Descending from his perch, he fell to unpacking it with great neatnessand despatch, while Rose watched him, wondering what was going tohappen. Presently, out from the wrappings came a teapot, which causedher to clasp her hands with delight, for it was made in the likeness ofa plump little Chinaman. His hat was the cover, his queue the handle,and his pipe the nose. It stood upon feet in shoes turned up at thetoes, and the smile on the fat, sleepy face was so like that on Fun'swhen he displayed the teapot, that Rose couldn't help laughing, whichpleased him much.
Two pretty cups with covers, and a fine scarlet tray completed theset, and made one long to have a "dish of tea," even in Chinese style,without cream or sugar.
When he had arranged them on a little table before her, Fun signified inpantomime that they were hers, from her uncle. She returned her thanksin the same way, whereupon he returned to his tea-chest, and, havingno other means of communication, they sat smiling and nodding at oneanother in an absurd sort of way till a new idea seemed to strikeFun. Tumbling off his seat, he waddled away as fast as his petticoatspermitted, leaving Rose hoping that he had not gone to get a roastedrat, a stewed puppy, or any other foreign mess which civility wouldoblige her to eat.
While she waited for her funny new friend, she improved her mind in away that would have charmed Aunt Jane. The gentlemen were talking overall sorts of things, and she listened attentively, storing up muchof what she heard, for she had an excellent memory, and longed todistinguish herself by being able to produce some useful informationwhen reproached with her ignorance.
She was just trying to impress upon her mind that Amoy was two hundredand eighty miles from Hong Kong, when Fun came scuffling back, bearingwhat she thought was a small sword, till he unfurled an immense fan, andpresented it with a string of Chinese compliments, the meaning ofwhich would have amused her even more than the sound, if she could haveunderstood it.
She had never seen such an astonishing fan, and at once became absorbedin examining it. Of course, there was no perspective whatever, whichonly gave it a peculiar charm to Rose, for in one place a lovely lady,with blue knitting-needles in her hair, sat directly upon the spire of astately pagoda. In another charming view a brook appeared to flow in atthe front door of a stout gentleman's house, and out at his chimney. Ina third a zig-zag wall went up into the sky like a flash of lightning,and a bird with two tails was apparently brooding over a fisherman whoseboat was just going aground upon the moon.
It was altogether a fascinating thing, and she would have sat wafting itto and fro all the afternoon, to Fun's great satisfaction, if Dr. Alec'sattention had not suddenly been called to her by a breeze from the bigfan that blew his hair into his eyes, and reminded him that they mustgo. So the pretty china was repacked, Rose furled her fan, and withseveral parcels of choice teas for the old ladies stowed away in Dr.Alec's pockets, they took their leave, after Fun had saluted them with"the three bendings and the nine knockings," as they salute the Emperor,or "Son of Heaven," at home.
"I feel as if I had really been to China, and I'm sure I look so," saidRose, as they glided out of the shadow of the "Rajah."
She certainly did, for Mr. Whang Lo had given her a Chinese umbrella;Uncle Alec had got some lanterns to light up her balcony; the great fanlay in her lap, and the tea-set reposed at her feet.
"This is not a bad way to study geography, is it?" asked her uncle, whohad observed her attention to the talk.
"It is a very pleasant way, and I really think I have learned more aboutChina to-day than in all the lessons I had at school, though I used torattle off the answers as fast as I could go. No one explained anythingto us, so all I remember is that tea and silk come from there, and thewomen have little bits of feet. I saw Fun looking at mine, and he musthave thought them perfectly immense," answered Rose, surveying her stoutboots with sudden contempt.
"We will have out the maps and the globe, and I'll show you some of myjourneys, telling stories as we go. That will be next best to doing itactually."
"You are so fond of travelling, I should think it would be very dull foryou here, uncle. Do you know, Aunt Plenty says she is sure you will beoff in a year or two."
"Very likely."
"Oh, me! what shall I do then?" sighed Rose, in a tone of despair thatmade Uncle Alec's face brighten with a look of genuine pleasure as hesaid significantly,
"Next time I go I shall take my little anchor with me. How will thatsuit?"
"Really, uncle?"
"Really, niece."
Rose gave a little bounce of rapture which caused the boat to "wiggle"in a way that speedily quieted her down. But she sat beaming joyfullyand trying to think which of some hundred questions she would ask first,when Dr. Alec said, pointing to a boat that was coming up behind them ingreat style,
"How well those fellows row! Look at them, and take notes for your ownuse by and by."
The "Stormy Petrel" was manned by half a dozen jaunty looking sailors,who made a fine display of blue shirts and shiny hats, with stars andanchors in every direction.
"How beautifully they go, and they are only boys. Why, I do believe theyare our boys! Yes, I see Charlie laughing over his shoulder. Row, uncle,row! Oh, please do, and not let them catch up with us!" cried Rose, insuch a state of excitement that the new umbrella nearly went overboard.
"All right, here we go!" and away they did go with a long steady sweepof the oars that carried the "Bonnie Belle" through the water with arush.
The lads pulled their prettiest, but Dr. Alec would have reached thePoint first, if Rose, in her flurry, had not retarded him by jerking therudder ropes in a most unseamanlike way, and just as she got right againher hat blew off. That put an end to the race, and while they were stillfishing for the hat the other boat came alongside, with all the oars inthe air, and the jolly young tars ready for a frolic.
"Did you catch a crab, uncle?"
"No, a blue-fish," he answered, as the dripping hat was landed on a seatto dry.
"What have you been doing?"
"Seeing Fun."
"Good for you, Rose! I know what you mean. We are going to have him upto show us how to fly the big kite, for we can't get the hang of it.Isn't he great fun, though?"
"No, little Fun."
"Come, stop joking, and show us what you've got."
"You'd better hoist that fan for a sail."
"Lend Dandy your umbrella; he hates to burn his pretty nose."
"I say, uncle, are you going to have a Feast of Lanterns?"
"No, I'm going to have a feast of bread and butter, for it's tea-time.If that black cloud doesn't lie, we shall have a gust before long,so you had better get home as soon as you can, or your mother will beanxious, Archie."
"Ay, ay, skipper. Good-night, Rose; come out often, and we'll teach youall there is to know about rowing," was Charlie's modest invitation.
Then the boats parted company, and across the water from the "Petrel's"crew came a verse from one of the Nonsense songs in which the boysdelighted.
"Oh, Timballoo! how happy we are, We live in a sieve and a crockery jar! And all night long, in the starlight pale, We sail away, with a pea-green sail, And whistle and warble a moony song To the echoing sound of a coppery gong. Far and few, far and few Are the lands where the Jumblies live; Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a sieve."