But he then saw Madame Wang twist herself round, get up, and give a slap
to Chin Ch'uan-erh on her mouth. "You mean wench!" she exclaimed,
abusing her, while she pointed her finger at her, "it's you, and the
like of you, who corrupt these fine young fellows with all the nice
things you teach them!"

The moment Pao-yue perceived Madame Wang rise, he bolted like a streak of
smoke. Chin Ch'uan-erh, meanwhile, felt half of her face as hot as fire,
yet she did not dare utter one word of complaint. The various
waiting-maids soon came to hear that Madame Wang had awoke and they
rushed in in a body.

"Go and tell your mother," Madame Wang thereupon said to Yue Ch'uan-erh,
"to fetch your elder sister away."

Chin Ch'uan-erh, at these words, speedily fell on her knees. With tears
in her eyes: "I won't venture to do it again," she pleaded. "If you,
Madame, wish to flog me, or to scold me do so at once, and as much as
you like but don't send me away. You will thus accomplish an act of
heavenly grace! I've been in attendance on your ladyship for about ten
years, and if you now drive me away, will I be able to look at any one
in the face?"

Though Madame Wang was a generous, tender-hearted person, and had at no
time raised her hand to give a single blow to any servant-girl, she,
however, when she accidentally discovered Chin Ch'uan-erh behave on this
occasion in this barefaced manner, a manner which had all her lifetime
been most reprehensible to her, was so overcome by passion that she gave
Chin Ch'uan-erh just one slap and spoke to her a few sharp words. And
albeit Chin Ch'uan-erh indulged in solicitous entreaties, she would not