Mrs. Warren’s Profession: Act 3 Summary & Analysis

Act III opens in the garden outside of the Rectory where Reverend Gardner is the clergyman. Frank is there reading a newspaper, when his father comes out looking red-eyed. Frank says his father is getting up at an unusual hour for a pastor. Reverend Gardner tells Frank not to mock him, then asks where Mrs. Gardner is. Frank tells him that she went to town, but left him several messages. Reverend Gardner says that their guests will find it odd that she left, but Frank counters that she may have left because of their guests.

Frank says that, although his mother and Praed got along very well, Reverend Gardner and Crofts sat up late drinking and telling shocking stories from their youths. Defending himself, Reverend Gardner says he must talk to Crofts about something and Crofts talks only about one thing. Frank guesses that his father remembers little from the night before, but reports that Crofts is not hung over at all. Reverend Gardner is shocked to learn from Frank that he told Crofts to invite the Warrens over, and that it was after hearing about this invitation that Mrs. Gardner took the train to town.

Praed enters the garden. Reverend Gardner excuses himself to work on a sermon. After he is gone, Praed remarks how interesting it must be to write a sermon every week. Dismissively, Frank says that his father buys his sermons. Praed tells Frank that he ought to treat his father with more respect, but Frank counters that it is impossible to treat those you live with and understand with respect, especially a pompous and aggressive man like his father.

Frank continues, saying that his father must have been terribly drunk to tell Crofts to bring the Warrens over, and that Mrs. Gardner’s sudden decision to go to town indicates that she knows something about what kind of woman Mrs. Warren is. Frank says his mother has stuck by women who have gotten into trouble (i.e., gotten pregnant out of wedlock), but only respectable women. Mrs. Warren, he says, is not the kind of woman his mother would associate with.

Reverend Gardner rushes out of the house in a panic to say that he sees Mrs. Warren, Vivie, and Crofts approaching. He asks Frank what he should tell them about where Mrs. Gardner is. Frank says to say anything but the truth, and suggests saying that she had to go to see a sick relative. Reverend Gardner asks how they will get rid of them after, but Frank says there is no time to think that through now. Reverend Gardner rushes off to follow Frank’s orders.

Frank says to Praed that they must get rid of Mrs. Warren somehow. He sees Vivie and her mother approach. Vivie has her hand around her mother’s waist, and Frank says it disgusts him to see her touching such a “wicked old devil.”

Mrs. Warren and Vivie enter the garden. Frank tells Mrs. Warren that the quiet rectory garden suits her, and she is charmed. Frank says everyone should go see the church, and Crofts, Mrs. Warren, and Praed leave with Reverend Gardner to do so. Reverend Gardner insists that they go in through the church’s back entrance.

Vivie stays behind and tells Frank that she knew he was mocking her mother when he said the garden suited her, and that she won’t tolerate that in the future. Frank asks in surprise what happened overnight to make Vivie sentimental about her mother, when before they were in agreement. Vivie says she didn’t know her mother the night before, but now she understands her as Frank does not. Frank says he understands her mother better than Vivie does because thoroughly immoral people like himself and Mrs. Warren can spot one another. Vivie says Frank doesn’t understand her mother’s circumstances, but Frank counters that there is no way Vivie will be able to stand her mother.

Vivie is angry. Frank says that it revolted him when Vivie put her hand around Mrs. Warren’s waist. Vivie asks if Frank wants her to choose between himself and her mother. Frank says he will stick by her no matter what, but that’s why he doesn’t want her to make mistakes. Vivie’s confidence is shaken. Sitting down on a bench, she asks if the world is supposed to ostracize her mother. Frank sits down next to her and seductively says that Vivie shouldn’t go to live with her mother, because it will ruin their little group: the two babes in the wood. Vivie gets carried away by his sweet talk and they rock in one another’s arms, until Vivie comes to herself and says they are acting like fools.

Frank sees Crofts approaching and, swearing, moves away from Vivie. Crofts asks to speak to Vivie alone. Frank leaves, but tells Vivie to ring a bell in the garden if she needs him. Crofts assumes a familiar tone with Vivie, saying that Frank is a pleasant fellow and it’s a pity he has no money and no profession. Vivie hardly conceals her contempt for Crofts, but he doesn’t understand her attitude towards him. When she is sarcastic he takes her seriously, and when she is disdainful he thinks she is being strong-willed and plucky.

