respective sashes when they heard a loud voice say: "Oh! I've caught
you!" And they perceived Hsueeh P'an come out by leaps and bounds.
Clutching the two young fellows, "What do you," he exclaimed, "leave
your wine for and withdraw from the banquet. Be quick and produce those
things, and let me see them!"

"There's nothing to see!" rejoined the two young fellows with one voice.

Hsueeh P'an, however, would by no means fall in with their views. And it
was only Feng Tzu-ying, who made his appearance on the scene, who
succeeded in dissuading him. So resuming their seats, they drank until
dark, when the company broke up.

Pao-yue, on his return into the garden, loosened his clothes, and had
tea. But Hsi Jen noticed that the pendant had disappeared from his fan
and she inquired of him what had become of it.

"I must have lost it this very moment," Pao-yue replied.

At bedtime, however, descrying a deep red sash, with spots like specks
of blood, attached round his waist, Hsi Jen guessed more or less the
truth of what must have transpired. "As you have such a nice sash to
fasten your trousers with," Hsi Jen consequently said, "you'd better
return that one of mine."

This reminder made the fact dawn upon Pao-yue that the sash had
originally been the property of Hsi Jen, and that he should by rights
not have parted with it; but however much he felt his conscience smitten
by remorse, he failed to see how he could very well disclose the truth
to her. He could therefore only put on a smiling expression and add,