exclaimed lady Feng, as she forced a smile, "is it you who have been remiss? Is it because you"re more respectable than they that you don"t choose to listen to my words?"
"Your servant," he pleaded, "has come at an early hour every day; and it"s only to-day that I come late by one step; and I entreat your ladyship to forgive this my first offence."
While yet he spoke, she perceived the wife of w.a.n.g Hsing, of the Jung Kuo mansion, come forward and pop her head in to see what was going on; but lady Feng did not let this man go, but went on to inquire of w.a.n.g Hsing"s wife what she had come for.
w.a.n.g Hsing"s wife drew near. "I"ve come," she explained, "to get an order, so as to obtain some thread to make ta.s.sels for the carriages and chairs." Saying this, she produced the permit and handed it up, whereupon lady Feng directed Ts"ai Ming to read the contents aloud. "For two large, sedan chairs," he said, "four small sedan chairs and four carriages, are needed in all so many large and small ta.s.sels, each ta.s.sel requiring so many catties of beads and thread."
Lady Feng finding, after she had heard what was read, that the numbers (and quant.i.ties) corresponded, forthwith bade Ts"ai Ming make the proper entry; and when the order from the Jung Kuo mansion had been fetched, and thrown at her, w.a.n.g Hsing"s wife took her departure.
Lady Feng was on the very point of saying something, when she espied four managers of the Jung Kuo mansion walk in; all of whom wanted permits to indent for stores. Having asked them to read out the list of what they required, she ascertained that they wanted four kinds of articles in all. Drawing attention to two items: "These entries," she remarked, "are wrong; and you had better go again and make out the account clearly, and then come and fetch a permit."
With these words, she flung down the requisitions, and the two men went their way in lower spirits than when they had come.
Lady Feng then caught sight of the wife of Chang Ts"ai standing by, and asked her what was her business, whereupon Chang Ts"ai"s wife promptly produced an indent. "The covers of the carriages and sedan chairs," she reported, "have just been completed, and I"ve come to fetch the amount due to the tailors for wages."
Lady Feng, upon hearing her explanation, took over the indent, and directed Ts"ai Ming to enter the items in the book. After w.a.n.g Hsing had handed over the money, and obtained the receipt of the accountant, duly signed, which tallied with the payment, he subsequently walked away in company with Chang Ts"ai"s wife. Lady Feng simultaneously proceeded to give orders that another indent should be read, which was for money to purchase paper with to paste on the windows of Pao-yu"s outer school-room, the repairs to which had been brought to completion, and as soon as lady Feng heard the nature of the application, she there and then gave directions that the permit should be taken over and an entry made, and that the money should be issued after Chang Ts"ai"s wife had delivered everything clearly.
"If to-morrow he were to come late," lady Feng then remarked, "and if the day after, I were to come late; why by and by there"ll be no one here at all! I should have liked to have let you off, but if I be lenient with you on this first instance, it will be hard for me, on the occurrence of another offence, to exercise any control over the rest.
It"s much better therefore that I should settle accounts with you."
The moment she uttered these words, she put on a serious look, and gave orders that he should be taken out and administered twenty blows with the bamboo. When the servants perceived that lady Feng was in an angry mood, they did not venture to dilly-dally, but dragged him out, and gave him the full number of blows; which done, they came in to report that the punishment had been inflicted.
Lady Feng likewise threw down the Ning Mansion order and exclaimed, addressing herself to Lai Sheng: "Cut him a month"s wages and rice! and tell them all to disperse, and have done with it!"
All the servants at length withdrew to attend to their respective duties, while the man too, who had been flogged, walked away, as he did all he could to conceal his shame and stifle his tears. About this time arrived and went, in an incessant stream, servants from both the Jung and Ning mansions, bent upon applying for permits and returning permits, and with one by one again did lady Feng settle accounts. And, as in due course, the inmates of the Ning mansion came to know how terrible lady Feng was, each and all were ever since so wary and dutiful that they did not venture to be lazy.
