As they said this, they were about to pour the wine, when Pao-yue smilingly interfered. 'The rhyme is all right,' he observed.
'The master of the rules,' Hsueeh P'an remarked, 'approves it in every way, so what are you people fussing about?'
Hearing this, the company eventually let the matter drop.
'The two lines, that follow, are still more difficult,' suggested Yuen Erh with a smile, 'so you had better let me recite for you.'
'Fiddlesticks!' exclaimed Hsueeh P'an, 'do you really fancy that I have no good ones! Just you listen to what I shall say.
'A girl is glad,
When in the bridal room she lies, with flowery candles burning, and
she is loth to rise at morn.'
This sentiment filled one and all with amazement. 'How supremely excellent this line is!' they ejaculated.
'A girl is joyful,'
Hsueeh P'an resumed,
'During the consummation of wedlock.'
Upon catching this remark, the party turned their heads away, and shouted: 'Dreadful! Dreadful! But quick sing your song and have done.'
Forthwith Hsueeh P'an sang:
'A mosquito buzzes heng, heng, heng!'
Every one was taken by surprise. 'What kind of song is this?' they inquired.
But Hsueeh P'an went on singing:
'Two flies buzz weng, weng, weng.'
'Enough,' shouted his companions, 'that will do, that will do!'
'Do you want to hear it or not?' asked Hsueeh P'an, 'this is a new kind of song, called the 'Heng, heng air,' but if you people are not disposed to listen, let me off also from saying what I have to say over the heel-taps and I won't then sing.'
'We'll let you off! We'll let you off,' answered one and all, 'so don't be hindering others.'
'A maiden is sad,'
Chiang Yue-han at once began,
When her husband leaves home and never does return.
A maiden is disconsolate,
When she has no money to go and buy some
A maiden is glad,
When the wick of the lantern forms two heads like twin flowers on one
stem.
A maiden is joyful,
When true conjugal peace prevails between her and her mate.
His recital over, he went on to sing:
'How I love thee with those seductive charms of thine, heaven-born!
In truth thou'rt like a living fairy from the azure skies!
The spring of life we now enjoy; we are yet young in years.
Our union is, indeed, a happy match!
But. lo! the milky way doth at its zenith soar;
Hark to the drums which beat around in the watch towers;
So raise the silver lamp and let us soft under the nuptial curtain
steal.'
Finishing the song, he drank the 'opening cup.' 'I know,' he smiled, 'few poetical quotations bearing on this sort of thing. By a stroke of good fortune, however, I yesterday conned a pair of antithetical scrolls; of these I can only remember just one line, but lucky enough for me the object it refers to figures as well on this festive board.'
This said he forthwith drained the wine, and, picking up a bud of a diminutive variety of
'When the perfume of flowers wafts (hsi jen) itself into a man, he
knows the day is warm.'
The company unanimously conceded that the rule had been adhered to. But Hsueeh P'an once again jumped up. 'It's awful, awful!' he bawled out boisterously; 'he should be fined, he should be made to pay a forfeit; there's no precious article whatever on this table; how is it then that you introduce precious things?'
'There was nothing about precious things!' Chiang Yue-han vehemently explained.
'What I are you still prevaricating?' Hsueeh P'an cried, 'Well, repeat it again!'
Chiang Yue-han had no other course but to recite the line a second time. 'Now is not Hsi Jen a precious thing?' Hsueeh P'an asked. 'If she isn't, what is she? And if you don't believe me, you ask him about it,' pointing, at the conclusion of this remark, at Pao-yue.
Pao-yue felt very uncomfortable. Rising to his feet, 'Cousin,' he observed, 'you should be fined heavily.'
'I should be! I should be!' Hsueeh P'an shouted, and saying this, he took up the wine and poured it down his throat with one gulp.
Feng Tzu-ying, Chiang Yue-han and their companions thereupon asked him to explain the allusion. Yuen Erh readily told them, and Chiang Yue-han hastily got up and pleaded guilty.
'Ignorance,' the party said with one consent, 'does not amount to guilt.'
But presently Pao-yue quitted the banquet to go and satisfy a natural want and Chiang Yue-han followed him out. The two young fellows halted under the eaves of the verandah, and Chiang Yue-han then recommenced to make ample apologies. Pao-yue, however, was so attracted by his handsome and genial appearance, that he took quite a violent fancy to him; and squeezing his hand in a firm grip. 'If you have nothing to do,' he urged, 'do let us go over to our place. I've got something more to ask you. It's this, there's in your worthy company some one called Ch'i Kuan, with a reputation extending at present throughout the world; but, unfortunately, I alone have not had the good luck of seeing him even once.'
'This is really,' rejoined Chiang Yue-han with a smile, 'my own infant o name.'
This disclosure at once made Pao-yue quite exuberant, and stamping his feet he smiled. 'How lucky! I'm in luck's way!' he exclaimed. 'In very truth your reputation is no idle report. But to-day is our first meeting, and what shall I do?'
After some thought, he produced a fan from his sleeve, and, unloosening one of the jade pendants, he handed it to Ch'i Kuan. 'This is a mere trifle,' he said. 'It does not deserve your acceptance, yet it will be a small souvenir of our acquaintance to-day.'
Ch'i Kuan received it with a smile. 'I do not deserve,' he replied, 'such a present. How am I worthy of such an honour! But never mind, I've also got about me here a strange thing, which I put on this morning; it is brand- new yet, and will, I hope, suffice to prove to you a little of the feeling of esteem which I entertain for you.'
With these protestations, he raised his garment, and, untying a deep red sash, with which his nether clothes were fastened, he presented it to Pao-yue. 'This sash,' he remarked, 'is an article brought as tribute from the Queen of the Hsi Hsiang Kingdom. If you attach this round you in summer, your person will emit a fragrant perfume, and it will not perspire. It was given to me yesterday by the Prince of Pei Ching, and it is only to-day that I put it on. To any one else, I would certainly not be willing to present it. But, Mr. Secundus, please do unfasten the one you have on and give it to me to bind round me.'
This proposal extremely delighted Pao-yue. With precipitate haste, he accepted his gift, and, undoing the dark brown sash he wore, he surrendered it to Ch'i Kuan. But both had just had time to adjust their respective sashes when they heard a loud voice say: 'Oh! I've caught you!' And they perceived Hsueeh P'an come out by leaps and bounds. Clutching the two young fellows, 'What do you,' he exclaimed, 'leave your wine for and withdraw from the banquet. Be quick and produce those things, and let me see them!'
'There's nothing to see!' rejoined the two young fellows with one voice.
