astonishment. "How can one wonder," she argued mentally, "if all those
lewd and dishonest people, who have lived from olden times to the
present, have devised such thorough artifices! But were they now to open
and see me here, won't they feel ashamed. Moreover, the voice in which
those remarks were uttered resembles very much that of Hung Erh,
attached to Pao-yue's rooms, who has all along shown a sharp eye and a
shrewd mind. She's an artful and perverse thing of the first class! And
as I have now overheard her peccadilloes, and a person in despair rebels
as sure as a dog in distress jumps over the wall, not only will trouble
arise, but I too shall derive no benefit. It would be better at present
therefore for me to lose no time in retiring. But as I fear I mayn't be
in time to get out of the way, the only alternative for me is to make
use of some art like that of the cicada, which can divest itself of its
_exuviae_."

She had scarcely brought her reflections to a close before a sound of
'ko-chih' reached her ears. Pao-ch'ai purposely hastened to tread with
heavy step. "P'in Erh, I see where you're hiding!" she cried out
laughingly; and as she shouted, she pretended to be running ahead in
pursuit of her.

As soon as Hsiao Hung and Chui Erh pushed the windows open from inside
the pavilion, they heard Pao-ch'ai screaming, while rushing forward; and
both fell into a state of trepidation from the fright they sustained.

Pao-ch'ai turned round and faced them. "Where have you been hiding Miss
Lin?" she smiled.

"Who has seen anything of Miss Lin," retorted Chui Erh.