An Ideal Husband Page #4

Scandals once lent charm

or interest to a man.

Nowadays they crush him.

Yours is a very nasty scandal.

You would be hounded out of public life.

You would disappear completely.

My God!

What brought you into my life?

Circumstances. At some point,

we all have to pay for what we do.

You have to pay now.

I will give you

any sum of money you want.

Even you are not rich enough

to buy back your past.

No man is.

Father, this is not my day

for talking seriously.

What do you mean, sir?

During the season I only talk seriously

on the first Tuesday in every month...

.. between noon and three.

Well, make it Tuesday, sir!

Ah, yes, but it is before noon, Father.

- My doctor said specifically...

- You are 36...

Shh! Father!

I only admit to 32.

You are 36 and you must get a wife.

Wife?!

A shade lacklustre this morning, Chiltern.

Mind on other matters,

I shouldn't wonder.

I had that Cheveley woman

drive by the office last night.

Really?

Yes.

Wanted me to write a piece...

.. about this Argentine thing.

Quite interesting, really.

- Mentioned you.

- Did she?

She did indeed.

So what did she say?

Oh, outlined the virtues of the scheme,

that sort of thing.

Wouldn't be surprised

if she had shares in it.

What did she say about me?

About your speech on it.

Said I should be prepared for a surprise.

Wouldn't say what.

Can I take it

you've changed your position?

I wonder what kind of a woman she is.

Who?

That woman - Mrs Cheveley.

Smallish.

So the question remains,

where to from there, hm?

To the Hartlocks and the Basildons...

.. or should we go straight

to the Bachelors' Ball?

Arthur, I almost wish

I were you sometimes.

I almost wish you were, too,...

.. except you'd make something useful

out of my life and that would never do.

You could always get married.

It's the "always" bit that alarms me.

I could see by the glare in his eye

he was about to do it again.

Poor Mr Trafford.

- It sounds quite serious.

- Oh, it is.

He proposed to me in broad daylight...

.. in front of that dreadful

statue of Achilles.

The things that go on

in front of it are quite appalling!

The police should interfere!

It may not suit a modern girl

like you, Mabel,...

.. but there is, of course,

one extremely effective way...

-.. to stop his proposals.

- What would that be?

- To accept one of them!

- Oh, no!

Ladies!

By the way,...

have you been talking to my father?

- Why? Should I?

- Certainly not.

He was foolish enough to suggest

that I model myself on you.

I have always said he was a man

of exquisite taste and rare judgment.

Hard work, probity, and a good woman.

He neglected to mention that you took

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