank you for saving me from him last night.

  Gerald Ah, that is nothing. I would die to save you. But you don’t tell me what to do now!

  Hester Have I not thanked you for saving me?

  Gerald But what should I do?

  Hester Ask your own heart, not mine. I never had a mother to save, or shame.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot He is hard—he is hard. Let me go away.

  Gerald Rushes over and kneels down bedside his mother. Mother, forgive me: I have been to blame.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Don’t kiss my hands: they are cold. My heart is cold: something has broken it.

  Hester Ah, don’t say that. Hearts live by being wounded. Pleasure may turn a heart to stone, riches may make it callous, but sorrow—oh, sorrow cannot break it. Besides, what sorrows have you now? Why, at this moment you are more dear to him than ever, dear though you have been, and oh! how dear you have been always. Ah! be kind to him.

  Gerald You are my mother and my father all in one. I need no second parent. It was for you I spoke, for you alone. Oh, say something, mother. Have I but found one love to lose another? Don’t tell me that. O mother, you are cruel. Gets up and flings himself sobbing on a sofa.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot To Hester. But has he found indeed another love?

  Hester You know I have loved him always.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot But we are very poor.

  Hester Who, being loved, is poor? Oh, no one. I hate my riches. They are a burden. Let him share it with me.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot But we are disgraced. We rank among the outcasts. Gerald is nameless. The sins of the parents should be visited on the children. It is God’s law.

  Hester I was wrong. God’s law is only Love.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Rises, and taking Hester by the hand, goes slowly over to where Gerald is lying on the sofa with his head buried in his hands. She touches him and he looks up. Gerald, I cannot give you a father, but I have brought you a wife.

  Gerald Mother, I am not worthy either of her or you.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot So she comes first, you are worthy. And when you are away, Gerald … with … her—oh, think of me sometimes. Don’t forget me. And when you pray, pray for me. We should pray when we are happiest, and you will be happy, Gerald.

  Hester Oh, you don’t think of leaving us?

  Gerald Mother, you won’t leave us?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot I might bring shame upon you!

  Gerald Mother!

  Mrs. Arbuthnot For a little then: and if you let me, near you always.

  Hester To Mrs. Arbuthnot. Come out with us to the garden.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Later on, later on. Exeunt Hester and Gerald. Mrs. Arbuthnot goes towards door L.C. Stops at looking-glass over mantelpiece and looks into it. Enter Alice R.C.

  Alice A gentleman to see you, ma’am.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Say I am not at home. Show me the card. Takes card from salver and looks at it. Say I will not see him.

  Lord Illingworth enters. Mrs. Arbuthnot sees him in the glass and starts, but does not turn round. Exit Alice.

  What can you have to say to me today, George Harford? You can have nothing to say to me. You must leave this house.

  Lord Illingworth Rachel, Gerald knows everything about you and me now, so some arrangement must be come to that will suit us all three. I assure you, he will find in me the most charming and generous of fathers.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot My son may come in at any moment. I saved you last night. I may not be able to save you again. My son feels my dishonour strongly, terribly strongly. I beg you to go.

  Lord Illingworth Sitting down. Last night was excessively unfortunate. That silly Puritan girl making a scene merely because I wanted to kiss her. What harm is there in a kiss?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Turning round. A kiss may ruin a human life, George Harford. I know that. I know that too well.

  Lord Illingworth We won’t discuss that at present. What is of importance today, as yesterday, is still our son. I am extremely fond of him, as you know, and odd though it may seem to you, I admired his conduct last night immensely. He took up the cudgels for that pretty prude with wonderful promptitude. He is just what I should have liked a son of mine to be. Except that no son of mine should ever take the side of the Puritans: that is always an error. Now, what I propose is this.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Lord Illingworth, no proposition of yours interests me.

  Lord Illingworth According to our ridiculous English laws, I can’t legitimise Gerald. But I can leave him my property. Illingworth is entailed, of course, but it is a tedious barrack of a place. He can have Ashby, which is much prettier, Harborough, which has the best shooting in the north of England, and the house in St. James Square. What more can a gentleman require in this world?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Nothing more, I am quite sure.

  Lord Illingworth As for a title, a title is really rather a nuisance in these democratic days. As George Harford I had everything I wanted. Now I have merely everything that other people want, which isn’t nearly so pleasant. Well, my proposal is this.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot I told you I was not interested, and I beg you to go.

  Lord Illingworth The boy is to be with you for six months in the year, and with me for the other six. That is perfectly fair, is it not? You can have whatever allowance you like, and live where you choose. As for your past, no one knows anything about it except myself and Gerald. There is the Puritan, of course, the Puritan in white muslin, but she doesn’t count. She couldn’t tell the story without explaining that she objected to being kissed, could she? And all the women would think her a fool and the men think her a bore. And you need not be afraid that Gerald won’t be my heir. I needn’t tell you I have not the slightest intention of marrying.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot You come too late. My son has no need of you. You are not necessary.

  Lord Illingworth What do you mean, Rachel?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot That you are not necessary to Gerald’s career. He does not require you.

  Lord Illingworth I do not understand you.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Look into the garden. Lord Illingworth rises and goes towards window. You had better not let them see you: you bring unpleasant memories. Lord Illingworth looks out and starts. She loves him. They love each other. We are safe from you, and we are going away.

  Lord Illingworth Where?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot We will not tell you, and if you find us we will not know you. You seem surprised. What welcome would you get from the girl whose lips you tried to soil, from the boy whose life you have shamed, from the mother whose dishonour comes from you?

  Lord Illingworth You have grown hard, Rachel.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot I was too weak once. It is well for me that I have changed.

  Lord Illingworth I was very young at the time. We men know life too early.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot And we women know life too late. That is the difference between men and women. A pause.

