your playing your larks on me; but why," he inquired, "did you mention
my father? Were I to go and tell my aunt, your mother, to see to the
rights and the wrongs of the case, how would you like it?"

"My dear cousin," remarked Hsueeh P'an vehemently, "the primary idea I
had in view was to ask you to come out a moment sooner and I forgot to
respectfully shun the expression. But by and bye, when you wish to chaff
me, just you likewise allude to my father, and we'll thus be square."

"Ai-ya!" exclaimed Pao-yue. "You do more than ever deserve death!!" Then
turning again towards Pei Ming, "You ruffian!" he said, "what are you
still kneeling for?"

Pei Ming began to bump his head on the ground with vehemence.

"Had it been for anything else," Hsueeh P'an chimed in, "I wouldn't have
made bold to disturb you; but it's simply in connection with my birthday
which is to-morrow, the third day of the fifth moon. Ch'eng Jih-hsing,
who is in that curio shop of ours, unexpectedly brought along, goodness
knows where he fished them from, fresh lotus so thick and so long, so
mealy and so crisp; melons of this size; and a Siamese porpoise, that
long and that big, smoked with cedar, such as is sent as tribute from
the kingdom of Siam. Are not these four presents, pray, rare delicacies?
The porpoise is not only expensive, but difficult to get, and that kind
of lotus and melon must have cost him no end of trouble to grow! I lost
no time in presenting some to my mother, and at once sent some to your
old grandmother, and my aunt. But a good many of them still remain now;
and were I to eat them all alone, it would, I fear, be more than I
deserve; so I concluded, after thinking right and left, that there was,
besides myself, only you good enough to partake of some. That is why I