somewhat silly disposition; and she too frequently had recourse to
feigned sentiments to feel her way. And as she began to conceal her true
feelings and inclinations and to simply dissimulate, and he to conceal
his true sentiments and wishes and to dissemble, the two unrealities
thus blending together constituted eventually one reality. But it was
hardly to be expected that trifles would not be the cause of tiffs
between them. Thus it was that in Pao-yue's mind at this time prevailed
the reflection: "that were others unable to read my feelings, it would
anyhow be excusable; but is it likely that you cannot realise that in my
heart and in my eyes there is no one else besides yourself. But as you
were not able to do anything to dispel my annoyance, but made use,
instead, of the language you did to laugh at me, and to gag my mouth,
it's evident that though you hold, at every second and at every moment,
a place in my heart, I don't, in fact, occupy a place in yours." Such
was the construction attached to her conduct by Pao-yue, yet he did not
have the courage to tax her with it.

"If, really, I hold a place in your heart," Lin Tai-yue again reflected,
"why do you, albeit what's said about gold and jade being a fit match,
attach more importance to this perverse report and think nothing of what
I say? Did you, when I so often broach the subject of this gold and
jade, behave as if you, verily, had never heard anything about it, I
would then have seen that you treat me with preference and that you
don't harbour the least particle of a secret design. But how is it that
the moment I allude to the topic of gold and jade, you at once lose all
patience? This is proof enough that you are continuously pondering over
that gold and jade, and that as soon as you hear me speak to you about
them, you apprehend that I shall once more give way to conjectures, and
intentionally pretend to be quite out of temper, with the deliberate
idea of cajoling me!"