Mrs. Erlynne. Take care—you had better be careful.
Lord Windermere. Oh, I am not going to mince words for you. I know you thoroughly.
Mrs. Erlynne. [Looks steadily at him.] I question that.
Lord Windermere. I do know you. For twenty years of your life you lived without your child, without a thought of your child. One day you read in the papers that she had married a rich man. You saw your hideous chance. You knew that to spare her the ignominy of learning that a woman like you was her mother, I would endure anything. You began your blackmailing.
Mrs. Erlynne. [Shrugging her shoulders.] Don’t use ugly words, Windermere. They are vulgar. I saw my chance, it is true, and took it.
Lord Windermere. Yes, you took it—and spoiled it all last night by being found out.
Mrs. Erlynne. [With a strange smile.] You are quite right, I spoiled it all last night.
Lord Windermere. And as for your blunder in taking my wife’s fan from here and then leaving it about in Darlington’s rooms, it is unpardonable. I can’t bear the sight of it now. I shall never let my wife use it again. The thing is soiled for me. You should have kept it and not brought it back.
Mrs. Erlynne. I think I shall keep it. [Goes up.] It’s extremely pretty. [Takes up fan.] I shall ask Margaret to give it to me.
Lord Windermere. I hope my wife will give it you.