by Xueqin Cao
CHAPTER XXXVI.
While Hsi Jen is busy embroidering mandarin ducks, Pao-yue receives, in the Chiang Yuen Pavilion, an omen from a dream. Pao-yue apprehends that there is a destiny in affections, when his feelings are aroused to a sense of the situation in the Pear Fragrance court.
Ever since dowager lady Chia's return from Madame Wang's quarters, forwe will now take up the string of our narrative, she naturally felthappier in her mind as she saw that Pao-yue improved from day to day; butnervous lest Chia Cheng should again in the future send for him, shelost no time in bidding a servant summon a head-page, a constantattendant upon Chia Cheng, to come to her, and in impressing upon himvarious orders. "Should," she enjoined him, "anything turn uphenceforward connected with meeting guests, entertaining visitors andother such matters, and your master mean to send for Pao-yue, you candispense with going to deliver the message. Just you tell him that I saythat after the severe thrashing he has had, great care must be firsttaken of him during several months before he can be allowed to walk; andthat, secondly, his constellation is unpropitious and that he could notsee any outsider, while sacrifices are being offered to the stars; thatI won't have him therefore put his foot beyond the second gate beforethe expiry of the eighth moon."
The head-page listened patiently to her instructions, and, assenting toall she had to say, he took his leave.
Old lady Chia thereupon also sent for nurse Li, Hsi Jen and the otherwaiting-maids and recommended them to tell Pao-yue about her injunctionsso that he might be able to quiet his mind.
Pao-yue had always had a repugnance for entertaining high officials andmen in general, and the greatest horror of going in official hat andceremonial dress, to offer congratulations, or express condolences, topay calls, return visits, or perform other similar conventionalities,but upon receipt on the present occasion of this message, he became somuch the more confirmed in his dislikes that not only did he suspend allintercourse with every single relative and friend, but even went so faras to study more than he had ever done before, his own caprices in thefulfilment of those morning and evening salutations due to the seniormembers of his family. Day after day he spent in the garden, doingnothing else than loafing about, sitting down here, or reclining there.Of a morning, he would, as soon as it was day, stroll as far as thequarters of dowager lady Chia and Madame Wang, to repair back, however,in no time. Yet ever ready was he every day that went by to performmenial services for any of the waiting-maids. He, in fact, wasted awayin the most complete _dolce far niente_ days as well as months. Ifperchance Pao-ch'ai or any other girl of the same age as herself foundat any time an opportunity to give him advice, he would, instead oftaking it in good part, fly into a huff. "A pure and spotless maiden,"he would say, "has likewise gone and deliberately imitated thosepersons, whose aim is to fish for reputation and to seek praise; thatset of government thieves and salaried devils. This result entirelyarises from the fact that there have been people in former times, whohave uselessly stirred up trouble and purposely fabricated stories withthe primary object of enticing the filthy male creatures, who wouldspring up in future ages, to follow in their steps! And who would havethought it, I have had the misfortune of being born a masculine being!But, even those beautiful girls, in the female apartments, have been socontaminated by this practice that verily they show themselvesungrateful for the virtue of Heaven and Earth, in endowing them withperception, and in rearing them with so much comeliness."
Seeing therefore what an insane mania possessed him, not one of hiscousins came forward to tender him one proper word of counsel. LinTai-yue was the only one of them, who, from his very infancy, had neveronce admonished him to strive and make a position and attain fame, sothus it was that he entertained for Tai-yue profound consideration. Butenough of minor details.
We will now turn our attention to lady Feng. Soon after the news of ChinCh'uan-erh's death reached her, she saw that domestics from variousbranches of the family paid her frequent visits at most unexpectedhours, and presented her a lot of things, and that they courted herpresence at most unseasonable moments, to pay their compliments andadulate her, and she begun to harbour suspicions, in her own mind, asshe little knew what their object could possibly be. On this date, sheagain noticed that some of them had brought their gifts, so, whenevening arrived, and no one was present, she felt compelled to inquirejocosely of P'ing Erh what their aim could be.
"Can't your ladyship fathom even this?" P'ing Erh answered with asardonic smile. "Why, their daughters must, I fancy, be servant-girls inMadame Wang's apartments! For her ladyship's rooms four elderly girlsare at present allotted with a monthly allowance of one tael; the restsimply receiving several hundreds of cash each month; so now that ChinCh'uan-erh is dead and gone, these people must, of course, be anxious totry their tricks and get this one-tael job!"
