Song – Fairfax
How can I wait – when she I worship only
Friendless and fair, my help may surely need?
How can I wait, and leave her sad and lonely,
Counting the hours that all too slowly speed?
Earth has no grace that does not cling about her,
Life has no charm, if mine she may not be;
Star of my soul! I cannot live without her;
O grant this day may give her back to me!
Dream, O my dearest, till we meet once more,
Daydreams of happiness again in store.
Dream of a future that our fates may hold,
Pass’d in the wonderland of love untold.
Glory of flow’rs and fairyland around me,
Over my path the joyous sunlight falls;
Yes is my dear, whose charms so fast have bound me,
Caged like a bird within those gilded walls.
Would I could break the cruel bonds that hold her,
Snap ev’ry chain that keeps us two apart!
Star of my soul! – the half I have not told her,
Of all the love that fills my beating heart!
Dream, O my dearest, till we meet once more, etc.
At end of song, Fairfax is leaning mournfully against Palace entrance. Enter Mimosa.
Mimosa. (Earnestly) Ah, my English officer!
Fairfax. Ah, my little Mimosa!
Mimosa. You are unhappy! Can Mimosa help you?
Fairfax. I don’t know – perhaps you can. You see, this Marquis Imari has made a prisoner of my little English girl and talks about marrying her. Can you take me to her?
Mimosa. (Pensively) I’m afraid not. You know it is a Japanese custom no one sees a bride except her own ladies.
Fairfax. But you can find some way of seeing her!
Mimosa. Mimosa will try her best for the English officer who has been so good to her.
Fairfax. You will succeed. Tell her that I am here, and will save her, no matter what happens. (Enter Cunningham with Wun-Hi) Do that, little woman, and I’ll never forget you! (Shakes her hand, bus.)
Wun-Hi. (Coming down) Can we come in?
Cunningham. Well, Reggie, any news of Molly?
Fairfax. Yes, Mimosa is going to help us and turn the tables on the Marquis.
Wun-Hi. Me helpee you too, we all helpee each other. (Bus. with hankerchief) if we all stick together we make Marquis look one large dammee foolee!
Cunningham. How?
Mimosa. If you’ll listen, Mimosa will tell you (To Wun-Hi) Go away, you’re not in this.
Wun-Hi. Tellee me – me mallied!
Fairfax. Go away! Lie down! You’re too young.
Wun-Hi. Me may be young but me holliby plecocious!
Mimosa. Mimosa will play a trick on the Marquis.
Wun-Hi. Tickle the Marquis?
Mimosa. And just when he thinks he is going to married, he will find that he has no bride.
Wun-Hi. No blide! Then he’ll be a spinster!
Mimosa. No, no. The wrong bride – that’s all!
Wun-Hi. All tomato tommy rot. He choppee off my head – chop chop.
Fairfax. Well, you’ll never keep it. I wonder what this Marquis will do when he finds out?
Cunningham. I don’t suppose it will matter much to him, one girl is very like another in Japan.
Quartette – Mimosa, Fairfax,
Cunningham and Wun-Hi
Fairfax. When he finds that his dear little lovebird’s gone,
Oh, what will the Marquis do?
Will he fly into a rage,
Or fill an empty cage
With another little bird or two?
Cunningham. He’ll vow that the ceremony must go on
With some little girl or other
And I fancy he’ll admit
That he doesn’t mind a bit;
For one of them is very like another!
All. Oh, what will he do and what will he say?
Will his language be improper in a Japanesey way?
He may do what he likes, he may say what he thinks,
But we’ll pop a little stopper on his jolly jolly jinks!
Mimosa. When he finds that his dear little bride has fled,
Oh, what will the Marquis do?
If he isn’t too upset
He’ll marry Juliette,
And adore her for a month or two!
Wun-Hi. Me think that he breakee-breakee Wun-Hi’s head
Some bad lucky day or other!
If no beatee me with stick
Then he givee me a kick
But one of them is welly like another!
All. Oh, what will he do and what will he say? etc.
Dance and exeunt All. Enter Lady Constance and Wun-Hi. Bus.
Lady C. This is a terrible position. His wife in half an hour! There are not enough of us to rescue her by force, and there is not time to return to the city and appeal to the Consul. What on earth are we to do? (Bus. etc. with Wun-Hi) I thought it was a spider.
During bus. re-enter Mimosa.
Wun-Hi. Oh, most mountainous lady, me wantee favour of great big lady!
Lady C. What do you want?
Wun-Hi. (Kneeling) Lend me her Number One Geisha – O Mimosa San.
Lady C. What for?
Wun-Hi. Wun-Hi provides all festivities for noble Marquis’s wedding. O Mimosa San, she be a festivity. Wantehee Mimosa to make sing-song at most noble Marquis’s wedding.
Lady C. Certainly not. The Marquis is the last person in the world I’d do a favour for.
Mimosa. Yes, do let Mimosa sing at the wedding, please!
Lady C. Now, my dear little Mimosa, what do you want to sing for?
Mimosa. Because that is how I can rescue the English girl. We must be more cunning than the Marquis, and now I think I see how to – Mimosa has many friends in there.
Enter Juliette.
Juliette. And one friend here.
Mimosa. Ah, the French girl. You do not want the Marquis to marry a pretty English girl?
Lady Constance and Wun-Hi stroll upstage, talking.
Juliette. Oh no, the most prodigious Marquis can do much better than that!
Mimosa. French girl would like the Marquis for herself.
Juliette. (Mimicking) French mousme cannot do better than that.
Mimosa. Well, who knows? (Pushing Juliette off). Do what Mimosa tells you, and you may find yourself a Marchioness before the day is over.
Juliette. A Marquise! (Exit)
Wun-Hi. Oh do, most mighty atom – do!
Mimosa. Please, lady!
Wun-Hi. Oh, listen to the maiden’s prayer!
Lady C. Very well, we can’t be in a much worse position that we are. (To Wun-Hi) I’ll lend you the girl. (Bus. with Wun-Hi) She does not go back to that Japanese Steam-roller. (Exit.)
Wun-Hi. Chinaman plenty much grateful. Hip, hip hullay! (Rubs hands together) Get back Number One geisha makee please Marquis, get back Tea House licence! Hip, hip hullay!
Exit Wun-Hi with Mimosa. Enter Guards – enter in procession the Bridesmaids attended by the Men – all singing.
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