magnanimous and noble, and partly because they banished all misconception from his mind, his heart and soul throb with greater emotion then ever before. When, however, about to put in his word, he noticed Pao-ch'ai rise to her feet.
'I'll come again to see you to-morrow,' she said, 'but take good care of yourself! I gave the medicines I brought just now to Hsi Jen; let her rub you with them at night and I feel sure you'll get all right.'
With these recommendations, she walked out of the door.
Hsi Jen hastened to catch her up and escorted her beyond the court. 'Miss,' she remarked, 'we've really put you to the trouble of coming. Some other day, when Mr. Secundus is well, I shall come in person to thank you.'
'What's there to thank me for?' replied Pao-ch'ai, turning her head round and smiling. 'But mind, you advise him to carefully tend his health, and not to give way to idle thoughts and reckless ideas, and he'll recover. If there's anything he fancies to eat or to amuse himself with, come quietly over to me and fetch it for him. There will be no use to disturb either our old lady, or Madame Wang, or any of the others; for in the event of its reaching Mr. Chia Cheng's ear, nothing may, at the time, come of it; but if by and bye he finds it to be true, we'll, doubtless, suffer for it!'
While tendering this advice, she went on her way.
Hsi Jen retraced her steps and returned into the room, fostering genuine feelings of gratitude for Pao-ch'ai. But on entering, she espied Pao-yue silently lost in deep thought, and looking as if he were asleep, and yet not quite asleep, so she withdrew into the outer quarters to comb her hair and wash.
Pao-yue meanwhile lay motionless in bed. His buttocks tingled with pain, as if they were pricked with needles, or dug with knives; giving him to boot a fiery sensation just as if fire were eating into them. He tried to change his position a bit, but unable to bear the anguish, he burst into groans. The shades of evening were by this time falling. Perceiving that though Hsi Jen had left his side there remained still two or three waiting-maids in attendance, he said to them, as he could find nothing for them to do just then, 'You might as well go and comb your hair and perform your ablutions; come in, when I call you.'
Hearing this, they likewise retired. During this while, Pao-yue fell into a drowsy state. Chiang Yue-han then rose before his vision and told him all about his capture by men from the Chung Shun mansion. Presently, Chin Ch'uan-erh too appeared in his room bathed in tears, and explained to him the circumstances which drove her to leap into the well. But Pao-yue, who was half dreaming and half awake, was not able to give his mind to anything that was told him. Unawares, he became conscious of some one having given him a push; and faintly fell on his ear the plaintive tones of some person in distress. Pao-yue was startled out of his dreams. On opening his eyes, he found it to be no other than Lin Tai-yue. But still fearing that it was only a dream, he promptly raised himself, and drawing near her face he passed her features under a minute scrutiny. Seeing her two eyes so swollen, as to look as big as peaches, and her face glistening all over with tears: 'If it is not Tai-yue,' (he thought), 'who else can it be?'
Pao-yue meant to continue his scrutiny, but the lower part of his person gave him such unbearable sharp twitches that finding it a hard task to keep up, he, with a shout of 'Ai-yo,' lay himself down again, as he heaved a sigh. 'What do you once more come here for?' he asked. 'The sun, it is true, has set; but the heat remaining on the ground hasn't yet gone, so you may, by coming over, get another sunstroke. Of course, I've had a thrashing but I don't feel any pains or aches. If I behave in this fashion, it's all put on to work upon their credulity, so that they may go and spread the reports outside in such a way as to reach my father's ear. Really it's all sham; so you mustn't treat it as a fact!'
Though Lin Tai-yue was not giving way at the time to any wails or loud sobs, yet the more she indulged in those suppressed plaints of hers, the worse she felt her breath get choked and her throat obstructed; so that when Pao-yue's assurances fell on her ear, she could not express a single sentiment, though she treasured thousands in her mind. It was only after a long pause that she at last could observe, with agitated voice: 'You must after this turn over a new leaf.'
