  Really, we had created a sensation in the summer-house. The three beauties were huddled together in a bunch as far away as the circling willows would permit, and with clasped hands and wide open eyes they were staring at us intently. “Permit us to introduce ourselves,” said Joe, in his most polite manner. “I am Joseph Herring, of America.” “And I am Archie Ackley, of the same grand old country.” “I am Sam Steele, at your service, ladies. Won’t you sit down?” I continued. “Now that we are here let us tell you all about Prince Kai Lun Pu, and how he sent us to this place.” “Go away!” said Mai Mou, in low tense tones. “Oh, no, we can’t do that,” said Joe. “But you must,” persisted the Pearl. “Why so?” asked Archie, calmly seating himself at the table. “You will be sliced if you are found here,” announced Nor Ghai, with a dimpled smile, half frightened, half amused. “Sliced! What does that mean, little friend?” I asked. “You are bound to the plank and the axe begins at your feet and slices you thin until you are dead—and long afterward.” “Oh, that’s nothing,” said Archie, contemptuously. “We’re not afraid.” “If you care not to consider yourselves, then consider us,” begged the fair Ko-Tua. “If you are found here we shall be beaten with bamboos upon the soles of our feet and cast into dungeons without food.” “Don’t worry,” I said, assuringly. “I will not allow the eunuchs to harm you.” “How can you prevent it?” asked Mai Mou, curiously. “This is our authority,” I replied, exhibiting the Prince’s ruby ring. “Oh—h!” sighed Nor Ghai, gliding swiftly toward me. Then she knelt and touched the ring with her rose-bud lips, saying: “It is his, Mai Mou! It is my brother’s signet, Ko-Tua! We need fear nothing, I am sure.” “Then sit down and let’s talk it over,” I said, motioning toward the chairs. Very timidly they approached, like frightened doves about to fly at the least alarm, and then they plumped down upon a bench all together, with their arms twined around each other for mutual encouragement. “How does it happen you speak English?” I inquired, pretending not to notice their fears. “One of my father’s wives lived at Hong-Kong before he brought her here, and she taught us,” replied Nor Ghai, simply. “Do you think we the English speak with perfection?” “Nothing could be more perfect,” laughed Archie. “Ah—h!” they murmured, looking at each other delightedly. “We the English talk much with ourselves,” declared Ko-Tua, casting her eyes down modestly to avoid Joe’s stare. “We can faster talk in English than in our own language.” “That’s a great blessing,” said Archie; “you must have a lot to say to each other.” “And we study all the time, velly hard and good,” added Mai Mou, looking earnestly at Archie for approval. “I’m sure you are very wise and learned,” said he. “Now,” broke in Nor Ghai, wiggling expectantly in her seat, “tell me of Lun Pu—all of Lun Pu—and how he came to join his ancestors, and how you foreign dev—you, you——” “That’s right. We’re foreign devils.” “How you came to Kai-Nong?” “Let me see,” I rejoined; “you are the Prince’s sister, I believe; Nor Ghai by name.” “How did you know?” she exclaimed, clasping her hands with a little gesture of pleasure. “And this must be Mai Mou, the governor’s daughter, called by all the world the Pearl of Kai-Nong,” added Archie. “How strange,” she murmured. “Do you know everything?” “Not quite,” laughed Joe. “For instance, we do not know who Ko-Tua is. Will she tell us?” Now Ko-Tua was not the least charming of the little maids by any means. Her features were not quite so regular as those of Mai Mou, nor so merry and winning as those of Nor Ghai; but she was sweet and dainty as a spring floweret and her eyes had a pleading and wistful look that was hard to resist. So we were all greatly astonished when Mai Mou answered Joe’s question by saying: “Ko-Tua is my little mother; she is my father’s new wife.” “What!” I exclaimed. “Has the old governor been marrying since he returned?” “No-no!” answered Ko-Tua, smiling and blushing. “I was married to the noble Mai Lo six years ago.” “Impossible! How old are you now?” She looked inquiringly at Mai Mou, who answered: “Fifteen summers has Mai Mou looked upon.” “And you were married at nine!” “That must be it,” she nodded, counting upon her slender fingers. “Ten—’leven—tlelve—thirt’—fourt—fliftleen!” “It’s preposterous!” cried Joe, indignantly. “The old rascal ought to be sliced for daring to