The letter went on to say that Ah Lon, the little Chinese maiden, was a
well-brought-up child, her father belonging to the anti-foot-binding
community which is fast making its way throughout China. She would
therefore be no more trouble in the old home than a little English girl,
than father's own Jinty, in fact.

"Well, of course," said the Professor meditatively, "the heavy end of
the beam will come upon you, my good Barbara. There's plenty of room in
the old house for this young stranger, but she will be a great charge
for you."

"'Deed, sir, and it's a charge I never looked to have put upon me!"
quavered the scandalised Mrs. Barbara, twisting the corner of her apron
agitatedly. "A haythen Chinee under this respected roof where there's
been none but Christian Ransoms for generations back!"

"There, there!" said her master soothingly. "Your motherly heart would
never turn away a poor orphan from our door!"

But Mrs. Barbara sniffed herself out of the room, and it was weeks
before she reconciled herself to the new and disagreeable prospect.

Indeed, when poor, shivering Ah Lon arrived at Old Studley, the good
woman nearly swooned at the spectacle of a little visitor arrayed in
dark blue raiment consisting of a long, square-shaped jacket and full
trousers, and a bare head stuck over with well-oiled queues of black
hair.

"I thought as Mr. William wrote it was a girl, sir!" she gasped faintly,
with a shocked face.

But the old professor was in ecstasies. All he could think of was the
fact that under his roof was a being who could converse in pure Chinese;
in truth, poor bewildered Ah Lon could not speak in anything else but
her native tongue. He would have carried her off to his study and
monopolised her, but Mrs. Barbara's sense of propriety was fired.

"No, sir," she interposed firmly. "If that being's the girl Mr. William
sent she's got to look as such in some of Miss Jinty's garments and
immediately."

So Ah Lon, trembling like a leaf, was carried off to be attired like a
little English child.

"But as for looking like one, that she never will!" Mrs. Barbara
hopelessly regarded the strangely-wide little yellow face, the singular
eyes narrow as slits, and the still more singular eyebrows.

"Oh, never mind how she looks!" Jinty put her arms round the little
yellow neck and lovingly kissed the stranger, who summarily shook her
off. Perhaps Ah Lon was not accustomed to kisses at home.

It was a rebuff,