again preparing to assail him, when the rattan was immediately locked
tightly by Madame Wang, in both her arms.

"Of course, of course," Chia Cheng exclaimed, "what you want to do
to-day is to make me succumb to anger!"

"Pao-yue does, I admit, merit to be beaten," sobbed Madame Wang; "but you
should also, my lord, take good care of yourself! The weather, besides,
is extremely hot, and our old lady is not feeling quite up to the mark.
Were you to knock Pao-yue about and kill him, it would not matter much;
but were perchance our venerable senior to suddenly fall ill, wouldn't
it be a grave thing?"

"Better not talk about such things!" observed Chia Cheng with a listless
smile. "By my bringing up such a degenerate child of retribution I have
myself become unfilial! Whenever I've had to call him to account, there
has always been a whole crowd of you to screen him; so isn't it as well
for me to avail myself of to-day to put an end to his cur-like existence
and thus prevent future misfortune?"

As he spoke, he asked for a rope to strangle him; but Madame Wang lost
no time in clasping him in her embrace, and reasoning with him as she
wept. "My lord and master," she said, "it is your duty, of course, to
keep your son in proper order, but you should also regard the
relationship of husband and wife. I'm already a woman of fifty and I've
only got this scapegrace. Was there any need for you to give him such a
bitter lesson? I wouldn't presume to use any strong dissuasion; but
having, on this occasion, gone so far as to harbour the design of
killing him, isn't this a fixed purpose on your part to cut short my own
existence? But as you are bent upon strangling him, be quick and first