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the old nurses expressed their obedience， and Pao-yue felt constrained to walk ahead； and with one step scarcely proGREssing three inches， he leisurely came over to this side. Strange coincidence Chia Cheng was in madame Wang's apartments consulting with her upon some matter or other， and Chin Ch'uan-erh， Ts'ai Yun， Ts'ai Feng， Ts'ai Luan， Hsiu Feng and the whole number of waiting-maids were all standing outside under the verandah. As soon as they caught sight of Pao-yue， they puckered up their mouths and laughed at him； while Chin Ch'uan grasped Pao-yue with one hand， and remarked in a low tone of voice： "On these lips of mine has just been rubbed cosmetic， soaked with perfume， and are you now inclined to lick it or not？" whereupon Ts'ai Yuen pushed off Chin Ch'uan with one shove， as she interposed laughingly， "A person's heart is at this moment in low spirits and do you still go on cracking jokes at him？ But avail yourself of this opportunity when master is in good cheer to make haste and get in！"
Pao-yue had no help but to sidle against the door and walk in. Chia Cheng and madame Wang were， in fact， both in the inner rooms， and dame Chou raised the portiere. Pao-yue stepped in gingerly and perceived Chia Cheng and madame Wang sitting opposite to each other， on the stove-couch， engaged in conversation； while below on a row of chairs sat Ying Ch'un， T'an Ch'un， Hsi Ch'un and Chia Huan； but though all four of them were seated in there only T'an Ch'un， Hsi Ch'un and Chia Huan rose to their feet， as soon as they saw him make his appearance in the room； and when Chia Cheng raised his eyes and noticed Pao-yue standing in front of him， with a gait full of ease and with those winsome looks of his， so captivating， he once again realised what a mean being Chia Huan was， and how coarse his deportment. But suddenly he also bethought himself of Chia Chu， and as he reflected too that madame Wang had only this son of her own flesh and blood， upon whom she ever doated as upon a gem， and that his own beard had already begun to get hoary， the consequence was that he unwittingly stifled， well nigh entirely， the feeling of hatred and dislike， which， during the few recent years he had ordinarily fostered towards Pao-yue. And after a long pause， "Her Majesty，" he observed， "bade you day after day ramble about outside to disport yourself， with the result that you gradually became remiss and lazy； but now her desire is that we should keep you under strict control， and that in prosecuting your studies in the company of your cousins in the garden， you should carefully exert your brains to learn； so that if you don't again attend to your duties， and mind your regular tasks， you had better be on your guard！" Pao-yue assented several consecutive yes's； whereupon madame Wang drew him by her side and made him sit down， and while his three cousins resumed the seats they previously occupied： "Have you finished all the pills you had been taking a short while back？" madame Wang inquired， as she rubbed Pao-yue's neck.
"there's still one pill remaining，" Pao-yue explained by way of reply.
"You had better，" madame Wang added， "fetch ten more pills tomorrow morning； and every day about bedtime tell Hsi Jen to give them to you； and when you've had one you can go to sleep！"
"Ever since you， mother， bade me take them，" Pao-yue rejoined， "Hsi Jen has daily sent me one， when I was about to turn in."
"Who's this called Hsi Jen？" Chia Chen thereupon ascertained.
"She's a waiting-maid！" madame Wang answered.
"A servant girl，" Chia Cheng remonstrated， "can be called by whatever name one chooses； anything is good enough； but who's it who has started this kind of pretentious name！"
Madame Wang noticed that Chia Cheng was not in a happy frame of mind， so that she forthwith tried to screen matters for Pao-yue， by saying： "It's our old lady who has originated it！"
"How can it possibly be，" Chia Cheng exclaimed， "that her ladyship knows anything about such kind of language？ It must， for a certainty， be Pao-yue！"
Pao-yue perceiving that he could not conceal the truth from him， was under the necessity of standing up and of explaining； "As I have all along read verses， I remembered the line written by an old poet：
"What time the smell of flowers wafts itself into man， one knows the day is warm.
"And as this waiting-maid's surname was Hua （flower）， I readily gave her the name， on the strength of this sentiment."
"When you get back，" madame Wang speedily suggested addressing Pao-yue， "change it and have done； and you， sir， needn't lose your temper over such a trivial matter！"
