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But he had no time to conclude， as Chia Cheng flew into a rage. "Drive him off，" he shouted； （but as Pao-yue） was on the point of going out， he again cried out： "Come back！ make up，" he added， "another couplet， and if it isn't clear， I'll for all this give you a slap on your mouth."
Pao-yue had no alternative but to recite as follows：
A spot in which the "Ko" fibre to bleach， as the fresh tide doth swell the waters GREen！ A beauteous halo and a fragrant smell the man encompass who the cress did pluck！
Chia Cheng， after this recital， nodded his head. "This is still worse！" he remarked， but as he reproved him， he led the company outside， and winding past the mound， they penetrated among flowers， and wending their steps by the willows， they touched the rocks and lingered by the stream. Passing under the trellis with yellow roses， they went into the shed with white roses； they crossed by the pavilion with peonies， and walked through the garden， where the white peony GREw； and entering the court with the cinnamon roses， they reached the island of bananas. As they meandered and zigzagged， suddenly they heard the rustling sound of the water， as it came out from a stone cave， from the top of which grew parasitic plants drooping downwards， while at its bottom floated the fallen flowers.
"What a fine sight！" they all exclaimed； "what beautiful scenery！"
"Gentlemen，" observed Chia Cheng， "what name do you propose for this place？"
"there's no further need for deliberation，" the company rejoined； "for this is just the very spot fit for the three words 'Wu Ling Spring.'"
"This too is matter-of-fact！" Chia Cheng objected laughingly， "and likewise antiquated."
"If that won't do，" the party smiled， "well then what about the four characters implying 'An old cottage of a man of the Ch'in dynasty？'"
"This is still more exceedingly plain！" interposed Pao-yue. "'the old cottage of a man of the Ch'in dynasty' is meant to imply a retreat from revolution， and how will it suit this place？ Wouldn't the four characters be better denoting 'an isthmus with smart weed， and a stream with flowers'？"
When Chia Cheng heard these words， he exclaimed： "You're talking still more stuff and nonsense？" and forthwith entering the grotto， Chia Cheng went on to ask of Chia Chen， "Are there any boats or not？"
"there are to be，" replied Chia Chen， "four boats in all from which to pick the lotus， and one boat for sitting in； but they haven't now as yet been completed."
"What a pity！" Chia Cheng answered smilingly， "that we cannot go in."
"But we could also get into it by the tortuous path up the hill，" Chia Chen ventured； and after finishing this remark， he walked ahead to show the way， and the whole party went over， holding on to the creepers， and supporting themselves by the trees， when they saw a still larger quantity of fallen leaves on the surface of the water， and the stream itself， still more limpid， gently and idly meandering along on its circuitous course. By the bank of the pond were two rows of weeping willows， which， intermingling with peach and apricot trees， screened the heavens from view， and kept off the rays of the sun from this spot， which was in real truth devoid of even a grain of dust.
Suddenly， they espied in the shade of the willows， an arched wooden bridge also reveal itself to the eye， with bannisters of vermilion colour. They crossed the bridge， and lo， all the paths lay open before them； but their gaze was readily attracted by a brick cottage spotless and cool-looking； whose walls were constructed of polished bricks， of uniform colour； （whose roof was laid） with speckless tiles； and whose enclosing walls were painted； while the minor slopes， which branched off from the main hill， all passed along under the walls on to the other side.
"This house， in a site like this， is perfectly destitute of any charm！" added Chia Cheng.
And as they entered the door， abruptly appeared facing them， a large boulder studded with holes and soaring high in the skies， which was surrounded on all four sides by rocks of every description， and completely， in fact， hid from view the rooms situated in the compound. But of flowers or trees， there was not even one about； and all that was visible were a few strange kinds of vegetation； some being of the creeper genus， others parasitic plants， either hanging from the apex of the hill， or inserting themselves into the base of the rocks； drooping down even from the eaves of the house， entwining the pillars， and closing round the stone steps. Or like GREen bands， they waved and flapped； or like gold thread， they coiled and bent， either with seeds resembling cinnabar， or with blossoms like golden olea； whose fragrance and aroma could not be equalled by those emitted by flowers of ordinary species.
"This is pleasant！" Chia Cheng could not refrain from saying； "the only thing is that I don't know very much about flowers."
"What are here are lianas and ficus pumila！" some of the company observed.
"How ever can the liana and the ficus have such unusual scent？" questioned Chia Cheng.
"Indeed they aren't！" interposed Pao-yue. "Among all these flowers， there are also ficus and liana， but those scented ones are iris， ligularia， and 'Wu' flowers； that kind consist， for the most part， of 'Ch'ih' flowers and orchids； while this mostly of gold-coloured dolichos. That species is the hypericum plant， this the 'Yue Lu' creeper. The red ones are， of course， the purple rue； the GREen ones consist for certain， of the green 'Chih' plant； and， to the best of my belief， these various plants are mentioned in the 'Li Sao' and 'Wen Hsuan.' These rare plants are， some of them called something or other like 'Huo Na' and 'Chiang Hui；' others again are designated something like 'Lun Tsu' and 'Tz'u Feng；' while others there are whose names sound like 'Shih Fan，' 'Shui Sung' and 'Fu Liu，' which together with other species are to be found in the 'Treatise about the Wu city' by Tso T'ai-chung. There are also those which go under the appellation of 'Lu T'i，' or something like that； while there are others that are called something or other like 'Tan Chiao，' 'Mi Wu' and 'Feng Lien；' reference to which is made in the 'Treatise on the Shu city.' But so many years have now elapsed， and the times have so changed （since these treatises were written）， that people， being unable to discriminate （the real names） may consequently have had to appropriate in every case such names as suited the external aspect， so that they may， it is quite possible， have gradually come to be called by wrong designations."
But he had no time to conclude； for Chia Cheng interrupted him. "Who has ever asked you about it？" he shouted； which plunged Pao-yue into such a fright， that he drew back， and did not venture to utter another word.
Chia Cheng perceiving that on both sides alike were covered passages resembling outstretched arms， forthwith continued his steps and entered the covered way， when he caught sight， at the upper end， of a five-roomed building， without spot or blemish， with folding blinds extending in a connected line， and with corridors on all four sides； （a building） which with its windows so GREen， and its painted walls， excelled， in spotless elegance， the other buildings they had seen before， to which it presented such a contrast.
