Volume I Part 50 (1/2)

Pao-yu, 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 relations.h.i.+p, 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-yu 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-yu 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-yu 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-yu 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-yu 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-yun 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-yu 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-yu 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-yun 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-yu vehemently inquired.

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

Tai-yu 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-yu 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-yun 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-yun 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.

CHAPTER XXI.

The eminent Hsi Jen, with winsome ways, rails at Pao-yu, with a view to exhortation.

The beauteous P'ing Erh, with soft words, screens Chia Lien.

But to resume our story. When s.h.i.+h Hsiang-yun ran out of the room, she was all in a flutter lest Lin Tai-yu should catch her up; but Pao-yu, who came after her, readily shouted out, ”You'll trip and fall. How ever could she come up to you?”

Lin Tai-yu went in pursuit of her as far as the entrance, when she was impeded from making further progress by Pao-yu, who stretched his arms out against the posts of the door.

”Were I to spare Yun Erh, I couldn't live!” Lin Tai-yu exclaimed, as she tugged at his arms. But Hsiang-yun, perceiving that Pao-yu obstructed the door, and surmising that Tai-yu could not come out, speedily stood still. ”My dear cousin,” she smilingly pleaded, ”do let me off this time!”