as if they were pricked with needles, or dug with knives; giving him to
boot a fiery sensation just as if fire were eating into them. He tried
to change his position a bit, but unable to bear the anguish, he burst
into groans. The shades of evening were by this time falling. Perceiving
that though Hsi Jen had left his side there remained still two or three
waiting-maids in attendance, he said to them, as he could find nothing
for them to do just then, "You might as well go and comb your hair and
perform your ablutions; come in, when I call you."

Hearing this, they likewise retired. During this while, Pao-yue fell into
a drowsy state. Chiang Yue-han then rose before his vision and told him
all about his capture by men from the Chung Shun mansion. Presently,
Chin Ch'uan-erh too appeared in his room bathed in tears, and explained
to him the circumstances which drove her to leap into the well. But
Pao-yue, who was half dreaming and half awake, was not able to give his
mind to anything that was told him. Unawares, he became conscious of
some one having given him a push; and faintly fell on his ear the
plaintive tones of some person in distress. Pao-yue was startled out of
his dreams. On opening his eyes, he found it to be no other than Lin
Tai-yue. But still fearing that it was only a dream, he promptly raised
himself, and drawing near her face he passed her features under a minute
scrutiny. Seeing her two eyes so swollen, as to look as big as peaches,
and her face glistening all over with tears: "If it is not Tai-yue," (he
thought), "who else can it be?"

Pao-yue meant to continue his scrutiny, but the lower part of his person
gave him such unbearable sharp twitches that finding it a hard task to
keep up, he, with a shout of "Ai-yo," lay himself down again, as he
heaved a sigh. "What do you once more come here for?" he asked. "The
sun, it is true, has set; but the heat remaining on the ground hasn't