評論
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Shih-yin at once stood up. "Pray excuse my rudeness，" he remarked apologetically， "but do sit down； I shall shortly rejoin you， and enjoy the pleasure of your society." "My dear Sir，" answered Yue-ts'un， as he got up， also in a conceding way， "suit your own convenience. I've often had the honour of being your guest， and what will it matter if I wait a little？" While these apologies were yet being spoken， Shih-yin had already walked out into the front parlour. During his absence， Yue-ts'un occupied himself in turning over the pages of some poetical work to dispel ennui， when suddenly he heard， outside the window， a woman's cough. Yue-ts'un hurriedly got up and looked out. He saw at a glance that it was a servant girl engaged in picking flowers. Her deportment was out of the common； her eyes so bright， her eyebrows so well defined. Though not a perfect beauty， she possessed nevertheless charms sufficient to arouse the feelings. Yue-ts'un unwittingly gazed at her with fixed eye. This waiting-maid， belonging to the Chen family， had done picking flowers， and was on the point of going in， when she of a sudden raised her eyes and became aware of the presence of some person inside the window， whose head-gear consisted of a turban in tatters， while his clothes were the worse for wear. But in spite of his poverty， he was naturally endowed with a round waist， a broad back， a fat face， a square mouth； added to this， his eyebrows were swordlike， his eyes resembled stars， his nose was straight， his cheeks square.
This servant girl turned away in a hurry and made her escape.
"This man so burly and strong，" she communed within herself， "yet at the same time got up in such poor attire， must， I expect， be no one else than the man， whose name is Chia Yue-ts'un or such like， time after time referred to by my master， and to whom he has repeatedly wished to give a helping hand， but has failed to find a favourable opportunity. And as related to our family there is no connexion or friend in such straits， I feel certain it cannot be any other person than he. Strange to say， my master has further remarked that this man will， for a certainty， not always continue in such a state of destitution."
As she indulged in this train of thought， she could not restrain herself from turning her head round once or twice.
When Yue-ts'un perceived that she had looked back， he readily interpreted it as a sign that in her heart her thoughts had been of him， and he was frantic with irrepressible joy.
"This girl，" he mused， "is， no doubt， keen-eyed and eminently shrewd， and one in this world who has seen through me."
the servant youth， after a short time， came into the room； and when Yue-ts'un made inquiries and found out from him that the guests in the front parlour had been detained to dinner， he could not very well wait any longer， and promptly walked away down a side passage and out of a back door.
When the guests had taken their leave， Shih-yin did not go back to rejoin Yue-ts'un， as he had come to know that he had already left.
In time the mid-autumn festivities drew near； and Shih-yin， after the family banquet was over， had a separate table laid in the library， and crossed over， in the moonlight， as far as the temple and invited Yue-ts'un to come round.
the fact is that Yue-ts'un， ever since the day on which he had seen the girl of the Chen family turn twice round to glance at him， flattered himself that she was friendly disposed towards him， and incessantly fostered fond thoughts of her in his heart. And on this day， which happened to be the mid-autumn feast， he could not， as he gazed at the moon， refrain from cherishing her remembrance. Hence it was that he gave vent to these pentameter verses：
Alas！ not yet divined my lifelong wish， And anguish ceaseless comes upon anguish I came， and sad at heart， my brow I frowned； She went， and oft her head to look turned round. Facing the breeze， her shadow she doth watch， Who's meet this moonlight night with her to match？ The lustrous rays if they my wish but read Would soon alight upon her beauteous head！
Yue-ts'un having， after this recitation， recalled again to mind how that throughout his lifetime his literary attainments had had an adverse fate and not met with an opportunity （of reaping distinction）， went on to rub his brow， and as he raised his eyes to the skies， he heaved a deep sigh and once more intoned a couplet aloud：
the gem in the cask a high price it seeks， The pin in the case to take wing it waits.
As luck would have it， Shih-yin was at the moment approaching， and upon hearing the lines， he said with a smile： "My dear Yue-ts'un， really your attainments are of no ordinary capacity."
Yue-ts'un lost no time in smiling and replying. "It would be presumption in my part to think so，" he observed. "I was simply at random humming a few verses composed by former writers， and what reason is there to laud me to such an excessive deGREe？ To what， my dear Sir， do I owe the pleasure of your visit？" he went on to inquire. "Tonight，" replied Shih-yin， "is the mid-autumn feast， generally known as the full-moon festival； and as I could not help thinking that living， as you my worthy brother are， as a mere stranger in this Buddhist temple， you could not but experience the feeling of loneliness. I have， for the express purpose， prepared a small entertainment， and will be pleased if you will come to my mean abode to have a glass of wine. But I wonder whether you will entertain favourably my modest invitation？" Yue-ts'un， after listening to the proposal， put forward no refusal of any sort； but remarked complacently： "Being the recipient of such marked attention， how can I presume to repel your generous consideration？"
As he gave expression to these words， he walked off there and then， in company with Shih-yin， and came over once again into the court in front of the library. In a few minutes， tea was over.
the cups and dishes had been laid from an early hour， and needless to say the wines were luscious； the fare sumptuous.
the two friends took their seats. At first they leisurely replenished their glasses， and quietly sipped their wine； but as， little by little， they entered into conversation， their good cheer GREw more genial， and unawares the glasses began to fly round， and the cups to be exchanged.
At this very hour， in every house of the neighbourhood， sounded the fife and lute， while the inmates indulged in music and singing. Above head， the orb of the radiant moon shone with an all-pervading splendour， and with a steady lustrous light， while the two friends， as their exuberance increased， drained their cups dry so soon as they reached their lips.
Yue-ts'un， at this stage of the collation， was considerably under the influence of wine， and the vehemence of his high spirits was irrepressible. As he gazed at the moon， he fostered thoughts， to which he gave vent by the recital of a double couplet.
'Tis what time three meets five， Selene is a globe！ Her pure rays fill the court， the jadelike rails enrobe！ Lo！ in the heavens her disk to view doth now arise， And in the earth below to gaze men lift their eyes.
"Excellent！" cried Shih-yin with a loud voice， after he had heard these lines； "I have repeatedly maintained that it was impossible for you to remain long inferior to any， and now the verses you have recited are a prognostic of your rapid advancement. Already it is evident that， before long， you will extend your footsteps far above the clouds！ I must congratulate you！ I must congratulate you！ Let me， with my own hands， pour a glass of wine to pay you my compliments."
