(1895)
In this "Trivial Comedy for Serious People," the scene opens in Algernon Moncrieff''s rooms in Half Moon
Street. He is expecting his aunt,
Lady Bracknell, and her daughter, Gwendolen. Jack Worthing, who is courting Gwendolen, arrives first. Algy discovers that Jack has a ward, Cecily, and has told her he has a younger brother Earnest. In fact, Jack calls himself Earnest in town and Jack in the country. Jack and Gwendolen become engaged, but lady Bracknell will not hear of it, when Jack admits he was found in a handbag in a railway station. Algy goes to Jack''s house in the country, and introduced himself to Cecily as her cousin Earnest; they become engaged. Jack arrives in deep mourning, having decided to kill of Earnest. Gwendolen appears, and for a few minutes both girls think they are engaaged to the same Earnest. Lady Bracknell follows Gwendolen, and recognizes Miss Prism, Cecily''s governess, as the woman who disappears with a baby, and left a
novel in his pram. Jack turns out to be the baby, whom, Miss Prism had put in her handbag instead of the novel. And his name really is Earnest.