"What were you hiding there for?" P"ing Erh then asked Hsi Jen. "We couldn"t see anything of you."
"I went," Hsi Jen explained, "into Miss Quarta"s rooms to see our Mr.
Pao-yu, but, who"d have thought it, I got there a little too late, and they told me that he had gone home. But my suspicions were, however, aroused as I couldn"t make out how it was that I hadn"t come across him, and I was about to go and hunt him up in Miss Lin"s apartments, when I met one of her servants who said that he hadn"t been there either. Then just as I was surmising that he must have gone out of the garden, behold, you came, as luck would have it, from the opposite direction.
But I dodged you, so you didn"t see anything of me. Subsequently, she too appeared on the scene; but I got behind the boulder, from the back of these trees. I, however, saw that you two had come to have a chat.
Strange to say, though you have four eyes between you, you never caught a glimpse of me."
Scarcely had she concluded this remark, than they heard some one else from behind, laughingly exclaim, "Four eyes never saw you, but your six eyes haven"t as yet found me out!"
The three girls received quite a shock from fright; but turning round, they perceived that it was no other person than Pao-yu.
Hsi Jen smiled, and was the first to speak. "You"ve made me have a good search," she said. "Where do you hail from?"
"I was just leaving cousin Quarta"s," Pao-yu laughed, "when I noticed you coming along, just in front of me; and knowing well enough that you were bent upon finding me, I concealed myself to have a lark with you. I saw you then go by, with uplifted head, enter the court, walk out again, and ask every one you met on your way; but there I stood convulsed with laughter. I was only waiting to rush up to you and frighten you, when I afterwards realised that you too were prowling stealthily about, so I readily inferred that you also were playing a trick upon some one. Then when I put out my head and looked before me, I saw that it was these two girls, so I came behind you, by a circuitous way; and as soon as you left, I forthwith sneaked into your hiding place."
"Let"s go and look behind there," P"ing Erh suggested laughingly; "we may possibly discover another couple; there"s no saying."
"There"s no one else!" Pao-yu laughed.
Yuan Yang had long ago concluded that every word of their conversation had been overheard by Pao-yu; but leaning against the rock, she pretended to be fast asleep.
Pao-yu gave her a push. "This stone is cold!" he smiled. "Let"s go and sleep in our rooms. Won"t it be better there?"
Saying this, he made an attempt to pull Yuan Yang to her feet. Then hastily pressing P"ing Erh to repair to his quarters and have some tea, he united his efforts with those of Hsi Jen, and tried to induce Yuan Yang to come away. Yuan Yang, at length, got up, and the quartet betook themselves, after all, into the I Hung court.
Pao-yu had caught every word that had fallen from their lips a few minutes back, and felt, indeed, at heart so much distressed on Yuan Yang"s behalf, that throwing himself silently on his bed, he left the three girls in the outer rooms to prosecute their chat and laugh.
On the other side of the compound, Madame Hsing about this time inquired of lady Feng who Yuan Yang"s father was.
"Her father," lady Feng replied, "is called Chin Ts"ai. He and his wife are in Nanking; they have to look after our houses there, so they can"t pay frequent visits to the capital. Her brother is the Wen-hsiang, who acts at present as our senior"s accountant; but her sister-in-law too is employed in our worthy ancestor"s yonder as head washerwoman."
Madame Hsing thereupon despatched a servant to go and call Yuan Yang"s sister-in-law. On Mrs. Chin Wen-hsiang"s arrival, she told her all. Mrs.
Chin was naturally pleased and left in capital spirits to find Yuan Yang, in the hope that the moment she communicated the offer to her, the whole thing would be satisfactorily arranged. But contrary to all her antic.i.p.ations, she had to bear a good blowing up from Yuan Yang, and to be told several unpleasant things by Hsi Jen and P"ing Erh, so that she was filled with as much shame as indignation. She then came and reported the result to Madame Hsing. "It"s no use," she said, "she gave me a scolding." But as lady Feng was standing by, she could not summon up courage enough to allude to P"ing Erh, so she added: "Hsi Jen too helped her to rate me, and they told me a whole lot of improper words, which could not be breathed in a mistress" ears. It would thus be better to arrange with our master to purchase a girl and have done; for from all I see, neither can that mean vixen enjoy such great good fortune, nor we such vast propitious luck!"
