by Xueqin Cao
CHAPTER XLV.
Friends interchange words of friendship. Tai-yue feels dull on a windy and rainy evening, and indites verses on wind and rain.
Lady Feng, we will now go on to explain, was engaged in comforting P'ingErh, when upon unawares perceiving the young ladies enter the room, shehastened to make them sit down while P'ing Erh poured the tea.
"So many of you come to-day," lady Feng smiled, "that it looks as ifyou'd been asked to come by invitation."
T'an Ch'un was the first to speak. "We have," she smilingly rejoined,"two objects in view, the one concerns me; the other cousin Quarta; butamong these are, besides, certain things said by our venerable senior."
"What's up?" inquired lady Feng with a laugh. "Is it so urgent?"
"Some time ago," T'an Ch'un proceeded laughingly, "we started a rhymingclub; but the first meeting was not quite a success. Every one of usproved so soft-hearted! The rules therefore were set at naught. So Ican't help thinking that we must enlist your services as president ofthe society and superintendent; for what is needed to make the thingturn out well is firmness and no favour. The next matter is: cousinQuarta explained to our worthy ancestor that the requisites for paintingthe picture of the garden were short of one thing and another, and shesaid: 'that there must still be,' she fancied, 'in the lower story ofthe back loft some articles, remaining over from previous years, andthat we should go and look for them. That if there be any, they shouldbe taken out, but that in the event of their being none, some one shouldbe commissioned to go and purchase a supply of them.'"
"I'm not up to doing anything wet or dry, (play on word 'shih,'verses)," lady Feng laughed, "and would you have me, pray, come andgorge?"
"You may, it's possible, not be up to any of these things," T'an Ch'unreplied, "but we don't expect you to do anything! All we want you for isto see whether there be among us any remiss or lazy, and to decide howthey should be punished, that's all."
"You shouldn't try and play your tricks upon me!" lady Feng smiled, "Ican see through your little game! Is it that you wish me to act aspresident and superintendent? No! it's as clear as day that your objectis that I should play the part of that copper merchant, who put incontributions in hard cash. You have, at every meeting you hold, to eachtake turn and pay the piper; but, as your funds are not sufficient,you've invented this plan to come and inveigle me into your club, inorder to wheedle money out of me! This must be your little conspiracy!"
These words evoked general laughter. "You've guessed right!" theyexclaimed.
"In very truth," Li Wan smiled, "you're a creature with an intellect astransparent as crystal, and with wits as clear as glass!"
"You've got the good fortune of being their elder sister-in-law," ladyFeng smilingly remarked, "so the young ladies asked you to take them inhand, and teach them how to read, and make them learn good manners andneedlework; and it's for you to guide and direct them in everything! Buthere they start a rhyming society, for which not much can be needed, anddon't you concern yourself about them? We'll leave our worthy ancestorand our Madame Wang aside; they are old people, but you receive eachmoon an allowance of ten taels, which is twice as much as what any oneof us gets. More, our worthy ancestor and Madame Wang maintain thatbeing a widow, and having lost your home, you haven't, poor thing,enough to live upon, and that you have a young child as well to bringup; so they added with extreme liberality another ten taels to youroriginal share. Your allowance therefore is on a par with that of ourdear senior. But they likewise gave you a piece of land in the garden,and you also come in for the lion's share of rents, collected fromvarious quarters, and of the annual allowances, apportioned at the closeof each year. Yet, you and your son don't muster, masters and servants,ten persons in all. What you eat and what your wear comes, just as ever,out of the general public fund, so that, computing everything together,you get as much as four to five hundred taels. Were you then tocontribute each year a hundred or two hundred taels, to help them tohave some fun, how many years could this outlay continue? They'll verysoon be getting married, and, are they likely then to still expect youto make any contributions? So loth are you, however, at present to forkout any cash that you've egged them on to come and worry me! I'm quiteprepared to spend away until we've drained our chest dry! Don't I knowthat the money isn't mine?"
"Just you listen to her," Li Wan laughed. "I simply made one singleremark, and out she came with two cartloads of nonsensical trash! You'reas rough a diamond as a leg made of clay! All you're good for is to workthe small abacus, to divide a catty and to fraction an ounce, sofinicking are you! A nice thing you are, and yet, you've been luckyenough to come to life as the child of a family of learned and highofficials. You've also made such a splendid match; and do you stillbehave in the way you do? Had you been a son or daughter born in somepoverty-stricken, humble and low household, there's no saying what amean thing you wouldn't have been! Every one in this world has beengulled by you; and yesterday you went so far as to strike P'ing Erh! Butit wasn't the proper thing for you to stretch out your hand on her! Wasall that liquor, forsooth, poured down a cur's stomach? My monkey wasup, and I meant to have taken upon myself to avenge P'ing Erh'sgrievance; but, after mature consideration, I thought to myself, 'herbirthday is as slow to come round as a dog's tail grows to a point.' Ialso feared lest our venerable senior might be made to feel unhappy; soI did not come forward. Anyhow, my resentment isn't yet spent; and doyou come to-day to try and irritate me? You aren't fit to even pick upshoes for P'ing Erh! You two should therefore change your respectiveplaces!"
