While addressing her, he rose to his feet and was intent upon trudging
off at once. Hsi Jen lost no time in turning round and impeding his
progress. "Where are you off to?" she cried.

"I'm going to tell mother," answered Pao-yue.

"It's no use whatever!" Hsi Jen smiled, "you may be in real earnest to
go and tell her, but aren't you afraid of putting her to shame? If even
she positively means to leave, you can very well wait until you two have
got over this bad blood. And when everything is past and gone, it won't
be any too late for you to explain, in the course of conversation, the
whole case to our lady, your mother. But if you now go in hot haste and
tell her, as if the matter were an urgent one, won't you be the means of
making our mistress give way to suspicion?"

"My mother," demurred Pao-yue, "is sure not to entertain any suspicions,
as all I will explain to her is that she insists upon leaving."

"When did I ever insist upon going?" sobbed Ch'ing Wen. "You fly into a
rage, and then you have recourse to threats to intimidate me. But you're
at liberty to go and say anything you like; for as I'll knock my brains
out against the wall, I won't get alive out of this door."

"This is, indeed, strange!" exclaimed Pao-yue. "If you won't go, what's
the good of all this fuss? I can't stand this bawling, so it will be a
riddance if you would get out of the way!"

Saying this, he was resolved upon going to report the matter. Hsi Jen
found herself powerless to dissuade him. She had in consequence no other
resource but to fall on her knees.