Indeed, Pao-yue, on his return from entertaining Yue-ts'un, heard the
tidings that Chin Ch'uan-erh had been instigated by a sense of shame to
take her own life and he at once fell a prey to grief. So much so, that,
when he came inside, and was again spoken to and admonished by Madame
Wang, he could not utter a single word in his justification. But as soon
as he perceived Pao-ch'ai make her appearance in the room, he seized the
opportunity to scamper out in precipitate haste. Whither he was
trudging, he himself had not the least idea. But throwing his hands
behind his back and drooping his head against his chest, he gave way to
sighs, while with slow and listless step he turned towards the hall.
Scarcely, however, had he rounded the screen-wall, which stood in front
of the door-way, when, by a strange coincidence, he ran straight into
the arms of some one, who was unawares approaching from the opposite
direction, and was just about to go towards the inner portion of the
compound.

"Hallo!" that person was heard to cry out, as he stood still.

Pao-yue sustained a dreadful start. Raising his face to see, he
discovered that it was no other than his father. At once, he
unconsciously drew a long breath and adopted the only safe course of
dropping his arms against his body and standing on one side.

"Why are you," exclaimed Chia Cheng, "drooping your head in such a
melancholy mood, and indulging in all these moans? When Yue-ts'un came
just now and he asked to see you, you only put in your appearance after
a long while. But though you did come, you were not in the least
disposed to chat with anything like cheerfulness and animation; you
behaved, as you ever do, like a regular fool. I detected then in your