LEE FUH—It’s a pity, a great pity. He is such a fine gentleman. He even bowed to me when I met him this morning at the street corner. MISS TIEN—Yes, he saw you bring in the fortune-teller and he was afraid of any sudden change. So he telephoned to me at the school and followed me back in his motor-car. He may still be waiting at the street corner. Go and tell him that my mother has made up her mind not to let us marry. Of course father will help us. Tell Mr. Chen to move his car to the next street and wait for further news. Go quickly. (_Lee Fuh bows to go_) Come back. Tell him—tell him—not to be anxious. (_Lee Fuh bows smilingly and goes by the right-hand door_) MISS TIEN—(_Goes to the desk and opens the drawer; looks at its contents without taking it out. Then looks at her watch_) Father ought to be back now; it is almost twelve. (_Mr. Tien, a man of about fifty, enters by the right-hand door_) MISS TIEN—(_Quickly closes the drawer and rises to meet him_) Oh, father, you are back! Mother was—(hesitates) mother has something to say to you,—something very important. MR. TIEN—What’s that? Tell me first what it is. MISS TIEN—Mother will tell you. (_Runs to the dining-room door and calls_) Mother, mother, father is back. MR. TIEN—What’s in this now? (_Sits down in the armchair. Mrs. Tien enters_) Ah-may told me that you have something very important to say to me. MRS. TIEN—Yes, something very important. Now don’t contradict me. (_Sitting down by the table_) It is about Mr. Chen’s proposal to marry Ah-may. MR. TIEN—Yes, I have been thinking about it too. MRS. TIEN—Good, we all ought to be thinking about it. It is the greatest event in her life. I was simply overawed at the idea of its importance. It is true that Ah-may has known this young man for some years during their stay in Japan. But we don’t know him. How can we be sure of his character? He is wealthy, but many wealthy young men are simply awful. He is well-educated, but I have heard many returned students abandon their wives. MR. TIEN—What are you driving at? MRS. TIEN—My point is this. We should not trust our own poor judgments. At least I can’t, I dare not trust myself in this matter. So I went yesterday to the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy. MR. TIEN—What! Have you forgotten what you promised me? MRS. TIEN—I can’t help it. I did it merely for the sake of our daughter. MR. TIEN—Pooh, pooh! Go on. MRS. TIEN—I went there and asked for a Divine Stick. It says that this match is undesirable. Let me show you the poem on the Stick. (_Going to the desk_) MR. TIEN—Pooh, pooh! I don’t want to see it. I’ll have nothing of this stuff! If you don’t trust yourself, how can you trust such an important matter to wooden images and clay idols? MISS TIEN—(_Cheering up_) I know father doesn’t believe in all this. (_Going to him_) Thank you, father. We should trust our own judgment, should we not? MRS. TIEN—But it isn’t the Goddess alone that says no. MR. TIEN—Who else then?