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At the end， was a row of characters of minute size， denoting the year， month and day， upon which His Majesty had been pleased to confer the tablet upon Chia Yuan， Duke of Jung Kuo. Besides this tablet， were numberless costly articles bearing the autograph of the Emperor. On the large black ebony table， engraved with dragons， were placed three antique blue and GREen bronze tripods， about three feet in height. On the wall hung a large picture representing black dragons， such as were seen in waiting chambers of the Sui dynasty. On one side stood a gold cup of chased work， while on the other， a crystal casket. On the ground were placed， in two rows， sixteen chairs， made of hard-grained cedar.
there was also a pair of scrolls consisting of black-wood antithetical tablets， inlaid with the strokes of words in chased gold. Their burden was this：
On the platform shine resplendent pearls like sun or moon， And the sheen of the Hall facade gleams like russet sky.
Below， was a row of small characters， denoting that the scroll had been written by the hand of Mu Shih， a fellow-countryman and old friend of the family， who， for his meritorious services， had the hereditary title of Prince of Tung Ngan conferred upon him.
the fact is that madame Wang was also not in the habit of sitting and resting， in this main apartment， but in three side-rooms on the east， so that the nurses at once led Tai-yue through the door of the eastern wing.
On a stove-couch， near the window， was spread a foreign red carpet. On the side of honour， were laid deep red reclining-cushions， with dragons， with gold cash （for scales）， and an oblong brown-coloured sitting-cushion with gold-cash-spotted dragons. On the two sides， stood one of a pair of small teapoys of foreign lacquer of peach-blossom pattern. On the teapoy on the left， were spread out Wen Wang tripods， spoons， chopsticks and scent-bottles. On the teapoy on the right， were vases from the Ju Kiln， painted with girls of GREat beauty， in which were placed seasonable flowers； （on it were） also teacups， a tea service and the like articles.
On the floor on the west side of the room， were four chairs in a row， all of which were covered with antimacassars， embroidered with silverish-red flowers， while below， at the feet of these chairs， stood four footstools. On either side， was also one of a pair of high teapoys， and these teapoys were covered with teacups and flower vases.
the other nick-nacks need not be minutely described.
the old nurses pressed Tai-yue to sit down on the stove-couch； but， on perceiving near the edge of the couch two embroidered cushions， placed one opposite the other， she thought of the gradation of seats， and did not therefore place herself on the couch， but on a chair on the eastern side of the room； whereupon the waiting maids， in attendance in these quarters， hastened to serve the tea.
While Tai-yue was sipping her tea， she observed the headgear， dress， deportment and manners of the several waiting maids， which she really found so unlike what she had seen in other households. She had hardly finished her tea， when she noticed a waiting maid approach， dressed in a red satin jacket， and a waistcoat of blue satin with scollops.
"My lady requests Miss Lin to come over and sit with her，" she remarked as she put on a smile.
the old nurses， upon hearing this message， speedily ushered Tai-yue again out of this apartment， into the three-roomed small main building by the eastern porch.
On the stove-couch， situated at the principal part of the room， was placed， in a transverse position， a low couch-table， at the upper end of which were laid out， in a heap， books and a tea service. Against the partition-wall， on the east side， facing the west， was a reclining pillow， made of blue satin， neither old nor new.
Madame Wang， however， occupied the lower seat， on the west side， on which was likewise placed a rather shabby blue satin sitting-rug， with a back-cushion； and upon perceiving Tai-yue come in she urged her at once to sit on the east side.
Tai-yue concluded， in her mind， that this seat must certainly belong to Chia Cheng， and espying， next to the couch， a row of three chairs， covered with antimacassars， strewn with embroidered flowers， somewhat also the worse for use， Tai-yue sat down on one of these chairs.
But as madame Wang pressed her again and again to sit on the couch， Tai-yue had at length to take a seat next to her.
"Your uncle，" madame Wang explained， "is gone to observe this day as a fast day， but you'll see him by and bye. there's， however， one thing I want to talk to you about. Your three female cousins are all， it is true， everything that is nice； and you will， when later on you come together for study， or to learn how to do needlework， or whenever， at any time， you romp and laugh together， find them all most obliging； but there's one thing that causes me very much concern. I have here one， who is the very root of retribution， the incarnation of all mischief， one who is a ne'er-do-well， a prince of malignant spirits in this family. He is gone to-day to pay his vows in the temple， and is not back yet， but you will see him in the evening， when you will readily be able to judge for yourself. One thing you must do， and that is， from this time forth， not to pay any notice to him. All these cousins of yours don't venture to bring any taint upon themselves by provoking him."
