Editors note: This novel is divided into two books, of which this is Book I. Book II (7hlm210. Txt, 7hlm210. Zip, 8hlm210. Txt, or 8hllm210. Zip) will be found in our etext05 directory (http://www. Ibiblio. Org/gutenberg/etext05/). 

HUNG LOU MENG, BOOK I

OR, THE DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER, A CHINESE NOVEL IN TWO BOOKS

BY

CAO XUEQIN

Translated by H. BENCRAFT JOLY

BOOK I. 

PREFACE. 

This translation was suggested not by any pretensions to range myselfamong the ranks of the body of sinologues, but by the perplexities anddifficulties experienced by me as a student in Peking, when, at thecompletion of the Tzu Erh Chi, I had to plunge in the maze of the HungLou Meng. 

Shortcomings are, I feel sure, to be discovered, both in the prose, aswell as among the doggerel and uncouth rhymes, in which the text hasbeen more adhered to than rhythm; but I shall feel satisfied with theresult, if I succeed, even in the least degree, in affording a helpinghand to present and future students of the Chinese language. 

H. BENCRAFT JOLY, H. B. M. Vice-Consulate, Macao, 1st September, 1891. 

THE DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER. 

CHAPTER I. 

 Chen Shih-yin, in a vision, apprehends perception and spirituality. Chia Yü-ts'un, in the (windy and dusty) world, cherishes fond thoughts of a beautiful maiden. 

This is the opening section; this the first chapter. Subsequent to thevisions of a dream which he had, on some previous occasion, experienced, the writer personally relates, he designedly concealed the truecircumstances, and borrowed the attributes of perception andspirituality to relate this story of the Record of the Stone. With thispurpose, he made use of such designations as Chen Shih-yin (truth underthe garb of fiction) and the like. What are, however, the eventsrecorded in this work? Who are the dramatis personae?

Wearied with the drudgery experienced of late in the world, the authorspeaking for himself, goes on to explain, with the lack of success whichattended every single concern, I suddenly bethought myself of thewomankind of past ages. Passing one by one under a minute scrutiny, Ifelt that in action and in lore, one and all were far above me; that inspite of the majesty of my manliness, I could not, in point of fact, compare with these characters of the gentle sex. And my shame forsooththen knew no bounds; while regret, on the other hand, was of no avail, as there was not even a remote possibility of a day of remedy. 

On this very day it was that I became desirous to compile, in aconnected form, for publication throughout the world, with a view to(universal) information, how that I bear inexorable and manifoldretribution; inasmuch as what time, by the sustenance of the benevolenceof Heaven, and the virtue of my ancestors, my apparel was rich and fine, and as what days my fare was savory and sumptuous, I disregarded thebounty of education and nurture of father and mother, and paid no heedto the virtue of precept and injunction of teachers and friends, withthe result that I incurred the punishment, of failure recently in theleast trifle, and the reckless waste of half my lifetime. There havebeen meanwhile, generation after generation, those in the innerchambers, the whole mass of whom could not, on any account, be, throughmy influence, allowed to fall into extinction, in order that I, unfilialas I have been, may have the means to screen my own shortcomings. 

Hence it is that the thatched shed, with bamboo mat windows, the bed oftow and the stove of brick, which are at present my share, are notsufficient to deter me from carrying out the fixed purpose of my mind. And could I, furthermore, confront the morning breeze, the evening moon, the willows by the steps and the flowers in the courtyard, methinksthese would moisten to a greater degree my mortal pen with ink; butthough I lack culture and erudition, what harm is there, however, inemploying fiction and unrecondite language to give utterance to themerits of these characters? And were I also able to induce the inmatesof the inner chamber to understand and diffuse them, could I besidesbreak the weariness of even so much as a single moment, or could I openthe eyes of my contemporaries, will it not forsooth prove a boon?

This consideration has led to the usage of such names as Chia Yü-ts'unand other similar appellations. 

More than any in these pages have been employed such words as dreams andvisions; but these dreams constitute the main argument of this work, andcombine, furthermore, the design of giving a word of warning to myreaders. 

Reader, can you suggest whence the story begins?

The narration may border on the limits of incoherency and triviality, but it possesses considerable zest. But to begin. 

The Empress Nü Wo, (the goddess of works, ) in fashioning blocks ofstones, for the repair of the heavens, prepared, at the Ta Huang Hillsand Wu Ch'i cave, 36, 501 blocks of rough stone, each twelve chang inheight, and twenty-four chang square. Of these stones, the Empress Woonly used 36, 500; so that one single block remained over and above, without being turned to any account. This was cast down the Ch'ing Kengpeak. This stone, strange to say, after having undergone a process ofrefinement, attained a nature of efficiency, and could, by its innatepowers, set itself into motion and was able to expand and to contract. 

When it became aware that the whole number of blocks had been made useof to repair the heavens, that it alone had been destitute of thenecessary properties and had been unfit to attain selection, itforthwith felt within itself vexation and shame, and day and night, itgave way to anguish and sorrow. 

One day, while it lamented its lot, it suddenly caught sight, at a greatdistance, of a Buddhist bonze and of a Taoist priest coming towards thatdirection. Their appearance was uncommon, their easy manner remarkable. When they drew near this Ch'ing Keng peak, they sat on the ground torest, and began to converse. But on noticing the block newly-polishedand brilliantly clear, which had moreover contracted in dimensions, andbecome no larger than the pendant of a fan, they were greatly filledwith admiration. The Buddhist priest picked it up, and laid it in thepalm of his hand. 

"Your appearance, " he said laughingly, "may well declare you to be asupernatural object, but as you lack any inherent quality it isnecessary to inscribe a few characters on you, so that every one whoshall see you may at once recognise you to be a remarkable thing. Andsubsequently, when you will be taken into a country where honour andaffluence will reign, into a family cultured in mind and of officialstatus, in a land where flowers and trees shall flourish withluxuriance, in a town of refinement, renown and glory; when you oncewill have been there. . . "

The stone listened with intense delight. 

"What characters may I ask, " it consequently inquired, "will youinscribe? and what place will I be taken to? pray, pray explain to me inlucid terms. " "You mustn't be inquisitive, " the bonze replied, with asmile, "in days to come you'll certainly understand everything. " Havingconcluded these words, he forthwith put the stone in his sleeve, andproceeded leisurely on his journey, in company with the Taoist priest. Whither, however, he took the stone, is not divulged. Nor can it beknown how many centuries and ages elapsed, before a Taoist priest, K'ungK'ung by name, passed, during his researches after the eternal reasonand his quest after immortality, by these Ta Huang Hills, Wu Ch'i caveand Ch'ing Keng Peak. Suddenly perceiving a large block of stone, on thesurface of which the traces of characters giving, in a connected form, the various incidents of its fate, could be clearly deciphered, K'ungK'ung examined them from first to last. They, in fact, explained howthat this block of worthless stone had originally been devoid of theproperties essential for the repairs to the heavens, how it would betransmuted into human form and introduced by Mang Mang the High Lord, and Miao Miao, the Divine, into the world of mortals, and how it wouldbe led over the other bank (across the San Sara). On the surface, therecord of the spot where it would fall, the place of its birth, as wellas various family trifles and trivial love affairs of young ladies, verses, odes, speeches and enigmas was still complete; but the name ofthe dynasty and the year of the reign were obliterated, and could not beascertained. 

On the obverse, were also the following enigmatical verses:

 Lacking in virtues meet the azure skies to mend, In vain the mortal world full many a year I wend, Of a former and after life these facts that be, Who will for a tradition strange record for me?

K'ung K'ung, the Taoist, having pondered over these lines for a while, became aware that this stone had a history of some kind. 

"Brother stone, " he forthwith said, addressing the stone, "the concernsof past days recorded on you possess, according to your own account, aconsiderable amount of interest, and have been for this reasoninscribed, with the intent of soliciting generations to hand them downas remarkable occurrences. But in my own opinion, they lack, in thefirst place, any data by means of which to establish the name of theEmperor and the year of his reign; and, in the second place, theseconstitute no record of any excellent policy, adopted by any highworthies or high loyal statesmen, in the government of the state, or inthe rule of public morals. The contents simply treat of a certain numberof maidens, of exceptional character; either of their love affairs orinfatuations, or of their small deserts or insignificant talents; andwere I to transcribe the whole collection of them, they would, nevertheless, not be estimated as a book of any exceptional worth. "

"Sir Priest, " the stone replied with assurance, "why are you soexcessively dull? The dynasties recorded in the rustic histories, whichhave been written from age to age, have, I am fain to think, invariablyassumed, under false pretences, the mere nomenclature of the Han andT'ang dynasties. They differ from the events inscribed on my block, which do not borrow this customary practice, but, being based on my ownexperiences and natural feelings, present, on the contrary, a novel andunique character. Besides, in the pages of these rustic histories, either the aspersions upon sovereigns and statesmen, or the stricturesupon individuals, their wives, and their daughters, or the deeds oflicentiousness and violence are too numerous to be computed. Indeed, there is one more kind of loose literature, the wantonness and pollutionin which work most easy havoc upon youth. 

"As regards the works, in which the characters of scholars and beautiesis delineated their allusions are again repeatedly of Wen Chün, theirtheme in every page of Tzu Chien; a thousand volumes present nodiversity; and a thousand characters are but a counterpart of eachother. What is more, these works, throughout all their pages, cannothelp bordering on extreme licence. The authors, however, had no otherobject in view than to give utterance to a few sentimental odes andelegant ballads of their own, and for this reason they have fictitiouslyinvented the names and surnames of both men and women, and necessarilyintroduced, in addition, some low characters, who should, like a buffoonin a play, create some excitement in the plot. 

"Still more loathsome is a kind of pedantic and profligate literature, perfectly devoid of all natural sentiment, full of self-contradictions;and, in fact, the contrast to those maidens in my work, whom I have, during half my lifetime, seen with my own eyes and heard with my ownears. And though I will not presume to estimate them as superior to theheroes and heroines in the works of former ages, yet the perusal of themotives and issues of their experiences, may likewise afford mattersufficient to banish dulness, and to break the spell of melancholy. 

"As regards the several stanzas of doggerel verse, they may too evokesuch laughter as to compel the reader to blurt out the rice, and tospurt out the wine. 

"In these pages, the scenes depicting the anguish of separation, thebliss of reunion, and the fortunes of prosperity and of adversity areall, in every detail, true to human nature, and I have not taken uponmyself to make the slightest addition, or alteration, which might leadto the perversion of the truth. 

"My only object has been that men may, after a drinking bout, or afterthey wake from sleep or when in need of relaxation from the pressure ofbusiness, take up this light literature, and not only expunge the tracesof antiquated books, and obtain a new kind of distraction, but that theymay also lay by a long life as well as energy and strength; for it bearsno point of similarity to those works, whose designs are false, whosecourse is immoral. Now, Sir Priest, what are your views on the subject?"

K'ung K'ung having pondered for a while over the words, to which he hadlistened intently, re-perused, throughout, this record of the stone; andfinding that the general purport consisted of nought else than atreatise on love, and likewise of an accurate transcription of facts, without the least taint of profligacy injurious to the times, hethereupon copied the contents, from beginning to end, to the intent ofcharging the world to hand them down as a strange story. 

Hence it was that K'ung K'ung, the Taoist, in consequence of hisperception, (in his state of) abstraction, of passion, the generation, from this passion, of voluptuousness, the transmission of thisvoluptuousness into passion, and the apprehension, by means of passion, of its unreality, forthwith altered his name for that of "Ch'ing Tseng"(the Voluptuous Bonze), and changed the title of "the Memoir of a Stone"(Shih-t'ou-chi, ) for that of "Ch'ing Tseng Lu, " The Record of theVoluptuous Bonze; while K'ung Mei-chi of Tung Lu gave it the name of"Feng Yüeh Pao Chien, " "The Precious Mirror of Voluptuousness. " In lateryears, owing to the devotion by Tsao Hsüeh-ch'in in the Tao Hung study, of ten years to the perusal and revision of the work, the additions andmodifications effected by him five times, the affix of an index and thedivision into periods and chapters, the book was again entitled "ChinLing Shih Erh Ch'ai, " "The Twelve Maidens of Chin Ling. " A stanza wasfurthermore composed for the purpose. This then, and no other, is theorigin of the Record of the Stone. The poet says appositely:--

 Pages full of silly litter, Tears a handful sour and bitter; All a fool the author hold, But their zest who can unfold?

You have now understood the causes which brought about the Record of theStone, but as you are not, as yet, aware what characters are depicted, and what circumstances are related on the surface of the block, reader, please lend an ear to the narrative on the stone, which runs asfollows:--

In old days, the land in the South East lay low. In this South-East partof the world, was situated a walled town, Ku Su by name. Within thewalls a locality, called the Ch'ang Men, was more than all othersthroughout the mortal world, the centre, which held the second, if notthe first place for fashion and life. Beyond this Ch'ang Men was astreet called Shih-li-chieh (Ten _Li_ street); in this street a lane, the Jen Ch'ing lane (Humanity and Purity); and in this lane stood an oldtemple, which on account of its diminutive dimensions, was called, bygeneral consent, the Gourd temple. Next door to this temple lived thefamily of a district official, Chen by surname, Fei by name, andShih-yin by style. His wife, née Feng, possessed a worthy and virtuousdisposition, and had a clear perception of moral propriety and goodconduct. This family, though not in actual possession of excessiveaffluence and honours, was, nevertheless, in their district, conceded tobe a clan of well-to-do standing. As this Chen Shih-yin was of acontented and unambitious frame of mind, and entertained no hankeringafter any official distinction, but day after day of his life tookdelight in gazing at flowers, planting bamboos, sipping his wine andconning poetical works, he was in fact, in the indulgence of thesepursuits, as happy as a supernatural being. 

One thing alone marred his happiness. He had lived over half a centuryand had, as yet, no male offspring around his knees. He had one onlychild, a daughter, whose infant name was Ying Lien. She was just threeyears of age. On a long summer day, on which the heat had been intense, Shih-yin sat leisurely in his library. Feeling his hand tired, hedropped the book he held, leant his head on a teapoy, and fell asleep. 

Of a sudden, while in this state of unconsciousness, it seemed as if hehad betaken himself on foot to some spot or other whither he could notdiscriminate. Unexpectedly he espied, in the opposite direction, twopriests coming towards him: the one a Buddhist, the other a Taoist. Asthey advanced they kept up the conversation in which they were engaged. "Whither do you purpose taking the object you have brought away?" heheard the Taoist inquire. To this question the Buddhist replied with asmile: "Set your mind at ease, " he said; "there's now in maturity a plotof a general character involving mundane pleasures, which will presentlycome to a denouement. The whole number of the votaries of voluptuousnesshave, as yet, not been quickened or entered the world, and I mean toavail myself of this occasion to introduce this object among theirnumber, so as to give it a chance to go through the span of humanexistence. " "The votaries of voluptuousness of these days will naturallyhave again to endure the ills of life during their course through themortal world, " the Taoist remarked; "but when, I wonder, will theyspring into existence? and in what place will they descend?"

"The account of these circumstances, " the bonze ventured to reply, "isenough to make you laugh! They amount to this: there existed in thewest, on the bank of the Ling (spiritual) river, by the side of the SanSheng (thrice-born) stone, a blade of the Chiang Chu (purple pearl)grass. At about the same time it was that the block of stone was, consequent upon its rejection by the goddess of works, also left toramble and wander to its own gratification, and to roam about atpleasure to every and any place. One day it came within the precincts ofthe Ching Huan (Monitory Vision) Fairy; and this Fairy, cognizant of thefact that this stone had a history, detained it, therefore, to reside atthe Ch'ih Hsia (purple clouds) palace, and apportioned to it the dutiesof attendant on Shen Ying, a fairy of the Ch'ih Hsia palace. 

"This stone would, however, often stroll along the banks of the Lingriver, and having at the sight of the blade of spiritual grass beenfilled with admiration, it, day by day, moistened its roots with sweetdew. This purple pearl grass, at the outset, tarried for months andyears; but being at a later period imbued with the essence andluxuriance of heaven and earth, and having incessantly received themoisture and nurture of the sweet dew, divested itself, in course oftime, of the form of a grass; assuming, in lieu, a human nature, whichgradually became perfected into the person of a girl. 

"Every day she was wont to wander beyond the confines of the Li Hen(divested animosities) heavens. When hungry she fed on the Pi Ch'ing(hidden love) fruit--when thirsty she drank the Kuan ch'ou (dischargedsorrows, ) water. Having, however, up to this time, not shewn hergratitude for the virtue of nurture lavished upon her, the result wasbut natural that she should resolve in her heart upon a constant andincessant purpose to make suitable acknowledgment. 

"I have been, " she would often commune within herself, "the recipient ofthe gracious bounty of rain and dew, but I possess no such water as waslavished upon me to repay it! But should it ever descend into the worldin the form of a human being, I will also betake myself thither, alongwith it; and if I can only have the means of making restitution to it, with the tears of a whole lifetime, I may be able to make adequatereturn. "

"This resolution it is that will evolve the descent into the world of somany pleasure-bound spirits of retribution and the experience offantastic destinies; and this crimson pearl blade will also be among thenumber. The stone still lies in its original place, and why should notyou and I take it along before the tribunal of the Monitory VisionFairy, and place on its behalf its name on record, so that it shoulddescend into the world, in company with these spirits of passion, andbring this plot to an issue?"

"It is indeed ridiculous, " interposed the Taoist. "Never before have Iheard even the very mention of restitution by means of tears! Why shouldnot you and I avail ourselves of this opportunity to likewise go downinto the world? and if successful in effecting the salvation of a few ofthem, will it not be a work meritorious and virtuous?"

"This proposal, " remarked the Buddhist, "is quite in harmony with my ownviews. Come along then with me to the palace of the Monitory VisionFairy, and let us deliver up this good-for-nothing object, and have donewith it! And when the company of pleasure-bound spirits of wrath descendinto human existence, you and I can then enter the world. Half of themhave already fallen into the dusty universe, but the whole number ofthem have not, as yet, come together. "

"Such being the case, " the Taoist acquiesced, "I am ready to follow you, whenever you please to go. "

But to return to Chen Shih-yin. Having heard every one of these wordsdistinctly, he could not refrain from forthwith stepping forward andpaying homage. "My spiritual lords, " he said, as he smiled, "accept myobeisance. " The Buddhist and Taoist priests lost no time in respondingto the compliment, and they exchanged the usual salutations. "Myspiritual lords, " Shih-yin continued; "I have just heard theconversation that passed between you, on causes and effects, aconversation the like of which few mortals have forsooth listened to;but your younger brother is sluggish of intellect, and cannot lucidlyfathom the import! Yet could this dulness and simplicity be graciouslydispelled, your younger brother may, by listening minutely, withundefiled ear and careful attention, to a certain degree be aroused to asense of understanding; and what is more, possibly find the means ofescaping the anguish of sinking down into Hades. "

The two spirits smiled, "The conversation, " they added, "refers to theprimordial scheme and cannot be divulged before the proper season; but, when the time comes, mind do not forget us two, and you will readily beable to escape from the fiery furnace. "

Shih-yin, after this reply, felt it difficult to make any furtherinquiries. "The primordial scheme, " he however remarked smiling, "cannot, of course, be divulged; but what manner of thing, I wonder, isthe good-for-nothing object you alluded to a short while back? May I notbe allowed to judge for myself?"

"This object about which you ask, " the Buddhist Bonze responded, "isintended, I may tell you, by fate to be just glanced at by you. " Withthese words he produced it, and handed it over to Shih-yin. 

Shih-yin received it. On scrutiny he found it, in fact, to be abeautiful gem, so lustrous and so clear that the traces of characters onthe surface were distinctly visible. The characters inscribed consistedof the four "T'ung Ling Pao Yü, " "Precious Gem of Spiritual Perception. "On the obverse, were also several columns of minute words, which he wasjust in the act of looking at intently, when the Buddhist at onceexpostulated. 

"We have already reached, " he exclaimed, "the confines of vision. "Snatching it violently out of his hands, he walked away with the Taoist, under a lofty stone portal, on the face of which appeared in large typethe four characters: "T'ai Hsü Huan Ching, " "The Visionary limits of theGreat Void. " On each side was a scroll with the lines:

 When falsehood stands for truth, truth likewise becomes false, Where naught be made to aught, aught changes into naught. 

Shih-yin meant also to follow them on the other side, but, as he wasabout to make one step forward, he suddenly heard a crash, just as ifthe mountains had fallen into ruins, and the earth sunk intodestruction. As Shih-yin uttered a loud shout, he looked with strainedeye; but all he could see was the fiery sun shining, with glowing rays, while the banana leaves drooped their heads. By that time, half of thecircumstances connected with the dream he had had, had already slippedfrom his memory. 

He also noticed a nurse coming towards him with Ying Lien in her arms. To Shih-yin's eyes his daughter appeared even more beautiful, such abright gem, so precious, and so lovable. Forthwith stretching out hisarms, he took her over, and, as he held her in his embrace, he coaxedher to play with him for a while; after which he brought her up to thestreet to see the great stir occasioned by the procession that was goingpast. 

He was about to come in, when he caught sight of two priests, one aTaoist, the other a Buddhist, coming hither from the opposite direction. The Buddhist had a head covered with mange, and went barefooted. TheTaoist had a limping foot, and his hair was all dishevelled. 

Like maniacs, they jostled along, chattering and laughing as they drewnear. 

As soon as they reached Shih-yin's door, and they perceived him withYing Lien in his arms, the Bonze began to weep aloud. 

Turning towards Shih-yin, he said to him: "My good Sir, why need youcarry in your embrace this living but luckless thing, which will involvefather and mother in trouble?"

These words did not escape Shih-yin's ear; but persuaded that theyamounted to raving talk, he paid no heed whatever to the bonze. 

"Part with her and give her to me, " the Buddhist still went on to say. 

Shih-yin could not restrain his annoyance; and hastily pressing hisdaughter closer to him, he was intent upon going in, when the bonzepointed his hand at him, and burst out in a loud fit of laughter. 

He then gave utterance to the four lines that follow:

 You indulge your tender daughter and are laughed at as inane; Vain you face the snow, oh mirror! for it will evanescent wane, When the festival of lanterns is gone by, guard 'gainst your doom, 'Tis what time the flames will kindle, and the fire will consume. 

Shih-yin understood distinctly the full import of what he heard; but hisheart was still full of conjectures. He was about to inquire who andwhat they were, when he heard the Taoist remark, --"You and I cannotspeed together; let us now part company, and each of us will be thenable to go after his own business. After the lapse of three ages, Ishall be at the Pei Mang mount, waiting for you; and we can, after ourreunion, betake ourselves to the Visionary Confines of the Great Void, there to cancel the name of the stone from the records. "

"Excellent! first rate!" exclaimed the Bonze. And at the conclusion ofthese words, the two men parted, each going his own way, and no tracewas again seen of them. 

"These two men, " Shih-yin then pondered within his heart, "must have hadmany experiences, and I ought really to have made more inquiries ofthem; but at this juncture to indulge in regret is anyhow too late. "

While Shih-yin gave way to these foolish reflections, he suddenlynoticed the arrival of a penniless scholar, Chia by surname, Hua byname, Shih-fei by style and Yü-ts'un by nickname, who had taken up hisquarters in the Gourd temple next door. This Chia Yü-ts'un wasoriginally a denizen of Hu-Chow, and was also of literary and officialparentage, but as he was born of the youngest stock, and the possessionsof his paternal and maternal ancestors were completely exhausted, andhis parents and relatives were dead, he remained the sole and onlysurvivor; and, as he found his residence in his native place of noavail, he therefore entered the capital in search of that reputation, which would enable him to put the family estate on a proper standing. Hehad arrived at this place since the year before last, and had, what ismore, lived all along in very straitened circumstances. He had made thetemple his temporary quarters, and earned a living by daily occupyinghimself in composing documents and writing letters for customers. Thusit was that Shih-yin had been in constant relations with him. 

As soon as Yü-ts'un perceived Shih-yin, he lost no time in saluting him. "My worthy Sir, " he observed with a forced smile; "how is it you areleaning against the door and looking out? Is there perchance any newsastir in the streets, or in the public places?"

"None whatever, " replied Shih-yin, as he returned the smile. "Just awhile back, my young daughter was in sobs, and I coaxed her out here toamuse her. I am just now without anything whatever to attend to, sothat, dear brother Chia, you come just in the nick of time. Please walkinto my mean abode, and let us endeavour, in each other's company, towhile away this long summer day. "

After he had made this remark, he bade a servant take his daughter in, while he, hand-in-hand with Yü-ts'un, walked into the library, where ayoung page served tea. They had hardly exchanged a few sentences, whenone of the household came in, in flying haste, to announce that Mr. Yenhad come to pay a visit. 

Shih-yin at once stood up. "Pray excuse my rudeness, " he remarkedapologetically, "but do sit down; I shall shortly rejoin you, and enjoythe pleasure of your society. " "My dear Sir, " answered Yü-ts'un, as hegot up, also in a conceding way, "suit your own convenience. I've oftenhad the honour of being your guest, and what will it matter if I wait alittle?" While these apologies were yet being spoken, Shih-yin hadalready walked out into the front parlour. During his absence, Yü-ts'unoccupied himself in turning over the pages of some poetical work todispel ennui, when suddenly he heard, outside the window, a woman'scough. Yü-ts'un hurriedly got up and looked out. He saw at a glance thatit was a servant girl engaged in picking flowers. Her deportment was outof the common; her eyes so bright, her eyebrows so well defined. Thoughnot a perfect beauty, she possessed nevertheless charms sufficient toarouse the feelings. Yü-ts'un unwittingly gazed at her with fixed eye. This waiting-maid, belonging to the Chen family, had done pickingflowers, and was on the point of going in, when she of a sudden raisedher eyes and became aware of the presence of some person inside thewindow, whose head-gear consisted of a turban in tatters, while hisclothes were the worse for wear. But in spite of his poverty, he wasnaturally endowed with a round waist, a broad back, a fat face, a squaremouth; added to this, his eyebrows were swordlike, his eyes resembledstars, his nose was straight, his cheeks square. 

This servant girl turned away in a hurry and made her escape. 

"This man so burly and strong, " she communed within herself, "yet at thesame time got up in such poor attire, must, I expect, be no one elsethan the man, whose name is Chia Yü-ts'un or such like, time after timereferred to by my master, and to whom he has repeatedly wished to give ahelping hand, but has failed to find a favourable opportunity. And asrelated to our family there is no connexion or friend in such straits, Ifeel certain it cannot be any other person than he. Strange to say, mymaster has further remarked that this man will, for a certainty, notalways continue in such a state of destitution. "

As she indulged in this train of thought, she could not restrain herselffrom turning her head round once or twice. 

When Yü-ts'un perceived that she had looked back, he readily interpretedit as a sign that in her heart her thoughts had been of him, and he wasfrantic with irrepressible joy. 

"This girl, " he mused, "is, no doubt, keen-eyed and eminently shrewd, and one in this world who has seen through me. "

The servant youth, after a short time, came into the room; and whenYü-ts'un made inquiries and found out from him that the guests in thefront parlour had been detained to dinner, he could not very well waitany longer, and promptly walked away down a side passage and out of aback door. 

When the guests had taken their leave, Shih-yin did not go back torejoin Yü-ts'un, as he had come to know that he had already left. 

In time the mid-autumn festivities drew near; and Shih-yin, after thefamily banquet was over, had a separate table laid in the library, andcrossed over, in the moonlight, as far as the temple and invitedYü-ts'un to come round. 

The fact is that Yü-ts'un, ever since the day on which he had seen thegirl of the Chen family turn twice round to glance at him, flatteredhimself that she was friendly disposed towards him, and incessantlyfostered fond thoughts of her in his heart. And on this day, whichhappened to be the mid-autumn feast, he could not, as he gazed at themoon, refrain from cherishing her remembrance. Hence it was that he gavevent to these pentameter verses:

 Alas! not yet divined my lifelong wish, And anguish ceaseless comes upon anguish I came, and sad at heart, my brow I frowned; She went, and oft her head to look turned round. Facing the breeze, her shadow she doth watch, Who's meet this moonlight night with her to match? The lustrous rays if they my wish but read Would soon alight upon her beauteous head!

Yü-ts'un having, after this recitation, recalled again to mind how thatthroughout his lifetime his literary attainments had had an adverse fateand not met with an opportunity (of reaping distinction), went on to rubhis brow, and as he raised his eyes to the skies, he heaved a deep sighand once more intoned a couplet aloud:

 The gem in the cask a high price it seeks, The pin in the case to take wing it waits. 

As luck would have it, Shih-yin was at the moment approaching, and uponhearing the lines, he said with a smile: "My dear Yü-ts'un, really yourattainments are of no ordinary capacity. "

Yü-ts'un lost no time in smiling and replying. "It would be presumptionin my part to think so, " he observed. "I was simply at random humming afew verses composed by former writers, and what reason is there to laudme to such an excessive degree? To what, my dear Sir, do I owe thepleasure of your visit?" he went on to inquire. "Tonight, " repliedShih-yin, "is the mid-autumn feast, generally known as the full-moonfestival; and as I could not help thinking that living, as you my worthybrother are, as a mere stranger in this Buddhist temple, you could notbut experience the feeling of loneliness. I have, for the expresspurpose, prepared a small entertainment, and will be pleased if you willcome to my mean abode to have a glass of wine. But I wonder whether youwill entertain favourably my modest invitation?" Yü-ts'un, afterlistening to the proposal, put forward no refusal of any sort; butremarked complacently: "Being the recipient of such marked attention, how can I presume to repel your generous consideration?"

As he gave expression to these words, he walked off there and then, incompany with Shih-yin, and came over once again into the court in frontof the library. In a few minutes, tea was over. 

The cups and dishes had been laid from an early hour, and needless tosay the wines were luscious; the fare sumptuous. 

The two friends took their seats. At first they leisurely replenishedtheir glasses, and quietly sipped their wine; but as, little by little, they entered into conversation, their good cheer grew more genial, andunawares the glasses began to fly round, and the cups to be exchanged. 

At this very hour, in every house of the neighbourhood, sounded the fifeand lute, while the inmates indulged in music and singing. Above head, the orb of the radiant moon shone with an all-pervading splendour, andwith a steady lustrous light, while the two friends, as their exuberanceincreased, drained their cups dry so soon as they reached their lips. 

Yü-ts'un, at this stage of the collation, was considerably under theinfluence of wine, and the vehemence of his high spirits wasirrepressible. As he gazed at the moon, he fostered thoughts, to whichhe gave vent by the recital of a double couplet. 

 'Tis what time three meets five, Selene is a globe! Her pure rays fill the court, the jadelike rails enrobe! Lo! in the heavens her disk to view doth now arise, And in the earth below to gaze men lift their eyes. 

"Excellent!" cried Shih-yin with a loud voice, after he had heard theselines; "I have repeatedly maintained that it was impossible for you toremain long inferior to any, and now the verses you have recited are aprognostic of your rapid advancement. Already it is evident that, beforelong, you will extend your footsteps far above the clouds! I mustcongratulate you! I must congratulate you! Let me, with my own hands, pour a glass of wine to pay you my compliments. "

Yü-ts'un drained the cup. "What I am about to say, " he explained as hesuddenly heaved a sigh, "is not the maudlin talk of a man under theeffects of wine. As far as the subjects at present set in theexaminations go, I could, perchance, also have well been able to enterthe list, and to send in my name as a candidate; but I have, just now, no means whatever to make provision for luggage and for travellingexpenses. The distance too to Shen Ching is a long one, and I could notdepend upon the sale of papers or the composition of essays to find themeans of getting there. "

Shih-yin gave him no time to conclude. "Why did you not speak about thissooner?" he interposed with haste. "I have long entertained thissuspicion; but as, whenever I met you, this conversation was neverbroached, I did not presume to make myself officious. But if such be thestate of affairs just now, I lack, I admit, literary qualification, buton the two subjects of friendly spirit and pecuniary means, I have, nevertheless, some experience. Moreover, I rejoice that next year isjust the season for the triennial examinations, and you should start forthe capital with all despatch; and in the tripos next spring, you will, by carrying the prize, be able to do justice to the proficiency you canboast of. As regards the travelling expenses and the other items, theprovision of everything necessary for you by my own self will again notrender nugatory your mean acquaintance with me. "

Forthwith, he directed a servant lad to go and pack up at once fiftytaels of pure silver and two suits of winter clothes. 

"The nineteenth, " he continued, "is a propitious day, and you shouldlose no time in hiring a boat and starting on your journey westwards. And when, by your eminent talents, you shall have soared high to a loftyposition, and we meet again next winter, will not the occasion beextremely felicitous?"

Yü-ts'un accepted the money and clothes with but scanty expression ofgratitude. In fact, he paid no thought whatever to the gifts, but wenton, again drinking his wine, as he chattered and laughed. 

It was only when the third watch of that day had already struck that thetwo friends parted company; and Shih-yin, after seeing Yü-ts'un off, retired to his room and slept, with one sleep all through, never wakinguntil the sun was well up in the skies. 

Remembering the occurrence of the previous night, he meant to write acouple of letters of recommendation for Yü-ts'un to take along with himto the capital, to enable him, after handing them over at the mansionsof certain officials, to find some place as a temporary home. Heaccordingly despatched a servant to ask him to come round, but the manreturned and reported that from what the bonze said, "Mr. Chia hadstarted on his journey to the capital, at the fifth watch of that verymorning, that he had also left a message with the bonze to deliver toyou, Sir, to the effect that men of letters paid no heed to lucky orunlucky days, that the sole consideration with them was the nature ofthe matter in hand, and that he could find no time to come round inperson and bid good-bye. "

Shih-yin after hearing this message had no alternative but to banish thesubject from his thoughts. 

In comfortable circumstances, time indeed goes by with easy stride. Soondrew near also the happy festival of the 15th of the 1st moon, andShih-yin told a servant Huo Ch'i to take Ying Lien to see thesacrificial fires and flowery lanterns. 

About the middle of the night, Huo Ch'i was hard pressed, and heforthwith set Ying Lien down on the doorstep of a certain house. When hefelt relieved, he came back to take her up, but failed to find anywhereany trace of Ying Lien. In a terrible plight, Huo Ch'i prosecuted hissearch throughout half the night; but even by the dawn of day, he hadnot discovered any clue of her whereabouts. Huo Ch'i, lacking, on theother hand, the courage to go back and face his master, promptly madehis escape to his native village. 

Shih-yin--in fact, the husband as well as the wife--seeing that theirchild had not come home during the whole night, readily concluded thatsome mishap must have befallen her. Hastily they despatched severalservants to go in search of her, but one and all returned to report thatthere was neither vestige nor tidings of her. 

This couple had only had this child, and this at the meridian of theirlife, so that her sudden disappearance plunged them in such greatdistress that day and night they mourned her loss to such a point as towell nigh pay no heed to their very lives. 

A month in no time went by. Shih-yin was the first to fall ill, and hiswife, Dame Feng, likewise, by dint of fretting for her daughter, wasalso prostrated with sickness. The doctor was, day after day, sent for, and the oracle consulted by means of divination. 

Little did any one think that on this day, being the 15th of the 3rdmoon, while the sacrificial oblations were being prepared in the Hu Lutemple, a pan with oil would have caught fire, through the want of careon the part of the bonze, and that in a short time the flames would haveconsumed the paper pasted on the windows. 

Among the natives of this district bamboo fences and wooden partitionswere in general use, and these too proved a source of calamity soordained by fate (to consummate this decree). 

With promptness (the fire) extended to two buildings, then envelopedthree, then dragged four (into ruin), and then spread to five houses, until the whole street was in a blaze, resembling the flames of avolcano. Though both the military and the people at once ran to therescue, the fire had already assumed a serious hold, so that it wasimpossible for them to afford any effective assistance for itssuppression. 

It blazed away straight through the night, before it was extinguished, and consumed, there is in fact no saying how many dwelling houses. Anyhow, pitiful to relate, the Chen house, situated as it was next doorto the temple, was, at an early part of the evening, reduced to a heapof tiles and bricks; and nothing but the lives of that couple andseveral inmates of the family did not sustain any injuries. 

Shih-yin was in despair, but all he could do was to stamp his feet andheave deep sighs. After consulting with his wife, they betook themselvesto a farm of theirs, where they took up their quarters temporarily. Butas it happened that water had of late years been scarce, and no cropsbeen reaped, robbers and thieves had sprung up like bees, and though theGovernment troops were bent upon their capture, it was anyhow difficultto settle down quietly on the farm. He therefore had no other resourcethan to convert, at a loss, the whole of his property into money, and totake his wife and two servant girls and come over for shelter to thehouse of his father-in-law. 

His father-in-law, Feng Su, by name, was a native of Ta Ju Chou. Although only a labourer, he was nevertheless in easy circumstances athome. When he on this occasion saw his son-in-law come to him in suchdistress, he forthwith felt at heart considerable displeasure. Fortunately Shih-yin had still in his possession the money derived fromthe unprofitable realization of his property, so that he produced andhanded it to his father-in-law, commissioning him to purchase, whenevera suitable opportunity presented itself, a house and land as a provisionfor food and raiment against days to come. This Feng Su, however, onlyexpended the half of the sum, and pocketed the other half, merelyacquiring for him some fallow land and a dilapidated house. 

Shih-yin being, on the other hand, a man of books and with no experiencein matters connected with business and with sowing and reaping, subsisted, by hook and by crook, for about a year or two, when he becamemore impoverished. 

In his presence, Feng Su would readily give vent to specious utterances, while, with others, and behind his back, he on the contrary expressedhis indignation against his improvidence in his mode of living, andagainst his sole delight of eating and playing the lazy. 

Shih-yin, aware of the want of harmony with his father-in-law, could nothelp giving way, in his own heart, to feelings of regret and pain. Inaddition to this, the fright and vexation which he had undergone theyear before, the anguish and suffering (he had had to endure), hadalready worked havoc (on his constitution); and being a man advanced inyears, and assailed by the joint attack of poverty and disease, he atlength gradually began to display symptoms of decline. 

Strange coincidence, as he, on this day, came leaning on his staff andwith considerable strain, as far as the street for a little relaxation, he suddenly caught sight, approaching from the off side, of a Taoistpriest with a crippled foot; his maniac appearance so repulsive, hisshoes of straw, his dress all in tatters, muttering several sentimentsto this effect:

 All men spiritual life know to be good, But fame to disregard they ne'er succeed! From old till now the statesmen where are they? Waste lie their graves, a heap of grass, extinct. All men spiritual life know to be good, But to forget gold, silver, ill succeed! Through life they grudge their hoardings to be scant, And when plenty has come, their eyelids close. All men spiritual life hold to be good, Yet to forget wives, maids, they ne'er succeed! Who speak of grateful love while lives their lord, And dead their lord, another they pursue. All men spiritual life know to be good, But sons and grandsons to forget never succeed! From old till now of parents soft many, But filial sons and grandsons who have seen?

Shih-yin upon hearing these words, hastily came up to the priest, "Whatwere you so glibly holding forth?" he inquired. "All I could hear were alot of hao liao (excellent, finality. ")

"You may well have heard the two words 'hao liao, '" answered the Taoistwith a smile, "but can you be said to have fathomed their meaning? Youshould know that all things in this world are excellent, when they haveattained finality; when they have attained finality, they are excellent;but when they have not attained finality, they are not excellent; ifthey would be excellent, they should attain finality. My song isentitled Excellent-finality (hao liao). "

Shih-yin was gifted with a natural perspicacity that enabled him, assoon as he heard these remarks, to grasp their spirit. 

"Wait a while, " he therefore said smilingly; "let me unravel thisexcellent-finality song of yours; do you mind?"

"Please by all means go on with the interpretation, " urged the Taoist;whereupon Shih-yin proceeded in this strain:

 Sordid rooms and vacant courts, Replete in years gone by with beds where statesmen lay; Parched grass and withered banian trees, Where once were halls for song and dance! Spiders' webs the carved pillars intertwine, The green gauze now is also pasted on the straw windows! What about the cosmetic fresh concocted or the powder just scented; Why has the hair too on each temple become white like hoarfrost! Yesterday the tumulus of yellow earth buried the bleached bones, To-night under the red silk curtain reclines the couple! Gold fills the coffers, silver fills the boxes, But in a twinkle, the beggars will all abuse you! While you deplore that the life of others is not long, You forget that you yourself are approaching death! You educate your sons with all propriety, But they may some day, 'tis hard to say become thieves; Though you choose (your fare and home) the fatted beam, You may, who can say, fall into some place of easy virtue! Through your dislike of the gauze hat as mean, You have come to be locked in a cangue; Yesterday, poor fellow, you felt cold in a tattered coat, To-day, you despise the purple embroidered dress as long! Confusion reigns far and wide! you have just sung your part, I come on the boards, Instead of yours, you recognise another as your native land; What utter perversion! In one word, it comes to this we make wedding clothes for others! (We sow for others to reap. )

The crazy limping Taoist clapped his hands. "Your interpretation isexplicit, " he remarked with a hearty laugh, "your interpretation isexplicit!"

Shih-yin promptly said nothing more than, --"Walk on;" and seizing thestole from the Taoist's shoulder, he flung it over his own. He did not, however, return home, but leisurely walked away, in company with theeccentric priest. 

The report of his disappearance was at once bruited abroad, and plungedthe whole neighbourhood in commotion; and converted into a piece ofnews, it was circulated from mouth to mouth. 

Dame Feng, Shih-yin's wife, upon hearing the tidings, had such a fit ofweeping that she hung between life and death; but her only alternativewas to consult with her father, and to despatch servants on all sides toinstitute inquiries. No news was however received of him, and she hadnothing else to do but to practise resignation, and to remain dependentupon the support of her parents for her subsistence. She had fortunatelystill by her side, to wait upon her, two servant girls, who had beenwith her in days gone by; and the three of them, mistress as well asservants, occupied themselves day and night with needlework, to assisther father in his daily expenses. 

This Feng Su had after all, in spite of his daily murmurings against hisbad luck, no help but to submit to the inevitable. 

On a certain day, the elder servant girl of the Chen family was at thedoor purchasing thread, and while there, she of a sudden heard in thestreet shouts of runners clearing the way, and every one explain thatthe new magistrate had come to take up his office. 

The girl, as she peeped out from inside the door, perceived the lictorsand policemen go by two by two; and when unexpectedly in a state chair, was carried past an official, in black hat and red coat, she was indeedquite taken aback. 

"The face of this officer would seem familiar, " she argued withinherself; "just as if I had seen him somewhere or other ere this. "

Shortly she entered the house, and banishing at once the occurrence fromher mind, she did not give it a second thought. At night, however, whileshe was waiting to go to bed, she suddenly heard a sound like a rap atthe door. A band of men boisterously cried out: "We are messengers, deputed by the worthy magistrate of this district, and come to summonone of you to an enquiry. "

Feng Su, upon hearing these words, fell into such a terribleconsternation that his eyes stared wide and his mouth gaped. 

What calamity was impending is not as yet ascertained, but, reader, listen to the explanation contained in the next chapter. 

CHAPTER II. 

 The spirit of Mrs. Chia Shih-yin departs from the town of Yang Chou. Leng Tzu-hsing dilates upon the Jung Kuo Mansion. 

To continue. Feng Su, upon hearing the shouts of the public messengers, came out in a flurry and forcing a smile, he asked them to explain(their errand); but all these people did was to continue bawling out:"Be quick, and ask Mr. Chen to come out. "

"My surname is Feng, " said Feng Su, as he promptly forced himself tosmile; "It is'nt Chen at all: I had once a son-in-law whose surname wasChen, but he has left home, it is now already a year or two back. Is itperchance about him that you are inquiring?"

To which the public servants remarked: "We know nothing about Chen orChia (true or false); but as he is your son-in-law, we'll take you atonce along with us to make verbal answer to our master and have donewith it. "

And forthwith the whole bevy of public servants hustled Feng Su on, asthey went on their way back; while every one in the Feng family wasseized with consternation, and could not imagine what it was all about. 

It was no earlier than the second watch, when Feng Su returned home; andthey, one and all, pressed him with questions as to what had happened. 

"The fact is, " he explained, "the newly-appointed Magistrate, whosesurname is Chia, whose name is Huo and who is a native of Hu-chow, hasbeen on intimate terms, in years gone by, with our son-in-law; that atthe sight of the girl Chiao Hsing, standing at the door, in the act ofbuying thread, he concluded that he must have shifted his quarters overhere, and hence it was that his messengers came to fetch him. I gave hima clear account of the various circumstances (of his misfortunes), andthe Magistrate was for a time much distressed and expressed his regret. He then went on to make inquiries about my grand-daughter, and Iexplained that she had been lost, while looking at the illuminations. 'No matter, ' put in the Magistrate, 'I will by and by order my men tomake search, and I feel certain that they will find her and bring herback. ' Then ensued a short conversation, after which I was about to go, when he presented me with the sum of two taels. "

The mistress of the Chen family (Mrs. Chen Shih-yin) could not but feelvery much affected by what she heard, and the whole evening she utterednot a word. 

The next day, at an early hour, Yü-ts'un sent some of his men to bringover to Chen's wife presents, consisting of two packets of silver, andfour pieces of brocaded silk, as a token of gratitude, and to Feng Sualso a confidential letter, requesting him to ask of Mrs. Chen her maidChiao Hsing to become his second wife. 

Feng Su was so intensely delighted that his eyebrows expanded, his eyessmiled, and he felt eager to toady to the Magistrate (by presenting thegirl to him). He hastened to employ all his persuasive powers with hisdaughter (to further his purpose), and on the same evening he forthwithescorted Chiao Hsing in a small chair to the Yamên. 

The joy experienced by Yü-ts'un need not be dilated upon. He alsopresented Feng Su with a packet containing one hundred ounces of gold;and sent numerous valuable presents to Mrs. Chen, enjoining her "to livecheerfully in the anticipation of finding out the whereabouts of herdaughter. "

It must be explained, however, that the maid Chi'ao Hsing was the veryperson, who, a few years ago, had looked round at Yü-ts'un and who, byone simple, unpremeditated glance, evolved, in fact, this extraordinarydestiny which was indeed an event beyond conception. 

Who would ever have foreseen that fate and fortune would both have sofavoured her that she should, contrary to all anticipation, give birthto a son, after living with Yü-ts'un barely a year, that in addition tothis, after the lapse of another half year, Yü-ts'un's wife should havecontracted a sudden illness and departed this life, and that Yü-ts'unshould have at once raised her to the rank of first wife. Her destiny isadequately expressed by the lines:

 Through but one single, casual look Soon an exalted place she took. 

The fact is that after Yü-ts'un had been presented with the money byShih-yin, he promptly started on the 16th day for the capital, and atthe triennial great tripos, his wishes were gratified to the full. Having successfully carried off his degree of graduate of the thirdrank, his name was put by selection on the list for provincialappointments. By this time, he had been raised to the rank of Magistratein this district; but, in spite of the excellence and sufficiency of hisaccomplishments and abilities, he could not escape being ambitious andoverbearing. He failed besides, confident as he was in his own merits, in respect toward his superiors, with the result that these officialslooked upon him scornfully with the corner of the eye. 

A year had hardly elapsed, when he was readily denounced in a memorialto the Throne by the High Provincial authorities, who represented thathe was of a haughty disposition, that he had taken upon himself tointroduce innovations in the rites and ceremonies, that overtly, whilehe endeavoured to enjoy the reputation of probity and uprightness, he, secretly, combined the nature of the tiger and wolf; with theconsequence that he had been the cause of much trouble in the district, and that he had made life intolerable for the people, &c. &c. 

The Dragon countenance of the Emperor was considerably incensed. HisMajesty lost no time in issuing commands, in reply to the Memorial, thathe should be deprived of his official status. 

On the arrival of the despatch from the Board, great was the joy felt byevery officer, without exception, of the prefecture in which he had heldoffice. Yü-ts'un, though at heart intensely mortified and incensed, betrayed not the least outward symptom of annoyance, but stillpreserved, as of old, a smiling and cheerful countenance. 

He handed over charge of all official business and removed the savingswhich he had accumulated during the several years he had been in office, his family and all his chattels to his original home; where, afterhaving put everything in proper order, he himself travelled (carried thewinds and sleeved the moon) far and wide, visiting every relic of notein the whole Empire. 

As luck would have it, on a certain day while making a second journeythrough the Wei Yang district, he heard the news that the SaltCommissioner appointed this year was Lin Ju-hai. This Lin Ju-hai'sfamily name was Lin, his name Hai and his style Ju-hai. He had obtainedthe third place in the previous triennial examination, and had, by thistime, already risen to the rank of Director of the Court of Censors. Hewas a native of Kú Su. He had been recently named by Imperialappointment a Censor attached to the Salt Inspectorate, and had arrivedat his post only a short while back. 

In fact, the ancestors of Lin Ju-hai had, from years back, successivelyinherited the title of Marquis, which rank, by its present descent toJu-hai, had already been enjoyed by five generations. When firstconferred, the hereditary right to the title had been limited to threegenerations; but of late years, by an act of magnanimous favour andgenerous beneficence, extraordinary bounty had been superadded; and onthe arrival of the succession to the father of Ju-hai, the right hadbeen extended to another degree. It had now descended to Ju-hai, whohad, besides this title of nobility, begun his career as a successfulgraduate. But though his family had been through uninterrupted ages therecipient of imperial bounties, his kindred had all been anyhow men ofculture. 

The only misfortune had been that the several branches of the Lin familyhad not been prolific, so that the numbers of its members continuedlimited; and though there existed several households, they were allhowever to Ju-hai no closer relatives than first cousins. Neither werethere any connections of the same lineage, or of the same parentage. 

Ju-hai was at this date past forty; and had only had a son, who had diedthe previous year, in the third year of his age. Though he had severalhandmaids, he had not had the good fortune of having another son; butthis was too a matter that could not be remedied. 

By his wife, née Chia, he had a daughter, to whom the infant name of TaiYü was given. She was, at this time, in her fifth year. Upon her theparents doated as much as if she were a brilliant pearl in the palm oftheir hand. Seeing that she was endowed with natural gifts ofintelligence and good looks, they also felt solicitous to bestow uponher a certain knowledge of books, with no other purpose than that ofsatisfying, by this illusory way, their wishes of having a son tonurture and of dispelling the anguish felt by them, on account of thedesolation and void in their family circle (round their knees). 

But to proceed. Yü-ts'un, while sojourning at an inn, was unexpectedlylaid up with a violent chill. Finding on his recovery, that his fundswere not sufficient to pay his expenses, he was thinking of looking outfor some house where he could find a resting place when he suddenly cameacross two friends acquainted with the new Salt Commissioner. Knowingthat this official was desirous to find a tutor to instruct hisdaughter, they lost no time in recommending Yü-ts'un, who moved into theYamên. 

His female pupil was youthful in years and delicate in physique, so thather lessons were irregular. Besides herself, there were only two waitinggirls, who remained in attendance during the hours of study, so thatYü-ts'un was spared considerable trouble and had a suitable opportunityto attend to the improvement of his health. 

In a twinkle, another year and more slipped by, and when least expected, the mother of his ward, née Chia, was carried away after a shortillness. His pupil (during her mother's sickness) was dutiful in herattendance, and prepared the medicines for her use. (And after herdeath, ) she went into the deepest mourning prescribed by the rites, andgave way to such excess of grief that, naturally delicate as she was, her old complaint, on this account, broke out anew. 

Being unable for a considerable time to prosecute her studies, Yü-ts'unlived at leisure and had no duties to attend to. Whenever therefore thewind was genial and the sun mild, he was wont to stroll at random, afterhe had done with his meals. 

On this particular day, he, by some accident, extended his walk beyondthe suburbs, and desirous to contemplate the nature of the rusticscenery, he, with listless step, came up to a spot encircled by hillsand streaming pools, by luxuriant clumps of trees and thick groves ofbamboos. Nestling in the dense foliage stood a temple. The doors andcourts were in ruins. The walls, inner and outer, in disrepair. Aninscription on a tablet testified that this was the temple of SpiritualPerception. On the sides of the door was also a pair of old anddilapidated scrolls with the following enigmatical verses. 

 Behind ample there is, yet to retract the hand, the mind heeds not, until. Before the mortal vision lies no path, when comes to turn the will. 

"These two sentences, " Yü-ts'un pondered after perusal, "although simplein language, are profound in signification. I have previous to thisvisited many a spacious temple, located on hills of note, but never haveI beheld an inscription referring to anything of the kind. The meaningcontained in these words must, I feel certain, owe their origin to theexperiences of some person or other; but there's no saying. But whyshould I not go in and inquire for myself?"

Upon walking in, he at a glance caught sight of no one else, but of avery aged bonze, of unkempt appearance, cooking his rice. When Yü-ts'unperceived that he paid no notice, he went up to him and asked him one ortwo questions, but as the old priest was dull of hearing and a dotard, and as he had lost his teeth, and his tongue was blunt, he made mostirrelevant replies. 

Yü-ts'un lost all patience with him, and withdrew again from thecompound with the intention of going as far as the village public houseto have a drink or two, so as to enhance the enjoyment of the rusticscenery. With easy stride, he accordingly walked up to the place. Scarcely had he passed the threshold of the public house, when heperceived some one or other among the visitors who had been sittingsipping their wine on the divan, jump up and come up to greet him, witha face beaming with laughter. 

"What a strange meeting! What a strange meeting!" he exclaimed aloud. 

Yü-ts'un speedily looked at him, (and remembered) that this person had, in past days, carried on business in a curio establishment in thecapital, and that his surname was Leng and his style Tzu-hsing. 

A mutual friendship had existed between them during their sojourn, indays of yore, in the capital; and as Yü-ts'un had entertained thehighest opinion of Leng Tzu-hsing, as being a man of action and of greatabilities, while this Leng Tzu-hsing, on the other hand, borrowed of thereputation of refinement enjoyed by Yü-ts'un, the two had consequentlyall along lived in perfect harmony and companionship. 

"When did you get here?" Yü-ts'un eagerly inquired also smilingly. "Iwasn't in the least aware of your arrival. This unexpected meeting ispositively a strange piece of good fortune. "

"I went home, " Tzu-hsing replied, "about the close of last year, but nowas I am again bound to the capital, I passed through here on my way tolook up a friend of mine and talk some matters over. He had the kindnessto press me to stay with him for a couple of days longer, and as I afterall have no urgent business to attend to, I am tarrying a few days, butpurpose starting about the middle of the moon. My friend is busy to-day, so I roamed listlessly as far as here, never dreaming of such afortunate meeting. "

While speaking, he made Yü-ts'un sit down at the same table, and ordereda fresh supply of wine and eatables; and as the two friends chatted ofone thing and another, they slowly sipped their wine. 

The conversation ran on what had occurred after the separation, andYü-ts'un inquired, "Is there any news of any kind in the capital?"

"There's nothing new whatever, " answered Tzu-hsing. "There is one thinghowever: in the family of one of your worthy kinsmen, of the same nameas yourself, a trifling, but yet remarkable, occurrence has takenplace. "

"None of my kindred reside in the capital, " rejoined Yü-ts'un with asmile. "To what can you be alluding?"

"How can it be that you people who have the same surname do not belongto one clan?" remarked Tzu-hsing, sarcastically. 

"In whose family?" inquired Yü-ts'un. 

"The Chia family, " replied Tzu-hsing smiling, "whose quarters are in theJung Kuo Mansion, does not after all reflect discredit upon the lintelof your door, my venerable friend. "

"What!" exclaimed Yü-ts'un, "did this affair take place in that family?Were we to begin reckoning, we would find the members of my clan to beanything but limited in number. Since the time of our ancestor Chia Fu, who lived while the Eastern Han dynasty occupied the Throne, thebranches of our family have been numerous and flourishing; they are nowto be found in every single province, and who could, with any accuracy, ascertain their whereabouts? As regards the Jung-kuo branch inparticular, their names are in fact inscribed on the same register asour own, but rich and exalted as they are, we have never presumed toclaim them as our relatives, so that we have become more and moreestranged. "

"Don't make any such assertions, " Tzu-hsing remarked with a sigh, "thepresent two mansions of Jung and Ning have both alike also sufferedreverses, and they cannot come up to their state of days of yore. "

"Up to this day, these two households of Ning and of Jung, " Yü-ts'unsuggested, "still maintain a very large retinue of people, and how canit be that they have met with reverses?"

"To explain this would be indeed a long story, " said Leng Tzu-hsing. "Last year, " continued Yü-ts'un, "I arrived at Chin Ling, as Ientertained a wish to visit the remains of interest of the sixdynasties, and as I on that day entered the walled town of Shih T'ou, Ipassed by the entrance of that old residence. On the east side of thestreet, stood the Ning Kuo mansion; on the west the Jung Kuo mansion;and these two, adjoining each other as they do, cover in fact well-nighhalf of the whole length of the street. Outside the front gateeverything was, it is true, lonely and deserted; but at a glance intothe interior over the enclosing wall, I perceived that the halls, pavilions, two-storied structures and porches presented still a majesticand lofty appearance. Even the flower garden, which extends over thewhole area of the back grounds, with its trees and rockeries, alsopossessed to that day an air of luxuriance and freshness, which betrayedno signs of a ruined or decrepid establishment. "

"You have had the good fortune of starting in life as a graduate, "explained Tzu-tsing as he smiled, "and yet are not aware of the sayinguttered by some one of old: that a centipede even when dead does not liestiff. (These families) may, according to your version, not be up to theprosperity of former years, but, compared with the family of an ordinaryofficial, their condition anyhow presents a difference. Of late thenumber of the inmates has, day by day, been on the increase; theiraffairs have become daily more numerous; of masters and servants, highand low, who live in ease and respectability very many there are; but ofthose who exercise any forethought, or make any provision, there is noteven one. In their daily wants, their extravagances, and theirexpenditure, they are also unable to adapt themselves to circumstancesand practise economy; (so that though) the present external frameworkmay not have suffered any considerable collapse, their purses haveanyhow begun to feel an exhausting process! But this is a mere trifle. There is another more serious matter. Would any one ever believe that insuch families of official status, in a clan of education and culture, the sons and grandsons of the present age would after all be each(succeeding) generation below the standard of the former?"

Yü-ts'un, having listened to these remarks, observed: "How ever can itbe possible that families of such education and refinement can observeany system of training and nurture which is not excellent? Concerningthe other branches, I am not in a position to say anything; butrestricting myself to the two mansions of Jung and Ning, they are thosein which, above all others, the education of their children ismethodical. "

"I was just now alluding to none other than these two establishments, "Tzu-hsing observed with a sigh; "but let me tell you all. In days ofyore, the duke of Ning Kuo and the duke of Jung Kuo were two uterinebrothers. The Ning duke was the elder; he had four sons. After the deathof the duke of Ning Kuo, his eldest son, Chia Tai-hua, came into thetitle. He also had two sons; but the eldest, whose name was Hu, died atthe age of eight or nine; and the only survivor, the second son, ChiaChing, inherited the title. His whole mind is at this time set uponTaoist doctrines; his sole delight is to burn the pill and refine thedual powers; while every other thought finds no place in his mind. Happily, he had, at an early age, left a son, Chia Chen, behind in thelay world, and his father, engrossed as his whole heart was with theidea of attaining spiritual life, ceded the succession of the officialtitle to him. His parent is, besides, not willing to return to theoriginal family seat, but lives outside the walls of the capital, foolishly hobnobbing with all the Taoist priests. This Mr. Chen had alsoa son, Chia Jung, who is, at this period, just in his sixteenth year. Mr. Ching gives at present no attention to anything at all, so that Mr. Chen naturally devotes no time to his studies, but being bent uponnought else but incessant high pleasure, he has subversed the order ofthings in the Ning Kuo mansion, and yet no one can summon the courage tocome and hold him in check. But I'll now tell you about the Jung mansionfor your edification. The strange occurrence, to which I alluded justnow, came about in this manner. After the demise of the Jung duke, theeldest son, Chia Tai-shan, inherited the rank. He took to himself aswife, the daughter of Marquis Shih, a noble family of Chin Ling, by whomhe had two sons; the elder being Chia She, the younger Chia Cheng. ThisTai Shan is now dead long ago; but his wife is still alive, and theelder son, Chia She, succeeded to the degree. He is a man of amiable andgenial disposition, but he likewise gives no thought to the direction ofany domestic concern. The second son Chia Cheng displayed, from hisearly childhood, a great liking for books, and grew up to be correct andupright in character. His grandfather doated upon him, and would havehad him start in life through the arena of public examinations, but, when least expected, Tai-shan, being on the point of death, bequeathed apetition, which was laid before the Emperor. His Majesty, out of regardfor his former minister, issued immediate commands that the elder sonshould inherit the estate, and further inquired how many sons there werebesides him, all of whom he at once expressed a wish to be introduced inhis imperial presence. His Majesty, moreover, displayed exceptionalfavour, and conferred upon Mr. Cheng the brevet rank of second classAssistant Secretary (of a Board), and commanded him to enter the Boardto acquire the necessary experience. He has already now been promoted tothe office of second class Secretary. This Mr. Cheng's wife, nèe Wang, first gave birth to a son called Chia Chu, who became a Licentiate inhis fourteenth year. At barely twenty, he married, but fell ill and diedsoon after the birth of a son. Her (Mrs. Cheng's) second child was adaughter, who came into the world, by a strange coincidence, on thefirst day of the year. She had an unexpected (pleasure) in the birth, the succeeding year, of another son, who, still more remarkable to say, had, at the time of his birth, a piece of variegated and crystal-likebrilliant jade in his mouth, on which were yet visible the outlines ofseveral characters. Now, tell me, was not this a novel and strangeoccurrence? eh?"

"Strange indeed!" exclaimed Yü-ts'un with a smile; "but I presume thecoming experiences of this being will not be mean. "

Tzu-hsing gave a faint smile. "One and all, " he remarked, "entertain thesame idea. Hence it is that his mother doats upon him like upon aprecious jewel. On the day of his first birthday, Mr. Cheng readilyentertained a wish to put the bent of his inclinations to the test, andplaced before the child all kinds of things, without number, for him tograsp from. Contrary to every expectation, he scorned every otherobject, and, stretching forth his hand, he simply took hold of rouge, powder and a few hair-pins, with which he began to play. Mr. Chengexperienced at once displeasure, as he maintained that this youth would, by and bye, grow up into a sybarite, devoted to wine and women, and forthis reason it is, that he soon began to feel not much attachment forhim. But his grandmother is the one who, in spite of everything, prizeshim like the breath of her own life. The very mention of what happenedis even strange! He is now grown up to be seven or eight years old, and, although exceptionally wilful, in intelligence and precocity, however, not one in a hundred could come up to him! And as for the utterances ofthis child, they are no less remarkable. The bones and flesh of woman, he argues, are made of water, while those of man of mud. 'Women to myeyes are pure and pleasing, ' he says, 'while at the sight of man, Ireadily feel how corrupt, foul and repelling they are!' Now tell me, arenot these words ridiculous? There can be no doubt whatever that he willby and bye turn out to be a licentious roué. "

Yü-ts'un, whose countenance suddenly assumed a stern air, promptlyinterrupted the conversation. "It doesn't quite follow, " he suggested. "You people don't, I regret to say, understand the destiny of thischild. The fact is that even the old Hanlin scholar Mr. Cheng waserroneously looked upon as a loose rake and dissolute debauchee! Butunless a person, through much study of books and knowledge of letters, so increases (in lore) as to attain the talent of discerning the natureof things, and the vigour of mind to fathom the Taoist reason as well asto comprehend the first principle, he is not in a position to form anyjudgment. "

Tzu-hsing upon perceiving the weighty import of what he propounded, "Please explain, " he asked hastily, "the drift (of your argument). " Towhich Yü-ts'un responded: "Of the human beings created by the operationof heaven and earth, if we exclude those who are gifted with extremebenevolence and extreme viciousness, the rest, for the most part, present no striking diversity. If they be extremely benevolent, theyfall in, at the time of their birth, with an era of propitious fortune;while those extremely vicious correspond, at the time of theirexistence, with an era of calamity. When those who coexist withpropitious fortune come into life, the world is in order; when those whocoexist with unpropitious fortune come into life, the world is indanger. Yao, Shun, Yü, Ch'eng T'ang, Wen Wang, Wu Wang, Chou Kung, ChaoKung, Confucius, Mencius, T'ung Hu, Han Hsin, Chou Tzu, Ch'eng Tzu, ChuTzu and Chang Tzu were ordained to see light in an auspicious era. Whereas Ch'i Yu, Kung Kung, Chieh Wang, Chou Wang, Shih Huang, WangMang, Tsao Ts'ao, Wen Wen, An Hu-shan, Ch'in Kuei and others were oneand all destined to come into the world during a calamitous age. Thoseendowed with extreme benevolence set the world in order; those possessedof extreme maliciousness turn the world into disorder. Purity, intelligence, spirituality and subtlety constitute the vital spirit ofright which pervades heaven and earth, and the persons gifted withbenevolence are its natural fruit. Malignity and perversity constitutethe spirit of evil, which permeates heaven and earth, and maliciouspersons are affected by its influence. The days of perpetual happinessand eminent good fortune, and the era of perfect peace and tranquility, which now prevail, are the offspring of the pure, intelligent, divineand subtle spirit which ascends above, to the very Emperor, and belowreaches the rustic and uncultured classes. Every one is withoutexception under its influence. The superfluity of the subtle spiritexpands far and wide, and finding nowhere to betake itself to, becomes, in due course, transformed into dew, or gentle breeze; and, by a processof diffusion, it pervades the whole world. 

"The spirit of malignity and perversity, unable to expand under thebrilliant sky and transmuting sun, eventually coagulates, pervades andstops up the deep gutters and extensive caverns; and when of a suddenthe wind agitates it or it be impelled by the clouds, and any slightdisposition, on its part, supervenes to set itself in motion, or tobreak its bounds, and so little as even the minutest fraction doesunexpectedly find an outlet, and happens to come across any spirit ofperception and subtlety which may be at the time passing by, the spiritof right does not yield to the spirit of evil, and the spirit of evil isagain envious of the spirit of right, so that the two do not harmonize. Just like wind, water, thunder and lightning, which, when they meet inthe bowels of the earth, must necessarily, as they are both to dissolveand are likewise unable to yield, clash and explode to the end that theymay at length exhaust themselves. Hence it is that these spirits havealso forcibly to diffuse themselves into the human race to find anoutlet, so that they may then completely disperse, with the result thatmen and women are suddenly imbued with these spirits and spring intoexistence. At best, (these human beings) cannot be generated intophilanthropists or perfect men; at worst, they cannot also embodyextreme perversity or extreme wickedness. Yet placed among one millionbeings, the spirit of intelligence, refinement, perception and subtletywill be above these one million beings; while, on the other hand, theperverse, depraved and inhuman embodiment will likewise be below themillion of men. Born in a noble and wealthy family, these men will be asalacious, lustful lot; born of literary, virtuous or poor parentage, they will turn out retired scholars or men of mark; though they may bysome accident be born in a destitute and poverty-stricken home, theycannot possibly, in fact, ever sink so low as to become runners ormenials, or contentedly brook to be of the common herd or to be drivenand curbed like a horse in harness. They will become, for a certainty, either actors of note or courtesans of notoriety; as instanced in formeryears by Hsü Yu, T'ao Ch'ien, Yuan Chi, Chi Kang, Liu Ling, the twofamilies of Wang and Hsieh, Ku Hu-t'ou, Ch'en Hou-chu, T'ang Ming-huang, Sung Hui-tsung, Liu T'ing-chih, Wen Fei-ching, Mei Nan-kung, ShihMan-ch'ing, Lui C'hih-ch'ing and Chin Shao-yu, and exemplifiednow-a-days by Ni Yün-lin, T'ang Po-hu, Chu Chih-shan, and also by LiKuei-men, Huang P'an-cho, Ching Hsin-mo, Cho Wen-chün; and the womenHung Fu, Hsieh T'ao, Ch'ü Ying, Ch'ao Yün and others; all of whom wereand are of the same stamp, though placed in different scenes of action. "

"From what you say, " observed Tzu-hsing, "success makes (a man) a dukeor a marquis; ruin, a thief!"

"Quite so; that's just my idea!" replied Yü-ts'un; "I've not as yet letyou know that after my degradation from office, I spent the last coupleof years in travelling for pleasure all over each province, and that Ialso myself came across two extraordinary youths. This is why, when ashort while back you alluded to this Pao-yü, I at once conjectured, witha good deal of certainty, that he must be a human being of the samestamp. There's no need for me to speak of any farther than the walledcity of Chin Ling. This Mr. Chen was, by imperial appointment, namedPrincipal of the Government Public College of the Chin Ling province. Doyou perhaps know him?"

"Who doesn't know him?" remarked Tzu-hsing. "This Chen family is an oldconnection of the Chia family. These two families were on terms of greatintimacy, and I myself likewise enjoyed the pleasure of their friendshipfor many a day. "

"Last year, when at Chin Ling, " Yü-ts'un continued with a smile, "someone recommended me as resident tutor to the school in the Chen mansion;and when I moved into it I saw for myself the state of things. Who wouldever think that that household was grand and luxurious to such a degree!But they are an affluent family, and withal full of propriety, so that aschool like this was of course not one easy to obtain. The pupil, however, was, it is true, a young tyro, but far more troublesome toteach than a candidate for the examination of graduate of the seconddegree. Were I to enter into details, you would indeed have a laugh. 'Imust needs, ' he explained, 'have the company of two girls in my studiesto enable me to read at all, and to keep likewise my brain clear. Otherwise, if left to myself, my head gets all in a muddle. ' Time aftertime, he further expounded to his young attendants, how extremelyhonourable and extremely pure were the two words representing woman, that they are more valuable and precious than the auspicious animal, thefelicitous bird, rare flowers and uncommon plants. 'You may not' (he waswont to say), 'on any account heedlessly utter them, you set of foulmouths and filthy tongues! these two words are of the utmost import!Whenever you have occasion to allude to them, you must, before you cando so with impunity, take pure water and scented tea and rinse yourmouths. In the event of any slip of the tongue, I shall at once haveyour teeth extracted, and your eyes gouged out. ' His obstinacy andwaywardness are, in every respect, out of the common. After he wasallowed to leave school, and to return home, he became, at the sight ofthe young ladies, so tractable, gentle, sharp, and polite, transformed, in fact, like one of them. And though, for this reason, his father haspunished him on more than one occasion, by giving him a sound thrashing, such as brought him to the verge of death, he cannot however change. Whenever he was being beaten, and could no more endure the pain, he waswont to promptly break forth in promiscuous loud shouts, 'Girls! girls!'The young ladies, who heard him from the inner chambers, subsequentlymade fun of him. 'Why, ' they said, 'when you are being thrashed, and youare in pain, your only thought is to bawl out girls! Is it perchancethat you expect us young ladies to go and intercede for you? How is thatyou have no sense of shame?' To their taunts he gave a most plausibleexplanation. 'Once, ' he replied, 'when in the agony of pain, I gave ventto shouting girls, in the hope, perchance, I did not then know, of itsbeing able to alleviate the soreness. After I had, with this purpose, given one cry, I really felt the pain considerably better; and now thatI have obtained this secret spell, I have recourse, at once, when I amin the height of anguish, to shouts of girls, one shout after another. Now what do you say to this? Isn't this absurd, eh?"

"The grandmother is so infatuated by her extreme tenderness for thisyouth, that, time after time, she has, on her grandson's account, foundfault with the tutor, and called her son to task, with the result that Iresigned my post and took my leave. A youth, with a disposition such ashis, cannot assuredly either perpetuate intact the estate of his fatherand grandfather, or follow the injunctions of teacher or advice offriends. The pity is, however, that there are, in that family, severalexcellent female cousins, the like of all of whom it would be difficultto discover. "

"Quite so!" remarked Tzu-hsing; "there are now three young ladies in theChia family who are simply perfection itself. The eldest is a daughterof Mr. Cheng, Yuan Ch'un by name, who, on account of her excellence, filial piety, talents, and virtue, has been selected as a governess inthe palace. The second is the daughter of Mr. She's handmaid, and iscalled Ying Ch'un; the third is T'an Ch'un, the child of Mr. Cheng'shandmaid; while the fourth is the uterine sister of Mr. Chen of the NingMansion. Her name is Hsi Ch'un. As dowager lady Shih is so fondlyattached to her granddaughters, they come, for the most part, over totheir grandmother's place to prosecute their studies together, and eachone of these girls is, I hear, without a fault. "

"More admirable, " observed Yü-ts'un, "is the régime (adhered to) in theChen family, where the names of the female children have all beenselected from the list of male names, and are unlike all thoseout-of-the-way names, such as Spring Blossom, Scented Gem, and the likeflowery terms in vogue in other families. But how is it that the Chiafamily have likewise fallen into this common practice?"

"Not so!" ventured Tzu-h'sing. "It is simply because the eldest daughterwas born on the first of the first moon, that the name of Yuan Ch'un wasgiven to her; while with the rest this character Ch'un (spring) was thenfollowed. The names of the senior generation are, in like manner, adopted from those of their brothers; and there is at present aninstance in support of this. The wife of your present worthy master, Mr. Lin, is the uterine sister of Mr. Chia. She and Mr. Chia Cheng, and shewent, while at home, under the name of Chia Min. Should you question thetruth of what I say, you are at liberty, on your return, to make minuteinquiries and you'll be convinced. "

Yü-ts'un clapped his hands and said smiling, "It's so, I know! for thisfemale pupil of mine, whose name is Tai-yü, invariably pronounces thecharacter _min_ as _mi_, whenever she comes across it in thecourse of her reading; while, in writing, when she comes to thecharacter 'min, ' she likewise reduces the strokes by one, sometimes bytwo. Often have I speculated in my mind (as to the cause), but theremarks I've heard you mention, convince me, without doubt, that it isno other reason (than that of reverence to her mother's name). Strangeenough, this pupil of mine is unique in her speech and deportment, andin no way like any ordinary young lady. But considering that her motherwas no commonplace woman herself, it is natural that she should havegiven birth to such a child. Besides, knowing, as I do now, that she isthe granddaughter of the Jung family, it is no matter of surprise to methat she is what she is. Poor girl, her mother, after all, died in thecourse of the last month. "

Tzu-hsing heaved a sigh. "Of three elderly sisters, " he explained, "thisone was the youngest, and she too is gone! Of the sisters of the seniorgeneration not one even survives! But now we'll see what the husbands ofthis younger generation will be like by and bye!"

"Yes, " replied Yü-ts'un. "But some while back you mentioned that Mr. Cheng has had a son, born with a piece of jade in his mouth, and that hehas besides a tender-aged grandson left by his eldest son; but is itlikely that this Mr. She has not, himself, as yet, had any male issue?"

"After Mr. Cheng had this son with the jade, " Tzu-hsing added, "hishandmaid gave birth to another son, who whether he be good or bad, Idon't at all know. At all events, he has by his side two sons and agrandson, but what these will grow up to be by and bye, I cannot tell. As regards Mr. Chia She, he too has had two sons; the second of whom, Chia Lien, is by this time about twenty. He took to wife a relative ofhis, a niece of Mr. Cheng's wife, a Miss Wang, and has now been marriedfor the last two years. This Mr. Lien has lately obtained by purchasethe rank of sub-prefect. He too takes little pleasure in books, but asfar as worldly affairs go, he is so versatile and glib of tongue, thathe has recently taken up his quarters with his uncle Mr. Cheng, to whomhe gives a helping hand in the management of domestic matters. Who wouldhave thought it, however, ever since his marriage with his worthy wife, not a single person, whether high or low, has there been who has notlooked up to her with regard: with the result that Mr. Lien himself has, in fact, had to take a back seat (_lit_. Withdrew 35 li). In looks, she is also so extremely beautiful, in speech so extremely quick andfluent, in ingenuity so deep and astute, that even a man could, in noway, come up to her mark. "

After hearing these remarks Yü-ts'un smiled. "You now perceive, " hesaid, "that my argument is no fallacy, and that the several personsabout whom you and I have just been talking are, we may presume, humanbeings, who, one and all, have been generated by the spirit of right, and the spirit of evil, and come to life by the same royal road; but ofcourse there's no saying. "

"Enough, " cried Tzu-hsing, "of right and enough of evil; we've beendoing nothing but settling other people's accounts; come now, haveanother glass, and you'll be the better for it!"

"While bent upon talking, " Yü-ts'un explained, "I've had more glassesthan is good for me. "

"Speaking of irrelevant matters about other people, " Tzu-hsing rejoinedcomplacently, "is quite the thing to help us swallow our wine; so comenow; what harm will happen, if we do have a few glasses more. "

Yü-ts'un thereupon looked out of the window. 

"The day is also far advanced, " he remarked, "and if we don't take care, the gates will be closing; let us leisurely enter the city, and as we goalong, there will be nothing to prevent us from continuing our chat. "

Forthwith the two friends rose from their seats, settled and paid theirwine bill, and were just going, when they unexpectedly heard some onefrom behind say with a loud voice:

"Accept my congratulations, Brother Yü-ts'un; I've now come, with theexpress purpose of giving you the welcome news!"

Yü-ts'un lost no time in turning his head round to look at the speaker. But reader, if you wish to learn who the man was, listen to the detailsgiven in the following chapter. 

CHAPTER III. 

 Lin Ju-hai appeals to his brother-in-law, Chia Cheng, recommending Yü-ts'un, his daughter's tutor, to his consideration. Dowager lady Chia sends to fetch her granddaughter, out of commiseration for her being a motherless child. 

But to proceed with our narrative. 

Yü-ts'un, on speedily turning round, perceived that the speaker was noother than a certain Chang Ju-kuei, an old colleague of his, who hadbeen denounced and deprived of office, on account of some case or other;a native of that district, who had, since his degradation, resided inhis family home. 

Having lately come to hear the news that a memorial, presented in thecapital, that the former officers (who had been cashiered) should bereinstated, had received the imperial consent, he had promptly done allhe could, in every nook and corner, to obtain influence, and to find themeans (of righting his position, ) when he, unexpectedly, came acrossYü-ts'un, to whom he therefore lost no time in offering hiscongratulations. The two friends exchanged the conventional salutations, and Chang Ju-kuei forthwith communicated the tidings to Yü-ts'un. 

Yü-ts'un was delighted, but after he had made a few remarks, in a greathurry, each took his leave and sped on his own way homewards. 

Leng Tzu-hsing, upon hearing this conversation, hastened at once topropose a plan, advising Yü-ts'un to request Lin Ju-hai, in his turn, toappeal in the capital to Mr. Chia Cheng for support. 

Yü-ts'un accepted the suggestion, and parted from his companion. 

On his return to his quarters, he made all haste to lay his hand on theMetropolitan Gazette, and having ascertained that the news wasauthentic, he had on the next day a personal consultation with Ju-hai. 

"Providence and good fortune are both alike propitious!" exclaimedJu-hai. "After the death of my wife, my mother-in-law, whose residenceis in the capital, was so very solicitous on my daughter's account, forhaving no one to depend upon, that she despatched, at an early period, boats with men and women servants to come and fetch her. But my childwas at the time not quite over her illness, and that is why she has notyet started. I was, this very moment, cogitating to send my daughter tothe capital. And in view of the obligation, under which I am to you forthe instruction you have heretofore conferred upon her, remaining as yetunrequited, there is no reason why, when such an opportunity as thispresents itself, I should not do my utmost to find means to make properacknowledgment. I have already, in anticipation, given the matter myattention, and written a letter of recommendation to my brother-in-law, urging him to put everything right for you, in order that I may, to acertain extent, be able to give effect to my modest wishes. As for anyoutlay that may prove necessary, I have given proper explanation, in theletter to my brother-in-law, so that you, my brother, need not troubleyourself by giving way to much anxiety. "

As Yü-ts'un bowed and expressed his appreciation in most profuselanguage, --

"Pray, " he asked, "where does your honoured brother-in-law reside? andwhat is his official capacity? But I fear I'm too coarse in my manner, and could not presume to obtrude myself in his presence. "

Ju-hai smiled. "And yet, " he remarked, "this brother-in-law of mine isafter all of one and the same family as your worthy self, for he is thegrandson of the Duke Jung. My elder brother-in-law has now inherited thestatus of Captain-General of the first grade. His name is She, his styleNgen-hou. My second brother-in-law's name is Cheng, his style isTzu-chou. His present post is that of a Second class Secretary in theBoard of Works. He is modest and kindhearted, and has much in him of thehabits of his grandfather; not one of that purse-proud and haughty kindof men. That is why I have written to him and made the request on yourbehalf. Were he different to what he really is, not only would he cast aslur upon your honest purpose, honourable brother, but I myself likewisewould not have been as prompt in taking action. "

When Yü-ts'un heard these remarks, he at length credited what had beentold him by Tzu-hsing the day before, and he lost no time in againexpressing his sense of gratitude to Lin Ju-hai. 

Ju-hai resumed the conversation. 

"I have fixed, " (he explained, ) "upon the second of next month, for myyoung daughter's departure for the capital, and, if you, brother mine, were to travel along with her, would it not be an advantage to herself, as well as to yourself?"

Yü-ts'un signified his acquiescence as he listened to his proposal;feeling in his inner self extremely elated. 

Ju-hai availed himself of the earliest opportunity to get ready thepresents (for the capital) and all the requirements for the journey, which (when completed, ) Yü-ts'un took over one by one. His pupil couldnot, at first, brook the idea, of a separation from her father, but thepressing wishes of her grandmother left her no course (but to comply). 

"Your father, " Ju-hai furthermore argued with her, "is already fifty;and I entertain no wish to marry again; and then you are always ailing;besides, with your extreme youth, you have, above, no mother of your ownto take care of you, and below, no sisters to attend to you. If you nowgo and have your maternal grandmother, as well as your mother's brothersand your cousins to depend upon, you will be doing the best thing toreduce the anxiety which I feel in my heart on your behalf. Why thenshould you not go?"

Tai-yü, after listening to what her father had to say, parted from himin a flood of tears and followed her nurse and several old matrons fromthe Jung mansion on board her boat, and set out on her journey. 

Yü-ts'un had a boat to himself, and with two youths to wait on him, heprosecuted his voyage in the wake of Tai-yü. 

By a certain day, they reached Ching Tu; and Yü-ts'un, after firstadjusting his hat and clothes, came, attended by a youth, to the door ofthe Jung mansion, and sent in a card, which showed his lineage. 

Chia Cheng had, by this time, perused his brother-in-law's letter, andhe speedily asked him to walk in. When they met, he found in Yü-ts'un animposing manner and polite address. 

This Chia Cheng had, in fact, a great penchant above all things for menof education, men courteous to the talented, respectful to the learned, ready to lend a helping hand to the needy and to succour the distressed, and was, to a great extent, like his grandfather. As it was besides awish intimated by his brother-in-law, he therefore treated Yü-ts'un witha consideration still more unusual, and readily strained all hisresources to assist him. 

On the very day on which the memorial was submitted to the Throne, heobtained by his efforts, a reinstatement to office, and before theexpiry of two months, Yü-t'sun was forthwith selected to fill theappointment of prefect of Ying T'ien in Chin Ling. Taking leave of ChiaCheng, he chose a propitious day, and proceeded to his post, where wewill leave him without further notice for the present. 

But to return to Tai-yü. On the day on which she left the boat, and themoment she put her foot on shore, there were forthwith at her disposalchairs for her own use, and carts for the luggage, sent over from theJung mansion. 

Lin Tai-yü had often heard her mother recount how different was hergrandmother's house from that of other people's; and having seen forherself how above the common run were already the attendants of thethree grades, (sent to wait upon her, ) in attire, in their fare, in alltheir articles of use, "how much more, " (she thought to herself) "nowthat I am going to her home, must I be careful at every step, andcircumspect at every moment! Nor must I utter one word too many, normake one step more than is proper, for fear lest I should be ridiculedby any of them!"

From the moment she got into the chair, and they had entered within thecity walls, she found, as she looked around, through the gauze window, at the bustle in the streets and public places and at the immenseconcourse of people, everything naturally so unlike what she had seenelsewhere. 

After they had also been a considerable time on the way, she suddenlycaught sight, at the northern end of the street, of two huge squattinglions of marble and of three lofty gates with (knockers representing)the heads of animals. In front of these gates, sat, in a row, about tenmen in coloured hats and fine attire. The main gate was not open. It wasonly through the side gates, on the east and west, that people went inand came out. Above the centre gate was a tablet. On this tablet wereinscribed in five large characters--"The Ning Kuo mansion erected byimperial command. "

"This must be grandmother's eldest son's residence, " reflected Tai-yü. 

Towards the east, again, at no great distance, were three more highgateways, likewise of the same kind as those she had just seen. This wasthe Jung Kuo mansion. 

They did not however go in by the main gate; but simply made theirentrance through the east side door. 

With the sedans on their shoulders, (the bearers) proceeded about thedistance of the throw of an arrow, when upon turning a corner, theyhastily put down the chairs. The matrons, who came behind, one and allalso dismounted. (The bearers) were changed for four youths of seventeenor eighteen, with hats and clothes without a blemish, and while theycarried the chair, the whole bevy of matrons followed on foot. 

When they reached a creeper-laden gate, the sedan was put down, and allthe youths stepped back and retired. The matrons came forward, raisedthe screen, and supported Tai-yü to descend from the chair. 

Lin Tai-yü entered the door with the creepers, resting on the hand of amatron. 

On both sides was a verandah, like two outstretched arms. An EntranceHall stood in the centre, in the middle of which was a door-screen of TaLi marble, set in an ebony frame. On the other side of this screen werethree very small halls. At the back of these came at once an extensivecourtyard, belonging to the main building. 

In the front part were five parlours, the frieze of the ceiling of whichwas all carved, and the pillars ornamented. On either side, were coveredavenues, resembling passages through a rock. In the side-rooms weresuspended cages, full of parrots of every colour, thrushes, and birds ofevery description. 

On the terrace-steps, sat several waiting maids, dressed in red andgreen, and the whole company of them advanced, with beaming faces, togreet them, when they saw the party approach. "Her venerable ladyship, "they said, "was at this very moment thinking of you, miss, and, by astrange coincidence, here you are. "

Three or four of them forthwith vied with each other in raising the doorcurtain, while at the same time was heard some one announce: "Miss Linhas arrived. "

No sooner had she entered the room, than she espied two servantssupporting a venerable lady, with silver-white hair, coming forward togreet her. Convinced that this lady must be her grandmother, she wasabout to prostrate herself and pay her obeisance, when she was quicklyclasped in the arms of her grandmother, who held her close against herbosom; and as she called her "my liver! my flesh!" (my love! mydarling!) she began to sob aloud. 

The bystanders too, at once, without one exception, melted into tears;and Tai-yü herself found some difficulty in restraining her sobs. Littleby little the whole party succeeded in consoling her, and Tai-yü atlength paid her obeisance to her grandmother. Her ladyship thereuponpointed them out one by one to Tai-yü. "This, " she said, "is the wife ofyour uncle, your mother's elder brother; this is the wife of your uncle, her second brother; and this is your eldest sister-in-law Chu, the wifeof your senior cousin Chu. "

Tai-yü bowed to each one of them (with folded arms). 

"Ask the young ladies in, " dowager lady Chia went on to say; "tell thema guest from afar has just arrived, one who comes for the first time;and that they may not go to their lessons. "

The servants with one voice signified their obedience, and two of themspeedily went to carry out her orders. 

Not long after three nurses and five or six waiting-maids were seenushering in three young ladies. The first was somewhat plump in figureand of medium height; her cheeks had a congealed appearance, like afresh lichee; her nose was glossy like goose fat. She was gracious, demure, and lovable to look at. 

The second had sloping shoulders, and a slim waist. Tall and slender wasshe in stature, with a face like the egg of a goose. Her eyes sobeautiful, with their well-curved eyebrows, possessed in their gaze abewitching flash. At the very sight of her refined and elegant mannersall idea of vulgarity was forgotten. 

The third was below the medium size, and her mien was, as yet, childlike. 

In their head ornaments, jewelry, and dress, the get-up of the threeyoung ladies was identical. 

Tai-yü speedily rose to greet them and to exchange salutations. Afterthey had made each other's acquaintance, they all took a seat, whereuponthe servants brought the tea. Their conversation was confined toTai-yü's mother, --how she had fallen ill, what doctors had attended her, what medicines had been given her, and how she had been buried andmourned; and dowager lady Chia was naturally again in great anguish. 

"Of all my daughters, " she remarked, "your mother was the one I lovedbest, and now in a twinkle, she has passed away, before me too, and I'venot been able to so much as see her face. How can this not make my heartsore-stricken?"

And as she gave vent to these feelings, she took Tai-yü's hand in hers, and again gave way to sobs; and it was only after the members of thefamily had quickly made use of much exhortation and coaxing, that theysucceeded, little by little, in stopping her tears. 

They all perceived that Tai-yü, despite her youthful years andappearance, was lady-like in her deportment and address, and that thoughwith her delicate figure and countenance, (she seemed as if) unable tobear the very weight of her clothes, she possessed, however, a certaincaptivating air. And as they readily noticed the symptoms of a weakconstitution, they went on in consequence to make inquiries as to whatmedicines she ordinarily took, and how it was that her complaint had notbeen cured. 

"I have, " explained Tai-yü, "been in this state ever since I was born;though I've taken medicines from the very time I was able to eat rice, up to the present, and have been treated by ever so many doctors ofnote, I've not derived any benefit. In the year when I was yet onlythree, I remember a mangy-headed bonze coming to our house, and sayingthat he would take me along, and make a nun of me; but my father andmother would, on no account, give their consent. 'As you cannot bear topart from her and to give her up, ' he then remarked, 'her ailment will, I fear, never, throughout her life, be cured. If you wish to see her allright, it is only to be done by not letting her, from this day forward, on any account, listen to the sound of weeping, or see, with theexception of her parents, any relatives outside the family circle. Thenalone will she be able to go through this existence in peace and inquiet. ' No one heeded the nonsensical talk of this raving priest; buthere am I, up to this very day, dosing myself with ginseng pills as atonic. "

"What a lucky coincidence!" interposed dowager lady Chia; "some of thesepills are being compounded here, and I'll simply tell them to have anextra supply made; that's all. "

Hardly had she finished these words, when a sound of laughter was heardfrom the back courtyard. "Here I am too late!" the voice said, "and notin time to receive the distant visitor!"

"Every one of all these people, " reflected Tai-yü, "holds her peace andsuppresses the very breath of her mouth; and who, I wonder, is thiscoming in this reckless and rude manner?"

While, as yet, preoccupied with these thoughts, she caught sight of acrowd of married women and waiting-maids enter from the back room, pressing round a regular beauty. 

The attire of this person bore no similarity to that of the youngladies. In all her splendour and lustre, she looked like a fairy or agoddess. In her coiffure, she had a band of gold filigree work, representing the eight precious things, inlaid with pearls; and worepins, at the head of each of which were five phoenixes in a rampantposition, with pendants of pearls. On her neck, she had a reddish goldnecklet, like coiled dragons, with a fringe of tassels. On her person, she wore a tight-sleeved jacket, of dark red flowered satin, coveredwith hundreds of butterflies, embroidered in gold, interspersed withflowers. Over all, she had a variegated stiff-silk pelisse, lined withslate-blue ermine; while her nether garments consisted of a jupe ofkingfisher-colour foreign crepe, brocaded with flowers. 

She had a pair of eyes, triangular in shape like those of the redphoenix, two eyebrows, curved upwards at each temple, like willowleaves. Her stature was elegant; her figure graceful; her powdered facelike dawning spring, majestic, yet not haughty. Her carnation lips, longbefore they parted, betrayed a smile. 

Tai-yü eagerly rose and greeted her. 

Old lady Chia then smiled. "You don't know her, " she observed. "This isa cunning vixen, who has made quite a name in this establishment! InNanking, she went by the appellation of vixen, and if you simply callher Feng Vixen, it will do. "

Tai-yü was just at a loss how to address her, when all her cousinsinformed Tai-yü, that this was her sister-in-law Lien. 

Tai-yü had not, it is true, made her acquaintance before, but she hadheard her mother mention that her eldest maternal uncle Chia She's son, Chia Lien, had married the niece of Madame Wang, her second brother'swife, a girl who had, from her infancy, purposely been nurtured tosupply the place of a son, and to whom the school name of Wang Hsi-fenghad been given. 

Tai-yü lost no time in returning her smile and saluting her with allpropriety, addressing her as my sister-in-law. This Hsi-feng laid holdof Tai-yü's hand, and minutely scrutinised her, for a while, from headto foot; after which she led her back next to dowager lady Chia, wherethey both took a seat. 

"If really there be a being of such beauty in the world, " sheconsequently observed with a smile, "I may well consider as having seteyes upon it to-day! Besides, in the air of her whole person, shedoesn't in fact look like your granddaughter-in-law, our worthyancestor, but in every way like your ladyship's own kindred-granddaughter! It's no wonder then that your venerable ladyshipshould have, day after day, had her unforgotten, even for a second, inyour lips and heart. It's a pity, however, that this cousin of mineshould have such a hard lot! How did it happen that our aunt died atsuch an early period?"

As she uttered these words, she hastily took her handkerchief and wipedthe tears from her eyes. 

"I've only just recovered from a fit of crying, " dowager lady Chiaobserved, as she smiled, "and have you again come to start me? Yourcousin has only now arrived from a distant journey, and she is sodelicate to boot! Besides, we have a few minutes back succeeded incoaxing her to restrain her sobs, so drop at once making any allusion toyour former remarks!"

This Hsi-feng, upon hearing these words, lost no time in converting hersorrow into joy. 

"Quite right, " she remarked. "But at the sight of my cousin, my wholeheart was absorbed in her, and I felt happy, and yet wounded at heart:but having disregarded my venerable ancestor's presence, I deserve to bebeaten, I do indeed!"

And hastily taking once more Tai-yü's hand in her own: "How old are you, cousin?" she inquired; "Have you been to school? What medicines are youtaking? while you live here, you mustn't feel homesick; and if there'sanything you would like to eat, or to play with, mind you come and tellme! or should the waiting maids or the matrons fail in their duties, don't forget also to report them to me. "

Addressing at the same time the matrons, she went on to ask, "Have MissLin's luggage and effects been brought in? How many servants has shebrought along with her? Go, as soon as you can, and sweep two lowerrooms and ask them to go and rest. "

As she spake, tea and refreshments had already been served, and Hsi-fengherself handed round the cups and offered the fruits. 

Upon hearing the question further put by her maternal aunt Secunda, "Whether the issue of the monthly allowances of money had been finishedor not yet?" Hsi-feng replied: "The issue of the money has also beencompleted; but a few moments back, when I went along with severalservants to the back upper-loft, in search of the satins, we looked forever so long, but we saw nothing of the kind of satins alluded to byyou, madame, yesterday; so may it not be that your memory misgives you?"

"Whether there be any or not, of that special kind, is of noconsequence, " observed madame Wang. "You should take out, " she thereforewent on to add, "any two pieces which first come under your hand, forthis cousin of yours to make herself dresses with; and in the evening, if I don't forget, I'll send some one to fetch them. "

"I've in fact already made every provision, " rejoined Hsi-feng; "knowingvery well that my cousin would be arriving within these two days, I havehad everything got ready for her. And when you, madame, go back, if youwill pass an eye over everything, I shall be able to send them round. "

Madame Wang gave a smile, nodded her head assentingly, but uttered not aword by way of reply. 

The tea and fruit had by this time been cleared, and dowager lady Chiadirected two old nurses to take Tai-yü to go and see her two maternaluncles; whereupon Chia She's wife, madame Hsing, hastily stood up andwith a smiling face suggested, "I'll take my niece over; for it willafter all be considerably better if I go!"

"Quite so!" answered dowager lady Chia, smiling; "you can go home too, and there will be no need for you to come over again!"

Madame Hsing expressed her assent, and forthwith led Tai-yü to takeleave of madame Wang. The whole party escorted them as far as the doorof the Entrance Hall, hung with creepers, where several youths had drawna carriage, painted light blue, with a kingfisher-coloured hood. 

Madame Hsing led Tai-yü by the hand and they got up into their seats. The whole company of matrons put the curtain down, and then bade theyouths raise the carriage; who dragged it along, until they came to anopen space, where they at length put the mules into harness. 

Going out again by the eastern side gate, they proceeded in an easterlydirection, passed the main entrance of the Jung mansion, and entered alofty doorway painted black. On the arrival in front of the ceremonialgate, they at once dismounted from the curricle, and madame Hsing, hand-in-hand with Tai-yü, walked into the court. 

"These grounds, " surmised Tai-yü to herself, "must have been originallyconverted from a piece partitioned from the garden of the Jung mansion. "

Having entered three rows of ceremonial gates they actually caught sightof the main structure, with its vestibules and porches, all of which, though on a small scale, were full of artistic and unique beauty. Theywere nothing like the lofty, imposing, massive and luxurious style ofarchitecture on the other side, yet the avenues and rockeries, in thevarious places in the court, were all in perfect taste. 

When they reached the interior of the principal pavilion, a largeconcourse of handmaids and waiting maids, got up in gala dress, werealready there to greet them. Madame Hsing pressed Tai-yü into a seat, while she bade some one go into the outer library and request Mr. ChiaShe to come over. 

In a few minutes the servant returned. "Master, " she explained, "says:'that he has not felt quite well for several days, that as the meetingwith Miss Lin will affect both her as well as himself, he does not forthe present feel equal to seeing each other, that he advises Miss Linnot to feel despondent or homesick; that she ought to feel quite at homewith her venerable ladyship, (her grandmother, ) as well as her maternalaunts; that her cousins are, it is true, blunt, but that if all theyoung ladies associated together in one place, they may also perchancedispel some dulness; that if ever (Miss Lin) has any grievance, sheshould at once speak out, and on no account feel a stranger; andeverything will then be right. "

Tai-yü lost no time in respectfully standing up, resuming her seat aftershe had listened to every sentence of the message to her. After a while, she said goodbye, and though madame Hsing used every argument to induceher to stay for the repast and then leave, Tai-yü smiled and said, "Ishouldn't under ordinary circumstances refuse the invitation to dinner, which you, aunt, in your love kindly extend to me, but I have still tocross over and pay my respects to my maternal uncle Secundus; if I wenttoo late, it would, I fear, be a lack of respect on my part; but I shallaccept on another occasion. I hope therefore that you will, dear aunt, kindly excuse me. "

"If such be the case, " madame Hsing replied, "it's all right. " Andpresently directing two nurses to take her niece over, in the carriage, in which they had come a while back, Tai-yü thereupon took her leave;madame Hsing escorting her as far as the ceremonial gate, where she gavesome further directions to all the company of servants. She followed thecurricle with her eyes so long as it remained in sight, and at lengthretraced her footsteps. 

Tai-yü shortly entered the Jung Mansion, descended from the carriage, and preceded by all the nurses, she at once proceeded towards the east, turned a corner, passed through an Entrance Hall, running east and west, and walked in a southern direction, at the back of the Large Hall. Onthe inner side of a ceremonial gate, and at the upper end of a spaciouscourt, stood a large main building, with five apartments, flanked onboth sides by out-houses (stretching out) like the antlers on the headof deer; side-gates, resembling passages through a hill, establishing athorough communication all round; (a main building) lofty, majestic, solid and grand, and unlike those in the compound of dowager lady Chia. 

Tai-yü readily concluded that this at last was the main inner suite ofapartments. A raised broad road led in a straight line to the largegate. Upon entering the Hall, and raising her head, she first of allperceived before her a large tablet with blue ground, upon which figurednine dragons of reddish gold. The inscription on this tablet consistedof three characters as large as a peck-measure, and declared that thiswas the Hall of Glorious Felicity. 

At the end, was a row of characters of minute size, denoting the year, month and day, upon which His Majesty had been pleased to confer thetablet upon Chia Yuan, Duke of Jung Kuo. Besides this tablet, werenumberless costly articles bearing the autograph of the Emperor. On thelarge black ebony table, engraved with dragons, were placed threeantique blue and green bronze tripods, about three feet in height. Onthe wall hung a large picture representing black dragons, such as wereseen in waiting chambers of the Sui dynasty. On one side stood a goldcup of chased work, while on the other, a crystal casket. On the groundwere placed, in two rows, sixteen chairs, made of hard-grained cedar. 

There was also a pair of scrolls consisting of black-wood antitheticaltablets, inlaid with the strokes of words in chased gold. Their burdenwas this:

 On the platform shine resplendent pearls like sun or moon, And the sheen of the Hall façade gleams like russet sky. 

Below, was a row of small characters, denoting that the scroll had beenwritten by the hand of Mu Shih, a fellow-countryman and old friend ofthe family, who, for his meritorious services, had the hereditary titleof Prince of Tung Ngan conferred upon him. 

The fact is that madame Wang was also not in the habit of sitting andresting, in this main apartment, but in three side-rooms on the east, sothat the nurses at once led Tai-yü through the door of the eastern wing. 

On a stove-couch, near the window, was spread a foreign red carpet. Onthe side of honour, were laid deep red reclining-cushions, with dragons, with gold cash (for scales), and an oblong brown-colouredsitting-cushion with gold-cash-spotted dragons. On the two sides, stoodone of a pair of small teapoys of foreign lacquer of peach-blossompattern. On the teapoy on the left, were spread out Wen Wang tripods, spoons, chopsticks and scent-bottles. On the teapoy on the right, werevases from the Ju Kiln, painted with girls of great beauty, in whichwere placed seasonable flowers; (on it were) also teacups, a tea serviceand the like articles. 

On the floor on the west side of the room, were four chairs in a row, all of which were covered with antimacassars, embroidered withsilverish-red flowers, while below, at the feet of these chairs, stoodfour footstools. On either side, was also one of a pair of high teapoys, and these teapoys were covered with teacups and flower vases. 

The other nick-nacks need not be minutely described. 

The old nurses pressed Tai-yü to sit down on the stove-couch; but, onperceiving near the edge of the couch two embroidered cushions, placedone opposite the other, she thought of the gradation of seats, and didnot therefore place herself on the couch, but on a chair on the easternside of the room; whereupon the waiting maids, in attendance in thesequarters, hastened to serve the tea. 

While Tai-yü was sipping her tea, she observed the headgear, dress, deportment and manners of the several waiting maids, which she reallyfound so unlike what she had seen in other households. She had hardlyfinished her tea, when she noticed a waiting maid approach, dressed in ared satin jacket, and a waistcoat of blue satin with scollops. 

"My lady requests Miss Lin to come over and sit with her, " she remarkedas she put on a smile. 

The old nurses, upon hearing this message, speedily ushered Tai-yü againout of this apartment, into the three-roomed small main building by theeastern porch. 

On the stove-couch, situated at the principal part of the room, wasplaced, in a transverse position, a low couch-table, at the upper end ofwhich were laid out, in a heap, books and a tea service. Against thepartition-wall, on the east side, facing the west, was a recliningpillow, made of blue satin, neither old nor new. 

Madame Wang, however, occupied the lower seat, on the west side, onwhich was likewise placed a rather shabby blue satin sitting-rug, with aback-cushion; and upon perceiving Tai-yü come in she urged her at onceto sit on the east side. 

Tai-yü concluded, in her mind, that this seat must certainly belong toChia Cheng, and espying, next to the couch, a row of three chairs, covered with antimacassars, strewn with embroidered flowers, somewhatalso the worse for use, Tai-yü sat down on one of these chairs. 

But as madame Wang pressed her again and again to sit on the couch, Tai-yü had at length to take a seat next to her. 

"Your uncle, " madame Wang explained, "is gone to observe this day as afast day, but you'll see him by and bye. There's, however, one thing Iwant to talk to you about. Your three female cousins are all, it istrue, everything that is nice; and you will, when later on you cometogether for study, or to learn how to do needlework, or whenever, atany time, you romp and laugh together, find them all most obliging; butthere's one thing that causes me very much concern. I have here one, whois the very root of retribution, the incarnation of all mischief, onewho is a ne'er-do-well, a prince of malignant spirits in this family. Heis gone to-day to pay his vows in the temple, and is not back yet, butyou will see him in the evening, when you will readily be able to judgefor yourself. One thing you must do, and that is, from this time forth, not to pay any notice to him. All these cousins of yours don't ventureto bring any taint upon themselves by provoking him. "

Tai-yü had in days gone by heard her mother explain that she had anephew, born into the world, holding a piece of jade in his mouth, whowas perverse beyond measure, who took no pleasure in his books, andwhose sole great delight was to play the giddy dog in the innerapartments; that her maternal grandmother, on the other hand, loved himso fondly that no one ever presumed to call him to account, so thatwhen, in this instance, she heard madame Wang's advice, she at once feltcertain that it must be this very cousin. 

"Isn't it to the cousin born with jade in his mouth, that you arealluding to, aunt?" she inquired as she returned her smile. "When I wasat home, I remember my mother telling me more than once of this verycousin, who (she said) was a year older than I, and whose infant namewas Pao-yü. She added that his disposition was really wayward, but thathe treats all his cousins with the utmost consideration. Besides, nowthat I have come here, I shall, of course, be always together with myfemale cousins, while the boys will have their own court, and separatequarters; and how ever will there be any cause of bringing any slur uponmyself by provoking him?"

"You don't know the reasons (that prompt me to warn you), " repliedmadame Wang laughingly. "He is so unlike all the rest, all because hehas, since his youth up, been doated upon by our old lady! The fact isthat he has been spoilt, through over-indulgence, by being always in thecompany of his female cousins! If his female cousins pay no heed to him, he is, at any rate, somewhat orderly, but the day his cousins say oneword more to him than usual, much trouble forthwith arises, at theoutburst of delight in his heart. That's why I enjoin upon you not toheed him. From his mouth, at one time, issue sugared words andmellifluous phrases; and at another, like the heavens devoid of the sun, he becomes a raving fool; so whatever you do, don't believe all hesays. "

Tai-yü was assenting to every bit of advice as it was uttered, whenunexpectedly she beheld a waiting-maid walk in. "Her venerable ladyshipover there, " she said, "has sent word about the evening meal. "

Madame Wang hastily took Tai-yü by the hand, and emerging by the door ofthe back-room, they went eastwards by the verandah at the back. Past theside gate, was a roadway, running north and south. On the southern sidewere a pavilion with three divisions and a Reception Hall with acolonnade. On the north, stood a large screen wall, painted white;behind it was a very small building, with a door of half the ordinarysize. 

"These are your cousin Feng's rooms, " explained madame Wang to Tai-yü, as she pointed to them smiling. "You'll know in future your way to comeand find her; and if you ever lack anything, mind you mention it to her, and she'll make it all right. "

At the door of this court, were also several youths, who had recentlyhad the tufts of their hair tied together, who all dropped their handsagainst their sides, and stood in a respectful posture. Madame Wang thenled Tai-yü by the hand through a corridor, running east and west, intowhat was dowager lady Chia's back-court. Forthwith they entered the doorof the back suite of rooms, where stood, already in attendance, a largenumber of servants, who, when they saw madame Wang arrive, set to worksetting the tables and chairs in order. 

