"Whence could I begin enumerating the things I got!" Goody Liu exclaimed. "In what previous existence did I accomplish anything so meritorious as to bring to-day this heap of blessings upon me!"
With these words, she eagerly took possession of the cup.
"The clothes I gave you the other day, when I asked you to have a bath, were my own," Yuan Yang resumed, "and if you don"t think them too mean, I"ve got a few more, which I would also like to let you have."
Goody Liu thanked her with vehemence, so Yuan Yang, in point of fact, produced several more articles of clothing, and these she packed up for her. Goody Liu thereupon expressed a desire to also go into the garden and take leave of Pao-yu and the young ladies, Madame w.a.n.g and the other inmates and to thank them for all they did for her, but Yuan Yang raised objections. "You can dispense with going!" she remarked. "They don"t see any one just now! But I"ll deliver the message for you by and bye! When you"ve got any leisure, do come again. Go to the second gate," she went on to direct an old matron, "and call two servant-lads to come here, and help this old dame to take her things away!"
After the matron had signified her obedience, Yuan Yang returned with goody Liu to lady Feng"s quarters, on the off part of the mansion, and, taking the presents as far as the side gate, she bade the servant-lads carry them out. She herself then saw goody Liu into her curricle and start on her journey homewards.
But without commenting further on this topic, let us revert to Pao-ch"ai and the other girls. After breakfast, they recrossed into their grandmother"s rooms and made inquiries about her health. On their way back to the garden, they reached a point where they had to take different roads. Pao-ch"ai then called out to Tai-yu. "P"in Erh!" she observed, "come with me; I"ve got a question to ask you."
Tai-yu wended her steps therefore with Pao-ch"ai into the Heng Wu court.
As soon as they entered the house, Pao-ch"ai threw herself into a seat.
"Kneel down!" she smiled. "I want to examine you about something!"
Tai-yu could not fathom her object, and consequently laughed. "Look here." she cried, "this chit Pao has gone clean off her senses! What do you want to examine me about?"
Pao-ch"ai gave a sardonic smile. "My dear, precious girl, my dear maiden," she exclaimed, "what utter trash fills your mouth! Just speak the honest and candid truth, and finish!"
Tai-yu could so little guess her meaning that her sole resource was to smile. Inwardly, however, she could not help beginning to experience certain misgivings. "What did I say?" she remarked. "You"re bent upon picking out my faults! Speak out and let me hear what it"s all about!"
"Do you still pretend to be a fool?" Pao-ch"ai laughed. "When we played yesterday that game of wine-forfeits, what did you say? I really couldn"t make out any head or tail."
Tai-yu, after a moment"s reflection, remembered eventually that she had the previous day been guilty of a slip of the tongue and come out with a couple of pa.s.sages from the "Peony Pavilion," and the "Record of the West Side-house," and, of a sudden, her face got scarlet with blushes.
Drawing near Pao-ch"ai she threw her arms round her. "My dear cousin!"
she smiled, "I really wasn"t conscious of what I was saying! It just blurted out of my mouth! But now that you"ve called me to task, I won"t say such things again."
"I"ve no idea of what you were driving at," Pao-ch"ai laughingly rejoined. "What I heard you recite sounds so thoroughly unfamiliar to me, that I beg you to enlighten me!"
"Dear cousin," pleaded Tai-yu, "don"t tell anyone else! I won"t, in the future, breathe such things again."
Pao-ch"ai noticed how from shame the blood rushed to her face, and how vehement she was in her entreaties, and she felt both to press her with questions; so pulling her into a seat to make her have a cup of tea, she said to her in a gentle tone, "Whom do you take me for? I too am wayward; from my youth up, yea ever since I was seven or eight, I"ve been enough trouble to people! Our family was also what one would term literary. My grandfather"s extreme delight was to be ever with a book in his hand. At one time, we numbered many members, and sisters and brothers all lived together; but we had a distaste for wholesome books.
Among my brothers, some were partial to verses; others had a weakness for blank poetical compositions; and there were none of such works as the "Western side-House," and "the Guitar," even up to the hundred and one books of the "Yuan" authors, which they hadn"t managed to get. These books they stealthily read behind our backs; but we, on our part, devoured them, on the sly, without their knowing it. Subsequently, our father came to get wind of it; and some of us he beat, while others he scolded; burning some of the books, and throwing away others. It is therefore as well that we girls shouldn"t know anything of letters. Men, who study books and don"t understand the right principle, can"t, moreover, reach the standard of those, who don"t go in for books; so how much more such as ourselves? Even versifying, writing and the like pursuits aren"t in the line of such as you and me. Indeed, neither are they within the portion of men. Men, who go in for study and fathom the right principles, should cooperate in the government of the empire, and should rule the nation; this would be a n.o.bler purpose; but one doesn"t now-a-days hear of the very existence of such persons! Hence, the study of books makes them worse than they ever were before. But it isn"t the books that ruin them; the misfortune is that they make improper use of books! That is why study doesn"t come up to ploughing and sowing and trading; as these pursuits exercise no serious pernicious influences. As far, however, as you and I go, we should devote our minds simply to matters connected with needlework and spinning; for we will then be fulfilling our legitimate duties. Yet, it so happens that we too know a few characters. But, as we can read, it behoves us to choose no other than wholesome works; for these will do us no harm! What are most to be shirked are those low books, as, when once they pervert the disposition, there remains no remedy whatever!"
