Chang and his wife saw no more of their son that day until it was time to eat rice in the evening. Chi Fu had been at the mission compound. Naturally the Changs were both full of excitement over the morning’s adventure; so little happens to disturb the tranquillity of home life in China. They had talked of nothing else, and were quite ready to begin again when Chi Fu arrived.

‘Well, have you thought of a plan to get hold of those children?’ his mother asked, as soon as he had swallowed one bowl of rice.

The family oracle replied slowly that he had thought a good deal about it, and that he had inquired at the mission when the courier was going to Peking.

‘You surely did not tell about those children?’ screamed Chang Nai-nai.

‘No, I only asked about the courier,’ quietly replied Chi Fu, ’and as he has only just left, my letter could not go until next month. It would not be prudent to send a letter written in foreign characters otherwise than by the mission courier, and were I to use Chinese writing it might be read on the way.’

Chi Fu partook of another half bowl of rice, and then continued:

’Therefore it would be advisable to make some plan for the escape of the two young ladies, and receive them here.’

‘But what plan?’ cried his mother. ’Your father and I have been thinking it over all the afternoon, and there seems no way.’

’No, there is no way unless we get the help of some one in the compound,’ replied Chi Fu. Then he dropped a little of his dignity, and warming to the subject, unfolded his plan, which was that his father should question Nelly next day about An Ching, and that if she seemed reliable Nelly should tell her everything, and they would arrange a meeting between her and Chang. If An Ching were willing to help, it would be quite possible to get the children over the wall by means of ropes. Chi Fu, who certainly had a good head on his shoulders and could use it to some purpose when he forgot his affectation, suggested also that in case of an extra courier being sent from the mission, or the arrival of a missionary, Nelly had better write a letter to her parents, which he could enclose.

‘But,’ said Chang, ’if we get the children, are we to keep them here until they are taken back to Peking?’

Chi Fu replied that he was afraid his father would be obliged to make the journey to Peking, and told his mother to fatten her fowls in readiness. There would be plenty of time, as Ku Hung Li was not likely to be back yet, and they could not attempt to get the children away except by night, in which case they must wait for the moonlight.

Chang and his wife thought that their clever son had planned everything marvellously, and next morning Chang went into the small court and waited to see what would happen. He had not been there long when he saw a little red ball on the other side of the wall rise up in the air several times. Nelly was trying to throw a pebble wrapped in a piece of red paper over the wall, but as Bob Bates had often told her, she threw just like a girl, and it was only after several attempts that her little red messenger landed on Chang’s side.

Very soon after her successful throw Nelly saw Chang’s pleasant, round, smiling face appearing cautiously over the wall. When he was satisfied that no one else was looking, he came a step higher.

‘Good-morning, Ku-niang (young lady),’ he said. ’What are the others doing, and where are they?’

‘They are all busy doing their hair,’ Nelly replied; ’at least An Ching and Ku Nai-nai are. Little Yi is washing some rice at the well, and the old servant is still ill. I’ll begin to sing at once if I see any one coming. I can see quite well through the hole when I stand here in the middle of the court. Please will you tell me your name?’

Chang did so, and said: ’My son thinks that we ought to let An Ching know of the plan to get you away. Are you sure she is to be trusted?’

‘Oh yes, quite,’ replied Nelly.

’You are sure she won’t tell her mother-in-law or any female friends who come to the house?’

’I am certain she won’t say anything about it to Ku Nai-nai, and I don’t believe she has any friends. She wants to get away from here and come to me in Peking. But there’s Little Yi,’ Nelly went on. ’She’ll be cross if I tell An Ching and not her.’

‘Well, well,’ said Chang, ’of course she will have to know, and it may as well be now.’

And then he told Nelly about his son’s idea that she should write to her father.

Nelly was delighted, until she suddenly remembered that she had nothing to write with.

Chang at first said that she must do her best with Chinese paper and the brush that the Chinese use for a pen, but then he recollected that Chi Fu had a lead pencil and some foreign paper, of which he was very proud. He promised to throw them over the wall, and went on to talk about his clever son. He had by no means finished when Nelly, who spied An Ching coming, suddenly began to sing most vigorously. Chang broke off and vanished, leaving Nelly standing in the middle of the court foolishly looking at the wall.

‘Whatever is the matter?’ An Ching asked when she had hobbled into the court. ‘What are you looking at?’

‘Nothing,’ said Nelly; ‘at least he’s gone now.’

‘Who? What do you mean?’ exclaimed An Ching.

‘The Christian I mean Chang.’

An Ching was more and more puzzled, and looked at Nelly in wonder.

At length Nelly said, ’Come and sit down and I’ll tell you all about it.’

They both sat down on the bench near the wall, and Nelly told her tale to the astonished An Ching, or rather she half told it, for just as she was in the middle of it Ku Nai-nai came shouting for that lazy An Ching to come indoors.

You may be sure that An Ching made haste to finish up her work after they had all eaten their mid-day meal. She and Nelly got out to the court alone, and Nelly was able to finish the exciting story. An Ching was too surprised to offer any advice. She agreed, however, that Little Yi must know at once, and when that young lady joined them she was told the wonderful news of the man in the next compound who was willing to help them to get away.

Little Yi was quite as enthusiastic about it as was possible to a Chinese girl. 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.

Poor An Ching! she hated the thought of being left behind, and was dreadfully disappointed when she heard that Chang had said he could not take her; but she promised to do nothing to hinder their flight in any case. There was one thing she did not want to do, though, and that was to talk to Chang over the wall unless his wife were there. ’You must see him first, Nelly,’ she said, ’and tell him to send up his wife to talk to me, or else get two ladders. It would not be at all proper for me to speak to a strange man alone. Respectable Chinese young women never do that.’ Nelly saw no objection, though she thought An Ching was foolish, and it was decided that she and Little Yi should receive Chang next day.