that, dear brother Chia, you come just in the nick of time. Please walk
into my mean abode, and let us endeavour, in each other's company, to
while away this long summer day."

After he had made this remark, he bade a servant take his daughter in,
while he, hand-in-hand with Yue-ts'un, walked into the library, where a
young page served tea. They had hardly exchanged a few sentences, when
one of the household came in, in flying haste, to announce that Mr. Yen
had come to pay a visit.

Shih-yin at once stood up. "Pray excuse my rudeness," he remarked
apologetically, "but do sit down; I shall shortly rejoin you, and enjoy
the pleasure of your society." "My dear Sir," answered Yue-ts'un, as he
got up, also in a conceding way, "suit your own convenience. I've often
had the honour of being your guest, and what will it matter if I wait a
little?" While these apologies were yet being spoken, Shih-yin had
already walked out into the front parlour. During his absence, Yue-ts'un
occupied himself in turning over the pages of some poetical work to
dispel ennui, when suddenly he heard, outside the window, a woman's
cough. Yue-ts'un hurriedly got up and looked out. He saw at a glance that
it was a servant girl engaged in picking flowers. Her deportment was out
of the common; her eyes so bright, her eyebrows so well defined. Though
not a perfect beauty, she possessed nevertheless charms sufficient to
arouse the feelings. Yue-ts'un unwittingly gazed at her with fixed eye.
This waiting-maid, belonging to the Chen family, had done picking
flowers, and was on the point of going in, when she of a sudden raised
her eyes and became aware of the presence of some person inside the
window, whose head-gear consisted of a turban in tatters, while his
clothes were the worse for wear. But in spite of his poverty, he was
naturally endowed with a round waist, a broad back, a fat face, a square