While she indulged in this long rigmarole, Tai-yu lowered her head and sipped her tea. And though she secretly shared the same views on the subject, all the answer she gave her in a.s.sent was limited to one single word "yes." But at an unexpected moment, Su Yun appeared in the room.
"Our lady Lien," she said, "requests the presence of both of you, young ladies, to consult with you in an important matter. Miss Secunda, Miss Tertia, Miss Quarta, Miss Shih and Mr. Pao, our master Secundus, are there waiting for you."
"What"s up again?" Pao-ch"ai inquired.
"You and I will know what it is when we get there," Tai-yu explained.
So saying, she came, with Pao-ch"ai, into the Tao Hsiang village. Here they, in fact, discovered every one a.s.sembled. As soon as Li Wan caught sight of the two cousins, she smiled. "The society has barely been started," she observed, "and here"s one who wants to give us the slip; that girl Quarta wishes to apply for a whole year"s leave."
"It"s that single remark of our worthy senior"s yesterday that is at the bottom of it!" Tai-yu laughed. "For by bidding her execute some painting or other of the garden, she has put her in such high feather that she applies for leave!"
"Don"t be so hard upon our dear ancestor!" Pao-Ch"ai rejoined, a smile playing on her lips. "It"s entirely due to that allusion of grandmother Liu"s."
Tai-yu speedily took up the thread of the conversation. "Quite so!" she smiled. "It"s all through that remark of hers! But of what branch of the family is she a grandmother? We should merely address her as the "female locust;" that"s all."
As she spoke, one and all were highly amused.
"When any mortal language finds its way into that girl Feng"s mouth,"
Pao-ch"ai laughed, "she knows how to turn it to the best account! What a fortunate thing it is that that vixen Feng has no idea of letters and can"t boast of much culture! Her _forte_ is simply such vulgar things as suffice to raise a laugh! Worse than her is that P"in Erh with that coa.r.s.e tongue! She has recourse to the devices of the "Ch"un Ch"iu"! By selecting, from the vulgar expressions used in low slang, the most noteworthy points, she eliminates what"s commonplace, and makes, with the addition of a little elegance and finish, her style so much like that of the text that each sentence has a peculiar character of its own! The three words representing "female locust" bring out clearly the various circ.u.mstances connected with yesterday! The wonder is that she has been so quick in devising them!"
After lending an ear to her arguments, they all laughed. "Those explanations of yours," they cried, "show well enough that you are not below those two!"
"Pray, let"s consult as to how many days" leave to grant her!" Li Wan proposed. "I gave her a month, but she thinks it too little. What do you say about it?"
"Properly speaking," Tai-yu put in, "one year isn"t much! The laying out of this garden occupied a whole year; and to paint a picture of it now will certainly need two years" time. She"ll have to rub the ink, to moisten the pencils, to stretch the paper, to mix the pigments, and to...."
When she had reached this point, even Tai-yu could not restrain herself from laughing. "If she goes on so leisurely to work," she exclaimed, "won"t she require two years" time?"
Those, who caught this insinuation, clapped their hands and indulged in incessant merriment.
"Her innuendoes are full of zest!" Pao-ch"ai ventured laughingly. "But what takes the cake is that last remark about leisurely going to work, for if she weren"t to paint at all, how could she ever finish her task?
Hence those jokes cracked yesterday were, sufficient, of course, to evoke laughter, but, on second thought, they"re devoid of any fun! Just you carefully ponder over P"in Erh"s words! Albeit they don"t amount to much, you"ll nevertheless find, when you come to reflect on them, that there"s plenty of gusto about them. I"ve really had such a laugh over them that I can scarcely move!
"It"s the way that cousin Pao-ch"ai puffs her up," Hsi Ch"un observed "that makes her so much the more arrogant that she turns me also into a laughing-stock now!"
Tai-yu hastily smiled and pulled her towards her. "Let me ask you," she said, "are you only going to paint the garden, or will you insert us in it as well?"
"My original idea was to have simply painted the garden," Hsi Ch"un explained; "but our worthy senior told me again yesterday that a mere picture of the grounds would resemble the plan of a house, and recommended that I should introduce some inmates too so as to make it look like what a painting should. I"ve neither the knack for the fine work necessary for towers and terraces, nor have I the skill to draw representations of human beings; but as I couldn"t very well raise any objections, I find myself at present on the horns of a dilemma about it!"
"Human beings are an easy matter!" Tai-yu said. "What beats you are insects."
"Here you are again with your trash!" Li Wan exclaimed. "Will there be any need to also introduce insects in it? As far, however, as birds go, it may probably be advisable to introduce one or two kinds!"
"If any other insects are not put in the picture," Tai-yu smiled, "it won"t matter; but without yesterday"s female locust in it, it will fall short of the original?"
