評論
打印
A happy man enjoys a full measure of happiness， but still prays for happiness. A beloved girl is very much loved， but yet craves for more love.
Pao-yue， so our story runs， was gazing vacantly， when Tai-yue， at a moment least expected， flung her handkerchief at him， which just hit him on the eyes， and frightened him out of his wits. "Who was it？" he cried.
Lin Tai-yue nodded her head and smiled. "I would not venture to do such a thing，" she said， "it was a mere slip of my hand. As cousin Pao-ch'ai wished to see the silly wild goose， I was pointing it out to her， when the handkerchief inadvertently flew out of my grip."
Pao-yue kept on rubbing his eyes. the idea suggested itself to him to make some remonstrance， but he could not again very well open his lips.
Presently， lady Feng arrived. She then alluded， in the course of conversation， to the thanksgiving service， which was to be offered on the first， in the Ch'ing Hsue temple， and invited Pao-ch'ai， Pao-yue， Tai-yue and the other inmates with them to be present at the theatricals.
"Never mind，" smiled Pao-ch'ai， "it's too hot； besides， what plays haven't I seen？ I don't mean to come."
"It's cool enough over at their place，" answered lady Feng. "There are also two-storied buildings on either side； so we must all go！ I'll send servants a few days before to drive all that herd of Taoist priests out， to sweep the upper stories， hang up curtains， and to keep out every single loafer from the interior of the temple； so it will be all right like that. I've already told our Madame Wang that if you people don't go， I mean to go all alone， as I've been again in very low spirits these last few days， and as when theatricals come off at home， it's out of the question for me to look on with any peace and quiet."
When dowager lady Chia heard what she said， she smiled. "Well， in that case，" she remarked， "I'll go along with you."
Lady Feng， at these words， gave a smile. "Venerable ancestor，" she replied， "were you also to go， it would be ever so much better； yet I won't feel quite at my ease！"
"To-morrow，" dowager lady Chia continued， "I can stay in the two-storied building， situated on the principal site， while you can go to the one on the side. You can then likewise dispense with coming over to where I shall be to stand on any ceremonies. Will this suit you or not？"
"This is indeed，" lady Feng smiled， "a proof of your regard for me， my worthy senior."
Old lady Chia at this stage faced Pao-ch'ai. "You too should go，" she said， "so should your mother； for if you remain the whole day long at home， you will again sleep your head off."
Pao-ch'ai felt constrained to signify her assent. Dowager lady Chia then also despatched domestics to invite Mrs. Hsueeh； and， on their way， they notified Madame Wang that she was to take the young ladies along with her. But Madame Wang felt， in the first place， in a poor state of health， and was， in the second， engaged in making preparations for the reception of any arrivals from Yuean Ch'un， so that she， at an early hour， sent word that it was impossible for her to leave the house. Yet when she received old lady Chia's behest， she smiled and exclaimed： "Are her spirits still so buoyant！" and transmitted the message into the garden that any， who had any wish to avail themselves of the opportunity， were at liberty to go on the first， with their venerable senior as their chaperonne. As soon as these tidings were spread abroad， every one else was indifferent as to whether they went or not； but of those girls who， day after day， never put their foot outside the doorstep， which of them was not keen upon going， the moment they heard the permission conceded to them？ Even if any of their respective mistresses were too lazy to move， they employed every expedient to induce them to go. Hence it was that Li Kung-ts'ai and the other inmates signified their unanimous intention to be present. Dowager lady Chia， at this， GREw more exultant than ever， and she issued immediate directions for servants to go and sweep and put things in proper order. But to all these preparations， there is no necessity of making detailed reference； sufficient to relate that on the first day of the moon， carriages stood in a thick maze， and men and horses in close concourse， at the entrance of the Jung Kuo mansion.
