by Xueqin Cao
CHAPTER XLIV.
By some inscrutable turn of affairs, lady Feng begins to feel the pangs of jealousy. Pao-yue experiences joy, beyond all his expectations, when P'ing Erh (receives a slap from lady Feng) and has to adjust her hair.
But to resume our narrative. At the performance of the 'Record of theboxwood hairpin,' at which all the inmates of the household werepresent, Pao-yue and his female cousins sat together. When Lin Tai-yuenoticed that the act called, 'The man offers a sacrifice' had beenreached, "This Wang Shih-p'eng," she said to Pao-ch'ai, "is very stupid!It would be quite immaterial where he offered his sacrifices, and whymust he repair to the riverside? 'At the sight of an object,' theproverb has it, 'one thinks of a person. All waters under the heavensrevert but to one source.' So had he baled a bowlful from any stream,and given way to his lamentations, while gazing on it, he could verywell have satisfied his feelings."
Pao-ch'ai however made no reply.
Pao-yue then turned his head round and asked for some warm wine to drinkto lady Feng's health. The fact is, that dowager lady Chia had enjoinedon them that this occasion was unlike others, and that it was absolutelynecessary for them to do the best to induce lady Feng to heartily enjoyherself for the day. She herself, nevertheless, felt too listless tojoin the banquet, so simply reclining on a sofa of the inner room, shelooked at the plays in company with Mrs. Hsueeh; and choosing severalkinds of such eatables as were to her taste, she placed them on a smallteapoy, and now helped herself to some, and now talked, as the fancytook her. Then allotting what viands were served on the two tablesassigned to her to the elder and younger waiting-maids, for whom nocovers were laid, and to those female servants and other domestics, whowere on duty and had to answer calls, she urged them not to mind but toseat themselves outside the windows, under the eaves of the verandahs,and to eat and drink at their pleasure, without any regard toconventionalities. Madame Wang and Madame Hsing occupied places at thehigh table below; while round several tables outside sat the posse ofyoung ladies.
"Do let that girl Feng have the seat of honour," old lady Chia shortlytold Mrs. Yu and her contemporaries, "and mind be careful in doing thehonours for me, for she is subjected to endless trouble from one year'send to another!"
"Very well," said Mrs. Yu. "I fancy," she went on to smile, "that littleused as she is to filling the place of honour, she's bound, if she takesthe high seat, to be so much at a loss how to behave, as to be loth evento have any wine!"
Dowager lady Chia was much amused by her reply. "Well, if you can'tsucceed," she said, "wait and I'll come and offer it to her."
Lady Feng with hasty step walked into the inner room. "Venerableancestor!" she smiled, "don't believe all they tell you! I've alreadyhad several cups!"
"Quick, pull her out," old lady Chia laughingly cried to Mrs. Yu, "andshove her into a chair, and let all of you drink by turns to her health!If she then doesn't drink, I'll come myself in real earnest and make herhave some!"
At these words, Mrs. Yu speedily dragged her out, laughing the while,and forced her into a seat, and, directing a servant to fetch a cup, shefilled it with wine. "You've got from one year's end to another," shesmiled, "the trouble and annoyance of conferring dutiful attentions uponour venerable senior, upon Madame Wang and upon myself, so, as I'venothing to-day, with which to prove my affection for you, have a sip,from my hand, my own dear, of this cup of wine I poured for you myself!"
"If you deliberately wish to present me a glass," lady Feng laughed,"fall on your knees and I'll drink at once!"
"What's this you say?" Mrs. Yu replied with a laugh. "And who are you, Iwonder? But let me tell you this once for all and finish that thoughwe've succeeded, after ever so many difficulties, in getting up thisentertainment to-day, there's no saying whether we shall in the futurebe able to have anything more the like of this or not. Let's availourselves then of the present to put our capacity to the strain anddrink a couple of cups!"
Lady Feng saw very well that she could not advance any excuses, andnecessity obliged her to swallow the contents of two cups. In quicksuccession, however, the various young ladies also drew near her, andlady Feng was constrained again to take a sip from the cup each held.But nurse Lai Ta too felt compelled, at the sight of dowager lady Chiastill in buoyant spirits, to come forward and join in the merriment, soputting herself at the head of a number of nurses, she approached andproffered wine to lady Feng who found it once more so difficult torefuse that she had to swallow a few mouthfuls. But Yuean Yang and hercompanions next appeared, likewise, on the scene to hand her their shareof wine; but lady Feng felt, in fact, so little able to comply withtheir wishes, that she promptly appealed to them entreatingly. "Dearsisters," she pleaded, "do spare me! I'll drink some more to-morrow!"
