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As she uttered these words， she straightway escorted Pao-yue as far as outside the door， from whence having seen him mount into the sedan chair， she dropped the curtain； whereupon Ming Yen and her brother， the two of them， led the horses and followed behind in his wake. Upon reaching the street where the Ning mansion was situated， Ming Yen told the chair to halt， and said to Hua Tzu-fang， "It's advisable that I should again go， with Mr. Secundus， into the Eastern mansion， to show ourselves before we can safely betake ourselves home； for if we don't， people will suspect！"
Hua Tzu-fang， upon hearing that there was good reason in what he said， promptly clasped Pao-yue out of the chair and put him on the horse， whereupon after Pao-yue smilingly remarked： "Excuse me for the trouble I've surely put you to，" they forthwith entered again by the back gate； but putting aside all details， we will now confine ourselves to Pao-yue.
After he had walked out of the door， the several waiting-maids in his apartments played and laughed with GREater zest and with less restraint. Some there were who played at chess， others who threw the dice or had a game of cards； and they covered the whole floor with the shells of melon-seeds they were cracking， when dame Li， his nurse， happened to come in， propping herself on a staff， to pay her respects and to see Pao-yue， and perceiving that Pao-yue was not at home and that the servant-girls were only bent upon romping， she felt intensely disgusted. "Since I've left this place，" she therefore exclaimed with a sigh， "and don't often come here， you've become more and more unmannerly； while the other nurse does still less than ever venture to expostulate with you； Pao-yue is like a candlestick eighty feet high， shedding light on others， and throwing none upon himself！ All he knows is to look down upon people as being filthy； and yet this is his room and he allows you to put it topsy-turvey， and to become more and more unmindful of decorum！"
these servant-girls were well aware that Pao-yue was not particular in these respects， and that in the next place nurse Li， having pleaded old age， resigned her place and gone home， had nowadays no control over them， so that they simply gave their minds to romping and joking， and paid no heed whatever to her. Nurse Li however still kept on asking about Pao-yue， "How much rice he now ate at one meal？ and at what time he went to sleep？" to which questions， the servant-girls replied quite at random； some there being too who observed： "What a dreadful despicable old thing she is！"
"In this covered bowl，" she continued to inquire， "is cream， and why not give it to me to eat？" and having concluded these words， she took it up and there and then began eating it.
"Be quick， and leave it alone！" a servant-girl expostulated， "that， he said， was kept in order to be given to Hsi Jen； and on his return， when he again gets into a huff， you， old lady， must， on your own motion， confess to having eaten it， and not involve us in any way as to have to bear his resentment."
Nurse Li， at these words， felt both angry and ashamed. "I can't believe，" she forthwith remarked， "that he has become so bad at heart！ Not to speak of the milk I've had， I have， in fact every right to even something more expensive than this； for is it likely that he holds Hsi Jen dearer than myself？ It can't forsooth be that he doesn't bear in mind how that I've brought him up to be a big man， and how that he has eaten my blood transformed into milk and grown up to this age！ and will be because I'm now having a bowl of milk of his be angry on that score！ I shall， yes， eat it， and we'll see what he'll do！ I don't know what you people think of Hsi Jen， but she was a lowbred girl， whom I've with my own hands raised up！ and what fine object indeed was she！"
As she spoke， she flew into a temper， and taking the cream she drank the whole of it.
"they don't know how to speak properly！" another servant-girl interposed sarcastically， "and it's no wonder that you， old lady， should get angry！ Pao-yue still sends you， venerable dame， presents as a proof of his gratitude， and is it possible that he will feel displeased for such a thing like this？"
"You girls shouldn't also pretend to be artful flatterers to cajole me！" nurse Li added； "do you imagine that I'm not aware of the dismissal， the other day， of Hsi Hsueeh， on account of a cup of tea？ and as it's clear enough that I've incurred blame， I'll come by and by and receive it！"
Having said this， she went off in a dudgeon， but not a long interval elapsed before Pao-yue returned， and gave orders to go and fetch Hsi Jen； and perceiving Ching Ling reclining on the bed perfectly still： "I presume she's ill，" Pao-yue felt constrained to inquire， "or if she isn't ill， she must have lost at cards."
"Not so！" observed Chiu Wen； "she had been a winner， but dame Li came in quite casually and muddled her so that she lost； and angry at this she rushed off to sleep."
"Don't place yourselves，" Pao-yue smiled， "on the same footing as nurse Li， and if you were to let her alone， everything will be all right."
these words were still on his lips when Hsi Jen arrived. After the mutual salutations， Hsi Jen went on to ask of Pao-yue： "Where did you have your repast？ and what time did you come back？" and to present likewise， on behalf of her mother and sister， her compliments to all the girls， who were her companions. In a short while， she changed her costume and divested herself of her fineries， and Pao-yue bade them fetch the cream.
