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Chia Chen， upon hearing this， was extremely delighted， and gave orders that the planks should be there and then brought over. When the whole family came to inspect them， they found those for the sides and the bottom to be all eight inches thick， the grain like betel-nut， the smell like sandal-wood or musk， while， when tapped with the hand， the sound emitted was like that of precious stones； so that one and all aGREed in praising the timber for its remarkable quality.
"What is their price？" Chia Chen inquired with a smile.
"Even with one thousand taels in hand，" explained Hsueeh P'an laughingly， "I feel sure you wouldn't find any place， where you could buy the like. Why ask about price？ if you just give the workmen a few taels for their labour， it will be quite sufficient."
Chia Chen， at these words， lost no time in giving expression to profuse assurances of gratitude， and was forthwith issuing directions that the timber should be split， sawn and made up， when Chia Cheng proffered his advice. "Such articles shouldn't，" he said， "be， in my idea， enjoyed by persons of the common run； it would be quite ample if the body were placed in a coffin made of pine of the best quality."
But Chia Chen would not listen to any suggestion.
Suddenly he further heard that Mrs. Ch'in's waiting-maid， Jui Chu by name， had， after she had become alive to the fact that her mistress had died， knocked her head against a post， and likewise succumbed to the blows. This unusual occurrence the whole clan extolled in high terms； and Chia Chen promptly directed that， with regard to ceremonies， she should be treated as a granddaughter， and that the body should， after it had been placed in the coffin， be also deposited in the Hall of Attained Immortality， in the Garden of Concentrated Fragrance.
there was likewise a young waiting-maid， called Pao Chu， who， as Mrs. Ch'in left no issue， was willing to become an adopted child， and begged to be allowed to undertake the charge of dashing the mourning bowl， and accompanying the coffin； which pleased Chia Chen so much that he speedily transmitted orders that from that time forth Pao Chu should be addressed by all as 'young miss.'
Pao Chu， after the rites of an unmarried daughter， mourned before the coffin to such an unwonted deGREe， as if bent upon snapping her own life； while the members of the entire clan， as well as the inmates of the Mansions， each and all， readily observed， in their conduct， the established mourning usages， without of course any transgression or confusion.
"Chia Jung，" pondered Chia Chen， "has no higher status than that of graduate by purchase， and were this designation written on the funeral streamer， it will not be imposing， and， in point of fact， the retinue will likewise be small." He therefore was exceedingly unhappy， in his own mind， when， as luck would have it， on this day， which was the fourth day of the first seven， Tai Ch'uean， a eunuch of the Palace of High Renown， whose office was that of Palace Overseer， first prepared sacrificial presents， which he sent round by messengers， and next came himself in an official chair， preceded by criers beating the gong， to offer sacrificial oblations.
Chia Chen promptly received him， and pressed him into a seat； and when they adjourned into the Hall of the Loitering Bees， tea was presented.
Chia Chen had already arrived at a fixed purpose， so that he seized an opportunity to tell him of his wish to purchase an office for Chia Jung's advancement.
Tai Ch'uean understood the purport of his remark. "It is， I presume，" he added smilingly， "that the funeral rites should be a little more sumptuous."
"My worthy sir，" eagerly rejoined Chia Chen， "your surmise on that score is perfectly correct."