"Quite so! we're a mean lot," Yuean Yang laughed. "But now that we standin the presence of your ladyship, do condescend to look upon usfavourably! We've always enjoyed some little consideration, and do youput on the airs of a mistress on an occasion like the present, whenthere's such a crowd of people standing by? Really, I shouldn't havecome. But, as you won't touch our wine, we might as well be quick andretire!"
While she spoke, she was actually walking away, when lady Feng hastenedto lay hold of her and to detain her. "Dear sister," she cried, "I'lldrink some and have done!"
So saying, she took the wine and filled a cup to the very brim, anddrained it. Yuean Yang then at length gave her a smile, (and she and herfriends) dispersed.
Subsequently, the company resumed their places at the banquet. But ladyFeng was conscious that the wine she had primed herself with wasmounting to her head, so abruptly staggering to the upper end, she meantto betake herself home to lie down, when seeing the jugglers arrive,"Get the tips ready!" she shouted to Mrs. Yu. "I'm off to wash my face abit."
Mrs. Yu nodded her head assentingly; and lady Feng, noticing that theinmates were off their guard, left the banquet, and wended her stepsbeneath the eaves towards the back entrance of the house. P'ing Erh had,however, been keeping her eye on her, so hastily she followed in herfootsteps. Lady Feng at once propped herself on her arm. But no soonerdid they reach the covered passage than she discerned a young maid,attached to her quarters, standing under it. (The girl), the moment sheperceived them, twisted herself round and beat a retreat. Lady Fengforthwith began to give way to suspicion; and she immediately shoutedout to her to halt. The maid pretended at first not to hear, but, as,while following her they called out to her time after time, she foundherself compelled to turn round. Lady Feng was seized with greaterdoubts than ever. Quickly therefore entering the covered passage withP'ing Erh, she bade the maid go along with them. Then opening a foldingscreen, lady Feng stated herself on the steps leading to the smallcourtyard, and made the girl fall on her knees. "Call two boy-servantsfrom among those on duty at the second gate," she cried out to P'ingErh, "to bring a whip of twisted cords, and to take this young wench,who has no regard for her mistress, and beat her to shreds."
The servant-maid fell into a state of consternation, and was scared outof her very wits. Sobbing the while, she kept on bumping her head on theground and soliciting for grace.
"I'm really no ghost! So you must have seen me! Don't you know what goodmanners mean and stand still?" lady Feng asked. "Why did you insteadpersist in running on?"
"I truly did not see your ladyship coming," the maid replied with tearsin her eyes. "I was, besides, much concerned as there was no one in therooms; that's why I was running on."
"If there's no one in the rooms, who told you to come out again?" ladyFeng inquired. "And didn't you see me, together with P'ing Erh, at yourheels, stretching out our necks and calling out to you about ten times?But the more we shouted, the faster you ran! You weren't far off from useither, so is it likely that you got deaf? And are you still bent uponbandying words with me?"
So speaking, she raised her hand and administered her a slap on theface. But, while the girl staggered from the blow, she gave her a secondslap on the other side
of the face, so both cheeks of the maid quicklybegan to get purple and to swell.
P'ing Erh hastened to reason with her mistress. "My lady!" she said, "becareful you'll be hurting your hand!"
"Go on, pommel her," urged lady Feng, "and ask her what made her run!and, if she doesn't tell you, just you take her mouth and tear it topieces for her!"
At the outset, the girl obstinately prevaricated, but when sheeventually heard that lady Feng intended to take a red-hot branding-ironand burn her mouth with, she at last sobbingly spoke out. "Our MasterSecundus, Mr. Lien, is at home," she remarked, "and he sent me here towatch your movements, my lady; bidding me go ahead, when I saw you leavethe banquet, and convey the message to him. But, contrary to his hopes,your ladyship came back just now!"
Lady Feng saw very well that there lurked something behind all she said."What did he ask you to watch me for?" she therefore eagerly asked. "Canit be, pray, that he dreaded to see me return home? There must be someother reason; so be quick and tell it to me and I shall henceforwardtreat you with regard. If you don't minutely confess all to me, I shallthis very moment take a knife and pare off your flesh!"
Threatening her the while, she turned her head round, and, extracting ahairpin from her coiffure, she stuck it promiscuously about the maid'smouth. This so frightened the girl that, as she made every effort to getout of her way, she burst out into tears and entreaties. "I'll tell yourladyship everything," she cried, "but you mustn't say that it was I whotold you."
