Hsiao Hung, the story continues, was much unsettled in her mind. Her
thoughts rolled on in one connected string. But suddenly she became
drowsy, and falling asleep, she encountered Chia Yuen, who tried to carry
out his intention to drag her near him. She twisted herself round, and
endeavoured to run away; but was tripped over by the doorstep. This gave
her such a start that she woke up. Then, at length, she realised that it
was only a dream. But so restlessly did she, in consequence of this
fright, keep on rolling and tossing that she could not close her eyes
during the whole night. As soon as the light of the next day dawned, she
got up. Several waiting-maids came at once to tell her to go and sweep
the floor of the rooms, and to bring water to wash the face with. Hsiao
Hung did not even wait to arrange her hair or perform her ablutions;
but, turning towards the looking-glass, she pinned her chevelure up
anyhow; and, rinsing her hands, and, tying a sash round her waist, she
repaired directly to sweep the apartments.

Who would have thought it, Pao-yue also had set his heart upon her the
moment he caught sight of her the previous day. Yet he feared, in the
first place, that if he mentioned her by name and called her over into
his service, Hsi Jen and the other girls might feel the pangs of
jealousy. He did not, either in the second place, have any idea what her
disposition was like. The consequence was that he felt downcast; so much
so, that when he got up at an early hour, he did not even comb his hair
or wash, but simply remained seated, and brooded in a state of
abstraction. After a while, he lowered the window. Through the gauze
frame, from which he could distinctly discern what was going on outside,
he espied several servant-girls, engaged in sweeping the court. All of
them were rouged and powdered; they had flowers inserted in their hair,
and were grandly got up. But the only one, of whom he failed to get a