inscription should be put, as it no more than constitutes the first step in the inspection of the landscape. Won't it be well to employ the exact text of an old writer consisting of 'a tortuous path leading to a secluded (nook).' This line of past days would, if inscribed, be, in fact, liberal to boot.'
After listening to the proposed line, they all sang its praise. 'First-rate! excellent!' they cried, 'the natural talents of your second son, dear friend, are lofty; his mental capacity is astute; he is unlike ourselves, who have read books but are simple fools.'
'You shouldn't,' urged Chia Cheng smilingly, 'heap upon him excessive praise; he's young in years, and merely knows one thing which he turns to the use of ten purposes; you should laugh at him, that's all; but we can by and by choose some device.'
As he spoke, he entered the cave, where he perceived beautiful trees with thick foliage, quaint flowers in lustrous bloom, while a line of limpid stream emanated out of a deep recess among the flowers and trees, and oozed down through the crevice of the rock. Progressing several steps further in, they gradually faced the northern side, where a stretch of level ground extended far and wide, on each side of which soared lofty buildings, intruding themselves into the skies, whose carved rafters and engraved balustrades nestled entirely among the depressions of the hills and the tops of the trees. They lowered their eyes and looked, and beheld a pure stream flowing like jade, stone steps traversing the clouds, a balustrade of white marble encircling the pond in its embrace, and a stone bridge with three archways, the animals upon which had faces disgorging water from their mouths. A pavilion stood on the bridge, and in this pavilion Chia Chen and the whole party went and sat.
'Gentlemen,' he inquired, 'what shall we write about this?'
'In the record,' they all replied, 'of the 'Drunken Old Man's Pavilion,' written in days of old by Ou Yang, appears this line: 'There is a pavilion pinioned-like,' so let us call this 'the pinioned-like pavilion,' and finish.'
'Pinioned-like,' observed Chia Cheng smiling, 'is indeed excellent; but this pavilion is constructed over the water, and there should, after all, be some allusion to the water in the designation. My humble opinion is that of the line in Ou Yang's work, '(the water) drips from between the two peaks,' we should only make use of that single word 'drips.''
'First-rate!' rejoined one of the visitors, 'capital! but what would really be appropriate are the two characters 'dripping jadelike.''
Chia Chen pulled at his moustache, as he gave way to reflection; after which, he asked Pao-yue to also propose one himself.
'What you, sir, suggested a while back,' replied Pao-yue, 'will do very well; but if we were now to sift the matter thoroughly, the use of the single word 'drip' by Ou Yang, in his composition about the Niang spring, would appear quite apposite; while the application, also on this occasion, to this spring, of the character 'drip' would be found not quite suitable. Moreover, seeing that this place is intended as a separate residence (for the imperial consort), on her visit to her parents, it is likewise imperative that we should comply with all the principles of etiquette, so that were words of this kind to be used, they would besides be coarse and inappropriate; and may it please you to fix upon something else more recondite and abstruse.'
'What do you, gentlemen, think of this argument?' Chia Cheng remarked sneeringly. 'A little while ago, when the whole company devised something original, you observed that it would be better to quote an old device; and now that we have quoted an old motto, you again maintain that it's coarse and inappropriate! But you had better give us one of yours.'
'If two characters like 'dripping jadelike' are to be used,' Pao-yue explained, 'it would be better then to employ the two words 'Penetrating Fragrance,' which would be unique and excellent, wouldn't they?'
Chia Cheng pulled his moustache, nodded his head and did not utter a word; whereupon the whole party hastily pressed forward with one voice to eulogize Pao-yue's acquirements as extraordinary.
'The selection of two characters for the tablet is an easy matter,' suggested Chia Cheng, 'but now go on and compose a pair of antithetical phrases with seven words in each.'
Pao-yue cast a glance round the four quarters, when an idea came into his head, and he went on to recite:
The willows, which enclose the shore, the green borrow from three
bamboos;
On banks apart, the flowers asunder grow, yet one perfume they give.
Upon hearing these lines, Chia Cheng gave a faint smile, as he nodded his head, whilst the whole party went on again to be effusive in their praise. But forthwith they issued from the pavilions, and crossed the pond, contemplating with close attention each elevation, each stone, each flower, or each tree. And as suddenly they raised their heads, they caught sight, in front of them, of a line of white wall, of numbers of columns, and beautiful cottages, where flourished hundreds and thousands of verdant bamboos, which screened off the rays of the sun.
'What a lovely place!' they one and all exclaimed.
Speedily the whole company penetrated inside, perceiving, as soon as they had entered the gate, a zigzag arcade, below the steps of which was a raised pathway, laid promiscuously with stones, and on the furthest part stood a diminutive cottage with three rooms, two with doors leading into them and one without. Everything in the interior, in the shape of beds, teapoys, chairs and tables, were made to harmonise with the space available. Leading out of the inner room of the cottage was a small door from which, as they egressed, they found a back- court with lofty pear trees in blossom and banana trees, as well as two very small retiring back-courts. At the foot of the wall, unexpectedly became visible an aperture where was a spring, for which a channel had been opened scarcely a foot or so wide, to enable it to run inside the wall. Winding round the steps, it skirted the buildings until it reached the front court, where it coiled and curved, flowing out under the bamboos.
'This spot,' observed Chia Cheng full of smiles, 'is indeed pleasant! and could one, on a moonlight night, sit under the window and study, one would not spend a whole lifetime in vain!'
As he said this, he quickly cast a glance at Pao-yue, and so terrified did Pao-yue feel that he hastily drooped his head. The whole company lost no time in choosing some irrelevant talk to turn the conversation, and two of the visitors prosecuted their remarks by adding that on the tablet, in this spot, four characters should be inscribed.
'Which four characters?' Chia Cheng inquired, laughingly.
'The bequeathed aspect of the river Ch'i!' suggested one of them.
'It's commonplace,' observed Chia Cheng.
Another person recommended 'the remaining vestiges of the Chue Garden.'
'This too is commonplace!' replied Chia Cheng.
'Let brother Pao-yue again propound one!' interposed Chia Chen, who stood by.
'Before he composes any himself,' Chia Cheng continued, 'his wont is to first discuss the pros and cons of those of others; so it's evident that he's an impudent fellow!'
'He's most reasonable in his arguments,' all the visitors protested, 'and why should he be called to task?'
'Don't humour him so much!' Chia Cheng expostulated. 'I'll put up for to-day,' he however felt constrained to tell Pao-yue, 'with your haughty manner, and your rubbishy speech, so that after you have, to begin with, given us your opinion, you may next compose a device. But tell me, are there any that will do among the mottoes suggested just now by all the gentlemen?'
'They all seem to me unsuitable!' Pao-yue did not hesitate to say by way of reply to this question.
Chia Cheng gave a sardonic smile. 'How all unsuitable?' he exclaimed.
'This,' continued Pao-yue, 'is the first spot which her highness will honour on her way, and there should be inscribed, so that it should be appropriate, something commending her sacred majesty. But if a tablet with four characters has to be used, there are likewise devices ready at hand, written by poets of old; and what need is there to compose any more?'
'Are forsooth the devices 'the river Ch'i and the Chu Garden' not those of old authors?' insinuated Chia Cheng.
'They are too stiff,' replied Pao-yue. 'Would not the four characters: 'a phoenix comes with dignified air,' be better?'
With clamorous unanimity the whole party shouted: 'Excellent:' and Chia Cheng nodding his head; 'You beast, you beast!' he ejaculated, 'it may well be said about you that you see through a thin tube and have no more judgment than an insect! Compose another stanza,' he consequently bade him; and Pao-yue recited:
