our son had been stolen, what should we have done?
There he is.'

A tall, pale boy of fourteen appeared in the doorway.

'Listen, Chi Fu,' he continued; 'I have seen one of the hymn-singers,'
and he repeated his account of his adventure of the morning, and told
his son how he and Chang Nai-nai had gone into the small court and heard
Ku Nai-nai call away her daughter-in-law and Little Yi, and tell Nelly
to stay where she was. When they found that only one person was there,
Chang had ventured to fetch a ladder and look over.

'Now, Chi Fu, my clever son, you must tell us how we are to get hold of
these children, and then I can easily take them to Peking.'

'You'll be only too glad of an excuse to get to Peking,' struck in
Chang Nai-nai, 'and I shall be left here to look after all those young
fowls. 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.

Meanwhile Chi Fu had been reflecting, his knees crossed one over the
other and his head resting, in what he thought was a graceful attitude,
on the palm of his left hand, supported by his elbow on the table.

'Respected father,' he said, when he could get a word in, 'it seems to
me that the first thing to be done is to write to the young lady's
parents. All we need do is to inform the honourable gentleman where his
daughter is to be found.'

'That is so, my son, and you can write the letter.'

'I will write to-morrow, after you have inquired the correct name and
address of the young lady's father. To avoid risks, in case the letter
should be opened on the way, instead of writing in the usual characters
of our language I'll use the Romanised, which I learnt in the mission
school in Peking.'

'You'll write your letter and send it, and before any one can come the
children will be off with that man Ku Hung Li. We must get them here
before he returns,' said Chang Nai-nai.

'You are right too, my mother. The letter shall be written, and we will
also try to think of some other plan to benefit the foreign and native
young ladies.'

With which Chi Fu rose slowly and majestically, and glided into the next
room.

CHAPTER IX

CH