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"What felicitous occurrence will take place？" lady Feng inquired with alacrity.
"the decrees of Heaven cannot be divulged； but as I have been very friendly with you， sister-in-law， for so long， I will present you， before I take my leave， with two lines， which it behoves you to keep in mind，" rejoined Mrs. Ch'in， as she consequently proceeded to recite what follows：
the three springs， when over， all radiance will wane； The inmates to seek each a home will be fain.
Lady Feng was bent upon making further inquiries， when she heard a messenger at the second gate strike the "cloudy board" four consecutive blows. It was indeed the announcement of a death； and it woke up lady Feng with a start. A servant reported that lady Jung of the eastern mansion was no more.
Lady Feng was so taken aback that a cold perspiration broke out all over her person， and she fell for a while into vacant abstraction. But she had to change her costume， with all possible haste， and to come over to madame Wang's apartments.
By this time， all the members of the family were aware of the tidings， and there was not one of them who did not feel disconsolate； one and all of them were much wounded at heart. The elder generation bethought themselves of the dutiful submission which she had all along displayed； those of the same age as herself reflected upon the friendship and intimacy which had ever existed with her； those younger than her remembered her past benevolence. Even the servants of the household， whether old or young， looked back upon her qualities of sympathy with the poor， pity of the destitute， affection for the old， and consideration for the young； and not one of them all was there who did not mourn her loss， and give way to intense grief.
But these irrelevant details need not be dilated upon； suffice it to confine ourselves to Pao-yue.
Consequent upon Lin Tai-yue's return home， he was left to his own self and felt very lonely. Neither would he go and disport himself with others； but with the daily return of dusk， he was wont to retire quietly to sleep.
On this day， while he was yet under the influence of a dream， he heard the announcement of Mrs. Ch'in's death， and turning himself round quickly he crept out of bed， when he felt as if his heart had been stabbed with a sword. With a sudden retch， he straightway expectorated a mouthful of blood， which so frightened Hsi Jen and the rest that they rushed forward and supported him.
"What is the matter？" they inquired， and they meant also to go and let dowager lady Chia know， so as to send for a doctor， but Pao-yue dissuaded them.
"there's no need of any flurry； it's nothing at all，" he said， "it's simply that the fire of grief has attacked the heart， and that the blood did not circulate through the arteries."
As he spoke， he speedily raised himself up， and， after asking for his clothes and changing， he came over to see dowager lady Chia. His wish was to go at once to the other side； and Hsi Jen， though feeling uneasy at heart， seeing the state of mind he was in， did not again hinder him， as she felt constrained to let him please himself.
When old lady Chia saw that he was bent upon going： "the breath is just gone out of the body，" she consequently remonstrated， "and that side is still sullied. In the second place it's now dark， and the wind is high； so you had better wait until to-morrow morning， when you will be in ample time."
Pao-yue would not aGREe to this， and dowager lady Chia gave orders to get the carriage ready， and to depute a few more attendants and followers to go with him. Under this escort he went forward and straightway arrived in front of the Ning mansion， where they saw the main entrance wide open， the lamps on the two sides giving out a light as bright as day， and people coming and going in confused and large numbers； while the sound of weeping inside was sufficient to shake the mountains and to move the hills.
