.

LADY BASILDON. [_Looking round through her lorgnette_.] I don't see
anybody here to-night whom one could possibly call a serious purpose.
The man who took me in to dinner talked to me about his wife the whole
time.

MRS. MARCHMONT. How very trivial of him!

LADY BASILDON. Terribly trivial! What did your man talk about?

MRS. MARCHMONT. About myself.

LADY BASILDON. [_Languidly_.] And were you interested?

MRS. MARCHMONT. [_Shaking her head_.] Not in the smallest degree.

LADY BASILDON. What martyrs we are, dear Margaret!

MRS. MARCHMONT. [_Rising_.] And how well it becomes us, Olivia!

[_They rise and go towards the music-room_. _The_ VICOMTE DE NANJAC, _a
young attache known for his neckties and his Anglomania_, _approaches
with a low bow_, _and enters into conversation_.]

MASON. [_Announcing guests from the top of the staircase_.] Mr. and
Lady Jane Barford. Lord Caversham.

[_Enter_ LORD CAVERSHAM, _an old gentleman of seventy_, _wearing the
riband and star of the Garter_. _A fine Whig type_. _Rather like a
portrait by Lawrence_.]

LORD CAVERSHAM. Good evening, Lady Chiltern! Has my good-for-nothing
young son been here?

LADY CHILTERN. [_Smiling_.] I don't think Lord Goring has arrived yet.

MABEL CHILTERN. [_Coming up to_ LORD CAVERSHAM.] Why do you call Lord
Goring good-for-nothing?

[MABEL CHILTERN _is a perfect example of the English type of prettiness_,
_the apple-blossom type_. _She has all the fragrance and freedom of a
flower_. _There is ripple after ripple of sunlight in her hair_, _and
the little mouth_, _with its parted lips_, _is expectant_, _like the
mouth of a child_. _She has the fascinating tyranny of youth_, _and the
astonishing courage of innocence_. _To sane people she is not
reminiscent of any work of art_. _But she is really like a Tanagra
statuette_, _and would be rather annoyed if she were told so_.]

LORD CAVERSHAM. Because he leads such an idle life.

MABEL CHILTERN. How can you say such a thing? Why, he rides in the Row
at ten o'clock in the morning, goes to the Opera three times a week,
changes his clothes at least five times a day, and dines out every night
of the season. You don't call that leading an idle life, do you?

LORD CAVERSHAM. [_Looking at her with a kindly twinkle in his eyes_.]
You are a very charming young lady!

MABEL CHILTERN. How sweet of you to say that, Lord Caversham! Do come
to us more often. You know we a