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"This affair is， it's true， of no GREat moment，" lady Feng replied smiling， after hearing this appeal； "but the only thing is that madame Wang does no longer attend to matters of this nature."
"If madame doesn't heed them，" suggested the old nun， "you， my lady， can safely assume the direction."
"I'm neither in need of any money to spend，" added lady Feng with a smirk， "nor do I undertake such matters！"
these words did not escape Ching Hsue's ear； they scattered to the winds her vain hopes. After a minute or so she heaved a sigh.
"What you say may be true enough，" she remarked； "but the Chang family are also aware that I mean to come and make my appeal to your mansion； and were you now not to manage this affair， the Chang family having no idea that the lack of time prevents any steps being taken and that no importance is attached to their presents， it will appear， on the contrary， as if there were not even this little particle of skill in your household."
At these words lady Feng felt at once inspirited. "You've known of old，" she added， "that I've never had any faith in anything concerning retribution in the Court of Judgment in the unseen or in hell； and that whatever I say that I shall do， that I do； tell them therefore to bring three thousand taels； and I shall then remedy this grievance of theirs."
the old nun upon hearing this remark was so exceedingly delighted， that she precipitately exclaimed， "They've got it， they've got it！ there will be no difficulty about it."
"I'm not，" lady Feng went on to add， "like those people， who afford help and render assistance with an eye to money； these three thousand taels will be exclusively devoted for the travelling expenses of those youths， who will be sent to deliver messages and for them to make a few cash for their trouble； but as for me I don't want even so much as a cash. In fact I'm able at this very moment to produce as much as thirty thousand taels."
the old nun assented with alacrity， and said by way of reply， "If that be so， my lady， do display your charitable bounty at once to-morrow and bring things to an end."
"Just see，" remarked lady Feng， "how hard pressed I am； which place can do without me？ but since I've given you my word， I shall， needless to say， speedily bring the matter to a close."
"A small trifle like this，" hinted the old nun， "would， if placed in the hands of any one else， flurry her to such an extent that she would be quite at a loss what to do； but in your hands， my lady， even if much more were superadded， it wouldn't require as much exertion as a wave of your hand. But the proverb well says： 'that those who are able have much to do；' for madame Wang， seeing that your ladyship manages all concerns， whether large or small， properly， has still more shoved the burden of everything on your shoulders， my lady； but you should， it's but right， also take good care of your precious health."
This string of flattery pleased lady Feng more and more， so that heedless of fatigue she went on to chat with still GREater zest.
But， thing unthought of， Ch'in Chung availed himself of the darkness， as well as of the absence of any one about， to come in quest of Chih Neng. As soon as he reached the room at the back， he espied Chih Neng all alone inside washing the tea cups； and Ch'in Chung forthwith seized her in his arms and implanted kisses on her cheek. Chih Neng got in a dreadful state， and stamping her feet， cried， "What are you up to？" and she was just on the point of shouting out， when Ch'in Chung rejoined： "My dear girl！ I'm nearly dead from impatience， and if you don't again to-day accept my advances， I shall this very moment die on this spot."
"What you're bent upon，" added Chih Neng， "can't be effected； not unless you wait until I've left this den and parted company from these people， when it will be safe enough."
"This is of course easy enough！" remonstrated Ch'in Chung； "but the distant water cannot extinguish the close fire！"