Ping Erh, who stood by, exhorted her to obey; but she at the same timeimpressed on her mind to speak out without delay.
"Mr. Secundus himself arrived only a few minutes back," the maid began."The moment, however, he came, he opened a bog, and, taking two piecesof silver, two hairpins, and a couple of rolls of silk, he bade mestealthily take them to Pao Erh's wife and tell her to come in. As soonas she put the things away, she hurried to our house, and MasterSecundus ordered me to keep an eye on your ladyship; but of whathappened after that, I've no idea whatever."
When these disclosures fell on lady Feng's ears, she flew into such arage that her whole person felt quite weak; and, rising immediately, shestraightway repaired home. The instant she reached the gate of thecourtyard, she espied a waiting-maid peep out of the entrance. Seeinglady Feng, she too drew in her head, and tried at once to effect herescape. But lady Feng called her by name, and made her stand still. Thisgirl had ever been very sharp, so when she realised that she could notmanage to beat a retreat, she went so far as to run out to her. "I wasjust going to tell your ladyship," she smiled, "and here you come! Whata strange coincidence!"
"Tell me what?" lady Feng exclaimed.
"That Mr. Secundus is at home," the girl replied, "and has done so andso." She then recounted to her all the incidents recorded a few minutesback.
"Ts'ui!" ejaculated lady Feng. "What were you up to before? Now, thatI've seen you, you come and try to clear yourself!"
As she spoke, she raised her arm and administered the maid a slap, whichupset her equilibrium. So with hurried step, she betook herself away.Lady Feng then drew near the window. Lending an ear to what was going oninside, she heard some one in the room laughingly observe: "When thatqueen-of-hell sort of wife of yours dies, it will be a good riddance!"
"When she's gone," Chia Lien rejoined, "and I marry another, the like ofher, what will I again do?"
"When she's dead and gone," the woman resumed, "just raise P'ing Erh tothe rank of primary wife. I think she'll turn out considerably betterthan she has."
"At present," Chia Lien put in, "she won't even let me enjoy P'ing Erh'ssociety! P'ing Erh herself is full of displeasure; yet she dares notspeak. How is it that it has been my fate to bring upon myself theinfluence of this evil star?"
Lady Feng overheard these criticisms and flew into a fit of anger, whichmade her tremble violently. When she, however, also caught the praiseheaped by both of them upon P'ing Erh, she harboured the suspicion thatP'ing Erh too must, as a matter of course, have all along employed thesly resentful language against her. And, as the wine bubbled up more andmore into her head, she did not so much as give the matter a secondthought, but, twisting round, she first and foremost gave P'ing Erh acouple of whacks, and, with one kick, she banged the door open, andwalked in. Then, without allowing her any time to give any explanationin her own defence, she clutched Pao Erh's wife, and, tearing her about,she belaboured her with blows. But the dread lest Chia Lien should slipout of the room, induced her to post herself in such a way as toobstruct the doorway. "What a fine wench!" she shouted out abusingly."You make a paramour of your mistress' husband, and then you wish tocompass your master's wife's death, for P'ing Erh to transfer herquarters in here! You base hirelings! You're all of the same stamp,thoroughly jealous of me; you try to cajole me by your outward display!"
While abusing them, she once more laid hold of P'ing Erh and beat herseveral times. P'ing Erh was pummelled away till her heart thrilled witha sense of injury, but she had nowhere to go, and breathe her woes. Suchresentment overpowered her feelings that she sobbed without a sign of atear. "You people," she railingly shouted, "go and do a lot of shamefulthings, and then you also deliberately involve me; but why?"
So shouting, she too clutched Pao Erh's wife and began to assail her.Chia Lien had freely primed himself with wine, so, on his return home,he was in such exuberance of spirits that he observed no secresy in hisdoings. The moment, however, he perceived lady Feng appear on the scene,he got to his wits' end. Yet when he saw P'ing Erh also start a rumpus,the liquor he had had aroused his ire. The sight of the assaultcommitted by lady Feng on Pao Erh's wife had already incensed him andput him to shame, but he had not been able with any consistency tointerfere; but the instant he espied P'ing Erh herself lay hands on her,he vehemently jumped forward and gave her a kick. "What a vixen!" hecried. "Are you likewise going to start knocking people about?"
P'ing Erh was of a timid disposition. At once, therefore, she withheldher hands, and melted into tears. "Why do you implicate me," she said,"in things you say behind my back?"
When lady Feng descried in what fear and dread P'ing Erh was of ChiaLien, she lost more than ever control over her temper, and, startingagain in pursuit of her, she struck P'ing Erh, while urging her to gofor Pao Erh's wife.
