y maid to England; but you can't do
much, can you? You don't know about our ways; but never mind, I'll teach
you. Wouldn't you like to learn some English to begin with?'

And Nelly at once began to give English lessons to An Ching, and Little
Yi sometimes condescended to listen. They had no books, and it was only
by repeating words and short sentences over and over again that anything
could be done. Nelly was much bothered when she was asked the names of
things that do not exist in English, such as the hair ornaments worn by
the Chinese women. She was obliged to invent names for them. For
instance, the embroidered band a Chinese girl wears as soon as she is
old enough not to have her hair shaved in front Nelly called a
'hair-belt,' and the curved, flat ornament sticking out behind An
Ching's head she christened 'head-protector.' Nelly was not quite sure
that it was good English to invent names, but she said to herself, 'The
Chinese call a tea-cosy "a tea-pot's hat" and a sewing machine "an iron
tailor."' Greatly to Nelly's surprise and sorrow, there were times when
she could not remember the names of things in English. She was, in fact,
beginning to forget her own language. One day, when it had taken her a
very long time to remember that 'wa-tzu' meant stockings, she was in
great trouble, until Little Yi reminded her that she had always called
them 'wa-tzu' in Peking. 'I've often heard you say that and lots of
other things in Chinese when you were speaking English,' added Little
Yi, decidedly.

Nelly next set to work to teach An Ching to sing hymns, and succeeded
pretty well, as far as the tune was concerned, with the help of Little
Yi, who, having often listened with all her ears to the singing in the
Legation chapel on Sunday mornings, knew some of the airs quite well. An
Ching and the two children used to go through the round gateway into the
inner court, and while Nelly sang the words very distinctly, An Ching
and Little Yi hummed the tune. 'Art thou weary' was their favourite
hymn.

CHAPTER VII

THE CHESHIRE CAT

It began to be very hot about the middle of May. The Ku family had put
their wadded clothes away and taken to cottons and thin silks. Nelly and
Little Yi were also supplied with some very plain unwadded cotton coats
and trousers at the same time. But in spite of this the little
foreigner, as the Chinese called her, began to feel the heat and
confinement of the small compound. She thought of h