Chia Chu's wife, née Li, served the eatables, while Hsi-feng placed thechopsticks, and madame Wang brought the soup in. Dowager lady Chia wasseated all alone on the divan, in the main part of the apartment, on thetwo sides of which stood four vacant chairs. 

Hsi-feng at once drew Tai-yü, meaning to make her sit in the foremostchair on the left side, but Tai-yü steadily and concedingly declined. 

"Your aunts and sisters-in-law, standing on the right and left, " dowagerlady Chia smilingly explained, "won't have their repast in here, and asyou're a guest, it's but proper that you should take that seat. "

Then alone it was that Tai-yü asked for permission to sit down, seatingherself on the chair. 

Madame Wang likewise took a seat at old lady Chia's instance; and thethree cousins, Ying Ch'un and the others, having craved for leave to sitdown, at length came forward, and Ying Ch'un took the first chair on theright, T'an Ch'un the second, and Hsi Ch'un the second on the left. Waiting maids stood by holding in their hands, flips and finger-bowlsand napkins, while Mrs. Li and lady Feng, the two of them, kept near thetable advising them what to eat, and pressing them to help themselves. 

In the outer apartments, the married women and waiting-maids inattendance, were, it is true, very numerous; but not even so much as thesound of the cawing of a crow could be heard. 

The repast over, each one was presented by a waiting-maid, with tea in asmall tea tray; but the Lin family had all along impressed upon the mindof their daughter that in order to show due regard to happiness, and topreserve good health, it was essential, after every meal, to wait awhile, before drinking any tea, so that it should not do any harm to theintestines. When, therefore, Tai-yü perceived how many habits there werein this establishment unlike those which prevailed in her home, she toohad no alternative but to conform herself to a certain extent with them. Upon taking over the cup of tea, servants came once more and presentedfinger-bowls for them to rinse their mouths, and Tai-yü also rinsedhers; and after they had all again finished washing their hands, tea waseventually served a second time, and this was, at length, the tea thatwas intended to be drunk. 

"You can all go, " observed dowager lady Chia, "and let us alone to havea chat. "

Madame Wang rose as soon as she heard these words, and having made a fewirrelevant remarks, she led the way and left the room along with the twoladies, Mrs. Li and lady Feng. 

Dowager lady Chia, having inquired of Tai-yü what books she was reading, "I have just begun reading the Four Books, " Tai-yü replied. "What booksare my cousins reading?" Tai-yü went on to ask. 

"Books, you say!" exclaimed dowager lady Chia; "why all they know are afew characters, that's all. "

The sentence was barely out of her lips, when a continuous sounding offootsteps was heard outside, and a waiting maid entered and announcedthat Pao-yü was coming. Tai-yü was speculating in her mind how it wasthat this Pao-yü had turned out such a good-for-nothing fellow, when hehappened to walk in. 

He was, in fact, a young man of tender years, wearing on his head, tohold his hair together, a cap of gold of purplish tinge, inlaid withprecious gems. Parallel with his eyebrows was attached a circlet, embroidered with gold, and representing two dragons snatching a pearl. He wore an archery-sleeved deep red jacket, with hundreds of butterfliesworked in gold of two different shades, interspersed with flowers; andwas girded with a sash of variegated silk, with clusters of designs, towhich was attached long tassels; a kind of sash worn in the palace. Overall, he had a slate-blue fringed coat of Japanese brocaded satin, witheight bunches of flowers in relief; and wore a pair of light blue satinwhite-soled, half-dress court-shoes. 

His face was like the full moon at mid-autumn; his complexion, likemorning flowers in spring; the hair along his temples, as if chiselledwith a knife; his eyebrows, as if pencilled with ink; his nose like asuspended gallbladder (a well-cut and shapely nose); his eyes likevernal waves; his angry look even resembled a smile; his glance, evenwhen stern, was full of sentiment. 

Round his neck he had a gold dragon necklet with a fringe; also a cordof variegated silk, to which was attached a piece of beautiful jade. 

As soon as Tai-yü became conscious of his presence, she was quite takenaback. "How very strange!" she was reflecting in her mind; "it wouldseem as if I had seen him somewhere or other, for his face appearsextremely familiar to my eyes;" when she noticed Pao-yü face dowagerlady Chia and make his obeisance. "Go and see your mother and then comeback, " remarked her venerable ladyship; and at once he turned round andquitted the room. 

On his return, he had already changed his hat and suit. All round hishead, he had a fringe of short hair, plaited into small queues, andbound with red silk. The queues were gathered up at the crown, and allthe hair, which had been allowed to grow since his birth, was plaitedinto a thick queue, which looked as black and as glossy as lacquer. Between the crown of the head and the extremity of the queue, hung astring of four large pearls, with pendants of gold, representing theeight precious things. On his person, he wore a long silvery-red coat, more or less old, bestrewn with embroidery of flowers. He had stillround his neck the necklet, precious gem, amulet of Recorded Name, philacteries, and other ornaments. Below were partly visible a fir-conecoloured brocaded silk pair of trousers, socks spotted with blackdesigns, with ornamented edges, and a pair of deep red, thick-soledshoes. 

(Got up as he was now, ) his face displayed a still whiter appearance, asif painted, and his eyes as if they were set off with carnation. As herolled his eyes, they brimmed with love. When he gave utterance tospeech, he seemed to smile. But the chief natural pleasing feature wasmainly centred in the curve of his eyebrows. The ten thousand and onefond sentiments, fostered by him during the whole of his existence, wereall amassed in the corner of his eyes. 

His outward appearance may have been pleasing to the highest degree, butyet it was no easy matter to fathom what lay beneath it. 

There are a couple of roundelays, composed by a later poet, (after theexcellent rhythm of the) Hsi Chiang Yueh, which depict Pao-yü in a mostadequate manner. 

The roundelays run as follows:

 To gloom and passion prone, without a rhyme, Inane and madlike was he many a time, His outer self, forsooth, fine may have been, But one wild, howling waste his mind within: Addled his brain that nothing he could see; A dunce! to read essays so loth to be! Perverse in bearing, in temper wayward; For human censure he had no regard. When rich, wealth to enjoy he knew not how; When poor, to poverty he could not bow. Alas! what utter waste of lustrous grace! To state, to family what a disgrace! Of ne'er-do-wells below he was the prime, Unfilial like him none up to this time. Ye lads, pampered with sumptuous fare and dress, Beware! In this youth's footsteps do not press!

But to proceed with our story. 

"You have gone and changed your clothes, " observed dowager lady Chia, "before being introduced to the distant guest. Why don't you yet saluteyour cousin?"

Pao-yü had long ago become aware of the presence of a most beautifulyoung lady, who, he readily concluded, must be no other than thedaughter of his aunt Lin. He hastened to advance up to her, and make hisbow; and after their introduction, he resumed his seat, whence heminutely scrutinised her features, (which he thought) so unlike those ofall other girls. 

Her two arched eyebrows, thick as clustered smoke, bore a certain notvery pronounced frowning wrinkle. She had a pair of eyes, whichpossessed a cheerful, and yet one would say, a sad expression, overflowing with sentiment. Her face showed the prints of sorrow stampedon her two dimpled cheeks. She was beautiful, but her whole frame wasthe prey of a hereditary disease. The tears in her eyes glistened likesmall specks. Her balmy breath was so gentle. She was as demure as alovely flower reflected in the water. Her gait resembled a frail willow, agitated by the wind. Her heart, compared with that of Pi Kan, had onemore aperture of intelligence; while her ailment exceeded (in intensity)by three degrees the ailment of Hsi-Tzu. 

Pao-yü, having concluded his scrutiny of her, put on a smile and said, "This cousin I have already seen in days gone by. "

"There you are again with your nonsense, " exclaimed lady Chia, sneeringly; "how could you have seen her before?"

"Though I may not have seen her, ere this, " observed Pao-yü with asmirk, "yet when I look at her face, it seems so familiar, and to mymind, it would appear as if we had been old acquaintances; just as if, in fact, we were now meeting after a long separation. "

"That will do! that will do!" remarked dowager lady Chia; "such beingthe case, you will be the more intimate. "

Pao-yü, thereupon, went up to Tai-yü, and taking a seat next to her, continued to look at her again with all intentness for a good longwhile. 

"Have you read any books, cousin?" he asked. 

"I haven't as yet, " replied Tai-yü, "read any books, as I have only beento school for a year; all I know are simply a few characters. "

"What is your worthy name, cousin?" Pao-yü went on to ask; whereuponTai-yü speedily told him her name. 

"Your style?" inquired Pao-yü; to which question Tai-yü replied, "I haveno style. "

"I'll give you a style, " suggested Pao-yü smilingly; "won't the doublestyle 'P'in P'in, ' 'knitting brows, ' do very well?"

"From what part of the standard books does that come?" T'an Ch'unhastily interposed. 

"It is stated in the Thorough Research into the state of Creation fromremote ages to the present day, " Pao-yü went on to explain, "that, inthe western quarter, there exists a stone, called Tai, (black, ) whichcan be used, in lieu of ink, to blacken the eyebrows with. Besides theeyebrows of this cousin taper in a way, as if they were contracted, sothat the selection of these two characters is most appropriate, isn'tit?"

"This is just another plagiarism, I fear, " observed T'an Ch'un, with anironic smirk. 

"Exclusive of the Four Books, " Pao-yü remarked smilingly, "the majorityof works are plagiarised; and is it only I, perchance, who plagiarise?Have you got any jade or not?" he went on to inquire, addressing Tai-yü, (to the discomfiture) of all who could not make out what he meant. 

"It's because he has a jade himself, " Tai-yü forthwith reasoned withinher mind, "that he asks me whether I have one or not. --No; I haven'tone, " she replied. "That jade of yours is besides a rare object, and howcould every one have one?"

As soon as Pao-yü heard this remark, he at once burst out in a fit ofhis raving complaint, and unclasping the gem, he dashed it disdainfullyon the floor. "Rare object, indeed!" he shouted, as he heaped invectiveon it; "it has no idea how to discriminate the excellent from the mean, among human beings; and do tell me, has it any perception or not? I toocan do without this rubbish!"

All those, who stood below, were startled; and in a body they pressedforward, vying with each other as to who should pick up the gem. 

Dowager lady Chia was so distressed that she clasped Pao-yü in herembrace. "You child of wrath, " she exclaimed. "When you get into apassion, it's easy enough for you to beat and abuse people; but whatmakes you fling away that stem of life?"

Pao-yü's face was covered with the traces of tears. "All my cousinshere, senior as well as junior, " he rejoined, as he sobbed, "have nogem, and if it's only I to have one, there's no fun in it, I maintain!and now comes this angelic sort of cousin, and she too has none, so thatit's clear enough that it is no profitable thing. "

Dowager lady Chia hastened to coax him. "This cousin of yours, " sheexplained, "would, under former circumstances, have come here with ajade; and it's because your aunt felt unable, as she lay on herdeath-bed, to reconcile herself to the separation from your cousin, thatin the absence of any remedy, she forthwith took the gem belonging toher (daughter), along with her (in the grave); so that, in the firstplace, by the fulfilment of the rites of burying the living with thedead might be accomplished the filial piety of your cousin; and in thesecond place, that the spirit of your aunt might also, for the timebeing, use it to gratify the wish of gazing on your cousin. That's whyshe simply told you that she had no jade; for she couldn't very wellhave had any desire to give vent to self-praise. Now, how can you evercompare yourself with her? and don't you yet carefully and circumspectlyput it on? Mind, your mother may come to know what you have done!"

As she uttered these words, she speedily took the jade over from thehand of the waiting-maid, and she herself fastened it on for him. 

When Pao-yü heard this explanation, he indulged in reflection, but couldnot even then advance any further arguments. 

A nurse came at the moment and inquired about Tai-yü's quarters, anddowager lady Chia at once added, "Shift Pao-yü along with me, into thewarm room of my suite of apartments, and put your mistress, Miss Lin, temporarily in the green gauze house; and when the rest of the winter isover, and repairs are taken in hand in spring in their rooms, anadditional wing can be put up for her to take up her quarters in. "

"My dear ancestor, " ventured Pao-yü; "the bed I occupy outside the greengauze house is very comfortable; and what need is there again for me toleave it and come and disturb your old ladyship's peace and quiet?"

"Well, all right, " observed dowager lady Chia, after some consideration;"but let each one of you have a nurse, as well as a waiting-maid toattend on you; the other servants can remain in the outside rooms andkeep night watch and be ready to answer any call. "

At an early hour, besides, Hsi-feng had sent a servant round with a greyflowered curtain, embroidered coverlets and satin quilts and other sucharticles. 

Tai-yü had brought along with her only two servants; the one was her ownnurse, dame Wang, and the other was a young waiting-maid of sixteen, whose name was called Hsüeh Yen. Dowager lady Chia, perceiving thatHsüeh Yen was too youthful and quite a child in her manner, while nurseWang was, on the other hand, too aged, conjectured that Tai-yü would, inall her wants, not have things as she liked, so she detached twowaiting-maids, who were her own personal attendants, named Tzu Chüan andYing Ko, and attached them to Tai-yü's service. Just as had Ying Ch'unand the other girls, each one of whom had besides the wet nurses oftheir youth, four other nurses to advise and direct them, and exclusiveof two personal maids to look after their dress and toilette, four orfive additional young maids to do the washing and sweeping of the roomsand the running about backwards and forwards on errands. 

Nurse Wang, Tzu Chüan and other girls entered at once upon theirattendance on Tai-yü in the green gauze rooms, while Pao-yü's wet-nurse, dame Li, together with an elderly waiting-maid, called Hsi Jen, were onduty in the room with the large bed. 

This Hsi Jen had also been, originally, one of dowager lady Chia'sservant-girls. Her name was in days gone by, Chen Chu. As her venerableladyship, in her tender love for Pao-yü, had feared that Pao-yü'sservant girls were not equal to their duties, she readily handed her toPao-yü, as she had hitherto had experience of how sincere andconsiderate she was at heart. 

Pao-yü, knowing that her surname was at one time Hua, and having onceseen in some verses of an ancient poet, the line "the fragrance offlowers wafts itself into man, " lost no time in explaining the fact todowager lady Chia, who at once changed her name into Hsi Jen. 

This Hsi Jen had several simple traits. While in attendance upon dowagerlady Chia, in her heart and her eyes there was no one but her venerableladyship, and her alone; and now in her attendance upon Pao-yü, herheart and her eyes were again full of Pao-yü, and him alone. But asPao-yü was of a perverse temperament and did not heed her repeatedinjunctions, she felt at heart exceedingly grieved. 

At night, after nurse Li had fallen asleep, seeing that in the innerchambers, Tai-yü, Ying Ko and the others had not as yet retired to rest, she disrobed herself, and with gentle step walked in. 

"How is it, miss, " she inquired smiling, "that you have not turned in asyet?"

Tai-yü at once put on a smile. "Sit down, sister, " she rejoined, pressing her to take a seat. Hsi Jen sat on the edge of the bed. 

"Miss Lin, " interposed Ying Ko smirkingly, "has been here in an awfulstate of mind! She has cried so to herself, that her eyes were flooded, as soon as she dried her tears. 'It's only to-day that I've come, ' shesaid, 'and I've already been the cause of the outbreak of your youngmaster's failing. Now had he broken that jade, as he hurled it on theground, wouldn't it have been my fault? Hence it was that she was sowounded at heart, that I had all the trouble in the world, before Icould appease her. "

"Desist at once, Miss! Don't go on like this, " Hsi Jen advised her;"there will, I fear, in the future, happen things far more strange andridiculous than this; and if you allow yourself to be wounded andaffected to such a degree by a conduct such as his, you will, Iapprehend, suffer endless wounds and anguish; so be quick and dispelthis over-sensitive nature!"

"What you sisters advise me, " replied Tai-yü, "I shall bear in mind, andit will be all right. "

They had another chat, which lasted for some time, before they at lengthretired to rest for the night. 

The next day, (she and her cousins) got up at an early hour and wentover to pay their respects to dowager lady Chia, after which upon comingto madame Wang's apartments, they happened to find madame Wang andHsi-feng together, opening the letters which had arrived from Chin Ling. There were also in the room two married women, who had been sent frommadame Wang's elder brother's wife's house to deliver a message. 

Tai-yü was, it is true, not aware of what was up, but T'an Ch'un and theothers knew that they were discussing the son of her mother's sister, married in the Hsüeh family, in the city of Chin Ling, a cousin oftheirs, Hsüeh P'an, who relying upon his wealth and influence had, byassaulting a man, committed homicide, and who was now to be tried in thecourt of the Ying T'ien Prefecture. 

Her maternal uncle, Wang Tzu-t'eng, had now, on the receipt of thetidings, despatched messengers to bring over the news to the Chiafamily. But the next chapter will explain what was the ultimate issue ofthe wish entertained in this mansion to send for the Hsüeh family tocome to the capital. 

CHAPTER IV. 

 An ill-fated girl happens to meet an ill-fated young man. The Hu Lu Bonze adjudicates the Hu Lu case. 

Tai-yü, for we shall now return to our story, having come, along withher cousin to madame Wang's apartments, found madame Wang discussingcertain domestic occurrences with the messengers, who had arrived fromher elder brother's wife's home, and conversing also about the case ofhomicide, in which the family of her mother's sister had becomeinvolved, and other such relevant topics. Perceiving how pressing andperplexing were the matters in which madame Wang was engaged, the youngladies promptly left her apartments, and came over to the rooms of theirwidow sister-in-law, Mrs. Li. 

This Mrs. Li had originally been the spouse of Chia Chu. Although Chuhad died at an early age, he had the good fortune of leaving behind hima son, to whom the name of Chia Lan was given. He was, at this period, just in his fifth year, and had already entered school, and appliedhimself to books. 

This Mrs. Li was also the daughter of an official of note in Chin Ling. Her father's name was Li Shou-chung, who had, at one time, been ImperialLibationer. Among his kindred, men as well as women had all devotedthemselves to poetry and letters; but ever since Li Shou-chung continuedthe line of succession, he readily asserted that the absence of literaryattainments in his daughter was indeed a virtue, so that it soon cameabout that she did not apply herself in real earnest to learning; withthe result that all she studied were some parts of the "Four Books forwomen, " and the "Memoirs of excellent women, " that all she read did notextend beyond a limited number of characters, and that all she committedto memory were the examples of these few worthy female characters ofdynasties of yore; while she attached special importance to spinning andfemale handiwork. To this reason is to be assigned the name selected forher, of Li Wan (Li, the weaver), and the style of Kung Ts'ai (PalaceSempstress). 

Hence it was that, though this Li Wan still continued, after the loss ofher mate, while she was as yet in the spring of her life, to live amidstaffluence and luxury, she nevertheless resembled in every respect ablock of rotten wood or dead ashes. She had no inclination whatsoever toinquire after anything or to listen to anything; while her sole andexclusive thought was to wait upon her relatives and educate her son;and, in addition to this, to teach her young sisters-in-law to doneedlework and to read aloud. 

Tai-yü was, it is true, at this period living as a guest in the Chiamansion, where she certainly had the several young ladies to associatewith her, but, outside her aged father, (she thought) there was reallyno need for her to extend affection to any of the rest. 

But we will now speak of Chia Yü-ts'un. Having obtained the appointmentof Prefect of Ying T'ien, he had no sooner arrived at his post than acharge of manslaughter was laid before his court. This had arisen fromsome rivalry between two parties in the purchase of a slave-girl, eitherof whom would not yield his right; with the result that a seriousassault occurred, which ended in homicide. 

Yü-ts'un had, with all promptitude, the servants of the plaintiffsbrought before him, and subjected them to an examination. 

"The victim of the assault, " the plaintiffs deposed, "was your servants'master. Having on a certain day, purchased a servant-girl, sheunexpectedly turned out to be a girl who had been carried away and soldby a kidnapper. This kidnapper had, first of all, got hold of ourfamily's money, and our master had given out that he would on the thirdday, which was a propitious day, take her over into the house, butthis kidnapper stealthily sold her over again to the Hsüeh family. Whenwe came to know of this, we went in search of the seller to lay hold ofhim, and bring back the girl by force. But the Hsüeh party has been allalong _the_ bully of Chin Ling, full of confidence in his wealth, full of presumption on account of his prestige; and his arrogant menialsin a body seized our master and beat him to death. The murderous masterand his crew have all long ago made good their escape, leaving no tracebehind them, while there only remain several parties not concerned inthe affair. Your servants have for a whole year lodged complaints, butthere has been no one to do our cause justice, and we therefore imploreyour Lordship to have the bloodstained criminals arrested, and thusconduce to the maintenance of humanity and benevolence; and the living, as well as the dead, will feel boundless gratitude for this heavenlybounty. "

When Yü-ts'un heard their appeal, he flew into a fiery rage. "What!" heexclaimed. "How could a case of such gravity have taken place as themurder of a man, and the culprits have been allowed to run awayscot-free, without being arrested? Issue warrants, and despatchconstables to at once lay hold of the relatives of the bloodstainedcriminals and bring them to be examined by means of torture. "

Thereupon he espied a Retainer, who was standing by the judgment-table, wink at him, signifying that he should not issue the warrants. Yü-t'sungave way to secret suspicion, and felt compelled to desist. 

Withdrawing from the Court-room, he retired into a private chamber, fromwhence he dismissed his followers, only keeping this single Retainer towait upon him. 

The Retainer speedily advanced and paid his obeisance. "Your worship, "he said smiling, "has persistently been rising in official honours, andincreasing in wealth so that, in the course of about eight or nineyears, you have forgotten me. "

"Your face is, however, extremely familiar, " observed Yü-ts'un, "but Icannot, for the moment, recall who you are. "

"Honourable people forget many things, " remarked the Retainer, as hesmiled. "What! Have you even forgotten the place where you started inlife? and do you not remember what occurred, in years gone by, in the HuLu Temple?"

Yü-ts'un was filled with extreme astonishment; and past events thenbegan to dawn upon him. 

The fact is that this Retainer had been at one time a young priest inthe Hu Lu temple; but as, after its destruction by fire, he had no placeto rest his frame, he remembered how light and easy was, after all, thiskind of occupation, and being unable to reconcile himself to thesolitude and quiet of a temple, he accordingly availed himself of hisyears, which were as yet few, to let his hair grow, and become aretainer. 

Yü-ts'un had had no idea that it was he. Hastily taking his hand in his, he smilingly observed, "You are, indeed, an old acquaintance!" and thenpressed him to take a seat, so as to have a chat with more ease, but theRetainer would not presume to sit down. 

"Friendships, " Yü-ts'un remarked, putting on a smiling expression, "contracted in poor circumstances should not be forgotten! This is aprivate room; so that if you sat down, what would it matter?"

The Retainer thereupon craved permission to take a seat, and sat downgingerly, all awry. 

"Why did you, a short while back, " Yü-ts'un inquired, "not allow me toissue the warrants?"

"Your illustrious office, " replied the Retainer, "has brought yourworship here, and is it likely you have not transcribed some philacteryof your post in this province!"

"What is an office-philactery?" asked Yü-ts'un with alacrity. 

"Now-a-days, " explained the Retainer, "those who become local officersprovide themselves invariably with a secret list, in which are enteredthe names and surnames of the most influential and affluent gentry ofnote in the province. This is in vogue in every province. Shouldinadvertently, at any moment, one give umbrage to persons of thisstatus, why, not only office, but I fear even one's life, it would bedifficult to preserve. That's why these lists are calledoffice-philacteries. This Hsüeh family, just a while back spoken of, howcould your worship presume to provoke? This case in question affords nodifficulties whatever in the way of a settlement; but the prefects, whohave held office before you, have all, by doing violence to the feelingsand good name of these people, come to the end they did. "

As he uttered these words, he produced, from inside a purse which he hadhandy, a transcribed office-philactery, which he handed over toYü-ts'un; who upon perusal, found it full of trite and unpolishedexpressions of public opinion, with regard to the leading clans andnotable official families in that particular district. They ran asfollows:

The "Chia" family is not "chia, " a myth; white jade form the Halls; goldcompose their horses! The "A Fang" Palace is three hundred li in extent, but is no fit residence for a "Shih" of Chin Ling. The eastern seas lackwhite jade beds, and the "Lung Wang, " king of the Dragons, has come toask for one of the Chin Ling Wang, (Mr. Wang of Chin Ling. ) In aplenteous year, snow, (Hsüeh, ) is very plentiful; their pearls and gemsare like sand, their gold like iron. 

Scarcely had Yü-ts'un done reading, when suddenly was heard theannouncement, communicated by the beating of a gong, that Mr. Wang hadcome to pay his respects. 

Yü-ts'un hastily adjusted his official clothes and hat, and went out ofthe room to greet and receive the visitor. Returning after a short whilehe proceeded to question the Retainer (about what he had been perusing. )

"These four families, " explained the Retainer, "are all interlaced byties of relationship, so that if you offend one, you offend all; if youhonour one, you honour all. For support and protection, they all havethose to take care of their interests! Now this Hsüeh, who is chargedwith homicide, is indeed the Hsüeh implied by 'in a plenteous year, (Hsüeh, ) snow, is very plentiful. ' In fact, not only has he these threefamilies to rely upon, but his (father's) old friends, and his ownrelatives and friends are both to be found in the capital, as well asabroad in the provinces; and they are, what is more, not few in number. Who is it then that your Worship purposes having arrested?"

When Yü-ts'un had heard these remarks, he forthwith put on a smile andinquired of the Retainer, "If what you say be true, how is then thislawsuit to be settled? Are you also perchance well aware of the place ofretreat of this homicide?"

"I don't deceive your Worship, " the Retainer ventured smiling, "when Isay that not only do I know the hiding-place of this homicide, but thatI also am acquainted with the man who kidnapped and sold the girl; Ilikewise knew full well the poor devil and buyer, now deceased. Butwait, and I'll tell your worship all, with full details. This person, who succumbed to the assault, was the son of a minor gentry. His namewas Feng Yüan. His father and mother are both deceased, and he haslikewise no brothers. He looked after some scanty property in order toeke out a living. His age was eighteen or nineteen; and he had a strongpenchant for men's, and not much for women's society. But this was toothe retribution (for sins committed) in a previous existence! forcoming, by a strange coincidence, in the way of this kidnapper, who wasselling the maid, he straightway at a glance fell in love with thisgirl, and made up his mind to purchase her and make her his second wife;entering an oath not to associate with any male friends, nor even tomarry another girl. And so much in earnest was he in this matter that hehad to wait until after the third day before she could enter hishousehold (so as to make the necessary preparations for the marriage). But who would have foreseen the issue? This kidnapper quietly disposedof her again by sale to the Hsüeh family; his intention being to pocketthe price-money from both parties, and effect his escape. Contrary tohis calculations, he couldn't after all run away in time, and the twobuyers laid hold of him and beat him, till he was half dead; but neitherof them would take his coin back, each insisting upon the possession ofthe girl. But do you think that young gentleman, Mr. Hsüeh, would yieldhis claim to her person? Why, he at once summoned his servants and badethem have recourse to force; and, taking this young man Feng, theyassailed him till they made mincemeat of him. He was then carried backto his home, where he finally died after the expiry of three days. Thisyoung Mr. Hsüeh had previously chosen a day, on which he meant to setout for the capital, and though he had beaten the young man Feng todeath, and carried off the girl, he nevertheless behaved in the mannerof a man who had had no concern in the affair. And all he gave his mindto was to take his family and go along on his way; but not in any wisein order to evade (the consequences) of this (occurrence). This case ofhomicide, (he looked upon) as a most trivial and insignificant matter, which, (he thought), his brother and servants, who were on the spot, would be enough to settle. But, however, enough of this person. Now doesyour worship know who this girl is who was sold?"

"How could I possibly know?" answered Yü-ts'un. 

"And yet, " remarked the Retainer, as he laughed coldly, "this is aperson to whom you are indebted for great obligations; for she is no oneelse than the daughter of Mr. Chen, who lived next door to the Hu Lutemple. Her infant name is 'Ying Lien. '"

"What! is it really she?" exclaimed Yü-ts'un full of surprise. "I heardthat she had been kidnapped, ever since she was five years old; but hasshe only been sold recently?"

"Kidnappers of this kind, " continued the Retainer, "only abduct infantgirls, whom they bring up till they reach the age of twelve or thirteen, when they take them into strange districts and dispose of them throughtheir agents. In days gone by, we used daily to coax this girl, YingLien, to romp with us, so that we got to be exceedingly friendly. Henceit is that though, with the lapse of seven or eight years, her mien hasassumed a more surpassingly lovely appearance, her general featureshave, on the other hand, undergone no change; and this is why I canrecognise her. Besides, in the centre of her two eyebrows, she had aspot, of the size of a grain of rice, of carnation colour, which she hashad ever since she was born into the world. This kidnapper, it alsohappened, rented my house to live in; and on a certain day, on which thekidnapper was not at home, I even set her a few questions. She said, 'that the kidnapper had so beaten her, that she felt intimidated, andcouldn't on any account, venture to speak out; simply averring that thekidnapper was her own father, and that, as he had no funds to repay hisdebts, he had consequently disposed of her by sale!' I tried time aftertime to induce her to answer me, but she again gave way to tears andadded no more than: 'I don't really remember anything of my youth. ' Ofthis, anyhow, there can be no doubt; on a certain day the young man Fengand the kidnapper met, said the money was paid down; but as thekidnapper happened to be intoxicated, Ying Lien exclaimed, as shesighed: 'My punishment has this day been consummated!' Later on again, when she heard that young Feng would, after three days, have her takenover to his house, she once more underwent a change and put on such asorrowful look that, unable to brook the sight of it, I waited till thekidnapper went out, when I again told my wife to go and cheer her byrepresenting to her that this Mr. Feng's fixed purpose to wait for apropitious day, on which to come and take her over, was ample proof thathe would not look upon her as a servant-girl. 'Furthermore, ' (explainedmy wife to her), 'he is a sort of person exceedingly given to fasthabits, and has at home ample means to live upon, so that if, besides, with his extreme aversion to women, he actually purchases you now, at afancy price, you should be able to guess the issue, without anyexplanation. You have to bear suspense only for two or three days, andwhat need is there to be sorrowful and dejected?' After theseassurances, she became somewhat composed, flattering herself that shewould from henceforth have a home of her own. 

"But who would believe that the world is but full of disappointments! Onthe succeeding day, it came about that the kidnapper again sold her tothe Hsüeh family! Had he disposed of her to any other party, no harmwould anyhow have resulted; but this young gentleman Hsüeh, who isnicknamed by all, 'the Foolish and overbearing Prince, ' is the mostperverse and passionate being in the whole world. What is more, hethrows money away as if it were dust. The day on which he gave thethrashing with blows like falling leaves and flowing water, he dragged(_lit_. Pull alive, drag dead) Ying Lien away more dead than alive, by sheer force, and no one, even up to this date, is aware whether shebe among the dead or the living. This young Feng had a spell of emptyhappiness; for (not only) was his wish not fulfilled, but on thecontrary he spent money and lost his life; and was not this a lamentablecase?"

When Yü-ts'un heard this account he also heaved a sigh. "This wasindeed, " he observed, "a retribution in store for them! Their encounterwas likewise not accidental; for had it been, how was it that this FengYüan took a fancy to Ying Lien?

"This Ying Lien had, during all these years, to endure much harshtreatment from the hands of the kidnapper, and had, at length, obtainedthe means of escape; and being besides full of warm feeling, had heactually made her his wife, and had they come together, the event wouldcertainly have been happy; but, as luck would have it, there occurredagain this contretemps. 

"This Hsüeh is, it is true, more laden with riches and honours than Fengwas, but when we bear in mind what kind of man he is he certainly, withhis large bevy of handmaids, and his licentious and inordinate habits, cannot ever be held equal to Feng Yüan, who had set his heart upon oneperson! This may appositely be termed a fantastic sentimental destiny, which, by a strange coincidence, befell a couple consisting of anill-fated young fellow and girl! But why discuss third parties? The onlything now is how to decide this case, so as to put things right. "

"Your worship, " remarked the Retainer smiling, "displayed, in years goneby, such great intelligence and decision, and how is it that today you, on the contrary, become a person without any resources! Your servant hasheard that the promotion of your worship to fill up this office is dueto the exertions of the Chia and Wang families; and as this Hsüeh P'anis a relative of the Chia mansion, why doesn't your worship take yourcraft along with the stream, and bring, by the performance of akindness, this case to an issue, so that you may again in days to come, be able to go and face the two Dukes Chia and Wang?"

"What you suggest, " replied Yü-ts'un, "is, of course, right enough; butthis case involves a human life, and honoured as I have been, by HisMajesty the Emperor, by a restoration to office, and selection to anappointment, how can I at the very moment, when I may strain all myenergies to show my gratitude, by reason of a private consideration, setthe laws at nought? This is a thing which I really haven't the courageto do. "

"What your worship says is naturally right and proper, " remarked theRetainer at these words, smiling sarcastically, "but at the presentstage of the world, such things cannot be done. Haven't you heard thesaying of a man of old to the effect that great men take action suitableto the times. 'He who presses, ' he adds, 'towards what is auspicious andavoids what is inauspicious is a perfect man. ' From what your worshipsays, not only you couldn't, by any display of zeal, repay yourobligation to His Majesty, but, what is more, your own life you willfind it difficult to preserve. There are still three more considerationsnecessary to insure a safe settlement. "

Yü-ts'un drooped his head for a considerable time. 

"What is there in your idea to be done?" he at length inquired. 

"Your servant, " responded the Retainer, "has already devised a mostexcellent plan. It's this: To-morrow, when your Lordship sits in court, you should, merely for form's sake, make much ado, by despatchingletters and issuing warrants for the arrest of the culprits. Themurderer will naturally not be forthcoming; and as the plaintiffs willbe strong in their displeasure, you will of course have some members ofthe clan of the Hsüeh family, together with a few servants and others, taken into custody, and examined under torture, when your servant willbe behind the scenes to bring matters to a settlement, by bidding themreport that the victim had succumbed to a sudden ailment, and by urgingthe whole number of the kindred, as well as the headmen of the place, tohand in a declaration to that effect. Your Worship can aver that youunderstand perfectly how to write charms in dust, and conjure thespirit; having had an altar, covered with dust, placed in the court, youshould bid the military and people to come and look on to their heart'scontent. Your Worship can give out that the divining spirit hasdeclared: 'that the deceased, Feng Yüan, and Hsüeh P'an had been enemiesin a former life, that having now met in the narrow road, theirdestinies were consummated; that Hsüeh P'an has, by this time, contracted some indescribable disease and perished from the effects ofthe persecution of the spirit of Feng. ' That as the calamity hadoriginated entirely from the action of the kidnapper, exclusive ofdealing with the kidnapper according to law, the rest need not beinterfered with, and so on. Your servant will be in the background tospeak to the kidnapper and urge him to make a full confession; and whenpeople find that the response of the divining spirit harmonizes with thestatements of the kidnapper, they will, as a matter of course, entertainno suspicion. 

"The Hsüeh family have plenty of money, so that if your Worshipadjudicates that they should pay five hundred, they can afford it, orone thousand will also be within their means; and this sum can be handedto the Feng family to meet the outlay of burning incense and burialexpenses. The Feng family are, besides, people of not much consequence, and (the fuss made by them) being simply for money, they too will, whenthey have got the cash in hand, have nothing more to say. But may itplease your worship to consider carefully this plan and see what youthink of it?"

"It isn't a safe course! It isn't a safe course!" Yü-ts'un observed ashe smiled. "Let me further think and deliberate; and possibly bysucceeding in suppressing public criticism, the matter might also besettled. "

These two closed their consultation by a fixed determination, and thenext day, when he sat in judgment, he marked off a whole company of theplaintiffs as well as of the accused, as were mentioned by name, and hadthem brought before him. Yü-ts'un examined them with additionalminuteness, and discovered in point of fact, that the inmates of theFeng family were extremely few, that they merely relied upon this chargewith the idea of obtaining some compensation for joss-sticks andburials; and that the Hsüeh family, presuming on their prestige andconfident of patronage, had been obstinate in the refusal to make anymutual concession, with the result that confusion had supervened, andthat no decision had been arrived at. 

Following readily the bent of his feelings, Yü-ts'un disregarded thelaws, and adjudicated this suit in a random way; and as the Feng familycame in for a considerable sum, with which to meet the expense forincense and the funeral, they had, after all, not very much to say (inthe way of objections. )

With all despatch, Yü-ts'un wrote and forwarded two letters, one to ChiaCheng, and the other to Wang Tzu-t'eng, at that time commander-in-chiefof a Metropolitan Division, simply informing them: that the case, inwhich their worthy nephew was concerned, had come to a close, and thatthere was no need for them to give way to any extreme solicitude. 

This case had been settled through the exclusive action of the youngpriest of the Hu Lu temple, now an official Retainer; and Yü-ts'un, apprehending, on the other hand, lest he might in the presence ofothers, divulge the circumstances connected with the days gone by, whenhe was in a state of penury, naturally felt very unhappy in his mind. But at a later period, he succeeded, by ultimately finding in him someshortcoming, and deporting him to a far-away place, in setting his fearsat rest. 

But we will put Yü-ts'un on one side, and refer to the young man Hsüeh, who purchased Ying Lien, and assaulted Feng Yuan to death. 

He too was a native of Chin Ling and belonged to a family literaryduring successive generations; but this young Hsüeh had recently, whenof tender age, lost his father, and his widowed mother out of pity forhis being the only male issue and a fatherless child, could not helpdoating on him and indulging him to such a degree, that when he, incourse of time, grew up to years of manhood, he was good for nothing. 

In their home, furthermore, was the wealth of a millionaire, and theywere, at this time, in receipt of an income from His Majesty's privypurse, for the purvey of various articles. 

This young Hsüeh went at school under the name of P'an. His style wasWen Ch'i. His natural habits were extravagant; his language haughty andsupercilious. He had, of course, also been to school, but all he knewwas a limited number of characters, and those not well. The whole daylong, his sole delight was in cock-fighting and horse-racing, ramblingover hills and doing the sights. 

Though a Purveyor, by Imperial appointment, he had not the least idea ofanything relating to matters of business or of the world. All he wasgood for was: to take advantage of the friendships enjoyed by hisgrandfather in days of old, to present himself at the Board of Revenueto perfunctorily sign his name and to draw the allowance and rations;while the rest of his affairs he, needless to say, left his partners andold servants of the family to manage for him. 

His widowed mother, a Miss Wang, was the youngest sister of WangTzu-t'eng, whose present office was that of Commander-in-Chief of aMetropolitan Division; and was, with Madame Wang, the spouse of ChiaCheng, of the Jung Kuo Mansion, sisters born of one mother. She was, inthis year, more or less forty years of age and had only one son: thisHsüeh P'an. 

She also had a daughter, who was two years younger than Hsüeh P'an, andwhose infant name was Pao Ch'ai. She was beautiful in appearance, andelegant and refined in deportment. In days gone by, when her fatherlived, he was extremely fond of this girl, and had her read books andstudy characters, so that, as compared with her brother, she wasactually a hundred times his superior. Having become aware, ever sinceher father's death, that her brother could not appease the anguish ofher mother's heart, she at once dispelled all thoughts of books, andgave her sole mind to needlework, to the menage and other such concerns, so as to be able to participate in her mother's sorrow, and to bear thefatigue in lieu of her. 

As of late the Emperor on the Throne held learning and propriety in highesteem, His Majesty called together and singled out talent and ability, upon which he deigned to display exceptional grace and favour. Besidesthe number called forth from private life and chosen as Imperialsecondary wives, the daughters of families of hereditary official statusand renown were without exception, reported by name to the authorities, and communicated to the Board, in anticipation of the selection formaids in waiting to the Imperial Princesses and daughters of ImperialPrinces in their studies, and for filling up the offices of persons ofeminence, to urge them to become excellent. 

Ever since the death of Hsüeh P'an's father, the various assistants, managers and partners, and other employes in the respective provinces, perceiving how youthful Hsüeh P'an was in years, and how much he lackedworldly experience, readily availed themselves of the time to beginswindling and defrauding. The business, carried on in various differentplaces in the capital, gradually also began to fall off and to show adeficit. 

Hsüeh P'an had all along heard that the capital was the _one_ placefor gaieties, and was just entertaining the idea of going on a visit, when he eagerly jumped at the opportunity (that presented itself, ) firstof all to escort his sister, who was going to wait for the selection, inthe second place to see his relatives, and in the third to enterpersonally the capital, (professedly) to settle up long-standingaccounts, and to make arrangements for new outlays, but, in reality, with the sole purpose of seeing the life and splendour of themetropolis. 

He therefore, had, at an early period, got ready his baggage and smallluggage, as well as the presents for relatives and friends, things ofevery description of local production, presents in acknowledgment offavours received, and other such effects, and he was about to choose aday to start on his journey when unexpectedly he came in the way of thekidnapper who offered Ying Lien for sale. As soon as Hsüeh P'an saw how_distinguée_ Ying Lien was in her appearance, he formed theresolution of buying her; and when he encountered Feng Yüan, come withthe object of depriving him of her, he in the assurance of superiority, called his sturdy menials together, who set upon Feng Yüan and beat himto death. Forthwith collecting all the affairs of the household, andentrusting them one by one to the charge of some members of the clan andseveral elderly servants of the family, he promptly took his mother, sister and others and after all started on his distant journey, whilethe charge of homicide he, however, treated as child's play, flatteringhimself that if he spent a few filthy pieces of money, there was nodoubt as to its settlement. 

He had been on his journey how many days, he had not reckoned, when, ona certain day, as they were about to enter the capital, he furthermoreheard that his maternal uncle, Wang Tzu-t'eng, had been raised to therank of Supreme Governor of nine provinces, and had been honoured withan Imperial command to leave the capital and inspect the frontiers. 

Hsüeh P'an was at heart secretly elated. "I was just lamenting, " hethought, "that on my visit to the capital, I would have my maternaluncle to exercise control over me, and that I wouldn't be able to gamboland frisk to my heart's content, but now that he is leaving the capital, on promotion, it's evident that Heaven accomplishes man's wishes. "

As he consequently held consultation with his mother; "Though we have, "he argued, "several houses of our own in the capital, yet for these lastten years or so, there has been no one to live in them, and the peoplecharged with the looking after them must unavoidably have stealthilyrented them to some one or other. It's therefore needful to let servantsgo ahead to sweep and get the place in proper order, before we can verywell go ourselves. "

"What need is there to go to such trouble?" retorted his mother; "themain object of our present visit to the capital is first of all to payour respects to our relatives and friends; and it is, either at yourelder uncle's, my brother's place, or at your other uncle's, my sister'shusband's home, both of which families' houses are extremely spacious, that we can put up provisionally, and by and bye, at our ease, we cansend servants to make our house tidy. Now won't this be a considerablesaving of trouble?"

"My uncle, your brother, " suggested Hsüeh P'an, "has just been raised toan appointment in an outside province, so that, of course, in his house, things must be topsy-turvey, on account of his departure; and should webetake ourselves, like a hive of bees and a long trail, to him forshelter; won't we appear very inconsiderate?"

"Your uncle, " remarked his mother, "is, it is true, going on promotion, but there's besides the house of your aunt, my sister. What is more, during these last few years from both your uncle's and aunt's have, timeafter time, been sent messages, and letters forwarded, asking us to comeover; and now that we've come, is it likely, though your uncle is busywith his preparations to start on his journey, that your aunt of theChia family won't do all she can to press us to stay? Besides, were weto have our house got ready in a scramble, won't it make people think itstrange? I however know your idea very well that were we kept to stay atyour uncle's and aunt's, you won't escape being under strict restraint, unlike what would be the case were we to live in our own house, as youwould be free then to act as you please! Such being the case, go, onyour own account, and choose some place to take up your quarters in, while I myself, who have been separated from your aunt and cousins forthese several years, would however like to stay with them for a fewdays; and I'll go along with your sister and look up your aunt at herhome. What do you say; will this suit you or not?"

Hsüeh P'an, upon hearing his mother speak in this strain, knew wellenough that he could not bring her round from her determination; and hehad no help but to issue the necessary directions to the servants tomake straight for the Jung Kuo mansion. Madame Wang had by this timealready come to know that in the lawsuit, in which Hsüeh P'an wasconcerned, Chia Yü-ts'un had fortunately intervened and lent his goodoffices, and was at length more composed in her mind. But when she againsaw that her eldest brother had been advanced to a post on the frontier, she was just deploring that, deprived of the intercourse of therelatives of her mother's family, how doubly lonely she would feel;when, after the lapse of a few days, some one of the household broughtthe unexpected announcement that "our lady, your sister, has, with theyoung gentleman, the young lady and her whole household, entered thecapital and have dismounted from their vehicles outside the mainentrance. " This news so delighted madame Wang that she rushed out, witha few attendants, to greet them in the large Entrance Hall, and broughtMrs. Hsüeh and the others into her house. 

The two sisters were now reunited, at an advanced period of their lives, so that mixed feelings of sorrow and joy thronged together, but on theseit is, of course, needless to dilate. 

After conversing for a time on what had occurred, subsequent to theirseparation, madame Wang took them to pay their obeisance to dowager ladyChia. They then handed over the various kinds of presents and indigenousarticles, and after the whole family had been introduced, a banquet wasalso spread to greet the guests. 

Hsüeh P'an, having paid his respects to Chia Cheng and Chia Lien, waslikewise taken to see Chia She, Chia Chen and the other members. 

Chia Cheng sent a messenger to tell madame Wang that "'aunt' Hsüeh hadalready seen many springs and autumns, while their nephew was of tenderage, with no experience, so that there was every fear, were he to liveoutside, that something would again take place. In the South-east cornerof our compound, " (he sent word, ) "there are in the Pear FragranceCourt, over ten apartments, all of which are vacant and lying idle; andwere we to tell the servants to sweep them, and invite 'aunt' Hsüeh andthe young gentleman and lady to take up their quarters there, it wouldbe an extremely wise thing. "

Madame Wang had in fact been entertaining the wish to keep them to livewith them, when dowager lady Chia also sent some one to say that, "Mrs. Hsüeh should be asked to put up in the mansion in order that a greaterfriendliness should exist between them all. "

Mrs. Hsüeh herself had all along been desirous to live in one place withher relatives, so as to be able to keep a certain check over her son, fearing that, if they lived in a separate house outside, the naturalbent of his habits would run riot, and that some calamity would bebrought on; and she therefore, there and then, expressed her sense ofappreciation, and accepted the invitation. She further privately toldmadame Wang in clear terms, that every kind of daily expense and generalcontribution would have to be entirely avoided and withdrawn as thatwould be the only thing to justify her to make any protracted stay. Andmadame Wang aware that she had, in her home, no difficulty in this line, promptly in fact complied with her wishes. 

From this date it was that "aunt" Hsüeh and her children took up theirquarters in the Pear Fragrance Court. 

This Court of Pear Fragrance had, we must explain, been at one time usedas a place for the quiet retirement of the Duke Jung in his advancedyears. It was on a small scale, but ingeniously laid out. There were, atleast, over ten structures. The front halls and the back houses were allin perfect style. There was a separate door giving on to the street, andthe people of the household of Hsüeh P'an used this door to go in andout. At the south-west quarter, there was also a side door, whichcommunicated with a narrow roadway. Beyond this narrow road, was theeastern court of madame Wang's principal apartment; so that every day, either after her repast, or in the evening, Mrs. Hsüeh would readilycome over and converse, on one thing and another, with dowager ladyChia, or have a chat with madame Wang; while Pao-ch'ai came together, day after day, with Tai yü, Ying-ch'un, her sisters and the other girls, either to read, to play chess, or to do needlework, and the pleasurewhich they derived was indeed perfect. 

Hsüeh P'an however had all along from the first instance, been loth tolive in the Chia mansion, as he dreaded that with the disciplineenforced by his uncle, he would not be able to be his own master; buthis mother had made up her mind so positively to remain there, and whatwas more, every one in the Chia mansion was most pressing in theirefforts to keep them, that there was no alternative for him but to takeup his quarters temporarily there, while he at the same time directedservants to go and sweep the apartments of their own house, with a viewthat they should move into them when they were ready. 

But, contrary to expectation, after they had been in their quarters fornot over a month, Hsüeh P'an came to be on intimate relations with allthe young men among the kindred of the Chia mansion, the half of whomwere extravagant in their habits, so that great was, of course, hisdelight to frequent them. To-day, they would come together to drinkwine; the next day to look at flowers. They even assembled to gamble, todissipate and to go everywhere and anywhere; leading, with all theirenticements, Hsüeh P'an so far astray, that he became far worse, by ahundred times, than he was hitherto. 

Although it must be conceded that Chia Cheng was in the education of hischildren quite correct, and in the control of his family quitesystematic, yet in the first place, the clan was so large and themembers so numerous, that he was unable to attend to the entiresupervision; and, in the second place, the head of the family, at thisperiod, was Chia Chen, who, as the eldest grandchild of the Ningmansion, had likewise now come into the inheritance of the officialstatus, with the result that all matters connected with the clandevolved upon his sole and exclusive control. In the third place, publicas well as private concerns were manifold and complex, and being a manof negligent disposition, he estimated ordinary affairs of so littleconsequence that any respite from his official duties he devoted to nomore than the study of books and the playing of chess. 

Furthermore, this Pear Fragrance Court was separated by two rows ofbuildings from his quarters and was also provided with a separate dooropening into the street, so that, being able at their own heart's desireto go out and to come in, these several young fellows could well indulgetheir caprices, and gratify the bent of their minds. 

Hence it was that Hsüeh P'an, in course of time gradually extinguishedfrom his memory every idea of shifting their quarters. 

But what transpired, on subsequent days, the following chapter willexplain. 

CHAPTER V. 

 The spirit of Chia Pao-yü visits the confines of the Great Void. The Monitory Vision Fairy expounds, in ballads, the Dream of the Red Chamber. 

Having in the fourth Chapter explained, to some degree, thecircumstances attending the settlement of the mother and children of theHsüeh family in the Jung mansion, and other incidental matters, we willnow revert to Lin Tai-yü. 

Ever since her arrival in the Jung mansion, dowager lady Chia showed herthe highest sympathy and affection, so that in everything connected withsleeping, eating, rising and accommodation she was on the same footingas Pao-yü; with the result that Ying Ch'un, Hsi Ch'un and T'an Ch'un, her three granddaughters, had after all to take a back seat. In fact, the intimate and close friendliness and love which sprung up between thetwo persons Pao-yü and Tai-yü, was, in the same degree, of anexceptional kind, as compared with those existing between the others. Bydaylight they were wont to walk together, and to sit together. At night, they would desist together, and rest together. Really it was a case ofharmony in language and concord in ideas, of the consistency of varnishor of glue, (a close friendship), when at this unexpected juncture therecame this girl, Hsüeh Pao-ch'ai, who, though not very much older inyears (than the others), was, nevertheless, in manner so correct, and infeatures so beautiful that the consensus of opinion was that Tai-yüherself could not come up to her standard. 

What is more, in her ways Pao-Ch'ai was so full of good tact, soconsiderate and accommodating, so unlike Tai-yü, who was supercilious, self-confident, and without any regard for the world below, that thenatural consequence was that she soon completely won the hearts of thelower classes. Even the whole number of waiting-maids would also for themost part, play and joke with Pao-ch'ai. Hence it was that Tai-yüfostered, in her heart, considerable feelings of resentment, but of thishowever Pao-ch'ai had not the least inkling. 

Pao-yü was, likewise, in the prime of his boyhood, and was, besides, asfar as the bent of his natural disposition was concerned, in everyrespect absurd and perverse; regarding his cousins, whether male orfemale, one and all with one common sentiment, and without anydistinction whatever between the degrees of distant or closerelationship. Sitting and sleeping, as he now was under the same roofwith Tai-yü in dowager lady Chia's suite of rooms, he naturally becamecomparatively more friendly with her than with his other cousins; andthis friendliness led to greater intimacy and this intimacy onceestablished, rendered unavoidable the occurrence of the blight ofharmony from unforeseen slight pretexts. 

These two had had on this very day, for some unknown reason, wordsbetween them more or less unfriendly, and Tai-yü was again sitting allalone in her room, giving way to tears. Pao-yü was once more withinhimself quite conscience-smitten for his ungraceful remarks, and comingforward, he humbly made advances, until, at length, Tai-yü little bylittle came round. 

As the plum blossom, in the eastern part of the garden of the Ningmansion, was in full bloom, Chia Chen's spouse, Mrs. Yu, madepreparations for a collation, (purposing) to send invitations to dowagerlady Chia, mesdames Hsing, and Wang, and the other members of thefamily, to come and admire the flowers; and when the day arrived thefirst thing she did was to take Chia Jung and his wife, the two of them, and come and ask them round in person. Dowager lady Chia and the otherinmates crossed over after their early meal; and they at once promenadedthe Hui Fang (Concentrated Fragrance) Garden. First tea was served, andnext wine; but the entertainment was no more than a family banquet ofthe kindred of the two mansions of Ning and Jung, so that there was atotal lack of any novel or original recreation that could be put onrecord. 

After a little time, Pao-yü felt tired and languid and inclined for hismidday siesta. "Take good care, " dowager lady Chia enjoined some ofthem, "and stay with him, while he rests for a while, when he can comeback;" whereupon Chia Jung's wife, Mrs. Ch'in, smiled and said witheagerness: "We got ready in here a room for uncle Pao, so let yourvenerable ladyship set your mind at ease. Just hand him over to mycharge, and he will be quite safe. Mothers and sisters, " she continued, addressing herself to Pao-yü's nurses and waiting maids, "invite unclePao to follow me in here. "

Dowager lady Chia had always been aware of the fact that Mrs. Ch'in wasa most trustworthy person, naturally courteous and scrupulous, and inevery action likewise so benign and gentle; indeed the most estimableamong the whole number of her great grandsons' wives, so that when shesaw her about to go and attend to Pao-yü, she felt that, for acertainty, everything would be well. 

Mrs. Ch'in, there and then, led away a company of attendants, and cameinto the rooms inside the drawing room. Pao-yü, upon raising his head, and catching sight of a picture hung on the upper wall, representing ahuman figure, in perfect style, the subject of which was a portrait ofYen Li, speedily felt his heart sink within him. 

There was also a pair of scrolls, the text of which was:

 A thorough insight into worldly matters arises from knowledge; A clear perception of human nature emanates from literary lore. 

On perusal of these two sentences, albeit the room was sumptuous andbeautifully laid out, he would on no account remain in it. "Let us go atonce, " he hastened to observe, "let us go at once. "

Mrs. Ch'in upon hearing his objections smiled. "If this, " she said, "isreally not nice, where are you going? if you won't remain here, wellthen come into my room. "

Pao-yü nodded his head and gave a faint grin. 

"Where do you find the propriety, " a nurse thereupon interposed, "of anuncle going to sleep in the room of a nephew's wife?"

"Ai ya!" exclaimed Mrs. Ch'in laughing, "I don't mind whether he getsangry or not (at what I say); but how old can he be as to reverentiallyshun all these things? Why my brother was with me here last month;didn't you see him? he's, true enough, of the same age as uncle Pao, butwere the two of them to stand side by side, I suspect that he would bemuch higher in stature. "

"How is it, " asked Pao-yü, "that I didn't see him? Bring him along andlet me have a look at him!"

"He's separated, " they all ventured as they laughed, "by a distance oftwenty or thirty li, and how can he be brought along? but you'll see himsome day. "

As they were talking, they reached the interior of Mrs. Ch'in'sapartments. As soon as they got in, a very faint puff of sweet fragrancewas wafted into their nostrils. Pao-yü readily felt his eyes itch andhis bones grow weak. "What a fine smell!" he exclaimed severalconsecutive times. 

Upon entering the apartments, and gazing at the partition wall, he saw apicture the handiwork of T'ang Po-hu, consisting of Begonias drooping inthe spring time; on either side of which was one of a pair of scrolls, written by Ch'in Tai-hsü, a Literary Chancellor of the Sung era, runningas follows:

 A gentle chill doth circumscribe the dreaming man, because the spring is cold. The fragrant whiff, which wafts itself into man's nose, is the perfume of wine!

On the table was a mirror, one which had been placed, in days of yore, in the Mirror Palace of the Emperor Wu Tse-t'ien. On one side stood agold platter, in which Fei Yen, who lived in the Ch'ao state, used tostand and dance. In this platter, was laid a quince, which An Lu-shanhad flung at the Empress T'ai Chen, inflicting a wound on her breast. Inthe upper part of the room, stood a divan ornamented with gems, on whichthe Emperor's daughter, Shou Ch'ang, was wont to sleep, in the Han ChangPalace Hanging, were curtains embroidered with strings of pearls, byT'ung Ch'ang, the Imperial Princess. 

"It's nice in here, it's nice in here, " exclaimed Pao-yü with a chuckle. 

"This room of mine, " observed Mrs. Ch'in smilingly, "is I think, goodenough for even spirits to live in!" and, as she uttered these words, she with her own hands, opened a gauze coverlet, which had been washedby Hsi Shih, and removed a bridal pillow, which had been held in thearms of Hung Niang. Instantly, the nurses attended to Pao-yü, until hehad laid down comfortably; when they quietly dispersed, leaving only thefour waiting maids: Hsi Jen, Ch'iu Wen, Ch'ing Wen and She Yueh to keephim company. 

"Mind be careful, as you sit under the eaves, " Mrs. Ch'in recommendedthe young waiting maids, "that the cats do not start a fight!"

Pao-yü then closed his eyes, and, little by little, became drowsy, andfell asleep. 

It seemed to him just as if Mrs. Ch'in was walking ahead of him. Forthwith, with listless and unsettled step, he followed Mrs. Ch'in tosome spot or other, where he saw carnation-like railings, jade-likesteps, verdant trees and limpid pools--a spot where actually no trace ofany human being could be met with, where of the shifting mundane dustlittle had penetrated. 

Pao-yü felt, in his dream, quite delighted. "This place, " he mused, "ispleasant, and I may as well spend my whole lifetime in here! though Imay have to lose my home, I'm quite ready for the sacrifice, for it'sfar better being here than being flogged, day after day, by father, mother, and teacher. "

While he pondered in this erratic strain, he suddenly heard the voice ofsome human being at the back of the rocks, giving vent to this song:

 Like scattering clouds doth fleet a vernal dream; The transient flowers pass like a running stream; Maidens and youths bear this, ye all, in mind; In useless grief what profit will ye find?

Pao-yü perceived that the voice was that of a girl. The song was barelyat an end, when he soon espied in the opposite direction, a beautifulgirl advancing with majestic and elastic step; a girl quite unlike anyordinary mortal being. There is this poem, which gives an adequatedescription of her:

 Lo she just quits the willow bank; and sudden now she issues from the flower-bedecked house; As onward alone she speeds, she startles the birds perched in the trees, by the pavilion; to which as she draws nigh, her shadow flits by the verandah! Her fairy clothes now flutter in the wind! a fragrant perfume like unto musk or olea is wafted in the air; Her apparel lotus-like is sudden wont to move; and the jingle of her ornaments strikes the ear. Her dimpled cheeks resemble, as they smile, a vernal peach; her kingfisher coiffure is like a cumulus of clouds; her lips part cherry-like; her pomegranate-like teeth conceal a fragrant breath. Her slender waist, so beauteous to look at, is like the skipping snow wafted by a gust of wind; the sheen of her pearls and kingfisher trinkets abounds with splendour, green as the feathers of a duck, and yellow as the plumes of a goose; Now she issues to view, and now is hidden among the flowers; beautiful she is when displeased, beautiful when in high spirits; with lissome step, she treads along the pond, as if she soars on wings or sways in the air. Her eyebrows are crescent moons, and knit under her smiles; she speaks, and yet she seems no word to utter; her lotus-like feet with ease pursue their course; she stops, and yet she seems still to be in motion; the charms of her figure all vie with ice in purity, and in splendour with precious gems; Lovely is her brilliant attire, so full of grandeur and refined grace. Loveable her countenance, as if moulded from some fragrant substance, or carved from white jade; elegant is her person, like a phoenix, dignified like a dragon soaring high. What is her chastity like? Like a white plum in spring with snow nestling in its broken skin; Her purity? Like autumn orchids bedecked with dewdrops. Her modesty? Like a fir-tree growing in a barren plain; Her comeliness? Like russet clouds reflected in a limpid pool. Her gracefulness? Like a dragon in motion wriggling in a stream; Her refinement? Like the rays of the moon shooting on to a cool river. Sure is she to put Hsi Tzu to shame! Bound to put Wang Ch'iang to the blush! What a remarkable person! Where was she born? and whence does she come? One thing is true that in Fairy-land there is no second like her! that in the Purple Courts of Heaven there is no one fit to be her peer! Forsooth, who can it be, so surpassingly beautiful!

Pao-yü, upon realising that she was a fairy, was much elated; and witheagerness advanced and made a bow. 

"My divine sister, " he ventured, as he put on a smile. "I don't knowwhence you come, and whither you are going. Nor have I any idea whatthis place is, but I make bold to entreat that you would take my handand lead me on. "

"My abode, " replied the Fairy, "is above the Heavens of DivestedAnimosities, and in the ocean of Discharged Sorrows. I'm the Fairy ofMonitory Vision, of the cave of Drooping Fragrance, in the mount ofEmitted Spring, within the confines of the Great Void. I preside overthe voluptuous affections and sensual debts among the mortal race, andsupervise in the dusty world, the envies of women and the lusts of man. It's because I've recently come to hear that the retribution forvoluptuousness extends up to this place, that I betake myself here inorder to find suitable opportunities of disseminating mutual affections. My encounter with you now is also not a matter of accident! This spot isnot distant from my confines. I have nothing much there besides a cup ofthe tender buds of tea plucked by my own hands, and a pitcher ofluscious wine, fermented by me as well as several spritelike singing anddancing maidens of great proficiency, and twelve ballads of spiritualsong, recently completed, on the Dream of the Red Chamber; but won't youcome along with me for a stroll?"

Pao-yü, at this proposal, felt elated to such an extraordinary degreethat he could skip from joy, and there and then discarding from his mindall idea of where Mrs. Ch'in was, he readily followed the Fairy. 

They reached some spot, where there was a stone tablet, put up in ahorizontal position, on which were visible the four large characters:"The confines of the Great Void, " on either side of which was one of apair of scrolls, with the two antithetical sentences:

 When falsehood stands for truth, truth likewise becomes false; When naught be made to aught, aught changes into naught!

Past the Portal stood the door of a Palace, and horizontally, above thisdoor, were the four large characters: "The Sea of Retribution, theHeaven of Love. " There were also a pair of scrolls, with the inscriptionin large characters:

 Passion, alas! thick as the earth, and lofty as the skies, from ages past to the present hath held incessant sway; How pitiful your lot! ye lustful men and women envious, that your voluptuous debts should be so hard to pay!

Pao-yü, after perusal, communed with his own heart. "Is it really so!"he thought, "but I wonder what implies the passion from old till now, and what are the voluptuous debts! Henceforward, I must enlightenmyself!"

Pao-yü was bent upon this train of thoughts when he unwittinglyattracted several evil spirits into his heart, and with speedy step hefollowed in the track of the fairy, and entered two rows of doors whenhe perceived that the Lateral Halls were, on both sides, full of tabletsand scrolls, the number of which he could not in one moment ascertain. He however discriminated in numerous places the inscriptions: The Boardof Lustful Love; the Board of contracted grudges; The Board of Matutinalsobs; the Board of nocturnal tears; the Board of vernal affections; andthe Board of autumnal anguish. 

After he had perused these inscriptions, he felt impelled to turn roundand address the Fairy. "May I venture to trouble my Fairy, " he said, "totake me along for a turn into the interior of each of these Boards? MayI be allowed, I wonder, to do so?"

"Inside each of these Boards, " explained the Fairy, "are accumulated theregisters with the records of all women of the whole world; of those whohave passed away, as well as of those who have not as yet come into it, and you, with your mortal eyes and human body, could not possibly beallowed to know anything in anticipation. "

But would Pao-yü, upon hearing these words, submit to this decree? Hewent on to implore her permission again and again, until the Fairycasting her eye upon the tablet of the board in front of her observed, "Well, all right! you may go into this board and reap some transientpleasure. "

Pao-yü was indescribably joyous, and, as he raised his head, heperceived that the text on the tablet consisted of the three characters:the Board of Ill-fated lives; and that on each side was a scroll withthe inscription:

 Upon one's self are mainly brought regrets in spring and autumn gloom; A face, flowerlike may be and moonlike too; but beauty all for whom?

Upon perusal of the scroll Pao-yü was, at once, the more stirred withadmiration; and, as he crossed the door, and reached the interior, theonly things that struck his eye were about ten large presses, the wholenumber of which were sealed with paper slips; on every one of theseslips, he perceived that there were phrases peculiar to each province. 

Pao-yü was in his mind merely bent upon discerning, from the rest, theslip referring to his own native village, when he espied, on the otherside, a slip with the large characters: "the Principal Record of theTwelve Maidens of Chin Ling. "

"What is the meaning, " therefore inquired Pao-yü, "of the PrincipalRecord of the Twelve Maidens of Chin Ling?"

"As this is the record, " explained the Fairy, "of the most excellent andprominent girls in your honourable province, it is, for this reason, called the Principal Record. "

"I've often heard people say, " observed Pao-yü, "that Chin Ling is ofvast extent; and how can there only be twelve maidens in it! why, atpresent, in our own family alone, there are more or less severalhundreds of young girls!"

The Fairy gave a faint smile. "Through there be, " she rejoined, "solarge a number of girls in your honourable province, those only of anynote have been selected and entered in this record. The two presses, onthe two sides, contain those who are second best; while, for all whoremain, as they are of the ordinary run, there are, consequently, noregisters to make any entry of them in. "

Pao-yü upon looking at the press below, perceived the inscription:"Secondary Record of the twelve girls of Chin Ling;" while again inanother press was inscribed: "Supplementary Secondary Record of theTwelve girls of Chin Ling. " Forthwith stretching out his hand, Pao-yüopened first the doors of the press, containing the "supplementarysecondary Record, " extracted a volume of the registers, and opened it. When he came to examine it, he saw on the front page a representation ofsomething, which, though bearing no resemblance to a human being, presented, at the same time, no similitude to scenery; consisting simplyof huge blotches made with ink. The whole paper was full of nothing elsebut black clouds and turbid mists, after which appeared the traces of afew characters, explaining that--

 A cloudless moon is rare forsooth to see, And pretty clouds so soon scatter and flee! Thy heart is deeper than the heavens are high, Thy frame consists of base ignominy! Thy looks and clever mind resentment will provoke, And thine untimely death vile slander will evoke! A loving noble youth in vain for love will yearn. 

After reading these lines, Pao-yü looked below, where was pictured abouquet of fresh flowers and a bed covered with tattered matting. Therewere also several distiches running as follows:

 Thy self-esteem for kindly gentleness is but a fancy vain! Thy charms that they can match the olea or orchid, but thoughts inane! While an actor will, envious lot! with fortune's smiles be born, A youth of noble birth will, strange to say, be luckless and forlorn. 

Pao-yü perused these sentences, but could not unfold their meaning, so, at once discarding this press, he went over and opened the door of thepress of the "Secondary Records" and took out a book, in which, onexamination, he found a representation of a twig of Olea fragrans. Below, was a pond, the water of which was parched up and the mud dry, the lotus flowers decayed, and even the roots dead. At the back werethese lines:

 The lotus root and flower but one fragrance will give; How deep alas! the wounds of thy life's span will be; What time a desolate tree in two places will live, Back to its native home the fragrant ghost will flee!

Pao-yü read these lines, but failed to understand what they meant. Hethen went and fetched the "Principal Record, " and set to looking itover. He saw on the first page a picture of two rotten trees, while onthese trees was suspended a jade girdle. There was also a heap of snow, and under this snow was a golden hair-pin. There were in addition thesefour lines in verse:

 Bitter thy cup will be, e'en were the virtue thine to stop the loom, Thine though the gift the willow fluff to sing, pity who will thy doom? High in the trees doth hang the girdle of white jade, And lo! among the snow the golden pin is laid!

To Pao-yü the meaning was again, though he read the lines over, quiteunintelligible. He was, about to make inquiries, but he felt convincedthat the Fairy would be both to divulge the decrees of Heaven; andthough intent upon discarding the book, he could not however tearhimself away from it. Forthwith, therefore, he prosecuted a furtherperusal of what came next, when he caught sight of a picture of a bow. On this bow hung a citron. There was also this ode:

 Full twenty years right and wrong to expound will be thy fate! What place pomegranate blossoms come in bloom will face the Palace Gate! The third portion of spring, of the first spring in beauty short will fall! When tiger meets with hare thou wilt return to sleep perennial. 

Further on, was also a sketch of two persons flying a kite; a broadexpanse of sea, and a large vessel; while in this vessel was a girl, whoscreened her face bedewed with tears. These four lines were likewisevisible:

 Pure and bright will be thy gifts, thy purpose very high; But born thou wilt be late in life and luck be passed by; At the tomb feast thou wilt repine tearful along the stream, East winds may blow, but home miles off will be, even in dream. 

After this followed a picture of several streaks of fleeting clouds, andof a creek whose waters were exhausted, with the text:

 Riches and honours too what benefit are they? In swaddling clothes thou'lt be when parents pass away; The rays will slant, quick as the twinkle of an eye; The Hsiang stream will recede, the Ch'u clouds onward fly!

Then came a picture of a beautiful gem, which had fallen into the mire, with the verse:

 Thine aim is chastity, but chaste thou wilt not be; Abstraction is thy faith, but void thou may'st not see; Thy precious, gemlike self will, pitiful to say, Into the mundane mire collapse at length some day. 

A rough sketch followed of a savage wolf, in pursuit of a beautifulgirl, trying to pounce upon her as he wished to devour her. This was theburden of the distich:

 Thy mate is like a savage wolf prowling among the hills; His wish once gratified a haughty spirit his heart fills! Though fair thy form like flowers or willows in the golden moon, Upon the yellow beam to hang will shortly be its doom. 

Below, was an old temple, in the interior of which was a beautifulperson, just in the act of reading the religious manuals, as she sat allalone; with this inscription:

 In light esteem thou hold'st the charms of the three springs for their short-liv'd fate; Thine attire of past years to lay aside thou chang'st, a Taoist dress to don; How sad, alas! of a reputed house and noble kindred the scion, Alone, behold! she sleeps under a glimmering light, an old idol for mate. 

Next in order came a hill of ice, on which stood a hen-phoenix, whileunder it was this motto:

 When time ends, sure coincidence, the phoenix doth alight; The talents of this human form all know and living see, For first to yield she kens, then to control, and third genial to be; But sad to say, things in Chin Ling are in more sorry plight. 

This was succeeded by a representation of a desolate village, and adreary inn. A pretty girl sat in there, spinning thread. These were thesentiments affixed below:

 When riches will have flown will honours then avail? When ruin breaks your home, e'en relatives will fail! But sudden through the aid extended to Dame Liu, A friend in need fortune will make to rise for you. 

Following these verses, was drawn a pot of Orchids, by the side ofwhich, was a beautiful maiden in a phoenix-crown and cloudy mantle(bridal dress); and to this picture was appended this device:

 What time spring wanes, then fades the bloom of peach as well as plum! Who ever can like a pot of the olea be winsome! With ice thy purity will vie, vain their envy will be! In vain a laughing-stock people will try to make of thee. 

At the end of this poetical device, came the representation of a loftyedifice, on which was a beauteous girl, suspending herself on a beam tocommit suicide; with this verse:

 Love high as heav'n, love ocean-wide, thy lovely form will don; What time love will encounter love, license must rise wanton; Why hold that all impiety in Jung doth find its spring, The source of trouble, verily, is centred most in Ning. 

Pao-yü was still bent upon prosecuting his perusal, when the Fairyperceiving that his intellect was eminent and bright, and his naturaltalents quickwitted, and apprehending lest the decrees of heaven shouldbe divulged, hastily closed the Book of Record, and addressed herself toPao-yü. "Come along with me, " she said smiling, "and see some wonderfulscenery. What's the need of staying here and beating this gourd ofennui?"

In a dazed state, Pao-yü listlessly discarded the record, and againfollowed in the footsteps of the Fairy. On their arrival at the back, hesaw carnation portières, and embroidered curtains, ornamented pillars, and carved eaves. But no words can adequately give an idea of thevermilion apartments glistening with splendour, of the floors garnishedwith gold, of the snow reflecting lustrous windows, of the palatialmansions made of gems. He also saw fairyland flowers, beautiful andfragrant, and extraordinary vegetation, full of perfume. The spot wasindeed elysian. 

He again heard the Fairy observe with a smiling face: "Come out all ofyou at once and greet the honoured guest!"

These words were scarcely completed, when he espied fairies walk out ofthe mansion, all of whom were, with their dangling lotus sleeves, andtheir fluttering feather habiliments, as comely as spring flowers, andas winsome as the autumn moon. As soon as they caught sight of Pao-yü, they all, with one voice, resentfully reproached the Monitory VisionFairy. "Ignorant as to who the honoured guest could be, " they argued, "we hastened to come out to offer our greetings simply because you, elder sister, had told us that, on this day, and at this very time, there would be sure to come on a visit, the spirit of the younger sisterof Chiang Chu. That's the reason why we've been waiting for ever solong; and now why do you, in lieu of her, introduce this vile object tocontaminate the confines of pure and spotless maidens?"

As soon as Pao-yü heard these remarks, he was forthwith plunged in sucha state of consternation that he would have retired, but he found itimpossible to do so. In fact, he felt the consciousness of the foulnessand corruption of his own nature quite intolerable. The Monitory VisionFairy promptly took Pao-yü's hand in her own, and turning towards heryounger sisters, smiled and explained: "You, and all of you, are notaware of the why and wherefore. To-day I did mean to have gone to theJung mansion to fetch Chiang Chu, but as I went by the Ning mansion, Iunexpectedly came across the ghosts of the two dukes of Jung and Ning, who addressed me in this wise: 'Our family has, since the dynastyestablished itself on the Throne, enjoyed merit and fame, which pervadedmany ages, and riches and honours transmitted from generation togeneration. One hundred years have already elapsed, but this goodfortune has now waned, and this propitious luck is exhausted; so much sothat they could not be retrieved! Our sons and grandsons may be many, but there is no one among them who has the means to continue the familyestate, with the exception of our kindred grandson, Pao-yü alone, who, though perverse in disposition and wayward by nature, is neverthelessintelligent and quick-witted and qualified in a measure to give effectto our hopes. But alas! the good fortune of our family is entirelydecayed, so that we fear there is no person to incite him to enter theright way! Fortunately you worthy fairy come at an unexpected moment, and we venture to trust that you will, above all things, warn himagainst the foolish indulgence of inordinate desire, lasciviousaffections and other such things, in the hope that he may, at yourinstigation, be able to escape the snares of those girls who will allurehim with their blandishments, and to enter on the right track; and wetwo brothers will be ever grateful. '

"On language such as this being addressed to me, my feelings ofcommiseration naturally burst forth; and I brought him here, and badehim, first of all, carefully peruse the records of the whole lives ofthe maidens in his family, belonging to the three grades, the upper, middle and lower, but as he has not yet fathomed the import, I haveconsequently led him into this place to experience the vision ofdrinking, eating, singing and licentious love, in the hope, there is nosaying, of his at length attaining that perception. "

Having concluded these remarks, she led Pao-yü by the hand into theapartment, where he felt a whiff of subtle fragrance, but what it wasthat reached his nostrils he could not tell. 

To Pao-yü's eager and incessant inquiries, the Fairy made reply with asardonic smile. "This perfume, " she said, "is not to be found in theworld, and how could you discern what it is? This is made of the essenceof the first sprouts of rare herbs, growing on all hills of fame andplaces of superior excellence, admixed with the oil of every species ofsplendid shrubs in precious groves, and is called the marrow ofConglomerated Fragrance. "

At these words Pao-yü was, of course, full of no other feeling thanwonder. 

The whole party advanced and took their seats, and a young maidservantpresented tea, which Pao-yü found of pure aroma, of excellent flavourand of no ordinary kind. "What is the name of this tea?" he thereforeasked; upon which the Fairy explained. "This tea, " she added, "originates from the Hills of Emitted Spring and the Valley of DroopingFragrance, and is, besides, brewed in the night dew, found on spiritualplants and divine leaves. The name of this tea is 'one thousand red inone hole. '"

At these words Pao-yü nodded his head, and extolled its qualities. Espying in the room lutes, with jasper mountings, and tripods, inlaidwith gems, antique paintings, and new poetical works, which were to beseen everywhere, he felt more than ever in a high state of delight. Below the windows, were also shreds of velvet sputtered about and atoilet case stained with the traces of time and smudged with cosmetic;while on the partition wall was likewise suspended a pair of scrolls, with the inscription:

 A lonesome, small, ethereal, beauteous nook! What help is there, but Heaven's will to brook?

Pao-yü having completed his inspection felt full of admiration, andproceeded to ascertain the names and surnames of the Fairies. One wascalled the Fairy of Lustful Dreams; another "the High Ruler ofPropagated Passion;" the name of one was "the Golden Maiden ofPerpetuated Sorrow;" of another the "Intelligent Maiden of TransmittedHatred. " (In fact, ) the respective Taoist appellations were not of oneand the same kind. 

In a short while, young maid-servants came in and laid the table, putthe chairs in their places, and spread out wines and eatables. Therewere actually crystal tankards overflowing with luscious wines, andamber glasses full to the brim with pearly strong liquors. But stillless need is there to give any further details about the sumptuousnessof the refreshments. 

Pao-yü found it difficult, on account of the unusual purity of thebouquet of the wine, to again restrain himself from making inquiriesabout it. 

"This wine, " observed the Monitory Dream Fairy, "is made of the twigs ofhundreds of flowers, and the juice of ten thousands of trees, with theaddition of must composed of unicorn marrow, and yeast prepared withphoenix milk. Hence the name of 'Ten thousand Beauties in one Cup' wasgiven to it. "

Pao-yü sang its incessant praise, and, while he sipped his wine, twelvedancing girls came forward, and requested to be told what songs theywere to sing. 

"Take, " suggested the Fairy, "the newly-composed Twelve Sections of theDream of the Red Chamber, and sing them. "

The singing girls signified their obedience, and forthwith they lightlyclapped the castagnettes and gently thrummed the virginals. These werethe words which they were heard to sing:

 At the time of the opening of the heavens and the laying out of the earth chaos prevailed. 

They had just sung this one line when the Fairy exclaimed: "This balladis unlike the ballads written in the dusty world whose purport is tohand down remarkable events, in which the distinction of scholars, girls, old men and women, and fools is essential, and in which arefurthermore introduced the lyrics of the Southern and Northern Palaces. These fairy songs consist either of elegaic effusions on some person orimpressions of some occurrence or other, and are impromptu songs readilyset to the music of wind or string instruments, so that any one who isnot cognisant of their gist cannot appreciate the beauties contained inthem. So you are not likely, I fear, to understand this lyric with anyclearness; and unless you first peruse the text and then listen to theballad, you will, instead of pleasure, feel as if you were chewing wax(devoid of any zest). "

After these remarks, she turned her head round, and directed a youngmaid-servant to fetch the text of the Dream of the Red Chamber, whichshe handed to Pao-yü, who took it over; and as he followed the wordswith his eyes, with his ears he listened to the strains of this song:

Preface of the Bream of the Red Chamber. --When the Heavens were openedand earth was laid out chaos prevailed! What was the germ of love? Itarises entirely from the strength of licentious love. 

What day, by the will of heaven, I felt wounded at heart, and what timeI was at leisure, I made an attempt to disburden my sad heart; and withthis object in view I indited this Dream of the Bed Chamber, on thesubject of a disconsolate gold trinket and an unfortunate piece of jade. 

Waste of a whole Lifetime. All maintain that the match between gold andjade will be happy. All I can think of is the solemn oath contracted indays gone by by the plant and stone! Vain will I gaze upon the snow, Hsüeh, [Pao-ch'ai], pure as crystal and lustrous like a gem of theeminent priest living among the hills! Never will I forget the noiselessFairy Grove, Lin [Tai-yü], beyond the confines of the mortal world!Alas! now only have I come to believe that human happiness isincomplete; and that a couple may be bound by the ties of wedlock forlife, but that after all their hearts are not easy to lull intocontentment. 

Vain knitting of the brows. The one is a spirit flower of Fairyland; theother is a beautiful jade without a blemish. Do you maintain that theirunion will not be remarkable? Why how then is it that he has come tomeet her again in this existence? If the union will you say, be strange, how is it then that their love affair will be but empty words? The onein her loneliness will give way to useless sighs. The other in vain willyearn and crave. The one will be like the reflection of the moon inwater; the other like a flower reflected in a mirror. Consider, how manydrops of tears can there be in the eyes? and how could they continue todrop from autumn to winter and from spring to flow till summer time?

But to come to Pao-yü. After he had heard these ballads, so diffuse andvague, he failed to see any point of beauty in them; but the plaintivemelody of the sound was nevertheless sufficient to drive away his spiritand exhilarate his soul. Hence it was that he did not make any inquiriesabout the arguments, and that he did not ask about the matter treated, but simply making these ballads the means for the time being ofdispelling melancholy, he therefore went on with the perusal of whatcame below. 

Despicable Spirit of Death! You will be rejoicing that glory is at itsheight when hateful death will come once again, and with eyes wide withhorror, you will discard all things, and dimly and softly the fragrantspirit will waste and dissolve! You will yearn for native home, butdistant will be the way, and lofty the mountains. Hence it is that youwill betake yourself in search of father and mother, while they lieunder the influence of a dream, and hold discourse with them. "Yourchild, " you will say, "has already trodden the path of death! Oh myparents, it behoves you to speedily retrace your steps and make goodyour escape!"

Separated from Relatives. You will speed on a journey of three thousandli at the mercy of wind and rain, and tear yourself from all your familyties and your native home! Your fears will be lest anguish should do anyharm to your parents in their failing years! "Father and mother, " youwill bid them, "do not think with any anxiety of your child. From agespast poverty as well as success have both had a fixed destiny; and is itlikely that separation and reunion are not subject to predestination?Though we may now be far apart in two different places, we must each ofus try and preserve good cheer. Your abject child has, it is true, gonefrom home, but abstain from distressing yourselves on her account!"

Sorrow in the midst of Joy. While wrapped as yet in swaddling clothes, father and mother, both alas! will depart, and dwell though you will inthat mass of gauze, who is there who will know how to spoil you with anyfond attention? Born you will be fortunately with ample moral courage, and high-minded and boundless resources, for your parents will not have, in the least, their child's secret feelings at heart! You will be like amoon appearing to view when the rain holds up, shedding its rays uponthe Jade Hall; or a gentle breeze (wafting its breath upon it). Weddedto a husband, fairy like fair and accomplished, you will enjoy ahappiness enduring as the earth and perennial as the Heavens! and youwill be the means of snapping asunder the bitter fate of your youth!But, after all, the clouds will scatter in Kao T'ang and the waters ofthe Hsiang river will get parched! This is the inevitable destiny ofdissolution and continuance which prevails in the mortal world, and whatneed is there to indulge in useless grief?

Intolerable to the world. Your figure will be as winsome as an oleafragrans; your talents as ample as those of a Fairy! You will by naturebe so haughty that of the whole human race few will be like you! Youwill look upon a meat diet as one of dirt, and treat splendour as coarseand loathsome! And yet you will not be aware that your high notions willbring upon you the excessive hatred of man! You will be very eager inyour desire after chastity, but the human race will despise you! Alas, you will wax old in that antique temple hall under a faint light, whereyou will waste ungrateful for beauty, looks and freshness! But after allyou will still be worldly, corrupt and unmindful of your vows; just likea spotless white jade you will be whose fate is to fall into the mire!And what need will there be for the grandson of a prince or the son of aduke to deplore that his will not be the good fortune (of winning youraffections)?

The Voluptuary. You will resemble a wolf in the mountains! a savagebeast devoid of all human feeling! Regardless in every way of theobligations of days gone by, your sole pleasure will be in theindulgence of haughtiness, extravagance, licentiousness and dissolutehabits! You will be inordinate in your conjugal affections, and lookdown upon the beautiful charms of the child of a marquis, as if theywere cat-tail rush or willow; trampling upon the honourable daughter ofa ducal mansion, as if she were one of the common herd. Pitiful to say, the fragrant spirit and beauteous ghost will in a year softly and gentlypass away!

The Perception that all things are transient like flowers. You will looklightly upon the three springs and regard the blush of the peach and thegreen of the willow as of no avail. You will beat out the fire ofsplendour, and treat solitary retirement as genial! What is it that yousay about the delicate peaches in the heavens (marriage) beingexcellent, and the petals of the almond in the clouds being plentiful(children)? Let him who has after all seen one of them, (really a mortalbeing) go safely through the autumn, (wade safely through old age), behold the people in the white Poplar village groan and sigh; and thespirits under the green maple whine and moan! Still more wide in expansethan even the heavens is the dead vegetation which covers the graves!The moral is this, that the burden of man is poverty one day andaffluence another; that bloom in spring, and decay in autumn, constitutethe doom of vegetable life! In the same way, this calamity of birth andthe visitation of death, who is able to escape? But I have heard it saidthat there grows in the western quarter a tree called the P'o So(Patient Bearing) which bears the fruit of Immortal life!

The bane of Intelligence. Yours will be the power to estimate, in athorough manner, the real motives of all things, as yours will beintelligence of an excessive degree; but instead (of reaping anybenefit) you will cast the die of your own existence! The heart of yourprevious life is already reduced to atoms, and when you shall have died, your nature will have been intelligent to no purpose! Your home will bein easy circumstances; your family will enjoy comforts; but yourconnexions will, at length, fall a prey to death, and the inmates ofyour family scatter, each one of you speeding in a different direction, making room for others! In vain, you will have harassed your mind withcankering thoughts for half a lifetime; for it will be just as if youhad gone through the confused mazes of a dream on the third watch!Sudden a crash (will be heard) like the fall of a spacious palace, and adusky gloominess (will supervene) such as is caused by a lamp about tospend itself! Alas! a spell of happiness will be suddenly (dispelled by)adversity! Woe is man in the world! for his ultimate doom is difficultto determine!

Leave behind a residue of happiness! Hand down an excess of happiness;hand down an excess of happiness! Unexpectedly you will come across abenefactor! Fortunate enough your mother, your own mother, will havelaid by a store of virtue and secret meritorious actions! My advice toyou, mankind, is to relieve the destitute and succour the distressed! Donot resemble those who will harp after lucre and show themselvesunmindful of the ties of relationship: that wolflike maternal uncle ofyours and that impostor of a brother! True it is that addition andsubtraction, increase and decrease, (reward and punishment, ) rest in thehands of Heaven above!

Splendour at last. Loving affection in a mirror will be still moreephemeral than fame in a dream. That fine splendour will fleet how soon!Make no further allusion to embroidered curtain, to bridal coverlet; forthough you may come to wear on your head a pearl-laden coronet, and, onyour person, a jacket ornamented with phoenixes, yours will notnevertheless be the means to atone for the short life (of your husband)!Though the saying is that mankind should not have, in their old age, theburden of poverty to bear, yet it is also essential that a store ofbenevolent deeds should be laid up for the benefit of sons andgrandsons! (Your son) may come to be dignified in appearance and wear onhis head the official tassel, and on his chest may be suspended the goldseal resplendent in lustre; he may be imposing in his majesty, and hemay rise high in status and emoluments, but the dark and dreary waywhich leads to death is short! Are the generals and ministers who havebeen from ages of old still in the flesh, forsooth? They exist only in afutile name handed down to posterity to reverence!

Death ensues when things propitious reign! Upon the ornamented beam willsettle at the close of spring the fragrant dust! Your recklessindulgence of licentious love and your naturally moonlike face will soonbe the source of the ruin of a family. The decadence of the familyestate will emanate entirely from Ching; while the wane of the familyaffairs will be entirely attributable to the fault of Ning! Licentiouslove will be the main reason of the long-standing grudge. 

The flying birds each perch upon the trees! The family estates of thosein official positions will fade! The gold and silver of the rich andhonoured will be scattered! those who will have conferred benefit will, even in death, find the means of escape! those devoid of human feelingswill reap manifest retribution! Those indebted for a life will make, indue time, payment with their lives; those indebted for tears havealready (gone) to exhaust their tears! Mutual injuries will be revengedin no light manner! Separation and reunion will both alike be determinedby predestination! You wish to know why your life will be short; lookinto your previous existence! Verily, riches and honours, which willcome with old age, will likewise be a question of chance! Those who willhold the world in light esteem will retire within the gate ofabstraction; while those who will be allured by enticement will haveforfeited their lives (The Chia family will fulfil its destiny) assurely as birds take to the trees after they have exhausted all they hadto eat, and which as they drop down will pile up a hoary, vast and loftyheap of dust, (leaving) indeed a void behind!

When the maidens had finished the ballads, they went on to sing the"Supplementary Record;" but the Monitory Vision Fairy, perceiving thetotal absence of any interest in Pao-yü, heaved a sigh. "You sillybrat!" she exclaimed. "What! haven't you, even now, attainedperception!"

"There's no need for you to go on singing, " speedily observed Pao-yü, ashe interrupted the singing maidens; and feeling drowsy and dull, hepleaded being under the effects of wine, and begged to be allowed to liedown. 

The Fairy then gave orders to clear away the remains of the feast, andescorted Pao-yü to a suite of female apartments, where the splendour ofsuch objects as were laid out was a thing which he had not hithertoseen. But what evoked in him wonder still more intense, was the sight, at an early period, of a girl seated in the room, who, in the freshnessof her beauty and winsomeness of her charms, bore some resemblance toPao-ch'ai, while, in elegance and comeliness, on the other hand, toTai-yu. 

While he was plunged in a state of perplexity, the Fairy suddenlyremarked: "All those female apartments and ladies' chambers in so manywealthy and honourable families in the world are, without exception, polluted by voluptuous opulent puppets and by all that bevy ofprofligate girls. But still more despicable are those from old till nownumberless dissolute roués, one and all of whom maintain that libidinousaffections do not constitute lewdness; and who try, further, to provethat licentious love is not tantamount to lewdness. But all thesearguments are mere apologies for their shortcomings, and a screen fortheir pollutions; for if libidinous affection be lewdness, still moredoes the perception of licentious love constitute lewdness. Hence it isthat the indulgence of sensuality and the gratification of licentiousaffection originate entirely from a relish of lust, as well as from ahankering after licentious love. Lo you, who are the object of my love, are the most lewd being under the heavens from remote ages to thepresent time!"

Pao-yü was quite dumbstruck by what he heard, and hastily smiling, hesaid by way of reply: "My Fairy labours under a misapprehension. Simplybecause of my reluctance to read my books my parents have, on repeatedoccasions, extended to me injunction and reprimand, and would I have thecourage to go so far as to rashly plunge in lewd habits? Besides, I amstill young in years, and have no notion what is implied by lewdness!"

"Not so!" exclaimed the Fairy; "lewdness, although one thing inprinciple is, as far as meaning goes, subject to differentconstructions; as is exemplified by those in the world whose heart isset upon lewdness. Some delight solely in faces and figures; others findinsatiable pleasure in singing and dancing; some in dalliance andraillery; others in the incessant indulgence of their lusts; and theseregret that all the beautiful maidens under the heavens cannot ministerto their short-lived pleasure. These several kinds of persons are foulobjects steeped skin and all in lewdness. The lustful love, forinstance, which has sprung to life and taken root in your naturalaffections, I and such as myself extend to it the character of anabstract lewdness; but abstract lewdness can be grasped by the mind, butcannot be transmitted by the mouth; can be fathomed by the spirit, butcannot be divulged in words. As you now are imbued with this desire onlyin the abstract, you are certainly well fit to be a trustworthy friendin (Fairyland) inner apartments, but, on the path of the mortal world, you will inevitably be misconstrued and defamed; every mouth willridicule you; every eye will look down upon you with contempt. Aftermeeting recently your worthy ancestors, the two Dukes of Ning and Jung, who opened their hearts and made their wishes known to me with suchfervour, (but I will not have you solely on account of the splendour ofour inner apartments look down despisingly upon the path of the world), I consequently led you along, my son, and inebriated you with lusciouswines, steeped you in spiritual tea, and admonished you with excellentsongs, bringing also here a young sister of mine, whose infant name isChien Mei, and her style K'o Ching, to be given to you as your weddedwife. To-night, the time will be propitious and suitable for theimmediate consummation of the union, with the express object of lettingyou have a certain insight into the fact that if the condition of theabode of spirits within the confines of Fairyland be still so(imperfect), how much the more so should be the nature of the affectionswhich prevail in the dusty world; with the intent that from this timeforth you should positively break loose from bondage, perceive and amendyour former disposition, devote your attention to the works of Confuciusand Mencius, and set your steady purpose upon the principles ofmorality. "

Having ended these remarks, she initiated him into the mysteries oflicentious love, and, pushing Pao-yü into the room, she closed the door, and took her departure all alone. Pao-yü in a dazed state complied withthe admonitions given him by the Fairy, and the natural result was, ofcourse, a violent flirtation, the circumstances of which it would beimpossible to recount. 

When the next day came, he was by that time so attached to her by tiesof tender love and their conversation was so gentle and full of charmthat he could not brook to part from K'o Ching. Hand-in-hand, the two ofthem therefore, went out for a stroll, when they unexpectedly reached aplace, where nothing else met their gaze than thorns and brambles, whichcovered the ground, and a wolf and a tiger walking side by side. Beforethem stretched the course of a black stream, which obstructed theirprogress; and over this stream there was, what is more, no bridge toenable one to cross it. 

While they were exercising their minds with perplexity, they suddenlyespied the Fairy coming from the back in pursuit of them. "Desist atonce, " she exclaimed, "from making any advance into the stream; it isurgent that you should, with all speed, turn your faces round!"

Pao-yü lost no time in standing still. "What is this place?" heinquired. 

"This is the Ford of Enticement, " explained the Fairy. "Its depth is tenthousand chang; its breadth is a thousand li; in its stream there are noboats or paddles by means of which to effect a passage. There is simplya raft, of which Mu Chu-shih directs the rudder, and which Hui Shih chenpunts with the poles. They receive no compensation in the shape of goldor silver, but when they come across any one whose destiny it is tocross, they ferry him over. You now have by accident strolled as far ashere, and had you fallen into the stream you would have rendered quiteuseless the advice and admonition which I previously gave you. "

These words were scarcely concluded, when suddenly was heard from themidst of the Ford of Enticement, a sound like unto a peal of thunder, whereupon a whole crowd of gobblins and sea-urchins laid hands uponPao-yü and dragged him down. 

This so filled Pao-yü with consternation that he fell into aperspiration as profuse as rain, and he simultaneously broke forth andshouted, "Rescue me, K'o Ching!"

These cries so terrified Hsi Jen and the other waiting-maids, that theyrushed forward, and taking Pao-yü in their arms, "Don't be afraid, Pao-yü, " they said, "we are here. "

But we must observe that Mrs. Ch'in was just inside the apartment in theact of recommending the young waiting-maids to be mindful that the catsand dogs did not start a fight, when she unawares heard Pao-yü, in hisdream, call her by her infant name. In a melancholy mood she thereforecommuned within herself, "As far as my infant name goes, there is, inthis establishment, no one who has any idea what it is, and how is itthat he has come to know it, and that he utters it in his dream?" Andshe was at this period unable to fathom the reason. But, reader, listento the explanations given in the chapter which follows. 

CHAPTER VI. 

 Chia Pao-yü reaps his first experience in licentious love. Old Goody Liu pays a visit to the Jung Kuo Mansion. 

Mrs. Ch'in, to resume our narrative, upon hearing Pao-yü call her in hisdream by her infant name, was at heart very exercised, but she did nothowever feel at liberty to make any minute inquiry. 

Pao-yü was, at this time, in such a dazed state, as if he had lostsomething, and the servants promptly gave him a decoction of lungngan. After he had taken a few sips, he forthwith rose and tidied his clothes. 

Hsi Jen put out her hand to fasten the band of his garment, and as soonas she did so, and it came in contact with his person, it felt so icycold to the touch, covered as it was all over with perspiration, thatshe speedily withdrew her hand in utter surprise. 

"What's the matter with you?" she exclaimed. 

A blush suffused Pao-yü's face, and he took Hsi Jen's hand in a tightgrip. Hsi Jen was a girl with all her wits about her; she was besides acouple of years older than Pao-yü and had recently come to knowsomething of the world, so that at the sight of his state, she to agreat extent readily accounted for the reason in her heart. From modestshame, she unconsciously became purple in the face, and not venturing toask another question she continued adjusting his clothes. This taskaccomplished, she followed him over to old lady Chia's apartments; andafter a hurry-scurry meal, they came back to this side, and Hsi Jenavailed herself of the absence of the nurses and waiting-maids to handPao-yü another garment to change. 

"Please, dear Hsi Jen, don't tell any one, " entreated Pao-yü, withconcealed shame. 

"What did you dream of?" inquired Hsi Jen, smiling, as she tried tostifle her blushes, "and whence comes all this perspiration?"

"It's a long story, " said Pao-yü, "which only a few words will notsuffice to explain. "

He accordingly recounted minutely, for her benefit, the subject of hisdream. When he came to where the Fairy had explained to him themysteries of love, Hsi Jen was overpowered with modesty and covered herface with her hands; and as she bent down, she gave way to a fit oflaughter. Pao-yü had always been fond of Hsi Jen, on account of hergentleness, pretty looks and graceful and elegant manner, and heforthwith expounded to her all the mysteries he had been taught by theFairy. 

Hsi Jen was, of course, well aware that dowager lady Chia had given herover to Pao-yü, so that her present behaviour was likewise notransgression. And subsequently she secretly attempted with Pao-yü aviolent flirtation, and lucky enough no one broke in upon them duringtheir tête-à-tête. From this date, Pao-yü treated Hsi Jen with specialregard, far more than he showed to the other girls, while Hsi Jenherself was still more demonstrative in her attentions to Pao-yü. Butfor a time we will make no further remark about them. 

As regards the household of the Jung mansion, the inmates may, on addingup the total number, not have been found many; yet, counting the high aswell as the low, there were three hundred persons and more. Theiraffairs may not have been very numerous, still there were, every day, ten and twenty matters to settle; in fact, the household resembled, inevery way, ravelled hemp, devoid even of a clue-end, which could be usedas an introduction. 

Just as we were considering what matter and what person it would be bestto begin writing of, by a lucky coincidence suddenly from a distance ofa thousand li, a person small and insignificant as a grain of mustardseed happened, on account of her distant relationship with the Jungfamily, to come on this very day to the Jung mansion on a visit. Weshall therefore readily commence by speaking of this family, as it afterall affords an excellent clue for a beginning. 

The surname of this mean and humble family was in point of fact Wang. They were natives of this district. Their ancestor had filled a minoroffice in the capital, and had, in years gone by, been acquainted withlady Feng's grandfather, that is madame Wang's father. Being covetous ofthe influence and affluence of the Wang family, he consequently joinedancestors with them, and was recognised by them as a nephew. 

At that time, there were only madame Wang's eldest brother, that is ladyFeng's father, and madame Wang herself, who knew anything of thesedistant relations, from the fact of having followed their parents to thecapital. The rest of the family had one and all no idea about them. 

This ancestor had, at this date, been dead long ago, leaving only oneson called Wang Ch'eng. As the family estate was in a state of ruin, heonce more moved outside the city walls and settled down in his nativevillage. Wang Ch'eng also died soon after his father, leaving a son, known in his infancy as Kou Erh, who married a Miss Liu, by whom he hada son called by the infant name of Pan Erh, as well as a daughter, Ch'ing Erh. His family consisted of four, and he earned a living fromfarming. 

As Kou Erh was always busy with something or other during the day andhis wife, dame Liu, on the other hand, drew the water, pounded the riceand attended to all the other domestic concerns, the brother and sister, Ch'ing Erh and Pan Erh, the two of them, had no one to look after them. (Hence it was that) Kou Erh brought over his mother-in-law, old goodyLiu, to live with them. 

This goody Liu was an old widow, with a good deal of experience. She hadbesides no son round her knees, so that she was dependent for hermaintenance on a couple of acres of poor land, with the result that whenher son-in-law received her in his home, she naturally was ever willingto exert heart and mind to help her daughter and her son-in-law to earntheir living. 

This year, the autumn had come to an end, winter had commenced, and theweather had begun to be quite cold. No provision had been made in thehousehold for the winter months, and Kou Erh was, inevitably, exceedingly exercised in his heart. Having had several cups of wine todispel his distress, he sat at home and tried to seize upon every trifleto give vent to his displeasure. His wife had not the courage to forceherself in his way, and hence goody Liu it was who encouraged him, asshe could not bear to see the state of the domestic affairs. 

"Don't pull me up for talking too much, " she said; "but who of uscountry people isn't honest and open-hearted? As the size of the bowl wehold, so is the quantity of the rice we eat. In your young days, youwere dependent on the support of your old father, so that eating anddrinking became quite a habit with you; that's how, at the present time, your resources are quite uncertain; when you had money, you lookedahead, and didn't mind behind; and now that you have no money, youblindly fly into huffs. A fine fellow and a capital hero you have made!Living though we now be away from the capital, we are after all at thefeet of the Emperor; this city of Ch'ang Ngan is strewn all over withmoney, but the pity is that there's no one able to go and fetch it away;and it's no use your staying at home and kicking your feet about. "

"All you old lady know, " rejoined Kou Erh, after he had heard what shehad to say, "is to sit on the couch and talk trash! Is it likely youwould have me go and play the robber?"

"Who tells you to become a robber?" asked goody Liu. "But it would bewell, after all, that we should put our heads together and devise somemeans; for otherwise, is the money, pray, able of itself to run into ourhouse?"

"Had there been a way, " observed Kou Erh, smiling sarcastically, "wouldI have waited up to this moment? I have besides no revenue collectors asrelatives, or friends in official positions; and what way could wedevise? 'But even had I any, they wouldn't be likely, I fear, to pay anyheed to such as ourselves!"

"That, too, doesn't follow, " remarked goody Liu; "the planning ofaffairs rests with man, but the accomplishment of them rests withHeaven. After we have laid our plans, we may, who can say, by relying onthe sustenance of the gods, find some favourable occasion. Leave it tome, I'll try and devise some lucky chance for you people! In years goneby, you joined ancestors with the Wang family of Chin Ling, and twentyyears back, they treated you with consideration; but of late, you'vebeen so high and mighty, and not condescended to go and bow to them, that an estrangement has arisen. I remember how in years gone by, I andmy daughter paid them a visit. The second daughter of the family wasreally so pleasant and knew so well how to treat people with kindness, and without in fact any high airs! She's at present the wife of Mr. Chia, the second son of the Jung Kuo mansion; and I hear people say thatnow that she's advanced in years, she's still more considerate to thepoor, regardful of the old, and very fond of preparing vegetable foodfor the bonzes and performing charitable deeds. The head of the Wangmansion has, it is true, been raised to some office on the frontier, butI hope that this lady Secunda will anyhow notice us. How is it then thatyou don't find your way as far as there; for she may possibly rememberold times, and some good may, no one can say, come of it? I only wishthat she would display some of her kind-heartedness, and pluck one hairfrom her person which would be, yea thicker than our waist. "

"What you suggest, mother, is quite correct, " interposed Mrs. Liu, KouErh's wife, who stood by and took up the conversation, "but with suchmouth and phiz as yours and mine, how could we present ourselves beforeher door? Why I fear that the man at her gate won't also like to go andannounce us! and we'd better not go and have our mouths slapped inpublic!"

Kou Erh, who would have thought it, prized highly both affluence andfame, so that when he heard these remarks, he forthwith began to feel atheart a little more at ease. When he furthermore heard what his wife hadto say, he at once caught up the word as he smiled. 

"Old mother, " he rejoined; "since that be your idea, and what's more, you have in days gone by seen this lady on one occasion, why shouldn'tyou, old lady, start to-morrow on a visit to her and first ascertain howthe wind blows!"

"Ai Ya!" exclaimed old Goody, "It may very well be said that themarquis' door is like the wide ocean! what sort of thing am I? why theservants of that family wouldn't even recognise me! even were I to go, it would be on a wild goose chase. "

"No matter about that, " observed Kou Erh; "I'll tell you a good way; youjust take along with you, your grandson, little Pan Erh, and go firstand call upon Chou Jui, who is attached to that household; and when onceyou've seen him, there will be some little chance. This Chou Jui, at onetime, was connected with my father in some affair or other, and we wereon excellent terms with him. "

"That I too know, " replied goody Liu, "but the thing is that you've hadno dealings with him for so long, that who knows how he's disposedtowards us now? this would be hard to say. Besides, you're a man, andwith a mouth and phiz like that of yours, you couldn't, on any account, go on this errand. My daughter is a young woman, and she too couldn'tvery well go and expose herself to public gaze. But by my sacrificingthis old face of mine, and by going and knocking it (against the wall)there may, after all, be some benefit and all of us might reap profit. "

That very same evening, they laid their plans, and the next morningbefore the break of day, old goody Liu speedily got up, and havingperformed her toilette, she gave a few useful hints to Pan Erh; who, being a child of five or six years of age, was, when he heard that hewas to be taken into the city, at once so delighted that there wasnothing that he would not agree to. 

Without further delay, goody Liu led off Pan Erh, and entered the city, and reaching the Ning Jung street, she came to the main entrance of theJung mansion, where, next to the marble lions, were to be seen a crowdof chairs and horses. Goody Liu could not however muster the courage togo by, but having shaken her clothes, and said a few more seasonablewords to Pan Erh, she subsequently squatted in front of the side gate, whence she could see a number of servants, swelling out their chests, pushing out their stomachs, gesticulating with their hands and kickingtheir feet about, while they were seated at the main entrance chatteringabout one thing and another. 

Goody Liu felt constrained to edge herself forward. "Gentlemen, " sheventured, "may happiness betide you!"

The whole company of servants scrutinised her for a time. "Where do youcome from?" they at length inquired. 

"I've come to look up Mr. Chou, an attendant of my lady's, " remarkedgoody Liu, as she forced a smile; "which of you, gentlemen, shall Itrouble to do me the favour of asking him to come out?"

The servants, after hearing what she had to say, paid, the whole numberof them, no heed to her; and it was after the lapse of a considerabletime that they suggested: "Go and wait at a distance, at the foot ofthat wall; and in a short while, the visitors, who are in their house, will be coming out. "

Among the party of attendants was an old man, who interposed, "Don't baffle her object, " he expostulated; "why make a fool of her?"and turning to goody Liu: "This Mr. Chou, " he said, "is gone south: hishouse is at the back row; his wife is anyhow at home; so go round thisway, until you reach the door, at the back street, where, if you willask about her, you will be on the right track. "

Goody Liu, having expressed her thanks, forthwith went, leading Pan Erhby the hand, round to the back door, where she saw several pedlarsresting their burdens. There were also those who sold things to eat, andthose who sold playthings and toys; and besides these, twenty or thirtyboys bawled and shouted, making quite a noise. 

