Tai-yue， meanwhile， became more and more a prey to resentment； and disconsolate as she felt， she shed tears in front of the window. But not time enough had transpired to allow two cups of tea to be drunk， before Pao-yue came back again. At the sight of him， Tai-yue sobbed still more fervently and incessantly， and Pao-yue realising the state she was in， and knowing well enough how arduous a task it would be to bring her round， began to join together a hundred， yea a thousand kinds of soft phrases and tender words to console her. But at an unforeseen moment， and before he could himself open his mouth， he heard Tai-yue anticipate him.

"What have you come back again for？" she asked. "Let me die or live， as I please， and have done！ You've really got at present some one to play with you， one who， compared with me， is able to read and able to compose， able to write， to speak， as well as to joke， one too who for fear lest you should have ruffled your temper dragged you away： and what do you return here for now？"

Pao-yue， after listening to all she had to say， hastened to come up to her. "Is it likely，" he observed in a low tone of voice， "that an intelligent person like you isn't so much as aware that near relatives can't be separated by a distant relative， and a remote friend set aside an old friend！ I'm stupid， there's no gainsaying， but I do anyhow understand what these two sentiments imply. You and I are， in the first place， cousins on my father's sister's side； while sister Pao-ch'ai and I are two cousins on mother's sides， so that， according to the deGREes of relationship， she's more distant than yourself. In the second place， you came here first， and we two have our meals at one table and sleep in one bed， having ever since our youth grown up together； while she has only recently come， and how could I ever distance you on her account？"

"Ts'ui！" Tai-yue exclaimed. "Will I forsooth ever make you distance her！ who and what kind of person have I become to do such a thing？ What （I said） was prompted by my own motives."

"I too，" Pao-yue urged， "made those remarks prompted by my own heart's motives， and do you mean to say that your heart can only read the feelings of your own heart， and has no idea whatsoever of my own？"

Tai-yue at these words， lowered her head and said not a word. But after a long interval， "You only know，" she continued， "how to feel bitter against people for their action in censuring you： but you don't， after all， know that you yourself provoke people to such a deGREe， that it's hard for them to put up with it！ Take for instance the weather of to-day as an example. It's distinctly very cold， to-day， and yet， how is it that you are so contrary as to go and divest yourself of the pelisse with the bluish breast-fur overlapping the cloth？"

"Why say I didn't wear it？" Pao-yue smilingly observed. "I did， but seeing you get angry I felt suddenly in such a terrible blaze， that I at once took it off！"

Tai-yue heaved a sigh. "You'll by and by catch a cold，" she remarked， "and then you'll again have to starve， and vociferate for something to eat！"

While these two were having this colloquy， Hsiang-yuen was seen to walk in！ "You two， Ai cousin and cousin Lin，" she ventured jokingly， "are together playing every day， and though I've managed to come after ever so much trouble， you pay no heed to me at all！"

"It's invariably the rule，" Tai-yue retorted smilingly， "that those who have a defect in their speech will insist upon talking； she can't even come out correctly with 'Erh' （secundus） cousin， and keeps on calling him 'Ai' cousin， 'Ai' cousin！ And by and by when you play 'Wei Ch'i' you're sure also to shout out yao， ai， （instead of erh）， san； （one， two， three）。"

Pao-yue laughed. "If you imitate her，" he interposed， "and get into that habit， you'll also begin to bite your tongue when you talk."

"She won't make even the slightest allowance for any one，" Hsiang-yuen rejoined； "her sole idea being to pick out others' faults. You may readily be superior to any mortal being， but you shouldn't， after all， offend against what's right and make fun of every person you come across！ But I'll point out some one， and if you venture to jeer her， I'll at once submit to you."

"Who is it？" Tai-yue vehemently inquired.

"If you do have the courage，" Hsiang-yuen answered， "to pick out cousin Pao-ch'ai's faults， you then may well be held to be first-rate！"

Tai-yue after hearing these words， gave a sarcastic smile. "I was wondering，" she observed， "who it was. Is it indeed she？ How could I ever presume to pick out hers？"

Pao-yue allowed her no time to finish， but hastened to say something to interrupt the conversation.

"I couldn't， of course， during the whole of this my lifetime，" Hsiang-yuen laughed， "attain your standard！ but my earnest wish is that by and by should be found for you， cousin Lin， a husband， who bites his tongue when he speaks， so that you should every minute and second listen to 'ai-ya-os！' O-mi-to-fu， won't then your reward be manifest to my eyes！"

As she made this remark， they all burst out laughing heartily， and Hsiang-yuen speedily turned herself round and ran away.

But reader， do you want to know the sequel？ Well， then listen to the explanation given in the next chapter.