Our Betters

[last lines]

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
You know, you're very naughty sometimes, Pearl, but you have a good heart and I can't help being fond of you.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Minnie!

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
Pearl! [they embrace]

Ernest:
Ah! What an exquisite spectacle! Two ladies of title, kissing one another!

Princess Flora dela Chicora:
It's wonderful how you've made your way, Pearl.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Shall I tell you how I've done it? By force of character, wit, unscrupulousness and push.

Princess Flora dela Chicora:
You're very frank.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
That's always been my pose.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
She's an extraordinary creature; she's in love with her husband. You know, I'm convinced she's never had an affair.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Pepi, you know the most enchanting word in the English language? Perhaps.

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
Marriage is so middle class. It takes away all the romance of love.

Thornton Clay:
You're a most unscrupulous woman, Pearl.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Not more than most.

Arthur Fenwick:
Then if I leave you you'll have nobody but your husband?

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Nobody.

Arthur Fenwick:
You're going to be terribly lonely, Girlie.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Men are trivial, foolish creatures. Kind hearts but no heads. And they're so vain, poor dears, they're so vain.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
I never mind scandal, but I don't expose myself to ridicule if I can help it.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
I can't imagine what you see in him. Surely, you must know -

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
[cutting Pearl off sharply] There's very little about him I don't know. He's a gambler, a spendthrift, and an idler. But, in his way, he's fond of me. You can see he's fond of me, can't you?

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Well, I suppose there's no good talking. If he makes you happy...

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
He doesn't! He makes me miserable. I love him. He wants to marry me, Pearl.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Oh! Minnie, you're not going to!

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
Oh, no. I'm not such a fool as that. Why, if I married him, I'd have no hold over him at all!

Arthur Fenwick:
You're my guiding star. My ideal! I don't know what I'd do if you failed me. I don't think I could live if I ever found you weren't what I think you are. [bends to kiss her hand]

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
[looking down at his bent head] You shan't, if I can help it.

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
Ah, Mr. Harvey. Still enjoying life in London?

Thornton Clay:
Well, he should be. I've got him invitations to all of the nicest parties, but he will waste his time in sight-seeing. The other day - Thursday, wasn't it? - I wanted to take him to Hurlingham and he insisted on going to the National Gallery instead!

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
What an outrageous proceeding!

Fleming Harvey:
Well, I don't see that it was any more outrageous for me than for you. I saw you going in just as I was going out.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
[recovering, after a moment's unease] I had a reason to go. [sits by Arthur] Arthur's just bought a Bronzino, and I wanted to see those at the National Gallery.

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
I think it's far more likely that you had a rendezvous. It's a marvelous place for that, I've heard. You never meet any of your friends there - and if you do, they're there for the same purpose and pretend not to see you.

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
Nothing will induce me to stay in this house another night!

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
[as Minnie walks into the garden] It's a very slow train. Pepi'll be hungry and out of temper. You'll look your age. [Minnie stops in her tracks, turns, comes back into the room]

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
You promised me the luggage cart.

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
You shall have it! But you'll have to sit on the floor - there are no seats.

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
Pearl, it's not going to break down on the way to the station?

Lady Pearl Saunders Grayston:
Oh, how *can* you suspect me of playing a trick like that on you! [looking slightly regretful] It never occurred to me.

Pepi D'Costa:
If one felt about things at night as one does the next morning, life would be an awful lot easier!

Minnie, Duchess of Sourae:
Oh, Pepi. I do love you so!

Pepi D'Costa:
That's right.