MANDARIN--Ah, many men have sought to wed you, but I have turned their eyes away, until the sublime one should ask.
KWEN-LIN--To whom do I go?
MANDARIN--To the greatest of all! To be dazzled, to be petted, to be surrounded by every superior luxury.
KWEN-LIN--(_Impatiently._) To whom do I go?
MANDARIN--There is honor and eminence the alliance will give me, and money it will add to my already considerable store. We will not, as a matter of policy, show we are flattered. We will be proud, we will be haughty, we will drive a shrewd bargain when the wealthy Ta-yin of Canton would make you his bride.
KWEN-LIN--The Ta-yin of Canton! I will not marry the Ta-yin of Canton!
MANDARIN--What strange words do your lips produce? Does my daughter oppose her insect mind to mine?
KWEN-LIN--I will not marry the Ta-yin of Canton. He"s ugly, he"s bold, he"s yellow as--
MANDARIN--Gold!
KWEN-LIN--He shakes when he walks--
MANDARIN--He"s a--
KWEN-LIN--Hundred years old! My heart would crack with grief were I to marry him.
MANDARIN--I never yet heard that any maiden died of grief at the prospect of being a bride.
KWEN-LIN--Br-r-r-r!
MANDARIN--(_Jumping._) What was that?
KWEN-LIN--My heart cracking. Death is clutching for me.
MANDARIN--(_Wearily._) Go away, Death. Take her, if you must, after she is wed. The wealthy Ta-yin can better bear the sad expenses.
KWEN-LIN--I"m dying now, dying, dying. It"s quite delicious! (_Lies down. Property Man puts a blue cushion under her head._) I"m almost dead!
MANDARIN--You can"t die like this. It"s most absurd, besides being unbeautiful.
KWEN-LIN--Have no fear, my death will be magnificently beautiful. I have practiced many times, and know.
MANDARIN--Get up, fox soul!
KWEN-LIN--(_Sitting up._) Have respect for my solemnly departing life.
My heart will not throb longer. (_Lies down._) I am dead!
MANDARIN--(_Prodding her with foot._) Get up, get up, get up! I must carry her! (_Stoops, and puts arms under Kwen-lin._) Oh, for the strong muscles of my l.u.s.ty young arms. We have fed her too well. She weighs many pounds. (_Stands up, and claps hands. Chang-sut-yen enters._)
CHANG-SUT-YEN--My serene mind presents itself to you, great master.
MANDARIN--Sleep should be gathering up the ends of your serene mind, but it is as well. My daughter"s honorable body has persuaded itself to seek its ill.u.s.trious ancestors--
CHANG-SUT-YEN--(_Kneeling beside Kwen-lin._) Kwen-lin dead, dead! Then let the lady moon fall from the mighty loft of Heaven, and burn my life to ashes of wistaria!
MANDARIN--Your overwhelming grief at my bereavement becomes a servant, but let not the pockets of your eyes fill with tears. Bear her to the house. She shall be whipped alive! (_Kwen-lin shudders._) The sublime wasp shakes at that?
CHANG-SUT-YEN--(_Bending over Kwen-lin, and looking into her wide open eyes._) It was a death throe, exalted one.
MANDARIN--Can your arms support her?
CHANG-SUT-YEN--I lift a Cherry Blossom with more effort.
MANDARIN--Speak not of Cherry Blossoms. Pick her up. (_Chang starts to lift Kwen-lin._) No, no, that is not wise. How shall we do it?
CHANG-SUT-YEN--(_Craftily._) I can guard the crystal vase of her departed soul, while you go for help.
MANDARIN--It had not penetrated my disturbed brain. I go for help.
(_Exit Mandarin._)
KWEN-LIN--(_Sitting up._) Superb love mate!
CHANG-SUT-YEN--(_Hurriedly._) Augustly enter the world of the venerable dead again, luscious one, your honorable father looks this way.
KWEN-LIN--(_Lying down._) Do your eyes grow pearls that I am with my ancestors?
CHANG-SUT-YEN--The love b.u.t.terflies are winging in the happy recesses of my heart. My breath will smother me with joy.
KWEN-LIN--(_Sitting up._) Joy, when my father is going to marry me to the Ta-yin of Canton?
CHANG-SUT-YEN--Exalted joy, because before that can happen my father will have the Ta-yin beheaded.
KWEN-LIN--An orphan has no father.
CHANG-SUT-YEN--I have a celestial now and then father, who does these necessary but disagreeable things. I think he will dispose of the wealthy Ta-yin if I ask him.
KWEN-LIN--It must be a wonderful convenience. We will make a list of all those superbly annoying persons we do not like, and have your celestial now and then father, behead them.
CHANG-SUT-YEN--We will ponder it, Bright Water-lily, when we are not serenely happy.
KWEN-LIN--I do not like being whipped alive! My teeth chatter when I think of it, and I can"t be happy.
CHANG-SUT-YEN--A base whip to touch you! Nay, my lips shall make you live. (_Kisses her._) I am gloriously versed in lip magic. (_Kisses her again._)
KWEN-LIN--Let us fly on our ill.u.s.trious legs, and be married with the six ceremonies, before my father returns. I like that lip magic. It makes singing here.
(_Kwen-lin touches heart. She and Chang-sut-yen exeunt. The Property Man looks around the stage slowly, glances in the property box, then saunters casually off._)
(_CURTAIN_)
CHORUS--I bow.