There 's a good haul for supper , lads . What have you got there ? Stop opening it then . Use that fresh fish instead . Tinned stuff is extra valuable nowadays . It can be sent to the front . We have time to think out here on these hills . I have thought till my head reeled and not yet found out what big things we can do for our country , but the little duties are clear enough , and one of ‘ em is not to be wasteful . What is the full tally ? Fine . We can n't have too much wool and mutton this year . She 'll be tired after that long ride . Her fine lady cousin ! She 's coming , of course . I 'd forgotten ! Here , you chaps , get that place straight .What is this sheep doing here ? You old fool . All right . Leave her . Go and straighten things up a bit in the shelter . ‘ Tis like a pig-stye . ( A clatter of horses hoofs , shouts of “ Whoa there , Nellie . Here we are , ” etc ., is heard without . TWO GIRLS with riding hats and whips ENTER front right wing . NORA LEE is dainty with light hair and a rather sunburnt face and neck . She has pale lashes ; she is petite and pretty and rather self-assured . She advances laughing . ) Oh , Nora , I 'm glad you 've come . Out with the men . He 'll be back by tea-time . I do know .I wish you welcome , Miss Lewisham . Yes . This is a friendly country . My name is Gordon . I 'll coo-ee for Robert .And there is Roto . Hi . Come along , Roto . Miss Nora wants to show you off . The Maoris believe in all sorts of charms and magic and spirits . They have a legend about these forests , for instance , that a goddess of wisdom lives in these hill tops and is a tree by day and a white woman at night . Not yet — but sometimes — Sometimes after a day alone in these forests , at sunset , when the heavens seem opening , one half imagines Wisdom is just behind one , slipping between the trees — I Wool and mutton ! Both necessaries . Of course we 've all thought of that , Robert . Oh , it is wonderful to see you again ! For me you are the dream of God which stirs the woodland , you are —I say , do sit down . You 'll be tired after that ride . Let me take your whip . Take your gloves off . Those little hands must ache after holding the reins for three hours . And so you should , they are such clever little hands . I 'm not . Everyone thinks you are wonderful , ask — Of course he does . He — he 's shy . But besides , though all men may think such things about a girl , they only say them when they love her . Is it a hundred or a hundred and one times I have told you so ? You have never once said no ! Say something different this time . You can n't always be cruel , with that sweet face you have . Do n't be , then . Being in love with you would make the world a heaven if only you were kind ! Of course ! I 'd die to make you happy ! How can I not talk of it when I love you ? No man could . Shewing Miss Loveday the sheep . I say , she 's handsome . Do n't say that , Nora . You know you are every beautiful thing to me . I hear your sweet voice every time the bell bird calls . I see your hair in the golden clouds after the sunset ; I think of you and the home nest you are making somewhere , particularly when I am out here sleeping out of doors . You know I never shall think there is anyone in the world like you . You try to prevent us being alone . You grudge me these few minutes . It is cruel . You notice that ? Is n't the sky the same size in England , Miss Loveday ? Everything is big here ; and mostly beautiful . It makes big ideas come into one 's head to be so solitary on these wide hills . Big ideas hover but they wo n't settle down into words , so one does n't know clearly what they are . Well , of course at present , about the war . The war is so huge one needs to be away from it , like we are here , to see how big it is . But you have done something . I 've done nothing yet . Wool and mutton are useful , I help produce those , but I must do more , Robert and I will both do more when we see clearly what we ought to do . I 've thought of joining an Expeditionary Force , but they have n't called for us yet — and , anyway , I do n't know if that is the best one can do — to leave all these sheep we are raising , you know . They are needed . You 're welcome . We 'll show you off . Miss Loveday Lewisham is fresh out from home and wants to see all the native sights . Miss Loveday , this is Mr. John Varlie , the universal provider . A regular conjurer who wafts the appliances of civilisation into our rude wilderness . Bully for you . All right . Sure . Those kettles are boiling . We 'll have tea in a jiffy . Sit down and have tea first , and then tell us all about it . And lots of straight men are muddled headed enough to think that wasting peoples time making a lot of truck nobody wants is good for trade . We know