评论
打印
Hsi Jen's mother had， on this occasion， united in her home Hsi Jen， several of her sister's daughters， as well as a few of her nieces， and they were engaged in partaking of fruits and tea， when they heard some one outside call out， "Brother Hua." Hua Tzu-fang lost no time in rushing out； and upon looking and finding that it was the two of them， the master and his servant， he was so taken by surprise that his fears could not be set at rest. Promptly， he clasped Pao-yue in his arms and dismounted him， and coming into the court， he shouted out at the top of his voice： "Mr. Pao has come." The other persons heard the announcement of his arrival， with equanimity， but when it reached Hsi Jen's ears， she truly felt at such a loss to fathom the object of his visit that issuing hastily out of the room， she came to meet Pao-yue， and as she laid hold of him： "Why did you come？" she asked.
"I felt awfully dull，" Pao-yue rejoined with a smile， "and came to see what you were up to."
Hsi Jen at these words banished， at last， all anxiety from her mind. "You're again up to your larks，" she observed， "but what's the aim of your visit？ Who else has come along with him？" she at the same time went on to question Ming Yen.
"All the others know nothing about it！" explained Ming Yen exultingly； "only we two do， that's all."
When Hsi Jen heard this remark， she gave way afresh to solicitous fears： "This is dreadful！" she added； "for were you to come across any one from the house， or to meet master； or were， in the streets， people to press against you， or horses to collide with you， as to make （his horse） shy， and he were to fall， would that too be a joke？ The gall of both of you is larger than a peck measure； but it's all you， Ming Yen， who has incited him， and when I go back， I'll surely tell the nurses to beat you."
Ming Yen pouted his mouth. "Mr. Secundus，" he pleaded， "abused me and beat me， as he bade me bring him here， and now he shoves the blame on my shoulders！ 'Don't let us go，' I suggested； 'but if you do insist， well then let us go and have done.'"
Hua Tzu-fang promptly interceded. "Let things alone，" he said； "now that they're already here， there's no need whatever of much ado. The only thing is that our mean house with its thatched roof is both so crammed and so filthy that how could you， sir， sit in it！"
Hsi Jen's mother also came out at an early period to receive him， and Hsi Jen pulled Pao-yue in. Once inside the room， Pao-yue perceived three or five girls， who， as soon as they caught sight of him approaching， all lowered their heads， and felt so bashful that their faces were suffused with blushes. But as both Hua Tzu-fang and his mother were afraid that Pao-yue would catch cold， they pressed him to take a seat on the stove-bed， and hastened to serve a fresh supply of refreshments， and to at once bring him a cup of good tea.
"You needn't be flurrying all for nothing，" Hsi Jen smilingly interposed； "I， naturally， should know； and there's no use of even laying out any fruits， as I daren't recklessly give him anything to eat."
Saying this， she simultaneously took her own cushion and laid it on a stool， and after Pao-yue took a seat on it， she placed the footstove she had been using， under his feet； and producing， from a satchet， two peach-blossom-scented small cakes， she opened her own hand-stove and threw them into the fire； which done， she covered it well again and placed it in Pao-yue's lap. And eventually， she filled her own tea-cup with tea and presented it to Pao-yue， while， during this time， her mother and sister had been fussing about， laying out in fine array a tableful of every kind of eatables.
Hsi Jen noticed that there were absolutely no things that he could eat， but she felt urged to say with a smile： "Since you've come， it isn't right that you should go empty away； and you must， whether the things be good or bad， taste a little， so that it may look like a visit to my house！"
As she said this， she forthwith took several seeds of the fir-cone， and cracking off the thin skin， she placed them in a handkerchief and presented them to Pao-yue. But Pao-yue， espying that Hsi Jen's two eyes were slightly red， and that the powder was shiny and moist， quietly therefore inquired of Hsi Jen， "Why do you cry for no rhyme or reason？"
"Why should I cry？" Hsi Jen laughed； "something just got into my eyes and I rubbed them." By these means she readily managed to evade detection； but seeing that Pao-yue wore a deep red archery-sleeved pelisse， ornamented with gold dragons， and lined with fur from foxes' ribs and a GREy sable fur surtout with a fringe round the border. "What！ have you，" she asked， "put on again your new clothes for？ specially to come here？ and didn't they inquire of you where you were going？"
"I had changed，" Pao-yue explained with a grin， "as Mr. Chen had invited me to go over and look at the play."
"Well， sit a while and then go back；" Hsi Jen continued as she nodded her head； "for this isn't the place for you to come to！"
"You'd better be going home now，" Pao-yue suggested smirkingly； "where I've again kept something good for you."
"Gently，" smiled Hsi Jen， "for were you to let them hear， what figure would we cut？" And with these， words， she put out her hand and unclasping from Pao-yue's neck the jade of Spiritual Perception， she faced her cousins and remarked exultingly. "Here！ see for yourselves； look at this and learn！ When I repeatedly talked about it， you all thought it extraordinary， and were anxious to have a glance at it； to-day， you may gaze on it with all your might， for whatever precious thing you may by and by come to see will really never excel such an object as this！"
When she had finished speaking， she handed it over to them， and after they had passed it round for inspection， she again fastened it properly on Pao-yue's neck， and also bade her brother go and hire a small carriage， or engage a small chair， and escort Pao-yue back home.
"If I see him back，" Hua Tzu-fang remarked， "there would be no harm， were he even to ride his horse！"
"It isn't because of harm，" Hsi Jen replied； "but because he may come across some one from the house."
Hua Tzu-fang promptly went and bespoke a small chair； and when it came to the door， the whole party could not very well detain him， and they of course had to see Pao-yue out of the house； while Hsi Jen， on the other hand， snatched a few fruits and gave them to Ming Yen； and as she at the same time pressed in his hand several cash to buy crackers with to let off， she enjoined him not to tell any one as he himself would likewise incur blame.
