第三回

第三回 贾雨村夤缘复旧职 林黛玉抛父进京都

却说雨村忙回头看时，不是别人，乃是当日同僚一案参革的号张如圭者。他本系此地人，革后家居，今打听得都中奏准起复[2]旧员之信，他便四下里寻情找门路，忽遇见雨村，故忙道喜。二人见了礼，张如圭便将此信告诉雨村，雨村自是欢喜，忙忙的叙了两句，遂作别各自回家。冷子兴听得此言，便忙献计，令雨村央烦林如海，转向都中去央烦贾政。雨村领其意，作别回至馆中，忙寻邸报[3]看真确了。

次日，面谋之如海。如海道：“天缘凑巧，因贱荆[4]去世，都中家岳母念及小女无人依傍教育，前已遣了男女[5]船只来接，因小女未曾大痊，故未及行。此刻正思向蒙训教之恩未经酬报，遇此机会，岂有不尽心图报之理。但请放心。弟已预为筹画至此，已修下荐书一封，转托内兄务为周全协佐，方可稍尽弟之鄙诚，即有所费用之例，弟于内兄信中已注明白，亦不劳尊兄多虑矣。”雨村一面打恭，谢不释口，一面又问：“不知令亲大人现居何职？只怕晚生草率，不敢骤然入都干渎[6]。”如海笑道：“若论舍亲，与尊兄犹系同谱，乃荣公之孙：大内兄现袭一等将军，名赦，字恩侯；二内兄名政，字存周，现任工部员外郎，其为人谦恭厚道，大有祖父遗风，非膏粱轻薄仕宦之流，故弟方致书烦托。否则不但有污尊兄之清操，即弟亦不屑为矣。”雨村听了，心下方信了昨日子兴之言，于是又谢了林如海。如海乃说：“已择了出月初二日小女入都，尊兄即同路而往，岂不两便？”雨村唯唯听命，心中十分得意。如海遂打点礼物并饯行之事，雨村一一领了。

那女学生黛玉，身体方愈，原不忍弃父而往；无奈他外祖母致意务去，且兼如海说：“汝父年将半百，再无续室之意；且汝多病，年又极小，上无亲母教养，下无姊妹兄弟扶持，今依傍外祖母及舅氏姊妹去，正好减我顾盼之忧，何反云不往？”黛玉听了，方洒泪拜别，随了奶娘及荣府几个老妇人登舟而去。雨村另有一只船，带两个小童，依附黛玉而行。

有日到了都中，进入神京[7]，雨村先整了衣冠，带了小童，拿着宗侄的名帖[8]，至荣府的门前投了。彼时贾政已看了妹丈之书，即忙请入相会。见雨村相貌魁伟，言语不俗，且这贾政最喜读书人，礼贤下士，济弱扶危，大有祖风；况又系妹丈致意，因此优待雨村，更又不同，便竭力内中协助。题奏之日，轻轻谋了一个复职候缺，不上两个月，金陵应天府缺出，便谋补了此缺，拜辞了贾政，择日上任去了。不在话下。

且说黛玉自那日弃舟登岸时，便有荣国府打发了轿子并拉行李的车辆久候了。这林黛玉常听得母亲说过，他外祖母家与别家不同。他近日所见的这几个三等仆妇，吃穿用度，已是不凡了，何况今至其家。因此步步留心，时时在意，不肯轻易多说一句话，多行一步路，惟恐被人耻笑了他去。

自上了轿，进入城中，从纱窗向外瞧了一瞧，其街市之繁华，人烟之阜盛，自与别处不同。又行了半日，忽见街北蹲着两个大石狮子，三间兽头大门，门前列坐着十来个华冠丽服之人。正门却不开，只有东西两角门有人出入。正门之上有一匾，匾上大书“敕造[9]宁国府”五个大字。黛玉想道：“这必是外祖之长房了。”想着，又往西行，不多远，照样也是三间大门，方是荣国府了。却不进正门，只进了西边角门。那轿夫抬进去，走了一射之地，将转弯时，便歇下退出去了。后面的婆子们已都下了轿，赶上前来。另换了三四个衣帽周全十七八岁的小厮上来，复抬起轿子。众婆子步下围随至一垂花门[10]前落下。众小厮退出，众婆子上来打起轿帘，扶黛玉下轿。林黛玉扶着婆子的手，进了垂花门，两边是抄手游廊[11]，当中是穿堂[12]，当地放着一个紫檀架子大理石的大插屏[13]。转过插屏〔一〕，小小的三间厅，厅后就是后面的正房大院。正面五间上房，皆雕梁画栋，两边穿山游廊[15]厢房，挂着各色鹦鹉、画眉等鸟雀。台矶之上，坐着几个穿红着绿的丫头，一见他们来了，便忙都笑迎上来，说：“刚才老太太还念呢，可巧就来了。”于是三四人争着打起帘笼，一面听得人回话：“林姑娘到了。”

黛玉方进入房时，只见两个人搀着一位鬓发如银的老母迎上来，黛玉便知是他外祖母。方欲拜见时，早被他外祖母一把搂入怀中，心肝儿肉叫着大哭起来。当下地下侍立之人，无不掩面涕泣，黛玉也哭个不住。一时众人慢慢解劝住了，黛玉方拜见了外祖母。——此即冷子兴所云之史氏太君，贾赦贾政之母也。当下贾母一一指与黛玉：“这是你大舅母；这是你二舅母；这是你先珠大哥的媳妇珠大嫂子。”黛玉一一拜见过。贾母又说：“请姑娘们来。今日远客才来，可以不必上学去了。”众人答应了一声，便去了两个。

不一时，只见三个奶嬷嬷并五六个丫鬟，簇拥着三个姊妹来了。第一个肌肤微丰，合中身材，腮凝新荔，鼻腻鹅脂，温柔沉默，观之可亲。第二个削肩细腰，长挑身材，鸭蛋脸面，俊眼修眉，顾盼神飞，文彩精华，见之忘俗。第三个身量未足，形容尚小。其钗环裙袄，三人皆是一样的妆饰。黛玉忙起身迎上来见礼，互相厮认过，大家归了坐。丫鬟们斟上茶来。不过说些黛玉之母如何得病，如何请医服药，如何送死发丧。不免贾母又伤感起来，因说：“我这些儿女，所疼者独有你母，今日一旦先舍我而去，连面也不能一见，今见了你，我怎不伤心！”说着，搂了黛玉在怀，又呜咽起来。众人忙都宽慰解释[16]，方略略止住。

众人见黛玉年貌虽小，其举止言谈不俗，身体面庞虽怯弱不胜，却有一段自然的风流态度，便知他有不足之症[17]。因问：“常服何药，如何不急为疗治？”黛玉道：“我自来是如此，从会吃饮食时便吃药，到今日未断，请了多少名医修方配药，皆不见效。那一年我三岁时，听得说来了一个癞头和尚，说要化我去出家，我父母固是不从。他又说：‘既舍不得他，只怕他的病一生也不能好的了。若要好时，除非从此以后总不许见哭声；除父母之外，凡有外姓亲友之人，一概不见，方可平安了此一世。’疯疯癫癫，说了这些不经之谈，也没人理他。如今还是吃人参养荣丸。”贾母道：“正好，我这里正配丸药呢。叫他们多配一料就是了。”