P'ing Erh was driven to exasperation; and forthwith rushing out of theapartment, she went in search of a knife to commit suicide with. But thecompany of old matrons, who stood outside, hastened to place impedimentsin her way, and to argue with her.
Lady Feng, meanwhile, realised that P'ing Erh had gone to take her life,and rolling, head foremost, into Chia Lien's embrace, "You put yourheads together to do me harm," she said, "and, when I overhear yourdesigns, you people conspire to frighten me! But strangle me and havedone."
Chia Lien was driven to despair; to such a degree that unsheathing asword suspended on the wall, "There's no need for any one of you tocommit suicide!" he screamed. "I too am thoroughly exasperated, so I'llkill the whole lot of you and pay the penalty with my own life! We'llall then be free from further trouble!"
The bustle had just reached a climax beyond the chance of a settlement,when they perceived Mrs. Yu and a crowd of inmates make their appearancein the room. "What's the matter?" they asked. "There was nothing up justnow, so why is all this row for?"
At the sight of the new arrivals, Chia Lien more than ever made thethree parts of intoxication, under which he laboured, an excuse toassume an air calculated to intimidate them, and to pretend, in order tofurther his own ends, that he was bent upon despatching lady Feng.
But lady Feng, upon seeing her relatives appear, got into a mood lessperverse than the one she had been in previous to their arrival; and,leaving the whole company of them, she scampered, all in tears, over tothe off side, into dowager lady Chia's quarters.
By this time, the play was over. Lady Feng rushed consequently into theold lady's presence and fell into her lap. "Venerable ancestor! helpme!" she exclaimed. "Mr. Chia Li
en wishes to kill me."
"What's up?" precipitately inquired dowager lady Chia, Mesdames Hsingand Wang and the rest.
"I was just going to my rooms to change my dress," lady Feng wept, "whenI unexpectedly found Mr. Chia Lien at home, talking with some one.Fancying that visitors had come, I was quite taken aback, and notpresuming to enter, I remained outside the window and listened. Itturned out, in fact, to be Pao Erh's wife holding council with him. Shesaid that I was dreadful, and that she meant to poison me so as to getme out of the way and enable P'ing Erh to be promoted to be first wife.At this, I lost my temper. But not venturing, none the less, to have arow with him, I simply gave P'ing Erh two slaps; and then I asked himwhy he wished to do me harm. But so stricken did he get with shame thathe tried there and then to despatch me."
Dowager lady Chia treated every word that fell on her ear as truth."Dreadful!" she ejaculated. "Bring here at once that low-bredoffspring!"
Barely was, however, this exclamation out of her lips, than theyperceived Chia Lien, a sword in hand, enter in pursuit of his wife,followed closely by a bevy of inmates. Chia Lien evidently placed suchthorough reliance upon the love, which old lady Chia had all alonglavished upon them, that he entertained little regard even for hismother or his aunt, so he came, with perfect effrontery, to stir up adisturbance in their presence. When Mesdames Hsing and Wang saw him,they got into a passion, and, with all despatch, they endeavoured todeter him from his purpose. "You mean thing!" they shouted, abusing him."Your crime is more heinous, for our venerable senior is in here!"
"It's all because our worthy ancestor spoils her," cried Chia Lien, witheyes awry, "that she behaved as she did and took upon herself to rateeven me!"
Madame Hsing was full of resentment. Snatching the sword from his grasp,she kept on telling him to quit the room at once. But Chia Liencontinued to prattle foolish nonsense in a drivelling and maudlin way.His manner exasperated dowager lady Chia. "I'm well aware," sheobserved, "that you haven't the least consideration for any one of us.Tell some one to go and call his father here and we'll see whether hedoesn't clear out."
When Chia Lien caught these words, he eventually tottered out of theapartment. But in such a state of frenzy was he that he did not returnto his quarters, but betook himself into the outer study.
During this while, Mesdames Hsing and Wang also called lady Feng totask.
"Why, what serious matter could it ever have been?" old lady Chiaremarked. "But children of tender years are like greedy kittens, and howcan one say for certain that they won't do such things? Human beingshave, from their very infancy, to go through experiences of this kind!It's all my fault, however, for pressing you to have a little more winethan was good for you. But you've also gone and drunk the vinegar ofjealousy!"
This insinuation made every one laugh.
"Compose your mind!" proceeded dowager lady Chia. "To-morrow I'll sendfor him to apologise to you; but, you'd better to-day not go over, asyou might put him to shame!" Continuing, she also went on to abuse P'ingErh. "I've always thought highly of that wench," she said, "and how isit that she's turned out to be secretly so bad?"
