評論
打印
Scarcely had she time to conclude what she had to say when a youth， on duty at the second gate， transmitted the announcement that Mr. Chia Cheng was in the Library waiting for Mr. Secundus. At these words， Chia Lien speedily adjusted his clothes， and left the apartment； and during his absence， lady Feng inquired of P'ing Erh what Mrs. Hsueeh wanted a few minutes back， that she sent Hsiang Ling round in such a hurry.
"What Hsiang Ling ever came？" replied P'ing Erh. "I simply made use of her name to tell a lie for the occasion. Tell me， my lady， （what's come to） Wang Erh's wife？ why she's got so bad that there's even no common sense left in her！" Saying this she again drew near lady Feng's side， and in a soft tone of voice， she continued： "That interest of yours， my lady， she doesn't send later， nor does she send it sooner； but she must send it round the very moment when master Secundus is at home！ But as luck would have it， I was in the hall， so that I came across her； otherwise， she would have walked in and told your ladyship， and Mr. Secundus would naturally have come to know about it！ And our master would， with that frame of mind of his， have fished it out and spent it， had the money even been at the bottom of a pan full of oil！ and were he to have heard that my lady had private means， would he not have been still more reckless in spending？ Hence it was that， losing no time in taking the money over， I had to tell her a few words which， who would have thought， happened to be overheard by your ladyship； that's why， in the presence of master Secundus， I simply explained that Hsiang Ling had come！"
these words evoked a smile from lady Feng. "Mrs. Hsueh， I thought to myself，" she observed， "knows very well that your Mr. Secundus has come， and yet， regardless of propriety， she， instead （of keeping her at home）， sends some one over from her inner rooms！ and it was you after all， you vixen， playing these pranks！"
As she uttered this remark， Chia Lien walked in， and lady Feng issued orders to serve the wine and the eatables， and husband and wife took their seats opposite to each other； but notwithstanding that lady Feng was very partial to drink， she nevertheless did not have the courage to indulge her weakness， but merely partook of some to keep him company. Chia Lien's nurse， dame Chao， entered the room， and Chia Lien and lady Feng promptly pressed her to have a glass of wine， and bade her sit on the stove-couch， but dame Chao was obstinate in her refusal. P'ing Erh and the other waiting-maids had at an early hour placed a square stool next to the edge of the couch， where was likewise a small footstool， and on this footstool dame Chao took a seat， whereupon Chia Lien chose two dishes of delicacies from the table， which he handed her to place on the square stool for her own use.
"Dame Chao，" lady Feng remarked， "couldn't very well bite through that， for mind it might make her teeth drop！ This morning，" she therefore asked of P'ing Erh， "I suggested that that shoulder of pork stewed with ham was so tender as to be quite the thing to be given to dame Chao to eat； and how is it you haven't taken it over to her？ But go at once and tell them to warm it and bring it in！ Dame Chao，" she went on， "just you taste this Hui Ch'uean wine brought by your foster-son."
"I'll drink it，" replied dame Chao， "but you， my lady， must also have a cup： what's there to fear？ the one thing to guard against is any excess， that's all！ But I've now come over， not for any wine or eatables； on the contrary， there's a serious matter， which I would ask your ladyship to impress on your mind， and to show me some regard， for this master of ours is only good to utter fine words， but when the time （to act） does come， he forgets all about us！ As I have had the good fortune to nurse him in his infancy and to bring him up to this age， 'I too have grown old in years，' I said to him， 'and all that belong to me are those two sons， and do look upon them with some particular favour！' With any one else I shouldn't have ventured to open my mouth， but him I anyway entreated time and again on several occasions. His assent was of course well and good， but up to this very moment he still withholds his help. Now besides from the heavens has dropped such a mighty piece of good luck； and in what place will there be no need of servants？ that's why I come to tell you， my lady， as is but right， for were I to depend upon our master， I fear I shall even die of starvation."
Lady Feng laughed. "You'd better，" she suggested， "put those two elder foster brothers of his both under my charge！ But you've nursed that foster-son from his babyhood， and don't you yet know that disposition of his， how that he takes his skin and flesh and sticks it， （not on the body of a relative）， but， on the contrary， on that of an outsider and stranger？ （to Chia Lien.） Which of those foster brothers whom you have now discarded， isn't clearly better than others？ and were you to have shown them some favour and consideration， who would have ventured to have said 'don't？' Instead of that， you confer benefits upon thorough strangers， and all to no purpose whatever！ But these words of mine are also incorrect， eh？ for those whom we regard as strangers you， contrariwise， will treat just as if they were relatives！"
At these words every one present in the room burst out laughing； even nurse Chao could not repress herself； and as she invoked Buddha，——"In very truth，" she exclaimed， "in this room has sprung up a kind-hearted person！ as regards relatives and strangers， such foolish distinctions aren't drawn by our master； and it's simply because he's full of pity and is tenderhearted that he can't put off any one who gives vent to a few words of entreaty， and nothing else！"
