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In honour of Chia Ching's birthday， a family banquet is spread in the Ning Mansion. At the sight of Hsi-feng， Chia Jui entertains feelings of licentious love.
We will now explain， in continuation of our story， that on the day of Chia Ching's birthday， Chia Chen began by getting ready luscious delicacies and rare fruits， which he packed in sixteen spacious present boxes， and bade Chia Jung take them， along with the servants belonging to the household， over to Chia Ching.
Turning round towards Chia Jung： "Mind，" he said， "that you observe whether your grandfather be aGREeable or not， before you set to work and pay your obeisance！ 'My father，' tell him， 'has complied with your directions， venerable senior， and not presumed to come over； but he has at home ushered the whole company of the members of the family （into your apartments）， where they all paid their homage facing the side of honour.'"
After Chia Jung had listened to these injunctions， he speedily led off the family domestics， and took his departure. During this interval， one by one arrived the guests. First came Chia Lien and Chia Se， who went to see whether the seats in the various places （were sufficient）。 "Is there to be any entertainment or not？" they also inquired.
"Our master，" replied the servants， "had， at one time， intended to invite the venerable Mr. Chia Ching to come and spend this day at home， and hadn't for this reason presumed to get up any entertainment. But when the other day he came to hear that the old gentleman was not coming， he at once gave us orders to go in search of a troupe of young actors， as well as a band of musicians， and all these people are now engaged making their preparations on the stage in the garden."
Next came， in a group， mesdames Hsing and Wang， lady Feng and Pao-yue， followed immediately after by Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu； Mrs. Yu's mother having already arrived and being in there in advance of her. Salutations were exchanged between the whole company， and they pressed one another to take a seat. Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu both handed the tea round.
"Our venerable lady，" they explained， as they smiled， "is a worthy senior； while our father is， on the other hand， only her nephew； so that on a birthday of a man of his age， we should really not have had the audacity to invite her ladyship； but as the weather， at this time， is cool， and the chrysanthemums， in the whole garden， are in luxuriant blossom， we have requested our venerable ancestor to come for a little distraction， and to see the whole number of her children and grand-children amuse themselves. This was the object we had in view， but， contrary to our expectations， our worthy senior has not again conferred upon us the lustre of her countenance."
Lady Feng did not wait until madame Wang could open her mouth， but took the initiative to reply. "Our venerable lady，" she urged， "had， even so late as yesterday， said that she meant to come； but， in the evening， upon seeing brother Pao eating peaches， the mouth of the old lady once again began to water， and after partaking of a little more than the half of one， she had， about the fifth watch， to get out of bed two consecutive times， with the result that all the forenoon to-day， she felt her body considerably worn out. She therefore bade me inform our worthy senior that it was utterly impossible for her to come to-day； adding however that， if there were any delicacies， she fancied a few kinds， but that they should be very tender."
When Chia Chen heard these words， he smiled. "Our dowager lady，" he replied， "is， I argued， so fond of amusement that， if she doesn't come to-day， there must， for a certainty， be some valid reason； and that's exactly what happens to be the case."
"the other day I heard your eldest sister explain，" interposed madame Wang， "that Chia Jung's wife was anything but well； but what's after all the matter with her？"
"She has，" observed Mrs. Yu， "contracted this illness verily in a strange manner！ Last moon at the time of the mid-autumn festival， she was still well enough to be able to enjoy herself， during half the night， in company with our dowager lady and madame Wang. On her return， she continued in good health， until after the twentieth， when she began to feel more and more languid every day， and loth， likewise， to eat anything； and this has been going on for well-nigh half a month and more； she hasn't besides been anything like her old self for two months."
"May she not，" remarked madame Hsing， taking up the thread of the conversation， "be ailing for some happy event？"
But while she was uttering these words， some one from outside announced： "Our senior master， second master and all the gentlemen of the family have come， and are standing in the Reception Hall！" Whereupon Chia Chen and Chia Lien quitted the apartment with hurried step； and during this while， Mrs. Yu reiterated how that some time ago a doctor had also expressed the opinion that she was ailing for a happy event， but that the previous day， had come a doctor， recommended by Feng Tzu-ying——a doctor， who had from his youth up made medicine his study， and was very proficient in the treatment of diseases，——who asserted， after he had seen her， that it was no felicitous ailment， but that it was some grave complaint. "It was only yesterday，" （she explained，） "that he wrote his prescription； and all she has had is but one dose， and already to-day the giddiness in the head is considerably better； as regards the other symptoms they have as yet shown no marked improvement."
"I maintain，" remarked lady Feng， "that， were she not quite unfit to stand the exertion， would she in fact， on a day like this， be unwilling to strain every nerve and come round."