that ! Ah , this stirs one ! I wonder if this is what I ought to do ? A man has only one life . That 's all he can give to his country . Old men can raise sheep . That 's a direct message to me . Twenty-nine . Now me . Hardly at all . And I 'm strong ! I 've never been ill . I can ride day and night in the saddle . I 'd join the mounted rifles ! I 'm the right age . I 'm strong . I can ride like a cow-boy . I can shoot better than my brother . You must take me , somehow or other . You must . I can shoot . I never miss my aim ! What is the good of coming here and rousing us all up with your talk of soldiering if you wo n't take the best shot in the place ? Curse the tree that staked me ! Curse the fools that did n't heal me square ! Nora , what do you say ? Are n't I fit to go ? Now I see why you never loved me ! You 've teased me often enough . I 've made love like a man , but to you , to you I was never a man ! I see it now . You all think me useless . You do n't look on me as a man ! Would n't you take it hard if both your country and the woman you love told you plainly you were mere useless rubbish ? You are kind . But , oh God !— ( He goes toward shelter away from the OTHERS and aimlessly unfolds the blankets , folds them up again , and re-arranges the pile ; opens them out and re-folds them , and so on . Meanwhile , the RECRUITING OFFICER has quietly asked questions of the 2ND SHEPHERD , whose answers are satisfactory . LOVEDAY looks from one to the other , then sits brooding , glancing pitifully at GORDON from time to time . While this is going on , the RECRUITING OFFICER takes ROBERT and the 2ND SHEPHERD out , followed by the men with him , leaving NORA , 1ST SHEPHERD , ROTO and VARLIE in a group . LOVEDAY a little apart . ) Good luck , old chap , the best of luck ! I will , Robert . To both my country and the woman I love , I 'm not a man . I 'm lumber — useless lumber ! Nora ! Nora ! You are a spirit ? You are the goddess of the woods come to me in my pain ! Tell me , you beautiful , you wonderful — tell me , what have I to do ? Speak to me , speak to me ! Angel ! Goddess ! Tell me — how —Slowly the CURTAIN descends . It is good of you coming over so often to help me . I do n't know what I should have done without you . The others try to slay with laughter all my young ideas . I am indebted to you ! Oh , it is not mine . None of all thisis mine . All my ideas before that day had been vague and muddled . Now I am only writing down the ideas that vision , that goddess gave me . No . No . The germ of everything was in that beautiful message she gave me . A spirit . Perhaps the Maoris are right . This was a spirit . It could n't have been imagination ! I heard her speak quite clearly . Her wonderful voice was like music , thrilling and deep like the songs of birds in a cool , deep glade . Yes , I was overwrought . That recruiting business had amazingly stirred me . But what she said was so remote from my misery that I could not have imagined anything so vital , so full of hope . I felt shamed , anguished . I felt my manhood beaten in the dust , by my country , by the woman I loved . Do you know what love is ? Have you ever loved ? If not , you could never understand my shame . Ah , but you — beautiful and radiant as you are will never know what it is to have love spurned — as I have . Are you not sure that my love is spurned ? Do you think Nora , after all , may love me ? But Nora is so living — so — feminine . I do n't think dreamy things like ideas appeal to her . Oh , how well I remember her as a girl with her golden hair flying ! We three were brought up together , she and Robert and I . She never cared about reading , but always played some real game . Wish that for me ! Sure ! Wish it for me ! There is something wonderful about you . Your wishes would bring me luck . That 's vague . Say , “ I wish that Nora may love you and make you happy . ” Ah , ifWhat 's the matter with you ? Your voice sounds tired . Are you tired ? We 'll stop the work . “ The nations shall unite and have a super-parliament to which they shall all send a small number of representatives . This super-parliament shall make International laws , but it shall chiefly exist to prevent any nation flying at another 's throat . If necessary , by force . ”Flying at another 's throat , does n't seem formal enough , does it ? “ In order to prevent any murderously-minded nation flying at another 's throatas Germany did at Belgium . That example will never be forgotten . ” “ In order to prevent for ever , ” I 'll add for ever , shall I ? “ In order for ever to prevent any murderously-minded nation flying at another 's throat , or stealing any of the rights , or breaking any international law , the super-parliament shall have behind it the whole of the armaments of the world . ” That 's good , is n't it ? That 's the point . Yes .