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"I'm not blessed with such excessive good fortune！" Ch'ing Wen retorted， and as she uttered these words， she took the money， and forthwith dashing the portiere after her， she quitted the room.
Pao-yue stood at the back of She Yueeh， and She Yueeh sat opposite the glass， so that the two of them faced each other in it， and Pao-yue readily observed as he gazed in the glass， "In the whole number of rooms she's the only one who has a glib tongue！"
She Yueeh at these words hastily waved her hand towards the inside of the glass， and Pao-yue understood the hint； and suddenly a sound of "hu" was heard from the portiere， and Ch'ing Wen ran in once again.
"How have I got a glib tongue？" she inquired； "it would be well for us to explain ourselves."
"Go after your business， and have done，" She Yueeh interposed laughingly； "what's the use of your coming and asking questions of people？"
"Will you also screen him？" Ch'ing Wen smiled significantly； "I know all about your secret doings， but wait until I've got back my capital， and we'll then talk matters over！"
With this remark still on her lips， she straightway quitted the room， and during this while， Pao-yue having finished combing her hair， asked She Yueeh to quietly wait upon him， while he went to sleep， as he would not like to disturb Hsi Jen.
Of the whole night there is nothing to record. But the next day， when he got up at early dawn， Hsi Jen had already perspired， during the night， so that she felt considerably lighter and better； but limiting her diet to a little rice soup， she remained quiet and nursed herself， and Pao-yue was so relieved in mind that he came， after his meal， over on this side to his aunt Hsueeh's on a saunter. The season was the course of the first moon， and the school was shut up for the new year holidays； while in the inner chambers the girls had put by their needlework， and were all having a time of leisure， and hence it was that when Chia Huan too came over in search of distraction， he discovered Pao-ch'ai， Hsiang Ling， Ying Erh， the three of them， in the act of recreating themselves by playing at chess. Chia Huan， at the sight of them， also wished to join in their games； and Pao-ch'ai， who had always looked upon him with， in fact， the same eye as she did Pao-yue， and with no different sentiment of any kind， pressed him to come up， upon hearing that he was on this occasion desirous to play； and， when he had seated himself together with them， they began to gamble， staking each time a pile of ten cash. The first time， he was the winner， and he felt supremely elated at heart， but as it happened that he subsequently lost in several consecutive games he soon became a prey to considerable distress. But in due course came the game in which it was his turn to cast the dice， and， if in throwing， he got seven spots， he stood to win， but he was likewise bound to be a winner were he to turn up six； and when Ying Erh had turned up three spots and lost， he consequently took up the dice， and dashing them with spite， one of them settled at five； and， as the other reeled wildly about， Ying Erh clapped her hands， and kept on shouting， "one spot；" while Chia Huan at once gazed with fixed eye and cried at random： "It's six， it's seven， it's eight！" But the dice， as it happened， turned up at one spot， and Chia Huan was so exasperated that putting out his hand， he speedily made a snatch at the dice， and eventually was about to lay hold of the money， arguing that it was six spot. But Ying Erh expostulated， "It was distinctly an ace，" she said. And as Pao-ch'ai noticed how distressed Chia Huan was， she forthwith cast a glance at Ying Erh and observed： "The older you get， the less manners you have！ Is it likely that gentlemen will cheat you？ and don't you yet put down the money？"
Ying Erh felt her whole heart much aggrieved， but as she heard Pao-ch'ai make these remarks， she did not presume to utter a sound， and as she was under the necessity of laying down the cash， she muttered to herself： "This one calls himself a gentleman， and yet cheats us of these few cash， for which I myself even have no eye！ The other day when I played with Mr. Pao-yue， he lost ever so many， and yet he did not distress himself！ and what remained of the cash were besides snatched away by a few servant-girls， but all he did was to smile， that's all！"
Pao-ch'ai did not allow her time to complete what she had to say， but there and then called her to account and made her desist； whereupon Chia Huan exclaimed： "How can I compare with Pao-yue； you all fear him， and keep on good terms with him， while you all look down upon me for not being the child of my lady." And as he uttered these words， he at once gave way to tears.
