Mee. It was a big rat dat would’n’ go out! Me told him you comin’: den he run on his hin’ legs, jus’ like a man!
[Starts to pull up blinds.
Mrs. O. Here! Begin to get yourself dressed, or you’ll be late!... There are your things.... [She lays bridal costume on chair.] Now attend to me, and learn how a Chinese bride should behave.
Mee. Be-have?
Mrs. O. In a quarter of an hour—are you attending?—the bridesmen and the bearers will be here with the palanquin. As soon as you hear them outside you are to run in there and lock the door.
Mee. Dat door?
Mrs. O. Yes; that door: there isn’t any other that I know of. Don’t lock it so much that they can’t force it without breaking it! I don’t want to be paying for repairs afterwards, you aren’t worth it!
Mee. Leave it open, den?
Mrs. O. Open? Fine sense of modesty you’ve got! Please to recollect that you are a Chinese bride; you do as I tell you! Pull up that blind! Then, when they fetch you out, you must struggle,—d’you hear? Kick, bite, scratch; only mind you don’t tear the dress! Do it decently: give one of them a scratch on his face where it can be seen: that’ll be enough. If you show too much fight it looks like having too high an opinion of yourself. When they’ve put you into the palanquin and locked you in,—then you can do as you like.
Mee. So?