一语未了，只听后院中有人笑声，说：“我来迟了，不曾迎接远客！”黛玉纳罕道：“这些人个个皆敛声屏气，恭肃严整如此，这来者系谁，这样放诞无礼？”心下想时，只见一群媳妇丫鬟围拥着一个人从后房门进来。这个人打扮与众姑娘不同：彩绣辉煌，恍若神妃仙子。头上戴着金丝八宝攒珠髻[18]，绾着朝阳五凤挂珠钗[19]；项上带着赤金盘螭璎珞圈[20]；裙边系着豆绿宫绦双衡比目玫瑰珮〔二〕[22]；身上穿着缕金百蝶穿花大红洋缎〔三〕窄裉袄[24]，外罩五彩刻丝石青银鼠褂[25]；下着翡翠撒花洋绉裙[26]。一双丹凤三角眼，两弯柳叶吊梢眉〔四〕[28]，身量苗条，体格风骚。粉面含春威不露，丹唇未启笑先闻。黛玉连忙起身接见。贾母笑道：“你不认得他，他是我们这里有名的一个泼皮破落户儿[29]，南省俗谓作‘辣子’，你只叫他‘凤辣子’就是了。”

黛玉正不知以何称呼，只见众姊妹都忙告诉他道：“这是琏嫂子。”黛玉虽不识，也曾听见母亲说过，大舅贾赦之子贾琏，娶的就是二舅母王氏之内侄女，自幼假充男儿教养的，学名王熙凤。黛玉忙陪笑见礼，以“嫂”呼之。

这熙凤携着黛玉的手，上下细细打谅了一回，仍送至贾母身边坐下，因笑道：“天下真有这样标致的人物，我今儿才算见了！况且这通身的气派，竟不像老祖宗的外孙女儿，竟是个嫡亲的孙女，怨不得老祖宗天天口头心头一时不忘。只可怜我这妹妹这样命苦，怎么姑妈偏就去世了！”说着，便用帕拭泪。贾母笑道：“我才好了，你倒来招我。你妹妹远路才来，身子又弱，也才劝住了，快再休提前话。”这熙凤听了，忙转悲为喜道：“正是呢！我一见了妹妹，一心都在他身上了，又是喜欢，又是伤心，竟忘记了老祖宗。该打，该打！”又忙携黛玉之手，问：“妹妹几岁了？可也上过学？现吃什么药？在这里不要想家，想要什么吃的、什么玩的，只管告诉我；丫头老婆们不好了，也只管告诉我。”一面又问婆子们：“林姑娘的行李东西可搬进来了？带了几个人来？你们赶早打扫两间下房，让他们去歇歇。”

说话时，已摆了茶果上来。熙凤亲为捧茶捧果。又见二舅母问他：“月钱[30]放过了不曾？”熙凤道：“月钱已放完了。才刚带着人到后楼上找缎子，找了这半日，也并没有见昨日太太说的那样的，想是太太记错了？”王夫人道：“有没有，什么要紧。”因又说道：“该随手拿出两个来给你这妹妹去裁衣裳的，等晚上想着叫人再去拿罢，可别忘了。”熙凤道：“这倒是我先料着了，知道妹妹不过这两日到的，我已预备下了，等太太回去过了目好送来。”王夫人一笑，点头不语。

当下茶果已撤，贾母命两个老嬷嬷带了黛玉去见两个母舅。时贾赦之妻邢氏忙亦起身，笑回道：“我带了外甥女过去，倒也便宜[31]。”贾母笑道〔五〕：“正是呢，你也去罢，不必过来了。”邢夫人答应了一声“是”字，遂带了黛玉与王夫人作辞。大家送至穿堂前。

出了垂花门，早有众小厮们拉过一辆翠幄青车[33]，邢夫人携了黛玉，坐在上面，众婆子们放下车帘，方命小厮们抬起，拉至宽处，方驾上驯骡，亦出了西角门，往东过荣府正门，便入一黑油大门中，至仪门[34]前方下来。众小厮退出，方打起车帘，邢夫人搀着黛玉的手，进入院中。黛玉度其房屋院宇，必是荣府中花园隔断过来的。进入三层仪门，果见正房厢庑游廊，悉皆小巧别致，不似方才那边轩峻壮丽；且院中随处之树木山石皆在。一时进入正室，早有许多盛妆丽服之姬妾丫鬟迎着，邢夫人让黛玉坐了，一面命人到外面书房去请贾赦。一时人来回话说：“老爷说了：‘连日身上不好，见了姑娘彼此倒伤心，暂且不忍相见。劝姑娘不要伤心想家，跟着老太太和舅母，即同家里一样。姊妹们虽拙，大家一处伴着，亦可以解些烦闷。或有委屈之处，只管说得，不要外道才是。’”黛玉忙站起来，一一听了。再坐一刻，便告辞。

邢夫人苦留吃过晚饭去，黛玉笑回道：“舅母爱惜赐饭，原不应辞，只是还要过去拜见二舅舅，恐领了赐迟去不恭，异日再领，未为不可。望舅母容谅。”邢夫人听说，笑道：“这倒是了。”遂令两三个嬷嬷用方才的车好生送了姑娘过去。于是黛玉告辞。邢夫人送至仪门前，又嘱咐了众人几句，眼看着车去了方回来。

一时黛玉进了荣府，下了车。众嬷嬷引着，便往东转弯，穿过一个东西的穿堂，向南大厅之后，仪门内大院落，上面五间大正房，两边厢房鹿顶耳房钻山[35]，四通八达，轩昂壮丽，比贾母处不同。黛玉便知这方是正经正内室，一条大甬路[36]，直接出大门的。进入堂屋中，抬头迎面先看见一个赤金九龙青地大匾，匾上写着斗大的三个大字，是“荣禧堂”，后有一行小字：“某年月日，书赐荣国公贾源”，又有“万几宸翰之宝”[37]。大紫檀雕螭案上，设着三尺来高青绿古铜鼎，悬着待漏随朝墨龙大画[38]，一边是金蜼彝[39]，一边是玻璃[40]。地下两溜十六张楠木交椅，又有一副对联，乃乌木联牌，镶着錾银[41]的字迹，道是：

座上珠玑昭日月，堂前黼黻焕烟霞。[42]

下面一行小字，道是：“同乡世教弟[43]勋袭东安郡王穆莳拜手书”。

原来王夫人时常居坐宴息，亦不在这正室，只在这正室东边的三间耳房内。于是老嬷嬷引黛玉进东房门来。临窗大炕上铺着〔六〕猩红洋罽[45]，正面设着大红金钱蟒靠背，石青金钱蟒引枕[46]，秋香色[47]金钱蟒大条褥。两边设一对梅花式洋漆小几。左边几上文王鼎匙箸香盒[48]；右边几上汝窑美人觚[49]——觚内插着时鲜花卉，并茗碗痰盒等物。地下面西一溜四张椅上，都搭着银红撒花椅搭[50]，底下四副脚踏。椅之两边，也有一对高几，几上茗碗瓶花俱备。其馀陈设，自不必细说。

老嬷嬷们让黛玉炕上坐，炕沿上却有两个锦褥对设，黛玉度其位次，便不上炕，只向东边椅子上坐了。本房内的丫鬟忙捧上茶来。黛玉一面吃茶，一面打谅这些丫鬟们，妆饰衣裙，举止行动，果亦与别家不同。茶未吃了，只见一个穿红绫袄青缎掐牙[51]背心的丫鬟走来笑说道：“太太说，请林姑娘到那边坐罢。”老嬷嬷听了，于是又引黛玉出来，到了东廊三间小正房内。

正面炕上横设一张炕桌，桌上磊[52]着书籍茶具，靠东壁面西设着半旧的青缎靠背引枕。王夫人却坐在西边下首，亦是半旧的青缎靠背坐褥。见黛玉来了，便往东让。黛玉心中料定这是贾政之位。因见挨炕一溜三张椅子上，也搭着半旧的弹墨椅袱[53]，黛玉便向椅上坐了。王夫人再四携他上炕，他方挨王夫人坐了。王夫人因说：“你舅舅今日斋戒[54]去了，再见罢。只是有一句话嘱咐你：你三个姊妹倒都极好，以后一处念书认字学针线，或是偶一顽笑，都有尽让的。但我不放心的最是一件：我有一个孽根祸胎，是家里的‘混世魔王’，今日因庙里还愿去了，尚未回来，晚间你看见便知了。你只以后不要睬他，你这些姊妹都不敢沾惹他的。”

