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In the Ta Kuan Garden， （Broad Vista，） the merits of Pao-yue are put to the test， by his being told to write devices for scrolls and tablets. Yuan Ch'un returns to the Jung Kuo mansion， on a visit to her parents， and offers her congratulations to them on the feast of lanterns， on the fifteenth of the first moon.
Ch'in Chung， to resume our story， departed this life， and Pao-yue went on so unceasingly in his bitter lamentations， that Li Kuei and the other servants had， for ever so long， an arduous task in trying to comfort him before he desisted； but on his return home he was still exceedingly disconsolate.
Dowager lady Chia afforded monetary assistance to the amount of several tens of taels； and exclusive of this， she had sacrificial presents likewise got ready. Pao-yue went and paid a visit of condolence to the family， and after seven days the funeral and burial took place， but there are no particulars about them which could be put on record.
Pao-yue， however， continued to mourn （his friend） from day to day， and was incessant in his remembrance of him， but there was likewise no help for it. Neither is it known after how many days he got over his grief.
On this day， Chia Chen and the others came to tell Chia Cheng that the works in the garden had all been reported as completed， and that Mr. Chia She had already inspected them. "It only remains，" （they said）， "for you， sir， to see them； and should there possibly be anything which is not proper， steps will be at once taken to effect the alterations， so that the tablets and scrolls may conveniently be written."
After Chia Cheng had listened to these words， he pondered for a while. "These tablets and scrolls，" he remarked， "present however a difficult task. According to the rites， we should， in order to obviate any shortcoming， request the imperial consort to deign and compose them； but if the honourable consort does not gaze upon the scenery with her own eyes， it will also be difficult for her to conceive its nature and indite upon it！ And were we to wait until the arrival of her highness， to request her to honour the grounds with a visit， before she composes the inscriptions， such a wide landscape， with so many pavilions and arbours， will， without one character in the way of a motto， albeit it may abound with flowers， willows， rockeries， and streams， nevertheless in no way be able to show off its points of beauty to advantage."
the whole party of family companions， who stood by， smiled. "Your views， remarkable sir，" they ventured， "are excellent； but we have now a proposal to make. Tablets and scrolls for every locality cannot， on any account， be dispensed with， but they could not likewise， by any means， be determined upon for good！ Were now， for the time being， two， three or four characters fixed upon， harmonising with the scenery， to carry out， for form's sake， the idea， and were they provisionally utilised as mottoes for the lanterns， tablets and scrolls， and hung up， pending the arrival of her highness， and her visit through the grounds， when she could be requested to decide upon the devices， would not two exigencies be met with satisfactorily？"
"Your views are perfectly correct，" observed Chia Cheng， after he had heard their suggestion； "and we should go to-day and have a look at the place so as then to set to work to write the inscriptions； which， if suitable， can readily be used； and， if unsuitable， Yue-ts'un can then be sent for， and asked to compose fresh ones."
the whole company smiled. "If you， sir， were to compose them to-day，" they ventured， "they are sure to be excellent； and what need will there be again to wait for Yue-ts'un！"
"You people are not aware，" Chia Cheng added with a smiling countenance， "that I've been， even in my young days， very mediocre in the composition of stanzas on flowers， birds， rockeries and streams； and that now that I'm well up in years and have moreover the fatigue and trouble of my official duties， I've become in literary compositions like these， which require a light heart and gladsome mood， still more inapt. Were I even to succeed in composing any， they will unavoidably be so doltish and forced that they would contrariwise be instrumental in making the flowers， trees， garden and pavilions， through their demerits， lose in beauty， and present instead no pleasing feature."
"This wouldn't anyhow matter，" remonstrated all the family companions， "for after perusing them we can all decide upon them together， each one of us recommending those he thinks best； which if excellent can be kept， and if faulty can be discarded； and there's nothing unfeasible about this！"
"This proposal is most apposite，" rejoined Chia Cheng. "What's more， the weather is， I rejoice， fine to-day； so let's all go in a company and have a look."
Saying this， he stood up and went forward， at the head of the whole party； while Chia Chen betook himself in advance into the garden to let every one know of their coming. As luck would have it， Pao-yue——for he had been these last few days thinking of Ch'in Chung and so ceaselessly sad and wounded at heart， that dowager lady Chia had frequently directed the servants to take him into the new garden to play——made his entrance just at this very time， and suddenly became aware of the arrival of Chia Chen， who said to him with a smile， "Don't you yet run away as fast as you can？ Mr. Chia Cheng will be coming in a while."
At these words， Pao-yue led off his nurse and the youths， and rushed at once out of the garden， like a streak of smoke； but as he turned a corner， he came face to face with Chia Cheng， who was advancing towards that direction， at the head of all the visitors； and as he had no time to get out of the way， the only course open to him was to stand on one side.
Chia Cheng had， of late， heard the tutor extol him by saying that he displayed special ability in rhyming antithetical lines， and that although he did not like to read his books， he nevertheless possessed some depraved talents， and hence it was that he was induced at this moment to promptly bid him follow him into the garden， with the intent of putting him to the test.
Pao-yue could not make out what his object was， but he was compelled to follow. As soon as they reached the garden gate， and he caught sight of Chia Chen， standing on one side， along with several managers： "See that the garden gate is closed for a time，" Chia Cheng exclaimed， "for we'll first see the outside and then go in."
Chia Chen directed a servant to close the gate， and Chia Cheng first looked straight ahead of him towards the gate and espied on the same side as the main entrance a suite of five apartments. Above， the cylindrical tiles resembled the backs of mud eels. The doors， railings， windows， and frames were all finely carved with designs of the new fashion， and were painted neither in vermilion nor in white colours. The whole extent of the walls was of polished bricks of uniform colour； while below， the white marble on the terrace and steps was engraved with western foreign designs； and when he came to look to the right and to the left， everything was white as snow. At the foot of the white-washed walls， tiger-skin pebbles were， without regard to pattern， promiscuously inserted in the earth in such a way as of their own selves to form streaks. Nothing fell in with the custom of gaudiness and display so much in vogue， so that he naturally felt full of delight； and， when he forthwith asked that the gate should be thrown open， all that met their eyes was a long stretch of verdant hills， which shut in the view in front of them.
"What a fine hill， what a pretty hill！" exclaimed all the companions with one voice.
"Were it not for this one hill，" Chia Cheng explained， "whatever scenery is contained in it would clearly strike the eye， as soon as one entered into the garden， and what pleasure would that have been？"
"Quite so，" rejoined all of them. "But without large hills and ravines in one's breast （liberal capacities）， how could one attain such imagination！"
After the conclusion of this remark， they cast a glance ahead of them， and perceived white rugged rocks looking， either like goblins， or resembling savage beasts， lying either crossways， or in horizontal or upright positions； on the surface of which GREw moss and lichen with mottled hues， or parasitic plants， which screened off the light； while， slightly visible， wound， among the rocks， a narrow pathway like the intestines of a sheep.
"If we were now to go and stroll along by this narrow path，" Chia Cheng suggested， "and to come out from over there on our return， we shall have been able to see the whole grounds."