Hearing this, lady Feng smiled a significant smile. "That's it. Yes,that's it!" she exclaimed. "You've really suggested the idea to my mind!From all appearances, these people are a most insatiable lot; for theymake quite enough in the way of money! And as for any business thatrequires a little exertion, why they are never ready to bear a share ofit! They make use of their girls as so many tools to shove their ownduties upon. Yet one overlooks that. But must they too have designs uponthis job? Never mind! These people cannot easily afford to spend upon methe money they do. But they bring this upon their own selves, so I'llkeep every bit of thing they send. I've, after all, resolved how to actin the matter!"
Having arrived at this decision, lady Feng purely and simply protractedthe delay until all the women had sent her enough to satisfy her, whenshe at last suited her own convenience and spoke to Madame Wang (on thesubject of the vacant post).
Mrs. Hsueeh and her daughter were sitting one day, at noon, in MadameWang's quarters, together with Lin Tai-yue and the other girls, when ladyFeng found an opportunity and broached the topic with Madame Wang. "Eversince," she said, "sister Chin Ch'uan-erh's death, there has been oneservant less in your ladyship's service. But you may possibly have setyour choice upon some girl; if so, do let me know who it is, so that Imay be able to pay her her monthly wages."
This reminder made Madame Wang commune with her own self. "I fancy," sheremarked; "that the custom is that there should be four or five of them;but as long as there are enough to wait upon me, I don't mind, so we canreally dispense with another."
"What you say is, properly speaking, perfectly correct," smiled ladyFeng; "but it's an old established custom. There are still a couple tobe found in other people's rooms and won't you, Madame, conform with therule? Besides, the saving of a tael is a small matter."
After this argument, Madame Wang indulged in further thought. "Nevermind," she then observed, "just you bring over this allowance and pay itto me. And there will be no need to supply another girl. I'll hand overthis tael to her younger sister, Yue Ch'uan-erh, and finish with it. Herelder sister came to an unpleasant end, after a long term of servicewith me; so if the younger sister, she leaves behind in my employ,receives a double share, it won't be any too excessive."
Lady Feng expressed her approval and turning round she said smilingly toYue Ch'uan-erh: "I congratulate you, I congratulate you!"
Yue Ch'uan-erh thereupon crossed over and prostrated herself.
"I just want to ask you," Madame Wang went on to inquire, "how much Mrs.Chao and Mrs. Chou are allowed monthly?"
"They have a fixed allowance," answered lady Feng, "each of them drawstwo taels. But Mrs. Chao gets two taels for cousin Chia Huan, so hersamounts in all to four taels; besides these, four strings of cash."
"Are they paid in full month after month?" Madame Wang inquired.
Lady Feng thought the question so very strange that she hastened toexclaim by way of reply: "How are they not paid in full?"
"The other day," Madame Wang proceeded, "I heard a faint rumour thatthere was some one, who complained in an aggrieved way that she had gota string short. How and why is this?"
"T
he monthly allowances of the servant-girls, attached to the secondarywives," lady Feng hurriedly added with a smile, "amounted originally toa tiao each, but ever since last year, it was decided, by those peopleoutside, that the shares of each of those ladies' girls should bereduced by half, that is, each to five hundred cash; and, as each ladyhas a couple of servant-girls, they receive therefore a tiao short. Butfor this, they can't bear me a grudge. As far as I'm concerned, I wouldonly be too glad to let them have it; but our people outside will againdisallow it; so is it likely that I can authorise any increase, pray? Inthis matter of payments I merely receive the money, and I've nothing todo with how it comes and how it goes. I nevertheless recommended, on twoor three occasions, that it would be better if these two shares wereagain raised to the old amount; but they said that there's only thatmuch money, so that I can't very well volunteer any further suggestions!Now that the funds are paid into my hands, I give them to them everymonth, without any irregularity of even so much as a day. When paymentshitherto were effected outside, what month were they not short of money?And did they ever, on any single instance, obtain their pay at theproper time and date?"
Having heard this explanation, Madame Wang kept silent for a while.Next, she proceeded to ask, how many girls there were with dowager ladyChia drawing one tael.
"Eight of them," rejoined lady Feng, "but there are at present onlyseven; the other one is Hsi Jen."
"Quite right," assented Madame Wang. "But your cousin Pao-yue hasn't anymaid at one tael; for Hsi Jen is still a servant belonging to old ladyChia's household."
