medicine with; adding, in an aggrieved way, that it would have been
better hadn't he taken it in hand for he never had any idea that it
would involve such a lot of trouble! When I questioned him what the
medicine was, he returned for answer that it was a prescription of
brother Pao's; and he mentioned ever so many ingredients, which I don't
even remember. 'Under other circumstances,' he went on to say, 'I would
have purchased a few pearls, but what are absolutely wanted are such
pearls as have been worn on the head; and that's why I come to ask you,
cousin, for some. If, cousin, you've got no broken ornaments at hand, in
the shape of flowers, why, those that you have on your head will do as
well; and by and bye I'll choose a few good ones and give them to you,
to wear.' I had no other course therefore than to snap a couple of twigs
from some flowers I have, made of pearls, and to let him take them away.
One also requires a piece of deep red gauze, three feet in length of the
best quality; and the pearls must be triturated to powder in a mortar."

After each sentence expressed by lady Feng, Pao-yue muttered an
invocation to Buddha. "The thing is as clear as sunlight now," he
remarked.

The moment lady Feng had done speaking, Pao-yue put in his word.
"Mother," he added, "you should know that this is a mere makeshift, for
really, according to the letter of the prescription, these pearls and
precious stones should, properly speaking, consist of such as had been
obtained from, some old grave and been worn as head-ornaments by some
wealthy and honourable person of bygone days. But how could one go now
on this account and dig up graves, and open tombs! Hence it is that such
as are simply in use among living persons can equally well be
substituted."