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Pao-yue kept， while （she spoke，） his eyes fixed intently upon a picture on the opposite side， representing some begonias drooping in the spring time， and upon a pair of scrolls， with this inscription written by Ch'in Tai-hsue：
A gentle chill doth circumscribe the dreaming man because the spring is cold！ The fragrant whiff which wafts itself into man's nose， is the perfume of wine！
And he could not help recalling to mind his experiences at the time when he had fallen asleep in this apartment， and had， in his dream， visited the confines of the GREat Void. He was just plunged in a state of abstraction， when he heard Mrs. Ch'in give utterance to these sentiments， which pierced his heart as if they were ten thousand arrows， （with the result that） tears unwittingly trickled from his eyes.
Lady Feng perceiving him in tears felt it extremely painful within herself to bear the sight； but she was on pins and needles lest the patient should detect their frame of mind， and feel， instead （of benefit）， still more sore at heart， which would not， after all， be quite the purpose of her visit； which was to afford her distraction and consolation. "Pao-yue，" she therefore exclaimed， "you are like an old woman！ Ill， as she is， simply makes her speak in this wise， and how ever could things come to such a pass！ Besides， she is young in years， so that after a short indisposition， her illness will get all right！" "Don't，" she said as she turned towards Mrs. Ch'in， "give way to silly thoughts and idle ideas！ for by so doing won't you yourself be aggravating your ailment？"
"All that her sickness in fact needs，" observed Chia Jung， "is， that she should be able to take something to eat， and then there will be nothing to fear."
"Brother Pao，" urged lady Feng， "your mother told you to go over， as soon as you could， so that don't stay here， and go on in the way you're doing， for you after all incite this lady also to feel uneasy at heart. Besides， your mother over there is solicitous on your account." "You had better go ahead with your uncle Pao，" she consequently continued， addressing herself to Chia Jung， "while I sit here a little longer."
When Chia Jung heard this remark， he promptly crossed over with Pao-yue into the garden of Concentrated Fragrance， while lady Feng went on both to cheer her up for a time， and to impart to her， in an undertone， a good deal of confidential advice.
Mrs. Yu had despatched servants， on two or three occasions， to hurry lady Feng， before she said to Mrs. Ch'in： "Do all you can to take good care of yourself， and I'll come and see you again. You're bound to get over this illness； and now， in fact， that you've come across that renowned doctor， you have really nothing more to fear."
"He might，" observed Mrs. Ch'in as she smiled， "even be a supernatural being and succeed in healing my disease， but he won't be able to remedy my destiny； for， my dear aunt， I feel sure that with this complaint of mine， I can do no more than drag on from day to day."
"If you encourage such ideas，" remonstrated lady Feng， "how can this illness ever get all right？ What you absolutely need is to cast away all these notions， and then you'll improve. I hear moreover that the doctor asserts that if no cure be effected， the fear is of a change for the worse in spring， and not till then. Did you and I moreover belong to a family that hadn't the means to afford any ginseng， it would be difficult to say how we could manage to get it； but were your father and mother-in-law to hear that it's good for your recovery， why not to speak of two mace of ginseng a day， but even two catties will be also within their means！ So mind you do take every care of your health！ I'm now off on my way into the garden."
"Excuse me， my dear aunt，" added Mrs. Ch'in， "that I can't go with you； but when you have nothing to do， I entreat you do come over and see me！ and you and I can sit and have a long chat."