"Hsi Jen," lady Feng smiled, "is still our dear ancestor's servant;she's only lent to cousin Pao-yue; so that she still receives this taelin her capacity of maid to our worthy senior. Any proposal, therefore,that might now be made, that this tael should, as Hsi Jen is Pao-yue'sservant, be curtailed, can, on no account, be entertained. Yet, were itsuggested that another servant should be added to our senior's staff,then in this way one could reduce the tael she gets. But if this be notcurtailed, it will be necessary to also add a servant in cousin ChiaHuan's rooms, in order that there should be a fair apportionment. Infact, Ch'ing Wen, She Yueeh and the others, numbering seven senior maids,receive each a tiao a month; and Chiao Hui and the rest of the juniormaids, eight in all, get each five hundred cash per mensem; and this wasrecommended by our venerable ancestor herself; so how can any one beangry and feel displeasure?"
"Just listen," laughed Mrs. Hsueeh, "to that girl Feng's mouth! Itrattles and rattles like a cart laden with walnuts, which has turnedtopsy-turvy! Yet, her accounts are, from what one can gather, clearenough, and her arguments full of reason."
"Aunt," rejoined lady Feng smiling, "was I likely, pray, wrong in what Isaid?"
"Who ever said you were wrong?" Mrs. Hsueeh smiled. "But were you to talka little slower, wouldn't it be a saving of exertion for you?"
Lady Feng was about to laugh, but hastily checking herself, she lent anear to what Madame Wang might have to tell her.
Madame Wang indulged in thought for a considerable time. Afterwards,facing lady Feng, "You'd better," she said, "select a waiting-maidtomorrow and send her over to our worthy senior to fill up Hsi Jen'splace. Then, discontinue that allowance, which Hsi Jen draws, and keepout of the sum of twenty taels, allotted to me monthly, two taels and atiao, and give them to Hsi Jen. So henceforward what Mrs. Chao and Mrs.Chou will get, Hsi Jen will likewise get, with the only difference thatthe share granted to Hsi Jen, will be entirely apportioned out of my ownallowance. Mind, therefore, there will be no necessity to touch thepublic funds!"
Lady Feng acquiesced to each one of her recommendations, and, pushingMrs. Hsueeh, "Aunt," she inquired, "have you heard her proposal? Whathave I all along maintained? Well, my words have actually come out trueto-day!"
"This should have been accomplished long ago," Mrs. Hsueeh answered. "Forwithout, of course, making any allusion to her looks, her way of doingbusiness is liberal; her speech and her relations with people are alwaysprompted by an even temper, while inwardly she has plenty of singlenessof heart and eagerness to hold her own. Indeed, such a girl is not easyto come across!"
Madame Wang made every effort to conceal her tears. "How could youpeople ever rightly estimate Hsi Jen's qualities?" she observed. "Why,she's a hundred times better than my own Pao-yue. How fortunate, inreality, Pao-yue is! Well would it be if he could have her wait upon himfor the whole length of his life!"
"In that case," lady Feng suggested, "why, have her face shaved at once,and openly place her in his room as a secondary wife. Won't this be agood plan?"
"This won't do!" Madame Wang retorted. "For first and foremost he's oftender years. In the second place, my husband won't countenance any suchthing! In the third, so long as Pao-yue sees that Hsi Jen is hiswaiting-maid, he may, in the event of anything occurring from his havingbeen allowed to run wild, listen to any good counsel she might give him.But were she now to be made his secondary wife, Hsi Jen would notventure to tender him any extreme advice, even when it's necessary to doso. It's better, therefore, to let things stand as they are for thepresent, and talk about them again, after the lapse of another two orthree years."
At the close of these arguments, lady Feng could not put in a word, byway of reply, to refute them, so turning round, she left the room. Shehad no sooner, however, got under the verandah, than she discerned thewives of a number of butlers, waiting for her to report various mattersto her. Seeing her issue out of the room, they with one consent smiled."What has your ladyship had to lay before Madame Wang," they remarked,"that you've been talking away this length of time? Didn't you find ithot work?"
Lady Feng tucked up her sleeves several times. Then resting her foot onthe step of the side door, she laughed and rejoined: "The draft in thispassage is so cool, that I'll stop, and let it play on me a bit before Igo on. You people," she proceeded to tell them, "say that I've beentalking to her all this while, but Madame Wang conjured up all that hasoccurred for the last two hundred years and questioned me about it; socould I very well not have anything to say in reply? But from this dayforth," she added with a sarcastic smile, "I shall do several meanthings, and should even (Mrs. Chao and Mrs. Chou) go, out of anyill-will, and tell Madame Wang, I won't know what fear is for suchstupid, glib-tongued, foul-mouthed creatures as they, who are bound notto see a good end! It isn't for them to indulge in those fanciful dreamsof becoming primary wives, for there, will come soon a day when thewhole lump sum of their allowance will be cut off! They grumble againstus for having now reduced the perquisites of the servant-maids, but theydon't consider whether they deserve to have so many as three girls todance attendance on them!"
