The Importance of Being Earnest: A Reconstructive Critical Edition
Act I: Interview Scene, Lady Bracknell and Jack

  JACK

Between seven and eight thousand a year.

 

LADY BRACKNELL

(Makes a note in her book) In land, or in investments?

 

JACK

In investments, chiefly. (Sitting R.C. on sofa)

 

LADY BRACKNELL

That is satisfactory. What between the duties expected of one during one's life-time, and the duties exacted from one after one's death, land has ceased to be either a profit or a pleasure. It gives one position, and prevents one from keeping it up. That's all that can be said about it.

 


Fortunately] Fortunately, LC · England,] England LC · whatever. What] whatsoever; and now what LC · income] LC, AD, HD; actual income AF. ["actual" appears to be an interpolation in the Frohman text; it does not appear in the other three typescripts or in the four-act version (Berggren diss.). (Ed.)] · a note] note LC · investments,] investments LC · Sitting R.C. on sofa] Sitting R.C. AD, HD; LC omits · life-time,] life time LC · death,] death - LC

AD = Arents-Dolan typescript
AF = Arents-Frohman typescript
HD = Harvard-Dickens typescript
LC = Lord Chamberlain's typescript (licensing copy)