評論
打印
Dowager lady Chia and the rest in due course offered thanks and returned home， the relatives and friends came to present their congratulations， GREat stir and excitement prevailed during these few days in the two mansions of Ning and Jung， and every one was in high glee； but he alone looked upon everything as if it were nothing； taking not the least interest in anything； and as this reason led the whole family to sneer at him， the result was that he got more and more doltish.
Luckily， however， Chia Lien and Tai-yue were on their way back， and had despatched messengers， in advance， to announce the news that they would be able to reach home the following day， so that when Pao-yue heard the tidings， he was at length somewhat cheered. And when he came to institute minute inquiries， he eventually found out： "that Chia Yue-ts'un was also coming to the capital to have an audience with His Majesty， that it was entirely because Wang Tzu-t'eng had repeatedly laid before the Throne memorials recommending him that he was coming on this occasion to wait in the metropolis for a vacancy which he could fill up； that as he was a kinsman of Chia Lien's， acknowledging the same ancestors as he did， and he stood， on the other hand， with Tai-yue， in the relationship of tutor and pupil， he was in consequence following the same road and coming as their companion； that Lin Ju-hai had already been buried in the ancestral vault， and that every requirement had been attended to with propriety； that Chia Lien， on this voyage to the capital， would， had he proGREssed by the ordinary stages， have been over a month before he could reach home， but that when he came to hear the good news about Yuan Ch'un， he pressed on day and night to enter the capital； and that the whole journey had been throughout， in every respect， both pleasant and propitious."
But Pao-yue merely ascertained whether Tai-yue was all right， and did not even so much as trouble his mind with the rest of what he heard； and he remained on the tiptoe of expectation， till noon of the morrow； when， in point of fact， it was announced that Mr. Lien， together with Miss Lin， had made their entrance into the mansion. When they came face to face， grief and joy vied with each other； and they could not help having a good cry for a while； after which followed again expressions of sympathy and congratulations； while Pao-yue pondered within himself that Tai-yue had become still more surpassingly handsome.
Tai-yue had also brought along with her a good number of books， and she promptly gave orders that the sleeping rooms should be swept， and that the various nicknacks should be put in their proper places. She further produced a certain quantity of paper， pencils and other such things， and distributed them among Pao Ch'ai， Ying Ch'un， Pao-yue and the rest； and Pao-yue also brought out， with extreme care， the string of Ling-ling scented beads， which had been given to him by the Prince of Pei Ching， and handed them， in his turn， to Tai-yue as a present.
"What foul man has taken hold of them？" exclaimed Tai-yue. "I don't want any such things；" and as she forthwith dashed them down， and would not accept them， Pao-yue was under the necessity of taking them back. But for the time being we will not allude to them， but devote our attention to Chia Lien.
Having， after his arrival home， paid his salutations to all the inmates， he retired to his own quarters at the very moment that lady Feng had multifarious duties to attend to， and had not even a minute to spare； but， considering that Chia Lien had returned from a distant journey， she could not do otherwise than put by what she had to do， and to GREet him and wait on him.
"Imperial uncle，" she said， in a jocose manner， when she realised that there was no outsider present in the room， "I congratulate you！ What fatigue and hardship you， Imperial uncle， have had to bear throughout the whole journey， your humble servant heard yesterday， when the courier sent ahead came and announced that Your Highness would this day reach this mansion. I have merely got ready a glass of mean wine for you to wipe down the dust with， but I wonder， whether Your Highness will deign to bestow upon it the lustre of your countenance， and accept it."
Chia Lien smiled. "How dare I presume to such an honour，" he added by way of rejoinder； "I'm unworthy of such attention！ Many thanks， many thanks."
