me, and my ambition and my desire for power were at that time

boundless. Six weeks later certain private documents passed through



my hands.

LORD GORING. [Keeping his eyes steadily fixed on the carpet.] State



documents?

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Yes. [LORD GORING sighs, then passes his hand



across his forehead and looks up.]

LORD GORING. I had no idea that you, of all men in the world, could



have been so weak, Robert, as to yield to such a temptation as Baron

Arnheim held out to you.



SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Weak? Oh, I am sick of hearing that phrase.

Sick of using it about others. Weak? Do you really think, Arthur,



that it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there

are terrible temptations that it requires strength, strength and



courage, to yield to. To stake all one's life on a single moment, to

risk everything on one throw, whether the stake be power or pleasure,



I care not - there is no weakness in that. There is a horrible, a

terrible courage. I had that courage. I sat down the same afternoon



and wrote Baron Arnheim the letter this woman now holds. He made

three-quarters of a million over the transaction



LORD GORING. And you?

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. I received from the Baron 110,000 pounds.



LORD GORING. You were worth more, Robert.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. No; that money gave me exactly what I wanted,



power over others. I went into the House immediately. The Baron

advised me in finance from time to time. Before five years I had



almost trebled my fortune. Since then everything that I have touched

has turned out a success. In all things connected with money I have



had a luck so extraordinary that sometimes it has made me almost

afraid. I remember having read somewhere, in some strange book, that



when the gods wish to punish us they answer our prayers.

LORD GORING. But tell me, Robert, did you never suffer any regret



for what you had done?

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. No. I felt that I had fought the century with



its own weapons, and won.

LORD GORING. [Sadly.] You thought you had won.



SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. I thought so. [After a long pause.] Arthur,

do you despise me for what I have told you?



LORD GORING. [With deep feeling in his voice.] I am very sorry for

you, Robert, very sorry indeed.



SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. I don't say that I suffered any remorse. I

didn't. Not remorse in the ordinary, rather silly sense of the word.



But I have paid conscience money many times. I had a wild hope that

I might disarmdestiny. The sum Baron Arnheim gave me I have



distributed twice over in public charities since then.

LORD GORING. [Looking up.] In public charities? Dear me! what a



lot of harm you must have done, Robert!

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Oh, don't say that, Arthur; don't talk like



that!

LORD GORING. Never mind what I say, Robert! I am always saying what



I shouldn't say. In fact, I usually say what I really think. A

great mistake nowadays. It makes one so liable to be misunderstood.



As regards this dreadful business, I will help you in whatever way I

can. Of course you know that.



SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Thank you, Arthur, thank you. But what is to

be done? What can be done?



LORD GORING. [Leaning back with his hands in his pockets.] Well,

the English can't stand a man who is always saying he is in the



right, but they are very fond of a man who admits that he has been in

the wrong. It is one of the best things in them. However, in your



case, Robert, a confession would not do. The money, if you will

allow me to say so, is . . . awkward. Besides, if you did make a



clean breast of the whole affair, you would never be able to talk

morality again. And in England a man who can't talk morality twice a



week to a large, popular, immoral audience is quite over as a serious

politician. There would be nothing left for him as a profession



except Botany or the Church. A confession would be of no use. It

would ruin you.



SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. It would ruin me. Arthur, the only thing for

me to do now is to fight the thing out.



LORD GORING. [Rising from his chair.] I was waiting for you to say

that, Robert. It is the only thing to do now. And you must begin by



telling your wife the whole story.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. That I will not do.