Crofts sits down on the bench next to Vivie. He tells her that he knows he may not be attractive to a young woman, but he is straightforward and pays money for the things he values. He says he knows he has faults, but he lives by a simple code. He is rich because he hasn’t wasted his money and makes investments in ways other men have overlooked. Vivie thanks him for sharing all this with her. Crofts says Vivie must know he means he hopes to marry. Vivie says she does not want to be his wife and stands. Crofts is undiscouraged. He says there is no hurry, but he wanted her to know he was interested, so she wouldn’t get engaged to Frank first. Vivie says her no is final. With a crafty look, Crofts says he will die before she does and leave her rich. Vivie says this does not tempt her.

Crofts says that there are things he could tell her that would change her mind, but he won’t. He says that he was a great friend to her mother and advanced her the money she needed to get started in business. Vivie is startled, and asks if he was her mother’s partner. He says he was, and that this is another reason why Vivie should marry him: to save her mother having to explain her business to anyone. Vivie says her mother won’t have to explain this, since she has sold the business. Crofts scoffs at this, asking in amazement who would be crazy enough to sell a business that pays so well. Vivie is shocked and feels faint, putting a hand on the garden’s sundial to support herself.

Vivie sits down and asks which business Crofts is talking about. Crofts says it’s not considered a very respectable business. He tells Vivie that her mother runs a set of comfortable private hotels throughout Europe. He says Mrs. Warren has a genius for managing the hotels and would never be associated with anything improper, but that they cannot mention their business to anyone, because people would think that they run a chain of bars. Vivie asks if this is the business Crofts asks her to join, but he says his wife will have nothing to do with it: Vivie will be no more involved in the business than she always has been, living on the money that it earned.

Vivie stands up, enraged, and tells Crofts that her mother told her the true nature of her business. Crofts swears in anger, then collects himself. He acts sympathetically towards Vivie, saying he never would scandalized her by telling her about the business if they had married. Vivie says that she will never see him again after today. Crofts asks why she is so angry that he helped Mrs. Warren. Vivie says her mother was a poor woman who had to do what she did, while Crofts was already rich and wanted to be richer.

Crofts is emboldened to make his case. He says he does exactly what everyone else does; he invests in exploitative businesses and profits from them without being involved in any of the sordid details of management. He lists other members of the aristocracy who also profit from similar businesses, saying that his brother, who is a parliamentary politician, profits from a factory where six hundred girls get paid wages that are not enough to live on, and founded the scholarship that Vivie received at college.

Vivie feels guilty for never having asked where the money she received from her mother came from. She says she is just as bad as Crofts. Crofts takes this as a sign of friendliness from her. He says that as long as one doesn’t fly in the face of society or ask inconvenient questions, one can live happily in high society where no one would question where anyone gets their money.

Vivie says she can see that Crofts thinks he is winning her over. Crofts agrees. Vivie bemoans the society that tolerates the way people like him and her mother take advantage of young girls and calls him a “capitalist bully.” Enraged, Crofts curses her. Vivie moves to leave the garden, but Crofts puts a hand on the gate to stop her. Vivie rings the bell and Frank appears with his rifle. He asks Vivie if he should shoot Crofts. Vivie asks if he has been listening, and Frank says he has only been awaiting the bell because he knew what to expect from Crofts. Vivie tells Frank to put the gun away, but Crofts and Frank continue menacing one another.

Crofts says he will go, but he has one final thing to tell Frank and Vivie. He says he wants to introduce Vivie to her half-brother Frank—Vivie is Reverend Gardner’s oldest daughter and thus Frank’s half-sister. Crofts leaves. Frank raises the gun again to aim at Crofts, but Vivie grabs it and says he can fire at her breast. The gun falls on the ground, and Frank sits down in shock, saying the gun could have gone off. Vivie says the pain of being shot would be a relief to her. Frank says it doesn’t matter whether Crofts told the truth: they are still two babes in the woods.

Vivie is revolted and turns to leave. Frank asks where she is going. She yells to him that she is going to Honoria’s chambers in Chancery Lane and leaves. Frank runs after her.