Hong lou meng. English Read online

  CHAPTER XXVII

  In the Ti Ts'ui pavilion, Pao-ch'ai diverts herself with the multi-coloured butterflies. Over the mound, where the flowers had been interred, Tai-yue bewails their withered bloom.

  Lin Tai-yue, we must explain in taking up the thread of our narrative,was disconsolately bathed in tears, when her ear was suddenly attractedby the creak of the court gate, and her eyes by the appearance ofPao-ch'ai beyond the threshold. Pao-yue, Hsi Jen and a whole posse ofinmates then walked out. She felt inclined to go up to Pao-yue and askhim a question; but dreading that if she made any inquiries in thepresence of such a company, Pao-yue would be put to the blush and placedin an awkward position, she slipped aside and allowed Pao-ch'ai toprosecute her way. And it was only after Pao-yue and the rest of theparty had entered and closed the gate behind them that she at lastissued from her retreat. Then fixing her gaze steadfastly on thegateway, she dropped a few tears. But inwardly conscious of their utterfutility she retraced her footsteps and wended her way back into herapartment. And with heavy heart and despondent spirits, she divestedherself of the remainder of her habiliments.

  Tzu Chuean and Hsueeh Yen were well aware, from the experience they hadreaped in past days, that Lin Tai-yue was, in the absence of anything tooccupy her mind, prone to sit and mope, and that if she did not frownher eyebrows, she anyway heaved deep sighs; but they were quite at aloss to divine why she was, with no rhyme or reason, ever so ready toindulge, to herself, in inexhaustible gushes of tears. At first, therewere such as still endeavoured to afford her solace; or who, suspectinglest she brooded over the memory of her father and mother, felthome-sick, or aggrieved, through some offence given her, tried by everypersuasion to console and cheer her; but, as contrary to allexpectations, she subsequently persisted time and again in this dullmood, through each succeeding month and year, people got accustomed toher eccentricities and did not extend to her the least sympathy. Henceit was that no one (on this occasion) troubled her mind about her, butletting her sit and sulk to her heart's content, they one and all turnedin and went to sleep.

  Lin Tai-yue leaned against the railing of the bed, clasping her kneeswith both hands, her eyes suffused with tears. She looked, in verytruth, like a carved wooden image or one fashioned of mud. There she satstraight up to the second watch, even later, when she eventually fellasleep.

  The whole night nothing remarkable transpired. The morrow was the 26thday of the fourth moon. Indeed on this day, at one p.m., commenced theseason of the 'Sprouting seeds,' and, according to an old custom, on theday on which this feast of 'Sprouting seeds' fell, every one had to layall kinds of offerings and sacrificial viands on the altar of the god offlowers. Soon after the expiry of this season of 'Sprouting seeds'follows summertide, and us plants in general then wither and the god offlowers resigns his throne, it is compulsory to feast him at someentertainment, previous to his departure.

  In the ladies' apartments this custom was observed with still morerigour; and, for this reason, the various inmates Of the park of BroadVista had, without a single exception, got up at an early hour. Theyoung people either twisted flowers and willow twigs in such a way as torepresent chairs and horses, or made tufted banners with damask,brocaded gauze and silk, and bound them with variegated threads. Thesearticles of decoration were alike attached on every tree and plant; andthroughout the whole expanse of the park, embroidered sashes waved toand fro, and ornamented branches nodded their heads about. In additionto this, the members of the family were clad in such fineries that theyput the peach tree to shame, made the almond yield the palm, the swallowenvious and the hawk to blush. We could not therefore exhaustivelydescribe them within our limited space of time.

  Pao-ch'ai, Ying Ch'un, T'an Ch'un, Hsi Ch'un, Li Wan, lady Feng andother girls, as well as Ta Chieh Erh, Hsiang Ling and the waiting-maidswere, one and all, we will now notice, in the garden enjoyingthemselves; the only person who could not be seen was Lin Tai-yue.

  "How is it," consequently inquired Ying Ch'un, "that I don't see cousinLiu? What a lazy girl! Is she forsooth fast asleep even at this latehour of the day?"

  "Wait all of you here," rejoined Pao-ch'ai, "and I'll go and shake herup and bring her."

  With these words, she speedily left her companions and repairedstraightway into the Hsiao Hsiang lodge.