But without going into further details on this subject, we shall now return to Pao-yu. Seeing that there were a lot of people about and fearing lest Ch"in Chung might receive some offence, he lost no time in coming along with him to sit over at lady Feng"s. Lady Feng was just having her repast, and upon seeing them arrive: "Your legs are long enough, and couldn"t you have come somewhat quicker!" she laughingly observed.
"We"ve had our rice, thanks," replied Pao-yu.
"Have you had it," inquired lady Feng, "outside here, or over on the other side?"
"Would we eat anything with all that riff-raff?" exclaimed Pao-yu; "we"ve really had it over there; in fact, I now come after having had mine with dowager lady Chia."
As he uttered these words, they took their seats. Lady Feng had just finished her meal, when a married woman from the Ning mansion came to get an order to obtain an advance of money to purchase incense and lanterns with.
"I calculated," observed lady Feng, "that you would come to-day to make requisition, but I was under the impression that you had forgotten; had you really done so you would certainly have had to get them on your own account, and I would have been the one to benefit."
"Didn"t I forget? I did," rejoined the married woman as she smiled; "and it"s only a few minutes back that it came to my mind; had I been one second later I wouldn"t have been in time to get the things."
These words ended, she took over the order and went off. Entries had, at the time to be made in the books, and orders to be issued, and Ch"in Chung was induced to interpose with a smirk, "In both these mansions of yours, such orders are alike in use; but were any outsider stealthily to counterfeit one and to abscond, after getting the money, what could ever be done?"
"In what you say," replied lady Feng, "you take no account of the laws of the land."
"How is it that from our house, no one comes to get any orders or to obtain anything?" Pao-yu having inquired: "At the time they come to fetch them," rejoined lady Feng, "you"re still dreaming; but let me ask you one thing, when will you two at last begin your evening course of studies?"
"Oh, I wish we were able to begin our studies this very day," Pao-yu added; "that would be the best thing, but they"re very slow in putting the school-room in order, so that there"s no help for it!"
Lady Feng laughed. "Had you asked me," she remarked, "I can a.s.sure you it would have been ready quick enough."
"You too would have been of no use," observed Pao-yu, "for it will certainly be ready by the time they ought to finish it in."
"But in order that they should do the work," suggested lady Feng, "it"s also necessary that they should have the material, they can"t do without them; and if I don"t give them any permits, it will be difficult to obtain them."
Pao-yu at these words readily drew near to lady Feng, and there and then applied for the permits. "My dear sister," he added, "do give them the permits to enable them to obtain the material and effect the repairs."
"I feel quite sore from fatigue," ventured lady Feng, "and how can I stand your rubbing against me? but compose your mind. They have this very day got the paper, and gone to paste it; and would they, for whatever they need, have still waited until they had been sent for? they are not such fools after all!"
Pao-yu would not believe it, and lady Feng at once called Ts"ai Ming to look up the list, which she handed for Pao-yu"s inspection; but while they were arguing a servant came in to announce that Chao Erh, who had gone to Su Chow, had returned, and lady Feng all in a flurry directed that he should be asked to walk in. Chao Erh bent one knee and paid his obeisance.
"Why have you come back?" lady Feng readily inquired.
"Mr. Secundus (Chia Lien)," he reported, "sent me back to tell you that Mr. Lin (our dowager lady"s) son-in-law, died on the third of the ninth moon; that Master Secundus is taking Miss Lin along with him to escort the coffin of Mr. Lin as far as Su Chow; and that they hope to be back some time about the end of the year. Master despatched me to come and announce the news, to bring his compliments, and to crave our old lady"s instructions as well as to see how you are getting on in my lady"s home.
He also bade me take back to him a few long fur pelisses."
"Have you seen any one else besides me?" lady Feng inquired.
"I"ve seen every one," rejoined Chao Erh; and withdrew hastily at the conclusion of this remark, out of the apartment, while lady Feng turned towards Pao-yu with a smile and said, "Your cousin Lin can now live in our house for ever."
