When the maidens had finished the ballads， they went on to sing the "Supplementary Record；" but the Monitory Vision Fairy， perceiving the total absence of any interest in Pao-yue， heaved a sigh. "You silly brat！" she exclaimed. "What！ haven't you， even now， attained perception！"

"there's no need for you to go on singing，" speedily observed Pao-yue， as he interrupted the singing maidens； and feeling drowsy and dull， he pleaded being under the effects of wine， and begged to be allowed to lie down.

the Fairy then gave orders to clear away the remains of the feast， and escorted Pao-yue to a suite of female apartments， where the splendour of such objects as were laid out was a thing which he had not hitherto seen. But what evoked in him wonder still more intense， was the sight， at an early period， of a girl seated in the room， who， in the freshness of her beauty and winsomeness of her charms， bore some resemblance to Pao-ch'ai， while， in elegance and comeliness， on the other hand， to Tai-yu.

While he was plunged in a state of perplexity， the Fairy suddenly remarked： "All those female apartments and ladies' chambers in so many wealthy and honourable families in the world are， without exception， polluted by voluptuous opulent puppets and by all that bevy of profligate girls. But still more despicable are those from old till now numberless dissolute roues， one and all of whom maintain that libidinous affections do not constitute lewdness； and who try， further， to prove that licentious love is not tantamount to lewdness. But all these arguments are mere apologies for their shortcomings， and a screen for their pollutions； for if libidinous affection be lewdness， still more does the perception of licentious love constitute lewdness. Hence it is that the indulgence of sensuality and the gratification of licentious affection originate entirely from a relish of lust， as well as from a hankering after licentious love. Lo you， who are the object of my love， are the most lewd being under the heavens from remote ages to the present time！"

Pao-yue was quite dumbstruck by what he heard， and hastily smiling， he said by way of reply： "My Fairy labours under a misapprehension. Simply because of my reluctance to read my books my parents have， on repeated occasions， extended to me injunction and reprimand， and would I have the courage to go so far as to rashly plunge in lewd habits？ Besides， I am still young in years， and have no notion what is implied by lewdness！"

"Not so！" exclaimed the Fairy； "lewdness， although one thing in principle is， as far as meaning goes， subject to different constructions； as is exemplified by those in the world whose heart is set upon lewdness. Some delight solely in faces and figures； others find insatiable pleasure in singing and dancing； some in dalliance and raillery； others in the incessant indulgence of their lusts； and these reGREt that all the beautiful maidens under the heavens cannot minister to their short-lived pleasure. These several kinds of persons are foul objects steeped skin and all in lewdness. The lustful love， for instance， which has sprung to life and taken root in your natural affections， I and such as myself extend to it the character of an abstract lewdness； but abstract lewdness can be grasped by the mind， but cannot be transmitted by the mouth； can be fathomed by the spirit， but cannot be divulged in words. As you now are imbued with this desire only in the abstract， you are certainly well fit to be a trustworthy friend in （Fairyland） inner apartments， but， on the path of the mortal world， you will inevitably be misconstrued and defamed； every mouth will ridicule you； every eye will look down upon you with contempt. After meeting recently your worthy ancestors， the two Dukes of Ning and Jung， who opened their hearts and made their wishes known to me with such fervour， （but I will not have you solely on account of the splendour of our inner apartments look down despisingly upon the path of the world）， I consequently led you along， my son， and inebriated you with luscious wines， steeped you in spiritual tea， and admonished you with excellent songs， bringing also here a young sister of mine， whose infant name is Chien Mei， and her style K'o Ching， to be given to you as your wedded wife. To-night， the time will be propitious and suitable for the immediate consummation of the union， with the express object of letting you have a certain insight into the fact that if the condition of the abode of spirits within the confines of Fairyland be still so （imperfect）， how much the more so should be the nature of the affections which prevail in the dusty world； with the intent that from this time forth you should positively break loose from bondage， perceive and amend your former disposition， devote your attention to the works of Confucius and Mencius， and set your steady purpose upon the principles of morality."

Having ended these remarks， she initiated him into the mysteries of licentious love， and， pushing Pao-yue into the room， she closed the door， and took her departure all alone. Pao-yue in a dazed state complied with the admonitions given him by the Fairy， and the natural result was， of course， a violent flirtation， the circumstances of which it would be impossible to recount.

When the next day came， he was by that time so attached to her by ties of tender love and their conversation was so gentle and full of charm that he could not brook to part from K'o Ching. Hand-in-hand， the two of them therefore， went out for a stroll， when they unexpectedly reached a place， where nothing else met their gaze than thorns and brambles， which covered the ground， and a wolf and a tiger walking side by side. Before them stretched the course of a black stream， which obstructed their proGREss； and over this stream there was， what is more， no bridge to enable one to cross it.

While they were exercising their minds with perplexity， they suddenly espied the Fairy coming from the back in pursuit of them. "Desist at once，" she exclaimed， "from making any advance into the stream； it is urgent that you should， with all speed， turn your faces round！"

Pao-yue lost no time in standing still. "What is this place？" he inquired.

"This is the Ford of Enticement，" explained the Fairy. "Its depth is ten thousand chang； its breadth is a thousand li； in its stream there are no boats or paddles by means of which to effect a passage. There is simply a raft， of which Mu Chu-shih directs the rudder， and which Hui Shih chen punts with the poles. They receive no compensation in the shape of gold or silver， but when they come across any one whose destiny it is to cross， they ferry him over. You now have by accident strolled as far as here， and had you fallen into the stream you would have rendered quite useless the advice and admonition which I previously gave you."

these words were scarcely concluded， when suddenly was heard from the midst of the Ford of Enticement， a sound like unto a peal of thunder， whereupon a whole crowd of gobblins and sea-urchins laid hands upon Pao-yue and dragged him down.

This so filled Pao-yue with consternation that he fell into a perspiration as profuse as rain， and he simultaneously broke forth and shouted， "Rescue me， K'o Ching！"

these cries so terrified Hsi Jen and the other waiting-maids， that they rushed forward， and taking Pao-yue in their arms， "Don't be afraid， Pao-yue，" they said， "we are here."

But we must observe that Mrs. Ch'in was just inside the apartment in the act of recommending the young waiting-maids to be mindful that the cats and dogs did not start a fight， when she unawares heard Pao-yue， in his dream， call her by her infant name. In a melancholy mood she therefore communed within herself， "As far as my infant name goes， there is， in this establishment， no one who has any idea what it is， and how is it that he has come to know it， and that he utters it in his dream？" And she was at this period unable to fathom the reason. But， reader， listen to the explanations given in the chapter which follows.