These two cousins had, to all appearances, once been of one and the same
mind, but the many issues, which had sprung up between them, brought
about a contrary result and made them of two distinct minds.

"I don't care what you do, everything is well," Pao-yue further argued,
"so long as you act up to your feelings; and if you do, I shall be ever
only too willing to even suffer immediate death for your sake. Whether
you know this or not, doesn't matter; it's all the same. Yet were you to
just do as my heart would have you, you'll afford me a clear proof that
you and I are united by close ties and that you are no stranger to me!"

"Just you mind your own business," Lin Tai-yue on her side cogitated. "If
you will treat me well, I'll treat you well. And what need is there to
put an end to yourself for my sake? Are you not aware that if you kill
yourself, I'll also kill myself? But this demonstrates that you don't
wish me to be near to you, and that you really want that I should be
distant to you."

It will thus be seen that the desire, by which they were both actuated,
to strive and draw each other close and ever closer became contrariwise
transformed into a wish to become more distant. But as it is no easy
task to frame into words the manifold secret thoughts entertained by
either, we will now confine ourselves to a consideration of their
external manner.

The three words "a fine match," which Pao-yue heard again Lin Tai-yue
pronounce proved so revolting to him that his heart got full of disgust
and he was unable to give utterance to a single syllable. Losing all
control over his temper, he snatched from his neck the jade of Spiritual