When the servants， the various managers and other domestics came to learn that the Imperial Consort was to perform good deeds and that dowager lady Chia was to go in person and offer incense， they arranged， as it happened that the first of the moon， which was the principal day of the ceremonies， was， in addition， the season of the dragon-boat festival， all the necessary articles in perfect readiness and with unusual splendour. Shortly， old lady Chia and the other inmates started on their way. The old lady sat in an official chair， carried by eight bearers： widow Li， lady Feng and Mrs. Hsueeh， each in a four-bearer chair. Pao-ch'ai and Tai-yue mounted together a curricle with GREen cover and pearl tassels， bearing the eight precious things. The three sisters， Ying Ch'un， T'an Ch'un， and Hsi Ch'un got in a carriage with red wheels and ornamented hood. Next in order， followed dowager lady Chia's waiting-maids， Yuean Yang， Ying Wu， Hu Po， Chen Chu； Lin Tai-yue's waiting-maids Tzu Chuean， Hsueeh Yen， and Ch'un Ch'ien； Pao-ch'ai's waiting-maids Ying Erh and Wen Hsing； Ying Ch'un's servant-girls Ssu Ch'i and Hsiu Chue； T'an Ch'un's waiting-maids Shih Shu and Ts'ui Mo； Hsi Ch'un's servant-girls Ju Hua and Ts'ai P'ing； and Mrs. Hsueeh's waiting-maids T'ung Hsi， and T'ung Kuei. Besides these， were joined to their retinue： Hsiang Ling and Hsiang Ling's servant-girl Ch'in Erh； Mrs. Li's waiting-maids Su Yuen and Pi Yueeh； lady Feng's servant-girls P'ing Erh， Feng Erh and Hsiao Hung， as well as Madame Wang's two waiting-maids Chin Ch'uan and Ts'ai Yuen. Along with lady Feng， came a nurse carrying Ta Chieh Erh. She drove in a separate carriage， together with a couple of servant-girls. Added also to the number of the suite were matrons and nurses， attached to the various establishments， and the wives of the servants of the household， who were in attendance out of doors. Their carriages， forming one black solid mass， therefore， crammed the whole extent of the street.
Dowager lady Chia and other members of the party had already proceeded a considerable distance in their chairs， and yet the inmates at the gate had not finished mounting their vehicles. This one shouted： "I won't sit with you." That one cried： "You've crushed our mistress' bundle." In the carriages yonder， one screamed： "You've pulled my flowers off." Another one nearer exclaimed： "You've broken my fan." And they chatted and chatted， and talked and laughed with such incessant volubility， that Chou Jui's wife had to go backward and forward calling them to task. "Girls，" she said， "this is the street. The on-lookers will laugh at you！" But it was only after she had expostulated with them several times that any sign of improvement became at last visible.
the van of the procession had long ago reached the entrance of the Ch'ing Hsue Temple. Pao-yue rode on horseback. He preceded the chair occupied by his grandmother Chia. The throngs that filled the streets ranged themselves on either side.
On their arrival at the temple， the sound of bells and the rattle of drums struck their ear. Forthwith appeared the head-bonze Chang， a stick of incense in hand； his cloak thrown over his shoulders. He took his stand by the wayside at the head of a company of Taoist priests to present his GREetings. The moment dowager lady Chia reached， in her chair， the interior of the main gate， she descried the lares and penates， the lord presiding over that particular district， and the clay images of the various gods， and she at once gave orders to halt. Chia Chen advanced to receive her acting as leader to the male members of the family. Lady Feng was well aware that Yuean Yang and the other attendants were at the back and could not overtake their old mistress， so she herself alighted from her chair to volunteer her services. She was about to hastily press forward and support her， when， by a strange accident， a young Taoist neophyte， of twelve or thirteen years of age， who held a case containing scissors， with which he had been snuffing the candles burning in the various places， just seized the opportunity to run out and hide himself， when he unawares rushed， head foremost， into lady Feng's arms. Lady Feng speedily raised her hand and gave him such a slap on the face that she made the young fellow reel over and perform a somersault. "You boorish young bastard！" she shouted， "where are you running to？"
the young Taoist did not even give a thought to picking up the scissors， but crawling up on to his feet again， he tried to scamper outside. But just at that very moment Pao-ch'ai and the rest of the young ladies were dismounting from their vehicles， and the matrons and women-servants were closing them in so thoroughly on all sides that not a puff of wind or a drop of rain could penetrate， and when they perceived a Taoist neophyte come rushing headlong out of the place， they， with one voice， exclaimed： "Catch him， catch him！ Beat him， beat him！"
Old lady Chia overheard their cries. She asked with alacrity what the fuss was all about. Chia Chen immediately stepped outside to make inquiries. Lady Feng then advanced and， propping up her old senior， she went on to explain to her that a young Taoist priest， whose duties were to snuff the candles， had not previously retired out of the compound， and that he was now endeavouring to recklessly force his way out."
