As for themselves, the boys made a good meal, and then whiled the time away in conversation till it became dark, when they both sought their beds; which, queer as it may seem to you--being nothing but piles of bricks shaped to the human form, and heated from beneath with charcoal, the flame and heat of which are dispersed by pipes joined to an upright tube, which carries the smoke through the roof--they greatly enjoyed after their long journey. The next morning Nicholas visited the princess, and to his surprise and delight found that she had recovered her strength. "This is indeed joy, O my princess!" said he, kneeling; when, taking him by the hand, the royal lady said, "Kneel not before her whom thou hast so much befriended, O noble youth; for it is naught but the poor fatherless girl La-Loo who is before thee, and would indeed be thy sister." "This is not possible; the daughter of the Ming can never be less in the world than its princess--first in beauty as in rank," said Nicholas. "The daughter of the Ming, or the girl La-Loo, be she whom she may, noble youth, will travel alone through this dreary province in search of her brother, if she can not journey as thy sister." "Then be it so, for thy servant dares not disobey, O beautiful La-Loo!" said Nicholas; adding, "Is it the will of the princess, to proceed upon her journey?" "The will of her adopted brother is the will of La-Loo," replied the princess, and Nicholas left the room; but pushing the door before him, imagine his surprise to find the innkeeper at the threshhold with his little head upward, his short arms stretched forward from his great body, and his legs in the hands of Chow, who appeared to be pulling him from the door. "Release thy mean servant from the hands of this vile person, O noble youth, or his legs will be pulled as easily from his body as those of a crab," said the man, piteously looking in the face of Nicholas. "The rascal, the rogue, the elephant in size, but mouse in honesty, was listening to thy conversation, O my master," said Chow. "Let the mean rat rise upon his bamboo legs," said Nicholas; adding, "What has the dog learned of his guests' affairs?" "Truly so grand a mien could belong to none but the son of a king, and so beautiful a lady, could be none other than a princess," said the man. "Thou rascal," said Nicholas; but adding, more prudently, "Canst thou be honest, and serve us?" "For ever, O noble youth," replied the innkeeper. "Trust not so small a mouse," said Chow. "The innkeeper shall be rewarded according to his merits. Let him conduct his guest to the merchants of the town, and he shall receive some silver," said Nicholas, quitting the house with the man, who led him to the various dealers and merchants, from whom he purchased a camel, a mule, a tent, provision, and in short all things necessary for a long journey overland.