While Ch'un Ling traces, in a absent frame of mind, the outlines of
the character Ch'iang, a looker-on appears on the scene.
Lin Tai-yue herself, for we will now resume our narrative, was also, ever since her tiff with Pao-yue, full of self-condemnation, yet as she did not see why she should run after him, she continued, day and night, as despondent as she would have been had she lost some thing or other belonging to her.
Tzu Chuean surmised her sentiments. 'As regards what happened the other day,' she advised her, 'you were, after all, Miss, a little too hasty; for if others don't understand that temperament of Pao-yue's, have you and I, surely, also no idea about it? Besides, haven't there been already one or two rows on account of that very jade?'
'Ts'ui!' exclaimed Tai-yue. 'Have you come, on behalf of others, to find fault with me? But how ever was I hasty?'
'Why did you,' smiled Tzu Chuean, 'take the scissors and cut that tassel when there was no good reason for it? So isn't Pao-yue less to blame than yourself, Miss? I've always found his behaviour towards you, Miss, without a fault. It's all that touchy disposition of yours, which makes you so often perverse, that induces him to act as he does.'
Lin Tai-yue had every wish to make some suitable reply, when she heard some one calling at the door. Tzu Chuean discerned the tone of voice. 'This sounds like Pao-yue's voice,' she smiled. 'I expect he's come to make his apologies.'
'I won't have any one open the door,' Tai-yue cried at these words.
'Here you are in the wrong again, Miss,' Tzu Chuean observed. 'How will it ever do to let him get a sunstroke and come to some harm on a day like this, and under such a scorching sun?'
Saying this, she speedily walked out and opened the door. It was indeed Pao-yue. While ushering him in, she gave him a smile. 'I imagined,' she said, 'that you would never again put your foot inside our door, Master Secundus. But here you are once more and quite unexpectedly!'
'You have by dint of talking,' Pao-yue laughed, 'made much ado of nothing; and why shouldn't I come, when there's no reason for me to keep away? Were I even to die, my spirit too will come a hundred times a day! But is cousin quite well?'
'She is,' replied Tzu Chuean, 'physically all right; but, mentally, her resentment is not quite over.'
'I understand,' continued Pao-yue with a smile. 'But resentment, for what?'
With this inquiry, he wended his steps inside the apartment. He then caught sight of Lin Tai-yue reclining on the bed in the act of crying. Tai-yue had not in fact shed a tear, but hearing Pao-yue break in upon her, she could not help feeling upset. She found it impossible therefore to prevent her tears from rolling down her cheeks.
Pao-yue assumed a smiling expression and drew near the bed. 'Cousin, are you quite well again?' he inquired.
Tai-yue simply went on drying her tears, and made no reply of any kind.
Pao-yue approached the bed, and sat on the edge of it. 'I know,' he smiled, 'that you're not vexed with me. But had I not come, third parties would have been allowed to notice my absence, and it would have appeared to them as if we had had another quarrel. And had I to wait until they came to reconcile us, would we not by that time become perfect strangers? It would be better, supposing you wish to beat me or blow me up, that you should please yourself and do so now; but whatever you do, don't give me the cold shoulder!'
Continuing, he proceeded to call her 'my dear cousin' for several tens of times.
Tai-yue had resolved not to pay any more heed to Pao-yue. When she, however, now heard Pao-yue urge: 'don't let us allow others to know anything about our having had a quarrel, as it will look as if we had become thorough strangers,' it once more became evident to her, from this single remark, that she was really dearer and nearer to him than any of the other girls, so she could not refrain from saying sobbingly: 'You needn't have come to chaff me! I couldn't presume henceforward to be on friendly terms with you, Master Secundus! You should treat me as if I were gone!'
At these words, Pao-yue gave way to laughter. 'Where are you off to?' he inquired.
'I'm going back home,' answered Tai-yue.
'I'll go along with you then,' smiled Pao-yue.
'But if I die?' asked Tai-yue.
'Well, if you die,' rejoined Pao-yue, 'I'll become a bonze.'
