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Pao-yue stepped in. He caught sight of a waiting-maid， standing below， blowing into an iron， and two servant-girls seated on the stove-couch making a chalk line. Tai-yue with stooping head was cutting out something or other with a pair of scissors she held in her hand.
Pao-yue advanced further in. "O！ what's this that you are up to！" he smiled. "You have just had your rice and do you bob your head down in this way！ Why， in a short while you'll be having a headache again！"
Tai-yue， however， did not heed him in the least， but busied herself cutting out what she had to do.
"the corner of that piece of satin is not yet right，" a servant-girl put in. "You had better iron it again！"
Tai-yue threw down the scissors. "Why worry yourself about it？" she said； "it will get quite right after a time."
But while Pao-yue was listening to what was being said， and was inwardly feeling in low spirits， he became aware that Pao-ch'ai， T'an Ch'un and the other girls had also arrived. After a short chat with dowager lady Chia， Pao-ch'ai likewise entered the apartment to find out what her cousin Lin was up to. The moment she espied Lin Tai-yue engaged in cutting out something： "You have，" she cried， "attained more skill than ever； for there you can even cut out clothes！"
"This too，" laughed Tai-yue sarcastically， "is a mere falsehood， to hoodwink people with， nothing more."
"I'll tell you a joke，" replied Pao-ch'ai smiling， "when I just now said that I did not know anything about that medicine， cousin Pao-yue felt displeased." "Who cares！" shouted Lin Tai-yue. "He'll get all right shortly."
"Our worthy grandmother wishes to play at dominoes，" Pao-yue thereupon interposed directing his remarks to Pao-ch'ai； "and there's no one there at present to have a game with her； so you'd better go and play with her."
"Have I come over now to play dominoes！" promptly smiled Pao-ch'ai when she heard his suggestion. With this remark， she nevertheless at once quitted the room.
"It would be well for you to go，" urged Lin Tai-yue， "for there's a tiger in here； and， look out， he might eat you up."
As she spoke， she went on with her cutting.
Pao-yue perceived how both she was to give him any of her attention， and he had no alternative but to force a smile and to observe： "You should also go for a stroll！ It will be time enough by and bye to continue your cutting."
But Tai-yue would pay no heed whatever to him. Pao-yue addressed himself therefore to the servant-girls. "Who has taught her how to cut out these things？" he asked.
"What does it matter who taught me how to cut？" Tai-yue vehemently exclaimed， when she realised that he was speaking to the maids. "It's no business of yours， Mr. Secundus."
Pao-yue was then about to say something in his defence when he saw a servant come in and report that there was some one outside who wished to see him. At this announcement， Pao-yue betook himself with alacrity out of the room.
"O-mi-to-fu！" observed Tai-yue， turning outwards， "it wouldn't matter to you if you found me dead on your return！"
On his arrival outside， Pao-yue discovered Pei Ming. "You are invited，" he said， "to go to Mr. Feng's house."
Upon hearing this message， Pao-yue knew well enough that it was about the project mooted the previous day， and accordingly he told him to go and ask for his clothes， while he himself wended his steps into the library.
Pei Ming came forthwith to the second gate and waited for some one to appear. Seeing an old woman walk out， Pei Ming went up to her. "Our Master Secundus， Mr. Pao，" he told her， "is in the study waiting for his out-door clothes； so do go in， worthy dame， and deliver the message."
"It would be better，" replied the old woman， "if you did not echo your mother's absurdities！ Our Master Secundus， Mr. Pao， now lives in the garden， and all the servants， who attend on him， stay in the garden； and do you again come and bring the message here？"
At these words， Pei Ming smiled. "You're quite right，" he rejoined， "in reproving me， for I've become quite idiotic."
So saying， he repaired with quick step to the second gate on the east side， where， by a lucky hit， the young servant-boys on duty， were kicking marbles on the raised road. Pei Ming explained to them the object of his coming. A young boy thereupon ran in. After a long interval， he， at length， made his appearance， holding， enfolded in his arms， a bundle of clothes， which he handed to Pei Ming， who then returned to the library. Pao-yue effected a change in his costume， and giving directions to saddle his horse， he only took along with him the four servant-boys， Pei Ming， Chu Lo， Shuang Jui and Shou Erh， and started on his way. He reached Feng Tzu-ying's doorway by a short cut. A servant announced his arrival， and Feng Tzu-ying came out and ushered him in. Here he discovered Hsueeh P'an， who had already been waiting a long time， and several singing-boys besides； as well as Chiang Yue-han， who played female roles， and Yuen Erh， a courtesan in the Chin Hsiang court. The whole company exchanged salutations. They next had tea. "What you said the other day，" smiled Pao-yue， raising his cup， "about good fortune coming out of evil fortune has preyed so much upon my mind， both by day and night， that the moment I received your summons I hurried to come immediately."
"My worthy cousins，" rejoined Feng Tzu-ying smiling. "You're all far too credulous！ It's a mere hoax that I made use of the other day. For so much did I fear that you would be sure to refuse if I openly asked you to a drinking bout， that I thought it fit to say what I did. But your attendance to-day， so soon after my invitation， makes it clear， little though one would have thought it， that you've all taken it as pure gospel truth."
This admission evoked laughter from the whole company. The wines were afterwards placed on the table， and they took the seats consistent with their grades. Feng Tzu-ying first and foremost called the singing-boys and offered them a drink. Next he told Yuen Erh to also approach and have a cup of wine.
By the time， however， that Hsueeh P'an had had his third cup， he of a sudden lost control over his feelings， and clasping Yuen Erh's hand in his： "Do sing me，" he smiled， "that novel ballad of your own composition； and I'll drink a whole jar full. Eh， will you？"
This appeal compelled Yuen Erh to take up the guitar. She then sang：
Lovers have I two. To set aside either I cannot bear. When my heart longs for thee to come， It also yearns for him. Both are in form handsome and fair. Their beauty to describe it would be hard. Just think， last night， when at a silent hour， we met in secret， by the trellis frame laden with roses white， One to his feelings stealthily was giving vent， When lo， the other caught us in the act， And laying hands on us； there we three stood like litigants before the bar. And I had， verily， no word in answer for myself to give.
At the close of her song， she laughed. "Well now，" she cried， "down with that whole jar！"
"Why， it isn't worth a jarful，" smiled Hsueeh P'an at these words. "Favour us with some other good song！"
"Listen to what I have to suggest，" Pao-yue interposed， a smile on his lips. "If you go on drinking in this reckless manner， we will easily get drunk and there will be no fun in it. I'll take the lead and swallow a large cupful and put in force a new penalty； and any one of you who doesn't comply with it， will be mulcted in ten large cupfuls， in quick succession！"
Speedily rising from the banquet， he poured the wine for the company. Feng Tzu-ying and the rest meanwhile exclaimed with one voice： "Quite right！ quite right！"
Pao-yue then lifted a large cup and drained it with one draught. "We will now，" he proposed， "dilate on the four characters， 'sad， wounded， glad and joyful.' But while discoursing about young ladies， we'll have to illustrate the four states as well. At the end of this recitation， we'll have to drink the 'door cup' over the wine， to sing an original and seasonable ballad， while over the heel taps， to make allusion to some object on the table， and devise something with some old poetical lines or ancient scrolls， from the Four Books or the Five Classics， or with some set phrases."
Hsueeh P'an gave him no time to finish. He was the first to stand up and prevent him from proceeding. "I won't join you， so don't count me； this is， in fact， done in order to play tricks upon me."
Yuen Erh， however， also rose to her feet and shoved him down into his seat.