  While she was going on her errand, she met Wen Kuan and the rest of thegirls, twelve in all, on their way to seek the party. Drawing near, theyinquired after her health. After exchanging a few commonplace remarks,Pao-ch'ai turned round and pointing, said: "you will find them all inthere; you had better go and join them. As for me, I'm going to fetchMiss Lin, but I'll be back soon."

  Saying this, she followed the winding path, and came to the Hsiao Hsianglodge. Upon suddenly raising her eyes, she saw Pao-yue walk in. Pao-ch'aiimmediately halted, and, lowering her head, she gave way to meditationfor a time. "Pao-yue and Lin Tai-yue," she reflected, "have grown uptogether from their very infancy. But cousins, though they be, there aremany instances in which they cannot evade suspicion, for they jokewithout heeding propriety; and at one time they are friends and atanother at daggers drawn. Tai-yue has, moreover, always been full ofenvy; and has ever displayed a peevish disposition, so were I to followhim in at this juncture, why, Pao-yue would, in the first place, not feelat ease, and, in the second, Tai-yue would give way to jealousy. Bettertherefore for me to turn back."

  At the close of this train of thought, she retraced her steps. But justas she was starting to join her other cousins, she unexpectedlydescried, ahead of her, a pair of jade-coloured butterflies, of the sizeof a circular fan. Now they soared high, now they made a swoop down, intheir flight against the breeze; much to her amusement.

  Pao-ch'ai felt a wish to catch them for mere fun's sake, so producing afan from inside her sleeve, she descended on to the turfed ground toflap them with it. The two butterflies suddenly were seen to rise;suddenly to drop: sometimes to come; at others to go. Just as they wereon the point of flying across the stream to the other side, theenticement proved too much for Pao-ch'ai, and she pursued them on tiptoestraight up to the Ti Ts'ui pavilion, nestling on the bank of the pond;while fragrant perspiration dripped drop by drop, and her sweet breathpanted gently. But Pao-ch'ai abandoned the idea of catching them, andwas about to beat a retreat, when all at once she overheard, in thepavilion, the chatter of people engaged in conversation.

  This pavilion had, it must be added, a verandah and zig-zag balustradesrunning all round. It was erected over the water, in the centre of apond, and had on the four sides window-frames of carved wood work, stuckwith paper. So when Pao-ch'ai caught, from without the pavilion, thesound of voices, she at once stood still and lent an attentive ear towhat was being said.

  "Look at this handkerchief," she overheard. "If it's really the oneyou've lost, well then keep it; but if it isn't you must return it toMr. Yuen."

  "To be sure it is my own," another party observed, "bring it along andgive it to me."

  "What reward will you give me?" she further heard. "Is it likely thatI've searched all for nothing!"

  "I've long ago promised to recompense you, and of course I won't playyou false," some one again rejoined.

  "I found it and brought it round," also reached her ear, "and younaturally will recompense me; but won't you give anything to the personwho picked it up?"

  "Don't talk nonsense," the other party added, "he belongs to a family ofgentlemen, and anything of ours he may pick up it's his bounden duty torestore to us. What reward could you have me give him?"

  "If you don't reward him," she heard some one continue, "what will I beable to tell him? Besides, he enjoined me time after time that if therewas to be no recompense, I was not to give it to you."

  A short pause ensued. "Never mind!" then came out again to her, "takethis thing of mine and present it to him and have done! But do you meanto let the cat out of the bag with any one else? You should take someoath."

  "If I tell any one," she likewise overheard, "may an ulcer grow on mymouth, and may I, in course of time, die an unnatural death!"

  "Ai-ya!" was the reply she heard; "our minds are merely bent upontalking, but some one might come and quietly listen from outside;wouldn't it be as well to push all the venetians open. Any one seeing usin here will then imagine that we are simply chatting about nonsense.Besides, should they approach, we shall be able to observe them, and atonce stop our conversation!"

  Pao-ch'ai listened to these words from outside, with a heart full ofastonishment. "How can one wonder," she argued mentally, "if all thoselewd and dishonest people, who have lived from olden times to thepresent, have devised such thorough artifices! But were they now to openand see me here, won't they feel ashamed. Moreover, the voice in whichthose remarks were uttered resembles very much that of Hung Erh,attached to Pao-yue's rooms, who has all along shown a sharp eye and ashrewd mind. She's an artful and perverse thing of the first class! Andas I have now overheard her peccadilloes, and a person in despair rebelsas sure as a dog in distress jumps over the wall, not only will troublearise, but I too shall derive no benefit. It would be better at presenttherefore for me to lose no time in retiring. But as I fear I mayn't bein time to get out of the way, the only alternative for me is to makeuse of some art like that of the cicada, which can divest itself of its_exuviae_."

