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Chia Cheng heaved a sigh. "If one were able，" he observed， "to boil his tea and thrum his lyre in here， there wouldn't even be any need for him to burn any more incense. But the execution of this structure is so beyond conception that you must， gentlemen， compose something nice and original to embellish the tablet with， so as not to render such a place of no effect！"
"there's nothing so really pat，" suggested the company smiling； "as 'the orchid-smell-laden breeze' and 'the dew-bedecked epidendrum！"
"these are indeed the only four characters，" rejoined Chia Cheng， "that could be suitably used； but what's to be said as far as the scroll goes？"
"I've thought of a couplet，" interposed one of the party， "which you'll all have to criticise， and put into ship-shape； its burden is this：
"the musk-like epidendrum smell enshrouds the court， where shines the sun with oblique beams； The iris fragrance is wafted over the isle illumined by the moon's clear rays."
"As far as excellence is concerned， it's excellent，" observed the whole party， "but the two words representing 'with oblique beams' are not felicitous."
And as some one quoted the line from an old poem：
the angelica fills the court with tears， what time the sun doth slant.
"Lugubrious， lugubrious！" expostulated the company with one voice.
Another person then interposed. "I also have a couplet， whose merits you， gentlemen， can weigh； it runs as follows：
"Along the three pathways doth float the Yue Hui scented breeze！ The radiant moon in the whole hall shines on the gold orchid！"
Chia Cheng tugged at his moustache and gave way to meditation. He was just about also to suggest a stanza， when， upon suddenly raising his head， he espied Pao-yue standing by his side， too timid to give vent to a single sound.
"How is it，" he purposely exclaimed， "that when you should speak， you contrariwise don't？ Is it likely that you expect some one to request you to confer upon us the favour of your instruction？"
"In this place，" Pao-yue rejoined at these words， "there are no such things as orchids， musk， resplendent moon or islands； and were one to begin quoting such specimens of allusions， to scenery， two hundred couplets could be readily given without， even then， having been able to exhaust the supply！"
"Who presses your head down，" Chia Cheng urged， "and uses force that you must come out with all these remarks？"
"Well， in that case，" added Pao-yue， "there are no fitter words to put on the tablet than the four representing： 'The fragrance pure of the ligularia and iris.' While the device on the scroll might be：
"Sung is the nutmeg song， but beauteous still is the sonnet！ Near the T'u Mei to sleep， makes e'en a dream with fragrance full！"
"This is，" laughed Chia Cheng sneeringly， "an imitation of the line：
"A book when it is made of plaintain leaves， the writing GREen is also bound to be！
"So that there's nothing remarkable about it."
"Li T'ai-po， in his work on the Phoenix Terrace，" protested the whole party， "copied， in every point， the Huang Hua Lou. But what's essential is a faultless imitation. Now were we to begin to criticise minutely the couplet just cited， we would indeed find it to be， as compared with the line 'A book when it is made of plantain leaves，' still more elegant and of wider application！"
"What an idea？" observed Chia Cheng derisively.
But as he spoke， the whole party walked out； but they had not gone very far before they caught sight of a majestic summer house， towering high peak-like， and of a structure rising loftily with storey upon storey； and completely locked in as they were on every side they were as beautiful as the Jade palace. Far and wide， road upon road coiled and wound； while the GREen pines swept the eaves， the jady epidendrum encompassed the steps， the animals' faces glistened like gold， and the dragons' heads shone resplendent in their variegated hues.
"This is the Main Hall，" remarked Chia Cheng； "the only word against it is that there's a little too much finery."
"It should be so，" rejoined one and all， "so as to be what it's intended to be！ the imperial consort has， it is true， an exalted preference for economy and frugality， but her present honourable position requires the observance of such courtesies， so that （finery） is no fault."
As they made these remarks and advanced on their way the while， they perceived， just in front of them， an archway project to view， constructed of jadelike stone； at the top of which the coils of large dragons and the scales of small dragons were executed in perforated style.
"What's the device to be for this spot？" inquired Chia Cheng.