"P'ing Erh isn't to blame!" Mrs. Yu and the others smiled. "It's ladyFeng who makes people her tools to give vent to her spite! Husband andwife could not very well come to blows face to face, so they combined inusing P'ing Erh as their scapegoat! What injuries haven't fallen toP'ing Erh's lot! And do you, venerable senior, still go on blowing herup?"
"Is it really so!" exclaimed old lady Chia. "I always said that thatgirl wasn't anything like that artful shrew! Well, in that case, she isto be pitied, for she has had to bear the brunt of her anger, and allthrough no fault of hers!" Calling Hu Po to her, "Go," she added, "andtell P'ing Erh all I enjoin you; 'that I know that she has been insultedand that to-morrow I'll send for her mistress to make amends, but thatbeing her mistress' birthday to-day, I won't have her give rise to anyreckless fuss'!"
P'ing Erh had, we may explain, from an early hour, been dragged by LiWan into the garden of Broad Vista. Here P'ing Erh gave way to bittertears. So much so, that her throat choked with sobs, and could not giveutterance to speech.
"You are an intelligent person," exhorted her Pao-ch'ai, "and howconsiderately has your lady treated you all along! It was simply becauseshe has had a little too much wine that she behaved as she did to-day!But had she not made you the means of giving vent to her spite, is itlikely that she could very well have aired her grievances upon any oneelse? Besides, any one else would have laughed at her for acting in asham way!"
While she reasoned with her, she saw Hu Po approach, and deliver dowagerlady Chia's message. P'ing Erh then felt in herself that she had comeout of the whole affair with some credit, and she, little by little,resumed her equilibrium. She did not, nevertheless, put her footanywhere near the front part of the compound.
After a little rest, Pao Ch'ai and her companions came and paid a visitto old lady Chia and lady Feng, while Pao-yue pressed P'ing Erh to cometo the I Hung court. Hsi Jen received her with alacrity. "I meant," shesaid, "to be the first to ask you, but as our senior lady, Chia Chu, andthe young ladies invited you, I couldn't very well do so myself."
P'ing Erh returned her smile. "Many thanks!" she rejoined. "How wordsever commenced between us;" she then went on, "when there was noprovocation, I can't tell! But without rhyme or reason, I came in for aspell of resentment."
"Our lady Secunda has always been very good to you," laughingly remarkedHsi Jen, "so she must have done this in a sudden fit of exasperation!"
"Our lady Secunda did not, after all, say anything to me," P'ing Erhexplained. "It was that wench that blew me up. And she deliberately madea laughing-stock of me. But that fool also of a master of ours struckme!"
While recounting her experiences, she felt a keener sense of injusticethan before, and she found it hard to restrain her tears from tricklingdown her cheeks.
"My dear sister," Pao-yue hastily advised her, "don't wound your heart!I'm quite ready to express my apologies on behalf of that pair!"
"What business is that of yours?" P'ing Erh smiled.
"We cousins, whether male or female, are all alike." Pao-yue smilinglyargued. "So when they hurt any one's feelings, I apologise for them;it's only right that I should do so. What a pity;" he continued, "thesenew clothes too have been stained! But you'll find your sister Hua'scostumes in here, and why don't you put one on, and take some hot wineand spurt it over yours and iron them out? You might also remake yourcoiffure."
Speaking, he directed the young maids to draw some water for washing theface and to heat an iron and bring it.
P'ing Erh had ever heard people maintain that all that Pao-yue excelledin was in knitting friendships with girls. But Pao-yue had so far beenloth, seeing that P'ing Erh was Chia Lien's beloved secondary wife, andlady Feng's confidante, to indulge in any familiarities with her. Andbeing precluded from accomplishing the desire upon which his heart wasset, he time and again gave way to vexation. When P'ing Erh, however,remarked his conduct towards her on this occasion, she secretly resolvedwithin herself that what was said of him was indeed no idle rumour. Butas he had anticipated every one of her wants, and she saw moreover thatHsi Jen had, for her special benefit, opened a box and produced twoarticles of clothing, not much worn by her, she speedily drew near andwashed her face.
Pao-yue stood by her side. "You must, dear girl, also apply a littlecosmetic and powder," she smiled; "otherwise you'll look as if you wereangry with lady Feng. It's her birthday, besides; and our old ancestorhas sent some one again to come and cheer you up."
