{Eric.} Oh, Kate! _(He moves down R., towards her, she goes back a pace to avoid him)_ {Kate.} _(leans against chair)_ No, no, I'm not going to cry. _(smiling)_ A man is always so frightened that a woman is going to cry. And, Eric, promise me, dear, never to gamble, nor bet--only very little. Will you promise? {Eric.} Yes, I promise! {Kate.} _(both centre)_ Don't listen to stories at the mess table about officers' wives--don't sit up too late--don't drink too much wine. {Eric.} There's no chance of that, _(walks toward settee L.)_ {Kate.} Ah, dear, you haven't been in trouble till now. And lastly, always go to church and be a good fellow. {Eric.} Which means, Kate--try to do everything I should have done in the happy life we might have lived together, _(sits, Eric on settee, Kate C.)_ {Kate.} Yes, that's what I mean. And when you find yourself getting very miserable, which means, getting very weak, I want you to say to yourself-- "Eric, old fellow, pull up--you've got a true love somewhere--you don't know where she is--but you'd better do everything she bids you, for she's a perfect tyrant" _(she breaks down, and stands C.)_ {Eric.} _(puts hat on chair)_ That's your last word, Kate--this is mine. _(MUSIC.)_ When I get away from India, on leave, I shan't know where to bend my steps unless it's to the country that holds my girl. {Kate.} No, no. _(moves to table)_ _(Rises and crosses, both near table.)_ {Eric.} Ah, listen, _(he holds out his right hand and traces upon it, as if it were a map, with his left)_ Suppose my hand's a map--there are lines enough on it--and that you're dwelling in some pretty foreign place, say _here_. Well, then, when you're _here_, I could while away the time _there_, and if you're weary of that one spot and run off to _there_, I could pack up my bag and smoke my cigar _here_. You see, darling? Never too near you, where I've no right, but always about thirty or forty miles away. So that in the twilights, which are long and saddening in foreign places, you might sit and say to yourself, "I don't want to meet Eric face to face, because he'd remind me of old times and old troubles, but he's not more than forty miles away, and he's thinking of his dear love at this very moment." _(MUSIC changes.)_ {Kate.} _(drawing her hand across her eyes)_ You mustn't speak to me any more. _(Eric takes his hat. Kate goes down to R., C.)_ {Eric.} Good-bye. _(looking in her face, trying to smile)_ Why, I do believe I shall begin to write you my Indian budget this very evening.