good verses without them, so what's the use of any rhymes to shackle us? Don't let us imitate that mean lot of people. Let's simply choose our subject and pay no notice to rhymes. Our main object is to see whether we cannot by chance hit upon some well-written lines for the sake of fun. It isn't to make this the means of subjecting people to perplexities.'
'What you say is perfectly right,' Hsiang-yuen observed. 'In this manner our poetical composition will improve one step higher. But we only muster five members, and there are here twelve themes. Is it likely that each one of us will have to indite verses on all twelve?'
'That would be far too hard on the members!' Pao-ch'ai rejoined. 'But let's copy out the themes clean, for lines with seven words will have to be written on every one, and stick them to-morrow on the wall for general perusal. Each member can write on the subject which may be most in his or her line. Those, with any ability, may choose all twelve. While those, with none, may only limit themselves to one stanza. Both will do. Those, however, who will show high mental capacity, combined with quickness, will be held the best. But any one, who shall have completed all twelve themes, won't be permitted to hasten and begin over again; we'll have to fine such a one, and finish.'
'Yes, that will do,' assented Hsiang-yuen. But after settling everything satisfactorily, they extinguished the lamp and went to bed.
Reader, do you want to know what subsequently took place? If you do, then listen to what is contained in the way of explanation in the following chapter.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Lin Hsiao-Hsiang carries the first prize in the poems on
chrysanthemums.
Hsueh Heng-wu chaffs Pao-yue by composing verses in the same style as
his on the crabs.
After Pao-ch'ai and Hsiang-yuen, we will now explain, settled everything in their deliberations, nothing memorable occurred, the whole night, which deserves to be put on record.
The next day, Hsiang-yuen invited dowager lady Chia and her other relatives to come and look at the olea flowers. Old lady Chia and every one else answered that as she had had the kind attention to ask them, they felt it their duty to avail themselves of her gracious invitation, much though they would be putting her to trouble and inconvenience. At twelve o'clock, therefore, old lady Chia actually took with her Madame Wang and lady Feng, as well as Mrs. Hsueeh and other members of her family whom she had asked to join them, and repaired into the garden.
'Which is the best spot?' old lady Chia inquired.
'We are ready to go wherever you may like, dear senior,' Madame Wang ventured in response.
'A collation has already been spread in the Lotus Fragrance Arbour,' lady Feng interposed. 'Besides, the two olea plants, on that hill, yonder, are now lovely in their full blossom, and the water of that stream is jade-like and pellucid, so if we sit in the pavilion in the middle of it, won't we enjoy an open and bright view? It will be refreshing too to our eyes to watch the pool.'
'Quite right!' assented dowager lady Chia at this suggestion; and while expressing her approbation, she ushered her train of followers into the Arbour of Lotus Fragrance.
This Arbour of Lotus Fragrance had, in fact, been erected in the centre of the pool. It had windows on all four sides. On the left and on the right, stood covered passages, which spanned the stream and connected with the hills. At the back, figured a winding bridge.
As the party ascended the bamboo bridge, lady Feng promptly advanced and supported dowager lady Chia. 'Venerable ancestor,' she said, 'just walk boldly and with confident step; there's nothing to fear; it's the way of these bamboo bridges to go on creaking like this.'
Presently, they entered the arbour. Here they saw two additional bamboo tables, placed beyond the balustrade. On the one, were arranged cups, chopsticks and every article necessary for drinking wine. On the other, were laid bamboo utensils for tea, a tea-service and various cups and saucers. On the off side, two or three waiting-maids were engaged in fanning the stove to boil the water for tea. On the near side were visible several other girls, who were trying with their fans to get a fire to light in the stove so as to warm the wines.
'It was a capital idea,' dowager lady Chia hastily exclaimed laughingly with vehemence, 'to bring tea here. What's more, the spot and the appurtenances are alike so spick and span!'
'These things were brought by cousin Pao-ch'ai,' Hsiang-yuen smilingly explained, 'so I got them ready.'
'This child is, I say, so scrupulously particular,' old lady Chia observed, 'that everything she does is thoroughly devised.'
As she gave utterance to her feelings, her attention was attracted by a pair of scrolls of black lacquer, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, suspended on the pillars, and she asked Hsiang-yuen to tell her what the mottoes were.
The text she read was:
Snapped is the shade of the hibiscus by the fragrant oar of a boat
homeward bound.
Deep flows the perfume of the lily and the lotus underneath the bamboo
bridge.
After listening to the motto, old lady Chia raised her head and cast a glance upon the tablet; then turning round: 'Long ago, when I was young,' she observed, addressing herself to Mrs. Hsueeh, 'we likewise had at home a pavilion like this called 'the Hall reclining on the russet clouds,' or some other such name. At that time, I was of the same age as the girls, and my wont was to go day after day and play with my sisters there. One day, I, unexpectedly, slipped and fell into the water, and I had a narrow escape from being drowned; for it was after great difficulty, that they managed to drag me out safe and sound. But my head was, after all, bumped about against the wooden nails; so much so, that this hole of the length of a finger, which you can see up to this day on my temple, comes from the bruises I sustained. All my people were in a funk that I'd be the worse for this ducking and continued in fear and trembling lest I should catch a chill. 'It was dreadful, dreadful!' they opined, but I managed, little though every one thought it, to keep in splendid health.'
Lady Feng allowed no time to any one else to put in a word; but anticipating them: 'Had you then not survived, who would now be enjoying these immense blessings!' she smiled. 'This makes it evident that no small amount of happiness and long life were in store for you, venerable ancestor, from your very youth up! It was by the agency of the spirits that this hole was knocked open so that they might fill it up with happiness and longevity! The old man Shou Hsing had, in fact, a hole in his head, which was so full of every kind of blessing conducive to happiness and long life that it bulged up ever so high!'
Before, however, she could conclude, dowager lady Chia and the rest were convulsed with such laughter that their bodies doubled in two.
'This monkey is given to dreadful tricks!' laughed old lady Chia. 'She's always ready to make a scapegoat of me to evoke amusement. But would that I could take that glib mouth of yours and rend it in pieces.'
'It's because I feared that the cold might, when you by and bye have some crabs to eat, accumulate in your intestines,' lady Feng pleaded, 'that I tried to induce you, dear senior, to have a laugh, so as to make you gay and merry. For one can, when in high spirits, indulge in a couple of them more with impunity.'
'By and bye,' smiled old lady Chia, 'I'll make you follow me day and night, so that I may constantly be amused and feel my mind diverted; I won't let you go back to your home.'
'It's that weakness of yours for her, venerable senior,' Madame Wang observed with a smile, 'that has got her into the way of behaving in this manner, and, if you go on speaking to her as you do, she'll soon become ever so much the more unreasonable.'
'I like her such as she is,' dowager lady Chia laughed. 'Besides, she's truly no child, ignorant of the distinction between high and low. When we are at home, with no strangers present, we ladies should be on terms like these, and as long, in fact, as we don't overstep propriety, it's all right. If not, what would he the earthly use of making them behave like so many saints?'
