Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing Page #5

You accuse me? You have

become a foreigner yourself.

You are free. You can return to Hong Kong.

Third Uncle will not secure a passport for me,

so I must stay and be shot

when the Communists come.

And would you stand under

the protection of the foreigner

and watch if your family was shot?

They could flee. But they will not.

I am sick of Chungking.

I want to be as free as you to

live my life... and forget China.

If I get you a passport,

will you return to the family and

wipe out this obligation to the foreigner?

I want only to get away.

You will have your passport.

Yes?

(man speaks Mandarin)

(speaks Mandarin)

I couldn't risk letting you get away

from me, so I came after you.

Is there someplace where

we can go and talk for a moment?

Third Uncle, we would like to go

into the courtyard and talk privately.

Will you graciously grant permission?

The night is cool.

I shall have tea waiting to warm you.

Suyin, will you marry me?

But you are not free...

I'll get my freedom as soon as we return.

I don't want to make you do

anything that will hurt others.

You won't like that.

And you won't like me.

I want to know if you'll marry me.

I will always do what you want me to do.

Then it's settled.

It is settled.

Yet I should like permission of my uncle.

It would hurt him not to make this gesture.

Sit here, Suyin. There, Mr Elliott.

Third Uncle...

I respectfully ask your permission

to become the wife of Mark Elliott.

- Where would you live?

- In Hong Kong, with Mark.

And will you now give up your vow

to medicine for devotion to Mr Elliott?

I won't ask Suyin to give up

being a doctor to be my wife, sir.

Suyin... you are a Chinese citizen.

When your passport expires,

you may not be granted

the right to practise in Hong Kong.

Where would you go?

If Suyin wanted to practise medicine

in China, I would live here.

The new tapestry will be

tightly woven, Mr Elliott.

You would not fit into its hard pattern.

We can always go to America.

Ah, yes.

It can begin in flight,

pull up roots, and wither and die.

Third Aunt, do you believe

that this is wrong?

You have asked, and I must answer.

He is a foreigner.

Well, that I can't change.

We are not strange to this problem, Mr Elliott.

Suyin's father left the land of

his ancestors for a European.

He left part of his heart.

I would rather face the future without

hope than the present without Mark.

Then you must do what you have to do.

We cannot stem the tide of change.

Leave nothing behind with us, Suyin.

Enter this marriage wholeheartedly.

We believe that jade, if worn long enough,

becomes the person who wears it.

They have given me something

of themselves to take away.

Back to earth again.

The sun is out. It is a good omen.

We don't have to worry about omens.

Fate isnt jealous of us.

At the airport, I'll make arrangements

to fly on to Singapore.

At once?

This is something I can't handle

in a letter. I have to see her.

Of course. I will test myself at missing you.

You bite your nails.

Yes, I know.

If you stop, it will be because

you are completely peaceful

and completely mine.

(stewardess) Will passengers make sure

to take possessions as they leave the plane?

That means you.

You've changed since I last saw you.

You're radiant. Beautiful.

It's Mark.

And you used to be so shy and inhibited.

It's Mark.

Don't keep saying "It's Mark, it's Mark",

- as if it's never happened to anyone before.

- Not to me.

- When does Mark get back?

- As soon as he's settled about his divorce.

Fat chance he has of getting it.

- Why do you say that?

- I'm a realist. I've met his wife.

She doesn't want him, but will hold onto him

until she finds someone she wants.

Well, I think Mark will come back

free to marry Suyin.

Ann, being Mark, would you

give up so much to marry me?

No, I wouldn't.

I consider it quite idiotic of him.

And idiotic of you, too. After all,

you're quite happy as you are.

Oh, well, why spoil everything anyhow?

All the fun goes out when you get serious.

You must admit it's difficult for Mark.

And your being Chinese doesn't

make it any easier for him.

- You talk too much.

- You all talk too much.

(Robert) Suyin, it's the hospital.

There's a cablegram for you.

Dr Han here.

Read the cablegram to me, please.

Thank you.

(Nora) Well, what is it, darling?

- It was Mark.

- What did he say?

He said "I have stopped

biting my fingernails."

(sobs)

- Mark...

- She won't release me.

I guessed as much when I saw your face.

What are we going to do, Suyin?

I had prepared myself

for the possibility of failure.

Nothing is different.

I am as much to you

as the pleasure I bring you.

When I sent you the cable,

she had agreed to the divorce.

Then later she changed her mind.

You're quite right. Nothing is different.

We can still hope that

she will change her mind again.

Mark, go home and rest.

I will see you tomorrow.

You didn't get enough sleep, did you?

How can you tell?

I can tell whether you've had enough sleep

or worked too hard or had enough to eat.

I found a cable waiting.

I have to go to Macao on a story.

Oh, of course.

Then you must go.

But I don't want to be

away from you for a week.

You won't be far.

But a whole week, Suyin.

Do you think you could

join me in a few days?

Yes. I'll arrange it.

Now, darling, if you think

it's unwise, I'll understand.

To go on living, one must

be occasionally unwise.

- Why are you smiling?

- Oh, I don't know.

The way you walk, the way you talk.

Everything about you.

I love you, Suyin.

(phone rings)

- Dr Han here.

- Oh, Dr Han?

This is Adeline Palmer-Jones here.

Could you come over this morning?

Oh... Would you mind

if Dr Sen came instead?

I'm going on holiday. I was just leaving.

Well, it is important. I sprained my ankle.

Very well. I'll stop by on my way to the boat.

(speaking Cantonese)

Oh... It was nice of you to come, Dr Han.

- I don't understand. I thought...

- I didn't sprain my ankle.

I wanted to talk to you. Won't you sit down?

I have a taxi waiting, Mrs Palmer-Jones.

I'm catching the boat for Macao.

That's what I want to talk

to you about. Sit down.

Now, no one hates gossip more than I do,

and nobody is more tolerant than I am.

But there are certain conventions

that must be observed,

especially with this...

ticklish situation in China.

And there's been some

ugly talk about you and Mr Elliott.

May I ask what sort of talk?

Oh, the usual kind.

Mr Elliott is married, you know.

I've known that from the beginning.

Oh. Well, Mr Palmer-Jones feels that

the personnel at the hospital

should not be indiscreet.

- I thought I should warn you, my dear.

- Thank you.

Please feel free to call me

if you do sprain your ankle.

- I'm Dr Han.

- Yes, Dr Han.

Mr Elliott telephoned. He will be delayed.

(speaks Portuguese)

I hope you will be comfortable.

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

It isn't often that I do.

You locked yourself in. Why?

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