one and all pay no heed to his doings! your eldest brother, Chia Cheng, he too doesn't notice him. It's all because when he was young he followed our ancestor in three or four wars, and because on one occasion, by extracting our senior from the heap of slain and carrying him on his back, he saved his life. He himself suffered hunger and stole food for his master to eat; they had no water for two days; and when he did get half a bowl, he gave it to his master, while he himself had sewage water. He now simply presumes upon the sentimental obligations imposed by these services. When the seniors of the family still lived, they all looked upon him with exceptional regard; but who at present ventures to interfere with him? He is also advanced in years, and doesn't care about any decent manners; his sole delight is wine; and when he gets drunk, there isn't a single person whom he won't abuse. I've again and again told the stewards not to henceforward ask Chiao Ta to do any work whatever, but to treat him as dead and gone; and here he's sent again to-day.'
'How can I not know all about this Chiao Ta?' remarked lady Feng; 'but the secret of all this trouble is, that you won't take any decisive step. Why not pack him off to some distant farm, and have done with him?' And as she spoke, 'Is our carriage ready?' she went on to inquire.
'All ready and waiting,' interposed the married women.
Lady Feng also got up, said good-bye, and hand in hand with Pao-yue, they walked out of the room, escorted by Mrs. Yu and the party, as far as the entrance of the Main Hall, where they saw the lamps shedding a brilliant light and the attendants all waiting on the platforms. Chiao Ta, however, availing himself of Chia Chen's absence from home, and elated by wine, began to abuse the head steward Lai Erh for his injustice.
'You bully of the weak and coward with the strong,' he cried, 'when there's any pleasant charge, you send the other servants, but when it's a question of seeing any one home in the dark, then you ask me, you disorderly clown! a nice way you act the steward, indeed! Do you forget that if Mr. Chiao Ta chose to raise one leg, it would be a good deal higher than your head! Remember please, that twenty years ago, Mr. Chiao Ta wouldn't even so much as look at any one, no matter who it was; not to mention a pack of hybrid creatures like yourselves!'
While he went on cursing and railing with all his might, Chia Jung appeared walking by lady Feng's carriage. All the servants having tried to hush him and not succeeding, Chia Jung became exasperated; and forthwith blew him up for a time. 'Let some one bind him up,' he cried, 'and tomorrow, when he's over the wine, I'll call him to task, and we'll see if he won't seek death.'
Chiao Ta showed no consideration for Chia Jung. On the contrary, he shouted with more vigour. Going up to Chia Jung: 'Brother Jung,' he said, 'don't put on the airs of a master with Chiao Ta. Not to speak of a man such as you, why even your father and grandfather wouldn't presume to display such side with Chiao Ta. Were it not for Chiao Ta, and him alone, where would your office, honours, riches and dignity be? Your ancestor, whom I brought back from the jaws of death, heaped up all this estate, but up to this very day have I received no thanks for the services I rendered! on the contrary, you come here and play the master; don't say a word more, and things may come right; but if you do, I'll plunge the blade of a knife white in you and extract it red.'
Lady Feng, from inside the carriage, remarked to Chia Jung: 'Don't you yet pack off this insolent fellow! Why, if you keep him in your house, won't he be a source of mischief? Besides, were relatives and friends to hear about these things, won't they have a laugh at our expense, that a household like ours should be so devoid of all propriety?'
Chia Jung assented. The whole band of servants finding that Chiao Ta was getting too insolent had no help but to come up and throw him over, and binding him up, they dragged him towards the stables. Chiao Ta abused even Chia Chen with still more vehemence, and shouted in a boisterous manner. 'I want to go,' he cried, 'to the family Ancestral Temple and mourn my old master. Who would have ever imagined that he would leave behind such vile creatures of descendants as you all, day after day indulging in obscene and incestuous practices, 'in scraping of the ashes' and in philandering with brothers-in-law. I know all about your doings; the best thing is to hide one's stump of an arm in one's sleeve!' (wash one's dirty clothes at home).
