the other girls are young,' and then she asked me to look after things. So if I now don't accede, it's as clear as day that I shall be the cause of much worry to my aunt. Our lady Feng herself is seriously ill, and our domestic affairs can't hang fire. I'm really with nothing to do, so were even a mere neighbour to solicit my help, I would also feel bound to lend her a hand in her pressure of work. How much more therefore when it's my own aunt, who invokes my aid? Setting aside the way I'm execrated by one and all, how would I ever be able to stare my aunt in the face, if, while I gave my sole mind to winning fame and fishing for praise, any one got so intoxicated and lost so much in gambling as to stir up trouble? At such a juncture remorse on your part will be too late! Even the old reputation you have ever enjoyed will entirely be lost and gone. Those young ladies and girls and this vast garden are alike placed under your supervision, purely and simply because one takes into account that you have been nurses to three or four generations and that you have most scrupulously observed the rules of etiquette and propriety. It's but fair that you should try, with one mind, and show some little regard for what's right and proper. But if you contrariwise behave with such laxity as to let people gratify their wishes by guzzling and gambling, and my aunt comes to hear of these nice doings, a little scolding from her will be of little consequence. But if the various women, who attend to the household, get scent of the state of affairs, they will haul you over the coals, without even so much as breathing one single word beforehand to my aunt. And venerable people, though you are, you will then, instead of tendering advice to young people, be called to account by them. As housekeepers, they exercise, it's true, authority over you; but why shouldn't you yourselves observe a certain amount of decorum? And if you do so, will they have any occasion to bully you? The reason why I've now bethought myself of this special boon for you is that you should unanimously strain every nerve to diligently attend to the garden, in order that the powers that be may, at the sight of your unrelenting care and zeal, have no cause to give way to solicitude. And won't they inwardly look up to you with regard? Neither will you render of no effect the various benefits devised for them. But go now and minutely ponder over all my advice!'
All the women received her words with gratification. 'What you say is quite right,' they replied. 'From this time forth you, miss, and you, our lady, can well compose your minds. With the interest both of you feel on our behalf, may heaven and earth not spare us, if we do not display a full amount of gratitude for all your kindnesses.'
These assurances were still being uttered when they saw Lin Chih-hsiao's wife walk in. 'The family of the Chen mansion of Chiang Nan,' she explained, 'arrived in the capital yesterday. To-day, they're going into the palace to offer their congratulations. But they've now sent messengers ahead to come and bring presents and pay their respects.'
While she spoke, she produced the list of presents and handed it up. T'an Ch'un took it over from her. 'They consist,' she said, perusing it, 'of twelve rolls of brocades and satins embroidered with dragons, such as are for imperial use; twelve rolls of satins of various colours, of the kind worn by the Emperor; twelve rolls of every sort of imperial gauze; twelve rolls of palace silks of the quality used by his majesty; and twenty rolls of satins, gauzes, silks and thin silks of different colours, generally worn by officials.'
After glancing over the list, Li Wan and T'an Ch'un suggested that a first-class tip should be given to the messengers who brought them, after which, they went on to direct a servant to convey the tidings to dowager lady Chia.
Old lady Chia gave orders to call Li Wan, T'an Ch'un, Pao-ch'ai and the other girls. On their arrival, the presents were passed under review; and this over, Li Wan put them aside. 'You must wait,' she said to the servants of the inner store-room, 'until Madame Wang comes back and sees them; you can then lock them up.'
'This Chen family too,' old lady Chia thereupon added, 'isn't like any other family; the highest tips should therefore be conferred upon the men. But as in a twinkle, they may also send some of their womankind to come and make their obeisance, silks should be got ready in anticipation.'
Scarcely was this remark concluded before a domestic actually announced: 'that four ladies of the Chen mansion had come to pay their respects.'
Upon hearing this, dowager lady Chia hastily directed that they should be introduced into her presence. The four women ranged from forty years and over. Their clothing and head-gear were not, in any material degree, different from those of mistresses. As soon as they presented their compliments and inquired about their healths, old lady Chia desired that four footstools should be moved forward. But though the four women thanked her for bidding them sit down, they only occupied the stools, after Pao-ch'ai had seated herself.
'When did you enter the capital?' old lady Chia inquired.
The four women jumped to their feet with alacrity. 'We entered the capital yesterday,' they answered. 'Our lady has taken our young lady today into the palace to pay their homage. That's why she bade us come and give you their compliments, and see how the young ladies are getting on.'
'You hadn't paid a visit to the capital for ever so many years,' dowager lady Chia smilingly observed, 'and here you appear now quite unexpectedly!'
The four women simultaneously smiled again. 'Quite so!' they said. 'We received this year imperial orders, summoning us to the capital!'
'Has the whole family come?' old lady Chia asked.
'Our old mistress, our young master, the two young ladies and the other ladies haven't come up,' the four women explained. 'Only our lady has come, together with Miss Tertia.'
'Is she engaged to any one?' old lady Chia asked.
'Not yet,' rejoined the quartet.
'The two families, that of your senior married lady and that of your lady Secunda are both on most intimate terms with ours,' dowager lady Chia smilingly added.
'Yes, they are,' replied the four women with a smile. 'The letters received each year from our young ladies, assure us that they're entirely dependent upon the kindness bestowed upon them, in your worthy mansion, for their well-being.'
'What kindness?' old lady Chia exclaimed laughingly. 'These two families are really friends of long standing. In addition to this, they're old relatives. So what we do is our simple bounden duty. What's more in the favour of your two young ladies is, that they're not full of their own importance. That's how it is that we've come to be on such close terms.'
The four women smiled. 'This is mainly due to your venerable ladyship's excessive humility,' they answered.
'Is that young gentleman of yours too with your old mistress?' old lady Chia went on to inquire.
'Yes, he has also come with our old mistress,' the four women retorted.
'How old is he?' old lady Chia then asked. 'Does he go to school?' she afterwards inquired.
'He's thirteen this year,' the four women said by way of response. 'But all through those good looks of his, our old mistress cherishes him so fondly that from his youth up, he has been wayward to the extreme, and that he now daily plays the truant. But our master and mistress as well don't keep any great check over him.'
'Yet, he can't resemble that young fellow of ours,' old lady Chia laughed. 'What's the name of your young gentleman?'
'As our old mistress treats him just like a real precious gem,' the quartet explained, 'and as his complexion is naturally so white, her ladyship calls him Pao-yue.'
'Here's another one with the name of Pao-yue!' old lady Chia laughingly said to Li Wan.
Li Wan and her companions hastily made a curtsey. 'There have been, from old times to the present,' they smiled, 'very many among contemporaries and persons of different generations as well, who have borne duplicate names.'
The four women also smiled. 'After the selection of this infant name,' they proceeded, 'we all, both high or low, began to give way to surmises, as we could not make out in what relative's or friend's family there was a lad also called by the same name. But as we hadn't come to the capital for ten years or so, we couldn't remember.'
'That young fellow is my grandson,' dowager lady Chia remarked. 'Hallo! some one come here!'
The married women and maids assented and approached several steps.
'Go into the garden,' old lady Chia smilingly said, 'and call our Pao-yue here, so that these four housekeeping dames should see how he compares with their own Pao-yue.'
The married women, upon hearing her orders, promptly went off. After a while, they entered the room