“ The super-parliament is to have complete control of all the armies and all the armament factories in the whole world . Any individual or group of individuals violating that monopoly and attempting private manufacture of armaments shall be subject to instant death . ” You are bloodthirsty ! No , no , because —Where is it ? There is to be a clause preventing any such hanky-panky . That 's the idea . They idealise human nature . Do n't call it mine . It is all the gift of my fairy genius of the woods . No , only that once . They are not . Though I was dreaming and longing vaguely for something of the kind , I 'm not big enough actually to have thought it out . Nora does n't think so . Why are you so keen on making me think too well of myself ? Why do you trouble that I should even think well of myself at all ? You are wonderful — women generally try to make a man feel a worm . Yes . And she would give herself away so utterly if she stood out ! Why not ? Every spot is remote from somewhere else . Robert left me here on trust . I must keep his sheep going , at any rate till I can get a responsible manager . Then I 'll go to London . It may take time ! I do n't , that 's flat . Sit down , Nora . You 'll be tired after picking all that fruit . I 'll carry it over for you when you are rested . Do n't , Nora . Do n't always be cruel now . I 'd be happier . Why not ? Nora ! You 're not — not engaged ? But — when will it be , I wonder ! Nora , how you tease me ! And yet , I believe , underneath it all you are fond of me — a little . But now , Nora — oh , bother !ROTO . } 1ST SHEP . } Hey , mister , here 's a sight . Look at that now ! The first , the very first that 's been along that road . Hoo-o ! Do n't you lay it on too thick if you want to sell your car . And I suppose that 's what you 're after ? We might do without it . If it did n't jib half way . If you have the car I will learn to drive it all right . Your dad 'll never spend so much just on your running about . Have you sold any around here ? Where was she made ? It is ingenious . That is so . And waste good work making things we are happier without ! No ! Till this war is settled up , and after it , till everyone is fed and clothed decently , work must be spent on those jobs , not on senseless fripperies which enslave us to make some soulless idiot rich ! Here , Roto , fetch along the drinks ! Like all miracles , it do n't seem sure to work . Here you are . No . I do n't . It is to make another such war as this impossible . I 'm no silly mug of a pacifist . Then any nation would have all the rest of the world against it directly it tried to do anything aggressive . Then she would openly proclaim that her militarism is aggressive and not for self-defence . It would have to be one of the terms of peace that she did come in . Without some such plan the nations will all be burdened beyond endurance , with armament making and the upkeep of armies . Whose is it then ? It is the business of everyone to make the world safer and more beautiful — Whatever is the matter ? ( ROTO comes in and learning news from VARLIE , shows signs of real grief . ALL hesitate to tell GORDON . 1ST SHEPHERD holds out telegram . ) The telegram is official — it 's — is Robert wounded ? Killed ! Good old chap . Yes , he 'll never come back . Your master is dead — died a hero 's death . Thanks — thanks , you 're kind .Nora , dear .How sweet of you to care so much — he , he 'd be proud if he knew . He wo n't come back !He wo n't come back ! He has done his job for the Empire ! That frees me ! Now I 'll do mine ! I 've nothing to keep me here . Robert charged me to keep the station going for him till he came back . Now he 'll never come back ; I 'm done with the station ! Other men must raise the sheep . Yes . We have often said I 'd have to go to London some day to get my job put through . No . All I have is the homestead , and the sheep . But I 'll sell them . I 'll lose something of course , but the homestead and all is really worth quite ten thousand pounds altogether . Yes . And unencumbered . Yes — now it is . Robert and I shared it . He left his will with me — he said his share was all for me , as he had n't got a girl . I shall . But my work wo n't wait ! I sha n't . You say so ? You back me ? Well , I have one on my side . I must sell at once . Perhaps neighbour Lee might like to join this station on to his . Well , I must sell for else I have no money to go to Europe with and I will go . It will be a very expensive job . Propaganda costs . I must put my scheme before the Prime Minister of England , and it 's no good to write to him . I must see him , I must talk to him . He does n't know me yet . I 'll manage it somehow . No . But I 