黛玉亦常听得母亲说过，二舅母生的有个表兄，乃衔玉而诞，顽劣异常，极恶读书，最喜在内帏[55]厮混；外祖母又极溺爱，无人敢管。今见王夫人如此说，便知说的是这表兄了。因陪笑道：“舅母说的，可是衔玉所生的这位哥哥？在家时亦曾听见母亲常说，这位哥哥比我大一岁，小名就唤宝玉，虽极憨顽，说在姊妹情中极好的。况我来了，自然只和姊妹同处，兄弟们自是别院另室的，岂得去沾惹之理？”王夫人笑道：“你不知道原故：他与别人不同，自幼因老太太疼爱，原系同姊妹们一处娇养惯了的。若姊妹们有日不理他，他倒还安静些，纵然他没趣，不过出了二门，背地里拿着他两个小幺儿[56]出气〔七〕，咕唧一会子就完了。若这一日姊妹们和他多说一句话，他心里一乐，便生出多少事来。所以嘱咐你别睬他。他嘴里一时甜言蜜语，一时有天无日，一时又疯疯傻傻，只休信他。”

黛玉一一的都答应着。只见一个丫鬟来回：“老太太那里传晚饭了。”王夫人忙携黛玉从后房门由后廊往西，出了角门，是一条南北宽夹道。南边是倒座三间小小的抱厦厅[58]，北边立着一个粉油大影壁[59]，后有一半大门，小小一所房室。王夫人笑指向黛玉道：“这是你凤姐姐的屋子，回来你好往这里找他来，少什么东西，你只管和他说就是了。”这院门上也有四五个才总角[60]的小厮，都垂手侍立。王夫人遂携黛玉穿过一个东西穿堂，便是贾母的后院了。

于是，进入后房门，已有多人在此伺候，见王夫人来了，方安设桌椅。贾珠之妻李氏捧饭，熙凤安箸，王夫人进羹。贾母正面榻上独坐，两边四张空椅，熙凤忙拉了黛玉在左边第一张椅上坐了，黛玉十分推让。贾母笑道：“你舅母你嫂子们不在这里吃饭。你是客，原应如此坐的。”黛玉方告了座，坐了。贾母命王夫人坐了。迎春姊妹三个告了座方上来。迎春便坐右手第一，探春坐左第二〔八〕，惜春坐右第二〔九〕。旁边丫鬟执着拂尘[63]、漱盂、巾帕。李、凤二人立于案旁布让[64]。外间伺候之媳妇丫鬟虽多，却连一声咳嗽不闻。

寂然饭毕，各有丫鬟用小茶盘捧上茶来。当日林如海教女以惜福养身，云饭后务待饭粒咽尽，过一时再吃茶，方不伤脾胃。今黛玉见了这里许多事情不合家中之式，不得不随的，少不得一一改过来，因而接了茶。早见人又捧过漱盂来，黛玉也照样漱了口。盥手毕，又捧上茶来，这方是吃的茶。贾母便说：“你们去罢，让我们自在说话儿。”王夫人听了，忙起身，又说了两句闲话，方引凤、李二人去了。贾母因问黛玉念何书。黛玉道：“只刚念了《四书》[65]。”黛玉又问姊妹们读何书。贾母道：“读的是什么书，不过是认得两个字，不是睁眼的瞎子罢了！”

一语未了，只听外面一阵脚步响，丫鬟进来笑道：“宝玉来了！”黛玉心中正疑惑着：“这个宝玉，不知是怎生个惫[66]人物，懵懂顽童？——倒不见那蠢物也罢了。”心中想着，忽见丫鬟话未报完，已进来了一位年轻的公子：

头上戴着束发嵌宝紫金冠，齐眉勒着二龙抢珠金抹额[67]；穿一件二色金百蝶穿花大红箭袖[68]，束着五彩丝攒花结长穗宫绦[69]，外罩石青起花八团倭缎排穗褂[70]；登着青缎粉底小朝靴[71]。面若中秋之月，色如春晓之花，鬓若刀裁，眉如墨画，面如桃瓣，目若秋波。虽怒时而若笑，即瞋视而有情。项上金螭璎珞，又有一根五色丝绦，系着一块美玉。

黛玉一见，便吃一大惊，心下想道：“好生奇怪〔一○〕，倒像在那里见过一般，何等眼熟到如此！”只见这宝玉向贾母请了安[73]，贾母便命：“去见你娘来。”宝玉即转身去了。一时回来，再看，已换了冠带：头上周围一转的短发，都结成小辫，红丝结束，共攒至顶中胎发，总编一根大辫，黑亮如漆，从顶至梢，一串四颗大珠，用金八宝坠角[74]；身上穿着银红撒花半旧大袄，仍旧带着项圈、宝玉、寄名锁、护身符[75]等物；下面半露松花撒花绫裤腿，锦边弹墨袜，厚底大红鞋。越显得面如敷粉，唇若施脂；转盼多情，语言常笑。天然一段风骚，全在眉梢；平生〔一一〕万种情思，悉堆眼角。看其外貌最是极好，却难知其底细。后人有《西江月》二词，批宝玉极恰，其词曰：

无故寻愁觅恨，有时似傻如狂。纵然生得好皮囊，腹内原来草莽。 潦倒不通世务，愚顽怕读文章。行为偏僻性乖张，那管世人诽谤！

富贵不知乐业，贫穷难耐凄凉。可怜辜负好韶光，于国于家无望。 天下无能第一，古今不肖无双。寄言纨与膏粱：莫效此儿形状！[77]

贾母因笑道：“外客未见，就脱了衣裳，还不去见你妹妹！”宝玉早已看见多了一个姊妹，便料定是林姑妈之女，忙来作揖。厮见毕归坐，细看形容，与众各别：

两弯似蹙非蹙罥烟眉[78]，一双似泣非泣含露目〔一二〕。态生两靥之愁，娇袭一身之病[80]。泪光点点，娇喘微微。闲静时如姣花照水，行动处似弱柳扶风。心较比干多一窍，病如西子胜三分[81]。

宝玉看罢，因笑道：“这个妹妹我曾见过的。”贾母笑道：“可又是胡说，你又何曾见过他？”宝玉笑道：“虽然未曾见过他，然我看着面善，心里就算是旧相识，今日只作远别重逢，亦未为不可。”贾母笑道：“更好，更好，若如此，更相和睦了。”宝玉便走近黛玉身边〔一三〕坐下，又细细打量一番，因问：“妹妹可曾读书？”黛玉道：“不曾读，只上了一年学，些须认得几个字。”宝玉又道：“妹妹尊名是那两个字？”黛玉便说了名。宝玉又问表字。黛玉道：“无字。”宝玉笑道：“我送妹妹一妙字，莫若‘颦颦’二字极妙。”探春便问何出。宝玉道：“《古今人物通考》[83]上说：‘西方有石名黛，可代画眉之墨。’况这林妹妹眉尖若蹙，用取这两个字，岂不两妙！”探春笑道：“只恐又是你的杜撰。”宝玉笑道：“除《四书》外，杜撰的太多，偏只我是杜撰不成？”又问黛玉：“可也有玉没有？”众人不解其语，黛玉便忖度着因他有玉，故问我有也无，因答道：“我没有那个。想来那玉是一件罕物，岂能人人有的。”