These taunts created merriment among the whole party.
"Oh!" hastily exclaimed lady Feng, laughingly, "I know everything! Youdon't at all come to look me up on account of verses or paintings, butsimply to take revenge on P'ing Erh's behalf! I never had any idea thatP'ing Erh had such a backer as yourself to bolster her up! Had I knownit, I wouldn't have ventured to strike her, even though a spirit hadbeen tugging my arm! Miss P'ing come over and let me tender my apologiesto you, in the presence of your senior lady and the young ladies. Dobear with me for having proved so utterly wanting in virtue, after I hadhad a few drinks!"
Every one felt amused by her insinuations.
"What do you say?" Li Wan asked P'ing Erh smiling. "As for me, I thinkit my bounden duty to vindicate your wrongs, before we let the matterdrop!"
"Your remarks, ladies, may be spoken in jest," P'ing Erh smiled, "but Iam not worthy of such a fuss!"
"What about worthy and unworthy?" Li Wan observed. "I'm here for you!Quick, get the key, and let your mistress go and open the doors and huntup the things!"
"Dear sister-in-law," lady Feng said with a smile, "you'd better goalong with them into the garden. I'm about to take the rice accounts inhand and square them up with them. Our senior lady, Madame Hsing, hasalso sent some one to call me; what she wants to tell me again, I can'tmake out; but I must need go over for a turn. There are, besides, allthose extra clothes for you people to wear at the end of the year, and Imust get them ready and give them to be made!"
"These matters are none of my business!" Li Wan laughingly answered."First settle my concerns so as to enable me to retire to rest, andescape the bother of having all these girls at me!"
"Dear sister-in-law," vehemently smiled lady Feng, "be good enough togive me a little time! You've ever been the one to love me best, and howis it that you have, on P'ing Erh's account, ceased to care for me? Timeand again have you impressed on my mind that I should, despite mymanifold duties, take good care of my health, and manage things in sucha way as to find a little leisure for rest, and do you now contrariwisecome to press the very life out of me? There's another thing besides.Should such clothes as will be required at the end of the year by anyother persons be delayed, it won't matter; but, should those of theyoung ladies be behind time, let the responsibility rest upon yourshoulders! And won't our old lady bear you a grudge, if you don't mindthese small things? But as for me, I won't utter a single word againstyou, for,
as I had rather bear the blame myself, I won't venture, toinvolve you!"
"Listen to her!" Li Wan smiled. "Hasn't she got the gift of the gab? Butlet me ask you. Will you, after all, assume the control of this rhymingsociety or not?"
"What's this nonsense you're talking?" lady Feng laughed. "Were I not toenter the society, and spend a little money, won't I be treated as arebel in this garden of Broad Vista? And will I then still think oftarrying here to eat my head off? So soon as the day dawns to-morrow,I'll arrive at my post, dismount from my horse, and, after kneelingbefore the seals, my first act will be to give fifty taels for you toquietly cover the expenses of your meetings. Yet after a few days, Ishall neither indite any verses, nor write any compositions, as I amsimply a rustic boor, nothing more! But it will be just the same whetherI assume the direction or not; for after you pocket my money, there's nofear of your not driving me out of the place!"
As these words dropped from her lips, one and all laughed again.
"I'll now open the loft," proceeded lady Feng. "Should there be any ofthe articles you want, you can tell the servants to bring them out foryou to look at them! If any will serve your purpose, keep them and usethem. If any be short, I'll bid a servant go and purchase them accordingto your list. I'll go at once and cut the satin for the painting. As forthe plan, it isn't with Madame Wang; it's still over there, at Mr. ChiaChen's. I tell you all this so that you should avoid going over toMadame Wang's and getting into trouble! But I'll go and depute some oneto fetch it. I'll direct also a servant to take the satin and give it tothe gentlemen to size with alum; will this be all right?"
Li Wan nodded her head by way of assent and smiled. "This will beputting you to much trouble and inconvenience," she said. "But we mustreally act as you suggest. Well in that case, go home all of you, and,if after a time, she doesn't send the thing round, you can come againand bully her."
So saying, she there and then led off the young ladies, and was makingher way out, when lady Feng exclaimed: "It's Pao-yue and he alone, whohas given rise to all this fuss."
Li Wan overheard her remark and hastily turned herself round. "We did,in fact, come over," she smiled, "on account of Pao-yue, and we forgot,instead all about him! The first meeting was deferred through him; butwe are too soft-hearted, so tell us what penalty to inflict on him!"
Lady Feng gave herself to reflection. "There's only one thing to do,"she then remarked. "Just punish him by making him sweep the floor ofeach of your rooms. This will do!"
"Your verdict is faultless!" they laughed with one accord.
While they conversed they were on the point of starting on their wayback, when they caught sight of a young maid walk in, supporting nurseLai. Lady Feng and her companions immediately rose to their feet, theirfaces beaming with smiles. "Venerable mother!" they said, "do take aseat!" They then in a body presented their congratulations to her.