While heaping abuse on their heads, she started homewards, and went allalone in search of some domestic to go and deliver a message to old ladyChia.
But without any further reference to her, we will take up the thread ofour narrative with Mrs. Hsueeh, and the others along with her. Duringthis interval they finished feasting on melons. After some more gossip,each went her own way; and Pao-ch'ai, Tai-yue and the rest of the cousinsreturned into the garden. Pao-ch'ai then asked Tai-yue to repair with herto the O Hsiang Arbour. But Tai-yue said that she was just going to haveher bath, so they parted company, and Pao-ch'ai walked back all byherself. On her way, she stepped into the I Hung Yuean, to look up Pao-yueand have a friendly hobnob with him, with the idea of dispelling hermid-day lassitude; but, contrary to her expectations, the moment she puther foot into the court, she did not so much as catch the caw of a crow.Even the two storks stood under the banana trees, plunged in sleep.Pao-ch'ai proceeded along the covered passage and entered the rooms.Here she discovered the servant-girls sleeping soundly on the bed of theouter apartment; some lying one way, some another; so turning round thedecorated screen, she wended her steps into Pao-yue's chamber. Pao-yue wasasleep in bed. Hsi Jen was seated by his side, busy plying her needle.Next to her, lay a yak tail. Pao-ch'ai advanced up to her. "You'rereally far too scrupulous," she said smilingly in a
n undertone. "Arethere still flies or mosquitos in here? and why do yet use that fly-flapfor, to drive what away?"
Hsi Jen was quite taken by surprise. But hastily raising her head, andrealising that it was Pao-ch'ai, she hurriedly put down her needlework."Miss," she whispered with a smile, "you came upon me so unawares thatyou gave me quite a start! You don't know, Miss, that though there be noflies or mosquitoes there is, no one would believe it, a kind of smallinsect, which penetrates through the holes of this gauze; it is scarcelyto be detected, but when one is asleep, it bites just like ants do!"
"It isn't to be wondered at," Pao-ch'ai suggested, "for the back ofthese rooms adjoins the water; the whole place is also one mass offragrant flowers, and the interior of this room is, too, full of theiraroma. These insects grow mostly in the core of flowers, so no sooner dothey scent the smell of any than they at once rush in."
Saying this, she cast a look on the needlework she (Hsi Jen) held in herhands. It consisted, in fact, of a belt of white silk, lined with red,and embroidered on the upper part with designs representing mandarinducks, disporting themselves among some lotus. The lotus flowers werered, the leaves green, the ducks of variegated colours.
"Ai-yah!" ejaculated Pao-ch'ai, "what very beautiful work! For whom isthis, that it's worth your while wasting so much labour on it?"
Hsi Jen pouted her lips towards the bed.
"Does a big strapping fellow like this," Pao-ch'ai laughed, "still wearsuch things?"
"He would never wear any before," Hsi Jen smiled, "that's why such anice one was specially worked for him, in order that when he was allowedto see it, he should not be able to do otherwise than use it. With thepresent hot weather, he goes to sleep anyhow, but as he has been coaxedto wear it, it doesn't matter if even he doesn't cover himself well atnight. You say that I bestow much labour upon this, but you haven't yetseen the one he has on!"
"It is a lucky thing," Pao-ch'ai observed, smiling, "that you're giftedwith such patience."
"I've done so much of it to-day," remarked Hsi Jen, "that my neck isquite sore from bending over it. My dear Miss," she then urged with abeaming countenance, "do sit here a little. I'll go out for a turn. I'llbe back shortly."
With these words, she sallied out of the room.
Pao-ch'ai was intent upon examining the embroidery, so in herabsentmindedness, she, with one bend of her body, settled herself on thevery same spot, which Hsi Jen had recently occupied. But she found, onsecond scrutiny, the work so really admirable, that impulsively pickingup the needle, she continued it for her. At quite an unforeseenmoment--for Lin Tai-yue had met Shih Hsiang-yuen and asked her to comealong with her and present her congratulations to Hsi Jen--these twogirls made their appearance in the court. Finding the whole placeplunged in silence, Hsiang-yuen turned round and betook herself firstinto the side-rooms in search of Hsi Jen. Lin Tai-yue, meanwhile, walkedup to the window from outside, and peeped in through the gauze frame. Ata glance, she espied Pao-yue, clad in a silvery-red coat, lyingcarelessly on the bed, and Pao-ch'ai, seated by his side, busy at someneedlework, with a fly-brush resting by her side.