Goody Liu readily caught hold of one of them. "I'd like to ask you justa word, my young friend, " she observed; "there's a Mrs. Chou here; isshe at home?"

"Which Mrs. Chou?" inquired the boy; "we here have three Mrs. Chous; andthere are also two young married ladies of the name of Chou. What arethe duties of the one you want, I wonder ?"

"She's a waiting-woman of my lady, " replied goody Liu. 

"It's easy to get at her, " added the boy; "just come along with me. "

Leading the way for goody Liu into the backyard, they reached the wallof a court, when he pointed and said, "This is her house. --Mother Chou!"he went on to shout with alacrity; "there's an old lady who wants to seeyou. "

Chou Jui's wife was at home, and with all haste she came out to greether visitor. "Who is it?" she asked. 

Goody Liu advanced up to her. "How are you, " she inquired, "Mrs. Chou?"

Mrs. Chou looked at her for some time before she at length smiled andreplied, "Old goody Liu, are you well? How many years is it since we'veseen each other; tell me, for I forget just now; but please come in andsit. "

"You're a lady of rank, " answered goody Liu smiling, as she walkedalong, "and do forget many things. How could you remember such asourselves?"

With these words still in her mouth, they had entered the house, whereupon Mrs. Chou ordered a hired waiting-maid to pour the tea. Whilethey were having their tea she remarked, "How Pan Erh has managed togrow!" and then went on to make inquiries on the subject of variousmatters, which had occurred after their separation. 

"To-day, " she also asked of goody Liu, "were you simply passing by? ordid you come with any express object?"

"I've come, the fact is, with an object!" promptly replied goody Liu;"(first of all) to see you, my dear sister-in-law; and, in the secondplace also, to inquire after my lady's health. If you could introduce meto see her for a while, it would be better; but if you can't, I mustreadily borrow your good offices, my sister-in-law, to convey mymessage. "

Mr. Chou Jui's wife, after listening to these words, at once became to agreat extent aware of the object of her visit. Her husband had, however, in years gone by in his attempt to purchase some land, obtainedconsiderably the support of Kou Erh, so that when she, on this occasion, saw goody Liu in such a dilemma, she could not make up her mind torefuse her wish. Being in the second place keen upon making a display ofher own respectability, she therefore said smilingly:

"Old goody Liu, pray compose your mind! You've come from far off with apure heart and honest purpose, and how can I ever not show you the wayhow to see this living Buddha? Properly speaking, when people come andguests arrive, and verbal messages have to be given, these matters arenot any of my business, as we all here have each one kind of duties tocarry out. My husband has the special charge of the rents of land comingin, during the two seasons of spring and autumn, and when at leisure, hetakes the young gentlemen out of doors, and then his business is done. As for myself, I have to accompany my lady and young married ladies onanything connected with out-of-doors; but as you are a relative of mylady and have besides treated me as a high person and come to me forhelp, I'll, after all, break this custom and deliver your message. There's only one thing, however, and which you, old lady, don't know. Wehere are not what we were five years before. My lady now doesn't muchworry herself about anything; and it's entirely lady Secunda who looksafter the menage. But who do you presume is this lady Secunda? She's theniece of my lady, and the daughter of my master, the eldest maternaluncle of by-gone days. Her infant name was Feng Ko. "

"Is it really she?" inquired promptly goody Liu, after this explanation. "Isn't it strange? what I said about her years back has come out quitecorrect; but from all you say, shall I to-day be able to see her?"

"That goes without saying, " replied Chou Jui's wife; "when any visitorscome now-a-days, it's always lady Feng who does the honours andentertains them, and it's better to-day that you should see her for awhile, for then you will not have walked all this way to no purpose. "

"O mi to fu!" exclaimed old goody Liu; "I leave it entirely to yourconvenience, sister-in-law. "

"What's that you're saying?" observed Chou Jui's wife. "The proverbsays: 'Our convenience is the convenience of others. ' All I have to dois to just utter one word, and what trouble will that be to me. "

Saying this, she bade the young waiting maid go to the side pavilion, and quietly ascertain whether, in her old ladyship's apartment, tablehad been laid. 

The young waiting-maid went on this errand, and during this while, thetwo of them continued a conversation on certain irrelevant matters. 

"This lady Feng, " observed goody Liu, "can this year be no older thantwenty, and yet so talented as to manage such a household as this! thelike of her is not easy to find!"

"Hai! my dear old goody, " said Chou Jui's wife, after listening to her, "it's not easy to explain; but this lady Feng, though young in years, isnevertheless, in the management of affairs, superior to any man. She hasnow excelled the others and developed the very features of a beautifulyoung woman. To say the least, she has ten thousand eyes in her heart, and were they willing to wager their mouths, why ten men gifted witheloquence couldn't even outdo her! But by and bye, when you've seen her, you'll know all about her! There's only this thing, she can't help beingrather too severe in her treatment of those below her. "

While yet she spake, the young waiting-maid returned. "In her venerablelady's apartment, " she reported, "repast has been spread, and alreadyfinished; lady Secunda is in madame Wang's chamber. "

As soon as Chou Jui's wife heard this news, she speedily got up andpressed goody Liu to be off at once. "This is, " she urged, "just thehour for her meal, and as she is free we had better first go and waitfor her; for were we to be even one step too late, a crowd of servantswill come with their reports, and it will then be difficult to speak toher; and after her siesta, she'll have still less time to herself. "

As she passed these remarks, they all descended the couch together. Goody Liu adjusted their dresses, and, having impressed a few more wordsof advice on Pan Erh, they followed Chou Jui's wife through windingpassages to Chia Lien's house. They came in the first instance into theside pavilion, where Chou Jui's wife placed old goody Liu to wait alittle, while she herself went ahead, past the screen-wall and into theentrance of the court. 

Hearing that lady Feng had not come out, she went in search of anelderly waiting-maid of lady Feng, P'ing Erh by name, who enjoyed herconfidence, to whom Chou Jui's wife first recounted from beginning toend the history of old goody Liu. 

"She has come to-day, " she went on to explain, "from a distance to payher obeisance. In days gone by, our lady used often to meet her, sothat, on this occasion, she can't but receive her; and this is why I'vebrought her in! I'll wait here for lady Feng to come down, and explaineverything to her; and I trust she'll not call me to task for officiousrudeness. "

P'ing Erh, after hearing what she had to say, speedily devised the planof asking them to walk in, and to sit there pending (lady Feng'sarrival), when all would be right. 

Chou Jui's wife thereupon went out and led them in. When they ascendedthe steps of the main apartment, a young waiting-maid raised a redwoollen portière, and as soon as they entered the hall, they smelt awhiff of perfume as it came wafted into their faces: what the scent wasthey could not discriminate; but their persons felt as if they wereamong the clouds. 

The articles of furniture and ornaments in the whole room were all sobrilliant to the sight, and so vying in splendour that they made thehead to swim and the eyes to blink, and old goody Liu did nothing elsethe while than nod her head, smack her lips and invoke Buddha. Forthwithshe was led to the eastern side into the suite of apartments, where wasthe bedroom of Chia Lien's eldest daughter. P'ing Erh, who was standingby the edge of the stove-couch, cast a couple of glances at old goodyLiu, and felt constrained to inquire how she was, and to press her tohave a seat. 

Goody Liu, noticing that P'ing Erh was entirely robed in silks, that shehad gold pins fixed in her hair, and silver ornaments in her coiffure, and that her countenance resembled a flower or the moon (in beauty), readily imagined her to be lady Feng, and was about to address her as mylady; but when she heard Mrs. Chou speak to her as Miss P'ing, and P'ingErh promptly address Chou Jui's wife as Mrs. Chou, she eventually becameaware that she could be no more than a waiting-maid of a certainrespectability. 

She at once pressed old goody Liu and Pan Erh to take a seat on thestove-couch. P'ing Erh and Chou Jui's wife sat face to face, on theedges of the couch. The waiting-maids brought the tea. After they hadpartaken of it, old goody Liu could hear nothing but a "lo tang, lotang" noise, resembling very much the sound of a bolting frame winnowingflour, and she could not resist looking now to the East, and now to theWest. Suddenly in the great Hall, she espied, suspended on a pillar, abox at the bottom of which hung something like the weight of a balance, which incessantly wagged to and fro. 

"What can this thing be?" communed goody Liu in her heart, "What can beits use?" While she was aghast, she unexpectedly heard a sound of "tang"like the sound of a golden bell or copper cymbal, which gave her quite astart. In a twinkle of the eyes followed eight or nine consecutivestrokes; and she was bent upon inquiring what it was, when she caughtsight of several waiting-maids enter in a confused crowd. "Our lady hascome down!" they announced. 

P'ìng Erh, together with Chou Jui's wife, rose with all haste. "Oldgoody Liu, " they urged, "do sit down and wait till it's time, when we'llcome and ask you in. "

Saying this, they went out to meet lady Feng. 

Old goody Liu, with suppressed voice and ear intent, waited in perfectsilence. She heard at a distance the voices of some people laughing, whereupon about ten or twenty women, with rustling clothes andpetticoats, made their entrance, one by one, into the hall, and thenceinto the room on the other quarter. She also detected two or threewomen, with red-lacquered boxes in their hands, come over on this partand remain in waiting. 

"Get the repast ready!" she heard some one from the offside say. 

The servants gradually dispersed and went out; and there only remainedin attendance a few of them to bring in the courses. For a long time, not so much as the caw of a crow could be heard, when she unexpectedlyperceived two servants carry in a couch-table, and lay it on this sideof the divan. Upon this table were placed bowls and plates, in properorder replete, as usual, with fish and meats; but of these only a fewkinds were slightly touched. 

As soon as Pan Erh perceived (all these delicacies), he set up such anoise, and would have some meat to eat, but goody Liu administered tohim such a slap, that he had to keep away. 

Suddenly, she saw Mrs. Chou approach, full of smiles, and as she wavedher hand, she called her. Goody Liu understood her meaning, and at oncepulling Pan Erh off the couch, she proceeded to the centre of the Hall;and after Mrs. Chou had whispered to her again for a while, they came atlength with slow step into the room on this side, where they saw on theoutside of the door, suspended by brass hooks, a deep red flowered softportière. Below the window, on the southern side, was a stove-couch, andon this couch was spread a crimson carpet. Leaning against the woodenpartition wall, on the east side, stood a chain-embroidered back-cushionand a reclining pillow. There was also spread a large watered satinsitting cushion with a gold embroidered centre, and on the side stoodcuspidores made of silver. 

Lady Feng, when at home, usually wore on her head a front-piece of darkmartin à la Chao Chün, surrounded with tassels of strung pearls. She hadon a robe of peach-red flowered satin, a short pelisse of slate-bluestiff silk, lined with squirrel, and a jupe of deep red foreign crepe, lined with ermine. Resplendent with pearl-powder and with cosmetics, shesat in there, stately and majestic, with a small brass poker in herhands, with which she was stirring the ashes of the hand-stove. P'ingErh stood by the side of the couch, holding a very small lacqueredtea-tray. In this tray was a small tea-cup with a cover. Lady Fengneither took any tea, nor did she raise her head, but was intent uponstirring the ashes of the hand-stove. 

"How is it you haven't yet asked her to come in?" she slowly inquired;and as she spake, she turned herself round and was about to ask for sometea, when she perceived that Mrs. Chou had already introduced the twopersons and that they were standing in front of her. 

She forthwith pretended to rise, but did not actually get up, and with aface radiant with smiles, she ascertained about their health, afterwhich she went in to chide Chou Jui's wife. "Why didn't you tell me theyhad come before?" she said. 

Old goody Liu was already by this time prostrated on the ground, andafter making several obeisances, "How are you, my lady?" she inquired. 

"Dear Mrs. Chou, " lady Feng immediately observed, "do pull her up, anddon't let her prostrate herself! I'm yet young in years and don't knowher much; what's more, I've no idea what's the degree of therelationship between us, and I daren't speak directly to her. "

"This is the old lady about whom I spoke a short while back, " speedilyexplained Mrs. Chou. 

Lady Feng nodded her head assentingly. 

By this time old goody Liu had taken a seat on the edge of thestove-couch. As for Pan Erh, he had gone further, and taken refugebehind her back; and though she tried, by every means, to coax him tocome forward and make a bow, he would not, for the life of him, consent. 

"Relatives though we be, " remarked lady Feng, as she smiled, "we haven'tseen much of each other, so that our relations have been quite distant. But those who know how matters stand will assert that you all despiseus, and won't often come to look us up; while those mean people, whodon't know the truth, will imagine that we have no eyes to look at anyone. "

Old goody Liu promptly invoked Buddha. "We are at home in greatstraits, " she pleaded, "and that's why it wasn't easy for us to manageto get away and come! Even supposing we had come as far as this, had wenot given your ladyship a slap on the mouth, those gentlemen would also, in point of fact, have looked down upon us as a mean lot. "

"Why, language such as this, " exclaimed lady Feng smilingly, "cannothelp making one's heart full of displeasure! We simply rely upon thereputation of our grandfather to maintain the status of a pennilessofficial; that's all! Why, in whose household is there anythingsubstantial? we are merely the denuded skeleton of what we were in daysof old, and no more! As the proverb has it: The Emperor himself hasthree families of poverty-stricken relatives; and how much more such asyou and I?"

Having passed these remarks, she inquired of Mrs. Chou, "Have you letmadame know, yes or no?"

"We are now waiting, " replied Mrs. Chou, "for my lady's orders. "

"Go and have a look, " said lady Feng; "but, should there be any onethere, or should she be busy, then don't make any mention; but waituntil she's free, when you can tell her about it and see what she says. "

Chou Jui's wife, having expressed her compliance, went off on thiserrand. During her absence, lady Feng gave orders to some servants totake a few fruits and hand them to Pan Erh to eat; and she was inquiringabout one thing and another, when there came a large number of marriedwomen, who had the direction of affairs in the household, to make theirseveral reports. 

P'ing Erh announced their arrival to lady Feng, who said: "I'm nowengaged in entertaining some guests, so let them come back again in theevening; but should there be anything pressing then bring it in and I'llsettle it at once. "

P'ing Erh left the room, but she returned in a short while. "I've askedthem, " she observed, "but as there's nothing of any urgency, I told themto disperse. " Lady Feng nodded her head in token of approval, when sheperceived Chou Jui's wife come back. "Our lady, " she reported, as sheaddressed lady Feng, "says that she has no leisure to-day, that if you, lady Secunda, will entertain them, it will come to the same thing; thatshe's much obliged for their kind attention in going to the trouble ofcoming; that if they have come simply on a stroll, then well and good, but that if they have aught to say, they should tell you, lady Secunda, which will be tantamount to their telling her. "

"I've nothing to say, " interposed old goody Liu. "I simply come to seeour elder and our younger lady, which is a duty on my part, a relativeas I am. "

"Well, if there's nothing particular that you've got to say, all right, "Mrs. Chou forthwith added, "but if you do have anything, don't hesitatetelling lady Secunda, and it will be just as if you had told our lady. "

As she uttered these words, she winked at goody Liu. Goody Liuunderstood what she meant, but before she could give vent to a word, herface got scarlet, and though she would have liked not to make anymention of the object of her visit, she felt constrained to suppress hershame and to speak out. 

"Properly speaking, " she observed, "this being the first time I see you, my lady, I shouldn't mention what I've to say, but as I come here fromfar off to seek your assistance, my old friend, I have no help but tomention it. "

She had barely spoken as much as this, when she heard the youths at theinner-door cry out: "The young gentleman from the Eastern Mansion hascome. "

Lady Feng promptly interrupted her. "Old goody Liu, " she remarked, "youneedn't add anything more. " She, at the same time, inquired, "Where'syour master, Mr. Jung?" when became audible the sound of footsteps alongthe way, and in walked a young man of seventeen or eighteen. Hisappearance was handsome, his person slender and graceful. He had onlight furs, a girdle of value, costly clothes and a beautiful cap. 

At this stage, goody Liu did not know whether it was best to sit down orto stand up, neither could she find anywhere to hide herself. 

"Pray sit down, " urged lady Feng, with a laugh; "this is my nephew!' Oldgoody Liu then wriggled herself, now one way, and then another, on tothe edge of the couch, where she took a seat. 

"My father, " Chia Jung smilingly ventured, "has sent me to ask a favourof you, aunt. On some previous occasion, our grand aunt gave you, dearaunt, a stove-couch glass screen, and as to-morrow father has invitedsome guests of high standing, he wishes to borrow it to lay it out for alittle show; after which he purposes sending it back again. "

"You're late by a day, " replied lady Feng. "It was only yesterday that Igave it to some one. "

Chia Jung, upon hearing this, forthwith, with giggles and smiles, made, near the edge of the couch, a sort of genuflexion. "Aunt, " he went on, "if you don't lend it, father will again say that I don't know how tospeak, and I shall get another sound thrashing. You must have pity uponyour nephew, aunt. "

"I've never seen anything like this, " observed lady Feng sneeringly;"the things belonging to the Wang family are all good, but where haveyou put all those things of yours? the only good way is that youshouldn't see anything of ours, for as soon as you catch sight ofanything, you at once entertain a wish to carry it off. "

"Pray, aunt, " entreated Chia Jung with a smile, "do show me somecompassion. "

"Mind your skin!" lady Feng warned him, "if you do chip or spoil it inthe least. "

She then bade P'ing Erh take the keys of the door of the upstairs roomand send for several trustworthy persons to carry it away. 

Chia Jung was so elated that his eyebrows dilated and his eyes smiled. "I've brought myself, " he added, with vehemence, "some men to take itaway; I won't let them recklessly bump it about. "

Saying this, he speedily got up and left the room. 

Lady Feng suddenly bethought herself of something, and turning towardsthe window, she called out, "Jung Erh, come back. " Several servants whostood outside caught up her words: "Mr. Jung, " they cried, "you'rerequested to go back;" whereupon Chia Jung turned round and retraced hissteps; and with hands drooping respectfully against his sides, he stoodready to listen to his aunt's wishes. 

Lady Feng was however intent upon gently sipping her tea, and after agood long while of abstraction, she at last smiled: "Never mind, " sheremarked; "you can go. But come after you've had your evening meal, andI'll then tell you about it. Just now there are visitors here; andbesides, I don't feel in the humour. "

Chia Jung thereupon retired with gentle step. 

Old goody Liu, by this time, felt more composed in body and heart. "I'veto-day brought your nephew, " she then explained, "not for anything else, but because his father and mother haven't at home so much as anything toeat; the weather besides is already cold, so that I had no help but totake your nephew along and come to you, old friend, for assistance!"

As she uttered these words, she again pushed Pan Erh forward. "What didyour father at home tell you to say?" she asked of him; "and what did hesend us over here to do? Was it only to give our minds to eating fruit?"

Lady Feng had long ago understood what she meant to convey, and findingthat she had no idea how to express herself in a decent manner, shereadily interrupted her with a smile. "You needn't mention anything, "she observed, "I'm well aware of how things stand;" and addressingherself to Mrs. Chou, she inquired, "Has this old lady had breakfast, yes or no?"

Old goody Liu hurried to explain. "As soon as it was daylight, " sheproceeded, "we started with all speed on our way here, and had we evenso much as time to have any breakfast?"

Lady Feng promptly gave orders to send for something to eat. In a shortwhile Chou Jui's wife had called for a table of viands for the guests, which was laid in the room on the eastern side, and then came to takegoody Liu and Pan Erh over to have their repast. 

"My dear Mrs. Chou, " enjoined lady Feng, "give them all they want, as Ican't attend to them myself;" which said, they hastily passed over intothe room on the eastern side. 

Lady Feng having again called Mrs. Chou, asked her: "When you firstinformed madame about them, what did she say?" "Our Lady observed, "replied Chou Jui's wife, "that they don't really belong to the samefamily; that, in former years, their grandfather was an official at thesame place as our old master; that hence it came that they joinedancestors; that these few years there hasn't been much intercourse(between their family and ours); that some years back, whenever theycame on a visit, they were never permitted to go empty-handed, and thatas their coming on this occasion to see us is also a kind attention ontheir part, they shouldn't be slighted. If they've anything to say, "(our lady continued), "tell lady Secunda to do the necessary, and thatwill be right. "

"Isn't it strange!" exclaimed lady Feng, as soon as she had heard themessage; "since we are all one family, how is it I'm not familiar evenwith so much as their shadow?"

While she was uttering these words, old goody Liu had had her repast andcome over, dragging Pan Erh; and, licking her lips and smacking hermouth, she expressed her thanks. 

Lady Feng smiled. "Do pray sit down, " she said, "and listen to what I'mgoing to tell you. What you, old lady, meant a little while back toconvey, I'm already as much as yourself well acquainted with! Relatives, as we are, we shouldn't in fact have waited until you came to thethreshold of our doors, but ought, as is but right, to have attended toyour needs. But the thing is that, of late, the household affairs areexceedingly numerous, and our lady, advanced in years as she is, couldn't at a moment, it may possibly be, bethink herself of you all!What's more, when I took over charge of the management of the menage, Imyself didn't know of all these family connections! Besides, though tolook at us from outside everything has a grand and splendid aspect, people aren't aware that large establishments have such great hardships, which, were we to recount to others, they would hardly like to credit astrue. But since you've now come from a great distance, and this is thefirst occasion that you open your mouth to address me, how can I verywell allow you to return to your home with empty hands! By a luckycoincidence our lady gave, yesterday, to the waiting-maids, twenty taelsto make clothes with, a sum which they haven't as yet touched, and ifyou don't despise it as too little, you may take it home as a firstinstalment, and employ it for your wants. "

When old goody Liu heard the mention made by lady Feng of theirhardships, she imagined that there was no hope; but upon hearing heragain speak of giving her twenty taels, she was exceedingly delighted, so much so that her eyebrows dilated and her eyes gleamed with smiles. 

"We too know, " she smilingly remarked, "all about difficulties! but theproverb says, 'A camel dying of leanness is even bigger by much than ahorse!' No matter what those distresses may be, were you yet to pluckone single hair from your body, my old friend, it would be stouter thanour own waist. "

Chou Jui's wife stood by, and on hearing her make these coarseutterances, she did all she could to give her a hint by winking, andmake her desist. Lady Feng laughed and paid no heed; but calling P'ingErh, she bade her fetch the parcel of money, which had been given tothem the previous day, and to also bring a string of cash; and whenthese had been placed before goody Liu's eyes: "This is, " said ladyFeng, "silver to the amount of twenty taels, which was for the timegiven to these young girls to make winter clothes with; but some otherday, when you've nothing to do, come again on a stroll, in evidence ofthe good feeling which should exist between relatives. It's besidesalready late, and I don't wish to detain you longer and all for nopurpose; but, on your return home, present my compliments to all thoseof yours to whom I should send them. "

As she spake, she stood up. Old goody Liu gave utterance to a thousandand ten thousand expressions of gratitude, and taking the silver andcash, she followed Chou Jui's wife on her way to the out-houses. "Well, mother dear, " inquired Mrs. Chou, "what did you think of my lady thatyou couldn't speak; and that whenever you opened your mouth it was all'your nephew. ' I'll make just one remark, and I don't mind if you do getangry. Had he even been your kindred nephew, you should in fact havebeen somewhat milder in your language; for that gentleman, Mr. Jung, isher kith and kin nephew, and whence has appeared such another nephew ofhers (as Pan Erh)?"

Old goody Liu smiled. "My dear sister-in-law, " she replied, "as I gazedupon her, were my heart and eyes, pray, full of admiration or not? andhow then could I speak as I should?"

As they were chatting, they reached Chou Jui's house. They had beensitting for a while, when old goody Liu produced a piece of silver, which she was purposing to leave behind, to be given to the youngservants in Chou Jui's house to purchase fruit to eat; but how couldMrs. Chou satiate her eye with such a small piece of silver? She wasdetermined in her refusal to accept it, so that old goody Liu, afterassuring her of her boundless gratitude, took her departure out of theback gate she had come in from. 

Reader, you do not know what happened after old goody Liu left, butlisten to the explanation which will be given in the next chapter. 

CHAPTER VII. 

 Presentation of artificial flowers made in the Palace. Chia Lien disports himself with Hsi-feng. Pao-yü meets Ch'in Chung at a family party. 

To resume our narrative. Chou Jui's wife having seen old goody Liu off, speedily came to report the visit to madame Wang; but, contrary to herexpectation, she did not find madame Wang in the drawing-room; and itwas after inquiring of the waiting-maids that she eventually learnt thatshe had just gone over to have a chat with "aunt" Hsüeh. Mrs. Chou, uponhearing this, hastily went out by the eastern corner door, and throughthe yard on the east, into the Pear Fragrance Court. 

As soon as she reached the entrance, she caught sight of madame Wang'swaiting-maid, Chin Ch'uan-erh, playing about on the terrace steps, witha young girl, who had just let her hair grow. When they saw Chou Jui'swife approach, they forthwith surmised that she must have some messageto deliver, so they pursed up their lips and directed her to theinner-room. Chou Jui's wife gently raised the curtain-screen, and uponentering discovered madame Wang, in voluble conversation with "aunt"Hsüeh, about family questions and people in general. 

Mrs. Chou did not venture to disturb them, and accordingly came into theinner room, where she found Hsüeh Pao-ch'ai in a house dress, with herhair simply twisted into a knot round the top of the head, sitting onthe inner edge of the stove-couch, leaning on a small divan table, inthe act of copying a pattern for embroidery, with the waiting-maid YingErh. When she saw her enter, Pao Ch'ai hastily put down her pencil, andturning round with a face beaming with smiles, "Sister Chou, " she said, "take a seat. "

Chou Jui's wife likewise promptly returned the smile. 

"How is my young lady?" she inquired, as she sat down on the edge of thecouch. "I haven't seen you come over on the other side for two or threedays! Has Mr. Pao-yü perhaps given you offence?"

"What an idea!" exclaimed Pao Ch'ai, with a smile. "It's simply thatI've had for the last couple of days my old complaint again, and thatI've in consequence kept quiet all this time, and looked after myself. "

"Is that it?" asked Chou Jui's wife; "but after all, what rooted kind ofcomplaint are you subject to, miss? you should lose really no time insending for a doctor to diagnose it, and give you something to make youall right. With your tender years, to have an organic ailment is indeedno trifle!"

Pao Ch'ai laughed when she heard these remarks. 

"Pray, " she said, "don't allude to this again; for this ailment of mineI've seen, I can't tell you, how many doctors; taken no end of medicineand spent I don't know how much money; but the more we did so, not theleast little bit of relief did I see. Lucky enough, we eventually cameacross a bald-pated bonze, whose speciality was the cure of namelessillnesses. We therefore sent for him to see me, and he said that I hadbrought this along with me from the womb as a sort of inflammatoryvirus, that luckily I had a constitution strong and hale so that itdidn't matter; and that it would be of no avail if I took pills or anymedicines. He then told me a prescription from abroad, and gave me alsoa packet of a certain powder as a preparative, with a peculiar smell andstrange flavour. He advised me, whenever my complaint broke out, to takea pill, which would be sure to put me right again. And this has, afterall, strange to say, done me a great deal of good. "

"What kind of prescription is this one from abroad, I wonder, " remarkedMrs. Chou; "if you, miss, would only tell me, it would be worth ourwhile bearing it in mind, and recommending it to others: and if ever wecame across any one afflicted with this disease, we would also be doinga charitable deed. "

"You'd better not ask for the prescription, " rejoined Pao Ch'ai smiling. "Why, its enough to wear one out with perplexity! the necessaries andingredients are few, and all easy to get, but it would be difficult tofind the lucky moment! You want twelve ounces of the pollen of the whitepeone, which flowers in spring, twelve ounces of the pollen of the whitesummer lily, twelve ounces of the pollen of the autumn hibiscus flower, and twelve ounces of the white plum in bloom in the winter. You take thefour kinds of pollen, and put them in the sun, on the very day of thevernal equinox of the succeeding year to get dry, and then you mix themwith the powder and pound them well together. You again want twelve maceof water, fallen on 'rain water' day. . . . . "

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Mrs. Chou promptly, as she laughed. "From allyou say, why you want three years' time! and what if no rain falls on'rain water' day! What would one then do?"

"Quite so!" Pao Ch'ai remarked smilingly; "how can there be such anopportune rain on that very day! but to wait is also the best thing, there's nothing else to be done. Besides, you want twelve mace of dew, collected on 'White Dew' day, and twelve mace of the hoar frost, gathered on 'Frost Descent' day, and twelve mace of snow, fallen on'Slight Snow' day! You next take these four kinds of waters and mix themwith the other ingredients, and make pills of the size of a lungngan. You keep them in an old porcelain jar, and bury them under the roots ofsome flowers; and when the ailment betrays itself, you produce it andtake a pill, washing it down with two candareens of a yellow cedardecoction. "

"O-mi-to-fu!" cried Mrs. Chou, when she heard all this, bursting outlaughing. "It's really enough to kill one! you might wait ten years andfind no such lucky moments!"

"Fortunate for me, however, " pursued Pao Ch'ai, "in the course of a yearor two, after the bonze had told me about this prescription, we got allthe ingredients; and, after much trouble, we compounded a supply, whichwe have now brought along with us from the south to the north; and liesat present under the pear trees. "

"Has this medicine any name or other of its own?" further inquired Mrs. Chou. 

"It has a name, " replied Pao Ch'ai; "the mangy-headed bonze also told itme; he called it 'cold fragrance' pill. "

Chou Jui's wife nodded her head, as she heard these words. "What do youfeel like after all when this complaint manifests itself?" she went onto ask. 

"Nothing much, " replied Pao Ch'ai; "I simply pant and cough a bit; butafter I've taken a pill, I get over it, and it's all gone. "

Mrs. Chou was bent upon making some further remark, when madame Wang wassuddenly heard to enquire, "Who is in here?"

Mrs. Chou went out hurriedly and answered; and forthwith told her allabout old goody Liu's visit. Having waited for a while, and seeing thatmadame Wang had nothing to say, she was on the point of retiring, when"aunt" Hsueh unexpectedly remarked smiling: "Wait a bit! I've somethingto give you to take along with you. "

And as she spoke, she called for Hsiang Ling. The sound of thescreen-board against the sides of the door was heard, and in walked thewaiting-maid, who had been playing with Chin Ch'uan-erh. "Did my ladycall?" she asked. 

"Bring that box of flowers, " said Mrs. Hsueh. 

Hsiang Ling assented, and brought from the other side a smallembroidered silk box. 

"These, " explained "aunt" Hsüeh, "are a new kind of flowers, made in thepalace. They consist of twelve twigs of flowers of piled gauze. Ithought of them yesterday, and as they will, the pity is, only get old, if uselessly put away, why not give them to the girls to wear them intheir hair! I meant to have sent them over yesterday, but I forgot allabout them. You come to-day most opportunely, and if you will take themwith you, I shall have got them off my hands. To the three young ladiesin your family give two twigs each, and of the six that will remain givea couple to Miss Lin, and the other four to lady Feng. "

"Better keep them and give them to your daughter Pao Ch'ai to wear, "observed madame Wang, "and have done with it; why think of all theothers?"

"You don't know, sister, " replied "aunt" Hsüeh, "what a crotchety thingPao Ch'ai is! she has no liking for flower or powder. "

With these words on her lips, Chou Jui's wife took the box and walkedout of the door of the room. Perceiving that Chin Ch'uan-erh was stillsunning herself outside, Chou Jui's wife asked her: "Isn't this HsiangLing, the waiting-maid that we've often heard of as having beenpurchased just before the departure of the Hsüeh family for the capital, and on whose account there occurred some case of manslaughter or other?"

"Of course it's she, " replied Chin Ch'uan. But as they were talking, they saw Hsiang Ling draw near smirkingly, and Chou Jui's wife at onceseized her by the hand, and after minutely scrutinizing her face for atime, she turned round to Chin Ch'uan-erh and smiled. "With thesefeatures she really resembles slightly the style of lady Jung of ourEastern Mansion. "

"So I too maintain!" said Chin Ch'uan-erh. 

Chou Jui's wife then asked Hsiang Ling, "At what age did you enter thisfamily? and where are your father and mother at present?" and alsoinquired, "In what year of your teens are you? and of what place are youa native?"

But Hsiang Ling, after listening to all these questions, simply noddedher head and replied, "I can't remember. "

When Mrs. Chou and Chin Ch'uan-erh heard these words, their spiritschanged to grief, and for a while they felt affected and wounded atheart; but in a short time, Mrs. Chou brought the flowers into the roomat the back of madame Wang's principal apartment. 

The fact is that dowager lady Chia had explained that as hergranddaughters were too numerous, it would not be convenient to crowdthem together in one place, that Pao-yü and Tai-yü should only remainwith her in this part to break her loneliness, but that Ying Ch'un, T'anCh'un, and Hsi Ch'un, the three of them, should move on this side in thethree rooms within the antechamber, at the back of madame lady Wang'squarters; and that Li Wan should be told off to be their attendant andto keep an eye over them. 

Chou Jui's wife, therefore, on this occasion came first to these roomsas they were on her way, but she only found a few waiting-maidsassembled in the antechamber, waiting silently to obey a call. 

Ying Ch'un's waiting-maid, Ssu Chi, together with Shih Shu, T'an Ch'un'swaiting-maid, just at this moment raised the curtain, and made theiregress, each holding in her hand a tea-cup and saucer; and Chou Jui'swife readily concluding that the young ladies were sitting together alsowalked into the inner room, where she only saw Ying Ch'un and T'an Ch'unseated near the window, in the act of playing chess. Mrs. Chou presentedthe flowers and explained whence they came, and what they were. 

The girls forthwith interrupted their game, and both with a curtsey, expressed their thanks, and directed the waiting-maids to put theflowers away. 

Mrs. Chou complied with their wishes (and handing over the flowers);"Miss Hsi Ch'un, " she remarked, "is not at home; and possibly she's overthere with our old lady. "

"She's in that room, isn't she?" inquired the waiting-maids. 

Mrs. Chou at these words readily came into the room on this side, whereshe found Hsi Ch'un, in company with a certain Chih Neng, a young nun ofthe "moon reflected on water" convent, talking and laughing together. Onseeing Chou Jui's wife enter, Hsi Ch'un at once asked what she wanted, whereupon Chou Jui's wife opened the box of flowers, and explained whohad sent them. 

"I was just telling Chih Neng, " remarked Hsi Ch'un laughing, "that Ialso purpose shortly shaving my head and becoming a nun; and strangeenough, here you again bring me flowers; but supposing I shave my head, where can I wear them?"

They were all very much amused for a time with this remark, and HsiCh'un told her waiting-maid, Ju Hua, to come and take over the flowers. 

"What time did you come over?" then inquired Mrs. Chou of Chih Neng. "Where is that bald-pated and crotchety superior of yours gone?"

"We came, " explained Chih Neng, "as soon as it was day; after callingupon madame Wang, my superior went over to pay a visit in the mansion ofMr. Yü, and told me to wait for her here. "

"Have you received, " further asked Mrs. Chou, "the monthly allowance forincense offering due on the fifteenth or not?"

"I can't say, " replied Chih Neng. 

"Who's now in charge of the issue of the monthly allowances to thevarious temples?" interposed Hsi Ch'un, addressing Mrs. Chou, as soon asshe heard what was said. 

"It's Yü Hsin, " replied Chou Jui's wife, "who's intrusted with thecharge. "

"That's how it is, " observed Hsi Ch'un with a chuckle; "soon after thearrival of the Superior, Yü Hsin's wife came over and kept on whisperingwith her for some time; so I presume it must have been about thisallowance. "

Mrs. Chou then went on to bandy a few words with Chih Neng, after whichshe came over to lady Feng's apartments. Proceeding by a narrow passage, she passed under Li Wan's back windows, and went along the wallornamented with creepers on the west. Going out of the western sidegate, she entered lady Feng's court, and walked over into the EntranceHall, where she only found the waiting-girl Feng Erh, sitting on thedoorsteps of lady Feng's apartments. 

When she caught sight of Mrs. Chou approaching, she at once waved herhand, bidding her go to the eastern room. Chou Jui's wife understood hermeaning, and hastily came on tiptoe to the chamber on the east, whereshe saw a nurse patting lady Feng's daughter to sleep. 

Mrs. Chou promptly asked the nurse in a low tone of voice: "Is the younglady asleep at this early hour? But if even she is I must wake her up. "

The nurse nodded her head in assent, but as these inquiries were beingmade, a sound of laughter came from over the other side, in which ladyFeng's voice could be detected; followed, shortly after, by the sound ofa door opening, and out came P'ing Erh, with a large brass basin in herhands, which she told Feng Erh to fill with water and take inside. 

P'ing Erh forthwith entered the room on this side, and upon perceivingChou Jui's wife: "What have you come here again for, my old lady?" shereadily inquired. 

Chou Jui's wife rose without any delay, and handed her the box. "I'vecome, " said she, "to bring you a present of flowers. "

Upon hearing this, P'ing Erh opened the box, and took out four sprigs, and, turning round, walked out of the room. In a short while she camefrom the inner room with two sprigs in her hand, and calling first ofall Ts'ai Ming, she bade her take the flowers over to the mansion on theother side and present them to "madame" Jung, after which she asked Mrs. Chou to express her thanks on her return. 

Chou Jui's wife thereupon came over to dowager lady Chia's room on thisside of the compound, and as she was going through the Entrance Hall, she casually came, face to face, with her daughter, got up in galadress, just coming from the house of her mother-in-law. 

"What are you running over here for at this time?" promptly inquiredMrs. Chou. 

"Have you been well of late, mother?" asked her daughter. "I've beenwaiting for ever so long at home, but you never come out! What's thereso pressing that has prevented you from returning home? I waited till Iwas tired, and then went on all alone, and paid my respects to ourvenerable lady; I'm now, on my way to inquire about our lady Wang. Whaterrand haven't you delivered as yet, ma; and what is it you're holding?"

"Ai! as luck would have it, " rejoined Chou Jui's wife smilingly, "oldgoody Liu came over to-day, so that besides my own hundred and oneduties, I've had to run about here and there ever so long, and all forher! While attending to these, Mrs. Hsueh came across me, and asked meto take these flowers to the young ladies, and I've been at it up tothis very moment, and haven't done yet! But coming at this time, youmust surely have something or other that you want me to do for you!what's it?"

"Really ma, you're quick at guessing!" exclaimed her daughter with asmile; "I'll tell you what it's all about. The day before yesterday, your son-in-law had a glass of wine too many, and began altercating withsome person or other; and some one, I don't know why, spread some evilreport, saying that his antecedents were not clear, and lodged a chargeagainst him at the Yamen, pressing the authorities to deport him to hisnative place. That's why I've come over to consult with you, as to whomwe should appeal to, to do us this favour of helping us out of ourdilemma!"

"I knew at once, " Mrs. Chou remarked after listening, "that there wassomething wrong; but this is nothing hard to settle! Go home and waitfor me and I'll come straightway, as soon as I've taken these flowers toMiss Lin; our madame Wang and lady Secunda have both no leisure (toattend to you now, ) so go back and wait for me! What's the use of somuch hurry!"

Her daughter, upon hearing this, forthwith turned round to go back, whenshe added as she walked away, "Mind, mother, and make haste. "

"All right, " replied Chou Jui's wife, "of course I will; you are youngyet, and without experience, and that's why you are in this flurry. "

As she spoke, she betook herself into Tai-yü's apartments. Contrary toher expectation Tai-yü was not at this time in her own room, but inPao-yü's; where they were amusing themselves in trying to solve the"nine strung rings" puzzle. On entering Mrs. Chou put on a smile. "'Aunt' Hsüeh, " she explained, "has told me to bring these flowers andpresent them to you to wear in your hair. "

"What flowers?" exclaimed Pao-yü. "Bring them here and let me see them. "

As he uttered these words, he readily stretched out his hands and tookthem over, and upon opening the box and looking in, he discovered, infact, two twigs of a novel and artistic kind of artificial flowers, ofpiled gauze, made in the palace. 

Tai-yü merely cast a glance at them, as Pao-yü held them. "Have theseflowers, " she inquired eagerly, "been sent to me alone, or have all theother girls got some too?"

"Each one of the young ladies has the same, " replied Mrs. Chou; "andthese two twigs are intended for you, miss. "

Tai-yü forced a smile. "Oh! I see, " she observed. "If all the othershadn't chosen, even these which remain over wouldn't have been given tome. "

Chou Jui's wife did not utter a word in reply. 

"Sister Chou, what took you over on the other side?" asked Pao-yü. 

"I was told that our madame Wang was over there, " explained Mrs. Chou, "and as I went to give her a message, 'aunt' Hsüeh seized theopportunity to ask me to bring over these flowers. "

"What was cousin Pao Ch'ai doing at home?" asked Pao-yü. "How is itshe's not even been over for these few days?"

"She's not quite well, " remarked Mrs. Chou. 

When Pao-yü heard this news, "Who'll go, " he speedily ascertained of thewaiting-maids, "and inquire after her? Tell her that cousin Lin and Ihave sent round to ask how our aunt and cousin are getting on! ask herwhat she's ailing from and what medicines she's taking, and explain toher that I know I ought to have gone over myself, but that on my comingback from school a short while back, I again got a slight chill; andthat I'll go in person another day. "

While Pao-yü was yet speaking, Hsi Hsüeh volunteered to take themessage, and went off at once; and Mrs. Chou herself took her leavewithout another word. 

Mrs. Chou's son-in-law was, in fact, Leng Tzu-hsing, the intimate friendof Yü-ts'un. Having recently become involved with some party in alawsuit, on account of the sale of some curios, he had expressly chargedhis wife to come and sue for the favour (of a helping hand). Chou Jui'swife, relying upon her master's prestige, did not so much as take theaffair to heart; and having waited till evening, she simply went overand requested lady Feng to befriend her, and the matter was forthwithended. 

When the lamps were lit, lady Feng came over, after having disrobedherself, to see madame Wang. "I've already taken charge, " she observed, "of the things sent round to-day by the Chen family. As for the presentsfrom us to them, we should avail ourselves of the return of the boats, by which the fresh delicacies for the new year were forwarded, to handthem to them to carry back. "

Madame Wang nodded her head in token of approval. 

"The birthday presents, " continued lady Feng, "for lady Ling Ngan, themother of the Earl of Ling Ngan, have already been got together, andwhom will you depute to take them over?"

"See, " suggested madame Wang, "who has nothing to do; let four maids goand all will be right! why come again and ask me?"

"Our eldest sister-in-law Chen, " proceeded lady Feng, "came over toinvite me to go to-morrow to their place for a little change. I don'tthink there will be anything for me to do to-morrow. "

"Whether there be or not, " replied madame Wang, "it doesn't matter; youmust go, for whenever she comes with an invitation, it includes us, whoare your seniors, so that, of course, it isn't such a pleasant thing foryou; but as she doesn't ask us this time, but only asks you, it'sevident that she's anxious that you should have a little distraction, and you mustn't disappoint her good intention. Besides it's certainlyright that you should go over for a change. "

Lady Feng assented, and presently Li Wan, Ying Ch'un and the othercousins, likewise paid each her evening salutation and retired to theirrespective rooms, where nothing of any notice transpired. 

The next day lady Feng completed her toilette, and came over first totell madame Wang that she was off, and then went to say good-bye todowager lady Chia; but when Pao-yü heard where she was going, he alsowished to go; and as lady Feng had no help but to give in, and to waituntil he had changed his clothes, the sister and brother-in-law got intoa carriage, and in a short while entered the Ning mansion. 

Mrs. Yu, the wife of Chia Chen, and Mrs. Ch'in, the wife of Mr. ChiaJung, the two sisters-in-law, had, along with a number of maids, waiting-girls, and other servants, come as far as the ceremonial gate toreceive them, and Mrs. Yu, upon meeting lady Feng, for a while indulged, as was her wont, in humorous remarks, after which, leading Pao-yü by thehand, they entered the drawing room and took their seats, Mrs. Ch'inhanded tea round. 

"What have you people invited me to come here for?" promptly asked ladyFeng; "if you have anything to present me with, hand it to me at once, for I've other things to attend to. "

Mrs. Yu and Mrs. Ch'in had barely any time to exchange any furtherremarks, when several matrons interposed, smilingly: "Had our lady notcome to-day, there would have been no help for it, but having come, youcan't have it all your own way. "

While they were conversing about one thing and another, they caughtsight of Chia Jung come in to pay his respects, which prompted Pao-yü toinquire, "Isn't my elder brother at home to-day?"

"He's gone out of town to-day, " replied Mrs. Yu, "to inquire after hisgrandfather. You'll find sitting here, " she continued, "very dull, andwhy not go out and have a stroll?"

"A strange coincidence has taken place to-day, " urged Mrs. Ch'in, with asmile; "some time back you, uncle Pao, expressed a wish to see mybrother, and to-day he too happens to be here at home. I think he's inthe library; but why not go and see for yourself, uncle Pao?"

Pao-yü descended at once from the stove-couch, and was about to go, whenMrs. Yu bade the servants to mind and go with him. "Don't you let himget into trouble, " she enjoined. "It's a far different thing when hecomes over under the charge of his grandmother, when he's all right. "

"If that be so, " remarked lady Feng, "why not ask the young gentleman tocome in, and then I too can see him. There isn't, I hope, any objectionto my seeing him?"

"Never mind! never mind!" observed Mrs. Yu, smilingly; "it's as wellthat you shouldn't see him. This brother of mine is not, like the boysof our Chia family, accustomed to roughly banging and knocking about. Other people's children are brought up politely and properly, and not inthis vixenish style of yours. Why, you'd ridicule him to death!"

"I won't laugh at him then, that's all, " smiled lady Feng; "tell them tobring him in at once. "

"He's shy, " proceeded Mrs. Ch'in, "and has seen nothing much of theworld, so that you are sure to be put out when you see him, sister. "

"What an idea!" exclaimed lady Feng. "Were he even No Cha himself, I'dlike to see him; so don't talk trash; if, after all, you don't bring himround at once, I'll give you a good slap on the mouth. "

"I daren't be obstinate, " answered Mrs. Ch'in smiling; "I'll bring himround!"

In a short while she did in fact lead in a young lad, who, compared withPao-yü, was somewhat more slight but, from all appearances, superior toPao-yü in eyes and eyebrows, (good looks), which were so clear andwell-defined, in white complexion and in ruddy lips, as well as gracefulappearance and pleasing manners. He was however bashful and timid, likea girl. 

In a shy and demure way, he made a bow to lady Feng and asked after herhealth. 

Lady Feng was simply delighted with him. "You take a low seat next tohim!" she ventured laughingly as she first pushed Pao-yü back. Thenreadily stooping forward, she took this lad by the hand and asked him totake a seat next to her. Presently she inquired about his age, hisstudies and such matters, when she found that at school he went underthe name of Ch'in Chung. 

The matrons and maids in attendance on lady Feng, perceiving that thiswas the first time their mistress met Ch'in Chung, (and knowing) thatshe had not at hand the usual presents, forthwith ran over to the otherside and told P'ing Erh about it. 

P'ing Erh, aware of the close intimacy that existed between lady Fengand Mrs. Ch'in, speedily took upon herself to decide, and selecting apiece of silk, and two small gold medals, (bearing the wish that heshould attain) the highest degree, the senior wranglership, she handedthem to the servants who had come over, to take away. 

Lady Feng, however, explained that her presents were too mean by far, but Mrs. Ch'in and the others expressed their appreciation of them; andin a short time the repast was over, and Mrs. Yu, lady Feng and Mrs. Ch'in played at dominoes, but of this no details need be given; whileboth Pao-yü and Ch'in Chung sat down, got up and talked, as theypleased. 

Since he had first glanced at Ch'in Chung, and seen what kind of personhe was, he felt at heart as if he had lost something, and after beingplunged in a dazed state for a time, he began again to give way tofoolish thoughts in his mind. 

"There are then such beings as he in the world!" he reflected. "I nowsee there are! I'm however no better than a wallowing pig or a mangycow! Despicable destiny! why was I ever born in this household of amarquis and in the mansion of a duke? Had I seen the light in the homeof some penniless scholar, or poverty-stricken official, I could longago have enjoyed the communion of his friendship, and I would not havelived my whole existence in vain! Though more honourable than he, it isindeed evident that silk and satins only serve to swathe this rottentrunk of mine, and choice wines and rich meats only to gorge the filthydrain and miry sewer of this body of mine! Wealth! and splendour! ye areno more than contaminated with pollution by me!"

Ever since Ch'in Chung had noticed Pao-yü's unusual appearance, hissedate deportment, and what is more, his hat ornamented with gold, andhis dress full of embroidery, attended by beautiful maids and handsomeyouths, he did not indeed think it a matter of surprise that every onewas fond of him. 

"Born as I have had the misfortune to be, " he went on to commune withinhimself, "in an honest, though poor family, how can I presume to enjoyhis companionship! This is verily a proof of what a barrier poverty andwealth set between man and man. What a serious misfortune is this too inthis mortal world!"

In wild and inane ideas of the same strain, indulged these two youths!

Pao-yü by and by further asked of him what books he was reading, andCh'in Chung, in answer to these inquiries, told him the truth. A fewmore questions and answers followed; and after about ten remarks, agreater intimacy sprang up between them. 

Tea and fruits were shortly served, and while they were having theirtea, Pao-yü suggested, "We two don't take any wine, and why shouldn't wehave our fruit served on the small couch inside, and go and sit there, and thus save you all the trouble?"

The two of them thereupon came into the inner apartment to have theirtea; and Mrs. Ch'in attended to the laying out of fruit and wines forlady Feng, and hurriedly entered the room and hinted to Pao-yü: "Dearuncle Pao, your nephew is young, and should he happen to say anythingdisrespectful, do please overlook it, for my sake, for though shy, he'snaturally of a perverse and wilful disposition, and is rather given tohaving his own way. "

"Off with you!" cried Pao-yü laughing; "I know it all. " Mrs. Ch'in thenwent on to give a bit of advice to her brother, and at length came tokeep lady Feng company. Presently lady Feng and Mrs. Yu sent anotherservant to tell Pao-yü that there was outside of everything they mightwish to eat and that they should mind and go and ask for it; and Pao-yüsimply signified that they would; but his mind was not set upon drinkingor eating; all he did was to keep making inquiries of Ch'in Chung aboutrecent family concerns. 

Ch'in Chung went on to explain that his tutor had last year relinquishedhis post, that his father was advanced in years and afflicted withdisease, and had multifarious public duties to preoccupy his mind, sothat he had as yet had no time to make arrangements for another tutor, and that all he did was no more than to keep up his old tasks; that asregards study, it was likewise necessary to have the company of one ortwo intimate friends, as then only, by dint of a frequent exchange ofideas and opinions, one could arrive at progress; and Pao-yü gave him notime to complete, but eagerly urged, "Quite so! But in our household, wehave a family school, and those of our kindred who have no meanssufficient to engage the services of a tutor are at liberty to come overfor the sake of study, and the sons and brothers of our relatives arelikewise free to join the class. As my own tutor went home last year, Iam now also wasting my time doing nothing; my father's intention wasthat I too should have gone over to this school, so that I might atleast temporarily keep up what I have already read, pending the arrivalof my tutor next year, when I could again very well resume my studiesalone at home. But my grandmother raised objections; maintaining firstof all, that the boys who attend the family classes being so numerous, she feared we would be sure to be up to mischief, which wouldn't be atall proper; and that, in the second place, as I had been ill for sometime, the matter should be dropped, for the present. But as, from whatyou say, your worthy father is very much exercised on this score, youshould, on your return, tell him all about it, and come over to ourschool. I'll also be there as your schoolmate; and as you and I willreap mutual benefit from each other's companionship, won't it be nice!"

"When my father was at home the other day, " Ch'in Chung smiled and said, "he alluded to the question of a tutor, and explained that the freeschools were an excellent institution. He even meant to have come andtalked matters over with his son-in-law's father about my introduction, but with the urgent concerns here, he didn't think it right for him tocome about this small thing, and make any trouble. But if you reallybelieve that I might be of use to you, in either grinding the ink, orwashing the slab, why shouldn't you at once make the needfularrangements, so that neither you nor I may idle our time? And as weshall be able to come together often and talk matters over, and set atthe same time our parents' minds at ease, and to enjoy the pleasure offriendship, won't it be a profitable thing!"

"Compose your mind!" suggested Pao-yü. "We can by and by first of all, tell your brother-in-law, and your sister as well as sister-in-lawSecunda Lien; and on your return home to-day, lose no time in explainingall to your worthy father, and when I get back, I'll speak to mygrandmother; and I can't see why our wishes shouldn't speedily beaccomplished. "

By the time they had arrived at this conclusion, the day was faradvanced, and the lights were about to be lit; and they came out andwatched them once more for a time as they played at dominoes. When theycame to settle their accounts Mrs. Ch'in and Mrs. Yu were again thelosers and had to bear the expense of a theatrical and dinner party; andwhile deciding that they should enjoy this treat the day after themorrow, they also had the evening repast. 

Darkness having set in, Mrs. Yu gave orders that two youths shouldaccompany Mr. Ch'in home. The matrons went out to deliver thedirections, and after a somewhat long interval, Ch'in Chung said goodbyeand was about to start on his way. 

"Whom have you told off to escort him?" asked Mrs. Yu. 

"Chiao Ta, " replied the matrons, "has been told to go, but it happensthat he's under the effects of drink and making free use again ofabusive language. "

Mrs. Yu and Mrs. Chin remonstrated. "What's the use, " they said, "ofasking him? that mean fellow shouldn't be chosen, but you will go againand provoke him. "

"People always maintain, " added lady Feng, "that you are far toolenient. But fancy allowing servants in this household to go on in thisway; why, what will be the end of it?"

"You don't mean to tell me, " observed Mrs. Yu, "that you don't know thisChiao Ta? Why, even the gentlemen one and all pay no heed to his doings!your eldest brother, Chia Cheng, he too doesn't notice him. It's allbecause when he was young he followed our ancestor in three or fourwars, and because on one occasion, by extracting our senior from theheap of slain and carrying him on his back, he saved his life. Hehimself suffered hunger and stole food for his master to eat; they hadno water for two days; and when he did get half a bowl, he gave it tohis master, while he himself had sewage water. He now simply presumesupon the sentimental obligations imposed by these services. When theseniors of the family still lived, they all looked upon him withexceptional regard; but who at present ventures to interfere with him?He is also advanced in years, and doesn't care about any decent manners;his sole delight is wine; and when he gets drunk, there isn't a singleperson whom he won't abuse. I've again and again told the stewards notto henceforward ask Chiao Ta to do any work whatever, but to treat himas dead and gone; and here he's sent again to-day. "

"How can I not know all about this Chiao Ta?" remarked lady Feng; "butthe secret of all this trouble is, that you won't take any decisivestep. Why not pack him off to some distant farm, and have done withhim?" And as she spoke, "Is our carriage ready?" she went on to inquire. 

"All ready and waiting, " interposed the married women. 

Lady Feng also got up, said good-bye, and hand in hand with Pao-yü, theywalked out of the room, escorted by Mrs. Yu and the party, as far as theentrance of the Main Hall, where they saw the lamps shedding a brilliantlight and the attendants all waiting on the platforms. Chiao Ta, however, availing himself of Chia Chen's absence from home, and elatedby wine, began to abuse the head steward Lai Erh for his injustice. 

"You bully of the weak and coward with the strong, " he cried, "whenthere's any pleasant charge, you send the other servants, but when it'sa question of seeing any one home in the dark, then you ask me, youdisorderly clown! a nice way you act the steward, indeed! Do you forgetthat if Mr. Chiao Ta chose to raise one leg, it would be a good dealhigher than your head! Remember please, that twenty years ago, Mr. ChiaoTa wouldn't even so much as look at any one, no matter who it was; notto mention a pack of hybrid creatures like yourselves!"

While he went on cursing and railing with all his might, Chia Jungappeared walking by lady Feng's carriage. All the servants having triedto hush him and not succeeding, Chia Jung became exasperated; andforthwith blew him up for a time. "Let some one bind him up, " he cried, "and tomorrow, when he's over the wine, I'll call him to task, and we'llsee if he won't seek death. "

Chiao Ta showed no consideration for Chia Jung. On the contrary, heshouted with more vigour. Going up to Chia Jung: "Brother Jung, " hesaid, "don't put on the airs of a master with Chiao Ta. Not to speak ofa man such as you, why even your father and grandfather wouldn't presumeto display such side with Chiao Ta. Were it not for Chiao Ta, and himalone, where would your office, honours, riches and dignity be? Yourancestor, whom I brought back from the jaws of death, heaped up all thisestate, but up to this very day have I received no thanks for theservices I rendered! on the contrary, you come here and play the master;don't say a word more, and things may come right; but if you do, I'llplunge the blade of a knife white in you and extract it red. "

Lady Feng, from inside the carriage, remarked to Chia Jung: "Don't youyet pack off this insolent fellow! Why, if you keep him in your house, won't he be a source of mischief? Besides, were relatives and friends tohear about these things, won't they have a laugh at our expense, that ahousehold like ours should be so devoid of all propriety?"

Chia Jung assented. The whole band of servants finding that Chiao Ta wasgetting too insolent had no help but to come up and throw him over, andbinding him up, they dragged him towards the stables. Chiao Ta abusedeven Chia Chen with still more vehemence, and shouted in a boisterousmanner. "I want to go, " he cried, "to the family Ancestral Temple andmourn my old master. Who would have ever imagined that he would leavebehind such vile creatures of descendants as you all, day after dayindulging in obscene and incestuous practices, 'in scraping of theashes' and in philandering with brothers-in-law. I know all about yourdoings; the best thing is to hide one's stump of an arm in one'ssleeve!" (wash one's dirty clothes at home). 

The servants who stood by, upon hearing this wild talk, were quite attheir wits' end, and they at once seized him, tied him up, and filledhis mouth to the fullest extent with mud mixed with some horse refuse. 

Lady Feng and Chia Jung heard all he said from a distance, but pretendednot to hear; but Pao-yü, seated in the carriage as he was, also caughtthis extravagant talk and inquired of lady Feng: "Sister, did you hearhim say something about 'scraping of the ashes?' What's it?"

"Don't talk such rubbish!" hastily shouted lady Feng; "it was themaudlin talk of a drunkard! A nice boy you are! not to speak of yourlistening, but you must also inquire! wait and I'll tell your mother andwe'll see if she doesn't seriously take you to task. "

Pao-yü was in such a state of fright that he speedily entreated her toforgive him. "My dear sister, " he craved, "I won't venture again to sayanything of the kind"

"My dear brother, if that be so, it's all right!" rejoined lady Fengreassuringly; "on our return we'll speak to her venerable ladyship andask her to send some one to arrange matters in the family school, andinvite Ch'in Chung to come to school for his studies. "

While yet this conversation was going on, they arrived at the JungMansion. 

Reader, do you wish to know what follows? if you do, the next chapterwill unfold it. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

 By a strange coincidence, Chia Pao-yü becomes acquainted with the golden clasp. In an unexpected meeting, Hsüeh Pao-ch'ai sees the jade of spiritual perception. 

Pao-yü and lady Feng, we will now explain, paid, on their return home, their respects to all the inmates, and Pao-yü availed himself of thefirst occasion to tell dowager lady Chia of his wish that Ch'in Chungshould come over to the family school. "The presence for himself of afriend as schoolmate would, " he argued, "be fitly excellent to stir himto zeal, " and he went on to speak in terms of high praise of Ch'inChung, his character and his manners, which most of all made peopleesteem him. 

Lady Feng besides stood by him and backed his request. "In a day ortwo, " she added, "Ch'in Chung will be coming to pay his obeisance toyour venerable ladyship. "

This bit of news greatly rejoiced the heart of dowager lady Chia, andlady Feng likewise did not let the opportunity slip, without invitingthe old lady to attend the theatrical performance to come off the dayafter the morrow. Dowager lady Chia was, it is true, well on in years, but was, nevertheless, very fond of enjoyment, so that when the dayarrived and Mrs. Yu came over to invite her round, she forthwith tookmadame Wang, Lin Tai-yü, Pao-yü and others along and went to the play. 

It was about noon, when dowager lady Chia returned to her apartments forher siesta; and madame Wang, who was habitually partial to a quiet life, also took her departure after she had seen the old lady retire. LadyFeng subsequently took the seat of honour; and the party enjoyedthemselves immensely till the evening, when they broke up. 

But to return to Pao-yü. Having accompanied his grandmother Chia backhome, and waited till her ladyship was in her midday sleep, he had infact an inclination to return to the performance, but he was afraid lesthe should be a burden to Mrs. Ch'in and the rest and lest they shouldnot feel at ease. Remembering therefore that Pao Ch'ai had been at homeunwell for the last few days, and that he had not been to see her, hewas anxious to go and look her up, but he dreaded that if he went by theside gate, at the back of the drawing-room, he would be prevented bysomething or other, and fearing, what would be making matters worse, lest he should come across his father, he consequently thought it betterto go on his way by a detour. The nurses and waiting-maids thereuponcame to help him to change his clothes; but they saw him not change, butgo out again by the second door. These nurses and maids could not helpfollowing him out; but they were still under the impression that he wasgoing over to the other mansion to see the theatricals. Contrary totheir speculations, upon reaching the entrance hall, he forthwith wentto the east, then turned to the north, and walking round by the rear ofthe hall, he happened to come face to face with two of the familycompanions, Mr. Ch'an Kuang, and Mr. Tan T'ing-jen. As soon as theycaught sight of Pao-yü, they both readily drew up to him, and as theysmiled, the one put his arm round his waist, while the other grasped himby the hand. 

"Oh divine brother!" they both exclaimed, "this we call dreaming apleasant dream, for it's no easy thing to come across you!"

While continuing their remarks they paid their salutations, and inquiredafter his health; and it was only after they had chatted for ever solong, that they went on their way. The nurse called out to them andstopped them, "Have you two gentlemen, " she said, "come out from seeingmaster?"

They both nodded assent. "Your master, " they explained, "is in the MengP'o Chai small library having his siesta; so that you can go throughthere with no fear. "

As they uttered these words, they walked away. 

This remark also evoked a smile from Pao-yü, but without further delayhe turned a corner, went towards the north, and came into the PearFragrance Court, where, as luck would have it, he met the head managerof the Household Treasury, Wu Hsin-teng, who, in company with the headof the granary, Tai Liang, and several other head stewards, sevenpersons in all, was issuing out of the Account Room. 

On seeing Pao-yü approaching, they, in a body, stood still, and hungdown their arms against their sides. One of them alone, a certainbutler, called Ch'ien Hua, promptly came forward, as he had not seenPao-yü for many a day, and bending on one knee, paid his respects toPao-yü. Pao-yü at once gave a smile and pulled him up. 

"The day before yesterday, " smiled all the bystanders, "we weresomewhere together and saw some characters written by you, masterSecundus, in the composite style. The writing is certainly better thanit was before! When will you give us a few sheets to stick on the wall?"

"Where did you see them?" inquired Pao-yü, with a grin. 

"They are to be found in more than one place, " they replied, "and everyone praises them very much, and what's more, asks us for a few. "

"They are not worth having, " observed Pao-yü smilingly; "but if you dowant any, tell my young servants and it will be all right. "

As he said these words, he moved onwards. The whole party waited till hehad gone by, before they separated, each one to go his own way. 

But we need not dilate upon matters of no moment, but return to Pao-yü. 

On coming to the Pear Fragrance Court, he entered, first, into "aunt"Hsüeh's room, where he found her getting some needlework ready to giveto the waiting-maids to work at. Pao-yü forthwith paid his respects toher, and "aunt" Hsüeh, taking him by the hand, drew him towards her andclasped him in her embrace. 

"With this cold weather, " she smilingly urged, "it's too kind of you, mydear child, to think of coming to see me; come along on the stove-couchat once!--Bring some tea, " she continued, addressing the servants, "andmake it as hot as it can be!"

"Isn't Hsüeh P'an at home?" Pao-yü having inquired: "He's like a horsewithout a halter, " Mrs. Hsüeh remarked with a sigh; "he's daily runninghere and there and everywhere, and nothing can induce him to stay athome one single day. "

"Is sister (Pao Ch'ai) all right again?" asked Pao-yü. "Yes, " repliedMrs. Hsüeh, "she's well again. It was very kind of you two days ago toagain think of her, and send round to inquire after her. She's now inthere, and you can go and see her. It's warmer there than it's here; goand sit with her inside, and, as soon as I've put everything away, I'llcome and join you and have a chat. "

Pao-yü, upon hearing this, jumped down with alacrity from thestove-couch, and walked up to the door of the inner room, where he sawhanging a portière somewhat the worse for use, made of red silk. Pao-yüraised the portière and making one step towards the interior, he foundPao Ch'ai seated on the couch, busy over some needlework. On the top ofher head was gathered, and made into a knot, her chevelure, black aslacquer, and glossy like pomade. She wore a honey-coloured wadded robe, a rose-brown short-sleeved jacket, lined with the fur of the squirrel oftwo colours: the "gold and silver;" and a jupe of leek-yellow silk. Herwhole costume was neither too new, neither too old, and displayed nosign of extravagance. 

Her lips, though not rouged, were naturally red; her eyebrows, thoughnot pencilled, were yet blue black; her face resembled a silver basin, and her eyes, juicy plums. She was sparing in her words, chary in hertalk, so much so that people said that she posed as a simpleton. She wasquiet in the acquittal of her duties and scrupulous as to the properseason for everything. "I practise simplicity, " she would say ofherself. 

"How are you? are you quite well again, sister?" inquired Pao-yü, as hegazed at her; whereupon Pao Ch'ai raised her head, and perceiving Pao-yüwalk in, she got up at once and replied with a smile, "I'm all rightagain; many thanks for your kindness in thinking of me. "

While uttering this, she pressed him to take a seat on the stove-couch, and as he sat down on the very edge of the couch, she told Ying Erh tobring tea and asked likewise after dowager lady Chia and lady Feng. "Andare all the rest of the young ladies quite well?" she inquired. 

Saying this she scrutinised Pao-yü, who she saw had a head-dress ofpurplish-gold twisted threads, studded with precious stones. Hisforehead was bound with a gold circlet, representing two dragons, clasping a pearl. On his person he wore a light yellow, archery-sleevedjacket, ornamented with rampant dragons, and lined with fur from theribs of the silver fox; and was clasped with a dark sash, embroideredwith different-coloured butterflies and birds. Round his neck was hungan amulet, consisting of a clasp of longevity, a talisman of recordedname, and, in addition to these, the precious jade which he had had inhis mouth at the time of his birth. 

"I've daily heard every one speak of this jade, " said Pao Ch'ai with asmile, "but haven't, after all, had an opportunity of looking at itclosely, but anyhow to-day I must see it. "

As she spoke, she drew near. Pao-yü himself approached, and taking itfrom his neck, he placed it in Pao Ch'ai's hand. Pao Ch'ai held it inher palm. It appeared to her very much like the egg of a bird, resplendent as it was like a bright russet cloud; shiny and smooth likevariegated curd and covered with a net for the sake of protection. 

Readers, you should know that this was the very block of useless stonewhich had been on the Ta Huang Hills, and which had dropped into theCh'ing Keng cave, in a state of metamorphosis. A later writer expresseshis feelings in a satirical way as follows:

 Nü Wo's fusion of stones was e'er a myth inane, But from this myth hath sprung fiction still more insane! Lost is the subtle life, divine, and real!--gone! Assumed, mean subterfuge! foul bags of skin and bone! Fortune, when once adverse, how true! gold glows no more! In evil days, alas! the jade's splendour is o'er! Bones, white and bleached, in nameless hill-like mounds are flung, Bones once of youths renowned and maidens fair and young. 

The rejected stone has in fact already given a record of thecircumstances of its transformation, and the inscription in sealcharacters, engraved upon it by the bald-headed bonze, and below willnow be also appended a faithful representation of it; but its real sizeis so very diminutive, as to allow of its being held by a child in hismouth while yet unborn, that were it to have been drawn in its exactproportions, the characters would, it is feared, have been soinsignificant in size, that the beholder would have had to waste much ofhis eyesight, and it would besides have been no pleasant thing. 

While therefore its shape has been adhered to, its size has unavoidablybeen slightly enlarged, to admit of the reader being able, conveniently, to peruse the inscription, even by very lamplight, and though he may beunder the influence of wine. 

These explanations have been given to obviate any such sneering remarksas: "What could be, pray, the size of the mouth of a child in hismother's womb, and how could it grasp such a large and clumsy thing?"

On the face of the jade was written:

 Precious Gem of Spiritual Perception. If thou wilt lose me not and never forget me, Eternal life and constant luck will be with thee!

On the reverse was written:

 1 To exorcise evil spirits and the accessory visitations; 2 To cure predestined sickness; 3 To prognosticate weal and woe. 

Pao Ch'ai having looked at the amulet, twisted it again to the face, andscrutinising it closely, read aloud:

 If thou wilt lose me not and never forget me, Eternal life and constant luck will be with thee!

She perused these lines twice, and, turning round, she asked Ying Erhlaughingly: "Why don't you go and pour the tea? what are you standinghere like an idiot!"

"These two lines which I've heard, " smiled Ying Erh, "would appear topair with the two lines on your necklet, miss!"

"What!" eagerly observed Pao-yü with a grin, when he caught these words, "are there really eight characters too on your necklet, cousin? do letme too see it. "

"Don't listen to what she says, " remarked Pao Ch'ai, "there are nocharacters on it. "

"My dear cousin, " pleaded Pao-yü entreatingly, "how is it you've seenmine?"

Pao Ch'ai was brought quite at bay by this remark of his, and sheconsequently added, "There are also two propitious phrases engraved onthis charm, and that's why I wear it every day. Otherwise, what pleasurewould there be in carrying a clumsy thing. "

As she spoke, she unfastened the button, and produced from inside hercrimson robe, a crystal-like locket, set with pearls and gems, and witha brilliant golden fringe. Pao-yü promptly received it from her, andupon minute examination, found that there were in fact four characterson each side; the eight characters on both sides forming two sentencesof good omen. The similitude of the locket is likewise then given below. On the face of the locket is written:

 "Part not from me and cast me not away;"

And on the reverse:

 "And youth, perennial freshness will display!"

Pao-yü examined the charm, and having also read the inscription twiceover aloud, and then twice again to himself, he said as he smiled, "Dearcousin, these eight characters of yours form together with mine anantithetical verse. "

"They were presented to her, " ventured Ying Erh, "by a mangy-patedbonze, who explained that they should be engraved on a goldentrinket. . . . "

Pao Ch'ai left her no time to finish what she wished to say, butspeedily called her to task for not going to bring the tea, and theninquired of Pao-yü "Where he had come from?"

Pao-yü had, by this time, drawn quite close to Pao Ch'ai, and perceivedwhiff after whiff of some perfume or other, of what kind he could nottell. "What perfume have you used, my cousin, " he forthwith asked, "tofumigate your dresses with? I really don't remember smelling anyperfumery of the kind before. "

"I'm very averse, " replied Pao Ch'ai blandly, "to the odour offumigation; good clothes become impregnated with the smell of smoke. "

"In that case, " observed Pao-yü, "what scent is it?"

"Yes, I remember, " Pao Ch'ai answered, after some reflection; "it's thescent of the 'cold fragrance' pills which I took this morning. "

"What are these cold fragrance pills, " remarked Pao-yü smiling, "thatthey have such a fine smell? Give me, cousin, a pill to try. "

"Here you are with your nonsense again, " Pao Ch'ai rejoined laughingly;"is a pill a thing to be taken recklessly?"

She had scarcely finished speaking, when she heard suddenly some oneoutside say, "Miss Lin is come;" and shortly Lin Tai-yü walked in in ajaunty manner. 

"Oh, I come at a wrong moment!" she exclaimed forthwith, smirkingsignificantly when she caught sight of Pao-yü. 

Pao-yü and the rest lost no time in rising and offering her a seat, whereupon Pao Ch'ai added with a smile, "How can you say such things?"

"Had I known sooner, " continued Tai-yü, "that he was here, I would havekept away. "

"I can't fathom this meaning of yours, " protested Pao Ch'ai. 

"If one comes, " Tai-yü urged smiling, "then all come, and when onedoesn't come, then no one comes. Now were he to come to-day, and I tocome to-morrow, wouldn't there be, by a division of this kind, alwayssome one with you every day? and in this way, you wouldn't feel toolonely, nor too crowded. How is it, cousin, that you didn't understandwhat I meant to imply?"

"Is it snowing?" inquired Pao-yü, upon noticing that she wore a cloakmade of crimson camlet, buttoning in front. 

"It has been snowing for some time, " ventured the matrons, who werestanding below. "Fetch my wrapper!" Pao-yü remarked, and Tai-yü readilylaughed. "Am I not right? I come, and, of course, he must go at once. "

"Did I ever mention that I was going?" questioned Pao-yü; "I only wishit brought to have it ready when I want it. "

"It's a snowy day, " consequently remarked Pao-yü's nurse, dame Li, "andwe must also look to the time, but you had better remain here and amuseyourself with your cousin. Your aunt has, in there, got ready tea andfruits. I'll tell the waiting-maid to go and fetch your wrapper and theboys to return home. " Pao-yü assented, and nurse Li left the room andtold the boys that they were at liberty to go. 

By this time Mrs. Hsüeh had prepared tea and several kinds of nicethings and kept them all to partake of those delicacies. Pao-yü, havingspoken highly of some goose feet and ducks' tongues he had tasted somedays before, at his eldest sister-in-law's, Mrs. Yu's, "aunt" Hsüehpromptly produced several dishes of the same kind, made by herself, andgave them to Pao-yü to try. "With a little wine, " added Pao-yü with asmile, "they would be first rate. "

Mrs. Hsüeh thereupon bade the servants fetch some wine of the bestquality; but dame Li came forward and remonstrated. "My lady, " she said, "never mind the wine. "

Pao-yü smilingly pleaded: "My nurse, I'll take just one cup and nomore. "

"It's no use, " nurse Li replied, "were your grandmother and motherpresent, I wouldn't care if you drank a whole jar. I remember the daywhen I turned my eyes away but for a moment, and some ignorant fool orother, merely with the view of pandering for your favour, gave you onlya drop of wine to drink, and how this brought reproaches upon me for acouple of days. You don't know, my lady, you have no idea of hisdisposition! it's really dreadful; and when he has had a little wine heshows far more temper. On days when her venerable ladyship is in highspirits, she allows him to have his own way about drinking, but he's notallowed to have wine on any and every day; and why should I have tosuffer inside and all for nothing at all?"

"You antiquated thing!" replied Mrs. Hsüeh laughing, "set your mind atease, and go and drink your own wine! I won't let him have too much, andshould even the old lady say anything, let the fault be mine. "

Saying this, she asked a waiting-maid to take nurse Li along with herand give her also a glass of wine so as to keep out the cold air. 

When nurse Li heard these words, she had no alternative but to go for atime with all the others and have some wine to drink. 

"The wine need not be warmed: I prefer it cold!" Pao-yü went on tosuggest meanwhile. 

"That won't do, " remonstrated Mrs. Hsüeh; "cold wine will make your handtremble when you write. "

"You have, " interposed Pao Ch'ai smiling, "the good fortune, cousinPao-yü, of having daily opportunities of acquiring a knowledge of everykind of subject, and yet don't you know that the properties of wine aremostly heating? If you drink wine warm, its effects soon dispel, but ifyou drink it cold, it at once congeals in you; and as upon yourintestines devolves the warming of it, how can you not derive any harm?and won't you yet from this time change this habit of yours? leave offat once drinking that cold wine. "

Pao-yü finding that the words he had heard contained a good deal ofsense, speedily put down the cold wine, and having asked them to warmit, he at length drank it. 

Tai-yü was bent upon cracking melon seeds, saying nothing but simplypursing up her lips and smiling, when, strange coincidence, Hsüeh Yen, Tai-yü's waiting-maid, walked in and handed her mistress a smallhand-stove. 

"Who told you to bring it?" ascertained Tai-yü grinningly. "I'm sorry tohave given whoever it is the trouble; I'm obliged to her. But did sheever imagine that I would freeze to death?"

"Tzu Chuan was afraid, " replied Hsüeh Yen, "that you would, miss, feelcold, and she asked me to bring it over. "

Tai-yü took it over and held it in her lap. "How is it, " she smiled, "that you listen to what she tells you, but that you treat what I say, day after day, as so much wind blowing past your ears! How is it thatyou at once do what she bids you, with even greater alacrity than youwould an imperial edict?"

When Pao-yü heard this, he felt sure in his mind that Tai-yü wasavailing herself of this opportunity to make fun of him, but he made noremark, merely laughing to himself and paying no further notice. PaoCh'ai, again, knew full well that this habit was a weak point withTai-yü, so she too did not go out of her way to heed what she said. 

"You've always been delicate and unable to stand the cold, " interposed"aunt" Hsüeh, "and is it not a kind attention on their part to havethought of you?"

"You don't know, aunt, how it really stands, " responded Tai-yüsmilingly; "fortunately enough, it was sent to me here at your quarters;for had it been in any one else's house, wouldn't it have been a slightupon them? Is it forsooth nice to think that people haven't so much as ahand-stove, and that one has fussily to be sent over from home? Peoplewon't say that the waiting-maids are too officious, but will imaginethat I'm in the habit of behaving in this offensive fashion. "

"You're far too punctilious, " remarked Mrs. Hsüeh, "as to entertain suchnotions! No such ideas as these crossed my mind just now. "

While they were conversing, Pao-yü had taken so much as three cups ofwine, and nurse Li came forward again to prevent him from having anymore. Pao-yü was just then in a state of exultation and excitement, (astate) enhanced by the conversation and laughter of his cousins, so thatwas he ready to agree to having no more! But he was constrained in ahumble spirit to entreat for permission. "My dear nurse, " he implored, "I'll just take two more cups and then have no more. "

"You'd better be careful, " added nurse Li, "your father is at hometo-day, and see that you're ready to be examined in your lessons. "

When Pao-yü heard this mention, his spirits at once sank within him, andgently putting the wine aside, he dropped his head upon his breast. 

Tai-yü promptly remonstrated. "You've thrown cold water, " she said, "over the spirits of the whole company; why, if uncle should ask to seeyou, well, say that aunt Hsüeh detained you. This old nurse of yours hasbeen drinking, and again makes us the means of clearing her muddledhead!"

While saying this, she gave Pao-yü a big nudge with the intent ofstirring up his spirits, adding, as she addressed him in a low tone ofvoice: "Don't let us heed that old thing, but mind our own enjoyment. "

Dame Li also knew very well Tai-yü's disposition, and thereforeremarked: "Now, Miss Lin, don't you urge him on; you should after all, give him good advice, as he may, I think, listen to a good deal of whatyou say to him. "

"Why should I urge him on?" rejoined Lin Tai-yü, with a sarcastic smile, "nor will I trouble myself to give him advice. You, old lady, are fartoo scrupulous! Old lady Chia has also time after time given him wine, and if he now takes a cup or two more here, at his aunt's, lady Hsüeh'shouse, there's no harm that I can see. Is it perhaps, who knows, thataunt is a stranger in this establishment, and that we have in fact noright to come over here to see her?"

Nurse Li was both vexed and amused by the words she had just heard. "Really, " she observed, "every remark this girl Lin utters is sharperthan a razor! I didn't say anything much!"

Pao Ch'ai too could not suppress a smile, and as she pinched Tai-yü'scheek, she exclaimed, "Oh the tongue of this frowning girl! one canneither resent what it says, nor yet listen to it with anygratification!"

"Don't be afraid!" Mrs. Hsüeh went on to say, "don't be afraid; my son, you've come to see me, and although I've nothing good to give you, youmustn't, through fright, let the trifle you've taken lie heavy on yourstomach, and thus make me uneasy; but just drink at your pleasure, andas much as you like, and let the blame fall on my shoulders. What'smore, you can stay to dinner with me, and then go home; or if you do gettipsy, you can sleep with me, that's all. "

She thereupon told the servants to heat some more wine. "I'll come, " shecontinued, "and keep you company while you have two or three cups, afterwhich we'll have something to eat!"

It was only after these assurances that Pao-yü's spirits began atlength, once more to revive, and dame Li then directed the waiting-maidswhat to do. "You remain here, " she enjoined, "and mind, be diligentwhile I go home and change; when I'll come back again. Don't allow him, "she also whispered to "aunt" Hsüeh, "to have all his own way and drinktoo much. "

Having said this, she betook herself back to her quarters; and duringthis while, though there were two or three nurses in attendance, theydid not concern themselves with what was going on. As soon as they sawthat nurse Li had left, they likewise all quietly slipped out, at thefirst opportunity they found, while there remained but twowaiting-maids, who were only too glad to curry favour with Pao-yü. Butfortunately "aunt" Hsüeh, by much coaxing and persuading, only let himhave a few cups, and the wine being then promptly cleared away, pickledbamboo shoots and chicken-skin soup were prepared, of which Pao-yü drankwith relish several bowls full, eating besides more than half a bowl offinest rice congee. 

By this time, Hsüeh Pao Ch'ai and Lin Tai-yü had also finished theirrepast; and when Pao-yü had drunk a few cups of strong tea, Mrs. Hsüehfelt more easy in her mind. Hsüeh Yen and the others, three or four ofthem in all, had also had their meal, and came in to wait upon them. 

"Are you now going or not?" inquired Tai-yü of Pao-yü. 

Pao-yü looked askance with his drowsy eyes. "If you want to go, " heobserved, "I'll go with you. "

Tai-yü hearing this, speedily rose. "We've been here nearly the wholeday, " she said, "and ought to be going back. "

As she spoke the two of them bade good-bye, and the waiting-maids atonce presented a hood to each of them. 

Pao-yü readily lowered his head slightly and told a waiting-maid to putit on. The girl promptly took the hood, made of deep red cloth, andshaking it out of its folds, she put it on Pao-yü's head. 

"That will do, " hastily exclaimed Pao-yü. "You stupid thing! gently abit; is it likely you've never seen any one put one on before? let me doit myself. "

"Come over here, and I'll put it on for you, " suggested Tai-yü, as shestood on the edge of the couch. Pao-yü eagerly approached her, andTai-yü carefully kept the cap, to which his hair was bound, fast down, and taking the hood she rested its edge on the circlet round hisforehead. She then raised the ball of crimson velvet, which was as largeas a walnut, and put it in such a way that, as it waved tremulously, itshould appear outside the hood. These arrangements completed she cast alook for a while at what she had done. "That's right now, " she added, "throw your wrapper over you!"

When Pao-yü caught these words, he eventually took the wrapper and threwit over his shoulders. 

"None of your nurses, " hurriedly interposed aunt Hsüeh, "are yet come, so you had better wait a while. "

"Why should we wait for them?" observed Pao-yü. "We have thewaiting-maids to escort us, and surely they should be enough. "

Mrs. Hsüeh finding it difficult to set her mind at ease deputed twomarried women to accompany the two cousins; and after they had bothexpressed (to these women) their regret at having troubled them, theycame straightway to dowager lady Chia's suite of apartments. 

Her venerable ladyship had not, as yet, had her evening repast. Hearingthat they had been at Mrs. Hsüeh's, she was extremely pleased; butnoticing that Pao-yü had had some wine, she gave orders that he shouldbe taken to his room, and put to bed, and not be allowed to come outagain. 

"Do take good care of him, " she therefore enjoined the servants, andwhen suddenly she bethought herself of Pao-yü's attendants, "How is it, "she at once inquired of them all, "that I don't see nurse Li here?"

They did not venture to tell her the truth, that she had gone home, butsimply explained that she had come in a few moments back, and that theythought she must have again gone out on some business or other. 

"She's better off than your venerable ladyship, " remarked Pao-yü, turning round and swaying from side to side. "Why then ask after her?Were I rid of her, I believe I might live a little longer. "

While uttering these words, he reached the door of his bedroom, where hesaw pen and ink laid out on the writing table. 

"That's nice, " exclaimed Ch'ing Wen, as she came to meet him with asmile on her face, "you tell me to prepare the ink for you, but thoughwhen you get up, you were full of the idea of writing, you only wrotethree characters, when you discarded the pencil, and ran away, foolingme, by making me wait the whole day! Come now at once and exhaust allthis ink before you're let off. "

Pao-yü then remembered what had taken place in the morning. "Where arethe three characters I wrote?" he consequently inquired, smiling. 

"Why this man is tipsy, " remarked Ch'ing Wen sneeringly. "As you weregoing to the other mansion, you told me to stick them over the door. Iwas afraid lest any one else should spoil them, as they were beingpasted, so I climbed up a high ladder and was ever so long in puttingthem up myself; my hands are even now numb with cold. "

"Oh I forgot all about it, " replied Pao-yü grinning, "if your hands arecold, come and I'll rub them warm for you. "

Promptly stretching out his hand, he took those of Ch'ing Wen in his, and the two of them looked at the three characters, which he recentlyhad written, and which were pasted above the door. In a short while, Tai-yü came. 

"My dear cousin, " Pao-yü said to her smilingly, "tell me without anyprevarication which of the three characters is the best written?"

Tai-yü raised her head and perceived the three characters: Red, Rue, Hall. "They're all well done, " she rejoined, with a smirk, "How is ityou've written them so well? By and bye you must also write a tablet forme. "

"Are you again making fun of me?" asked Pao-yü smiling; "what aboutsister Hsi Jen?" he went on to inquire. 

Ch'ing Wen pouted her lips, pointing towards the stove-couch in theinner room, and, on looking in, Pao-yü espied Hsi Jen fast asleep in herdaily costume. 

"Well, " Pao-yü observed laughing, "there's no harm in it, but its ratherearly to sleep. When I was having my early meal, on the other side, " heproceeded, speaking to Ch'ing Wen, "there was a small dish of dumplings, with bean-curd outside; and as I thought you would like to have some, Iasked Mrs. Yu for them, telling her that I would keep them, and eat themin the evening; I told some one to bring them over, but have youperchance seen them?"

"Be quick and drop that subject, " suggested Ch'ing Wen; "as soon as theywere brought over, I at once knew they were intended for me; as I hadjust finished my meal, I put them by in there, but when nurse Li cameshe saw them. 'Pao-yü, ' she said, 'is not likely to eat them, so I'lltake them and give them to my grandson. ' And forthwith she bade some onetake them over to her home. "

While she was speaking, Hsi Hsüeh brought in tea, and Pao-yü pressed hiscousin Lin to have a cup. 

"Miss Lin has gone long ago, " observed all of them, as they burst outlaughing, "and do you offer her tea?"

Pao-yü drank about half a cup, when he also suddenly bethought himselfof some tea, which had been brewed in the morning. "This morning, " hetherefore inquired of Hsi Hsüeh, "when you made a cup of maple-dew tea, I told you that that kind of tea requires brewing three or four timesbefore its colour appears; and how is that you now again bring me thistea?"

"I did really put it by, " answered Hsi Hsüeh, "but nurse Li came anddrank it, and then went off. "

Pao-yü upon hearing this, dashed the cup he held in his hand on theground, and as it broke into small fragments, with a crash, it spatteredHsi Hsüeh's petticoat all over. 

"Of whose family is she the mistress?" inquired Pao-yü of Hsi Hsüeh, ashe jumped up, "that you all pay such deference to her. I just simply hada little of her milk, when I was a brat, and that's all; and now she hasgot into the way of thinking herself more high and mighty than even theheads of the family! She should be packed off, and then we shall allhave peace and quiet. "

Saying this, he was bent upon going, there and then, to tell dowagerlady Chia to have his nurse driven away. 

Hsi Jen was really not asleep, but simply feigning, with the idea, whenPao-yü came, to startle him in play. At first, when she heard him speakof writing, and inquire after the dumplings, she did not think itnecessary to get up, but when he flung the tea-cup on the floor, and gotinto a temper, she promptly jumped up and tried to appease him, and toprevent him by coaxing from carrying out his threat. 

A waiting-maid sent by dowager lady Chia came in, meanwhile, to ask whatwas the matter. 

"I had just gone to pour tea, " replied Hsi Jen, without the leasthesitation, "and I slipped on the snow and fell, while the cup droppedfrom my hand and broke. Your decision to send her away is good, " shewent on to advise Pao-yü, "and we are all willing to go also; and whynot avail yourself of this opportunity to dismiss us in a body? It willbe for our good, and you too on the other hand, needn't perplex yourselfabout not getting better people to come and wait on you!"

When Pao-yü heard this taunt, he had at length not a word to say, andsupported by Hsi Jen and the other attendants on to the couch, theydivested him of his clothes. But they failed to understand the drift ofwhat Pao-yü kept on still muttering, and all they could make out was anendless string of words; but his eyes grew heavier and drowsier, andthey forthwith waited upon him until he went to sleep; when Hsi Jenunclasped the jade of spiritual perception, and rolling it up in ahandkerchief, she lay it under the mattress, with the idea that when heput it on the next day it should not chill his neck. 

Pao-yü fell sound asleep the moment he lay his head on the pillow. Bythis time nurse Li and the others had come in, but when they heard thatPao-yü was tipsy, they too did not venture to approach, but gently madeinquiries as to whether he was asleep or not. On hearing that he was, they took their departure with their minds more at ease. 

The next morning the moment Pao-yü awoke, some one came in to tell himthat young Mr. Jung, living in the mansion on the other side, hadbrought Ch'in Chung to pay him a visit. 

Pao-yü speedily went out to greet them and to take them over to paytheir respects to dowager lady Chia. Her venerable ladyship uponperceiving that Ch'in Chung, with his handsome countenance, and hisrefined manners, would be a fit companion for Pao-yü in his studies, felt extremely delighted at heart; and having readily detained him totea, and kept him to dinner, she went further and directed a servant toescort him to see madame Wang and the rest of the family. 

With the fond regard of the whole household for Mrs. Ch'in, they were, when they saw what a kind of person Ch'in Chung was, so enchanted withhim, that at the time of his departure, they all had presents to givehim; even dowager lady Chia herself presented him with a purse and agolden image of the God of Learning, with a view that it should incitehim to study and harmony. 

"Your house, " she further advised him, "is far off, and when it's coldor hot, it would be inconvenient for you to come all that way, so youhad better come and live over here with me. You'll then be always withyour cousin Pao-yü, and you won't be together, in your studies, withthose fellow-pupils of yours who have no idea what progress means. "

Ch'in Chung made a suitable answer to each one of her remarks, and onhis return home he told everything to his father. 

His father, Ch'in Pang-yeh, held at present the post of Secretary in thePeking Field Force, and was well-nigh seventy. His wife had died at anearly period, and as she left no issue, he adopted a son and a daughterfrom a foundling asylum. 

But who would have thought it, the boy also died, and there onlyremained the girl, known as Kó Ch'ing in her infancy, who when she grewup, was beautiful in face and graceful in manners, and who by reason ofsome relationship with the Chia family, was consequently united by theties of marriage (to one of the household). 

Ch'in Pang-yeh was in his fiftieth year when he at length got this son. As his tutor had the previous year left to go south, he remained at homekeeping up his former lessons; and (his father) had been just thinkingof talking over the matter with his relatives of the Chia family, andsending his son to the private school, when, as luck would have it, thisopportunity of meeting Pao-yü presented itself. 

Knowing besides that the family school was under the direction of thevenerable scholar Chia Tai-ju, and hoping that by joining his class, (his son) might advance in knowledge and by these means reap reputation, he was therefore intensely gratified. The only drawbacks were that hisofficial emoluments were scanty, and that both the eyes of everyone inthe other establishment were set upon riches and honours, so that hecould not contribute anything short of the amount (given by others); buthis son's welfare throughout life was a serious consideration, and he, needless to say, had to scrape together from the East and to collectfrom the West; and making a parcel, with all deference, of twenty-fourtaels for an introduction present, he came along with Ch'in Chung toTai-ju's house to pay their respects. But he had to wait subsequentlyuntil Pao-yü could fix on an auspicious date on which they couldtogether enter the school. 

As for what happened after they came to school, the next chapter willdivulge. 

CHAPTER IX. 

 Chia Cheng gives good advice to his wayward son. Li Kuei receives a reprimand. Chia Jui and Li Kuei rebuke the obstinate youths! Ming Yen causes trouble in the school-room. 

But to return to our story. Mr. Ch'in, the father, and Ch'in Chung, hisson, only waited until the receipt, by the hands of a servant, of aletter from the Chia family about the date on which they were to go toschool. Indeed, Pao-yü was only too impatient that he and Ch'in Chungshould come together, and, without loss of time, he fixed upon two dayslater as the day upon which they were definitely to begin their studies, and he despatched a servant with a letter to this effect. 

On the day appointed, as soon as it was daylight, Pao-yü turned out ofbed. Hsi Jen had already by that time got books, pencils and all writingnecessaries in perfect readiness, and was sitting on the edge of the bedin a moping mood; but as soon as she saw Pao-yü approach, she wasconstrained to wait upon him in his toilette and ablutions. 

Pao-yü, noticing how despondent she was, made it a point to address her. "My dear sister, " he said, "how is it you aren't again yourself? Is itlikely that you bear me a grudge for being about to go to school, because when I leave you, you'll all feel dull?"

Hsi Jen smiled. "What an ideal" she replied. "Study is a most excellentthing, and without it a whole lifetime is a mere waste, and what goodcomes in the long run? There's only one thing, which is simply that whenengaged in reading your books, you should set your mind on your books;and that you should think of home when not engaged in reading. Whateveryou do, don't romp together with them, for were you to meet our master, your father, it will be no joke! Although it's asserted that a scholarmust strain every nerve to excel, yet it's preferable that the tasksshould be somewhat fewer, as, in the first place, when one eats toomuch, one cannot digest it; and, in the second place, good health mustalso be carefully attended to. This is my view on the subject, and youshould at all times consider it in practice. "

While Hsi Jen gave utterance to a sentence, Pao-yü nodded his head insign of approval of that sentence. Hsi Jen then went on to speak. "I'vealso packed up, " she continued, "your long pelisse, and handed it to thepages to take it over; so mind, when it's cold in the school-room, please remember to put on this extra clothing, for it's not like home, where you have people to look after you. The foot-stove and hand-stove, I've also sent over; and urge that pack of lazy-bones to attend to theirwork, for if you say nothing, they will be so engrossed in theirfrolics, that they'll be loth to move, and let you, all for nothing, take a chill and ruin your constitution. "

"Compose your mind, " replied Pao-yü; "when I go out, I know well enoughhow to attend to everything my own self. But you people shouldn't remainin this room, and mope yourselves to death; and it would be well if youwould often go over to cousin Lin's for a romp. "

While saying this, he had completed his toilette, and Hsi Jen pressedhim to go and wish good morning to dowager lady Chia, Chia Cheng, madameWang, and the other members of the family. 

Pao-yü, after having gone on to give a few orders to Ch'ing Wen and SheYueh, at length left his apartments, and coming over, paid his obeisanceto dowager lady Chia. Her venerable Ladyship had likewise, as a matterof course, a few recommendations to make to him, which ended, he nextwent and greeted madame Wang; and leaving again her quarters, he cameinto the library to wish Chia Cheng good morning. 

As it happened, Chia Cheng had on this day returned home at an earlyhour, and was, at this moment, in the library, engaged in a friendlychat with a few gentlemen, who were family companions. Suddenlyperceiving Pao-yü come in to pay his respects, and report that he wasabout to go to school, Chia Cheng gave a sardonic smile. "If you doagain, " he remarked, "make allusions to the words going to school, you'll make even me blush to death with shame! My advice to you is thatyou should after all go your own way and play; that's the best thing foryou; and mind you don't pollute with dirt this floor by standing here, and soil this door of mine by leaning against it!"

The family companions stood up and smilingly expostulated. 

"Venerable Sir, " they pleaded, "why need you be so down upon him? Ourworthy brother is this day going to school, and may in two or threeyears be able to display his abilities and establish his reputation. Hewill, beyond doubt, not behave like a child, as he did in years gonepast. But as the time for breakfast is also drawing nigh, you should, worthy brother, go at once. "

When these words had been spoken, two among them, who were advanced inyears, readily took Pao-yü by the hand, and led him out of the library. 

"Who are in attendance upon Pao-yü?" Chia Cheng having inquired, heheard a suitable reply, "We, Sir!" given from outside; and three or foursturdy fellows entered at an early period and fell on one knee, andbowed and paid their obeisance. 

When Chia Cheng came to scrutinise who they were, and he recognised LiKuei, the son of Pao-yü's nurse, he addressed himself to him. "Youpeople, " he said, "remain waiting upon him the whole day long at school, but what books has he after all read? Books indeed! why, he has read andfilled his brains with a lot of trashy words and nonsensical phrases, and learnt some ingenious way of waywardness. Wait till I have a littleleisure, and I'll set to work, first and foremost, and flay your skinoff, and then settle accounts with that good-for-nothing!"

This threat so terrified Li Kuei that he hastily fell on both his knees, pulled off his hat, knocked his head on the ground, and gave vent torepeated assenting utterances: "Oh, quite so, Sir! Our elder brother Mr. Pao has, " he continued, "already read up to the third book of the Bookof Odes, up to where there's something or other like: 'Yiu, Yiu, thedeer bleat; the lotus leaves and duckweed. ' Your servant wouldn'tpresume to tell a lie!"

As he said this, the whole company burst out into a boisterous fit oflaughter, and Chia Cheng himself could not also contain his countenanceand had to laugh. "Were he even, " he observed, "to read thirty books ofthe Book of Odes, it would be as much an imposition upon people and nomore, as (when the thief) who, in order to steal the bell, stops up hisown ears! You go and present my compliments to the gentleman in theschoolroom, and tell him, from my part, that the whole lot of Odes andold writings are of no use, as they are subjects for empty show; andthat he should, above all things, take the Four Books, and explain themto him, from first to last, and make him know them all thoroughly byheart, --that this is the most important thing!"

Li Kuei signified his obedience with all promptitude, and perceivingthat Chia Cheng had nothing more to say, he retired out of the room. 

During this while, Pao-yü had been standing all alone outside in thecourt, waiting quietly with suppressed voice, and when they came out heat once walked away in their company. 

Li Kuei and his companions observed as they shook their clothes, "Didyou, worthy brother, hear what he said that he would first of all flayour skins off! People's servants acquire some respectability from themaster whom they serve, but we poor fellows fruitlessly wait upon you, and are beaten and blown up in the bargain. It would be well if we were, from henceforward, to be treated with a certain amount of regard. "

Pao-yü smiled, "Dear Brother, " he added, "don't feel aggrieved; I'llinvite you to come round to-morrow!"

"My young ancestor, " replied Li Kuei, "who presumes to look forward toan invitation? all I entreat you is to listen to one or two words I haveto say, that's all. "

As they talked they came over once more to dowager lady Chia's on thisside. 

Ch'in Chung had already arrived, and the old lady was first having achat with him. Forthwith the two of them exchanged salutations, and tookleave of her ladyship; but Pao-yü, suddenly remembering that he had notsaid good-bye to Tai-yü, promptly betook himself again to Tai-yü'squarters to do so. 

Tai-yü was, at this time, below the window, facing the mirror, andadjusting her toilette. Upon hearing Pao-yü mention that he was on hisway to school, she smiled and remarked, "That's right! you're now goingto school and you'll be sure to reach the lunar palace and pluck theolea fragrans; but I can't go along with you. "

"My dear cousin, " rejoined Pao-yü, "wait for me to come out from school, before you have your evening meal; wait also until I come to prepare thecosmetic of rouge. "

After a protracted chat, he at length tore himself away and took hisdeparture. 

"How is it, " interposed Tai-yü, as she once again called out to him andstopped him, "that you don't go and bid farewell to your cousin PaoCh'ai?"

Pao-yü smiled, and saying not a word by way of reply he straightwaywalked to school, accompanied by Ch'in Chung. 

This public school, which it must be noticed was also not far from hisquarters, had been originally instituted by the founder of theestablishment, with the idea that should there be among the youngfellows of his clan any who had not the means to engage a tutor, theyshould readily be able to enter this class for the prosecution of theirstudies; that all those of the family who held official position shouldall give (the institution) pecuniary assistance, with a view to meet theexpenses necessary for allowances to the students; and that they were toselect men advanced in years and possessed of virtue to act as tutors ofthe family school. 

The two of them, Ch'in Chung and Pao-yü, had now entered the class, andafter they and the whole number of their schoolmates had made eachother's acquaintance, their studies were commenced. Ever since thistime, these two were wont to come together, go together, get uptogether, and sit together, till they became more intimate and close. Besides, dowager lady Chia got very fond of Ch'in Chung, and would againand again keep him to stay with them for three and five days at a time, treating him as if he were one of her own great-grandsons. Perceivingthat in Ch'in Chung's home there was not much in the way of sufficiency, she also helped him in clothes and other necessaries; and scarcely hadone or two months elapsed before Ch'in Chung got on friendly terms withevery one in the Jung mansion. 

Pao-yü was, however, a human being who could not practise contentmentand observe propriety; and as his sole delight was to have every capricegratified, he naturally developed a craving disposition. "We two, youand I, are, " he was also wont secretly to tell Ch'in Chung, "of the sameage, and fellow-scholars besides, so that there's no need in the futureto pay any regard to our relationship of uncle and nephew; and we shouldtreat each other as brothers or friends, that's all. "

Ch'in Chung at first (explained that) he could not be so presumptuous;but as Pao-yü would not listen to any such thing, but went on to addresshim as brother and to call him by his style Ch'ing Ch'ing, he hadlikewise himself no help, but to begin calling him, at random, anythingand anyhow. 

There were, it is true, a large number of pupils in this school, butthese consisted of the sons and younger brothers of that same clan, andof several sons and nephews of family connections. The proverbappositely describes that there are nine species of dragons, and thateach species differs; and it goes of course without saying that in alarge number of human beings there were dragons and snakes, confusedlyadmixed, and that creatures of a low standing were included. 

Ever since the arrival of the two young fellows, Ch'in Chung and Pao-yü, both of whom were in appearance as handsome as budding flowers, andthey, on the one hand, saw how modest and genial Ch'in Chung was, how heblushed before he uttered a word, how he was timid and demure like agirl, and on the other hand, how that Pao-yü was naturally proficient inabasing and demeaning himself, how he was so affable and good-natured, considerate in his temperament and so full of conversation, and how thatthese two were, in consequence, on such terms of intimate friendship, itwas, in fact, no matter of surprise that the whole company offellow-students began to foster envious thoughts, that they, behindtheir backs, passed on their account, this one one disparaging remarkand that one another, and that they insinuated slanderous lies againstthem, which extended inside as well as outside the school-room. 

Indeed, after Hsüeh P'an had come over to take up his quarters in madameWang's suite of apartments, he shortly came to hear of the existence ofa family school, and that this school was mainly attended by youngfellows of tender years, and inordinate ideas were suddenly aroused inhim. While he therefore fictitiously gave out that he went to school, [he was as irregular in his attendance as the fisherman] who catchesfish for three days, and suns his nets for the next two; simplypresenting his school-fee gift to Chia Tai-jui and making not the leastprogress in his studies; his sole dream being to knit a number offamiliar friendships. Who would have thought it, there were in thisschool young pupils, who, in their greed to obtain money, clothes andeatables from Hsüeh P'an, allowed themselves to be cajoled by him, andplayed tricks upon; but on this topic, it is likewise superfluous todilate at any length. 

There were also two lovable young scholars, relatives of what branch ofthe family is not known, and whose real surnames and names have also notbeen ascertained, who, by reason of their good and winsome looks, were, by the pupils in the whole class, given two nicknames, to one that of"Hsiang Lin, " "Fragrant Love, " and to the other "Yü Ai, " "PreciousAffection. " But although every one entertained feelings of secretadmiration for them, and had the wish to take liberties with the youngfellows, they lived, nevertheless, one and all, in such terror of HsüehP'an's imperious influence, that they had not the courage to comeforward and interfere with them. 

As soon as Ch'in Chung and Pao-yü had, at this time, come to school, andthey had made the acquaintance of these two fellow-pupils, they toocould not help becoming attached to them and admiring them, but as theyalso came to know that they were great friends of Hsüeh P'an, they didnot, in consequence, venture to treat them lightly, or to be unseemly intheir behaviour towards them. Hsiang Lin and Yü Ai both kept tothemselves the same feelings, which they fostered for Ch'in Chung andPao-yü, and to this reason is to be assigned the fact that though thesefour persons nurtured fond thoughts in their hearts there was however novisible sign of them. Day after day, each one of them would, duringschool hours, sit in four distinct places: but their eight eyes weresecretly linked together; and, while indulging either in innuendoes orin double entendres, their hearts, in spite of the distance betweenthem, reflected the whole number of their thoughts. 

But though their outward attempts were devoted to evade the detection ofother people's eyes, it happened again that, while least expected, several sly lads discovered the real state of affairs, with the resultthat the whole school stealthily frowned their eyebrows at them, winkedtheir eyes at them, or coughed at them, or raised their voices at them;and these proceedings were, in fact, not restricted to one single day. 

As luck would have it, on this day Tai-jui was, on account of business, compelled to go home; and having left them as a task no more than aheptameter line for an antithetical couplet, explaining that they shouldfind a sentence to rhyme, and that the following day when he came back, he would set them their lessons, he went on to hand the affairsconnected with the class to his elder grandson, Chia Jui, whom he askedto take charge. 

Wonderful to say Hsüeh P'an had of late not frequented school veryoften, not even so much as to answer the roll, so that Ch'in Chungavailed himself of his absence to ogle and smirk with Hsiang Lin; andthese two pretending that they had to go out, came into the back courtfor a chat. 

"Does your worthy father at home mind your having any friends?" Ch'inChung was the first to ask. But this sentence was scarcely ended, whenthey heard a sound of coughing coming from behind. Both were taken muchaback, and, speedily turning their heads round to see, they found thatit was a fellow-scholar of theirs, called Chin Jung. 

Hsiang Lin was naturally of somewhat hasty temperament, so that withshame and anger mutually impelling each other, he inquired of him, "What's there to cough at? Is it likely you wouldn't have us speak toeach other?"

"I don't mind your speaking, " Chin Jung observed laughing; "but wouldyou perchance not have me cough? I'll tell you what, however; if youhave anything to say, why not utter it in intelligible language? Wereyou allowed to go on in this mysterious manner, what strange doingswould you be up to? But I have sure enough found you out, so what's theneed of still prevaricating? But if you will, first of all, let mepartake of a share in your little game, you and I can hold our tongueand utter not a word. If not, why the whole school will begin to turnthe matter over. "

At these words, Ch'in Chung and Hsiang Lin were so exasperated thattheir blood rushed up to their faces. "What have you found out?" theyhastily asked. 

"What I have now detected, " replied Chin Jung smiling, "is the plaintruth!" and saying this he went on to clap his hands and to call outwith a loud voice as he laughed: "They have moulded some nice well-bakedcakes, won't you fellows come and buy one to eat!" (These two have beenup to larks, won't you come and have some fun!)

