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Wang Hsi-feng with earnest words upbraids Mrs. Chao's jealous notions. Lin Tai-yue uses specious language to make sport of Shih Hsiang-yuen's querulous tone of voice.
But to continue. Pao-yue was in Tai yue's apartments relating about the rat-elves， when Pao-ch'ai entered unannounced， and began to gibe Pao-yue， with trenchant irony： how that on the fifteenth of the first moon， he had shown ignorance of the allusion to the GREen wax； and the three of them then indulged in that room in mutual poignant satire， for the sake of fun. Pao-yue had been giving way to solicitude lest Tai-yue should， by being bent upon napping soon after her meal， be shortly getting an indigestion， or lest sleep should， at night， be completely dispelled， as neither of these things were conducive to the preservation of good health， when luckily Pao-ch'ai walked in， and they chatted and laughed together； and when Lin Tai-yue at length lost all inclination to dose， he himself then felt composed in his mind. But suddenly they heard clamouring begin in his room， and after they had all lent an ear and listened， Lin Tai-yue was the first to smile and make a remark. "It's your nurse having a row with Hsi Jen！" she said. "Hsi Jen treats her well enough， but that nurse of yours would also like to keep her well under her thumb； she's indeed an old dotard；" and Pao-yue was anxious to go over at once， but Pao-ch'ai laid hold of him and kept him back， suggesting： "It's as well that you shouldn't wrangle with your nurse， for she's quite stupid from old age； and it's but fair， on the contrary， that you should bear with her a little."
"I know all about that！" Pao-yue rejoined. But having concluded this remark， he walked into his room， where he discovered nurse Li， leaning on her staff， standing in the centre of the floor， abusing Hsi Jen， saying： "You young wench！ how utterly unmindful you are of your origin！ It's I who've raised you up， and yet， when I came just now， you put on high airs and mighty side， and remained reclining on the stove-couch！ You saw me well enough， but you paid not the least heed to me！ Your whole heart is set upon acting like a wily enchantress to befool Pao-yue； and you so impose upon Pao-yue that he doesn't notice me， but merely lends an ear to what you people have to say！ You're no more than a low girl bought for a few taels and brought in here； and will it ever do that you should be up to your mischievous tricks in this room？ But whether you like it or not， I'll drag you out from this， and give you to some mean fellow， and we'll see whether you will still behave like a very imp， and cajole people or not？"
Hsi Jen was， at first， under the simple impression that the nurse was wrath for no other reason than because she remained lying down， and she felt constrained to explain that "she was unwell， that she had just succeeded in perspiring， and that having had her head covered， she hadn't really perceived the old lady；" but when she came subsequently to hear her mention that she imposed upon Pao-yue， and also go so far as to add that she would be given to some mean fellow， she unavoidably experienced both a sense of shame and injury， and found it impossible to restrain herself from beginning to cry.
Pao-yue had， it is true， caught all that had been said， but unable with any propriety to take notice of it， he thought it his duty to explain matters for her. "She's ill，" he observed， "and is taking medicines； and if you don't believe it，" he went on， "well then ask the rest of the servant-girls."
Nurse Li at these words flew into a more violent dudgeon. "Your sole delight is to screen that lot of sly foxes！" she remarked， "and do you pay any notice to me？ No， none at all！ and whom would you like me to go and ask； who's it that doesn't back you？ and who hasn't been dismounted from her horse by Hsi Jen？ I know all about it； but I'll go with you and explain all these matters to our old mistress and my lady； for I've nursed you till I've brought you to this age， and now that you don't feed on milk， you thrust me on one side， and avail yourself of the servant-girls， in your wish to browbeat me."
As she uttered this remark， she too gave way to tears， but by this time， Tai-yue and Pao-ch'ai had also come over， and they set to work to reassure her. "You， old lady，" they urged， "should bear with them a little， and everything will be right！" And when nurse Li saw these two arrive， she hastened to lay bare her grievances to them； and taking up the question of the dismissal in days gone by， of Hsi Hsueeh， for having drunk some tea， of the cream eaten on the previous day， and other similar matters， she spun a long， interminable yarn.
