BELSON. Which will not be accepted. Mam’zelle, do you think that your
father would have treated the Japanese Navy as Mr. Maitland proposes to
treat the British?
JACK. That’s nothing to do with it. There’s no war on. You only want to
take me home to England. I don’t want to go--I _won’t_ go.
BELSON. Mam’zelle, do you think that your brother would act like this?
Would you respect him if he did? And believe me--I say it with all
deference--“East is East and West is West.”
JACK (_hoarsely_). No, it is not so! And if it is, Ometsu and I will
run the risk. (_He looks down at her, but she stands like a statue._)
BELSON. You wouldn’t like your brother to marry Maitland’s sister in
England, and then sail away out of your lives. His mother is a widow.
Who is going to look after her and her affairs when she grows old?
(_Pause._) Apart from that, do you think that he will be happy knowing
that he has deserted the Navy?
JACK. Grrrrrrrrh! There are plenty more without me!
BELSON. No country can afford to lose good men. And you will be lost,
Maitland--_lost_--if you carry out this mad project----
JACK. Very well, let me be mad!
OMETSU (_to BELSON in a strained voice_). Do you really believe that
if I married Jack I should spoil his life?
JACK (_in agony_). Ometsu! Don’t think of such a thing!
OMETSU (_looks at BELSON, and he bows in the affirmative. She
continues, in the same strained voice_). I remember now that during
the war the women were called on to sacrifice themselves. Jack, if you
don’t go back your country will lose one man--one good man. Who knows,
dear, that one day, years to come, you may be the one man who might
save your country! Ought we to run that risk?