宝玉听了，登时发作起痴狂病来，摘下那玉，就狠命摔去，骂道：“什么罕物，连人之高低不择，还说‘通灵’不‘通灵’呢！我也不要这劳什子[84]了！”吓的众人一拥争去拾玉。贾母急的搂了宝玉道：“孽障！你生气，要打骂人容易，何苦摔那命根子！”宝玉满面泪痕泣道：“家里姐姐妹妹都没有，单我有，我说没趣；如今来了这们一个神仙似的妹妹也没有，可知这不是个好东西。”贾母忙哄他道：“你这妹妹原有这个来的，因你姑妈去世时，舍不得你妹妹，无法处，遂将他的玉带了去了：一则全殉葬[85]之礼，尽你妹妹之孝心；二则你姑妈之灵，亦可权作见了女儿之意。因此他只说没有这个，不便自己夸张之意。你如今怎比得他？还不好生慎重带上，仔细你娘知道了。”说着，便向丫鬟手中接来，亲与他带上。宝玉听如此说，想一想大有情理，也就不生别论了。

当下，奶娘来请问黛玉之房舍。贾母说：“今将宝玉挪出来，同我在套间暖阁儿[86]里，把你林姑娘暂安置碧纱橱[87]里。等过了残冬，春天再与他们收拾房屋，另作一番安置罢。”宝玉道：“好祖宗，我就在碧纱橱外的床上很妥当，何必又出来闹的老祖宗不得安静。”贾母想了一想说：“也罢哩。”每人一个奶娘并一个丫头照管，馀者在外间上夜听唤。一面早有熙凤命人送了一顶藕合色花帐，并几件锦被缎褥之类。

黛玉只带了两个人来：一个是自幼奶娘王嬷嬷，一个是十岁的小丫头，亦是自幼随身的，名唤作雪雁。贾母见雪雁甚小，一团孩气，王嬷嬷又极老，料黛玉皆不遂心省力的，便将自己身边的一个二等丫头，名唤鹦哥者与了黛玉。外亦如迎春等例，每人除自幼乳母外，另有四个教引嬷嬷[88]，除贴身掌管钗钏盥沐两个丫鬟外，另有五六个洒扫房屋来往使役的小丫鬟。当下，王嬷嬷与鹦哥陪侍黛玉在碧纱橱内。宝玉之乳母李嬷嬷，并大丫鬟名唤袭人者，陪侍在外面大床上。

原来这袭人亦是贾母之婢，本名珍珠。贾母因溺爱宝玉，生恐宝玉之婢无竭力尽忠之人，素喜袭人心地纯良，克尽职任，遂与了宝玉。宝玉因知他本姓花，又曾见旧人诗句上有“花气袭人”之句[89]，遂回明贾母，更名袭人。这袭人亦有些痴处：服侍贾母时，心中眼中只有一个贾母；如今服侍宝玉，心中眼中又只有一个宝玉。只因宝玉性情乖僻，每每规谏宝玉不听，心中着实忧郁。

是晚，宝玉李嬷嬷已睡了，他见里面黛玉和鹦哥犹未安息，他自卸了妆，悄悄进来，笑问：“姑娘怎么还不安息？”黛玉忙让：“姐姐请坐。”袭人在床沿上坐了。鹦哥笑道：“林姑娘正在这里伤心，自己淌眼抹泪的说：‘今儿才来，就惹出你家哥儿的狂病，倘或摔坏了那玉，岂不是因我之过！’因此便伤心，我好容易劝好了。”袭人道：“姑娘快休如此，将来只怕比这个更奇怪的笑话儿还有呢！若为他这种行止，你多心伤感，只怕你伤感不了呢。快别多心！”黛玉道：“姐姐们说的，我记着就是了。究竟那玉不知是怎么个来历？上面还有字迹？”袭人道：“连一家子也不知来历，上头还有现成的眼儿，听得说，落草[90]时是从他口里掏出来的。等我拿来你看便知。”黛玉忙止道：“罢了，此刻夜深，明日再看也不迟。”大家又叙了一回，方才安歇。

次日起来，省[91]过贾母，因往王夫人处来，正值王夫人与熙凤在一处拆金陵来的书信看，又有王夫人之兄嫂处遣了两个媳妇来说话的。黛玉虽不知原委，探春等却都晓得是议论金陵城中所居的薛家姨母之子姨表兄薛蟠，倚财仗势，打死人命，现在应天府案下审理。如今母舅王子腾得了信息，故遣他家内的人来告诉这边，意欲唤取进京之意。

[1] 夤（yín寅）缘——攀附权要以求升进。

[2] 起复——旧时官吏因事降革者，恢复原官、原衔叫“开复”；因父母之丧离职，守孝期满而复用者叫“起复”。“起复”和“开复”在习惯用法上没有严格区别。

[3] 邸（dǐ底）报——邸：本为来朝诸侯王或上京办事官僚的居处，后用以泛称王侯和大官僚的府第。邸报：又名“邸钞”、“宫门钞”，是邸中给诸藩官僚的书面报导，内容包括传钞的诏令、奏章和其它新闻记事等，是我国最早的一种报纸。起于汉代。后世亦称政府官报为邸报。

[4] 贱荆——荆：指“荆钗布裙”。语出《列女传》。旧时谦称自己的妻子为贱荆、拙荆、山荆等。

[5] 男女——指仆人。

[6] 干渎（dú读）——又作“干黩”。冒犯的意思。

[7] 都中、神京——这里说的“都中”包括京畿，即京城周围地区。神京：即京城。

[8] 名帖——即名片。旧时在纸片上书写自己的姓名、籍贯、官职、爵位，拜访时，投以通名。始行汉代，最早用削平的木条写上姓名里居。两汉时叫“谒”，汉末叫“刺”，后代虽用纸制，亦相沿称“名刺”。

[9] 敕（chì斥）造——奉皇帝之命建造。敕：本为自上命下之词，南北朝以前，通用于长官对下属，长辈对晚辈，之后，则为皇帝发布诏令的专称。

[10] 垂花门——旧家宅院，进入大门之后，内院院门例有雕刻的垂花，倒悬于门额两侧，门上边盖有宫殿式的小屋顶，称垂花门。

[11] 抄手游廊——院门内两侧环抱的走廊。

[12] 穿堂——座落在前后两个院落之间可以穿行的厅堂。

[13] 大插屏——放在穿堂中的大屏风，除作装饰外，还可以遮蔽视线，以免进入穿堂，直见正房。

〔一〕 “转过插屏”，原无，从己卯、甲戌、蒙府、戚序、俄藏、卞藏本补。

[15] 穿山游廊——山：指山墙，房子两侧的墙。“穿山游廊”是从山墙开门接起的游廊。

[16] 解释——劝解消释，去烦除恼。

[17] 不足之症——中医病症名。由身体虚弱引起。如脾胃虚弱，叫中气不足；气血虚弱，叫正气不足。

[18] 金丝八宝攒（cuán）珠髻——用金丝穿绕珍珠和镶嵌八宝（玛瑙、碧玉之类）制成的珠花的发髻。攒：凑聚。用金丝或银丝把珍珠穿扭成各种花样叫“攒珠花”。

[19] 朝阳五凤挂珠钗——一种长钗，样子是一支钗上分出五股，每股一支凤凰，口衔一串珍珠。

[20] 赤金盘螭（chī吃）璎珞圈——螭：古代传说中的无角龙。璎珞：联缀起来的珠玉。圈：项圈。

〔二〕 “双衡比目玫瑰珮”，“比目”原作“皆”，从己卯、梦稿、甲戌、俄藏、卞藏、蒙府本改。

[22] 双衡比目玫瑰珮——珮：玉珮。古代贵族佩带的玉器，常雕琢成各种形状。比目：鱼名，传说这种鱼成双而行。“比目玫瑰珮”是玫瑰色的玉片雕琢成双鱼形的玉珮。衡：亦作“珩”（hén横），珮玉上部的小横杠，用以系饰物。

