reach him. [_Goes to the
door_, _and opens it_.] Oh! Robert is coming upstairs with the letter in
his hand. It has reached him already.

LADY CHILTERN. [_With a cry of pain_.] Oh! you have saved his life;
what have you done with mine?

[_Enter_ SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. _He has the letter in his hand_, _and is
reading it_. _He comes towards his wife_, _not noticing_ LORD GORING'S
_presence_.]

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. 'I want you. I trust you. I am coming to you.
Gertrude.' Oh, my love! Is this true? Do you indeed trust me, and want
me? If so, it was for me to come to you, not for you to write of coming
to me. This letter of yours, Gertrude, makes me feel that nothing that
the world may do can hurt me now. You want me, Gertrude?

[LORD GORING, _unseen by_ SIR ROBERT CHILTERN, _makes an imploring sign
to_ LADY CHILTERN _to accept the situation and_ SIR ROBERT'S _error_.]

LADY CHILTERN. Yes.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. You trust me, Gertrude?

LADY CHILTERN. Yes.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Ah! why did you not add you loved me?

LADY CHILTERN. [_Taking his hand_.] Because I loved you.

[LORD GORING _passes into the conservatory_.]

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. [_Kisses her_.] Gertrude, you don't know what I
feel. When Montford passed me your letter across the table--he had
opened it by mistake, I suppose, without looking at the handwriting on
the envelope--and I read it--oh! I did not care what disgrace or
punishment was in store for me, I only thought you loved me still.

LADY CHILTERN. There is no disgrace in store for you, nor any public
shame. Mrs. Cheveley has handed over to Lord Goring the document that
was in her possession, and he has destroyed it.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Are you sure of this, Gertrude?

LADY CHILTERN. Yes; Lord Goring has just told me.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Then I am safe! Oh! what a wonderful thing to be
safe! For two days I have been in terror. I am safe now. How did
Arthur destroy my letter? Tell me.

LADY CHILTERN. He burned it.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. I wish I had seen that one sin of my youth burning
to ashes. How many men there are in modern life who would like to see
their past burning to white ashes before them! Is Arthur still here?

LADY CHILTERN. Yes; he is in the conservatory.

SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. I am so glad now I made that speech last night in
the House, so glad. I made it thinking that public disgrace might be the
result. But it has not been so