The maid Pearl sulks and takes Pao Yu quietly to task.

The maid Pearl sulks and takes Pao Yu quietly to task. The maid Little

Ping keeps silence and saves Chia Lien from being discovered.

IKE NEXT MORNING ?AO Yu JUMPED OUT OF BED VERY EARLY, PUT

on his slippers and dressing gown, and tripped along next door to the

bedroom of his two cousins. He found them still in bed fast asleep. The

absence of the maids made it possible for him to observe them at

leisure. How different they looked even when asleep! Black Jade lay

all carefully wrapped and muffled up to her ears in the apricot‐colored

silk eiderdown, while Little Cloud had let the cover slide off her so

much that her right shoulder and her right arm, decorated with two

gold bangles, and even a bit of her round smooth thigh lay bare and

naked. The blue‐black ringlets of her loosened hair fell over the edge

of the pillow.

"She cannot be still even when asleep!" murmured Pao Yu to him‐ 

self. "She'll get a fine cold and then complain of twinges."

And he drew the cover gently and carefully up over her. Thereupon

Black Jade turned round and opened her eyes. "What are you doing

here so early?" she asked Pao Yu.

"It's not at all so early. Quick, get up!"

"You must go out first."

Pao Yu waited a little while in the adjoining dressing room, then

he came back. In the meantime the two cousins had got up and were

just at their morning toilet. Pao Yu sat down by the dressing table and

looked on as Little Cloud washed herself. When she had finished, the

maid Blue Thread was about to take away the washing water.

"Stop!" cried Pao Yu, holding her back. "I would like to have it to

wash in."

And he stooped over the basin, wetted his face and hands in the same

water which Little Cloud had used, and dried himself with the same

towel with which she had dried herself. Then he quickly rinsed out

his mouth and cleaned his teeth with blue salts and, this done, turned

round again to Little Cloud. She had just finished doing her hair.

"Dear little sister, please do my hair too!" he begged.

"No, I cannot do that."

"But you used to be able to do it before."

''Perhaps so, but I have forgotten how to."

'You must do it! I will not go away from here or put on my fore‐ 

head band or my cap until you have done my hair! Just to plait the few

little pigtails is not so very difficult!"

Finally she gave in and did what he asked; she drew his head nearer

to her, plaited the front hair into a ring of little pigtails which when

all tied by the ends and drawn up formed a crown‐shaped coiffure,

and dressed* his back hair in a long pigtail with a red braid plaited

through it. This braid was decorated with four pearls and it was

weighted down with a gold clasp at the end.

"Look here, the fourth pearl does not match the other pearls. I re‐ 

member that all four used to be alike," remarked Little Cloud while

she was plaiting.

"That's right. It is a replacement; I lost the original one."

"Out in the 'street, I suppose. It's a pity, the lovely pearl is in

strange hands now."

"Who knows, perhaps he did not lose it but presented it to some‐ 

one as a mark of regard," interjected Black Jade.

Pao Yu did not reply, but continued to handle and peep inta the

bottles and boxes which covered the dressing table. Now he caught

sight of an open jar of rouge. He would have liked to stick in his finger,

as was his habit, and taste the red stuff, but he was afraid his cousins

would catch him at it and scold him. While he was hesitating and

staring fascinated at the tempting red paste he suddenly got a slap

from behind which made him drop the pot of rouge.

"You shouldn't do that! When will you give up such silliness?"

Little Cloud rebuked him.

At that moment the maid Pearl appeared, but immediately with‐ 

drew again when she saw how matters stood. She found she was super‐ 

fluous at such times. While she was doing her own morning toilet Pre‐ 

cious Clasp entered her room.

"Where is Pao Yu?" she asked.

"He is busy," replied Pearl with an ironical smile, indicating the

next room.

Precious Clasp understood.

"Yes, one can preach to him as much as one likes, but it only goes

in one ear and out the other," continued Pearl with a sigh. "They are

his cousins, of course, but even with cousins there are certain limits.

This boisterous playing about day and night he knows no modera‐ 

tion!"

Precious Clasp thought she was speaking very sensibly. She sat on

the edge of the bed and started a little talk with her, asking about her

age and family and other personal things; and the more she chatted

with her the more she was charmed by her kind and understanding na‐ 

ture. At last Pao Yu returned. Precious Clasp stood up at once and went

off without a word or a greeting.

