評論
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Goody Liu， having expressed her thanks， forthwith went， leading Pan Erh by the hand， round to the back door， where she saw several pedlars resting their burdens. There were also those who sold things to eat， and those who sold playthings and toys； and besides these， twenty or thirty boys bawled and shouted， making quite a noise.
Goody Liu readily caught hold of one of them. "I'd like to ask you just a word， my young friend，" she observed； "there's a Mrs. Chou here； is she at home？"
"Which Mrs. Chou？" inquired the boy； "we here have three Mrs. Chous； and there are also two young married ladies of the name of Chou. What are the duties of the one you want， I wonder ？"
"She's a waiting-woman of my lady，" replied goody Liu.
"It's easy to get at her，" added the boy； "just come along with me."
Leading the way for goody Liu into the backyard， they reached the wall of a court， when he pointed and said， "This is her house.——Mother Chou！" he went on to shout with alacrity； "there's an old lady who wants to see you."
Chou Jui's wife was at home， and with all haste she came out to GREet her visitor. "Who is it？" she asked.
Goody Liu advanced up to her. "How are you，" she inquired， "Mrs. Chou？"
Mrs. Chou looked at her for some time before she at length smiled and replied， "Old goody Liu， are you well？ How many years is it since we've seen each other； tell me， for I forget just now； but please come in and sit."
"You're a lady of rank，" answered goody Liu smiling， as she walked along， "and do forget many things. How could you remember such as ourselves？"
With these words still in her mouth， they had entered the house， whereupon Mrs. Chou ordered a hired waiting-maid to pour the tea. While they were having their tea she remarked， "How Pan Erh has managed to grow！" and then went on to make inquiries on the subject of various matters， which had occurred after their separation.
"To-day，" she also asked of goody Liu， "were you simply passing by？ or did you come with any express object？"
"I've come， the fact is， with an object！" promptly replied goody Liu； "（first of all） to see you， my dear sister-in-law； and， in the second place also， to inquire after my lady's health. If you could introduce me to see her for a while， it would be better； but if you can't， I must readily borrow your good offices， my sister-in-law， to convey my message."
Mr. Chou Jui's wife， after listening to these words， at once became to a GREat extent aware of the object of her visit. Her husband had， however， in years gone by in his attempt to purchase some land， obtained considerably the support of Kou Erh， so that when she， on this occasion， saw goody Liu in such a dilemma， she could not make up her mind to refuse her wish. Being in the second place keen upon making a display of her own respectability， she therefore said smilingly：
"Old goody Liu， pray compose your mind！ You've come from far off with a pure heart and honest purpose， and how can I ever not show you the way how to see this living Buddha？ Properly speaking， when people come and guests arrive， and verbal messages have to be given， these matters are not any of my business， as we all here have each one kind of duties to carry out. My husband has the special charge of the rents of land coming in， during the two seasons of spring and autumn， and when at leisure， he takes the young gentlemen out of doors， and then his business is done. As for myself， I have to accompany my lady and young married ladies on anything connected with out-of-doors； but as you are a relative of my lady and have besides treated me as a high person and come to me for help， I'll， after all， break this custom and deliver your message. There's only one thing， however， and which you， old lady， don't know. We here are not what we were five years before. My lady now doesn't much worry herself about anything； and it's entirely lady Secunda who looks after the menage. But who do you presume is this lady Secunda？ She's the niece of my lady， and the daughter of my master， the eldest maternal uncle of by-gone days. Her infant name was Feng Ko."
"Is it really she？" inquired promptly goody Liu， after this explanation. "Isn't it strange？ what I said about her years back has come out quite correct； but from all you say， shall I to-day be able to see her？"
"That goes without saying，" replied Chou Jui's wife； "when any visitors come now-a-days， it's always lady Feng who does the honours and entertains them， and it's better to-day that you should see her for a while， for then you will not have walked all this way to no purpose."
"O mi to fu！" exclaimed old goody Liu； "I leave it entirely to your convenience， sister-in-law."
"What's that you're saying？" observed Chou Jui's wife. "the proverb says： 'Our convenience is the convenience of others.' All I have to do is to just utter one word， and what trouble will that be to me."
Saying this， she bade the young waiting maid go to the side pavilion， and quietly ascertain whether， in her old ladyship's apartment， table had been laid.
the young waiting-maid went on this errand， and during this while， the two of them continued a conversation on certain irrelevant matters.
"This lady Feng，" observed goody Liu， "can this year be no older than twenty， and yet so talented as to manage such a household as this！ the like of her is not easy to find！"
"Hai！ my dear old goody，" said Chou Jui's wife， after listening to her， "it's not easy to explain； but this lady Feng， though young in years， is nevertheless， in the management of affairs， superior to any man. She has now excelled the others and developed the very features of a beautiful young woman. To say the least， she has ten thousand eyes in her heart， and were they willing to wager their mouths， why ten men gifted with eloquence couldn't even outdo her！ But by and bye， when you've seen her， you'll know all about her！ There's only this thing， she can't help being rather too severe in her treatment of those below her."
While yet she spake， the young waiting-maid returned. "In her venerable lady's apartment，" she reported， "repast has been spread， and already finished； lady Secunda is in madame Wang's chamber."
As soon as Chou Jui's wife heard this news， she speedily got up and pressed goody Liu to be off at once. "This is，" she urged， "just the hour for her meal， and as she is free we had better first go and wait for her； for were we to be even one step too late， a crowd of servants will come with their reports， and it will then be difficult to speak to her； and after her siesta， she'll have still less time to herself."
