Gwendolen.
[Superciliously.] No, thank you. Sugar is not fashionable any
more. [
Cecily
looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and
puts four lumps of
sugar into the cup.]
Cecily.
[Severely.] Cake or bread and butter?
Gwendolen.
[In a bored manner.] Bread
and butter, please.
Cake is rarely
seen at the best houses nowadays.
Cecily.
[Cuts a very large slice of cake, and puts it on the tray.] Hand that to
Miss Fairfax.
[
Merriman
does so, and goes out with footman.
Gwendolen
drinks
the tea
and makes a grimace. Puts down cup at once, reaches out her hand to the
bread and butter, looks at it, and finds it is cake. Rises in indignation.]
Gwendolen.
You have filled my tea with lumps of sugar, and
though I asked
most distinctly for bread and butter, you have given me cake. I am known
for the
gentleness of my disposition, and the extraordinary sweetness of my
nature, but I warn you, Miss Cardew, you may go too far.
Cecily.
[Rising.] To save my poor, innocent, trusting boy from the
machinations of any other girl there are no lengths to which I would not go.
Gwendolen.
From the moment I saw you I distrusted you.
I felt that you
were false and deceitful. I am never deceived in such matters. My first
impressions of people are invariably right.
Cecily.
It seems to me, Miss Fairfax, that I am trespassing on your
valuable
time. No doubt you have many other calls of a similar character to make in
the neighbourhood.
[Enter
Jack
.]
Gwendolen.
[Catching sight of him.] Ernest! My own Ernest!
Jack.
Gwendolen! Darling! [Offers to kiss her.]
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