"Poor thing!" exclaimed Pao-yu. "I presume that during all these days she has wept who knows how much;" and saying this he wrinkled his brow and heaved a deep sigh.
Lady Feng saw Chao Erh on his return, but as she could not very well, in the presence of third persons, make minute inquiries after Chia Lien, she had to continue a prey to inward solicitude till it was time to go home, for, not having got through what she had to do, she was compelled to wait patiently until she went back in the evening, when she again sent word for Chao Erh to come in, and asked him with all minuteness whether the journey had been pleasant throughout, and for full particulars. That very night, she got in readiness the long pelisses, which she herself, with the a.s.sistance of P"ing Erh, packed up in a bundle; and after careful thought as to what things he would require, she put them in the same bundle and committed them to Chao Erh"s care.
She went on to solicitously impress upon Chao Erh to be careful in his attendance abroad. "Don"t provoke your master to wrath," she said, "and from time to time do advise him not to drink too much wine; and don"t entice him to make the acquaintance of any low people; for if you do, when you come back I will cut your leg off."
The preparations were hurriedly and confusedly completed; and it was already the fourth watch of the night when she went to sleep. But soon again the day dawned, and after hastily performing her toilette and ablutions, she came over to the Ning Mansion.
As Chia Chen realised that the day for escorting the body away was drawing nigh, he in person went out in a curricle, along with geomancers, to the Temple of the Iron Fence to inspect a suitable place for depositing the coffin. He also, point by point, enjoined the resident managing-bonze, Se K"ung, to mind and get ready brand-new articles of decoration and furniture, and to invite a considerable number of bonzes of note to be at hand to lend their services for the reception of the coffin.
Se K"ung lost no time in getting ready the evening meal, but Chia Chen had, in fact, no wish for any tea or rice; and, as the day was far advanced and he was not in time to enter the city, he had, after all, to rest during that night as best he could in a "chaste" room in the temple. The next morning, as soon as it was day, he hastened to come into the city and to make every preparation for the funeral. He likewise deputed messengers to proceed ahead to the Temple of the Iron Fence to give, that very night, additional decorative touches to the place where the coffin was to be deposited, and to get ready tea and all the other necessaries, for the use of the persons who would be present at the reception of the coffin.
Lady Feng, seeing that the day was not far distant, also apportioned duties and made provision for everything beforehand with circ.u.mspect care; while at the same time she chose in the Jung mansion, such carriages, sedan chairs and retinue as were to accompany the cortege, in attendance upon madame w.a.n.g, and gave her mind furthermore to finding a place where she herself could put up in at the time of the funeral.
About this very time, it happened that the consort of the Duke Shan Kuo departed this life, and that mesdames w.a.n.g and Hsing had likewise to go and offer sacrifices, and to follow the burial procession; that the birthday occurred of the consort of Prince Hsi An; that presents had to be forwarded on the occasion of this anniversary; and that the consort of the Duke of Chen Kuo gave birth to a first child, a son, and congratulatory gifts had, in like manner, to be provided. Besides, her uterine brother w.a.n.g Jen was about to return south, with all his family, and she had too to write her home letters, to send her reverent compliments to her father and mother, as well as to get the things ready that were to be taken along. There was also Ying Ch"un, who had contracted some illness, and the doctor had every day to be sent for, and medicines to be administered, the notes of the doctor to be looked after, consisting of the bulletins of the diagnosis and the prescriptions, with the result that the various things that had to be attended to by lady Feng were so manifold that it would, indeed, be difficult to give an exhaustive idea of them.
In addition to all this, the day for taking the coffin away was close at hand, so that lady Feng was so hard pressed for time that she had even no desire for any tea to drink or anything to eat, and that she could not sit or rest in peace. As soon as she put her foot into the Ning mansion, the inmates of the Jung mansion would follow close upon her heels; and the moment she got back into the Jung mansion, the servants again of the Ning mansion would follow her about. In spite however of this great pressure, lady Feng, whose natural disposition had ever been to try and excel, was urged to strain the least of her energies, as her sole dread was lest she should incur unfavourable criticism from any one; and so excellent were the plans she devised, that every one in the clan, whether high or low, readily conceded her unlimited praise.