Nurse Lai seated herself on the edge of the stovecouch and returnedtheir smiles. "I'm to be congratulated," she rejoined, "but you,mistresses, are to be congratulated as well; for had it had not been forthe bountiful grace displaced by you, mistresses, whence would this joyof mine have come? Your ladyship sent Ts'ai Ko again yesterday to bringme presents, but my grandson _kotowed_ at the door, with his faceturned towards the upper quarters."
"When is he going to his post?" Li Wan inquired, with a smile.
Nurse Lai heaved a sigh. "How can I interfere with them?" she answered."Why, I let them have their own way and start when they like! The otherday, they were at my house, and they prostrated themselves before me;but I could find no complimentary remark to make to him, so, 'Sir!' Isaid, 'putting aside that you're an official, you've lived in a recklessand dissolute way, for now thirty years. You should, it's true, havebeen people's bond-servant, but from the moment you came out of yourmother's womb, your master graciously accorded you your liberty. Thanks,above, to the boundless blessings showered upon you by your lord, and,below, to the favour of your father and mother, you're like a noblescion and a gentleman, able to read and to write; and you have beencarried about by maids, old matrons, and nurses, just as if you had beena very phoenix! But now that you've grown up and reached this age, doyou have the faintest notion of what the two words 'bond-servant' imply?All you think of is to enjoy your benefits. But what hardships yourgrandfather and father had to bear, in slaving away for two or threegenerations, before they succeeded, after ever so many ups and downs, inraising up a thing like you, you don't at all know! From your veryinfancy, you ever ailed from this, or sickened for that, so that themoney that was expended on your behalf, would suffice to fuse into alifelike silver image of you! At the age of twenty, you again receivedthe bounty of your master in the shape of a promise to purchase officialstatus for you. But just mark, how many inmates of the principal branchand main offspring have to endure privation, and suffer the pangs ofhunger! So beware you, who are the offshoot of a bond-servant, lest yousnap your happiness! After enjoying so many good things for a decade, bythe help of what spirits, and the agency of what devils have you, Iwonder, managed to so successfully entreat your master as to induce himto bring you to the fore again and select you for office? Magistratesmay be minor officials, but their functions are none the less onerous.In whatever district they obtain a post, they become the father andmother of that particular locality. If you therefore don't mind yourbusiness, and look after your duties in such a way as to acquit yourselfof your loyal obligations, to prove your gratitude to the state and toshow obedience and reverence to your lord, heaven, I fear, will not evenbear with you!'"
Li Wan and lady Feng laughed. "You're too full of misgivings!" theyobserved. "From what we can see of him, he's all right! Some years back,he paid us a visit or two; but it's many years now that he hasn't puthis foot here. At the close of each year, and on birthdays, we've simplyseen his name brought in, that's all. The other day, that he came toknock his head before our venerable senior and Madame Wang, we caughtsight of him in her courtyard yonder; and, got up in the uniform of hisnew office, he looked so dignified, and stouter too than before. Nowthat he has got this post, you should be quite happy; instead of thatyou worry and fret about this and that! If he does get bad, why, he hashis father and mother yet to take care of him, so all you need do is tobe cheerful and content! When you've got time to spare, do get into achair and come in and have a game of cards and a chat with our worthysenior; and who ever will have the face to hurt your feelings? Why, wereyou go to your home, you'd also have there houses and halls, and who isthere who would not hold you in high respect? You're certainly, what onewould call, a venerable old dame!"
P'ing Erh poured a cup of tea and brought it to her. Nurse Lai speedilystood up. "You could have asked any girl to do this for me; it wouldn'thave mattered! But here I'm troubling you again!"
Apologising, she resumed, sipping her tea the while: "My lady you're notaware that young girls of this age must be in everything kept strictlyin hand. In the event of any license, they're sure to find time to kickup trouble, and annoy their elders. Those, who know (how well they aresupervised), will then say that children are always up to mischief. Butthose, who don't, will maintain that they take advantage of theirwealthy position to despise people; to the detriment as well of theirmistresses' reputation. How I regret that there's nothing that I can dowith him. Time after time, have I had to send for his father; and he hasbeen the better, after a scolding from him." Pointing at Pao-yue, "Idon't mind whether you feel angry with me for what I'm going to say,"she proceeded, "but if your father were to attempt now to exercise everso little control over you, your venerable grandmother is sure to tryand screen you. Yet, when in days gone by your worthy father was young,he used to be beaten by your grandfather. Who hasn't seen him do it? Butdid your father, in his youth resemble you, who have neither fear forGod or man? There was also our senior master, on the other side, Mr.Chia She. He was, I admit, wild; but never such a crossgrained fellow asyourself; and yet he too had his daily dose of the whip. There wasbesides the fa
ther of your elder cousin Chen, of the eastern mansion. Hehad a disposition that flared up like a fire over which oil is poured.If anything was said, and he flew into a rage, why, talk about a son, itwas really as if he tortured a robber. From all I can now see and hear,Mr. Chen keeps his son in check just as much as was the custom in olddays among his ancestors; the only thing is that he abides by it in somerespects, but not in others. Besides, he doesn't exercise the leastrestraint over his own self, so is it to be wondered at if all hiscousins and nieces don't respect him? If you've got any sense about you,you'll only be too glad that I speak to you in this wise; but if youhaven't, you mayn't be very well able to say anything openly to me, butyou'll inwardly abuse me, who knows to what extent!"