"Why did she go off so suddenly when I came in?" he asked in sur‐ 

prise.

"Why do you ask me? I cannot know what there is between you

two," replied Pearl coolly. Pao Yu did not fail to notice her annoyed

expression.

"Why are you in such a bad humor?" he continued, smiling.

"I did not know that I was in a bad humor. Moreover, in future you

need not set your foot in my room any more, and when you want some‐ 

one to serve you, please get someone else! From now on I would prefer

to serve the old Tai tai again."

Saying this, she threw herself on her bed. Pao Yu sat down beside

her and spoke kind words to her, but she shut her eyes tight and did

not take any notice of him. He was utterly perplexed.

"What is the matter with her?" he asked the maid, Musk, who came

in just then.

"How do I know? You must ask her yourself," answered Musk

brusquely, and disappeared again. Pao Yu looked after her, puzzLJ

"Ah, well! I'll lie down to sleep too," he said ill‐humoredly; and

standing up he went into his bedroom and threw himself on the bed.

For a while it was quiet in both rooms. Then Pearl heard the sound

of regular breathing. She thought he had really gone to sleep, so she

got up quietly, went over, and covered him with a blanket. But he

pushed the covering away crossly and continued to pretend to be

asleep. She saw through his pretense.

"If it suits you that way, I also can pretend to be deaf and dumb in

future," she said.

He gave up his pretending and sat up.

"How have I deserved your displeasure again? I have no objection

to your scolding me. But to sulk silently without any reason, and not

to notice me at all, that's no manners! I do not understand your be‐ 

havior/'

"It is a pity that you lack the necessary insight."

He had no time to reply, for the Princess Ancestress sent for him to

come to breakfast. When he returned again after a breakfast taken

hurriedly and absent‐mindedly, Pearl had made herself comfortable on

the divan in the veranda, while Musk was squatting down beside her

tranquilly laying out dominoes. They behaved as if they did not see

him. He knew that they always made common cause. Engaged and

without even deigning to glance at them, he passed them by and went

into his own room. Musk got up slowly and followed him in silently,

expecting an order. But without hesitation he pushed her out the door.

"Please do not let me disturb you two!" he said angrily. Musk turned

away, giggling to herself, and sent him two little auxiliary maids in‐ 

stead. Meantime Pao Yu had again thrown himself on the bed and

was buried in a book. When he looked up after a while and wished

to order tea he saw the two little things standing quietly and shyly in

a corner. One of them, the older, he found most charming.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Orchid Perfume."

"Who gave you that name?"

"Sister Pearl. My real name is Perfume of Resin."

"Ridiculous!" he murmured. "How many sisters have you at home?"

"There are four of us."

"And where do you come in?"

"I'm the fourth."

"Good. Then I shall just call you Little Fourth. Why these elaborate

names? Hurry up and bring me tea!"

The two elder maids who were outside on the veranda had heard the

conversation. They pressed their lips tightly together to keep from

laughing out loud.

That whole day Pao Yu remained quietly in his room, contrary to

his usual custom, and cured his bad humor as best he could by reading

and writing. He left all the maids alone, with the exception of Little

Fourth. Little Fourth naturally felt very much favored, and being very

wide awake, she took the opportunity to fawn upon him and dance

attendance on him, thus completely winning his favor. But he was not

inclined to pay her much more attention today.

When evening came he felt his self‐imposed loneliness doubly op‐ 

pressive. A few glasses of wine which he had taken at table had ex‐ 

cited and stimulated him. His eyes burned and his ears glowed. Nor‐ 

mally, in such a mood as this he would have joked and been boisterous

with his cousins and the maids. Today it was cold and quiet all around

him. He sat alone in front of the lamp indulging in sad thoughts.

Should he not go to them all the same, seek their company as usual?

No, his pride would not allow that. He did not want to run after them.

If lie did so, they would treat him with more contempt than ever in the

future and take even more liberties in making critical remarks. Better to

ignore them completely, as if they were dead, and to be content with

his own company for once.

