Colombo to Hong Kong

Having arrived in Singapore, Nellie discovers they have to stay for an extra twenty-four hours due to a mail contract. Disappointed, she heads ashore with Marín and Ogden to visit Raffles Place.

Ogden tries to persuade Nellie to visit the Botanic Gardens and stay in Hong Kong with him, but Nellie turns him down. Nellie and Marín visit the cable office, where Nellie discovers that she has a message from a lady.

While riding a gharry, Nellie finally reads the cable from Elizabeth Bisland. The message thanks Nellie for her kind words, and says that Elizabeth has been delayed in Hong Kong due to a mechanical problem on her steamship. Nellie decides to write back at once. She buys a pet monkey for her niece from the gharry driver.

On board the ship, O'Very and Marín have dinner with Nellie and regale her by reading Elizabeth Bisland's latest 'Cosmopolitan' article, where she passionately writes about beautiful women. O'Very and Marín encourage Nellie to write to her and confess her feelings. They also suggest that she could sabotage her rival by spreading a rumour that the screw on her ship had broken, causing her to miss it. Nellie refuses to do this, and leaves to see the captain.

Now underway, Nellie explains that she simply asked the captain if he wanted to get to Hong Kong on time. She spends the evening reading Elizabeth Bisland's 'Cosmopolitan' articles, until Ogden arrives to speak with her. Ogden asks her if life is worth living. He grabs her and talks about throwing them both overboard to drown. Nellie hears O'Very and calls out to him. He and Don Marín arrive, and Marín escorts Ogden away.

O'Very asks Nellie if she has considered carrying a revolver to help avoid the situation with Ogden. Marín wants to report what happened to the captain and have Ogden locked up, but Nellie asks him not to. The boat hits rough water, and Marín is thrown off balance and hits his face against a porthole, smashing the glass. Nellie runs to find the doctor.

Nellie returns with Doctor Drummond who checks on Don Marín and takes him to be treated. Surely the storm and this incident mean that Nellie won't reach Hong Kong on time!

Nellie arrives in Hong Kong two days early. She sadly says goodbye to Marín and O'Very who have their own journeys ahead of them. She receives a new message from Elizabeth Bisland talking about her experience of Singapore, and Nellie eagerly writes back. With four days before the next ship to Yokohama, Nellie decides to visit Guangzhou.