As she reproved him, they saw Lai Ta's wife arrive. In close successioncame Chou Jui's wife along with Chang Ts'ai's wife to report variousmatters.
"A wife," laughed lady Feng, "has come to fetch her mother-in-law!"
"I haven't come to fetch our old dame," Lai Ta's wife smilinglyrejoined, "but to inquire whether you, my lady and the young ladies,will confer upon us the honour of your company?"
When nurse Lai caught this remark, she smiled. "I've really grown quiteidiotic!" "What," she exclaimed, "was right and proper for me to say, Ididn't say, but I went on talking instead a lot of rot and rubbish! Asour relatives and friends are presenting their congratulations to ourgrandson for having been selected to fill up that office of his, we findourselves under the necessity of giving a banquet at home. But I wasthinking that it wouldn't do, if we kept a feast going the whole day,and we invited this one, and not that one. Reflecting also that it wasthanks to our master's vast bounty that we've come in for thisunforeseen glory and splendour, I felt quite agreeable to do anything,even though it may entail the collapse of our household. I thereforeadvised his father to give banquets on three consecutive days. That heshould, on the first, put up several tables, and a stage in our meangarden, and invite your venerable dowager lady, the senior ladies,junior ladies, and young ladies to come and have some distraction duringthe day, and that he should have several tables laid on the stage in themain pavilion outside, and request the senior and junior gentlemen toconfer upon us the lustre of their presence. That for the second day, weshould ask our relatives and friends; and that for the third, we shouldinvite our companions from the two mansions. In this way, we'll havethree days' excitement, and, by the boundless favour of our master,we'll have the benefit of enjoying the honour of your society."
"When is it to be?" Li Wan and lady Feng inquired, smilingly. "As far aswe are concerned, we'll feel it our duty to come. And we hope that ourworthy senior may feel in the humour to go. But there's no saying forcertain!"
"The day chosen is the fourteenth," Lai Ta's wife eagerly replied. "Justcome for the sake of our old mother-in-law!"
"I can't tell about the others," lady Feng explained with a laugh, "butas for me I shall positively come. I must however tell you beforehandthat I've no congratulatory presents to give you. Nor do I know anythingabout tips to players or others. As soon as I shall have done eating, Ishall bolt, so don't laugh at me."
"Fiddlesticks!" Lai Ta's wife laughed. "Were your ladyship disposed, youcould well afford to give us twenty and thirty thousand taels."
"I'm off now to invite our venerable mistress," nurse Lai smilinglyremarked. "And if her ladyship also agrees to come, I shall deem it agreater honour than ever conferred upon me."
Having said this, she went on to issue some injunctions; after which,she got up to go, when the sight of Chou Jui's wife reminded her ofsomething.
"Of course!" she consequently observed. "I've got one more question toask you, my lady. What did sister-in-law Chou's son do to incur blame,that he was packed off, and his services dispensed with?"
"I was just about to tell your daughter-in-law," lady Feng answeredsmilingly, after listening to her question, "but with so many things topreoccupy me, it slipped from my memory! When you get home,sister-in-law Lai, explain to that old husband of yours that we won'thave his, (Chou Jui's), son kept in either of the mansions; and that hecan tell him to go about his own business!"
Lai Ta's wife had no option but to express her acquiescence. Chou Jui'swife however speedily fell on her knees and gave way to urgententreaties.
"What is it all about?" nurse Lai shouted. "Tell me and let me determinethe right and wrong of the question."
"The other day," lady Feng observed, "that my birthday was celebrated,that young fellow of his got drunk, before the wine ever went round; andwhen the old dame, over there, sent presents, he didn't go outside togive a helping hand, but squatted down, instead, and upbraided people.Even the presents he wouldn't carry inside. And it was only after thetwo girls had come indoors that he eventually got the servant-lads andbrought them in. Those lads were however careful enough in what theydid, but as for him, he let the box, he held, slip from his hands, andbestrewed the whole courtyard with cakes. When every one had left, Ideputed Ts'ai Ming to go and talk to him; but he then turned round andgave Ts'ai Ming a regular scolding. So what's the use of not bundlingoff a disorderly rascal like him, who neither shows any regard fordiscipline or heaven?"
"I was wondering what it could be!" nurse Lai ventured. "Was it reallyabout this? My lady, listen to me! If he has done anything wrong, thrashhim and scold him, until you make him mend his ways, and finish with it!But to drive him out of the place, will never, by any manner of means,do. He isn't, besides, to be treated like a child born in our household.He is at present employed as Madame Wang's attendant, so if you carryout your purpose of expelling him, her ladyship's face will be put tothe blush. My idea is that you should, my lady, give him a lesson byletting him have several whacks with a cane so as to induce him toabstain from wine in the future. If you then retain him in your serviceas hitherto he'll be all right! If you don't do it for his mother'ssake; do it at least for that of Madame Wang!"
