"It's rather sore," said Pao-yue, "but it's nothing to speak of. Tomorrow
when my old grandmother asks about it, I can simply explain that I
scalded it myself; that will be quite enough to tell her."

"If you say that you scalded it yourself," lady Feng observed, "why,
she'll also call people to task for not looking out; and a fit of rage
will, beyond doubt, be the outcome of it all."

Madame Wang then ordered the servants to take care and escort Pao-yue
back to his room. On their arrival, Hsi Jen and his other attendants saw
him, and they were all in a great state of flurry.

As for Lin Tai-yue, when she found that Pao-yue had gone out of doors, she
continued the whole day a prey to ennui. In the evening, she deputed
messengers two and three times to go and inquire about him. But when she
came to know that he had been scalded, she hurried in person to come and
see him. She then discovered Pao-yue all alone, holding a glass and
scanning his features in it; while the left side of his face was
plastered all over with some medicine.

Lin Tai-yue imagined that the burn was of an extremely serious nature,
and she hastened to approach him with a view to examine it. Pao-yue,
however, screened his face, and, waving his hand, bade her leave the
room; for knowing her usual knack for tidiness he did not feel inclined
to let her get a glimpse of his face. Tai-yue then gave up the attempt,
and confined herself to asking him: "whether it was very painful?"

"It isn't very sore," replied Pao-yue, "if I look after it for a day or
two, it will get all right."