LORD GORING. Robert, believe me, you are wrong.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. I couldn't do it. It would kill her love for



me. And now about this woman, this Mrs. Cheveley. How can I defend

• worship [´wə:ʃip] n.&v.崇拜；敬仰 (初中英语单词)


• horror [´hɔrə] n.恐怖；战栗 (初中英语单词)


• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• terribly [´terəbli] ad.可怕地 (初中英语单词)


• origin [´ɔridʒin] n.起源；由来；出身 (初中英语单词)


• career [kə´riə] n.经历；生涯；职业 (初中英语单词)


• ambition [æm´biʃən] n.雄心，野心；企图 (初中英语单词)


• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)


• brilliant [´briliənt] a.灿烂的；杰出的 (初中英语单词)


• horrible [´hɔrəbəl] a.可怕的；恐怖的 (初中英语单词)


• culture [´kʌltʃə] n.修养；文化；饲养 (初中英语单词)


• distinction [di´stiŋkʃən] n.差别；特征；卓越 (初中英语单词)


• admiration [,ædmə´reiʃən] n.赞赏，钦佩 (初中英语单词)


• absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)


• definite [´definit] a.确定的，明确的 (初中英语单词)


• fascinating [´fæsineitiŋ] a.迷人，使神魂颠倒的 (初中英语单词)


• philosophy [fi´lɔsəfi] n.哲学；人生观 (初中英语单词)


• gallery [´gæləri] n.画廊；美术馆；长廊 (初中英语单词)


• luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)


• background [´bækgraund] n.背景；经历；幕后 (初中英语单词)


• supreme [su:´pri:m, sju:-] a.最高的，无上的 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• thoroughly [´θʌrəli] ad.完全地，彻底地 (初中英语单词)


• shallow [´ʃæləu] a.肤浅的；表面的 (初中英语单词)


• enormous [i´nɔ:məs] a.巨大地，很，极 (初中英语单词)


• definitely [´definitli] ad.明确地；绝对 (初中英语单词)


• persuade [pə´sweid] v.(被)说服；使相信 (初中英语单词)


• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)


• steadily [´stedili] ad.坚定地；不断地 (初中英语单词)


• forehead [´fɔrid] n.额，前部 (初中英语单词)


• weakness [´wi:knis] n.虚弱；弱点，缺点 (初中英语单词)


• finance [´fainæns] n.财政；金融 vt.资助 (初中英语单词)


• extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)


• punish [´pʌniʃ] vt.(惩)罚；痛击；折磨 (初中英语单词)


• despise [di´spaiz] vt.轻视，藐视 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• audience [´ɔ:diəns] n.听众；观众；接见 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• invariably [in´veəriəbli] ad.不变地；永恒地 (高中英语单词)


• boyhood [´bɔihud] n.少年时代(期) (高中英语单词)


• misfortune [mis´fɔ:tʃən] n.不幸；灾祸 (高中英语单词)


• shatter [´ʃætə] v.毁坏 n.粉碎；碎片 (高中英语单词)


• scandal [´skændl] n.丑闻；耻辱；流言蜚语 (高中英语单词)


• damned [dæmd] a.该死的 ad.非常，极 (高中英语单词)


• intellectual [,inti´lektʃuəl] n.知识分子 (高中英语单词)


• personally [´pə:sənəli] ad.亲自；就个人来说 (高中英语单词)


• gospel [´gɔspəl] n.福音；信条；真理 (高中英语单词)


• fortunately [´fɔ:tʃənətli] ad.幸运地 (高中英语单词)


• temptation [temp´teiʃən] n.引诱，诱惑(物) (高中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• destiny [´destini] n.命运 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• liable [´laiəbəl] a.易于…的；有责任的 (高中英语单词)


• confession [kən´feʃən] n.招供；认错；交待 (高中英语单词)


• awkward [´ɔ:kwəd] a.笨拙的；为难的 (高中英语单词)


• shameful [´ʃeimfəl] a.可耻的；猥亵的 (英语四级单词)


• armchair [´ɑ:mtʃeə] n.扶手椅 (英语四级单词)


• loveliness [´lʌvlinis] n.美丽，可爱 (英语四级单词)


• remorse [ri´mɔ:s] n.懊悔；自责；同情 (英语四级单词)


• disarm [dis´ɑ:m] v.解除武装；裁军 (英语四级单词)


• morality [mə´ræliti] n.道德；教训；伦理学 (英语四级单词)


• botany [´bɔtəni] n.植物学 (英语六级单词)