'll get to . No . But I will when I get there . Splendid ! You never told me that , Loveday , when you said I should have to go and see him somehow . With Robert 's example before me — I 'll do it , or die . But it may take a long time , and I must have money , plenty of money too . I must sell the station at once . You ! Good . That 'll save ever so much time I might waste in looking for a buyer . It is worth ten thousand pounds . But I 'll take less . Say seven thousand — for money down . It is really worth that , why the sheep alone — Next month ! I want to be half way to England next month . That 's too little to discuss . After the war will be too late for me . The international super-parliament must be considered in the terms of peace . To-day ! That 's better than waiting for an uncertain buyer — but it 's very little — To-day . Well , I 'll take it ! Oh , Nora ! You 'll give me a letter of introduction ? Loveday , you said you would give me a letter of introduction ! Oh , Loveday , what do you mean ? But , what do you mean , Loveday ? You will ? You are a brick ! How splendid ! It is too much , Loveday ! I fear I have bored you , there is so much to say , but perhaps the chief point is that there shall not only be international law , but adequate force behind that law to enforce it . I know I owe her an awful lot . And you too . I 'm ever so grateful , I can n't say how grateful . Posterity will — I say . You do work miracles . She terrifies me rather . I say , I 'm nervous you know . I 'm wretchedly nervous . Is he , is he short with people ? I say , what do you think ?I thought of wording Clause 29 of the suggested constitution as follows : “ The Super-Parliament is to have the power of prohibiting the manufacture of anything which in its opinion constitutes a menace to the Peace of the world : with power to inflict the death penalty on all concerned in any infringement of its prohibition in any country . ” I hope the Prime Minister will see that . I must learn this clause off by heart now . Teach it to me , will you ? Yes , of course I learnt them . I could n't read them to the Prime Minister , could I ? And I 'm so nervous , I 'd muddle them up unless I just learn them off . Why , yes ! I 'm to tell him the ideas , are n't I ? If I 'm not to say the clauses I have learnt , what on earth am I to say ? Good heavens . What a gamble ! You have been my inspiration for so much of this . I owe you so much . How strange it is I should have met you the same day that the vision came to me . Next to my vision-spirit , you are the source of all the ideas worth anything in it . But I had no concrete ideas at first ! The vision , and you , gave me the ideas to work out . Loveday ! Loveday .— You do n't really think that ? I 'm so accustomed to women thinking poorly of me — Nora — No I have waked from my foolish dream of love for her . She , she was too cruel — and besides — she , you know , you heard — she loved Robert . Yes . Thank God I 'm free from love of any earthly woman . You make most women look small , and then — then — anyway , I 'm not the type of man such a woman as I could love now , would look at . Thank God , no mortal woman can rack my heart . My vision Queen has my heart and my dreams . Impossible . Yours . New Zealand , Sir . Yes , Sir . Yes indeed , Sir . We are Britons all , Sir . My only brother was killed a few weeks ago in Gallipoli , Sir . And that is one reason why , Sir , I am so anxious to ask your help for my scheme of international — They must have been , Sir Good-bye , Sir , thank you .And may I come and see you in office hours about my scheme ? It is very important , it — is a series of clauses for an international arrangement which will wipe German Militarism and all other militarism off the earth — it — Sure , Loveday , I 'll hold him , even if Mr. Smithers wo n't . Yes , Varlie , there 's no mistaking you ! You bought the freehold of my Station and all my sheep and I 'm not likely to forget it . That 's the name I 've known him under in New Zealand for months . I have that great honour , sir . If there was a Super-Parliament constituted as I suggest Prussian Militarism , all Militarism , is not only defeated now , but for ever ! It is plucked out by the roots , but not at the ruinous cost of imposing militarism on all other nations . Oh , there 's so much . And you , you are not only my friend but my Goddess , my vision ! Your look just now — your wonderful voice when you were speaking to the Minister a little ago . It was you that night in the woods — you I have been adoring , and from you I have been drawing my inspiration ! I know my love can be nothing at all to you — I am not a fit mate for you . But let me go on kneeling to you ! Do n't spurn me . Oh ! It can n't be that it is anything to you ?