Hearing how reasonable his suggestions were, P'ing Erh readily went insearch of powder; but she failed to notice any about, so Pao-yuehurriedly drew up to the toilet-table, and, removing the lid of aporcelain box made at the "Hsuean" kiln, which contained a set of tensmall ladles, tuberose-like in shape, (for helping one's self to powderwith), he drew out one of them and handed it to P'ing Erh. "This isn'tlead powder," he smiled. "This is made of the seeds o
f red jasmine, welltriturated, and compounded with suitable first class ingredients."
P'ing Erh emptied some on the palm of her hand. On examination, shereally found that it was light, clear, red and scented; perfect in allfour properties; that it was easy to apply evenly to the face, that itkept moist, and that it differed from other kinds of powder, ordinarilyso rough. She subsequently noticed that the cosmetic too was not spreadon a sheet, but that it was contained in a tiny box of white jade, thecontents of which bore the semblance of rose-paste.
"The cosmetic one buys in the market isn't clean;" Pao-yue remarkedsmilingly. "Its colour is faint as well. But this is cosmetic ofsuperior quality. The juice was squeezed out, strained clear, mixed withperfume of flowers and decocted. All you need do is to take some withthat hair-pin and rub it on your lips, that will be enough; and if youdissolve some in a little water, and rub it on the palm of your hand, itwill be ample for you to cover your whole face with."
P'ing Erh followed his directions and performed her toilette. She lookedexceptionally fresh and beautiful. A sweet fragrance pervaded hercheeks. Pao-yue then cut, with a pair of bamboo scissors, a stalk, withtwo autumn orchids, which had blossomed in a flower pot, and he pinnedit in her side-hair. But a maid was unexpectedly seen to enter the room,sent by Li Wan to come and call her, so she quitted his quarters withall possible despatch.
Pao-yue had not so far been able to have his wishes to revel in P'ingErh's society gratified. P'ing Erh was furthermore a girl of a highgrade, most intelligent, most winsome, and unlike that sort of vulgarand dull-minded beings, so that he cherished intense disgust against hisfate.
The present occasion had been the anniversary of Chin Ch'uan-erh'sbirth, and he had remained, in consequence, plunged in a disconsolateframe of mind throughout the whole day. But, contrary to hisexpectations, the incident eventually occurred, which afforded him,after all, an opportunity to dangle in P'ing Erh's society and togratify to some small degree a particle of his wish. This had been apiece of good fortune he so little expected would fall to his shareduring the course of his present existence, that as he reclined on hisbed, his heart swelled with happiness and contentment. Suddenly, hereflected that Chia Lien's sole thought was to make licentious pleasuresthe means of gratifying his passions, and that he had no idea how toshow the least regard to the fair sex; and he mused that P'ing Erh waswithout father or mother, brothers or sisters, a solitary being destinedto dance attendance upon a couple such as Chia Lien and his wife; thatChia Lien was vulgar, and lady Feng haughty, but that she was giftednevertheless with the knack of splendidly managing things; and that(P'ing Erh) had again to-day come across bitter sorrow, and that herdestiny was extremely unfortunate.
At this stage of his reverie, he began to feel wounded and distressed.When he rose once more to his feet, he noticed that the wine, which shehad spurted on the clothes, she had a few minutes back divested herselfof, had already half dried, and, taking up the iron, he smoothed themand folded them nicely for her. He then discovered that she had left herhandkerchief behind, and that it still bore traces of tears, so throwingit into the basin, he rinsed it and hung it up to dry, with feelingsbordering on joy as well as sadness. But after a short time spent in abrown study, he too betook himself to the Tao Hsiang village for a chat;and it was only when the lamps had been lit that he got up to take hisleave.
P'ing Erh put up in Li Wan's quarters for the night. Lady Feng sleptwith dowager lady Chia, while Chia Lien returned at a late hour to hishome. He found it however very lonely. Yet unable to go and call hiswife over, he had no alternative but to sleep as best he could for thatnight. On the morrow, he remembered, as soon as he opened his eyes, theoccurrence of the previous day, and he fell a prey to such extremeunhappiness that he could not be conscience-stricken enough.
Madame Hsing pondered with solicitude on Chia Lien's drunken fit the daybefore. The moment therefore it was light, she hastily crossed over, andsent for Chia Lien to repair to dowager lady Chia's apartments. ChiaLien was thus compelled to suppress all timidity and to repair to thefront part of the mansion and fall on his knees at the feet of his oldsenior.
"What was the matter?" inquired old lady Chia.
"I really had too much wine yesterday," Chia Lien promptly answered witha forced smile. "I must have given you a fright, worthy ancestor, so Icome to-day to receive condign punishment."