After lending an ear to her arguments, lady Feng addressed herself toLai Ta's wife. "Well, in that case," she said, "call him over to-morrowand give him forty blows; and don't let him after this touch any morewine!"
Lai Ta's wife promised to execute her directions. Chou Jui's wife thenkotowed and rose to her feet. But she also persisted upon prostratingherself before nurse Lai; and only desisted when Lai Ta's wife pulledher up. But presently the trio took their departure, and Li Wan and hercompanions sped back into the garden.
When evening came, lady Feng actually bade the servants go and look(into the loft), and when they discovered a lot of painting materials,which had been put away long ago, they brought them into the garden.Pao-ch'ai and her friends then selected such as they deemed suitable.But as they only had as yet half the necessaries they required, theydrew out a list of the other half and sent it to lady Feng, who,needless for us to particularise, had the different articles purchased,according to the specimens supplied.
By a certain day, the silk had been sized outside, a rough sketch drawn,and both returned into the garden. Pao-yue therefore was day after day tobe found over at Hsi Ch'un's, doing his best to help her in her hardwork. But T'an Ch'un, Li Wan, Ying Ch'un, Pao-ch'ai and the other girlslikewise congregated in her quarters, and sat with her when they were atleisure, as they could, in the first place, watch the progress of thepainting, and as secondly they were able to conveniently see somethingof each other.
When Pao-ch'ai perceived how cool and pleasant the weather was getting,and how the nights were beginning again to gradually draw out, she cameand found her mother, and consulted with her, until they got someneedlework ready. Of a day, she would cross over to the quarters ofdowager lady Chia and Madame Wang, and twice pay her salutations, but,she could not help as well amusing them and sitting with them to keepthem company. When free, she would come and see her cousins in thegarden, and have, at odd times, a chat with them, so having, duringdaylight no leisure to speak of, she was wont, of a night, to ply herneedle by lamplight, and only retire to sleep after the third watch hadcome and gone
.
As for Tai-yue, she had, as a matter of course, a relapse of hercomplaint regularly every year, soon after the spring equinox and autumnsolstice. But she had, during the last autumn, also found hergrandmother Chia in such buoyant spirits, that she had walked a littletoo much on two distinct occasions, and naturally fatigued herself morethan was good for her. Recently, too, she had begun to cough and to feelheavier than she had done at ordinary times, so she never by any chanceput her foot out of doors, but remained at home and looked after herhealth. When at times, dullness crept over her, she longed for hercousins to come and chat with her and dispel her despondent feelings.But whenever Pao-ch'ai or any of her cousins paid her a visit, shebarely uttered half a dozen, words, before she felt quite averse to anysociety. Yet one and all made every allowance for her illness. And asshe had ever been in poor health and not strong enough to resist anyannoyance, they did not find the least fault with her, despite even anylack of propriety she showed in playing the hostess with them, or anyremissness on her part in observing the prescribed rules of etiquette.
Pao-ch'ai came, on this occasion to call on her. The conversationstarted on the symptoms of her ailment. "The various doctors, who visitthis place," Pao-ch'ai consequently remarked, "may, it's true, be allvery able practitioners; but you take their medicines and don't reap theleast benefit! Wouldn't it be as well therefore to ask some other personof note to come and see you? And could he succeed in getting you allright, wouldn't it be nice? Here you year by year ail away throughoutthe whole length of spring and summer; but you're neither so old nor soyoung, so what will be the end of it? Besides, it can't go on for ever."
"It's no use," Tai-yue rejoined. "I know well enough that there's no curefor this complaint of mine! Not to speak of when I'm unwell, why evenwhen I'm not, my state is such that one can see very well that there'sno hope!"
Pao-ch'ai shook her head. "Quite so!" she ventured. "An old writer says:'Those who eat, live.' But what you've all along eaten hasn't beenenough to strengthen your energies and physique. This isn't a goodthing!"
Tai-yue heaved a sigh. "Whether I'm to live or die is all destiny!" shesaid. "Riches and honours are in the hands of heaven; and human strengthcannot suffice to forcibly get even them! But my complaint this yearseems to be far worse than in past years, instead of any better."
While deploring her lot, she coughed two or three times. "It struck me,"Pao-ch'ai said, "that in that prescription of yours I saw yesterdaythere was far too much ginseng and cinnamon. They are splendid tonics,of course, but too many heating things are not good. I think that thefirst urgent thing to do is to ease the liver and give tone to thestomach. When once the fire in the liver is reduced, it will not be ableto overcome the stomach; and, when once the digestive organs are free ofailment, drink and food will be able to give nutriment to the humanframe. As soon as you get out of bed, every morning, take one ounce ofbirds' nests, of superior quality, and five mace of sugar candy andprepare congee with them in a silver kettle. When once you get into theway of taking this decoction, you'll find it far more efficacious thanmedicines; for it possesses the highest virtue for invigorating thevagina and bracing up the physique."