  She had scarcely brought her reflections to a close before a sound of'ko-chih' reached her ears. Pao-ch'ai purposely hastened to tread withheavy step. "P'in Erh, I see where you're hiding!" she cried outlaughingly; and as she shouted, she pretended to be running ahead inpursuit of her.

  As soon as Hsiao Hung and Chui Erh pushed the windows open from insidethe pavilion, they heard Pao-ch'ai screaming, while rushing forward; andboth fell into a state of trepidation from the fright they sustained.

  Pao-ch'ai turned round and faced them. "Where have you been hiding MissLin?" she smiled.

  "Who has seen anything of Miss Lin," retorted Chui Erh.

  "I was just now," proceeded Pao-ch'ai, "on that side of the pool, anddiscerned Miss Lin squatting down over there and playing with the water.I meant to have gently given her a start, but scarcely had I walked upto her, when she saw me, and, with a _detour_ towards the East, sheat once vanished from sight. So mayn't she be concealing herself inthere?"

  As she spoke, she designedly stepped in and searched about for her. Thisover, she betook herself away, adding: "she's certain to have got againinto that cave in the hill, and come across a snake, which must havebitten her and put an end to her."

  So saying, she distanced them, feeling again very much amused. "I havemanaged," she thought, "to ward off this piece of business, but I wonderwhat those two think about it."

  Hsiao Hung, who would have anticipated, readily credited as gospel theremarks she heard Pao-ch'ai make. But allowing just time enough toPao-ch'ai to got to a certain distance, she instantly drew Chui Erh toher. "Dreadful!" she observed, "Miss Lin was squatting in here and mustfor a certainty have overheard what we said before she left."

  Albeit Chui Erh listened to her words, she kept her own counsel for along time. "What's to be done?" Hsiao Hung consequently exclaimed.

  "Even supposing she did overhear what we said," rejoined Chui Erh by wayof answer, "why should she meddle in what does not concern her? Everyone should mind her own business."

  "Had it been Miss Pao, it would not have mattered," remarked Hsiao Hung,"but Miss Lin delights in telling mean things of people and is, besides,so petty-minded. Should she have heard and anything perchance comes tolight, what will we do?"

  During their colloquy, they noticed Wen Kuan, Hsiang Ling, Ssu Ch'i,Shih Shu and the other girls enter the pavilion, so they were compelledto drop the conversation and to play and laugh with them. They thenespied lady Feng standing on the top of the hillock, waving her hand,beckoning to Hsiao Hung. Hurriedly therefore leaving the company, sheran up to lady Feng and with smile heaped upon smile, "my lady," sheinquired, "what is it that you want?"

  Lady Feng scrutinised her for a time. Observing how spruce and prettyshe was in looks, and how genial in her speech, she felt prompted togive her a smile. "My own waiting-maid," she said, "hasn't followed mein here to-day; and as I've just this moment bethought myself ofsomething and would like to send some one on an errand, I wonder whetheryou're fit to undertake the charge and deliver a message faithfully."

  "Don't hesitate in entrusting me with any message you may have to send,"replied Hsiao Hung with a laugh. "I'll readily go and deliver it. ShouldI not do so faithfully, and blunder in fulfilling your business, mylady, you may visit me with any punishment your ladyship may please, andI'll have nothing to say."

  "What young lady's servant are you," smiled lady Feng? "Tell me, so thatwhen she comes back, after I've sent you out, and looks for you, I maybe able to tell her about you."

  "I'm attached to our Master Secundus,' Mr. Pao's rooms," answered HsiaoHung.

  "Ai-ya!" ejaculated lady Feng, as soon as she heard these words. "Areyou really in Pao-yue's rooms! How strange! Yet it comes to the samething. Well, if he asks for you, I'll tell him where you are. Go now toour house and tell your sister P'ing that she'll find on the table inthe outer apartment and under the stand with the plate from the Ju kiln,a bundle of silver; that it contains the one hundred and twenty taelsfor the embroiderers' wages; and that when Chang Ts'ai's wife comes, themoney should be handed to her to take away, after having been weighed inher presence and been given to her to tally. Another thing too I want.In the inner apartment and at the head of the bed you'll find a smallpurse, bring it along to me."