"What"s that again to do with Hsi Jen? How came they to know anything about it?" Madame Hsing exclaimed upon learning the issue. "Who else was present?" she proceeded to inquire.
"There was Miss P"ing!" was Chin"s wife"s reply.
"Shouldn"t you have given her a slap on the mouth?" lady Feng precipitately shouted. "As soon as I ever put my foot outside the door, she starts gadding about; and I never see so much as her shadow, when I get home. She too is bound to have had a hand in telling you something or other!"
"Miss P"ing wasn"t present," Chin"s wife protested. "Looking from a distance it seemed to me like her; but I couldn"t see distinctly. It was a mere surmise on my part that it was she at all."
"Go and fetch her at once!" lady Feng shouted to a servant. "Tell her that I"ve come home, and that Madame Hsing is also here and wants her to help her in her hurry."
Feng Erh quickly came up to her. "Miss Lin," she observed, "despatched a messenger for her, and asked her in writing three and four times before she at last went. I advised her to get back so soon as your ladyship stepped inside the gate, but "tell your mistress," Miss Lin said, "that I"ve put her to the inconvenience of coming round, as I"ve got something for her to do for me.""
This explanation satisfied lady Feng and she let the matter drop. "What has she got to do," she purposely went on to ask, "that she will trouble her day after day?"
Madame Hsing was driven to her wits" ends. As soon as the meal was over, she returned home; and, in the evening, she communicated to Chia She the result of her errand. After some reflection, Chia She promptly summoned Chia Lien.
"There are other people in Nanking to look after our property," he told him on his arrival; "there"s not only one family, so be quick and depute some one to go and summon Chin Ts"ai to come up to the capital."
"Last night a letter arrived from Nanking," Chia Lien rejoined, "to the effect that Chin Ts"ai had been suffering from some phlegm-obstruction in the channels of the heart. So a coffin and money were allowed from the other mansion. Whether he be dead or alive now, I don"t know. But even if alive, he must have lost all consciousness. It would therefore be a fruitless errand to send for him. His wife, on the other hand, is quite deaf."
Hearing this, Chia She gave vent to an exclamation of reproof, and next launched into abuse. "You stupid and unreasonable rascal!" he shouted.
"Is it you of all people, who are up to those things? Don"t you yet bundle yourself off from my presence?"
Chia Lien withdrew out of the room in a state of trepidation. But in a short while, (Chia She) gave orders to call Chin Wen-hsiang. Chia Lien (meanwhile) remained in the outer study, for as he neither ventured to go home, nor presumed to face his father, his only alternative was to tarry behind. Presently, Chin Wen-hsiang arrived. The servant-lads led him straightway past the second gate; and he only came out again and took his departure after sufficient time had elapsed to enable one to have four or five meals in.
Chia Lien could not for long summon up courage enough to ask what was up, but when he found out, after a time, that Chia She had gone to sleep, he eventually crossed over to his quarters. In the course of the evening lady Feng told him the whole story. Then, at last, he understood the meaning of the excitement.
But to revert to Yuan Yang. She did not get, the whole night, a wink of sleep. On the morrow, her brother reported to dowager lady Chia that he would like to take her home on a visit. Dowager lady Chia accorded her consent and told her she could go and see her people. Yuan Yang, however, would have rather preferred to stay where she was, but the fear lest her old mistress should give way to suspicion, placed her under the necessity of going, much against her own inclinations though it was. Her brother then had no course but to lay before her Chia She"s proposal, and all his promises that she would occupy an honourable position, and that she would be a secondary wife, with control in the house; but Yuan Yang was so persistent in her refusal that her brother was quite nonplussed and he was compelled to return, and inform Chia She.
