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P'ing Erh and the whole company of waiting-maids simultaneously paid their obeisance to him， and this ceremony concluded， they presented tea. Chia Lien thereupon made inquiries about the various matters， which had transpired in their home after his departure， and went on to thank lady Feng for all the trouble she had taken in the management of them.
"How could I control all these manifold matters，" remarked lady Feng； "my experience is so shallow， my speech so dull and my mind so simple， that if any one showed me a club， I would mistake it for a pin. Besides， I'm so tender-hearted that were any one to utter a couple of glib remarks， I couldn't help feeling my heart give way to compassion and sympathy. I've had， in addition， no experience in any weighty questions； my pluck is likewise so very small that when madame Wang has felt in the least displeased， I have not been able to close my eyes and sleep. Urgently did I more than once resign the charge， but her ladyship wouldn't again aGREe to it； maintaining， on the contrary， that my object was to be at ease， and that I was not willing to reap experience. Leaving aside that she doesn't know that I take things so much to heart， that I can scoop the perspiration in handfuls， that I daren't utter one word more than is proper， nor venture to recklessly take one step more than I ought to， you know very well which of the women servants， in charge of the menage in our household， is easy to manage！ If ever I make the slightest mistake， they laugh at me and poke fun at me； and if I incline a little one way， they show their displeasure by innuendoes； they sit by and look on， they use every means to do harm， they stir up trouble， they stand by on safe ground and look on and don't give a helping hand to lift any one they have thrown over， and they are， one and all of them， old hands in such tricks. I'm moreover young in years and not able to keep people in check， so that they naturally don't show any regard for me！ What is still more ridiculous is that after the death of Jung Erh's wife in that mansion， brother Chen， time and again， begged madame Wang， on his very knees， to do him the favour to ask me to lend him a hand for several days. I repeatedly signified my refusal， but her ladyship gave her consent in order to oblige him， so that I had no help but to carry out her wish； putting， as is my wont， everything topsy-turvey， and making matters worse than they were； with the result that brother Chen up to this day bears me a grudge and regrets having asked for my assistance. When you see him to-morrow， do what you can to excuse me by him. 'Young as she is，' tell him， 'and without experience of the world， who ever could have instigated Mr. Chia Cheng to make such a mistake as to choose her.'"
While they were still chatting， they heard people talking in the outer apartments， and lady Feng speedily inquired who it was. P'ing Erh entered the room to reply. "Lady Hsueeh，" she said， "has sent sister Hsiang Ling over to ask me something； but I've already given her my answer and sent her back."
"Quite so，" interposed Chia Lien with a smile. "A short while ago I went to look up Mrs. Hsueeh and came face to face with a young girl， whose features were supremely perfect， and as I suspected that， in our household， there was no such person， I asked in the course of conversation， Mrs. Hsueeh about her， and found out eventually that this was the young waiting-maid they had purchased on their way to the capital， Hsiang Ling by name， and that she had after all become an inmate of the household of that big fool Hsueeh. Since she's had her hair dressed as a married woman she does look so much more pre-eminently beautiful！ But that big fool Hsueeh has really brought contamination upon her."
"Ai！" exclaimed lady Feng， "here you are back from a trip to Suchow and Hang Chow， where you should have seen something of the world！ and have you still an eye as envious and a heart so covetous？ Well， if you wish to bestow your love on her， there's no difficulty worth speaking of. I'll take P'ing Erh over and exchange her for her； what do you say to that？ that old brother Hsueeh is also one of those men， who， while eating what there is in the bowl， keeps an eye on what there is in the pan！ For the last year or so， as he couldn't get Hsiang Ling to be his， he made ever so many distressing appeals to Mrs. Hsueeh； and Mrs. Hsueeh while esteeming Hsiang Ling's looks， though fine， as after all a small matter， （thought） her deportment and conduct so far unlike those of other girls， so gentle and so demure that almost the very daughters of masters and mistresses couldn't attain her standard， that she therefore went to the trouble of spreading a banquet， and of inviting guests， and in open court， and in the legitimate course， she gave her to him for a secondary wife. But half a month had scarcely elapsed before he looked upon her also as a good-for-nothing person as he did upon a large number of them！ I can't however help feeling pity for her in my heart."
