well then it must be that he has no wish to attend, as he sees that I'm
not going either. But I should on no account have cut the tassels from
that jade, for I feel sure he won't wear it again. I shall therefore
have to string some more on to it, before he puts it on."

On this account the keenest remorse gnawed her heart.

Dowager lady Chia saw well enough that they were both under the
influence of temper. "We should avail ourselves of this occasion," she
said to herself, "to go over and look at the plays, and as soon as the
two young people come face to face, everything will be squared."
Contrary to her expectations neither of them would volunteer to go. This
so exasperated their old grandmother that she felt vexed with them. "In
what part of my previous existence could an old sufferer like myself,"
she exclaimed, "have incurred such retribution that my destiny is to
come across these two troublesome new-fledged foes! Why, not a single
day goes by without their being instrumental in worrying my mind! The
proverb is indeed correct which says: 'that people who are not enemies
are not brought together!' But shortly my eyes shall be closed, this
breath of mine shall be snapped, and those two enemies will be free to
cause trouble even up to the very skies; for as my eyes will then loose
their power of vision, and my heart will be void of concern, it will
really be nothing to me. But I couldn't very well stifle this breath of
life of mine!"

While inwardly a prey to resentment, she also melted into tears.

These words were brought to the ears of Pao-yue and Tai-yue. Neither of
them had hitherto heard the adage: "people who are not enemies are not
brought together," so when they suddenly got to know the line, it seemed