Chia Chen signified his assent and led him off.

During this time, old lady Chia, taking along with her the whole family
party, paid her devotions in storey after storey, and visited every
place.

The young pages, who stood outside, watched their old mistress and the
other inmates enter the second row of gates. But of a sudden they espied
Chia Chen wend his way outwards, leading a young Taoist priest, and
calling the servants to come, say; "Take him and give him several
hundreds of cash and abstain from ill-treating him." At these orders,
the domestics approached with hurried step and led him off.

Chia Chen then inquired from the terrace-steps where the majordomo was.
At this inquiry, the pages standing below, called out in chorus,
"Majordomo!"

Lin Chih-hsiao ran over at once, while adjusting his hat with one hand,
and appeared in the presence of Chia Chen.

"Albeit this is a spacious place," Chia Chen began, "we muster a good
concourse to-day, so you'd better bring into this court those servants,
who'll be of any use to you, and send over into that one those who
won't. And choose a few from among those young pages to remain on duty,
at the second gate and at the two side entrances, so as to ask for
things and deliver messages. Do you understand me, yes or no? The young
ladies and ladies have all come out of town to-day, and not a single
outsider must be permitted to put his foot in here."

"I understand," replied Lin Chih-hsiao hurriedly signifying his