The Fan Page #9

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and tell you that you're a woman

that can be bought and sold.

Come, I'll take you home.

- I want you at nine o'clock tomorrow.

- Yes, m'lord.

Come, quick.

My cloak!

- Good night, Robinson.

- Good night, m'lord.

Robert, old boy! Whoa, cabbie!

- Augustus, what are you up to?

- Come on to the club for a drink.

- I just came from there. It's closed.

- Closed at two? That's ridiculous.

Let's all go to the Cafe Royal.

In my opinion, we all need

a good night's sleep.

- A very good idea.

- You may well talk, a married man!

Arthur, you're coming along with us

to a bachelor's.

- How about having a drink with you?

- Of course, come in.

Let's go out through the back door.

Hoskins?

Hoskins?

I'm afraid we shall have to wait

upon ourselves. I can't find Hoskins.

- Soda or water?

- Water, please.

Robert, we were just saying

what a great evening we all had.

- Yes, delightful.

- No, no, no. Don't drown it.

Make mine a small one.

I really must go home in a moment.

I shouldn't leave Margaret alone.

Don't go yet, old man.

You'll only weaken her.

- Was Margaret not feeling well?

- She had a headache.

Probably the excitement

of her first ball.

Probably.

By the way, why did you leave

so early tonight, Robert?

I had some other important matters to

attend to, I'm leaving England tomorrow.

- Isn't it very sudden?

- Quite. Would you care to play cards?

I can't. I promised Mrs. Erlynne

never to gamble or drink again.

He's actually keeping half his vow.

That's the worst of women,

they're always reforming men.

Yes, they always find us bad.

I don't think we men are bad,

I think we're all good.

No, we're all in the gutter.

But some of us are looking at the stars.

- You're very romantic tonight, Robert.

- You must be in love. Who's the girl?

- Come on, Robert. You can trust us.

- Who is she?

The woman I love is not free...

...or thinks she isn't.

Don't let it worry you.

There are only two tragedies in life.

One is not getting what one wants,

the other is getting it.

- Come on, Augustus, I'll take you home.

- I don't want to go home yet.

- Don't be silly.

- This is the best joke of the season.

Augustus, don't be a fool.

Don't you realize...

He's talking of pure love

but has a woman in his room.

My fan! They found my fan!

- Show him the fan!

- What fan?

Show us, Cecil. Come on.

Perfectly ridiculous,

it must be some mistake.

It's my wife's fan,

there can't be any mistake.

Arthur, I assure you I have no idea

how that fan got here.

- That's no explanation. You must know.

- I'm sorry but I don't.

Then you certainly won't object

to my searching your rooms.

I'm afraid I must object.

You cannot search my rooms...

You swine!

Here, take my fan

and leave the rest to me.

Come, come.

I'm going up these stairs.

Will you let go of me!

I'll not leave here...

I'm so sorry, I think I left my fan here.

Oh, there it is.

No, this is isn't mine.

Well, isn't that stupid of me?

This is Lady Windermere's fan.

I must have mistaken it for my own

when I was leaving the ball.

I'm so sorry. Will you please return

this to your wife, Lord Windermere?

Please send mine to my house before

tomorrow night as I'm leaving for Paris.

- Could your man escort me home?

- Yes, of course.

And Augustus, would you tell

your sister, the Duchess

that I shall be unable to lunch

with her tomorrow? Thank you.

- Did the young lady, I mean...

- Yes, madam. I put her in the cab.

You would be doing your master

real service

by not telling him that there was

another lady in the house tonight.

I understand, madam.

Good morning, Dawson.

Good morning, m'lord.

I had no idea Your Lordship was up.

I slept in the study. Have any of you

found a fan? Someone left it here.

A fan? I don't think so, m'lord.

At least, not yet.

Several of the ladies left

various gloves and handkerchiefs

and her grace, the Duchess of Berwick

left a galosh, but I've seen no fan.

I will enquire of the others.

Tell them to try and keep quiet,

I don't want her ladyship to be disturbed.

Her ladyship left the house

half an hour ago, m'lord.

- Did she say where she was going?

- No, m'lord.

Very well. Try and find the fan.

Rosalie, did her ladyship say

where she was going?

- She was going to deliver a package.

- What package?

It was a fan, my Lord. Her ladyship

had me put it in a small box for her.

Thank you, Rosalie.

My dear child, you've come to see me.

It's hard to believe. It's lovely to believe.

I had to see you. I can't accept

your sacrifice, it's too much.

You must be calm.

Come and sit down.

- You look pale.

- I don't mean to.

- Didn't you sleep well?

- No, of course I didn't.

Mrs. Erlynne,

think what you did last night.

You threw away all your hopes,

all your safety. All your life.

What does a child like you know about

my hopes and my safety?

I saw you ruin them just to save me.

Why did you do it?

Perhaps because your hopes

and your safety and your life

are more precious than mine.

Or perhaps it was because

I'm very fond of you, Lady Windermere.

I can't let you do it.

I'm going to tell Arthur everything.

- No, you mustn't dream of doing that.

- But I owe it to you.

If you think you owe me something,

pay me by silence.

Don't spoil the one good thing

I've done in my life by telling it.

I know your mother would think that.

I know that she'd want above all

that you keep Arthur happy.

I think your father would want that too.

Yes, I know he would want

my happiness.

He had so little happiness himself

after my mother died.

He loved her very much.

They say people don't die

of broken hearts,

but I know that he did.

As you see, I'm packing again.

Packing and unpacking,

that's the rhythm of my life.

I'm rather glad. London is too full

of fogs and serious people.

Whether the fogs produce

serious people, or

the serious people produce fogs,

I don't know.

Oh, there's your carriage.

And there's your Arthur.

Good, at least I can tell him

how foolish I was to suspect him.

You'll do nothing of the kind.

Not that you are not foolish,

but to admit it and to a husband...

Never.

Here, I came to give you back your fan

and I've forgotten to do it.

I'd rather like you to keep it,

to remember me by.

Oh, I should love to have it.

I hate to say this...

Goodbye, Lady Windermere.

- You'll write to me perhaps?

- I don't think so, child.

Our lives will lie so very far apart.

We belong to different worlds, you know.

I used to think that,

now I know better.

There's the same world for all of us.

Yes, I tore up

Lord Windermere's check.

Perhaps I shouldn't have.

But it gave me so much pleasure to do it

that I have never regretted it.

Oh, I've needed the money

a thousand times.

But I've learned a thousand times

that money isn't very much.

Yes, if it could buy back your twenties,

or your thirties, or your forties.

Even your sixties!

How did we come to talk about all this?

The fan. You know, the fan

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