Chia She flew into a dreadful pa.s.sion. "I"ll tell you what," he shouted; "bid your wife go and tell her that I say: "that she must, like the G.o.ddess Ch"ang O herself who has from olden times shown a predilection for young people, only despise me for being advanced in years; that, as far as I can see, she must be hankering after some young men; that it must, most likely, be Pao-yu; but probably Lien Erh too! If she fosters these affections, warn her to at once set them at rest; for should she not come, when I"m ready to have her, who will by and bye venture to take her? This is the first thing. Should she imagine, in the next place, that because our venerable senior is fond of her, she may, in the future, be engaged to be married in the orthodox way, tell her to consider carefully that she won"t very well be able to escape my grip, no matter in what family she may marry. That it"s only in case of her dying or of her not wedding any one throughout her life that I shall submit to her decision. Under other circ.u.mstances, urge her to seize the first opportunity and change her mind, as she"ll come in for many benefits.""
To every remark that Chia She uttered, Chin Wen-hsiang acquiesced.
"Yes!" he said.
"Mind you don"t humbug me!" Chia She observed. "I shall to-morrow send again your mistress round to ask Yuan Yang. If you two have spoken to her, and she hasn"t given a favorable answer, well, then, no blame will fall on you. But if she does a.s.sent, when she broaches the subject with her, look out for your heads!"
Chin Wen-hsiang eagerly expressed his obedience over and over again, and withdrawing out of the room, he retraced his footsteps homeward. Nor did he have the patience to wait until he could commission his womankind to speak to her. Indeed he went in person and told her face to face the injunctions entrusted to him. Yuan Yang was incensed to such a degree that she was at a loss what reply to make. "I"m quite ready to go," she rejoined, after some cogitation, "but you people must take me before my old mistress first and let me tell her something about it."
Her brother and sister-in-law flattered themselves that reflection had induced her to alter her previous decision, and they were both immeasurably delighted. Her sister-in-law there and then led her into the upper quarters and ushered her into the presence of old lady Chia.
As luck would have it, Madame w.a.n.g, Mrs. Hsueh, Li Wan, lady Feng, Pao-ch"ai and the other girls were, together with several respectable outside married women who acted as housekeepers, having some fun with old lady Chia. Yuan Yang observed where her mistress was seated, and hastily dragging her sister-in-law before her, she fell on her knees, and explained to her, with tears in her eyes, what proposal Madame Hsing had made to her, what her sister-in-law, who lived in the garden, had told her, and what message her brother had recently conveyed to her. "As I would not accept his advances," (she continued), "our senior master has just now gone so far as to insinuate "that I was violently attached to Pao-yu; or if that wasn"t the case, my object was to gain time so as to espouse some one outside. That were I even to go up to the very heavens, I couldn"t, during my lifetime, escape his clutches, and that he would, in the long run, wreak his vengeance on me." I have obstinately made up my mind, so I may state in the presence of all of you here, that I"ll, under no circ.u.mstances, marry, as long as I live, any man whatsoever, not to speak of his being a Pao-yu, (precious jade); but even a Pao Chin, (precious gold), a Pao Yin, (precious silver); a Pao T"ien w.a.n.g, (precious lord of heaven); or a Pao Huang Ti, (precious Emperor); and have done! Were even your venerable ladyship to press me to take such a step, I couldn"t comply with your commands, though you may threaten to cut my throat with a sword. I"m quite prepared to wait upon your ladyship, till you depart this life; but go with my father, mother, or brother, I won"t! I"ll either commit suicide, or cut my hair off, and go and become a nun. If you fancy that I"m not in earnest, and that I"m temporarily using this language to put you off, may, as surely as heaven, earth, the spirits, the sun and moon look upon me, my throat be covered with boils!"
