"It's not to be wondered at that you can't make them out，" interposed lady Feng laughing. "Why， her remarks refer to four or five distinct families."

While speaking， she again faced Hsiao Hung. "My dear girl，" she smiled， "what a trouble you've been put to！ But you speak decently， and unlike the others who keep on buzz-buzz-buzz， like mosquitoes！ You're not aware， sister-in-law， that I actually dread uttering a word to any of the girls outside the few servant-girls and matrons in my own immediate service； for they invariably spin out， what could be condensed in a single phrase， into a long interminable yarn， and they munch and chew their words； and sticking to a peculiar drawl， they groan and moan； so much so， that they exasperate me till I fly into a regular rage. Yet how are they to know that our P'ing Erh too was once like them. But when I asked her： 'must you forsooth imitate the humming of a mosquito， in order to be accounted a handsome girl？' and spoke to her， on several occasions， she at length improved considerably."

"What a good thing it would be，" laughed Li Kung-ts'ai， "if they could all be as smart as you are."

"This girl is first-rate！" rejoined lady Feng， "she just now delivered two messages. they didn't， I admit， amount to much， yet to listen to her， she spoke to the point."

"To-morrow，" she continued， addressing herself to Hsiao Hung smilingly， "come and wait on me， and I'll acknowledge you as my daughter； and the moment you come under my control， you'll readily improve."

At this news， Hsiao Hung spurted out laughing aloud.

"What are you laughing for？" Lady Feng inquired. "You must say to yourself that I am young in years and that how much older can I be than yourself to become your mother； but are you under the influence of a spring dream？ Go and ask all those people older than yourself. They would be only too ready to call me mother. But snapping my fingers at them， I to-day exalt you."

"I wasn't laughing about that，" Hsiao Hung answered with a smiling face. "I was amused by the mistake your ladyship made about our generations. Why， my mother claims to be your daughter， my lady， and are you now going to recognise me too as your daughter？"

"Who's your mother？" Lady Feng exclaimed.

"Don't you actually know her？" put in Li Kung-ts'ai with a smile. "She's Lin Chih-hsiao's child."

This disclosure GREatly surprised lady Feng. "What！" she consequently cried， "is she really his daughter？"

"Why Lin Chih-hsiao and his wife，" she resumed smilingly， "couldn't either of them utter a sound if even they were pricked with an awl. I've always maintained that they're a well-suited couple； as the one is as deaf as a post， and the other as dumb as a mute. But who would ever have expected them to have such a clever girl！ By how much are you in your teens？"

"I'm seventeen，" replied Hsia Hung.

"What is your name？" she went on to ask.

"My name was once Hung Yue." Hsiao Hung rejoined. "But as it was a duplicate of that of Master Secundus， Mr. Pao-yue， I'm now simply called Hsiao Hung."

Upon hearing this explanation， lady Feng raised her eyebrows into a frown， and turning her head round： "It's most disgusting！" she remarked， "Those bearing the name Yue would seem to be very cheap； for your name is Yue， and so is also mine Yue. Sister-in-law，" she then observed； "I never let you know anything about it， but I mentioned to her mother that Lai Ta's wife has at present her hands quite full， and that she hasn't either any notion as to who is who in this mansion. 'You had better，' （I said）， 'carefully select a couple of girls for my service.' She assented unreservedly， but she put it off and never chose any. On the contrary， she sent this girl to some other place. But is it likely that she wouldn't have been well off with me？"

"Here you are again full of suspicion！" Li Wan laughed. "She came in here long before you ever breathed a word to her！ So how could you bear a grudge against her mother？"

"Well， in that case，" added lady Feng， "I'll speak to Pao-yue to-morrow， and induce him to find another one， and to allow this girl to come along with me. I wonder， however， whether she herself is willing or not？"

"Whether willing or not，" interposed Hsiao Hung smiling， "such as we couldn't really presume to raise our voices and object. We should feel it our privilege to serve such a one as your ladyship， and learn a little how to discriminate when people raise or drop their eyebrows and eyes （with pleasure or displeasure）， and reap as well some experience in such matters as go out or come in， whether high or low， GREat and small."

But during her reply， she perceived Madame Wang's waiting-maid come and invite lady Feng to go over. Lady Feng bade good-bye at once to Li Kung-ts'ai and took her departure.