Both Ch'in Chung and Hsiang Lin felt resentful as well as fuming withrage, and with hurried step they went in, in search of Chia Jui, to whomthey reported Chin Jung, explaining that Chin Jung had insulted themboth, without any rhyme or reason. 

The fact is that this Chia Jui was, in an extraordinary degree, a manwith an eye to the main chance, and devoid of any sense of propriety. His wont was at school to take advantage of public matters to serve hisprivate interest, and to bring pressure upon his pupils with the intentthat they should regale him. While subsequently he also lent hiscountenance to Hsüeh P'an, scheming to get some money or eatables out ofhim, he left him entirely free to indulge in disorderly behaviour; andnot only did he not go out of his way to hold him in check, but, on thecontrary, he encouraged him, infamous though he was already, to become abully, so as to curry favour with him. 

But this Hsüeh P'an was, by nature, gifted with a fickle disposition;to-day, he would incline to the east, and to-morrow to the west, so thathaving recently obtained new friends, he put Hsiang Lin and Yü Ai aside. Chin Jung too was at one time an intimate friend of his, but ever sincehe had acquired the friendship of the two lads, Hsiang Lin and Yü Ai, heforthwith deposed Chin Jung. Of late, he had already come to look downupon even Hsiang Lin and Yü Ai, with the result that Chia Jui as wellwas deprived of those who could lend him support, or stand by him; buthe bore Hsüeh P'an no grudge, for wearying with old friends, as soon ashe found new ones, but felt angry that Hsiang Lin and Yü Ai had not putin a word on his behalf with Hsüeh P'an. Chia Jui, Chin Jung and in factthe whole crowd of them were, for this reason, just harbouring a jealousgrudge against these two, so that when he saw Ch'in Chung and Hsiang Lincome on this occasion and lodge a complaint against Chin Jung, Chia Juireadily felt displeasure creep into his heart; and, although he did notventure to call Ch'in Chung to account, he nevertheless made an exampleof Hsiang Lin. And instead (of taking his part), he called him abusybody and denounced him in much abusive language, with the resultthat Hsiang Lin did not, contrariwise, profit in any way, but broughtdispleasure upon himself. Even Ch'in Chung grumbled against thetreatment, as each of them resumed their places. 

Chin Jung became still more haughty, and wagging his head and smackinghis lips, he gave vent to many more abusive epithets; but as it happenedthat they also reached Yü Ai's ears, the two of them, though seatedapart, began an altercation in a loud tone of voice. 

Chin Jung, with obstinate pertinacity, clung to his version. "Just ashort while back, " he said, "I actually came upon them, as they wereindulging in demonstrations of intimate friendship in the back court. These two had resolved to be one in close friendship, and were eloquentin their protestations, mindful only in persistently talking theirtrash, but they were not aware of the presence of another person. "

But his language had, contrary to all expectations, given, from the veryfirst, umbrage to another person, and who do you, (gentle reader, )imagine this person to have been?

This person was, in fact, one whose name was Chia Se; a grandsonlikewise of a main branch of the Ning mansion. His parents had died atan early period, and he had, ever since his youth, lived with Chia Chen. He had at this time grown to be sixteen years of age, and was, ascompared with Chia Jung, still more handsome and good looking. These twocousins were united by ties of the closest intimacy, and were alwaystogether, whether they went out or stayed at home. 

The inmates of the Ning mansion were many in number, and their opinionsof a mixed kind; and that whole bevy of servants, devoid as they were ofall sense of right, solely excelled in the practice of inventing storiesto backbite their masters; and this is how some mean person or otheragain, who it was is not known, insinuated slanderous and opprobriousreports (against Chia Se). Chia Chen had, presumably, also come to hearsome unfavourable criticisms (on his account), and having, of course, tosave himself from odium and suspicion, he had, at this juncture, afterall, to apportion him separate quarters, and to bid Chia Se move outsidethe Ning mansion, where he went and established a home of his own tolive in. 

This Chia Se was handsome as far as external appearances went, andintelligent withal in his inward natural gifts, but, though he nominallycame to school, it was simply however as a mere blind; for he treated, as he had ever done, as legitimate occupations, such things as cockfighting, dog-racing and visiting places of easy virtue. And as, above, he had Chia Chen to spoil him by over-indulgence; and below, there wasChia Jung to stand by him, who of the clan could consequently presume torun counter to him?

Seeing that he was on the closest terms of friendship with Chia Jung, how could he reconcile himself to the harsh treatment which he now sawCh'in Chung receive from some persons? Being now bent upon pushinghimself forward to revenge the injustice, he was, for the time, givinghimself up to communing with his own heart. "Chin Jung, Chia Jui and therest are, " he pondered, "friends of uncle Hsüeh, but I too am onfriendly terms with him, and he with me, and if I do come forward andthey tell old Hsüeh, won't we impair the harmony which exists betweenus? and if I don't concern myself, such idle tales make, when spoken, every one feel uncomfortable; and why shouldn't I now devise some meansto hold them in check, so as to stop their mouths, and prevent any lossof face!"

Having concluded this train of thought, he also pretended that he had togo out, and, walking as far as the back, he, with low voice, called tohis side Ming Yen, the page attending upon Pao-yü in his studies, and inone way and another, he made use of several remarks to egg him on. 

This Ming Yen was the smartest of Pao-yü's attendants, but he was alsoyoung in years and lacked experience, so that he lent a patient ear towhat Chia Se had to say about the way Chin Jung had insulted Ch'inChung. "Even your own master, Pao-yü, " (Chia Se added), "is involved, and if you don't let him know a bit of your mind, he will next time bestill more arrogant. "

This Ming Yen was always ready, even with no valid excuse, to beinsolent and overbearing to people, so that after hearing the news andbeing furthermore instigated by Chia Se, he speedily rushed into theschoolroom and cried out "Chin Jung;" nor did he address him as Mr. Chin, but merely shouted "What kind of fellow is this called Chin?"

Chia Se presently shuffled his feet, while he designedly adjusted hisdress and looked at the rays of the sun. "It's time, " he observed andwalking forthwith, first up to Chia Jui, he explained to him that he hadsomething to attend to and would like to get away a little early; and asChia Jui did not venture to stop him, he had no alternative but to lethim have his way and go. 

During this while, Ming Yen had entered the room and promptly seizingChin Jung in a grip: "What we do, whether proper or improper, " he said, "doesn't concern you! It's enough anyway that we don't defile yourfather! A fine brat you are indeed, to come out and meddle with your Mr. Ming!"

These words plunged the scholars of the whole class in suchconsternation that they all wistfully and absently looked at him. 

"Ming Yen, " hastily shouted out Chia Jui, "you're not to kick up arumpus. "

Chin Jung was so full of anger that his face was quite yellow. "What asubversion of propriety! a slave and a menial to venture to behave inthis manner! I'll just simply speak to your master, " he exclaimed as hereadily pushed his hands off and was about to go and lay hold of Pao-yüto beat him. 

Ch'in Chung was on the point of turning round to leave the room, whenwith a sound of 'whiff' which reached him from behind, he at once caughtsight of a square inkslab come flying that way. Who had thrown it hecould not say, but it struck the desk where Chia Lan and Chia Chün wereseated. 

These two, Chia Lan and Chia Chün, were also the great-grandsons of aclose branch of the Jung mansion. This Chia Chün had been leftfatherless at an early age, and his mother doated upon him in an unusualmanner, and it was because at school he was on most friendly terms withChia Lan, that these two sat together at the same desk. Who would havebelieved that Chia Chün would, in spite of being young in years, havehad an extremely strong mind, and that he would be mostly up to mischiefwithout the least fear of any one. He watched with listless eye from hisseat Chin Jung's friends stealthily assist Chin Jung, as they flung aninkslab to strike Ming Yen, but when, as luck would have it, it hit thewrong mark, and fell just in front of him, smashing to atoms theporcelain inkslab and water bottle, and smudging his whole book withink, Chia Chün was, of course, much incensed, and hastily gave way toabuse. "You consummate pugnacious criminal rowdies! why, doesn't thisamount to all of you taking a share in the fight!" And as he utteredthis abuse, he too forthwith seized an inkslab, which he was bent uponflinging. 

Chia Lan was one who always tried to avoid trouble, so that he lost notime in pressing down the inkslab, while with all the words his mouthcould express, he tried to pacify him, adding "My dear brother, it's nobusiness of yours and mine. "

Chia Chün could not repress his resentment; and perceiving that theinkslab was held down, he at once laid hold of a box containing books, which he flung in this direction; but being, after all, short ofstature, and weak of strength, he was unable to send it anywhere nearthe mark; so that it dropped instead when it got as far as the deskbelonging to Pao-yü and Ch'in Chung, while a dreadful crash becameaudible as it fell smash on the table. The books, papers, pencils, inkslabs, and other writing materials were all scattered over the wholetable; and Pao-yü's cup besides containing tea was itself broken topieces and the tea spilt. 

Chia Chün forthwith jumped forward with the intent of assailing theperson who had flung the inkslab at the very moment that Chin Jung tookhold of a long bamboo pole which was near by; but as the space waslimited, and the pupils many, how could he very well brandish a longstick? Ming Yen at an early period received a whack, and he shoutedwildly, "Don't you fellows yet come to start a fight. "

Pao-yü had, besides, along with him several pages, one of whom wascalled Sao Hung, another Ch'u Yo, another Mo Yü. These three werenaturally up to every mischief, so that with one voice, bawlingboisterously, "You children of doubtful mothers, have you taken uparms?" Mo Yü promptly took up the bar of a door; while Sao Hung and Ch'uYo both laid hold of horsewhips, and they all rushed forward like a hiveof bees. 

Chia Jui was driven to a state of exasperation; now he kept this one incheck, and the next moment he reasoned with another, but who wouldlisten to his words? They followed the bent of their inclinations andstirred up a serious disturbance. 

Of the whole company of wayward young fellows, some there were who gavesly blows for fun's sake; others there were who were not gifted withmuch pluck and hid themselves on one side; there were those too whostood on the tables, clapping their hands and laughing immoderately, shouting out: "Go at it. "

The row was, at this stage, like water bubbling over in a cauldron, whenseveral elderly servants, like Li Kuei and others, who stood outside, heard the uproar commence inside, and one and all came in with all hasteand united in their efforts to pacify them. Upon asking "What's thematter?" the whole bevy of voices shouted out different versions; thisone giving this account, while another again another story. But Li Kueitemporised by rebuking Ming Yen and others, four in all, and packingthem off. 

Ch'in Chung's head had, at an early period, come into contact with ChinJung's pole and had had the skin grazed off. Pao-yü was in the act ofrubbing it for him, with the overlap of his coat, but realising that thewhole lot of them had been hushed up, he forthwith bade Li Kuei collecthis books. 

"Bring my horse round, " he cried; "I'm going to tell Mr. Chia Tai-juthat we have been insulted. I won't venture to tell him anything else, but (tell him I will) that having come with all propriety and made ourreport to Mr. Chia Jui, Mr. Chia Jui instead (of helping us) threw thefault upon our shoulders. That while he heard people abuse us, he wentso far as to instigate them to beat us; that Ming Yen seeing othersinsult us, did naturally take our part; but that they, instead (ofdesisting, ) combined together and struck Ming Yen and even broke openCh'in Chung's head. And that how is it possible for us to continue ourstudies in here?"

"My dear sir, " replied Li Kuei coaxingly, "don't be so impatient! As Mr. Chia Tai-ju has had something to attend to and gone home, were you now, for a trifle like this, to go and disturb that aged gentleman, it willmake us, indeed, appear as if we had no sense of propriety: my idea isthat wherever a thing takes place, there should it be settled; andwhat's the need of going and troubling an old man like him. This is allyou, Mr. Chia Jui, who is to blame; for in the absence of Mr. ChiaTai-ju, you, sir, are the head in this school, and every one looks toyou to take action. Had all the pupils been at fault, those who deserveda beating should have been beaten, and those who merited punishmentshould have been punished! and why did you wait until things came tosuch a pass, and didn't even exercise any check?"

"I blew them up, " pleaded Chia Jui, "but not one of them would listen. "

"I'll speak out, whether you, worthy sir, resent what I'm going to sayor not, " ventured Li Kuei. "It's you, sir, who all along have after allhad considerable blame attached to your name; that's why all these youngmen wouldn't hear you! Now if this affair is bruited, until it reachesMr. Chia Tai-ju's ears, why even you, sir, will not be able to escapecondemnation; and why don't you at once make up your mind to disentanglethe ravelled mess and dispel all trouble and have done with it!"

"Disentangle what?" inquired Pao-yü; "I shall certainly go and make myreport. "

"If Chin Jung stays here, " interposed Ch'in Chung sobbing, "I mean to goback home. "

"Why that?" asked Pao-yü. "Is it likely that others can safely come andthat you and I can't? I feel it my bounden duty to tell every oneeverything at home so as to expel Chin Jung. This Chin Jung, " he went onto inquire as he turned towards Lei Kuei, "is the relative or friend ofwhat branch of the family?"

Li Kuei gave way to reflection and then said by way of reply: "There'sno need whatever for you to raise this question; for were you to go andreport the matter to the branch of the family to which he belongs, theharmony which should exist between cousins will be still more impaired. "

"He's the nephew of Mrs. Huang, of the Eastern mansion, " interposed MingYen from outside the window. "What a determined and self-confidentfellow he must be to even come and bully us; Mrs. Huang is his paternalaunt! That mother of yours is only good for tossing about like amillstone, for kneeling before our lady Lien, and begging for somethingto pawn. I've no eye for such a specimen of mistress. "

"What!" speedily shouted Li Kuei, "does this son of a dog happen to knowof the existence of all these gnawing maggots?" (these disparagingfacts). 

Pao-yü gave a sardonic smile. "I was wondering whose relative he was, "he remarked; "is he really sister-in-law Huang's nephew? well, I'll goat once and speak to her. "

As he uttered these words, his purpose was to start there and then, andhe called Ming Yen in, to come and pack up his books. Ming Yen walked inand put the books away. "Master, " he went on to suggest, in an exultantmanner, "there's no need for you to go yourself to see her; I'll go toher house and tell her that our old lady has something to ask of her. Ican hire a carriage to bring her over, and then, in the presence of hervenerable ladyship, she can be spoken to; and won't this way save a lotof trouble?"

"Do you want to die?" speedily shouted Li Kuei; "mind, when you go back, whether right or wrong, I'll first give you a good bumping, and then goand report you to our master and mistress, and just tell them that it'syou, and only you, who instigated Mr. Pao-yü! I've succeeded, after everso much trouble, in coaxing them, and mending matters to a certainextent, and now you come again to continue a new plan. It's you whostirred up this row in the school-room; and not to speak of yourfinding, as would have been the proper course, some way of suppressingit, there you are instead still jumping into the fire. "

Ming Yen, at this juncture, could not muster the courage to utter asound. By this time Chia Jui had also apprehended that if the row cameto be beyond clearing up, he himself would likewise not be clear ofblame, so that circumstances compelled him to pocket his grievances andto come and entreat Ch'in Chung as well as to make apologies to Pao-yü. These two young fellows would not at first listen to his advances, butPao-yü at length explained that he would not go and report theoccurrence, provided only Chin Jung admitted his being in the wrong. Chin Jung refused, at the outset, to agree to this, but he ultimatelycould find no way out of it, as Chia Jui himself urged him to make sometemporising apology. 

Li Kuei and the others felt compelled to tender Chin Jung some goodadvice: "It's you, " they said, "who have given rise to the disturbance, and if you don't act in this manner, how will the matter ever be broughtto an end?" so that Chin Jung found it difficult to persist in hisobstinacy, and was constrained to make a bow to Ch'in Chung. 

Pao-yü was, however, not yet satisfied, but would insist upon hisknocking his head on the ground, and Chia Jui, whose sole aim was totemporarily smother the affair, quietly again urged Chin Jung, addingthat the proverb has it: "That if you keep down the anger of a minute, you will for a whole life-time feel no remorse. "

Whether Chin Jung complied or not to his advice is not known, but thefollowing chapter will explain. 

CHAPTER X. 

 Widow Chin, prompted by a desire to reap advantage, puts up temporarily with an insult. Dr. Chang in discussing Mrs. Chin's illness minutely exhausts its origin. 

We will now resume our story. As the persons against Chin Jung were somany and their pressure so great, and as, what was more, Chia Jui urgedhim to make amends, he had to knock his head on the ground before Ch'inChung. Pao-yü then gave up his clamorous remonstrances and the wholecrowd dispersed from school. 

Chin Jung himself returned home all alone, but the more he pondered onthe occurrence, the more incensed he felt. "Ch'in Chung, " he argued, "issimply Chia Jung's young brother-in-law, and is no son or grandson ofthe Chia family, and he too joins the class and prosecutes his studieson no other footing than that of mine; but it's because he relies uponPao-yü's friendship for him that he has no eye for any one. This beingthe case, he should be somewhat proper in his behaviour, and there wouldbe then not a word to say about it! He has besides all along been verymystical with Pao-yü, imagining that we are all blind, and have no eyesto see what's up! Here he goes again to-day and mixes with people inillicit intrigues; and it's all because they happened to obtrudethemselves before my very eyes that this rumpus has broken out; but ofwhat need I fear?"

His mother, née Hu, hearing him mutter; "Why meddle again, " sheexplained, "in things that don't concern you? I had endless trouble ingetting to speak to your paternal aunt; and your aunt had, on the otherhand, a thousand and one ways and means to devise, before she couldappeal to lady Secunda, of the Western mansion; and then only it wasthat you got this place to study in. Had we not others to depend uponfor your studies, would we have in our house the means sufficient toengage a teacher? Besides, in other people's school, tea and eatablesare all ready and found; and these two years that you've been there foryour lessons, we've likewise effected at home a great saving in whatwould otherwise have been necessary for your eating and use. Somethinghas been, it's true, economised; but you have further a liking for spickand span clothes. Besides, it's only through your being there to study, that you've come to know Mr. Hsüeh! that Mr. Hsüeh, who has even in oneyear given us so much pecuniary assistance as seventy and eighty taels!And now you would go and raise a row in this school-room! why, if wewere bent upon finding such another place, I tell you plainly, and oncefor all, that we would find it more difficult than if we tried to scalethe heavens! Now do quietly play for a while, and then go to sleep, andyou'll be ever so much better for it then. "

Chin Jung thereupon stifled his anger and held his tongue; and, after ashort while, he in fact went to sleep of his own accord. 

The next day he again went to school, and no further comment need bemade about it; but we will go on to explain that a young lady related toher had at one time been given in marriage to a descendant (of theeldest branch) of the Chia family, (whose names were written) with thejade radical, Chia Huang by name; but how could the whole number ofmembers of the clan equal in affluence and power the two mansions ofNing and Jung? This fact goes, as a matter of course, without saying. The Chia Huang couple enjoyed some small income; but they also went, onfrequent occasions, to the mansions of Ning and Jung to pay theirrespects; and they knew likewise so well how to adulate lady Feng andMrs. Yu, that lady Feng and Mrs. Yu would often grant them thatassistance and support which afforded them the means of meeting theirdaily expenses. 

It just occurred on this occasion that the weather was clear and fine, and that there happened, on the other hand, to be nothing to attend toat home, so forthwith taking along with her a matron, (Mrs. Chia Huang)got into a carriage and came over to see widow Chin and her nephew. While engaged in a chat, Chin Jung's mother accidentally broached thesubject of the affair, which had transpired in the school-room of theChia mansion on the previous day, and she gave, for the benefit of heryoung sister-in-law, a detailed account of the whole occurrence frombeginning to end. 

This Mrs. Huang would not have had her temper ruffled had she not cometo hear what had happened; but having heard about it, anger sprung fromthe very depths of her heart. "This fellow, Ch'in Chung, " she exclaimed, "is a relative of the Chia family, but is it likely that Jung Erh isn't, in like manner, a relative of the Chia family; and when relatives aremany, there's no need to put on airs! Besides, does his conduct consist, for the most part, of anything that would make one get any face? Infact, Pao-yü himself shouldn't do injury to himself by condescending tolook at him. But, as things have come to this pass, give me time andI'll go to the Eastern mansion and see our lady Chen and then have achat with Ch'in Chung's sister, and ask her to decide who's right andwho's wrong!"

Chin Jung's mother upon hearing these words was terribly distressed. "It's all through my hasty tongue, " she observed with vehemence, "thatI've told you all, sister-in-law: but please, sister, give up at oncethe idea of going over to say anything about it! Don't trouble yourselfas to who is in the right, and who is in the wrong; for were anyunpleasantness to come out of it, how could we here stand on our legs?and were we not to stand on our legs, not only would we never be able toengage a tutor, but the result will be, on the contrary, that for hisown person will be superadded many an expense for eatables andnecessaries. "

"What do I care about how many?" replied Mrs. Huang; "wait till I'vespoken about it, and we'll see what will be the result. " Nor would sheaccede to her sister-in-law's entreaties, but bidding, at the same time, the matron look after the carriage, she got into it, and came over tothe Ning Mansion. 

On her arrival at the Ning Mansion, she entered by the eastern sidegate, and dismounting from the carriage, she went in to call on Mrs. Yu, the spouse of Chia Chen, with whom she had not the courage to put on anyhigh airs; but gently and quietly she made inquiries after her health, and after passing some irrelevant remarks, she ascertained: "How is it Idon't see lady Jung to-day?"

"I don't know, " replied Mrs. Yu, "what's the matter with her these lastfew days; but she hasn't been herself for two months and more; and thedoctor who was asked to see her declares that it is nothing connectedwith any happy event. A couple of days back, she felt, as soon as theafternoon came, both to move, and both even to utter a word; while thebrightness of her eyes was all dimmed; and I told her, 'You needn'tstick to etiquette, for there's no use for you to come in the forenoonand evening, as required by conventionalities; but what you must do is, to look after your own health. Should any relative come over, there'salso myself to receive them; and should any of the senior generationthink your absence strange, I'll explain things for you, if you'll letme. '

"I also advised brother Jung on the subject: 'You shouldn't, ' I said, 'allow any one to trouble her; nor let her be put out of temper, but lether quietly attend to her health, and she'll get all right. Should shefancy anything to eat, just come over here and fetch it; for, in theevent of anything happening to her, were you to try and find anothersuch a wife to wed, with such a face and such a disposition, why, Ifear, were you even to seek with a lantern in hand, there would reallybe no place where you could discover her. And with such a temperamentand deportment as hers, which of our relatives and which of our eldersdon't love her?' That's why my heart has been very distressed these twodays! As luck would have it early this morning her brother turned up tosee her, but who would have fancied him to be such a child, and soignorant of what is proper and not proper to do? He saw well enough thathis sister was not well; and what's more all these matters shouldn'thave been recounted to her; for even supposing he had received thegravest offences imaginable, it behoved him anyhow not to have broachedthe subject to her! Yesterday, one would scarcely believe it, a fightoccurred in the school-room, and some pupil or other who attends thatclass, somehow insulted him; besides, in this business, there were agood many indecent and improper utterances, but all these he went andtold his sister! Now, sister-in-law, you are well aware that though (ourson Jung's) wife talks and laughs when she sees people, that she isnevertheless imaginative and withal too sensitive, so that no matterwhat she hears, she's for the most part bound to brood over it for threedays and five nights, before she loses sight of it, and it's from thisexcessive sensitiveness that this complaint of hers arises. Today, whenshe heard that some one had insulted her brother, she felt both vexedand angry; vexed that those fox-like, cur-like friends of his had movedright and wrong, and intrigued with this one and deluded that one; angrythat her brother had, by not learning anything profitable, and nothaving his mind set upon study, been the means of bringing about a rowat school; and on account of this affair, she was so upset that she didnot even have her early meal. I went over a short while back andconsoled her for a time, and likewise gave her brother a few words ofadvice; and after having packed off that brother of hers to the mansionon the other side, in search of Pao-yü, and having stood by and seen herhave half a bowl of birds' nests soup, I at length came over. Now, sister-in-law, tell me, is my heart sore or not? Besides, as there'snowadays no good doctor, the mere thought of her complaint makes myheart feel as if it were actually pricked with needles! But do you andyours, perchance, know of any good practitioner?"

Mrs. Chin had, while listening to these words, been, at an early period, so filled with concern that she cast away to distant lands the recklessrage she had been in recently while at her sister-in-law's house, whenshe had determined to go and discuss matters over with Mrs. Ch'in. Uponhearing Mrs. Yu inquire of her about a good doctor, she lost no time insaying by way of reply: "Neither have we heard of any one speak of agood doctor; but from the account I've just heard of Mrs. Ch'in'sillness, it may still, there's no saying, be some felicitous ailment;so, sister-in-law, don't let any one treat her recklessly, for were sheto be treated for the wrong thing, the result may be dreadful!"

"Quite so!" replied Mrs. Yu. 

But while they were talking, Chia Chen came in from out of doors, andupon catching sight of Mrs. Chin; "Isn't this Mrs. Huang?" he inquiredof Mrs. Yu; whereupon Mrs. Chin came forward and paid her respects toChia Chen. 

"Invite this lady to have her repast here before she goes, " observedChia Chen to Mrs. Yu; and as he uttered these words he forthwith walkedinto the room on the off side. 

The object of Mrs. Chin's present visit had originally been to talk toMrs. Ch'in about the insult which her brother had received from thehands of Ch'in Chung, but when she heard that Mrs. Ch'in was ill, shedid not have the courage to even so much as make mention of the objectof her errand. Besides, as Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu had given her a mostcordial reception, her resentment was transformed into pleasure, so thatafter a while spent in a further chat about one thing and another, sheat length returned to her home. 

It was only after the departure of Mrs. Chin that Chia Chen came overand took a seat. "What did she have to say for herself during this visitto-day?" he asked of Mrs. Yu. 

"She said nothing much, " replied Mrs. Yu. "When she first entered theroom, her face bore somewhat of an angry look, but, after a lengthy chatand as soon as mention of our son's wife's illness was made, thisangered look after all gradually abated. You also asked me to keep herfor the repast, but, having heard that our son's wife was so ill shecould not very well stay, so that all she did was to sit down, and aftermaking a few more irrelevant remarks, she took her departure. But shehad no request to make. To return however now to the illness of Jung'swife, it's urgent that you should find somewhere a good doctor todiagnose it for her; and whatever you do, you should lose no time. Thewhole body of doctors who at present go in and out of our household, arethey worth having? Each one of them listens to what the patient has tosay of the ailment, and then, adding a string of flowery sentences, outhe comes with a long rigmarole; but they are exceedingly diligent inpaying us visits; and in one day, three or four of them are here atleast four and five times in rotation! They come and feel her pulse, they hold consultation together, and write their prescriptions, but, though she has taken their medicines, she has seen no improvement; onthe contrary, she's compelled to change her clothes three and five timeseach day, and to sit up to see the doctor; a thing which, in fact, doesthe patient no good. "

"This child too is somewhat simple, " observed Chia Chen; "for what needhas she to be taking off her clothes, and changing them for others? Andwere she again to catch a chill, she would add something more to herillness; and won't it be dreadful! The clothes may be no matter howfine, but what is their worth, after all? The health of our child iswhat is important to look to! and were she even to wear out a suit ofnew clothes a-day, what would that too amount to? I was about to tellyou that a short while back, Feng Tzu-ying came to see me, and, perceiving that I had somewhat of a worried look, he asked me what wasup; and I told him that our son's wife was not well at all, that as wecouldn't get any good doctor, we couldn't determine with any certainty, whether she was in an interesting condition, or whether she wassuffering from some disease; that as we could neither tell whether therewas any danger or not, my heart was, for this reason, really very muchdistressed. Feng Tzu-ying then explained that he knew a young doctor whohad made a study of his profession, Chang by surname, and Yu-shih byname, whose learning was profound to a degree; who was besides mostproficient in the principles of medicine, and had the knack ofdiscriminating whether a patient would live or die; that this year hehad come to the capital to purchase an official rank for his son, andthat he was now living with him in his house. In view of thesecircumstances, not knowing but that if, perchance, the case of ourdaughter-in-law were placed in his hands, he couldn't avert the danger, I readily despatched a servant, with a card of mine, to invite him tocome; but the hour to-day being rather late, he probably won't be round, but I believe he's sure to be here to-morrow. Besides, Feng-Tzu-ying wasalso on his return home, to personally entreat him on my behalf, so thathe's bound, when he has asked him, to come and see her. Let's thereforewait till Dr. Chang has been here and seen her, when we can talk mattersover!"

Mrs. Yu was very much cheered when she heard what was said. "The dayafter to-morrow, " she felt obliged to add, "is again our senior's, Mr. Chia Ching's birthday, and how are we to celebrate it after all?"

"I've just been over to our Senior's and paid my respects, " replied ChiaChen, "and further invited the old gentleman to come home, and receivethe congratulations of the whole family. 

"'I'm accustomed, ' our Senior explained, 'to peace and quiet, and haveno wish to go over to that worldly place of yours; for you people arecertain to have published that it's my birthday, and to entertain thedesign to ask me to go round to receive the bows of the whole lot ofyou. But won't it be better if you were to give the "Record ofMeritorious Acts, " which I annotated some time ago, to some one to copyout clean for me, and have it printed? Compared with asking me to come, and uselessly receive the obeisances of you all, this will be yea even ahundred times more profitable! In the event of the whole family wishingto pay me a visit on any of the two days, to-morrow or the day afterto-morrow, if you were to stay at home and entertain them in properstyle, that will be all that is wanted; nor will there be any need tosend me anything! Even you needn't come two days from this; and shouldyou not feel contented at heart, well, you had better bow your headbefore me to-day before you go. But if you do come again the day afterto-morrow, with a lot of people to disturb me, I shall certainly beangry with you. ' After what he said, I will not venture to go and seehim two days hence; but you had better send for Lai Sheng, and bid himget ready a banquet to continue for a couple of days. "

Mrs. Yu, having asked Chia Jung to come round, told him to direct LaiSheng to make the usual necessary preparations for a banquet to last fora couple of days, with due regard to a profuse and sumptuous style. 

"You go by-and-by, " (she advised him), "in person to the Western Mansionand invite dowager lady Chia, mesdames Hsing and Wang, and yoursister-in-law Secunda lady Lien to come over for a stroll. Your fatherhas also heard of a good doctor, and having already sent some one to askhim round, I think that by to-morrow he's sure to come; and you hadbetter tell him, in a minute manner, the serious symptoms of her ailmentduring these few days. "

Chia Jung having signified his obedience to each of her recommendations, and taken his leave, was just in time to meet the youth coming back fromFeng Tzu-ying's house, whither he had gone a short while back to invitethe doctor round. 

"Your slave, " he consequently reported, "has just been with a card ofmaster's to Mr. Feng's house and asked the doctor to come. 'The gentlemanhere, ' replied the doctor, 'has just told me about it; but to-day, I'vehad to call on people the whole day, and I've only this moment comehome; and I feel now my strength (so worn out), that I couldn't reallystand any exertion. In fact were I even to get as far as the mansion, Ishouldn't be in a fit state to diagnose the pulses! I must thereforehave a night's rest, but, to-morrow for certain, I shall come to themansion. My medical knowledge, ' he went on to observe, 'is very shallow, and I don't deserve the honour of such eminent recommendation; but asMr. Feng has already thus spoken of me in your mansion, I can't butpresent myself. It will be all right if in anticipation you deliver thismessage for me to your honourable master; but as for your worthymaster's card, I cannot really presume to keep it. ' It was again at hisinstance that I've brought it back; but, Sir, please mention this resultfor me (to master). "

Chia Jung turned back again, and entering the house delivered themessage to Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu; whereupon he walked out, and, callingLai Sheng before him, he transmitted to him the orders to prepare thebanquet for a couple of days. 

After Lai Sheng had listened to the directions, he went off, of course, to get ready the customary preparations; but upon these we shall notdilate, but confine ourselves to the next day. 

At noon, a servant on duty at the gate announced that the Doctor Chang, who had been sent for, had come, and Chia Chen conducted him along theCourt into the large reception Hall, where they sat down; and after theyhad partaken of tea, he broached the subject. 

"Yesterday, " he explained, "the estimable Mr. Feng did me the honour tospeak to me of your character and proficiency, venerable doctor, as wellas of your thorough knowledge of medicine, and I, your mean brother, wasfilled with an immeasurable sense of admiration!"

"Your Junior, " remonstrated Dr. Chang, "is a coarse, despicable and meanscholar and my knowledge is shallow and vile! but as worthy Mr. Feng didme the honour yesterday of telling me that your family, sir, hadcondescended to look upon me, a low scholar, and to favour me too withan invitation, could I presume not to obey your commands? But as Icannot boast of the least particle of real learning, I feel overburdenedwith shame!"

"Why need you be so modest?" observed Chia Chen; "Doctor, do please walkin at once to see our son's wife, for I look up, with full reliance, toyour lofty intelligence to dispel my solicitude!"

Chia Jung forthwith walked in with him. When they reached the innerapartment, and he caught sight of Mrs. Ch'in, he turned round and askedChia Jung, "This is your honourable spouse, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, " assented Chia Jung; "but please, Doctor, take a seat, andlet me tell you the symptoms of my humble wife's ailment, before herpulse be felt. Will this do?"

"My mean idea is, " remarked the Doctor, "that it would, after all, bebetter that I should begin by feeling her pulse, before I ask you toinform me what the source of the ailment is. This is the first visit Ipay to your honourable mansion; besides, I possess no knowledge ofanything; but as our worthy Mr. Feng would insist upon my coming over tosee you, I had in consequence no alternative but to come. After I havenow made a diagnosis, you can judge whether what I say is right or not, before you explain to me the phases of the complaint during the last fewdays, and we can deliberate together upon some prescription; as to thesuitableness or unsuitableness of which your honourable father will thenhave to decide, and what is necessary will have been done. "

"Doctor, " rejoined Chia Jung, "you are indeed eminently clear sighted;all I regret at present is that we have met so late! But please, Doctor, diagnose the state of the pulse, so as to find out whether there be hopeof a cure or not; if a cure can be effected, it will be the means ofallaying the solicitude of my father and mother. "

The married women attached to that menage forthwith presented a pillow;and as it was being put down for Mrs. Ch'in to rest her arm on, theyraised the lower part of her sleeve so as to leave her wrist exposed. The Doctor thereupon put out his hand and pressed it on the pulse of theright hand. Regulating his breath (to the pulsation) so as to be able tocount the beatings, he with due care and minuteness felt the action fora considerable time, when, substituting the left hand, he again wentthrough the same operation. 

"Let us go and sit outside, " he suggested, after he had concludedfeeling her pulses. Chia Jung readily adjourned, in company with theDoctor, to the outer apartment, where they seated themselves on thestove-couch. A matron having served tea; "Please take a cup of tea, doctor, " Chia Jung observed. When tea was over, "Judging, " he inquired, "Doctor, from the present action of the pulses, is there any remedy ornot?"

"The action of the pulse, under the forefinger, on the left hand of yourhonorable spouse, " proceeded the Doctor, "is deep and agitated; the lefthand pulse, under the second finger, is deep and faint. The pulse, underthe forefinger, of the right hand, is gentle and lacks vitality. Theright hand pulse, under my second finger, is superficial, and has lostall energy. The deep and agitated beating of the forepulse of the lefthand arises from the febrile state, due to the weak action of the heart. The deep and delicate condition of the second part of the pulse of theleft wrist, emanates from the sluggishness of the liver, and thescarcity of the blood in that organ. The action of the forefinger pulse, of the right wrist, is faint and lacks strength, as the breathing of thelungs is too weak. The second finger pulse of the right wrist issuperficial and devoid of vigour, as the spleen must be affectedinjuriously by the liver. The weak action of the heart, and its febrilestate, should be the natural causes which conduce to the presentirregularity in the catamenia, and insomnia at night; the poverty ofblood in the liver, and the sluggish condition of that organ mustnecessarily produce pain in the ribs; while the overdue of thecatamenia, the cardiac fever, and debility of the respiration of thelungs, should occasion frequent giddiness in the head, and swimming ofthe eyes, the certain recurrence of perspiration between the periods of3 to 5 and 5 to 7, and the sensation of being seated on board ship. Theobstruction of the spleen by the liver should naturally create distastefor liquid or food, debility of the vital energies and prostration ofthe four limbs. From my diagnosis of these pulses, there should existthese various symptoms, before (the pulses and the symptoms can be said)to harmonise. But should perchance (any doctor maintain) that this stateof the pulses imports a felicitous event, your servant will not presumeto give an ear to such an opinion!"

A matron, who was attached as a personal attendant (to Mrs. Ch'in, ) andwho happened to be standing by interposed: "How could it be otherwise?"she ventured. "In real truth, Doctor, you speak like a supernaturalbeing, and there's verily no need for us to say anything! We have now, ready at hand, in our household, a good number of medical gentlemen, whoare in attendance upon her, but none of these are proficient enough tospeak in this positive manner. Some there are who say that it's agenital complaint; others maintain that it's an organic disease. Thisdoctor explains that there is no danger: while another, again, holdsthat there's fear of a crisis either before or after the wintersolstice; but there is, in one word, nothing certain said by them. Mayit please you, sir, now to favour us with your clear directions. "

"This complaint of your lady's, " observed the Doctor, "has certainlybeen neglected by the whole number of doctors; for had a treatment withcertain medicines been initiated at the time of the first occurrence ofher habitual sickness, I cannot but opine that, by this time, a perfectcure would have been effected. But seeing that the organic complaint hasnow been, through neglect, allowed to reach this phase, this calamitywas, in truth, inevitable. My ideas are that this illness stands, asyet, a certain chance of recovery, (three chances out of ten); but wewill see how she gets on, after she has had these medicines of mine. Should they prove productive of sleep at night, then there will be addedfurthermore two more chances in the grip of our hands. From mydiagnosis, your lady is a person, gifted with a preëminently excellent, and intelligent disposition; but an excessive degree of intelligence isthe cause of frequent contrarieties; and frequent contrarieties giveorigin to an excessive amount of anxious cares. This illness arises fromthe injury done, by worrying and fretting, to the spleen, and from theinordinate vigour of the liver; hence it is that the relief cannot comeat the proper time and season. Has not your lady, may I ask, heretoforeat the period of the catamenia, suffered, if indeed not from anaemia, then necessarily from plethora? Am I right in assuming this or not?"

"To be sure she did, " replied the matron; "but she has never beensubject to anaemia, but to a plethora, varying from either two to threedays, and extending, with much irregularity, to even ten days. "

"Quite so!" observed the Doctor, after hearing what she had to say, "andthis is the source of this organic illness! Had it in past days beentreated with such medicine as could strengthen the heart, and improvethe respiration, would it have reached this stage? This has now overtlymade itself manifest in an ailment originating from the paucity of waterand the vigour of fire; but let me make use of some medicines, and we'llsee how she gets on!"

There and then he set to work and wrote a prescription, which he handedto Chia Jung, the purpose of which was: Decoction for the improvement ofrespiration, the betterment of the blood, and the restoration of thespleen. Ginseng, Atractylodes Lancea; Yunnan root; Prepared Ti root;Aralia edulis; Peony roots; Levisticum from Sze Ch'uan; Sophoratormentosa; Cyperus rotundus, prepared with rice; Gentian, soaked invinegar; Huai Shan Yao root; Real "O" glue; Carydalis Ambigua; and Driedliquorice. Seven Fukien lotus seeds, (the cores of which should beextracted, ) and two large zizyphi to be used as a preparative. 

"What exalted intelligence!" Chia Jung, after perusing it, exclaimed. "But I would also ask you, Doctor, to be good enough to tell me whetherthis illness will, in the long run, endanger her life or not?"

The Doctor smiled. "You, sir, who are endowed with most eminentintelligence (are certain to know) that when a human illness has reachedthis phase, it is not a derangement of a day or of a single night; butafter these medicines have been taken, we shall also have to watch theeffect of the treatment! My humble opinion is that, as far as the winterof this year goes, there is no fear; in fact, after the spring equinox, I entertain hopes of a complete cure. "

Chia Jung was likewise a person with all his wits about him, so that hedid not press any further minute questions. 

Chia Jung forthwith escorted the Doctor and saw him off, and taking theprescription and the diagnosis, he handed them both to Chia Chen for hisperusal, and in like manner recounted to Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu all thathad been said on the subject. 

"The other doctors have hitherto not expressed any opinions as positiveas this one has done, " observed Mrs. Yu, addressing herself to ChiaChen, "so that the medicines to be used are, I think, surely the rightones!"

"He really isn't a man, " rejoined Chia Chen, "accustomed to give much ofhis time to the practice of medicine, in order to earn rice for hissupport: and it's Feng Tzu-ying, who is so friendly with us, who ismainly to be thanked for succeeding, after ever so much trouble, ininducing him to come. But now that we have this man, the illness of ourson's wife may, there is no saying, stand a chance of being cured. Buton that prescription of his there is ginseng mentioned, so you hadbetter make use of that catty of good quality which was bought the otherday. "

Chia Jung listened until the conversation came to a close, after whichhe left the room, and bade a servant go and buy the medicines, in orderthat they should be prepared and administered to Mrs. Ch'in. 

What was the state of Mrs. Ch'in's illness, after she partook of thesemedicines, we do not know; but, reader, listen to the explanation givenin the chapter which follows. 

CHAPTER XI. 

 In honour of Chia Ching's birthday, a family banquet is spread in the Ning Mansion. At the sight of Hsi-feng, Chia Jui entertains feelings of licentious love. 

We will now explain, in continuation of our story, that on the day ofChia Ching's birthday, Chia Chen began by getting ready lusciousdelicacies and rare fruits, which he packed in sixteen spacious presentboxes, and bade Chia Jung take them, along with the servants belongingto the household, over to Chia Ching. 

Turning round towards Chia Jung: "Mind, " he said, "that you observewhether your grandfather be agreeable or not, before you set to work andpay your obeisance! 'My father, ' tell him, 'has complied with yourdirections, venerable senior, and not presumed to come over; but he hasat home ushered the whole company of the members of the family (intoyour apartments), where they all paid their homage facing the side ofhonour. '"

After Chia Jung had listened to these injunctions, he speedily led offthe family domestics, and took his departure. During this interval, oneby one arrived the guests. First came Chia Lien and Chia Se, who went tosee whether the seats in the various places (were sufficient). "Is thereto be any entertainment or not?" they also inquired. 

"Our master, " replied the servants, "had, at one time, intended toinvite the venerable Mr. Chia Ching to come and spend this day at home, and hadn't for this reason presumed to get up any entertainment. Butwhen the other day he came to hear that the old gentleman was notcoming, he at once gave us orders to go in search of a troupe of youngactors, as well as a band of musicians, and all these people are nowengaged making their preparations on the stage in the garden. "

Next came, in a group, mesdames Hsing and Wang, lady Feng and Pao-yü, followed immediately after by Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu; Mrs. Yu's motherhaving already arrived and being in there in advance of her. Salutationswere exchanged between the whole company, and they pressed one anotherto take a seat. Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu both handed the tea round. 

"Our venerable lady, " they explained, as they smiled, "is a worthysenior; while our father is, on the other hand, only her nephew; so thaton a birthday of a man of his age, we should really not have had theaudacity to invite her ladyship; but as the weather, at this time, iscool, and the chrysanthemums, in the whole garden, are in luxuriantblossom, we have requested our venerable ancestor to come for a littledistraction, and to see the whole number of her children andgrand-children amuse themselves. This was the object we had in view, but, contrary to our expectations, our worthy senior has not againconferred upon us the lustre of her countenance. "

Lady Feng did not wait until madame Wang could open her mouth, but tookthe initiative to reply. "Our venerable lady, " she urged, "had, even solate as yesterday, said that she meant to come; but, in the evening, upon seeing brother Pao eating peaches, the mouth of the old lady onceagain began to water, and after partaking of a little more than the halfof one, she had, about the fifth watch, to get out of bed twoconsecutive times, with the result that all the forenoon to-day, shefelt her body considerably worn out. She therefore bade me inform ourworthy senior that it was utterly impossible for her to come to-day;adding however that, if there were any delicacies, she fancied a fewkinds, but that they should be very tender. "

When Chia Chen heard these words, he smiled. "Our dowager lady, " hereplied, "is, I argued, so fond of amusement that, if she doesn't cometo-day, there must, for a certainty, be some valid reason; and that'sexactly what happens to be the case. "

"The other day I heard your eldest sister explain, " interposed madameWang, "that Chia Jung's wife was anything but well; but what's after allthe matter with her?"

"She has, " observed Mrs. Yu, "contracted this illness verily in astrange manner! Last moon at the time of the mid-autumn festival, shewas still well enough to be able to enjoy herself, during half thenight, in company with our dowager lady and madame Wang. On her return, she continued in good health, until after the twentieth, when she beganto feel more and more languid every day, and loth, likewise, to eatanything; and this has been going on for well-nigh half a month andmore; she hasn't besides been anything like her old self for twomonths. "

"May she not, " remarked madame Hsing, taking up the thread of theconversation, "be ailing for some happy event?"

But while she was uttering these words, some one from outside announced:"Our senior master, second master and all the gentlemen of the familyhave come, and are standing in the Reception Hall!" Whereupon Chia Chenand Chia Lien quitted the apartment with hurried step; and during thiswhile, Mrs. Yu reiterated how that some time ago a doctor had alsoexpressed the opinion that she was ailing for a happy event, but thatthe previous day, had come a doctor, recommended by Feng Tzu-ying--adoctor, who had from his youth up made medicine his study, and was veryproficient in the treatment of diseases, --who asserted, after he hadseen her, that it was no felicitous ailment, but that it was some gravecomplaint. "It was only yesterday, " (she explained, ) "that he wrote hisprescription; and all she has had is but one dose, and already to-daythe giddiness in the head is considerably better; as regards the othersymptoms they have as yet shown no marked improvement. "

"I maintain, " remarked lady Feng, "that, were she not quite unfit tostand the exertion, would she in fact, on a day like this, be unwillingto strain every nerve and come round. "

"You saw her, " observed Mrs. Yu, "on the third in here; how that shebore up with a violent effort for ever so long, but it was all becauseof the friendship that exists between you two, that she still longed foryour society, and couldn't brook the idea of tearing herself away. "

When lady Feng heard these words, her eyes got quite red, and after atime she at length exclaimed: "In the Heavens of a sudden come wind andrain; while with man, in a day and in a night, woe and weal survene! Butwith her tender years, if for a complaint like this she were to run anyrisk, what pleasure is there for any human being to be born and tosojourn in the world?"

She was just speaking, when Chia Jung walked into the apartment; andafter paying his respects to madame Hsing, madame Wang, and lady Feng, he then observed to Mrs. Yu: "I have just taken over the eatables to ourvenerable ancestor; and, at the same time, I told him that my father wasat home waiting upon the senior, and entertaining the junior gentlemenof the whole family, and that in compliance with grandfather's orders, he did not presume to go over. The old gentleman was much delighted bywhat he heard me say, and having signified that that was all in order, bade me tell father and you, mother, to do all you can in yourattendance upon the senior gentlemen and ladies, enjoining me toentertain, with all propriety, my uncles, aunts, and my cousins. He alsowent on to urge me to press the men to cut, with all despatch, theblocks for the Record of Meritorious Deeds, and to print ten thousandcopies for distribution. All these messages I have duly delivered to myfather, but I must now be quick and go out, so as to send the eatablesfor the elder as well as for the younger gentlemen of the entirehousehold. "

"Brother Jung Erh, " exclaimed lady Feng, "wait a moment. How is yourwife getting on? how is she, after all, to-day?"

"Not well, " replied Chia Jung. "But were you, aunt, on your return to goin and see her, you will find out for yourself. "

Chia Jung forthwith left the room. During this interval, Mrs. Yuaddressed herself to mesdames Hsing and Wang; "My ladies, " she asked, "will you have your repast in here, or will you go into the garden forit? There are now in the garden some young actors engaged in makingtheir preparations?"

"It's better in here, " madame Wang remarked, as she turned towardsmadame Hsing. 

Mrs. Yu thereupon issued directions to the married women and matrons tobe quick in serving the eatables. The servants, in waiting outside thedoor, with one voice signified their obedience; and each of them wentoff to fetch what fell to her share. In a short while, the courses wereall laid out, and Mrs. Yu pressed mesdames Hsing and Wang, as well asher mother, into the upper seats; while she, together with lady Feng andPao-yü, sat at a side table. 

"We've come, " observed mesdames Hsing and Wang, "with the original ideaof paying our congratulations to our venerable senior on the occasion ofhis birthday; and isn't this as if we had come for our own birthdays?"

"The old gentleman, " answered lady Feng, "is a man fond of a quiet life;and as he has already consummated a process of purification, he may wellbe looked upon as a supernatural being, so that the purpose to whichyour ladyships have given expression may be considered as manifest tohis spirit, upon the very advent of the intention. "

As this sentence was uttered the whole company in the room burst outlaughing. Mrs. Yu's mother, mesdames Hsing and Wang, and lady Fenghaving one and all partaken of the banquet, rinsed their mouths andwashed their hands, which over, they expressed a wish to go into thegarden. 

Chia Jung entered the room. "The senior gentlemen, " he said to Mrs. Yu, "as well as all my uncles and cousins, have finished their repast; butthe elder gentleman Mr. Chia She, who excused himself on the score ofhaving at home something to attend to, and Mr. Secundus (Chia Cheng), who is not partial to theatrical performances and is always afraid thatpeople will be too boisterous in their entertainments, have both of themtaken their departure. The rest of the family gentlemen have been takenover by uncle Secundus Mr. Lien, and Mr. Se, to the other side to listento the play. A few moments back Prince Nan An, Prince Tung P'ing, PrinceHsi Ning, Prince Pei Ching, these four Princes, with Niu, Duke of ChenKuo, and five other dukes, six in all, and Shih, Marquis of Chung Ching, and other seven, in all eight marquises, sent their messengers withtheir cards and presents. I have already told father all about it; butbefore I did so, the presents were put away in the counting room, thelists of presents were all entered in the book, and the 'received withthanks' cards were handed to the respective messengers of the variousmansions; the men themselves were also tipped in the customary manner, and all of them were kept to have something to eat before they went ontheir way. But, mother, you should invite the two ladies, your motherand my aunt, to go over and sit in the garden. "

"Just so!" observed Mrs. Yu, "but we've only now finished our repast, and were about to go over. "

"I wish to tell you, madame, " interposed lady Feng, "that I shall gofirst and see brother Jung's wife and then come and join you. "

"All right, " replied madame Wang; "we should all have been fain to havepaid her a visit, did we not fear lest she should look upon ourdisturbing her with displeasure, but just tell her that we would like toknow how she is getting on!"

"My dear sister, " remarked Mrs. Yu, "as our son's wife has a ready earfor all you say, do go and cheer her up, (and if you do so, ) it willbesides set my own mind at ease; but be quick and come as soon as youcan into the garden. "

Pao-yü being likewise desirous to go along with lady Feng to see ladyCh'in, madame Wang remarked, "Go and see her just for a while, and thencome over at once into the garden; (for remember) she is your nephew'swife, (and you couldn't sit in there long). "

Mrs. Yu forthwith invited mesdames Wang and Hsing, as well as her ownmother, to adjourn to the other side, and they all in a body walked intothe garden of Concentrated Fragrance; while lady Feng and Pao-yü betookthemselves, in company with Chia Jung, over to this side. 

Having entered the door, they with quiet step walked as far as theentrance of the inner chamber. Mrs. Ch'in, upon catching sight of them, was bent upon getting up; but "Be quick, " remonstrated lady Feng, "andgive up all idea of standing up; for take care your head will feeldizzy. "

Lady Feng hastened to make a few hurried steps forward and to grasp Mrs. Ch'in's hand in hers. "My dear girl!" she exclaimed; "How is it thatduring the few days I've not seen you, you have grown so thin?"

Readily she then took a seat on the rug, on which Mrs. Ch'in was seated, while Pao-yü, after inquiring too about her health, sat in the chair onthe opposite side. 

"Bring the tea in at once, " called out Chia Jung, "for aunt and uncleSecundus have not had any tea in the drawing room. "

Mrs. Ch'in took lady Feng's hand in her own and forced a smile. "This isall due to my lack of good fortune; for in such a family as this, myfather and mother-in-law treat me just as if I were a daughter of theirown flesh and blood! Besides, your nephew, (my husband, ) may, it istrue, my dear aunt, be young in years, but he is full of regard for me, as I have regard for him, and we have had so far no misunderstandingbetween us! In fact, among the senior generation, as well as that of thesame age as myself, in the whole clan, putting you aside, aunt, aboutwhom no mention need be made, there is not one who has not ever hadanything but love for me, and not one who has not ever shown me anythingbut kindness! But since I've fallen ill with this complaint, all myenergy has even every bit of it been taken out of me, so that I've beenunable to show to my father and mother-in-law any mark of filialattention, yea so much as for one single day and to you, my dear aunt, with all this affection of yours for me, I have every wish to be dutifulto the utmost degree, but, in my present state, I'm really not equal toit; my own idea is, that it isn't likely that I shall last through thisyear. "

Pao-yü kept, while (she spoke, ) his eyes fixed intently upon a pictureon the opposite side, representing some begonias drooping in the springtime, and upon a pair of scrolls, with this inscription written by Ch'inTai-hsü:

 A gentle chill doth circumscribe the dreaming man because the spring is cold! The fragrant whiff which wafts itself into man's nose, is the perfume of wine!

And he could not help recalling to mind his experiences at the time whenhe had fallen asleep in this apartment, and had, in his dream, visitedthe confines of the Great Void. He was just plunged in a state ofabstraction, when he heard Mrs. Ch'in give utterance to thesesentiments, which pierced his heart as if they were ten thousand arrows, (with the result that) tears unwittingly trickled from his eyes. 

Lady Feng perceiving him in tears felt it extremely painful withinherself to bear the sight; but she was on pins and needles lest thepatient should detect their frame of mind, and feel, instead (ofbenefit), still more sore at heart, which would not, after all, be quitethe purpose of her visit; which was to afford her distraction andconsolation. "Pao-yü, " she therefore exclaimed, "you are like an oldwoman! Ill, as she is, simply makes her speak in this wise, and how evercould things come to such a pass! Besides, she is young in years, sothat after a short indisposition, her illness will get all right!""Don't, " she said as she turned towards Mrs. Ch'in, "give way to sillythoughts and idle ideas! for by so doing won't you yourself beaggravating your ailment?"

"All that her sickness in fact needs, " observed Chia Jung, "is, that sheshould be able to take something to eat, and then there will be nothingto fear. "

"Brother Pao, " urged lady Feng, "your mother told you to go over, assoon as you could, so that don't stay here, and go on in the way you'redoing, for you after all incite this lady also to feel uneasy at heart. Besides, your mother over there is solicitous on your account. " "You hadbetter go ahead with your uncle Pao, " she consequently continued, addressing herself to Chia Jung, "while I sit here a little longer. "

When Chia Jung heard this remark, he promptly crossed over with Pao-yüinto the garden of Concentrated Fragrance, while lady Feng went on bothto cheer her up for a time, and to impart to her, in an undertone, agood deal of confidential advice. 

Mrs. Yu had despatched servants, on two or three occasions, to hurrylady Feng, before she said to Mrs. Ch'in: "Do all you can to take goodcare of yourself, and I'll come and see you again. You're bound to getover this illness; and now, in fact, that you've come across thatrenowned doctor, you have really nothing more to fear. "

"He might, " observed Mrs. Ch'in as she smiled, "even be a supernaturalbeing and succeed in healing my disease, but he won't be able to remedymy destiny; for, my dear aunt, I feel sure that with this complaint ofmine, I can do no more than drag on from day to day. "

"If you encourage such ideas, " remonstrated lady Feng, "how can thisillness ever get all right? What you absolutely need is to cast away allthese notions, and then you'll improve. I hear moreover that the doctorasserts that if no cure be effected, the fear is of a change for theworse in spring, and not till then. Did you and I moreover belong to afamily that hadn't the means to afford any ginseng, it would bedifficult to say how we could manage to get it; but were your father andmother-in-law to hear that it's good for your recovery, why not to speakof two mace of ginseng a day, but even two catties will be also withintheir means! So mind you do take every care of your health! I'm now offon my way into the garden. "

"Excuse me, my dear aunt, " added Mrs. Ch'in, "that I can't go with you;but when you have nothing to do, I entreat you do come over and see me!and you and I can sit and have a long chat. "

After lady Feng had heard these words, her eyes unwillingly got quitered again. "When I'm at leisure I shall, of course, " she rejoined, "comeoften to see you;" and forthwith leading off the matrons and marriedwomen, who had come over with her, as well as the women and matrons ofthe Ning mansion, she passed through the inner part of the house, andentered, by a circuitous way, the side gate of the park, when sheperceived: yellow flowers covering the ground; white willows flankingthe slopes; diminutive bridges spanning streams, resembling the Jo Yeh;zigzag pathways (looking as if) they led to the steps of Heaven; limpidsprings dripping from among the rocks; flowers hanging from hedgesemitting their fragrance, as they were flapped by the winds; red leaveson the tree tops swaying to and fro; groves picture-like, half strippedof foliage; the western breeze coming with sudden gusts, and the wail ofthe oriole still audible; the warm sun shining with genial rays, and thecicada also adding its chirp: structures, visible to the gaze at adistance in the South-east, soaring high on various sites and restingagainst the hills; three halls, visible near by on the North-west, stretching in one connected line, on the bank of the stream; strains ofmusic filling the pavilion, imbued with an unwonted subtle charm; andmaidens in fine attire penetrating the groves, lending an additionalspell to the scene. 

Lady Feng, while engaged in contemplating the beauties of the spot, advanced onwards step by step. She was plunged in a state of ecstasy, when suddenly, from the rear of the artificial rockery, egressed aperson, who approached her and facing her said, "My respects to you, sister-in-law. "

Lady Feng was so startled by this unexpected appearance that she drewback. "Isn't this Mr. Jui?" she ventured. 

"What! sister-in-law, " exclaimed Chia Jui, "don't you recognise evenme?"

"It isn't that I didn't recognise you, " explained lady Feng, "but at thesudden sight of you, I couldn't conceive that it would possibly be you, sir, in this place!"

"This was in fact bound to be, " replied Chia Jui; "for there's somesubtle sympathy between me and you, sister-in-law. Here I juststealthily leave the entertainment, in order to revel for a while inthis solitary place when, against every expectation, I come across you, sister-in-law; and isn't this a subtle sympathy?"

As he spoke, he kept his gaze fixed on lady Feng, who being anintelligent person, could not but arrive, at the sight of his manner, atthe whole truth in her surmises. "It isn't to be wondered at, " sheconsequently observed, as she smiled hypocritically, "that your eldestbrother should make frequent allusion to your qualities! for afterseeing you on this occasion, and hearing you utter these few remarks, Ihave readily discovered what an intelligent and genial person you are! Iam just now on my way to join the ladies on the other side, and have noleisure to converse with you; but wait until I've nothing to attend to, when we can meet again. "

"I meant to have gone over to your place and paid my respects to you, sister-in-law, " pleaded Chia Jui, "but I was afraid lest a person oftender years like yourself mightn't lightly receive any visitors!"

Lady Feng gave another sardonic smile. "Relatives, " she continued, "ofone family, as we are, what need is there to say anything of tenderyears?"

After Chia Jui had heard these words, he felt his heart swell within himwith such secret joy that he was urged to reflect: "I have at lengthto-day, when least I expected it, obtained this remarkable encounterwith her!"

But as the display of his passion became still more repulsive, lady Fengurged him to go. "Be off at once, " she remarked, "and join theentertainment; for mind, if they find you out, they will mulct you in somany glasses of wine!"

By the time this suggestion had reached Chia Jui's ears, half of hisbody had become stiff like a log of wood; and as he betook himself away, with lothful step, he turned his head round to cast glances at her. LadyFeng purposely slackened her pace; and when she perceived that he hadgone a certain distance, she gave way to reflection. "This is indeed, "she thought, "knowing a person, as far as face goes, and not as heart!Can there be another such a beast as he! If he really continues tobehave in this manner, I shall soon enough compass his death, with myown hands, and he'll then know what stuff I'm made of. "

Lady Feng, at this juncture moved onward, and after turning round achain of hillocks, she caught sight of two or three matrons coming alongwith all speed. As soon as they espied lady Feng they put on a smile. "Our mistress, " they said, "perceiving that your ladyship was notforthcoming, has been in a great state of anxiety, and bade yourservants come again to request you to come over. 

"Is your mistress, " observed lady Feng, "so like a quick-footed demon?"

While lady Feng advanced leisurely, she inquired, "How many plays havebeen recited?" to which question one of the matrons replied, "They havegone through eight or nine. " But while engaged in conversation, they hadalready reached the back door of the Tower of Celestial Fragrance, whereshe caught sight of Pao-yü playing with a company of waiting-maids andpages. "Brother Pao, " lady Feng exclaimed, "don't be up to too muchmischief!" "The ladies are all sitting upstairs, " interposed one of themaids. "Please, my lady, this is the way up. "

At these words lady Feng slackened her pace, raised her dress, andwalked up the stairs, where Mrs. Yu was already at the top of thelanding waiting for her. 

"You two, " remarked Mrs. Yu, smiling, "are so friendly, that having metyou couldn't possibly tear yourself away to come. You had betterto-morrow move over there and take up your quarters with her and havedone; but sit down and let me, first of all, present you a glass ofwine. "

Lady Feng speedily drew near mesdames Hsing and Wang, and beggedpermission to take a seat; while Mrs. Yu brought the programme, andpressed lady Feng to mark some plays. 

"The senior ladies occupy the seats of honour, " remonstrated lady Feng, "and how can I presume to choose?"

"We, and our relative by marriage, have selected several plays, "explained mesdames Hsing and Wang, "and it's for you now to choose somegood ones for us to listen to. "

Standing up, lady Feng signified her obedience; and taking over theprogramme, and perusing it from top to bottom, she marked off oneentitled, the "Return of the Spirit, " and another called "Thrumming andSinging;" after which she handed back the programme, observing, "Whenthey have done with the 'Ennoblement of two Officers, ' which they aresinging just at present, it will be time enough to sing these two. "

"Of course it will, " retorted madame Wang, "but they should get it overas soon as they can, so as to allow your elder Brother and yourSister-in-law to have rest; besides, their hearts are not at ease. "

"You senior ladies don't come often, " expostulated Mrs. Yu, "and you andI will derive more enjoyment were we to stay a little longer; it's asyet early in the day!"

Lady Feng stood up and looked downstairs. "Where have all the gentlemengone to?" she inquired. 

"The gentlemen have just gone over to the Pavilion of PlenteousEffulgence, " replied a matron, who stood by; "they have taken along withthem ten musicians and gone in there to drink their wine. "

"It wasn't convenient for them, " remarked lady Feng, "to be over here;but who knows what they have again gone to do behind our backs?"

"Could every one, " interposed Mrs. Yu, "resemble you, a person of suchpropriety!"

While they indulged in chatting and laughing, the plays they had chosenwere all finished; whereupon the tables were cleared of the wines, andthe repast was served. The meal over, the whole company adjourned intothe garden, and came and sat in the drawing-room. After tea, they atlength gave orders to get ready the carriages, and they took their leaveof Mrs. Yu's mother. Mrs. Yu, attended by all the secondary wives, servants, and married women, escorted them out, while Chia Chen, alongwith the whole bevy of young men, stood by the vehicles, waiting in agroup for their arrival. 

After saluting mesdames Hsing and Wang, "Aunts, " they said, "you mustcome over again to-morrow for a stroll. "

"We must be excused, " observed madame Wang, "we've sat here the wholeday to-day, and are, after all, feeling quite tired; besides, we shallneed to have some rest to-morrow. "

Both of them thereupon got into their carriages and took theirdeparture, while Chia Jui still kept a fixed gaze upon lady Feng; and itwas after Chia Chen had gone in that Li Kuei led round the horse, andthat Pao-yü mounted and went off, following in the track of mesdamesHsing and Wang. 

Chia Chen and the whole number of brothers and nephews belonging to thefamily had, during this interval, partaken of their meal, and the wholeparty at length broke up. But in like manner, all the inmates of theclan and the guests spent on the morrow another festive day, but we neednot advert to it with any minuteness. 

After this occasion, lady Feng came in person and paid frequent visitsto Mrs. Ch'in; but as there were some days on which her ailment wasconsiderably better, and others on which it was considerably worse, ChiaChen, Mrs. Yu, and Chia Jung were in an awful state of anxiety. 

Chia Jui, it must moreover be noticed, came over, on several instances, on a visit to the Jung mansion; but it invariably happened that he foundthat lady Feng had gone over to the Ning mansion. 

This was just the thirtieth of the eleventh moon, the day on which thewinter solstice fell; and the few days preceding that season, dowagerlady Chia, madame Wang and lady Feng did not let one day go by withoutsending some one to inquire about Mrs. Ch'in; and as the servants, ontheir return, repeatedly reported that, during the last few days, neither had her ailment aggravated, nor had it undergone any markedimprovement, madame Wang explained to dowager lady Chia, that as acomplaint of this nature had reached this kind of season without gettingany worse, there was some hope of recovery. 

"Of course there is!" observed the old lady; "what a dear child she is!should anything happen to her, won't it be enough to make people diefrom grief!" and as she spake she felt for a time quite sore at heart. "You and she, " continuing, she said to lady Feng, "have been friends forever so long; to-morrow is the glorious first (and you can't go), butafter to-morrow you should pay her a visit and minutely scrutinise herappearance: and should you find her any better, come and tell me on yourreturn! Whatever things that dear child has all along a fancy for, dosend her round a few even as often as you can by some one or other!"

Lady Feng assented to each of her recommendations; and when the secondarrived, she came, after breakfast, to the Ning mansion to see how Mrs. Ch'in was getting on; and though she found her none the worse, the fleshall over her face and person had however become emaciated and parchedup. She readily sat with Mrs. Ch'in for a long while, and after they hadchatted on one thing and another, she again reiterated the assurancesthat this illness involved no danger, and distracted her for ever solong. 

"Whether I get well or not, " observed Mrs. Ch'in, "we'll know in spring;now winter is just over, and I'm anyhow no worse, so that possibly I mayget all right; and yet there's no saying; but, my dear sister-in-law, dopress our old lady to compose her mind! yesterday, her ladyship sent mesome potato dumplings, with minced dates in them, and though I had two, they seem after all to be very easily digested!"

"I'll send you round some more to-morrow, " lady Feng suggested; "I'm nowgoing to look up your mother-in-law, and will then hurry back to give myreport to our dowager lady. "

"Please, sister-in-law, " Mrs. Ch'in said, "present my best respects toher venerable ladyship, as well as to madame Wang. "

Lady Feng signified that she would comply with her wishes, and, forthwith leaving the apartment, she came over and sat in Mrs. Yu'ssuite of rooms. 

"How do you, who don't see our son's wife very often, happen to findher?" inquired Mrs. Yu. 

Lady Feng drooped her head for some time. "There's no help, " sheventured, "for this illness! but you should likewise make everysubsequent preparation, for it would also be well if you could scour itaway. "

"I've done so much as to secretly give orders, " replied Mrs. Yu, "to getthings ready; but for that thing (the coffin), there's no good timber tobe found, so that it will have to be looked after by and by. "

Lady Feng swallowed hastily a cup of tea, and after a short chat, "Imust be hurrying back, " she remarked, "to deliver my message to ourdowager lady!"

"You should, " urged Mrs. Yu, "be sparse in what you tell her lady shipso as not to frighten an old person like her!"

"I know well enough what to say, " replied lady Feng. 

Without any further delay, lady Feng then sped back. On her arrival athome she looked up the old lady. "Brother Jung's wife, " she explained, "presents her compliments, and pays obeisance to your venerableladyship; she says that she's much better, and entreats you, her worthysenior, to set your mind at ease! That as soon as she's a little bettershe will come and prostrate herself before your ladyship. "

"How do you find her?" inquired dowager lady Chia. 

"For the present there's nothing to fear, " continued lady Feng; "for hermien is still good. "

After the old lady had heard these words, she was plunged for a longwhile in deep reflection; and as she turned towards lady Feng, "Go anddivest yourself of your toilette, " she said, "and have some rest. "

Lady Feng in consequence signified her obedience, and walked away, returning home after paying madame Wang a visit. P'ing Erh helped ladyFeng to put on the house costume, which she had warmed by the fire, andlady Feng eventually took a seat and asked "whether there was anythingdoing at home?"

P'ing Erh then brought the tea, and after going over to hand the cup:"There's nothing doing, " she replied; "as regards the interest on thethree hundred taels, Wang Erh's wife has brought it in, and I've put itaway. Besides this, Mr. Jui sent round to inquire if your ladyship wasat home or not, as he meant to come and pay his respects and to have achat. "

"Heng!" exclaimed lady Feng at these words. "Why should this beastcompass his own death? we'll see when he comes what is to be done. "

"Why is this Mr. Jui so bent upon coming?' P'ing Erh having inquired, lady Feng readily gave her an account of how she had met him in thecourse of the ninth moon in the Ning mansion, and of what had been saidby him. 

"What a mangy frog to be bent upon eating the flesh of a heavenlygoose!" ejaculated P'ing Erh. "A stupid and disorderly fellow with noconception of relationship, to harbour such a thought! but we'll makehim find an unnatural death!"

"Wait till he comes, " added lady Feng, "when I feel certain I shall findsome way. "

What happened, however, when Chia Jui came has not, as yet, beenascertained, but listen, reader, to the explanation given in the nextchapter. 

CHAPTER XII. 

 Wang Hsi-feng maliciously lays a trap for Chia Jui, under pretence that his affection is reciprocated. Chia T'ien-hsiang gazes at the face of the mirror of Voluptuousness. 

Lady Feng, it must be noticed in continuation of our narrative, was justengaged in talking with P'ing Erh, when they heard some one announcethat Mr. Jui had come. Lady Feng gave orders that he should be invitedto step in, and Chia Jui perceiving that he had been asked to walk inwas at heart elated at the prospect of seeing her. 

With a face beaming with smiles, Lady Feng inquired again and again howhe was; and, with simulated tenderness she further pressed him to take aseat and urged him to have a cup of tea. 

Chia Jui noticed how still more voluptuous lady Feng looked in herpresent costume, and, as his eyes burnt with love, "How is it, " heinquired, "that my elder brother Secundus is not yet back?"

"What the reason is I cannot tell, " lady Feng said by way of reply. 

"May it not be, " Chia Jui smilingly insinuated, "that some fair damselhas got hold of him on the way, and that he cannot brook to tear himselffrom her to come home?"

"That makes it plain that there are those among men who fall in lovewith any girl they cast their eyes on, " hinted lady Feng. 

"Your remarks are, sister-in-law, incorrect, for I'm none of this kind!"Chia Jui explained smirkingly. 

"How many like you can there be!" rejoined lady Feng with a sarcasticsmile; "in ten, not one even could be picked out!"

When Chia Jui heard these words, he felt in such high glee that herubbed his ears and smoothed his cheeks. "My sister-in-law, " hecontinued, "you must of course be extremely lonely day after day. "

"Indeed I am, " observed lady Feng, "and I only wish some one would comeand have a chat with me to break my dull monotony. "

"I daily have ample leisure, " Chia Jui ventured with a simper, "andwouldn't it be well if I came every day to dispel your dulness, sister-in-law?"

"You are simply fooling me, " exclaimed lady Feng laughing. "It isn'tlikely you would wish to come over here to me?"

"If in your presence, sister-in-law, I utter a single word of falsehood, may the thunder from heaven blast me!" protested Chia Jui. "It's onlybecause I had all along heard people say that you were a dreadfulperson, and that you cannot condone even the slightest shortcomingcommitted in your presence, that I was induced to keep back by fear; butafter seeing you, on this occasion, so chatty, so full of fun and mostconsiderate to others, how can I not come? were it to be the cause of mydeath, I would be even willing to come!"

"You're really a clever person, " lady Feng observed sarcastically. "Andoh so much superior to both Chia Jung and his brother! Handsome as theirpresence was to look at, I imagined their minds to be full ofintelligence, but who would have thought that they would, after all, bea couple of stupid worms, without the least notion of human affection!"

The words which Chia Jui heard, fell in so much the more with his ownsentiments, that he could not restrain himself from again pressingforward nearer to her; and as with eyes strained to give intentness tohis view, he gazed at lady Feng's purse: "What rings have you got on?"he went on to ask. 

"You should be a little more deferential, " remonstrated lady Feng in alow tone of voice, "so as not to let the waiting-maids detect us. "

Chia Jui withdrew backward with as much alacrity as if he had receivedan Imperial decree or a mandate from Buddha. 

"You ought to be going!" lady Feng suggested, as she gave him a smile. 

"Do let me stay a while longer, " entreated Chia Jui, "you are indeedruthless, my sister-in-law. "

But with gentle voice did lady Feng again expostulate. "In broaddaylight, " she said, "with people coming and going, it is not reallyconvenient that you should abide in here; so you had better go, and whenit's dark and the watch is set, you can come over, and quietly wait forme in the corridor on the Eastern side!"

At these words, Chia Jui felt as if he had received some jewel orprecious thing. "Don't make fun of me!" he remarked with vehemence. "Theonly thing is that crowds of people are ever passing from there, and howwill it be possible for me to evade detection?"

"Set your mind at ease!" lady Feng advised; "I shall dismiss on leaveall the youths on duty at night; and when the doors, on both sides, areclosed, there will be no one else to come in!"

Chia Jui was delighted beyond measure by the assurance, and withimpetuous haste, he took his leave and went off; convinced at heart ofthe gratification of his wishes. He continued, up to the time of dusk, aprey to keen expectation; and, when indeed darkness fell, he felt hisway into the Jung mansion, availing himself of the moment, when thedoors were being closed, to slip into the corridor, where everything wasactually pitch dark, and not a soul to be seen going backwards orforwards. 

The door leading over to dowager lady Chia's apartments had already beenput under key, and there was but one gate, the one on the East, whichhad not as yet been locked. Chia Jui lent his ear, and listened for everso long, but he saw no one appear. Suddenly, however, was heard a soundlike "lo teng, " and the east gate was also bolted; but though Chia Juiwas in a great state of impatience, he none the less did not venture toutter a sound. All that necessity compelled him to do was to issue, withquiet steps, from his corner, and to try the gates by pushing; but theywere closed as firmly as if they had been made fast with iron bolts; andmuch though he may, at this juncture, have wished to find his way out, escape was, in fact, out of the question; on the south and north was onecontinuous dead wall, which, even had he wished to scale, there wasnothing which he could clutch and pull himself up by. 

This room, besides, was one the interior (of which was exposed) to thewind, which entered through (the fissure) of the door; and was perfectlyempty and bare; and the weather being, at this time, that of December, and the night too very long, the northerly wind, with its biting gusts, was sufficient to penetrate the flesh and to cleave the bones, so thatthe whole night long he had a narrow escape from being frozen to death;and he was yearning, with intolerable anxiety for the break of day, whenhe espied an old matron go first and open the door on the East side, andthen come in and knock at the western gate. 

Chia Jui seeing that she had turned her face away, bolted out, like astreak of smoke, as he hugged his shoulders with his hands (from intensecold. ) As luck would have it, the hour was as yet early, so that theinmates of the house had not all got out of bed; and making his escapefrom the postern door, he straightaway betook himself home, running backthe whole way. 

Chia Jui's parents had, it must be explained, departed life at an earlyperiod, and he had no one else, besides his grandfather Tai-ju, to takecharge of his support and education. This Tai-ju had, all along, exercised a very strict control, and would not allow Chia Jui to evenmake one step too many, in the apprehension that he might gad about outof doors drinking and gambling, to the neglect of his studies. 

Seeing, on this unexpected occasion, that he had not come home the wholenight, he simply felt positive, in his own mind, that he was certain tohave run about, if not drinking, at least gambling, and dissipating inhouses of the demi-monde up to the small hours; but he never even gaveso much as a thought to the possibility of a public scandal, as that inwhich he was involved. The consequence was that during the whole lengthof the night he boiled with wrath. 

Chia Jui himself, on the other hand, was (in such a state oftrepidation) that he could wipe the perspiration (off his face) byhandfuls; and he felt constrained on his return home, to have recourseto deceitful excuses, simply explaining that he had been at his eldestmaternal uncle's house, and that when it got dark, they kept him tospend the night there. 

"Hitherto, " remonstrated Tai-ju, "when about to go out of doors, younever ventured to go, on your own hook, without first telling me aboutit, and how is it that yesterday you surreptitiously left the house? forthis offence alone you deserve a beating, and how much more for the lieimposed upon me. "

Into such a violent fit of anger did he consequently fly that layinghands on him, he pulled him over and administered to him thirty or fortyblows with a cane. Nor would he allow him to have anything to eat, butbade him remain on his knees in the court conning essays; impressing onhis mind that he would not let him off, before he had made up for thelast ten days' lessons. 

Chia Jui had in the first instance, frozen the whole night, and, in thenext place, came in for a flogging. With a stomach, besides, gnawed bythe pangs of hunger, he had to kneel in a place exposed to draftsreading the while literary compositions, so that the hardships he had toendure were of manifold kinds. 

Chia Jui's infamous intentions had at this junction undergone no change;but far from his thoughts being even then any idea that lady Feng washumbugging him, he seized, after the lapse of a couple of days, thefirst leisure moments to come again in search of that lady. 

Lady Feng pretended to bear him a grudge for his breach of faith, andChia Jui was so distressed that he tried by vows and oaths (to establishhis innocence. ) Lady Feng perceiving that he had, of his own accord, fallen into the meshes of the net laid for him, could not but deviseanother plot to give him a lesson and make him know what was right andmend his ways. 

With this purpose, she gave him another assignation. "Don't go overthere, " she said, "to-night, but wait for me in the empty rooms givingon to a small passage at the back of these apartments of mine. Butwhatever you do, mind don't be reckless. "

"Are you in real earnest?" Chia Jui inquired. 

"Why, who wants to play with you?" replied lady Feng; "if you don'tbelieve what I say, well then don't come!"

"I'll come, I'll come, yea I'll come, were I even to die!" protestedChia Jui. 

"You should first at this very moment get away!" lady Feng havingsuggested, Chia Jui, who felt sanguine that when evening came, successwould for a certainty crown his visit, took at once his departure inanticipation (of his pleasure. )

During this interval lady Feng hastily set to work to dispose of herresources, and to add to her stratagems, and she laid a trap for hervictim; while Chia Jui, on the other hand, was until the shades ofdarkness fell, a prey to incessant expectation. 

As luck would have it a relative of his happened to likewise come onthat very night to their house and to only leave after he had dinnerwith them, and at an hour of the day when the lamps had already beenlit; but he had still to wait until his grandfather had retired to restbefore he could, at length with precipitate step, betake himself intothe Jung mansion. 

Straightway he came into the rooms in the narrow passage, and waitedwith as much trepidation as if he had been an ant in a hot pan. Hehowever waited and waited, but he saw no one arrive; he listened but noteven the sound of a voice reached his ear. His heart was full of intensefear, and he could not restrain giving way to surmises and suspicion. "May it not be, " he thought, "that she is not coming again; and that Imay have once more to freeze for another whole night?"

While indulging in these erratic reflections, he discerned some onecoming, looking like a black apparition, who Chia Jui readily concluded, in his mind, must be lady Feng; so that, unmindful of distinguishingblack from white, he as soon as that person arrived in front of him, speedily clasped her in his embrace, like a ravenous tiger pouncing uponits prey, or a cat clawing a rat, and cried: "My darling sister, youhave made me wait till I'm ready to die. "

As he uttered these words, he dragged the comer, in his arms, on to thecouch in the room; and while indulging in kisses and protestations ofwarm love, he began to cry out at random epithets of endearment. 

Not a sound, however, came from the lips of the other person; and ChiaJui had in the fulness of his passion, exceeded the bounds of timid loveand was in the act of becoming still more affectionate in hisprotestations, when a sudden flash of a light struck his eye, by therays of which he espied Chia Se with a candle in hand, casting the lightround the place, "Who's in this room?" he exclaimed. 

"Uncle Jui, " he heard some one on the couch explain, laughing, "wastrying to take liberties with me!"

Chia Jui at one glance became aware that it was no other than Chia Jung;and a sense of shame at once so overpowered him that he could findnowhere to hide himself; nor did he know how best to extricate himselffrom the dilemma. Turning himself round, he made an attempt to make goodhis escape, when Chia Se with one grip clutched him in his hold. 

"Don't run away, " he said; "sister-in-law Lien has already reported yourconduct to madame Wang; and explained that you had tried to make hercarry on an improper flirtation with you; that she had temporised byhaving recourse to a scheme to escape your importunities, and that shehad imposed upon you in such a way as to make you wait for her in thisplace. Our lady was so terribly incensed, that she well-nigh succumbed;and hence it is that she bade me come and catch you! Be quick now andfollow me, and let us go and see her. "

After Chia Jui had heard these words, his very soul could not becontained within his body. 

"My dear nephew, " he entreated, "do tell her that it wasn't I; and I'llshow you my gratitude to-morrow in a substantial manner. "

"Letting you off, " rejoined Chia Se, "is no difficult thing; but howmuch, I wonder, are you likely to give? Besides, what you now utter withyour lips, there will be no proof to establish; so you had better writea promissory note. "

"How could I put what happened in black and white on paper?" observedChia Jui. 

"There's no difficulty about that either!" replied Chia Se; "just writean account of a debt due, for losses in gambling, to some one outside;for payment of which you had to raise funds, by a loan of a statednumber of taels, from the head of the house; and that will be all thatis required. "

"This is, in fact, easy enough!" Chia Jui having added by way of answer;Chia Se turned round and left the room; and returning with paper andpencils, which had been got ready beforehand for the purpose, he badeChia Jui write. The two of them (Chia Jung and Chia Se) tried, the oneto do a good turn, and the other to be perverse in his insistence; but(Chia Jui) put down no more than fifty taels, and appended hissignature. 

Chia Se pocketed the note, and endeavoured subsequently to induce ChiaJung to come away; but Chia Jung was, at the outset, obdurate andunwilling to give in, and kept on repeating; "To-morrow, I'll tell themembers of our clan to look into your nice conduct!"

These words plunged Chia Jui in such a state of dismay, that he evenwent so far as to knock his head on the ground; but, as Chia Se wastrying to get unfair advantage of him though he had at first done him agood turn, he had to write another promissory note for fifty taels, before the matter was dropped. 

Taking up again the thread of the conversation, Chia Se remarked, "Nowwhen I let you go, I'm quite ready to bear the blame! But the gate atour old lady's over there is already bolted, and Mr. Chia Cheng is justnow engaged in the Hall, looking at the things which have arrived fromNanking, so that it would certainly be difficult for you to pass throughthat way. The only safe course at present is by the back gate; but ifyou do go by there, and perchance meet any one, even I will be in for amess; so you might as well wait until I go first and have a peep, whenI'll come and fetch you! You couldn't anyhow conceal yourself in thisroom; for in a short time they'll be coming to stow the things away, andyou had better let me find a safe place for you. "

These words ended, he took hold of Chia Jui, and, extinguishing againthe lantern, he brought him out into the court, feeling his way up tothe bottom of the steps of the large terrace. "It's safe enough in thisnest, " he observed, "but just squat down quietly and don't utter asound; wait until I come back before you venture out. "

Having concluded this remark, the two of them (Chia Se and Chia Jung)walked away; while Chia Jui was, all this time, out of his senses, andfelt constrained to remain squatting at the bottom of the terracestairs. He was about to consider what course was open for him to adopt, when he heard a noise just over his head; and, with a splash, thecontents of a bucket, consisting entirely of filthy water, was emptiedstraight down over him from above, drenching, as luck would have it, hiswhole person and head. 

Chia Jui could not suppress an exclamation. "Ai ya!" he cried, but hehastily stopped his mouth with his hands, and did not venture to givevent to another sound. His whole head and face were a mass of filth, andhis body felt icy cold. But as he shivered and shook, he espied Chia Secome running. "Get off, " he shouted, "with all speed! off with you atonce!"

As soon as Chia Jui returned to life again, he bolted with hastystrides, out of the back gate, and ran the whole way home. The night hadalready reached the third watch, so that he had to knock at the door forit to be opened. 

"What's the matter?" inquired the servants, when they saw him in thissorry plight; (an inquiry) which placed him in the necessity of makingsome false excuse. "The night was dark, " he explained, "and my footslipped and I fell into a gutter. "

Saying this, he betook himself speedily to his own apartment; and it wasonly after he had changed his clothes and performed his ablutions, thathe began to realise that lady Feng had made a fool of him. Heconsequently gave way to a fit of wrath; but upon recalling to mind thecharms of lady Feng's face, he felt again extremely aggrieved that hecould not there and then clasp her in his embrace, and as he indulged inthese wild thoughts and fanciful ideas, he could not the whole nightlong close his eyes. 

From this time forward his mind was, it is true, still with lady Feng, but he did not have the courage to put his foot into the Jung mansion;and with Chia Jung and Chia Se both coming time and again to dun him forthe money, he was likewise full of fears lest his grandfather shouldcome to know everything. 

His passion for lady Feng was, in fact, already a burden hard to bear, and when, moreover, the troubles of debts were superadded to his tasks, which were also during the whole day arduous, he, a young man of abouttwenty, as yet unmarried, and a prey to constant cravings for lady Feng, which were difficult to gratify, could not avoid giving way, to a greatextent, to such evil habits as exhausted his energies. His lot had, whatis more, been on two occasions to be frozen, angered and to endure muchhardship, so that with the attacks received time and again from allsides, he unconsciously soon contracted an organic disease. In his heartinflammation set in; his mouth lost the sense of taste; his feet got assoft as cotton from weakness; his eyes stung, as if there were vinegarin them. At night, he burnt with fever. During the day, he wasrepeatedly under the effects of lassitude. Perspiration was profuse, while with his expectorations of phlegm, he brought up blood. The wholenumber of these several ailments came upon him, before the expiry of ayear, (with the result that) in course of time, he had not the strengthto bear himself up. Of a sudden, he would fall down, and with his eyes, albeit closed, his spirit would be still plunged in confused dreams, while his mouth would be full of nonsense and he would be subject tostrange starts. 

Every kind of doctor was asked to come in, and every treatment hadrecourse to; and, though of such medicines as cinnamon, aconitum seeds, turtle shell, ophiopogon, Yü-chü herb, and the like, he took severaltens of catties, he nevertheless experienced no change for the better;so that by the time the twelfth moon drew once again to an end, andspring returned, this illness had become still more serious. 

Tai-ju was very much concerned, and invited doctors from all parts toattend to him, but none of them could do him any good. And as later on, he had to take nothing else but decoctions of pure ginseng, Tai-ju couldnot of course afford it. Having no other help but to come over to theJung mansion, and make requisition for some, Madame Wang asked lady Fengto weigh two taels of it and give it to him. "The other day, " rejoinedlady Feng, "not long ago, when we concocted some medicine for ourdowager lady, you told us, madame, to keep the pieces that were whole, to present to the spouse of General Yang to make physic with, and as ithappens it was only yesterday that I sent some one round with them. "

"If there's none over here in our place, " suggested madame Wang, "justsend a servant to your mother-in-law's, on the other side, to inquirewhether they have any. Or it may possibly be that your elderbrother-in-law Chen, over there, might have a little. If so, put all youget together, and give it to them; and when he shall have taken it, andgot well and you shall have saved the life of a human being, it willreally be to the benefit of you all. "

Lady Feng acquiesced; but without directing a single person to instituteany search, she simply took some refuse twigs, and making up a few mace, she despatched them with the meagre message that they had been sent bymadame Wang, and that there was, in fact, no more; subsequentlyreporting to madame Wang that she had asked for and obtained all therewas and that she had collected as much as two taels, and forwarded it tothem. 

Chia Jui was, meanwhile, very anxious to recover his health, so thatthere was no medicine that he would not take, but the outlay of moneywas of no avail, for he derived no benefit. 

On a certain day and at an unexpected moment, a lame Taoist priest cameto beg for alms, and he averred that he had the special gift of healingdiseases arising from grievances received, and as Chia Jui happened, from inside, to hear what he said, he forthwith shouted out: "Go atonce, and bid that divine come in and save my life!" while hereverentially knocked his head on the pillow. 

The whole bevy of servants felt constrained to usher the Taoist in; andChia Jui, taking hold of him with a dash, "My Buddha!" he repeatedlycried out, "save my life!"

The Taoist heaved a sigh. "This ailment of yours, " he remarked, "is notone that could be healed with any medicine; I have a precious thing herewhich I'll give you, and if you gaze at it every day, your life can besaved!"

When he had done talking, he produced from his pouch a looking-glasswhich could reflect a person's face on the front and back as well. Onthe upper part of the back were engraved the four characters: "PreciousMirror of Voluptuousness. " Handing it over to Chia Jui: "This object, "he proceeded, "emanates from the primordial confines of the Great Voidand has been wrought by the Monitory Dream Fairy in the Palace ofUnreality and Spirituality, with the sole intent of healing theillnesses which originate from evil thoughts and improper designs. Possessing, as it does, the virtue of relieving mankind and preservinglife, I have consequently brought it along with me into the world, but Ionly give it to those intelligent preëminent and refined princely men toset their eyes on. On no account must you look at the front side; andyou should only gaze at the back of it; this is urgent, this isexpedient! After three days, I shall come and fetch it away; by whichtime, I'm sure, it will have made him all right. "

These words finished, he walked away with leisurely step, and though alltried to detain him, they could not succeed. 

Chia Jui received the mirror. "This Taoist, " he thought, "would seem tospeak sensibly, and why should I not look at it and try its effect?" Atthe conclusion of these thoughts, he took up the Mirror ofVoluptuousness, and cast his eyes on the obverse side; but uponperceiving nought else than a skeleton standing in it, Chia Juisustained such a fright that he lost no time in covering it with hishands and in abusing the Taoist. "You good-for-nothing!" he exclaimed, "why should you frighten me so? but I'll go further and look at thefront and see what it's like. "

While he reflected in this manner, he readily looked into the face ofthe mirror, wherein he caught sight of lady Feng standing, nodding herhead and beckoning to him. With one gush of joy, Chia Jui felt himself, in a vague and mysterious manner, transported into the mirror, where heheld an affectionate tête-à-tête with lady Feng. Lady Feng escorted himout again. On his return to bed, he gave vent to an exclamation of "Aiyah!" and opening his eyes, he turned the glass over once more; butstill, as hitherto, stood the skeleton in the back part. 

Chia Jui had, it is true, experienced all the pleasant sensations of atête-à-tête, but his heart nevertheless did not feel gratified; so thathe again turned the front round, and gazed at lady Feng, as she stillwaved her hand and beckoned to him to go. Once more entering the mirror, he went on in the same way for three or four times, until this occasion, when just as he was about to issue from the mirror, he espied twopersons come up to him, who made him fast with chains round the neck, and hauled him away. Chia Jui shouted. "Let me take the mirror and I'llcome along. " But only this remark could he utter, for it was forthwithbeyond his power to say one word more. The servants, who stood by inattendance, saw him at first still holding the glass in his hand andlooking in, and then, when it fell from his grasp, open his eyes againto pick it up, but when at length the mirror dropped, and he at onceceased to move, they in a body came forward to ascertain what hadhappened to him. He had already breathed his last. The lower part of hisbody was icy-cold; his clothes moist from profuse perspiration. With allpromptitude they changed him there and then, and carried him to anotherbed. 

Tai-ju and his wife wept bitterly for him, to the utter disregard oftheir own lives, while in violent terms they abused the Taoist priest. "What kind of magical mirror is it?" they asked. "If we don't destroythis glass, it will do harm to not a few men in the world!"

Having forthwith given directions to bring fire and burn it, a voice washeard in the air to say, "Who told you to look into the face of it? Youyourselves have mistaken what is false for what is true, and why burnthis glass of mine?"

Suddenly the mirror was seen to fly away into the air; and when Tai-juwent out of doors to see, he found no one else than the limping Taoist, shouting, "Who is he who wishes to destroy the Mirror ofVoluptuousness?" While uttering these words, he snatched the glass, and, as all eyes were fixed upon him, he moved away lissomely, as if swayedby the wind. 

Tai-ju at once made preparations for the funeral and went everywhere togive notice that on the third day the obsequies would commence, that onthe seventh the procession would start to escort the coffin to the IronFence Temple, and that on the subsequent day, it would be taken to hisoriginal home. 

Not much time elapsed before all the members of the Chia family came, ina body, to express their condolences. Chia She, of the Jung Mansion, presented twenty taels, and Chia Cheng also gave twenty taels. Of theNing Mansion, Chia Chen likewise contributed twenty taels. The remainderof the members of the clan, of whom some were poor and some rich, andnot equally well off, gave either one or two taels, or three or four, some more, some less. Among strangers, there were also contributions, respectively presented by the families of his fellow-scholars, amounting, likewise, collectively to twenty or thirty taels. 

The private means of Tai-ju were, it is true, precarious, but with themonetary assistance he obtained, he anyhow performed the funeral riteswith all splendour and éclat. 

But who would have thought it, at the close of winter of this year, LinJu-hai contracted a serious illness, and forwarded a letter, by someone, with the express purpose of fetching Lin Tai-yü back. Thesetidings, when they reached dowager lady Chia, naturally added to thegrief and distress (she already suffered), but she felt compelled tomake speedy preparations for Tai-yü's departure. Pao-yü too wasintensely cut up, but he had no alternative but to defer to theaffection of father and daughter; nor could he very well place anyhindrance in the way. 

Old lady Chia, in due course, made up her mind that she would like ChiaLien to accompany her, and she also asked him to bring her back againalong with him. But no minute particulars need be given of the manifoldlocal presents and of the preparations, which were, of course, everything that could be wished for in excellence and perfectness. Forthwith the day for starting was selected, and Chia Lien, along withLin Tai-yü, said good-bye to all the members of the family, and, followed by their attendants, they went on board their boats, and setout on their journey for Yang Chou. 

But, Reader, should you have any wish to know fuller details, listen tothe account given in the subsequent Chapter. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

 Ch'in K'o-ch'ing dies, and Chia Jung is invested with the rank of military officer to the Imperial Body-guard. Wang Hsi-feng lends her help in the management of the Jung Kuo Mansion. 

Lady Feng, it must be added, in prosecuting our narrative, was eversince Chia Lien's departure to accompany Tai-yü to Yang Chou, reallyvery dejected at heart; and every day, when evening came, she would, after simply indulging in a chat and a laugh with P'ing Erh, turn in, ina heedless frame of mind, for the night. 

In the course of the night of this day, she had been sitting with P'ingErh by lamp-light clasping the hand-stove; and weary of doing her workof embroidery, she had at an early hour, given orders to warm theembroidered quilt, and both had gone to bed; and as she was bending herfingers, counting the progress of the journey, and when they should bearriving, unexpectedly, the third watch struck. 

P'ing Erh had already fallen fast asleep; and lady Feng was feeling atlength her sleepy eyes slightly dose, when she faintly discerned Mrs. Ch'in walk in from outside. 

"My dear sister-in-law, " she said as she smiled, "sleep in peace; I'm onmy way back to-day, and won't even you accompany me just one stage? Butas you and I have been great friends all along, I cannot part from you, sister-in-law, and have therefore come to take my leave of you. Thereis, besides, a wish of mine, which isn't yet accomplished; and if Idon't impart it to you, it isn't likely that telling any one else willbe of any use. "

Lady Feng could not make out the sense of the words she heard. "Whatwish is it you have?" she inquired, "do tell me, and it will be safeenough with me. "

"You are, my dear sister-in-law, a heroine among women, " observed Mrs. Ch'in, "so much so that those famous men, with sashes and official hats, cannot excel you; how is it that you're not aware of even a couple oflines of common adages, of that trite saying, 'when the moon is full, itbegins to wane; when the waters are high, they must overflow?' and ofthat other which says that 'if you ascend high, heavy must be yourfall. ' Our family has now enjoyed splendour and prosperity for alreadywell-nigh a century, but a day comes when at the height of good fortune, calamity arises; and if the proverb that 'when the tree falls, themonkeys scatter, ' be fulfilled, will not futile have been the reputationof culture and old standing of a whole generation?"

Lady Feng at these words felt her heart heavy, and overpowered byintense awe and veneration. 

"The fears you express are well founded, " she urgently remarked, "butwhat plan is there adequate to preserve it from future injury?"

"My dear sister-in-law, " rejoined Mrs. Ch'in with a sardonic smile, "you're very simple indeed! When woe has reached its climax, wealsupervenes. Prosperity and adversity, from days of yore up to thepresent time, now pass away, and now again revive, and how can(prosperity) be perpetuated by any human exertion? But if now, we couldin the time of good fortune, make provision against any worldlyconcerns, which might arise at any season of future adversity, we mightin fact prolong and preserve it. Everything, for instance, is at presentwell-regulated; but there are two matters which are not on a surefooting, and if such and such suitable action could be adopted withregard to these concerns, it will, in subsequent days, be found easy toperpetuate the family welfare in its entity. "

"What matters are these?" inquired lady Feng. 

"Though at the graves of our ancestors, " explained Mrs. Ch'in, "sacrifices and oblations be offered at the four seasons, there'snevertheless no fixed source of income. In the second place, the familyschool is, it is true, in existence; but it has no definitegrants-in-aid. According to my views, now that the times are prosperous, there's, as a matter of course, no lack of offerings and contributions;but by and bye, when reverses set in, whence will these two outlays bemet from? Would it not be as well, and my ideas are positive on thisscore, to avail ourselves of the present time, when riches and honoursstill reign, to establish in the immediate vicinity of our ancestraltombs, a large number of farms, cottages, and estates, in order toenable the expenditure for offerings and grants to entirely emanate fromthis source? And if the household school were also established on thisprinciple, the old and young in the whole clan can, after they have, bycommon consent, determined upon rules, exercise in days to come control, in the order of the branches, over the affairs connected with the landedproperty, revenue, ancestral worship and school maintenance for the year(of their respective term. ) Under this rotatory system, there willlikewise be no animosities; neither will there be any mortgages, orsales, or any of these numerous malpractices; and should any one happento incur blame, his personal effects can be confiscated by Government. But the properties, from which will be derived the funds for ancestralworship, even the officials should not be able to appropriate, so thatwhen reverses do supervene, the sons and grandsons of the family may beable to return to their homes, and prosecute their studies, or go in forfarming. Thus, while they will have something to fall back upon, theancestral worship will, in like manner, be continued in perpetuity. But, if the present affluence and splendour be looked upon as bound to go onwithout intermission, and with no thought for the day to come, noenduring plan be after all devised, presently, in a little while, therewill, once again, transpire a felicitous occurrence of exceptional kind, which, in point of fact, will resemble the splendour of oil scorched ona violent fire, or fresh flowers decorated with brocades. You shouldbear in mind that it will also be nothing more real than a transientpageant, nothing but a short-lived pleasure! Whatever you do, don'tforget the proverb, that 'there's no banquet, however sumptuous, fromwhich the guests do not disperse;' and unless you do, at an early date, take precautions against later evils, regret will, I apprehend, be of noavail. "

"What felicitous occurrence will take place?" lady Feng inquired withalacrity. 

"The decrees of Heaven cannot be divulged; but as I have been veryfriendly with you, sister-in-law, for so long, I will present you, before I take my leave, with two lines, which it behoves you to keep inmind, " rejoined Mrs. Ch'in, as she consequently proceeded to recite whatfollows:

 The three springs, when over, all radiance will wane; The inmates to seek each a home will be fain. 

Lady Feng was bent upon making further inquiries, when she heard amessenger at the second gate strike the "cloudy board" four consecutiveblows. It was indeed the announcement of a death; and it woke up ladyFeng with a start. A servant reported that lady Jung of the easternmansion was no more. 

Lady Feng was so taken aback that a cold perspiration broke out all overher person, and she fell for a while into vacant abstraction. But shehad to change her costume, with all possible haste, and to come over tomadame Wang's apartments. 

By this time, all the members of the family were aware of the tidings, and there was not one of them who did not feel disconsolate; one and allof them were much wounded at heart. The elder generation bethoughtthemselves of the dutiful submission which she had all along displayed;those of the same age as herself reflected upon the friendship andintimacy which had ever existed with her; those younger than herremembered her past benevolence. Even the servants of the household, whether old or young, looked back upon her qualities of sympathy withthe poor, pity of the destitute, affection for the old, andconsideration for the young; and not one of them all was there who didnot mourn her loss, and give way to intense grief. 

But these irrelevant details need not be dilated upon; suffice it toconfine ourselves to Pao-yü. 

Consequent upon Lin Tai-yü's return home, he was left to his own selfand felt very lonely. Neither would he go and disport himself withothers; but with the daily return of dusk, he was wont to retire quietlyto sleep. 

On this day, while he was yet under the influence of a dream, he heardthe announcement of Mrs. Ch'in's death, and turning himself roundquickly he crept out of bed, when he felt as if his heart had beenstabbed with a sword. With a sudden retch, he straightway expectorated amouthful of blood, which so frightened Hsi Jen and the rest that theyrushed forward and supported him. 

"What is the matter?" they inquired, and they meant also to go and letdowager lady Chia know, so as to send for a doctor, but Pao-yü dissuadedthem. 

"There's no need of any flurry; it's nothing at all, " he said, "it'ssimply that the fire of grief has attacked the heart, and that the blooddid not circulate through the arteries. "

As he spoke, he speedily raised himself up, and, after asking for hisclothes and changing, he came over to see dowager lady Chia. His wishwas to go at once to the other side; and Hsi Jen, though feeling uneasyat heart, seeing the state of mind he was in, did not again hinder him, as she felt constrained to let him please himself. 

When old lady Chia saw that he was bent upon going: "The breath is justgone out of the body, " she consequently remonstrated, "and that side isstill sullied. In the second place it's now dark, and the wind is high;so you had better wait until to-morrow morning, when you will be inample time. "

Pao-yü would not agree to this, and dowager lady Chia gave orders to getthe carriage ready, and to depute a few more attendants and followers togo with him. Under this escort he went forward and straightway arrivedin front of the Ning mansion, where they saw the main entrance wideopen, the lamps on the two sides giving out a light as bright as day, and people coming and going in confused and large numbers; while thesound of weeping inside was sufficient to shake the mountains and tomove the hills. 

Pao-yü dismounted from the carriage; and with hurried step, walked intothe apartment, where the coffin was laid. He gave vent to bitter tearsfor a few minutes, and subsequently paid his salutations to Mrs. Yu. Mrs. Yu, as it happened, had just had a relapse of her old complaint ofpains in the stomach and was lying on her bed. 

He eventually came out again from her chamber to salute Chia Chen, justat the very moment that Chia Tai-ju, Chia Tai-hsiu, Chia Ch'ih, ChiaoHsiao, Chia Tun, Chia She, Chia Cheng, Chia Tsung, Chia Pin, Chia Hsing, Chia Kuang, Chia Shen, Chia Ch'iung, Chia Lin, Chia Se, Chia Ch'ang, Chia Ling, Chia Yün, Chia Ch'in, Chia Chen, Chia P'ing, Chia Tsao, ChiaHeng, Chia Fen, Chia Fang, Chia Lan, Chia Chun, Chia Chih and the otherrelatives of the families had likewise arrived in a body. 

Chia Chen wept so bitterly that he was like a man of tears. "Of thewhole family, whether young or old, distant relatives or close friends, "he was just explaining to Chia Tai-ju and the rest, "who did not knowthat this girl was a hundred times better than even our son? but nowthat her spirit has retired, it's evident that this elder branch of thefamily will be cut off and that there will be no survivor. "

While he gave vent to these words, he again burst into tears, and thewhole company of relatives set to work at once to pacify him. "She hasalready departed this life, " they argued, "and tears are also of noavail, besides the pressing thing now is to consult as to what kind ofarrangements are to be made. "

Chia Chen clapped his hands. "What arrangements are to be made!" heexclaimed; "nothing is to be done, but what is within my means. "

As they conversed, they perceived Ch'in Yeh and Ch'in Chung, as well asseveral relations of Mrs. Yu, arrive, together with Mrs. Yu's sisters;and Chia Chen forthwith bade Chia Ch'ung, Chia Shen, Chia Lin and ChiaSe, the four of them, to go and entertain the guests; while he, at thesame time, issued directions to go and ask the Astrologer of theImperial Observatory to come and choose the days for the ceremonies. 

(This Astrologer) decided that the coffin should remain in the house forseven times seven days, that is forty-nine days; that after the thirdday, the mourning rites should be begun and the formal cards should bedistributed; that all that was to be done during these forty-nine dayswas to invite one hundred and eight Buddhist bonzes to perform, in themain Hall, the High Confession Mass, in order to ford the souls ofdeparted relatives across the abyss of suffering, and afterwards totransmute the spirit (of Mrs. Ch'in); that, in addition, an altar shouldbe erected in the Tower of Heavenly Fragrance, where nine times ninevirtuous Taoist priests should, for nineteen days, offer up prayers forabsolution from punishment, and purification from retribution. Thatafter these services, the tablet should be moved into the Garden ofConcentrated Fragrance, and that in the presence of the tablet, fifteenadditional eminent bonzes and fifteen renowned Taoist Priests shouldconfront the altar and perform meritorious deeds every seven days. 

The news of the death of the wife of his eldest grandson reached ChiaChing; but as he himself felt sure that, at no distant date, he wouldascend to the regions above, he was loth to return again to his home, and so expose himself to the contamination of the world, as tocompletely waste the meritorious excellence acquired in past days. Forthis reason, he paid no heed to the event, but allowed Chia Chen a freehand to accomplish the necessary preparations. 

Chia Chen, to whom we again revert, was fond of display andextravagance, so that he found, on inspection of coffins, those few madeof pine-wood unsuitable to his taste; when, strange coincidence, HsüehP'an came to pay his visit of condolence, and perceiving that Chia Chenwas in quest of a good coffin: "In our establishment, " he readilysuggested, "we have a lot of timber of some kind or other called Ch'iangwood, which comes from the T'ieh Wang Mount, in Huang Hai; and whichmade into coffins will not rot, not for ten thousand years. This lotwas, in fact, brought down, some years back, by my late father; and hadat one time been required by His Highness I Chung, a Prince of the royalblood; but as he became guilty of some mismanagement, it was, inconsequence, not used, and is still lying stored up in ourestablishment; and another thing besides is that there's no one with themeans to purchase it. But if you do want it, you should come and have alook at it. "

Chia Chen, upon hearing this, was extremely delighted, and gave ordersthat the planks should be there and then brought over. When the wholefamily came to inspect them, they found those for the sides and thebottom to be all eight inches thick, the grain like betel-nut, the smelllike sandal-wood or musk, while, when tapped with the hand, the soundemitted was like that of precious stones; so that one and all agreed inpraising the timber for its remarkable quality. 

"What is their price?" Chia Chen inquired with a smile. 

