"
Miska, knowing well the moods of the monstrous being whose unveiled
face she had never seen, was not deceived by the suavity of his
manner. Nevertheless, she fought down her terror, knowing how much
might depend upon her retaining her presence of mind. How much of her
interview with Stuart he had overheard she did not know, nor how much
he had witnessed.
"But," she said, moving away from him, "he does not matter--this one.
Forgive me if I think to let him go; but I am afraid----"
Fo-Hi crossed slowly, intercepting her.
"Ah!" said Miska, her eyes opening widely--"you are going to punish
me again! For why? Because I am a woman and cannot always be cruel?"
From its place on the wall Fo-Hi took a whip. At that:
"Ah! no, no!" she cried. "You drive me mad! I am only in part of the
East and I cannot bear it--I cannot bear it! You teach me to be like
the women of England, who are free, and you treat me like the women of
China, who are slaves. Once, it did not matter. I thought it was a
part of a woman's life to be treated so. But now I cannot bear it!"
She stamped her foot fiercely upon the floor. "I tell you I cannot
bear it!"
Whip in hand, Fo-Hi stood watching her.
"You release that man--for whom you 'care nothing'--in order that he
may bring my enemies about me, in order that he may hand me over to
the barbarous law of England. Now, you 'cannot bear' so light a
rebuke as the whip. Here, I perceive, is some deep psychological
change.
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