The servants who stood by, upon hearing this wild talk, were quite at their wits' end, and they at once seized him, tied him up, and filled his mouth to the fullest extent with mud mixed with some horse refuse.
Lady Feng and Chia Jung heard all he said from a distance, but pretended not to hear; but Pao-yue, seated in the carriage as he was, also caught this extravagant talk and inquired of lady Feng: 'Sister, did you hear him say something about 'scraping of the ashes?' What's it?'
'Don't talk such rubbish!' hastily shouted lady Feng; 'it was the maudlin talk of a drunkard! A nice boy you are! not to speak of your listening, but you must also inquire! wait and I'll tell your mother and we'll see if she doesn't seriously take you to task.'
Pao-yue was in such a state of fright that he speedily entreated her to forgive him. 'My dear sister,' he craved, 'I won't venture again to say anything of the kind'
'My dear brother, if that be so, it's all right!' rejoined lady Feng reassuringly; 'on our return we'll speak to her venerable ladyship and ask her to send some one to arrange matters in the family school, and invite Ch'in Chung to come to school for his studies.'
While yet this conversation was going on, they arrived at the Jung Mansion.
Reader, do you wish to know what follows? if you do, the next chapter will unfold it.
CHAPTER VIII.
By a strange coincidence, Chia Pao-yue becomes acquainted with the
golden clasp.
In an unexpected meeting, Hsueeh Pao-ch'ai sees the jade of spiritual
perception.
Pao-yue and lady Feng, we will now explain, paid, on their return home, their respects to all the inmates, and Pao-yue availed himself of the first occasion to tell dowager lady Chia of his wish that Ch'in Chung should come over to the family school. 'The presence for himself of a friend as schoolmate would,' he argued, 'be fitly excellent to stir him to zeal,' and he went on to speak in terms of high praise of Ch'in Chung, his character and his manners, which most of all made people esteem him.
Lady Feng besides stood by him and backed his request. 'In a day or two,' she added, 'Ch'in Chung will be coming to pay his obeisance to your venerable ladyship.'
This bit of news greatly rejoiced the heart of dowager lady Chia, and lady Feng likewise did not let the opportunity slip, without inviting the old lady to attend the theatrical performance to come off the day after the morrow. Dowager lady Chia was, it is true, well on in years, but was, nevertheless, very fond of enjoyment, so that when the day arrived and Mrs. Yu came over to invite her round, she forthwith took madame Wang, Lin Tai-yue, Pao-yue and others along and went to the play.
It was about noon, when dowager lady Chia returned to her apartments for her siesta; and madame Wang, who was habitually partial to a quiet life, also took her departure after she had seen the old lady retire. Lady Feng subsequently took the seat of honour; and the party enjoyed themselves immensely till the evening, when they broke up.
But to return to Pao-yue. Having accompanied his grandmother Chia back home, and waited till her ladyship was in her midday sleep, he had in fact an inclination to return to the performance, but he was afraid lest he should be a burden to Mrs. Ch'in and the rest and lest they should not feel at ease. Remembering therefore that Pao Ch'ai had been at home unwell for the last few days, and that he had not been to see her, he was anxious to go and look her up, but he dreaded that if he went by the side gate, at the back of the drawing-room, he would be prevented by something or other, and fearing, what would be making matters worse, lest he should come across his father, he consequently thought it better to go on his way by a detour. The nurses and waiting-maids thereupon came to help him to change his clothes; but they saw him not change, but go out again by the second door. These nurses and maids could not help following him out; but they were still under the impression that he was going over to the other mansion to see the theatricals. Contrary to their speculations, upon reaching the entrance hall, he forthwith went to the east, then turned to the north, and walking round by the rear of the hall, he happened to come face to face with two of the family companions, Mr. Ch'an Kuang, and Mr. Tan T'ing-jen. As soon as they caught sight of Pao-yue, they both readily drew up to him, and as they smiled, the one put his arm round his waist, while the other grasped him by the hand.