"Even with one thousand taels in hand, " explained Hsüeh P'an laughingly, "I feel sure you wouldn't find any place, where you could buy the like. Why ask about price? if you just give the workmen a few taels for theirlabour, it will be quite sufficient. "

Chia Chen, at these words, lost no time in giving expression to profuseassurances of gratitude, and was forthwith issuing directions that thetimber should be split, sawn and made up, when Chia Cheng proffered hisadvice. "Such articles shouldn't, " he said, "be, in my idea, enjoyed bypersons of the common run; it would be quite ample if the body wereplaced in a coffin made of pine of the best quality. "

But Chia Chen would not listen to any suggestion. 

Suddenly he further heard that Mrs. Ch'in's waiting-maid, Jui Chu byname, had, after she had become alive to the fact that her mistress haddied, knocked her head against a post, and likewise succumbed to theblows. This unusual occurrence the whole clan extolled in high terms;and Chia Chen promptly directed that, with regard to ceremonies, sheshould be treated as a granddaughter, and that the body should, after ithad been placed in the coffin, be also deposited in the Hall of AttainedImmortality, in the Garden of Concentrated Fragrance. 

There was likewise a young waiting-maid, called Pao Chu, who, as Mrs. Ch'in left no issue, was willing to become an adopted child, and beggedto be allowed to undertake the charge of dashing the mourning bowl, andaccompanying the coffin; which pleased Chia Chen so much that hespeedily transmitted orders that from that time forth Pao Chu should beaddressed by all as 'young miss. '

Pao Chu, after the rites of an unmarried daughter, mourned before thecoffin to such an unwonted degree, as if bent upon snapping her ownlife; while the members of the entire clan, as well as the inmates ofthe Mansions, each and all, readily observed, in their conduct, theestablished mourning usages, without of course any transgression orconfusion. 

"Chia Jung, " pondered Chia Chen, "has no higher status than that ofgraduate by purchase, and were this designation written on the funeralstreamer, it will not be imposing, and, in point of fact, the retinuewill likewise be small. " He therefore was exceedingly unhappy, in hisown mind, when, as luck would have it, on this day, which was the fourthday of the first seven, Tai Ch'üan, a eunuch of the Palace of HighRenown, whose office was that of Palace Overseer, first preparedsacrificial presents, which he sent round by messengers, and next camehimself in an official chair, preceded by criers beating the gong, tooffer sacrificial oblations. 

Chia Chen promptly received him, and pressed him into a seat; and whenthey adjourned into the Hall of the Loitering Bees, tea was presented. 

Chia Chen had already arrived at a fixed purpose, so that he seized anopportunity to tell him of his wish to purchase an office for ChiaJung's advancement. 

Tai Ch'üan understood the purport of his remark. "It is, I presume, " headded smilingly, "that the funeral rites should be a little moresumptuous. "

"My worthy sir, " eagerly rejoined Chia Chen, "your surmise on that scoreis perfectly correct. "

"The question, " explained Tai Ch'üan, "comes up at an opportune moment;for there is just at present a good vacancy. Of the three hundredofficers who at present constitute the Imperial Body Guard, there aretwo wanting. Yesterday marquis Hsiang Yang's third brother came toappeal to me with one thousand five hundred taels of ready money, whichhe brought over to my house. You know the friendship of old standingwhich exists between him and me, so that, placing other considerationsaside, I without a second thought, assented for his father's sake. Butthere still remains another vacancy, which, who would have thought it, fat general Feng, of Yung Hsing, asked to purchase for his son; but Ihave had no time to give him an answer. Besides, as our child wants topurchase it, you had better at once write a statement of hisantecedents. "

Chia Chen lost no time in bidding some one write the statement on redpaper, which Tai Ch'üan found, on perusal, to record that Chia Jung wasa graduate, by purchase, of the District of Chiang Ning, of the YingT'ien Prefecture, in Chiang Nan; that Chia Tai-hua, his greatgrandfather, had been Commander-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Camp, andan hereditary general of the first class, with the prefix of SpiritualMajesty; that his grandfather Chia Ching was a metropolitan graduate ofthe tripos in the Ping Ch'en year; and that his father Chia Chen hadinherited a rank of nobility of the third degree, and was a general, with the prefix of Majestic Intrepidity. 

Tai Ch'üan, after perusal, turned his hand behind him and passed (thestatement) to a constant attendant of his, to put away: "Go back, " heenjoined him, "and give it to His Excellency Mr. Chao, at the head ofthe Board of Revenue, and tell him, that I present him my compliments, and would like him to draw up a warrant for subaltern of the ImperialBody Guard of the fifth grade, and to also issue a commission; that heshould take the particulars from this statement and fill them up; andthat to-morrow I'll come and have the money weighed and sent over. "

The young attendant signified his obedience, and Tai Ch'üan thereupontook his leave. Chia Chen did all he could to detain him, but with nosuccess; so that he had no alternative but to escort him as far as theentrance of the Mansion. As he was about to mount into his chair, ChiaChen inquired, "As regards the money, shall I go and pay it into theBoard, or am I to send it to the Board of Eunuchs?"

"If you were to go and pay it at the Board, " observed Tai Ch'üan; "youare sure to suffer loss; so that it would be better if you just weighedexactly one thousand taels and sent them over to my place; for then anend will be put to all trouble. "

Chia Chen was incessant in his expression of gratitude. "When the periodof mourning has expired, " he consequently added, "I shall lead inperson, my despicable eldest son to your mansion, to pay our obeisance, and express our thanks. "

They then parted company, but close upon this, were heard again thevoices of runners. It was, in fact, the spouse of Shih Ting, the marquisof Chung Ching, who was just arriving. Shih Hsiang-yun, mesdames Wang, and Hsing, lady Feng and the rest came out at once, to greet her, andlead her into the Main Building; when they further saw the sacrificialpresents of the three families, of the marquis of Chin Hsiang, themarquis of Ch'uan Ning, and the earl of Shou Shan, likewise spread outin front of the tablet. 

In a short while, these three noblemen descended from their chairs, andChia Chen received them in the Large Hall. In like manner all therelatives and friends arrived in such quick succession, one coming, another going, that it is impossible to remember even so much as theirnumber. One thing need be said that during these forty-nine days thestreet on which the Ning Kuo mansion stood, was covered with a sheet ofwhite, formed by the people, coming and going; and thronged withclusters of flowers, as the officials came and went. 

At the instance of Chia Chen, Chia Jung, the next day donned his galadress and went over for his papers; and on his return the articles inuse in front of the coffin, as well as those belonging to the cortegeand other such things, were all regulated by the rules prescribed for anofficial status of the fifth degree; while, on the tablet and noticealike the inscription consisted of: Spirit of lady Ch'in, (by marriage)of the Chia mansion, and by patent a lady of the fifth rank (of thetitles of honour). 

The main entrance of the Garden of Concentrated Fragrance, adjoining thestreet, was opened wide; and on both sides were raised sheds for themusicians, and two companies of players, dressed in blue, discoursedmusic at the proper times; while one pair after another of theparaphernalia was drawn out so straight as if cut by a knife or slit byan axe. There were also two large carmine boards, carved with giltinscriptions, erected outside the gate; the designations in boldcharacters on the upper sides being: Guard of the Imperial Antechamber, charged with the protection of the Inner Palace and Roads, in the RedProhibited City. 

On the opposite side, facing each other, rose, high above the ground, two altars for the services of the Buddhist and Taoist priests, while aplacard bore the inscription in bold type: Funeral Obsequies of ladyCh'in, (by marriage) of the Chia mansion, by patent a lady of the fifthrank, consort of the eldest grandson of the hereditary duke of Ning Kuo, and guard of the Imperial Antechamber, charged with the protection ofthe Inner Palace and Roads in the Red Prohibited City. We, Wan Hsü, byHeaven's commands charged with the perennial preservation of perfectpeace in the Kingdom of the Four Continents, as well as of the landscontained therein, Head Controller of the School of Void and Asceticism, and Superior in Chief (of the Buddhist hierarchy); and Yeh Sheng, Principal Controller, since the creation, of the Disciples of PerfectExcellence and Superior in Chief (of the Taoist priesthood), and others, having in a reverent spirit purified ourselves by abstinence, now raiseour eyes up to Heaven, prostrate ourselves humbly before Buddha, anddevoutly pray all the Chia Lans, Chieh Tis, Kung Ts'aos and otherdivinities to extend their sacred bounties, and from afar to displaytheir spiritual majesty, during the forty-nine days (of the funeralrites), for the deliverance from judgment and the absolution fromretribution (of the spirit of lady Ch'in), so that it may enjoy apeaceful and safe passage, whether by sea or by land; and other suchprayers to this effect, which are in fact not worth the trouble ofputting on record. 

Chia Chen had, it is true, all his wishes gratified; but, as his wifewas laid up in the inner chambers, with a relapse of her old complaint, and was not in a fit state to undertake the direction of the ceremonies, he was very much distressed lest, when the high officials (and theirwives) came and went, there should occur any breach of the prescribedconventionalities, which he was afraid would evoke ridicule. Hence itwas that he felt in low spirits; but while he was plunged in solicitudePao-yü, who happened to be close by, readily inquired, "Everything maybe safely looked upon as being satisfactorily settled, and why need you, elder brother, still be so full of concern?"

Chia Chen forthwith explained to him how it was that in the ladies'apartments there was no one (to do the honours), but Pao-yü at thesewords smiled: "What difficulty is there about it?" he remarked; "I'llrecommend some one to take temporary charge of the direction of thingsfor you during the month, and I can guarantee that everything will beproperly carried out. "

"Who is it?" Chia Chen was quick to ask; but as Pao-yü perceived thatthere were still too many relatives and friends seated around, he didnot feel as if he could very well speak out; so that he went up to ChiaChen and whispered a couple of remarks in his ear. 

Chia Chen's joy knew no bounds when he heard this suggestion. "Everything will indeed be properly carried out, " he added laughingly;"but I must now be going at once. "

With these words, he drew Pao-yü along, and taking leave of the wholenumber of visitors, they forthwith came into the drawing rooms. 

This day was luckily not a grand occasion, so that few relatives andfriends had come. In the inner apartments there were only a small numberof ladies of close kinship. Mesdames Hsing and Wang, and lady Feng, andthe women of the whole household, were entertaining the guests, whenthey heard a servant announce that Mr. Chia Chen had come. (Thisannouncement) took the whole body of ladies and young ladies so much bysurprise, that, with a rushing sound, they tried to hide in the backrooms; but they were not quick enough (to effect their escape). 

Lady Feng alone composedly stood up. Chia Chen was himself at this timerather unwell, and being also very much cut up, he entered the roomshuffling along, propping himself up with a staff. 

"You are not well?" therefore remarked madame Hsing and the others, "andyou've had besides so much to attend to during these consecutive days, that what you require is rest to get all right; and why do you againcome over?"

Chia Chen was, as he leant on his staff, straining every nerve to bendhis body so as to fall on his knees and pay his respects to them, andexpress his sense of obligation for the trouble they had taken, whenmadame Hsing and the other ladies hastily called Pao-yü to raise him up, bidding a servant move a chair for him to sit on. Chia Chen would nottake a seat; but making an effort to return a smile, "Your nephew, " heurged, "has come over, as there's a favour that I want to ask of my twoaunts as well as of my eldest cousin. "

"What is it?" promptly inquired madame Hsing and the rest. 

"My aunts, " Chia Chen replied with all haste, "you surely are aware thatyour grandson's wife is now no more; your nephew's wife is also laid upunwell, and, as I see that things in the inner apartments are really notwhat they should properly be, I would trouble my worthy eldest cousin toundertake in here the direction of affairs for a month; and if she does, my mind will be set at ease. "

Madame Hsing smiled. "Is it really about this that you've come?" sheasked; "your eldest cousin is at present staying with your aunt Secunda, and all you have to do is to speak to her and it will be all right. "

"How ever could a mere child like her, " speedily remonstrated madameWang, "carry out all these matters? and shouldn't she manage thingsproperly, she will, on the contrary, make people laugh, so it wouldtherefore be better that you should trouble some one else. "

"What your ideas are, aunt, " rejoined Chia Chen smiling, "your nephewhas guessed; you're afraid lest my eldest cousin should have to bearfatigue and annoyance; for as to what you say, that she cannot managethings, why my eldest cousin has, from her youth up, ever been in herromping and playing so firm and decided; and now that she has enteredthe married estate, and has the run of affairs in that mansion, she musthave reaped so much the more experience, and have become quite an oldhand! I've been thinking these last few days that outside my eldestcousin, there's no one else who could come to my help; and, aunt, if youdon't do it for the face of your nephew and your nephew's wife, do it, at least, for the affection you bore to her who is no more. "

While he uttered these words tears trickled down his face. The fearsthat madame Wang inwardly entertained were that lady Feng had noexperience in funeral matters, and she apprehended, that if she was notequal to managing them, she would incur the ridicule of others; but whenshe now heard Chia Chen make the appeal in such a disconsolate mood, sherelented considerably in her resolution. But as she turned her eyestowards lady Feng (to ascertain her wishes), she saw that she wasplunged in abstraction. 

Lady Feng had all along found the greatest zest in taking the initiativein everything, with the idea of making a display of her abilities, sothat when she perceived how earnest Chia Chen was in his entreaties, shehad, at an early period, made up her mind to give a favourable reply. Seeing besides madame Wang show signs of relenting, she readily turnedround and said to her, "My elder cousin has made his appeal in such asolicitous way that your ladyship should give your consent and have donewith it. "

"Do you think you are equal to the task?" inquired madame Wang in awhisper. 

"What's there that I couldn't be equal to?" replied lady Feng; "forurgent matters outside, my cousin may be said to have already made fullprovision; and all there is to be done is to keep an eye over thingsinside. But should there occur anything that I don't know, I can askyou, madame, and it will be right. "

Madame Wang perceiving the reasonableness of what she heard her say, uttered not a word, and when Chia Chen saw that lady Feng had assented;"How much you do attend to I don't mind, " he observed, forcing anothersmile, "but I must, in any case, entreat you, cousin, to assume theonerous charge. As a first step I'll pay my obeisance to you in here, and when everything has been finished, I shall then come over into thatmansion to express my thanks. "

With these words still on his lips, he made a low bow, but lady Feng hadscarcely had time to return the compliment, before Chia Chen haddirected a servant to fetch the warrant of the Ning mansion, which hebade Pao-yü hand over to lady Feng. 

"Cousin, " he added, "take whatever steps you think best; and if you wantanything, all you have to do is to simply send for it with this, andthere will even be no use to consult me. The only thing I must ask youis, not to be too careful in order to save me expense, for the mainconsideration is that things should be handsomely done. In the secondplace, it will be well if you were also to treat servants here in thesame way as in the other mansion, and not be too scrupulous in the fearthat any one might take offence. Outside these two concerns, there'snothing else to disturb my mind. "

Lady Feng did not venture to take over the warrant at once, but merelyturned round to ascertain what were madame Wang's wishes. 

"In view of the reason brother Chen advances, " madame Wang rejoined, "you had better assume the charge at once and finish with it; don't, however, act on your own ideas; but when there's aught to be done, becareful and send some one to consult your cousin's wife, ever so littlethough it be on the subject. "

Pao-yü had already taken over the warrant from Chia Chen's grasp, andforcibly handed it to lady Feng, "Will you, cousin, " he went on toquestion, "take up your quarters here or will you come every day? shouldyou cross over, day after day, it will be ever so much more fatiguingfor you, so that I shall speedily have a separate court got ready foryou in here, where you, cousin, can put up for these several days and bemore comfortable. "

"There's no need, " replied lady Feng smiling; "for on that side theycan't do without me; and it will be better if I were to come daily. "

"Do as you like, " Chia Chen observed; and after subsequently passing afew more irrelevant remarks, he at length left the room. 

After a time, the lady relatives dispersed, and madame Wang seized theopportunity to inquire of lady Feng, "What do you purpose doing to-day?"

"You had better, please madame, go back, " urged lady Feng, "for I mustfirst of all find out some clue before I can go home. "

Madame Wang, upon hearing these words, returned to her quarters, inadvance, in company with madame Hsing, where we will leave them. 

Lady Feng meanwhile came into a colonnade, which enclosed a suite ofthree apartments, and taking a seat, she gave way to reflection. "Thefirst consideration, " she communed within herself, "is that thehousehold is made up of mixed elements, and things might be lost; thesecond is that the preparations are under no particular control, withthe result that, when the time comes, the servants might shirk theirduties; the third is that the necessary expenditure being great, therewill be reckless disbursements and counterfeit receipts; the fourth, that with the absence of any distinction in the matter of duties, whether large or small, hardship and ease will be unequally shared; andthe fifth, that the servants being arrogant, through leniency, thosewith any self-respect will not brook control, while those devoid of'face' will not be able to improve their ways. "

These five were, in point of fact, usages in vogue in the Ning mansion. But as you are unable, reader, to ascertain here how lady Feng setthings right, listen to the explanations given in the following chapter. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

 Lin Ju-hai dies in the City of Yang Chou. Chia Pao-yü meets the Prince of Pei Ching on the way. 

When Lai Sheng, be it noticed in continuing our story, the major-domo inthe Ning Kuo mansion, came to hear that from inside an invitation hadbeen extended to lady Feng to act as deputy, he summoned together hisco-workers and other servants. "Lady Secunda, of the western mansion, "he harangued them, "has now been asked to take over the control ofinternal affairs; and should she come we must, when we apply foranything, or have anything to say, be circumspect in our service; weshould all every day come early and leave late; and it's better that weshould exert ourselves during this one month and take rest after it'sover. We mustn't throw away our old 'face, ' for she's well known to bean impetuous thing, with a soured face and a hard heart, who, whenangry, knows no distinction of persons. "

The whole company unanimously admitted that he was right; and one oftheir number too observed smilingly, "It's but right that for the innerapartments, we should, in fact, get her to come and put things in properorder, as everything is very much what it should not be. "

But while he uttered these words, they saw Lai Wang's wife coming, withan indent in hand, to fetch paper for the supplications and prayers, theamount of which was mentioned on the order; and they one and allhastened to press her into a seat, and to help her to a cup of tea;while a servant was told to fetch the quantity of paper required. (Whenit was brought, ) Lai Wang carried it in his arms and came, the whole waywith his wife, as far as the ceremonial gate; when he, at length, delivered it over to her and she clasped it, and walked into the roomall alone. 

Lady Feng issued prompt directions to Ts'ai Ming to prepare a register;and sending, there and then, for Lai Sheng's wife, she asked her tosubmit, for her perusal, the roll with the servants' names. Shefurthermore fixed upon an early hour of the following day to convene thedomestics and their wives in the mansion, in order that they shouldreceive their orders; but, after cursorily glancing over the number ofentries in the list, and making a few inquiries of Lai Sheng's wife, shesoon got into her curricle, and went home. 

On the next day, at six and two quarters, she speedily came over. Thematrons and married women of the Ning Kuo mansion assembled together, assoon as they heard of her arrival; but, perceiving lady Feng, assistedby Lai Sheng's wife, engaged in apportioning the duties of each servant, they could not presume to intrude, but remained outside the windowlistening to what was going on. 

"As I've been asked to take over the charge, " they heard lady Fengexplain to Lai Sheng's wife, "I'm, needless to say, sure to incur thedispleasure of you all, for I can't compare with your mistress, who hassuch a sweet temper, and allows you to have your own way. But sayingnothing more of those ways, which prevailed hitherto among your peoplein this mansion, you must now do as I tell you; for on the slightestdisregard of my orders, I shall, with no discrimination between thosewho may be respectable and those who may not be, clearly and distinctlycall all alike to account. "

Having concluded these remarks, she went on to order Ts'ai Ming to readthe roll; and, as their names were uttered, one by one was called in, and passed under inspection. After this inspection, which was got overin a short time, she continued giving further directions. "Thesetwenty, " she said "should be divided into two companies; ten in eachcompany, whose sole daily duties should be to attend inside to theguests, coming and going, and to serve tea for them; while with anyother matters, they needn't have anything to do. These other twentyshould also be divided into two companies, whose exclusive duties willbe, day after day, to look after the tea and eatables of the relativesof our family; and these too will have no business to concern themselveswith outside matters. These forty will again be divided into twocompanies, who will have nothing else to look to than to remain in frontof the coffin and offer incense, renew the oil, hang up the streamers, watch the coffin, offer sacrifices of rice, and oblations of tea, andmourn with the mourners; and neither need they mind anything outsidethese duties. These four servants will be specially attached to theinner tea-rooms to look after cups, saucers and the tea articlesgenerally; and in the event of the loss of any single thing, the four ofthem will have to make it good between them. These other four servantswill have the sole charge of the articles required for eatables andwine; and should any get mislaid compensation will have likewise to bemade by them. These eight servants will only have to attend to takingover the sacrificial offerings; while these eight will have nothing moreto see to beyond keeping an eye over the lamps, oil, candles and paperwanted everywhere. I'll have a whole supply served out and handed to youeight to by and by apportion to the various places, in quantities whichI will determine. These thirty servants are each day, by rotation, tokeep watch everywhere during the night, looking after the gates andwindows, taking care of the fires and candles, and sweeping the grounds;while the servants, who remain, are to be divided for duty in the housesand rooms, each one having charge of a particular spot. And beginningfrom the tables, chairs and curios in each place, up to the verycuspidors and brooms, yea even to each blade of grass or sprout of herb, which may be there, the servants looking after this part will be calledupon to make good anything that may be either mislaid or damaged. You, Lai Sheng's wife, will every day have to exercise general supervisionand inspection; and should there be those who be lazy, any who maygamble, drink, fight or wrangle, come at once and report the matter tome; and you mustn't show any leniency, for if I come to find it out, Ishall have no regard to the good old name of three or four generations, which you may enjoy. You now all have your fixed duties, so thatwhatever batch of you after this acts contrary to these orders, I shallsimply have something to say to that batch and to no one else. Theservants, who have all along been in my service, carry watches on theirpersons, and things, whether large or small, are invariably done at afixed time. But, in any case, you also have clocks in your master'srooms, so that at 6. 30, I shall come and read the roll, and at tenyou'll have breakfast. Whenever there is any indent of any permits to bemade or any report to be submitted, it should be done at 11. 30 a. M. Andno later. At 7 p. M. , after the evening paper has been burnt, I shallcome to each place in person to hold an inspection; and on my return, the servants on watch for the night will hand over the keys. The nextday, I shall again come over at 6. 30 in the morning; and needless to saywe must all do the best we can for these few days; and when the work hasbeen finished your master is sure to recompense you. "

When she had done speaking, she went on to give orders that tea, oil, candles, feather dusters, brooms and other necessaries should be issued, according to the fixed quantities. She also had furniture, such astable-covers, antimacassars, cushions, rugs, cuspidors, stools and thelike brought over and distributed; while, at the same time, she took upthe pencil and made a note of the names of the persons in charge of thevarious departments, and of the articles taken over by the respectiveservants, in entries remarkable for the utmost perspicacity. 

The whole body of servants received their charge and left; but they allhad work to go and attend to; not as in former times, when they were atliberty to select for themselves what was convenient to do, while thearduous work, which remained over, no one could be found to take inhand. Neither was it possible for them in the various establishments toany longer avail themselves of the confusion to carelessly mislaythings. In fact, visitors came and guests left, but everything after allwent off quietly, unlike the disorderly way which prevailed hitherto, when there was no clue to the ravel; and all such abuses as indolence, and losses, and the like were completely eradicated. 

Lady Feng, on her part, (perceiving) the weight her influence had inenjoining the observance of her directions, was in her heart exceedinglydelighted. But as she saw, that Chia Chen was, in consequence of Mrs. Yu's indisposition, even so much the more grieved as to take very littleto drink or to eat, she daily, with her own hands, prepared, in theother mansion, every kind of fine congee and luscious small dishes, which she sent over, in order that he might be tempted to eat. 

And Chia Lien had likewise given additional directions that every daythe finest delicacies should be taken into the ante-chamber, for theexclusive use of lady Feng. 

Lady Feng was not one to shirk exertion and fatigue, so that, day afterday, she came over at the proper time, called the roll, and managedbusiness, sitting all alone in the ante-chamber, and not congregatingwith the whole bevy of sisters-in-law. Indeed, even when relatives orvisitors came or went, she did not go to receive them, or see them off. 

This day was the thirty-fifth day, the very day of the fifth seven, andthe whole company of bonzes had just (commenced the services) forunclosing the earth, and breaking Hell open; for sending a light to showthe way to the departed spirit; for its being admitted to an audience bythe king of Hell; for arresting all the malicious devils, as well as forsoliciting the soul-saving Buddha to open the golden bridge and to leadthe way with streamers. The Taoist priests were engaged in reverentlyreading the prayers; in worshipping the Three Pure Ones and inprostrating themselves before the Gemmy Lord. The disciples ofabstraction were burning incense, in order to release the hungeredspirits, and were reading the water regrets manual. There was also acompany of twelve nuns of tender years, got up in embroidered dresses, and wearing red shoes, who stood before the coffin, silently reading allthe incantations for the reception of the spirit (from the lowerregions, ) with the result that the utmost bustle and stir prevailed. 

Lady Feng, well aware that not a few guests would call on this day, wasquick to get out of bed at four sharp, to dress her hair and perform herablutions. After having completed every arrangement for the day, shechanged her costume, washed her hands, and swallowed a couple ofmouthfuls of milk. By the time she had rinsed her mouth, it was exactly6. 30; and Lai Wang's wife, at the head of a company of servants, hadbeen waiting a good long while, when lady Feng appeared in front of theEntrance Hall, mounted her carriage and betook herself, preceded by apair of transparent horn lanterns, on which were written, in large type, the three characters, Jung Kuo mansion, to the main entrance gate of theNing Household. The door lanterns shed brilliant rays from where theywere suspended; while on either side the lanterns, of uniform colours, propped upright, emitted a lustrous light as bright as day. 

The servants of the family, got up in their mourning clothes, coveredthe ground far and wide like a white sheet. They stood drawn in tworows, and requested that the carriage should drive up to the mainentrance. The youths retired, and all the married women came forward, and raising the curtain of the carriage, lady Feng alighted; and as withone arm she supported herself on Feng Erh, two married women, withlanterns in their hands, lighted the way. Pressed round by the servants, lady Feng made her entry. The married women of the Ning mansion advancedto greet her, and to pay their respects; and this over, lady Feng, withgraceful bearing, entered the Garden of Concentrated Fragrance. Ascending the Spirit Hall, where the tablet was laid, the tears, as soonas she caught sight of the coffin, trickled down her eyes like pearlswhose string had snapped; while the youths in the court, and theirnumber was not small, stood in a reverent posture, with their armsagainst their sides, waiting to burn the paper. Lady Feng uttered oneremark, by way of command: "Offer the tea and burn the paper!" when thesound of two blows on the gong was heard and the whole band struck uptogether. A servant had at an early period placed a large armchair infront of the tablet, and lady Feng sat down, and gave way to loudlamentations. Promptly all those, who stood inside or outside, whetherhigh or low, male or female, took up the note, and kept on wailing andweeping until Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu, after a time, sent a message toadvise her to withhold her tears; when at length lady Feng desisted. 

Lai Wang's wife served the tea; and when she had finished rinsing hermouth, lady Feng got up; and, taking leave of all the members of theclan, she walked all alone into the ante-chamber, where she ascertained, in the order of their names, the number of the servants of everydenomination in there. They were all found to be present, with theexception of one, who had failed to appear, whose duties consisted inreceiving and escorting the relatives and visitors. Orders were promptlygiven to summon him, and the man appeared in a dreadful fright. "What!"exclaimed lady Feng, as she forced a smile, "is it you who have beenremiss? Is it because you're more respectable than they that you don'tchoose to listen to my words?"

"Your servant, " he pleaded, "has come at an early hour every day; andit's only to-day that I come late by one step; and I entreat yourladyship to forgive this my first offence. "

While yet he spoke, she perceived the wife of Wang Hsing, of the JungKuo mansion, come forward and pop her head in to see what was going on;but lady Feng did not let this man go, but went on to inquire of WangHsing's wife what she had come for. 

Wang Hsing's wife drew near. "I've come, " she explained, "to get anorder, so as to obtain some thread to make tassels for the carriages andchairs. " Saying this, she produced the permit and handed it up, whereupon lady Feng directed Ts'ai Ming to read the contents aloud. "Fortwo large, sedan chairs, " he said, "four small sedan chairs and fourcarriages, are needed in all so many large and small tassels, eachtassel requiring so many catties of beads and thread. "

Lady Feng finding, after she had heard what was read, that the numbers(and quantities) corresponded, forthwith bade Ts'ai Ming make the properentry; and when the order from the Jung Kuo mansion had been fetched, and thrown at her, Wang Hsing's wife took her departure. 

Lady Feng was on the very point of saying something, when she espiedfour managers of the Jung Kuo mansion walk in; all of whom wantedpermits to indent for stores. Having asked them to read out the list ofwhat they required, she ascertained that they wanted four kinds ofarticles in all. Drawing attention to two items: "These entries, " sheremarked, "are wrong; and you had better go again and make out theaccount clearly, and then come and fetch a permit. "

With these words, she flung down the requisitions, and the two men wenttheir way in lower spirits than when they had come. 

Lady Feng then caught sight of the wife of Chang Ts'ai standing by, andasked her what was her business, whereupon Chang Ts'ai's wife promptlyproduced an indent. "The covers of the carriages and sedan chairs, " shereported, "have just been completed, and I've come to fetch the amountdue to the tailors for wages. "

Lady Feng, upon hearing her explanation, took over the indent, anddirected Ts'ai Ming to enter the items in the book. After Wang Hsing hadhanded over the money, and obtained the receipt of the accountant, dulysigned, which tallied with the payment, he subsequently walked away incompany with Chang Ts'ai's wife. Lady Feng simultaneously proceeded togive orders that another indent should be read, which was for money topurchase paper with to paste on the windows of Pao-yü's outerschool-room, the repairs to which had been brought to completion, and assoon as lady Feng heard the nature of the application, she there andthen gave directions that the permit should be taken over and an entrymade, and that the money should be issued after Chang Ts'ai's wife haddelivered everything clearly. 

"If to-morrow he were to come late, " lady Feng then remarked, "and ifthe day after, I were to come late; why by and by there'll be no onehere at all! I should have liked to have let you off, but if I belenient with you on this first instance, it will be hard for me, on theoccurrence of another offence, to exercise any control over the rest. It's much better therefore that I should settle accounts with you. "

The moment she uttered these words, she put on a serious look, and gaveorders that he should be taken out and administered twenty blows withthe bamboo. When the servants perceived that lady Feng was in an angrymood, they did not venture to dilly-dally, but dragged him out, and gavehim the full number of blows; which done, they came in to report thatthe punishment had been inflicted. 

Lady Feng likewise threw down the Ning Mansion order and exclaimed, addressing herself to Lai Sheng: "Cut him a month's wages and rice! andtell them all to disperse, and have done with it!"

All the servants at length withdrew to attend to their respectiveduties, while the man too, who had been flogged, walked away, as he didall he could to conceal his shame and stifle his tears. About this timearrived and went, in an incessant stream, servants from both the Jungand Ning mansions, bent upon applying for permits and returning permits, and with one by one again did lady Feng settle accounts. And, as in duecourse, the inmates of the Ning mansion came to know how terrible ladyFeng was, each and all were ever since so wary and dutiful that they didnot venture to be lazy. 

But without going into further details on this subject, we shall nowreturn to Pao-yü. Seeing that there were a lot of people about andfearing lest Ch'in Chung might receive some offence, he lost no time incoming along with him to sit over at lady Feng's. Lady Feng was justhaving her repast, and upon seeing them arrive: "Your legs are longenough, and couldn't you have come somewhat quicker!" she laughinglyobserved. 

"We've had our rice, thanks, " replied Pao-yü. 

"Have you had it, " inquired lady Feng, "outside here, or over on theother side?"

"Would we eat anything with all that riff-raff?" exclaimed Pao-yü;"we've really had it over there; in fact, I now come after having hadmine with dowager lady Chia. "

As he uttered these words, they took their seats. Lady Feng had justfinished her meal, when a married woman from the Ning mansion came toget an order to obtain an advance of money to purchase incense andlanterns with. 

"I calculated, " observed lady Feng, "that you would come to-day to makerequisition, but I was under the impression that you had forgotten; hadyou really done so you would certainly have had to get them on your ownaccount, and I would have been the one to benefit. "

"Didn't I forget? I did, " rejoined the married woman as she smiled; "andit's only a few minutes back that it came to my mind; had I been onesecond later I wouldn't have been in time to get the things. "

These words ended, she took over the order and went off. Entries had, atthe time to be made in the books, and orders to be issued, and Ch'inChung was induced to interpose with a smirk, "In both these mansions ofyours, such orders are alike in use; but were any outsider stealthily tocounterfeit one and to abscond, after getting the money, what could everbe done?"

"In what you say, " replied lady Feng, "you take no account of the lawsof the land. "

"How is it that from our house, no one comes to get any orders or toobtain anything?" Pao-yü having inquired: "At the time they come tofetch them, " rejoined lady Feng, "you're still dreaming; but let me askyou one thing, when will you two at last begin your evening course ofstudies?"

"Oh, I wish we were able to begin our studies this very day, " Pao-yüadded; "that would be the best thing, but they're very slow in puttingthe school-room in order, so that there's no help for it!"

Lady Feng laughed. "Had you asked me, " she remarked, "I can assure youit would have been ready quick enough. "

"You too would have been of no use, " observed Pao-yü, "for it willcertainly be ready by the time they ought to finish it in. "

"But in order that they should do the work, " suggested lady Feng, "it'salso necessary that they should have the material, they can't do withoutthem; and if I don't give them any permits, it will be difficult toobtain them. "

Pao-yü at these words readily drew near to lady Feng, and there and thenapplied for the permits. "My dear sister, " he added, "do give them thepermits to enable them to obtain the material and effect the repairs. "

"I feel quite sore from fatigue, " ventured lady Feng, "and how can Istand your rubbing against me? but compose your mind. They have thisvery day got the paper, and gone to paste it; and would they, forwhatever they need, have still waited until they had been sent for? theyare not such fools after all!"

Pao-yü would not believe it, and lady Feng at once called Ts'ai Ming tolook up the list, which she handed for Pao-yü's inspection; but whilethey were arguing a servant came in to announce that Chao Erh, who hadgone to Su Chow, had returned, and lady Feng all in a flurry directedthat he should be asked to walk in. Chao Erh bent one knee and paid hisobeisance. 

"Why have you come back?" lady Feng readily inquired. 

"Mr. Secundus (Chia Lien), " he reported, "sent me back to tell you thatMr. Lin (our dowager lady's) son-in-law, died on the third of the ninthmoon; that Master Secundus is taking Miss Lin along with him to escortthe coffin of Mr. Lin as far as Su Chow; and that they hope to be backsome time about the end of the year. Master despatched me to come andannounce the news, to bring his compliments, and to crave our old lady'sinstructions as well as to see how you are getting on in my lady's home. He also bade me take back to him a few long fur pelisses. "

"Have you seen any one else besides me?" lady Feng inquired. 

"I've seen every one, " rejoined Chao Erh; and withdrew hastily at theconclusion of this remark, out of the apartment, while lady Feng turnedtowards Pao-yü with a smile and said, "Your cousin Lin can now live inour house for ever. "

"Poor thing!" exclaimed Pao-yü. "I presume that during all these daysshe has wept who knows how much;" and saying this he wrinkled his browand heaved a deep sigh. 

Lady Feng saw Chao Erh on his return, but as she could not very well, inthe presence of third persons, make minute inquiries after Chia Lien, she had to continue a prey to inward solicitude till it was time to gohome, for, not having got through what she had to do, she was compelledto wait patiently until she went back in the evening, when she againsent word for Chao Erh to come in, and asked him with all minutenesswhether the journey had been pleasant throughout, and for fullparticulars. That very night, she got in readiness the long pelisses, which she herself, with the assistance of P'ing Erh, packed up in abundle; and after careful thought as to what things he would require, she put them in the same bundle and committed them to Chao Erh's care. She went on to solicitously impress upon Chao Erh to be careful in hisattendance abroad. "Don't provoke your master to wrath, " she said, "andfrom time to time do advise him not to drink too much wine; and don'tentice him to make the acquaintance of any low people; for if you do, when you come back I will cut your leg off. "

The preparations were hurriedly and confusedly completed; and it wasalready the fourth watch of the night when she went to sleep. But soonagain the day dawned, and after hastily performing her toilette andablutions, she came over to the Ning Mansion. 

As Chia Chen realised that the day for escorting the body away wasdrawing nigh, he in person went out in a curricle, along withgeomancers, to the Temple of the Iron Fence to inspect a suitable placefor depositing the coffin. He also, point by point, enjoined theresident managing-bonze, Se K'ung, to mind and get ready brand-newarticles of decoration and furniture, and to invite a considerablenumber of bonzes of note to be at hand to lend their services for thereception of the coffin. 

Se K'ung lost no time in getting ready the evening meal, but Chia Chenhad, in fact, no wish for any tea or rice; and, as the day was faradvanced and he was not in time to enter the city, he had, after all, torest during that night as best he could in a "chaste" room in thetemple. The next morning, as soon as it was day, he hastened to comeinto the city and to make every preparation for the funeral. He likewisedeputed messengers to proceed ahead to the Temple of the Iron Fence togive, that very night, additional decorative touches to the place wherethe coffin was to be deposited, and to get ready tea and all the othernecessaries, for the use of the persons who would be present at thereception of the coffin. 

Lady Feng, seeing that the day was not far distant, also apportionedduties and made provision for everything beforehand with circumspectcare; while at the same time she chose in the Jung mansion, suchcarriages, sedan chairs and retinue as were to accompany the cortege, inattendance upon madame Wang, and gave her mind furthermore to finding aplace where she herself could put up in at the time of the funeral. About this very time, it happened that the consort of the Duke Shan Kuodeparted this life, and that mesdames Wang and Hsing had likewise to goand offer sacrifices, and to follow the burial procession; that thebirthday occurred of the consort of Prince Hsi An; that presents had tobe forwarded on the occasion of this anniversary; and that the consortof the Duke of Chen Kuo gave birth to a first child, a son, andcongratulatory gifts had, in like manner, to be provided. Besides, heruterine brother Wang Jen was about to return south, with all his family, and she had too to write her home letters, to send her reverentcompliments to her father and mother, as well as to get the things readythat were to be taken along. There was also Ying Ch'un, who hadcontracted some illness, and the doctor had every day to be sent for, and medicines to be administered, the notes of the doctor to be lookedafter, consisting of the bulletins of the diagnosis and theprescriptions, with the result that the various things that had to beattended to by lady Feng were so manifold that it would, indeed, bedifficult to give an exhaustive idea of them. 

In addition to all this, the day for taking the coffin away was close athand, so that lady Feng was so hard pressed for time that she had evenno desire for any tea to drink or anything to eat, and that she couldnot sit or rest in peace. As soon as she put her foot into the Ningmansion, the inmates of the Jung mansion would follow close upon herheels; and the moment she got back into the Jung mansion, the servantsagain of the Ning mansion would follow her about. In spite however ofthis great pressure, lady Feng, whose natural disposition had ever beento try and excel, was urged to strain the least of her energies, as hersole dread was lest she should incur unfavourable criticism from anyone; and so excellent were the plans she devised, that every one in theclan, whether high or low, readily conceded her unlimited praise. 

On the night of this day, the body had to be watched, and in the innersuite of apartments two companies of young players as well as jugglersentertained the relatives, friends and other visitors during the wholeof the night. Mrs. Yu was still laid up in the inside room, so that thewhole task of attending to and entertaining the company devolved uponlady Feng alone, who had to look after everything; for though therewere, in the whole clan, many sisters-in-law, some there were toobashful to speak, others too timid to stand on their feet; while therewere also those who were not accustomed to meeting company; and thoselikewise who were afraid of people of high estate and shy of officials. Of every kind there were, but the whole number of them could not come upto lady Feng's standard, whose deportment was correct and whose speechwas according to rule. Hence it was that she did not even so much asheed any of that large company, but gave directions and issued orders, adopting any course of action which she fancied, just as if there wereno bystander. 

The whole night, the lanterns emitted a bright light and the firesbrilliant rays; while guests were escorted on their way out andofficials greeted on their way in; but of this hundredfold bustle andstir nothing need, of course, be said. 

The next morning at the dawn of day, and at a propitious moment, sixty-four persons, dressed all alike in blue, carried the coffin, preceded by a streamer with the record in large characters: Coffin oflady Ch'in, a lady of the fifth degree, (by marriage) of the Chiamansion, deceased at middle age, consort of the grandson of the Ning KuoDuke with the first rank title of honour, (whose status is) a guard ofthe Imperial antechamber, charged with the protection of the InnerPalace and Roads in the Red Prohibited City. 

The various paraphernalia and ornaments were all brand-new, hurriedlymade for the present occasion, and the uniform lustrous brilliancy theyshed was sufficient to dazzle the eyes. 

Pao-chu, of course, observed the rites prescribed for unmarrieddaughters, and dashed the bowl and walked by the coffin, as she gave wayto most bitter lamentations. 

At that time, among the officials who escorted the funeral procession, were Niu Chi-tsung, the grandson of the Chen Kuo duke, who had nowinherited the status of earl of the first degree; Liu Fang, the grandsonof Liu Piao, duke of Li Kuo, who had recently inherited the rank ofviscount of the first class; Ch'en Jui-wen, a grandson of Ch'en Yi, dukeof Ch'i Kuo, who held the hereditary rank of general of the thirddegree, with the prefix of majestic authority; Ma Shang, the grandson ofMa K'uei, duke of Chih Kuo, by inheritance general of the third rankwith the prefix of majesty afar; Hou Hsiao-keng, an hereditary viscountof the first degree, grandson of the duke of Hsiu Kuo, Hou Hsiao-ming byname; while the death of the consort of the duke of Shan Kuo had obligedhis grandson Shih Kuang-chu to go into mourning so that he could not bepresent. These were the six families which had, along with the twohouseholds of Jung and Ning, been, at one time, designated the eightdukes. 

Among the rest, there were besides the grandson of the Prince of Nan An;the grandson of the Prince of Hsi An; Shih Ting, marquis of Chung Ching;Chiang Tzu-ning, an hereditary baron of the second grade, grandson ofthe earl of P'ing Yuan; Hsieh K'un, an hereditary baron of the secondorder and Captain of the Metropolitan camp, grandson of the marquis ofTing Ch'ang: Hsi Chien-hui, an hereditary baron of the second rank, agrandson of the marquis of Nang Yang; Ch'in Liang, in command of theFive Cities, grandson of the marquis of Ching T'ien. The remainder wereWei Chi, the son of the earl of Chin Hsiang; Feng Tzu-ying, the son of ageneral, whose prefix was supernatural martial spirit; Ch'en Yeh-chün, Wei Jo-lan and others, grandsons and sons of princes who could not beenumerated. 

In the way of ladies, there were also in all about ten large officialsedan chairs full of them, thirty or forty private chairs, and includingthe official and non-official chairs, and carriages containing inmatesof the household, there must have been over a hundred and ten; so thatwith the various kinds of paraphernalia, articles of decoration andhundreds of nick-nacks, which preceded, the vast expanse of the cortegecovered a continuous line extending over three or four li. 

They had not been very long on their way, when they reached variegatedsheds soaring high by the roadside, in which banquets were spread, feasts laid out, and music discoursed in unison. These were the viatorysacrificial offerings contributed by the respective families. The firstshed contained the sacrificial donations of the mansion of the Prince ofTung P'ing; the second shed those of the Prince of Nan An; the thirdthose of the Prince of Hsi Ning, and the fourth those of the Prince ofPei Ching. 

Indeed of these four Princes, the reputation enjoyed in former days bythe Prince of Pei Ching had been the most exalted, and to this day hissons and grandsons still succeeded to the inheritance of the princelydignity. The present incumbent of the Princedom of Pei Ching, Shih Jung, had not as yet come of age, but he was gifted with a presence ofexceptional beauty, and with a disposition condescending and genial. Atthe demise, recently, of the consort of the eldest grandson of themansion of Ning Kuo, he, in consideration of the friendship which hadformerly existed between the two grandfathers, by virtue of which theyhad been inseparable, both in adversity as well as in prosperity, treating each other as if they had not been of different surnames, wasconsequently induced to pay no regard to princely dignity or to hisimportance, but having like the others paid, on the previous day, hiscondolences and presented sacrificial offerings, he had further nowraised a shed wherein to offer libations. Having directed every one ofhis subordinate officers to remain in this spot in attendance, hehimself went at the fifth watch to court, and when he acquitted himselfof his public duties he forthwith changed his attire for a mourningcostume, and came along, in an official sedan chair, preceded by gongsand umbrellas. Upon reaching the front of the shed the chair wasdeposited on the ground, and as his subordinate officers pressed oneither side and waited upon him, neither the military nor the populace, which composed the mass of people, ventured to make any commotion. In ashort while, the long procession of the Ning mansion became visible, spreading far and wide, covering in its course from the north, the wholeground like a silver mountain. At an early hour, the forerunners, messengers and other attendants on the staff of the Ning mansionapprised Chia Chen (of the presence of the sheds), and Chia Chen withall alacrity gave orders that the foremost part of the cortege shouldhalt. Attended by Chia She and Chia Chen, the three of them came withhurried step to greet (the Prince of Pei Ching), whom they saluted withdue ceremony. Shih Jung, who was seated in his sedan chair, made a bowand returned their salutations with a smile, proceeding to address themand to treat them, as he had done hitherto, as old friends, without anyairs of self-importance. 

"My daughter's funeral has, " observed Chia Chen, "put your Highness tothe trouble of coming, an honour which we, though noble by birth, do notdeserve. "

Shih Jung smiled. "With the terms of friendship, " he added, "which haveexisted for so many generations (between our families), is there anyneed for such apologies?"

Turning his head round there and then, he gave directions to the seniorofficer of his household to preside at the sacrifices and to offerlibations in his stead; and Chia She and the others stood together onone side and made obeisance in return, and then came in person again andgave expression to their gratitude for his bounty. 

Shih Jung was most affable and complaisant. "Which is the gentleman, " heinquired of Chia Chen, "who was born with a piece of jade in his mouth?I've long had a wish to have the pleasure of seeing him, and as he'ssure to be on the spot on an occasion like this, why shouldn't youinvite him to come round?"

Chia Chen speedily drew back, and bidding Pao-yü change his mourningclothes, he led him forward and presented him. 

Pao-yü had all along heard that Shih Jung was a worthy Prince, perfectin ability as well as in appearance, pleasant and courteous, not bounddown by any official custom or state rite, so that he had repeatedlyfelt a keen desire to meet him. With the sharp control, however, whichhis father exercised over him, he had not been able to gratify his wish. But on this occasion, he saw on the contrary that he came to call him, and it was but natural that he should be delighted. Whilst advancing, hescrutinised Shih Jung with the corner of his eye, who, seated as he wasin the sedan chair, presented an imposing sight. 

But, reader, what occurred on his approach is not yet known, but listento the next chapter, which will divulge it. 

CHAPTER XV. 

 Lady Peng, née Wang, exercises her authority in the Iron Fence Temple. Ch'in Ching-ch'ing (Ch'ing Chung) amuses himself in the Man-t'ou (Bread) nunnery. 

But we shall now resume our story. When Pao-yü raised his eyes, henoticed that Shih Jung, Prince of Pei Ching, wore on his head a princelycap with pure white tassels and silvery feathers, that he was appareledin a white ceremonial robe, (with a pattern representing) the toothlikeripple of a river and the waters of the sea, embroidered withfive-clawed dragons; and that he was girded with a red leather belt, inlaid with white jade. That his face was like a beauteous gem; that hiseyes were like sparkling stars; and that he was, in very truth, a humanbeing full of graceful charms. 

Pao-yü hastily pressed forward and made a reverent obeisance, and ShihJung lost no time in extending his arms from inside the sedan-chair, andembracing him. At a glance, he saw that Pao-yü had on his head a silvercap, to which the hair was attached, that he had, round his forehead, aflap on which were embroidered a couple of dragons issuing from the sea, that he wore a white archery-sleeved robe, ornamented with dragons, andthat his waist was encircled by a silver belt, inlaid with pearls; thathis face resembled vernal flowers and that his eyes were like drops oflacquer. 

Shih Jung smiled. "Your name is, " he said, "no trumped-up story; foryou, verily, resemble a precious gem; but where's the valuable trinketyou had in your mouth?" he inquired. 

As soon as Pao-yü heard this inquiry, he hastened to produce the jadefrom inside his clothes and to hand it over to Shih Jung. Shih Jungminutely examined it; and having also read the motto on it, heconsequently ascertained whether it was really efficacious or not. 

"It's true that it's said to be, " Pao-yü promptly explained, "but ithasn't yet been put to the test. "

Shih Jung extolled it with unbounded praise, and, as he did so, he setthe variegated tassels in proper order, and, with his own hands, attached it on to Pao-yü's neck. Taking also his hand in his, heinquired of Pao-yü what was his age? and what books he was reading atpresent, to each of which questions Pao-yü gave suitable answer. 

Shih Jung perceiving the perspicacity of his speech and the propriety ofhis utterances, simultaneously turned towards Chia Chen and observedwith a smile on his face: "Your worthy son is, in very truth, like theyoung of a dragon or like the nestling of a phoenix! and this isn't anidle compliment which I, a despicable prince, utter in your venerablepresence! But how much more glorious will be, in the future, the voiceof the young phoenix than that of the old phoenix, it isn't easy toascertain. "

Chia Chen forced a smile: "My cur-like son, " he replied, "cannot presumeto such bountiful praise and golden commendation; but if, by the virtueof your Highness' excess of happiness, he does indeed realise yourwords, he will be a source of joy to us all!"

"There's one thing, however, " continued Shih Jung; "with the excellentabilities which your worthy scion possesses, he's sure, I presume, to beextremely loved by her dowager ladyship, (his grandmother), and by allclasses. But for young men of our age it's a great drawback to be doatedupon, for with over-fondness, we cannot help utterly frustrating thebenefits of education. When I, a despicable prince, was young, I walkedin this very track, and I presume that your honourable son cannotlikewise but do the same. By remaining at home, your worthy scion willfind it difficult to devote his attention to study; and he will not reapany harm, were he to come, at frequent intervals, to my humble home; forthough my deserts be small, I nevertheless enjoy the great honour of theacquaintance of all the scholars of note in the Empire, so that, whenever any of them visit the capital, not one of them is there whodoes not lower his blue eyes upon me. Hence it is that in my mean abode, eminent worthies rendezvous; and were your esteemed son to come, asoften as he can, and converse with them and meet them, his knowledgewould, in that case, have every opportunity of making daily stridestowards improvement. "

Chia Chen speedily bent his body and expressed his acquiescence, by wayof reply; whereupon Shih Jung went further, and taking off from hiswrist a chaplet of pearls, he presented it to Pao-yü. 

"This is the first time we meet, " he observed. "Our meeting was sounexpected that I have no suitable congratulatory present to offer you. This was conferred upon me by His Majesty, and is a string ofchaplet-pearls, scented with Ling Ling, which will serve as a temporarytoken of respectful congratulations. "

Pao-yü hastened to receive it from his hands, and turning round, hereverently presented it to Chia Chen. Chia Chen and Pao-yü jointlyreturned thanks; and forthwith Chia She, Chia Chen and the rest cameforward in a body, and requested the Prince to turn his chair homewards. 

"The departed, " expostulated Shih Jung, "has already ascended thespiritual regions, and is no more a mortal being in this dusty worldexposed to vicissitude like you and I. Although a mean prince like mehas been the recipient of the favour of the Emperor, and hasundeservedly been called to the princely inheritance, how could Ipresume to go before the spiritual hearse and return home?"

Chia She and the others, perceiving how persistent he was in his refusalhad no course but to take their leave, express their sense of gratitudeand to rejoin the cortege. They issued orders to their servants to stopthe band, and to hush the music, and making the procession go by, theyat length left the way clear for Shih Jung to prosecute his way. 

But we will now leave him and resume our account of the funeral of theNing mansion. All along its course the road was plunged in unusualcommotion. As soon as they reached the city gates Chia She, Chia Cheng, Chia Chen, and the others again received donations from all their fellowofficers and subordinates, in sacrificial sheds erected by theirrespective families, and after they returned thanks to one afteranother, they eventually issued from the city walls, and proceededeventually along the highway, in the direction of the Temple of the IronFence. 

Chia Chen, at this time, went, together with Chia Jung, up to all theirseniors, and pressed them to get into their sedan chairs, and to ridetheir horses; and Chia She and all of the same age as himself wereconsequently induced to mount into their respective carriages or chairs. Chia Chen and those of the same generation were likewise about to ridetheir horses, when lady Feng, through her solicitude on Pao-yü'saccount, gave way to fears lest now that they had reached the opencountry, he should do as he pleased, and not listen to the words of anyof the household, and lest Chia Chen should not be able to keep him incheck; and, as she dreaded that he might go astray, she felt compelledto bid a youth call him to her; and Pao-yü had no help but to appearbefore her curricle. 

"My dear brother, " lady Feng remarked smiling, "you are a respectableperson, and like a girl in your ways, and shouldn't imitate thosemonkeys on horseback! do get down and let both you and I sit together inthis carriage; and won't that be nice?"

At these words, Pao-yü readily dismounted and climbed up into thecarriage occupied by lady Feng; and they both talked and laughed, asthey continued their way. 

But not a long time elapsed before two men, on horseback, were seenapproaching from the opposite direction. Coming straight up to ladyFeng's vehicle they dismounted, and said, as they leaned on the sides ofher carriage, "There's a halting place here, and will it not please yourladyship to have a rest and change?"

Lady Feng directed them to ask the two ladies Hsing and Wang what theywould like to do, and the two men explained: "These ladies havesignified that they had no desire to rest, and they wish your ladyshipto suit your convenience. "

Lady Feng speedily issued orders that they should have a rest, beforethey prosecuted their way, and the servant youth led the harnessedhorses through the crowd of people and came towards the north, whilePao-yü, from inside the carriage, urgently asked that Mr. Ch'in shouldbe requested to come. 

Ch'in Chung was at this moment on horseback following in the track ofhis father's carriage, when unexpectedly he caught sight of Pao-yü'spage, come at a running pace and invite him to have some refreshment. Ch'in Chung perceived from a distance that the horse, which Pao-yü hadbeen riding, walked behind lady Feng's vehicle, as it went towards thenorth, with its saddle and bridles all piled up, and readily concludingthat Pao-yü must be in the same carriage with that lady, he too turnedhis horse and came over in haste and entered, in their company, the doorof a farm-house. 

This dwelling of the farmer's did not contain many rooms so that thewomen and girls had nowhere to get out of the way; and when the villagelasses and country women perceived the bearing and costumes of ladyFeng, Pao-yü, and Ch'in Chung, they were inclined to suspect thatcelestial beings had descended into the world. 

Lady Feng entered a thatched house, and, in the first place, askedPao-yü and the rest to go out and play. Pao-yü took the hint, and, alongwith Ch'in Chung, he led off the servant boys and went to romp all overthe place. 

The various articles in use among the farmers they had not seen before, with the result that after Pao-yü had inspected them, he thought themall very strange; but he could neither make out their names nor theiruses. But among the servant boys, there were those who knew, and theyexplained to them, one after another, what they were called, as well aswhat they were for. As Pao-yü, after this explanation, nodded his head;"It isn't strange, " he said, "that an old writer has this line in hispoetical works, 'Who can realise that the food in a bowl is, grain bygrain, all the fruit of labour. ' This is indeed so!" As he spoke, theyhad come into another house; and at the sight of a spinning wheel on astove-bed, they thought it still more strange and wonderful, but theservant boys again told them that it was used for spinning the yarn toweave cloth with, and Pao-yü speedily jumping on to the stove-bed, setto work turning the wheel for the sake of fun, when a village lass ofabout seventeen or eighteen years of age came forward, and asked themnot to meddle with it and spoil it. 

The servant boys promptly stopped her interference; but Pao-yü himselfdesisted, as he added: "It's because I hadn't seen one before that Icame to try it for fun. "

"You people can't do it, " rejoined the lass, "let me turn it for you tosee. "

Ch'in Chung secretly pulled Pao-yü and remarked, "It's great fun in thisvillage!" but Pao-yü gave him a nudge and observed, "If you talknonsense again, I'll beat you. " Watching intently, as he uttered thesewords, the village girl who started reeling the thread, and presented, in very truth, a pretty sight. But suddenly an old woman from the otherside gave a shout. "My girl Secunda, come over at once;" and the lassdiscarded the spinning-wheel and hastily went on her way. 

Pao-yü was the while feeling disappointed and unhappy, when he espied aservant, whom lady Feng had sent, come and call them both in. Lady Fenghad washed her hands and changed her costume; and asked him whether hewould change or not, and Pao-yü, having replied "No! it doesn't matterafter all if I don't change, " the female attendants served tea, cakesand fruits and also poured the scented tea. Lady Feng and the othersdrank their tea, and waiting until they had put the various articles by, and made all the preparations, they promptly started to get into theircarriages. Outside, Wang Erh had got ready tips and gave them to thepeople of the farm, and the farm women and all the inmates went up tothem to express their gratitude; but when Pao-yü came to look carefully, he failed to see anything of the lass who had reeled the thread. Butthey had not gone far before they caught sight of this girl Secundacoming along with a small child in her arms, who, they concluded, washer young brother, laughing and chatting, in company with a few younggirls. 

Pao-yü could not suppress the voice of love, but being seated in thecarriage, he was compelled to satisfy himself by following her with hiseyes. Soon however the vehicle sped on as rapidly as a cloud impelled bythe wind, so that when he turned his head round, there was already novestige to be seen of her; but, while they were bandying words, they hadunexpectedly overtaken the great concourse of the cortege. 

Likewise, at an early stage men were stationed ahead, with Buddhistdrums and gold cymbals, with streamers, and jewelled coverings; and thewhole company of bonzes, belonging to the Iron Fence Temple, had alreadybeen drawn out in a line by the sides of the road. In a short while, they reached the interior of the temple, where additional sacrificeswere offered and Buddhistic services performed; and where altars hadagain been erected to burn incense on. The coffin was deposited in aside room of the inner court; and Pao Chu got ready a bed-room in whichshe could keep her watch. 

In the outer apartments, Chia Chen did the honours among the whole partyof relatives and friends, some of whom asked to be allowed to stay fortheir meals, while others at this stage took their leave. And after theyhad one by one returned thanks, the dukes, marquises, earls, viscountsand barons, each in respective batches, (got up to go, ) and they kept onleaving from between 1 and 3 p. M. Before they had finally all dispersed. 

In the inner Chambers, the ladies were solely entertained and attendedto by lady Feng. First to make a move were the consorts of officials;and noon had also come, by the time the whole party of them had takentheir departure. Those that remained were simply a few relatives of thesame clan and others like them, who eventually left after the completionof the three days' rationalistic liturgies. 

The two ladies Hsing and Wang, well aware at this time that lady Fengcould on no account return home, desired to enter the city at once; andmadame Wang wanted to take Pao-yü home; but Pao-yü, who had, on anunexpected occasion, come out into the country, entertained, of course, no wish to go back; and he would agree to nothing else than to staybehind with lady Feng, so that madame Wang had no alternative but tohand him over to her charge and to start. 

This Temple of the Iron Fence had, in fact, been erected in days goneby, at the expense of the two dukes Ning and Jung; and there stillremained up to these days, acres of land, from which were derived thefunds for incense and lights for such occasions, on which the coffins ofany members, old or young, (who died) in the capital, had to bedeposited in this temple; and the inner and outer houses, in thiscompound were all kept in readiness and good order, for theaccommodation of those who formed part of the cortège. 

At this time, as it happened, the descendants mustered an immense crowd, and among them were poor and rich of various degrees, or with likes anddislikes diametrically opposed. There were those, who, being instraitened circumstances at home, and easily contented, readily took uptheir quarters in the temple. And there were those with money andposition, and with extravagant ideas, who maintained that theaccommodation in the temple was not suitable, and, of course, went insearch of additional quarters, either in country houses, or in convents, where they could have their meals and retire, after the ceremonies wereover. 

On the occasion of Mrs. Ch'in's funeral, all the members of the clan putup temporarily in the Iron Fence Temple; lady Feng alone looked downupon it as inconvenient, and consequently despatched a servant to go andtell Ch'ing Hsü, a nun in the Bread Convent, to empty two rooms for herto go and live in. 

This Bread Convent had at one time been styled the Shui Yueh nunnery(water moon); but as good bread was made in that temple, it gave rise tothis nickname. 

This convent was not very distant from the Temple of the Iron Fence, sothat as soon as the bonzes brought their functions to a close, and thesacrifice of evening was offered, Chia Chen asked Chia Jung to requestlady Feng to retire to rest; and as lady Feng perceived that there stillremained several sisters-in-law to keep company to the female relatives, she readily, of her own accord, took leave of the whole party, and, along with Pao-yü and Ch'in Chung, came to the Water Moon Convent. 

Ch'in Yeh, it must be noticed, was advanced in years and a victim tomany ailments, so that he was unable to remain in the temple long, andhe bade Ch'in Chung tarry until the coffin had been set in its restingplace, with the result that Ch'in Chung came along, at the same time aslady Feng and Pao-yü, to the Water Moon Convent, where Ch'ing Hsüappeared, together with two neophytes, Chih Shan and Chih Neng, toreceive them. After they had exchanged greetings, lady Feng and theothers entered the "chaste" apartments to change their clothes and washtheir hands; and when they had done, as she perceived how much taller instature Chih Neng had grown and how much handsomer were her features, she felt prompted to inquire, "How is it that your prioress andyourselves haven't been all these days as far as our place?"

"It's because during these days we haven't had any time which we couldcall our own, " explained Ch'ing Hsü. "Owing to the birth of a son in Mr. Hu's mansion, dame Hu sent over about ten taels and asked that we shouldinvite several head-nuns to read during three days the service for thechurching of women, with the result that we've been so very busy and hadso little leisure, that we couldn't come over to pay our respects toyour ladyship. "

But leaving aside the old nun, who kept lady Feng company, we will nowreturn to the two lads Pao-yü and Ch'in Chung. They were up to theirpranks in the main building of the convent, when seeing Chih Neng comeover: "Here's Neng Erh, " Pao-yü exclaimed with a smile. 

"Why notice a creature like her?" remarked Ch'in Chung; to which Pao-yürejoined laughingly: "Don't be sly! why then did you the other day, whenyou were in the old lady's rooms, and there was not a soul present, holdher in your arms? and do you want to fool me now ?"

"There was nothing of the kind, " observed Ch'in Chung smiling. 

"Whether there was or not, " replied Pao-yü, "doesn't concern me; but ifyou will stop her and tell her to pour a cup of tea and bring it to meto drink, I'll then keep hands off. "

"This is indeed very strange!" Ch'in Chung answered laughing; "do youfear that if you told her to pour you one, that she wouldn't; and whatneed is there that I should tell her?"

"If I ask her, " Pao-yü observed, "to pour it, she wouldn't be as readyas she would were you to tell her about it. "

Ch'in Chung had no help but to speak. "Neng Erh!" he said, "bring a cupof tea. "

This Neng Erh had, since her youth, been in and out of the Jung mansion, so that there was no one that she did not know; and she had also, timeafter time, romped and laughed with Pao-yü and Ch'in Chung. Being nowgrown up she gradually came to know the import of love, and she readilytook a fancy to Ch'in Chung, who was an amorous being. Ch'in Chung tooreturned her affection, on account of her good looks; and, although heand she had not had any very affectionate tête-à-têtes, they had, however, long ago come to understand each other's feelings and wishes. 

Chih Neng walked away and returned after having poured the tea. 

"Give it to me, " Ch'in Chung cried out smirkingly; while Pao-yü likewiseshouted: "Give it to me. "

Chih Neng compressed her lips and sneeringly rejoined, "Are you going tohave a fight even over a cup of tea? Is it forsooth likely that there'shoney in my hand?"

Pao-yü was the first to grasp and take over the cup, but while drinkingit, he was about to make some inquiry, when he caught sight of ChihShan, who came and called Chih Neng away to go and lay the plates withfruit on the table. Not much time elapsed before she came round torequest the two lads to go and have tea and refreshments; but would theyeat such things as were laid before them? They simply sat for a whileand came out again and resumed their play. 

Lady Feng too stayed for a few moments, and then returned, with the oldnun as her escort, into the "unsullied" rooms to lie down. By this time, all the matrons and married women discovered that there was nothing elseto be done, and they dispersed in succession, retiring each to rest. There only remained in attendance several young girls who enjoyed herconfidence, and the old nun speedily availed herself of the opportunityto speak. "I've got something, " she said, "about which I mean to go toyour mansion to beg of madame Wang; but I'll first request you, my lady, to tell me how to set to work. "

"What's it?" ascertained lady Feng. 

"O-mi-to-fu!" exclaimed the old nun, "It's this; in days gone by, Ifirst lived in the Ch'ang An district. When I became a nun and enteredthe monastery of Excellent Merit, there lived, at that time, asubscriber, Chang by surname, a very wealthy man. He had a daughter, whose infant name was Chin Ko; the whole family came in the course ofthat year to the convent I was in, to offer incense, and as luck wouldhave it they met Li Ya-nei, a brother of a secondary wife of the Prefectof the Ch'ang An Prefecture. This Li Ya-nei fell in love at first sightwith her, and would wed Chin Ko as his wife. He sent go-betweens to askher in marriage, but, contrary to his expectations, Chin Ko had alreadyreceived the engagement presents of the son of the ex-Major of theCh'ang An Prefecture. The Chang family, on the other hand, were afraidthat if they withdrew from the match, the Major would not give up hisclaim, and they therefore replied that she was already promised toanother. But, who would have thought it, this Mr. Li was seriously bentupon marrying the young lady. But while the Chang family were at a losswhat plan to devise, and both parties were in a dilemma, the family ofthe Major came unexpectedly to hear of the news; and without evenlooking thoroughly into the matter, they there and then had recourse toinsult and abuse. 'Is a girl, ' they insinuated, 'to be promised to thesons of several families!' And obstinately refusing to allow therestitution of the betrothal presents, they at once had recourse tolitigation and brought an action (against the girl's people. ) Thatfamily was at their wits' end, and had no alternative but to find someone to go to the capital to obtain means of assistance; and, losing allpatience, they insisted upon the return of the presents. I believe thatthe present commander of the troops at Ch'ang An, Mr. Yün, is onfriendly terms with your honourable family, and could one solicit madameWang to put in a word with Mr. Chia Cheng to send a letter and ask Mr. Yün to speak to that Major, I have no fear that he will not agree. Should (your ladyship) be willing to take action, the Chang family areeven ready to present all they have, though it may entail the ruin oftheir estate. "

"This affair is, it's true, of no great moment, " lady Feng repliedsmiling, after hearing this appeal; "but the only thing is that madameWang does no longer attend to matters of this nature. "

"If madame doesn't heed them, " suggested the old nun, "you, my lady, cansafely assume the direction. "

"I'm neither in need of any money to spend, " added lady Feng with asmirk, "nor do I undertake such matters!"

These words did not escape Ching Hsü's ear; they scattered to the windsher vain hopes. After a minute or so she heaved a sigh. 

"What you say may be true enough, " she remarked; "but the Chang familyare also aware that I mean to come and make my appeal to your mansion;and were you now not to manage this affair, the Chang family having noidea that the lack of time prevents any steps being taken and that noimportance is attached to their presents, it will appear, on thecontrary, as if there were not even this little particle of skill inyour household. "

At these words lady Feng felt at once inspirited. "You've known of old, "she added, "that I've never had any faith in anything concerningretribution in the Court of Judgment in the unseen or in hell; and thatwhatever I say that I shall do, that I do; tell them therefore to bringthree thousand taels; and I shall then remedy this grievance of theirs. "

The old nun upon hearing this remark was so exceedingly delighted, thatshe precipitately exclaimed, "They've got it, they've got it! there willbe no difficulty about it. "

"I'm not, " lady Feng went on to add, "like those people, who afford helpand render assistance with an eye to money; these three thousand taelswill be exclusively devoted for the travelling expenses of those youths, who will be sent to deliver messages and for them to make a few cash fortheir trouble; but as for me I don't want even so much as a cash. Infact I'm able at this very moment to produce as much as thirty thousandtaels. "

The old nun assented with alacrity, and said by way of reply, "If thatbe so, my lady, do display your charitable bounty at once to-morrow andbring things to an end. "

"Just see, " remarked lady Feng, "how hard pressed I am; which place cando without me? but since I've given you my word, I shall, needless tosay, speedily bring the matter to a close. "

"A small trifle like this, " hinted the old nun, "would, if placed in thehands of any one else, flurry her to such an extent that she would bequite at a loss what to do; but in your hands, my lady, even if muchmore were superadded, it wouldn't require as much exertion as a wave ofyour hand. But the proverb well says: 'that those who are able have muchto do;' for madame Wang, seeing that your ladyship manages all concerns, whether large or small, properly, has still more shoved the burden ofeverything on your shoulders, my lady; but you should, it's but right, also take good care of your precious health. "

This string of flattery pleased lady Feng more and more, so thatheedless of fatigue she went on to chat with still greater zest. 

But, thing unthought of, Ch'in Chung availed himself of the darkness, aswell as of the absence of any one about, to come in quest of Chih Neng. As soon as he reached the room at the back, he espied Chih Neng allalone inside washing the tea cups; and Ch'in Chung forthwith seized herin his arms and implanted kisses on her cheek. Chih Neng got in adreadful state, and stamping her feet, cried, "What are you up to?" andshe was just on the point of shouting out, when Ch'in Chung rejoined:"My dear girl! I'm nearly dead from impatience, and if you don't againto-day accept my advances, I shall this very moment die on this spot. "

"What you're bent upon, " added Chih Neng, "can't be effected; not unlessyou wait until I've left this den and parted company from these people, when it will be safe enough. "

"This is of course easy enough!" remonstrated Ch'in Chung; "but thedistant water cannot extinguish the close fire!"

As he spoke, with one puff, he put out the light, plunging the wholeroom in pitch darkness; and seizing Chih Neng, he pushed her on to thestove-couch and started a violent love affair. Chih Neng could not, though she strained every nerve, escape his importunities; nor could shevery well shout, so that she felt compelled to humour him; but while hewas in the midst of his ecstatic joy, they perceived a person walk in, who pressed both of them down, without uttering even so much as a sound, and plunged them both in such a fright that their very souls flew awayand their spirits wandered from their bodies; and it was after the thirdparty had burst out laughing with a spurting sound that they eventuallybecame aware that it was Pao-yü; when, springing to his feetimpetuously, Ch'in Chung exclaimed full of resentment, "What's this thatyou're up to!"

"If you get your monkey up, " retorted Pao-yü, "why, then let you and Istart bawling out;" which so abashed Chih Neng that she availed herselfof the gloomy light to make her escape; while Pao-yü had dragged Ch'inChung out of the room and asked, "Now then, do you still want to playthe bully!"

"My dear fellow, " pleaded Ch'in Chung smilingly, "whatever you do don'tshout out and let every one know; and all you want, I'll agree to. "

"We needn't argue just now, " Pao-yü observed with a grin; "wait a while, and when all have gone to sleep, we can minutely settle accountstogether. "

Soon it was time to ease their clothes, and go to bed; and lady Fengoccupied the inner room; Ch'in Chung and Pao-yü the outer; while thewhole ground was covered with matrons of the household, who had spreadtheir bedding, and sat watching. As lady Feng entertained fears that thejade of Spiritual Perception might be lost, she waited until Pao-yü fellasleep, when having directed a servant to bring it to her, she placed itunder the side of her own pillow. 

What accounts Pao-yü settled with Ch'in Chung cannot be ascertained; andas in the absence of any positive proof what is known is based uponsurmises, we shall not venture to place it on record. 

Nothing worth noticing occurred the whole night; but the next day, assoon as the morning dawned, dowager lady Chia and madame Wang promptlydespatched servants to come and see how Pao-yü was getting on; and totell him likewise to put on two pieces of extra clothing, and that ifthere was nothing to be done it would be better for him to go back. 

But was it likely that Pao-yü would be willing to go back? Besides Ch'inChung, in his inordinate passion for Chih Neng, instigated Pao-yü toentreat lady Feng to remain another day. Lady Feng pondered in her ownmind that, although the most important matters connected with thefuneral ceremonies had been settled satisfactorily, there were still afew minor details, for which no provision had been made, so that couldshe avail herself of this excuse to remain another day would she not winfrom Chia Chen a greater degree of approbation, in the second place, would she not be able further to bring Ch'ing Hsü's business to anissue, and, in the third place, to humour Pao-yü's wish? In view ofthese three advantages, which would accrue, "All that I had to do, Ihave done, " she readily signified to Pao-yü, "and if you be bent uponrunning about in here, you'll unavoidably place me in still greatertrouble; so that we must for certain start homewards to-morrow. "

"My dear cousin, my own dear cousin, " urgently entreated Pao-yü, when heheard these words, "let's stay only this one day, and to-morrow we cango back without fail. "

They actually spent another night there, and lady Feng availed herselfof their stay to give directions that the case which had been entrustedto her the previous day by the old nun should be secretly communicatedto Lai Wang Erh. Lai Wang's mind grasped the import of all that was saidto him, and, having entered the city with all despatch, he went insearch of the gentleman, who acted as secretary (in Mr. Yün's office), pretending that he had been directed by Mr. Chia Lien to come and askhim to write a letter and to send it that very night to the Ch'ang Anmagistrate. The distance amounted to no more than one hundred li, sothat in the space of two days everything was brought to a satisfactorysettlement. The general, whose name was Yün Kuang, had been for a longtime under obligations to the Chia family, so that he naturally couldnot refuse his co-operation in such small trifles. When he had handedhis reply, Wang Erh started on his way back; where we shall leave himand return to lady Feng. 

Having spent another day, she on the morrow took leave of the old nun, whom she advised to come to the mansion after the expiry of three daysto fetch a reply. 

Ch'in Chung and Chih Neng could not, by any means, brook the separation, and they secretly agreed to a clandestine assignation; but to thesedetails we need not allude with any minuteness; sufficient to say thatthey had no alternative but to bear the anguish and to part. 

Lady Feng crossed over again to the temple of the Iron Fence andascertained how things were progressing. But as Pao Chu was obstinate inher refusal to return home, Chia Chen found himself under the necessityof selecting a few servants to act as her companions. But the readermust listen to what is said in the next chapter by way of explanation. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

 Chia Yuan-ch'un is, on account of her talents, selected to enter the Feng Ts'ao Palace. Ch'in Ching-ch'ing departs, in the prime of life, by the yellow spring road. 

But we must now return to the two lads, Ch'in Chung and Pao-yü. Afterthey had passed, along with lady Feng from the Temple of the Iron Fence, whither she had gone to see how things were getting on, they entered thecity in their carriages. On their arrival at home, they paid theirobeisance to dowager lady Chia, madame Wang and the other members of thefamily, whence they returned to their own quarters, where nothing worthmentioning transpired during the night. 

On the next day, Pao-yü perceiving that the repairs to the outerschoolroom had been completed, settled with Ch'in Chung that they shouldhave evening classes. But as it happened that Ch'in Chung, who wasnaturally of an extremely delicate physique, caught somewhat of a chillin the country and clandestinely indulged, besides, in an intimacy withChih Neng, which unavoidably made him fail to take good care of himself, he was, shortly after his return, troubled with a cough and a feverishcold, with nausea for drink and food, and fell into such an extremelypoor state of health that he simply kept indoors and nursed himself, andwas not in a fit condition to go to school. Pao-yü's spirits werereadily damped, but as there was likewise no remedy he had no othercourse than to wait until his complete recovery, before he could makeany arrangements. 

Lady Feng had meanwhile received a reply from Yün Kuang, in which heinformed her that everything had been satisfactorily settled, and theold nun apprised the Chang family that the major had actually suppressedhis indignation, hushed his complaints, and taken back the presents ofthe previous engagement. But who would have ever anticipated that afather and mother, whose hearts were set upon position and theirambition upon wealth, could have brought up a daughter so conscious ofpropriety and so full of feeling as to seize the first opportunity, after she had heard that she had been withdrawn from her formerintended, and been promised to the Li family, to stealthily devise a wayto commit suicide, by means of a handkerchief. The son of the Major, upon learning that Chin Ko had strangled herself, there and then jumpedinto the river and drowned himself, as he too was a being full of love. The Chang and Li families were, sad to relate, very much cut up, and, invery truth, two lives and money had been sacrificed all to no use. 

Lady Feng, however, during this while, quietly enjoyed the threethousand taels, and madame Wang did not have even so much as thefaintest idea of the whole matter. But ever since this occasion, ladyFeng's audacity acquired more and more strength; and the actions of thiskind, which she, in after days, performed, defy enumeration. 

One day, the very day on which Chia Cheng's birthday fell, while themembers of the two households of Ning and Jung were assembled togetheroffering their congratulations, and unusual bustle and stir prevailed, agatekeeper came in, at quite an unexpected moment, to announce that Mr. Hsia, Metropolitan Head Eunuch of the six palaces, had come with thespecial purpose of presenting an edict from his Majesty; a bit of newswhich plunged Chia She, Chia Cheng and the whole company into greatconsternation, as they could not make out what was up. Speedilyinterrupting the theatrical performance, they had the banquet cleared, and the altar laid out with incense, and opening the centre gate theyfell on their knees to receive the edict. 

Soon they caught sight of the head eunuch, Hsia Ping-chung, advancing onhorseback, and besides himself, a considerable retinue of eunuchs. Theeunuch Hsia did not, in fact, carry any mandate or present any decree;but straightway advancing as far as the main hall, he dismounted, and, with a face beaming with smiles, he walked into the Hall and took hisstand on the southern side. 

"I have had the honour, " he said, "of receiving a special order to atonce summon Chia Cheng to present himself at Court and be admitted inHis Majesty's presence in the Lin Ching Hall. "

When he had delivered this message, he did not so much as take any tea, but forthwith mounted his horse and took his leave. 

Chia Cheng and the others could not even conceive what omen this summonsimplied, but he had no alternative but to change his clothes with allhaste and to present himself at Court, while dowager lady Chia and theinmates of the whole household were, in their hearts, a prey to suchperplexity and uncertainty that they incessantly despatched messengerson flying steeds to go and bring the news. 

After the expiry of four hours, they suddenly perceived Lai Ta and threeor four other butlers run in, quite out of breath, through theceremonial gate and report the glad tidings. "We have received, " theyadded, "our master's commands, to hurriedly request her venerableladyship to take madame Wang and the other ladies into the Palace, toreturn thanks for His Majesty's bounty;" and other words to the samepurport. 

Dowager lady Chia was, at this time, standing, with agitated heart, under the verandah of the Large Hall waiting for tidings, whilst the twoladies, mesdames Hsing and Wang, Mrs. Yu, Li Wan, lady Feng, Ying Ch'unand her sisters, even up to Mrs. Hsüeh and the rest, were congregated inone place ascertaining what was the news. Old lady Chia likewise calledLai Ta in and minutely questioned him as to what had happened. "Yourservants, " replied Lai Ta, "simply stood waiting outside the Lin Chuanggate, so that we were in total ignorance of what was going on inside, when presently the Eunuch Hsia came out and imparted to us the gladtidings; telling us that the eldest of the young ladies in our householdhad been raised, by His Majesty, to be an overseer in the Feng Ts'aoPalace, and that he had, in addition, conferred upon her the rank ofworthy and virtuous secondary consort. By and by, Mr. Chia Cheng cameout and also told us the same thing. Master is now gone back again tothe Eastern Palace, whither he requests your venerable ladyship to go atonce and offer thanks for the Imperial favour. "

When old lady Chia and the other members of the family heard thesetidings they were at length reassured in their minds, and so elated werethey all in one moment that joy was visible in their very faces. Withoutloss of time, they commenced to don the gala dresses suitable to theirrank; which done, old lady Chia led the way for the two ladies, mesdamesHsing and Wang, as well as for Mrs. Yu; and their official chairs, fourof them in all, entered the palace like a trail of fish; while Chia Sheand Chia Chen, who had likewise changed their clothes for their courtdress, took Chia Se and Chia Jung along and proceeded in attendance upondowager lady Chia. 

Indeed, of the two households of Ning and Jung, there was not one, whether high or low, woman or man, who was not in a high state ofexultation, with the exception of Pao-yü, who behaved just as if thenews had not reached his ears; and can you, reader, guess why? The factis that Chih Neng, of the Water Moon Convent, had recently entered thecity in a surreptitious manner in search of Ch'in Chung; but, contraryto expectation, her visit came to be known by Ch'in Yeh, who drove ChihNeng away and laid hold of Ch'in Chung and gave him a flogging. But thisoutburst of temper of his brought about a relapse of his old complaint, with the result that in three or five days, he, sad to say, succumbed. Ch'in Chung had himself ever been in a delicate state of health and hadbesides received a caning before he had got over his sickness, so thatwhen he now saw his aged father pass away from the consequences of a fitof anger, he felt, at this stage, so full of penitence and distress thatthe symptoms of his illness were again considerably aggravated. Hence itwas that Pao-yü was downcast and unhappy at heart, and that nothingcould, in spite of the promotion of Yuan Ch'un by imperial favour, dispel the depression of his spirits. 

Dowager lady Chia and the rest in due course offered thanks and returnedhome, the relatives and friends came to present their congratulations, great stir and excitement prevailed during these few days in the twomansions of Ning and Jung, and every one was in high glee; but he alonelooked upon everything as if it were nothing; taking not the leastinterest in anything; and as this reason led the whole family to sneerat him, the result was that he got more and more doltish. 

Luckily, however, Chia Lien and Tai-yü were on their way back, and haddespatched messengers, in advance, to announce the news that they wouldbe able to reach home the following day, so that when Pao-yü heard thetidings, he was at length somewhat cheered. And when he came toinstitute minute inquiries, he eventually found out: "that Chia Yü-ts'unwas also coming to the capital to have an audience with His Majesty, that it was entirely because Wang Tzu-t'eng had repeatedly laid beforethe Throne memorials recommending him that he was coming on thisoccasion to wait in the metropolis for a vacancy which he could fill up;that as he was a kinsman of Chia Lien's, acknowledging the sameancestors as he did, and he stood, on the other hand, with Tai-yü, inthe relationship of tutor and pupil, he was in consequence following thesame road and coming as their companion; that Lin Ju-hai had alreadybeen buried in the ancestral vault, and that every requirement had beenattended to with propriety; that Chia Lien, on this voyage to thecapital, would, had he progressed by the ordinary stages, have been overa month before he could reach home, but that when he came to hear thegood news about Yuan Ch'un, he pressed on day and night to enter thecapital; and that the whole journey had been throughout, in everyrespect, both pleasant and propitious. "

But Pao-yü merely ascertained whether Tai-yü was all right, and did noteven so much as trouble his mind with the rest of what he heard; and heremained on the tiptoe of expectation, till noon of the morrow; when, inpoint of fact, it was announced that Mr. Lien, together with Miss Lin, had made their entrance into the mansion. When they came face to face, grief and joy vied with each other; and they could not help having agood cry for a while; after which followed again expressions of sympathyand congratulations; while Pao-yü pondered within himself that Tai-yühad become still more surpassingly handsome. 

Tai-yü had also brought along with her a good number of books, and shepromptly gave orders that the sleeping rooms should be swept, and thatthe various nicknacks should be put in their proper places. She furtherproduced a certain quantity of paper, pencils and other such things, anddistributed them among Pao Ch'ai, Ying Ch'un, Pao-yü and the rest; andPao-yü also brought out, with extreme care, the string of Ling-lingscented beads, which had been given to him by the Prince of Pei Ching, and handed them, in his turn, to Tai-yü as a present. 

"What foul man has taken hold of them?" exclaimed Tai-yü. "I don't wantany such things;" and as she forthwith dashed them down, and would notaccept them, Pao-yü was under the necessity of taking them back. But forthe time being we will not allude to them, but devote our attention toChia Lien. 

Having, after his arrival home, paid his salutations to all the inmates, he retired to his own quarters at the very moment that lady Feng hadmultifarious duties to attend to, and had not even a minute to spare;but, considering that Chia Lien had returned from a distant journey, shecould not do otherwise than put by what she had to do, and to greet himand wait on him. 

"Imperial uncle, " she said, in a jocose manner, when she realised thatthere was no outsider present in the room, "I congratulate you! Whatfatigue and hardship you, Imperial uncle, have had to bear throughoutthe whole journey, your humble servant heard yesterday, when the couriersent ahead came and announced that Your Highness would this day reachthis mansion. I have merely got ready a glass of mean wine for you towipe down the dust with, but I wonder, whether Your Highness will deignto bestow upon it the lustre of your countenance, and accept it. "

Chia Lien smiled. "How dare I presume to such an honour, " he added byway of rejoinder; "I'm unworthy of such attention! Many thanks, manythanks. "

P'ing Erh and the whole company of waiting-maids simultaneously paidtheir obeisance to him, and this ceremony concluded, they presented tea. Chia Lien thereupon made inquiries about the various matters, which hadtranspired in their home after his departure, and went on to thank ladyFeng for all the trouble she had taken in the management of them. 

"How could I control all these manifold matters, " remarked lady Feng;"my experience is so shallow, my speech so dull and my mind so simple, that if any one showed me a club, I would mistake it for a pin. Besides, I'm so tender-hearted that were any one to utter a couple of glibremarks, I couldn't help feeling my heart give way to compassion andsympathy. I've had, in addition, no experience in any weighty questions;my pluck is likewise so very small that when madame Wang has felt in theleast displeased, I have not been able to close my eyes and sleep. Urgently did I more than once resign the charge, but her ladyshipwouldn't again agree to it; maintaining, on the contrary, that my objectwas to be at ease, and that I was not willing to reap experience. Leaving aside that she doesn't know that I take things so much to heart, that I can scoop the perspiration in handfuls, that I daren't utter oneword more than is proper, nor venture to recklessly take one step morethan I ought to, you know very well which of the women servants, incharge of the menage in our household, is easy to manage! If ever I makethe slightest mistake, they laugh at me and poke fun at me; and if Iincline a little one way, they show their displeasure by innuendoes;they sit by and look on, they use every means to do harm, they stir uptrouble, they stand by on safe ground and look on and don't give ahelping hand to lift any one they have thrown over, and they are, oneand all of them, old hands in such tricks. I'm moreover young in yearsand not able to keep people in check, so that they naturally don't showany regard for me! What is still more ridiculous is that after the deathof Jung Erh's wife in that mansion, brother Chen, time and again, beggedmadame Wang, on his very knees, to do him the favour to ask me to lendhim a hand for several days. I repeatedly signified my refusal, but herladyship gave her consent in order to oblige him, so that I had no helpbut to carry out her wish; putting, as is my wont, everythingtopsy-turvey, and making matters worse than they were; with the resultthat brother Chen up to this day bears me a grudge and regrets havingasked for my assistance. When you see him to-morrow, do what you can toexcuse me by him. 'Young as she is, ' tell him, 'and without experienceof the world, who ever could have instigated Mr. Chia Cheng to make sucha mistake as to choose her. '"

While they were still chatting, they heard people talking in the outerapartments, and lady Feng speedily inquired who it was. P'ing Erhentered the room to reply. "Lady Hsüeh, " she said, "has sent sisterHsiang Ling over to ask me something; but I've already given her myanswer and sent her back. "

"Quite so, " interposed Chia Lien with a smile. "A short while ago I wentto look up Mrs. Hsüeh and came face to face with a young girl, whosefeatures were supremely perfect, and as I suspected that, in ourhousehold, there was no such person, I asked in the course ofconversation, Mrs. Hsüeh about her, and found out eventually that thiswas the young waiting-maid they had purchased on their way to thecapital, Hsiang Ling by name, and that she had after all become aninmate of the household of that big fool Hsüeh. Since she's had her hairdressed as a married woman she does look so much more pre-eminentlybeautiful! But that big fool Hsüeh has really brought contamination uponher. "

"Ai!" exclaimed lady Feng, "here you are back from a trip to Suchow andHang Chow, where you should have seen something of the world! and haveyou still an eye as envious and a heart so covetous? Well, if you wishto bestow your love on her, there's no difficulty worth speaking of. I'll take P'ing Erh over and exchange her for her; what do you say tothat? that old brother Hsüeh is also one of those men, who, while eatingwhat there is in the bowl, keeps an eye on what there is in the pan! Forthe last year or so, as he couldn't get Hsiang Ling to be his, he madeever so many distressing appeals to Mrs. Hsüeh; and Mrs. Hsüeh whileesteeming Hsiang Ling's looks, though fine, as after all a small matter, (thought) her deportment and conduct so far unlike those of other girls, so gentle and so demure that almost the very daughters of masters andmistresses couldn't attain her standard, that she therefore went to thetrouble of spreading a banquet, and of inviting guests, and in opencourt, and in the legitimate course, she gave her to him for a secondarywife. But half a month had scarcely elapsed before he looked upon heralso as a good-for-nothing person as he did upon a large number of them!I can't however help feeling pity for her in my heart. "

Scarcely had she time to conclude what she had to say when a youth, onduty at the second gate, transmitted the announcement that Mr. ChiaCheng was in the Library waiting for Mr. Secundus. At these words, ChiaLien speedily adjusted his clothes, and left the apartment; and duringhis absence, lady Feng inquired of P'ing Erh what Mrs. Hsüeh wanted afew minutes back, that she sent Hsiang Ling round in such a hurry. 

"What Hsiang Ling ever came?" replied P'ing Erh. "I simply made use ofher name to tell a lie for the occasion. Tell me, my lady, (what's cometo) Wang Erh's wife? why she's got so bad that there's even no commonsense left in her!" Saying this she again drew near lady Feng's side, and in a soft tone of voice, she continued: "That interest of yours, mylady, she doesn't send later, nor does she send it sooner; but she mustsend it round the very moment when master Secundus is at home! But asluck would have it, I was in the hall, so that I came across her;otherwise, she would have walked in and told your ladyship, and Mr. Secundus would naturally have come to know about it! And our masterwould, with that frame of mind of his, have fished it out and spent it, had the money even been at the bottom of a pan full of oil! and were heto have heard that my lady had private means, would he not have beenstill more reckless in spending? Hence it was that, losing no time intaking the money over, I had to tell her a few words which, who wouldhave thought, happened to be overheard by your ladyship; that's why, inthe presence of master Secundus, I simply explained that Hsiang Ling hadcome!"

These words evoked a smile from lady Feng. "Mrs. Hsueh, I thought tomyself, " she observed, "knows very well that your Mr. Secundus has come, and yet, regardless of propriety, she, instead (of keeping her at home), sends some one over from her inner rooms! and it was you after all, youvixen, playing these pranks!"

As she uttered this remark, Chia Lien walked in, and lady Feng issuedorders to serve the wine and the eatables, and husband and wife tooktheir seats opposite to each other; but notwithstanding that lady Fengwas very partial to drink, she nevertheless did not have the courage toindulge her weakness, but merely partook of some to keep him company. Chia Lien's nurse, dame Chao, entered the room, and Chia Lien and ladyFeng promptly pressed her to have a glass of wine, and bade her sit onthe stove-couch, but dame Chao was obstinate in her refusal. P'ing Erhand the other waiting-maids had at an early hour placed a square stoolnext to the edge of the couch, where was likewise a small footstool, andon this footstool dame Chao took a seat, whereupon Chia Lien chose twodishes of delicacies from the table, which he handed her to place on thesquare stool for her own use. 

"Dame Chao, " lady Feng remarked, "couldn't very well bite through that, for mind it might make her teeth drop! This morning, " she thereforeasked of P'ing Erh, "I suggested that that shoulder of pork stewed withham was so tender as to be quite the thing to be given to dame Chao toeat; and how is it you haven't taken it over to her? But go at once andtell them to warm it and bring it in! Dame Chao, " she went on, "just youtaste this Hui Ch'üan wine brought by your foster-son. "

"I'll drink it, " replied dame Chao, "but you, my lady, must also have acup: what's there to fear? the one thing to guard against is any excess, that's all! But I've now come over, not for any wine or eatables; on thecontrary, there's a serious matter, which I would ask your ladyship toimpress on your mind, and to show me some regard, for this master ofours is only good to utter fine words, but when the time (to act) doescome, he forgets all about us! As I have had the good fortune to nursehim in his infancy and to bring him up to this age, 'I too have grownold in years, ' I said to him, 'and all that belong to me are those twosons, and do look upon them with some particular favour!' With any oneelse I shouldn't have ventured to open my mouth, but him I anywayentreated time and again on several occasions. His assent was of coursewell and good, but up to this very moment he still withholds his help. Now besides from the heavens has dropped such a mighty piece of goodluck; and in what place will there be no need of servants? that's why Icome to tell you, my lady, as is but right, for were I to depend uponour master, I fear I shall even die of starvation. "

Lady Feng laughed. "You'd better, " she suggested, "put those two elderfoster brothers of his both under my charge! But you've nursed thatfoster-son from his babyhood, and don't you yet know that disposition ofhis, how that he takes his skin and flesh and sticks it, (not on thebody of a relative), but, on the contrary, on that of an outsider andstranger? (to Chia Lien. ) Which of those foster brothers whom you havenow discarded, isn't clearly better than others? and were you to haveshown them some favour and consideration, who would have ventured tohave said 'don't?' Instead of that, you confer benefits upon thoroughstrangers, and all to no purpose whatever! But these words of mine arealso incorrect, eh? for those whom we regard as strangers you, contrariwise, will treat just as if they were relatives!"

At these words every one present in the room burst out laughing; evennurse Chao could not repress herself; and as she invoked Buddha, --"Invery truth, " she exclaimed, "in this room has sprung up a kind-heartedperson! as regards relatives and strangers, such foolish distinctionsaren't drawn by our master; and it's simply because he's full of pityand is tenderhearted that he can't put off any one who gives vent to afew words of entreaty, and nothing else!"

"That's quite it!" rejoined lady Feng smiling sarcastically, "to thosewhom he looks upon as relatives, he's kindhearted, but with me and hismother he's as hard as steel. "

"What you say, my lady, is very considerate, " remarked nurse Chao, "andI'm really so full of delight that I'll have another glass of good wine!and, if from this time forward, your ladyship will act as you thinkbest, I'll have then nothing to be sorry for!"

Chia Lien did not at this juncture feel quite at his ease, but he coulddo no more than feign a smile. "You people, " he said, "should leave offtalking nonsense, and bring the eatables at once and let us have ourmeal, as I have still to go on the other side and see Mr. Chia Chen, toconsult with him about business. "

"To be sure you have, " ventured lady Feng, "and you shouldn't neglectyour legitimate affairs; but what did Mr. Chia Chen tell you when hesent for you just a while back?"

"It was about the visit (of Yuan Ch'un) to her parents, " Chia Lienexplained. 

"Has after all permission for the visit been granted?" lady Fenginquired with alacrity. 

"Though not quite granted, " Chia Lien replied joyously, "it'snevertheless more or less an accomplished fact. "

"This is indeed evidence of the great bounty of the present Emperor!"lady Feng observed smirkingly; "one doesn't hear in books, or see inplays, written from time to time, any mention of such an instance, evenso far back as the days of old!"

Dame Chao took up again the thread of the conversation. "Indeed it'sso!" she interposed; "But I'm in very truth quite stupid from old age, for I've heard every one, high and low, clamouring during these fewdays, something or other about 'Hsing Ch'in' or no 'Hsing Ch'in, ' but Ididn't really pay any heed to it; and now again, here's something moreabout this 'Hsing Ch'in, ' but what's it all about, I wonder?"

"The Emperor at present on the Throne, " explained Chia Lien, "takes intoconsideration the feelings of his people. In the whole world, there is(in his opinion), no more essential thing than filial piety; maintainingthat the feelings of father, mother, son and daughter areindiscriminately subject to one principle, without any distinctionbetween honorable and mean. The present Emperor himself day and nightwaits upon their majesties his Father and the Empress Dowager, and yetcannot, in the least degree, carry out to the full his ideal of filialpiety. The secondary consorts, meritorious persons and other inmates ofthe Palace, he remembered, had entered within its precincts many yearsback, casting aside fathers and mothers, so how could they not helpthinking of them? Besides, the fathers and mothers, who remain at homemust long for their daughters, of whom they cannot get even so much as aglimpse, and if, through this solicitude, they were to contract anyillness, the harmony of heaven would also be seriously impaired, so forthis reason, he memorialised the Emperor, his father, and the EmpressDowager that every month, on the recurrence of the second and sixthdays, permission should be accorded to the relatives of the imperialconsorts to enter the palace and make application to see theirdaughters. The Emperor, his father, and Empress Dowager were, forthwith, much delighted by this representation, and eulogised, in high terms, thepiety and generosity of the present Emperor, his regard for the will ofheaven and his research into the nature of things. Both their sacredMajesties consequently also issued a decree to the effect: that theentrance of the relatives of the imperial consorts into the Palace couldnot but interfere with the dignity of the state, and the rules ofconventional rites, but that as the mothers and daughters could notgratify the wishes of their hearts, Their Majesties would, after all, show a high proof of expedient grace, and issue a special command that:'exclusive of the generous bounty, by virtue of which the worthyrelations of the imperial consorts could enter the palace on the secondand sixth days, any family, having extensive accommodation and separatecourts suitable for the cantonment of the imperial body-guard, could, without any detriment, make application to the Inner Palace, for theentrance of the imperial chair into the private residences, to the endthat the personal feelings of relations might be gratified, and thatthey should collectively enjoy the bliss of a family reunion. ' After theissue of this decree, who did not leap from grateful joy! The father ofthe honourable secondary consort Chou has now already initiated works, in his residence, for the repairs to the separate courts necessary forthe visiting party. Wu T'ien-yu too, the father of Wu, the distinguishedconsort, has likewise gone outside the city walls in search of asuitable plot of ground; and don't these amount to well-nighaccomplished facts?"

"O-mi-to-fu!" exclaimed dame Chao. "Is it really so? but from what yousay, our family will also be making preparations for the reception ofthe eldest young lady!"

"That goes without saying, " added Chia Lien, "otherwise, for whatpurpose could we be in such a stir just now?"

"It's of course so!" interposed lady Feng smiling, "and I shall now havean opportunity of seeing something great of the world. My misfortune isthat I'm young by several years; for had I been born twenty or thirtyyears sooner, all these old people wouldn't really be now treating mecontemptuously for not having seen the world! To begin with, the EmperorTai Tsu, in years gone by, imitated the old policy of Shun, and went ona tour, giving rise to more stir than any book could have ever produced;but I happen to be devoid of that good fortune which could have enabledme to come in time. "

"Ai ya, ya!" ejaculated dame Chao, "such a thing is rarely met with in athousand years! I was old enough at that time to remember theoccurrence! Our Chia family was then at Ku Su, Yangchow and all alongthat line, superintending the construction of ocean vessels, and therepairs to the seaboard. This was the only time in which preparationswere made for the reception of the Emperor, and money was lavished inquantities as great as the billowing waters of the sea!"

This subject once introduced, lady Feng took up the thread of theconversation with vehemence. "Our Wang family, " she said, "did also makepreparations on one occasion. At that time my grandfather was in solecharge of all matters connected with tribute from various states, aswell as with general levées, so that whenever any foreigners arrived, they all came to our house to be entertained, while the whole of thegoods, brought by foreign vessels from the two Kuang provinces, fromFukien, Yunnan and Chekiang, were the property of our family. "

"Who isn't aware of these facts?" ventured dame Chao; "there is up tothis day a saying that, 'in the eastern sea, there was a white jade bedrequired, and the dragon prince came to request Mr. Wang of Chin Ling(to give it to him)!' This saying relates to your family, my lady, andremains even now in vogue. The Chen family of Chiang Nan has recentlyheld, oh such a fine old standing! it alone has entertained the Emperoron four occasions! Had we not seen these things with our own eyes, werewe to tell no matter whom, they wouldn't surely ever believe them! Notto speak of the money, which was as plentiful as mud, all things, whether they were to be found in the world or not, were they not heapedup like hills, and collected like the waters of the sea? But with thefour characters representing sin and pity they didn't however troubletheir minds. "

"I've often heard, " continued lady Feng, "my eldest uncle say thatthings were in such a state, and how couldn't I believe? but whatsurprises me is how it ever happened that this family attained suchopulence and honour!"

"I'll tell your ladyship and all in one sentence, " replied nurse Chao. "Why they simply took the Emperor's money and spent it for the Emperor'sperson, that's all! for what family has such a lot of money as toindulge in this useless extravagance?"

While they were engaged in this conversation, a servant came a secondtime, at the instance of madame Wang, to see whether lady Feng hadfinished her meal or not; and lady Feng forthwith concluding that theremust be something waiting for her to attend to, hurriedly rushed throughher repast. She had just rinsed her mouth and was about to start whenthe youths, on duty at the second gate, also reported that the twogentlemen, Mr. Chia Jung and Mr. Chia Se, belonging to the Easternmansion, had arrived. 

Chia Lien had, at length, rinsed his mouth; but while P'ing Erhpresented a basin for him to wash his hands, he perceived the two youngmen walk in, and readily inquired of them what they had to say. 

Lady Feng was, on account (of their arrival), likewise compelled tostay, and she heard Chia Jung take the lead and observe: "My father hassent me to tell you, uncle, that the gentlemen, have already decidedthat the whole extent of ground, starting from the East side, borrowing(for the occasion) the flower garden of the Eastern mansion, straight upto the North West, had been measured and found to amount in all to threeand a half li; that it will be suitable for the erection of extraaccommodation for the visiting party; that they have alreadycommissioned an architect to draw a plan, which will be ready byto-morrow; that as you, uncle, have just returned home, and mustunavoidably feel fatigued, you need not go over to our house, but thatif you have anything to say you should please come tomorrow morning, asearly as you can, and consult verbally with him. "

"Thank uncle warmly, " Chia Lien rejoined smilingly, "for the trouble hehas taken in thinking of me; I shall, in that case, comply with hiswishes and not go over. This plan is certainly the proper one, for whiletrouble will thus be saved, the erection of the quarters will likewisebe an easy matter; for had a distinct plot to be selected and to bepurchased, it would involve far greater difficulties. What's more, things wouldn't, after all, be what they properly should be. When youget back, tell your father that this decision is the right one, and thatshould the gentlemen have any further wish to introduce any change intheir proposals, it will rest entirely with my uncle to prevent them, asit's on no account advisable to go and cast one's choice on some otherplot; that to-morrow as soon as it's daylight, I'll come and pay myrespects to uncle, when we can enter into further details in ourdeliberations!"

Chia Jung hastily signified his assent by several yes's, and Chia Sealso came forward to deliver his message. "The mission to Ku Su, " heexplained, "to find tutors, to purchase servant girls, and to obtainmusical instruments, and theatrical properties and the like, my unclehas confided to me; and as I'm to take along with me the two sons of acouple of majordomos, and two companions of the family, besides, TanP'ing-jen and Pei Ku-hsiu, he has, for this reason, enjoined me to comeand see you, uncle. "

Upon hearing this, Chia Lien scrutinised Chia Se. "What!" he asked, "areyou able to undertake these commissions? These matters are, it's true, of no great moment; but there's something more hidden in them!"

Chia Se smiled. "The best thing I can do, " he remarked, "will be toexecute them in my novice sort of way, that's all. "

Chia Jung was standing next to lady Feng, out of the light of the lamp, and stealthily pulled the lapel of her dress. Lady Feng understood thehint, and putting on a smiling expression, "You are too full of fears!"she interposed. "Is it likely that our uncle Chen doesn't, after all, know better than we do what men to employ, that you again give way toapprehensions that he isn't up to the mark! but who are those who are, in every respect, up to the mark? These young fellows have grown upalready to this age, and if they haven't eaten any pork, they havenevertheless seen a pig run. If Mr. Chen has deputed him to go, he issimply meant to sit under the general's standard; and do you imagine, forsooth, that he has, in real earnest, told him to go and bargain aboutthe purchase money, and to interview the brokers himself? My own idea isthat (the choice) is a very good one. "

"Of course it is!" observed Chia Lien; "but it isn't that I entertainany wish to be factious; my only object is to devise some plan or otherfor him. Whence will, " he therefore went on to ask, "the money requiredfor this purpose come from?"

"A little while ago the deliberations reached this point, " rejoined ChiaSe; "and Mr. Lai suggested that there was no necessity at all to takeany funds from the capital, as the Chen family, in Chiang Nan, had stillin their possession Tls. 50, 000 of our money. That he would to-morrowwrite a letter of advice and a draft for us to take along, and that weshould, first of all, obtain cash to the amount of Tls. 30, 000, and letthe balance of Tls. 20, 000 remain over, for the purchase of paintedlanterns, and coloured candles, as well as for the outlay for every kindof portieres, banners, curtains and streamers. "

Chia Lien nodded his head. "This plan is first-rate!" he added. 

"Since that be so, " observed lady Feng, as she addressed herself to ChiaSe, "I've two able and reliable men; and if you would take them withyou, to attend to these matters, won't it be to your convenience?"

Chia Se forced a smile. "I was just on the point, " he rejoined, "ofasking you, aunt, for the loan of two men, so that this suggestion is astrange coincidence. "

As he went on to ascertain what were their names, lady Feng inquiredwhat they were of nurse Chao. But nurse Chao had, by this time, becomequite dazed from listening to the conversation, and P'ing Erh had togive her a push, as she smiled, before she returned to consciousness. "The one, " she hastened to reply, "is called Chao T'ien-liang and theother Chao T'ien-tung. "

"Whatever you do, " suggested lady Feng, "don't forget them; but now I'moff to look after my duties. "

With these words, she left the room, and Chia Jung promptly followed herout, and with gentle voice he said to her: "Of whatever you want, aunt, issue orders that a list be drawn up, and I'll give it to my brother totake with him, and he'll carry out your commissions according to thelist. "

"Don't talk nonsense!" replied lady Feng laughing; "I've found no place, as yet, where I could put away all my own things; and do the stealthypractices of you people take my fancy?"

As she uttered these words she straightway went her way. 

Chia Se, at this time, likewise, asked Chia Lien: "If you want anything(in the way of curtains), I can conveniently have them woven for you, along with the rest, and bring them as a present to you. "

"Don't be in such high glee!" Chia Lien urged with a grin, "you've butrecently been learning how to do business, and have you come first andforemost to excel in tricks of this kind? If I require anything, I'll ofcourse write and tell you, but we needn't talk about it. "

Having finished speaking, he dismissed the two young men; and, in quicksuccession, servants came to make their business reports, not limited tothree and five companies, but as Chia Lien felt exhausted, he forthwithsent word to those on duty at the second gate not to allow any one atall to communicate any reports, and that the whole crowd should waittill the next day, when he would give his mind to what had to be done. 

