Pao-yue fidgetted with his hands and feet. He was just at his wits' ends,
when he espied Chia Cheng's servant-boys come up and press him to go
out.

As soon as Chia Cheng caught sight of him, his eyes got quite red.
Without even allowing himself any time to question him about his gadding
about with actors, and the presents he gave them on the sly, during his
absence from home; or about his playing the truant from school and
lewdly importuning his mother's maid, during his stay at home, he simply
shouted: "Gag his mouth and positively beat him till he dies!"

The servant-boys did not have the boldness to disobey him. They were
under the necessity of seizing Pao-yue, of stretching him on a bench, and
of taking a heavy rattan and giving him about ten blows.

Pao-yue knew well enough that he could not plead for mercy, and all he
could do was to whimper and cry.

Chia Cheng however found fault with the light blows they administered to
him. With one kick he shoved the castigator aside, and snatching the
rattan into his own hands, he spitefully let (Pao-yue) have ten blows and
more.

Pao-yue had not, from his very birth, experienced such anguish. From the
outset, he found the pain unbearable; yet he could shout and weep as
boisterously as ever he pleased; but so weak subsequently did his
breath, little by little, become, so hoarse his voice, and so choked his
throat that he could not bring out any sound.

The family companions noticed that he was beaten in a way that might