〔三〕 “洋缎”，底本、俄藏、卞藏本作“萍缎”，己卯、梦稿、甲辰、舒序本均同。从甲戌、蒙府、戚序本改。

[24] 缕金百蝶穿花大红洋缎窄裉（kèn垦去声）袄——指在大红洋缎的衣面上用金线绣成百蝶穿花图案的紧身袄。裉：上衣前后两幅在腋下合缝的部分。

[25] 五彩刻丝石青银鼠褂——石青色的衣面上有各种彩色刻丝、衣里是银鼠皮的褂子。刻丝：在丝织品上用丝平织成的图案，与凸出的绣花不同。石青：淡灰青色。褂：对襟外衣。

[26] 翡翠撒花洋绉裙——翡翠：翠绿色。撒花：在绸缎上用散点式的小花点组成的纹饰图案。绉：用拈丝作经，两种不同拈向的强拈丝作纬，平纹织成的丝结物。

〔四〕 “吊梢眉”，底本、俄藏、卞藏本作“掉稍眉”。“梢”从戚序、舒序本改；“掉”“吊”底本通用，此处俄藏、卞藏“吊”是。

[28] 丹凤三角眼、柳叶吊梢眉——眼角向上微翘，俗称“丹凤眼”。柳叶吊梢眉：形容眉梢斜飞入鬓的样子。

[29] 泼皮破落户儿——原指没有正当生活来源的无赖。这里形容凤姐泼辣，是戏谑的称谓。

[30] 月钱——每月按身份等级发给家中上下人等供零用的钱。

[31] 便（biàn）宜——这里是方便之意。

〔五〕 “笑回道”至“贾母”共十七字，原无。各本均存，唯文字少异。此从己卯、蒙府、戚序、舒序、俄藏、卞藏本补。

[33] 翠幄（wò握）青车——翠幄：指用粗厚的绿色绸类做的轿车车帐。青（即绸字）：这里指用青色绸做的车帘。

[34] 仪门——旧时官衙、府第的大门之内的门，取有仪可象之意，又具装饰作用。一说，旁门也可称仪门，系由“门”（即官署的旁门）讹转而来。见《在阁新知录》。

[35] 两边厢房鹿顶耳房钻山——两边的厢房用钻山的方式与鹿顶的耳房相连接。厢房：指四合院中东西两边的房子。鹿顶：一作盝顶，此语首见于宋《营造法式》，单独用时指平屋顶。耳房：连接在正房两侧的小房子。钻山：指山墙上开门或开洞，与相邻的房子或游廊相接。

[36] 甬路——庭院中间的通道，多用砖石铺砌而成。

[37] 万几宸（chén辰）翰之宝——这是皇帝印章上的文字。几：同机。“万几”即万事，形容皇帝政务繁多，“日理万几”的意思。宸：北宸，即北极星。皇帝坐北朝南，故以北宸代指皇帝。翰：墨迹、书法。宸翰：皇帝的笔迹。宝：皇帝的印玺。

[38] 待漏随朝墨龙大画——待漏：封建时代大臣要在五更前到朝房里等待上朝的时刻。漏：指“铜壶滴漏”，古代计时器，代指时间。随朝：按照大臣的班列朝见皇帝。墨龙大画：巨龙在云雾海潮中隐现的大幅水墨画。因旧时以龙象征帝王，又画中之“潮”与朝见之“朝”谐音。隐寓上朝陛见君王之意。贵族家中悬挂此画以示身份地位之荣耀。

[39] 金蜼彝（wěiyí伟夷）——原为有蜼形图案的青铜祭器，后作贵重陈设品。蜼：一种长尾猿。彝：古代青铜器中礼器的通称。

[40] （hǎi海）——盛酒器。

[41] 錾（zàn赞）银——一种银雕工艺。錾：雕刻。

[42] “座上”一联——珠玑：珍珠，兼喻诗文之美。黼黻：古代官僚贵族礼服上绣的花纹。黼（fǔ府）：半黑半白的斧形图案。黻（fú服）：“”形图案。两句形容座中人和堂上客的衣饰华贵：佩带的珠玉如日月般光彩照人，衣服的图饰如烟霞般绚丽夺目。

[43] 世教弟——世交，两代以上的交谊；教弟，同辈年龄较大者对较小者的谦称。

〔六〕 “上铺着”，底本、俄藏、卞藏本无，从蒙府、甲辰本补。

[45] 罽（jì计）——毛织的毯子。

[46] 引枕——坐时搭扶胳膊的一种圆墩形的倚枕。

[47] 秋香色——淡黄绿色。

[48] 文王鼎匙箸香盒——文王鼎：指周代的传国国鼎，此处说的是小型仿古香炉，内烧粉状檀香之类的香料。匙箸：拨弄香灰的用具。香盒：盛香料的盒子。

[49] 汝窑美人觚（ɡū孤）——宋代河南汝州窑烧制的一种仿古瓷器。觚：古代盛酒器，长身细腰，形如美人，故称。

[50] 椅搭——搭在椅上的一种长方形的绣花呢缎饰物。

[51] 掐牙——锦缎双叠成细条，嵌在衣服或背心的夹边上，仅露少许，作为装饰，叫掐牙。

[52] 磊（luò洛）——叠放。

[53] 弹墨椅袱——以纸剪镂空图案覆于织品上，用墨色或其它颜色弹或喷成各种图案花样，叫弹墨。椅袱：用棉、缎之类做成的椅套。

[54] 斋戒——古人在祭祀、礼佛或举行隆重大典前，沐浴、吃素、静养一至三日，摒除杂念，以示诚敬，叫斋戒。

[55] 内帏——即内室，女子的居处。帏：幕帐。

[56] 小幺（yāo妖）儿——身边使唤的小仆人。幺：幼小。

〔七〕 “拿着他两个小幺儿出气”，“小幺儿”原作“小优儿”，又点改为“小子”；“拿着他”旁添为“拿着跟他的”。诸本各异。从原文，并据己卯、甲戌、舒序本改“优”为“幺”。

[58] 倒座、抱厦厅——“倒座”是与正房相对、朝向相反的房子。抱厦厅：回绕堂屋后面的侧室。

[59] 影壁——俗称照墙。于门内或门外用作屏障或装饰。

[60] 总角——儿童向上分开的两个发髻。代指儿童时代。《诗经·齐风·甫田》疏：“总聚其发，以为两角。”

〔八〕 “左第二”，原作“坐第二”，从各本改（己卯、梦稿本作“左边第二”）。

〔九〕 “惜春右第二”，原作“惜春又在右第二”，点改为“惜春就坐右手第二”。己卯、梦稿、俄藏、卞藏本作“惜春右边第二”。馀各本均作“惜春右第二”，从改。

[63] 拂尘——形如马尾，后有持柄，用以拂拭尘土，或驱赶蝇蚊，俗称“蝇甩子”。古时多用麈兽之尾制成，故又称麈尾。

[64] 布让——宴席间向客人敬菜、劝餐叫布让。

[65] 《四书》——《大学》、《中庸》、《论语》、《孟子》合称为《四书》，宋代朱熹把它们编在一起，作《四书章句集注》，故有此称。是元、明、清三代科举考试的必读之书。

[66] 惫（bèi lài备赖）——涎皮赖脸的意思。

[67] 嵌宝紫金冠、二龙抢珠金抹额——紫金冠：把头发束扎在顶部的一种髻冠，上面插戴各种饰物或镶嵌珠玉。抹额：围扎在额前，用以压发、束额。二龙抢珠：是抹额上的装饰图案。

[68] 二色金百蝶穿花大红箭袖——用两色金线绣成的百蝶穿花图案的大红窄袖衣服。箭袖：原为便于射箭穿的窄袖衣服，这里指男子穿的一种服式。

[69] 五彩丝攒花结长穗宫绦（tāo滔）——长穗宫绦：指系在腰间的绦带。长穗：是绦带端部下垂的穗子。五彩丝攒花结：用五彩丝攒聚成花朵的结子，指绦带上的装饰花样。

