"Poor child," the one called Wang murmured, perhaps remembering the day when she had been bought by the Viceroy; and she went over to the prostrate figure.
"O come, there's nothing to cry about," she said pleasantly. "You are in great good-fortune to have such an illustrious and wealthy gentleman as the Viceroy to buy you. It's not every girl has such a master."
"No indeed," replied the younger of the other two women. "Why he never beats us at all."
Encouraged by these cheerful remarks Tuen's sobs grew less, and she surreptitiously dried her eyes on the skirt of her jacket.
"You look like a lazy thing," the woman who had called her a cry-baby, said spitefully. "Get up from there and draw me a bucket of water."
"You must not scold the child, Zau," Wang interposed. "She is only a bit homesick, now."
Zau muttered something to herself as Tuen took the bucket and went over to the middle of the court, where a stone with a small hole in the top covered the well.
While she was at her task the women whispered among themselves and nodded toward her, but when she returned Wang only said:
"Come with me and I will get you some better clothes. Then I will take you to see the wife of the Viceroy."