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Then he got up, called for Ku Nai-nai and An Ching, refreshed himself by wiping his face with a rag dipped in hot water, and took a deep draught from the spout of the tea-pot, after which he began to talk. 'We shall start to-night' he said. I shall take them back at once. An Ching must go too, to look after them. It is all settled. Ku Nai-nai grunted.
It is not easy this hot weather, and Chi Fu there has his head too full of books and learning to be of any use. 'Now don't scold, old woman, replied Chang. 'I can take some of your chickens to sell in Peking at the same time. Fatten them up well, and the foreigners will give me good prices. Chang Nai-nai only grunted. She was not really mean and greedy, but she loved to make a fuss.
She wanted Nelly to throw over some red paper at once to call Chang, but An Ching said that as Ku Nai-nai had already been smoking and dozing some time, she might call them at any moment, so it was decided that they should wait until next day, and throw over the paper as soon as ever Ku Nai-nai was comfortably settled on the kang with her pipe.
An Ching had a small bundle with some extra clothing, comb, etc., and a box was fastened on behind the cart with cups, a tea-pot, a few cooking utensils, and some charcoal for cooking their food on the way. Nelly could hardly believe that they were to start. They had only been a few months in Yung Ching, but it seemed like years. Ku Nai-nai was unusually pleasant at the last.
They both went through the round hole in the centre court and then indoors. Chang Nai-nai was most eager to learn all that Nelly had said, for she had only heard one-half of the talk from her post at the foot of the ladder, and as it was she who had first heard the sound of hymn-singing coming from their neighbours', she considered herself entitled to know everything.
There was no mistaking now; it was his voice in the inner court talking to Ku Nai-nai. 'I must go, said An Ching. 'We will talk it over again this afternoon. You two must pretend to be glad that Hung Li has come back. An Ching left them, and was greeted by her husband with a command to get him something to drink. Ku Nai-nai began to scold her for being out of the way when needed.
She soon found out, however, when they had all taken some Chinese porridge in Ku Nai-nai's room, and wiped their faces and hands with wet towels. Ku Nai-nai told her that she was to have her head shaved in front and the back dressed in a tail like Little Yi's. Nelly begged and protested and cried in vain.
As soon as they were gone, the girl began to talk freely. She said her name was An Ching, and that she was the daughter-in-law of the woman Ku Nai-nai who had brought them there. Her husband was the son who, Ku Nai-nai said, was to take them home. The boy was his brother and the old woman their grandmother.
'She is quite right, said Chang Nai-nai. 'Then, said Chang, 'you must come up and talk to her. Now Chang Nai-nai had never mounted a ladder, and she was rather afraid to do it, but she thought she would like to see into the next compound, and resolved to try. Chang came down, and she cautiously went up a few rungs, but stopped and asked Chang to follow her, as she felt rather nervous.
'I have been brought here, replied Nelly vaguely, 'and I want to get away, but Ku Nai-nai will be very angry if she knows I am talking to you. 'Then don't tell her, said the man. 'I shan't. She is the woman who speaks so loudly, I suppose. I'll bob down if she comes. Where do you live? 'Peking, the British Legation.
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