Volume Ii Part 86 (1/2)

Hsiang-yun was leaning over, indulging in such merriment that she was quite doubled up in two. But everybody else had realised that the trio was struggling for mastery, so without attempting to versify they kept their gaze fixed on them and gave way to laughter.

Tai-yu gave her another push to try and induce her to go on. ”Do you also sometimes come to your wits' ends; and run to the end of your tether?” she went on to say. ”I'd like to see what other stuff and nonsense you can come out with!”

Hsiang-yun however simply fell forward on Pao-ch'ai's lap and laughed incessantly.

”If you've got any gumption about you,” Pao-ch'ai exclaimed, shoving her up, ”take the second rhymes under 'Hsiao' and exhaust them all, and I'll then bend the knee to you.”

”It isn't as if I were writing verses,” Hsiang-yun laughed rising to her feet; ”it's really as if I were fighting for very life.”

”It's for you to come out with something,” they all cried with a laugh.

T'an Ch'un had long ago determined in her mind that there could be no other ant.i.thetical sentences that she herself could possibly propose, and she forthwith set to work to copy out the verses. But as she pa.s.sed the remark: ”They haven't as yet been brought to a proper close,” Li Wen took up the clue, as soon as she caught her words, and added the sentiment:

My wish is to record this morning's fun.

Li Ch'i then suggested as a finale the line:

By these verses, I'd fain sing th' Emperor's praise.

”That's enough, that will do!” Li Wan cried. ”The rhymes haven't, I admit, been exhausted, but any outside words you might introduce, will, if used in a forced sense, be worth nothing at all.”

While continuing their arguments, the various inmates drew near and kept up a searching criticism for a time.

Hsiang-yun was found to be the one among them, who had devised the largest number of lines.

”This is mainly due,” they unanimously laughed, ”to the virtue of that piece of venison!”

”Let's review them line by line as they come,” Li Wan smilingly proposed, ”but yet as if they formed one continuous poem. Here's Pao-yu last again!”

”I haven't, the fact is, the knack of pairing sentences,” Pao-yu rejoined with a smile. ”You'd better therefore make some allowance for me!”

”There's no such thing as making allowances for you in meeting after meeting,” Li Wan demurred laughing, ”that you should again after that give out the rhymes in a reckless manner, waste your time and not show yourself able to put two lines together. You must absolutely bear a penalty today. I just caught a glimpse of the red plum in the Lung Ts'ui monastery; and how charming it is! I meant to have plucked a twig to put in a vase, but so loathsome is the way in which Miao Yu goes on, that I won't have anything to do with her! But we'll punish him by making him, for the sake of fun, fetch a twig for us to put in water.”

”This penalty,” they shouted with one accord, ”is both excellent as well as pleasant.”

Pao-yu himself was no less delighted to carry it into execution, so signifying his readiness to comply with their wishes, he felt desirous to be off at once.

”It's exceedingly cold outside,” Hsiang-yun and Tai-yu simultaneously remarked, ”so have a gla.s.s of warm wine before you go.”

Hsiang-yun speedily took up the kettle, and Tai-yu handed him a large cup, filled to the very brim.

”Now swallow the wine we give you,” Hsiang-yun smiled. ”And if you don't bring any plum blossom, we'll inflict a double penalty.”

Pao-yu gulped down hurry-scurry the whole contents of the cup and started on his errand in the face of the snow.

”Follow him carefully.” Li Wan enjoined the servants.

Tai-yu, however, hastened to interfere and make her desist. ”There's no such need,” she cried. ”Were any one to go with him, he'll contrariwise not get the flowers.”

Li Wan nodded her head. ”Yes!” she a.s.sented, and then went on to direct a waiting-maid to bring a vase, in the shape of a beautiful girl with high shoulders, to fill it with water, and get it ready to put the plum blossom in. ”And when he comes back,” she felt induced to add, ”we must recite verses on the red plum.”