"If， really， I hold a place in your heart，" Lin Tai-yue again reflected， "why do you， albeit what's said about gold and jade being a fit match， attach more importance to this perverse report and think nothing of what I say？ Did you， when I so often broach the subject of this gold and jade， behave as if you， verily， had never heard anything about it， I would then have seen that you treat me with preference and that you don't harbour the least particle of a secret design. But how is it that the moment I allude to the topic of gold and jade， you at once lose all patience？ This is proof enough that you are continuously pondering over that gold and jade， and that as soon as you hear me speak to you about them， you apprehend that I shall once more give way to conjectures， and intentionally pretend to be quite out of temper， with the deliberate idea of cajoling me！"

these two cousins had， to all appearances， once been of one and the same mind， but the many issues， which had sprung up between them， brought about a contrary result and made them of two distinct minds.

"I don't care what you do， everything is well，" Pao-yue further argued， "so long as you act up to your feelings； and if you do， I shall be ever only too willing to even suffer immediate death for your sake. Whether you know this or not， doesn't matter； it's all the same. Yet were you to just do as my heart would have you， you'll afford me a clear proof that you and I are united by close ties and that you are no stranger to me！"

"Just you mind your own business，" Lin Tai-yue on her side cogitated. "If you will treat me well， I'll treat you well. And what need is there to put an end to yourself for my sake？ Are you not aware that if you kill yourself， I'll also kill myself？ But this demonstrates that you don't wish me to be near to you， and that you really want that I should be distant to you."

It will thus be seen that the desire， by which they were both actuated， to strive and draw each other close and ever closer became contrariwise transformed into a wish to become more distant. But as it is no easy task to frame into words the manifold secret thoughts entertained by either， we will now confine ourselves to a consideration of their external manner.

the three words "a fine match，" which Pao-yue heard again Lin Tai-yue pronounce proved so revolting to him that his heart got full of disgust and he was unable to give utterance to a single syllable. Losing all control over his temper， he snatched from his neck the jade of Spiritual Perception and， clenching his teeth， he spitefully dashed it down on the floor. "What rubbishy trash！" he cried. "I'll smash you to atoms and put an end to the whole question！"

the jade， however， happened to be of extraordinary hardness， and did not， after all， sustain the slightest injury from this single fall. When Pao-yue realised that it had not broken， he forthwith turned himself round to get the trinket with the idea of carrying out his design of smashing it， but Tai-yue divined his intention， and soon started crying. "What's the use of all this！" she demurred， "and why， pray， do you batter that dumb thing about？ Instead of smashing it， wouldn't it be better for you to come and smash me！"

But in the middle of their dispute， Tzu Chuean， Hsueeh Yen and the other maids promptly interfered and quieted them. Subsequently， however， they saw how deliberately bent Pao-yue was upon breaking the jade， and they vehemently rushed up to him to snatch it from his hands. But they failed in their endeavours， and perceiving that he was getting more troublesome than he had ever been before， they had no alternative but to go and call Hsi Jen. Hsi Jen lost no time in running over and succeeded， at length， in getting hold of the trinket.

"I'm smashing what belongs to me，" remarked Pao-yue with a cynical smile， "and what has that to do with you people？"

Hsi Jen noticed that his face had grown quite sallow from anger， that his eyes had assumed a totally unusual expression， and that he had never hitherto had such a fit of ill-temper and she hastened to take his hand in hers and to smilingly expostulate with him. "If you've had a tiff with your cousin，" she said， "it isn't worth while flinging this down！ Had you broken it， how would her heart and face have been able to bear the mortification？"

Lin Tai-yue shed tears and listened the while to her remonstrances. Yet these words， which so corresponded with her own feelings， made it clear to her that Pao-yue could not even compare with Hsi Jen and wounded her heart so much more to the quick that she began to weep aloud. But the moment she got so vexed she found it hard to keep down the potion of boletus and the decoction， for counter-acting the effects of the sun， she had taken only a few minutes back， and with a retch she brought everything up. Tzu Chuean immediately pressed to her side and used her handkerchief to stop her mouth with. But mouthful succeeded mouthful， and in no time the handkerchief was soaked through and through.

Hsueeh Yen then approached in a hurry and tapped her on the back.

"You may， of course， give way to displeasure，" Tzu Chuean argued； "but you should， after all， take good care of yourself Miss. You had just taken the medicines and felt the better for them； and here you now begin vomitting again； and all because you've had a few words with our master Secundus. But should your complaint break out afresh how will Mr. Pao bear the blow？"

the moment Pao-yue caught this advice， which accorded so thoroughly with his own ideas， he found how little Tai-yue could hold her own with Tzu Chuean. And perceiving how flushed Tai-yue's face was， how her temples were swollen， how， while sobbing， she panted； and how， while crying， she was suffused with perspiration， and betrayed signs of extreme weakness， he began， at the sight of her condition， to reproach himself. "I shouldn't，" he reflected， "have bandied words with her； for now that she's got into this frame of mind， I mayn't even suffer in her stead！"

the self-reproaches， however， which gnawed his heart made it impossible for him to refrain from tears， much as he fought against them. Hsi Jen saw them both crying， and while attending to Pao-yue， she too unavoidably experienced much soreness of heart. She nevertheless went on rubbing Pao-yue's hands， which were icy cold. She felt inclined to advise Pao-yue not to weep， but fearing again lest， in the first place， Pao-yue might be inwardly aggrieved， and nervous， in the next， lest she should not be dealing rightly by Tai-yue， she thought it advisable that they should all have a good cry， as they might then be able to leave off. She herself therefore also melted into tears. As for Tzu-Chuean， at one time， she cleaned the expectorated medicine； at another， she took up a fan and gently fanned Tai-yue. But at the sight of the trio plunged in perfect silence， and of one and all sobbing for reasons of their own， grief， much though she did to struggle against it， mastered her feelings too， and producing a handkerchief， she dried the tears that came to her eyes. So there stood four inmates， face to face， uttering not a word and indulging in weeping.