plays were being sung, but I found it so intensely hot, that I felt
anxious to retire. But the visitors not having dispersed, I had to give
as an excuse that I wasn't feeling up to the mark, and so came away at
once."

Pao-yue, at these words, could not but feel ill at ease. All he could do
was to feign another smile. "It's no wonder," he observed, "that they
compare you, cousin, to Yang Kuei-fei; for she too was fat and afraid of
hot weather."

Hearing this, Pao-ch'ai involuntarily flew into a violent rage. Yet when
about to call him to task, she found that it would not be nice for her
to do so. After some reflection, the colour rushed to her cheeks.
Smiling ironically twice, "I may resemble," she said, "Yang Kuei-fei,
but there's not one of you young men, whether senior or junior, good
enough to play the part of Yang Kuo-chung."

While they were bandying words, a servant-girl Ch'ing Erh, lost sight of
her fan and laughingly remarked to Pao-ch'ai: "It must be you, Miss Pao,
who have put my fan away somewhere or other; dear mistress, do let me
have it!"

"You'd better be mindful!" rejoined Pao-ch'ai, shaking her finger at
her. "With whom have I ever been up to jokes, that you come and suspect
me? Have I hitherto laughed and smirked with you? There's that whole lot
of girls, go and ask them about it!"

At this suggestion, Ch'ing Erh made her escape.

The consciousness then burst upon Pao-yue, that he had again been