At these words, Pao-yue heaved a deep sigh. 'Compose your mind,' he urged. 'Don't speak to me like this; for I am quite prepared to even lay down my life for all those persons!'
But scarcely had he concluded this remark than some one outside the court was heard to say: 'Our lady Secunda has arrived.'
Lin Tai-yue readily concluded that it was lady Feng coming, so springing to her feet at once, 'I'm off,' she said; 'out by the back-court. I'll look you up again by and bye.'
'This is indeed strange!' exclaimed Pao-yue as he laid hold of her and tried to detain her. 'How is it that you've deliberately started living in fear and trembling of her!'
Lin Tai-yue grew impatient and stamped her feet. 'Look at my eyes!' she added in an undertone. 'Must those people amuse themselves again by poking fun at me?'
After this response, Pao-yue speedily let her go.
Lin Tai-yue with hurried step withdrew behind the bed; and no sooner had she issued into the back-court, than lady Feng made her appearance in the room by the front entrance.
'Are you better?' she asked Pao-yue. 'If you fancy anything to eat, mind you send some one over to my place to fetch it for you.'
Thereupon Mrs. Hsueeh also came to pay him a visit. Shortly after, a messenger likewise arrived from old lady Chia (to inquire after him).
When the time came to prepare the lights, Pao-yue had a couple of mouthfuls of soup to eat, but he felt so drowsy and heavy that he fell asleep.
Presently, Chou Jui's wife, Wu Hsin-teng's wife and Cheng Hao-shih's wife, all of whom were old dames who frequently went to and fro, heard that Pao-yue had been flogged and they too hurried into his quarters.
Hsi Jen promptly went out to greet them. 'Aunts,' she whispered, smiling, 'you've come a little too late; Master Secundus is sleeping.' Saying this, she led them into the room on the opposite side, and, pressing then to sit down, she poured them some tea.
After sitting perfectly still for a time, 'When Master Secundus awakes' the dames observed, 'do send us word!'
Hsi Jen assured them that she would, and escorted them out. Just, however, as she was about to retrace her footsteps, she met an old matron, sent over by Madame Wang, who said to her: 'Our mistress wants one of Master Secundus attendants to go and see her.'
Upon hearing this message, Hsi Jen communed with her own thoughts. Then turning round, she whispered to Ch'ing Wen, She Yueeh, Ch'iu Wen, and the other maids: 'Our lady wishes to see one of us, so be careful and remain in the room while I go. I'll be back soon.'
At the close of her injunctions, she and the matron made their exit out of the garden by a short cut, and repaired into the drawing-room.
Madame Wang was seated on the cool couch, waving a banana-leaf fan. When she became conscious of her arrival: 'It didn't matter whom you sent,' she remarked, 'any one would have done. But have you left him again? Who's there to wait on him?'
At this question, Hsi Jen lost no time in forcing a smile. 'Master Secundus,' she replied, 'just now fell into a sound sleep. Those four or five girls are all right now, they are well able to attend to their master, so please, Madame, dispel all anxious thoughts! I was afraid that your ladyship might have some orders to give, and that if I sent any of them, they might probably not hear distinctly, and thus occasion delay in what there was to be done.'
'There's nothing much to tell you,' added Madame Wang. 'I only wish to ask how his pains and aches are getting on now?'
'I applied on Mr. Secundus,' answered Hsi Jen, 'the medicine, which Miss Pao-ch'ai brought over; and he's better than he was. He was so sore at one time that he couldn't lie comfortably; but the deep sleep, in which he is plunged now, is a clear sign of his having improved.'
'Has he had anything to eat?' further inquired Madame Wang.
'Our dowager mistress sent him a bowl of soup,' Hsi Jen continued, 'and of this he has had a few mouthfuls. He shouted and shouted that his mouth was parched and fancied a decoction of sour plums, but remembering that sour plums are astringent things, that he had been thrashed only a short time before, and that not having been allowed to groan, he must, of course, have been so hard pressed that fiery virus and heated blood must unavoidably
