评论
打印
By a strange coincidence lady Feng was at this moment in the upper rooms， where she had been making up the account of losses and winnings， and upon hearing at the back a continuous sound of shouting and bustling， she readily concluded that nurse Li's old complaint was breaking forth， and that she was finding fault with Pao-yue's servants. But she had， as luck would have it， lost money in gambling on this occasion， so that she was ready to visit her resentment upon others. With hurried step， she forthwith came over， and laying hold of nurse Li， "Nurse，" she said smiling， "don't lose your temper， on a GREat festival like this， and after our venerable lady has just gone through a day in excellent spirits！ You're an old dame， and should， when others get up a row， still do what is right and keep them in proper order； and aren't you， instead of that， aware what good manners imply， that you will start vociferating in this place， and make our dowager lady full of displeasure？ Tell me who's not good， and I'll beat her for you； but be quick and come along with me over to my quarters， where a pheasant which they have roasted is scalding hot， and let us go and have a glass of wine！" And as she spoke， she dragged her along and went on her way. "Feng Erh，" she also called， "hold the staff for your old lady Li， and the handkerchief to wipe her tears with！" While nurse Li walked along with lady Feng， her feet scarcely touched the ground， as she kept on saying： "I don't really attach any value to this decrepid existence of mine！ and I had rather disregard good manners， have a row and lose face， as it's better， it seems to me， than to put up with the temper of that wench！"
Behind followed Pao-ch'ai and Tai-yue， and at the sight of the way in which lady Feng dealt with her， they both clapped their hands， and exclaimed， laughing， "What piece of luck that this gust of wind has come， and dragged away this old matron！" while Pao-yue nodded his head to and fro and soliloquised with a sigh： "One can neither know whence originates this score； for she will choose the weak one to maltreat； nor can one see what girl has given her offence that she has come to be put in her black books！"
Scarcely had he ended this remark， before Ch'ing Wen， who stood by， put in her word. "Who's gone mad again？" she interposed， "and what good would come by hurting her feelings？ But did even any one happen to hurt her， she would have pluck enough to bear the brunt， and wouldn't act so improperly as to involve others！"
Hsi Jen wept， and as she， did so， she drew Pao-yue towards her： "All through my having aggrieved an old nurse，" she urged， "you've now again given umbrage， entirely on my account， to this crowd of people； and isn't this still enough for me to bear but must you also go and drag in third parties？"
When Pao-yue realised that to this sickness of hers， had also been superadded all these annoyances， he promptly stifled his resentment， suppressed his voice and consoled her so far as to induce her to lie down again to perspire. And when he further noticed how scalding like soup and burning like fire she was， he himself watched by her， and reclining by her side， he tried to cheer her， saying： "All you must do is to take good care of your ailment； and don't give your mind to those trifling matters， and get angry."
"Were I，" Hsi Jen smiled sardonically， "to lose my temper over such concerns， would I be able to stand one moment longer in this room？ the only thing is that if she goes on， day after day， doing nothing else than clamour in this manner， how can she let people get along？ But you rashly go and hurt people's feelings for our sakes； but they'll bear it in mind， and when they find an opportunity， they'll come out with what's easy enough to say， but what's not pleasant to hear， and how will we all feel then？"
While her mouth gave utterance to these words， she could not stop her tears from running； but fearful， on the other hand， lest Pao-yue should be annoyed， she felt compelled to again strain every nerve to repress them. But in a short while， the old matrons employed for all sorts of duties， brought in some mixture of two drugs； and， as Pao-yue noticed that she was just on the point of perspiring， he did not allow her to get up， but readily taking it up to her， she immediately swallowed it， with her head still on her pillow； whereupon he gave speedy directions to the young servant-maids to lay her stove-couch in order.
