As for Pao-yue, when he heard Chia Cheng enjoin him not to move, he
forthwith became aware that the chances of an unpropitious issue
outnumbered those of a propitious one, but how could he have had any
idea that Chia Huan as well had put in his word? There he still stood in
the pavilion, revolving in his mind how he could get some one to speed
inside and deliver a message for him. But, as it happened, not a soul
appeared. He was quite at a loss to know where even Pei Ming could be.
His longing was at its height, when he perceived an old nurse come on
the scene. The sight of her exulted Pao-yue, just as much as if he had
obtained pearls or gems; and hurriedly approaching her, he dragged her
and forced her to halt. "Go in," he urged, "at once and tell them that
my father wishes to beat me to death. Be quick, be quick, for it's
urgent, there's no time to be lost."

But, first and foremost, Pao-yue's excitement was so intense that he
spoke with indistinctness. In the second place, the old nurse was, as
luck would have it, dull of hearing, so that she did not catch the drift
of what he said, and she misconstrued the two words: "it's urgent," for
the two representing jumped into the well. Readily smiling therefore:
"If she wants to jump into the well, let her do so," she said. "What's
there to make you fear, Master Secundus?"

"Go out," pursued Pao-yue, in despair, on discovering that she was deaf,
"and tell my page to come."

"What's there left unsettled?" rejoined the old nurse. "Everything has
been finished long ago! A tip has also been given them; so how is it
things are not settled?"