Their meetings were, it is true, prompted, on the spur of the moment, by a sudden fit of good cheer, but these have again and again proved, during many years, a pleasant topic of conversation. I, your cousin, may, I admit, be devoid of talent, yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy your company amidst streams and rockeries, and to furthermore admire the elegant verses composed by Hsueeh Pao-ch'ai and Lin Tai-yue. When we were in the breezy hall and the moonlit pavilion, what a pity we never talked about poets! But near the almond tree with the sign and the peach tree by the stream, we may perhaps, when under the fumes of wine, be able to fling round the cups, used for humming verses! Who is it who opines that societies with any claim to excellent abilities can only be formed by men? May it not be that the pleasant meetings on the Tung Shan might yield in merit to those, such as ourselves, of the weaker sex? Should you not think it too much to walk on the snow, I shall make bold to ask you round, and sweep the way clean of flowers and wait for you. Respectfully written.'
The perusal of this note filled Pao-yue unawares with exultation. Clapping his hands; 'My third cousin,' he laughed, 'is the one eminently polished; I'll go at once to-day and talk matters over with her.'
As he spoke, he started immediately, followed by Ts'ui Mo. As soon as they reached the Hsin Fang pavilion, they espied the matron, on duty that day at the back door of the garden, advancing towards them with a note in her hand. The moment she perceived Pao-yue she forthwith came up to meet him. 'Mr. Yuen,' she said, 'presents his compliments to you. He is waiting for you at the back gate. This is a note he bade me bring you.'
Upon opening the note, Pao-yue found it to read as follows: 'An unfilial son, Yuen, reverently inquires about his worthy father's boundless happiness and precious health. Remembering the honour conferred upon me by your recognising me, in your heavenly bounty, as your son, I tried both day as well as night to do something in evidence of my pious obedience, but no opportunity could I find to perform anything filial. When I had, some time back, to purchase flowers and plants, I succeeded, thanks to your vast influence, venerable senior, in finally making friends with several gardeners and in seeing a good number of gardens. As the other day I unexpectedly came across a white begonia, of a rare species, I exhausted every possible means to get some and managed to obtain just two pots. If you, worthy senior, regard your son as your own very son, do keep them to feast your eyes upon! But with this hot weather to-day, the young ladies in the garden will, I fear, not be at their ease. I do not consequently presume to come and see you in person, so I present you this letter, written with due respect, while knocking my head before your table. Your son, Yuen, on his knees, lays this epistle at your feet. A joke!'
After reading this note, Pao-yue laughed. 'Has he come alone?' he asked. 'Or has he any one else with him?'
'He's got two flower pots as well,' rejoined the matron.
'You go and tell him,' Pao-yue urged, 'that I've informed myself of the contents of his note, and that there are few who think of me as he does! If you also take the flowers and, put them in my room, it will be all right.'
So saying, he came with Ts'ui Mo into the Ch'iu Shuang study, where he discovered Pao-ch'ai, Tai-yue, Ying Ch'un and Hsi Ch'un already assembled. When they saw him drop in upon them, they all burst out laughing. 'Here comes still another!' they exclaimed.
'I'm not a boor,' smiled T'an Ch'un, 'so when the idea casually crossed my mind, I wrote a few notes to try and see who would come. But who'd have thought that, as soon as I asked you, you would all come.'
'It's unfortunately late,' Pao-yue smilingly observed. 'We should have started this society long ago.'
'You can't call this late!' Tai-yue interposed, 'so why give way to regret! The only thing is, you must form your society, without including me in the number; for I daren't be one of you.'
'If you daren't,' Ying Ch'un smiled, 'who can presume to do so?'
'This is,' suggested Pao-yue, 'a legitimate and great purpose; and we should all exert our energies. You shouldn't be modest, and I yielding; but every one of us, who thinks of anything, should freely express it for general discussion. So senior cousin Pao-ch'ai do make some suggestion; and you junior cousin Lin Tai-yue say something.'
'What are you in this hurry for?' Pao-ch'ai exclaimed. 'We are not all here yet.'