  Hsiao Hung listened to her orders and then started to carry them out. Onher return, in a short while, she discovered that lady Feng was not onthe hillock. But perceiving Ssu Ch'i egress from the cave and standstill to tie her petticoat, she walked up to her. "Sister, do you knowwhere our lady Secunda is gone to?" she asked.

  "I didn't notice," rejoined Ssu Ch'i.

  At this reply, Hsiao Hung turned round and cast a glance on all fourquarters. Seeing T'an Ch'un and Pao-ch'ai standing by the bank of thepond on the opposite side and looking at the fish, Hsiao Hung advancedup to them. "Young ladies," she said, straining a smile, "do youperchance have any idea where our lady Secunda is gone to now?"

  "Go into your senior lady's court and look for her!" T'an Ch'unanswered.

  Hearing this, Hsiao Hung was proceeding immediately towards the TaoHsiang village, when she caught sight, just ahead of her, of Ch'ing Wen,Ch'i Hsia, Pi Hen, Ch'iu Wen, She Yueeh, Shih Shu, Ju Hua, Ying Erh andsome other girls coming towards her in a group.

  The moment Ch'ing Wen saw Hsiao Hung, she called out to her. "Are yougone clean off your head?" she exclaimed. "You don't water the flowers,nor feed the birds or prepare the tea stove, but gad about outside!"

  "Yesterday," replied Hsiao Hung, "Mr. Secundus told me that there was noneed for me to water the flowers to-day; that it was enough if they werewatered every other day. As for the birds, you're still in the arms ofMorpheus, sister, when I give them their food."

  "And what about the tea-stove?" interposed Pi Hen.

  "To-day," retorted Hsiao Hung, "is not my turn on duty, so don't ask mewhether there be any tea or not!"

  "Do you listen to that mouth of hers!" cried Ch'i Hsia, "but don't yougirls speak to her; let her stroll about and have done!"

  "You'd better all go and ask whether I've been gadding about or not,"continued Hsiao Hung. "Our lady Secunda has just bidden me go anddeliver a message, and fetch something."

  Saying this, she raised the purse and let them see it; and they, findingthey could hit upon nothing more to taunt her with, trudged alongonwards.

  Ch'ing Wen smiled a sarcastic smile. "How funny!" she cried. "Lo, sheclimbs up a high branch and doesn't condescend to look at any one of us!All she told her must have been just some word or two, who knows! But isit likely that our lady has the least notion of her name or surname thatshe rides such a high horse, and behaves in this manner! What credit isit in having been sent on a trifling errand like this! Will we, by andbye, pray, hear anything more about you? If you've got any gumption,you'd better skedaddle out of this garden this very day. For, mind, it'sonly if you manage to hold your lofty perch for any length of time thatyou can be thought something of!"

  As she derided her, she continued on her way.

  During this while, Hsiao Hung listened to her, but as she did not findit a suitable moment to retaliate, she felt constrained to suppress herresentment and go in search of lady Feng.

  On her arrival at widow Li's quarters, she, in point of fact, discoveredlady Feng seated inside with her having a chat. Hsiao Hung approachedher and made her report. "Sister P'ing says," she observed, "that assoon as your ladyship left the house, she put the money by, and thatwhen Chang Ts'ai's wife went in a little time to fetch it, she had itweighed in her presence, after which she gave it to her to take away."

  With these words, she produced the purse and presented it to her."Sister P'ing bade me come and tell your ladyship," she added,continuing, "that Wang Erh came just now to crave your orders, as to whoare the parties from whom he has to go and (collect interest on moneydue) and sister P'ing explained to him what your wishes were and senthim off."

  "How could she tell him where I wanted him to go?" Lady Feng laughed.

