"How long will things go on like this?" he demanded.
Kuei-lien shrugged her shoulders.
"I am not a fortune-teller," she said; "it will go on till the old t'ai-t'ai dies, at least."
"And if the old t'ai-t'ai dies?"
"Then she will be free to wait upon her mother-in-law."
Kuei-lien smiled, but Ronald saw what she told was likely.
"Do you think she is happy?" he asked.
"She must be very stupid to be happy in such a place. Hm-m," she grunted, "I know the family. Very quarrelsome they are and they will quarrel with her and make her a servant because they didn't want her. They only took her because of the money. They show they don't want her, else why should they get a new wife so soon? They want Chinese children. They will try to give this woman first place."
"Then what hope is there for Nancy?" Ronald inquired desperately.
"Oh, she can jump into a well. The wells at Paoling are quite salty, but they are deep."