(MEILAN appears timidly
at the door. Her head is lowered, her eyes avert Wan's penetrating gaze.)
WIDOW CHENG
Sit down,
Meilan,
And
speak to your cousin.
He
thinks that you are afraid of him.
(to Wan)
We must
drink to the Cheng clan,
And
while you are here,
We
must trace the relationship.
Beitesen!
Bring the wine!
Beitesen?
Where
is that girl now?
Oh,
yes! Of course.
You
see, Cousin Wan,
Beitesen
is the most grateful of all
For
your having brought the guard.
If
you will excuse me,
I
shall attempt to wrest her away
From
her personal protector.
(SHE goes out through
the front door and disappears off stage calling, "Beitesen!" WAN and MEILAN
are now alone. There is silence. MEILAN stares straight in front of her
with a mask-like expression.)
WAN
You ran
away yesterday in the garden?
(No response.)
Am I that
unpleasant to your eyes?
(Silence.)
You may
speak to me now, Meilan,
For
we are cousins
And
we have now been
Formally
introduced.
(Silence.)
I do not
ask gratitude
For
sending the guard.
All
I ask is to hear your voice.
(SHE says nothing.)
Meilan,
Meilan,
I
have never asked a girl to speak before.
In
the capitol
It
is hard to keep them silent.
But
just a word or two, Meilan,
For
the voice must be as exquisite as the face.
(SHE reacts not at
all.)
Oh, speak
to me, Meilan,
And
tell me anything you wish.
How
glowing is the sun,
How
green the countryside.
Oh,
speak to me, Meilan,
And
tell me only what you will.
How
pleasant is the night
Or
how clear the distant evening star.
What
wine did you drink with dinner?
Was
it red,
Was
it rich,
Was
it warm?
What
work did you weave with your needle?
Is
it as lovely
As
the hands that caressed it?
Oh,
speak to me, Meilan,
If
just to let me hear your voice.
(MEILAN'S face does
not change expression. It is as though he has not sung at all.)
Oh, speak
to me, Meilan,
And
tell me anything you wish.
Oh,
speak to me, Meilan,
And
tell me only what you will.
Oh,
speak to me, Meilan,
And
tell me only what you will.
How
cool the brook nearby,
How
ripe the deep plum tree,
Where
you have walked today
And
the things that you have seen.
And
maybe someday
You
will tell me
What
you think,
What
you feel,
What
you dream.
But,
oh, Meilan,
Somewhere
we must begin.
Oh,
speak to me, Meilan,
Please
speak to me, Meilan.
(WIDOW CHENG appears
from stage right with a guilty BEITESEN, who is straightening her clothes
and her hair. The Widow is carrying a bottle of wine. Together THEY enter
the house.)
WIDOW CHENG
Beitesen,
pour the wine
So
that we may drink
To
Cousin Wan and the Cheng clan!
(BEITESEN fills their
glasses and the WIDOW raises hers.)
WAN
To Madame
Cheng
And
her daughter, Meilan,
For
their hospitality
(directly at Meilan)
And their
conversation.
WIDOW CHENG
Meilan,
you are not drinking.
(MEILAN rises and
flees from the room.)
Meilan!
(SHE is about to
follow, but then turns to Wan with resignation.)
Forgive
her, Cousin Wan.
WAN
Do not
apologize, Madame Cheng.
I
understand.
Now
you must forgive me.
I
must return to my room
To
study.
WIDOW CHENG
Beitesen,
Bring
a candle
And
escort my cousin
Safely
through the garden.
Ah,
Cousin Wan,
The
evening ends too soon.
WAN
Alas,
the evening ends too soon.
BEITSEN
(glancing dispiritedly toward the front of the house where we assume the
Guard now patrols)
Oh, yes! The evening ends too soon.
WIDOW CHENG
(shooting a reproving look at Beitesen and then turning to WAN)
You must come again very soon.
WAN
(bowing deeply)
I shall be most honored.
WIDOW CHENG
Good night.
WAN
Good night.
BEITESEN
(glancing again in the direction of the Guard with the same look of frustration)
Good night.
(BEITESEN, candle
in hand, leads Wan from the house out to the garden. As they approach the
monastery, WAN stops.)
WAN
Your name is Beitesen, is it not?
BEITESEN
Yes, sir.
WAN
You have been a maid to the Chengs long?
BEITESEN
Since I was thirteen, sir.
WAN
You serve them well.
(BEITESEN bows in acknowledgement.
WAN pauses.)
Beitesen,
Though you be only a servant girl,
Still you must understand love.
BEITESEN
(glancing again in the direction of the Guard, only this time dreamily)
Love, sir?
I do not know.
I mean, I do not know
If I understand it.
WAN
I know I do not understand it.
Oh, Beitesen!
I must have someone to help me.
I have never asked anyone for help before.
But I must have it now!
Will you help me?
BEITESEN
Me, sir?
WAN
Oh, Beitesen,
I am in love with your mistress!
There it is,
The secret I have kept
Since first I saw her
Here in the garden
Only a week ago.
I know it sounds strange
When she has never spoken to me
Or even stared into my eyes.
I cannot explain it.
BEITESEN
Perhaps that is the reason.
WAN
What?
BEITESEN
(changing the subject quickly)
Oh, sir,
I do not know what to tell you.
My mistress is very shy and very queer.
She spends most of her hours alone,
Sitting by the brook and reading.
She does not often speak,
And when she does,
It is not the speech
Of other girls her age.
(WAN glances dejectedly
toward the Cheng house, then turns his head away.)
BEITESEN
But wait!
There is one thing,
One way perhaps to her heart.
My mistress loves poetry.
She has read every book of poems
In the library of her father.
If you could but write a poem to her…
WAN
A poem?
Only a poem?
You think this could do it?
BEITESEN
I say perhaps.
WAN
Come to my room
In an hour,
And I shall have a poem
For you to bring to her!
A poem!
The most beautiful poem
That has ever been created!
LIGHTS DIM QUICKLY