"You've certainly always treated people with extreme consideration,"sighed Tai-yue, "but such a supremely suspicious person am I that Iimagined that you inwardly concealed some evil design! Yet ever sincethe day on which you represented to me how unwholesome it was to readobscene books, and you gave me all that good advice, I've felt mostgrateful to you! I've hitherto, in fact, been mistaken in my opinion;and the truth of the matter is that I remained under this misconceptionup to the very present. But you must carefully consider that when mymother died, I hadn't even any sisters or brothers; and that up to thismy fifteenth year there has never been a single person to admonish me asyou did the other day. Little wonder is it if that girl Yuen speaks wellof you! Whenever, in former days, I heard her heap praise upon you, Ifelt uneasy in my mind, but, after my experiences of yesterday, I seehow right she was. When you, for instance, began to tell me all thosethings, I didn't forgive you at the time, but, without worrying yourselfin the least about it you went on, contrariwise, to tender me the adviceyou did. This makes it evident that I have laboured under a mistakenidea! Had I not made this discovery the other day, I wouldn't bespeaking like this to your very face to-day. You told me a few minutesback to take bird's nest congee; but birds' nests are, I admit, easilyprocured; yet all on account of my sickly constitution and of therelapses I have every year of this complaint of mine, which amounts tonothing, doctors have had to be sent for, medicines, with ginseng andcinnamon, have had to be concocted, and I've given already such troubleas to turn heaven and earth topsy-turvey; so were I now to start again anew fad, by having some birds' nests congee or other prepared, ourworthy senior, Madame Wang, and lady Feng, will, all three of them, haveno objection to raise; but that posse of matrons and maids below willunavoidably despise me for my excessive fussiness! Just notice how everyone in here ogles wildly like tigers their prey; and stealthily says onething and another, simply because they see how fond our worthy ancestoris of both Pao-yue and lady Feng, and how much more won't they do thesethings with me? What's more, I'm not a pucker mistress. I've really comehere as a mere refugee, for I had no one to sustain me and no one todepend upon. They already bear me considerable dislike; so much so, thatI'm still quite at a loss whether I should stay or go; and why should Imake them heap execrations upon me?"
"Well, in that case," Pao-ch'ai observed, "I'm too in the same plight asyourself!"
"How can you compare yourself with me?" Tai-yue exclaimed. "You have amother; and a brother as well! You've also got some business and land inhere, and, at home, you can call houses' and fields your own. It's onlytherefore the ties of relationship, which make you stay here at all.Neither are you in anything whether large or small, in their debt forone single cash or even half a one; and when you want to go, you're atliberty to go. But I, have nothing whatever that I can call my own. Yet,in what I eat, wear, and use, I am, in every trifle, entirely on thesame footing as the young ladies in their household, so how ever canthat mean lot not despise me out and out?"
"The only extra expense they'll have to go to by and bye," Pao-ch'ailaughed, "will be to get one more trousseau, that's all. And for thepresent, it's too soon yet to worry yourself about that!"
At this insinuation, Tai-yue unconsciously blushed scarlet. "One treatsyou," she smiled, "as a decent sort of person, and confides in you thewoes of one's heart, and, instead of sympathising with me, you make methe means of raising a laugh!"
"Albeit I raise a laugh at your expense," Pao-ch'ai rejoined, a smilecurling her lips, "what I say is none the less true! But compose yourmind! I'll try every day that I'm here to cheer you up; so come to mewith every grievance or trouble, for I shall, needless to say, dispelthose that are within my power. Notwithstanding that I have a brother,you yourself know well enough what he's like! All I have is a mother, soI'm just a trifle better off than you! We can therefore well look uponourselves as being in the same boat, and sympathise with each other. Youhave, besides, plenty of wits about you, so why need you give way togroans, as did Ssu Ma-niu? What you said just now is quite right; but,you should worry and fret about as little and not as much as you can. Onmy return home, to-morrow, I'll tell my mother; and, as I think theremust be still some birds' nests in our house, we'll send you severalounces of them. You can then tell the servant-maids to prepare some foryou at whatever time you want every day; and you'll thus be suiting yourown convenience and be giving no trouble or annoyance to any one."
"The things are, of themselves, of little account," eagerly respondedTai-yue laughingly. "What's difficult to find is one with as much feelingas yourself."
"What's there in this worth speaking about?" Pao-ch'ai said. "Whatgrieves me is that I fail to be as nice as I should be with those I comeacross. But, I presume, you feel quite done up now, so I'll be off!"
"Come in the evening again," Tai-yue pressed her,
"and have a chat withme."
While assuring her that she would come, Pao-ch'ai walked out, so let usleave her alone for the present.
