評(píng)論
打印
"My dear cousin，" Pao-ch'ai hastened to advise him， "leave off at once language of this kind， for people will laugh at you；" and then went on to scold Ying Erh， when Pao-yue just happened to come in. Perceiving him in this plight， "What is the matter？" he asked； but Chia Huan had not the courage to say anything.
Pao-ch'ai was well aware of the custom， which prevailed in their family， that younger brothers lived in respect of the elder brothers， but she was not however cognisant of the fact that Pao-yue would not that any one should entertain any fear of him. His idea being that elder as well as younger brothers had， all alike， father and mother to admonish them， and that there was no need for any of that officiousness， which， instead of doing good gave， on the contrary， rise to estrangement. "Besides，" （he reasoned，） "I'm the offspring of the primary wife， while he's the son of the secondary wife， and， if by treating him as leniently as I have done， there are still those to talk about me， behind my back， how could I exercise any control over him？" But besides these， there were other still more foolish notions， which he fostered in his mind； but what foolish notions they were can you， reader， guess？ As a result of his growing up， from his early youth， among a crowd of girls， of whom， in the way of sister， there was Yuean Ch'un， of cousins， from his paternal uncle's side， there were Ying Ch'un， and Hsi Ch'un， and of relatives also there were Shih Hsiang-yuen， Lin Tai-yue， Hsueeh Pao-ch'ai and the rest， he， in due course， resolved in his mind that the divine and unsullied virtue of Heaven and earth was only implanted in womankind， and that men were no more than feculent dregs and foul dirt. And for this reason it was that men were without discrimination， considered by him as so many filthy objects， which might or might not exist； while the relationships of father， paternal uncles， and brothers， he did not however presume to disregard， as these were among the injunctions bequeathed by the holy man， and he felt bound to listen to a few of their precepts. But to the above causes must be assigned the fact that， among his brothers， he did no more than accomplish the general purport of the principle of human affections； bearing in mind no thought whatever that he himself was a human being of the male sex， and that it was his duty to be an example to his younger brothers. And this is why Chia Huan and the others entertained no respect for him， though in their veneration for dowager lady Chia， they yielded to him to a certain deGREe.
Pao-ch'ai harboured fears lest， on this occasion， Pao-yue should call him to book， and put him out of face， and she there and then lost no time in taking Chia Huan's part with a view to screening him.
"In this felicitous first moon what are you blubbering for？" Pao-yue inquired， "if this place isn't nice， why then go somewhere else to play. But from reading books， day after day， you've studied so much that you've become quite a dunce. If this thing， for instance， isn't good， that must， of course， be good， so then discard this and take up that， but is it likely that by sticking to this thing and crying for a while that it will become good？ You came originally with the idea of reaping some fun， and you've instead provoked yourself to displeasure， and isn't it better then that you should be off at once."
Chia Huan upon hearing these words could not but come back to his quarters； and Mrs. Chao noticing the frame of mind in which he was felt constrained to inquire： "Where is it that you've been looked down upon by being made to fill up a hole， and being trodden under foot？"
"I was playing with cousin Pao-ch'ai，" Chia Huan readily replied， "when Ying Erh insulted me， and deprived me of my money， and brother Pao-yue drove me away."
"Ts'ui！" exclaimed Mrs. Chao， "who bade you （presume so high） as to get up into that lofty tray？ You low and barefaced thing！ What place is there that you can't go to and play； and who told you to run over there and bring upon yourself all this shame？"
As she spoke， lady Feng was， by a strange coincidence， passing outside under the window； so that every word reached her ear， and she speedily asked from outside the window： "What are you up to in this happy first moon？ These brothers are， really， but mere children， and will you just for a slight mistake， go on preaching to him！ what's the use of coming out with all you've said？ Let him go wherever he pleases； for there are still our lady and Mr. Chia Cheng to keep him in order. But you go and sputter him with your gigantic mouth； he's at present a master， and if there be anything wrong about him， there are， after all， those to rate him； and what business is that of yours？ Brother Huan， come out with you， and follow me and let us go and enjoy ourselves."
Chia Huan had ever been in GREater fear and trembling of lady Feng， than of madame Wang， so that when her summons reached his ear， he hurriedly went out， while Mrs. Chao， on the other hand， did not venture to breathe a single word.