  "Sister P'ing says," Hsiao Hung proceeded, "that our lady presents hercompliments to your ladyship (widow Li) here-(_To lady Feng_) thatour master Secundus has in fact not come home, and that albeit a delayof (a day) or two will take place (in the collection of the money), yourladyship should, she begs, set your mind at ease. (_To Li Wan_).That when lady Quinta is somewhat better, our lady will let lady Quintaknow and come along with her to see your ladyship. (_To ladyFeng_). That lady Quinta sent a servant the day before yesterday tocome over and say that our lady, your worthy maternal aunt, haddespatched a letter to inquire after your ladyship's health; that shealso wished to ask you, my lady, her worthy niece in here, for a coupleof 'long-life-great-efficacy-full-of-every-virtue' pills; and that ifyou have any, they should, when our lady bids a servant come over, besimply given her to bring to our lady here, and that any one boundto-morrow for that side could then deliver them on her way to herladyship, your aunt yonder, to take along with her."

  "Ai-yo-yo!" exclaimed widow Li, before the close of the message. "It'simpossible for me to make out what you're driving at! What a heap ofladyships and misters!"

  "It's not to be wondered at that you can't make them out," interposedlady Feng laughing. "Why, her remarks refer to four or five distinctfamilies."

  While speaking, she again faced Hsiao Hung. "My dear girl," she smiled,"what a trouble you've been put to! But you speak decently, and unlikethe others who keep on buzz-buzz-buzz, like mosquitoes! You're notaware, sister-in-law, that I actually dread uttering a word to any ofthe girls outside the few servant-girls and matrons in my own immediateservice; for they invariably spin out, what could be condensed in asingle phrase, into a long interminable yarn, and they munch and chewtheir words; and sticking to a peculiar drawl, they groan and moan; somuch so, that they exasperate me till I fly into a regular rage. Yet howare they to know that our P'ing Erh too was once like them. But when Iasked her: 'must you forsooth imitate the humming of a mosquito, inorder to be accounted a handsome girl?' and spoke to her, on severaloccasions, she at length improved considerably."

  "What a good thing it would be," laughed Li Kung-ts'ai, "if they couldall be as smart as you are."

  "This girl is first-rate!" rejoined lady Feng, "she just now deliveredtwo messages. They didn't, I admit, amount to much, yet to listen toher, she spoke to the point."

  "To-morrow," she continued, addressing herself to Hsiao Hung smilingly,"come and wait on me, and I'll acknowledge you as my daughter; and themoment you come under my control, you'll readily improve."

  At this news, Hsiao Hung spurted out laughing aloud.

  "What are you laughing for?" Lady Feng inquired. "You must say toyourself that I am young in years and that how much older can I be thanyourself to become your mother; but are you under the influence of aspring dream? Go and ask all those people older than yourself. Theywould be only too ready to call me mother. But snapping my fingers atthem, I to-day exalt you."

  "I wasn't laughing about that," Hsiao Hung answered with a smiling face."I was amused by the mistake your ladyship made about our generations.Why, my mother claims to be your daughter, my lady, and are you nowgoing to recognise me too as your daughter?"

  "Who's your mother?" Lady Feng exclaimed.

  "Don't you actually know her?" put in Li Kung-ts'ai with a smile. "She'sLin Chih-hsiao's child."

  This disclosure greatly surprised lady Feng. "What!" she consequentlycried, "is she really his daughter?"

  "Why Lin Chih-hsiao and his wife," she resumed smilingly, "couldn'teither of them utter a sound if even they were pricked with an awl.I've always maintained that they're a well-suited couple; as the one isas deaf as a post, and the other as dumb as a mute. But who would everhave expected them to have such a clever girl! By how much are you inyour teens?"

  "I'm seventeen," replied Hsia Hung.

  "What is your name?" she went on to ask.

  "My name was once Hung Yue." Hsiao Hung rejoined. "But as it was aduplicate of that of Master Secundus, Mr. Pao-yue, I'm now simply calledHsiao Hung."

  Upon hearing this explanation, lady Feng raised her eyebrows into afrown, and turning her head round: "It's most disgusting!" she remarked,"Those bearing the name Yue would seem to be very cheap; for your name isYue, and so is also mine Yue. Sister-in-law," she then observed; "I neverlet you know anything about it, but I mentioned to her mother that LaiTa's wife has at present her hands quite full, and that she hasn'teither any notion as to who is who in this mansion. 'You had better,' (Isaid), 'carefully select a couple of girls for my service.' She assentedunreservedly, but she put it off and never chose any. On the contrary,she sent this girl to some other place. But is it likely that shewouldn't have been well off with me?"

