flowers. Soon after the expiry of this season of 'Sprouting seeds'
follows summertide, and us plants in general then wither and the god of
flowers resigns his throne, it is compulsory to feast him at some
entertainment, previous to his departure.

In the ladies' apartments this custom was observed with still more
rigour; and, for this reason, the various inmates Of the park of Broad
Vista had, without a single exception, got up at an early hour. The
young people either twisted flowers and willow twigs in such a way as to
represent chairs and horses, or made tufted banners with damask,
brocaded gauze and silk, and bound them with variegated threads. These
articles of decoration were alike attached on every tree and plant; and
throughout the whole expanse of the park, embroidered sashes waved to
and fro, and ornamented branches nodded their heads about. In addition
to this, the members of the family were clad in such fineries that they
put the peach tree to shame, made the almond yield the palm, the swallow
envious and the hawk to blush. We could not therefore exhaustively
describe them within our limited space of time.

Pao-ch'ai, Ying Ch'un, T'an Ch'un, Hsi Ch'un, Li Wan, lady Feng and
other girls, as well as Ta Chieh Erh, Hsiang Ling and the waiting-maids
were, one and all, we will now notice, in the garden enjoying
themselves; the only person who could not be seen was Lin Tai-yue.

"How is it," consequently inquired Ying Ch'un, "that I don't see cousin
Liu? What a lazy girl! Is she forsooth fast asleep even at this late
hour of the day?"

"Wait all of you here," rejoined Pao-ch'ai, "and I'll go and shake her
up and bring her."