Lady Feng did not come to retire to rest till the third watch; butnothing need be said about the whole night. 

The next morning, at an early hour, Chia Lien got up and called on ChiaShe and Chia Cheng; after which, he came over to the Ning Kuo mansion;when, in company with the old major-domos and other servants, as well aswith several old family friends and companions, he inspected the groundsof the two mansions, and drew plans of the palatial buildings (for theaccommodation of the Imperial consort and her escort) on her visit toher parents; deliberating at the same time, on the subject of the worksand workmen. 

From this day the masons and workmen of every trade were collected tothe full number; and the articles of gold, silver, copper, and pewter, as well as the earth, timber, tiles, and bricks, were brought over, andcarried in, in incessant supplies. In the first place, orders wereissued to the workmen to demolish the wall and towers of the garden ofConcentrated Fragrance, and extend a passage to connect in a straightline with the large court in the East of the Jung mansion; for the wholeextent of servants' quarters on the Eastern side of the Jung mansion hadpreviously been pulled down. 

The two residences of Ning and Jung were, in these days, it is true, divided by a small street, which served as a boundary line, and therewas no communication between them, but this narrow passage was alsoprivate property, and not in any way a government street, so that theycould easily be connected, and as in the garden of ConcentratedFragrance, there was already a stream of running water, which had beenintroduced through the corner of the Northern wall, there was no furtherneed now of going to the trouble of bringing in another. Although therockeries and trees were not sufficient, the place where Chia She lived, was an old garden of the Jung mansion, so that the bamboos, trees, androckeries in that compound, as well as the arbours, railings and othersuch things could all be very well removed to the front; and by thesemeans, these two grounds, situated as they were besides so very near toeach other, could, by being thrown into one, conduce to the saving ofconsiderable capital and labour; for, in spite of some deficiency, whathad to be supplied did not amount to much. And it devolved entirely upona certain old Hu, a man of note, styled Shan Tzu-yeh, to deliberate uponone thing after another, and to initiate its construction. 

Chia Cheng was not up to these ordinary matters, so that it fell to ChiaShe, Chia Chen, Chia Lien, Lai Ta, Lai Sheng, Lin Chih-hsiao, WuHsin-teng, Chan Kuang, Ch'eng Jih-hsing and several others to allot thesites, to set things in order, (and to look after) the heaping up ofrockeries, the digging of ponds, the construction of two-storiedbuildings, the erection of halls, the plantation of bamboos and thecultivation of flowers, everything connected with the improvement of thescenery devolving, on the other hand, upon Shan Tzu-yeh to makeprovision for, and after leaving Court, he would devote such leisuremoments as he had to merely going everywhere to give a look at the mostimportant spots, and to consult with Chia She and the others; afterwhich he troubled his mind no more with anything. And as Chia She didnothing else than stay at home and lie off, whenever any matter turnedup, trifling though it may have been as a grain of mustard seed or abean, Chia Chen and his associates had either to go and report it inperson or to write a memorandum of it. Or if he had anything to say, hesent for Chia Lien, Lai Ta and others to come and receive hisinstructions. Chia Jung had the sole direction of the manufacture of thearticles in gold and silver; and as for Chia Se, he had already set outon his journey to Ku Su. Chia Chen, Lai Ta and the rest had also to callout the roll with the names of the workmen, to superintend the works andother duties relative thereto, which could not be recorded by one penalone; sufficient to say that a great bustle and stir prevailed, but tothis subject we shall not refer for a time, but allude to Pao-yü. 

As of late there were in the household concerns of this magnitude toattend to, Chia Cheng did not come to examine him in his lessons, sothat he was, of course, in high spirits, but, as unfortunately Ch'inChung's complaint became, day by day, more serious, he was at the sametime really so very distressed at heart on his account, that enjoymentwas for him out of the question. 

On this day, he got up as soon as it was dawn, and having just combedhis hair and washed his face and hands, he was bent upon going to askdowager lady Chia to allow him to pay a visit to Ch'in Chung, when hesuddenly espied Ming Yen peep round the curtain-wall at the second gate, and then withdraw his head. Pao-yü promptly walked out and inquired whathe was up to. 

"Mr. Ch'in Chung, " observed Ming Yen, "is not well at all. "

Pao-yü at these words was quite taken aback. "It was only yesterday, " hehastily added, "that I saw him, and he was still bright and cheery; andhow is it that he's anything but well now?"

"I myself can't explain, " replied Ming Yen; "but just a few minutes agoan old man belonging to his family came over with the express purpose ofgiving me the tidings. "

Upon hearing this news, Pao-yü there and then turned round and tolddowager lady Chia; and the old lady issued directions to depute sometrustworthy persons to accompany him. "Let him go, " (she said), "andsatisfy his feelings towards his fellow-scholar; but as soon as he hasdone, he must come back; and don't let him tarry too long. "

Pao-yü with hurried step left the room and came and changed his clothes. But as on his arrival outside, the carriage had not as yet been gotready, he fell into such a state of excitement, that he went round andround all over the hall in quite an erratic manner. In a short while, after pressure had been brought to bear, the carriage arrived, andspeedily mounting the vehicle, he drove up to the door of Ch'in Chung'shouse, followed by Li Kuei, Ming Yen and the other servants. Everythingwas quiet. Not a soul was about. Like a hive of bees they flocked intothe house, to the astonishment of two distant aunts, and of several malecousins of Ch'in Chung, all of whom had no time to effect their retreat. 

Ch'in Chung had, by this time, had two or three fainting fits, and hadalready long ago been changed his mat. As soon as Pao-yü realised thesituation, he felt unable to repress himself from bursting forth aloud. Li Kuei promptly reasoned with him. "You shouldn't go on in this way, "he urged, "you shouldn't. It's because Mr. Ch'in is so weak that lyingflat on the stove-couch naturally made his bones feel uncomfortable; andthat's why he has temporarily been removed down here to ease him alittle. But if you, sir, go on in this way, will you not, instead ofdoing him any good, aggravate his illness?"

At these words, Pao-yü accordingly restrained himself, and held histongue; and drawing near, he gazed at Ch'in Chung's face, which was aswhite as wax, while with closed eyes, he gasped for breath, rollingabout on his pillow. 

"Brother Ching, " speedily exclaimed Pao-yü, "Pao-yü is here!" But thoughhe shouted out two or three consecutive times, Ch'in Chung did not heedhim. 

"Pao-yü has come!" Pao-yü went on again to cry. But Ch'in Chung's spirithad already departed from his body, leaving behind only a faint breathof superfluous air in his lungs. 

He had just caught sight of a number of recording devils, holding awarrant and carrying chains, coming to seize him, but Ch'in Chung's soulwould on no account go along with them; and remembering how that therewas in his home no one to assume the direction of domestic affairs, andfeeling concerned that Chih Neng had as yet no home, he consequentlyused hundreds of arguments in his entreaties to the recording devils;but alas! these devils would, none of them, show him any favour. On thecontrary, they heaped invectives upon Ch'in Chung. 

"You're fortunate enough to be a man of letters, " they insinuated, "anddon't you know the common saying that: 'if the Prince of Hell call uponyou to die at the third watch, who can presume to retain you, a humanbeing, up to the fifth watch?' In our abode, in the unseen, high as wellas low, have all alike a face made of iron, and heed not selfishmotives; unlike the mortal world, where favouritism and partialityprevail. There exist therefore many difficulties in the way (to ouryielding to your wishes). "

While this fuss was going on, Ch'in Chung's spirit suddenly grasped thefour words, "Pao-yü has come, " and without loss of time, it went onagain to make further urgent appeals. "Gentlemen, spiritual deputies, "it exclaimed; "show me a little mercy and allow me to return to makejust one remark to an intimate friend of mine, and I'll be back again. "

"What intimate friend is this again?" the devils observed with onevoice. 

"I'm not deceiving you, gentlemen, " rejoined Ch'in Chung; "it's thegrandson of the duke of Jung Kuo, whose infant name is Pao-yü. "

The Decider of life was, at first, upon hearing these words, so seizedwith dismay that he vehemently abused the devils sent on the errand. 

"I told you, " he shouted, "to let him go back for a turn; but you wouldby no means comply with my words! and now do you wait until he hassummoned a man of glorious fortune and prosperous standing to at lastdesist?"

When the company of devils perceived the manner of the Decider of life, they were all likewise so seized with consternation that they bustledwith hand and feet; while with hearts also full of resentment: "You, sir, " they replied, "were at one time such a terror, formidable aslightning; and are you not forsooth able to listen with equanimity tothe two sounds of 'Pao-yü?' our humble idea is that mortal as he is, andimmortal as we are, it wouldn't be to our credit if we feared him!"

But whether Ch'in Chung, after all, died or survived, the next chapterwill explain. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

 In the Ta Kuan Garden, (Broad Vista, ) the merits of Pao-yü are put to the test, by his being told to write devices for scrolls and tablets. Yuan Ch'un returns to the Jung Kuo mansion, on a visit to her parents, and offers her congratulations to them on the feast of lanterns, on the fifteenth of the first moon. 

Ch'in Chung, to resume our story, departed this life, and Pao-yü went onso unceasingly in his bitter lamentations, that Li Kuei and the otherservants had, for ever so long, an arduous task in trying to comfort himbefore he desisted; but on his return home he was still exceedinglydisconsolate. 

Dowager lady Chia afforded monetary assistance to the amount of severaltens of taels; and exclusive of this, she had sacrificial presentslikewise got ready. Pao-yü went and paid a visit of condolence to thefamily, and after seven days the funeral and burial took place, butthere are no particulars about them which could be put on record. 

Pao-yü, however, continued to mourn (his friend) from day to day, andwas incessant in his remembrance of him, but there was likewise no helpfor it. Neither is it known after how many days he got over his grief. 

On this day, Chia Chen and the others came to tell Chia Cheng that theworks in the garden had all been reported as completed, and that Mr. Chia She had already inspected them. "It only remains, " (they said), "for you, sir, to see them; and should there possibly be anything whichis not proper, steps will be at once taken to effect the alterations, sothat the tablets and scrolls may conveniently be written. "

After Chia Cheng had listened to these words, he pondered for a while. "These tablets and scrolls, " he remarked, "present however a difficulttask. According to the rites, we should, in order to obviate anyshortcoming, request the imperial consort to deign and compose them; butif the honourable consort does not gaze upon the scenery with her owneyes, it will also be difficult for her to conceive its nature andindite upon it! And were we to wait until the arrival of her highness, to request her to honour the grounds with a visit, before she composesthe inscriptions, such a wide landscape, with so many pavilions andarbours, will, without one character in the way of a motto, albeit itmay abound with flowers, willows, rockeries, and streams, neverthelessin no way be able to show off its points of beauty to advantage. "

The whole party of family companions, who stood by, smiled. "Your views, remarkable sir, " they ventured, "are excellent; but we have now aproposal to make. Tablets and scrolls for every locality cannot, on anyaccount, be dispensed with, but they could not likewise, by any means, be determined upon for good! Were now, for the time being, two, three orfour characters fixed upon, harmonising with the scenery, to carry out, for form's sake, the idea, and were they provisionally utilised asmottoes for the lanterns, tablets and scrolls, and hung up, pending thearrival of her highness, and her visit through the grounds, when shecould be requested to decide upon the devices, would not two exigenciesbe met with satisfactorily?"

"Your views are perfectly correct, " observed Chia Cheng, after he hadheard their suggestion; "and we should go to-day and have a look at theplace so as then to set to work to write the inscriptions; which, ifsuitable, can readily be used; and, if unsuitable, Yü-ts'un can then besent for, and asked to compose fresh ones. "

The whole company smiled. "If you, sir, were to compose them to-day, "they ventured, "they are sure to be excellent; and what need will therebe again to wait for Yü-ts'un!"

"You people are not aware, " Chia Cheng added with a smiling countenance, "that I've been, even in my young days, very mediocre in the compositionof stanzas on flowers, birds, rockeries and streams; and that now thatI'm well up in years and have moreover the fatigue and trouble of myofficial duties, I've become in literary compositions like these, whichrequire a light heart and gladsome mood, still more inapt. Were I evento succeed in composing any, they will unavoidably be so doltish andforced that they would contrariwise be instrumental in making theflowers, trees, garden and pavilions, through their demerits, lose inbeauty, and present instead no pleasing feature. "

"This wouldn't anyhow matter, " remonstrated all the family companions, "for after perusing them we can all decide upon them together, each oneof us recommending those he thinks best; which if excellent can be kept, and if faulty can be discarded; and there's nothing unfeasible aboutthis!"

"This proposal is most apposite, " rejoined Chia Cheng. "What's more, theweather is, I rejoice, fine to-day; so let's all go in a company andhave a look. "

Saying this, he stood up and went forward, at the head of the wholeparty; while Chia Chen betook himself in advance into the garden to letevery one know of their coming. As luck would have it, Pao-yü--for hehad been these last few days thinking of Ch'in Chung and so ceaselesslysad and wounded at heart, that dowager lady Chia had frequently directedthe servants to take him into the new garden to play--made his entrancejust at this very time, and suddenly became aware of the arrival of ChiaChen, who said to him with a smile, "Don't you yet run away as fast asyou can? Mr. Chia Cheng will be coming in a while. "

At these words, Pao-yü led off his nurse and the youths, and rushed atonce out of the garden, like a streak of smoke; but as he turned acorner, he came face to face with Chia Cheng, who was advancing towardsthat direction, at the head of all the visitors; and as he had no timeto get out of the way, the only course open to him was to stand on oneside. 

Chia Cheng had, of late, heard the tutor extol him by saying that hedisplayed special ability in rhyming antithetical lines, and thatalthough he did not like to read his books, he nevertheless possessedsome depraved talents, and hence it was that he was induced at thismoment to promptly bid him follow him into the garden, with the intentof putting him to the test. 

Pao-yü could not make out what his object was, but he was compelled tofollow. As soon as they reached the garden gate, and he caught sight ofChia Chen, standing on one side, along with several managers: "See thatthe garden gate is closed for a time, " Chia Cheng exclaimed, "for we'llfirst see the outside and then go in. "

Chia Chen directed a servant to close the gate, and Chia Cheng firstlooked straight ahead of him towards the gate and espied on the sameside as the main entrance a suite of five apartments. Above, thecylindrical tiles resembled the backs of mud eels. The doors, railings, windows, and frames were all finely carved with designs of the newfashion, and were painted neither in vermilion nor in white colours. Thewhole extent of the walls was of polished bricks of uniform colour;while below, the white marble on the terrace and steps was engraved withwestern foreign designs; and when he came to look to the right and tothe left, everything was white as snow. At the foot of the white-washedwalls, tiger-skin pebbles were, without regard to pattern, promiscuouslyinserted in the earth in such a way as of their own selves to formstreaks. Nothing fell in with the custom of gaudiness and display somuch in vogue, so that he naturally felt full of delight; and, when heforthwith asked that the gate should be thrown open, all that met theireyes was a long stretch of verdant hills, which shut in the view infront of them. 

"What a fine hill, what a pretty hill!" exclaimed all the companionswith one voice. 

"Were it not for this one hill, " Chia Cheng explained, "whatever sceneryis contained in it would clearly strike the eye, as soon as one enteredinto the garden, and what pleasure would that have been?"

"Quite so, " rejoined all of them. "But without large hills and ravinesin one's breast (liberal capacities), how could one attain suchimagination!"

After the conclusion of this remark, they cast a glance ahead of them, and perceived white rugged rocks looking, either like goblins, orresembling savage beasts, lying either crossways, or in horizontal orupright positions; on the surface of which grew moss and lichen withmottled hues, or parasitic plants, which screened off the light; while, slightly visible, wound, among the rocks, a narrow pathway like theintestines of a sheep. 

"If we were now to go and stroll along by this narrow path, " Chia Chengsuggested, "and to come out from over there on our return, we shall havebeen able to see the whole grounds. "

Having finished speaking, he asked Chia Chen to lead the way; and hehimself, leaning on Pao-yü, walked into the gorge with leisurely step. Raising his head, he suddenly beheld on the hill a block of stone, aswhite as the surface of a looking-glass, in a site which was, in verydeed, suitable to be left for an inscription, as it was bound to meetthe eye. 

"Gentlemen, " Chia Cheng observed, as he turned his head round andsmiled, "please look at this spot. What name will it be fit to give it?"

When the company heard his remark, some maintained that the two words"Heaped verdure" should be written; and others upheld that the deviceshould be "Embroidered Hill. " Others again suggested: "Vying with theHsiang Lu;" and others recommended "the small Chung Nan. " And variouskinds of names were proposed, which did not fall short of several tens. 

All the visitors had been, it must be explained, aware at an earlyperiod of the fact that Chia Cheng meant to put Pao-yü's ability to thetest, and for this reason they merely proposed a few combinations incommon use. But of this intention, Pao-yü himself was likewisecognizant. 

After listening to the suggestions, Chia Cheng forthwith turned his headround and bade Pao-yü think of some motto. 

"I've often heard, " Pao-yü replied, "that writers of old opine that it'sbetter to quote an old saying than to compose a new one; and that an oldengraving excels in every respect an engraving of the present day. What's more, this place doesn't constitute the main hill or the chieffeature of the scenery, and is really no site where any inscriptionshould be put, as it no more than constitutes the first step in theinspection of the landscape. Won't it be well to employ the exact textof an old writer consisting of 'a tortuous path leading to a secluded(nook). ' This line of past days would, if inscribed, be, in fact, liberal to boot. "

After listening to the proposed line, they all sang its praise. "First-rate! excellent!" they cried, "the natural talents of your secondson, dear friend, are lofty; his mental capacity is astute; he is unlikeourselves, who have read books but are simple fools. "

"You shouldn't, " urged Chia Cheng smilingly, "heap upon him excessivepraise; he's young in years, and merely knows one thing which he turnsto the use of ten purposes; you should laugh at him, that's all; but wecan by and by choose some device. "

As he spoke, he entered the cave, where he perceived beautiful treeswith thick foliage, quaint flowers in lustrous bloom, while a line oflimpid stream emanated out of a deep recess among the flowers and trees, and oozed down through the crevice of the rock. Progressing severalsteps further in, they gradually faced the northern side, where astretch of level ground extended far and wide, on each side of whichsoared lofty buildings, intruding themselves into the skies, whosecarved rafters and engraved balustrades nestled entirely among thedepressions of the hills and the tops of the trees. They lowered theireyes and looked, and beheld a pure stream flowing like jade, stone stepstraversing the clouds, a balustrade of white marble encircling the pondin its embrace, and a stone bridge with three archways, the animals uponwhich had faces disgorging water from their mouths. A pavilion stood onthe bridge, and in this pavilion Chia Chen and the whole party went andsat. 

"Gentlemen, " he inquired, "what shall we write about this?"

"In the record, " they all replied, "of the 'Drunken Old Man's Pavilion, 'written in days of old by Ou Yang, appears this line: 'There is apavilion pinioned-like, ' so let us call this 'the pinioned-likepavilion, ' and finish. "

"Pinioned-like, " observed Chia Cheng smiling, "is indeed excellent; butthis pavilion is constructed over the water, and there should, afterall, be some allusion to the water in the designation. My humble opinionis that of the line in Ou Yang's work, '(the water) drips from betweenthe two peaks, ' we should only make use of that single word 'drips. '"

"First-rate!" rejoined one of the visitors, "capital! but what wouldreally be appropriate are the two characters 'dripping jadelike. '"

Chia Chen pulled at his moustache, as he gave way to reflection; afterwhich, he asked Pao-yü to also propose one himself. 

"What you, sir, suggested a while back, " replied Pao-yü, "will do verywell; but if we were now to sift the matter thoroughly, the use of thesingle word 'drip' by Ou Yang, in his composition about the Niangspring, would appear quite apposite; while the application, also on thisoccasion, to this spring, of the character 'drip' would be found notquite suitable. Moreover, seeing that this place is intended as aseparate residence (for the imperial consort), on her visit to herparents, it is likewise imperative that we should comply with all theprinciples of etiquette, so that were words of this kind to be used, they would besides be coarse and inappropriate; and may it please you tofix upon something else more recondite and abstruse. "

"What do you, gentlemen, think of this argument?" Chia Cheng remarkedsneeringly. "A little while ago, when the whole company devisedsomething original, you observed that it would be better to quote an olddevice; and now that we have quoted an old motto, you again maintainthat it's coarse and inappropriate! But you had better give us one ofyours. "

"If two characters like 'dripping jadelike' are to be used, " Pao-yüexplained, "it would be better then to employ the two words 'PenetratingFragrance, ' which would be unique and excellent, wouldn't they?"

Chia Cheng pulled his moustache, nodded his head and did not utter aword; whereupon the whole party hastily pressed forward with one voiceto eulogize Pao-yü's acquirements as extraordinary. 

"The selection of two characters for the tablet is an easy matter, "suggested Chia Cheng, "but now go on and compose a pair of antitheticalphrases with seven words in each. "

Pao-yü cast a glance round the four quarters, when an idea came into hishead, and he went on to recite:

 The willows, which enclose the shore, the green borrow from three bamboos; On banks apart, the flowers asunder grow, yet one perfume they give. 

Upon hearing these lines, Chia Cheng gave a faint smile, as he noddedhis head, whilst the whole party went on again to be effusive in theirpraise. But forthwith they issued from the pavilions, and crossed thepond, contemplating with close attention each elevation, each stone, each flower, or each tree. And as suddenly they raised their heads, theycaught sight, in front of them, of a line of white wall, of numbers ofcolumns, and beautiful cottages, where flourished hundreds and thousandsof verdant bamboos, which screened off the rays of the sun. 

"What a lovely place!" they one and all exclaimed. 

Speedily the whole company penetrated inside, perceiving, as soon asthey had entered the gate, a zigzag arcade, below the steps of which wasa raised pathway, laid promiscuously with stones, and on the furthestpart stood a diminutive cottage with three rooms, two with doors leadinginto them and one without. Everything in the interior, in the shape ofbeds, teapoys, chairs and tables, were made to harmonise with the spaceavailable. Leading out of the inner room of the cottage was a small doorfrom which, as they egressed, they found a back-court with lofty peartrees in blossom and banana trees, as well as two very small retiringback-courts. At the foot of the wall, unexpectedly became visible anaperture where was a spring, for which a channel had been openedscarcely a foot or so wide, to enable it to run inside the wall. Windinground the steps, it skirted the buildings until it reached the frontcourt, where it coiled and curved, flowing out under the bamboos. 

"This spot, " observed Chia Cheng full of smiles, "is indeed pleasant!and could one, on a moonlight night, sit under the window and study, onewould not spend a whole lifetime in vain!"

As he said this, he quickly cast a glance at Pao-yü, and so terrifieddid Pao-yü feel that he hastily drooped his head. The whole company lostno time in choosing some irrelevant talk to turn the conversation, andtwo of the visitors prosecuted their remarks by adding that on thetablet, in this spot, four characters should be inscribed. 

"Which four characters?" Chia Cheng inquired, laughingly. 

"The bequeathed aspect of the river Ch'i!" suggested one of them. 

"It's commonplace, " observed Chia Cheng. 

Another person recommended "the remaining vestiges of the Chü Garden. "

"This too is commonplace!" replied Chia Cheng. 

"Let brother Pao-yü again propound one!" interposed Chia Chen, who stoodby. 

"Before he composes any himself, " Chia Cheng continued, "his wont is tofirst discuss the pros and cons of those of others; so it's evident thathe's an impudent fellow!"

"He's most reasonable in his arguments, " all the visitors protested, "and why should he be called to task?"

"Don't humour him so much!" Chia Cheng expostulated. "I'll put up forto-day, " he however felt constrained to tell Pao-yü, "with your haughtymanner, and your rubbishy speech, so that after you have, to begin with, given us your opinion, you may next compose a device. But tell me, arethere any that will do among the mottoes suggested just now by all thegentlemen?"

"They all seem to me unsuitable!" Pao-yü did not hesitate to say by wayof reply to this question. 

Chia Cheng gave a sardonic smile. "How all unsuitable?" he exclaimed. 

"This, " continued Pao-yü, "is the first spot which her highness willhonour on her way, and there should be inscribed, so that it should beappropriate, something commending her sacred majesty. But if a tabletwith four characters has to be used, there are likewise devices ready athand, written by poets of old; and what need is there to compose anymore?"

"Are forsooth the devices 'the river Ch'i and the Chu Garden' not thoseof old authors?" insinuated Chia Cheng. 

"They are too stiff, " replied Pao-yü. "Would not the four characters: 'aphoenix comes with dignified air, ' be better?"

With clamorous unanimity the whole party shouted: "Excellent:" and ChiaCheng nodding his head; "You beast, you beast!" he ejaculated, "it maywell be said about you that you see through a thin tube and have no morejudgment than an insect! Compose another stanza, " he consequently badehim; and Pao-yü recited:

 In the precious tripod kettle, tea is brewed, but green is still the smoke! O'er is the game of chess by the still window, but the fingers are yet cold. 

Chia Cheng shook his head. "Neither does this seem to me good!" he said;and having concluded this remark he was leading the company out, whenjust as he was about to proceed, he suddenly bethought himself ofsomething. 

"The several courts and buildings and the teapoys, sideboards, tablesand chairs, " he added, "may be said to be provided for. But there arestill all those curtains, screens and portieres, as well as thefurniture, nicknacks and curios; and have they too all been matched tosuit the requirements of each place?"

"Of the things that have to be placed about, " Chia Chen explained, agood number have, at an early period, been added, and of course when thetime comes everything will be suitably arranged. As for the curtains, screens, and portieres, which have to be hung up, I heard yesterdaybrother Lien say that they are not as yet complete, that when the workswere first taken in hand, the plan of each place was drawn, themeasurements accurately calculated and some one despatched to attend tothe things, and that he thought that yesterday half of them were boundto come in. 

Chia Cheng, upon hearing this explanation, readily remembered that withall these concerns Chia Chen had nothing to do; so that he speedily sentsome one to go and call Chia Lien. 

Having arrived in a short while, "How many sorts of things are there inall?" Chia Cheng inquired of him. "Of these how many kinds have by thistime been got ready? and how many more are short?"

At this question, Chia Lien hastily produced, from the flaps of hisboot, a paper pocket-book, containing a list, which he kept inside thetops of his boot. After perusing it and reperusing it, he made suitablereply. "Of the hundred and twenty curtains, " he proceeded, "of stiffspotted silks, embroidered with dragons in relief, and of the curtainslarge and small, of every kind of damask silk, eighty were gotyesterday, so that there still remain forty of them to come. The twoportieres were both received yesterday; and besides these, there are thetwo hundred red woollen portieres, two hundred portieres of Hsiang Feibamboo; two hundred door-screens of rattan, with gold streaks, and ofred lacquered bamboo; two hundred portieres of black lacquered rattan;two hundred door-screens of variegated thread-netting with clusters offlowers. Of each of these kinds, half have come in, but the whole lot ofthem will be complete no later than autumn. Antimacassars, table-cloths, flounces for the beds, and cushions for the stools, there are a thousandtwo hundred of each, but these likewise are ready and at hand. "

As he spoke, they proceeded outwards, but suddenly they perceived a hillextending obliquely in such a way as to intercept the passage; and asthey wound round the curve of the hill faintly came to view a line ofyellow mud walls, the whole length of which was covered with paddystalks for the sake of protection, and there were several hundreds ofapricot trees in bloom, which presented the appearance of being fire, spurted from the mouth, or russet clouds, rising in the air. Inside thisenclosure, stood several thatched cottages. Outside grew, on the otherhand, mulberry trees, elms, mallows, and silkworm oaks, whose tendershoots and new twigs, of every hue, were allowed to bend and tointertwine in such a way as to form two rows of green fence. Beyond thisfence and below the white mound, was a well, by the side of which stooda well-sweep, windlass and such like articles; the ground further downbeing divided into parcels, and apportioned into fields, which, with thefine vegetables and cabbages in flower, presented, at the first glance, the aspect of being illimitable. 

"This is, " Chia Cheng observed chuckling, "the place really imbued witha certain amount of the right principle; and laid out, though it hasbeen by human labour, yet when it strikes my eye, it so moves my heart, that it cannot help arousing in me the wish to return to my native placeand become a farmer. But let us enter and rest a while. "

As he concluded these words, they were on the point of walking in, whenthey unexpectedly discerned a stone, outside the trellis gate, by theroadside, which had also been left as a place on which to inscribe amotto. 

"Were a tablet, " argued the whole company smilingly, "put up high in aspot like this, to be filled up by and by, the rustic aspect of a farmwould in that case be completely done away with; and it will be better, yea far better to erect this slab on the ground, as it will further makemanifest many points of beauty. But unless a motto could be composed ofthe same excellence as that in Fan Shih-hu's song on farms, it will notbe adequate to express its charms!"

"Gentlemen, " observed Chia Cheng, "please suggest something. "

"A short while back, " replied the whole company, "your son, venerablebrother, remarked that devising a new motto was not equal to quoting anold one, and as sites of this kind have been already exhausted bywriters of days of old, wouldn't it be as well that we shouldstraightway call it the 'apricot blossom village?' and this will dosplendidly. "

When Chia Cheng heard this remark, he smiled and said, addressinghimself to Chia Chen: "This just reminds me that although this place isperfect in every respect, there's still one thing wanting in the shapeof a wine board; and you had better then have one made to-morrow on thevery same pattern as those used outside in villages; and it needn't beanything gaudy, but hung above the top of a tree by means of bamboos. "

Chia Chen assented. "There's no necessity, " he went on to explain, "tokeep any other birds in here, but only to rear a few geese, ducks, fowlsand such like; as in that case they will be in perfect keeping with theplace. "

"A splendid idea!" Chia Cheng rejoined, along with all the party. 

"'Apricot blossom village' is really first-rate, " continued Chia Chengas he again addressed himself to the company; "but the only thing isthat it encroaches on the real designation of the village; and it willbe as well to wait (until her highness comes), when we can request herto give it a name. "

"Certainly!" answered the visitors with one voice; "but now as far as aname goes, for mere form, let us all consider what expressions will besuitable to employ. "

Pao-yü did not however give them time to think; nor did he wait for ChiaCheng's permission, but suggested there and then: "In old poetical worksthere's this passage: 'At the top of the red apricot tree hangs the flagof an inn, ' and wouldn't it be advisable, on this occasion, totemporarily adopt the four words: 'the sign on the apricot tree isvisible'?"

"'Is visible' is excellent, " suggested the whole number of them, "andwhat's more it secretly accords with the meaning implied by 'apricotblossom village. '"

"Were the two words 'apricot blossom' used for the name of the village, they would be too commonplace and unsuitable;" added Pao-yü with asardonic grin, "but there's another passage in the works of a poet ofthe T'ang era: 'By the wooden gate near the water the corn-flower emitsits fragrance;' and why not make use of the motto 'corn fragrancevillage, ' which will be excellent?"

When the company heard his proposal, they, with still greater vigour, unanimously combined in crying out "Capital!" as they clapped theirhands. 

Chia Cheng, with one shout, interrupted their cries, "You ignorant childof wrath!" he ejaculated; "how many old writers can you know, and howmany stanzas of ancient poetical works can you remember, that you willhave the boldness to show off in the presence of all these experiencedgentlemen? (In allowing you to give vent to) all the nonsense youuttered my object was no other than to see whether your brain was clearor muddled; and all for fun's sake, that's all; and lo, you've takenthings in real earnest!"

Saying this, he led the company into the interior of the hall with themallows. The windows were pasted with paper, and the bedsteads made ofwood, and all appearance of finery had been expunged, and Chia Cheng'sheart was naturally much gratified; but nevertheless, scowling angrilyat Pao-yü, "What do you think of this place?" he asked. 

When the party heard this question, they all hastened to stealthily givea nudge to Pao-yü, with the express purpose of inducing him to say itwas nice; but Pao-yü gave no ear to what they all urged. "It's by farbelow the spot, " he readily replied, "designated 'a phoenix comes withdignified air. '"

"You ignorant stupid thing!" exclaimed Chia Cheng at these words; "whatyou simply fancy as exquisite, with that despicable reliance of yoursupon luxury and display, are two-storied buildings and painted pillars!But how can you know anything about this aspect so pure and unobtrusive, and this is all because of that failing of not studying your books!"

"Sir, " hastily answered Pao-yü, "your injunctions are certainly correct;but men of old have often made allusion to 'natural;' and what is, Iwonder, the import of these two characters?"

The company had perceived what a perverse mind Pao yü possessed, andthey one and all were much surprised that he should be so silly beyondthe possibility of any change; and when now they heard the question heasked, about the two characters representing "natural, " they, with oneaccord, speedily remarked, "Everything else you understand, and how isit that on the contrary you don't know what 'natural' implies? The word'natural' means effected by heaven itself and not made by human labour. "

"Well, just so, " rejoined Pao-yü; "but the farm, which is laid out inthis locality, is distinctly the handiwork of human labour; in thedistance, there are no neighbouring hamlets; near it, adjoin no wastes;though it bears a hill, the hill is destitute of streaks; though it beclose to water, this water has no spring; above, there is no pagodanestling in a temple; below, there is no bridge leading to a market; itrises abrupt and solitary, and presents no grand sight! The palm wouldseem to be carried by the former spot, which is imbued with the naturalprinciple, and possesses the charms of nature; for, though bamboos havebeen planted in it, and streams introduced, they nevertheless do noviolence to the works executed. 'A natural landscape, ' says, an ancientauthor in four words; and why? Simply because he apprehended that whatwas not land, would, by forcible ways, be converted into land; and thatwhat was no hill would, by unnatural means, be raised into a hill. Andingenious though these works might be in a hundred and one ways, theycannot, after all, be in harmony. ". . . 

But he had no time to conclude, as Chia Cheng flew into a rage. "Drivehim off, " he shouted; (but as Pao-yü) was on the point of going out, heagain cried out: "Come back! make up, " he added, "another couplet, andif it isn't clear, I'll for all this give you a slap on your mouth. "

Pao-yü had no alternative but to recite as follows:

 A spot in which the "Ko" fibre to bleach, as the fresh tide doth swell the waters green! A beauteous halo and a fragrant smell the man encompass who the cress did pluck!

Chia Cheng, after this recital, nodded his head. "This is still worse!"he remarked, but as he reproved him, he led the company outside, andwinding past the mound, they penetrated among flowers, and wending theirsteps by the willows, they touched the rocks and lingered by the stream. Passing under the trellis with yellow roses, they went into the shedwith white roses; they crossed by the pavilion with peonies, and walkedthrough the garden, where the white peony grew; and entering the courtwith the cinnamon roses, they reached the island of bananas. As theymeandered and zigzagged, suddenly they heard the rustling sound of thewater, as it came out from a stone cave, from the top of which grewparasitic plants drooping downwards, while at its bottom floated thefallen flowers. 

"What a fine sight!" they all exclaimed; "what beautiful scenery!"

"Gentlemen, " observed Chia Cheng, "what name do you propose for thisplace?"

"There's no further need for deliberation, " the company rejoined; "forthis is just the very spot fit for the three words 'Wu Ling Spring. '"

"This too is matter-of-fact!" Chia Cheng objected laughingly, "andlikewise antiquated. "

"If that won't do, " the party smiled, "well then what about the fourcharacters implying 'An old cottage of a man of the Ch'in dynasty?'"

"This is still more exceedingly plain!" interposed Pao-yü. "'The oldcottage of a man of the Ch'in dynasty' is meant to imply a retreat fromrevolution, and how will it suit this place? Wouldn't the fourcharacters be better denoting 'an isthmus with smart weed, and a streamwith flowers'?"

When Chia Cheng heard these words, he exclaimed: "You're talking stillmore stuff and nonsense?" and forthwith entering the grotto, Chia Chengwent on to ask of Chia Chen, "Are there any boats or not?"

"There are to be, " replied Chia Chen, "four boats in all from which topick the lotus, and one boat for sitting in; but they haven't now as yetbeen completed. "

"What a pity!" Chia Cheng answered smilingly, "that we cannot go in. "

"But we could also get into it by the tortuous path up the hill, " ChiaChen ventured; and after finishing this remark, he walked ahead to showthe way, and the whole party went over, holding on to the creepers, andsupporting themselves by the trees, when they saw a still largerquantity of fallen leaves on the surface of the water, and the streamitself, still more limpid, gently and idly meandering along on itscircuitous course. By the bank of the pond were two rows of weepingwillows, which, intermingling with peach and apricot trees, screened theheavens from view, and kept off the rays of the sun from this spot, which was in real truth devoid of even a grain of dust. 

Suddenly, they espied in the shade of the willows, an arched woodenbridge also reveal itself to the eye, with bannisters of vermilioncolour. They crossed the bridge, and lo, all the paths lay open beforethem; but their gaze was readily attracted by a brick cottage spotlessand cool-looking; whose walls were constructed of polished bricks, ofuniform colour; (whose roof was laid) with speckless tiles; and whoseenclosing walls were painted; while the minor slopes, which branched offfrom the main hill, all passed along under the walls on to the otherside. 

"This house, in a site like this, is perfectly destitute of any charm!"added Chia Cheng. 

And as they entered the door, abruptly appeared facing them, a largeboulder studded with holes and soaring high in the skies, which wassurrounded on all four sides by rocks of every description, andcompletely, in fact, hid from view the rooms situated in the compound. But of flowers or trees, there was not even one about; and all that wasvisible were a few strange kinds of vegetation; some being of thecreeper genus, others parasitic plants, either hanging from the apex ofthe hill, or inserting themselves into the base of the rocks; droopingdown even from the eaves of the house, entwining the pillars, andclosing round the stone steps. Or like green bands, they waved andflapped; or like gold thread, they coiled and bent, either with seedsresembling cinnabar, or with blossoms like golden olea; whose fragranceand aroma could not be equalled by those emitted by flowers of ordinaryspecies. 

"This is pleasant!" Chia Cheng could not refrain from saying; "the onlything is that I don't know very much about flowers. "

"What are here are lianas and ficus pumila!" some of the companyobserved. 

"How ever can the liana and the ficus have such unusual scent?"questioned Chia Cheng. 

"Indeed they aren't!" interposed Pao-yü. "Among all these flowers, thereare also ficus and liana, but those scented ones are iris, ligularia, and 'Wu' flowers; that kind consist, for the most part, of 'Ch'ih'flowers and orchids; while this mostly of gold-coloured dolichos. Thatspecies is the hypericum plant, this the 'Yü Lu' creeper. The red onesare, of course, the purple rue; the green ones consist for certain, ofthe green 'Chih' plant; and, to the best of my belief, these variousplants are mentioned in the 'Li Sao' and 'Wen Hsuan. ' These rare plantsare, some of them called something or other like 'Huo Na' and 'ChiangHui;' others again are designated something like 'Lun Tsu' and 'Tz'uFeng;' while others there are whose names sound like 'Shih Fan, ' 'ShuiSung' and 'Fu Liu, ' which together with other species are to be found inthe 'Treatise about the Wu city' by Tso T'ai-chung. There are also thosewhich go under the appellation of 'Lu T'i, ' or something like that;while there are others that are called something or other like 'TanChiao, ' 'Mi Wu' and 'Feng Lien;' reference to which is made in the'Treatise on the Shu city. ' But so many years have now elapsed, and thetimes have so changed (since these treatises were written), that people, being unable to discriminate (the real names) may consequently have hadto appropriate in every case such names as suited the external aspect, so that they may, it is quite possible, have gradually come to be calledby wrong designations. "

But he had no time to conclude; for Chia Cheng interrupted him. "Who hasever asked you about it?" he shouted; which plunged Pao-yü into such afright, that he drew back, and did not venture to utter another word. 

Chia Cheng perceiving that on both sides alike were covered passagesresembling outstretched arms, forthwith continued his steps and enteredthe covered way, when he caught sight, at the upper end, of afive-roomed building, without spot or blemish, with folding blindsextending in a connected line, and with corridors on all four sides; (abuilding) which with its windows so green, and its painted walls, excelled, in spotless elegance, the other buildings they had seenbefore, to which it presented such a contrast. 

Chia Cheng heaved a sigh. "If one were able, " he observed, "to boil histea and thrum his lyre in here, there wouldn't even be any need for himto burn any more incense. But the execution of this structure is sobeyond conception that you must, gentlemen, compose something nice andoriginal to embellish the tablet with, so as not to render such a placeof no effect!"

"There's nothing so really pat, " suggested the company smiling; "as 'theorchid-smell-laden breeze' and 'the dew-bedecked epidendrum!"

"These are indeed the only four characters, " rejoined Chia Cheng, "thatcould be suitably used; but what's to be said as far as the scrollgoes?"

"I've thought of a couplet, " interposed one of the party, "which you'llall have to criticise, and put into ship-shape; its burden is this:

 "The musk-like epidendrum smell enshrouds the court, where shines the sun with oblique beams; The iris fragrance is wafted over the isle illumined by the moon's clear rays. "

"As far as excellence is concerned, it's excellent, " observed the wholeparty, "but the two words representing 'with oblique beams' are notfelicitous. "

And as some one quoted the line from an old poem:

 The angelica fills the court with tears, what time the sun doth slant. 

"Lugubrious, lugubrious!" expostulated the company with one voice. 

Another person then interposed. "I also have a couplet, whose meritsyou, gentlemen, can weigh; it runs as follows:

 "Along the three pathways doth float the Yü Hui scented breeze! The radiant moon in the whole hall shines on the gold orchid!"

Chia Cheng tugged at his moustache and gave way to meditation. He wasjust about also to suggest a stanza, when, upon suddenly raising hishead, he espied Pao-yü standing by his side, too timid to give vent to asingle sound. 

"How is it, " he purposely exclaimed, "that when you should speak, youcontrariwise don't? Is it likely that you expect some one to request youto confer upon us the favour of your instruction?"

"In this place, " Pao-yü rejoined at these words, "there are no suchthings as orchids, musk, resplendent moon or islands; and were one tobegin quoting such specimens of allusions, to scenery, two hundredcouplets could be readily given without, even then, having been able toexhaust the supply!"

"Who presses your head down, " Chia Cheng urged, "and uses force that youmust come out with all these remarks?"

"Well, in that case, " added Pao-yü, "there are no fitter words to put onthe tablet than the four representing: 'The fragrance pure of theligularia and iris. ' While the device on the scroll might be:

 "Sung is the nutmeg song, but beauteous still is the sonnet! Near the T'u Mei to sleep, makes e'en a dream with fragrance full!"

"This is, " laughed Chia Cheng sneeringly, "an imitation of the line:

 "A book when it is made of plaintain leaves, the writing green is also bound to be!

"So that there's nothing remarkable about it. "

"Li T'ai-po, in his work on the Phoenix Terrace, " protested the wholeparty, "copied, in every point, the Huang Hua Lou. But what's essentialis a faultless imitation. Now were we to begin to criticise minutely thecouplet just cited, we would indeed find it to be, as compared with theline 'A book when it is made of plantain leaves, ' still more elegant andof wider application!"

"What an idea?" observed Chia Cheng derisively. 

But as he spoke, the whole party walked out; but they had not gone veryfar before they caught sight of a majestic summer house, towering highpeak-like, and of a structure rising loftily with storey upon storey;and completely locked in as they were on every side they were asbeautiful as the Jade palace. Far and wide, road upon road coiled andwound; while the green pines swept the eaves, the jady epidendrumencompassed the steps, the animals' faces glistened like gold, and thedragons' heads shone resplendent in their variegated hues. 

"This is the Main Hall, " remarked Chia Cheng; "the only word against itis that there's a little too much finery. "

"It should be so, " rejoined one and all, "so as to be what it's intendedto be! The imperial consort has, it is true, an exalted preference foreconomy and frugality, but her present honourable position requires theobservance of such courtesies, so that (finery) is no fault. "

As they made these remarks and advanced on their way the while, theyperceived, just in front of them, an archway project to view, constructed of jadelike stone; at the top of which the coils of largedragons and the scales of small dragons were executed in perforatedstyle. 

"What's the device to be for this spot?" inquired Chia Cheng. 

"It should be 'fairy land, '" suggested all of them, "so as to beapposite!"

Chia Cheng nodded his head and said nothing. But as soon as Pao-yücaught sight of this spot something was suddenly aroused in his heartand he began to ponder within himself. "This place really resemblessomething that I've seen somewhere or other. " But he could not at themoment recall to mind what year, moon, or day this had happened. 

Chia Cheng bade him again propose a motto; but Pao-yü was bent uponthinking over the details of the scenery he had seen on a formeroccasion, and gave no thought whatever to this place, so that the wholecompany were at a loss what construction to give to his silence, andcame simply to the conclusion that, after the bullying he had had to putup with for ever so long, his spirits had completely vanished, histalents become exhausted and his speech impoverished; and that if hewere harassed and pressed, he might perchance, as the result of anxiety, contract some ailment or other, which would of course not be a suitableissue, and they lost no time in combining together to dissuade ChiaCheng. 

"Never mind, " they said, "to-morrow will do to compose some device;let's drop it now. "

Chia Cheng himself was inwardly afraid lest dowager lady Chia should beanxious, so that he hastily remarked as he forced a smile. "You beast, there are, after all, also occasions on which you are no good! but nevermind! I'll give you one day to do it in, and if by to-morrow you haven'tbeen able to compose anything, I shall certainly not let you off. Thisis the first and foremost place and you must exercise due care in whatyou write. "

Saying this, he sallied out, at the head of the company, and castanother glance at the scenery. 

Indeed from the time they had entered the gate up to this stage, theyhad just gone over five or six tenths of the whole ground, when ithappened again that a servant came and reported that some one hadarrived from Mr. Yü-'ts'un's to deliver a message. "These several places(which remain), " Chia Cheng observed with a smile, "we have no time topass under inspection; but we might as well nevertheless go out at leastby that way, as we shall be able, to a certain degree, to have a look atthe general aspect. "

With these words, he showed the way for the family companions until theyreached a large bridge, with water entering under it, looking like acurtain made of crystal. This bridge, the fact is, was the dam, whichcommunicated with the river outside, and from which the stream wasintroduced into the grounds. 

"What's the name of this water-gate?" Chia Cheng inquired. 

"This is, " replied Pao-yü, "the main stream of the Hsin Fang river, andis therefore called the Hsin Fang water-gate. "

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Chia Cheng. "The two words Hsin Fang must on noaccount be used!"

And as they speedily advanced on their way, they either came acrosselegant halls, or thatched cottages; walls made of piled-up stone, orgates fashioned of twisted plants; either a secluded nunnery or Buddhistfane, at the foot of some hill; or some unsullied houses, hidden in agrove, tenanted by rationalistic priestesses; either extensive corridorsand winding grottoes; or square buildings, and circular pavilions. ButChia Cheng had not the energy to enter any of these places, for as hehad not had any rest for ever so long, his legs felt shaky and his feetweak. 

Suddenly they also discerned ahead of them a court disclose itself toview. 

"When we get there, " Chia Cheng suggested, "we must have a little rest. "Straightway as he uttered the remark, he led them in, and winding roundthe jade-green peach-trees, covered with blossom, they passed throughthe bamboo fence and flower-laden hedge, which were twisted in such away as to form a circular, cavelike gateway, when unexpectedly appearedbefore their eyes an enclosure with whitewashed walls, in which verdantwillows drooped in every direction. 

Chia Cheng entered the gateway in company with the whole party. Alongthe whole length of both sides extended covered passages, connected witheach other; while in the court were laid out several rockeries. In onequarter were planted a number of banana trees; on the opposite stood aplant of begonia from Hsi Fu. Its appearance was like an open umbrella. The gossamer hanging (from its branches) resembled golden threads. Thecorollas (seemed) to spurt out cinnabar. 

"What a beautiful flower! what a beautiful flower!" ejaculated the wholeparty with one voice; "begonias are verily to be found; but never beforehave we seen anything the like of this in beauty. "

"This is called the maiden begonia and is, in fact, a foreign species, "Chia Cheng observed. "There's a homely tradition that it is because itemanates from the maiden kingdom that its flowers are most prolific; butthis is likewise erratic talk and devoid of common sense. "

"They are, after all, " rejoined the whole company, "so unlike others (wehave seen), that what's said about the maiden kingdom is, we areinclined to believe, possibly a fact. "

"I presume, " interposed Pao-yü, "that some clever bard or poet, (perceiving) that this flower was red like cosmetic, delicate as ifpropped up in sickness, and that it closely resembled the nature of ayoung lady, gave it, consequently, the name of maiden! People in theworld will propagate idle tales, all of which are unavoidably treated asgospel!"

"We receive (with thanks) your instructions; what excellentexplanation!" they all remarked unanimously, and as they expressed thesewords, the whole company took their seats on the sofas under thecolonnade. 

"Let's think of some original text or other for a motto, " Chia Chenghaving suggested, one of the companions opined that the two characters:"Banana and stork" would be felicitous; while another one was of theidea that what would be faultless would be: "Collected splendour andwaving elegance!"

"'Collected splendour and waving elegance' is excellent, " Chia Chengobserved addressing himself to the party; and Pao-yü himself, while alsoextolling it as beautiful, went on to say: "There's only one thinghowever to be regretted!"

"What about regret?" the company inquired. 

"In this place, " Pao-yü explained, "are set out both bananas as well asbegonias, with the intent of secretly combining in them the twoproperties of red and green; and if mention of one of them be made, andthe other be omitted, (the device) won't be good enough for selection. "

"What would you then suggest?" Chia Cheng asked. 

"I would submit the four words, 'the red (flowers) are fragrant, thegreen (banana leaves) like jade, ' which would render complete thebeauties of both (the begonias and bananas). "

"It isn't good! it isn't good!" Chia Cheng remonstrated as he shook hishead; and while passing this remark, he conducted the party into thehouse, where they noticed that the internal arrangements effecteddiffered from those in other places, as no partitions could, in fact, bediscerned. Indeed, the four sides were all alike covered with boardscarved hollow with fretwork, (in designs consisting) either of rollingclouds and hundreds of bats; or of the three friends of the cold seasonof the year, (fir, bamboo and almond); of scenery and human beings, orof birds or flowers; either of clusters of decoration, or of relics ofolden times; either of ten thousand characters of happiness or of tenthousand characters of longevity. The various kinds of designs had beenall carved by renowned hands, in variegated colours, inlaid with gold, and studded with precious gems; while on shelf upon shelf were eitherarranged collections of books, or tripods were laid out; either pens andinkslabs were distributed about, or vases with flowers set out, orfigured pots were placed about; the designs of the shelves being eitherround or square; or similar to sunflowers or banana leaves; or likelinks, half overlapping each other. And in very truth they resembledbouquets of flowers or clusters of tapestry, with all their fretwork sotransparent. Suddenly (the eye was struck) by variegated gauzes pasted(on the wood-work), actually forming small windows; and of a sudden byfine thin silks lightly overshadowing (the fretwork) just as if therewere, after all, secret doors. The whole walls were in addition traced, with no regard to symmetry, with outlines of the shapes of curios andnick-nacks in imitation of lutes, double-edged swords, hanging bottlesand the like, the whole number of which, though (apparently) suspendedon the walls, were all however on a same level with the surface of thepartition walls. 

"What fine ingenuity!" they all exclaimed extollingly; "what a labourthey must have been to carry out!"

Chia Cheng had actually stepped in; but scarcely had they reached thesecond stage, before the whole party readily lost sight of the way bywhich they had come in. They glanced on the left, and there stood adoor, through which they could go. They cast their eyes on the right, and there was a window which suddenly impeded their progress. They wentforward, but there again they were obstructed by a bookcase. They turnedtheir heads round, and there too stood windows pasted with transparentgauze and available door-ways: but the moment they came face to facewith the door, they unexpectedly perceived that a whole company ofpeople had likewise walked in, just in front of them, whose appearanceresembled their own in every respect. But it was only a mirror. And whenthey rounded the mirror, they detected a still larger number of doors. 

"Sir, " Chia Chen remarked with a grin; "if you'll follow me out throughthis door, we'll forthwith get into the back-court; and once out of theback-court, we shall be, at all events, nearer than we were before. "

Taking the lead, he conducted Chia Cheng and the whole party round twogauze mosquito houses, when they verily espied a door through which theymade their exit, into a court, replete with stands of cinnamon roses. Passing round the flower-laden hedge, the only thing that spread beforetheir view was a pure stream impeding their advance. The whole companywas lost in admiration. "Where does this water again issue from?" theycried. 

Chia Chen pointed to a spot at a distance. "Starting originally, " heexplained, "from that water-gate, it runs as far as the mouth of thatcave, when from among the hills on the north-east side, it is introducedinto that village, where again a diverging channel has been opened andit is made to flow in a south-westerly direction; the whole volume ofwater then runs to this spot, where collecting once more in one place, it issues, on its outward course, from beneath that wall. "

"It's most ingenious!" they one and all exclaimed, after they hadlistened to him; but, as they uttered these words, they unawaresrealised that a lofty hill obstructed any further progress. The wholeparty felt very hazy about the right road. But "Come along after me, "Chia Chen smilingly urged, as he at once went ahead and showed the way, whereupon the company followed in his steps, and as soon as they turnedround the foot of the hill, a level place and broad road lay beforethem; and wide before their faces appeared the main entrance. 

"This is charming! this is delightful!" the party unanimously exclaimed, "what wits must have been ransacked, and ingenuity attained, so as tobring things to this extreme degree of excellence!"

Forthwith the party egressed from the garden, and Pao-yü's heartanxiously longed for the society of the young ladies in the innerquarters, but as he did not hear Chia Cheng bid him go, he had no helpbut to follow him into the library. But suddenly Chia Cheng bethoughthimself of him. "What, " he said, "you haven't gone yet! the old ladywill I fear be anxious on your account; and is it pray that you haven'tas yet had enough walking?"

Pao-yü at length withdrew out of the library. On his arrival in thecourt, a page, who had been in attendance on Chia Cheng, at once pressedforward, and took hold of him fast in his arms. "You've been luckyenough, " he said, "to-day to have been in master's good graces! just awhile back when our old mistress despatched servants to come on severaloccasions and ask after you, we replied that master was pleased withyou; for had we given any other answer, her ladyship would have sent tofetch you to go in, and you wouldn't have had an opportunity ofdisplaying your talents. Every one admits that the several stanzas yourecently composed were superior to those of the whole company puttogether; but you must, after the good luck you've had to-day, give us atip!"

"I'll give each one of you a tiao, " Pao-yü rejoined smirkingly. 

"Who of us hasn't seen a tiao?" they all exclaimed, "let's have thatpurse of yours, and have done with it!"

Saying this, one by one advanced and proceeded to unloosen the purse, and to unclasp the fan-case; and allowing Pao-yü no time to make anyremonstrance, they stripped him of every ornament in the way ofappendage which he carried about on his person. "Whatever we do let'sescort him home!" they shouted, and one after another hustled round himand accompanied him as far as dowager lady Chia's door. 

Her ladyship was at this moment awaiting his arrival, so that when shesaw him walk in, and she found out that (Chia Cheng) had not bulliedhim, she felt, of course, extremely delighted. But not a long intervalelapsed before Hsi Jen came to serve the tea; and when she perceivedthat on his person not one of the ornaments remained, she consequentlysmiled and inquired: "Have all the things that you had on you been againtaken away by these barefaced rascals?"

As soon as Lin Tai-yü heard this remark, she crossed over to him and sawat a glance that not one single trinket was, in fact, left. "Have youalso given them, " she felt constrained to ask, "the purse that I gaveyou? Well, by and by, when you again covet anything of mine, I shan'tlet you have it. "

After uttering these words, she returned into her apartment in highdudgeon, and taking the scented bag, which Pao-yü had asked her to makefor him, and which she had not as yet finished, she picked up a pair ofscissors, and instantly cut it to pieces. 

Pao-yü noticing that she had lost her temper, came after her withhurried step, but the bag had already been cut with the scissors; and asPao-yü observed how extremely fine and artistic this scented bag was, inspite of its unfinished state, he verily deplored that it should havebeen rent to pieces for no rhyme or reason. Promptly thereforeunbuttoning his coat, he produced from inside the lapel the purse, whichhad been fastened there. "Look at this!" he remarked as he handed it toTai-yü; "what kind of thing is this! have I given away to any one whatwas yours?" Lin Tai-yü, upon seeing how much he prized it as to wear itwithin his clothes, became alive to the fact that it was done withintent, as he feared lest any one should take it away; and as thisconviction made her sorry that she had been so impetuous as to have cutthe scented bag, she lowered her head and uttered not a word. 

"There was really no need for you to have cut it, " Pao-yü observed; "butas I know that you're loth to give me anything, what do you say to myreturning even this purse?"

With these words, he threw the purse in her lap and walked off; whichvexed Tai-yü so much the more that, after giving way to tears, she tookup the purse in her hands to also destroy it with the scissors, whenPao-yü precipitately turned round and snatched it from her grasp. 

"My dear cousin, " he smilingly pleaded, "do spare it!" and as Tai-yüdashed down the scissors and wiped her tears: "You needn't, " she urged, "be kind to me at one moment, and unkind at another; if you wish to havea tiff, why then let's part company!" But as she spoke, she lost controlover her temper, and, jumping on her bed, she lay with her face turnedtowards the inside, and set to work drying her eyes. 

Pao-yü could not refrain from approaching her. "My dear cousin, my owncousin, " he added, "I confess my fault!"

"Go and find Pao-yü!" dowager lady Chia thereupon gave a shout fromwhere she was in the front apartment, and all the attendants explainedthat he was in Miss Lin's room. 

"All right, that will do! that will do!" her ladyship rejoined, when sheheard this reply; "let the two cousins play together; his father kepthim a short while back under check, for ever so long, so let him havesome distraction. But the only thing is that you mustn't allow them tohave any quarrels. " To which the servants in a body expressed theirobedience. 

Tai-yü, unable to put up with Pao-yü's importunity, felt compelled torise. "Your object seems to be, " she remarked, "not to let me have anyrest. If it is, I'll run away from you. " Saying which, she there andthen was making her way out, when Pao-yü protested with a face full ofsmiles: "Wherever you go, I'll follow!" and as he, at the same time, took the purse and began to fasten it on him, Tai-yü stretched out herhand, and snatching it away, "You say you don't want it, " she observed, "and now you put it on again! I'm really much ashamed on your account!"And these words were still on her lips when with a sound of Ch'ih, sheburst out laughing. 

"My dear cousin, " Pao-yü added, "to-morrow do work another scented bagfor me!"

"That too will rest upon my good pleasure, " Tai-yü rejoined. 

As they conversed, they both left the room together and walked intomadame Wang's suite of apartments, where, as luck would have it, Pao-ch'ai was also seated. 

Unusual commotion prevailed, at this time, over at madame Wang's, forthe fact is that Chia Se had already come back from Ku Su, where he hadselected twelve young girls, and settled about an instructor, as well asabout the theatrical properties and the other necessaries. And as Mrs. Hsüeh had by this date moved her quarters into a separate place on thenortheast side, and taken up her abode in a secluded and quiet house, (madame Wang) had had repairs of a distinct character executed in thePear Fragrance Court, and then issued directions that the instructorshould train the young actresses in this place; and casting her choiceupon all the women, who had, in days of old, received a training insinging, and who were now old matrons with white hair, she bade themhave an eye over them and keep them in order. Which done, she enjoinedChia Se to assume the chief control of all matters connected with thedaily and monthly income and outlay, as well as of the accounts of allarticles in use of every kind and size. 

Lin Chih-hsiao also came to report: "that the twelve young nuns andTaoist girls, who had been purchased after proper selection, had allarrived, and that the twenty newly-made Taoist coats had also beenreceived. That there was besides a maiden, who though devoted toasceticism, kept her chevelure unshaved; that she was originally adenizen of Suchow, of a family whose ancestors were also people ofletters and official status; that as from her youth up she had beenstricken with much sickness, (her parents) had purchased a good numberof substitutes (to enter the convent), but all with no relief to her, until at last this girl herself entered the gate of abstraction when sheat once recovered. That hence it was that she grew her hair, while shedevoted herself to an ascetic life; that she was this year eighteenyears of age, and that the name given to her was Miao Yü; that herfather and mother were, at this time, already dead; that she had only byher side, two old nurses and a young servant girl to wait upon her; thatshe was most proficient in literature, and exceedingly well versed inthe classics and canons; and that she was likewise very attractive asfar as looks went; that having heard that in the city of Ch'ang-an, there were vestiges of Kuan Yin and relics of the canons inscribed onleaves, she followed, last year, her teacher (to the capital). She nowlives, " he said, "in the Lao Ni nunnery, outside the western gate; herteacher was a great expert in prophetic divination, but she died in thewinter of last year, and her dying words were that as it was notsuitable for (Miao Yü) to return to her native place, she should awaithere, as something in the way of a denouement was certain to turn up;and this is the reason why she hasn't as yet borne the coffin back toher home!"

"If such be the case, " madame Wang readily suggested, "why shouldn't webring her here?"

"If we are to ask her, " Lin Chih-hsiao's wife replied, "she'll say thata marquis' family and a duke's household are sure, in their honourableposition, to be overbearing to people; and I had rather not go. "

"As she's the daughter of an official family, " madame Wang continued, "she's bound to be inclined to be somewhat proud; but what harm is thereto our sending her a written invitation to ask her to come!"

Lin Chih-hsiao's wife assented; and leaving the room, she made thesecretary write an invitation and then went to ask Miao Yü. The next dayservants were despatched, and carriages and sedan chairs were got readyto go and bring her over. 

What subsequently transpired is not as yet known, but, reader, listen tothe account given in the following chapter. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

 His Majesty shows magnanimous bounty. The Imperial consort Yuan pays a visit to her parents. The happiness of a family gathering. Pao-yü displays his polished talents. 

But let us resume our story. A servant came, at this moment, to reportthat for the works in course of execution, they were waiting for gauzeand damask silk to paste on various articles, and that they requestedlady Feng to go and open the depôt for them to take the gauze and silk, while another servant also came to ask lady Feng to open the treasuryfor them to receive the gold and silver ware. And as Madame Wang, thewaiting-maids and the other domestics of the upper rooms had all noleisure, Pao-ch'ai suggested: "Don't let us remain in here and be in theway of their doing what there is to be done, and of going where theyhave to go, " and saying this, she betook herself, escorted by Pao-yü andthe rest, into Ying Ch'un's rooms. 

Madame Wang continued day after day in a great state of flurry andconfusion, straight up to within the tenth moon, by which time everyarrangement had been completed, and the overseers had all handed in aclear statement of their accounts. The curios and writing materials, wherever needed, had all already been laid out and everything got ready, and the birds (and animals), from the stork, the deer and rabbits to thechickens, geese and the like, had all been purchased and handed over tobe reared in the various localities in the garden; and over at ChiaSe's, had also been learnt twenty miscellaneous plays, while a companyof young nuns and Taoist priestesses had likewise the whole number ofthem, mastered the intonation of Buddhist classics and incantations. 

Chia Cheng after this, at length, was slightly composed in mind, andcheerful at heart; and having further invited dowager lady Chia andother inmates to go into the garden, he deliberated with them on, andmade arrangements for, every detail in such a befitting manner that notthe least trifle remained for which suitable provision had not beenmade; and Chia Cheng eventually mustered courage to indite a memorial, and on the very day on which the memorial was presented, a decree wasreceived fixing upon the fifteenth day of the first moon of the ensuingyear, the very day of the Shang Yuan festival, for the honourableconsorts to visit their homes. 

Upon the receipt of this decree, with which the Chia family washonoured, they had still less leisure, both by day as well as by night;so much so that they could not even properly observe the new yearfestivities. But in a twinkle of the eye, the festival of the full moonof the first moon drew near; and beginning from the eighth day of thefirst moon, eunuchs issued from the palace and inspected beforehand thevarious localities, the apartments in which the imperial consort was tochange her costume; the place where she would spend her leisure moments;the spot where she would receive the conventionalities; the premiseswhere the banquets would be spread; the quarters where she would retirefor rest. 

There were also eunuchs who came to assume the patrol of the grounds andthe direction of the defences; and they brought along with them a goodmany minor eunuchs, whose duty it was to look after the safety of thevarious localities, to screen the place with enclosing curtains, toinstruct the inmates and officials of the Chia mansion whither to go outand whence to come in from, what side the viands should be brought infrom, where to report matters, and in the observance of every kind ofetiquette; and for outside the mansion, there were, on the other hand, officers from the Board of Works, and a superintendent of the Police, ofthe "Five Cities, " in charge of the sweeping of the streets and roads, and the clearing away of loungers. While Chia She and the otherssuperintended the workmen in such things as the manufacture of floweredlanterns and fireworks. 

The fourteenth day arrived and everything was in order; but on thisnight, one and all whether high or low, did not get a wink of sleep; andwhen the fifteenth came, every one, at the fifth watch, beginning fromdowager lady Chia and those who enjoyed any official status, appeared infull gala dress, according to their respective ranks. In the garden, thecurtains were, by this time, flapping like dragons, the portieres flyingabout like phoenixes with variegated plumage. Gold and silver glistenedwith splendour. Pearls and precious gems shed out their brilliantlustre. The tripod censers burnt the Pai-ho incense. In the vases wereplaced evergreens. Silence and stillness prevailed, and not a manventured so much as to cough. 

Chia She and the other men were standing outside the door giving on tothe street on the west; and old lady Chia and the other ladies wereoutside the main entrance of the Jung mansion at the head of the street, while at the mouth of the lane were placed screens to rigorouslyobstruct the public gaze. They were unable to bear the fatigue of anyfurther waiting when, at an unexpected moment, a eunuch arrived onhorseback, and Chia Cheng went up to meet him, and ascertained whattidings he was the bearer of. 

"It's as yet far too early, " rejoined the eunuch, "for at one o'clock(her highness) will have her evening repast, and at two she has tobetake herself to the Palace of Precious Perception to worship Buddha. At five, she will enter the Palace of Great Splendour to partake of abanquet, and to see the lanterns, after which, she will request HisMajesty's permission; so that, I'm afraid, it won't be earlier thanseven before they set out. "

Lady Feng's ear caught what was said. "If such be the case, " sheinterposed, "may it please your venerable ladyship, and you, my lady, toreturn for a while to your apartments, and wait; and if you come whenit's time you'll be here none too late. "

Dowager lady Chia and the other ladies immediately left for a time andsuited their own convenience, and as everything in the garden devolvedupon lady Feng to supervise, she ordered the butlers to take the eunuchsand give them something to eat and drink; and at the same time, she sentword that candles should be brought in and that the lanterns in thevarious places should be lit. 

But unexpectedly was heard from outside the continuous patter of horsesrunning, whereupon about ten eunuchs hurried in gasping and out ofbreath. They clapped their hands, and the several eunuchs (who had comebefore), understanding the signal, and knowing that the party hadarrived, stood in their respective positions; while Chia She, at thehead of all the men of the clan, remained at the western street door, and dowager lady Chia, at the head of the female relatives of thefamily, waited outside the principal entrance to do the honours. 

For a long interval, everything was plunged in silence and quiet; whensuddenly two eunuchs on horseback were espied advancing with leisurelystep. Reaching the western street gate, they dismounted, and, drivingtheir horses beyond the screens, they forthwith took their stand facingthe west. After another long interval, a second couple arrived, and wentlikewise through the same proceedings. In a short time, drew near aboutten couples, when, at length, were heard the gentle strains of music, and couple by couple advanced with banners, dragons, with fans made withphoenix feathers, and palace flabella of pheasant plumes; and thosebesides who carried gold-washed censers burning imperial incense. Nextin order was brought past a state umbrella of golden yellow, withcrooked handle and embroidered with seven phoenixes; after which quicklyfollowed the crown, robe, girdle and shoes. 

There were likewise eunuchs, who took a part in the procession, holdingscented handkerchiefs and embroidered towels, cups for rinsing themouth, dusters and other such objects; and company after company wentpast, when, at the rear, approached with stately step eight eunuchscarrying an imperial sedan chair, of golden yellow, with a gold knob andembroidered with phoenixes. 

Old lady Chia and the other members of the family hastily fell on theirknees, but a eunuch came over at once to raise her ladyship and therest; and the imperial chair was thereupon carried through the mainentrance, the ceremonial gate and into a court on the eastern side, atthe door of which stood a eunuch, who prostrated himself and invited(her highness) to dismount and change her costume. 

Having forthwith carried her inside the gate, the eunuchs dispersed; andonly the maids-of-honour and ladies-in-waiting ushered Yuan Ch'un out ofthe chair, when what mainly attracted her eye in the park was thebrilliant lustre of the flowered lamps of every colour, all of whichwere made of gauze or damask, and were beautiful in texture, and out ofthe common run; while on the upper side was a flat lantern with theinscription in four characters, "Regarded (by His Majesty's) benevolenceand permeated by his benefits. "

Yuan Ch'un entered the apartment and effected the necessary changes inher toilette; after which, she again egressed, and, mounting her chair, she made her entry into the garden, when she perceived the smoke ofincense whirling and twirling, and the reflection of the flowersconfusing the eyes. Far and wide, the rays of light, shed by thelanterns, intermingled their brilliancy, while, from time to time, finestrains of music sounded with clamorous din. But it would be impossibleto express adequately the perfect harmony in the aspect of this scene, and the grandeur of affluence and splendour. 

The imperial consort of the Chia family, we must now observe, uponcatching sight, from the interior of her chair, of the picture presentedwithin as well as without the confines of this garden, shook her headand heaved a sigh. "What lavish extravagance! What excessive waste!" shesoliloquised. 

But of a sudden was again seen a eunuch who, on his knees, invited herto get into a boat; and the Chia consort descended from the chair andstepped into the craft, when the expanse of a limpid stream met hergaze, whose grandeur resembled that of the dragon in its listlesscourse. The stone bannisters, on each side, were one mass of air-tightlanterns, of every colour, made of crystal or glass, which threw out alight like the lustre of silver or the brightness of snow. 

The willow, almond and the whole lot of trees, on the upper side, were, it is true, without blossom and leaves; but pongee and damask silks, paper and lustring had been employed, together with rice-paper, to makeflowers of, which had been affixed on the branches. Upon each tree weresuspended thousands of lanterns; and what is more, the lotus and aquaticplants, the ducks and water fowl in the pond had all, in like manner, been devised out of conches and clams, plumes and feathers. The variouslanterns, above and below, vied in refulgence. In real truth, it was acrystal region, a world of pearls and precious stones. On board the boatwere also every kind of lanterns representing such designs as are usedon flower-pots, pearl-laden portieres, embroidered curtains, oars ofcinnamon wood, and paddles of magnolia, which need not of course beminutely described. 

They entered a landing with a stone curb; and on this landing waserected a flat lantern upon which were plainly visible the fourcharacters the "Persicary beach and flower-laden bank. " But, reader, youhave heard how that these four characters "the persicary beach and theflower-laden bank, " the motto "a phoenix comes with dignified air, " andthe rest owe one and all their origin to the unexpected test to whichChia Cheng submitted, on a previous occasion, Pao-yü's literaryabilities; but how did it come about that they were actually adopted?

You must remember that the Chia family had been, generation aftergeneration, given to the study of letters, so that it was only naturalthat there should be among them one or two renowned writers of verses;for how could they ever resemble the families of such upstarts, who onlyemploy puerile expressions as a makeshift to get through what they haveto do? But the why and the wherefore must be sought in the past. Theconsort, belonging to the Chia mansion, had, before she entered thepalace, been, from her infancy, also brought up by dowager lady Chia;and when Pao-yü was subsequently added to the family, she was the eldestsister and Pao-yü the youngest child. The Chia consort, bearing in mindhow that she had, when her mother was verging on old age, at lengthobtained this younger brother, she for this reason doated upon him withsingle love; and as they were besides companions in their attendanceupon old lady Chia, they were inseparable for even a moment. BeforePao-yü had entered school, and when three or four years of age, he hadalready received oral instruction from the imperial spouse Chia from thecontents of several books and had committed to memory several thousandsof characters, for though they were only sister and brother, they werelike mother and child. And after she had entered the Palace, she waswont time and again to have letters taken out to her father and hercousins, urgently recommending them to be careful with his bringing up, that if they were not strict, he could not possibly become good foranything, and that if they were immoderately severe, there was thedanger of something unpropitious befalling him, with the result, moreover, that his grandmother would be stricken with sorrow; and thissolicitude on his account was never for an instant lost sight of by her. 

Hence it was that Chia Cheng having, a few days back, heard his teacherextol him for his extreme abilities, he forthwith put him to the test onthe occasion of their ramble through the garden. And though (hiscompositions) were not in the bold style of a writer of note, yet theywere productions of their own family, and would, moreover, beinstrumental, when the Chia consort had her notice attracted by them, and come to know that they were devised by her beloved brother, in alsonot rendering nugatory the anxious interest which she had everentertained on his behalf, and he, therefore, purposely adopted what hadbeen suggested by Pao-yü; while for those places, for which on that dayno devices had been completed, a good number were again subsequentlycomposed to make up what was wanted. 

After the Chia consort had, for we shall now return to her, perused thefour characters, she gave a smile. "The two words 'flower-laden bank, '"she said, "are really felicitous, so what use was there for 'persicarybeach?'"

When the eunuch in waiting heard this observation, he promptly jumpedoff the craft on to the bank, and at a flying pace hurried tocommunicate it to Chia Cheng, and Chia Cheng instantly effected thenecessary alteration. 

By this time the craft had reached the inner bank, and leaving the boat, and mounting into her sedan chair, she in due course contemplated themagnificent Jade-like Palace; the Hall of cinnamon wood, lofty andsublime; and the marble portals with the four characters in bold style:the "Precious confines of heavenly spirits, " which the Chia consort gavedirections should be changed for the four words denoting: "additionalHall (for the imperial consort) on a visit to her parents. " Andforthwith making her entrance into the travelling lodge her gaze wasattracted by torches burning in the court encompassing the heavens, fragments of incense strewn on the ground, fire-like trees and gem-likeflowers, gold-like windows and jade-like bannisters. But it would bedifficult to give a full account of the curtains, which rolled up (asfine as a) shrimp's moustache; of the carpets of other skins spread onthe floor; of the tripods exhaling the fragrant aroma of the brain ofthe musk deer; of the screens in a row resembling fans made of pheasanttails. Indeed, the gold-like doors and the windows like jade weresuggestive of the abode of spirits; while the halls made of cinnamonwood and the palace of magnolia timber, of the very homes of theimperial secondary consorts. 

"Why is it, " the Chia consort inquired, "that there is no tablet in thisHall?"

The eunuch in waiting fell on his knees. "This is the main Hall, " hereverently replied, "and the officials, outside the palace, did notpresume to take upon themselves to suggest any motto. "

The Chia consort shook her head and said not a word; whereupon theeunuch, who acted as master of ceremonies, requested Her Majesty toascend the throne and receive homage. The band stationed on the twoflights of steps struck up a tune, while two eunuchs ushered Chia She, Chia Cheng and the other members on to the moonlike stage, where theyarranged themselves in order and ascended into the hall, but when theladies-in-waiting transmitted her commands that the homage could bedispensed with, they at once retraced their footsteps. 

(The master of the ceremonies), in like manner led forward the dowagerlady of the Jung Kuo mansion, as well as the female relatives, from thesteps on the east side, on to the moon-like stage; where they wereplaced according to their ranks. But the maids-of-honour again commandedthat they should dispense with the ceremony, so they likewise promptlywithdrew. 

After tea had been thrice presented, the Chia consort descended theThrone, and the music ceased. She retired into a side room to change hercostume, and the private chairs were then got ready for her visit to herparents. Issuing from the garden, she came into the main quartersbelonging to dowager lady Chia, where she was bent upon observing thedomestic conventionalities, when her venerable ladyship, and the othermembers of the family, prostrated themselves in a body before her, andmade her desist. Tears dropped down from the eyes of the Chia consort as(she and her relatives) mutually came forward, and greeted each other, and as with one hand she grasped old lady Chia, and with the other sheheld madame Wang, the three had plenty in their hearts which they werefain to speak about; but, unable as each one of them was to giveutterance to their feelings, all they did was to sob and to weep, asthey kept face to face to each other; while madame Hsing, widow Li Wan, Wang Hsi-feng, and the three sisters: Ying Ch'un, T'an Ch'un, and HsiCh'un, stood aside in a body shedding tears and saying not a word. 

After a long time, the Chia consort restrained her anguish, and forcinga smile, she set to work to reassure old lady Chia and madame Wang. "Having in days gone by, " she urged, "been sent to that place where nohuman being can be seen, I have to-day after extreme difficulty returnedhome; and now that you ladies and I have been reunited, instead ofchatting or laughing we contrariwise give way to incessant tears! Butshortly, I shall be gone, and who knows when we shall be able again toeven see each other!"

When she came to this sentence, they could not help bursting intoanother tit of crying; and Madame Hsing hastened to come forward, and toconsole dowager lady Chia and the rest. But when the Chia consortresumed her seat, and one by one came again, in turn, to exchangesalutations, they could not once more help weeping and sobbing for atime. 

Next in order, were the managers and servants of the eastern and westernmansions to perform their obeisance in the outer pavilion; and after themarried women and waiting-maids had concluded their homage, the Chiaconsort heaved a sigh. "How many relatives, " she observed, "there areall of whom, alas! I may not see. "

"There are here now, " madame Wang rejoined with due respect, "kindredwith outside family names, such as Mrs. Hsüeh, née Wang, Pao-ch'ai, andTai-yü waiting for your commands; but as they are distant relatives, andwithout official status, they do not venture to arrogate to themselvesthe right of entering into your presence. " But the Chia consort issueddirections that they should be invited to come that they should see eachother; and in a short while, Mrs. Hsüeh and the other relatives walkedin, but as they were on the point of performing the rites, prescribed bythe state, she bade them relinquish the observance so that they cameforward, and each, in turn, alluded to what had transpired during thelong separation. 

Pao Ch'in also and a few other waiting-maids, whom the Chia consort hadoriginally taken along with her into the palace, knocked their headsbefore dowager lady Chia, but her ladyship lost no time in raising themup, and in bidding them go into a separate suite of rooms to beentertained; and as for the retainers, eunuchs as well asmaids-of-honour, ladies-in-waiting and every attendant, there wereneedless to say, those in the two places, the Ning mansion and ChiaShe's residence, to wait upon them; there only remained three or fouryoung eunuchs to answer the summons. 

The mother and daughter and her cousins conversed for some time on whathad happened during the protracted separation, as well as on domesticaffairs and their private feelings, when Chia Cheng likewise advanced asfar as the other side of the portiere, and inquired after her health, and the Chia consort from inside performed the homage and otherconventionalities (due to her parent). 

"The families of farmers, " she further went on to say to her father, "feed on salted cabbage, and clothe in cotton material; but they readilyenjoy the happiness of the relationships established by heaven! We, however, relatives though we now be of one bone and flesh, are, with allour affluence and honours, living apart from each other, and deriving nohappiness whatsoever!"

Chia Cheng, on his part endeavoured, to restrain his tears. "Ibelonged, " he rejoined, "to a rustic and poor family; and among thatwhole number of pigeons and pheasants, how could I have imagined that Iwould have obtained the blessing of a hidden phoenix! Of late all forthe sake of your honourable self, His Majesty, above, confers upon ushis heavenly benefits; while we, below, show forth the virtue of ourancestors! And it is mainly because the vital principle of the hills, streams, sun, and moon, and the remote virtue of our ancestors have beenimplanted in you alone that this good fortune has attained me Cheng andmy wife! Moreover, the present emperor, bearing in mind the great bountyshewn by heaven and earth in promoting a ceaseless succession, hasvouchsafed a more generous act of grace than has ever been displayedfrom old days to the present. And although we may besmear our liver andbrain in the mire, how could we show our gratitude, even to so slight adegree as one ten-thousandth part. But all I can do is, in the daytime, to practise diligence, vigilance at night, and loyalty in my officialduties. My humble wish is that His Majesty, my master, may live tenthousand years and see thousands of autumns, so as to promote thewelfare of all mankind in the world! And you, worthy imperial consort, must, on no account, be mindful of me Cheng and my wife, decrepid as weare in years. What I would solicit more than anything is that you shouldbe more careful of yourself, and that you should be diligent andreverential in your service to His Majesty, with the intent that you maynot prove ungrateful of his affectionate regard and bountiful grace. "

The Chia consort, on the other hand, enjoined "that much as it wasexpedient to display zeal, in the management of state matters, itbehoved him, when he had any leisure, to take good care of himself, andthat he should not, whatever he did, give way to solicitude on herbehalf. " And Chia Cheng then went on to say "that the variousinscriptions in the park over the pavilions, terraces, halls andresidences had been all composed by Pao-yü, and, that in the event ofthere being one or two that could claim her attention, he would be happyif it would please her to at once favour him with its name. " Whereuponthe imperial consort Yüan, when she heard that Pao-yü could composeverses, forthwith exclaimed with a smile: "He has in very truth madeprogress!"

After Chia Cheng had retired out of the hall, the Chia consort made it apoint to ask: "How is it that I do not see Pao-yü?" and dowager ladyChia explained: "An outside male relative as he is, and without officialrank, he does not venture to appear before you of his own accord. "

"Bring him in!" the imperial consort directed; whereupon a young eunuchushered Pao-yü in. After he had first complied with the stateceremonies, she bade him draw near to her, and taking his hand, she heldit in her lap, and, as she went on to caress his head and neck, shesmiled and said: "He's grown considerably taller than he was before;"but she had barely concluded this remark, when her tears ran down asprofuse as rain. Mrs. Yu, lady Feng, and the rest pressed forward. "Thebanquet is quite ready, " they announced, "and your highness is requestedto favour the place with your presence. "

The imperial consort Yuan stood up and asking Pao-yü to lead the way, she followed in his steps, along with the whole party, and betookherself on foot as far as the entrance of the garden gate, whence she atonce espied, in the lustre shed by the lanterns, every kind ofdecorations. Entering the garden, they first passed the spots with thedevice "a phoenix comes with dignified air, " "the red (flowers are)fragrant and the green (banana leaves like) jade!" "the sign on theapricot tree is visible, " "the fragrance pure of the ligularia andiris, " and other places; and ascending the towers they walked up thehalls, forded the streams and wound round the hills; contemplating asthey turned their gaze from side to side, each place arranged in adifferent style, and each kind of article laid out in unique designs. The Chia consort expressed her admiration in most profuse eulogiums, andthen went on to advise them: "that it was not expedient to indulge infuture in such excessive extravagance and that all these arrangementswere over and above what should have been done. "

Presently they reached the main pavilion, where she commanded that theycould dispense with the rites and take their seats. A sumptuous banquetwas laid out, at which dowager lady Chia and the other ladies occupiedthe lower seats and entertained each other, while Mrs. Yu, widow Li Wan, lady Feng and the rest presented the soup and handed the cups. TheImperial consort Yuan subsequently directed that the pencils andinkslabs should be brought, and with her own hands she opened the silkenpaper. She chose the places she liked, and conferred upon them a name;and devising a general designation for the garden, she called it the TaKuan garden (Broad vista), while for the tablet of the main pavilion thedevice she composed ran as follows: "Be mindful of the grace andremember the equity (of His Majesty);" with this inscription on theantithetical scrolls:

 Mercy excessive Heaven and earth display, And it men young and old hail gratefully; From old till now they pour their bounties great Those rich gifts which Cathay and all states permeate. 

Changing also the text: "A phoenix comes with dignified air for theHsiao Hsiang Lodge. "

"The red (flowers are) fragrant and the green (banana leaves like)jade, " she altered into "Happy red and joyful green"; bestowing upon theplace the appellation of the I Hung court (joyful red). The spot where"the fragrance pure of the ligularia and iris, " was inscribed, shecalled "the ligularia and the 'Wu' weed court;" and where was "the signin the apricot tree is visible, " she designated "the cottage in thehills where dolichos is bleached. " The main tower she called the BroadVista Tower. The lofty tower facing the east, she designated "thevariegated and flowery Hall;" bestowing on the line of buildings, facingthe west, the appellation of "the Hall of Occult Fragrance;" and besidesthese figured such further names as: "the Hall of peppery wind, " "theArbour of lotus fragrance, " "the Islet of purple caltrop, " "the Bank ofgolden lotus, " and the like. There were also tablets with fourcharacters such as: "the peach blossom and the vernal rain;" "theautumnal wind prunes the Eloecocca, " "the artemisia leaves and the nightsnow, " and other similar names which could not all be placed on record. She furthermore directed that such tablets as were already put up, should not be dismounted, and she forthwith took the lead and composedan heptameter stanza, the burden of which was:

 Hills it enclasps, embraces streams, with skill it is laid out: What task the grounds to raise! the works to start and bring about! Of scenery in heaven and amongst men store has been made; The name Broad Vista o'er the fragrant park should be engraved. 

When she had finished writing, she observed smilingly, as she addressedherself to all the young ladies: "I have all along lacked the quality ofsharpness and never besides been good at verses; as you, sisters, andall of you have ever been aware; but, on a night like this I've beenfain to do my best, with the object of escaping censure, and of notreflecting injustice on this scenery and nothing more. But some otherday when I've got time, be it ever so little, I shall deem it my duty tomake up what remains by inditing a record of the Broad Vista Garden, aswell as a song on my visit to my parents and other such literaryproductions in memory of the events of this day. You sisters and othersmust, each of you, in like manner compose a stanza on the motto on eachtablet, expressing your sentiments, as you please, without beingrestrained by any regard for my meagre ability. Knowing as I do besidesthat Pao-yü is, indeed, able to write verses, I feel the more delighted!But among his compositions, those I like the best are those in the twoplaces, 'the Hsiao Hsiang Lodge, ' and 'the court of Heng and Wu;' andnext those of 'the Joyful red court, ' and 'the cottage in the hills, where the dolichos is bleached. ' As for grand sites like these four, there should be found some out-of-the-way expressions to insert in theverses so that they should be felicitous. The antithetical linescomposed by you, (Pao-yü), on a former occasion are excellent, it istrue; but you should now further indite for each place, a pentameterstanza, so that by allowing me to test you in my presence, you may notshow yourself ungrateful for the trouble I have taken in teaching youfrom your youth up. "

Pao-yü had no help but to assent, and descending from the hall, he wentoff all alone to give himself up to reflection. 

Of the three Ying Ch'un, T'an Ch'un, and Hsi Ch'un, T'an Ch'un must beconsidered to have also been above the standard of her sisters, but she, in her own estimation, imagined it, in fact, difficult to compete withHsüeh Pao-ch'ai and Lin Tai-yü. With no alternative however than that ofdoing her best, she followed the example of all the rest with the solepurpose of warding off criticism. And Li Wan too succeeded, after muchexertion, in putting together a stanza. 

The consort of the Chia family perused in due order the verses writtenby the young ladies, the text of which is given below. 

The lines written by Ying Ch'un on the tablet of "Boundless spirits andblissful heart" were:

 A park laid out with scenery surpassing fine and rare! Submissive to thy will, on boundless bliss bashful I write! Who could believe that yonder scenes in this world found a share! Will not thy heart be charmed on thy visit by the sight?

These are the verses by T'an Ch'un on the tablet of "All nature vies insplendour":

 Of aspect lofty and sublime is raised a park of fame! Honoured with thy bequest, my shallow lore fills me with shame. No words could e'er amply exhaust the beauteous skill, For lo! in very truth glory and splendour all things fill!

Thus runs Hsi Ch'un's stanza on the tablet of the "Conception ofliterary compositions":

 The hillocks and the streams crosswise beyond a thousand li extend! The towers and terraces 'midst the five-coloured clouds lofty ascend! In the resplendent radiance of both sun and moon the park it lies! The skill these scenes to raise the skill e'en essays to conceive outvies!

The lines composed by Li Wan on the tablet "grace and elegance, "consisted of:

 The comely streams and hillocks clear, in double folds, embrace; E'en Fairyland, forsooth, transcend they do in elegance and grace! The "Fragrant Plant" the theme is of the ballad fan, green-made. Like drooping plum-bloom flap the lapel red and the Hsiang gown. From prosperous times must have been handed down those pearls and jade. What bliss! the fairy on the jasper terrace will come down! When to our prayers she yields, this glorious park to contemplate, No mortal must e'er be allowed these grounds to penetrate. 

The ode by Hsüeh Pao-ch'ai on the tablet of "Concentrated Splendour andAccumulated auspiciousness" was:

 Raised on the west of the Imperial city, lo! the park stored with fragrant smell, Shrouded by Phoebe's radiant rays and clouds of good omen, in wondrous glory lies! The willows tall with joy exult that the parrots their nests have shifted from the dell. The bamboo groves, when laid, for the phoenix with dignity to come, were meant to rise. The very eve before the Empress' stroll, elegant texts were ready and affixed. If even she her parents comes to see, how filial piety supreme must be! When I behold her beauteous charms and talents supernatural, with awe transfixed, One word, to utter more how can I troth ever presume, when shame overpowers me. 

The distich by Lin Tai-yü on the tablet of "Spiritual stream outside theworld, " ran thus:

 Th' imperial visit doth enhance joy and delight. This fairy land from mortal scenes what diff'rent sight! The comely grace it borrows of both hill and stream; And to the landscape it doth add a charm supreme. The fumes of Chin Ku wine everything permeate; The flowers the inmate of the Jade Hall fascinate. The imperial favour to receive how blessed our lot! For oft the palace carriage will pass through this spot. 

The Chia consort having concluded the perusal of the verses, andextolled them for a time: "After all, " she went on to say with a smile, "those composed by my two cousins, Hsüeh Pao-ch'ai and Lin Tai-yü, differ in excellence from those of all the rest; and neither I, stupidas I am, nor my sisters can attain their standard. "

Lin Tao-yü had, in point of fact, made up her mind to display, on thisevening, her extraordinary abilities to their best advantage, and to putdown every one else, but contrary to her expectations the Chia consorthad expressed her desire that no more than a single stanza should bewritten on each tablet, so that unable, after all, to disregard herdirections by writing anything in excess, she had no help but to composea pentameter stanza, in an offhand way, merely with the intent ofcomplying with her wishes. 

Pao-yü had by this time not completed his task. He had just finished twostanzas on the Hsiao Hsiang Lodge and the Heng Wu garden, and was justthen engaged in composing a verse on the "Happy red Court. " In his draftfigured a line: "The (leaves) of jade-like green in spring are yetrolled up, " which Pao-ch'ai stealthily observed as she turned her eyesfrom side to side; and availing herself of the very first moment, whennone of the company could notice her, she gave him a nudge. "As herhighness, " she remarked, "doesn't relish the four characters, representing the red (flowers are) fragrant, and the green (bananaleaves) like jade, she changed them, just a while back, for 'the joyfulred and gladsome green;' and if you deliberately now again employ thesetwo words 'jade-like green, ' won't it look as if you were bent uponbeing at variance with her? Besides, very many are the old books, inwhich the banana leaves form the theme, so you had better think ofanother line and substitute it and have done with it!"

When Pao-yü heard the suggestion made by Pao-ch'ai, he speedily replied, as he wiped off the perspiration: "I can't at all just at present callto mind any passage from the contents of some old book. "

"Just simply take, " proposed Pao-ch'ai smilingly, "the character jade injade-like green and change it into the character wax, that's all. "

"Does 'green wax, '" Pao-yü inquired, "come out from anywhere?"

Pao-ch'ai gently smacked her lips and nodded her head as she laughed. "Ifear, " she said, "that if, on an occasion like to-night, you show nomore brains than this, by and by when you have to give any answers inthe golden hall, to the questions (of the examiner), you will, really, forget (the very first four names) of Chao, Oh'ien, Sun and Li (out ofthe hundred)! What, have you so much as forgotten the first line of thepoem by Han Yü, of the T'ang dynasty, on the Banana leaf:

 "Cold is the candle and without a flame, the green wax dry?"

On hearing these words, Pao-yü's mind suddenly became enlightened. "Whata fool I am!" he added with a simper; "I couldn't for the moment evenremember the lines, ready-made though they were and staring at me in myvery eyes! Sister, you really can be styled my teacher, little thoughyou may have taught me, and I'll henceforward address you by no othername than 'teacher, ' and not call you 'sister' any more!"

"Don't you yet hurry to go on, " Pao-ch'ai again observed in a gentletone of voice sneeringly, "but keep on calling me elder sister andyounger sister? Who's your sister? that one over there in a yellow coatis your sister!"

But apprehending, as she bandied these jokes, lest she might be wastinghis time, she felt constrained to promptly move away; whereupon Pao-yücontinued the ode he had been working at, and brought it to a close, writing in all three stanzas. 

Tai-yü had not had so far an opportunity of making a display of herability, and was feeling at heart in a very dejected mood; but when sheperceived that Pao-yü was having intense trouble in conceiving what hehad to write, and she found, upon walking up to the side of the table, that he had only one stanza short, that on "the sign on the apricot treeis visible, " she consequently bade him copy out clean the first threeodes, while she herself composed a stanza, which she noted down on aslip of paper, rumpled up into a ball, and threw just in front ofPao-yü. 

As soon as Pao-yü opened it and glanced at it, he realised that it was ahundred times better than his own three stanzas, and transcribing itwithout loss of time, in a bold writing, he handed up his compositions. 

On perusal, the Chia Consort read what follows. By Pao-yü, on: "Aphoenix comes with dignified air:"

 The bamboos just now don that jadelike grace, Which worthy makes them the pheasant to face; Each culm so tender as if to droop fain, Each one so verdant, in aspect so cool, The curb protects, from the steps wards the pool. The pervious screens the tripod smell restrain. The shadow will be strewn, mind do not shake And (Hsieh) from her now long fine dream (awake)!

On "the pure fragrance of the Ligularia and Iris Florentina:"

 Hengs and Wus the still park permeate; The los and pis their sweet perfume enhance; And supple charms the third spring flowers ornate; Softly is wafted one streak of fragrance! A light mist doth becloud the tortuous way! With moist the clothes bedews, that verdure cold! The pond who ever sinuous could hold? Dreams long and subtle, dream the household Hsieh. 

On "the happy red and joyful green:"

 Stillness pervades the deep pavilion on a lengthy day. The green and red, together matched, transcendent grace display. Unfurled do still remain in spring the green and waxlike leaves. No sleep yet seeks the red-clad maid, though night's hours be far-spent, But o'er the rails lo, she reclines, dangling her ruddy sleeves; Against the stone she leans shrouded by taintless scent, And stands the quarter facing whence doth blow the eastern wind! Her lord and master must look up to her with feelings kind. 

On "the sign on the apricot tree is visible:"

 The apricot tree sign to drink wayfarers doth invite; A farm located on a hill, lo! yonder strikes the sight! And water caltrops, golden lotus, geese, as well as flows, And mulberry and elm trees which afford rest to swallows. That wide extent of spring leeks with verdure covers the ground; And o'er ten li the paddy blossom fragrance doth abound. In days of plenty there's a lack of dearth and of distress, And what need then is there to plough and weave with such briskness?

When the Chia consort had done with the perusal, excessive joy filledher heart. "He has indeed made progress!" she exclaimed, and went on topoint at the verses on "the sign on the apricot tree, " as being thecrowning piece of the four stanzas. In due course, she with her ownhands changed the motto "a cottage in the hills where dolichos isbleached" into "the paddy-scented village;" and bidding also T'an Ch'unto take the several tens of stanzas written then, and to transcribe themseparately on ornamented silk paper, she commanded a eunuch to send themto the outer quarters. And when Chia Cheng and the other men perusedthem, one and all sung their incessant praise, while Chia Cheng, on hispart, sent in some complimentary message, with regard to her return homeon a visit. 

Yuan Ch'un went further and gave orders that luscious wines, a ham andother such presents should be conferred upon Pao-yü, as well as uponChia Lan. This Chia Lan was as yet at this time a perfect youth withoutany knowledge of things in general, so that all that he could do was tofollow the example of his mother, and imitate his uncle in performingthe conventional rites. 

At the very moment that Chia Se felt unable, along with a company ofactresses, to bear the ordeal of waiting on the ground floor of thetwo-storied building, he caught sight of a eunuch come running at aflying pace. "The composition of verses is over, " he said, "so quickgive me the programme;" whereupon Chia Se hastened to present theprogramme as well as a roll of the names of the twelve girls. And not along interval elapsed before four plays were chosen; No. 1 being theImperial Banquet; No. 2 Begging (the weaver goddess) for skill inneedlework; No. 3 The spiritual match; and No. 4 the Parting spirit. Chia Se speedily lent a hand in the getting up, and the preparations forthe performance, and each of the girls sang with a voice sufficient tosplit the stones and danced in the manner of heavenly spirits; andthough their exterior was that of the characters in which they weredressed up for the play, their acting nevertheless represented, in aperfect manner, both sorrow as well as joy. As soon as the performancewas brought to a close, a eunuch walked in holding a golden salvercontaining cakes, sweets, and the like, and inquired who was Ling Kuan;and Chia Se readily concluding that these articles were presentsbestowed upon Ling Kuan, made haste to take them over, as he bade LingKuan prostrate herself. 

"The honourable consort, " the eunuch further added, "directs that LingKuan, who is the best actress of the lot, should sing two more songs;any two will do, she does not mind what they are. "

Chia Se at once expressed his obedience, and felt constrained to urgeLing Kuan to sing the two ballads entitled: "The walk through thegarden" and "Frightened out of a dream. " But Ling Kuan asserted thatthese two ballads had not originally been intended for her own role; andbeing firm in her refusal to accede and insisting upon rendering the twosongs "The Mutual Promise" and "The Mutual Abuse, " Chia Se found it hardto bring her round, and had no help but to let her have her own way. TheChia consort was so extremely enchanted with her that she gavedirections that she should not be treated harshly, and that this girlshould receive a careful training, while besides the fixed number ofpresents, she gave her two rolls of palace silk, two purses, gold andsilver ingots, and presents in the way of eatables. 

Subsequently, when the banquet had been cleared, and she once moreprosecuted her visit through those places to which she had not been, shequite accidentally espied the Buddhist Temple encircled by hills, andpromptly rinsing her hands, she walked in and burnt incense andworshipped Buddha. She also composed the device for a tablet, "a humaneboat on the (world's) bitter sea, " and went likewise so far as to showspecial acts of additional grace to a company of ascetic nuns and Taoistpriestesses. 

A eunuch came in a short while and reverently fell on his knees. "Thepresents are all in readiness, " he reported, "and may it please you toinspect them and to distribute them, in compliance with custom;" andpresented to her a list, which the Chia consort perused from the verytop throughout without raising any objection, and readily commandingthat action should be taken according to the list, a eunuch descendedand issued the gifts one after another. The presents for dowager ladyChia consisted, it may be added, of two sceptres, one of gold, the otherof jade, with "may your wishes be fulfilled" inscribed on them; a staffmade of lign-aloes; a string of chaplet beads of Chia-nan fragrant wood;four rolls of imperial satins with words "Affluence and honours" andPerennial Spring (woven in them); four rolls of imperial silk withPerennial Happiness and Longevity; two shoes of purple gold bullion, representing a pen, an ingot and "as you like;" and ten silver ingotswith the device "Felicitous Blessings. " While the two shares for madameHsing and madame Wang were only short of hers by the sceptres andstaffs, four things in all. Chia She, Chia Cheng and the others had eachapportioned to him a work newly written by the Emperor, two boxes ofsuperior ink, and gold and silver cups, two pairs of each; their othergifts being identical with those above. Pao-ch'ai, Tai-yü, all thesisters and the rest were assigned each a copy of a new book, a fineslab and two pair of gold and silver ornaments of a novel kind andoriginal shape; Pao-yü likewise receiving the same presents. Chia Lan'sgifts consisted of two necklets, one of gold, the other of silver, andof two pair of gold ingots. Mrs. Yu, widow Li Wan, lady Feng and theothers had each of them, four ingots of gold and silver; and, in the wayof keepsakes, four pieces of silk. There were, in addition, presentsconsisting of twenty-four pieces of silk and a thousand strings of goodcash to be allotted to the nurses, and waiting-maids, in the apartmentsof dowager lady Chia, madame Wang and of the respective sisters; whileChia Chen, Chia Lien, Chia Huan, Chia Jung and the rest had, every one, for presents, a piece of silk, and a pair of gold and silver ingots. 

As regards the other gifts, there were a hundred rolls of variouscoloured silks, a thousand ounces of pure silver, and several bottles ofimperial wine, intended to be bestowed upon all the men-servants of themansions, on the East and the West, as well as upon those who had beenin the garden overseeing works, arranging the decorations, and inwaiting to answer calls, and upon those who looked after the theatresand managed the lanterns. There being, besides, five hundred strings ofpure cash for the cooks, waiters, jugglers and hundreds of actors andevery kind of domestic. 

The whole party had finished giving expression to their thanks for herbounty, when the managers and eunuchs respectfully announced: "It isalready a quarter to three, and may it please your Majesty to turn backyour imperial chariot;" whereupon, much against her will, the Chiaconsort's eyes brimmed over, and she once more gave vent to tears. Forcing herself however again to put on a smile, she clasped old ladyChia's and madame Wang's hands, and could not bring herself to let themgo; while she repeatedly impressed upon their minds: that there was noneed to give way to any solicitude, and that they should take good careof their healths; that the grace of the present emperor was so vast, that once a month he would grant permission for them to enter the palaceand pay her a visit. "It is easy enough for us to see each other, " (shesaid, ) "and why should we indulge in any excess of grief? But when hismajesty in his heavenly generosity allows me another time to returnhome, you shouldn't go in for such pomp and extravagance. "

Dowager lady Chia and the other inmates had already cried to such anextent that sobs choked their throats and they could with difficultygive utterance to speech. But though the Chia consort could notreconcile herself to the separation, the usages in vogue in the imperialhousehold could not be disregarded or infringed, so that she had noalternative but to stifle the anguish of her heart, to mount herchariot, and take her departure. 

The whole family experienced meanwhile a hard task before they succeededin consoling the old lady and madame Wang and in supporting them awayout of the garden. But as what follows is not ascertained, the nextchapter will disclose it. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

 In the vehemence of her feelings, Hua (Hsi Jen) on a quiet evening admonishes Pao-yü. While (the spell) of affection continues unbroken, Pao-yü, on a still day, perceives the fragrance emitted from Tai-yü's person. 

The Chia consort, we must now go on to explain, returned to the Palace, and the next day, on her appearance in the presence of His Majesty, shethanked him for his bounty and gave him furthermore an account of herexperiences on her visit home. His Majesty's dragon countenance was muchelated, and he also issued from the privy store coloured satins, goldand silver and such like articles to be presented to Chia Cheng and theother officials in the various households of her relatives. Butdispensing with minute details about them, we will now revert to the twomansions of Jung and Ning. 

With the extreme strain on mind and body for successive days, thestrength of one and all was, in point of fact, worn out and theirrespective energies exhausted. And it was besides after they had beenputting by the various decorations and articles of use for two or threedays, that they, at length, got through the work. 

Lady Feng was the one who had most to do, and whose responsibilitieswere greatest. The others could possibly steal a few leisure moments andretire to rest, while she was the sole person who could not slip away. In the second place, naturally anxious as she was to excel and both tofall in people's estimation, she put up with the strain just as if shewere like one of those who had nothing to attend to. But the one who hadthe least to do and had the most leisure was Pao-yü. 

As luck would have it on this day, at an early hour, Hsi Jen's mothercame again in person and told dowager lady Chia that she would take HsiJen home to drink a cup of tea brewed in the new year and that she wouldreturn in the evening. For this reason Pao-yü was only in the company ofall the waiting-maids, throwing dice, playing at chess and amusinghimself. But while he was in the room playing with them with a totalabsence of zest, he unawares perceived a few waiting-maids arrive, whoinformed him that their senior master Mr. Chen, of the Eastern Mansion, had come to invite him to go and see a theatrical performance, and thefireworks, which were to be let off. 

Upon hearing these words, Pao-yü speedily asked them to change hisclothes; but just as he was ready to start, presents of cream, steamedwith sugar, arrived again when least expected from the Chia Consort, andPao-yü recollecting with what relish Hsi Jen had partaken of this dishon the last occasion forthwith bid them keep it for her; while he wenthimself and told dowager lady Chia that he was going over to see theplay. 

The plays sung over at Chia Chen's consisted, who would have thought it, of "Ting L'ang recognises his father, " and "Huang Po-ying deploys thespirits for battle, " and in addition to these, "Sung Hsing-che causesgreat commotion in the heavenly palace;" "Ghiang T'ai-kung kills thegeneral and deifies him, " and other such like. Soon appeared the spiritsand devils in a confused crowd on the stage, and suddenly also becamevisible the whole band of sprites and goblins, among which were somewaving streamers, as they went past in a procession, invoking Buddha andburning incense. The sound of the gongs and drums and of shouts andcries were audible at a distance beyond the lane; and in the wholestreet, one and all extolled the performance as exceptionally grand, andthat the like could never have been had in the house of any otherfamily. 

Pao-yü, noticing that the commotion and bustle had reached a stage sounbearable to his taste, speedily betook himself, after merely sittingfor a little while, to other places in search of relaxation and fun. First of all, he entered the inner rooms, and after spending some timein chatting and laughing with Mrs. Yu, the waiting-maids, and secondarywives, he eventually took his departure out of the second gate; and asMrs. Yu and her companions were still under the impression that he wasgoing out again to see the play, they let him speed on his way, withoutso much as keeping an eye over him. 

Chia Chen, Chia Lien, Hsúeh P'an and the others were bent upon guessingenigmas, enforcing the penalties and enjoying themselves in a hundredand one ways, so that even allowing that they had for a moment noticedthat he was not occupying his seat, they must merely have imagined thathe had gone inside and not, in fact, worried their minds about him. Andas for the pages, who had come along with Pao-yü, those who were alittle advanced in years, knowing very well that Pao-yü would, on anoccasion like the present, be sure not to be going before dusk, stealthily therefore took advantage of his absence, those, who could, togamble for money, and others to go to the houses of relatives andfriends to drink of the new year tea, so that what with gambling anddrinking the whole bevy surreptitiously dispersed, waiting for duskbefore they came back; while those, who were younger, had all crept intothe green rooms to watch the excitement; with the result that Pao-yüperceiving not one of them about bethought himself of a small readingroom, which existed in previous days on this side, in which wassuspended a picture of a beauty so artistically executed as to looklife-like. "On such a bustling day as this, " he reasoned, "it's prettycertain, I fancy, that there will be no one in there; and that beautifulperson must surely too feel lonely, so that it's only right that Ishould go and console her a bit. " With these thoughts, he hastily betookhimself towards the side-house yonder, and as soon as he came up to thewindow, he heard the sound of groans in the room. Pao-yü was reallyquite startled. "What!" (he thought), "can that beautiful girl, possibly, have come to life!" and screwing up his courage, he licked ahole in the paper of the window and peeped in. It was not she, however, who had come to life, but Ming Yen holding down a girl and likewiseindulging in what the Monitory Dream Fairy had taught him. 