  Lord Illingworth Rachel, I want my son. My money may be of no use to him now. I may be of no use to him, but I want my son. Bring us together, Rachel. You can do it if you choose. Sees letter on table.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot There is no room in my boy’s life for you. He is not interested in you.

  Lord Illingworth Then why does he write to me?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot What do you mean?

  Lord Illingworth What letter is this? Takes up letter.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot That—is nothing. Give it to me.

  Lord Illingworth It is addressed to me.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot You are not to open it. I forbid you to open it.

  Lord Illingworth And in Gerald’s handwriting.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot It was not to have been sent. It is a letter he wrote to you this morning, before he saw me. But he is sorry now he wrote it, very sorry. You are not to open it. Give it to me.

  Lord Illingworth It belongs to me. Opens it, sits down and reads it slowly. Mrs. Arbuthnot watches him all the time. You have read this letter, I suppose, Rachel?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot No.

  Lord Illingworth You know what is in it?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Yes!

  Lord Illingworth I don’t admit for a moment that the boy is right in what he says. I don’t admit that it is any duty of mine to marry you. I deny it entirely. But to get my son back I am ready—yes, I am ready to marry you, Rachel—and to treat you always with the deference and respect due to my wife. I will marry you as soon as you choose. I give you my word of honour.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot You made that promise to me once before and broke it.

  Lord Illingworth I will keep it now. And that will show you that I love my son, at least as much as you love him. For when I marry you, Rachel, there are some ambitions I shall have to surrender. High ambitions, too, if any ambition is high.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot I decline to marry you, Lord Illingworth.

  Lord Illingworth Are you serious?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Yes.

  Lord Illingworth Do tell me your reasons. They would interest me enormously.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot I have already explained them to my son.

  Lord Illingworth I suppose they were intensely sentimental, weren’t they? You women live by your emotions and for them. You have no philosophy of life.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot You are right. We women live by our emotions and for them. By our passions, and for them, if you will. I have two passions, Lord Illingworth: my love of him, my hate of you. You cannot kill those. They feed each other.

  Lord Illingworth What sort of love is that which needs to have hate as its brother?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot It is the sort of love I have for Gerald. Do you think that terrible? Well it is terrible. All love is terrible. All love is a tragedy. I loved you once, Lord Illingworth. Oh, what a tragedy for a woman to have loved you!

  Lord Illingworth So you really refuse to marry me?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Yes.

  Lord Illingworth Because you hate me?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Yes.

  Lord Illingworth And does my son hate me as you do?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot No.

  Lord Illingworth I am glad of that, Rachel.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot He merely despises you.

  Lord Illingworth What a pity! What a pity for him, I mean.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Don’t be deceived, George. Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely if ever do they forgive them.

  Lord Illingworth Reads letter over again, very slowly. May I ask by what arguments you made the boy who wrote this letter, this beautiful, passionate letter, believe that you should not marry his father, the father of your own child?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot It was not I who made him see it. It was another.

  Lord Illingworth What fin de siècle person?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot The Puritan, Lord Illingworth. A pause.

  Lord Illingworth Winces, then rises slowly and goes over to table where his hat and gloves are. Mrs. Arbuthnot is standing close to the table. He picks up one of the gloves, and begins pulling it on. There is not much then for me to do here, Rachel?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Nothing.

  Lord Illingworth It is goodbye, is it?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Forever, I hope, this time, Lord Illingworth.

  Lord Illingworth How curious! At this moment you look exactly as you looked the night you left me twenty years ago. You have just the same expression in your mouth. Upon my word, Rachel, no woman ever loved me as you did. Why, you gave yourself to me like a flower, to do anything I liked with. You were the prettiest of playthings, the most fascinating of small romances … Pulls out watch. Quarter to two! Must be strolling back to Hunstanton. Don’t suppose I shall see you there again. I’m sorry, I am, really. It’s been an amusing experience to have met amongst people of one’s own rank, and treated quite seriously too, one’s mistress, and one’s—

  Mrs. Arbuthnot snatches up glove and strikes Lord Illingworth across the face with it. Lord Illingworth starts. He is dazed by the insult of his punishment. Then he controls himself, and goes to window and looks out at his son. Sighs and leaves the room.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Falls sobbing on the sofa. He would have said it. He would have said it.

  Enter Gerald and Hester from the garden.

  Gerald Well, dear mother. You never came out after all. So we have come in to fetch you. Mother, you have not been crying? Kneels down beside her.

  Mrs. Arbuthnot My boy! My boy! My boy! Running her fingers through his hair.

  Hester Coming over. But you have two children now. You’ll let me be your daughter?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Looking up. Would you choose me for a mother?

  Hester You of all women I have ever known.

  They move towards the door leading into garden with their arms round each other’s waists. Gerald goes to table L.C. for his hat. On turning round he sees Lord Illingworth’s glove lying on the floor, and picks it up.

  Gerald Hallo, mother, whose glove is this? You have had a visitor. Who was it?

  Mrs. Arbuthnot Turning round. Oh! no one. No one in particular. A man of no importance.

  Curtain

  A Woman of No Importance

  was published in 1893 by

  Oscar Wilde.

  This ebook was produced for

  Standard Ebooks

  by

  Brendan Fattig,

  and is based on a transcription produced in 1997 by

  David Price

  for

  Project Gutenberg

  and on digital scans from the

  HathiTrust Digital Library.

  The cover page is adapted from

  The Two Central Figures in “Derby Day”,

  a painting completed in 1860 by

  William Powell Frith.

  The cover and title pages feature the

  League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy

  typefaces created in 2014 and 2009 by

  The League of Moveable Type.

  This edition was released on

  June 26, 2025, 6:39 p.m.

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  The first edition of this ebook was released on

  March 19, 2025, 8:01 p.m.

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