After this, Hueeh P'an had no way out of it and felt compelled to resume
his seat.

They then heard Pao-yue recite:

A girl is sad,
When her spring-time of life is far advanced and she still occupies a
vacant inner-room.
A girl feels wounded in her heart,
When she regrets having allowed her better half to go abroad and win a
marquisdom.
A girl is glad,
When looking in the mirror, at the time of her morning toilette, she
finds her colour fair.
A girl is joyful,
What time she sits on the frame of a gallows-swing, clad in a thin
spring gown.

Having listened to him, "Capital!" one and all cried out in a chorus.
Hsueeh P'an alone raised his face, shook his head and remarked: "It isn't
good, he must be fined."

"Why should he be fined?" demurred the party.

"Because," retorted Hsueeh P'an, "what he says is entirely unintelligible
to me. So how can he not be fined?"

Yuen Erh gave him a pinch.--"Just you quietly think of yours," she
laughed; "for if by and bye you are not ready you'll also have to bear a
fine."