Tai-yue, meanwhile, drank a few sips of thin congee, and then once morelay herself down on her bed. But before the sun set, the weatherunexpectedly changed, and a fine drizzling rain set in. So gently comethe autumn showers that dull and fine are subject to uncertainalternations. The shades of twilight gradually fell on this occasion.The heavens too got so overcast as to look deep black. Besides theeffect of this change on her mind, the patter of the rain on the bambootops intensified her despondency, and, concluding that Pao-ch'ai wouldbe deterred from coming, she took up, in the lamp light, the first bookwithin her reach, which turned out to be the 'Treasury of MiscellaneousLyrics.' Finding among these 'the Pinings of a maiden in autumn,' 'theAnguish of Separation,' and other similar poems, Tai-yue felt unawaresmuch affected; and, unable to restrain herself from giving vent to herfeelings in writing, she, there and then, improvised the followingstanza, in the same strain as the one on separation; complying with therules observed in the 'Spring River-Flower' and 'Moonlight Night.' Theseverses, she then entitled 'the Poem on the Autumn evening, when wind andrain raged outside the window.' Their burden was:
In autumn, flowers decay; herbage, when autumn comes, doth yellow turn. On long autumnal nights, the autumn lanterns with bright radiance burn. As from my window autumn scenes I scan, autumn endless doth seem. This mood how can I bear, when wind and rain despondency enhance? How sudden break forth wind and rain, and help to make the autumntide! Fright snaps my autumn dreams, those dreams which under my lattice I dreamt. A sad autumnal gloom enclasps my heart, and drives all sleep away! In person I approach the autumn screen to snuff the weeping wick. The tearful candles with a flickering flame consume on their short stands. They stir up grief, dazzle my eyes, and a sense of parting arouse. In what family's courts do not the blasts of autumn winds intrude? And where in autumn does not rain patter against the window-frames? The silken quilt cannot ward off the nipping force of autumn winds. The drip of the half drained water-clock impels the autumn rains. A lull for few nights reigned, but the wind has again risen in strength. By the lantern I weep, as if I sat with some one who must go. The small courtyard, full of bleak mist, is now become quite desolate. With quick drip drops the rain on the distant bamboos and vacant sills. What time, I wonder, will the wind and rain their howl and patter cease? The tears already I have shed have soaked through the window gauze.
After scanning her verses, she flung the pen aside, and was just on thepoint of retiring to rest, when a waiting-maid announced that 'masterSecundus, Mr. Pao-yue, had come.' Barely was the announcement out of herlips, than Pao-yue appeared on the scene with a large bamboo hat on hishead, and a wrapper thrown over his shoulders. Of a sudden, a smilebetrayed itself on Tai-yue's lips. "Where does this fisherman come from?"she exclaimed.
"Are you better to-day?" Pao-yue inquired with alacrity. "Have you hadany medicines? How much rice have you had to eat to-day?"
While plying her with questions, he took off the hat and divestedhimself of the wrapper; and, promptly raising the lamp with one hand, hescreened it with the other and threw its rays upon Tai-yue's face. Thenstraining his eyes, he scrutinised her for a while. "You look betterto-day," he smiled.
As soon as he threw off his wrapper, Tai-yue noticed that he was clad ina short red silk jacket, the worse for wear; that he was girded with agreen sash, and that, about his knees, his nether garments were visible,made of green thin silk, brocaded with flowers. Below these, he woreembroidered gauze socks, worked all over with twisted gold thread, and apair of shoes ornamented with butterflies and clusters of fallenflowers.
"Above, you fight shy of the rain," Tai-yue remarked, "but aren't theseshoes and socks below afraid of rain? Yet they're quite clean!"
"This suit is complete!" Pao-yue smiled. "I've got a pair of crab-woodclogs, I put on to come over; but I took them off under the eaves of theverandah."
Tai-yue's attention was then attracted by the extreme fineness andlightness of the texture of his wrapper and hat, which were unlike thosesold in the market places. "With what grass are they plaited?" sheconsequently asked. "It would be strange if you didn't, with this sortof things on, look like a very hedgehog!"
"These three articles are a gift from the Prince of Pei Ching," Pao-yueanswered. "Ordinarily, when it rains, he too wears this kind of outfitat home. But if it has taken your fancy, I'll have a suit made for you.There's nothing peculiar about the other things, but this hat is funny!The crown at the top is movable; so if you want to wear a hat, duringsnowy weather in wintertime, you pull off the bamboo pegs, and removethe crown, and there you only have the circular brim. This is worn, whenit snows, by men and women alike. I'll give you one therefore to wear inthe wintry snowy months."
"I don't want it!" laughed Tai-yue. "Were I to wear this sort of thing,I'd look like one of those fisherwomen, one sees depicted in pictures orrepresented on the stage!"
Upon reaching this point, she remembered that there was some connectionbetween her present remarks and the comparison she had some time backmade with regard to Pao-yue, and, before she had time to indulge inregrets, a sense of shame so intense overpowered her that the colourrushed to her face, and, leaning her head on the table, she coughed andcoughed till she could not stop. Pao-yue, however, did not detect herembarrassment; but catching sight of some verses lying on the table, heeagerly snatched them up and conned them from beginning to end."Splendid!" he could not help crying. But the moment Tai-yue heard hisexclamation, she speedily jumped to her feet, and clutched the versesand burnt them over the lamp.