After he had forced himself to this heroic decision a feeling of cheer‐ 

ful composure came over him. He got Little Fourth to pour him

out some fresh wine, and took down the work of the great philosopher

Chuang Tzu. That was just the right book for his mood. As he was

looking through it he came on a passage in the chapter about robbers

and thieves entitled "Open the Cupboards" which read: "Away with

morality and education! Then there will be no more street robberies.

Away with pearls and precious stones! Then thefts will cease. Burn the

documents of investiture! Smash up the seals of office! Then people

will become honest and simple again. Destroy the weighing machines!

Smash up the weights and measures ! Then there will be no more quar‐ 

relling and strife! Do away with laws and regulations! Then people

will become sensible of their own accord. Away with the study of

harmony and musical instruments! Then people will learn to hear of

themselves. Away with calligraphy and color theories! Then people

will learn to see for themselves. Away with arithmetic and geometry,

with angles and compasses ! Then people will become clever and shrewd

of themselves. . . ."

When Pao Yu had read thus far, he dipped his brush in the India

ink and, inspired by the wine and by the spirit of the wise Chuang Tzu,

he wrote on, continuing the theme: "Away with the Pearls and the

Musks ! Then the inmates of the inner chambers will take care of them‐ 

selves. Smash up the Precious Clasps! Let the Black Jades return to

ashes ! Bury all yearnings and passions ! Then will the beautiful and the

ugly inmates of inner chambers bear with one another and reciprocally

and without rancor accept wise instructions one from the other. Should

Precjous Clasp's divine beauty fade away, I would be cured of the de‐ 

lusion of love. Should Black Jade's splendid mind go to ashes, then I

would no longer need to be consumed with admiration for her. These

four, Clasp, Jade, Pearl, and Musk, cast out their nets and set their

malicious snares and fool and bewitch all who come within their range."

Having written these passages from his heart, Pao Yu flung aside

his brush well pleased, lay down in bed, and fell asleep at once.

When he awoke the next mooring and turned over on the other side,

he saw the maid Pearl lying at his side, fully clothed, on top of the

bedclothes. He gave her a push.

"Lie down properly in the bed! You will catch cold like that," he

said to her. He had long ago forgotten the little quarrel of yesterday,

but she had not. When she remained silent, he stretched out his hand

and tried to pull off her jacket. But he had scarcely undone the first

button when she pushed back his hand and buttoned her jacket again.

He grasped her hand and asked kindly: "What is the matter with you?"

She looked at him astonished. "There is nothing at all wrong with

me, but I wouM advise you to go over quickly to your morning toilet,

or else you will arrive too late."

"Over where?"

"As if i need tell you! Let the two of us keep at a distance from each

other, for there's only cockfighting between us for the amusement of

others. So go along over there, where you find it so pleasant. And if

's no longer pleasant over there, there's always a Little Fourth or a

Little Fifth at your disposal over here. What do you want with an awk‐

ward creature like me, who stupidly misuses beautiful flower names?"

"Can you not forget about yesterday, then?"

"Never! Not if I were to live for a hundred years! I am certainly

not like you, past whose ear all well‐meant words are blown away by

the wind unheard, and who does not know the next morning what has

been said the night before."

Pao Yu seized a jade hair clasp which had slid down near the pillow,

and flung it so violently to the ground that it broke.

"May that happen to me too if I do not listen to you in the future!"

he said with emphasis.

"Better not to swear!" said Pearl, laughing. "Besides, you do not

really mean it."

"If you knew how heavy my heart is!"

"What do you know about grief, anyway? You would have to look

into my heart to know that. But enough of this. It's time to get up."

Pao Yu got up and dressed himself. This time he did not go over

to Black Jade and Little Cloud but remained quietly with Pearl and let

her do his hair. Shortly after he had gone to take breakfast with his

grandmother as usual, Black Jade came into his room. Full of curiosity,

she ransacked his writing table. There she found the book of Chuang

Tzu lying open and beside it the supplementary composition written in

Pao Yu's own hand. She did not really know whether to laugh at his

outpourings or to be angry. At any rate, she took the writing brush

and wrote the following satirical verse as further supplement, under his

effusion:

"Who is the clumsy fool that dares to prattle

And nibble at the words of Master Chuang Tzu?

Let him attend to his own business

And keep his hands off the affairs of others."

