home, where it's much cooler, instead of gadding about all over the
place?"

"Could you tell them so?" smiled Hsi Jen.

"What was that girl Hsiang-yuen doing in your quarters?" Pao-ch'ai then
asked.

"She only came to chat with us on irrelevant matters." Hsi Jen replied
smiling. "But did you see the pair of shoes I was pasting the other day?
Well, I meant to ask her to-morrow to finish them for me."

Pao-chai, at these words, turned her head round, first on this side, and
then on the other. Seeing that there was no one coming or going: "How is
it," she smiled, "that you, who have so much gumption, don't ever show
any respect for people's feelings? I've been of late keeping an eye on
Miss Yuen's manner, and, from what I can glean from the various rumours
afloat, she can't be, in the slightest degree, her own mistress at home!
In that family of theirs, so little can they stand the burden of any
heavy expenses that they don't employ any needlework-people, and
ordinary everyday things are mostly attended to by their ladies
themselves. (If not), why is it that every time she has come to us on a
visit, and she and I have had a chat, she at once broached the subject
of their being in great difficulties at home, the moment she perceived
that there was no one present? Yet, whenever I went on to ask her a few
questions about their usual way of living, her very eyes grew red, while
she made some indistinct reply; but as for speaking out, she wouldn't.
But when I consider the circumstances in which she is placed, for she
has certainly had the misfortune of being left, from her very infancy,
without father and mother, the very sight of her is too much for me, and