As soon as Lin Tai-yue became conscious of the situation, she immediatelyslipped out of sight, and stopping her mouth with one hand, as she didnot venture to laugh aloud, she waved her other hand and beckoned toHsiang-yuen. The moment Hsiang-yuen saw the way she went on, she concludedthat she must have something new to impart to her, and she approachedher with all promptitude. At the sight, which opened itself before hereyes, she also felt inclined to laugh. Yet the sudden recollection ofthe kindness, with which Pao-ch'ai had always dealt towards her, inducedher to quickly seal her lips. And knowing well enough that Tai-yue neverspared any one with her mouth, she was seized with such fear lest sheshould jeer at them, that she immediately dragged her past the window."Come along!" she observed. "Hsi Jen, I remember, said that she would begoing at noon to wash some clothes at the pond. I presume she's therealready so let's go and join her."
Tai-yue inwardly grasped her meaning, but, after indulging in a couple ofsardonic smiles, she had no alternative but to follow in her footsteps.
Pao-ch'ai had, during this while, managed to embroider two or threepetals, when she heard Pao-yue begin to shout abusingly in his dreams."How can," he cried, "one ever believe what bonzes and Taoist priestssay? What about a match between gold and jade? My impression is thatit's to be a union between a shrub and a stone!"
Hsueeh Pao-ch'ai caught every single word uttered by him and fellunconsciously in a state of excitement. Of a sudden, however, Hsi Jenappeared on the scene. "Hasn't he yet woke up?" she inquired.
Pao-ch'ai nodded her head by way of reply.
"I just came across," Hsi Jen smiled, "Miss Lin and Miss Shih. Did theyhappen to come in?"
"I didn't see them come in," Pao-ch'ai answered. "Did they tell youanything?" she next smilingly asked of Hsi Jen.
Hsi Jen blushed and laughed significantly. "They simply came out withsome of those jokes of theirs," she explained. "What decent things couldsuch as they have had to tell me?"
"They made insinuations to-day," Pao-ch'ai laughed, "which are anythingbut a joke! I was on the point of telling you them, when you rushed awayin an awful hurry."
But no sooner had she concluded, than she perceived a servant, come overfrom lady Feng's part to fetch Hsi Jen. "It must be on account of whatthey hinted," Pao-ch'ai smilingly added.
Hsi Jen could not therefore do otherwise than arouse two servant-maidsand go. She proceeded, with Pao-ch'ai, out of the I Hung court, and thenrepaired all alone to lady Feng's on this side. It was indeed tocommunicate to her what had been decided about her, and to explain toher, as well, that though she could go and prostrate herself beforeMadame Wang, she could dispense with seeing dowager lady Chia. This newsmade Hsi Jen feel very awkward; to such an extent, that no sooner hadshe got through her visit to Madame Wang, than she returned in a hurryto her rooms.
Pao-yue had already awoke. He asked the reason why she had been calledaway, but Hsi Jen temporised by giving him an evasive answer. And onlyat night, when every one was quiet, did Hsi Jen at length give him afull account of the whole matter. Pao-yue was delighted beyond measure."I'll see now," he said, with a face beaming with smiles, "whetheryou'll go back home or not. On your return, after your last visit toyour people, you stated that your brother wished to redeem you, addingthat this place was no home for you, and that you didn't know what wouldbecome of you in the long run. You freely uttered all that languagedevoid of feeling and reason, and enough too to produce an estrangementbetween us, in order to frighten me; but I'd like to see who'llhenceforward have the audacity to come and ask you to leave!"
Hsi Jen, upon hearing this, smiled a smile full of irony. "You shouldn'tsay such things!" she replied. "From henceforward I shall be our MadameWang's servant, so that, if I choose to go I needn't even breathe a wordto you. All I'll have to do will be to tell her, and then I shall befree to do as I like."
"But supposing that I behaved improperly," demurred Pao-yue laughingly,"and that you took your leave after letting mother know, you yourselfwill be placed in no nice fix, when people get wind that you left onaccount of my having been improper."
"What no nice fix!" smiled Hsi Jen. "Is it likely that I am bound toserve even highway robbers? Well, failing anything else, I can die; forhuman beings may live a hundred years, but they're bound, in the longrun, to fall a victim to death! And when this breath shall havedeparted, and I shall have lost the sense of hearing and of seeing, allwill then be well!"
When her rejoinder fell on his ear, Pao-yue promptly stopped her mouthwith both his hands. "Enough! enough! that will do," he shouted."There's no necessity for you to utter language of this kind."
