ourselves? One word more, and I'll take that beard of yours, and outroot
it! Don't you yet come along with me inside?"

"Hah, hah," laughed the Taoist Chang aloud, as he followed Chia Chen in.
Chia Chen approached dowager lady Chia. Bending his body he strained a
laugh. "Grandfather Chang," he said, "has come in to pay his respects."

"Raise him up!" old lady Chia vehemently called out.

Chia Chen lost no time in pulling him to his feet and bringing him over.

The Taoist Chang first indulged in loud laughter. "Oh Buddha of
unlimited years!" he then observed. "Have you kept all right and in good
health, throughout, venerable Senior? Have all the ladies and young
ladies continued well? I haven't been for some time to your mansion to
pay my obeisance, but you, my dowager lady, have improved more and
more."

"Venerable Immortal Being!" smiled old lady Chia, "how are you; quite
well?"

"Thanks to the ten thousand blessings he has enjoyed from your hands,"
rejoined Chang the Taoist, "your servant too continues pretty strong and
hale. In every other respect, I've, after all, been all right; but I
have felt much concern about Mr. Pao-yue. Has he been all right all the
time? The other day, on the 26th of the fourth moon, I celebrated the
birthday of the 'Heaven-Pervading-Mighty-King;' few people came and
everything went off right and proper. I told them to invite Mr. Pao to
come for a stroll; but how was it they said that he wasn't at home?"