  "Here you are again full of suspicion!" Li Wan laughed. "She came inhere long before you ever breathed a word to her! So how could you beara grudge against her mother?"

  "Well, in that case," added lady Feng, "I'll speak to Pao-yue to-morrow,and induce him to find another one, and to allow this girl to come alongwith me. I wonder, however, whether she herself is willing or not?"

  "Whether willing or not," interposed Hsiao Hung smiling, "such as wecouldn't really presume to raise our voices and object. We should feelit our privilege to serve such a one as your ladyship, and learn alittle how to discriminate when people raise or drop their eyebrows andeyes (with pleasure or displeasure), and reap as well some experience insuch matters as go out or come in, whether high or low, great andsmall."

  But during her reply, she perceived Madame Wang's waiting-maid come andinvite lady Feng to go over. Lady Feng bade good-bye at once to LiKung-ts'ai and took her departure.

  Hsiao Hung then returned into the I Hung court, where we will leave herand devote our attention for the present to Lin Tai-yue.

  As she had had but little sleep in the night, she got up the next day ata late hour. When she heard that all her cousins were collected in thepark, giving a farewell entertainment for the god of flowers, shehastened, for fear people should laugh at her for being lazy, to combher hair, perform her ablutions, and go out and join them. As soon asshe reached the interior of the court, she caught sight of Pao-yue,entering the door, who speedily greeted her with a smile. "My dearcousin," he said, "did you lodge a complaint against me yesterday? I'vebeen on pins and needles the whole night long."

  Tai-yue forthwith turned her head away. "Put the room in order," sheshouted to Tzu Chuean, "and lower one of the gauze window-frames. Andwhen you've seen the swallows come back, drop the curtain; keep it downthen by placing the lion on it, and after you have burnt the incense,mind you cover the censer."

  So saying she stepped outside.

  Pao-yue perceiving her manner, concluded again that it must be on accountof the incident of the previous noon, but how could he have had any ideaabout what had happened in the evening? He kept on still bowing andcurtseying; but Lin Tai-yue did not even so much as look at him straightin the face, but egressing alone out of the door of the court, sheproceeded there and then in search of the other girls.

  Pao-yue fell into a despondent mood and gave way to conjectures.

  "Judging," he reflected, "from this behaviour of hers, it would seem asif it could not be for what transpired yesterday. Yesterday too I cameback late in the evening, and, what's more, I didn't see her, so thatthere was no occasion on which I could have given her offence."

  As he indulged in these reflections, he involuntarily followed in herfootsteps to try and catch her up, when he descried Pao-ch'ai andT'an-ch'un on the opposite side watching the frolics of the storks.

  As soon as they saw Tai-yue approach, the trio stood together and starteda friendly chat. But noticing Pao-yue also come up, T'an Ch'un smiled."Brother Pao," she said, "are you all right. It's just three days that Ihaven't seen anything of you?"

  "Are you sister quite well?" Pao-yue rejoined, a smile on his lips. "Theother day, I asked news of you of our senior sister-in-law."

  "Brother Pao," T'an Ch'un remarked, "come over here; I want to tell yousomething."

  The moment Pao-yue heard this, he quickly went with her. DistancingPao-ch'ai and Tai-yue, the two of them came under a pomegranate tree."Has father sent for you these last few days?" T'an Ch'un then asked.

  "He hasn't," Pao-yue answered laughingly by way of reply.

  "Yesterday," proceeded T'an Ch'un, "I heard vaguely something or otherabout father sending for you to go out."

  "I presume," Pao-yue smiled, "that some one must have heard wrong, for henever sent for me."

  "I've again managed to save during the last few months," added T'anCh'un with another smile, "fully ten tiaos, so take them and bring me,when at any time you stroll out of doors, either some fine writings orsome ingenious knicknack."

  "Much as I have roamed inside and outside the city walls," answeredPao-yue, "and seen grand establishments and large temples, I've nevercome across anything novel or pretty. One simply sees articles made ofgold, jade, copper and porcelain, as well as such curios for which wecould find no place here. Besides these, there are satins, eatables, andwearing apparel."

  "Who cares for such baubles!" exclaimed T'an Ch'un. "How could they comeup to what you purchased the last time; that wee basket, made of willowtwigs, that scent-box, scooped out of a root of real bamboo, thatportable stove fashioned of glutinous clay; these things were, oh, sovery nice! I was as fond of them as I don't know what; but, who'd havethought it, they fell in love with them and bundled them all off, justas if they were precious things."

