Nothing of any notice transpired the whole night； but the next day， as soon it was dawn， he got up， washed his face， and came to the main street， outside the south gate， and purchasing some musk from a perfumery shop， he， with rapid stride， entered the Jung Kuo mansion； and having， as a result of his inquiries， found out that Chia Lien had gone out of doors， Chia Yuen readily betook himself to the back， in front of the door of Chia Lien's court， where he saw several servant-lads， with immense brooms in their hands， engaged in that place in sweeping the court. But as he suddenly caught sight of Chou Jui's wife appear outside the door， and call out to the young boys； "Don't sweep now， our lady is coming out，" Chia Yuen eagerly walked up to her and inquired， with a face beaming with smiles： "Where's aunt Secunda going to？"

To this inquiry， Chou Jui's wife explained： "Our old lady has sent for her， and I expect， it must be for her to cut some piece of cloth or other." But while she yet spoke， they perceived a whole bevy of people， pressing round lady Feng， as she eGREssed from the apartment.

Chia Yuen was perfectly aware that lady Feng took pleasure in flattery， and delighted in display， so that hastily dropping his arms， he with all reverence， thrust himself forward and paid his respects to her. But lady Feng did not even so much as turn to look at him with straight eyes； but continued， as hitherto， her way onwards， simply confining herself to ascertaining whether his mother was all right， and adding： "How is it that she doesn't come to our house for a stroll？"

"the thing is，" Chia Yuen replied， "that she's not well： she， however， often thinks fondly of you， aunt， and longs to see you； but as for coming round， she's quite unable to do so."

"You have， indeed， the knack of telling lies！" lady Feng laughed with irony； "for hadn't I alluded to her， she would never have thought of me！"

"Isn't your nephew afraid，" Chia Yuen protested smilingly， "of being blasted by lightning to have the audacity of telling lies in the presence of an elder！ Even so late as yesterday evening， she alluded to you， aunt！ 'Though naturally，' she said， 'of a weak constitution， you had， however， plenty to attend to！ that it's thanks to your supremely eminent energies， aunt， that you're， after all， able to manage everything in such a perfect manner； and that had you ever made the slightest slip， there would have long ago crept up， goodness knows， what troubles！'"

As soon as lady Feng heard these words， her whole face beamed with smiles， and she unconsciously halted her steps， while she proceeded to ask： "How is it that， both your mother and yourself， tattle about me behind my back， without rhyme or reason？"

"there's a reason for it，" Chia Yuen observed， "which is simply this. I've an excellent friend with considerable money of his own at home， who recently kept a perfumery shop； but as he obtained， by purchase， the rank of deputy sub-prefect， he was， the other day， selected for a post in Yunnan， in some prefecture or other unknown to me； whither he has gone together with his family. He even closed this shop of his， and forthwith collecting all his wares， he gave away， what he could give away， and what he had to sell at a discount， was sold at a loss； while such valuable articles， as these， were all presented to relatives or friends； and that's why it is that I came in for some baroos camphor and musk. But I at the time， deliberated with my mother that to sell them below their price would be a pity， and that if we wished to give them as a present to any one， there was no one good enough to use such perfumes. But remembering how you， aunt， had all along in years gone by， even to this day， to spend large bundles of silver， in purchasing such articles， and how， not to speak of this year with an imperial consort in the Palace， what's even required for this dragon boat festival， will also necessitate the addition of hundred times as much as the quantity of previous years， I therefore present them to you， aunt， as a token of my esteem！"

With these words still on his lips， he simultaneously produced an ornamented box， which he handed over to her. And as lady Feng was， at this time， making preparations for presents for the occasion of the dragon boat festival， for which perfumes were obligatory， she， with all promptitude， directed Feng Erh： "Receive Mr. Yuen's present and take it home and hand it over to P'ing Erh. To one，" she consequently added， "who seems to me so full of discrimination， it isn't a wonder that your uncle is repeatedly alluding， and that he speaks highly of you； how that you talk with all intelligence and that you have experience stored up in your mind."

Chia Yuen upon hearing this propitious language， hastily drew near one step， and designedly asked： "Does really uncle often refer to me？"

the moment lady Feng caught this question， she was at once inclined to tell him all about the charge to be entrusted to him， but on second thought， she again felt apprehensive lest she should be looked lightly upon by him， by simply insinuating that she had promptly and needlessly promised him something to do， so soon as she got a little scented ware； and this consideration urged her to once more restrain her tongue， so that she never made the slightest reference even to so much as one word about his having been chosen to look after the works of planting the flowers and trees. And after confining herself to making the first few irrelevant remarks which came to her lips， she hastily betook herself into dowager lady Chia's apartments.

Chia Yuen himself did not feel as if he could very well advert to the subject， with the result that he had no alternative but to retrace his steps homewards. But as when he had seen Pao-yue the previous day， he had asked him to go into the outer library and wait for him， he therefore finished his meal and then once again entered the mansion and came over into the I Hsia study， situated outside the ceremonial gate， over at old lady Chia's part of the compound， where he discovered the two lads Ming Yen， whose name had been changed into Pei Ming， and Chu Yo playing at chess， and just arguing about the capture of a castle； and besides them， Yin Ch'uan， Sao Hua， T'iao Yuen， Pan Ho， these four or five of them， up to larks， stealing the young birds from the nests under the eaves of the house.

As soon as Chia Yuen entered the court， he stamped his foot and shouted， "The monkeys are up to mischief！ Here I am， I've come；" and when the company of servant-boys perceived him， they one and all promptly dispersed； while Chia Yuen walked into the library， and seating himself at once in a chair， he inquired， "Has your master Secundus， Mr. Pao， come down？"

"He hasn't been down here at all to-day，" Pei Ming replied， "but if you， Mr. Secundus， have anything to tell him， I'll go and see what he's up to for you."