she too cherished angry feelings towards Hsi Jen.

Dowager lady Chia and Madame Wang walked into the apartment. They found
Pao-yue on one side saying not a word. Lin Tai-yue on the other uttering
not a sound. "What's up again?" they asked. But throwing the whole blame
upon the shoulders of Hsi Jen and Tzu Chuean, "why is it," they inquired,
"that you were not diligent in your attendance on them. They now start a
quarrel, and don't you exert yourselves in the least to restrain them?"

Therefore with obloquy and hard words they rated the two girls for a
time in such a way that neither of them could put in a word by way of
reply, but felt compelled to listen patiently. And it was only after
dowager lady Chia had taken Pao-yue away with her that things quieted
down again.

One day passed. Then came the third of the moon. This was Hsueeh Pan's
birthday, so in their house a banquet was spread and preparations made
for a performance; and to these the various inmates of the Chia mansion
went. But as Pao-yue had so hurt Tai-yue's feelings, the two cousins saw
nothing whatever of each other, and conscience-stricken, despondent and
unhappy, as he was at this time could he have had any inclination to be
present at the plays? Hence it was that he refused to go on the pretext
of indisposition.

Lin Tai-yue had got, a couple of days back, but a slight touch of the sun
and naturally there was nothing much the matter with her. When the news
however reached her that he did not intend to join the party, "If with
his weakness for wine and for theatricals," she pondered within herself,
"he now chooses to stay away, instead of going, why, that quarrel with
me yesterday must be at the bottom of it all. If this isn't the reason,