Hsi Jen was well aware that Pao-yue was gifted with such a peculiartemperament, that he even looked upon flattering or auspicious phraseswith utter aversion, treating them as meaningless and consequentlyinsincere, so when, after listening to those truths, she had spoken withsuch pathos, he, lapsed int
o another of his melancholy moods, she blamedherself for the want of consideration she had betrayed. Hastilytherefore putting on a smile, she tried to hit upon some suitableremarks, with which to interrupt the conversation. Her choice fell uponthose licentious and immodest topics, which had ever been a relish tothe taste of Pao-yue; and from these the conversation drifted to thesubject of womankind. But when, subsequently, reference was made to theexcellency of the weak sex, they somehow or other also came to touchupon the mortal nature of women, and Hsi Jen promptly closed her lips insilence.
Noticing however that now that the conversation had reached a point sofull of zest for him, she had nothing to say for herself, Pao-yuesmilingly remarked: "What human being is there that can escape death?But the main thing is to come to a proper end! All that those abjectmale creatures excel in is, the civil officers, to sacrifice their livesby remonstrating with the Emperor; and, the military, to leave theirbones on the battlefield. Both these deaths do confer, after life isextinct, the fame of great men upon them; but isn't it, in fact, betterfor them not to die? For as it is absolutely necessary that there shouldbe a disorderly Emperor before they can afford any admonition, to whatfuture fate do they thus expose their sovereign, if they rashly throwaway their lives, with the sole aim of reaping a fair name forthemselves? War too must supervene before they can fight; but if they goand recklessly lay down their lives, with the exclusive idea of gainingthe reputation of intrepid warriors, to what destiny will they abandontheir country by and bye? Hence it is that neither of these deaths canbe looked upon as a legitimate death."
"Loyal ministers," Hsi Jen argued, "and excellent generals simply diebecause it isn't in their power to do otherwise."
"Military officers," Pao-yue explained, "place such entire reliance uponbrute force that they become lax in their stratagems and faulty in theirplans. It's because they don't possess any inherent abilities that theylose their lives. Could one therefore, pray, say that they had no otheralternative? Civil officials, on the other hand, can still less comparewith military officers. They read a few passages from books, and committhem to memory; and, on the slightest mistake made by the Emperor,they're at once rash enough to remonstrate with him, prompted by thesole idea of attaining the fame of loyalty and devotion. But, as soon astheir stupid notions have bubbled over, they forfeit their lives, and isit likely that it doesn't lie within their power to do otherwise? Why,they should also bear in mind that the Emperor receives his decrees fromHeaven; and, that were he not a perfect man, Heaven itself would, on noaccount whatever, confer upon him a charge so extremely onerous. Thismakes it evident therefore that the whole pack and parcel of thoseofficers, who are dead and gone, have invariably fallen victims to theirendeavours to attain a high reputation, and that they had no knowledgewhatever of the import of the great principle of right! Take me as aninstance now. Were really mine the good fortune of departing life at afit time, I'd avail myself of the present when all you girls are alive,to pass away. And could I get you to shed such profuse tears for me asto swell out into a stream large enough to raise my corpse and carry itto some secluded place, whither no bird even has ever wended its flight,and could I become invisible like the wind, and nevermore from thistime, come into existence as a human being, I shall then have died at aproper season."
Hsi Jen suddenly awoke to the fact that he was beginning to give vent toa lot of twaddle, and speedily, pleading fatigue, she paid no furthernotice to him. This compelled Pao-yue to at last be quiet and go tosleep. By the morrow, all recollection of the discussion had vanishedfrom his mind.
One day, Pao-yue was feeling weary at heart, after strolling all over theplace, when remembering the song of the "Peony Pavilion," he read itover twice to himself; but still his spirits continued anything butjoyous. Having heard, however, that among the twelve girls in the PearFragrance Court there was one called Ling Kuan, who excelled in singing,he purposely issued forth by a side gate and came in search of her. Butthe moment he got there, he discovered Pao Kuan, and Yue Kuan in thecourt. As soon as they caught sight of Pao-yue, they, with one consent,smiled and urged him to take a seat. Pao-yue then inquired where LingKuan was. Both girls explained that she was in her room, so Pao-yuehastened in. Here he found Ling Kuan alone, reclining against a pillow.Though perfectly conscious of his arrival, she did not move a muscle.Pao-yue ensconced himself next to her. He had always been in the habit ofplaying with the rest of the girls, so thinking that Ling Kuan was likethe others, he felt impelled to draw near her and to entreat her, with aforced smile, to get up and sing part of the "Niao Ch'ing Ssu." But hishopes were baffled; for as soon as Ling Kuan perceived him sit down, sheimpetuously raised herself and withdrew from his side. "I'm hoarse," sherejoined with a stern expression on her face. "The Empress the other daycalled us into the palace; but I couldn't sing even then."
