Chui Erh GREeted this response with a smile. "Many are the times，" she said； "that she has asked me whether I had seen her handkerchief； but have I got all that leisure to worry my mind about such things？ She spoke to me about it again to-day； and she suggested that I should find it for her， and that she would also recompense me. This she told me when we were just now at the entrance of the Heng Wu court， and you too， Mr. Secundus， overheard her， so that I'm not lying. But， dear Mr. Secundus， since you've picked it up， give it to me. Do！ And I'll see what she will give me as a reward."

the truth is that Chia Yuen had， the previous moon when he had come into the garden to attend to the planting of trees， picked up a handkerchief， which he conjectured must have been dropped by some inmate of those grounds； but as he was not aware whose it was， he did not consequently presume to act with indiscretion. But on this occasion， he overheard Hsiao Hung make inquiries of Chui Erh on the subject； and concluding that it must belong to her， he felt immeasurably delighted. Seeing， besides， how importunate Chui Erh was， he at once devised a plan within himself， and vehemently producing from his sleeve a handkerchief of his own， he observed， as he turned towards Chui Erh with a smile： "As for giving it to you， I'll do so； but in the event of your obtaining any present from her， you mustn't impose upon me."

Chui Erh assented to his proposal most profusely； and， taking the handkerchief， she saw Chia Yuen out and then came back in search of Hsiao Hung. But we will leave her there for the present.

We will now return to Pao-yue. After dismissing Chia Yuen， he lay in such complete listlessness on the bed that he betrayed every sign of being half asleep. Hsi Jen walked up to him， and seated herself on the edge of the bed， and pushing him， "What are you about to go to sleep again，" she said. "Would it not do your languid spirits good if you went out for a bit of a stroll？"

Upon hearing her voice， Pao-yue grasped her hand in his. "I would like to go out，" he smiled， "but I can't reconcile myself to the separation from you！"

"Get up at once！" laughed Hsi Jen. And as she uttered these words， she pulled Pao-yue up.

"Where can I go？" exclaimed Pao-yue. "I'm quite surfeited with everything."

"Once out you'll be all right，" Hsi Jen answered， "but if you simply give way to this languor， you'll be more than ever sick of everything at heart."

Pao-yue could not do otherwise， dull and out of sorts though he was， than accede to her importunities. Strolling leisurely out of the door of the room， he amused himself a little with the birds suspended under the verandah； then he wended his steps outside the court， and followed the course of the Hsin Fang stream； but after admiring the golden fish for a time， he espied， on the opposite hillock， two young deer come rushing down as swift as an arrow. What they were up to Pao-yue could not discern； but while abandoning himself to melancholy， he caught sight of Chia Lan， following behind， with a small bow in his hand， and hurrying down hill in pursuit of them.

As soon as he realised that Pao-yue stood ahead of him， he speedily halted. "Uncle Secundus，" he smiled， "are you at home？ I imagined you had gone out of doors！"

"You are up to mischief again， eh？" Pao-yue rejoined. "they've done nothing to you， and why shoot at them with your arrows？"

"I had no studies to attend to just now， so， being free with nothing to do，" Chia Lan replied laughingly， "I was practising riding and archery."

"Shut up！" exclaimed Pao-yue. "When are you not engaged in practising？"

Saying this， he continued his way and straightway reached the entrance of a court. Here the bamboo foliage was thick， and the breeze sighed gently. This was the Hsiao Hsiang lodge. Pao-yue listlessly rambled in. He saw a bamboo portiere hanging down to the ground. Stillness prevailed. Not a human voice fell on the ear. He advanced as far as the window. Noticing that a whiff of subtle scent stole softly through the GREen gauze casement， Pao-yue applied his face closely against the frame to peep in， but suddenly he caught the faint sound of a deep sigh and the words： "Day after day my feelings slumber drowsily！" Upon overhearing this exclamation， Pao-yue unconsciously began to feel a prey to inward longings； but casting a second glance， he saw Tai-yue stretching herself on the bed.

"Why is it，" smiled Pao-yue， from outside the window， "that your feelings day after day slumber drowsily？" So saying， he raised the portiere and stepped in.

the consciousness that she had not been reticent about her feelings made Tai-yue unwittingly flush scarlet. Taking hold of her sleeve， she screened her face； and， turning her body round towards the inside， she pretended to be fast asleep. Pao-yue drew near her. He was about to pull her round when he saw Tai-yue's nurse enter the apartment， followed by two matrons.

"Is Miss asleep？" they said. "If so， we'll ask her over， when she wakes up."

As these words were being spoken， Tai-yue eagerly twisted herself round and sat up. "Who's asleep？" she laughed.

"We thought you were fast asleep， Miss，" smiled the two or three matrons as soon as they perceived Tai-yue get up. This GREeting over， they called Tzu Chuean. "Your young mistress，" they said， "has awoke； come in and wait on her！"

While calling her， they quitted the room in a body. Tai-yue remained seated on the bed. Raising her arms， she adjusted her hair， and smilingly she observed to Pao-yue， "When people are asleep， what do you walk in for？"

At the sight of her half-closed starlike eyes and of her fragrant cheeks， suffused with a crimson blush， Pao-yue's feelings were of a sudden awakened； so， bending his body， he took a seat on a chair， and asked with a smile： "What were you saying a short while back？"

"I wasn't saying anything，" Tai-yue replied.

"What a lie you're trying to ram down my throat！" laughed Pao-yue. "I heard all."

But in the middle of their colloquy， they saw Tzu Chuean enter. Pao-yue then put on a smiling face. "Tzu Chuean！" he cried， "pour me a cup of your good tea！"