marry a child.” “What is wrong?” asked Mai Mou, wonderingly. “Is not my little mother beautiful? Is she not nice? Is not my father’s harem well appointed and comforting?” “Are you happy, Ko-Tua?” asked Joe, earnestly. “Oh, yes, foreign one. Only the birds are happier.” “Then we won’t slice Mai Lo,” I announced, airily. I picked up the book that lay open upon the table and found it an English translation of Plutarch. “Do you like this?” I asked. “Oh, yes!” they cried. And Ko-Tua added: “We are entertain much by its stories.” It seemed pretty heavy reading for young girls. “We have the Shakespeare and we have the verse songs of Blylon,” announced Nor Ghai, gleefully. “My brother, Lun Pu, gave them to my father’s wife who came from Hong Kong. But now you may tell us, foreign ones, since you are with us so unlawfully, about my brother’s accident.” So we began the story, trying between us to tell it in such a way as to remove all horror from the tragic incidents. But it seemed they loved to dwell mostly upon those very details, having the same love for slaughter and bloodshed that I have observed in the natures of some of our own children. Even Nor Ghai had known the Prince so slightly that he was a mere personage to her, and his untimely end was to these fair and innocent girls but a romance that was delightful to listen to. With the telling of the story and answering the numerous questions showered upon us, the hours passed rapidly, until finally Ko-Tua sprang up and declared it was time for them to go, or Mai Lo’s eunuchs would be looking for her. “Will you come here again tomorrow?” I asked Nor Ghai, taking her little hand in mine—a liberty she did not resent. She turned to the others. “Shall we come here tomorrow?” she inquired. Mai Mou looked at her “little mother.” “Let us come,” said Ko-Tua, after a little hesitation. “We shall then be able to learn more of the English.” Nor Ghai laughed at that and said, with a pretty courtesy: “We shall come.” Then they glided from the pavilion with quick little steps that were not ungraceful, and we stood silently in our places until all sounds of their departure had ceased. We were much elated by this meeting, and had no thought of the danger we might incur by arranging for a future interview with the charming orientals. You must not think we had fallen in love with these Chinese beauties, for that was not the case. I don’t say that I shall never fall in love; but when I do it will be with an American girl, and it won’t matter much whether she is beautiful or not, so long as I love her. But I think every well regulated young fellow is fond of chatting with nice girls, and in this heathen country we were so beset with dangers and had so little companionship outside of our circle of three, that it was a pleasant change to meet these pretty maids and converse with them. “It’s wrong, you know,” remarked Archie, as we wandered slowly back to the palace. “That is, from the standard of Chinese etiquette. We may really get ‘sliced’ if we keep up the meetings, and even if we escape that, the girls will be terribly punished if they’re caught.” “That’s true,” said Joe. “Do you think the ring would save us in this case, Sam?” “I think it would with Wi, but we’ve got to figure on the old governor finding out that we’re associating with his wife and daughter. I’m convinced that would make him furious.” “Then let’s go ahead,” said Archie, grinning with delight. “It will do me good to worry old Mai Lo into fits.” “Oh, if he finds it out, he’ll be sure to resort to slicing,” said Joe, “if he can get his hands on us.” “Never mind,” said I. “The girls come here to visit Nor Ghai, and that’s how we happened to meet them. It’s different from our intruding into the governor’s harem, or even into the harem of the palace. If Mai Lo doesn’t want his wife and daughter to meet strangers he should keep them safe at home.” “The chances are he doesn’t know they are in the habit of visiting Nor Ghai,” observed Archie. “Anyhow, I’m going to have all the fun I can, in spite of old Death’s-Head.” That expressed our sentiments exactly. We were foolish, I admit; but boys are apt to be foolish at times, and some great writer—I don’t remember his name—has said that a woman is at the bottom of every misfortune. Here were three of them, and they looked harmless enough. So we voluntarily thrust our heads into the trap. |
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