"I'll come again to see you to-morrow," she said, "but take good care of
yourself! I gave the medicines I brought just now to Hsi Jen; let her
rub you with them at night and I feel sure you'll get all right."

With these recommendations, she walked out of the door.

Hsi Jen hastened to catch her up and escorted her beyond the court.
"Miss," she remarked, "we've really put you to the trouble of coming.
Some other day, when Mr. Secundus is well, I shall come in person to
thank you."

"What's there to thank me for?" replied Pao-ch'ai, turning her head
round and smiling. "But mind, you advise him to carefully tend his
health, and not to give way to idle thoughts and reckless ideas, and
he'll recover. If there's anything he fancies to eat or to amuse himself
with, come quietly over to me and fetch it for him. There will be no use
to disturb either our old lady, or Madame Wang, or any of the others;
for in the event of its reaching Mr. Chia Cheng's ear, nothing may, at
the time, come of it; but if by and bye he finds it to be true, we'll,
doubtless, suffer for it!"

While tendering this advice, she went on her way.

Hsi Jen retraced her steps and returned into the room, fostering genuine
feelings of gratitude for Pao-ch'ai. But on entering, she espied Pao-yue
silently lost in deep thought, and looking as if he were asleep, and yet
not quite asleep, so she withdrew into the outer quarters to comb her
hair and wash.

Pao-yue meanwhile lay motionless in bed. His buttocks tingled with pain,