[70] 石青起花八团倭缎排穗褂——团：圆形起绒毛的团花。因其凸出，故云“起花”。倭缎：福建漳州、泉州等地仿日本织法制成的缎面起绒花的缎子。排穗：排缀在衣服下面边缘的彩穗。

[71] 青缎、朝靴——青缎：近黑的深青色缎子。朝靴：古代百官穿的“乌皮履”。这里指黑色缎面、白色厚底、半高筒的靴子。

〔一○〕 “好生奇怪”，底本、俄藏、卞藏本作“这生奇怪”，似经两次点改：第一次改为“这么奇怪”，第二次改为“奇怪呀”。从各本改。

[73] 请安——即问安。清代的请安礼节是，男子打千，即右膝半跪，较隆重时双膝跪下，女子双手扶左膝，右腿微屈，往下蹲身，口称“请某人安”。

[74] 坠角——用于朝珠、床帐等下端起下垂作用的小装饰品，这里是指辫子梢部所坠的饰物。

[75] 寄名锁、护身符——旧时怕幼儿夭亡，给寺院或道观一定财物，让幼儿当“寄名”弟子，并在幼儿的项下系一小金锁，名“寄名锁”。护身符：是从道观领来的一种符箓，带在身上，避祸免灾。

〔一一〕 “平生”，原作“半生”，从各本改。

[77] 《西江月》二词——这两首词用似贬实褒、寓褒于贬的手法揭示了贾宝玉的性格。皮囊：一作“皮袋”，指人的躯壳。草莽：丛生的杂草，喻不学无术。文章：此指四书五经及时文八股之类。乐业：这里是满意、安于富贵的意思。纨（同裤）：代指富家子弟。纨：素色细绢。

[78] 罥（juàn绢）烟眉——形容眉毛像一抹轻烟。罥：挂的意思。

〔一二〕 “两弯似蹙非蹙罥烟眉，一双似泣非泣含露目”，原作“两湾半蹙鹅眉，一对多情杏眼”。各本均异，且大多残阙。甲辰本作“两湾似蹙非蹙笼烟眉，一双似喜非喜含情目”。“笼烟”己卯本、卞本作“罥烟”（蒙府、戚序本作“罩烟”，梦稿、甲戌本（原文）作“冒烟”，最初似亦为“罥烟”）。下句卞本作“似飘非飘”，与各本皆异。据俄藏本改。

[80] 态生两靥（yè夜）之愁，娇袭一身之病——意思是妩媚的风韵生于含愁的面容，娇怯的情态出于孱弱的病体。态：情态，风韵。靥：面颊上的酒涡。袭：承继，由……而来。

[81] 心较比干多一窍，病如西子胜三分——比干：商（殷）代纣王的叔父。《史记·殷本纪》载：纣王淫乱，“比干曰：‘为人臣者，不得不以死争。’廼（乃）强谏纣。纣怒曰：‘吾闻圣人心有七窍。’剖比干，观其心。”古人认为心窍越多越有智慧。上句极言林黛玉聪明颖悟。西子：即西施，相传“西施病心而（通“颦”，皱眉）”，益增妩媚。见《庄子·天运》。下句是说黛玉病弱娇美胜过西施。

〔一三〕 “更好”至“坐下”几句，原仅作“更好好的坐下”，又旁添为“更胡说了，你好好的坐下罢。宝玉坐下”。从俄藏、卞藏本补。

[83] 《古今人物通考》——未详。从下文来看，可能是宝玉的杜撰。

[84] 劳什子——如同说“东西”、“玩意”，含有厌恶之意。

[85] 殉葬——古代把活人或器物随同死者埋在墓中叫“殉葬”。

[86] 套间、暖阁儿——套间：与正房相连的两侧房间。暖阁：是指在套间内再隔断成为小房间，内设炕褥，两边安有隔扇，上边有一横眉，形成床帐的样子，称“暖阁”。

[87] 碧纱橱——是清代建筑内檐装修中隔断的一种，亦称隔扇门、格门。清代《装修作则例》中写作“隔扇碧纱橱”。用以隔断开间，中间两扇可以开关。格心多灯笼框式样，灯笼心上常糊以纸，纸上画花或题字；宫殿或富贵人家常在隔心处安装玻璃或糊各色纱，故叫“碧纱橱”，俗称“格扇”。参见刘致平《中国建筑类型及结构》。这里的“碧纱橱里”，是指以碧纱橱隔开的里间。

[88] 教引嬷嬷——清代皇子一落生，即有保母、乳母各八人；断乳后，增“谙达”，“凡饮食、言语、行步、礼节皆教之。”（见《清稗类钞》）世家大族家庭的“教引嬷嬷”，其职务与皇宫的“谙达”近似。

[89] “花气袭人”句——全句为“花气袭人知骤暖”，见宋代陆游诗《村居喜书》。意思是花香扑人，知道天气骤然和暖了。

[90] 落草——“妇人分娩曰坐草”。见清吴翌《灯窗丛录》引《魏志》。引申其义，小儿落生叫“落草”。

[91] 省（xǐn醒）——家庭日常礼节。子女对父母早上问安叫“省”，晚上服侍就寝叫“定”。见《礼记·曲礼上》。

CHAPTER 3. Lin Ru-hai recommends a private tutor to his brother-in-law And old Lady Jia extends a compassionate welcome to the motherless child

When Yu-cun turned to look, he was surprised to see that it was Zhang Ru-gui, a former colleague who had been cashiered at the same time and for the same reason as himself. Zhang Ru-gui was a native of these parts, and had been living at home since his dismissal. Having just wormed out the information that a motion put forward in the capital for the reinstatement of ex-officials had been approved, he had been dashing about ever since, pulling strings and soliciting help from potential backers, and was engaged in this activity when he unexpectedly ran into Yu-cun. Hence the tone of his greeting.

As soon as they had finished bowing to each other, Zhang Ru-gui told Yu-cun the good news, and after further hurried conversation they went their separate ways.

Leng Zi-xing, who had overheard the news, proposed a plan. Why should not Yu-cun ask his employer Lin Ru-hai to write to his brother-in-law Jia Zheng in the capital and enlist his support on his, Yu-cun’s, behalf? Yu-cun agreed to follow this suggestion, and presently the two friends separated.

Back in his quarters, Yu-cun quickly hunted out a copy of the Gazette, and having satisfied himself that the news was authentic, broached the matter next day with Lin Ru-hai.

‘It so happens that an opportunity of helping you has just presented itself,’ said Ru-hai. ‘Since my poor wife passed on, my mother-in-law in the capital has been worried about the little girl having no one to look after her, and has already sent some of her folk here by barge to fetch her away. The only reason she has so far not gone is that she has not been quite recovered from her illness. I was, however, only just now thinking that the moment to send her had arrived. And as I have still done nothing to repay you for your kindness in tutoring her for me, you may be sure that now this opportunity has presented itself I shall do my very best to help you.

‘As a matter of fact, I have already made a few arrangements. I have written this letter here entrusting my brother-in-law with your affair, explaining my indebtedness to you and urging him to see it properly settled. I have also made it quite clear in my letter that any expenses which may be involved are to be taken care of; so you have nothing to worry about on that account.’

Yu-cun made an elaborate bow to his patron and thanked him profusely. He then ventured a question.

‘I am afraid I do not know what your relation’s position is at the capital. Might it not be a little embarrassing for a person in my situation to thrust himself upon him?’