This remark was barely concluded, when Li Wan also arrived. As soon as she crossed the threshold, 'It's an excellent proposal,' she laughingly cried, 'this of starting a poetical society. I recommend myself as controller. Some time ago in spring, I thought of this, 'but,' I mused, 'I am unable to compose verses, so what's the use of making a mess of things?' This is why I dispelled the idea from my mind, and made no mention about it. But since it's your good pleasure, cousin Tertia, to start it, I'll help you to set it on foot.'
'As you've made up your minds,' Tai-yue put in, 'to initiate a poetical society, every one of us will be poets, so we should, as a first step, do away with those various appellations of cousin and uncle and aunt, and thus avoid everything that bears a semblance of vulgarity.'
'First rate,' exclaimed Li Wan, 'and why should we not fix upon some new designations by which to address ourselves? This will be a far more refined way! As for my own, I've selected that of the 'Old farmer of Tao Hsiang;' so let none of you encroach on it.'
'I'll then call myself the 'resident-scholar of the Ch'iu Shuang,' and have done,' T'an Ch'un observed with a smile.
''Resident-scholar or master' is, in fact, not to the point. It's clumsy, besides,' Pao-yue interposed. 'The place here is full of dryandra and banana trees, and if one could possibly hit upon some name bearing upon the dryandra and banana, it would be preferable.'
'I've got one,' shouted T'an Ch'un smilingly. 'I'll style myself 'the guest under the banana trees.''
'How uncommon!' they unanimously cried. 'It's a nice one!'
'You had better,' laughed Tai-yue, 'be quick and drag her away and stew some slices of her flesh, for people to eat with their wine.'
No one grasped her meaning, 'Ch'uang-tzu,' Tai-yue proceeded to explain, smiling, 'says: 'The banana leaves shelter the deer,' and as she styles herself the guest under the banana tree, is she not a deer? So be quick and make pieces of dried venison of her.'
At these words, the whole company laughed.
'Don't be in a hurry!' T'an Ch'un remarked, as she laughed. 'You make use of specious language to abuse people; but I've thought of a fine and most apposite name for you!' Whereupon addressing herself to the party, 'In days gone by,' she added, 'an imperial concubine, Nue Ying, sprinkled her tears on the bamboo, and they became spots, so from olden times to the present spotted bamboos have been known as the 'Hsiang imperial concubine bamboo.' Now she lives in the Hsiao Hsiang lodge, and has a weakness too for tears, so the bamboos over there will by and bye, I presume, likewise become transformed into speckled bamboos; every one therefore must henceforward call her the 'Hsiao Hsiang imperial concubine' and finish with it.'
After listening to her, they one and all clapped their hands, and cried out: 'Capital!' Lin Tai-yue however drooped her head and did not so much as utter a single word.
'I've also,' Li Wan smiled, 'devised a suitable name for senior cousin, Hsueeh Pao-chai. It too is one of three characters.'
'What's it?' eagerly inquired the party.
'I'll raise her to the rank of 'Princess of Heng Wu,'' Li Wan rejoined. 'I wonder what you all think about this.'
'This title of honour,' T'an Ch'un observed, 'is most apposite.'
'What about mine?' Pao-yue asked. 'You should try and think of one for me also!'
'Your style has long ago been decided upon,' Pao-ch'ai smiled. 'It consists of three words: 'fussing for nothing!' It's most pat!'
'You should, after all, retain your old name of 'master of the flowers in the purple cave,'' Li Wan suggested. 'That will do very well.'
'Those were some of the doings of my youth; why rake them up again?' Pao-yue laughed.
'Your styles are very many,' T'an Ch'un observed, 'and what do you want to choose another for? All you've got to do is to make suitable reply when we call you whatever takes our fancy.'
'I must however give you a name,' Pao-ch'ai remarked. 'There's a very vulgar name, but it's just the very thing for you. What is difficult to obtain in the world are riches and honours; what is not easy to combine with them is leisure. These two blessings cannot be enjoyed together, but, as it happens, you hold one along with the other, so that we might as well dub you the 'rich and honourable idler.''
'It won't do; it isn't suitable,' Pao-yue laughed. 'It's better that you should call me, at random, whatever you like.'