The moment Tai-yue caught this reply, she hung down her head. 'You must, I presume, be bent upon dying?' she cried. 'But what stuff and nonsense is this you're talking? You've got so many beloved elder and younger cousins in your family, and how many bodies will you have to go and become bonzes, when by and bye they all pass away! But to-morrow I'll tell them about this to judge for themselves what your motives are!'
Pao-yue was himself aware of the fact that this rejoinder had been recklessly spoken, and he was seized with regret. His face immediately became suffused with blushes. He lowered his head and had not the courage to utter one word more. Fortunately, however, there was no one present in the room.
Tai-yue stared at him for ever so long with eyes fixed straight on him, but losing control over her temper, 'Ai!' she shouted, 'can't you speak?' Then when she perceived Pao-yue reduced to such straits as to turn purple, she clenched her teeth and spitefully gave him, on the forehead, a fillip with her finger. 'Heug!' she cried gnashing her teeth, 'you, this......' But just as she had pronounced these two words, she heaved another sigh, and picking up her handkerchief, she wiped her tears.
Pao-yue treasured at one time numberless tender things in his mind, which he meant to tell her, but feeling also, while he smarted under the sting of self-reproach (for the indiscretion he had committed), Tai-yue give him a rap, he was utterly powerless to open his lips, much though he may have liked to speak, so he kept on sighing and snivelling to himself. With all these things therefore to work upon his feelings, he unwillingly melted into tears. He tried to find his handkerchief to dry his face with, but unexpectedly discovering that he had again forgotten to bring one with him, he was about to make his coat-sleeve answer the purpose, when Tai-yue, albeit her eyes were watery, noticed at a glance that he was going to use the brand-new coat of grey coloured gauze he wore, and while wiping her own, she turned herself round, and seized a silk kerchief thrown over the pillow, and thrust it into Pao- yue's lap. But without saying a word, she screened her face and continued sobbing.
Pao-yue saw the handkerchief she threw, and hastily snatching it, he wiped his tears. Then drawing nearer to her, he put out his hand and clasped her hand in his, and smilingly said to her: 'You've completely lacerated my heart, and do you still cry? But let's go; I'll come along with you and see our venerable grandmother.'
Tai-yue thrust his hand aside. 'Who wants to go hand in hand with you?' she cried. 'Here we grow older day after day, but we're still so full of brazen-faced effrontery that we don't even know what right means?'
But scarcely had she concluded before she heard a voice say aloud: 'They're all right!'
Pao-yue and Tai-yue were little prepared for this surprise, and they were startled out of their senses. Turning round to see who it was, they caught sight of lady Feng running in, laughing and shouting. 'Our old lady,' she said, 'is over there, giving way to anger against heaven and earth. She would insist upon my coming to find out whether you were reconciled or not. 'There's no need for me to go and see,' I told her, 'they will before the expiry of three days, be friends again of their own accord.' Our venerable ancestor, however, called me to account, and maintained that I was lazy; so here I come! But my words have in very deed turned out true. I don't see why you two should always be wrangling! For three days you're on good terms and for two on bad. You become more and more like children. And here you are now hand in hand blubbering! But why did you again yesterday become like black-eyed fighting cocks? Don't you yet come with me to see your grandmother and make an old lady like her set her mind at ease a bit?'
While reproaching them, she clutched Tai-yue's hand and was trudging away, when Tai-yue turned her head round and called out for her servant-girls. But not one of them was in attendance.
'What do you want them for again?' lady Feng asked. 'I am here to wait on you!'
Still speaking, she pulled her along on their way, with Pao-yue following in their footsteps. Then making their exit out of the garden gate, they entered dowager lady Chia's suite of rooms. 'I said that it was superfluous for any one to trouble,' lady Feng smiled, 'as they were sure of themselves to become reconciled; but you, dear ancestor, so little believed it that you insisted upon my going to act the part of mediator. Yet when I got there, with the intention of inducing them to make it up, I found them, though one did not expect it, in each other's company, confessing their faults, and laughing and chatting. Just like a yellow eagle clutching the feet of a kite were those two hanging on to each other. So where was the necessity for any one to go?'
