followed by the whole company, she repaired to the Lotus Fragrance Arbour, where they got into a narrow passage, flanked on the east as well as the west, with doors from which they could cross the street. Over these doorways on the inside as well as outside were inserted alike tablets made of stone. The door they went in by, on this occasion, lay on the west. On the tablet facing outwards, were cut out the two words representing: 'Penetrating into the clouds.' On that inside, were engraved the two characters meaning: 'crossing to the moon.' On their arrival at the hall, they walked in by the main entrance, which looked towards the south. Dowager lady Chia then alighted from her chair. Hsi Ch'un had already made her appearance out of doors to welcome her, so taking the inner covered passage, they passed over to the other side and reached Hsi Ch'un's bedroom; on the door posts of which figured the three words: 'Warm fragrance isle.' Several servants were at once at hand; and no sooner had they raised the red woollen portiere, than a soft fragrance wafted itself into their faces. The various inmates stepped into the room. Old lady Chia, however, did not take a seat, but simply inquired where the painting was.
'The weather is so bitterly cold,' Hsi Ch'un consequently explained smiling, 'that the glue, whose property is mainly to coagulate, cannot be moistened, so I feared that, were I to have gone on with the painting, it wouldn't be worth looking at; and I therefore put it away.'
'I must have it by the close of the year,' dowager lady Chia laughed, 'so don't idle your time away. Produce it at once and go on painting for me, as quick as you can.'
But scarcely had she concluded her remark, than she unexpectedly perceived lady Feng arrive, smirking and laughing, with a purple pelisse, lined with deer fur, thrown over her shoulders. 'Venerable senior!' she shouted, 'You don't even so much as let any one know to-day, but sneak over stealthily. I've had a good hunt for you!'
When old lady Chia saw her join them, she felt filled with delight. 'I was afraid,' she rejoined, 'that you'd be feeling cold. That's why, I didn't allow any one to tell you. You're really as sharp as a spirit to have, at last, been able to trace my whereabouts! But according to strict etiquette, you shouldn't show filial piety to such a degree!'
'Is it out of any idea of filial piety that I came after you? Not at all!' lady Feng added with a laugh. 'But when I got to your place, worthy senior, I found everything so quiet that not even the caw of a crow could be heard, and when I asked the young maids where you'd gone, they wouldn't let me come and search in the garden. So I began to give way to surmises. Suddenly also arrived two or three nuns; and then, at length, I jumped at the conclusion that these women must have come to bring their yearly prayers, or to ask for their annual or incense allowance, and that, with the amount of things you also, venerable ancestor, have to do for the end of the year, you had for certain got out of the way of your debts. Speedily therefore I inquired of the nuns what it was that brought them there, and, for a fact, there was no mistake in my surmises. So promptly issuing the annual allowances to them, I now come to report to you, worthy senior, that your creditors have gone, and that there's no need for you to skulk away. But I've had some tender pheasant prepared; so please come, and have your evening meal; for if you delay any longer, it will get quite stale.'
As she spoke, everybody burst out laughing. But lady Feng did not allow any time to dowager lady Chia to pass any observations, but forthwith directed the servants to bring the chair over. Old lady Chia then smilingly laid hold of lady Feng's hand and got again into her chair; but she took along with her the whole company of relatives for a chat and a laugh.
Upon issuing out of the gate on the east side of the narrow passage, the four quarters presented to their gaze the appearance of being adorned with powder, and inlaid with silver. Unawares, they caught sight of Pao-ch'in, in a duck down cloak, waiting at a distance at the back of the hill slope; while behind her stood a maid, holding a vase full of red plum blossoms.
'Strange enough,' they all exclaimed laughingly, 'two of us were missing! But she's waiting over there. She's also been after some plum-blossom.'
'Just look,' dowager lady Chia eagerly cried out joyfully, 'that human creature has been put there to match with the snow-covered hill! But with that costume, and the plum-blossom at the back of her, to what does she bear a resemblance?'
'She resembles,' one and all smiled, 'Chou Shih-ch'ou's beautiful snow picture, suspended in your apartments, venerable ancestor.'