  "Is it things of this kind that you really want?" laughed Pao-yue. "Why,these are worth nothing! Were you to take a hundred cash and give themto the servant-boys, they could, I'm sure, bring two cart-loads ofthem."

  "What do the servant-boys know?" T'an Ch'un replied. "Those you chosefor me were plain yet not commonplace. Neither were they of coarse make.So were you to procure me as many as you can get of them, I'll work youa pair of slippers like those I gave you last time, and spend twice asmuch trouble over them as I did over that pair you have. Now, what doyou say to this bargain?"

  "Your reference to this," smiled Pao-yue, "reminds me of an old incident.One day I had them on, and by a strange coincidence, I met father, whosefancy they did not take, and he inquired who had worked them. But howcould I muster up courage to allude to the three words: my sisterTertia, so I answered that my maternal aunt had given them to me on therecent occasion of my birthday. When father heard that they had beengiven to me by my aunt, he could not very well say anything. But after awhile, 'why uselessly waste,' he observed, 'human labour, and throw awaysilks to make things of this sort!' On my return, I told Hsi Jen aboutit. 'Never mind,' said Hsi Jen; but Mrs. Chao got angry. 'Her ownbrother,' she murmured indignantly, 'wears slipshod shoes and socks inholes, and there's no one to look after him, and does she go and workall these things!'"

  T'an Ch'un, hearing this, immediately lowered her face. "Now tell me,aren't these words utter rot!" she shouted. "What am I that I have tomake shoes? And is it likely that Huan Erh hasn't his own share ofthings! Clothes are clothes, and shoes and socks are shoes and socks;and how is it that any grudges arise in the room of a mere servant-girland old matron? For whose benefit does she come out with all thesethings! I simply work a pair or part of a pair when I am at leisure,with time on my hands. And I can give them to any brother, elder oryounger, I fancy; and who has a right to interfere with me? This is justanother bit of blind anger!"

  After listening to her, Pao-yue nodded his head and smiled. "Yet," hesaid, "you don't know what her motives may be. It's but natural that sheshould also cherish some expectations."

  This apology incensed T'an Ch'un more than ever, and twisting her headround, "Even you have grown dull!" she cried. "She does, of course,indulge in expectations, but they are actuated by some underhand andpaltry notion! She may go on giving way to these ideas, but I, for mypart, will only care for Mr. Chia Cheng and Madame Wang. I won't care arap for any one else. In fact, I'll be nice with such of my sisters andbrothers, as are nice to me; and won't even draw any distinction betweenthose born of primary wives and those of secondary ones. Properlyspeaking, I shouldn't say these things about her, but she'snarrow-minded to a degree, and unlike what she should be. There'sbesides another ridiculous thing. This took place the last time I gaveyou the money to get me those trifles. Well, two days after that, shesaw me, and she began again to represent that she had no money and thatshe was hard up. Nevertheless, I did not worry my brain with her goingson. But as it happened, the servant-girls subsequently quitted the room,and she at once started finding fault with me. 'Why,' she asked, 'do Igive you my savings to spend and don't, after all, let Huan Erh havethem and enjoy them?' When I heard these reproaches, I felt bothinclined to laugh, and also disposed to lose my temper; but I there andthen skedaddled out of her quarters, and went over to our Madame Wang."

  As she was recounting this incident, "Well," she overheard Pao-ch'aisarcastically observe from the opposite direction, "have you donespinning your yarns? If you have, come along! It's quite evident thatyou are brother and sister, for here you leave every one else and go anddiscuss your own private matters. Couldn't we too listen to a singlesentence of what you have to say?"

  While she taunted them, T'an Ch'un and Pao-yue eventually drew near herwith smiling faces.

  Pao-yue, however, failed to see Lin Tai-yue and he concluded that she haddodged out of the way and gone elsewhere. "It would be better," hemuttered, after some thought, "that I should let two days elapse, andgive her temper time to evaporate before I go to her." But as he droopedhis head, his eye was attracted by a heap of touch-me-nots, pomegranateblossom and various kinds of fallen flowers, which covered the groundthick as tapestry, and he heaved a sigh. "It's because," he pondered,"she's angry that she did not remove these flowers; but I'll take themover to the place, and by and bye ask her about them."

