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He had been on his journey how many days， he had not reckoned， when， on a certain day， as they were about to enter the capital， he furthermore heard that his maternal uncle， Wang Tzu-t'eng， had been raised to the rank of Supreme Governor of nine provinces， and had been honoured with an Imperial command to leave the capital and inspect the frontiers.
Hsueeh P'an was at heart secretly elated. "I was just lamenting，" he thought， "that on my visit to the capital， I would have my maternal uncle to exercise control over me， and that I wouldn't be able to gambol and frisk to my heart's content， but now that he is leaving the capital， on promotion， it's evident that Heaven accomplishes man's wishes."
As he consequently held consultation with his mother； "Though we have，" he argued， "several houses of our own in the capital， yet for these last ten years or so， there has been no one to live in them， and the people charged with the looking after them must unavoidably have stealthily rented them to some one or other. It's therefore needful to let servants go ahead to sweep and get the place in proper order， before we can very well go ourselves."
"What need is there to go to such trouble？" retorted his mother； "the main object of our present visit to the capital is first of all to pay our respects to our relatives and friends； and it is， either at your elder uncle's， my brother's place， or at your other uncle's， my sister's husband's home， both of which families' houses are extremely spacious， that we can put up provisionally， and by and bye， at our ease， we can send servants to make our house tidy. Now won't this be a considerable saving of trouble？"
"My uncle， your brother，" suggested Hsueeh P'an， "has just been raised to an appointment in an outside province， so that， of course， in his house， things must be topsy-turvey， on account of his departure； and should we betake ourselves， like a hive of bees and a long trail， to him for shelter； won't we appear very inconsiderate？"
"Your uncle，" remarked his mother， "is， it is true， going on promotion， but there's besides the house of your aunt， my sister. What is more， during these last few years from both your uncle's and aunt's have， time after time， been sent messages， and letters forwarded， asking us to come over； and now that we've come， is it likely， though your uncle is busy with his preparations to start on his journey， that your aunt of the Chia family won't do all she can to press us to stay？ Besides， were we to have our house got ready in a scramble， won't it make people think it strange？ I however know your idea very well that were we kept to stay at your uncle's and aunt's， you won't escape being under strict restraint， unlike what would be the case were we to live in our own house， as you would be free then to act as you please！ Such being the case， go， on your own account， and choose some place to take up your quarters in， while I myself， who have been separated from your aunt and cousins for these several years， would however like to stay with them for a few days； and I'll go along with your sister and look up your aunt at her home. What do you say； will this suit you or not？"
Hsueeh P'an， upon hearing his mother speak in this strain， knew well enough that he could not bring her round from her determination； and he had no help but to issue the necessary directions to the servants to make straight for the Jung Kuo mansion. Madame Wang had by this time already come to know that in the lawsuit， in which Hsueeh P'an was concerned， Chia Yue-ts'un had fortunately intervened and lent his good offices， and was at length more composed in her mind. But when she again saw that her eldest brother had been advanced to a post on the frontier， she was just deploring that， deprived of the intercourse of the relatives of her mother's family， how doubly lonely she would feel； when， after the lapse of a few days， some one of the household brought the unexpected announcement that "our lady， your sister， has， with the young gentleman， the young lady and her whole household， entered the capital and have dismounted from their vehicles outside the main entrance." This news so delighted madame Wang that she rushed out， with a few attendants， to GREet them in the large Entrance Hall， and brought Mrs. Hsueeh and the others into her house.
the two sisters were now reunited， at an advanced period of their lives， so that mixed feelings of sorrow and joy thronged together， but on these it is， of course， needless to dilate.
