MISS TIEN—But our family is Tien and Mr. Chen’s family name is Chen: we are not of the same family name. MR. TIEN—Yes, we are of the same family name. About two thousand five hundred years ago, these two words, Tien and Chen, were pronounced in the same way, and our family name was sometimes written in the form of Chen and sometimes in the form of Tien. As the ages passed by, these two words came to be pronounced quite differently, and the two branches of our family had all the appearances of a separate origin. But the philologists know it, and our family records show that the two families have sprung from one and the same stock. The law of both the Chen family and the Tien family forbids intermarriage between them. MISS TIEN—Does this prohibition apply to persons whose relationship dates back two thousand five hundred years? MR. TIEN—Unfortunately it does. MISS TIEN—Oh, father, surely you don’t believe in the reasonableness of such a custom. MR. TIEN—I don’t, but society does and the old scholars do. A story was told of a peasant woman of the Tien family who married a Mr. Chen by mistake. But after her death, she was not allowed to occupy a seat in the ancestral temple until her name was changed into Shen (申) by prolonging the middle stroke of the word Tien (田). MISS TIEN—I am willing to prolong the middle stroke of my family name, if that is the only objection. MR. TIEN—You are willing, but I am not. I don’t want to be criticized by the old scholars of our clan on your account. MISS TIEN—(_Sobbing_) But we are _not_ of the same family! MR. TIEN—Our genealogy says we _are_, and the old scholars say we _are_. I have consulted a number of scholars on this point, and they all oppose this union. You see, in a matter of such importance, although one must not be deceived by the wooden gods and blind fortune-tellers, one must respect the opinion of old scholars. And then, your young man is from a very wealthy family. I don’t want people to think that I sold my daughter to a rich man at the cost of sacrificing my family name. MISS TIEN—(_In despair_) Oh, oh! Father! You have destroyed the idols of superstition, but you bow to the idols of tradition! MR. TIEN—You are angry with me? Well, I don’t blame you. I understand your feelings. (_Lee Fuh enters_) LEE FUH—Dinner is ready. (_All rise except Miss Tien_) MR. TIEN—Let us talk it over after dinner. Come, I am hungry. (_Goes into the dining room_) MRS. TIEN—(_Going to her daughter_) Don’t cry now. We all wish for your best. Compose yourself and come to dinner. MISS TIEN—I don’t want dinner. MRS. TIEN—Don’t be obstinate. We’ll wait for you. (_Goes into the dining room. Lee Fuh closes the door after her_) MISS TIEN—(_Looks up and sees Lee Fuh standing_) Is Mr. Chen still waiting in his car? LEE FUH—(_In a low voice_) Yes, here is a note for you. (_Hands her a note_)