Ru-hai laughed. ‘You need have no anxiety on that score. My brothers-in-law in the capital are your own kinsmen. They are grandsons of the former Duke of Rong-guo. The elder one, Jia She, is an hereditary official of the First Rank and an honorary colonel; the younger one, Jia Zheng, is an Under Secretary in the Ministry of Works. He takes very much after his late grandfather: a modest, generous man, quite without the arrogance of the pampered aristocrat. That is why I have addressed this letter to him. If I did not have complete confidence in his willingness to help you, I should not have put your honour at risk by soliciting him; nor, for that matter, should I have taken the trouble to write the letter.’

Yu-cun now knew that what Zi-xing had told him was the truth and he thanked Lin Ru-hai once again.

‘I have fixed the second day of next month for my little girl’s journey to the capital,’ said Ru-hai. ‘If you cared to travel with her, it would be convenient for both of us.’

Yu-cun accepted the suggestion with eager deference. Everything, he thought to himself, was turning out very satisfactorily. Ru-hai for his part set about preparing presents for his wife’s family and parting gifts for Yu-cun, all of which Yu-cun in due course took charge of.

At first his little pupil could not be persuaded to part from her father; but her grandmother was insistent that she should go, and Ru-hai added his own reasons.

‘I’m half a century old now, my dear, and I have no intention of taking a second wife; so there will be no one here to act as a mother to you. It isn’t, either, as if you had sisters who could help to take care of you. You know how often you are poorly. And you are still very young. It would be a great weight off my mind to know that you had your Grandmother Jia and your uncles’ girls to fall back on. I really think you ought to go.’

After this Dai-yu could only take a tearful leave of her father and go down to the boat with her nurse and the old women from the Rong mansion who had been sent to fetch her. There was a separate boat for Yu-cun and a couple of servant-boys to wait on him, and he too now embarked in the capacity of Dai-yu’s escort.

In due course they arrived in the capital, and Yu-cun, dressed in his best and with the two servant-boys at his heels, betook himself to the gate of the Rong mansion and handed in his visiting-card, on which he had been careful to prefix the word ‘kinsman’ to his own name. By this time Jia Zheng had already seen his brother-in-law’s letter, and accorded him an interview without delay.

Yu-cun’s imposing looks and cultivated speech made an excellent impression on Jia Zheng, who was in any case always well-disposed towards scholars, and preserved much of his grandfather’s affability with men of letters and readiness to help them in any sort of trouble or distress. And since his own inclinations were in this case reinforced by his brother-in-law’s strong recommendation, the treatment he extended to Yu-cun was exceptionally favourable. He exerted himself on his behalf to such good effect that on the very day his petition was presented Yu-cun’s reinstatement was approved, and before two months were out he was appointed to the magistracy of Ying-tian-fu in Nanking. Thither, having chosen a suitable day on which to commence his journey, and having first taken his leave of Jia Zheng, he now repaired to take up his duties.

But of him, for the time being, no more.

On the day of her arrival in the capital, Dai-yu stepped ashore to find covered chairs from the Rong mansion for her and her women and a cart for the luggage ready waiting on the quay.

She had often heard her mother say that her Grandmother Jia’s home was not like other people’s houses. The servants she had been in contact with during the past few days were comparatively low-ranking ones in the domestic hierarchy, yet the food they ate, the clothes they wore, and everything about them was quite out of the ordinary. Dai-yu tried to imagine what the people who employed these superior beings must be like. When she arrived at their house she would have to watch every step she took and weigh every word she said, for if she put a foot wrong they would surely laugh her to scorn.

Dai-yu got into her chair and was soon carried through the city walls. Peeping through the gauze panel which served as a window, she could see streets and buildings more rich and elegant and throngs of people more lively and numerous than she had ever seen in her life before. After being carried for what seemed a very great length of time, she saw, on the north front of the east-west street through which they were passing, two great stone lions crouched one on each side of a triple gateway whose doors were embellished with animal-heads. In front of the gateway ten or so splendidly dressed flunkeys sat in a row. The centre of the three gates was closed, but people were going in and out of the two side ones. There was a board above the centre gate on which were written in large characters the words:

NING-GUO HOUSE

Founded and Constructed by Imperial Command

Dai-yu realized that this must be where the elder branch of her grandmother’s family lived. The chair proceeded some distance more down the street and presently there was another triple gate, this time with the legend

RONG-GUO HOUSE

above it.

Ignoring the central gate, her bearers went in by the western entrance and after traversing the distance of a bowshot inside, half turned a corner and set the chair down. The chairs of her female attendants which were following behind were set down simultaneously and the old women got out. The places of Dai-yu’s bearers were taken by four handsome, fresh-faced pages of seventeen or eighteen. They shouldered her chair and, with the old women now following on foot, carried it as far as an ornamental inner gate. There they set it down again and then retired in respectful silence. The old women came forward to the front of the chair, held up the curtain, and helped Dai-yu to get out.

Each hand resting on the outstretched hand of an elderly attendant, Dai-yu passed through the ornamental gate into a courtyard which had balustraded loggias running along its sides and a covered passage-way through the centre. The foreground of the courtyard beyond was partially hidden by a screen of polished marble set in an elaborate red sandalwood frame. Passing round the screen and through a small reception hall beyond it, they entered the large courtyard of the mansion’s principal apartments. These were housed in an imposing five-frame building resplendent with carved and painted beams and rafters which faced them across the courtyard. Running along either side of the courtyard were galleries hung with cages containing a variety of different-coloured parrots, cockatoos, white-eyes, and other birds. Some gaily-dressed maids were sitting on the steps of the main building opposite. At the appearance of the visitors they rose to their feet and came forward with smiling faces to welcome them.

‘You’ve come just at the right time! Lady Jia was only this moment asking about you.’

Three or four of them ran to lift up the door-curtain, while another of them announced in loud tones,

‘Miss Lin is here!’

As Dai-yu entered the room she saw a silver-haired old lady advancing to meet her, supported on either side by a servant. She knew that this must be her Grandmother Jia and would have fallen on her knees and made her kotow, but before she could do so her grandmother had caught her in her arms and pressing her to her bosom with cries of ‘My pet!’ and ‘My poor lamb!’ burst into loud sobs, while all those present wept in sympathy, and Dai-yu felt herself crying as though she would never stop. It was some time before those present succeeded in calming them both down and Dai-yu was at last able to make her kotow.

Grandmother Jia now introduced those present.

‘This is your elder uncle’s wife, Aunt Xing. This is your Uncle Zheng’s wife, Aunt Wang. This is Li Wan, the wife of your Cousin Zhu, who died.’

Dai-yu kotowed to each of them in turn.

‘Call the girls!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Tell them that we have a very special visitor and that they need not do their lessons today.’

There was a cry of ‘Yes ma’am’ from the assembled maids, and two of them went off to do her bidding.

Presently three girls arrived, attended by three nurses and five or six maids.

The first girl was of medium height and slightly plumpish, with cheeks as white and firm as a fresh lychee and a nose as white and shiny as soap made from the whitest goose-fat. She had a gentle, sweet, reserved manner. To look at her was to love her.

The second girl was rather tall, with sloping shoulders and a slender waist. She had an oval face under whose well-formed brows large, expressive eyes shot out glances that sparkled with animation. To look at her was to forget all that was mean or vulgar.

The third girl was undersized and her looks were still somewhat babyish and unformed.

All three were dressed in identical skirts and dresses and wore identical sets of bracelets and hair ornaments.

Dai-yu rose to meet them and exchanged curtseys and introductions. When she was seated once more, a maid served tea, and a conversation began on the subject of her mother: how her illness had started, what doctors had been called in, what medicines prescribed, what arrangements had been made for the funeral, and how the mourning had been observed. This conversation had the foreseeable effect of upsetting the old lady all over again.

‘Of all my girls your mother was the one I loved the best,’ she said, ‘and now she’s been the first to go, and without my even being able to see her again before the end. I can’t help being upset!’ And holding fast to Dai-yu’s hand, she once more burst into tears. The rest of the company did their best to comfort her, until at last she had more or less recovered.

