The old nun upon hearing this remark was so exceedingly delighted, that she precipitately exclaimed, 'They've got it, they've got it! there will be no difficulty about it.'
'I'm not,' lady Feng went on to add, 'like those people, who afford help and render assistance with an eye to money; these three thousand taels will be exclusively devoted for the travelling expenses of those youths, who will be sent to deliver messages and for them to make a few cash for their trouble; but as for me I don't want even so much as a cash. In fact I'm able at this very moment to produce as much as thirty thousand taels.'
The old nun assented with alacrity, and said by way of reply, 'If that be so, my lady, do display your charitable bounty at once to-morrow and bring things to an end.'
'Just see,' remarked lady Feng, 'how hard pressed I am; which place can do without me? but since I've given you my word, I shall, needless to say, speedily bring the matter to a close.'
'A small trifle like this,' hinted the old nun, 'would, if placed in the hands of any one else, flurry her to such an extent that she would be quite at a loss what to do; but in your hands, my lady, even if much more were superadded, it wouldn't require as much exertion as a wave of your hand. But the proverb well says: 'that those who are able have much to do;' for madame Wang, seeing that your ladyship manages all concerns, whether large or small, properly, has still more shoved the burden of everything on your shoulders, my lady; but you should, it's but right, also take good care of your precious health.'
This string of flattery pleased lady Feng more and more, so that heedless of fatigue she went on to chat with still greater zest.
But, thing unthought of, Ch'in Chung availed himself of the darkness, as well as of the absence of any one about, to come in quest of Chih Neng. As soon as he reached the room at the back, he espied Chih Neng all alone inside washing the tea cups; and Ch'in Chung forthwith seized her in his arms and implanted kisses on her cheek. Chih Neng got in a dreadful state, and stamping her feet, cried, 'What are you up to?' and she was just on the point of shouting out, when Ch'in Chung rejoined: 'My dear girl! I'm nearly dead from impatience, and if you don't again to-day accept my advances, I shall this very moment die on this spot.'
'What you're bent upon,' added Chih Neng, 'can't be effected; not unless you wait until I've left this den and parted company from these people, when it will be safe enough.'
'This is of course easy enough!' remonstrated Ch'in Chung; 'but the distant water cannot extinguish the close fire!'
As he spoke, with one puff, he put out the light, plunging the whole room in pitch darkness; and seizing Chih Neng, he pushed her on to the stove-couch and started a violent love affair. Chih Neng could not, though she strained every nerve, escape his importunities; nor could she very well shout, so that she felt compelled to humour him; but while he was in the midst of his ecstatic joy, they perceived a person walk in, who pressed both of them down, without uttering even so much as a sound, and plunged them both in such a fright that their very souls flew away and their spirits wandered from their bodies; and it was after the third party had burst out laughing with a spurting sound that they eventually became aware that it was Pao-yue; when, springing to his feet impetuously, Ch'in Chung exclaimed full of resentment, 'What's this that you're up to!'
'If you get your monkey up,' retorted Pao-yue, 'why, then let you and I start bawling out;' which so abashed Chih Neng that she availed herself of the gloomy light to make her escape; while Pao-yue had dragged Ch'in Chung out of the room and asked, 'Now then, do you still want to play the bully!'
'My dear fellow,' pleaded Ch'in Chung smilingly, 'whatever you do don't shout out and let every one know; and all you want, I'll agree to.'
'We needn't argue just now,' Pao-yue observed with a grin; 'wait a while, and when all have gone to sleep, we can minutely settle accounts together.'
Soon it was time to ease their clothes, and go to bed; and lady Feng occupied the inner room; Ch'in Chung and Pao-yue the outer; while the whole ground was covered with matrons of the household, who had spread their bedding, and sat watching. As lady Feng entertained fears that the jade of Spiritual Perception might be lost, she waited until Pao-yue fell asleep, when having directed a servant to bring it to her, she placed it under the side of her own pillow.
What accounts Pao-yue settled with Ch'in Chung cannot be ascertained; and as in the absence of any positive proof what is known is based upon surmises, we shall not venture to place it on record.
Nothing worth noticing occurred the whole night; but the next day, as soon as the morning dawned, dowager lady Chia and madame Wang promptly despatched servants to come and see how Pao-yue was getting on; and to tell him likewise to put on two pieces of extra clothing, and that if there was nothing to be done it would be better for him to go back.
But was it likely that Pao-yue would be willing to go back? Besides Ch'in Chung, in his inordinate passion for Chih Neng, instigated Pao-yue to entreat lady Feng to remain another day. Lady Feng pondered in her own mind that, although the most important matters connected with the funeral ceremonies had been settled satisfactorily, there were still a few minor details, for which no provision had been made, so that could she avail herself of this excuse to remain another day would she not win from Chia Chen a greater degree of approbation, in the second place, would she not be able further to bring Ch'ing Hsue's business to an issue, and, in the third place, to humour Pao-yue's wish? In view of these three advantages, which would accrue, 'All that I had to do, I have done,' she readily signified to Pao-yue, 'and if you be bent upon running about in here, you'll unavoidably place me in still greater trouble; so that we must for certain start homewards to-morrow.'
'My dear cousin, my own dear cousin,' urgently entreated Pao-yue, when he heard these words, 'let's stay only this one day, and to-morrow we can go back without fail.'
They actually spent another night there, and lady Feng availed herself of their stay to give directions that the case which had been entrusted to her the previous day by the old nun should be secretly communicated to Lai Wang Erh. Lai Wang's mind grasped the import of all that was said to him, and, having entered the city with all despatch, he went in search of the gentleman, who acted as secretary (in Mr. Yuen's office), pretending that he had been directed by Mr. Chia Lien to come and ask him to write a letter and to send it that very night to the Ch'ang An magistrate. The distance amounted to no more than one hundred li, so that in the space of two days everything was brought to a satisfactory settlement. The general, whose name was Yuen Kuang, had been for a long time under obligations to the Chia family, so that he naturally could not refuse his co-operation in such small trifles. When he had handed his reply, Wang Erh started on his way back; where we shall leave him and return to lady Feng.
Having spent another day, she on the morrow took leave of the old nun, whom she advised to come to the mansion after the expiry of three days to fetch a reply.
Ch'in Chung and Chih Neng could not, by any means, brook the separation, and they secretly agreed to a clandestine assignation; but to these details we need not allude with any minuteness; sufficient to say that they had no alternative but to bear the anguish and to part.
Lady Feng crossed over again to the temple of the Iron Fence and ascertained how things were progressing. But as Pao Chu was obstinate in her refusal to return home, Chia Chen found himself under the necessity of selecting a few servants to act as her companions. But the reader must listen to what is said in the next chapter by way of explanation.
CHAPTER XVI.
Chia Yuan-ch'un is, on account of her talents, selected to enter the
Feng Ts'ao Palace.
Ch'in Ching-ch'ing departs, in the prime of life, by the yellow spring
road.
But we must now return to the two lads, Ch'in Chung and Pao-yue. After they had passed, along with lady Feng from the Temple of the Iron Fence, whither she had gone to see how things were getting on, they entered the city in their carriages. On their arrival at home, they paid their obeisance to dowager lady Chia, madame Wang and the other members of the family, whence they returned to their own quarters, where nothing worth mentioning transpired during the night.
On the next day, Pao-yue perceiving that the repairs to the outer schoolroom had been completed, settled
