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Wang Hsi-feng maliciously lays a trap for Chia Jui， under pretence that his affection is reciprocated. Chia T'ien-hsiang gazes at the face of the mirror of Voluptuousness.
Lady Feng， it must be noticed in continuation of our narrative， was just engaged in talking with P'ing Erh， when they heard some one announce that Mr. Jui had come. Lady Feng gave orders that he should be invited to step in， and Chia Jui perceiving that he had been asked to walk in was at heart elated at the prospect of seeing her.
With a face beaming with smiles， Lady Feng inquired again and again how he was； and， with simulated tenderness she further pressed him to take a seat and urged him to have a cup of tea.
Chia Jui noticed how still more voluptuous lady Feng looked in her present costume， and， as his eyes burnt with love， "How is it，" he inquired， "that my elder brother Secundus is not yet back？"
"What the reason is I cannot tell，" lady Feng said by way of reply.
"May it not be，" Chia Jui smilingly insinuated， "that some fair damsel has got hold of him on the way， and that he cannot brook to tear himself from her to come home？"
"That makes it plain that there are those among men who fall in love with any girl they cast their eyes on，" hinted lady Feng.
"Your remarks are， sister-in-law， incorrect， for I'm none of this kind！" Chia Jui explained smirkingly.
"How many like you can there be！" rejoined lady Feng with a sarcastic smile； "in ten， not one even could be picked out！"
When Chia Jui heard these words， he felt in such high glee that he rubbed his ears and smoothed his cheeks. "My sister-in-law，" he continued， "you must of course be extremely lonely day after day."
"Indeed I am，" observed lady Feng， "and I only wish some one would come and have a chat with me to break my dull monotony."
"I daily have ample leisure，" Chia Jui ventured with a simper， "and wouldn't it be well if I came every day to dispel your dulness， sister-in-law？"
"You are simply fooling me，" exclaimed lady Feng laughing. "It isn't likely you would wish to come over here to me？"
"If in your presence， sister-in-law， I utter a single word of falsehood， may the thunder from heaven blast me！" protested Chia Jui. "It's only because I had all along heard people say that you were a dreadful person， and that you cannot condone even the slightest shortcoming committed in your presence， that I was induced to keep back by fear； but after seeing you， on this occasion， so chatty， so full of fun and most considerate to others， how can I not come？ were it to be the cause of my death， I would be even willing to come！"
"You're really a clever person，" lady Feng observed sarcastically. "And oh so much superior to both Chia Jung and his brother！ Handsome as their presence was to look at， I imagined their minds to be full of intelligence， but who would have thought that they would， after all， be a couple of stupid worms， without the least notion of human affection！"
the words which Chia Jui heard， fell in so much the more with his own sentiments， that he could not restrain himself from again pressing forward nearer to her； and as with eyes strained to give intentness to his view， he gazed at lady Feng's purse： "What rings have you got on？" he went on to ask.
"You should be a little more deferential，" remonstrated lady Feng in a low tone of voice， "so as not to let the waiting-maids detect us."
Chia Jui withdrew backward with as much alacrity as if he had received an Imperial decree or a mandate from Buddha.
"You ought to be going！" lady Feng suggested， as she gave him a smile.
"Do let me stay a while longer，" entreated Chia Jui， "you are indeed ruthless， my sister-in-law."