Yuan Yang had, in fact, upon entering the room, brought along a pair of scissors, concealed in her sleeve, and, while she spoke, she drew her hand back, and, dishevelling her tresses, she began to clip them. When the matrons and waiting-maids saw what she was up to, they hurriedly did everything they could to induce her to desist from her purpose; but already half of her locks had gone. And when they found on close inspection, that with the thick crop of hair she happily had, she had not succeeded in cutting it all, they immediately dressed it up for her.
Upon hearing of Chia She"s designs, dowager lady Chia was provoked to displeasure. Her whole body trembled and shook. "Of all the attendants I"ve had," she cried, "there only remains this single one, upon whom I can depend, and now they want to conspire and carry her off!" Noticing then Madame w.a.n.g standing close to her, she turned herself towards her.
"All you people really know is to impose upon me!" she resumed.
"Outwardly, you display filial devotion; but, secretly, you plot and scheme against me. If I have aught that"s worth having, you come and dun me for it. If I have any one who"s nice, you come and ask for her.
What"s left to me is this low waiting-maid, but as you see that she serves me faithfully, you naturally can"t stand it, and you"re doing your utmost to estrange her from me so as to be the better able to play your tricks upon me."
Madame w.a.n.g quickly rose to her feet. She did not, however, dare to return a single syllable in self-defence.
Mrs. Hsueh noticed that Madame w.a.n.g herself came in for her share of blame, and she did not feel as if she could any longer make an attempt to tender words of advice. Li Wan, the moment she heard Yuan Yang speak in the strain she did, seized an early opportunity to lead the young ladies out of the room. T"an Ch"un was a girl with plenty of common sense, so reflecting within herself that Madame w.a.n.g could not, in spite of the insult heaped upon her, very well presume to say any thing to exculpate herself, that Mrs. Hsueh could not, of course, in her position of sister, bring forward any arguments, that Pao-ch"ai was unable to explain things on behalf of her maternal aunt, and that Li Wan, lady Feng or Pao-yu could, still less, take upon themselves the right of censorship, she thought the opportunity rendered necessary the services of a daughter; but, as Ying Ch"un was so quiet, and Hsi Ch"un so young, she consequently walked in, no sooner did she overhear from outside the window what was said inside, and forcing a smile, she addressed herself to her grandmother. "How does this matter concern Madame w.a.n.g, my mother?" she interposed. "Venerable senior, just consider! This is a matter affecting her husband"s eldest brother; and how could she, a junior sister-in-law, know anything about it?..."
But before she had exhausted all her arguments, dowager lady Chia"s countenance thawed into a smile. "I"ve really grown stupid from old age!" she exclaimed. "Mrs. Hsueh, don"t make fun of me! This eldest sister of yours is most reverent to me; and so unlike that senior lady of mine, who only knows how to regard her lord and master and to simply do things for the mere sake of appearances when she deals with her mother-in-law. I"ve therefore done her a wrong!"
Mrs. Hsueh confined her reply to a "yes." "Dear senior, you"re so full of prejudices," she afterwards observed, "that you love your youngest son"s wife more than any one of the others; but it"s quite natural."
"I have no prejudices," old lady Chia protested. "Pao-yu," she then proceeded, "I unjustly found fault with your mother; but, how was it that even you didn"t tell me anything, but that you looked on, while she was having her feelings trampled upon?"
"Could I," smiled Pao-yu, "have taken my mother"s part, and run down my senior uncle and aunt? If my mother did not bear the whole blame, upon whom could she throw it? And had I admitted that it was I who was entirely at fault, you, venerable ancestor, wouldn"t have believed me."
"What you say is quite reasonable," his grandmother laughed. "So be quick and fall on your knees before your mother and tell her: "mother, don"t feel aggrieved! Our old lady is so advanced in years. Do it for Pao-yu"s sake!""
At this suggestion, Pao-yu hastily crossed over, and dropping on his knees, he was about to open his lips, when Madame w.a.n.g laughingly pulled him up. "Get up," she cried, "at once! This won"t do at all! Is it likely, pray, that you would tender apologies to me on behalf of our venerable ancestor?"
Hearing this, Pao-yu promptly stood up.