After conversing for a time on what had occurred， subsequent to their separation， madame Wang took them to pay their obeisance to dowager lady Chia. They then handed over the various kinds of presents and indigenous articles， and after the whole family had been introduced， a banquet was also spread to GREet the guests.

Hsueeh P'an， having paid his respects to Chia Cheng and Chia Lien， was likewise taken to see Chia She， Chia Chen and the other members.

Chia Cheng sent a messenger to tell madame Wang that "'aunt' Hsueeh had already seen many springs and autumns， while their nephew was of tender age， with no experience， so that there was every fear， were he to live outside， that something would again take place. In the South-east corner of our compound，" （he sent word，） "there are in the Pear Fragrance Court， over ten apartments， all of which are vacant and lying idle； and were we to tell the servants to sweep them， and invite 'aunt' Hsueeh and the young gentleman and lady to take up their quarters there， it would be an extremely wise thing."

Madame Wang had in fact been entertaining the wish to keep them to live with them， when dowager lady Chia also sent some one to say that， "Mrs. Hsueeh should be asked to put up in the mansion in order that a GREater friendliness should exist between them all."

Mrs. Hsueeh herself had all along been desirous to live in one place with her relatives， so as to be able to keep a certain check over her son， fearing that， if they lived in a separate house outside， the natural bent of his habits would run riot， and that some calamity would be brought on； and she therefore， there and then， expressed her sense of appreciation， and accepted the invitation. She further privately told madame Wang in clear terms， that every kind of daily expense and general contribution would have to be entirely avoided and withdrawn as that would be the only thing to justify her to make any protracted stay. And madame Wang aware that she had， in her home， no difficulty in this line， promptly in fact complied with her wishes.

From this date it was that "aunt" Hsueeh and her children took up their quarters in the Pear Fragrance Court.

This Court of Pear Fragrance had， we must explain， been at one time used as a place for the quiet retirement of the Duke Jung in his advanced years. It was on a small scale， but ingeniously laid out. There were， at least， over ten structures. The front halls and the back houses were all in perfect style. There was a separate door giving on to the street， and the people of the household of Hsueeh P'an used this door to go in and out. At the south-west quarter， there was also a side door， which communicated with a narrow roadway. Beyond this narrow road， was the eastern court of madame Wang's principal apartment； so that every day， either after her repast， or in the evening， Mrs. Hsueeh would readily come over and converse， on one thing and another， with dowager lady Chia， or have a chat with madame Wang； while Pao-ch'ai came together， day after day， with Tai yue， Ying-ch'un， her sisters and the other girls， either to read， to play chess， or to do needlework， and the pleasure which they derived was indeed perfect.

Hsueeh P'an however had all along from the first instance， been loth to live in the Chia mansion， as he dreaded that with the discipline enforced by his uncle， he would not be able to be his own master； but his mother had made up her mind so positively to remain there， and what was more， every one in the Chia mansion was most pressing in their efforts to keep them， that there was no alternative for him but to take up his quarters temporarily there， while he at the same time directed servants to go and sweep the apartments of their own house， with a view that they should move into them when they were ready.

But， contrary to expectation， after they had been in their quarters for not over a month， Hsueeh P'an came to be on intimate relations with all the young men among the kindred of the Chia mansion， the half of whom were extravagant in their habits， so that GREat was， of course， his delight to frequent them. To-day， they would come together to drink wine； the next day to look at flowers. They even assembled to gamble， to dissipate and to go everywhere and anywhere； leading， with all their enticements， Hsueeh P'an so far astray， that he became far worse， by a hundred times， than he was hitherto.

Although it must be conceded that Chia Cheng was in the education of his children quite correct， and in the control of his family quite systematic， yet in the first place， the clan was so large and the members so numerous， that he was unable to attend to the entire supervision； and， in the second place， the head of the family， at this period， was Chia Chen， who， as the eldest grandchild of the Ning mansion， had likewise now come into the inheritance of the official status， with the result that all matters connected with the clan devolved upon his sole and exclusive control. In the third place， public as well as private concerns were manifold and complex， and being a man of negligent disposition， he estimated ordinary affairs of so little consequence that any respite from his official duties he devoted to no more than the study of books and the playing of chess.

Furthermore， this Pear Fragrance Court was separated by two rows of buildings from his quarters and was also provided with a separate door opening into the street， so that， being able at their own heart's desire to go out and to come in， these several young fellows could well indulge their caprices， and gratify the bent of their minds.

Hence it was that Hsueeh P'an， in course of time gradually extinguished from his memory every idea of shifting their quarters.

But what transpired， on subsequent days， the following chapter will explain.