'Is there in that picture any such costume?' Old lady Chia demurred, nodding her head and smiling. 'What's more the persons represented in it could never be so pretty!'
Hardly had this remark dropped from her mouth, than she discerned some one else, clad in a deep red woollen cloak, appear to view at the back of Pao-ch'in. 'What other girl is that?' dowager lady Chia asked.
'We girls are all here.' they laughingly answered. 'That's Pao-yue.'
'My eyes,' old lady Chia smiled, 'are getting dimmer and dimmer!'
So saying, they drew near, and of course, they turned out to be Pao-yue and Pao-ch'in.
'I've just been again to the Lung Ts'ui monastery,' Pao-yue smiled to Pao-ch'ai, Tai-yue and his other cousins, 'and Miao Yue gave me for each of you a twig of plum blossom. I've already sent a servant to take them over.'
'Many thanks for the trouble you've been put to,' they, with one voice, replied.
But speaking the while, they sallied out of the garden gate, and repaired to their grandmother Chia's suite of apartments. Their meal over, they joined in a further chat and laugh, when unexpectedly they saw Mrs. Hsueeh also arrive.
'With all this snow,' she observed, 'I haven't been over the whole day to see how you, venerable senior, were getting on. Your ladyship couldn't have been in a good sort of mood to-day, for you should have gone and seen the snow.'
'How not in a good mood?' old lady Chia exclaimed. 'I went and looked up these young ladies and had a romp with them for a time.'
'Last night,' Mrs. Hsueeh smiled, 'I was thinking of getting from our Madame Wang to-day the loan of the garden for the nonce and spreading two tables with our mean wine, and inviting you, worthy senior, to enjoy the snow; but as I saw that you were having a rest, and I heard, at an early hour, that Pao-yue had said that you were not in a joyful frame of mind, I did not, in consequence, presume to come and disturb you to-day. But had I known sooner the real state of affairs, I would have felt it my bounden duty to have asked you round.'
'This is,' rejoined dowager lady Chia with a smile, 'only the first fall of snow in the tenth moon. We'll have, after this, plenty of snowy days so there will be ample time to put your ladyship to wasteful expense.'
'Verily in that case,' Mrs. Hsueeh laughingly added, 'my filial intentions may well be looked upon as having been accomplished.'
'Mrs. Hsueeh,' interposed lady Feng smiling, 'mind you don't forget it! But you might as well weigh fifty taels this very moment, and hand them over to me to keep, until the first fall of snow, when I can get everything ready for the banquet. In this way, you will neither have anything to bother you, aunt, nor will you have a chance of forgetting.'
'Well, since that be so,' old lady Chia remarked with a laugh, 'your ladyship had better give her fifty taels, and I'll share it with her; each one of us taking twenty-five taels; and on any day it might snow, I'll pretend I don't feel in proper trim and let it slip by. You'll have thus still less occasion to trouble yourself, and I and lady Feng will reap a substantial benefit.'
Lady Feng clapped her hands. 'An excellent idea,' she laughed. 'This quite falls in with my views.'
The whole company were much amused.
'Pshaw!' dowager lady Chia laughingly ejaculated. 'You barefaced thing! (You're like a snake, which) avails itself of the rod, with which it is being beaten, to crawl up (and do harm)! You don't try to convince us that it properly devolves upon us, as Mrs. Hsueeh is our guest and receives such poor treatment in our household, to invite her; for with what right could we subject her ladyship to any reckless outlay? but you have the impudence, of impressing upon our minds to insist upon the payment, in advance, of fifty taels! Are you really not thoroughly ashamed of yourself?'
'Oh, worthy senior,' lady Feng laughed, 'you're most sharp-sighted! You try to see whether Mrs. Hsueeh will be soft enough to produce fifty taels for you to share with me, but fancying now that it's of no avail, you turn round and begin to rate me by coming out with all these grand words! I won't however take any money from you, Mrs. Hsueeh. I'll, in fact, contribute some on your ladyship's account, and when I get the banquet ready and invite you, venerable ancestor, to come and partake of it, I'll also wrap fifty taels in a piece of paper, and dutifully present them to you, as a penalty for my officious interference in matters that don't concern me. Will this be all right or