Seeing her sit bolt upright, Pao-yue went on to pass her under a minutesurvey. He discovered that it was the girl, whom he had, some time agobeheld under the cinnamon roses, drawing the character "Ch'iang." Butseeing the reception she accorded him, who had never so far known whatit was to be treated contemptuously by any one, he blushed crimson,while muttering some abuse to himself, and felt constrained to quit theroom.
Pao Kuan and her companion could not fathom why he was so red andinquired of him the reason. Pao-yue told them. "Wait a while," Pao Kuansaid, "until Mr. Ch'iang Secundus comes; and when he asks her to sing,she is bound to sing."
Pao-yue at these words felt very sad within himself. "Where's brotherCh'iang gone to?" he asked.
"He's just gone out," Pao Kuan answered. "Of course, Ling Kuan must havewanted something or other, and he's gone to devise ways and means tobring it to her."
Pao-yue thought this remark very extraordinary. But after standing aboutfor a while, he actually saw Chia Ch'iang arrive from outside, carryinga cage, with a tiny stage inserted at the top, and a bird as well; andwend his steps, in a gleeful mood, towards the interior to join LingKuan. The moment, however, he noticed Pao-yue, he felt under thenecessity of halting.
"What kind of bird is that?" Pao-yue asked. "Can it hold a flag in itsbeak, or do any tricks?"
"It's the 'jade-crested and gold-headed bird,'" smiled Chia Ch'iang.
"How much did you give for it?" Pao-yue continued.
"A tael and eight mace," replied Chia Ch'iang.
But while replying to his inquiries, he motioned to Pao-yue to take aseat, and then went himself into Ling Kuan's apartment.
Pao-yue had, by this time, lost every wish of hearing a song. His soledesire was to find what relations existed between his cousin and LingKuan, when he perceived Chia Ch'iang walk in and laughingly say to her,"Come and see this thing."
"What's it?" Ling Kuan asked, rising.
"I've bought a bird for you to amuse yourself with," Chia Ch'iang added,"so that you mayn't daily feel dull and have nothing to distractyourself with. But I'll first play with it and let you see."
With this prelude, he took a few seeds and began to coax the bird, untilit, in point of fact, performed various tricks, on the stage, claspingin its beak a mask and a flag.
All the girls shouted out: "How nice;" with the sole exception of LingKuan, who gave a couple of apathetic smirks, and went in a huff to liedown. Again Chia Ch'iang, however, kept on forcing smiles, and inquiringof her whether she liked it or not.
"Isn't it enough," Ling Kuan observed, "that your family entraps a finelot of human beings like us and coops us up in this hole to study thisstuff and nonsense, but do you also now go and get a bird, whichlikewise is, as it happens, up to this sort of thing? You distinctlyfetch it to make fun of us, and mimick us, and do you still ask mewhether I like it or not?"
Hearing this reproach, Chia Ch'iang of a sudden sprang to his feet withalacrity and vehemently endeavoured by vowing and swearing to establishhis innocence. "How ever could I have been such a fool to-day," heproceeded, "as to go and throw away a tael or two to purchase this bird?I really did it in the hope that it would afford you
amusement. I neverfor a moment entertained such thoughts as those you credit me with. Butnever mind; I'll let it go, and save you all this misery!"
So saying, he verily gave the bird its liberty; and, with one blow, hesmashed the cage to atoms.
"This bird," still argued Ling Kuan, "differs, it's true, from a humanbeing; but it too has a mother and father in its nest, and could youhave had the heart to bring it here to perform these silly pranks? Incoughing to-day, I expectorated two mouthfuls of blood, and Madame Wangsent some one here to find you so as to tell you to ask the doctor roundto minutely diagnose my complaint, and have you instead brought this tomock me with? But it so happens that I, who have not a soul to lookafter me, or to care for me, also have the fate to fall ill!"
Chia Ch'iang listened to her. "Yesterday evening," he eagerly explained,"I asked the doctor about it. He said that it was nothing at all, thatyou should take a few doses of medicine, and that he would be comingagain in a day or two to see how you were getting on. But who'd havethought it, you have again to-day expectorated blood. I'll go at onceand invite him to come round."
Speaking the while, he was about to go immediately when Ling Kuan criedout and stopped him. "Do you go off in a tantrum in this hot broilingsun?" she said. "You may ask him to come, but I won't see him."
When he heard her resolution, Chia Ch'iang had perforce to stand still.