"You mean fellow!" shouted dowager lady Chia, spitting at himdisdainfully. "You go and glut yourself with spirits, and, not to speakof your not going to stretch yourself like a corpse and sleep it off,you contrariwise start beating your wife! But that vixen Feng brags awaythe whole day long, as if she were a human being as valiant as anytyrant, and yet yesterday she got into such a funk that she presented awoeful sight! Had it not been for me, you would have done her bodilyharm; and what would you feel like now?"
Chia Lien was at heart full of a sense of injury, but he could notmaster sufficient courage to say anything in his own defence. The onlycourse open to him was therefore to make a confession of fault.
"Don't lady Feng and P'ing Erh possess the charms of handsome women?"dowager lady Chia resumed. "And aren't you yet satisfied with them thatyou must, of a day, go slyly prowling and gallavanting about, draggingindiscriminately into your rooms frowsy and filthy people? Is it for thesake of this sort of wenches that you beat your wife and belabour theinmates of your quarters? You've nevertheless had the good fortune ofstarting in life as the scion of a great family; and do you, with eyeswide open, bring disgrace upon your own head? If you have any regard forme, well, then get up and I'll spare you! And if you make your apologiesin a proper manner to your wife and take her home, I'll be satisfied.But if you don't, just you clear out of this, for I won't even presumeto have any of your genuflexions!"
Chia Lien took to heart the injunctions that fell on his ear. Espyingbesides lady Feng standing opposite to him in undress, her eyes swollenfrom crying, and her face quite sallow, without cosmetic or powder, hethought her more lovable and charming than ever. "Wouldn't it be well,"he therefore mused, "that I should make amends, so that she and I may beon friendly terms again and that I should win the good pleasure of myold ancestor?"
At the conclusion of his reflections, he forthwith put on a smile."After your advice, venerable senior," he said, "I couldn't be so boldas not to accede to your wishes! But this is shewing her more indulgencethan ever!"
"What nonsense!" exclaimed dowager lady Chia laughingly. "I am wellaware that with her extreme decorum she couldn't hurt any one'ssusceptibilities. But should she, in the future, wrong you in any way, Ishall, of course, take the law into my own hands and bid you make hersubmit to your authority and finish."
Chia Lien, at this assurance, crawled up and made a bow to lady Feng."It was really my fault, so don't be angry, lady Secunda," he said.
Every one in the room laughed.
"Now, my girl Feng," lady Chia laughingly observed, "you are not to loseyour temper; for if you do, I'll lose mine too!"
Continuing, she directed a servant to go and call P'ing Erh; and, on herarrival, she advised lady Feng and Chia Lien to do all they could toreconcile her. At the sight of P'ing Erh, Chia Lien showed less regardthan ever for the saying that 'a primary wife differs from a secondarywife,' and the instant he heard old lady Chia's exhortation he drew nearher. "The injuries," he remarked, "to which you were subjectedyesterday, Miss, were entirely due to my shortcoming. If your lady hurtyour feelings, it was likewise all through me that the thing began. So Iexpress my regret; but, besides this, I tender my apologies as well onbehalf of your mistress."
Saying this, he made another bow. This evoked a smile from dowager ladyChia. Lady Feng, however, also laughed. Their old ancestor then desiredlady Feng to come and console P'ing Erh, but P'ing Erh hastily advancedand knocked her head before lady Feng. "I do deserve death," she urged,"for provoking your ladyship to wrath on the day of your birthday!"
Lady Feng was at the moment pricked by shame and remorse for having sofreely
indulged in wine the previous day as to completely have lostsight of longstanding friendships, and for allowing her temper to sothoroughly flare up as to lend a patient ear to the gossip of outsiders,and unjustly put P'ing Erh out of countenance, so when she contrariwisenow saw her make advances, she felt both abashed and grieved, and,promptly extending her arms, she dragged her up and gave way to tears.
"I've waited upon your ladyship for all these years," P'ing Erh pleaded,"and you've never so much as given me a single fillip; and yet, you beatme yesterday. But I don't bear you any grudge, my lady, for it was thatwench, who was at the bottom of it all. Nor do I wonder that yourladyship lost control over your temper."
As she spoke, tears trickled down her cheeks too.
"Escort those three home!" dowager lady Chia shouted to the servants."If any one of them makes the least allusion to the subject, come atonce and tell me of it; for without any regard as to who it may be, Ishall take my staff and give him or her a sound flogging."
