At the conclusion of what she had to write， she too came into the drawing room； but after paying her respects to dowager lady Chia， she walked over to madame Wang's quarters.

Contrary to everybody's expectations， lady Feng's daughter， Ta Chieh Erh， had fallen ill， and a GREat fuss was just going on as the doctor had been sent for to diagnose her ailment.

"My congratulations to you， ladies，" the doctor explained； "this young lady has fever， as she has small-pox； indeed it's no other complaint！"

As soon as madame Wang and lady Feng heard the tidings， they lost no time in sending round to ascertain whether she was getting on all right or not， and the doctor replied： "The symptoms are， it is true， serious， but favourable； but though after all importing no danger， it's necessary to get ready the silkworms and pigs' tails."

When lady Feng received this report， she， there and then， hastened to make the necessary preparations， and while she had the rooms swept and oblations offered to the goddess of small-pox， she， at the same time， transmitted orders to her household to avoid viands fried or roasted in fat， or other such heating things； and also bade P'ing Erh get ready the bedding and clothes for Chia Lien in a separate room， and taking pieces of deep red cotton material， she distributed them to the nurses， waiting-maids and all the servants， who were in close attendance， to cut out clothes for themselves. And having had likewise some apartments outside swept clean， she detained two doctors to alternately deliberate on the treatment， feel the pulse and administer the medicines； and for twelve days， they were not at liberty to return to their homes； while Chia Lien had no help but to move his quarters temporarily into the outer library， and lady Feng and P'ing Erh remained both in daily attendance upon madame Wang in her devotions to the goddess.

Chia Lien， now that he was separated from lady Feng， soon felt disposed to look round for a flame. He had only slept alone for a couple of nights， but these nights had been so intensely intolerable that he had no option than to choose， for the time being， from among the young pages， those who were of handsome appearance， and bring them over to relieve his monotony. In the Jung Kuo mansion， there was， it happened， a cook， a most useless， good-for-nothing drunkard， whose name was To Kuan， in whom people recognised an infirm and a useless husband so that they all dubbed him with the name of To Hun Ch'ung， the stupid worm To. As the wife given to him in marriage by his father and mother was this year just twenty， and possessed further several traits of beauty， and was also naturally of a flighty and frivolous disposition， she had an extreme penchant for violent flirtations. But To Hun-ch'ung， on the other hand， did not concern himself （with her deportment）， and as long as he had wine， meat and money he paid no heed whatever to anything. And for this reason it was that all the men in the two mansions of Ning and Jung had been successful in their attentions； and as this woman was exceptionally fascinating and incomparably giddy， she was generally known by all by the name To Ku Ning （Miss To）。

Chia Lien， now that he had his quarters outside， chafed under the pangs of irksome ennui， yet he too， in days gone by， had set his eyes upon this woman， and had for long， watered in the mouth with admiration； but as， inside， he feared his winsome wife， and outside， he dreaded his beloved lads， he had not made any advances. But this To Ku Niang had likewise a liking for Chia Lien， and was full of resentment at the absence of a favourable opportunity； but she had recently come to hear that Chia Lien had shifted his quarters into the outer library， and her wont was， even in the absence of any legitimate purpose， to go over three and four times to entice him on； but though Chia Lien was， in every respect， like a rat smitten with hunger， he could not dispense with holding consultation with the young friends who enjoyed his confidence； and as he struck a bargain with them for a large amount of money and silks， how could they ever not have come to terms （with him to speak on his behalf）？ Besides， they were all old friends of this woman， so that， as soon as they conveyed the proposal， she willingly accepted it. When night came To Hun Ch'ung was lying on the couch in a state of drunkenness， and at the second watch， when every one was quiet， Chia Lien at once slipped in， and they had their assignation. As soon as he gazed upon her face， he lost control over his senses， and without even one word of ordinary GREeting or commonplace remark， they forthwith， fervently indulged in a most endearing tete-a-tete.

This woman possessed， who could have thought it， a strange natural charm； for， as soon as any one of her lovers came within any close distance of her， he speedily could not but notice that her very tendons and bones mollified， paralysed-like from feeling， so that his was the sensation of basking in a soft bower of love. What is more， her demonstrative ways and free-and-easy talk put even those of a born coquette to shame， with the result that while Chia Lien， at this time， longed to become heart and soul one with her， the woman designedly indulged in immodest innuendoes.

"Your daughter is at home，" she insinuated in her recumbent position， "ill with the small-pox， and prayers are being offered to the goddess； and your duty too should be to abstain from love affairs for a couple of days， but on the contrary， by flirting with me， you've contaminated yourself！ but， you'd better be off at once from me here！"

"You're my goddess！" gaspingly protested Chia Lien， as he gave way to demonstrativeness； "what do I care about any other goddess！"