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But with gentle voice did lady Feng again expostulate. "In broad daylight，" she said， "with people coming and going， it is not really convenient that you should abide in here； so you had better go， and when it's dark and the watch is set， you can come over， and quietly wait for me in the corridor on the Eastern side！"
At these words， Chia Jui felt as if he had received some jewel or precious thing. "Don't make fun of me！" he remarked with vehemence. "The only thing is that crowds of people are ever passing from there， and how will it be possible for me to evade detection？"
"Set your mind at ease！" lady Feng advised； "I shall dismiss on leave all the youths on duty at night； and when the doors， on both sides， are closed， there will be no one else to come in！"
Chia Jui was delighted beyond measure by the assurance， and with impetuous haste， he took his leave and went off； convinced at heart of the gratification of his wishes. He continued， up to the time of dusk， a prey to keen expectation； and， when indeed darkness fell， he felt his way into the Jung mansion， availing himself of the moment， when the doors were being closed， to slip into the corridor， where everything was actually pitch dark， and not a soul to be seen going backwards or forwards.
the door leading over to dowager lady Chia's apartments had already been put under key， and there was but one gate， the one on the East， which had not as yet been locked. Chia Jui lent his ear， and listened for ever so long， but he saw no one appear. Suddenly， however， was heard a sound like "lo teng，" and the east gate was also bolted； but though Chia Jui was in a GREat state of impatience， he none the less did not venture to utter a sound. All that necessity compelled him to do was to issue， with quiet steps， from his corner， and to try the gates by pushing； but they were closed as firmly as if they had been made fast with iron bolts； and much though he may， at this juncture， have wished to find his way out， escape was， in fact， out of the question； on the south and north was one continuous dead wall， which， even had he wished to scale， there was nothing which he could clutch and pull himself up by.
This room， besides， was one the interior （of which was exposed） to the wind， which entered through （the fissure） of the door； and was perfectly empty and bare； and the weather being， at this time， that of December， and the night too very long， the northerly wind， with its biting gusts， was sufficient to penetrate the flesh and to cleave the bones， so that the whole night long he had a narrow escape from being frozen to death； and he was yearning， with intolerable anxiety for the break of day， when he espied an old matron go first and open the door on the East side， and then come in and knock at the western gate.
Chia Jui seeing that she had turned her face away， bolted out， like a streak of smoke， as he hugged his shoulders with his hands （from intense cold.） As luck would have it， the hour was as yet early， so that the inmates of the house had not all got out of bed； and making his escape from the postern door， he straightaway betook himself home， running back the whole way.
Chia Jui's parents had， it must be explained， departed life at an early period， and he had no one else， besides his grandfather Tai-ju， to take charge of his support and education. This Tai-ju had， all along， exercised a very strict control， and would not allow Chia Jui to even make one step too many， in the apprehension that he might gad about out of doors drinking and gambling， to the neglect of his studies.
Seeing， on this unexpected occasion， that he had not come home the whole night， he simply felt positive， in his own mind， that he was certain to have run about， if not drinking， at least gambling， and dissipating in houses of the demi-monde up to the small hours； but he never even gave so much as a thought to the possibility of a public scandal， as that in which he was involved. The consequence was that during the whole length of the night he boiled with wrath.
Chia Jui himself， on the other hand， was （in such a state of trepidation） that he could wipe the perspiration （off his face） by handfuls； and he felt constrained on his return home， to have recourse to deceitful excuses， simply explaining that he had been at his eldest maternal uncle's house， and that when it got dark， they kept him to spend the night there.
