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"there's still another thing，" continued the Taoist matron， Ma. "If it be on account of father or mother or seniors， any excessive donation would not matter. But were you， venerable ancestor， to bestow too much in your offering for Pao-yue， our young master won't， I fear， be equal to the gift； and instead of being benefited， his happiness will be snapped. If you therefore want to make a liberal gift seven catties will do； if a small one， then five catties will even be sufficient."
"Well， in that case，" responded dowager lady Chia， "let us fix upon five catties a day， and every month come and receive payment of the whole lump sum！"
"O-mi-to-fu！" exclaimed Ma， the Taoist matron， "Oh merciful， and mighty P'u Sa！"
Dowager lady Chia then called the servants and impressed on their minds that whenever Pao-yue went out of doors in the future， they should give several strings of cash to the pages to bestow on charity among the bonzes and Taoist priests， and the poor and needy they might meet on the way.
these directions concluded， the Taoist matron trudged into the various quarters， and paid her respects， and then strolled leisurely about. Presently， she entered Mrs. Chao's apartments. After the two ladies had exchanged salutations， Mrs. Chao bade a young servant-girl hand her guest a cup of tea. While Mrs. Chao busied herself pasting shoes， Ma， the Taoist matron， espied， piled up in a heap on the stove-couch， sundry pieces of silks and satins. "It just happens，" she consequently remarked， "that I have no facings for shoes， so my lady do give me a few odd cuttings of silk and satin， of no matter what colour， to make myself a pair of shoes with."
Mrs. Chao heaved a sigh. "Look，" she said， "whether there be still among them any pieces good for anything. But anything that's worth anything doesn't find its way in here. If you don't despise what's worthless， you're at liberty to select any two pieces and to take them away， and have done."
the Taoist matron， Ma， chose with alacrity several pieces and shoved them in her breast.
"the other day，" Mrs. Chao went on to inquire， "I sent a servant over with five hundred cash； have you presented any offerings before the god of medicine or not？"
"I've offered them long ago for you，" the Taoist matron Ma rejoined.
"O-mi-to-fu！" ejaculated Mrs. Chao with a sigh， "were I a little better off， I'd also come often and offer gifts； but though my will be boundless， my means are insufficient！"
"Don't trouble your mind on this score，" suggested Ma， the Taoist matron. "By and bye， when Mr. Huan has grown up into a man and obtained some official post or other， will there be then any fear of your not being able to afford such offerings as you might like to make？"
At these words Mrs. Chao gave a smile. "Enough， enough！" she cried. "Don't again refer to such contingencies！ the present is a fair criterion. For up to whom in this house can my son and I come？ Pao-yue is still a mere child； but he is such that he wins people's love. Those big people may be partial to him， and love him a good deal， I've nothing to say to it； but I can't eat humble pie to this sort of mistress！"
While uttering this remark， she stretched out her two fingers.
Ma， the Taoist matron， understood the meaning she desired to convey. "It's your lady Secunda， Lien， eh？" she forthwith asked.
Mrs. Chao was filled with trepidation. Hastily waving her hand， she got to her feet， raised the portiere， and peeped outside. Perceiving that there was no one about， she at length retraced her footsteps. "Dreadful！" she then said to the Taoist matron. "Dreadful！ But speaking of this sort of mistress， I'm not so much as a human being， if she doesn't manage to shift over into her mother's home the whole of this family estate."
"Need you tell me this！" Ma， the Taoist matron， at these words， remarked with a view to ascertain what she implied. "Haven't I， forsooth， discovered it all for myself？ Yet it's fortunate that you don't trouble your minds about her； for it's far better that you should let her have her own way."
"My dear woman，" rejoined Mrs. Chao， "Not let her have her own way！ why， is it likely that any one would have the courage to tell her anything？"
"I don't mean to utter any words that may bring upon me retribution，" added Ma， the Taoist matron， "but you people haven't got the wits. But it's no matter of surprise. Yet if you daren't openly do anything， why， you could stealthily have devised some plan. And do you still tarry up to this day？"
Mrs. Chao realised that there lurked something in her insinuation， and she felt an inward secret joy. "What plan could I stealthily devise？" she asked. "I've got the will right enough， but I'm not a person gifted with this sort of gumption. So were you to impart to me some way or other， I would reward you most liberally."
When the Taoist matron， Ma， heard this， she drew near to her. "O-mi-to-fu！ desist at once from asking me！" she designedly exclaimed. "How can I know anything about such matters， contrary as they are to what is right？"
"there you are again！" Mrs. Chao replied. "You're one ever most ready to succour those in distress， and to help those in danger， and is it likely that you'll quietly look on， while some one comes and compasses my death as well as that of my son？ Are you， pray， fearful lest I shouldn't give you any reward？"
Ma， the Taoist matron， GREeted this remark with a smile. "You're right enough in what you say，" she ventured， "of my being unable to bear the sight of yourself and son receiving insult from a third party； but as for your mention of rewards， why， what's there of yours that I still covet？"
