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"Give it to me，" Ch'in Chung cried out smirkingly； while Pao-yue likewise shouted： "Give it to me."
Chih Neng compressed her lips and sneeringly rejoined， "Are you going to have a fight even over a cup of tea？ Is it forsooth likely that there's honey in my hand？"
Pao-yue was the first to grasp and take over the cup， but while drinking it， he was about to make some inquiry， when he caught sight of Chih Shan， who came and called Chih Neng away to go and lay the plates with fruit on the table. Not much time elapsed before she came round to request the two lads to go and have tea and refreshments； but would they eat such things as were laid before them？ They simply sat for a while and came out again and resumed their play.
Lady Feng too stayed for a few moments， and then returned， with the old nun as her escort， into the "unsullied" rooms to lie down. By this time， all the matrons and married women discovered that there was nothing else to be done， and they dispersed in succession， retiring each to rest. There only remained in attendance several young girls who enjoyed her confidence， and the old nun speedily availed herself of the opportunity to speak. "I've got something，" she said， "about which I mean to go to your mansion to beg of madame Wang； but I'll first request you， my lady， to tell me how to set to work."
"What's it？" ascertained lady Feng.
"O-mi-to-fu！" exclaimed the old nun， "It's this； in days gone by， I first lived in the Ch'ang An district. When I became a nun and entered the monastery of Excellent Merit， there lived， at that time， a subscriber， Chang by surname， a very wealthy man. He had a daughter， whose infant name was Chin Ko； the whole family came in the course of that year to the convent I was in， to offer incense， and as luck would have it they met Li Ya-nei， a brother of a secondary wife of the Prefect of the Ch'ang An Prefecture. This Li Ya-nei fell in love at first sight with her， and would wed Chin Ko as his wife. He sent go-betweens to ask her in marriage， but， contrary to his expectations， Chin Ko had already received the engagement presents of the son of the ex-Major of the Ch'ang An Prefecture. The Chang family， on the other hand， were afraid that if they withdrew from the match， the Major would not give up his claim， and they therefore replied that she was already promised to another. But， who would have thought it， this Mr. Li was seriously bent upon marrying the young lady. But while the Chang family were at a loss what plan to devise， and both parties were in a dilemma， the family of the Major came unexpectedly to hear of the news； and without even looking thoroughly into the matter， they there and then had recourse to insult and abuse. 'Is a girl，' they insinuated， 'to be promised to the sons of several families！' And obstinately refusing to allow the restitution of the betrothal presents， they at once had recourse to litigation and brought an action （against the girl's people.） That family was at their wits' end， and had no alternative but to find some one to go to the capital to obtain means of assistance； and， losing all patience， they insisted upon the return of the presents. I believe that the present commander of the troops at Ch'ang An， Mr. Yuen， is on friendly terms with your honourable family， and could one solicit madame Wang to put in a word with Mr. Chia Cheng to send a letter and ask Mr. Yuen to speak to that Major， I have no fear that he will not aGREe. Should （your ladyship） be willing to take action， the Chang family are even ready to present all they have， though it may entail the ruin of their estate."