"I've already committed them sufficiently to memory!" Pao-yue laughed.
"I want to have a little rest," Tai-yue said, "so please get away; comeback again to-morrow."
At these words, Pao-yue drew back his hand, and producing from his breasta gold watch about the size of a walnut, he looked at the time. The handpointed between eight and nine p.m.; so hastily putting it away, "Youshould certainly retire to rest!" he replied. "My visit has upset you.I've quite tired you out this long while." With these apologies, hethrew the wrapper over him, put on the rain-hat and quitted the room.But turning round, he retraced his steps inside. "Is there anything youfancy to eat?" he asked. "If there be, tell me, and I'll let ourvenerable ancestor know of it to-morrow as soon as it's day. Won't Iexplain things clearer than any of the old matrons could?"
"Let me," rejoined Tai-yue smiling, "think in the night. I'll let youknow early to-morrow. But harken, it's raining harder than it did; so beoff at once! Have you got any attendants, or no?"
"Yes!" interposed the two matrons. "There are servants to wait on him.They're outside holding his umbrella and lighting the lanterns."
"Are they lighting lanterns with this weather?" laughed Tai-yue.
"It won't hurt them!" Pao-yue answered. "They're made of sheep's horn, sothey don't mind the rain."
Hearing this, Tai-yue put back her hand, and, taking down an ornamentedglass lantern in the shape of a ball from the book case, she asked theservants to light a small candle and bring it to her; after which, shehanded the lantern to Pao-yue. "This," she said, "gives out more lightthan the others; and is just the thing for rainy weather."
"I've also got one like it." Pao-yue replied. "But fearing lest theymight slip, fall down and break it, I did not have it lighted andbrought round."
"What's of more account," Tai-yue inquired, "harm to a lantern or to ahuman being? You're not besides accustomed to wearing clogs, so tellthem to walk ahead with those lanterns. This one is as light and handyas it is light-giving; and is really adapted for rainy weather, sowouldn't it be well if you carried it yourself? You can send it over tome to-morrow! But, were it even to slip from your hand, it wouldn'tmatter much. How is it that you've also suddenly developed thismoney-grabbing sort of temperament? It's as bad as if you ripped yourintestines to secrete
pearls in."
After these words, Pao-yue approached her and took the lantern from her.Ahead then advanced two matrons, with umbrellas and sheep horn lanterns,and behind followed a couple of waiting-maids also with umbrellas.Pao-yue handed the glass lantern to a young maid to carry, and,supporting himself on her shoulder, he straightway wended his steps onhis way back.
But presently arrived an old servant from the Heng Wu court, provided aswell with an umbrella and a lantern, to bring over a large bundle ofbirds' nests, and a packet of foreign sugar, pure as powder, and whiteas petals of plum-blossom and flakes of snow. "These," she said, "aremuch better than what you can buy. Our young lady sends you word, miss,to first go on with these. When you've done with them, she'll let youhave some more."
"Many thanks for the trouble you've taken!" Tai-yue returned for answer;and then asked her to go and sit outside and have a cup of tea.
"I won't have any tea," the old servant smiled. "I've got something elseto attend to."
"I'm well aware that you've all got plenty in hand," Tai-yue resumed witha smiling countenance. "But the weather being cool now and the nightslong, it's more expedient than ever to establish two things: a nightclub and a gambling place."
"I won't disguise the fact from you, miss," the old servant laughinglyobserved, "that I've managed this year to win plenty of money. Severalservants have, under any circumstances, to do night duty; and, as anyneglect in keeping watch wouldn't be the right thing, isn't it as wellto have a night club, as one can sit on the look-out and dispel dullnessas well? But it's again my turn to play the croupier to-day, so I mustbe getting along to the place, as the garden gate, will, by this time,be nearly closing!"
This rejoinder evoked a laugh from Tai-yue. "I've given you all thisbother," she remarked, "and made you lose your chances of getting money,just to bring these things in the rain." And calling a servant she badeher present her with several hundreds of cash to buy some wine with, todrive the damp away.
"I've uselessly put you again, miss, to the expense of giving me a tipfor wine," the old servant smiled. But saying this she knocked herforehead before her; and issuing outside, she received the money, afterwhich, she opened her umbrella, and trudged back.
Tzu Chuean meanwhile put the birds' nests away; and removing afterwardsthe lamps, she lowered the portieres and waited upon Tai-yue until shelay herself down to sleep.
While she reclined all alone on her pillow, Tai-yue thought gratefully ofPao-ch'ai. At one moment, she envied her for having a mother and abrother; and at another, she mused that with the friendliness Pao-yue hadever shown her they were bound to be the victims of suspicion. But thepitter-patter of the rain, dripping on the bamboo tops and bananaleaves, fell on her ear; and, as a fresh coolness penetrated thecurtain, tears once more unconsciously trickled down her cheeks. In thisframe of mind, she continued straight up to the fourth watch, when sheat last gradually dropped into a sound sleep.
For the time, however, there is nothing that we can add. So should you,reader, desire to know any subsequent details, peruse what is written inthe next chapter.