Phoenix's little daughter was ill with smallpox, and the doctor had

ordered the usual precautions to be taken. Phoenix and her husband

Chia Lien had to evacuate their house temporarily on account of the

danger of infection, and live separately, Chia Lien in the outer library

and Phoenix with her aunt, Madame Cheng. The dwelling was swept

out and fumigated in accordance with the prescribed formula, an altar

was erected to the goddess of smallpox, and Phoenix devoutly offered

sacrifice and prayed before it every day. Everything roasted or baked

was banished from the kitchen of the Yungkuo household during the

days of the illness. The nurse and the maids who had to attend to the

sick child were dressed in new dark red garments. Two doctors took

turns in caring for the little patient and were not allowed to leave the house for twelve days.

The temporary interruption of marital relations was a hard trial for

Chia Lien, and he found the loneliness of his sleeping quarters in the

outer library so oppressive that by the third day he was already looking

around for some compensation. The company of a few nice young

serving boys did not satisfy him for long. Then his eyes fell on the

wife of the cook To Kuan. This woman, who was barely twenty, was

full of voluptuous charm, and having been married off by her parents

to a drunken blockhead whom she did not love, she made it a practice

to compensate herself for this as well as she could behind his back. The

cook no longer bothered about her doings; he only cared for money and

good food and drink, and it was his habit to throw himself on his bed

quite early in the evening to sleep off his usual tipsiness. So it was easy

for his wife to pick flowers by the wayside or enjoy secret fruits, and

there was scarcely a man either in the western or in the eastern palace

who had not enjoyed her favors at one time or another.

Chia Lien's mouth too had long been watering for this juicy peach, but

fear of Phoenix had restrained him up to now. Under the present cir‐ 

cumstances, however, he put aside all his qualms, and as the woman,

moreover, was encouraging him by ostentatiously strutting about in

front of the windows of his quarters, he easily arranged for a first meeting

with her. One evening when the cook was again lying on the kang

helplessly drunk and snoring, he slipped into her room. Her proximity

was sufficient to make him immediately lose complete control, and no

preliminary amorous declaration or skirmishing about was necessary,

straight away they undressed and lay down side by side. With keen

delight he relished her oft‐tried arts of love, which had already made

many a man's bones and nerves soft as wax. He felt in her arms as if

he were bedded in cotton‐wool, and revelled in the union of their

bodies.

"You are a real villain!" she remarked laughing, as they lay there.

"Your child is ill, your wife is praying to the goddess of smallpox,

and you should be mortifying yourself in virtuous solitude. Be off at

once!"

"You are my goddess! What do I want with other goddesses?" he

stammered, continuing his devout exercise. After this first time he came

to her daily and was almost sorry when, after twelve days, the child

was well again and the worship of the goddess, as he understood it, was

at an end. The altar and the statue of the goddess of smallpox were

taken down and in their place a solemn ceremonial thanksgiving sacri‐ 

fice was offered to heaven and to the ancestors by the assembled fam‐ 

ily. And Phoenix and Chia Lien returned to their common home.

The maid Little Ping was putting Chia Lien's clothing and bed

liner back in their place again, when she discovered between the pil‐

lows a long strand of a woman's blue‐black hair. She knew what that

meant, wound up the strand carefully, hurried off to Chia Lien, and

triumphantly held up her find to him.

"Look here, what is this?"

The astonished Chia Lien tried to snatch the strand out of her hand,

but Little Ping was quicker than he and dodged him cleverly. He

rushed after her, caught her and pushed her down on the divan. There

was a violent struggle for the possession of the dangerous piece of evi‐ 

dence.

"Let me go!" screamed the ticklish maid, choking with laughter.

"You should be thankful that I have not betrayed you, you rascal! But

if you torment me any more I will not spare you but will tell your

wife."

"Dearest, best one, do not do that ! I will treat you well in the fu‐ 

ture!" he begged, letting her go quickly, for he had heard Phoenix's

voice outside.

"Do not betray me!" he repeated again, in a low voice. Thereupon

the redoubtable lady entered. She cast a quick, searching, sidelong

glance at her husband and then said to the maid: "Have you moved all

my husband's things in here?"

The maid nodded.

"Nothing is missing?" The maid answered in the negative.

"Is there nothing among them which should not be there?"