On the night of this day, the body had to be watched, and in the inner suite of apartments two companies of young players as well as jugglers entertained the relatives, friends and other visitors during the whole of the night. Mrs. Yu was still laid up in the inside room, so that the whole task of attending to and entertaining the company devolved upon lady Feng alone, who had to look after everything; for though there were, in the whole clan, many sisters-in-law, some there were too bashful to speak, others too timid to stand on their feet; while there were also those who were not accustomed to meeting company; and those likewise who were afraid of people of high estate and shy of officials.
Of every kind there were, but the whole number of them could not come up to lady Feng"s standard, whose deportment was correct and whose speech was according to rule. Hence it was that she did not even so much as heed any of that large company, but gave directions and issued orders, adopting any course of action which she fancied, just as if there were no bystander.
The whole night, the lanterns emitted a bright light and the fires brilliant rays; while guests were escorted on their way out and officials greeted on their way in; but of this hundredfold bustle and stir nothing need, of course, be said.
The next morning at the dawn of day, and at a propitious moment, sixty-four persons, dressed all alike in blue, carried the coffin, preceded by a streamer with the record in large characters: Coffin of lady Ch"in, a lady of the fifth degree, (by marriage) of the Chia mansion, deceased at middle age, consort of the grandson of the Ning Kuo Duke with the first rank t.i.tle of honour, (whose status is) a guard of the Imperial antechamber, charged with the protection of the Inner Palace and Roads in the Red Prohibited City.
The various paraphernalia and ornaments were all brand-new, hurriedly made for the present occasion, and the uniform l.u.s.trous brilliancy they shed was sufficient to dazzle the eyes.
Pao-chu, of course, observed the rites prescribed for unmarried daughters, and dashed the bowl and walked by the coffin, as she gave way to most bitter lamentations.
At that time, among the officials who escorted the funeral procession, were Niu Chi-tsung, the grandson of the Chen Kuo duke, who had now inherited the status of earl of the first degree; Liu Fang, the grandson of Liu Piao, duke of Li Kuo, who had recently inherited the rank of viscount of the first cla.s.s; Ch"en Jui-wen, a grandson of Ch"en Yi, duke of Ch"i Kuo, who held the hereditary rank of general of the third degree, with the prefix of majestic authority; Ma Shang, the grandson of Ma K"uei, duke of Chih Kuo, by inheritance general of the third rank with the prefix of majesty afar; Hou Hsiao-keng, an hereditary viscount of the first degree, grandson of the duke of Hsiu Kuo, Hou Hsiao-ming by name; while the death of the consort of the duke of Shan Kuo had obliged his grandson Shih Kuang-chu to go into mourning so that he could not be present. These were the six families which had, along with the two households of Jung and Ning, been, at one time, designated the eight dukes.
Among the rest, there were besides the grandson of the Prince of Nan An; the grandson of the Prince of Hsi An; Shih Ting, marquis of Chung Ching; Chiang Tzu-ning, an hereditary baron of the second grade, grandson of the earl of P"ing Yuan; Hsieh K"un, an hereditary baron of the second order and Captain of the Metropolitan camp, grandson of the marquis of Ting Ch"ang: Hsi Chien-hui, an hereditary baron of the second rank, a grandson of the marquis of Nang Yang; Ch"in Liang, in command of the Five Cities, grandson of the marquis of Ching T"ien. The remainder were Wei Chi, the son of the earl of Chin Hsiang; Feng Tzu-ying, the son of a general, whose prefix was supernatural martial spirit; Ch"en Yeh-chun, Wei Jo-lan and others, grandsons and sons of princes who could not be enumerated.