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"You too，" resumed lady Feng， addressing Chia Huan； "are a thing devoid of all natural spirit！ I've often told you that if you want to eat， drink， play， or laugh， you were quite free to go and play with whatever female cousin， male cousin， or sister-in-law you choose to disport yourself with； but you won't listen to my words. On the contrary， you let all these persons teach you to be depraved in your heart， perverse in your mind， to be sly， artful， and domineering； and you've， besides， no respect for your own self， but will go with that low-bred lot！ and your perverse purpose is to begrudge people's preferences！ But what you've lost are simply a few cash， and do you behave in this manner？ How much did you lose？" she proceeded to ask Chia Huan； and Chia Huan， upon hearing this question， felt constrained to obey， by saying something in the way of a reply. "I've lost，" he explained， "some hundred or two hundred cash."
"You have，" rejoined lady Feng， "the good fortune of being a gentleman， and do you make such a fuss for the loss of a hundred or two hundred cash！" and turning her head round， "Feng Erh，" she added， "go and fetch a thousand cash； and as the girls are all playing at the back， take him along to go and play. And if again by and by， you're so mean and deceitful， I shall， first of all， beat you， and then tell some one to report it at school， and won't your skin be flayed for you？ All because of this want of respect of yours， your elder cousin is so angry with you that his teeth itch； and were it not that I prevent him， he would hit you with his foot in the stomach and kick all your intestines out！ Get away，" she then cried； whereupon Chia Huan obediently followed Feng Erh， and taking the money he went all by himself to play with Ying Ch'un and the rest； where we shall leave him without another word.
But to return to Pao-yue. He was just amusing himself and laughing with Pao-ch'ai， when at an unexpected moment， he heard some one announce that Miss Shih had come. At these words， Pao-yue rose， and was at once going off when "Wait，" shouted Pao-ch'ai with a smile， "and we'll go over together and see her."
Saying this， she descended from the stove-couch， and came， in company with Pao-yue， to dowager lady Chia's on this side， where they saw Shih Hsiang-yuen laughing aloud， and talking immoderately； and upon catching sight of them both， she promptly inquired after their healths， and exchanged salutations.
Lin Tai-yue just happened to be standing by， and having set the question to Pao-yue "Where do you come from？" "I come from cousin Pao-ch'ai's rooms，" Pao-yue readily replied.
Tai-yue gave a sardonic smile. "What I maintain is this，" she rejoined， "that lucky enough for you， you were detained over there； otherwise， you would long ago have， at once， come flying in here！"
"Am I only free to play with you？" Pao-yue inquired， "and to dispel your ennui！ I simply went over to her place for a run， and that quite casually， and will you insinuate all these things？"
"Your words are quite devoid of sense，" Tai-yue added； "whether you go or not what's that to me？ neither did I tell you to give me any distraction； you're quite at liberty from this time forth not to pay any notice to me！"
Saying this， she flew into a high dudgeon and rushed back into her room； but Pao-yue promptly followed in her footsteps： "Here you are again in a huff，" he urged， "and all for no reason！ Had I even passed any remark that I shouldn't， you should anyhow have still sat in there， and chatted and laughed with the others for a while； instead of that， you come again to sit and mope all alone！"
"Are you my keeper？" Tai-yue expostulated.
"I couldn't， of course，" Pao-yue smiled， "presume to exercise any influence over you； but the only thing is that you are doing your own health harm！"
"If I do ruin my health，" Tai-yue rejoined， "and I die， it's my own lookout！ what's that to do with you？"
"What's the good，" protested Pao-yue， "of talking in this happy first moon of dying and of living？"
"I _will_ say die，" insisted Tai-yue， "die now， at this very moment！ but you're afraid of death； and you may live a long life of a hundred years， but what good will that be！"
"If all we do is to go on nagging in this way，" Pao-yue remarked smiling， "will I any more be afraid to die？ on the contrary， it would be better to die， and be free！"
"Quite so！" continued Tai-yue with alacrity， "if we go on nagging in this way， it would be better for me to die， and that you should be free of me！"
"I speak of my own self dying，" Pao-yue added， "so don't misunderstand my words and accuse people wrongly."
While he was as yet speaking， Pao-ch'ai entered the room： "Cousin Shih is waiting for you；" she said； and with these words， she hastily pushed Pao-yue on， and they walked away.
