Saying this， she continued her way， leaning on her staff.

After listening to her rejoinder， Hsiao Hung stood still； and plunging in abstraction， she did not go and fetch the pencil. But presently， she caught sight of a servant-girl running that way. Espying Hsiao Hung lingering in that spot， "Sister Hung，" she cried， "what are you doing in here？"

Hsiao Hung raised her head， and recognised a young waiting-maid called Chui Erh. "Where are you off too？" Hsiao Hung asked.

"I've been told to bring in master Secundus， Mr. Yuen，" Chui Erh replied. After which answer， she there and then departed with all speed.

Hsiao Hung reached， meanwhile， the Feng Yao bridge. As soon as she approached the gateway， she perceived Chui Erh coming along with Chia Yuen from the opposite direction. While advancing Chia Yuen ogled Hsiao Hung； and Hsiao Hung too， though pretending to be addressing herself to Chui Erh， cast a glance at Chia Yuen； and their four eyes， as luck would have it， met. Hsiao Hung involuntarily blushed all over； and turning herself round， she walked off towards the Heng Wu court. But we will leave her there without further remarks.

During this time， Chia Yuen followed Chui Erh， by a circuitous way， into the I Hung court. Chui Erh entered first and made the necessary announcement. Then subsequently she ushered in Chia Yuen. When Chia Yuen scrutinised the surroundings， he perceived， here and there in the court， several blocks of rockery， among which were planted banana-trees. On the opposite side were two storks preening their feathers under the fir trees. Under the covered passage were suspended， in a row， cages of every description， containing all sorts of fairylike， rare birds. In the upper part were five diminutive anterooms， uniformly carved with， unique designs； and above the framework of the door was hung a tablet with the inscription in four huge characters——"I Hung K'uai Lue， the happy red and joyful GREen."

"I thought it strange，" Chia Yuen argued mentally， "that it should be called the I Hung court； but are these， in fact， the four characters inscribed on the tablet！"

But while he was communing within himself， he heard some one laugh and then exclaim from the inner side of the gauze window： "Come in at once！ How is it that I've forgotten you these two or three months？"

As soon as Chia Yuen recognised Pao-yue's voice， he entered the room with hurried step. On raising his head， his eye was attracted by the brilliant splendour emitted by gold and jade and by the dazzling lustre of the elegant arrangements. He failed， however， to detect where Pao-yue was ensconced. The moment he turned his head round， he espied， on the left side， a large cheval-glass； behind which appeared to view， standing side by side， two servant-girls of fifteen or sixteen years of age. "Master Secundus，" they ventured， "please take a seat in the inner room."

Chia Yuen could not even muster courage to look at them straight in the face； but promptly assenting， he walked into a GREen gauze mosquito-house， where he saw a small lacquered bed， hung with curtains of a deep red colour， with clusters of flowers embroidered in gold. Pao-yue， wearing a house-dress and slipshod shoes， was reclining on the bed， a book in hand. The moment he perceived Chia Yuen walk in， he discarded his book， and forthwith smiled and raised himself up. Chia Yuen hurriedly pressed forward and paid his salutation. Pao-yue then offered him a seat； but he simply chose a chair in the lower part of the apartment.

"Ever since the moon in which I came across you，" Pao-yue observed smilingly， "and told you to come into the library， I've had， who would have thought it， endless things to continuously attend to， so that I forgot all about you."

"It's I， indeed， who lacked good fortune！" rejoined Chia Yuen， with a laugh； "particularly so， as it again happened that you， uncle， fell ill. But are you quite right once more？"

"All right！" answered Pao-yue. "I heard that you've been put to much trouble and inconvenience on a good number of days！"

"Had I even had any trouble to bear，" added Chia Yuen， "it would have been my duty to bear it. But your complete recovery， uncle， is really a blessing to our whole family."

As he spoke， he discerned a couple of servant-maids come to help him to a cup of tea. But while conversing with Pao-yue， Chia Yuen was intent upon scrutinising the girl with slim figure， and oval face， and clad in a silvery-red jacket， a blue satin waistcoat and a white silk petticoat with narrow pleats.

At the time of Pao-yue's illness， Chia Yuen had spent a couple of days in the inner apartments， so that he remembered half of the inmates of note， and the moment he set eyes upon this servant-girl he knew that it was Hsi Jen； and that she was in Pao-yue's rooms on a different standing to the rest. Now therefore that she brought the tea in herself and that Pao-yue was， besides， sitting by， he rose to his feet with alacrity and put on a smile. "Sister，" he said， "how is it that you are pouring tea for me？ I came here to pay uncle a visit； what's more I'm no stranger， so let me pour it with my own hands！"

"Just you sit down and finish！" Pao-yue interposed； "will you also behave in this fashion with servant-girls？"

"In spite of what you say；" remarked Chia Yuen smiling， "they are young ladies attached to your rooms， uncle， and how could I presume to be disorderly in my conduct？"

So saying， he took a seat and drank his tea. Pao-yue then talked to him about trivial and irrelevant matters； and afterwards went on to tell him in whose household the actresses were best， and whose gardens were pretty. He further mentioned to him in whose quarters the servant-girls were handsome， whose banquets were sumptuous， as well as in whose home were to be found strange things， and what family possessed remarkable objects. Chia Yuen was constrained to humour him in his conversation； but after a chat， which lasted for some time， he noticed that Pao-yue was somewhat listless， and he promptly stood up and took his leave. And Pao-yue too did not use much pressure to detain him. "To-morrow， if you have nothing to do， do come over！" he merely observed； after which， he again bade the young waiting-maid， Chui Erh， see him out.

Having left the I Hung court， Chia Yuen cast a glance all round； and， realising that there was no one about， he slackened his pace at once， and while proceeding leisurely， he conversed， in a friendly way， with Chui Erh on one thing and another. First and foremost he inquired of her what was her age； and her name. "Of what standing are your father and mother？" he said， "How many years have you been in uncle Pao's apartments？ How much money do you get a month？ In all how many girls are there in uncle Pao's rooms？"

As Chui Erh heard the questions set to her， she readily made suitable reply to each.

"the one， who was a while back talking to you，" continued Chia Yuen， "is called Hsiao Hung， isn't she？"

"Yes， her name is Hsiao Hung！" replied Chui Erh smiling； "but why do you ask about her？"

"She inquired of you just now about some handkerchief or other，" answered Chia Yuen； "well， I've picked one up."