say that Harry's good and kind. Don't you see what that means to me? Because he'll think me good I shall be good. After all, he couldn't have fallen in love with me if I'd been entirely worthless. I hate the life I've led. I want to go straight. I swear I'll make him a good wife. Oh, George, if you ever loved me have pity on me. If Harry doesn't marry me I'm done.

George. How can a marriage be happy that's founded on a tissue of lies?

Daisy. I've never told Harry a single lie.

George. You told him you hadn't been happily married.

Daisy. That wasn't a lie.

George. You haven't been married at all.

Daisy. [With a roguish look.] Well then, I haven't been happily married, have I?

George. Who was this fellow Rathbone?

Daisy. He was an American in business at Singapore. I met him in Shanghai. I hated Lee. Rathbone asked me to go to Singapore with him and I went. I lived with him for four years.

George. Then you went back to Lee Tai Cheng.

Daisy. Rathbone died. There was nothing else to do. My mother was always nagging me to go back to him. He's rich and she makes a good thing out of it.

George. I thought she was dead.

Daisy. No. I told Harry she was because I thought it would make it easier for him.

George. She isn't with you now, is she?

Daisy. No, she lives at Ichang. She doesn't bother me as long as I send her something every month.

George. Why did you tell Harry that you were twenty-two? It's ten years since you came to China and you were seventeen then.

Daisy. [With a twinkle in her eye.] Any woman of my age will tell you that seventeen and ten are twenty-two.

[George does not smile. With frowning brow he walks up and down.

George. Oh, I wish to God I knew nothing about you. I can't bring myself to tell him and yet how can I let him marry you in absolute ignorance? Oh, Daisy, for your sake as well as for his I beseech you to tell him the whole truth and let him decide for himself.

Daisy. And break his heart? There's not a missionary who believes in God as he believes in me. If he loses his trust in me he loses everything. Tell him if you think you must, if you have no pity, if you have no regret for all the shame and misery you brought on me, you, you, you—but if you do, I swear, I swear to God that I shall kill myself. I won't go back to that hateful life.

[He looks at her earnestly for a moment.

George. I don't know if I'm doing right or wrong. I shall tell him nothing.

[Daisy gives a deep sigh of relief, Harry comes in.

Harry. I say, I'm awfully sorry to have been so long. I couldn't get the old blighter to go.

Daisy. [With complete self-control.] If I say you've been an age it'll look as though Mr. Conway had been boring me.

Harry. I hope you've made friends.

Daisy. [To George.] Have we?

George. I hope so. But now I think I must bolt. I have a long Chinese document to translate. [Holding out his hand to Daisy.] I hope you'll both be very happy.

Daisy. I think I'm going to like you.

George. Good-bye, Harry, old man.

Harry. I shall see you later on in the club, sha'n't I?

George. If I can get through my work.

[He goes out.

Harry. What have you and George been talking about?

Daisy. We discussed the house. It'll be great fun buying the things for it.

Harry. I could have killed that old Chink for keeping me so long. I grudge every minute that I spend away from you.

Daisy. It's nice to be loved.

Harry. You do love me a little, don't you?

Daisy. A little more than a little, my lamb.

Harry. I wish I were more worth your while. You've made me feel so dissatisfied with myself. I'm such a rotter.

Daisy. You're not going to disagree with me already.

Harry. What about?

Daisy. About you. I think you're a perfect duck.

[The Amah appears.

Harry. Hulloa, who's this?

Daisy. Oh, it's my amah.

Harry. I didn't recognize her for a moment.

Daisy. She doesn't approve of my being alone with strange gentlemen. She looks after me as if I was a child of ten.

Amah. Velly late, missy Daisy. Time you come along.

Harry. Oh, nonsense.

Daisy. She wants me to go and be fitted. She never lets me go out in Peking alone.

Harry. She's quite right.

Daisy. Amah, come and be introduced to the gentleman. He's going to be your master now.

Amah. [Smiling, with little nods.] Velly nice gentleman. You keep missy Daisy old amah—yes? Velly good amah—yes?

Daisy. She's been with me ever since I was a child.

Harry. Of course we'll keep her. She was with you when you were in Singapore?

Daisy. [With a little sigh.] Yes, I don't know what I should have done without her sometimes.

Harry. Oh, Daisy, I do want to make you forget all the unhappiness you have suffered.

[He takes her in his arms and kisses her on the lips. The Amah chuckles to herself silently.

END OF SCENE II.

SCENE III