"I have," sobbed Tai-yue, "wasted my energies on them for nothing; for he
doesn't prize them. He's certain to find others to string some more fine
tassels for him."

Hsi Jen promptly took the jade. "Is it worth while going on in this
way!" she cried. "But this is all my fault for having blabbered just now
what should have been left unsaid."

"Cut it, if you like!" chimed in Pao-yue, addressing himself to Tai-yue.
"I will on no account wear it, so it doesn't matter a rap."

But while all they minded inside was to create this commotion, they
little dreamt that the old matrons had descried Tai-yue weep bitterly and
vomit copiously, and Pao-yue again dash his jade on the ground, and that
not knowing how far the excitement might not go, and whether they
themselves might not become involved, they had repaired in a body to the
front, and reported the occurrence to dowager lady Chia and Madame Wang,
their object being to try and avoid being themselves implicated in the
matter. Their old mistress and Madame Wang, seeing them make so much of
the occurrence as to rush with precipitate haste to bring it to their
notice, could not in the least imagine what great disaster might not
have befallen them, and without loss of time they betook themselves
together into the garden and came to see what the two cousins were up
to.

Hsi Jen felt irritated and harboured resentment against Tzu Chuean,
unable to conceive what business she had to go and disturb their old
mistress and Madame Wang. But Tzu Chuean, on the other hand, presumed
that it was Hsi Jen, who had gone and reported the matter to them, and