"Dreadful!" exclaimed Pao-yü, aloud, unable to repress himself, and, stamping one of his feet, he walked into the door to the terror of bothof them, who parting company, shivered with fear, like clothes that arebeing shaken. Ming Yen perceiving that it was Pao-yü promptly fell onhis knees and piteously implored for pardon. 

"What! in broad daylight! what do you mean by it? Were your master Mr. Chen to hear of it, would you die or live?" asked Pao-yü, as hesimultaneously cast a glance at the servant-girl, who although not abeauty was anyhow so spick and span, and possessed besides a few charmssufficient to touch the heart. From shame, her face was red and her earspurple, while she lowered her head and uttered not a syllable. 

Pao-yü stamped his foot. "What!" he shouted, "don't you yet bundleyourself away!"

This simple remark suggested the idea to the girl's mind who ran off, asif she had wings to fly with; but as Pao-yü went also so far as to go inpursuit of her, calling out: "Don't be afraid, I'm not one to tellanyone, " Ming Yen was so exasperated that he cried, as he went afterthem, "My worthy ancestor, this is distinctly telling people about it. "

"How old is that servant girl?" Pao-yü having asked; "She's, I expect, no more than sixteen or seventeen, " Ming Yen rejoined. 

"Well, if you haven't gone so far as to even ascertain her age, " Pao-yüobserved, "you're sure to know still less about other things; and itmakes it plain enough that her acquaintance with you is all vain andfutile! What a pity! what a pity!"

He then went on to enquire what her name was; and "Were I, " continuedMing Yen smiling, "to tell you about her name it would involve a longyarn; it's indeed a novel and strange story! She relates that while hermother was nursing her, she dreamt a dream and obtained in this dreampossession of a piece of brocaded silk, on which were designs, invariegated colours, representing opulence and honour, and a continuousline of the character Wan; and that this reason accounts for the name ofWan Erh, which was given her. "

"This is really strange!" Pao-yü exclaimed with a grin, after lending anear to what he had to say; "and she is bound, I think, by and by to havea good deal of good fortune!"

These words uttered, he plunged in deep thought for a while, and MingYen having felt constrained to inquire: "Why aren't you, Mr. Secundus, watching a theatrical performance of this excellent kind?" "I had beenlooking on for ever so long, " Pao-yü replied, "until I got quite weary;and had just come out for a stroll, when I happened to meet you two. Butwhat's to be done now?"

Ming Yen gave a faint smile. "As there's no one here to know anythingabout it, " he added, "I'll stealthily take you, Mr. Secundus, for a walkoutside the city walls; and we'll come back shortly, before they've gotwind of it. "

"That won't do, " Pao-yü demurred, "we must be careful, or else somebeggar might kidnap us away; besides, were they to come to hear of it, there'll be again a dreadful row; and isn't it better that we should goto some nearer place, from which we could, after all, return at once?"

"As for some nearer place, " Ming Yen observed; "to whose house can wego? It's really no easy matter!"

"My idea is, " Pao-yü suggested with a smirk, "that we should simply go, and find sister Hua, and see what she's up to at home. "

"Yes! Yes!" Ming Yen replied laughingly; "the fact is I had forgottenall about her home; but should it reach their ears, " he continued, "they'll say that it was I who led you, Mr. Secundus, astray, andthey'll beat me!"

"I'm here for you!" Pao-yü having assured him; Ming Yen at these wordsled the horses round, and the two of them speedily made their exit bythe back gate. Luckily Hsi Jen's house was not far off. It was nofurther than half a li's distance, so that in a twinkle they had alreadyreached the front of the door, and Ming Yen was the first to walk in andto call for Hsi Jen's eldest brother Hua Tzu-fang. 

Hsi Jen's mother had, on this occasion, united in her home Hsi Jen, several of her sister's daughters, as well as a few of her nieces, andthey were engaged in partaking of fruits and tea, when they heard someone outside call out, "Brother Hua. " Hua Tzu-fang lost no time inrushing out; and upon looking and finding that it was the two of them, the master and his servant, he was so taken by surprise that his fearscould not be set at rest. Promptly, he clasped Pao-yü in his arms anddismounted him, and coming into the court, he shouted out at the top ofhis voice: "Mr. Pao has come. " The other persons heard the announcementof his arrival, with equanimity, but when it reached Hsi Jen's ears, shetruly felt at such a loss to fathom the object of his visit that issuinghastily out of the room, she came to meet Pao-yü, and as she laid holdof him: "Why did you come?" she asked. 

"I felt awfully dull, " Pao-yü rejoined with a smile, "and came to seewhat you were up to. "

Hsi Jen at these words banished, at last, all anxiety from her mind. "You're again up to your larks, " she observed, "but what's the aim ofyour visit? Who else has come along with him?" she at the same time wenton to question Ming Yen. 

"All the others know nothing about it!" explained Ming Yen exultingly;"only we two do, that's all. "

When Hsi Jen heard this remark, she gave way afresh to solicitous fears:"This is dreadful!" she added; "for were you to come across any one fromthe house, or to meet master; or were, in the streets, people to pressagainst you, or horses to collide with you, as to make (his horse) shy, and he were to fall, would that too be a joke? The gall of both of youis larger than a peck measure; but it's all you, Ming Yen, who hasincited him, and when I go back, I'll surely tell the nurses to beatyou. "

Ming Yen pouted his mouth. "Mr. Secundus, " he pleaded, "abused me andbeat me, as he bade me bring him here, and now he shoves the blame on myshoulders! 'Don't let us go, ' I suggested; 'but if you do insist, wellthen let us go and have done. '"

Hua Tzu-fang promptly interceded. "Let things alone, " he said; "now thatthey're already here, there's no need whatever of much ado. The onlything is that our mean house with its thatched roof is both so crammedand so filthy that how could you, sir, sit in it!"

Hsi Jen's mother also came out at an early period to receive him, andHsi Jen pulled Pao-yü in. Once inside the room, Pao-yü perceived threeor five girls, who, as soon as they caught sight of him approaching, alllowered their heads, and felt so bashful that their faces were suffusedwith blushes. But as both Hua Tzu-fang and his mother were afraid thatPao-yü would catch cold, they pressed him to take a seat on thestove-bed, and hastened to serve a fresh supply of refreshments, and toat once bring him a cup of good tea. 

"You needn't be flurrying all for nothing, " Hsi Jen smilinglyinterposed; "I, naturally, should know; and there's no use of evenlaying out any fruits, as I daren't recklessly give him anything toeat. "

Saying this, she simultaneously took her own cushion and laid it on astool, and after Pao-yü took a seat on it, she placed the footstove shehad been using, under his feet; and producing, from a satchet, twopeach-blossom-scented small cakes, she opened her own hand-stove andthrew them into the fire; which done, she covered it well again andplaced it in Pao-yü's lap. And eventually, she filled her own tea-cupwith tea and presented it to Pao-yü, while, during this time, her motherand sister had been fussing about, laying out in fine array a tablefulof every kind of eatables. 

Hsi Jen noticed that there were absolutely no things that he could eat, but she felt urged to say with a smile: "Since you've come, it isn'tright that you should go empty away; and you must, whether the things begood or bad, taste a little, so that it may look like a visit to myhouse!"

As she said this, she forthwith took several seeds of the fir-cone, andcracking off the thin skin, she placed them in a handkerchief andpresented them to Pao-yü. But Pao-yü, espying that Hsi Jen's two eyeswere slightly red, and that the powder was shiny and moist, quietlytherefore inquired of Hsi Jen, "Why do you cry for no rhyme or reason?"

"Why should I cry?" Hsi Jen laughed; "something just got into my eyesand I rubbed them. " By these means she readily managed to evadedetection; but seeing that Pao-yü wore a deep red archery-sleevedpelisse, ornamented with gold dragons, and lined with fur from foxes'ribs and a grey sable fur surtout with a fringe round the border. "What!have you, " she asked, "put on again your new clothes for? specially tocome here? and didn't they inquire of you where you were going?"

"I had changed, " Pao-yü explained with a grin, "as Mr. Chen had invitedme to go over and look at the play. "

"Well, sit a while and then go back;" Hsi Jen continued as she noddedher head; "for this isn't the place for you to come to!"

"You'd better be going home now, " Pao-yü suggested smirkingly; "whereI've again kept something good for you. "

"Gently, " smiled Hsi Jen, "for were you to let them hear, what figurewould we cut?" And with these, words, she put out her hand andunclasping from Pao-yü's neck the jade of Spiritual Perception, shefaced her cousins and remarked exultingly. "Here! see for yourselves;look at this and learn! When I repeatedly talked about it, you allthought it extraordinary, and were anxious to have a glance at it;to-day, you may gaze on it with all your might, for whatever preciousthing you may by and by come to see will really never excel such anobject as this!"

When she had finished speaking, she handed it over to them, and afterthey had passed it round for inspection, she again fastened it properlyon Pao-yü's neck, and also bade her brother go and hire a smallcarriage, or engage a small chair, and escort Pao-yü back home. 

"If I see him back, " Hua Tzu-fang remarked, "there would be no harm, were he even to ride his horse!"

"It isn't because of harm, " Hsi Jen replied; "but because he may comeacross some one from the house. "

Hua Tzu-fang promptly went and bespoke a small chair; and when it cameto the door, the whole party could not very well detain him, and they ofcourse had to see Pao-yü out of the house; while Hsi Jen, on the otherhand, snatched a few fruits and gave them to Ming Yen; and as she at thesame time pressed in his hand several cash to buy crackers with to letoff, she enjoined him not to tell any one as he himself would likewiseincur blame. 

As she uttered these words, she straightway escorted Pao-yü as far asoutside the door, from whence having seen him mount into the sedanchair, she dropped the curtain; whereupon Ming Yen and her brother, thetwo of them, led the horses and followed behind in his wake. Uponreaching the street where the Ning mansion was situated, Ming Yen toldthe chair to halt, and said to Hua Tzu-fang, "It's advisable that Ishould again go, with Mr. Secundus, into the Eastern mansion, to showourselves before we can safely betake ourselves home; for if we don't, people will suspect!"

Hua Tzu-fang, upon hearing that there was good reason in what he said, promptly clasped Pao-yü out of the chair and put him on the horse, whereupon after Pao-yü smilingly remarked: "Excuse me for the troubleI've surely put you to, " they forthwith entered again by the back gate;but putting aside all details, we will now confine ourselves to Pao-yü. 

After he had walked out of the door, the several waiting-maids in hisapartments played and laughed with greater zest and with less restraint. Some there were who played at chess, others who threw the dice or had agame of cards; and they covered the whole floor with the shells ofmelon-seeds they were cracking, when dame Li, his nurse, happened tocome in, propping herself on a staff, to pay her respects and to seePao-yü, and perceiving that Pao-yü was not at home and that theservant-girls were only bent upon romping, she felt intensely disgusted. "Since I've left this place, " she therefore exclaimed with a sigh, "anddon't often come here, you've become more and more unmannerly; while theother nurse does still less than ever venture to expostulate with you;Pao-yü is like a candlestick eighty feet high, shedding light on others, and throwing none upon himself! All he knows is to look down upon peopleas being filthy; and yet this is his room and he allows you to put ittopsy-turvey, and to become more and more unmindful of decorum!"

These servant-girls were well aware that Pao-yü was not particular inthese respects, and that in the next place nurse Li, having pleaded oldage, resigned her place and gone home, had nowadays no control overthem, so that they simply gave their minds to romping and joking, andpaid no heed whatever to her. Nurse Li however still kept on askingabout Pao-yü, "How much rice he now ate at one meal? and at what time hewent to sleep?" to which questions, the servant-girls replied quite atrandom; some there being too who observed: "What a dreadful despicableold thing she is!"

"In this covered bowl, " she continued to inquire, "is cream, and why notgive it to me to eat?" and having concluded these words, she took it upand there and then began eating it. 

"Be quick, and leave it alone!" a servant-girl expostulated, "that, hesaid, was kept in order to be given to Hsi Jen; and on his return, whenhe again gets into a huff, you, old lady, must, on your own motion, confess to having eaten it, and not involve us in any way as to have tobear his resentment. "

Nurse Li, at these words, felt both angry and ashamed. "I can'tbelieve, " she forthwith remarked, "that he has become so bad at heart!Not to speak of the milk I've had, I have, in fact every right to evensomething more expensive than this; for is it likely that he holds HsiJen dearer than myself? It can't forsooth be that he doesn't bear inmind how that I've brought him up to be a big man, and how that he haseaten my blood transformed into milk and grown up to this age! and willbe because I'm now having a bowl of milk of his be angry on that score!I shall, yes, eat it, and we'll see what he'll do! I don't know what youpeople think of Hsi Jen, but she was a lowbred girl, whom I've with myown hands raised up! and what fine object indeed was she!"

As she spoke, she flew into a temper, and taking the cream she drank thewhole of it. 

"They don't know how to speak properly!" another servant-girl interposedsarcastically, "and it's no wonder that you, old lady, should get angry!Pao-yü still sends you, venerable dame, presents as a proof of hisgratitude, and is it possible that he will feel displeased for such athing like this?"

"You girls shouldn't also pretend to be artful flatterers to cajole me!"nurse Li added; "do you imagine that I'm not aware of the dismissal, theother day, of Hsi Hsüeh, on account of a cup of tea? and as it's clearenough that I've incurred blame, I'll come by and by and receive it!"

Having said this, she went off in a dudgeon, but not a long intervalelapsed before Pao-yü returned, and gave orders to go and fetch Hsi Jen;and perceiving Ching Ling reclining on the bed perfectly still: "Ipresume she's ill, " Pao-yü felt constrained to inquire, "or if she isn'till, she must have lost at cards. "

"Not so!" observed Chiu Wen; "she had been a winner, but dame Li came inquite casually and muddled her so that she lost; and angry at this sherushed off to sleep. "

"Don't place yourselves, " Pao-yü smiled, "on the same footing as nurseLi, and if you were to let her alone, everything will be all right. "

These words were still on his lips when Hsi Jen arrived. After themutual salutations, Hsi Jen went on to ask of Pao-yü: "Where did youhave your repast? and what time did you come back?" and to presentlikewise, on behalf of her mother and sister, her compliments to all thegirls, who were her companions. In a short while, she changed hercostume and divested herself of her fineries, and Pao-yü bade them fetchthe cream. 

"Nurse Li has eaten it, " the servant-girls rejoined, and as Pao-yü wason the point of making some remark Hsi Jen hastened to interfere, laughing the while; "Is it really this that you had kept for me? manythanks for the trouble; the other day, when I had some, I found it verytoothsome, but after I had partaken of it, I got a pain in the stomach, and was so much upset, that it was only after I had brought it all upthat I felt all right. So it's as well that she has had it, for, had itbeen kept here, it would have been wasted all for no use! What I fancyare dry chestnuts; and while you clean a few for me, I'll go and lay thebed!"

Pao-yü upon hearing these words credited them as true, so that hediscarded all thought of the cream and fetched the chestnuts, which he, with his own hands, selected and pealed. Perceiving at the same timethat none of the party were present in the room, he put on a smile andinquired of Hsi Jen: "Who were those persons dressed in red to day?"

"They're my two cousins on my mother's side, " Hsi Jen explained, andhearing this, Pao-yü sang their praise as he heaved a couple of sighs. 

"What are you sighing for?" Hsi Jen remarked. "I know the secret reasonsof your heart; it's I fancy because she isn't fit to wear red!"

"It isn't that, " Pao-yü protested smilingly, "it isn't that; if such aperson as that isn't good enough to be dressed in red, who wouldforsooth presume to wear it? It's because I find her so really lovely!and if we could, after all, manage to get her into our family, how niceit would be then!"

Hsi Jen gave a sardonic smile. "That it's my own fate to be a slavedoesn't matter, but is it likely that the destiny of even my veryrelatives could be to become one and all of them bond servants? But youshould certainly set your choice upon some really beautiful girl, forshe would in that case be good enough to enter your house. "

"Here you are again with your touchiness!" Pao-yü eagerly exclaimedsmiling, "if I said that she should come to our house, does itnecessarily imply that she should be a servant? and wouldn't it do wereI to mention that she should come as a relative!"

"That too couldn't exalt her to be a fit match for you!" rejoined HsiJen; but Pao-yü being loth to continue the conversation, simply busiedhimself with cleaning the chestnuts. 

"How is it you utter not a word?" Hsi Jen laughed; "I expect it'sbecause I just offended you by my inconsiderate talk! But if by and byyou have your purpose fixed on it, just spend a few ounces of silver topurchase them with, and bring them in and have done!"

"How would you have one make any reply?" Pao-yü smilingly rejoined; "allI did was to extol her charms; for she's really fit to have been born ina deep hall and spacious court as this; and it isn't for such foulthings as myself and others to contrariwise spend our days in thisplace!"

"Though deprived of this good fortune, " Hsi Jen explained, "she'snevertheless also petted and indulged and the jewel of my maternal uncleand my aunt! She's now seventeen years of age, and everything in the wayof trousseau has been got ready, and she's to get married next year. "

Upon hearing the two words "get married, " he could not repress himselffrom again ejaculating: "Hai hai!" but while he was in an unhappy frameof mind, he once more heard Hsi Jen remark as she heaved a sigh: "Eversince I've come here, we cousins haven't all these years been able toget to live together, and now that I'm about to return home, they, onthe other hand, will all be gone!"

Pao-yü, realising that there lurked in this remark some meaning orother, was suddenly so taken aback that dropping the chestnuts, heinquired: "How is it that you now want to go back?"

"I was present to-day, " Hsi Jen explained, "when mother and brother heldconsultation together, and they bade me be patient for another year, andthat next year they'll come up and redeem me out of service!"

Pao-yü, at these words, felt the more distressed. "Why do they want toredeem you?" he consequently asked. 

"This is a strange question!" Hsi Jen retorted, "for I can't really betreated as if I were the issue born in this homestead of yours! All themembers of my family are elsewhere, and there's only myself in thisplace, so that how could I end my days here?"

"If I don't let you go, it will verily be difficult for you to getaway!" Pao-yü replied. 

"There has never been such a principle of action!" urged Hsi Jen; "evenin the imperial palace itself, there's a fixed rule, by which possiblyevery certain number of years a selection (of those who have to go takesplace), and every certain number of years a new batch enters; andthere's no such practice as that of keeping people for ever; not tospeak of your own home. "

Pao-yü realised, after reflection, that she, in point of fact, wasright, and he went on to observe: "Should the old lady not give you yourrelease, it will be impossible for you to get off. "

"Why shouldn't she release me?" Hsi Jen questioned. "Am I really so veryextraordinary a person as to have perchance made such an impression uponher venerable ladyship and my lady that they will be positive in notletting me go? They may, in all likelihood, give my family some moreounces of silver to keep me here; that possibly may come about. But, intruth, I'm also a person of the most ordinary run, and there are manymore superior to me, yea very many! Ever since my youth up, I've been inher old ladyship's service; first by waiting upon Miss Shih for severalyears, and recently by being in attendance upon you for another term ofyears; and now that our people will come to redeem me, I should, as amatter of right, be told to go. My idea is that even the very redemptionmoney won't be accepted, and that they will display such grace as to letme go at once. And, as for being told that I can't be allowed to go asI'm so diligent in my service to you, that's a thing that can on noaccount come about! My faithful attendance is an obligation of myduties, and is no exceptional service! and when I'm gone you'll againhave some other faithful attendant, and it isn't likely that when I'm nomore here, you'll find it impracticable to obtain one!"

After Pao-yü had listened to these various arguments, which proved thereasonableness of her going and the unreasonableness of any detention, he felt his heart more than ever a prey to distress. "In spite of allyou say, " he therefore continued, "the sole desire of my heart is todetain you; and I have no doubt but that the old lady will speak to yourmother about it; and if she were to give your mother ample money, she'll, of course, not feel as if she could very well with any decencytake you home!"

"My mother won't naturally have the audacity to be headstrong!" Hsi Jenventured, "not to speak besides of the nice things, which may be toldher and the lots of money she may, in addition, be given; but were sheeven not to be paid any compliments, and not so much as a single cashgiven her, she won't, if you set your mind upon keeping me here, presumenot to comply with your wishes, were it also against my inclination. Onething however; our family would never rely upon prestige, and trust uponhonorability to do anything so domineering as this! for this isn't likeanything else, which, because you take a fancy to it, a hundred per centprofit can be added, and it obtained for you! This action can be welltaken if the seller doesn't suffer loss! But in the present instance, were they to keep me back for no rhyme or reason, it would also be of nobenefit to yourself; on the contrary, they would be instrumental inkeeping us blood relatives far apart; a thing the like of which, I feelpositive that dowager lady Chia and my lady will never do!"

After lending an ear to this argument, Pao-yü cogitated within himselffor a while. "From what you say, " he then observed, "when you say you'llgo, it means that you'll go for certain!"

"Yes, that I'll go for certain, " Hsi Jen rejoined. 

"Who would have anticipated, " Pao-yü, after these words, mused in hisown heart, "that a person like her would have shown such little sense ofgratitude, and such a lack of respect! Had I, " he then remarked aloudwith a sigh, "been aware, at an early date, that your whole wish wouldhave been to go, I wouldn't, in that case, have brought you over! Butwhen you're away, I shall remain alone, a solitary spirit!"

As he spoke, he lost control over his temper, and, getting into bed, hewent to sleep. 

The fact is that when Hsi Jen had been at home, and she heard her motherand brother express their intention of redeeming her back, she there andthen observed that were she even at the point of death, she would notreturn home. "When in past days, " she had argued, "you had no rice toeat, there remained myself, who was still worth several taels; andhadn't I urged you to sell me, wouldn't I have seen both father andmother die of starvation under my very eyes? and you've now had the goodfortune of selling me into this place, where I'm fed and clothed justlike a mistress, and where I'm not beaten by day, nor abused by night!Besides, though now father be no more, you two have anyhow by puttingthings straight again, so adjusted the family estate that it has resumedits primitive condition. And were you, in fact, still in straitenedcircumstances, and you could by redeeming me back, make again some moremoney, that would be well and good; but the truth is that there's nosuch need, and what would be the use for you to redeem me at such a timeas this? You should temporarily treat me as dead and gone, and shouldn'tagain recall any idea of redeeming me!"

Having in consequence indulged in a loud fit of crying, her mother andbrother resolved, when they perceived her in this determined frame ofmind, that for a fact there was no need for her to come out of service. What is more they had sold her under contract until death, in thedistinct reliance that the Chia family, charitable and generous a familyas it was, would, possibly, after no more than a few entreaties, makethem a present of her person as well as the purchase money. In thesecond place, never had they in the Chia mansion ill-used any of thosebelow; there being always plenty of grace and little of imperiousness. Besides, the servant-girls, who acted as personal attendants in theapartments of the old as well as of the young, were treated so farunlike the whole body of domestics in the household that the daughterseven of an ordinary and penniless parentage could not have been solooked up to. And these considerations induced both the mother as wellas her son to at once dispel the intention and not to redeem her, andwhen Pao-yü had subsequently paid them an unexpected visit, and the twoof them (Pao-yü and Hsi Jen) were seen to be also on such terms, themother and her son obtained a clearer insight into their relations, andstill one more burden (which had pressed on their mind) fell to theground, and as besides this was a contingency, which they had neverreckoned upon, they both composed their hearts, and did not againentertain any idea of ransoming her. 

It must be noticed moreover that Hsi Jen had ever since her youth notbeen blind to the fact that Pao-yü had an extraordinary temperament, that he was self-willed and perverse, far even in excess of all younglads, and that he had, in addition, a good many peculiarities and manyunspeakable defects. And as of late he had placed such reliance in thefond love of his grandmother that his father and mother even could notexercise any extreme control over him, he had become so much the moreremiss, dissolute, selfish and unconcerned, not taking the leastpleasure in what was proper, that she felt convinced, whenever sheentertained the idea of tendering him advice, that he would not listento her. On this day, by a strange coincidence, came about the discussionrespecting her ransom, and she designedly made use, in the firstinstance, of deception with a view to ascertain his feelings, tosuppress his temper, and to be able subsequently to extend to him somewords of admonition; and when she perceived that Pao-yü had now silentlygone to sleep, she knew that his feelings could not brook the idea ofher return and that his temper had already subsided. She had never had, as far as she was concerned, any desire of eating chestnuts, but as shefeared lest, on account of the cream, some trouble might arise, whichmight again lead to the same results as when Hsi Hsüeh drank the tea, she consequently made use of the pretence that she fancied chestnuts, inorder to put off Pao-yü from alluding (to the cream) and to bring thematter speedily to an end. But telling forthwith the young waiting-maidsto take the chestnuts away and eat them, she herself came and pushedPao-yü; but at the sight of Pao-yü with the traces of tears on his face, she at once put on a smiling expression and said: "What's there in thisto wound your heart? If you positively do wish to keep me, I shall, ofcourse, not go away!"

Pao-yü noticed that these words contained some hidden purpose, andreadily observed: "Do go on and tell me what else I can do to succeed inkeeping you here, for of my own self I find it indeed difficult to sayhow!"

"Of our friendliness all along, " Hsi Jen smilingly rejoined, "there'snaturally no need to speak; but, if you have this day made up your mindto retain me here, it isn't through this friendship that you'll succeedin doing so. But I'll go on and mention three distinct conditions, and, if you really do accede to my wishes, you'll then have shown an earnestdesire to keep me here, and I won't go, were even a sword to be laid onmy neck!"

"Do tell me what these conditions are, " Pao-yü pressed her withalacrity, as he smiled, "and I'll assent to one and all. My dear sister, my own dear sister, not to speak of two or three, but even two or threehundred of them I'm quite ready to accept. All I entreat you is that youand all of you should combine to watch over me and take care of me, until some day when I shall be transformed into flying ashes; but flyingashes are, after all, not opportune, as they have form and substance andthey likewise possess sense, but until I've been metamorphosed into astreak of subtle smoke. And when the wind shall have with one puffdispelled me, all of you then will be unable to attend to me, just asmuch as I myself won't be able to heed you. You will, when that timecomes, let me go where I please, as I'll let you speed where you chooseto go!"

These words so harassed Hsi Jen that she hastened to put her hand overhis mouth. "Speak decently, " she said; "I was on account of this justabout to admonish you, and now here you are uttering all this still moreloathsome trash. "

"I won't utter these words again, " Pao-yü eagerly added. 

"This is the first fault that you must change, " Hsi Jen replied. 

"I'll amend, " Pao-yü observed, "and if I say anything of the kind againyou can wring my mouth; but what else is there?"

"The second thing is this, " Hsi Jen explained; "whether you really liketo study or whether you only pretend to like study is immaterial; butyou should, when you are in the presence of master, or in the presenceof any one else, not do nothing else than find fault with people andmake fun of them, but behave just as if you were genuinely fond ofstudy, so that you shouldn't besides provoke your father so much toanger, and that he should before others have also a chance of sayingsomething! 'In my family, ' he reflects within himself, 'generation aftergeneration has been fond of books, but ever since I've had you, youhaven't accomplished my expectations, and not only is it that you don'tcare about reading books, '--and this has already filled his heart withanger and vexation, --'but both before my face and behind my back, youutter all that stuff and nonsense, and give those persons, who have, through their knowledge of letters, attained high offices, the nicknameof the "the salaried worms. " You also uphold that there's no workexclusive (of the book where appears) "fathom spotless virtue;" and thatall other books consist of foolish compilations, which owe their originto former authors, who, unable themselves to expound the writings ofConfucius, readily struck a new line and invented original notions. ' Nowwith words like these, how can one wonder if master loses all patience, and if he does from time to time give you a thrashing! and what do youmake other people think of you?"

"I won't say these things again, " Pao-yü laughingly protested, "theseare the reckless and silly absurdities of a time when I was young andhad no idea of the height of the heavens and the thickness of the earth;but I'll now no more repeat them. What else is there besides?"

"It isn't right that you should sneer at the bonzes and vilify theTaoist priests, nor mix cosmetics or prepare rouge, " Hsi Jen continued;"but there's still another thing more important, you shouldn't againindulge the bad habits of licking the cosmetic, applied by people ontheir lips, nor be fond of (girls dressed) in red!"

"I'll change in all this, " Pao-yü added by way of rejoinder; "I'llchange in all this; and if there's anything more be quick and tell me. "

"There's nothing more, " Hsi Jen observed; "but you must in everythingexercise a little more diligence, and not indulge your caprices andallow your wishes to run riot, and you'll be all right. And should youcomply to all these things in real earnest, you couldn't carry me out, even in a chair with eight bearers. "

"Well, if you do stay in here long enough, " Pao-yü remarked with asmile, "there's no fear as to your not having an eight-bearer-chair tosit in!"

Hsi Jen gave a sardonic grin. "I don't care much about it, " she replied;"and were I even to have such good fortune, I couldn't enjoy such aright. But allowing I could sit in one, there would be no pleasure init!"

While these two were chatting, they saw Ch'iu Wen walk in. "It's thethird watch of the night, " she observed, "and you should go to sleep. Just a few moments back your grandmother lady Chia and our lady sent anurse to ask about you, and I replied that you were asleep. "

Pao-yü bade her fetch a watch, and upon looking at the time, he foundindeed that the hand was pointing at ten; whereupon rinsing his mouthagain and loosening his clothes, he retired to rest, where we will leavehim without any further comment. 

The next day, Hsi Jen got up as soon as it was dawn, feeling her bodyheavy, her head sore, her eyes swollen, and her limbs burning like fire. She managed however at first to keep up, an effort though it was, but assubsequently she was unable to endure the strain, and all she feltdisposed to do was to recline, she therefore lay down in her clothes onthe stove-couch. Pao-yü hastened to tell dowager lady Chia, and thedoctor was sent for, who, upon feeling her pulse and diagnosing hercomplaint, declared that there was nothing else the matter with her thana chill, which she had suddenly contracted, that after she had taken adose or two of medicine, it would be dispelled, and that she would bequite well. After he had written the prescription and taken hisdeparture, some one was despatched to fetch the medicines, which whenbrought were properly decocted. As soon as she had swallowed a dose, Pao-yü bade her cover herself with her bed-clothes so as to bring onperspiration; while he himself came into Tai-yü's room to look her up. Tai-yü was at this time quite alone, reclining on her bed having amidday siesta, and the waiting-maids having all gone out to attend towhatever they pleased, the whole room was plunged in stillness andsilence. Pao-yü raised the embroidered soft thread portiere and walkedin; and upon espying Tai-yü in the room fast asleep, he hurriedlyapproached her and pushing her: "Dear cousin, " he said, "you've just hadyour meal, and are you asleep already?" and he kept on calling "Tai-yü"till he woke her out of her sleep. 

Perceiving that it was Pao-yü, "You had better go for a stroll, " Tai-yüurged, "for the day before yesterday I was disturbed the whole night, and up to this day I haven't had rest enough to get over the fatigue. Mywhole body feels languid and sore. "

"This languor and soreness, " Pao-yü rejoined, "are of no consequence;but if you go on sleeping you'll be feeling very ill; so I'll try anddistract you, and when we've dispelled this lassitude, you'll be allright. "

Tai-yü closed her eyes. "I don't feel any lassitude, " she explained, "all I want is a little rest; and you had better go elsewhere and comeback after romping about for a while. "

"Where can I go?" Pao-yü asked as he pushed her. "I'm quite sick andtired of seeing the others. "

At these words, Tai-yü burst out laughing with a sound of Ch'ih. "Well!since you wish to remain here, " she added, "go over there and sit downquietly, and let's have a chat. "

"I'll also recline, " Pao-yü suggested. 

"Well, then, recline!" Tai-yü assented. 

"There's no pillow, " observed Pao-yü, "so let us lie on the samepillow. "

"What nonsense!" Tai-yü urged, "aren't those pillows outside? get oneand lie on it. "

Pao-yü walked into the outer apartment, and having looked about him, hereturned and remarked with a smile: "I don't want those, they may be, for aught I know, some dirty old hag's. "

Tai-yü at this remark opened her eyes wide, and as she raised herselfup: "You're really, " she exclaimed laughingly, "the evil star of myexistence! here, please recline on this pillow!" and as she utteredthese words, she pushed her own pillow towards Pao-yü, and, getting upshe went and fetched another of her own, upon which she lay her head insuch a way that both of them then reclined opposite to each other. ButTai-yü, upon turning up her eyes and looking, espied on Pao-yü's cheekon the left side of his face, a spot of blood about the size of abutton, and speedily bending her body, she drew near to him, and rubbingit with her hand, she scrutinised it closely. "Whose nail, " she went onto inquire, "has scratched this open?"

Pao-yü with his body still reclining withdrew from her reach, and as hedid so, he answered with a smile: "It isn't a scratch; it must, Ipresume, be simply a drop, which bespattered my cheek when I was justnow mixing and clarifying the cosmetic paste for them. "

Saying this, he tried to get at his handkerchief to wipe it off; butTai-yü used her own and rubbed it clean for him, while she observed: "Doyou still give your mind to such things? attend to them you may; butmust you carry about you a placard (to make it public)? Though unclemayn't see it, were others to notice it, they would treat it as astrange occurrence and a novel bit of news, and go and tell him to curryfavour, and when it has reached uncle's ear, we shall all again not comeout clean, and provoke him to anger. "

Pao-yü did not in the least heed what she said, being intent uponsmelling a subtle scent which, in point of fact, emanated from Tai-yü'ssleeve, and when inhaled inebriated the soul and paralysed the bones. With a snatch, Pao-yü laid hold of Tai-yü's sleeve meaning to see whatobject was concealed in it; but Tai-yü smilingly expostulated: "At sucha time as this, " she said, "who keeps scents about one?"

"Well, in that case, " Pao-yü rejoined with a smirking face, "where doesthis scent come from?"

"I myself don't know, " Tai-yü replied; "I presume it must be, there's nosaying, some scent in the press which has impregnated the clothes. "

"It doesn't follow, " Pao-yü added, as he shook his head; "the fumes ofthis smell are very peculiar, and don't resemble the perfume ofscent-bottles, scent-balls, or scented satchets!"

"Is it likely that I have, like others, Buddhistic disciples, " Tai-yüasked laughing ironically, "or worthies to give me novel kinds ofscents? But supposing there is about me some peculiar scent, I haven't, at all events, any older or younger brothers to get the flowers, buds, dew, and snow, and concoct any for me; all I have are those commonscents, that's all. "

"Whenever I utter any single remark, " Pao-yü urged with a grin, "you atonce bring up all these insinuations; but unless I deal with youseverely, you'll never know what stuff I'm made of; but from henceforthI'll no more show you any grace!"

As he spoke, he turned himself over, and raising himself, he puffed acouple of breaths into both his hands, and hastily stretching them out, he tickled Tai-yü promiscuously under her armpits, and along both sides. Tai-yü had never been able to stand tickling, so that when Pao-yü putout his two hands and tickled her violently, she forthwith giggled tosuch an extent that she could scarcely gasp for breath. "If you still goon teasing me, " she shouted, "I'll get angry with you!"

Pao-yü then kept his hands off, and as he laughed, "Tell me, " he asked, "will you again come out with all those words or not?"

"I daren't do it again, " Tai-yü smiled and adjusted her hair; addingwith another laugh: "I may have peculiar scents, but have you any 'warm'scents?"

Pao-yü at this question, could not for a time unfold its meaning: "What'warm' scent?" he therefore asked. 

Tai-yü nodded her head and smiled deridingly. "How stupid! what a fool!"she sighed; "you have jade, and another person has gold to match withyou, and if some one has 'cold' scent, haven't you any 'warm' scent as aset-off?"

Pao-yü at this stage alone understood the import of her remark. 

"A short while back you craved for mercy, " Pao-yü observed smilingly, "and here you are now going on talking worse than ever;" and as he spokehe again put out his hands. 

"Dear cousin, " Tai-yü speedily implored with a smirk, "I won't ventureto do it again. "

"As for letting you off, " Pao-yü remarked laughing, "I'll readily letyou off, but do allow me to take your sleeve and smell it!" and whileuttering these words, he hastily pulled the sleeve, and pressing itagainst his face, kept on smelling it incessantly, whereupon Tai-yü drewher hand away and urged: "You must be going now!"

"Though you may wish me to go, I can't, " Pao-yü smiled, "so let us nowlie down with all propriety and have a chat, " laying himself down again, as he spoke, while Tai-yü likewise reclined, and covered her face withher handkerchief. Pao-yü in a rambling way gave vent to a lot ofnonsense, which Tai-yü did not heed, and Pao-yü went on to inquire: "Howold she was when she came to the capital? what sights and antiquitiesshe saw on the journey? what relics and curiosities there were at YangChou? what were the local customs and the habits of the people?"

Tai-yü made no reply; and Pao-yü fearing lest she should go to sleep, and get ill, readily set to work to beguile her to keep awake. "Ai yah!"he exclaimed, "at Yang Chou, where your official residence is, hasoccurred a remarkable affair; have you heard about it?"

Tai-yü perceiving that he spoke in earnest, that his words were correctand his face serious, imagined that what he referred to was a truestory, and she therefore inquired what it was?

Pao-yü upon hearing her ask this question, forthwith suppressed a laugh, and, with a glib tongue, he began to spin a yarn. "At Yang Chou, " hesaid, "there's a hill called the Tai hill; and on this hill stands acave called the Lin Tzu. "

"This must all be lies, " Tai-yü answered sneeringly, "as I've neverbefore heard of such a hill. "

"Under the heavens many are the hills and rivers, " Pao-yü rejoined, "andhow could you know them all? Wait until I've done speaking, when youwill be free to express your opinion!"

"Go on then, " Tai-yü suggested, whereupon Pao-yü prosecuted hisraillery. "In this Lin Tzu cave, " he said, "there was once upon a time awhole swarm of rat-elves. In some year or other and on the seventh dayof the twelfth moon, an old rat ascended the throne to discuss matters. 'Tomorrow, ' he argued, 'is the eighth of the twelfth moon, and men inthe world will all be cooking the congee of the eighth of the twelfthmoon. We have now in our cave a short supply of fruits of all kinds, andit would be well that we should seize this opportunity to steal a fewand bring them over. ' Drawing a mandatory arrow, he handed it to asmall rat, full of aptitude, to go forward on a tour of inspection. Theyoung rat on his return reported that he had already concluded hissearch and inquiries in every place and corner, and that in the templeat the bottom of the hill alone was the largest stock of fruits andrice. 'How many kinds of rice are there?' the old rat ascertained, 'andhow many species of fruits?' 'Rice and beans, ' the young rat rejoined, 'how many barns-full there are, I can't remember; but in the way offruits there are five kinds: 1st, red dates; 2nd, chestnuts; 3rd, groundnuts; 4th, water caltrops, and 5th, scented taros. ' At this report theold rat was so much elated that he promptly detailed rats to go forth;and as he drew the mandatory arrow, and inquired who would go and stealthe rice, a rat readily received the order and went off to rob the rice. Drawing another mandatory arrow, he asked who would go and abstract thebeans, when once more a rat took over the arrow and started to steal thebeans; and one by one subsequently received each an arrow and started onhis errand. There only remained the scented taros, so that picking againa mandatory arrow, he ascertained who would go and carry away the taros:whereupon a very puny and very delicate rat was heard to assent. 'Iwould like, ' he said, 'to go and steal the scented taros. ' The old ratand all the swarm of rats, upon noticing his state, feared that he wouldnot be sufficiently expert, and apprehending at the same time that hewas too weakly and too devoid of energy, they one and all would notallow him to proceed. 'Though I be young in years and though my frame bedelicate, ' the wee rat expostulated, 'my devices are unlimited, my talkis glib and my designs deep and farseeing; and I feel convinced that, onthis errand, I shall be more ingenious in pilfering than any of them. ''How could you be more ingenious than they?' the whole company of ratsasked. 'I won't, ' explained the young rat, 'follow their example, and gostraight to work and steal, but by simply shaking my body, andtransforming myself, I shall metamorphose myself into a taro, and rollmyself among the heap of taros, so that people will not be able todetect me, and to hear me; whereupon I shall stealthily, by means of themagic art of dividing my body into many, begin the removal, and littleby little transfer the whole lot away, and will not this be far moreingenious than any direct pilfering or forcible abstraction?' After thewhole swarm of rats had listened to what he had to say, they, with onevoice, exclaimed: 'Excellent it is indeed, but what is this art ofmetamorphosis we wonder? Go forth you may, but first transform yourselfand let us see you. ' At these words the young rat laughed. 'This isn't ahard task!' he observed, 'wait till I transform myself. '

"Having done speaking, he shook his body and shouted out 'transform, 'when he was converted into a young girl, most beauteous and with a mostlovely face. 

"'You've transformed yourself into the wrong thing, ' all the ratspromptly added deridingly; 'you said that you were to become a fruit, and how is it that you've turned into a young lady?'

"The young rat in its original form rejoined with a sneering smile: 'Youall lack, I maintain, experience of the world; what you simply are awareof is that this fruit is the scented taro, but have no idea that theyoung daughter of Mr. Lin, of the salt tax, is, in real truth, a genuinescented taro. '"

Tai-yü having listened to this story, turned herself round and raisingherself, she observed laughing, while she pushed Pao-yü: "I'll take thatmouth of yours and pull it to pieces! Now I see that you've beenimposing upon me. "

With these words on her lips, she readily gave him a pinch, and Pao-yühastened to plead for mercy. "My dear cousin, " he said, "spare me; Iwon't presume to do it again; and it's when I came to perceive thisperfume of yours, that I suddenly bethought myself of this old story. "

"You freely indulge in abusing people, " Tai-yü added with a smile, "andthen go on to say that it's an old story. "

But hardly had she concluded this remark before they caught sight ofPao-ch'ai walk in. "Who has been telling old stories?" she asked with abeaming face; "do let me also hear them. "

Tai-yü pressed her at once into a seat. "Just see for yourself who elsebesides is here!" she smiled; "he goes in for profuse abuses and thenmaintains that it's an old story!"

"Is it indeed cousin Pao-yü?" Pao-ch'ai remarked. "Well, one can't feelsurprised at his doing it; for many have ever been the stories stored upin his brain. The only pity is that when he should make use of oldstories, he invariably forgets them! To-day, he can easily enough recallthem to mind, but in the stanza of the other night on the banana leaves, when he should have remembered them, he couldn't after all recollectwhat really stared him in the face! and while every one else seemed socool, he was in such a flurry that he actually perspired! And yet, atthis moment, he happens once again to have a memory!"

At these words, Tai-yü laughed. "O-mi-to-fu!" she exclaimed. "You areindeed my very good cousin! But you've also (to Pao-yü) come across yourmatch. And this makes it clear that requital and retribution never failor err. "

She had just reached this part of her sentence, when in Pao-yü's roomswas heard a continuous sound of wrangling; but as what transpired is notyet known, the ensuing chapter will explain. 

CHAPTER XX. 

 Wang Hsi-feng with earnest words upbraids Mrs. Chao's jealous notions. Lin Tai-yü uses specious language to make sport of Shih Hsiang-yün's querulous tone of voice. 

But to continue. Pao-yü was in Tai yü's apartments relating about therat-elves, when Pao-ch'ai entered unannounced, and began to gibe Pao-yü, with trenchant irony: how that on the fifteenth of the first moon, hehad shown ignorance of the allusion to the green wax; and the three ofthem then indulged in that room in mutual poignant satire, for the sakeof fun. Pao-yü had been giving way to solicitude lest Tai-yü should, bybeing bent upon napping soon after her meal, be shortly getting anindigestion, or lest sleep should, at night, be completely dispelled, asneither of these things were conducive to the preservation of goodhealth, when luckily Pao-ch'ai walked in, and they chatted and laughedtogether; and when Lin Tai-yü at length lost all inclination to dose, hehimself then felt composed in his mind. But suddenly they heardclamouring begin in his room, and after they had all lent an ear andlistened, Lin Tai-yü was the first to smile and make a remark. "It'syour nurse having a row with Hsi Jen!" she said. "Hsi Jen treats herwell enough, but that nurse of yours would also like to keep her wellunder her thumb; she's indeed an old dotard;" and Pao-yü was anxious togo over at once, but Pao-ch'ai laid hold of him and kept him back, suggesting: "It's as well that you shouldn't wrangle with your nurse, for she's quite stupid from old age; and it's but fair, on the contrary, that you should bear with her a little. "

"I know all about that!" Pao-yü rejoined. But having concluded thisremark, he walked into his room, where he discovered nurse Li, leaningon her staff, standing in the centre of the floor, abusing Hsi Jen, saying: "You young wench! how utterly unmindful you are of your origin!It's I who've raised you up, and yet, when I came just now, you put onhigh airs and mighty side, and remained reclining on the stove-couch!You saw me well enough, but you paid not the least heed to me! Yourwhole heart is set upon acting like a wily enchantress to befool Pao-yü;and you so impose upon Pao-yü that he doesn't notice me, but merelylends an ear to what you people have to say! You're no more than a lowgirl bought for a few taels and brought in here; and will it ever dothat you should be up to your mischievous tricks in this room? Butwhether you like it or not, I'll drag you out from this, and give you tosome mean fellow, and we'll see whether you will still behave like avery imp, and cajole people or not?"

Hsi Jen was, at first, under the simple impression that the nurse waswrath for no other reason than because she remained lying down, and shefelt constrained to explain that "she was unwell, that she had justsucceeded in perspiring, and that having had her head covered, shehadn't really perceived the old lady;" but when she came subsequently tohear her mention that she imposed upon Pao-yü, and also go so far as toadd that she would be given to some mean fellow, she unavoidablyexperienced both a sense of shame and injury, and found it impossible torestrain herself from beginning to cry. 

Pao-yü had, it is true, caught all that had been said, but unable withany propriety to take notice of it, he thought it his duty to explainmatters for her. "She's ill, " he observed, "and is taking medicines; andif you don't believe it, " he went on, "well then ask the rest of theservant-girls. "

Nurse Li at these words flew into a more violent dudgeon. "Your soledelight is to screen that lot of sly foxes!" she remarked, "and do youpay any notice to me? No, none at all! and whom would you like me to goand ask; who's it that doesn't back you? and who hasn't been dismountedfrom her horse by Hsi Jen? I know all about it; but I'll go with you andexplain all these matters to our old mistress and my lady; for I'venursed you till I've brought you to this age, and now that you don'tfeed on milk, you thrust me on one side, and avail yourself of theservant-girls, in your wish to browbeat me. "

As she uttered this remark, she too gave way to tears, but by this time, Tai-yü and Pao-ch'ai had also come over, and they set to work toreassure her. "You, old lady, " they urged, "should bear with them alittle, and everything will be right!" And when nurse Li saw these twoarrive, she hastened to lay bare her grievances to them; and taking upthe question of the dismissal in days gone by, of Hsi Hsüeh, for havingdrunk some tea, of the cream eaten on the previous day, and othersimilar matters, she spun a long, interminable yarn. 

By a strange coincidence lady Feng was at this moment in the upperrooms, where she had been making up the account of losses and winnings, and upon hearing at the back a continuous sound of shouting andbustling, she readily concluded that nurse Li's old complaint wasbreaking forth, and that she was finding fault with Pao-yü's servants. But she had, as luck would have it, lost money in gambling on thisoccasion, so that she was ready to visit her resentment upon others. With hurried step, she forthwith came over, and laying hold of nurse Li, "Nurse, " she said smiling, "don't lose your temper, on a great festivallike this, and after our venerable lady has just gone through a day inexcellent spirits! You're an old dame, and should, when others get up arow, still do what is right and keep them in proper order; and aren'tyou, instead of that, aware what good manners imply, that you will startvociferating in this place, and make our dowager lady full ofdispleasure? Tell me who's not good, and I'll beat her for you; but bequick and come along with me over to my quarters, where a pheasant whichthey have roasted is scalding hot, and let us go and have a glass ofwine!" And as she spoke, she dragged her along and went on her way. "Feng Erh, " she also called, "hold the staff for your old lady Li, andthe handkerchief to wipe her tears with!" While nurse Li walked alongwith lady Feng, her feet scarcely touched the ground, as she kept onsaying: "I don't really attach any value to this decrepid existence ofmine! and I had rather disregard good manners, have a row and lose face, as it's better, it seems to me, than to put up with the temper of thatwench!"

Behind followed Pao-ch'ai and Tai-yü, and at the sight of the way inwhich lady Feng dealt with her, they both clapped their hands, andexclaimed, laughing, "What piece of luck that this gust of wind hascome, and dragged away this old matron!" while Pao-yü nodded his head toand fro and soliloquised with a sigh: "One can neither know whenceoriginates this score; for she will choose the weak one to maltreat; norcan one see what girl has given her offence that she has come to be putin her black books!"

Scarcely had he ended this remark, before Ch'ing Wen, who stood by, putin her word. "Who's gone mad again?" she interposed, "and what goodwould come by hurting her feelings? But did even any one happen to hurther, she would have pluck enough to bear the brunt, and wouldn't act soimproperly as to involve others!"

Hsi Jen wept, and as she, did so, she drew Pao-yü towards her: "Allthrough my having aggrieved an old nurse, " she urged, "you've now againgiven umbrage, entirely on my account, to this crowd of people; andisn't this still enough for me to bear but must you also go and drag inthird parties?"

When Pao-yü realised that to this sickness of hers, had also beensuperadded all these annoyances, he promptly stifled his resentment, suppressed his voice and consoled her so far as to induce her to liedown again to perspire. And when he further noticed how scalding likesoup and burning like fire she was, he himself watched by her, andreclining by her side, he tried to cheer her, saying: "All you must dois to take good care of your ailment; and don't give your mind to thosetrifling matters, and get angry. "

"Were I, " Hsi Jen smiled sardonically, "to lose my temper over suchconcerns, would I be able to stand one moment longer in this room? Theonly thing is that if she goes on, day after day, doing nothing elsethan clamour in this manner, how can she let people get along? But yourashly go and hurt people's feelings for our sakes; but they'll bear itin mind, and when they find an opportunity, they'll come out with what'seasy enough to say, but what's not pleasant to hear, and how will we allfeel then?"

While her mouth gave utterance to these words, she could not stop hertears from running; but fearful, on the other hand, lest Pao-yü shouldbe annoyed, she felt compelled to again strain every nerve to repressthem. But in a short while, the old matrons employed for all sorts ofduties, brought in some mixture of two drugs; and, as Pao-yü noticedthat she was just on the point of perspiring, he did not allow her toget up, but readily taking it up to her, she immediately swallowed it, with her head still on her pillow; whereupon he gave speedy directionsto the young servant-maids to lay her stove-couch in order. 

"Whether you mean to have anything to eat or not, " Hsi Jen advised, "youshould after all sit for a time with our old mistress and our lady, andhave a romp with the young ladies; after which you can come back again;while I, by quietly keeping lying down, will also feel the better. "

When Pao-yü heard this suggestion, he had no help but to accede, and, after she had divested herself of her hair-pins and earrings, and he sawher lie down, he betook himself into the drawing-rooms, where he had hisrepast with old lady Chia. But the meal over, her ladyship felt stilldisposed to play at cards with the nurses, who had looked after thehousehold for many years; and Pao-yü, bethinking himself of Hsi Jen, hastened to return to his apartments; where seeing that Hsi Jen wasdrowsily falling asleep, he himself would have wished to go to bed, butthe hour was yet early. And as about this time Ch'ing Wen, I Hsia, Ch'inWen, Pi Hen had all, in their desire of getting some excitement, startedin search of Yüan Yang, Hu Po and their companions, to have a romp withthem, and he espied She Yüeh alone in the outer room, having a game ofdominoes by lamp-light, Pao-yü inquired full of smiles: "How is it youdon't go with them?"

"I've no money, " She Yüeh replied. 

"Under the bed, " continued Pao-yü, "is heaped up all that money, andisn't it enough yet for you to lose from?"

"Had we all gone to play, " She Yüeh added, "to whom would the charge ofthis apartment have been handed over? That other one is sick again, andthe whole room is above, one mass of lamps, and below, full of fire; andall those old matrons, ancient as the heavens, should, after all theirexertions in waiting upon you from morning to night, be also allowedsome rest; while the young servant girls, on the other hand, havelikewise been on duty the whole day long, and shouldn't they even atthis hour be left to go and have some distraction? and that's why I amin here on watch. "

When Pao-yü heard these words, which demonstrated distinctly that shewas another Hsi Jen, he consequently put on a smile and remarked: "I'llsit in here, so you had better set your mind at ease and go!"

"Since you remain in here, there's less need for me to go, " resumed SheYüeh, "for we two can chat and play and laugh; and won't that be nice?"

"What can we two do? it will be awfully dull! but never mind, " Pao-yürejoined; "this morning you said that your head itched, and now that youhave nothing to do, I may as well comb it for you. "

"Yes! do so!" readily assented She Yüeh, upon catching what hesuggested; and while still speaking, she brought over the dressing-casecontaining a set of small drawers and looking-glass, and taking off herornaments, she dishevelled her hair; whereupon Pao-yü picked up the finecomb and passed it repeatedly through her hair; but he had only combedit three or five times, when he perceived Ch'ing Wen hurriedly walk into fetch some money. As soon as she caught sight of them both: "Youhaven't as yet drunk from the marriage cup, " she said with a smile fullof irony, "and have you already put up your hair?"

"Now that you've come, let me also comb yours for you, " Pao-yücontinued. 

"I'm not blessed with such excessive good fortune!" Ch'ing Wen retorted, and as she uttered these words, she took the money, and forthwithdashing the portiere after her, she quitted the room. 

Pao-yü stood at the back of She Yüeh, and She Yüeh sat opposite theglass, so that the two of them faced each other in it, and Pao-yüreadily observed as he gazed in the glass, "In the whole number of roomsshe's the only one who has a glib tongue!"

She Yüeh at these words hastily waved her hand towards the inside of theglass, and Pao-yü understood the hint; and suddenly a sound of "hu" washeard from the portiere, and Ch'ing Wen ran in once again. 

"How have I got a glib tongue?" she inquired; "it would be well for usto explain ourselves. "

"Go after your business, and have done, " She Yüeh interposed laughingly;"what's the use of your coming and asking questions of people?"

"Will you also screen him?" Ch'ing Wen smiled significantly; "I know allabout your secret doings, but wait until I've got back my capital, andwe'll then talk matters over!"

With this remark still on her lips, she straightway quitted the room, and during this while, Pao-yü having finished combing her hair, askedShe Yüeh to quietly wait upon him, while he went to sleep, as he wouldnot like to disturb Hsi Jen. 

Of the whole night there is nothing to record. But the next day, when hegot up at early dawn, Hsi Jen had already perspired, during the night, so that she felt considerably lighter and better; but limiting her dietto a little rice soup, she remained quiet and nursed herself, and Pao-yüwas so relieved in mind that he came, after his meal, over on this sideto his aunt Hsüeh's on a saunter. The season was the course of the firstmoon, and the school was shut up for the new year holidays; while in theinner chambers the girls had put by their needlework, and were allhaving a time of leisure, and hence it was that when Chia Huan too cameover in search of distraction, he discovered Pao-ch'ai, Hsiang Ling, Ying Erh, the three of them, in the act of recreating themselves byplaying at chess. Chia Huan, at the sight of them, also wished to joinin their games; and Pao-ch'ai, who had always looked upon him with, infact, the same eye as she did Pao-yü, and with no different sentiment ofany kind, pressed him to come up, upon hearing that he was on thisoccasion desirous to play; and, when he had seated himself together withthem, they began to gamble, staking each time a pile of ten cash. Thefirst time, he was the winner, and he felt supremely elated at heart, but as it happened that he subsequently lost in several consecutivegames he soon became a prey to considerable distress. But in due coursecame the game in which it was his turn to cast the dice, and, if inthrowing, he got seven spots, he stood to win, but he was likewise boundto be a winner were he to turn up six; and when Ying Erh had turned upthree spots and lost, he consequently took up the dice, and dashing themwith spite, one of them settled at five; and, as the other reeled wildlyabout, Ying Erh clapped her hands, and kept on shouting, "one spot;"while Chia Huan at once gazed with fixed eye and cried at random: "It'ssix, it's seven, it's eight!" But the dice, as it happened, turned up atone spot, and Chia Huan was so exasperated that putting out his hand, hespeedily made a snatch at the dice, and eventually was about to lay holdof the money, arguing that it was six spot. But Ying Erh expostulated, "It was distinctly an ace, " she said. And as Pao-ch'ai noticed howdistressed Chia Huan was, she forthwith cast a glance at Ying Erh andobserved: "The older you get, the less manners you have! Is it likelythat gentlemen will cheat you? and don't you yet put down the money?"

Ying Erh felt her whole heart much aggrieved, but as she heard Pao-ch'aimake these remarks, she did not presume to utter a sound, and as she wasunder the necessity of laying down the cash, she muttered to herself:"This one calls himself a gentleman, and yet cheats us of these fewcash, for which I myself even have no eye! The other day when I playedwith Mr. Pao-yü, he lost ever so many, and yet he did not distresshimself! and what remained of the cash were besides snatched away by afew servant-girls, but all he did was to smile, that's all!"

Pao-ch'ai did not allow her time to complete what she had to say, butthere and then called her to account and made her desist; whereupon ChiaHuan exclaimed: "How can I compare with Pao-yü; you all fear him, andkeep on good terms with him, while you all look down upon me for notbeing the child of my lady. " And as he uttered these words, he at oncegave way to tears. 

"My dear cousin, " Pao-ch'ai hastened to advise him, "leave off at oncelanguage of this kind, for people will laugh at you;" and then went onto scold Ying Erh, when Pao-yü just happened to come in. Perceiving himin this plight, "What is the matter?" he asked; but Chia Huan had notthe courage to say anything. 

Pao-ch'ai was well aware of the custom, which prevailed in their family, that younger brothers lived in respect of the elder brothers, but shewas not however cognisant of the fact that Pao-yü would not that any oneshould entertain any fear of him. His idea being that elder as well asyounger brothers had, all alike, father and mother to admonish them, andthat there was no need for any of that officiousness, which, instead ofdoing good gave, on the contrary, rise to estrangement. "Besides, " (hereasoned, ) "I'm the offspring of the primary wife, while he's the son ofthe secondary wife, and, if by treating him as leniently as I have done, there are still those to talk about me, behind my back, how could Iexercise any control over him?" But besides these, there were otherstill more foolish notions, which he fostered in his mind; but whatfoolish notions they were can you, reader, guess? As a result of hisgrowing up, from his early youth, among a crowd of girls, of whom, inthe way of sister, there was Yüan Ch'un, of cousins, from his paternaluncle's side, there were Ying Ch'un, and Hsi Ch'un, and of relativesalso there were Shih Hsiang-yün, Lin Tai-yü, Hsüeh Pao-ch'ai and therest, he, in due course, resolved in his mind that the divine andunsullied virtue of Heaven and earth was only implanted in womankind, and that men were no more than feculent dregs and foul dirt. And forthis reason it was that men were without discrimination, considered byhim as so many filthy objects, which might or might not exist; while therelationships of father, paternal uncles, and brothers, he did nothowever presume to disregard, as these were among the injunctionsbequeathed by the holy man, and he felt bound to listen to a few oftheir precepts. But to the above causes must be assigned the fact that, among his brothers, he did no more than accomplish the general purportof the principle of human affections; bearing in mind no thoughtwhatever that he himself was a human being of the male sex, and that itwas his duty to be an example to his younger brothers. And this is whyChia Huan and the others entertained no respect for him, though in theirveneration for dowager lady Chia, they yielded to him to a certaindegree. 

Pao-ch'ai harboured fears lest, on this occasion, Pao-yü should call himto book, and put him out of face, and she there and then lost no time intaking Chia Huan's part with a view to screening him. 

"In this felicitous first moon what are you blubbering for?" Pao-yüinquired, "if this place isn't nice, why then go somewhere else to play. But from reading books, day after day, you've studied so much thatyou've become quite a dunce. If this thing, for instance, isn't good, that must, of course, be good, so then discard this and take up that, but is it likely that by sticking to this thing and crying for a whilethat it will become good? You came originally with the idea of reapingsome fun, and you've instead provoked yourself to displeasure, and isn'tit better then that you should be off at once. "

Chia Huan upon hearing these words could not but come back to hisquarters; and Mrs. Chao noticing the frame of mind in which he was feltconstrained to inquire: "Where is it that you've been looked down uponby being made to fill up a hole, and being trodden under foot?"

"I was playing with cousin Pao-ch'ai, " Chia Huan readily replied, "whenYing Erh insulted me, and deprived me of my money, and brother Pao-yüdrove me away. "

"Ts'ui!" exclaimed Mrs. Chao, "who bade you (presume so high) as to getup into that lofty tray? You low and barefaced thing! What place isthere that you can't go to and play; and who told you to run over thereand bring upon yourself all this shame?"

As she spoke, lady Feng was, by a strange coincidence, passing outsideunder the window; so that every word reached her ear, and she speedilyasked from outside the window: "What are you up to in this happy firstmoon? These brothers are, really, but mere children, and will you justfor a slight mistake, go on preaching to him! what's the use of comingout with all you've said? Let him go wherever he pleases; for there arestill our lady and Mr. Chia Cheng to keep him in order. But you go andsputter him with your gigantic mouth; he's at present a master, and ifthere be anything wrong about him, there are, after all, those to ratehim; and what business is that of yours? Brother Huan, come out withyou, and follow me and let us go and enjoy ourselves. "

Chia Huan had ever been in greater fear and trembling of lady Feng, thanof madame Wang, so that when her summons reached his ear, he hurriedlywent out, while Mrs. Chao, on the other hand, did not venture to breathea single word. 

"You too, " resumed lady Feng, addressing Chia Huan; "are a thing devoidof all natural spirit! I've often told you that if you want to eat, drink, play, or laugh, you were quite free to go and play with whateverfemale cousin, male cousin, or sister-in-law you choose to disportyourself with; but you won't listen to my words. On the contrary, youlet all these persons teach you to be depraved in your heart, perversein your mind, to be sly, artful, and domineering; and you've, besides, no respect for your own self, but will go with that low-bred lot! andyour perverse purpose is to begrudge people's preferences! But whatyou've lost are simply a few cash, and do you behave in this manner? Howmuch did you lose?" she proceeded to ask Chia Huan; and Chia Huan, uponhearing this question, felt constrained to obey, by saying something inthe way of a reply. "I've lost, " he explained, "some hundred or twohundred cash. "

"You have, " rejoined lady Feng, "the good fortune of being a gentleman, and do you make such a fuss for the loss of a hundred or two hundredcash!" and turning her head round, "Feng Erh, " she added, "go and fetcha thousand cash; and as the girls are all playing at the back, take himalong to go and play. And if again by and by, you're so mean anddeceitful, I shall, first of all, beat you, and then tell some one toreport it at school, and won't your skin be flayed for you? All becauseof this want of respect of yours, your elder cousin is so angry with youthat his teeth itch; and were it not that I prevent him, he would hityou with his foot in the stomach and kick all your intestines out! Getaway, " she then cried; whereupon Chia Huan obediently followed Feng Erh, and taking the money he went all by himself to play with Ying Ch'un andthe rest; where we shall leave him without another word. 

But to return to Pao-yü. He was just amusing himself and laughing withPao-ch'ai, when at an unexpected moment, he heard some one announce thatMiss Shih had come. At these words, Pao-yü rose, and was at once goingoff when "Wait, " shouted Pao-ch'ai with a smile, "and we'll go overtogether and see her. "

Saying this, she descended from the stove-couch, and came, in companywith Pao-yü, to dowager lady Chia's on this side, where they saw ShihHsiang-yün laughing aloud, and talking immoderately; and upon catchingsight of them both, she promptly inquired after their healths, andexchanged salutations. 

Lin Tai-yü just happened to be standing by, and having set the questionto Pao-yü "Where do you come from?" "I come from cousin Pao-ch'ai'srooms, " Pao-yü readily replied. 

Tai-yü gave a sardonic smile. "What I maintain is this, " she rejoined, "that lucky enough for you, you were detained over there; otherwise, youwould long ago have, at once, come flying in here!"

"Am I only free to play with you?" Pao-yü inquired, "and to dispel yourennui! I simply went over to her place for a run, and that quitecasually, and will you insinuate all these things?"

"Your words are quite devoid of sense, " Tai-yü added; "whether you go ornot what's that to me? neither did I tell you to give me anydistraction; you're quite at liberty from this time forth not to pay anynotice to me!"

Saying this, she flew into a high dudgeon and rushed back into her room;but Pao-yü promptly followed in her footsteps: "Here you are again in ahuff, " he urged, "and all for no reason! Had I even passed any remarkthat I shouldn't, you should anyhow have still sat in there, and chattedand laughed with the others for a while; instead of that, you come againto sit and mope all alone!"

"Are you my keeper?" Tai-yü expostulated. 

"I couldn't, of course, " Pao-yü smiled, "presume to exercise anyinfluence over you; but the only thing is that you are doing your ownhealth harm!"

"If I do ruin my health, " Tai-yü rejoined, "and I die, it's my ownlookout! what's that to do with you?"

"What's the good, " protested Pao-yü, "of talking in this happy firstmoon of dying and of living?"

"I _will_ say die, " insisted Tai-yü, "die now, at this very moment!but you're afraid of death; and you may live a long life of a hundredyears, but what good will that be!"

"If all we do is to go on nagging in this way, " Pao-yü remarked smiling, "will I any more be afraid to die? on the contrary, it would be betterto die, and be free!"

"Quite so!" continued Tai-yü with alacrity, "if we go on nagging in thisway, it would be better for me to die, and that you should be free ofme!"

"I speak of my own self dying, " Pao-yü added, "so don't misunderstand mywords and accuse people wrongly. "

While he was as yet speaking, Pao-ch'ai entered the room: "Cousin Shihis waiting for you;" she said; and with these words, she hastily pushedPao-yü on, and they walked away. 

Tai-yü, meanwhile, became more and more a prey to resentment; anddisconsolate as she felt, she shed tears in front of the window. But nottime enough had transpired to allow two cups of tea to be drunk, beforePao-yü came back again. At the sight of him, Tai-yü sobbed still morefervently and incessantly, and Pao-yü realising the state she was in, and knowing well enough how arduous a task it would be to bring herround, began to join together a hundred, yea a thousand kinds of softphrases and tender words to console her. But at an unforeseen moment, and before he could himself open his mouth, he heard Tai-yü anticipatehim. 

"What have you come back again for?" she asked. "Let me die or live, asI please, and have done! You've really got at present some one to playwith you, one who, compared with me, is able to read and able tocompose, able to write, to speak, as well as to joke, one too who forfear lest you should have ruffled your temper dragged you away: and whatdo you return here for now?"

Pao-yü, after listening to all she had to say, hastened to come up toher. "Is it likely, " he observed in a low tone of voice, "that anintelligent person like you isn't so much as aware that near relativescan't be separated by a distant relative, and a remote friend set asidean old friend! I'm stupid, there's no gainsaying, but I do anyhowunderstand what these two sentiments imply. You and I are, in the firstplace, cousins on my father's sister's side; while sister Pao-ch'ai andI are two cousins on mother's sides, so that, according to the degreesof relationship, she's more distant than yourself. In the second place, you came here first, and we two have our meals at one table and sleep inone bed, having ever since our youth grown up together; while she hasonly recently come, and how could I ever distance you on her account?"

"Ts'ui!" Tai-yü exclaimed. "Will I forsooth ever make you distance her!who and what kind of person have I become to do such a thing? What (Isaid) was prompted by my own motives. "

"I too, " Pao-yü urged, "made those remarks prompted by my own heart'smotives, and do you mean to say that your heart can only read thefeelings of your own heart, and has no idea whatsoever of my own?"

Tai-yü at these words, lowered her head and said not a word. But after along interval, "You only know, " she continued, "how to feel bitteragainst people for their action in censuring you: but you don't, afterall, know that you yourself provoke people to such a degree, that it'shard for them to put up with it! Take for instance the weather of to-dayas an example. It's distinctly very cold, to-day, and yet, how is itthat you are so contrary as to go and divest yourself of the pelissewith the bluish breast-fur overlapping the cloth?"

"Why say I didn't wear it?" Pao-yü smilingly observed. "I did, butseeing you get angry I felt suddenly in such a terrible blaze, that I atonce took it off!"

Tai-yü heaved a sigh. "You'll by and by catch a cold, " she remarked, "and then you'll again have to starve, and vociferate for something toeat!"

While these two were having this colloquy, Hsiang-yün was seen to walkin! "You two, Ai cousin and cousin Lin, " she ventured jokingly, "aretogether playing every day, and though I've managed to come after everso much trouble, you pay no heed to me at all!"

"It's invariably the rule, " Tai-yü retorted smilingly, "that those whohave a defect in their speech will insist upon talking; she can't evencome out correctly with 'Erh' (secundus) cousin, and keeps on callinghim 'Ai' cousin, 'Ai' cousin! And by and by when you play 'Wei Ch'i'you're sure also to shout out yao, ai, (instead of erh), san; (one, two, three). "

Pao-yü laughed. "If you imitate her, " he interposed, "and get into thathabit, you'll also begin to bite your tongue when you talk. "

"She won't make even the slightest allowance for any one, " Hsiang-yünrejoined; "her sole idea being to pick out others' faults. You mayreadily be superior to any mortal being, but you shouldn't, after all, offend against what's right and make fun of every person you comeacross! But I'll point out some one, and if you venture to jeer her, I'll at once submit to you. "

"Who is it?" Tai-yü vehemently inquired. 

"If you do have the courage, " Hsiang-yün answered, "to pick out cousinPao-ch'ai's faults, you then may well be held to be first-rate!"

Tai-yü after hearing these words, gave a sarcastic smile. "I waswondering, " she observed, "who it was. Is it indeed she? How could Iever presume to pick out hers?"

Pao-yü allowed her no time to finish, but hastened to say something tointerrupt the conversation. 

"I couldn't, of course, during the whole of this my lifetime, "Hsiang-yün laughed, "attain your standard! but my earnest wish is thatby and by should be found for you, cousin Lin, a husband, who bites histongue when he speaks, so that you should every minute and second listento 'ai-ya-os!' O-mi-to-fu, won't then your reward be manifest to myeyes!"

As she made this remark, they all burst out laughing heartily, andHsiang-yün speedily turned herself round and ran away. 

But reader, do you want to know the sequel? Well, then listen to theexplanation given in the next chapter. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

 The eminent Hsi Jen, with winsome ways, rails at Pao-yü, with a view to exhortation. The beauteous P'ing Erh, with soft words, screens Chia Lien. 

But to resume our story. When Shih Hsiang-yün ran out of the room, shewas all in a flutter lest Lin Tai-yü should catch her up; but Pao-yü, who came after her, readily shouted out, "You'll trip and fall. How evercould she come up to you?"

Lin Tai-yü went in pursuit of her as far as the entrance, when she wasimpeded from making further progress by Pao-yü, who stretched his armsout against the posts of the door. 

"Were I to spare Yün Erh, I couldn't live!" Lin Tai-yü exclaimed, as shetugged at his arms. But Hsiang-yün, perceiving that Pao-yü obstructedthe door, and surmising that Tai-yü could not come out, speedily stoodstill. "My dear cousin, " she smilingly pleaded, "do let me off thistime!"

But it just happened that Pao-ch'ai, who was coming along, was at theback of Hsiang-yün, and with a face also beaming with smiles: "I adviseyou both, " she said, "to leave off out of respect for cousin Pao-yü, andhave done. "

"I don't agree to that, " Tai-yü rejoined; "are you people, pray, all ofone mind to do nothing but make fun of me?"

"Who ventures to make fun of you?" Pao-yü observed advisingly; "andhadn't you made sport of her, would she have presumed to have saidanything about you?"

While this quartet were finding it an arduous task to understand oneanother, a servant came to invite them to have their repast, and theyeventually crossed over to the front side, and as it was already timefor the lamps to be lit, madame Wang, widow Li Wan, lady Feng, YingCh'un, T'an Ch'un, Hsi Ch'un and the other cousins, adjourned in a bodyto dowager lady Chia's apartments on this side, where the whole companyspent a while in a chat on irrelevant topics, after which they eachreturned to their rooms and retired to bed. Hsiang-yün, as of old, betook herself to Tai-yü's quarters to rest, and Pao-yü escorted themboth into their apartment, and it was after the hour had already pastthe second watch, and Hsi Jen had come and pressed him several times, that he at length returned to his own bedroom and went to sleep. Thenext morning, as soon as it was daylight, he threw his clothes over him, put on his low shoes and came over into Tai-yü's room, where he howeversaw nothing of the two girls Tzu Chüan and Ts'ui Lu, as there was no oneelse here in there besides his two cousins, still reclining under thecoverlets. Tai-yü was closely wrapped in a quilt of almond-red silk, andlying quietly, with closed eyes fast asleep; while Shih Hsiang-yün, withher handful of shiny hair draggling along the edge of the pillow, wascovered only up to the chest, and outside the coverlet rested her curvedsnow-white arm, with the gold bracelets, which she had on. 

At the sight of her, Pao-yü heaved a sigh. "Even when asleep, " hesoliloquised, "she can't be quiet! but by and by, when the wind willhave blown on her, she'll again shout that her shoulder is sore!" Withthese words, he gently covered her, but Lin Tai-yü had already awoke outof her sleep, and becoming aware that there was some one about, shepromptly concluded that it must, for a certainty, be Pao-yü, and turningherself accordingly round, and discovering at a glance that the truthwas not beyond her conjectures, she observed: "What have you run over todo at this early hour?" to which question Pao-yü replied: "Do you callthis early? but get up and see for yourself!"

"First quit the room, " Tai-yü suggested, "and let us get up!"

Pao-yü thereupon made his exit into the ante-chamber, and Tai-yü jumpedout of bed, and awoke Hsiang-yün. When both of them had put on theirclothes, Pao-yü re-entered and took a seat by the side of the toilettable; whence he beheld Tzu-chüan and Hsüeh Yen walk in and wait uponthem, as they dressed their hair and performed their ablutions. Hsiang-yün had done washing her face, and Ts'üi Lü at once took theremaining water and was about to throw it away, when Pao-yü interposed, saying: "Wait, I'll avail myself of this opportunity to wash too andfinish with it, and thus save myself the trouble of having again to goover!" Speaking the while, he hastily came forward, and bending hiswaist, he washed his face twice with two handfuls of water, and when TzuChüan went over to give him the scented soap, Pao-yü added: "In thisbasin, there's a good deal of it, and there's no need of rubbing anymore!" He then washed his face with two more handfuls, and forthwithasked for a towel, and Ts'üi Lü exclaimed: "What! have you still gotthis failing? when will you turn a new leaf?" But Pao-yü paid not somuch as any heed to her, and there and then called for some salt, withwhich he rubbed his teeth, and rinsed his mouth. When he had done, heperceived that Hsiang-yün had already finished combing her hair, andspeedily coming up to her, he put on a smile, and said: "My dear cousin, comb my hair for me!"

"This can't be done!" Hsiang-yün objected. 

"My dear cousin, " Pao-yü continued smirkingly, "how is it that youcombed it for me in former times?"

"I've forgotten now how to comb it!" Hsiang-yün replied. 

"I'm not, after all, going out of doors, " Pao-yü observed, "nor will Iwear a hat or frontlet, so that all that need be done is to plait a fewqueues, that's all!" Saying this, he went on to appeal to her in athousand and one endearing terms, so that Hsiang-yün had no alternative, but to draw his head nearer to her and to comb one queue after another, and as when he stayed at home he wore no hat, nor had, in fact, anytufted horns, she merely took the short surrounding hair from all foursides, and twisting it into small tufts, she collected it together overthe hair on the crown of the head, and plaited a large queue, binding itfast with red ribbon; while from the root of the hair to the end of thequeue, were four pearls in a row, below which, in the way of a tip, wassuspended a golden pendant. 

"Of these pearls there are only three, " Hsiang-yün remarked as she wenton plaiting; "this isn't one like them; I remember these were all of onekind, and how is it that there's one short?"

"I've lost one, " Pao-yü rejoined. 

"It must have dropped, " Hsiang-yün added, "when you went out of doors, and been picked up by some one when you were off your guard; and he'snow, instead of you, the richer for it. "

"One can neither tell whether it has been really lost, " Tai-yü, whostood by, interposed, smiling the while sarcastically; "nor could onesay whether it hasn't been given away to some one to be mounted in sometrinket or other and worn!"

Pao-yü made no reply; but set to work, seeing that the two sides of thedressing table were all full of toilet boxes and other such articles, taking up those that came under his hand and examining them. Graspingunawares a box of cosmetic, which was within his reach, he would haveliked to have brought it to his lips, but he feared again lestHsiang-yün should chide him. While he was hesitating whether to do so ornot, Hsiang-yün, from behind, stretched forth her arm and gave him asmack, which sent the cosmetic flying from his hand, as she cried out:"You good-for-nothing! when will you mend those weaknesses of yours!"But hardly had she had time to complete this remark, when she caughtsight of Hsi Jen walk in, who upon perceiving this state of things, became aware that he was already combed and washed, and she feltconstrained to go back and attend to her own coiffure and ablutions. Butsuddenly, she saw Pao-ch'ai come in and inquire: "Where's cousin Pao-yügone?"

"Do you mean to say, " Hsi Jen insinuated with a sardonic smile, "thatyour cousin Pao-yü has leisure to stay at home?"

When Pao-ch'ai heard these words, she inwardly comprehended her meaning, and when she further heard Hsi Jen remark with a sigh: "Cousins may wellbe on intimate terms, but they should also observe some sort ofpropriety; and they shouldn't night and day romp together; and no matterhow people may tender advice it's all like so much wind blowing past theears. " Pao-ch'ai began, at these remarks, to cogitate within her mind:"May I not, possibly, have been mistaken in my estimation of this girl;for to listen to her words, she would really seem to have a certainamount of _savoir faire_!"

Pao-ch'ai thereupon took a seat on the stove-couch, and quietly, in thecourse of their conversation on one thing and another, she managed toascertain her age, her native village and other such particulars, andthen setting her mind diligently to put, on the sly, her conversationand mental capacity to the test, she discovered how deeply worthy shewas to be respected and loved. But in a while Pao-yü arrived, andPao-ch'ai at once quitted the apartment. 

"How is it, " Pao-yü at once inquired, "that cousin Pao-ch'ai waschatting along with you so lustily, and that as soon as she saw meenter, she promptly ran away?"

Hsi Jen did not make any reply to his first question, and it was onlywhen he had repeated it that Hsi Jen remarked: "Do you ask me? How can Iknow what goes on between you two?"

When Pao-yü heard these words, and he noticed that the look on her facewas so unlike that of former days, he lost no time in putting on a smileand asking: "Why is it that you too are angry in real earnest?"

"How could I presume to get angry!" Hsi Jen rejoined smilingindifferently; "but you mustn't, from this day forth, put your foot intothis room! and as you have anyhow people to wait on you, you shouldn'tcome again to make use of my services, for I mean to go and attend toour old mistress, as in days of old. "

With this remark still on her lips, she lay herself down on thestove-couch and closed her eyes. When Pao-yü perceived the state of mindshe was in, he felt deeply surprised and could not refrain from comingforward and trying to cheer her up. But Hsi Jen kept her eyes closed andpaid no heed to him, so that Pao-yü was quite at a loss how to act. Butespying She Yüeh enter the room, he said with alacrity: "What's up withyour sister?"

"Do I know?" answered She Yüeh, "examine your own self and you'llreadily know!"

After these words had been heard by Pao-yü, he gazed vacantly for sometime, feeling the while very unhappy; but raising himself impetuously:"Well!" he exclaimed, "if you don't notice me, all right, I too will goto sleep, " and as he spoke he got up, and, descending from the couch, hebetook himself to his own bed and went to sleep. Hsi Jen noticing thathe had not budged for ever so long, and that he faintly snored, presumedthat he must have fallen fast asleep, so she speedily rose to her feet, and, taking a wrapper, came over and covered him. But a sound of "hu"reached her ear, as Pao-yü promptly threw it off and once again closedhis eyes and feigned sleep. Hsi Jen distinctly grasped his idea and, forthwith nodding her head, she smiled coldly. "You really needn't loseyour temper! but from this time forth, I'll become mute, and not say oneword to you; and what if I do?"

Pao-yü could not restrain himself from rising. "What have I been up toagain, " he asked, "that you're once more at me with your advice? As faras your advice goes, it's all well and good; but just now without oneword of counsel, you paid no heed to me when I came in, but, flying intoa huff, you went to sleep. Nor could I make out what it was all about, and now here you are again maintaining that I'm angry. But when did Ihear you, pray, give me a word of advice of any kind?"

"Doesn't your mind yet see for itself?" Hsi Jen replied; "and do youstill expect me to tell you?"

While they were disputing, dowager lady Chia sent a servant to call himto his repast, and he thereupon crossed over to the front; but after hehad hurriedly swallowed a few bowls of rice, he returned to his ownapartment, where he discovered Hsi Jen reclining on the outerstove-couch, while She Yüeh was playing with the dominoes by her side. Pao-yü had been ever aware of the intimacy which existed between SheYüeh and Hsi Jen, so that paying not the slightest notice to even SheYüeh, he raised the soft portiere and straightway walked all alone intothe inner apartment. She Yüeh felt constrained to follow him in, butPao-yü at once pushed her out, saying: "I don't venture to disturb youtwo;" so that She Yüeh had no alternative but to leave the room with asmiling countenance, and to bid two young waiting-maids go in. Pao-yütook hold of a book and read for a considerable time in a recliningposition; but upon raising his head to ask for some tea, he caught sightof a couple of waiting-maids, standing below; the one of whom, slightlyolder than the other, was exceedingly winsome. 

"What's your name?" Pao-yü eagerly inquired. 

"I'm called Hui Hsiang, (orchid fragrance), " that waiting-maid rejoinedsimperingly. 

"Who gave you this name?" Pao-yü went on to ask. 

"I went originally under the name of Yün Hsiang (Gum Sandarac), " addedHui Hsiang, "but Miss Hua it was who changed it. "

"You should really be called Hui Ch'i, (latent fragrance), that would beproper; and why such stuff as Hui Hsiang, (orchid fragrance)?"

"How many sisters have you got?" he further went on to ask of her. 

"Four, " replied Hui Hsiang. 

"Which of them are you?" Pao-yü asked. 

"The fourth, " answered Hui Hsiang. 

"By and by you must be called Ssu Erh, (fourth child), " Pao-yüsuggested, "for there's no need for any such nonsense as Hui Hsiang(orchid fragrance) or Lan Ch'i (epidendrum perfume. ) Which single girldeserves to be compared to all these flowers, without profaning prettynames and fine surnames!"

As he uttered these words, he bade her give him some tea, which hedrank; while Hsi Jen and She Yüeh, who were in the outer apartment, hadbeen listening for a long time and laughing with compressed lips. 

Pao-yü did not, on this day, so much as put his foot outside the door ofhis room, but sat all alone sad and dejected, simply taking up hisbooks, in order to dispel his melancholy fit, or diverting himself withhis writing materials; while he did not even avail himself of theservices of any of the family servants, but simply bade Ssu Erh answerhis calls. 

This Ssu Erh was, who would have thought it, a girl gifted withmatchless artfulness, and perceiving that Pao-yü had requisitioned herservices, she speedily began to devise extreme ways and means toinveigle him. When evening came, and dinner was over, Pao-yü's eyes werescorching hot and his ears burning from the effects of two cups of winethat he had taken. Had it been in past days, he would have now had HsiJen and her companions with him, and with all their good cheer andlaughter, he would have been enjoying himself. But here was he, on thisoccasion, dull and forlorn, a solitary being, gazing at the lamp with anabsolute lack of pleasure. By and by he felt a certain wish to go afterthem, but dreading that if they carried their point, they would, in thefuture, come and tender advice still more immoderate, and that, were heto put on the airs of a superior to intimidate them, he would appear tobe too deeply devoid of all feeling, he therefore, needless to say, thwarted the wish of his heart, and treated them just as if they weredead. And as anyway he was constrained also to live, alone though hewas, he readily looked upon them, for the time being as departed, anddid not worry his mind in the least on their account. On the contrary, he was able to feel happy and contented with his own society. Hence itwas that bidding Ssu Erh trim the candles and brew the tea, he himselfperused for a time the "Nan Hua Ching, " and upon reaching the precept:"On thieves, " given on some additional pages, the burden of which was:"Therefore by exterminating intuitive wisdom, and by discardingknowledge, highway robbers will cease to exist, and by taking off thejade and by putting away the pearls, pilferers will not spring toexistence; by burning the slips and by breaking up the seals, bysmashing the measures, and snapping the scales, the result will be thatthe people will not wrangle; by abrogating, to the utmost degree, wiserules under the heavens, the people will, at length, be able to takepart in deliberation. By putting to confusion the musical scale, anddestroying fifes and lutes, by deafening the ears of the blind Kuang, then, at last, will the human race in the world constrain his sense ofhearing. By extinguishing literary compositions, by dispersing the fivecolours and by sticking the eyes of Li Chu, then, at length, mankindunder the whole sky, will restrain the perception of his eyes. Bydestroying and eliminating the hooks and lines, by discarding thecompasses and squares, and by amputating Kung Chui's fingers, the humanrace will ultimately succeed in constraining his ingenuity, "--his highspirits, on perusal of this passage, were so exultant that takingadvantage of the exuberance caused by the wine, he picked up his pen, for he could not repress himself, and continued the text in this wise:"By burning the flower, (Hua-Hsi Jen) and dispersing the musk, (SheYüeh), the consequence will be that the inmates of the inner chamberswill, eventually, keep advice to themselves. By obliterating Pao-ch'ai'ssupernatural beauty, by reducing to ashes Tai-yü's spiritual perception, and by destroying and extinguishing my affectionate preferences, thebeautiful in the inner chambers as well as the plain will then, atlength, be put on the same footing. And as they will keep advice tothemselves, there will be no fear of any disagreement. By obliteratingher supernatural beauty, I shall then have no incentive for any violentaffection; by dissolving her spiritual perception, I will have nofeelings with which to foster the memory of her talents. The hair-pin, jade, flower and musk (Pao-ch'ai, Tai-yü, Hsi Jen and She Yüeh) do eachand all spread out their snares and dig mines, and thus succeed ininveigling and entrapping every one in the world. "

At the conclusion of this annex, he flung the pen away, and lay himselfdown to sleep. His head had barely reached the pillow before he at oncefell fast asleep, remaining the whole night long perfectly unconsciousof everything straight up to the break of day, when upon waking andturning himself round, he, at a glance, caught sight of no one else thanHsi Jen, sleeping in her clothes over the coverlet. 

Pao-yü had already banished from his mind every thought of what hadtranspired the previous day, so that forthwith giving Hsi Jen a push:"Get up!" he said, "and be careful where you sleep, as you may catchcold. "

The fact is that Hsi Jen was aware that he was, without regard to day ornight, ever up to mischief with his female cousins; but presuming thatif she earnestly called him to account, he would not mend his ways, shehad, for this reason, had recourse to tender language to exhort him, inthe hope that, in a short while, he would come round again to his betterself. But against all her expectations Pao-yü had, after the lapse of awhole day and night, not changed the least in his manner, and as shereally was in her heart quite at a loss what to do, she failed to findthroughout the whole night any proper sleep. But when on this day, sheunexpectedly perceived Pao-yü in this mood, she flattered herself thathe had made up his mind to effect a change, and readily thought it bestnot to notice him. Pao-yü, seeing that she made no reply, forthwithstretched out his hand and undid her jacket; but he had just unclaspedthe button, when his arm was pushed away by Hsi Jen, who again made itfast herself. 

Pao-yü was so much at his wit's ends that he had no alternative but totake her hand and smilingly ask: "What's the matter with you, after all, that I've had to ask you something time after time?"

Hsi Jen opened her eyes wide. "There's nothing really the matter withme!" she observed; "but as you're awake, you surely had better be goingover into the opposite room to comb your hair and wash; for if youdilly-dally any longer, you won't be in time. "

"Where shall I go over to?" Pao-yü inquired. 

Hsi Jen gave a sarcastic grin. "Do you ask me?" she rejoined; "do Iknow? you're at perfect liberty to go over wherever you like; from thisday forth you and I must part company so as to avoid fighting like cocksor brawling like geese, to the amusement of third parties. Indeed, whenyou get surfeited on that side, you come over to this, where there are, after all, such girls as Fours and Fives (Ssu Erh and Wu Erh) to danceattendance upon you. But such kind of things as ourselves uselesslydefile fine names and fine surnames. "

"Do you still remember this to-day!" Pao-yü asked with a smirk. 

"Hundred years hence I shall still bear it in mind, " Hsi Jen protested;"I'm not like you, who treat my words as so much wind blowing by theside of your ears, that what I've said at night, you've forgotten earlyin the morning. "

Pao-yü perceiving what a seductive though angry air pervaded her facefound it difficult to repress his feelings, and speedily taking up, fromthe side of the pillow, a hair-pin made of jade, he dashed it downbreaking it into two exclaiming: "If I again don't listen to your words, may I fare like this hair-pin. "

Hsi Jen immediately picked up the hair-pin, as she remarked: "What's upwith you at this early hour of the morning? Whether you listen or not isof no consequence; and is it worth while that you should behave as youdo?"

"How can you know, " Pao-yü answered, "the anguish in my heart!"

"Do you also know what anguish means?" Hsi Jen observed laughing; "ifyou do, then you can judge what the state of my heart is! But be quickand get up, and wash your face and be off!"

As she spoke, they both got out of bed and performed their toilette; butafter Pao-yü had gone to the drawing rooms, and at a moment leastexpected by any one, Tai-yü walked into his apartment. Noticing thatPao-yü was not in, she was fumbling with the books on the table andexamining them, when, as luck would have it, she turned up the ChuangTzu of the previous day. Upon perusing the passage tagged on by Pao-yü, she could not help feeling both incensed and amused. Nor could sherestrain herself from taking up the pen and appending a stanza to thiseffect:

 Who is that man, who of his pen, without good rhyme, made use, A toilsome task to do into the Chuang-tzu text to steal, Who for the knowledge he doth lack no sense of shame doth feel, But language vile and foul employs third parties to abuse?

At the conclusion of what she had to write, she too came into thedrawing room; but after paying her respects to dowager lady Chia, shewalked over to madame Wang's quarters. 

Contrary to everybody's expectations, lady Feng's daughter, Ta ChiehErh, had fallen ill, and a great fuss was just going on as the doctorhad been sent for to diagnose her ailment. 

"My congratulations to you, ladies, " the doctor explained; "this younglady has fever, as she has small-pox; indeed it's no other complaint!"

As soon as madame Wang and lady Feng heard the tidings, they lost notime in sending round to ascertain whether she was getting on all rightor not, and the doctor replied: "The symptoms are, it is true, serious, but favourable; but though after all importing no danger, it's necessaryto get ready the silkworms and pigs' tails. "

When lady Feng received this report, she, there and then, hastened tomake the necessary preparations, and while she had the rooms swept andoblations offered to the goddess of small-pox, she, at the same time, transmitted orders to her household to avoid viands fried or roasted infat, or other such heating things; and also bade P'ing Erh get ready thebedding and clothes for Chia Lien in a separate room, and taking piecesof deep red cotton material, she distributed them to the nurses, waiting-maids and all the servants, who were in close attendance, to cutout clothes for themselves. And having had likewise some apartmentsoutside swept clean, she detained two doctors to alternately deliberateon the treatment, feel the pulse and administer the medicines; and fortwelve days, they were not at liberty to return to their homes; whileChia Lien had no help but to move his quarters temporarily into theouter library, and lady Feng and P'ing Erh remained both in dailyattendance upon madame Wang in her devotions to the goddess. 

Chia Lien, now that he was separated from lady Feng, soon felt disposedto look round for a flame. He had only slept alone for a couple ofnights, but these nights had been so intensely intolerable that he hadno option than to choose, for the time being, from among the youngpages, those who were of handsome appearance, and bring them over torelieve his monotony. In the Jung Kuo mansion, there was, it happened, acook, a most useless, good-for-nothing drunkard, whose name was To Kuan, in whom people recognised an infirm and a useless husband so that theyall dubbed him with the name of To Hun Ch'ung, the stupid worm To. Asthe wife given to him in marriage by his father and mother was this yearjust twenty, and possessed further several traits of beauty, and wasalso naturally of a flighty and frivolous disposition, she had anextreme penchant for violent flirtations. But To Hun-ch'ung, on theother hand, did not concern himself (with her deportment), and as longas he had wine, meat and money he paid no heed whatever to anything. Andfor this reason it was that all the men in the two mansions of Ning andJung had been successful in their attentions; and as this woman wasexceptionally fascinating and incomparably giddy, she was generallyknown by all by the name To Ku Ning (Miss To). 

Chia Lien, now that he had his quarters outside, chafed under the pangsof irksome ennui, yet he too, in days gone by, had set his eyes uponthis woman, and had for long, watered in the mouth with admiration; butas, inside, he feared his winsome wife, and outside, he dreaded hisbeloved lads, he had not made any advances. But this To Ku Niang hadlikewise a liking for Chia Lien, and was full of resentment at theabsence of a favourable opportunity; but she had recently come to hearthat Chia Lien had shifted his quarters into the outer library, and herwont was, even in the absence of any legitimate purpose, to go overthree and four times to entice him on; but though Chia Lien was, inevery respect, like a rat smitten with hunger, he could not dispensewith holding consultation with the young friends who enjoyed hisconfidence; and as he struck a bargain with them for a large amount ofmoney and silks, how could they ever not have come to terms (with him tospeak on his behalf)? Besides, they were all old friends of this woman, so that, as soon as they conveyed the proposal, she willingly acceptedit. When night came To Hun Ch'ung was lying on the couch in a state ofdrunkenness, and at the second watch, when every one was quiet, ChiaLien at once slipped in, and they had their assignation. As soon as hegazed upon her face, he lost control over his senses, and without evenone word of ordinary greeting or commonplace remark, they forthwith, fervently indulged in a most endearing tête-à-tête. 

This woman possessed, who could have thought it, a strange naturalcharm; for, as soon as any one of her lovers came within any closedistance of her, he speedily could not but notice that her very tendonsand bones mollified, paralysed-like from feeling, so that his was thesensation of basking in a soft bower of love. What is more, herdemonstrative ways and free-and-easy talk put even those of a borncoquette to shame, with the result that while Chia Lien, at this time, longed to become heart and soul one with her, the woman designedlyindulged in immodest innuendoes. 

"Your daughter is at home, " she insinuated in her recumbent position, "ill with the small-pox, and prayers are being offered to the goddess;and your duty too should be to abstain from love affairs for a couple ofdays, but on the contrary, by flirting with me, you've contaminatedyourself! but, you'd better be off at once from me here!"

"You're my goddess!" gaspingly protested Chia Lien, as he gave way todemonstrativeness; "what do I care about any other goddess!"

The woman began to be still more indelicate in her manner, so that ChiaLien could not refrain himself from making a full exhibition of his warmsentiments. When their tête-à-tête had come to a close, they both wenton again to vow by the mountains and swear by the seas, and though theyfound it difficult to part company and hard to tear themselves away, they, in due course, became, after this occasion, mutual sworn friends. But by a certain day the virus in Ta Chieh's system had becomeexhausted, and the spots subsided, and at the expiry of twelve days thegoddess was removed, and the whole household offered sacrifices toheaven, worshipped the ancestors, paid their vows, burnt incense, exchanged congratulations, and distributed presents. And theseformalities observed, Chia Lien once more moved back into his ownbedroom and was reunited with lady Feng. The proverb is indeed truewhich says: "That a new marriage is not equal to a long separation, " forthere ensued between them demonstrations of loving affection still morenumerous than heretofore, to which we need not, of course, refer withany minuteness. 

The next day, at an early hour, after lady Feng had gone into the upperrooms, P'ing Erh set to work to put in order the clothes and bedding, which had been brought from outside, when, contrary to her expectation, a tress of hair fell out from inside the pillow-case, as she was intentupon shaking it. P'ing Erh understood its import, and taking at once thehair, she concealed it in her sleeve, and there and then came over intothe room on this side, where she produced the hair, and smirkingly askedChia Lien, "What's this?"

Chia Lien, at the sight of it, lost no time in making a snatch with theidea of depriving her of it; and when P'ing Erh speedily endeavoured torun away, she was clutched by Chia Lien, who put her down on thestove-couch, and came up to take it from her hand. 

"You heartless fellow!" P'ing Erh laughingly exclaimed, "I conceal this, with every good purpose, from her knowledge, and come to ask you aboutit, and you, on the contrary, fly into a rage! But wait till she comesback, and I'll tell her, and we'll see what will happen. "

At these words, Chia Lien hastily forced a smile. "Dear girl!" heentreated, "give it to me, and I won't venture again to fly into apassion. "

But hardly was this remark finished, when they heard the voice of ladyFeng penetrate into the room. As soon as it reached the ear of ChiaLien, he was at a loss whether it was better to let her go or to snatchit away, and kept on shouting, "My dear girl! don't let her know. "

P'ing Erh at once rose to her feet; but lady Feng had already enteredthe room; and she went on to bid P'ing Erh be quick and open a box andfind a pattern for madame Wang. P'ing Erh expressed her obedience withalacrity; but while in search of it, lady Feng caught sight of ChiaLien; and suddenly remembering something, she hastened to ask P'ing Erhabout it. 

"The other day, " she observed, "some things were taken out, and have youbrought them all in or not?"

"I have!" P'ing Erh assented. 

"Is there anything short or not?" lady Feng inquired. 

"I've carefully looked at them, " P'ing Erh added, "and haven't foundeven one single thing short. "

"Is there anything in excess?" lady Feng went on to ascertain. 

P'ing Erh laughed. "It's enough, " she rejoined, "that there's nothingshort; and how could there really turn out to be anything over andabove?"

"That this half month, " lady Feng continued still smiling, "things havegone on immaculately it would be hard to vouch; for some intimate friendthere may have been, who possibly has left something behind, in theshape of a ring, handkerchief or other such object, there's no sayingfor certain!"

While these words were being spoken, Chia Lien's face turned perfectlysallow, and, as he stood behind lady Feng, he was intent upon gazing atP'ing Erh, making signs to her (that he was going) to cut her throat asa chicken is killed, (threatening her not to utter a sound) andentreating her to screen him; but P'ing Erh pretended not to notice him, and consequently observed smiling: "How is it that my ideas shouldcoincide with those of yours, my lady; and as I suspected that there mayhave been something of the kind, I carefully searched all over, but Ididn't find even so much as the slightest thing wrong; and if you don'tbelieve me, my lady, you can search for your own self. "

"You fool!" lady Feng laughed, "had he any things of the sort, would hebe likely to let you and I discover them!"

With these words still on her lips, she took the patterns and went herway; whereupon P'ing Erh pointed at her nose, and shook her head to andfro. "In this matter, " she smiled, "how much you should be grateful tome!" A remark which so delighted Chia Lien that his eyebrows distended, and his eyes smiled, and running over, he clasped her in his embrace, and called her promiscuously: "My darling, my pet, my own treasure!"

"This, " observed P'ing Erh, with the tress in her hand, "will be mysource of power, during all my lifetime! if you treat me kindly, thenwell and good! but if you behave unkindly, then we'll at once producethis thing!"

"Do put it away, please, " Chia Lien entreated smirkingly, "and don't, onan any account, let her know about it!" and as he uttered these words, he noticed that she was off her guard, and, with a snatch, readilygrabbed it adding laughingly: "In your hands, it would be a source ofwoe, so that it's better that I should burn it, and have done with it!"Saying this he simultaneously shoved it down the sides of his boot, while P'ing Erh shouted as she set her teeth close: "You wicked man! youcross the river and then demolish the bridge! but do you imagine thatI'll by and by again tell lies on your behalf!"

Chia Lien perceiving how heart-stirring her seductive charms were, forthwith clasped her in his arms, and begged her to be his; but P'ingErh snatched her hands out of his grasp and ran away out of the room;which so exasperated Chia Lien that as he bent his body, he exclaimed, full of indignation: "What a dreadful niggardly young wench! sheactually sets her mind to stir up people's affections with her wantonblandishments, and then, after all, she runs away!"

"If I be wanton, it's my own look-out;" P'ing Erh answered, from outsidethe window, with a grin, "and who told you to arouse your affections? Doyou forsooth mean to imply that my wish is to become your tool? And didshe come to know about it would she again ever forgive me?"

"You needn't dread her!" Chia Lien urged; "wait till my monkey is up, and I'll take this jealous woman, and beat her to atoms; and she'll thenknow what stuff I'm made of. She watches me just as she would watch athief! and she's only to hobnob with men, and I'm not to say a word toany girl! and if I do say aught to a girl, or get anywhere near one, shemust at once give way to suspicion. But with no regard to youngerbrothers or nephews, to young and old, she prattles and giggles withthem, and doesn't entertain any fear that I may be jealous; buthenceforward I too won't allow her to set eyes upon any man. "

"If she be jealous, there's every reason, " P'ing Erh answered, "but foryou to be jealous on her account isn't right. Her conduct is reallystraightforward, and her deportment upright, but your conduct isactuated by an evil heart, so much so that even I don't feel my heart atease, not to say anything of her. "

"You two, " continued Chia Lien, "have a mouth full of malicious breath!Everything the couple of you do is invariably proper, while whatever Ido is all from an evil heart! But some time or other I shall bring youboth to your end with my own hands!"

This sentence was scarcely at an end, when lady Feng walked into thecourt. "If you're bent upon chatting, " she urgently inquired, uponseeing P'ing Erh outside the window, "why don't you go into the room?and what do you mean, instead, by running out, and speaking with thewindow between?"

Chia Lien from inside took up the string of the conversation. "Youshould ask her, " he said. "It would verily seem as if there were a tigerin the room to eat her up. "

"There's not a single person in the room, " P'ing Erh rejoined, "and whatshall I stay and do with him?"

"It's just the proper thing that there should be no one else! Isn't it?"lady Feng remarked grinning sarcastically. 

"Do these words allude to me?" P'ing Erh hastily asked, as soon as shehad heard what she said. 

Lady Feng forthwith laughed. "If they don't allude to you, " shecontinued, "to whom do they?"

"Don't press me to come out with some nice things!" P'ing Erhinsinuated, and, as she spoke, she did not even raise the portiere (forlady Feng to enter), but straightway betook herself to the oppositeside. 

Lady Feng lifted the portiere with her own hands, and walked into theroom. "That girl P'ing Erh, " she exclaimed, "has gone mad, and if thishussey does in real earnest wish to try and get the upper hand of me, itwould be well for you to mind your skin. "

Chia Lien listened to her, as he kept reclining on the couch. "I neverin the least knew, " he ventured, clapping his hands and laughing, "thatP'ing Erh was so dreadful; and I must, after all, from henceforth lookup to her with respect!"

"It's all through your humouring her, " lady Feng rejoined; "so I'llsimply settle scores with you and finish with it. "

"Ts'ui!" ejaculated Chia Lien at these words, "because you two can'tagree, must you again make a scapegoat of me! Well then, I'll get out ofthe way of both of you!"

"I'll see where you'll go and hide, " lady Feng observed. 

"I've got somewhere to go!" Chia Lien added; and with these words, hewas about to go, when lady Feng urged: "Don't be off! I have somethingto tell you. "

What it is, is not yet known, but, reader, listen to the account givenin the next chapter. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

 Upon hearing the text of the stanza, Pao-yü comprehends the Buddhistic spells. While the enigmas for the lanterns are being devised, Chia Cheng is grieved by a prognostic. 

Chia Lien, for we must now prosecute our story, upon hearing lady Fengobserve that she had something to consult about with him, feltconstrained to halt and to inquire what it was about. 

"On the 21st, " lady Feng explained, "is cousin Hsüeh's birthday, andwhat do you, after all, purpose doing?"

"Do I know what to do?" exclaimed Chia Lien; "you have made, time andagain, arrangements for ever so many birthdays of grown-up people, anddo you, really, find yourself on this occasion without any resources?"

"Birthdays of grown-up people are subject to prescribed rules, " ladyFeng expostulated; "but her present birthday is neither one of an adultnor that of an infant, and that's why I would like to deliberate withyou!"

Chia Lien upon hearing this remark, lowered his head and gave himself toprotracted reflection. "You're indeed grown dull!" he cried; "why you'vea precedent ready at hand to suit your case! Cousin Lin's birthdayaffords a precedent, and what you did in former years for cousin Lin, you can in this instance likewise do for cousin Hsüeh, and it will beall right. "

At these words lady Feng gave a sarcastic smile. "Do you, pray, mean toinsinuate, " she added, "that I'm not aware of even this! I too hadpreviously come, after some thought, to this conclusion; but old ladyChia explained, in my hearing yesterday, that having made inquiriesabout all their ages and their birthdays, she learnt that cousin Hsüehwould this year be fifteen, and that though this was not the birthday, which made her of age, she could anyhow well be regarded as being on thedawn of the year, in which she would gather up her hair, so that ourdowager lady enjoined that her anniversary should, as a matter ofcourse, be celebrated, unlike that of cousin Lin. "

"Well, in that case, " Chia Lien suggested, "you had better make a fewadditions to what was done for cousin Lin!"

"That's what I too am thinking of, " lady Feng replied, "and that's whyI'm asking your views; for were I, on my own hook, to add anything youwould again feel hurt for my not have explained things to you. "

"That will do, that will do!" Chia Lien rejoined laughing, "none ofthese sham attentions for me! So long as you don't pry into my doings itwill be enough; and will I go so far as to bear you a grudge?"

With these words still in his mouth, he forthwith went off. But leavinghim alone we shall now return to Shih Hsiang-yün. After a stay of acouple of days, her intention was to go back, but dowager lady Chiasaid: "Wait until after you have seen the theatrical performance, whenyou can return home. "

At this proposal, Shih Hsiang-yün felt constrained to remain, but she, at the same time, despatched a servant to her home to fetch two piecesof needlework, which she had in former days worked with her own hands, for a birthday present for Pao-ch'ai. 

Contrary to all expectations old lady Chia had, since the arrival ofPao-ch'ai, taken quite a fancy to her, for her sedateness and goodnature, and as this happened to be the first birthday which she wasabout to celebrate (in the family) she herself readily contributedtwenty taels which, after sending for lady Feng, she handed over to her, to make arrangements for a banquet and performance. 

"A venerable senior like yourself, " lady Feng thereupon smiled andventured, with a view to enhancing her good cheer, "is at liberty tocelebrate the birthday of a child in any way agreeable to you, withoutany one presuming to raise any objection; but what's the use again ofgiving a banquet? But since it be your good pleasure and your purpose tohave it celebrated with éclat, you could, needless to say, your own selfhave spent several taels from the private funds in that old treasury ofyours! But you now produce those twenty taels, spoiled by damp andmould, to play the hostess with, with the view indeed of compelling usto supply what's wanted! But hadn't you really been able to contributeany more, no one would have a word to say; but the gold and silver, round as well as flat, have with their heavy weight pressed down thebottom of the box! and your sole object is to harass us and to extortfrom us. But raise your eyes and look about you; who isn't yourvenerable ladyship's son and daughter? and is it likely, pray, that inthe future there will only be cousin Pao-yü to carry you, our old lady, on his head, up the Wu T'ai Shan? You may keep all these things for himalone! but though we mayn't at present, deserve that anything should bespent upon us, you shouldn't go so far as to place us in anyperplexities (by compelling us to subscribe). And is this now enough forwines, and enough for the theatricals?"

