But this remark was scarcely ended when they heard his wife say： "Are you again in the clouds？ When I heard that there was no rice， I bought half a catty of dry rice paste， and brought it here for you to eat； and do you pray now still put on the airs of a well-to-do， and keep your nephew to feel the pangs of hunger？"

"Well， then， buy half a catty more， and add to what there is， that's all，" Pu Shih-jen continued； whereupon her mother explained to her daughter， Yin Chieh， "Go over to Mrs. Wang's opposite， and ask her if she has any cash， to lend us twenty or thirty of them； and to-morrow， when they're brought over， we'll repay her."

But while the husband and wife were carrying on this conversation， Chia Yuen had， at an early period， repeated several times： "There's no need to go to this trouble，" and off he went， leaving no trace or shadow behind. But without passing any further remarks on the husband and wife of the Pu family， we will now confine ourselves to Chia Yuen. Having gone in high dudgeon out of the door of his uncle's house， he started straight on his way back home； but while distressed in mind， and preoccupied with his thoughts， he paced on with drooping head， he unexpectedly came into collision with a drunken fellow， who gripped Chia Yuen， and began to abuse him， crying： "Are your eyes gone blind， that you come bang against me？"

the tone of voice， when it reached Chia Yuen ears， sounded like that of some one with whom he was intimate； and， on careful scrutiny， he found， in fact， that it was his next-door neighbour， Ni Erh. This Ni Erh was a dissolute knave， whose only idea was to give out money at heavy rates of interest and to have his meals in the gambling dens. His sole delight was to drink and to fight.

He was， at this very moment， coming back home from the house of a creditor， whom he had dunned， and was already far gone with drink， so that when， at an unforeseen moment， Chia Yuen ran against him， he meant there and then to start a scuffle with him.

"Old Erh！" Chia Yuen shouted， "stay your hand； it's I who have hustled against you."

As soon as Ni Erh heard the tone of his voice， he opened wide his drunken eyes and gave him a look； and realising that it was Chia Yuen， he hastened to loosen his grasp and to remark with a smile， as he staggered about， "Is it you indeed， master Chia Secundus？ where were you off to now？"

"I couldn't tell you！" Chia Yuen rejoined； "I've again brought displeasure upon me， and all through no fault of mine."

"Never mind！" urged Ni Erh， "if you're in any trouble you just tell me， and I'll give vent to your spite for you； for in these three streets， and six lanes， no matter who may give offence to any neighbours of mine， of me， Ni Erh， the drunken Chin Kang， I'll wager that I compel that man's family to disperse， and his home to break up！"

"Old Ni， don't lose your temper，" Chia Yuen protested， "but listen and let me tell you what happened！" After which， he went on to tell Ni Erh the whole affair with Pu Shih-jen. As soon as Ni Erh heard him， he got into a frightful rage； "Were he not，" he shouted， a "relative of yours， master Secundus， I would readily give him a bit of my mind！ Really resentment will stifle my breath！ but never mind！ you needn't however distress yourself. I've got here a few taels ready at hand， which， if you require， don't scruple to take； and from such good neighbours as you are， I won't ask any interest upon this money."

With this remark still on his lips， he produced from his pouch a bundle of silver.

"Ni Erh has， it is true， ever been a rogue，" Chia Yuen reflected in his own mind， "but as he is regulated in his dealings by a due regard to persons， he enjoys， to a GREat degree， the reputation of generosity； and were I to-day not to accept this favour of his， he'll， I fear， be put to shame； and it won't contrariwise be nice on my part！ and isn't it better that I should make use of his money， and by and by I can repay him double， and things will be all right！"

"Old Erh，" he therefore observed aloud with a smile， "you're really a fine fellow， and as you've shown me such eminent consideration， how can I presume not to accept your offer！ On my return home， I'll write the customary I.O.U.， and send it to you， and all will be in order."

Ni Erh gave a broad grin. "It's only fifteen taels and three mace，" he answered， "and if you insist upon writing an I.O.U.， I won't then lend it to you！"

Chia Yuen at these words， took over the money， smiling the while. "I'll readily，" he retorted， "comply with your wishes and have done； for what's the use of exasperating you！"

"Well then that will be all right！" Ni Erh laughed； "but the day is getting dark； and I shan't ask you to have a cup of tea or stand you a drink， for I've some small things more to settle. As for me， I'm going over there， but you， after all， should please wend your way homewards； and I shall also request you to take a message for me to my people. Tell them to close the doors and turn in， as I'm not returning home； and that in the event of anything occurring， to bid our daughter come over to-morrow， as soon as it is daylight， to short-legged Wang's house， the horse-dealer's， in search of me！" And as he uttered this remark he walked away， stumbling and hobbling along. But we will leave him without further notice and allude to Chia Yuen.

He had， at quite an unexpected juncture， met this piece of luck， so that his heart was， of course， delighted to the utmost deGREe. "This Ni Erh，" he mused， "is really a good enough sort of fellow， but what I dread is that he may have been open-handed in his fit of drunkenness， and that he mayn't， by and by， ask for his money to be paid twice over； and what will I do then？ Never mind，" he suddenly went on to ponder， "when that job has become an accomplished fact， I shall even have the means to pay him back double the original amount."

Prompted by this resolution， he came over to a money-shop， and when he had the silver weighed， and no discrepancy was discovered in the weight， he was still more elated at heart； and on his way back， he first and foremost delivered Ni Erh's message to his wife， and then returned to his own home， where he found his mother seated all alone on a stove-couch spinning thread. As soon as she saw him enter， she inquired where he had been the whole day long， in reply to which Chia Yuen， fearing lest his parent should be angry， forthwith made no allusion to what transpired with Pu Shih-jen， but simply explained that he had been in the western mansion， waiting for his uncle Secundus， Lien. This over， he asked his mother whether she had had her meal or not， and his parent said by way of reply： "I've had it， but I've kept something for you in there，" and calling to the servant-maid， she bade her bring it round， and set it before him to eat. But as it was already dark， when the lamps had to be lit， Chia Yuen， after partaking of his meal， got ready and turned in.