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This answer slightly reassured Mrs. Chao's mind. "How is it，" she speedily urged， "that an intelligent person like you should have become so dense？ If， indeed， the spell prove efficacious， and we exterminate them both， is there any apprehension that this family estate won't be ours？ and when that time comes， won't you get all you may wish？"
At this disclosure， Ma， the Taoist matron， lowered her head for a long time. "When everything，" she observed， "shall have been settled satisfactorily， and when there'll be， what's more， no proof at all， will you still pay any heed to me？"
"What's there hard about this？" remarked Mrs. Chao. "I've saved several taels from my own pin-money， and have besides a good number of clothes and head-ornaments. So you can first take several of these away with you. And I'll further write an I.O.U.， and entrust it to you， and when that time does come， I'll pay you in full."
"That will do！" answered the Taoist matron， Ma.
Mrs. Chao thereupon dismissed even a young servant-girl， who happened to be in the room， and hastily opening a trunk， she produced several articles of clothing and jewelry， as well as a few odd pieces of silver from her own pocket-money. Then also writing a promissory note for fifty taels， she surrendered the lot to Ma， the Taoist matron. "Take these，" she said， "in advance for presents in your temple."
At the sight of the various articles and of the promissory note， the Taoist matron became at once unmindful of what was right and what was wrong； and while her mouth was full of assent， she stretched out her arm， and first and foremost laid hold of the hard cash， and next clutched the I.O.U. Turning then towards Mrs. Chao， she asked for a sheet of paper； and taking up a pair of scissors， she cut out two human beings and gave them to Mrs. Chao， enjoining her to write on the upper part of them the respective ages of the two persons in question. Looking further for a sheet of blue paper， she cut out five blue-faced devils， which she bade her place together side by side with the paper men， and taking a pin she made them fast. "When I get home，" she remarked， "I'll have recourse to some art， which will， beyond doubt， prove efficacious."
When she however had done speaking， she suddenly saw Madame Wang's waiting-maid make her appearance inside the room. "What！ my dame， are you in here！" the girl exclaimed. "Why， our lady is waiting for you！"
the two dames then parted company.
But passing them over， we will now allude to Lin Tai-y mu. As Pao-yue had scalded his face， and did not go out of doors very much， she often came to have a chat with him. On this particular day she took up， after her meal， some book or other and read a couple of pages out of it. Next， she busied herself a little with needlework， in company with Tzu Chuan. She felt however thoroughly dejected and out of sorts. So she strolled out of doors along with her. But catching sight of the newly sprouted bamboo shoots， in front of the pavilion， they involuntarily stepped out of the entrance of the court， and penetrated into the garden. They cast their eyes on all four quarters； but not a soul was visible. When they became conscious of the splendour of the flowers and the chatter of the birds， they， with listless step， turned their course towards the I Hung court. There they found several servant-girls baling out water； while a bevy of them stood under the verandah， watching the thrushes having their bath. They heard also the sound of laughter in the rooms.
the fact is that Li Kung-ts'ai， lady Feng， and Pao-ch'ai were assembled inside. As soon as they saw them walk in， they with one voice shouted， smiling： "Now， are not these two more！"
"We are a full company to-day，" laughed Tai-yue， "but who has issued the cards and invited us here？"
"the other day，" interposed lady Feng， "I sent servants with a present of two caddies of tea for you， Miss Lin； was it， after all， good？"
"I had just forgotten all about it，" Tai-yue rejoined， "many thanks for your kind attention！
"I tasted it，" observed Pao-yue. "I did not think it anything good. But I don't know how others， who've had any of it， find it."
"Its flavour，" said Tai-yue， "is good； the only thing is， it has no colour."
"It's tribute tea from the Laos Kingdom，" continued lady Feng. "When I tried it， I didn't either find it anything very fine. It's not up to what we ordinarily drink."
"To my taste， it's all right，" put in Tai-yue. "But what your palates are like， I can't make out."
"As you say it's good，" suggested Pao-yue， "you're quite at liberty to take all I have for your use."
"I've got a GREat deal more of it over there，" lady Feng remarked.
"I'll tell a servant-girl to go and fetch it，" Tai-yue replied.
"No need，" lady Feng went on. "I'll send it over with some one. I also have a favour to ask of you to-morrow， so I may as well tell the servant to bring it along at the same time."
When Lin Tai-yue heard these words， she put on a smile. "You just mark this，" she observed. "I've had to-day a little tea from her place， and she at once begins making a tool of me！"
"Since you've had some of our tea，" lady Feng laughed， "how is it that you have not yet become a wife in our household？"
the whole party burst out laughing aloud. So much so， that they found it difficult to repress themselves. But Tai-yue's face was suffused with blushes. She turned her head the other way， and uttered not a word.
"Our sister-in-law Secunda's jibes are first-rate！" Pao-ch'ai chimed in with a laugh.
"What jibes！" exclaimed Tai-yue； "they're purely and simply the prattle of a mean mouth and vile tongue！ They're enough to evoke people's displeasure！"
Saying this， she went on to sputter in disgust.
"Were you，" insinuated lady Feng， "to become a wife in my family， what is there that you would lack？" Pointing then at Pao-yue， "Look here！" she cried——"Is not this human being worthy of you？ Is not his station in life good enough for you？ Are not our stock and estate sufficient for you？ and in what slight deGREe can he make you lose caste？"
Tai-yue rose to her feet， and retired immediately. But Pao-ch'ai shouted out： "Here's P'in Erh in a huff！ Don't you yet come back？ when you've gone， there will really be no fun！"