"What do you mean?" asked Little Ping, laughing. "Is it not enough

that nothing is missing?"

"Hm, one cannot know," replied Madame Phoenix also laughing, and

looking askance at her husband again. "In two weeks' separation many

things can happen. Who knows? Might not a ring, or a cambric

handkerchief, or some other tender souvenir be found perchance among

his things?"

Chia Lien had become waxen yellow in the face with fright and be‐ 

hind his wife's back cast despairing looks at the maid, like a fowl that is

just about to be killed.

"How strange that we should think the same thing, Mistress!" said

Little Ping, quite unembarrassed. "Because I feared the same thing as

you did I have just looked through his things thoroughly, and have

not found the slightest trace of anything. But if you don't believe me,

look yourself."

"Nonsense! He wouldn't be so stupid as to put our noses on the

scent, so let it be!" replied Phoenix, as she turned round laughing, to

go out. Chia Lien breathed a sigh of relief as she turned her back.

Little Ping held her nose to prevent herself from bursting out laughing.

"Well, have I acted my part well? You should be very grateful to

me," she said to him.

"My heart! My liver! My little meat ball!" he flattered her, em‐ 

bracing her tenderly. Little Ping had again produced the telltale strand

of hair and swung it gleefully in his face.

"Look, with this I have you fettered for life!" she cried exultantly.

"If ever you are not nice to me, I can go to your wife and betray

you."

But with a sudden grab he had snatched at her waving hand and

torn the booty frpm her.

"The thing is safer with me. At best, you will do some mischief with

it," he said laughing and stuffed the strand into the leg of his boot.

"Fie! You are very rude!" she pouted, disconcerted. "You are

hardly safely across the stream when you break down the bridge. But

do not imagine that I will tell lies for you again!" With this she disen‐ 

gaged herself from his tender embrace and slipped out of the room.

"Such a hussy; first you entice, and then, when the fire is alight, you

run off!" he called after her.

"Who told you to get on fire?" she called back through the window,

laughing. "You do not imagine that I could belong to you? Your wife

would certainly have it in for me if she got to know of it."

"Oh, she! You need not be afraid of her. Sometime I'll shatter that

vinegar pot in pieces! She'll learn to know me, with her damned

jealousy! I've been tired of this tedious spying for a long time past.

She watches me as if I were a thief. If she had her way, I'd only asr

sociate with men and never speak to any female. Even the very prox‐ 

imity of a woman arouses her suspicion. She, on the other hand, enjoys

herself freely and unashamedly with brothers‐in‐law and cousins and

nephews. But just wait, I will pay her back!"

"She has every reason to mistrust you, but you on your part have

no reason to be jealous. She is the best and most faithful married

woman living. But you are a depraved scoundrel and villain."

"Aha, you have both conspired against me. But just wait, I will have

an opportunity someday of stopping your slanderous tongues . . .!"

The approach of Phoenix stopped any further abuse. When she

noticed the maid, Little Ping, conversing with him at the window,

she said to her teasingly: "If you want something from him, please

arrange it inside! Why do you talk with him through the window?"

"That's right. She behaves as if there were a tiger in here who wanted

to eat her," interjected Chia Lien~ laughing.

"There is no one in there but himself," remarked Little Ping, sharply.

"Oh, but that's all the better," continued Phoenix ironically.

"All the better for whom?" asked Little Ping, irritated.

"For you, of course!"

"You would do better not to force me to speak. For if you do, all

kinds of nice things might come to light," the maid replied in an in‐ 

jured tone, turning her back on her mistress without drawing aside the

curtain for her. Phoenix raised the curtain herself and went into the

roorr

"The creature seems to have gone crazy," she remarked angrily to

her husband. "But if she should take it into her head to want to get

the better of me, I would like to advise you also to save your skin."

Chia Lien threw himself full length on the divan and clapped his

hands with pleasure.

"What? Is she really so dangerous?" he exclaimed, laughing. "If

that is so, I must look at her with quite different eyes in future."

"Of course you are to blame ! You must have encouraged her," said

Phoenix severely. "Take care that I do not settle accounts with you!"

"Ha, then I had better be off!"

"Stop! Stay here! I have something else to speak to you about."

What she had to speak to him about will be revealed in the next

chapter.