評論
打印
Madame Wang was sitting in Mrs. Hsueeh's apartments， whither she had just crossed， when she perceived Chia Huan come back from school， and she bade him transcribe incantations out of the Chin Kang Canon and intonate them. Chia Huan accordingly came and seated himself on the stove-couch， occupied by Madame Wang， and， directing a servant to light the candles， he started copying in an ostentatious and dashing manner. Now he called Ts'ai Hsia to pour a cup of tea for him. Now he asked Yu Ch'uan to take the scissors and cut the snuff of the wick. "Chin Ch'uan！" he next cried， "you're in the way of the rays of the lamp."
the servant-girls had all along entertained an antipathy for him， and not one of them therefore worried her mind about what he said. Ts'ai Hsia was the only one who still got on well with him， so pouring a cup of tea， she handed it to him. But she felt prompted to whisper to him： "Keep quiet a bit！ what's the use of making people dislike you？"
"I know myself how matters stand，" Chia Huan rejoined， as he cast a steady glance at her； "so don't you try and befool me！ Now that you are on intimate terms with Pao-yue， you don't pay much heed to me. I've also seen through it myself."
Ts'ai Hsiao set her teeth together， and gave him a fillip on the head. "You heartless fellow！" she cried. "You're like the dog， that bit Lue T'ung-pin. You have no idea of what's right and what's wrong！"
While these two nagged away， they noticed lady Feng and Madame Wang cross together over to them. Madame Wang at once assailed him with questions. She asked him how many ladies had been present on that day， whether the play had been good or bad， and what the banquet had been like.
But a brief interval over， Pao-yue too appeared on the scene. After saluting Madame Wang， he also made a few remarks， with all decorum； and then bidding a servant remove his frontlet， divest him of his long gown and pull off his boots， he rushed head foremost， into his mother's lap.
Madame Wang caressed and patted him. But while Pao-yue clung to his mother's neck， he spoke to her of one thing and then another.
"My child，" said Madame Wang， "you've again had too much to drink； your face is scalding hot， and if you still keep on rubbing and scraping it， why， you'll by and bye stir up the fumes of wine！ Don't you yet go and lie down quietly over there for a little！"
Chiding him the while， she directed a servant to fetch a pillow. Pao-yue therefore lay himself down at the back of Madame Wang， and called Ts'ai Hsia to come and stroke him.
Pao-yue then began to bandy words with Ts'ai Hsia. But perceiving that Ts'ai Hsia was reserved， and， that instead of paying him any attention， she kept her eyes fixed upon Chia Huan， Pao-yue eagerly took her hand. "My dear girl！" he said； "do also heed me a little；" and as he gave utterance to this appeal， he kept her hand clasped in his.
Ts'ai Hsia， however， drew her hand away and would not let him hold it. "If you go on in this way，" she vehemently exclaimed， "I'll shout out at once."
these two were in the act of wrangling， when verily Chia Huan overheard what was going on. He had， in fact， all along hated Pao-yue； so when on this occasion， he espied him up to his larks with Ts'ai Hsia， he could much less than ever stifle feelings of resentment in his heart. After some reflection， therefore， an idea suggested itself to his mind， and pretending that it was by a slip of the hand， he shoved the candle， overflowing with tallow， into Pao-yue's face.
"Ai ya！" Pao-yue was heard to exclaim. Every one in the whole room was plunged in consternation. With precipitate haste， the lanterns， standing on the floor， were moved over； and， with the first ray of light， they discovered that Pao-yue's face was one mass of tallow.
Madame Wang gave way to anger as well as anxiety. At one time， she issued directions to the servants to rub and wash Pao-yue clean. At another， she heaped abuse upon Chia Huan.
Lady Feng jumped on to the stone-couch by leaps and bounds. But while intent upon removing the stuff from Pao-yue's face， she simultaneously ejaculated： "Master Tertius， are you still such a trickster！ I'll tell you what， you'll never turn to any good account！ Yet dame Chao should ever correct and admonish him."
This single remark suggested the idea to Madame Wang， and she lost no time in sending for Mrs. Chao to come round.
"You bring up，" she berated her， "such a black-hearted offspring like this， and don't you， after all， advise and reprove him？ Time and again I paid no notice whatever to what happened， and you and he have become more audacious， and have gone from worse to worse！"
Mrs. Chao had no alternative but to suppress every sense of injury， silence all grumblings， and go herself and lend a hand to the others in tidying Pao-yue. She then perceived that a whole row of blisters had risen on the left side of Pao-yue's face， but that fortunately no injury had been done to his eyes.
When Madame Wang's attention was drawn to them she felt her heart sore. It fell a prey to fears also lest when dowager lady Chia made any inquiries about them she should find it difficult to give her any satisfactory reply. And so distressed did she get that she gave Mrs. Chao another scolding. But while she tried to comfort Pao-yue， she， at the same time， fetched some powder for counteracting the effects of the virus， and applied it on his face.
"It's rather sore，" said Pao-yue， "but it's nothing to speak of. Tomorrow when my old grandmother asks about it， I can simply explain that I scalded it myself； that will be quite enough to tell her."
