"What do you people rush over here for again?" old lady Chia inquired.

"I came here for a turn, simply because I had nothing to do."

But no sooner was this inquiry concluded than they heard a messenger
announce: "that some one had come from the house of general Feng."

The family of Feng Tzu-ying had, it must be explained, come to learn the
news that the inmates of the Chia mansion were offering a thanksgiving
service in the temple, and, without loss of time, they got together
presents of pigs, sheep, candles, tea and eatables and sent them over.
The moment lady Feng heard about it she hastily crossed to the main part
of the two-storied building. "Ai-ya;" she ejaculated, clapping her hands
and laughing. "I never expected anything of the sort; we merely said
that we ladies were coming for a leisurely stroll and people imagined
that we were spreading a sumptuous altar with lenten viands and came to
bring us offerings! But it's all our old lady's fault for bruiting it
about! Why, we haven't even got any slips of paper with tips ready."

She had just finished speaking, when she perceived two matrons, who
acted as house-keepers in the Feng family, walk upstairs. But before the
Feng servants could take their leave, presents likewise arrived, in
quick succession, from Chao, the Vice-President of the Board. In due
course, one lot of visitors followed another. For as every one got wind
of the fact that the Chia family was having thanksgiving services, and
that the ladies were in the temple, distant and close relatives,
friends, old friends and acquaintances all came to present their
contributions. So much so, that dowager lady Chia began at this juncture
to feel sorry that she had ever let the cat out of the bag. "This is no