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"Don't pull me up for talking too much，" she said； "but who of us country people isn't honest and open-hearted？ As the size of the bowl we hold， so is the quantity of the rice we eat. In your young days， you were dependent on the support of your old father， so that eating and drinking became quite a habit with you； that's how， at the present time， your resources are quite uncertain； when you had money， you looked ahead， and didn't mind behind； and now that you have no money， you blindly fly into huffs. A fine fellow and a capital hero you have made！ Living though we now be away from the capital， we are after all at the feet of the Emperor； this city of Ch'ang Ngan is strewn all over with money， but the pity is that there's no one able to go and fetch it away； and it's no use your staying at home and kicking your feet about."
"All you old lady know，" rejoined Kou Erh， after he had heard what she had to say， "is to sit on the couch and talk trash！ Is it likely you would have me go and play the robber？"
"Who tells you to become a robber？" asked goody Liu. "But it would be well， after all， that we should put our heads together and devise some means； for otherwise， is the money， pray， able of itself to run into our house？"
"Had there been a way，" observed Kou Erh， smiling sarcastically， "would I have waited up to this moment？ I have besides no revenue collectors as relatives， or friends in official positions； and what way could we devise？ 'But even had I any， they wouldn't be likely， I fear， to pay any heed to such as ourselves！"
"That， too， doesn't follow，" remarked goody Liu； "the planning of affairs rests with man， but the accomplishment of them rests with Heaven. After we have laid our plans， we may， who can say， by relying on the sustenance of the gods， find some favourable occasion. Leave it to me， I'll try and devise some lucky chance for you people！ In years gone by， you joined ancestors with the Wang family of Chin Ling， and twenty years back， they treated you with consideration； but of late， you've been so high and mighty， and not condescended to go and bow to them， that an estrangement has arisen. I remember how in years gone by， I and my daughter paid them a visit. The second daughter of the family was really so pleasant and knew so well how to treat people with kindness， and without in fact any high airs！ She's at present the wife of Mr. Chia， the second son of the Jung Kuo mansion； and I hear people say that now that she's advanced in years， she's still more considerate to the poor， regardful of the old， and very fond of preparing vegetable food for the bonzes and performing charitable deeds. The head of the Wang mansion has， it is true， been raised to some office on the frontier， but I hope that this lady Secunda will anyhow notice us. How is it then that you don't find your way as far as there； for she may possibly remember old times， and some good may， no one can say， come of it？ I only wish that she would display some of her kind-heartedness， and pluck one hair from her person which would be， yea thicker than our waist."
"What you suggest， mother， is quite correct，" interposed Mrs. Liu， Kou Erh's wife， who stood by and took up the conversation， "but with such mouth and phiz as yours and mine， how could we present ourselves before her door？ Why I fear that the man at her gate won't also like to go and announce us！ and we'd better not go and have our mouths slapped in public！"
Kou Erh， who would have thought it， prized highly both affluence and fame， so that when he heard these remarks， he forthwith began to feel at heart a little more at ease. When he furthermore heard what his wife had to say， he at once caught up the word as he smiled.
"Old mother，" he rejoined； "since that be your idea， and what's more， you have in days gone by seen this lady on one occasion， why shouldn't you， old lady， start to-morrow on a visit to her and first ascertain how the wind blows！"
"Ai Ya！" exclaimed old Goody， "It may very well be said that the marquis' door is like the wide ocean！ what sort of thing am I？ why the servants of that family wouldn't even recognise me！ even were I to go， it would be on a wild goose chase."
"No matter about that，" observed Kou Erh； "I'll tell you a good way； you just take along with you， your grandson， little Pan Erh， and go first and call upon Chou Jui， who is attached to that household； and when once you've seen him， there will be some little chance. This Chou Jui， at one time， was connected with my father in some affair or other， and we were on excellent terms with him."
"That I too know，" replied goody Liu， "but the thing is that you've had no dealings with him for so long， that who knows how he's disposed towards us now？ this would be hard to say. Besides， you're a man， and with a mouth and phiz like that of yours， you couldn't， on any account， go on this errand. My daughter is a young woman， and she too couldn't very well go and expose herself to public gaze. But by my sacrificing this old face of mine， and by going and knocking it （against the wall） there may， after all， be some benefit and all of us might reap profit."
That very same evening， they laid their plans， and the next morning before the break of day， old goody Liu speedily got up， and having performed her toilette， she gave a few useful hints to Pan Erh； who， being a child of five or six years of age， was， when he heard that he was to be taken into the city， at once so delighted that there was nothing that he would not aGREe to.
Without further delay， goody Liu led off Pan Erh， and entered the city， and reaching the Ning Jung street， she came to the main entrance of the Jung mansion， where， next to the marble lions， were to be seen a crowd of chairs and horses. Goody Liu could not however muster the courage to go by， but having shaken her clothes， and said a few more seasonable words to Pan Erh， she subsequently squatted in front of the side gate， whence she could see a number of servants， swelling out their chests， pushing out their stomachs， gesticulating with their hands and kicking their feet about， while they were seated at the main entrance chattering about one thing and another.
Goody Liu felt constrained to edge herself forward. "Gentlemen，" she ventured， "may happiness betide you！"
the whole company of servants scrutinised her for a time. "Where do you come from？" they at length inquired.
"I've come to look up Mr. Chou， an attendant of my lady's，" remarked goody Liu， as she forced a smile； "which of you， gentlemen， shall I trouble to do me the favour of asking him to come out？"
the servants， after hearing what she had to say， paid， the whole number of them， no heed to her； and it was after the lapse of a considerable time that they suggested： "Go and wait at a distance， at the foot of that wall； and in a short while， the visitors， who are in their house， will be coming out."
Among the party of attendants was an old man， who interposed，
"Don't baffle her object，" he expostulated； "why make a fool of her？" and turning to goody Liu： "This Mr. Chou，" he said， "is gone south： his house is at the back row； his wife is anyhow at home； so go round this way， until you reach the door， at the back street， where， if you will ask about her， you will be on the right track."
