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"Nurse Li has eaten it，" the servant-girls rejoined， and as Pao-yue was on the point of making some remark Hsi Jen hastened to interfere， laughing the while； "Is it really this that you had kept for me？ many thanks for the trouble； the other day， when I had some， I found it very toothsome， but after I had partaken of it， I got a pain in the stomach， and was so much upset， that it was only after I had brought it all up that I felt all right. So it's as well that she has had it， for， had it been kept here， it would have been wasted all for no use！ What I fancy are dry chestnuts； and while you clean a few for me， I'll go and lay the bed！"
Pao-yue upon hearing these words credited them as true， so that he discarded all thought of the cream and fetched the chestnuts， which he， with his own hands， selected and pealed. Perceiving at the same time that none of the party were present in the room， he put on a smile and inquired of Hsi Jen： "Who were those persons dressed in red to day？"
"they're my two cousins on my mother's side，" Hsi Jen explained， and hearing this， Pao-yue sang their praise as he heaved a couple of sighs.
"What are you sighing for？" Hsi Jen remarked. "I know the secret reasons of your heart； it's I fancy because she isn't fit to wear red！"
"It isn't that，" Pao-yue protested smilingly， "it isn't that； if such a person as that isn't good enough to be dressed in red， who would forsooth presume to wear it？ It's because I find her so really lovely！ and if we could， after all， manage to get her into our family， how nice it would be then！"
Hsi Jen gave a sardonic smile. "That it's my own fate to be a slave doesn't matter， but is it likely that the destiny of even my very relatives could be to become one and all of them bond servants？ But you should certainly set your choice upon some really beautiful girl， for she would in that case be good enough to enter your house."
"Here you are again with your touchiness！" Pao-yue eagerly exclaimed smiling， "if I said that she should come to our house， does it necessarily imply that she should be a servant？ and wouldn't it do were I to mention that she should come as a relative！"
"That too couldn't exalt her to be a fit match for you！" rejoined Hsi Jen； but Pao-yue being loth to continue the conversation， simply busied himself with cleaning the chestnuts.
"How is it you utter not a word？" Hsi Jen laughed； "I expect it's because I just offended you by my inconsiderate talk！ But if by and by you have your purpose fixed on it， just spend a few ounces of silver to purchase them with， and bring them in and have done！"
"How would you have one make any reply？" Pao-yue smilingly rejoined； "all I did was to extol her charms； for she's really fit to have been born in a deep hall and spacious court as this； and it isn't for such foul things as myself and others to contrariwise spend our days in this place！"
"Though deprived of this good fortune，" Hsi Jen explained， "she's nevertheless also petted and indulged and the jewel of my maternal uncle and my aunt！ She's now seventeen years of age， and everything in the way of trousseau has been got ready， and she's to get married next year."
Upon hearing the two words "get married，" he could not repress himself from again ejaculating： "Hai hai！" but while he was in an unhappy frame of mind， he once more heard Hsi Jen remark as she heaved a sigh： "Ever since I've come here， we cousins haven't all these years been able to get to live together， and now that I'm about to return home， they， on the other hand， will all be gone！"
Pao-yue， realising that there lurked in this remark some meaning or other， was suddenly so taken aback that dropping the chestnuts， he inquired： "How is it that you now want to go back？"
"I was present to-day，" Hsi Jen explained， "when mother and brother held consultation together， and they bade me be patient for another year， and that next year they'll come up and redeem me out of service！"
Pao-yue， at these words， felt the more distressed. "Why do they want to redeem you？" he consequently asked.
"This is a strange question！" Hsi Jen retorted， "for I can't really be treated as if I were the issue born in this homestead of yours！ All the members of my family are elsewhere， and there's only myself in this place， so that how could I end my days here？"
"If I don't let you go， it will verily be difficult for you to get away！" Pao-yue replied.
"there has never been such a principle of action！" urged Hsi Jen； "even in the imperial palace itself， there's a fixed rule， by which possibly every certain number of years a selection （of those who have to go takes place）， and every certain number of years a new batch enters； and there's no such practice as that of keeping people for ever； not to speak of your own home."
Pao-yue realised， after reflection， that she， in point of fact， was right， and he went on to observe： "Should the old lady not give you your release， it will be impossible for you to get off."
"Why shouldn't she release me？" Hsi Jen questioned. "Am I really so very extraordinary a person as to have perchance made such an impression upon her venerable ladyship and my lady that they will be positive in not letting me go？ They may， in all likelihood， give my family some more ounces of silver to keep me here； that possibly may come about. But， in truth， I'm also a person of the most ordinary run， and there are many more superior to me， yea very many！ Ever since my youth up， I've been in her old ladyship's service； first by waiting upon Miss Shih for several years， and recently by being in attendance upon you for another term of years； and now that our people will come to redeem me， I should， as a matter of right， be told to go. My idea is that even the very redemption money won't be accepted， and that they will display such grace as to let me go at once. And， as for being told that I can't be allowed to go as I'm so diligent in my service to you， that's a thing that can on no account come about！ My faithful attendance is an obligation of my duties， and is no exceptional service！ and when I'm gone you'll again have some other faithful attendant， and it isn't likely that when I'm no more here， you'll find it impracticable to obtain one！"
After Pao-yue had listened to these various arguments， which proved the reasonableness of her going and the unreasonableness of any detention， he felt his heart more than ever a prey to distress. "In spite of all you say，" he therefore continued， "the sole desire of my heart is to detain you； and I have no doubt but that the old lady will speak to your mother about it； and if she were to give your mother ample money， she'll， of course， not feel as if she could very well with any decency take you home！"
"My mother won't naturally have the audacity to be headstrong！" Hsi Jen ventured， "not to speak besides of the nice things， which may be told her and the lots of money she may， in addition， be given； but were she even not to be paid any compliments， and not so much as a single cash given her， she won't， if you set your mind upon keeping me here， presume not to comply with your wishes， were it also against my inclination. One thing however； our family would never rely upon prestige， and trust upon honorability to do anything so domineering as this！ for this isn't like anything else， which， because you take a fancy to it， a hundred per cent profit can be added， and it obtained for you！ This action can be well taken if the seller doesn't suffer loss！ But in the present instance， were they to keep me back for no rhyme or reason， it would also be of no benefit to yourself； on the contrary， they would be instrumental in keeping us blood relatives far apart； a thing the like of which， I feel positive that dowager lady Chia and my lady will never do！"
After lending an ear to this argument， Pao-yue cogitated within himself for a while. "From what you say，" he then observed， "when you say you'll go， it means that you'll go for certain！"
"Yes， that I'll go for certain，" Hsi Jen rejoined.
"Who would have anticipated，" Pao-yue， after these words， mused in his own heart， "that a person like her would have shown such little sense of gratitude， and such a lack of respect！ Had I，" he then remarked aloud with a sigh， "been aware， at an early date， that your whole wish would have been to go， I wouldn't， in that case， have brought you over！ But when you're away， I shall remain alone， a solitary spirit！"