Pao-yue, perceiving what transpired between them, fell unwittingly in adull reverie. He then at length got an insight into the deep import ofthe tracing of the character "Ch'iang." But unable to bear the ordealany longer, he forthwith took himself out of the way. So absorbed,however, was Chia Ch'iang's whole mind with Ling Kuan that he could noteven give a thought to escorting any one; and it was, in fact, the restof the singing-girls who saw (Pao-yue) out.
Pao-yue's heart was gnawed with doubts and conjectures. In an imbecileframe of mind, he came to the I Hung court. Lin Tai-yue was, at themoment, sitting with Hsi Jen, and chatting with her. As soon as Pao-yueentered his quarters, he addressed himself to Hsi Jen, with a long sigh."I was very wrong in what I said yesterday evening," he remarked. "It'sno matter of surprise that father says that I am so narrow-minded that Ilook at things through a tube and measure them with a clam-shell. Imentioned something last night about having nothing but tears, shed byall of you girls, to be buried in. But this was a mere delusion! So as Ican't get the tears of the whole lot of you, each one of you canhenceforward keep her own for herself, and have done."
Hsi Jen had flattered herself that the words he had uttered the previousevening amounted to idle talk, and she had long ago dispelled allthought of them from her mind, but when Pao-yue unawares made furtherallusion to them, she smilingly rejoined: "You are verily somewhatcracked!"
Pao-yue kept silent, and attempted to make no reply. Yet from this timehe fully apprehended that the lot of human affections is, in everyinstance, subject to predestination, and time and again he was wont tosecretly muse, with much anguish: "Who, I wonder, will shed tears forme, at my burial?"
Lin Tai-yue, for we will now allude to her, noticed Pao-yue's behaviour,but readily concluding that he must have been, somewhere or other, oncemore possessed by some malignant spirit, she did not feel it advisableto ask many questions. "I just saw," she consequently observed, "mymaternal aunt, who hearing that to-morrow is Miss Hsueeh's birthday, bademe come at my convenience to ask you whether you'll go or not, (and totell you) to send some one ahead to let them know what you mean to do."
"I didn't go the other day, when it was Mr. Chia She's birthday, so Iwon't go now." Pao-yue answered. "If it is a matter of meeting any one, Iwon't go anywhere. On a hot day like this to again don my ceremonialdress! No, I won't go. Aunt is not likely to feel displeased with me!"
"What are you driving at?" Hsi Jen speedily ventured. "She couldn't beput on the same footing as our senior master! She lives close by here.Besides she's a relative. Why, if you don't go, won't you make herimagine things? Well, if you dread the heat, just get up at an earlyhour and go over and prostrate yourself before her, and come back again,after you've had a cup of tea. Won't this look well?"
Before Pao-yue had time to say anything by way of response, Tai-yueanticipated him. "You should," she smiled, "go as far as there for thesake of her, who drives the mosquitoes away from you."
Pao-yue could not make out the drift of her insinuation. "What aboutdriving mosquitoes away?" he vehemently inquired.
Hsi Jen then explained to him how while he was fast asleep the previousday and no one was about to keep him company, Miss Pao-ch'ai had satwith him for a while.
"It shouldn't have been done!" Pao-yue promptly exclaimed, after hearingher explanations. "But how did I manage to go to sleep and show suchutter discourtesy to her? I must go to-morrow!" he then went on to add.But while these words were still on his lips, he unexpectedly caughtsight of Shih Hsian-yuen walk in in full dress, to bid them adieu, as shesaid that some one had been sent from her home to fetch her away.
The moment Pao-yue and Tai-yue heard what was the object of her visit,they quickly rose to their feet and pressed her to take a seat. But ShihHsiang-yuen would not sit down, so Pao-yue and Tai-yue were compelled toescort her as far as the front part of the mansion.
Shih Hsiang-yuen's eyes were brimming with tears; but realising thatseveral people from her home were present, she did not have the courageto give full vent to her feelings. But when shortly Pao-ch'ai ran overto find her, she felt so much the more drawn towards them, that shecould not brook to part from them. Pao-ch'ai, however, inwardlyunderstood that if her people told her aunt anything on their return,there would again be every fear of her being blown up, as soon as shegot back home, and she therefore urged her to start on her way. One andall then walked with her up to the second gate, and Pao-yue wished toaccompany her still further outside, but Shih Hsiang-yuen deterred him.Presently, they turned to go back. But once more, she called Pao-yue toher, and whispered to him in a soft tone of voice: "Should our venerablesenior not think of me do often allude to me, so that she should deputesome one to fetch me."
Pao-yue time after time assured her that he would comply with her wishes.And having followed her with their eyes, while she got into her curricleand started, they eventually retraced their steps towards the innercompound. But, reader, if you like to follow up the story, peruse thedetails contained in the chapter below.