orget.

LORD GORING. Of course I shan't. By the way, Lady Chiltern, there is no
list of your guests in _The Morning Post_ of to-day. It has apparently
been crowded out by the County Council, or the Lambeth Conference, or
something equally boring. Could you let me have a list? I have a
particular reason for asking you.

LADY CHILTERN. I am sure Mr. Trafford will be able to give you one.

LORD GORING. Thanks, so much.

MABEL CHILTERN. Tommy is the most useful person in London.

LORD GORING [_Turning to her_.] And who is the most ornamental?

MABEL CHILTERN [_Triumphantly_.] I am.

LORD GORING. How clever of you to guess it! [_Takes up his hat and
cane_.] Good-bye, Lady Chiltern! You will remember what I said to you,
won't you?

LADY CHILTERN. Yes; but I don't know why you said it to me.

LORD GORING. I hardly know myself. Good-bye, Miss Mabel!

MABEL CHILTERN [_With a little moue of disappointment_.] I wish you were
not going. I have had four wonderful adventures this morning; four and a
half, in fact. You might stop and listen to some of them.

LORD GORING. How very selfish of you to have four and a half! There
won't be any left for me.

MABEL CHILTERN. I don't want you to have any. They would not be good
for you.

LORD GORING. That is the first unkind thing you have ever said to me.
How charmingly you said it! Ten to-morrow.

MABEL CHILTERN. Sharp.

LORD GORING. Quite sharp. But don't bring Mr. Trafford.

MABEL CHILTERN. [_With a little toss of the head_.] Of course I shan't
bring Tommy Trafford. Tommy Trafford is in great disgrace.

LORD GORING. I am delighted to hear it. [_Bows and goes out_.]

MABEL CHILTERN. Gertrude, I wish you would speak to Tommy Trafford.

LADY CHILTERN. What has poor Mr. Trafford done this time? Robert says
he is the best secretary he has ever had.

MABEL CHILTERN. Well, Tommy has proposed to me again. Tommy really does
nothing but propose to me. He proposed to me last night in the
music-room, when I was quite unprotected, as there was an elaborate trio
going on. I didn't dare to make the smallest repartee, I need hardly
tell you. If I had, it would have stopped the music at once. Musical
people are so absurdly unreasonable. They always want one to be
perfectly dumb at the very moment when one is longing to be absolutely
deaf. Then he proposed to me in broad daylight this morning, in front of
that dreadful statue of Achilles.