This retort evoked further general amus.e.m.e.nt. While Tai-yu laughed, she beat her chest with both hands. "Begin painting at once!" she cried.
"I"ve even got the t.i.tle all ready. The name I"ve chosen is, "Picture of a locust brought in to have a good feed.""
At these words, they laughed so much the more heartily that at a time they bent forward, and at another they leant back. But a sound of "Ku tung" then fell on their ears, and unable to make out what could have dropped, they anxiously and precipitately looked about. It was, they found, Shih Hsiang-yun, who had been reclining on the back of the chair.
The chair had, from the very outset, not been put in a sure place, and while indulging in hearty merriment she threw her whole weight on the back. She did not, besides, notice that the dovetails on each side had come out, so with a tilt towards the east, she as well as the chair toppled over in a heap. Luckily, the wooden part.i.tion-wall was close enough to arrest her fall, and she did not sprawl on the ground. The sight of her created more amus.e.m.e.nt than ever among all her relatives; so much so, that they could scarcely regain their equilibrium. It was only after Pao-yu had rushed up to her, and given her a hand and raised her to her feet again that they at last managed to gradually stop laughing.
Pao-yu then winked at Tai-yu. Tai-yu grasped his meaning, and, forthwith withdrawing into the inner room, she lifted the cover of the mirror, and looked at her face. She found the hair about her temples slightly dishevelled, so, promptly opening Li Wan"s toilet-case, and extracting a narrow brush, she stood in front of the mirror, and smoothed it down with a few touches. Afterwards, laying the brush in its place she stepped into the outer suite. "Is this," she said pointing at Li Wan, "doing what you"re told and showing us how to do needlework and teaching us manners? Why, instead of that, you press us to come here and have a good romp and a hearty laugh!"
"Just you listen to her perverse talk," Li Wan laughed. "She takes the lead and kicks up a rumpus, and incites people to laugh, and then she throws the blame upon me! In real truth, she"s a despicable thing! What I wish is that you should soon get some dreadful mother-in-law, and several crotchety and abominable older and younger sisters-in-law, and we"ll see then whether you"ll still be as perverse or not!"
Tai-yu at once became quite scarlet in the face, and pulling Pao-ch"ai, "Let us," she added, "give her a whole year"s leave!"
"I"ve got an impartial remark to make. Listen to me all of you!"
Pao-ch"ai chimed in. "Albeit the girl, Ou, may have some idea about painting, all she can manage are just a few outline sketches, so that unless, now that she has to accomplish the picture of this garden, she can lay a claim to some ingenuity, will she ever be able to succeed in effecting a painting? This garden resembles a regular picture. The rockeries and trees, towers and pavilions, halls and houses are, as far as distances and density go, neither too numerous, nor too few. Such as it is, it is fitly laid out; but were you to put it on paper in strict compliance with the original, why, it will surely not elicit admiration.
In a thing like this, it"s necessary to pay due care to the various positions and distances on paper, whether they should be large or whether small; and to discriminate between main and secondary; adding what is needful to add, concealing and reducing what should be concealed and reduced, and exposing to view what should remain visible. As soon as a rough copy is executed, it should again be considered in all its details, for then alone will it a.s.sume the semblance of a picture. In the second place, all these towers, terraces and structures must be distinctly delineated; for with just a trifle of inattention, the railings will slant, the pillars will be topsy-turvy, doors and windows will recline in a horizontal position, steps will separate, leaving clefts between them, and even tables will be crowded into the walls, and flower-pots piled on portieres; and won"t it, instead of turning out into a picture, be a mere caricature? Thirdly, proper care must also be devoted, in the insertion of human beings, to density and height, to the creases of clothing, to jupes and sashes, to fingers, hands, and feet, as these are most important details; for if even one stroke be not thoroughly executed, then, if the hands be not swollen, the feet will be made to look as if they were lame. The colouring of faces and the drawing of the hair are minor points; but, in my own estimation, they really involve intense difficulty. Now a year"s leave is, on one hand, too excessive, and a month"s is, on the other, too little; so just give her half a year"s leave. Depute, besides, cousin Pao-yu to lend her a hand in her task. Not that cousin Pao knows how to give any hints about painting; that in itself would be more of a drawback; but in order that, in the event of there being anything that she doesn"t comprehend, or of anything perplexing her as to how best to insert it, cousin Pao may take the picture outside and make the necessary inquiries of those gentlemen, who excel in painting. Matters will thus be facilitated for her."
At this suggestion Pao-yu was the first to feel quite enchanted. "This proposal is first-rate!" he exclaimed. "The towers and terraces minutely executed by Chan Tzu-liang are so perfect, and the beauties painted by Ch"eng Jih-hsing so extremely fine that I"ll go at once and ask them of them!"
"I"ve always said that you fuss for nothing!" Pao-ch"ai interposed. "I merely pa.s.sed a cursory remark, and there you want to go immediately and ask for things. Do wait until we arrive at some decision in our deliberations, and then you can go! But let"s consider now what would be best to use to paint the picture on?"