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"If to-morrow he were to come late，" lady Feng then remarked， "and if the day after， I were to come late； why by and by there'll be no one here at all！ I should have liked to have let you off， but if I be lenient with you on this first instance， it will be hard for me， on the occurrence of another offence， to exercise any control over the rest. It's much better therefore that I should settle accounts with you."
the moment she uttered these words， she put on a serious look， and gave orders that he should be taken out and administered twenty blows with the bamboo. When the servants perceived that lady Feng was in an angry mood， they did not venture to dilly-dally， but dragged him out， and gave him the full number of blows； which done， they came in to report that the punishment had been inflicted.
Lady Feng likewise threw down the Ning Mansion order and exclaimed， addressing herself to Lai Sheng： "Cut him a month's wages and rice！ and tell them all to disperse， and have done with it！"
All the servants at length withdrew to attend to their respective duties， while the man too， who had been flogged， walked away， as he did all he could to conceal his shame and stifle his tears. About this time arrived and went， in an incessant stream， servants from both the Jung and Ning mansions， bent upon applying for permits and returning permits， and with one by one again did lady Feng settle accounts. And， as in due course， the inmates of the Ning mansion came to know how terrible lady Feng was， each and all were ever since so wary and dutiful that they did not venture to be lazy.
But without going into further details on this subject， we shall now return to Pao-yue. Seeing that there were a lot of people about and fearing lest Ch'in Chung might receive some offence， he lost no time in coming along with him to sit over at lady Feng's. Lady Feng was just having her repast， and upon seeing them arrive： "Your legs are long enough， and couldn't you have come somewhat quicker！" she laughingly observed.
"We've had our rice， thanks，" replied Pao-yue.
"Have you had it，" inquired lady Feng， "outside here， or over on the other side？"
"Would we eat anything with all that riff-raff？" exclaimed Pao-yue； "we've really had it over there； in fact， I now come after having had mine with dowager lady Chia."
As he uttered these words， they took their seats. Lady Feng had just finished her meal， when a married woman from the Ning mansion came to get an order to obtain an advance of money to purchase incense and lanterns with.
"I calculated，" observed lady Feng， "that you would come to-day to make requisition， but I was under the impression that you had forgotten； had you really done so you would certainly have had to get them on your own account， and I would have been the one to benefit."
"Didn't I forget？ I did，" rejoined the married woman as she smiled； "and it's only a few minutes back that it came to my mind； had I been one second later I wouldn't have been in time to get the things."
