And both the children shrieked their hardest, until they heard footsteps hurrying across the court.
The door was unlocked, and the woman who had brought the children there came in with a very old woman, a girl of sixteen, and a boy of ten.
'What is the matter?' they asked.
'Oh, take us home,' cried Nelly. 'It is quite dark.'
The boy having brought a lamp, the room was no longer in darkness, but Nelly meant that as it was dark it must be late.
'We can't take you home,' said the woman. 'None of us know the way to the British Legation except my son, who is not here. He will not be home now until to-morrow. He went outside the city into the country, and must have arrived at the gate after it was closed.'
'Then please take us to the door you brought us through and lend us a lantern, and we can find our way quite well,' said Nelly.
'No, no, you can't. You would get lost,' replied the woman. 'You must wait here until my son comes home.'
'We won't,' said Little Yi, and made a rush for the door. But the boy caught her and forced her back on the kang.
'Why do you want to keep us?' asked Nelly.