The trio then prostrated themselves before dowager lady Chia and the twoladies, Mesdames Hsing and Wang. And assenting to her old mistress'injunctions, an old nurse accompanied the three inmates to theirquarters.
When they got home, lady Feng assured herself that there was no oneabout. "How is it," she next asked, "that I'm like a queen of hell, orlike a 'Yakcha' demon? That courtesan swore at me and wished me dead;and did you too help her to curse me? If I'm not nice a thousand days,why, I must be nice on some one day! But if, poor me, I'm so bad as noteven to compare with a disorderly woman, how can I have the face to comeand spend my life with you here?"
So speaking, she melted into tears.
"Aren't you yet gratified?" cried Chia Lien. "Just reflect carefully whowas most to blame yesterday! And yet, in the presence of so many people,it was I who, after all, fell to-day on my knees and made apologies aswell. You came in for plenty of credit, and do you now go on jabber,jabber? Can it be that you'd like to make me kneel at your feet beforeyou let matters rest? If you try and play the bully beyond bounds, itwon't be a good thing for you!"
To these arguments, lady Feng could find no suitable response.
P'ing Erh then blurted out laughing.
"She's all right again!" Chia Lien smiled. "But I'm really quite at aloss what to do with this one."
These words were still on his lips, when they saw a married woman walkin. "Pao Erh's wife has committed suicide by hanging herself," she said.
This announcement plunged both Chia Lien and lady Feng into greatconsternation. Lady Feng, however, lost no time in putting away everysign of excitement. "Dead, eh? What a riddance!" she shouted instead."What's the use of making such a fuss about a mere trifle?"
But not long elapsed before she perceived Lin Chih-hsiao's wife make herappearance in the room. "Pao Erh's wife has hung herself," she whisperedto lady Feng in a low tone of voice, "and her mother's relatives want totake legal proceedings."
Lady Feng gave a sardonic smile. "That's all right!" she observed. "Imyself was just thinking about lodging a complaint!"
"I and the others tried to dissuade them," Lin Chih-hsiao's wifecontinued. "And by having recourse to intimidation as well as topromises of money, they, at last, agreed to our terms."
"I haven't got a cash," lady Feng replied. "Had I even any money, Iwouldn't let them have it; so just let them go and lodge any charge theyfancy. You needn't either dissuade them or intimidate them. Let them goand complain as much as they like. But if they fail to establish a caseagainst me, they'll, after all, be punished for trying to make thecorpse the means of extorting money out of me!"
Lin Chih-hsiao's wife was in a dilemma, when she espied Chia Lien winkat her. Comprehending his purpose, she readily quitted the apartment andwaited for him outside.
"I'll go out and see what they're up to!" Chia Lien remarked.
"Mind, I won't have you give them any money!" shouted lady Feng.
Chia Lien straightway made his exit. He came and held consultation withLin Chih-hsiao, and then directed the servants to go and use some fairmeans, others harsh. The matter was, however, not brought to anysatisfactory arrangement until he engaged to pay two hundred taels forburial expenses. But so apprehensive was Chia Lien lest something mightoccur to make the relatives change their ideas, that he also despatcheda messenger to lay the affair before Wang Tzu-t'eng, who bade a fewconstables, coroners and other official servants come and help him toeffect the necessary preparations for the funeral. The parties concerneddid not venture, when they saw the precautions he had adopted, to raiseany objections, disposed though they may have been to try and bringforward other arguments. Their sole alternative therefore was tosuppress their resentment, to refrain from further importunities and letthe matter drop into oblivion.
Chia Lien then impressed upon Lin Chih-hsiao to insert the two hundredtaels in the accounts for the current year, by making such additions tovarious items here and there as would suffice to clear them off, andpresented Pao Erh with money out of his own pocket as a crumb ofcomfort, adding, "By and bye, I'll choose a nice wife for you." When PaoErh, therefore, came in for a share of credit as well as of hard cash,he could not possibly do otherwise than practise contentment; andforthwith, needless to dilate on this topic, he began to pay court toChia Lien as much as ever.
In the inner rooms, lady Feng was, it is true, much cut up at heart; butshe strained every nerve to preserve an exterior of total indifference.Noticing that there was no one present in the apartment, she drew P'ingErh to her. "I drank yesterday," she smiled, "a little more wine thanwas good for me, so don't bear me a grudge. Where did I strike you, letme see?"
"You didn't really strike me hard!" P'ing Erh said by way of reply.
But at this stage they heard some one remark that the ladies and youngladies had come in.
If you desire, reader, to know any of the subsequent circumstances,peruse the account given in the following chapter.