Pao-yue, wearing a house-dress and slipshod shoes, was reclining on the
bed, a book in hand. The moment he perceived Chia Yuen walk in, he
discarded his book, and forthwith smiled and raised himself up. Chia Yuen
hurriedly pressed forward and paid his salutation. Pao-yue then offered
him a seat; but he simply chose a chair in the lower part of the
apartment.

"Ever since the moon in which I came across you," Pao-yue observed
smilingly, "and told you to come into the library, I've had, who would
have thought it, endless things to continuously attend to, so that I
forgot all about you."

"It's I, indeed, who lacked good fortune!" rejoined Chia Yuen, with a
laugh; "particularly so, as it again happened that you, uncle, fell ill.
But are you quite right once more?"

"All right!" answered Pao-yue. "I heard that you've been put to much
trouble and inconvenience on a good number of days!"

"Had I even had any trouble to bear," added Chia Yuen, "it would have
been my duty to bear it. But your complete recovery, uncle, is really a
blessing to our whole family."

As he spoke, he discerned a couple of servant-maids come to help him to
a cup of tea. But while conversing with Pao-yue, Chia Yuen was intent upon
scrutinising the girl with slim figure, and oval face, and clad in a
silvery-red jacket, a blue satin waistcoat and a white silk petticoat
with narrow pleats.

At the time of Pao-yue's illness, Chia Yuen had spent a couple of days in