As she bandied these words, every one in the whole room burst outlaughing, and even dowager lady Chia broke out in laughter while sheobserved: "Do you listen to that mouth? I myself am looked upon ashaving the gift of the gab, but why is it that I can't talk in such awise as to put down this monkey? Your mother-in-law herself doesn't dareto be so overbearing in her speech; and here you are jabber, jabber withme!"

"My mother-in-law, " explained lady Feng, "is also as fond of Pao-yü asyou are, so much so that I haven't anywhere I could go and give vent tomy grievances; and instead of (showing me some regard) you say that I'moverbearing in my speech!"

With these words, she again enticed dowager lady Chia to laugh for awhile. The old lady continued in the highest of spirits, and, whenevening came, and they all appeared in her presence to pay theirobeisance, her ladyship made it a point, while the whole company ofladies and young ladies were engaged in chatting, to ascertain ofPao-ch'ai what play she liked to hear, and what things she fancied toeat. 

Pao-ch'ai was well aware that dowager lady Chia, well up in years thoughshe was, delighted in sensational performances, and was partial to sweetand tender viands, so that she readily deferred, in every respect, tothose things, which were to the taste of her ladyship, and enumerated awhole number of them, which made the old lady become the more exuberant. And the next day, she was the first to send over clothes, nicknacks andsuch presents, while madame Wang and lady Feng, Tai-yü and the othergirls, as well as the whole number of inmates had all presents for her, regulated by their degree of relationship, to which we need not alludein detail. 

When the 21st arrived, a stage of an ordinary kind, small but yet handy, was improvised in dowager lady Chia's inner court, and a troupe of youngactors, who had newly made their début, was retained for the nonce, among whom were both those who could sing tunes, slow as well as fast. In the drawing rooms of the old lady were then laid out several tablesfor a family banquet and entertainment, at which there was not a singleoutside guest; and with the exception of Mrs. Hsüeh, Shih Hsiang-yün, and Pao-ch'ai, who were visitors, the rest were all inmates of herhousehold. 

On this day, Pao-yü failed, at any early hour, to see anything of LinTai-yü, and coming at once to her rooms in search of her, he discoveredher reclining on the stove-couch. "Get up, " Pao-yü pressed her with asmile, "and come and have breakfast, for the plays will commenceshortly; but whichever plays you would like to listen to, do tell me sothat I may be able to choose them. "

Tai-yü smiled sarcastically. "In that case, " she rejoined, "you hadbetter specially engage a troupe and select those I like sung for mybenefit; for on this occasion you can't be so impertinent as to make useof their expense to ask me what I like!"

"What's there impossible about this?" Pao-yü answered smiling; "well, to-morrow I'll readily do as you wish, and ask them too to make use ofwhat is yours and mine. "

As he passed this remark, he pulled her up, and taking her hand in hisown, they walked out of the room and came and had breakfast. When thetime arrived to make a selection of the plays, dowager lady Chia of herown motion first asked Pao-ch'ai to mark off those she liked; and thoughfor a time Pao-ch'ai declined, yielding the choice to others, she had noalternative but to decide, fixing upon a play called, "the Record of theWestern Tour, " a play of which the old lady was herself very fond. Nextin order, she bade lady Feng choose, and lady Feng, had, after all, inspite of madame Wang ranking before her in precedence, to consider oldlady Chia's request, and not to presume to show obstinacy by anydisobedience. But as she knew well enough that her ladyship had apenchant for what was exciting, and that she was still more partial tojests, jokes, epigrams, and buffoonery, she therefore hastened toprecede (madame Wang) and to choose a play, which was in fact no otherthan "Liu Erh pawns his clothes. "

Dowager lady Chia was, of course, still more elated. And after this shespeedily went on to ask Tai-yü to choose. Tai-yü likewise concedinglyyielded her turn in favour of madame Wang and the other seniors, to maketheir selections before her, but the old lady expostulated. "To-day, "she said, "is primarily an occasion, on which I've brought all of youhere for your special recreation; and we had better look after our ownselves and not heed them! For have I, do you imagine, gone to thetrouble of having a performance and laying a feast for their specialbenefit? they're already reaping benefit enough by being in here, listening to the plays and partaking of the banquet, when they have noright to either; and are they to be pressed further to make a choice ofplays?"

At these words, the whole company had a hearty laugh; after which, Tai-yü, at length, marked off a play; next in order following Pao-yü, Shih Hsiang-yün, Ying-ch'un, T'an Ch'un, Hsi Ch'un, widow Li Wan, andthe rest, each and all of whom made a choice of plays, which were sungin the costumes necessary for each. When the time came to take theirplaces at the banquet, dowager lady Chia bade Pao-ch'ai make anotherselection, and Pao-ch'ai cast her choice upon the play: "Lu Chih-shen, in a fit of drunkenness stirs up a disturbance up the Wu T'ai mountain;"whereupon Pao-yü interposed, with the remark: "All you fancy is tochoose plays of this kind;" to which Pao-ch'ai rejoined, "You'velistened to plays all these years to no avail! How could you know thebeauties of this play? the stage effect is grand, but what is stillbetter are the apt and elegant passages in it. "

"I've always had a dread of such sensational plays as these!" Pao-yüretorted. 

"If you call this play sensational, " Pao-ch'ai smilingly expostulated, "well then you may fitly be looked upon as being no connoisseur ofplays. But come over and I'll tell you. This play constitutes one of aset of books, entitled the 'Pei Tien Peng Ch'un, ' which, as far asharmony, musical rests and closes, and tune go, is, it goes withoutsaying, perfect; but there's among the elegant compositions a balladentitled: 'the Parasitic Plant, ' written in a most excellent style; buthow could you know anything about it?"

Pao-yü, upon hearing her speak of such points of beauty, hastily drewnear to her. "My dear cousin, " he entreated, "recite it and let me hearit!" Whereupon Pao-ch'ai went on as follows:

 My manly tears I will not wipe away, But from this place, the scholar's home, I'll stray. The bonze for mercy I shall thank; under the lotus altar shave my pate; With Yüan to be the luck I lack; soon in a twinkle we shall separate, And needy and forlorn I'll come and go, with none to care about my fate. Thither shall I a suppliant be for a fog wrapper and rain hat; my warrant I shall roll, And listless with straw shoes and broken bowl, wherever to convert my fate may be, I'll stroll. 

As soon as Pao-yü had listened to her recital, he was so full ofenthusiasm, that, clapping his knees with his hands, and shaking hishead, he gave vent to incessant praise; after which he went on to extolPao-ch'ai, saying: "There's no book that you don't know. "

"Be quiet, and listen to the play, " Lin Tai-yü urged; "they haven't yetsung about the mountain gate, and you already pretend to be mad!"

At these words, Hsiang-yün also laughed. But, in due course, the wholeparty watched the performance until evening, when they broke up. Dowagerlady Chia was so very much taken with the young actor, who played therole of a lady, as well as with the one who acted the buffoon, that shegave orders that they should be brought in; and, as she looked at themclosely, she felt so much the more interest in them, that she went on toinquire what their ages were. And when the would-be lady (replied) thathe was just eleven, while the would-be buffoon (explained) that he wasjust nine, the whole company gave vent for a time to expressions ofsympathy with their lot; while dowager lady Chia bade servants bring afresh supply of meats and fruits for both of them, and also gave them, besides their wages, two tiaos as a present. 

"This lad, " lady Feng observed smiling, "is when dressed up (as a girl), a living likeness of a certain person; did you notice it just now?"

Pao-ch'ai was also aware of the fact, but she simply nodded her headassentingly and did not say who it was. Pao-yü likewise expressed hisassent by shaking his head, but he too did not presume to speak out. Shih Hsiang-yün, however, readily took up the conversation. "Heresembles, " she interposed, "cousin Lin's face!" When this remarkreached Pao-yü's ear, he hastened to cast an angry scowl at Hsiang-yün, and to make her a sign; while the whole party, upon hearing what hadbeen said, indulged in careful and minute scrutiny of (the lad); and asthey all began to laugh: "The resemblance is indeed striking!" theyexclaimed. 

After a while, they parted; and when evening came Hsiang-yün directedTs'ui Lü to pack up her clothes. 

"What's the hurry?" Ts'ui Lü asked. "There will be ample time to packup, on the day on which we go!"

"We'll go to-morrow, " Hsiang-yün rejoined; "for what's the use ofremaining here any longer--to look at people's mouths and faces?"

Pao-yü, at these words, lost no time in pressing forward. 

"My dear cousin, " he urged; "you're wrong in bearing me a grudge! Mycousin Lin is a girl so very touchy, that though every one elsedistinctly knew (of the resemblance), they wouldn't speak out; and allbecause they were afraid that she would get angry; but unexpectedly outyou came with it, at a moment when off your guard; and how ever couldn'tshe but feel hurt? and it's because I was in dread that you would giveoffence to people that I then winked at you; and now here you are angrywith me; but isn't that being ungrateful to me? Had it been any oneelse, would I have cared whether she had given offence to even ten; thatwould have been none of my business!"

Hsiang-yün waved her hand: "Don't, " she added, "come and tell me theseflowery words and this specious talk, for I really can't come up to yourcousin Lin. If others poke fun at her, they all do so with impunity, while if I say anything, I at once incur blame. The fact is I shouldn'thave spoken of her, undeserving as I am; and as she's the daughter of amaster, while I'm a slave, a mere servant girl, I've heaped insult uponher!"

"And yet, " pleaded Pao-yü, full of perplexity, "I had done it for yoursake; and through this, I've come in for reproach. But if it were withan evil heart I did so, may I at once become ashes, and be trampled uponby ten thousands of people!"

"In this felicitous firstmonth, " Hsiang-yün remonstrated, "you shouldn'ttalk so much reckless nonsense! All these worthless despicable oaths, disjointed words, and corrupt language, go and tell for the benefit ofthose mean sort of people, who in everything take pleasure in irritatingothers, and who keep you under their thumb! But mind don't drive me tospit contemptuously at you. "

As she gave utterance to these words, she betook herself in the innerroom of dowager lady Chia's suite of apartments, where she lay down inhigh dudgeon, and, as Pao-yü was so heavy at heart, he could not helpcoming again in search of Tai-yü; but strange to say, as soon as he puthis foot inside the doorway, he was speedily hustled out of it byTai-yü, who shut the door in his face. 

Pao-yü was once more unable to fathom her motives, and as he stoodoutside the window, he kept on calling out: "My dear cousin, " in a lowtone of voice; but Tai-yü paid not the slightest notice to him so thatPao-yü became so melancholy that he drooped his head, and was plunged insilence. And though Hsi Jen had, at an early hour, come to know thecircumstances, she could not very well at this juncture tender anyadvice. 

Pao-yü remained standing in such a vacant mood that Tai-yü imagined thathe had gone back; but when she came to open the door she caught sight ofPao-yü still waiting in there; and as Tai-yü did not feel justified toagain close the door, Pao-yü consequently followed her in. 

"Every thing has, " he observed, "a why and a wherefore; which, whenspoken out, don't even give people pain; but you will rush into a rage, and all without any rhyme! but to what really does it owe its rise?"

"It's well enough, after all, for you to ask me, " Tai-yü rejoined withan indifferent smile, "but I myself don't know why! But am I here toafford you people amusement that you will compare me to an actress, andmake the whole lot have a laugh at me?"

"I never did liken you to anything, " Pao-yü protested, "neither did Iever laugh at you! and why then will you get angry with me?"

"Was it necessary that you should have done so much as made thecomparison, " Tai-yü urged, "and was there any need of even any laughterfrom you? why, though you mayn't have likened me to anything, or had alaugh at my expense, you were, yea more dreadful than those who didcompare me (to a singing girl) and ridiculed me!"

Pao-yü could not find anything with which to refute the argument he hadjust heard, and Tai-yü went on to say. "This offence can, anyhow, becondoned; but, what is more, why did you also wink at Yün Erh? What wasthis idea which you had resolved in your mind? wasn't it perhaps that ifshe played with me, she would be demeaning herself, and making herselfcheap? She's the daughter of a duke or a marquis, and we forsooth themean progeny of a poor plebeian family; so that, had she divertedherself with me, wouldn't she have exposed herself to being depreciated, had I, perchance, said anything in retaliation? This was your ideawasn't it? But though your purpose was, to be sure, honest enough, thatgirl wouldn't, however, receive any favours from you, but got angry withyou just as much as I did; and though she made me also a tool to do youa good turn, she, on the contrary, asserts that I'm mean by nature andtake pleasure in irritating people in everything! and you again wereafraid lest she should have hurt my feelings, but, had I had a row withher, what would that have been to you? and had she given me any offence, what concern would that too have been of yours?"

When Pao-yü heard these words, he at once became alive to the fact thatshe too had lent an ear to the private conversation he had had a shortwhile back with Hsiang-yün: "All because of my, fears, " he carefullymused within himself, "lest these two should have a misunderstanding, Iwas induced to come between them, and act as a mediator; but I myselfhave, contrary to my hopes, incurred blame and abuse on both sides! Thisjust accords with what I read the other day in the Nan Hua Ching. 'Theingenious toil, the wise are full of care; the good-for-nothing seek fornothing, they feed on vegetables, and roam where they list; they wanderpurposeless like a boat not made fast!' 'The mountain trees, ' the textgoes on to say, 'lead to their own devastation; the spring (conduces) toits own plunder; and so on. " And the more he therefore indulged inreflection, the more depressed he felt. "Now there are only these fewgirls, " he proceeded to ponder minutely, "and yet, I'm unable to treatthem in such a way as to promote perfect harmony; and what will Iforsooth do by and by (when there will be more to deal with)!"

When he had reached this point in his cogitations, (he decided) that itwas really of no avail to agree with her, so that turning round, he wasmaking his way all alone into his apartments; but Lin Tai-yü, uponnoticing that he had left her side, readily concluded that reflectionhad marred his spirits and that he had so thoroughly lost his temper asto be going without even giving vent to a single word, and she could notrestrain herself from feeling inwardly more and more irritated. "Afteryou've gone this time, " she hastily exclaimed, "don't come again, evenfor a whole lifetime; and I won't have you either so much as speak tome!"

Pao-yü paid no heed to her, but came back to his rooms, and layinghimself down on his bed, he kept on muttering in a state of chagrin; andthough Hsi Jen knew full well the reasons of his dejection, she found itdifficult to summon up courage to say anything to him at the moment, andshe had no alternative but to try and distract him by means ofirrelevant matters. "The theatricals which you've seen to-day, " sheconsequently observed smiling, "will again lead to performances forseveral days, and Miss Pao-ch'ai will, I'm sure, give a return feast. "

"Whether she gives a return feast or not, " Pao-yü rejoined with anapathetic smirk, "is no concern of mine!"

When Hsi Jen perceived the tone, so unlike that of other days, withwhich these words were pronounced: "What's this that you're saying?" shetherefore remarked as she gave another smile. "In this pleasant andpropitious first moon, when all the ladies and young ladies are in highglee, how is it that you're again in a mood of this sort?"

"Whether the ladies and my cousins be in high spirits or not, " Pao-yüreplied forcing a grin, "is also perfectly immaterial to me. "

"They are all, " Hsi Jen added, smilingly, "pleasant and agreeable, andwere you also a little pleasant and agreeable, wouldn't it conduce tothe enjoyment of the whole company?"

"What about the whole company, and they and I?" Pao-yü urged. "They allhave their mutual friendships; while I, poor fellow, all forlorn, havenone to care a rap for me. "

His remarks had reached this clause, when inadvertently the tearstrickled down; and Hsi Jen realising the state of mind he was in, didnot venture to say anything further. But as soon as Pao-yü had reflectedminutely over the sense and import of this sentence, he could notrefrain from bursting forth into a loud fit of crying, and, turninghimself round, he stood up, and, drawing near the table, he took up thepencil, and eagerly composed these enigmatical lines:

 If thou wert me to test, and I were thee to test, Our hearts were we to test, and our minds to test, When naught more there remains for us to test That will yea very well be called a test, And when there's naught to put, we could say, to the test, We will a place set up on which our feet to rest. 

After he had finished writing, he again gave way to fears that though hehimself could unfold their meaning, others, who came to peruse theselines, would not be able to fathom them, and he also went onconsequently to indite another stanza, in imitation of the "ParasiticPlant, " which he inscribed at the close of the enigma; and when he hadread it over a second time, he felt his heart so free of all concernthat forthwith he got into his bed, and went to sleep. 

But, who would have thought it, Tai-yü, upon seeing Pao-yü take hisdeparture in such an abrupt manner, designedly made use of the excusethat she was bent upon finding Hsi Jen, to come round and see what hewas up to. 

"He's gone to sleep long ago!" Hsi Jen replied. 

At these words, Tai-yü felt inclined to betake herself back at once; butHsi Jen smiled and said: "Please stop, miss. Here's a slip of paper, andsee what there is on it!" and speedily taking what Pao-yü had written ashort while back, she handed it over to Tai-yü to examine. Tai-yü, onperusal, discovered that Pao-yü had composed it, at the spur of themoment, when under the influence of resentment; and she could not helpthinking it both a matter of ridicule as well as of regret; but shehastily explained to Hsi Jen: "This is written for fun, and there'snothing of any consequence in it!" and having concluded this remark, shereadily took it along with her to her room, where she conned it over incompany with Hsiang-yün; handing it also the next day to Pao-ch'ai toperuse. The burden of what Pao-ch'ai read was:

 In what was no concern of mine, I should to thee have paid no heed, For while I humour this, that one to please I don't succeed! Act as thy wish may be! go, come whene'er thou list; 'tis naught to me. Sorrow or joy, without limit or bound, to indulge thou art free! What is this hazy notion about relatives distant or close? For what purpose have I for all these days racked my heart with woes? Even at this time when I look back and think, my mind no pleasure knows. 

After having finished its perusal, she went on to glance at theBuddhistic stanza, and smiling: "This being, " she soliloquised; "hasawakened to a sense of perception; and all through my fault, for it'sthat ballad of mine yesterday which has incited this! But the subtledevices in all these rationalistic books have a most easy tendency tounsettle the natural disposition, and if to-morrow he does actually getup, and talk a lot of insane trash, won't his having fostered this ideaowe its origin to that ballad of mine; and shan't I have become theprime of all guilty people?"

Saying this, she promptly tore the paper, and, delivering the pieces tothe servant girls, she bade them go at once and burn them. 

"You shouldn't have torn it!" Tai-yü remonstrated laughingly. "But waitand I'll ask him about it! so come along all of you, and I vouch I'llmake him abandon that idiotic frame of mind and that depraved language. "

The three of them crossed over, in point of fact, into Pao-yü's room, and Tai-yü was the first to smile and observe. "Pao-yü, may I ask yousomething? What is most valuable is a precious thing; and what is mostfirm is jade, but what value do you possess and what firmness is innatein you?"

But as Pao-yü could not, say anything by way of reply, two of themremarked sneeringly: "With all this doltish bluntness of his will heafter all absorb himself in abstraction?" While Hsiang-yün also clappedher hands and laughed, "Cousin Pao has been discomfited. "

"The latter part of that apothegm of yours, " Tai-yü continued, "says:

 "We would then find some place on which our feet to rest. 

"Which is certainly good; but in my view, its excellence is not as yetcomplete! and I should still tag on two lines at its close;" as sheproceeded to recite:

 "If we do not set up some place on which our feet to rest, For peace and freedom then it will be best. "

"There should, in very truth, be this adjunct to make it thoroughlyexplicit!" Pao-ch'ai added. "In days of yore, the sixth founder of theSouthern sect, Hui Neng, came, when he went first in search of hispatron, in the Shao Chou district; and upon hearing that the fifthfounder, Hung Jen, was at Huang Mei, he readily entered his service inthe capacity of Buddhist cook; and when the fifth founder, prompted by awish to select a Buddhistic successor, bade his neophytes and all thebonzes to each compose an enigmatical stanza, the one who occupied theupper seat, Shen Hsiu, recited:

 "A P'u T'i tree the body is, the heart so like a stand of mirror bright, On which must needs, by constant careful rubbing, not be left dust to alight!

"And Hui Neng, who was at this time in the cook-house pounding rice, overheard this enigma. 'Excellent, it is excellent, ' he ventured, 'butas far as completeness goes it isn't complete;' and having bethoughthimself of an apothegm: 'The P'u T'i, (an expression for Buddha orintelligence), ' he proceeded, 'is really no tree; and the resplendentmirror, (Buddhistic term for heart), is likewise no stand; and as, infact, they do not constitute any tangible objects, how could they becontaminated by particles of dust?' Whereupon the fifth founder at oncetook his robe and clap-dish and handed them to him. Well, the text nowof this enigma presents too this identical idea, for the simple fact isthat those lines full of subtleties of a short while back are not, asyet, perfected or brought to an issue, and do you forsooth readily giveup the task in this manner?"

"He hasn't been able to make any reply, " Tai-yü rejoined sneeringly, "and must therefore be held to be discomfited; but were he even to makesuitable answer now, there would be nothing out of the common about it!Anyhow, from this time forth you mustn't talk about Buddhistic spells, for what even we two know and are able to do, you don't as yet know andcan't do; and do you go and concern yourself with abstraction?"

Pao-yü had, in his own mind, been under the impression that he hadattained perception, but when he was unawares and all of a suddensubjected to this question by Tai-yü, he soon found it beyond his powerto give any ready answer. And when Pao-ch'ai furthermore came out with areligious disquisition, by way of illustration, and this on subjects, inall of which he had hitherto not seen them display any ability, hecommuned within himself: "If with their knowledge, which is indeed inadvance of that of mine, they haven't, as yet, attained perception, whatneed is there for me now to bring upon myself labour and vexation?"

"Who has, pray, " he hastily inquired smilingly, after arriving at theend of his reflections, "indulged in Buddhistic mysteries? what I didamounts to nothing more than nonsensical trash, written, at the spur ofthe moment, and nothing else. "

At the close of this remark all four came to be again on the same termsas of old; but suddenly a servant announced that the Empress (YüanCh'un) had despatched a messenger to bring over a lantern-conundrum withthe directions that they should all go and guess it, and that after theyhad found it out, they should each also devise one and send it in. Atthese words, the four of them left the room with hasty step, andadjourned into dowager lady Chia's drawing room, where they discovered ayoung eunuch, holding a four-cornered, flat-topped lantern, of whitegauze, which had been specially fabricated for lantern riddles. On thefront side, there was already a conundrum, and the whole company werevying with each other in looking at it and making wild guesses; when theyoung eunuch went on to transmit his orders, saying: "Young ladies, youshould not speak out when you are guessing; but each one of you shouldsecretly write down the solutions for me to wrap them up, and take themall in together to await her Majesty's personal inspection as to whetherthey be correct or not. "

Upon listening to these words, Pao-ch'ai drew near, and perceived at aglance, that it consisted of a stanza of four lines, with sevencharacters in each; but though there was no novelty or remarkablefeature about it, she felt constrained to outwardly give utterance towords of praise. "It's hard to guess!" she simply added, while shepretended to be plunged in thought, for the fact is that as soon as shehad cast her eye upon it, she had at once solved it. Pao-yü, Tai-yü, Hsiang-yün, and T'an-ch'un, had all four also hit upon the answer, andeach had secretly put it in writing; and Chia Huan, Chia Lan and theothers were at the same time sent for, and every one of them set to workto exert the energies of his mind, and, when they arrived at a guess, they noted it down on paper; after which every individual member of thefamily made a choice of some object, and composed a riddle, which wastranscribed in a large round hand, and affixed on the lantern. Thisdone, the eunuch took his departure, and when evening drew near, he cameout and delivered the commands of the imperial consort. "The conundrum, "he said, "written by Her Highness, the other day, has been solved byevery one, with the exception of Miss Secunda and master Tertius, whomade a wrong guess. Those composed by you, young ladies, have likewiseall been guessed; but Her Majesty does not know whether her solutionsare right or not. " While speaking, he again produced the riddles, whichhad been written by them, among which were those which had been solved, as well as those which had not been solved; and the eunuch, in likemanner, took the presents, conferred by the imperial consort, and handedthem over to those who had guessed right. To each person was assigned abamboo vase, inscribed with verses, which had been manufactured forpalace use, as well as articles of bamboo for tea; with the exception ofYing-ch'un and Chia Huan, who were the only two persons who did notreceive any. But as Ying-ch'un looked upon the whole thing as a joke anda trifle, she did not trouble her mind on that score, but Chia Huan atonce felt very disconsolate. 

"This one devised by Mr. Tertius, " the eunuch was further heard to say, "is not properly done; and as Her Majesty herself has been unable toguess it she commanded me to bring it back, and ask Mr. Tertius what itis about. "

After the party had listened to these words, they all pressed forward tosee what had been written. The burden of it was this:

 The elder brother has horns only eight; The second brother has horns only two; The elder brother on the bed doth sit; Inside the room the second likes to squat. 

After perusal of these lines, they broke out, with one voice, into aloud fit of laughter; and Chia Huan had to explain to the eunuch thatthe one was a pillow, and the other the head of an animal. Havingcommitted the explanation to memory and accepted a cup of tea, theeunuch took his departure; and old lady Chia, noticing in what buoyantspirits Yüan Ch'un was, felt herself so much the more elated, thatissuing forthwith directions to devise, with every despatch, a small butingenious lantern of fine texture in the shape of a screen, and put itin the Hall, she bade each of her grandchildren secretly compose aconundrum, copy it out clean, and affix it on the frame of the lantern;and she had subsequently scented tea and fine fruits, as well as everykind of nicknacks, got ready, as prizes for those who guessed right. 

And when Chia Cheng came from court and found the old lady in such highglee he also came over in the evening, as the season was furthermoreholiday time, to avail himself of her good cheer to reap some enjoyment. In the upper part of the room seated themselves, at one table dowagerlady Chia, Chia Cheng, and Pao-yü; madame Wang, Pao-ch'ai, Tai-yü, Hsiang-yün sat round another table, and Ying-ch'un, Tan-ch'un and HsiCh'un the three of them, occupied a separate table, and both thesetables were laid in the lower part, while below, all over the floor, stood matrons and waiting-maids for Li Kung-ts'ai and Hsi-feng were bothseated in the inner section of the Hall, at another table. 

Chia Chen failed to see Chia Lan, and he therefore inquired: "How is itI don't see brother Lan, " whereupon the female servants, standing below, hastily entered the inner room and made inquiries of widow Li. "Hesays, " Mrs. Li stood up and rejoined with a smile, "that as your masterdidn't go just then to ask him round, he has no wish to come!" and whena matron delivered the reply to Chia Cheng; the whole company exclaimedmuch amused: "How obstinate and perverse his natural disposition is!"But Chia Cheng lost no time in sending Chia Huan, together with twomatrons, to fetch Chia Lan; and, on his arrival, dowager lady Chia badehim sit by her side, and, taking a handful of fruits, she gave them tohim to eat; after which the party chatted, laughed, and enjoyedthemselves. 

Ordinarily, there was no one but Pao-yü to say much or talk at anylength, but on this day, with Chia Cheng present, his remarks werelimited to assents. And as to the rest, Hsiang-yün had, though a younggirl, and of delicate physique, nevertheless ever been very fond oftalking and discussing; but, on this instance, Chia Cheng was at thefeast, so that she also held her tongue and restrained her words. As forTai-yü she was naturally peevish and listless, and not very muchinclined to indulge in conversation; while Pao-ch'ai, who had never beenreckless in her words or frivolous in her deportment, likewise behavedon the present occasion in her usual dignified manner. Hence it was thatthis banquet, although a family party, given for the sake of relaxation, assumed contrariwise an appearance of restraint, and as old lady Chiawas herself too well aware that it was to be ascribed to the presence ofChia Cheng alone, she therefore, after the wine had gone round threetimes, forthwith hurried off Chia Cheng to retire to rest. 

No less cognisant was Chia Cheng himself that the old lady's motives inpacking him off were to afford a favourable opportunity to the youngladies and young men to enjoy themselves, and that is why, forcing asmile, he observed: "Having to-day heard that your venerable ladyshiphad got up in here a large assortment of excellent riddles, on theoccasion of the spring festival of lanterns, I too consequently preparedprizes, as well as a banquet, and came with the express purpose ofjoining the company; and why don't you in some way confer a fraction ofthe fond love, which you cherish for your grandsons and granddaughters, upon me also, your son?"

"When you're here, " old lady Chia replied smilingly, "they won't ventureto chat or laugh; and unless you go, you'll really fill me with intensedejection! But if you feel inclined to guess conundrums, well, I'll tellyou one for you to solve; but if you don't guess right, mind, you'll bemulcted!"

"Of course I'll submit to the penalty, " Chia Cheng rejoined eagerly, ashe laughed, "but if I do guess right, I must in like manner receive areward!"

"This goes without saying!" dowager lady Chia added; whereupon she wenton to recite:

 The monkey's body gently rests on the tree top!

"This refers, " she said, "to the name of a fruit. "

Chia Cheng was already aware that it was a lichee, but he designedlymade a few guesses at random, and was fined several things; but hesubsequently gave, at length, the right answer, and also obtained apresent from her ladyship. 

In due course he too set forth this conundrum for old lady Chia toguess:

 Correct its body is in appearance, Both firm and solid is it in substance; To words, it is true, it cannot give vent, But spoken to, it always does assent. 

When he had done reciting it, he communicated the answer in an undertoneto Pao-yü; and Pao-yü fathoming what his intention was, gently too toldhis grandmother Chia, and her ladyship finding, after some reflection, that there was really no mistake about it, readily remarked that it wasan inkslab. 

"After all, " Chia Cheng smiled; "Your venerable ladyship it is who canhit the right answer with one guess!" and turning his head round, "Bequick, " he cried, "and bring the prizes and present them!" whereupon themarried women and waiting-maids below assented with one voice, and theysimultaneously handed up the large trays and small boxes. 

Old lady Chia passed the things, one by one, under inspection; andfinding that they consisted of various kinds of articles, novel andingenious, of use and of ornament, in vogue during the lantern festival, her heart was so deeply elated that with alacrity she shouted, "Pour aglass of wine for your master!"

Pao-yü took hold of the decanter, while Ying Ch'un presented the cup ofwine. 

"Look on that screen!" continued dowager lady Chia, "all those riddleshave been written by the young ladies; so go and guess them for mybenefit!"

Chia Cheng signified his obedience, and rising and walking up to thefront of the screen, he noticed the first riddle, which was one composedby the Imperial consort Yüan, in this strain:

 The pluck of devils to repress in influence it abounds, Like bound silk is its frame, and like thunder its breath resounds. But one report rattles, and men are lo! in fear and dread; Transformed to ashes 'tis what time to see you turn the head. 

"Is this a cracker?" Chia Cheng inquired. 

"It is, " Pao-yü assented. 

Chia Cheng then went on to peruse that of Ying-Ch'un's, which referredto an article of use:

 Exhaustless is the principle of heavenly calculations and of human skill; Skill may exist, but without proper practice the result to find hard yet will be! Whence cometh all this mixed confusion on a day so still? Simply it is because the figures Yin and Yang do not agree. 

"It's an abacus, " Chia Cheng observed. 

"Quite so!" replied Ying Ch'un smiling; after which they also conned theone below, by T'an-ch'un, which ran thus and had something to do with anobject:

 This is the time when 'neath the stairs the pages their heads raise! The term of "pure brightness" is the meetest time this thing to make! The vagrant silk it snaps, and slack, without tension it strays! The East wind don't begrudge because its farewell it did take!

"It would seem, " Chia Cheng suggested, "as if that must be a kite!"

"It is, " answered T'an C'h'un; whereupon Chia Cheng read the one below, which was written by Tai-yü to this effect and bore upon some thing:

 After the audience, his two sleeves who brings with fumes replete? Both by the lute and in the quilt, it lacks luck to abide! The dawn it marks; reports from cock and man renders effete! At midnight, maids no trouble have a new one to provide! The head, it glows during the day, as well as in the night! Its heart, it burns from day to day and 'gain from year to year! Time swiftly flies and mete it is that we should hold it dear! Changes might come, but it defies wind, rain, days dark or bright!

"Isn't this a scented stick to show the watch?" Chia Cheng inquired. 

"Yes!" assented Pao-yü, speaking on Tai-yü's behalf; and Chia Chengthereupon prosecuted the perusal of a conundrum, which ran as follows, and referred to an object;

 With the South, it sits face to face, And the North, the while, it doth face; If the figure be sad, it also is sad, If the figure be glad, it likewise is glad!

"Splendid! splendid!" exclaimed Chia Cheng, "my guess is that it's alooking-glass. It's excellently done!"

Pao-yü smiled. "It is a looking glass!" he rejoined. 

"This is, however, anonymous; whose work is it?" Chia Cheng went on toask, and dowager lady Chia interposed: "This, I fancy, must have beencomposed by Pao-yü, " and Chia Cheng then said not a word, but continuedreading the following conundrum, which was that devised by Pao-ch'ai, onsome article or other:

 Eyes though it has; eyeballs it has none, and empty 'tis inside! The lotus flowers out of the water peep, and they with gladness meet, But when dryandra leaves begin to drop, they then part and divide, For a fond pair they are, but, united, winter they cannot greet. 

When Chia Cheng finished scanning it, he gave way to reflection. "Thisobject, " he pondered, "must surely be limited in use! But for persons oftender years to indulge in all this kind of language, would seem to bestill less propitious; for they cannot, in my views, be any of them thesort of people to enjoy happiness and longevity!" When his reflectionsreached this point, he felt the more dejected, and plainly betrayed asad appearance, and all he did was to droop his head and to plunge in abrown study. 

But upon perceiving the frame of mind in which Chia Cheng was, dowagerlady Chia arrived at the conclusion that he must be fatigued; andfearing, on the other hand, that if she detained him, the whole party ofyoung ladies would lack the spirit to enjoy themselves, she there andthen faced Chia Cheng and suggested: "There's no need really for you toremain here any longer, and you had better retire to rest; and let ussit a while longer; after which, we too will break up!"

As soon as Chia Cheng caught this hint, he speedily assented severalconsecutive yes's; and when he had further done his best to induce oldlady Chia to have a cup of wine, he eventually withdrew out of the Hall. On his return to his bedroom, he could do nothing else than give way tocogitation, and, as he turned this and turned that over in his mind, hegot still more sad and pained. 

"Amuse yourselves now!" readily exclaimed dowager lady Chia, during thiswhile, after seeing Chia Cheng off; but this remark was barely finished, when she caught sight of Pao-yü run up to the lantern screen, and givevent, as he gesticulated with his hands and kicked his feet about, toany criticisms that first came to his lips. "In this, " he remarked, "this line isn't happy; and that one, hasn't been suitably solved!"while he behaved just like a monkey, whose fetters had been let loose. 

"Were the whole party after all, " hastily ventured Tai-yü, "to sit down, as we did a short while back and chat and laugh; wouldn't that be morein accordance with good manners?"

Lady Feng thereupon egressed from the room in the inner end andinterposed her remarks. "Such a being as you are, " she said, "shouldn'tsurely be allowed by Mr. Chia Cheng, an inch or a step from his side, and then you'll be all right. But just then it slipped my memory, forwhy didn't I, when your father was present, instigate him to bid youcompose a rhythmical enigma; and you would, I have no doubt, have beenup to this moment in a state of perspiration!"

At these words, Pao-yü lost all patience, and laying hold of lady Feng, he hustled her about for a few moments. 

But old lady Chia went on for some time to bandy words with LiKung-ts'ai, with the whole company of young ladies and the rest, so thatshe, in fact, felt considerably tired and worn out; and when she heardthat the fourth watch had already drawn nigh, she consequently issueddirections that the eatables should be cleared away and given to thecrowd of servants, and suggested, as she readily rose to her feet, "Letus go and rest! for the next day is also a feast, and we must get up atan early hour; and to-morrow evening we can enjoy ourselves again!"whereupon the whole company dispersed. 

But now, reader, listen to the sequel given in the chapter whichfollows. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

 Pao-yü and Tai-yü make use of some beautiful passages from the Record of the Western Side-building to bandy jokes. The excellent ballads sung in the Peony Pavilion touch the tender heart of Tai-yü. 

Soon after the day on which Chia Yuan-ch'un honoured the garden of BroadVista with a visit, and her return to the Palace, so our story goes, sheforthwith desired that T'an-ch'un should make a careful copy, inconsecutive order, of the verses, which had been composed and read outon that occasion, in order that she herself should assign them theirrank, and adjudge the good and bad. And she also directed that aninscription should be engraved on a stone, in the Broad Vista park, toserve in future years as a record of the pleasant and felicitous event;and Chia Cheng, therefore, gave orders to servants to go far and wide, and select skilful artificers and renowned workmen, to polish the stoneand engrave the characters in the garden of Broad Vista; while Chia Chenput himself at the head of Chia Jung, Chia P'ing and others tosuperintend the work. And as Chia Se had, on the other hand, the controlof Wen Kuan and the rest of the singing girls, twelve in all, as well asof their costumes and other properties, he had no leisure to attend toanything else, and consequently once again sent for Chia Ch'ang and ChiaLing to come and act as overseers. 

On a certain day, the works were taken in hand for rubbing the stonessmooth with wax, for carving the inscription, and tracing it withvermilion, but without entering into details on these matters toominutely, we will return to the two places, the Yu Huang temple and theTa Mo monastery. The company of twelve young bonzes and twelve youngTaoist priests had now moved out of the Garden of Broad Vista, and ChiaCheng was meditating upon distributing them to various temples to liveapart, when unexpectedly Chia Ch'in's mother, née Chou, --who resided inthe back street, and had been at the time contemplating to pay a visitto Chia Cheng on this side so as to obtain some charge, be it eitherlarge or small, for her son to look after, that he too should be put inthe way of turning up some money to meet his expenses with, --came, asluck would have it, to hear that some work was in hand in this mansion, and lost no time in driving over in a curricle and making her appeal tolady Feng. And as lady Feng remembered that she had all along notpresumed on her position to put on airs, she willingly acceded to herrequest, and after calling to memory some suitable remarks, she at oncewent to make her report to madame Wang: "These young bonzes and Taoistpriests, " she said, "can by no means be sent over to other places; forwere the Imperial consort to come out at an unexpected moment, theywould then be required to perform services; and in the event of theirbeing scattered, there will, when the time comes to requisition theirhelp, again be difficulties in the way; and my idea is that it would bebetter to send them all to the family temple, the Iron Fence Temple; andevery month all there will be to do will be to depute some one to takeover a few taels for them to buy firewood and rice with, that's all, andwhen there's even a sound of their being required uttered, some one canat once go and tell them just one word 'come, ' and they will comewithout the least trouble!"

Madame Wang gave a patient ear to this proposal, and, in due course, consulted with Chia Cheng. 

"You've really, " smiled Chia Cheng at these words, "reminded me how Ishould act! Yes, let this be done!" And there and then he sent for ChiaLien. 

Chia Lien was, at the time, having his meal with lady Feng, but as soonas he heard that he was wanted, he put by his rice and was just walkingoff, when lady Feng clutched him and pulled him back. "Wait a while, "she observed with a smirk, "and listen to what I've got to tell you! ifit's about anything else, I've nothing to do with it; but if it be aboutthe young bonzes and young Taoists, you must, in this particular matter, please comply with this suggestion of mine, " after which, she went on inthis way and that way to put him up to a whole lot of hints. 

"I know nothing about it, " Chia Lien rejoined smilingly, "and as youhave the knack you yourself had better go and tell him!"

But as soon as lady Feng heard this remark, she stiffened her head andthrew down the chopsticks; and, with an expression on her cheeks, whichlooked like a smile and yet not a smile, she glanced angrily at ChiaLien. "Are you speaking in earnest, " she inquired, "or are you onlyjesting?"

"Yün Erh, the son of our fifth sister-in-law of the western porch, hascome and appealed to me two or three times, asking for something to lookafter, " Chia Lien laughed, "and I assented and bade him wait; and now, after a great deal of trouble, this job has turned up; and there you areonce again snatching it away!"

"Compose your mind, " lady Feng observed grinning, "for the ImperialConsort has hinted that directions should be given for the planting, inthe north-east corner of the park, of a further plentiful supply of pineand cedar trees, and that orders should also be issued for the addition, round the base of the tower, of a large number of flowers and plants andsuch like; and when this job turns up, I can safely tell you that YunErh will be called to assume control of these works. "

"Well if that be really so, " Chia Lien rejoined, "it will after all do!But there's only one thing; all I was up to last night was simply tohave some fun with you, but you obstinately and perversely wouldn't. "

Lady Feng, upon hearing these words, burst out laughing with a sound ofCh'ih, and spurting disdainfully at Chia Lien, she lowered her head andwent on at once with her meal; during which time Chia Lien speedilywalked away laughing the while, and betook himself to the front, wherehe saw Chia Cheng. It was, indeed, about the young bonzes, and Chia Lienreadily carried out lady Feng's suggestion. "As from all appearances, "he continued, "Ch'in Erh has, actually, so vastly improved, this jobshould, after all, be entrusted to his care and management; and providedthat in observance with the inside custom Ch'in Erh were each day toldto receive the advances, things will go on all right. " And as Chia Chenghad never had much attention to give to such matters of detail, he, assoon as he heard what Chia Lien had to say, immediately signified hisapproval and assent. And Chia Lien, on his return to his quarters, communicated the issue to lady Feng; whereupon lady Feng at once sentsome one to go and notify dame Chou. 

Chia Ch'in came, in due course, to pay a visit to Chia Lien and hiswife, and was incessant in his expressions of gratitude; and lady Fengbestowed upon him a further favour by giving him, as a first instalment, an advance of the funds necessary for three months' outlay, for whichshe bade him write a receipt; while Chia Lien filled up a cheque andsigned it; and a counter-order was simultaneously issued, and he cameout into the treasury where the sum specified for three months'supplies, amounting to three hundred taels, was paid out in pure ingots. 

Chia Ch'in took the first piece of silver that came under his hand, andgave it to the men in charge of the scales, with which he told them tohave a cup of tea, and bidding, shortly after, a boy-servant take themoney to his home, he held consultation with his mother; after which, hehired a donkey for himself to ride on, and also bespoke severalcarriages, and came to the back gate of the Jung Kuo mansion; wherehaving called out the twenty young priests, they got into the carriages, and sped straightway beyond the city walls, to the Temple of the IronFence, where nothing of any note transpired at the time. 

But we will now notice Chia Yüan-ch'un, within the precincts of thePalace. When she had arranged the verses composed in the park of BroadVista in their order of merit, she suddenly recollected that the sightsin the garden were sure, ever since her visit through them, to bediligently and respectfully kept locked up by her father and mother; andthat by not allowing any one to go in was not an injustice done to thisgarden? "Besides, " (she pondered), "in that household, there are atpresent several young ladies, capable of composing odes, and able towrite poetry, and why should not permission be extended to them to goand take their quarters in it; in order too that those winsome personsmight not be deprived of good cheer, and that the flowers and willowsmay not lack any one to admire them!"

But remembering likewise that Pao-yü had from his infancy grown up amongthat crowd of female cousins, and was such a contrast to the rest of hismale cousins that were he not allowed to move into it, he would, shealso apprehended, be made to feel forlorn; and dreading lest hisgrandmother and his mother should be displeased at heart, she thought itimperative that he too should be permitted to take up his quartersinside, so that things should be put on a satisfactory footing; anddirecting the eunuch Hsia Chung to go to the Jung mansion and deliverher commands, she expressed the wish that Pao-ch'ai and the other girlsshould live in the garden and that it should not be kept closed, andurged that Pao-yü should also shift into it, at his own pleasure, forthe prosecution of his studies. And Chia Cheng and madame Wang, uponreceiving her commands, hastened, after the departure of Hsia Chung, toexplain them to dowager lady Chia, and to despatch servants into thegarden to tidy every place, to dust, to sweep, and to lay out theportieres and bed-curtains. The tidings were heard by the rest even withperfect equanimity, but Pao-yü was immoderately delighted; and he wasengaged in deliberation with dowager lady Chia as to this necessary andto that requirement, when suddenly they descried a waiting-maid arrive, who announced: "Master wishes to see Pao-yü. "

Pao-yü gazed vacantly for a while. His spirits simultaneously were sweptaway; his countenance changed colour; and clinging to old lady Chia, hereadily wriggled her about, just as one would twist the sugar (to makesweetmeats with), and could not, for the very death of him, summon upcourage to go; so that her ladyship had no alternative but to try andreassure him. "My precious darling" she urged, "just you go, and I'llstand by you! He won't venture to be hard upon you; and besides, you'vedevised these excellent literary compositions; and I presume as HerMajesty has desired that you should move into the garden, his object isto give you a few words of advice; simply because he fears that youmight be up to pranks in those grounds. But to all he tells you, whatever you do, mind you acquiesce and it will be all right!"

And as she tried to compose him, she at the same time called two oldnurses and enjoined them to take Pao-yü over with due care, "And don'tlet his father, " she added, "frighten him!"

The old nurses expressed their obedience, and Pao-yü felt constrained towalk ahead; and with one step scarcely progressing three inches, heleisurely came over to this side. Strange coincidence Chia Cheng was inmadame Wang's apartments consulting with her upon some matter or other, and Chin Ch'uan-erh, Ts'ai Yun, Ts'ai Feng, Ts'ai Luan, Hsiu Feng andthe whole number of waiting-maids were all standing outside under theverandah. As soon as they caught sight of Pao-yü, they puckered up theirmouths and laughed at him; while Chin Ch'uan grasped Pao-yü with onehand, and remarked in a low tone of voice: "On these lips of mine hasjust been rubbed cosmetic, soaked with perfume, and are you now inclinedto lick it or not?" whereupon Ts'ai Yün pushed off Chin Ch'uan with oneshove, as she interposed laughingly, "A person's heart is at this momentin low spirits and do you still go on cracking jokes at him? But availyourself of this opportunity when master is in good cheer to make hasteand get in!"

Pao-yü had no help but to sidle against the door and walk in. Chia Chengand madame Wang were, in fact, both in the inner rooms, and dame Chouraised the portière. Pao-yü stepped in gingerly and perceived Chia Chengand madame Wang sitting opposite to each other, on the stove-couch, engaged in conversation; while below on a row of chairs sat Ying Ch'un, T'an Ch'un, Hsi Ch'un and Chia Huan; but though all four of them wereseated in there only T'an Ch'un, Hsi Ch'un and Chia Huan rose to theirfeet, as soon as they saw him make his appearance in the room; and whenChia Cheng raised his eyes and noticed Pao-yü standing in front of him, with a gait full of ease and with those winsome looks of his, socaptivating, he once again realised what a mean being Chia Huan was, andhow coarse his deportment. But suddenly he also bethought himself ofChia Chu, and as he reflected too that madame Wang had only this son ofher own flesh and blood, upon whom she ever doated as upon a gem, andthat his own beard had already begun to get hoary, the consequence wasthat he unwittingly stifled, well nigh entirely, the feeling of hatredand dislike, which, during the few recent years he had ordinarilyfostered towards Pao-yü. And after a long pause, "Her Majesty, " heobserved, "bade you day after day ramble about outside to disportyourself, with the result that you gradually became remiss and lazy; butnow her desire is that we should keep you under strict control, and thatin prosecuting your studies in the company of your cousins in thegarden, you should carefully exert your brains to learn; so that if youdon't again attend to your duties, and mind your regular tasks, you hadbetter be on your guard!" Pao-yü assented several consecutive yes's;whereupon madame Wang drew him by her side and made him sit down, andwhile his three cousins resumed the seats they previously occupied:"Have you finished all the pills you had been taking a short whileback?" madame Wang inquired, as she rubbed Pao-yü's neck. 

"There's still one pill remaining, " Pao-yü explained by way of reply. 

"You had better, " madame Wang added, "fetch ten more pills tomorrowmorning; and every day about bedtime tell Hsi Jen to give them to you;and when you've had one you can go to sleep!"

"Ever since you, mother, bade me take them, " Pao-yü rejoined, "Hsi Jenhas daily sent me one, when I was about to turn in. "

"Who's this called Hsi Jen?" Chia Chen thereupon ascertained. 

"She's a waiting-maid!" madame Wang answered. 

"A servant girl, " Chia Cheng remonstrated, "can be called by whatevername one chooses; anything is good enough; but who's it who has startedthis kind of pretentious name!"

Madame Wang noticed that Chia Cheng was not in a happy frame of mind, sothat she forthwith tried to screen matters for Pao-yü, by saying: "It'sour old lady who has originated it!"

"How can it possibly be, " Chia Cheng exclaimed, "that her ladyship knowsanything about such kind of language? It must, for a certainty, bePao-yü!"

Pao-yü perceiving that he could not conceal the truth from him, wasunder the necessity of standing up and of explaining; "As I have allalong read verses, I remembered the line written by an old poet:

 "What time the smell of flowers wafts itself into man, one knows the day is warm. 

"And as this waiting-maid's surname was Hua (flower), I readily gave herthe name, on the strength of this sentiment. "

"When you get back, " madame Wang speedily suggested addressing Pao-yü, "change it and have done; and you, sir, needn't lose your temper oversuch a trivial matter!"

"It doesn't really matter in the least, " Chia Cheng continued; "so thatthere's no necessity of changing it; but it's evident that Pao-yüdoesn't apply his mind to legitimate pursuits, but mainly devotes hisenergies to such voluptuous expressions and wanton verses!" And as hefinished these words, he abruptly shouted out: "You brute-like child ofretribution! Don't you yet get out of this?"

"Get away, off with you!" madame Wang in like manner hastened to urge;"our dowager lady is waiting, I fear, for you to have her repast!"

Pao-yü assented, and, with gentle step, he withdrew out of the room, laughing at Chin Ch'uan-erh, as he put out his tongue; and leading offthe two nurses, he went off on his way like a streak of smoke. But nosooner had he reached the door of the corridor than he espied Hsi Jenstanding leaning against the side; who perceiving Pao-yü come back safeand sound heaped smile upon smile, and asked: "What did he want youfor?"

"There was nothing much, " Pao-yü explained, "he simply feared that Iwould, when I get into the garden, be up to mischief, and he gave me allsorts of advice;" and, as while he explained matters, they came into thepresence of lady Chia, he gave her a clear account, from first to last, of what had transpired. But when he saw that Lin Tai-yü was at themoment in the room, Pao-yü speedily inquired of her: "Which place do youthink best to live in?"

Tai-yü had just been cogitating on this subject, so that when sheunexpectedly heard Pao-yü's inquiry, she forthwith rejoined with asmile: "My own idea is that the Hsio Hsiang Kuan is best; for I'm fondof those clusters of bamboos, which hide from view the tortuousbalustrade and make the place more secluded and peaceful than anyother!"

Pao-yü at these words clapped his hands and smiled. "That just meetswith my own views!" he remarked; "I too would like you to go and live inthere; and as I am to stay in the I Hung Yuan, we two will be, in thefirst place, near each other; and next, both in quiet and secludedspots. "

While the two of them were conversing, a servant came, sent over by ChiaCheng, to report to dowager lady Chia that: "The 22nd of the second moonwas a propitious day for Pao-yü and the young ladies to shift theirquarters into the garden; that during these few days, servants should besent in to put things in their proper places and to clean; that HsuehPao-ch'ai should put up in the Heng Wu court; that Lin Tai-yü was tolive in the Hsiao Hsiang lodge; that Chia Ying-ch'un should move intothe Cho Chin two-storied building; that T'an Ch'un should put up in theCh'iu Yen library; that Hsi Ch'un should take up her quarters in theLiao Feng house; that widow Li should live in the Tao Hsiang village, and that Pao-yü was to live in the I Hung court. That at every place twoold nurses should be added and four servant-girls; that exclusive of thenurse and personal waiting-maid of each, there should, in addition, beservants, whose special duties should be to put things straight and tosweep the place; and that on the 22nd, they should all, in a body, moveinto the garden. "

When this season drew near, the interior of the grounds, with theflowers waving like embroidered sashes, and the willows fanned by thefragrant breeze, was no more as desolate and silent as it had been inprevious days; but without indulging in any further irrelevant details, we shall now go back to Pao-yü. 

Ever since he shifted his quarters into the park, his heart was full ofjoy, and his mind of contentment, fostering none of those extraordinaryideas, whose tendency could be to give birth to longings and hankerings. Day after day, he simply indulged, in the company of his female cousinsand the waiting-maids, in either reading his books, or writingcharacters, or in thrumming the lute, playing chess, drawing picturesand scanning verses, even in drawing patterns of argus pheasants, inembroidering phoenixes, contesting with them in searching for strangeplants, and gathering flowers, in humming poetry with gentle tone, singing ballads with soft voice, dissecting characters, and in playingat mora, so that, being free to go everywhere and anywhere, he was ofcourse completely happy. From his pen emanate four ballads on the timesof the four seasons, which, although they could not be looked upon asfirst-rate, afford anyhow a correct idea of his sentiments, and a trueaccount of the scenery. 

The ballad on the spring night runs as follows:

 The silken curtains, thin as russet silk, at random are spread out. The croak of frogs from the adjoining lane but faintly strikes the ear. The pillow a slight chill pervades, for rain outside the window falls. The landscape, which now meets the eye, is like that seen in dreams by man. In plenteous streams the candles' tears do drop, but for whom do they weep? Each particle of grief felt by the flowers is due to anger against me. It's all because the maids have by indulgence indolent been made. The cover over me I'll pull, as I am loth to laugh and talk for long. 

This is the description of the aspect of nature on a summer night:

 The beauteous girl, weary of needlework, quiet is plunged in a long dream. The parrot in the golden cage doth shout that it is time the tea to brew. The lustrous windows with the musky moon like open palace-mirrors look; The room abounds with fumes of sandalwood and all kinds of imperial scents. From the cups made of amber is poured out the slippery dew from the lotus. The banisters of glass, the cool zephyr enjoy flapped by the willow trees. In the stream-spanning kiosk, the curtains everywhere all at one time do wave. In the vermilion tower the blinds the maidens roll, for they have made the night's toilette. 

The landscape of an autumnal evening is thus depicted:

 In the interior of the Chiang Yün house are hushed all clamorous din and noise. The sheen, which from Selene flows, pervades the windows of carnation gauze. The moss-locked, streaked rocks shelter afford to the cranes, plunged in sleep. The dew, blown on the t'ung tree by the well, doth wet the roosting rooks. Wrapped in a quilt, the maid comes the gold phoenix coverlet to spread. The girl, who on the rails did lean, on her return drops the kingfisher flowers! This quiet night his eyes in sleep he cannot close, as he doth long for wine. The smoke is stifled, and the fire restirred, when tea is ordered to be brewed. 

The picture of a winter night is in this strain:

 The sleep of the plum trees, the dream of the bamboos the third watch have already reached. Under the embroidered quilt and the kingfisher coverlet one can't sleep for the cold. The shadow of fir trees pervades the court, but cranes are all that meet the eye. Both far and wide the pear blossom covers the ground, but yet the hawk cannot be heard. The wish, verses to write, fostered by the damsel with the green sleeves, has waxéd cold. The master, with the gold sable pelisse, cannot endure much wine. But yet he doth rejoice that his attendant knows the way to brew the tea. The newly-fallen snow is swept what time for tea the water must be boiled. 

But putting aside Pao-yü, as he leisurely was occupied in scanning someverses, we will now allude to all these ballads. There lived, at thattime, a class of people, whose wont was to servilely court theinfluential and wealthy, and who, upon perceiving that the verses werecomposed by a young lad of the Jung Kuo mansion, of only twelve orthirteen years of age, had copies made, and taking them outside sangtheir praise far and wide. There were besides another sort oflight-headed young men, whose heart was so set upon licentious andseductive lines, that they even inscribed them on fans and screen-walls, and time and again kept on humming them and extolling them. And to theabove reasons must therefore be ascribed the fact that persons came insearch of stanzas and in quest of manuscripts, to apply for sketches andto beg for poetical compositions, to the increasing satisfaction ofPao-yü, who day after day, when at home, devoted his time and attentionto these extraneous matters. But who would have anticipated that hecould ever in his quiet seclusion have become a prey to a spirit ofrestlessness? Of a sudden, one day he began to feel discontent, findingfault with this and turning up his nose at that; and going in and comingout he was simply full of ennui. And as all the girls in the garden werejust in the prime of youth, and at a time of life when, artless andunaffected, they sat and reclined without regard to retirement, anddisported themselves and joked without heed, how could they ever havecome to read the secrets which at this time occupied a place in theheart of Pao-yü? But so unhappy was Pao-yü within himself that he soonfelt loth to stay in the garden, and took to gadding about outside likean evil spirit; but he behaved also the while in an idiotic manner. 

Ming Yen, upon seeing him go on in this way, felt prompted, with theidea of affording his mind some distraction, to think of this and todevise that expedient; but everything had been indulged in with surfeitby Pao-yü, and there was only this resource, (that suggested itself tohim, ) of which Pao-yü had not as yet had any experience. Bringing hisreflections to a close, he forthwith came over to a bookshop, andselecting novels, both of old and of the present age, traditionsintended for outside circulation on Fei Yen, Ho Te, Wu Tse-t'ien, andYang Kuei-fei, as well as books of light literature consisting ofstrange legends, he purchased a good number of them with the expresspurpose of enticing Pao-yü to read them. As soon as Pao-yü caught sightof them, he felt as if he had obtained some gem or jewel. "But youmustn't, " Ming Yen went on to enjoin him, "take them into the garden;for if any one were to come to know anything about them, I shall thensuffer more than I can bear; and you should, when you go along, hidethem in your clothes!"

But would Pao-yü agree to not introducing them into the garden? So aftermuch wavering, he picked out only several volumes of those whose stylewas more refined, and took them in, and threw them over the top of hisbed for him to peruse when no one was present; while those coarse andvery indecent ones, he concealed in a bundle in the outer library. 

On one day, which happened to be the middle decade of the third moon, Pao-yü, after breakfast, took a book, the "Hui Chen Chi, " in his handand walked as far as the bridge of the Hsin Fang lock. Seating himselfon a block of rock, that lay under the peach trees in that quarter, heopened the Hui Chen Chi and began to read it carefully from thebeginning. But just as he came to the passage: "the falling red(flowers) have formed a heap, " he felt a gust of wind blow through thetrees, bringing down a whole bushel of peach blossoms; and, as theyfell, his whole person, the entire surface of the book as well as alarge extent of ground were simply bestrewn with petals of the blossoms. Pao-yü was bent upon shaking them down; but as he feared lest theyshould be trodden under foot, he felt constrained to carry the petals inhis coat and walk to the bank of the pond and throw them into thestream. The petals floated on the surface of the water, and, afterwhirling and swaying here and there, they at length ran out by the HsinFang lock. But, on his return under the tree, he found the ground againone mass of petals, and Pao-yü was just hesitating what to do, when heheard some one behind his back inquire, "What are you up to here?" andas soon as Pao-yü turned his head round, he discovered that it was LinTai-yü, who had come over carrying on her shoulder a hoe for rakingflowers, that on this hoe was suspended a gauze-bag, and that in herhand she held a broom. 

"That's right, well done!" Pao-yü remarked smiling; "come and sweepthese flowers, and throw them into the water yonder. I've just thrown alot in there myself!"

"It isn't right, " Lin Tai-yü rejoined, "to throw them into the water. The water, which you see, is clean enough here, but as soon as it findsits way out, where are situated other people's grounds, what isn't therein it? so that you would be misusing these flowers just as much as ifyou left them here! But in that corner, I have dug a hole for flowers, and I'll now sweep these and put them into this gauze-bag and bury themin there; and, in course of many days, they will also become convertedinto earth, and won't this be a clean way (of disposing of them)?"

Pao-yü, after listening to these words, felt inexpressibly delighted. "Wait!" he smiled, "until I put down my book, and I'll help you to clearthem up!"

"What's the book?" Tai-yü inquired. 

Pao-yü at this question was so taken aback that he had no time toconceal it. "It's, " he replied hastily, "the Chung Yung and the TaHsüeh!"

"Are you going again to play the fool with me? Be quick and give it tome to see; and this will be ever so much better a way!"

"Cousin, " Pao-yü replied, "as far as you yourself are concerned I don'tmind you, but after you've seen it, please don't tell any one else. It'sreally written in beautiful style; and were you to once begin readingit, why even for your very rice you wouldn't have a thought?"

As he spoke, he handed it to her; and Tai-yü deposited all the flowerson the ground, took over the book, and read it from the very first page;and the more she perused it, she got so much the more fascinated by it, that in no time she had finished reading sixteen whole chapters. Butaroused as she was to a state of rapture by the diction, what remainedeven of the fascination was enough to overpower her senses; and thoughshe had finished reading, she nevertheless continued in a state ofabstraction, and still kept on gently recalling the text to mind, andhumming it to herself. 

"Cousin, tell me is it nice or not?" Pao-yü grinned. 

"It is indeed full of zest!" Lin Tai-yü replied exultingly. 

"I'm that very sad and very sickly person, " Pao-yü explained laughing, "while you are that beauty who could subvert the empire and overthrowthe city. "

Lin Tai-yü became, at these words, unconsciously crimson all over hercheeks, even up to her very ears; and raising, at the same moment, hertwo eyebrows, which seemed to knit and yet not to knit, and opening widethose eyes, which seemed to stare and yet not to stare, while herpeach-like cheeks bore an angry look and on her thin-skinned face lurkeddispleasure, she pointed at Pao-yü and exclaimed: "You do deserve death, for the rubbish you talk! without any provocation you bring up theselicentious expressions and wanton ballads to give vent to all thisinsolent rot, in order to insult me; but I'll go and tell uncle andaunt. "

As soon as she pronounced the two words "insult me, " her eyeballs atonce were suffused with purple, and turning herself round she there andthen walked away; which filled Pao-yü with so much distress that hejumped forward to impede her progress, as he pleaded: "My dear cousin, Iearnestly entreat you to spare me this time! I've indeed said what Ishouldn't; but if I had any intention to insult you, I'll throw myselfto-morrow into the pond, and let the scabby-headed turtle eat me up, sothat I become transformed into a large tortoise. And when you shall haveby and by become the consort of an officer of the first degree, and youshall have fallen ill from old age and returned to the west, I'll cometo your tomb and bear your stone tablet for ever on my back!"

As he uttered these words, Lin Tai-yü burst out laughing with a sound of"pu ch'ih, " and rubbing her eyes, she sneeringly remarked: "I too cancome out with this same tune; but will you now still go on talkingnonsense? Pshaw! you're, in very truth, like a spear-head, (which looks)like silver, (but is really soft as) wax!"

"Go on, go on!" Pao-yü smiled after this remark; "and what you've said, I too will go and tell!"

"You maintain, " Lin Tai-yü rejoined sarcastically, "that after glancingat anything you're able to recite it; and do you mean to say that Ican't even do so much as take in ten lines with one gaze?"

Pao-yü smiled and put his book away, urging: "Let's do what's right andproper, and at once take the flowers and bury them; and don't let usallude to these things!"

Forthwith the two of them gathered the fallen blossoms; but no soonerhad they interred them properly than they espied Hsi Jen coming, whowent on to observe: "Where haven't I looked for you? What! have youfound your way as far as this! But our senior master, Mr. Chia She, overthere isn't well; and the young ladies have all gone over to pay theirrespects, and our old lady has asked that you should be sent over; so goback at once and change your clothes!"

When Pao-yü heard what she said, he hastily picked up his books, andsaying good bye to Tai-yü, he came along with Hsi Jen, back into hisroom, where we will leave him to effect the necessary change in hiscostume. But during this while, Lin Tai-yü was, after having seen Pao-yüwalk away, and heard that all her cousins were likewise not in theirrooms, wending her way back alone, in a dull and dejected mood, towardsher apartment, when upon reaching the outside corner of the wall of thePear Fragrance court, she caught, issuing from inside the walls, theharmonious strains of the fife and the melodious modulations of voicessinging. Lin Tai-yü readily knew that it was the twelve singing-girlsrehearsing a play; and though she did not give her mind to go andlisten, yet a couple of lines were of a sudden blown into her ears, andwith such clearness, that even one word did not escape. Their burden wasthis:

 These troth are beauteous purple and fine carmine flowers, which in this way all round do bloom, And all together lie ensconced along the broken well, and the dilapidated wall!

But the moment Lin Tai-yü heard these lines, she was, in fact, sointensely affected and agitated that she at once halted and lending anear listened attentively to what they went on to sing, which ran thus:

 A glorious day this is, and pretty scene, but sad I feel at heart! Contentment and pleasure are to be found in whose family courts?

After overhearing these two lines, she unconsciously nodded her head, and sighed, and mused in her own mind. "Really, " she thought, "there isfine diction even in plays! but unfortunately what men in this worldsimply know is to see a play, and they don't seem to be able to enjoythe beauties contained in them. "

At the conclusion of this train of thought, she experienced again asting of regret, (as she fancied) she should not have given way to suchidle thoughts and missed attending to the ballads; but when she oncemore came to listen, the song, by some coincidence, went on thus:

 It's all because thy loveliness is like a flower and like the comely spring, That years roll swiftly by just like a running stream. 

When this couplet struck Tai-yu's ear, her heart felt suddenly a prey toexcitement and her soul to emotion; and upon further hearing the words:

 Alone you sit in the secluded inner rooms to self-compassion giving way. 

--and other such lines, she became still more as if inebriated, and likeas if out of her head, and unable to stand on her feet, she speedilystooped her body, and, taking a seat on a block of stone, she minutelypondered over the rich beauty of the eight characters:

 It's all because thy loveliness is like a flower and like the comely spring, That years roll swiftly by just like a running stream. 

Of a sudden, she likewise bethought herself of the line:

 Water flows away and flowers decay, for both no feelings have. 

--which she had read some days back in a poem of an ancient writer, andalso of the passage:

 When on the running stream the flowers do fall, spring then is past and gone;

--and of:

 Heaven (differs from) the human race, --which also appeared in that work; and besides these, the lines, whichshe had a short while back read in the Hsi Hiang Chi:

 The flowers, lo, fall, and on their course the waters red do flow! Petty misfortunes of ten thousand kinds (my heart assail!)

both simultaneously flashed through her memory; and, collating them alltogether, she meditated on them minutely, until suddenly her heart wasstricken with pain and her soul fleeted away, while from her eyestrickled down drops of tears. But while nothing could dispel her presentstate of mind, she unexpectedly realised that some one from behind gaveher a tap; and, turning her head round to look, she found that it was ayoung girl; but who it was, the next chapter will make known. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

 The drunken Chin Kang makes light of lucre and shows a preference for generosity. The foolish girl mislays her handkerchief and arouses mutual thoughts. 

But to return to our narrative. Lin Tai-yü's sentimental reflectionswere the while reeling and ravelling in an intricate maze, whenunexpectedly some one from behind gave her a tap, saying: "What are youup to all alone here?" which took Lin Tai-yu so much by surprise thatshe gave a start, and turning her head round to look and noticing thatit was Hsiang Ling and no one else; "You stupid girl!" Lin Tai-yüreplied, "you've given me such a fright! But where do you come from atthis time?"

Hsiang Ling giggled and smirked. "I've come, " she added, "in search ofour young lady, but I can't find her anywhere. But your Tzu Chuan isalso looking after you; and she says that lady Secunda has sent apresent to you of some tea. But you had better go back home and sitdown. "

As she spoke, she took Tai-yü by the hand, and they came along back tothe Hsiao Hsiang Kuan; where lady Feng had indeed sent her two smallcatties of a new season tea, of superior quality. But Lin Tai-yü satdown, in company with Hsiang Ling, and began to converse on the meritsof this tapestry and the fineness of that embroidery; and after they hadalso had a game at chess, and read a few sentences out of a book, HsiangLing took her departure. But we need not speak of either of them, butreturn now to Pao-yü. Having been found, and brought back home, by HsiJen, he discovered Yuan Yang reclining on the bed, in the act ofexamining Hsi Jen's needlework; but when she perceived Pao-yü arrive, she forthwith remarked: "Where have you been? her venerable ladyship iswaiting for you to tell you to go over and pay your obeisance to ourSenior master, and don't you still make haste to go and change yourclothes and be off!"

Hsi Jen at once walked into the room to fetch his clothes, and Pao-yüsat on the edge of the bed, and pushed his shoes off with his toes; and, while waiting for his boots to put them on, he turned round andperceiving that Yüan Yang, who was clad in a light red silk jacket and agreen satin waistcoat, and girdled with a white crepe sash, had her faceturned the other way, and her head lowered giving her attention to thecriticism of the needlework, while round her neck she wore a collar withembroidery, Pao-yü readily pressed his face against the nape of herneck, and as he sniffed the perfume about it, he did not stay his handfrom stroking her neck, which in whiteness and smoothness was not belowthat of Hsi Jen; and as he approached her, "My dear girl, " he saidsmiling and with a drivelling face, "do let me lick the cosmetic offyour mouth!" clinging to her person, as he uttered these words, liketwisted sweetmeat. 

"Hsi Jen!" cried Yüan Yang at once, "come out and see! You've been withhim a whole lifetime, and don't you give him any advice; but let himstill behave in this fashion!" Whereupon, Hsi Jen walked out, claspingthe clothes, and turning to Pao-yü, she observed, "I advise you in thisway and it's no good, I advise you in that way and you don't mend; andwhat do you mean to do after all? But if you again behave like this, itwill then, in fact, be impossible for me to live any longer in thisplace!"

As she tendered these words of counsel, she urged him to put his clotheson, and, after he had changed, he betook himself, along with Yuan Yang, to the front part of the mansion, and bade good-bye to dowager ladyChia; after which he went outside, where the attendants and horses wereall in readiness; but when he was about to mount his steed, he perceivedChia Lien back from his visit and in the act of dismounting; and as thetwo of them stood face to face, and mutually exchanged some inquiries, they saw some one come round from the side, and say: "My respects toyou, uncle Pao-yü!"

When Pao-yü came to look at him, he noticed that this person had anoblong face, that his body was tall and lanky, that his age was onlyeighteen or nineteen, and that he possessed, in real truth, an air ofrefinement and elegance; but though his features were, after all, exceedingly familiar, he could not recall to mind to what branch of thefamily he belonged, and what his name was. 

"What are you staring vacantly for?" Chia Lien inquired laughing. 

"Don't you even recognise him? He's Yün Erh, the son of our fifthsister-in-law, who lives in the back court!"

"Of course!" Pao-yü assented complacently. "How is it that I hadforgotten just now!" And having gone on to ask how his mother was, andwhat work he had to do at present; "I've come in search of uncleSecundus, to tell him something, " Chia Yün replied, as he pointed atChia Lien. 

"You've really improved vastly from what you were before, " added Pao-yüsmiling; "you verily look just is if you were my son!"

"How very barefaced!" Chia Lien exclaimed as he burst out laughing;"here's a person four or five years your senior to be made your son!"

"How far are you in your teens this year?" Pao-yü inquired with a smile. 

"Eighteen!" Chia Yün rejoined. 

This Chia Yün was, in real deed, sharp and quick-witted; and when heheard Pao-yü remark that he looked like his son, he readily gave asarcastic smile and observed, "The proverb is true which says, 'thegrandfather is rocked in the cradle while the grandson leans on astaff. ' But though old enough in years, I'm nevertheless like amountain, which, in spite of its height, cannot screen the sun fromview. Besides, since my father's death, I've had no one to look afterme, and were you, uncle Pao, not to disdain your doltish nephew, and toacknowledge me as your son, it would be your nephew's good fortune!"

"Have you heard what he said?" Chia Lien interposed cynically. "But toacknowledge him as a son is no easy question to settle!" and with thesewords, he walked in; whereupon Pao-yü smilingly said: "To-morrow whenyou have nothing to do, just come and look me up; but don't go and playany devilish pranks with them! I've just now no leisure, so cometo-morrow, into the library, where I'll have a chat with you for a wholeday, and take you into the garden for some fun!"

With this remark still on his lips, he laid hold of the saddle andmounted his horse; and, followed by the whole bevy of pages, he crossedover to Chia She's on this side; where having discovered that Chia Shehad nothing more the matter with him than a chill which he had suddenlycontracted, he commenced by delivering dowager lady Chia's message, andnext paid his own obeisance. Chia She, at first, stood up and madesuitable answer to her venerable ladyship's inquiries, and then callinga servant, "Take the gentleman, " he said, "into my lady's apartment tosit down. "

Pao-yü withdrew out of the room, and came by the back to the upperapartment; and as soon as madame Hsing caught sight of him, she, beforeeverything else, rose to her feet and asked after old lady Chia'shealth; after which, Pao-yü made his own salutation, and madame Hsingdrew him on to the stove-couch, where she induced him to take a seat, and eventually inquired after the other inmates, and also gave orders toserve the tea. But scarcely had they had tea, before they perceived ChiaTsung come in to pay his respects to Pao-yü. 

"Where could one find such a living monkey as this!" madame Hsingremarked; "is that nurse of yours dead and gone that she doesn't evenkeep you clean and tidy, and that she lets you go about with thoseeyebrows of yours so black and that mouth so filthy! you scarcely looklike the child of a great family of scholars. "

While she spoke, she perceived both Chia Huan and Chia Lan, one of whomwas a young uncle and the other his nephew, also advance and presenttheir compliments, and madame Hsing bade the two of them sit down on thechairs. But when Chia Huan noticed that Pao-yü sat on the same rug withmadame Hsing, and that her ladyship was further caressing and pettinghim in every possible manner, he soon felt so very unhappy at heart, that, after sitting for a short time, he forthwith made a sign to ChiaLan that he would like to go; and as Chia Lan could not but humour him, they both got up together to take their leave. But when Pao-yü perceivedthem rise, he too felt a wish to go back along with them, but madameHsing remarked smilingly, "You had better sit a while as I've somethingmore to tell you, " so that Pao-yü had no alternative but to stay. "Whenyou get back, " madame Hsing added, addressing the other two, "present, each one of you, my regards to your respective mothers. The youngladies, your cousins, are all here making such a row that my head isdazed, so that I won't to-day keep you to have your repast here. " Towhich Chia Huan and Chia Lan assented and quickly walked out. 

"If it be really the case that all my cousins have come over, " Pao-yüventured with a smirk, "how is it that I don't see them?"

"After sitting here for a while, " madame Hsing explained, "they all wentat the back; but in what rooms they have gone, I don't know. "

"My senior aunt, you said you had something to tell me, Pao-yü observed;what's it, I wonder?"

"What can there possibly be to tell you?" madame Hsing laughed; "it wassimply to make you wait and have your repast with the young ladies andthen go; but there's also a fine plaything that I'll give you to takeback to amuse yourself with. "

These two, the aunt and her nephew, were going on with their colloquywhen, much to their surprise, it was time for dinner and the youngladies were all invited to come. The tables and chairs were put in theirplaces, and the cups and plates were arranged in proper order; and, after the mother, her daughter and the cousins had finished their meal, Pao-yü bade good-bye to Chia She and returned home in company with allthe young ladies; and when they had said good-night to dowager ladyChia, madame Wang and the others, they each went back into their roomsand retired to rest; where we shall leave them without any furthercomment and speak of Chia Yün's visit to the mansion. As soon as he sawChia Lien, he inquired what business it was that had turned up, and ChiaLien consequently explained: "The other day something did actuallypresent itself, but as it happened that your aunt had again and againentreated me, I gave it to Chia Ch'in; as she promised me that therewould be by and by in the garden several other spots where flowers andtrees would be planted; and that when this job did occur, she would, fora certainty, give it to you and finish!"

Chia Yün, upon hearing these words, suggested after a short pause; "Ifthat be so, there's nothing for me to do than to wait; but, uncle, youtoo mustn't make any allusion beforehand in the presence of aunt to myhaving come to-day to make any inquiries; for there will really be ampletime to speak to her when the job turns up!"

"Why should I allude to it?" Chia Lien rejoined. "Have I forsooth gotall this leisure to talk of irrelevant matters! But to-morrow, besides, I've got to go as far as Hsing Yi for a turn, and it's absolutelynecessary that I should hurriedly come back the very same day; so offwith you now and go and wait; and the day after to-morrow, after thewatch has been set, come and ask for news; but mind at any earlier hour, I shan't have any leisure!" With these words, he hastily went at theback to change his clothes. And from the time Chia Yun put his foot outof the door of the Jung Kuo mansion, he was, the whole way homeward, plunged in deep thought; but having bethought himself of some expedient, he straightway wended his steps towards the house of his maternal uncle, Pu Shih-jen. This Pu Shih-jen, it must be explained, kept, at thepresent date, a shop for the sale of spices. He had just returned homefrom his shop, and as soon as he noticed Chia Yun, he inquired of himwhat business brought him there. 

"There's something, " Chia Yun replied, "in which I would like to craveyour assistance, uncle; I'm in need of some baroos camphor and musk, soplease, uncle, give me on credit four ounces of each kind, and on thefestival of the eighth moon, I'll bring you the amount in full. "

Pu Shih-jen gave a sardonic smile. "Don't, " he said, "again allude toany such thing as selling on tick! Some time back a partner in ourestablishment got several ounces of goods for his relatives on credit, and up to this date the bill hasn't as yet been settled; the resultbeing that we've all had to make the amount good, so that we've enteredinto an agreement that we should no more allow any one to obtain on tickanything on behalf of either relative or friend, and that whoever actedcontrary to this resolution should be, at once, fined twenty taels, withwhich to stand a treat. Besides, the stock of these articles is nowshort, and were you also to come, with ready money to this our mean shopto buy any, we wouldn't even have as much to give you. The best waytherefore is for you to go elsewhere. This is one side of the question;for on the other, you can't have anything above-board in view; and wereyou to obtain what you want as a loan you would again go and play thegiddy dog! But you'll simply say that on every occasion your uncle seesyou, he avails himself of it to find fault with you, but a young fellowlike you doesn't know what's good and what is bad; and you should, besides, make up your mind to earn a few cash, wherewith to clothe andfeed yourself, so that, when I see you, I too may rejoice!"

"What you, uncle, say, " Chia Yun rejoined smiling, "is perfectly right;the only thing is that at the time of my father's death, I was likewiseso young in years that I couldn't understand anything; but later on, Iheard my mother explain how that for everything, it was lucky that you, after all, my uncles, went over to our house and devised the ways andmeans, and managed the funeral; and is it likely you, uncle, aren'taware of these things? Besides, have I forsooth had a single acre ofland or a couple of houses, the value of which I've run through as soonas it came into my hands? An ingenious wife cannot make boiled ricewithout raw rice; and what would you have me do? It's your good fortunehowever that you've got to deal with one such as I am, for had it beenany one else barefaced and shameless, he would have come, twice everythree days, to worry you, uncle, by asking for two pints of rice and twoof beans, and you then, uncle, would have had no help for it. "

"My dear child, " Pu Shih-jen exclaimed, "had I anything that I couldcall my own, your uncle as I am, wouldn't I feel bound to do somethingfor you? I've day after day mentioned to your aunt that the misfortunewas that you had no resources. But should you ever succeed in making upyour mind, you should go into that mighty household of yours, and whenthe gentlemen aren't looking, forthwith pocket your pride and hobnobwith those managers, or possibly with the butlers, as you may, eventhrough them, be able to get some charge or other! The other day, when Iwas out of town, I came across that old Quartus of the third branch ofthe family, astride of a tall donkey, at the head of four or fivecarriages, in which were about forty to fifty bonzes and Taoist priestson their way to the family fane, and that man can't lack brains, forsuch a charge to have fallen to his share!"

Chia Yün, upon hearing these words, indulged in a long and revoltingrigmarole, and then got up to take his leave. 

"What are you in such a hurry for?" Pu Shih-jen remarked. "Have yourmeal and then go!"

But this remark was scarcely ended when they heard his wife say: "Areyou again in the clouds? When I heard that there was no rice, I boughthalf a catty of dry rice paste, and brought it here for you to eat; anddo you pray now still put on the airs of a well-to-do, and keep yournephew to feel the pangs of hunger?"

"Well, then, buy half a catty more, and add to what there is, that'sall, " Pu Shih-jen continued; whereupon her mother explained to herdaughter, Yin Chieh, "Go over to Mrs. Wang's opposite, and ask her ifshe has any cash, to lend us twenty or thirty of them; and to-morrow, when they're brought over, we'll repay her. "

But while the husband and wife were carrying on this conversation, ChiaYün had, at an early period, repeated several times: "There's no need togo to this trouble, " and off he went, leaving no trace or shadow behind. But without passing any further remarks on the husband and wife of thePu family, we will now confine ourselves to Chia Yün. Having gone inhigh dudgeon out of the door of his uncle's house, he started straighton his way back home; but while distressed in mind, and preoccupied withhis thoughts, he paced on with drooping head, he unexpectedly came intocollision with a drunken fellow, who gripped Chia Yün, and began toabuse him, crying: "Are your eyes gone blind, that you come bang againstme?"

The tone of voice, when it reached Chia Yün ears, sounded like that ofsome one with whom he was intimate; and, on careful scrutiny, he found, in fact, that it was his next-door neighbour, Ni Erh. This Ni Erh was adissolute knave, whose only idea was to give out money at heavy rates ofinterest and to have his meals in the gambling dens. His sole delightwas to drink and to fight. 

He was, at this very moment, coming back home from the house of acreditor, whom he had dunned, and was already far gone with drink, sothat when, at an unforeseen moment, Chia Yün ran against him, he meantthere and then to start a scuffle with him. 

"Old Erh!" Chia Yün shouted, "stay your hand; it's I who have hustledagainst you. "

As soon as Ni Erh heard the tone of his voice, he opened wide hisdrunken eyes and gave him a look; and realising that it was Chia Yün, hehastened to loosen his grasp and to remark with a smile, as he staggeredabout, "Is it you indeed, master Chia Secundus? where were you off tonow?"

"I couldn't tell you!" Chia Yün rejoined; "I've again broughtdispleasure upon me, and all through no fault of mine. "

"Never mind!" urged Ni Erh, "if you're in any trouble you just tell me, and I'll give vent to your spite for you; for in these three streets, and six lanes, no matter who may give offence to any neighbours of mine, of me, Ni Erh, the drunken Chin Kang, I'll wager that I compel thatman's family to disperse, and his home to break up!"

"Old Ni, don't lose your temper, " Chia Yün protested, "but listen andlet me tell you what happened!" After which, he went on to tell Ni Erhthe whole affair with Pu Shih-jen. As soon as Ni Erh heard him, he gotinto a frightful rage; "Were he not, " he shouted, a "relative of yours, master Secundus, I would readily give him a bit of my mind! Reallyresentment will stifle my breath! but never mind! you needn't howeverdistress yourself. I've got here a few taels ready at hand, which, ifyou require, don't scruple to take; and from such good neighbours as youare, I won't ask any interest upon this money. "

With this remark still on his lips, he produced from his pouch a bundleof silver. 

"Ni Erh has, it is true, ever been a rogue, " Chia Yün reflected in hisown mind, "but as he is regulated in his dealings by a due regard topersons, he enjoys, to a great degree, the reputation of generosity; andwere I to-day not to accept this favour of his, he'll, I fear, be put toshame; and it won't contrariwise be nice on my part! and isn't it betterthat I should make use of his money, and by and by I can repay himdouble, and things will be all right!"

"Old Erh, " he therefore observed aloud with a smile, "you're really afine fellow, and as you've shown me such eminent consideration, how canI presume not to accept your offer! On my return home, I'll write thecustomary I. O. U. , and send it to you, and all will be in order. "

Ni Erh gave a broad grin. "It's only fifteen taels and three mace, " heanswered, "and if you insist upon writing an I. O. U. , I won't then lendit to you!"

Chia Yün at these words, took over the money, smiling the while. "I'llreadily, " he retorted, "comply with your wishes and have done; forwhat's the use of exasperating you!"

"Well then that will be all right!" Ni Erh laughed; "but the day isgetting dark; and I shan't ask you to have a cup of tea or stand you adrink, for I've some small things more to settle. As for me, I'm goingover there, but you, after all, should please wend your way homewards;and I shall also request you to take a message for me to my people. Tellthem to close the doors and turn in, as I'm not returning home; and thatin the event of anything occurring, to bid our daughter come overto-morrow, as soon as it is daylight, to short-legged Wang's house, thehorse-dealer's, in search of me!" And as he uttered this remark hewalked away, stumbling and hobbling along. But we will leave him withoutfurther notice and allude to Chia Yün. 

He had, at quite an unexpected juncture, met this piece of luck, so thathis heart was, of course, delighted to the utmost degree. "This Ni Erh, "he mused, "is really a good enough sort of fellow, but what I dread isthat he may have been open-handed in his fit of drunkenness, and that hemayn't, by and by, ask for his money to be paid twice over; and whatwill I do then? Never mind, " he suddenly went on to ponder, "when thatjob has become an accomplished fact, I shall even have the means to payhim back double the original amount. "

Prompted by this resolution, he came over to a money-shop, and when hehad the silver weighed, and no discrepancy was discovered in the weight, he was still more elated at heart; and on his way back, he first andforemost delivered Ni Erh's message to his wife, and then returned tohis own home, where he found his mother seated all alone on astove-couch spinning thread. As soon as she saw him enter, she inquiredwhere he had been the whole day long, in reply to which Chia Yün, fearing lest his parent should be angry, forthwith made no allusion towhat transpired with Pu Shih-jen, but simply explained that he had beenin the western mansion, waiting for his uncle Secundus, Lien. This over, he asked his mother whether she had had her meal or not, and his parentsaid by way of reply: "I've had it, but I've kept something for you inthere, " and calling to the servant-maid, she bade her bring it round, and set it before him to eat. But as it was already dark, when the lampshad to be lit, Chia Yün, after partaking of his meal, got ready andturned in. 

Nothing of any notice transpired the whole night; but the next day, assoon it was dawn, he got up, washed his face, and came to the mainstreet, outside the south gate, and purchasing some musk from aperfumery shop, he, with rapid stride, entered the Jung Kuo mansion; andhaving, as a result of his inquiries, found out that Chia Lien had goneout of doors, Chia Yün readily betook himself to the back, in front ofthe door of Chia Lien's court, where he saw several servant-lads, withimmense brooms in their hands, engaged in that place in sweeping thecourt. But as he suddenly caught sight of Chou Jui's wife appear outsidethe door, and call out to the young boys; "Don't sweep now, our lady iscoming out, " Chia Yün eagerly walked up to her and inquired, with a facebeaming with smiles: "Where's aunt Secunda going to?"

To this inquiry, Chou Jui's wife explained: "Our old lady has sent forher, and I expect, it must be for her to cut some piece of cloth orother. " But while she yet spoke, they perceived a whole bevy of people, pressing round lady Feng, as she egressed from the apartment. 

Chia Yün was perfectly aware that lady Feng took pleasure in flattery, and delighted in display, so that hastily dropping his arms, he with allreverence, thrust himself forward and paid his respects to her. But ladyFeng did not even so much as turn to look at him with straight eyes; butcontinued, as hitherto, her way onwards, simply confining herself toascertaining whether his mother was all right, and adding: "How is itthat she doesn't come to our house for a stroll?"

"The thing is, " Chia Yün replied, "that she's not well: she, however, often thinks fondly of you, aunt, and longs to see you; but as forcoming round, she's quite unable to do so. "

"You have, indeed, the knack of telling lies!" lady Feng laughed withirony; "for hadn't I alluded to her, she would never have thought ofme!"

"Isn't your nephew afraid, " Chia Yün protested smilingly, "of beingblasted by lightning to have the audacity of telling lies in thepresence of an elder! Even so late as yesterday evening, she alluded toyou, aunt! 'Though naturally, ' she said, 'of a weak constitution, youhad, however, plenty to attend to! that it's thanks to your supremelyeminent energies, aunt, that you're, after all, able to manageeverything in such a perfect manner; and that had you ever made theslightest slip, there would have long ago crept up, goodness knows, whattroubles!'"

As soon as lady Feng heard these words, her whole face beamed withsmiles, and she unconsciously halted her steps, while she proceeded toask: "How is it that, both your mother and yourself, tattle about mebehind my back, without rhyme or reason?"

"There's a reason for it, " Chia Yün observed, "which is simply this. I've an excellent friend with considerable money of his own at home, whorecently kept a perfumery shop; but as he obtained, by purchase, therank of deputy sub-prefect, he was, the other day, selected for a postin Yunnan, in some prefecture or other unknown to me; whither he hasgone together with his family. He even closed this shop of his, andforthwith collecting all his wares, he gave away, what he could giveaway, and what he had to sell at a discount, was sold at a loss; whilesuch valuable articles, as these, were all presented to relatives orfriends; and that's why it is that I came in for some baroos camphor andmusk. But I at the time, deliberated with my mother that to sell thembelow their price would be a pity, and that if we wished to give them asa present to any one, there was no one good enough to use such perfumes. But remembering how you, aunt, had all along in years gone by, even tothis day, to spend large bundles of silver, in purchasing such articles, and how, not to speak of this year with an imperial consort in thePalace, what's even required for this dragon boat festival, will alsonecessitate the addition of hundred times as much as the quantity ofprevious years, I therefore present them to you, aunt, as a token of myesteem!"

With these words still on his lips, he simultaneously produced anornamented box, which he handed over to her. And as lady Feng was, atthis time, making preparations for presents for the occasion of thedragon boat festival, for which perfumes were obligatory, she, with allpromptitude, directed Feng Erh: "Receive Mr. Yün's present and take ithome and hand it over to P'ing Erh. To one, " she consequently added, "who seems to me so full of discrimination, it isn't a wonder that youruncle is repeatedly alluding, and that he speaks highly of you; how thatyou talk with all intelligence and that you have experience stored up inyour mind. "

Chia Yün upon hearing this propitious language, hastily drew near onestep, and designedly asked: "Does really uncle often refer to me?"

The moment lady Feng caught this question, she was at once inclined totell him all about the charge to be entrusted to him, but on secondthought, she again felt apprehensive lest she should be looked lightlyupon by him, by simply insinuating that she had promptly and needlesslypromised him something to do, so soon as she got a little scented ware;and this consideration urged her to once more restrain her tongue, sothat she never made the slightest reference even to so much as one wordabout his having been chosen to look after the works of planting theflowers and trees. And after confining herself to making the first fewirrelevant remarks which came to her lips, she hastily betook herselfinto dowager lady Chia's apartments. 

Chia Yün himself did not feel as if he could very well advert to thesubject, with the result that he had no alternative but to retrace hissteps homewards. But as when he had seen Pao-yü the previous day, he hadasked him to go into the outer library and wait for him, he thereforefinished his meal and then once again entered the mansion and came overinto the I Hsia study, situated outside the ceremonial gate, over at oldlady Chia's part of the compound, where he discovered the two lads MingYen, whose name had been changed into Pei Ming, and Chu Yo playing atchess, and just arguing about the capture of a castle; and besides them, Yin Ch'uan, Sao Hua, T'iao Yün, Pan Ho, these four or five of them, upto larks, stealing the young birds from the nests under the eaves of thehouse. 

As soon as Chia Yün entered the court, he stamped his foot and shouted, "The monkeys are up to mischief! Here I am, I've come;" and when thecompany of servant-boys perceived him, they one and all promptlydispersed; while Chia Yün walked into the library, and seating himselfat once in a chair, he inquired, "Has your master Secundus, Mr. Pao, come down?"

"He hasn't been down here at all to-day, " Pei Ming replied, "but if you, Mr. Secundus, have anything to tell him, I'll go and see what he's up tofor you. "

Saying this he there and then left the room; and Chia Yün meanwhile gavehimself to the inspection of the pictures and nicknacks. But someconsiderable time elapsed, and yet he did not see him arrive; andnoticing besides that the other lads had all gone to romp, he was justplunged in a state of despondency, when he heard outside the door avoice cry out, with winning tone, and tender accents: "My elderbrother!"

Chia Yün looked out, and saw that it was a servant-maid of fifteen orsixteen, who was indeed extremely winsome and spruce. As soon however asthe maid caught a glimpse of Chia Yün, she speedily turned herself roundand withdrew out of sight. But, as luck would have it, it happened thatPei Ming was coming along, and seeing the servant-maid in front of thedoor, he observed: "Welcome, welcome! I was quite at a loss how to getany news of Pao-yü. " And as Chia Yün discerned Pei Ming, he hastily too, ran out in pursuit of him, and ascertained what was up; whereupon PeiMing returned for answer: "I waited a whole day long, and not a singlesoul came over; but this girl is attached to master Secundus' (Mr. Pao's) rooms!" and, "My dear girl, " he consequently went on to say, "goin and take a message. Say that Mr. Secundus, who lives under theportico, has come!"

The servant-maid, upon hearing these words, knew at once that he was ayoung gentleman belonging to the family in which she served, and she didnot skulk out of sight, as she had done in the first instance; but witha gaze sufficient to kill, she fixed her two eyes upon Chia Yün, whenshe heard Chia Yün interpose: "What about over the portico and under theportico; you just tell him that Yün Erh is come, that's all. "

After a while this girl gave a sarcastic smile. "My idea is, " sheventured, "that you, master Secundus, should really, if it so pleaseyou, go back, and come again to-morrow; and to-night, if I find time, I'll just put in a word with him!"

"What's this that you're driving at?" Pei Ming then shouted. 

And the maid rejoined: "He's not even had a siesta to-day, so that he'llhave his dinner at an early hour, and won't come down again in theevening; and is it likely that you would have master Secundus wait hereand suffer hunger? and isn't it better than he should return home? Theright thing is that he should come to-morrow; for were even by and bysome one to turn up, who could take a message, that person would simplyacquiesce with the lips, but would he be willing to deliver the messagein for you?"

Chia Yün, upon finding how concise and yet how well expressed thisgirl's remarks had been, was bent upon inquiring what her name was; butas she was a maid employed in Pao-yü's apartments, he did not thereforefeel justified in asking the question, and he had no other course but toadd, "What you say is quite right, I'll come to-morrow!" and as hespoke, he there and then was making his way outside, when Pei Mingremarked: "I'll go and pour a cup of tea; and master Secundus, have yourtea and then go. "

Chia Yün turned his head round, as he kept on his way, and said by wayof rejoinder: "I won't have any tea; for I've besides something more toattend to!" and while with his lips he uttered these words, he, with hiseyes, stared at the servant-girl, who was still standing in there. 

Chia Yün wended his steps straightway home; and the next day, he came tothe front entrance, where, by a strange coincidence, he met lady Feng onher way to the opposite side to pay her respects. She had just mountedher carriage, but perceiving Chia Yün arrive, she eagerly bade a servantstop him, and, with the window between them, she smiled and observed:"Yün Erh, you're indeed bold in playing your pranks with me! I thoughtit strange that you should give me presents; but the fact is you had afavour to ask of me; and your uncle told me even yesterday that you hadappealed to him!"

Chia Yün smiled. "Of my appeal to uncle, you needn't, aunt, make anymention; for I'm at this moment full of regret at having made it. Had Iknown, at an early hour, that things would have come to this pass, Iwould, from the very first, have made my request to you, aunt; and bythis time everything would have been settled long ago! But who wouldhave anticipated that uncle was, after all, a man of no worth!"

"Strange enough, " lady Feng remarked sneeringly, "when you found thatyou didn't succeed in that quarter, you came again yesterday in searchof me!"

"Aunt, you do my filial heart an injustice, " Chia Yün protested; "Inever had such a thought; had I entertained any such idea, wouldn't I, aunt, have made my appeal to you yesterday? But as you are now aware ofeverything, I'll really put uncle on one side, and prefer my request toyou; for circumstances compel me to entreat you, aunt, to be so good asto show me some little consideration!"

Lady Feng laughed sardonically. "You people will choose the long road tofollow and put me also in a dilemma! Had you told me just one word at anearly hour, what couldn't have been brought about? an affair of stateindeed to be delayed up to this moment! In the garden, there are to bemore trees planted and flowers laid down, and I couldn't think of anyperson that I could have recommended, and had you spoken before this, wouldn't the whole question have been settled soon enough?"

"Well, in that case, aunt, " ventured Chia Yün with a smile, "you hadbetter depute me to-morrow, and have done!"

"This job, " continued lady Feng after a pause, "is not, my impressionis, very profitable; and if you were to wait till the first moon of nextyear, when the fireworks, lanterns, and candles will have to bepurveyed, I'll depute you as soon as those extensive commissions turnup. "

"My dear aunt, " pleaded Chia Yün, "first appoint me to this one, and ifI do really manage this satisfactorily, you can then commission me withthat other!"

"You know in truth how to draw a long thread, " lady Feng observedlaughing. "But hadn't it been that your uncle had spoken to me on youraccount, I wouldn't have concerned myself about you. But as I shallcross over here soon after the repast, you had better come at elevena. M. , and fetch the money, for you to enter into the garden the dayafter to-morrow, and have the flowers planted!"

As she said this, she gave orders to drive the "scented" carriage, andwent on her way by the quickest cut; while Chia Yün, who wasirrepressibly delighted, betook himself into the I Hsia study, andinquired after Pao-yü. But, who would have thought it, Pao-yü had, at anearly hour, gone to the mansion of the Prince of Pei Ching, so that ChiaYün had to sit in a listless mood till noon; and when he found out thatlady Feng had returned, he speedily wrote an acknowledgment and came toreceive the warrant. On his arrival outside the court, he commissioned aservant to announce him, and Ts'ai Ming thereupon walked out, and merelyasking for the receipt, went in, and, after filling in the amount, theyear and moon, he handed it over to Chia Yün together with the warrant. Chia Yün received them from him, and as the entry consisted of twohundred taels, his heart was full of exultant joy; and turning round, hehurried to the treasury, where after he had taken over the amount insilver, he returned home and laid the case before his mother, andneedless to say, that both the parent and her son were in high spirits. The next day, at the fifth watch, Chia Yun first came in search of NiErh, to whom he repaid the money, and then taking fifty taels along withhim, he sped outside the western gate to the house of Fang Ch'un, agardener, to purchase trees, where we will leave him without sayinganything more about him. 

We will now resume our story with Pao-yü. The day on which heencountered Chia Yün, he asked him to come in on the morrow and have achat with him, but this invitation was practically the mere formal talkof a rich and well-to-do young man, and was not likely to be so much asborne in mind; and so it was that it readily slipped from his memory. Onthe evening of the day, however, on which he returned home from themansion of the Prince Pei Ching, he came, after paying his salutationsto dowager lady Chia, madame Wang, and the other inmates, back into thegarden; but upon divesting himself of all his fineries, he was justabout to have his bath, when, as Hsi Jen had, at the invitation of HsüehPao-ch'ai, crossed over to tie a few knotted buttons, as Ch'in Wen andPi Hen had both gone to hurry the servants to bring the water, as T'anYun had likewise been taken home, on account of her mother's illness, and She Yueh, on the other hand, was at present ailing in her quarters, while the several waiting-maids, who were in there besides to attend tothe dirty work, and answer the calls, had, surmising that he would notrequisition their services, one and all gone out in search of theirfriends and in quest of their companions, it occurred, contrary to theircalculations, that Pao-yü remained this whole length of time quite alonein his apartments; and as it so happened that Pao-yü wanted tea todrink, he had to call two or three times before he at last saw three oldmatrons walk in. But at the sight of them, Pao-yü hastily waved his handand exclaimed: "No matter, no matter; I don't want you, " whereupon thematrons had no help but to withdraw out of the rooms; and as Pao-yüperceived that there were no waiting-maids at hand, he had to come downand take a cup and go up to the teapot to pour the tea; when he heardsome one from behind him observe: "Master Secundus, beware, you'llscorch your hand; wait until I come to pour it!" And as she spoke, shewalked up to him, and took the cup from his grasp, to the intensesurprise, in fact, of Pao-yü, who inquired: "Where were you that youhave suddenly come to give me a start?"

The waiting-maid smiled as she handed him the tea. "I was in the backcourt, " she replied, "and just came in from the back door of the innerrooms; and is it likely that you didn't, sir, hear the sound of myfootsteps?"

Pao-yü drank his tea, and as he simultaneously passed the servant-girlunder a minute inspection, he found that though she wore severalarticles of clothing the worse for wear, she was, nevertheless, withthat head of beautiful hair, as black as the plumage of a raven, done upin curls, her face so oblong, her figure so slim and elegant, indeed, supremely beautiful, sweet, and spruce, and Pao-yü eagerly inquired:"Are you also a girl attached to this room of mine?"

"I am, " rejoined that waiting-maid. 

"But since you belong to this room, how is it I don't know you?" Pao-yüadded. 

When the maid heard these words, she forced a laugh. "There are evenmany, " she explained, "that are strangers to you; and is it only myself?I've never, before this, served tea, or handed water, or brought inanything; nor have I attended to a single duty in your presence, so howcould you know me?"

"But why don't you attend to any of those duties that would bring you tomy notice?" Pao-yü questioned. 

"I too, " answered the maid, "find it as difficult to answer such aquestion. There's however one thing that I must report to you, masterSecundus. Yesterday, some Mr. Yün Erh or other came to see you; but as Ithought you, sir, had no leisure, I speedily bade Pei Ming tell him tocome early to-day. But you unexpectedly went over again to the mansionof the Prince of Pei Ching. "

When she had spoken as far as this, she caught sight of Ch'iu Wen and PiHen enter the court, giggling and laughing; the two of them carryingbetween them a bucket of water; and while raising their skirts with onehand, they hobbled along, as the water spurted and plashed. Thewaiting-maid hastily come out to meet them so as to relieve them oftheir burden, but Ch'iu Wen and Pi Hen were in the act of standing faceto face and finding fault with each other; one saying, "You've wetted myclothes, " the other adding, "You've trod on my shoes, " and upon, all ofa sudden, espying some one walk out to receive the water, anddiscovering, when they came to see, that it was actually no one elsethan Hsiao Hung, they were at once both so taken aback that, puttingdown the bucket, they hurried into the room; and when they looked aboutand saw that there was no other person inside besides Pao-yü they wereat once displeased. But as they were meanwhile compelled to get readythe articles necessary for his bath, they waited until Pao-yü was aboutto divest himself of his clothes, when the couple of them speedilypulled the door to behind them, as they went out, and walked as far asthe room on the opposite side, in search of Hsiao Hung; of whom theyinquired: "What were you doing in his room a short while back?"

"When was I ever in the room?" Hsiao Hung replied; "simply because Ilost sight of my handkerchief, I went to the back to try and find it, when unexpectedly Mr. Secundus, who wanted tea, called for you sisters;and as there wasn't one even of you there, I walked in and poured a cupfor him, and just at that very moment you sisters came back. "

"You barefaced, low-bred thing!" cried Ch'iu Wen, turning towards herand spurting in her face. "It was our bounden duty to tell you to go andhurry them for the water, but you simply maintained that you were busyand made us go instead, in order to afford you an opportunity ofperforming these wily tricks! and isn't this raising yourself up li byli? But don't we forsooth, even so much as come up to you? and you justtake that looking-glass and see for yourself, whether you be fit toserve tea and to hand water or not?"

"To-morrow, " continued Pi Hea, "I'll tell them that whenever there'sanything to do connected with his wanting tea, or asking for water, orwith fetching things for him, not one of us should budge, and that_she_ alone should be allowed to go, and have done!"

"If this be your suggestion, " remarked Ch'iu Wen, "wouldn't it be stillbetter that we should all disperse, and let her reign supreme in thisroom!"

But while the two of them were up to this trouble, one saying one thing, and another, another, they caught sight of two old nurses walk in todeliver a message from lady Feng; who explained: "To-morrow, someonewill bring in gardeners to plant trees, and she bids you keep under morerigorous restraint, and not sun your clothes and petticoats anywhere andeverywhere; nor air them about heedlessly; that the artificial hillwill, all along, be entirely shut in by screening curtains, and that youmustn't he running about at random. "

"I wonder, " interposed Ch'iu Wen with alacrity, "who it is that willbring the workmen to-morrow, and supervise the works?"

"Some one or other called Mr. Yün, living at the back portico, " the oldwoman observed. 

But Ch'iu Wen and Pi Hen were neither of them acquainted with him, andthey went on promiscuously asking further questions on his account, butHsiao Hung knew distinctly in her mind who it was, and was well awarethat it was the person whom she had seen, the previous day, in the outerlibrary. 

The surname of this Hsiao Hung had, in fact, been originally Lin, whileher infant name had been Hung Yü; but as the word Yü improperlycorresponded with the names of Pao-yü and Tai-yü, she was, in duecourse, simply called Hsiao Hung. She was indeed an hereditary servantof the mansion; and her father had latterly taken over the charge of allmatters connected with the farms and farmhouses in every locality. ThisHung-yü came, at the age of sixteen, into the mansion, to enter intoservice, and was attached to the Hung Yuan, where in point of fact shefound both a quiet and pleasant home; and when contrary to allexpectation, the young ladies as well as Pao-yü, were subsequentlypermitted to move their quarters into the garden of Broad Vista, it sohappened that this place was, moreover, fixed upon by Pao-yü. This HsiaoHung was, it is true, a girl without any experience, but as she could, to a certain degree, boast of a pretty face, and as, in her own heart, she recklessly fostered the idea of exalting herself to a higherstandard, she was ever ready to thrust herself in Pao-yü's way, with aview to showing herself off. But attached to Pao-yü's personal servicewere a lot of servants, all of whom were glib and specious, so that howcould she ever find an opportunity of thrusting herself forward? Butcontrary to her anticipations, there turned up, eventually on this day, some faint glimmer of hope, but as she again came in for a spell ofspiteful abuse from Ch'iu Wen and her companion, her expectations weresoon considerably frustrated, and she was just plunged in a melancholymood, when suddenly she heard the old nurse begin the conversation aboutChia Yün, which unconsciously so affected her heart that she hastilyreturned, quite disconsolate, into her room, and lay herself down on herbed, giving herself quietly to reflection. But while she was racking andtorturing her brain and at a moment when she was at a loss what decisionto grasp, her ear unexpectedly caught, emanating from outside thewindow, a faint voice say: "Hsiao Hung, I've picked up your pockethandkerchief in here!" and as soon as Hsiao Hung heard these words, shewalked out with hurried step and found that it was no one else than ChiaYün in person; and as Hsiao Hung unwillingly felt her powdered facesuffused with brushes: "Where did you pick it up, Mr. Secundus?" sheasked. 

"Come over, " Chia Yün smiled, "and I'll tell you!" And as he utteredthese words, he came up and drew her to him; but Hsiao Hung twistedherself round and ran away; but was however tripped over by the step ofthe door. 

Now, reader, do you want to know the sequel? If so the next chapter willexplain. 

END OF BOOK I

 ERRATA [as noted in the original book]. 

 Preface rhythm not rhymes

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