  As he argued to himself, he heard Pao-ch'ai bid them go out. "I'll joinyou in a moment," Pao-yue replied; and waiting till his two cousins hadgone some distance, he bundled the flowers into his coat, and ascendingthe hill, he crossed the stream, penetrated into the arbour, passedthrough the avenues with flowers and wended his way straight for thespot, where he had, on a previous occasion, interred the peach-blossomswith the assistance of Lin Tai-yue. But scarcely had he reached the moundcontaining the flowers, and before he had, as yet, rounded the brow ofthe hill, than he caught, emanating from the off side, the sound of someone sobbing, who while giving way to invective, wept in a mostheart-rending way.

  "I wonder," soliloquised Pao-yue, "whose servant-girl this is, who hasbeen so aggrieved as to run over here to have a good cry!"

  While speculating within himself, he halted. He then heard, mingled withwails:--

  Flowers wither and decay; and flowers do fleet; they fly all o'er the skies; Their bloom wanes; their smell dies; but who is there with them to sympathise? While vagrant gossamer soft doth on fluttering spring-bowers bind its coils, And drooping catkins lightly strike and cling on the embroidered screens, A maiden in the inner rooms, I sore deplore the close of spring. Such ceaseless sorrow fills my breast, that solace nowhere can I find. Past the embroidered screen I issue forth, taking with me a hoe, And on the faded flowers to tread I needs must, as I come and go. The willow fibres and elm seeds have each a fragrance of their own. What care I, peach blossoms may fall, pear flowers away be blown; Yet peach and pear will, when next year returns, burst out again in bloom, But can it e'er be told who will next year dwell in the inner room? What time the third moon comes, the scented nests have been already built. And on the beams the swallows perch, excessive spiritless and staid; Next year, when the flowers bud, they may, it's true, have ample to feed on: But they know not that when I'm gone beams will be vacant and nests fall! In a whole year, which doth consist of three hundred and sixty days, Winds sharp as swords and frost like unto spears each other rigorous press, So that how long can last their beauty bright; their fresh charm how long stays? Sudden they droop and fly; and whither they have flown, 'tis hard to guess. Flowers, while in bloom, easy the eye attract; but, when they wither, hard they are to find. Now by the footsteps, I bury the flowers, but sorrow will slay me. Alone I stand, and as I clutch the hoe, silent tears trickle down, And drip on the bare twigs, leaving behind them the traces of blood. The goatsucker hath sung his song, the shades lower of eventide, So with the lotus hoe I return home and shut the double doors. Upon the wall the green lamp sheds its rays just as I go to sleep. The cover is yet cold; against the window patters the bleak rain. How strange! Why can it ever be that I feel so wounded at heart! Partly, because spring I regret; partly, because with spring I'm vexed! Regret for spring, because it sudden comes; vexed, for it sudden goes. For without warning, lo! it comes; and without asking it doth fleet. Yesterday night, outside the hall sorrowful songs burst from my mouth, For I found out that flowers decay, and that birds also pass away. The soul of flowers, and the spirit of birds are both hard to restrain. Birds, to themselves when left, in silence plunge; and flowers, alone, they blush. Oh! would that on my sides a pair of wings could grow, That to the end of heaven I may fly in the wake of flowers! Yea to the very end of heaven, Where I could find a fragrant grave! For better, is it not, that an embroidered bag should hold my well-shaped bones, And that a heap of stainless earth should in its folds my winsome charms enshroud. For spotless once my frame did come, and spotless again it will go! Far better than that I, like filthy mire, should sink into some drain! Ye flowers are now faded and gone, and, lo, I come to bury you. But as for me, what day I shall see death is not as yet divined! Here I am fain these flowers to inter; but humankind will laugh me as a fool. Who knows, who will, in years to come, commit me to my grave! Mark, and you'll find the close of spring, and the gradual decay of flowers, Resemble faithfully the time of death of maidens ripe in years! In a twinkle, spring time draws to a close, and maidens wax in age. Flowers fade and maidens die; and of either nought any more is known.

  After listening to these effusions, Pao-yue unconsciously threw himselfdown in a wandering frame of mind.

  But, reader, do you feel any interest in him? If you do, the subsequentchapter contains further details about him.