Everyone’s attention now centred on Dai-yu. They observed that although she was still young, her speech and manner already showed unusual refinement. They also noticed the frail body which seemed scarcely strong enough to bear the weight of its clothes, but which yet had an inexpressible grace about it, and realizing that she must be suffering from some deficiency, asked her what medicine she took for it and why it was still not better.

‘I have always been like this,’ said Dai-yu. ‘I have been taking medicine ever since I could eat and been looked at by ever so many well-known doctors, but it has never done me any good. Once, when I was only three, I can remember a scabby-headed old monk came and said he wanted to take me away and have me brought up as a nun; but of course, Mother and Father wouldn’t hear of it. So he said, “Since you are not prepared to give her up, I am afraid her illness will never get better as long as she lives. The only way it might get better would be if she were never to hear the sound of weeping from this day onwards and never to see any relations other than her own mother and father. Only in those conditions could she get through her life without trouble.” Of course, he was quite crazy, and no one took any notice of the things he said. I’m still taking Ginseng Tonic Pills.’

‘Well, that’s handy,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘I take the Pills myself. We can easily tell them to make up a few more each time.’

She had scarcely finished speaking when someone could be heard talking and laughing in a very loud voice in the inner courtyard behind them.

‘Oh dear! I’m late,’ said the voice. ‘I’ve missed the arrival of our guest.’

‘Everyone else around here seems to go about with bated breath,’ thought Dai-yu. ‘Who can this new arrival be who is so brash and unmannerly?’

Even as she wondered, a beautiful young woman entered from the room behind the one they were sitting in, surrounded by a bevy of serving women and maids. She was dressed quite differently from the others present, gleaming like some fairy princess with sparkling jewels and gay embroideries.

Her chignon was enclosed in a circlet of gold filigree and clustered pearls. It was fastened with a pin embellished with flying phoenixes, from whose beaks pearls were suspended on tiny chains.

Her necklet was of red gold in the form of a coiling dragon.

Her dress had a fitted bodice and was made of dark red silk damask with a pattern of flowers and butterflies in raised gold thread.

Her jacket was lined with ermine. It was of a slate-blue stuff with woven insets in coloured silks.

Her under-skirt was of a turquoise-coloured imported silk crêpe embroidered with flowers.

She had, moreover,

eyes like a painted phoenix,

eyebrows like willow-leaves,

a slender form,

seductive grace;

the ever-smiling summer face

of hidden thunders showed no trace;

the ever-bubbling laughter started

almost before the lips were parted.

‘You don’t know her,’ said Grandmother Jia merrily. ‘She’s a holy terror this one. What we used to call in Nanking a “peppercorn”. You just call her “Peppercorn Feng”. She’ll know who you mean!’

Dai-yu was at a loss to know how she was to address this Peppercorn Feng until one of the cousins whispered that it was ‘Cousin Lian’s wife’, and she remembered having heard her mother say that her elder uncle, Uncle She, had a son called Jia Lian who was married to the niece of her Uncle Zheng’s wife, Lady Wang. She had been brought up from earliest childhood just like a boy, and had acquired in the schoolroom the somewhat boyish-sounding name of Wang Xi-feng. Dai-yu accordingly smiled and curtseyed, greeting her by her correct name as she did so.

Xi-feng took Dai-yu by the hand and for a few moments scrutinized her carefully from top to toe before conducting her back to her seat beside Grandmother Jia.

‘She’s a beauty, Grannie dear! If I hadn’t set eyes on her today, I shouldn’t have believed that such a beautiful creature could exist! And everything about her so distingué! She doesn’t take after your side of the family, Grannie. She’s more like a Jia. I don’t blame you for having gone on so about her during the past few days – but poor little thing! What a cruel fate to have lost Auntie like that!’ and she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

‘I’ve only just recovered,’ laughed Grandmother Jia. ‘Don’t you go trying to start me off again! Besides, your little cousin is not very strong, and we’ve only just managed to get her cheered up. So let’s have no more of this!’

In obedience to the command Xi-feng at once exchanged her grief for merriment.

‘Yes, of course. It was just that seeing my little cousin here put everything else out of my mind. It made me want to laugh and cry all at the same time. I’m afraid I quite forgot about you, Grannie dear. I deserve to be spanked, don’t I?’

She grabbed Dai-yu by the hand.

‘How old are you dear? Have you begun school yet? You musn’t feel homesick here. If there’s anything you want to eat or anything you want to play with, just come and tell me. And you must tell me if any of the maids or the old nannies are nasty to you.’

Dai-yu made appropriate responses to all of these questions and injunctions.

Xi-feng turned to the servants.

‘Have Miss Lin’s things been brought in yet? How many people did she bring with her? You’d better hurry up and get a couple of rooms swept out for them to rest in.’

While Xi-feng was speaking, the servants brought in tea and various plates of food, the distribution of which she proceeded to supervise in person.

Dai-yu noticed her Aunt Wang questioning Xi-feng on the side:

‘Have this month’s allowances been paid out yet?’

‘Yes. By the way, just now I went with some of the women to the upstairs storeroom at the back to look for that satin. We looked and looked, but we couldn’t find any like the one you described yesterday. Perhaps you misremembered.’

‘Oh well, if you can’t find it, it doesn’t really matter,’ said Lady Wang. Then, after a moment’s reflection, ‘You’d better pick out a couple of lengths presently to have made up into clothes for your little cousin here. If you think of it, send someone round in the evening to fetch them!’

‘It’s already been seen to. I knew she was going to arrive within a day or two, so I had some brought out in readiness. They are waiting back at your place for your approval. If you think they are all right, they can be sent over straight away.’

Lady Wang merely smiled and nodded her head without saying anything.

The tea things and dishes were now cleared away, and Grandmother Jia ordered two old nurses to take Dai-yu round to see her uncles; but Uncle She’s wife, Lady Xing, hurriedly rose to her feet and suggested that it would be more convenient if she were to take her niece round herself.

‘Very well,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘You go now, then. There is no need for you to come back afterwards.’

So having, together with Lady Wang, who was also returning to her quarters, taken leave of the old lady, Lady Xing went off with Dai-yu, attended across the courtyard as far as the covered way by the rest of the company.

A carriage painted dark blue and hung with kingfisher-blue curtains had been drawn up in front of the ornamental gateway by some pages. Into this Aunt Xing ascended hand in hand with Dai-yu. The old women pulled down the carriage blind and ordered the pages to take up the shafts, the pages drew the carriage into an open space and harnessed mules to it, and Dai-yu and her aunt were driven out of the west gate, eastwards past the main gate of the Rong mansion, in again through a big black-lacquered gate, and up to an inner gate, where they were set down again.

Holding Dai-yu by the hand, Aunt Xing led her into a courtyard in the middle of what she imagined must once have been part of the mansion’s gardens. This impression was strengthened when they passed through a third gateway into the quarters occupied by her uncle and aunt; for here the smaller scale and quiet elegance of the halls, galleries and loggias were quite unlike the heavy magnificence and imposing grandeur they had just come from, and ornamental trees and artificial rock formations, all in exquisite taste, were to be seen on every hand.

As they entered the main reception hall, a number of heavily made-up and expensively dressed maids and concubines, who had been waiting in readiness, came forward to greet them.

Aunt Xing asked Dai-yu to be seated while she sent a servant to call Uncle She. After a considerable wait the servant returned with the following message:

‘The Master says he hasn’t been well these last few days, and as it would only upset them both if he were to see Miss Lin now, he doesn’t feel up to it for the time being. He says, tell Miss Lin not to grieve and not to feel homesick. She must think of her grandmother and her aunts as her own family now. He says that her cousins may not be very clever girls, but at least they should be company for her and help to take her mind off things. If she finds anything at all here to distress her, she is to speak up at once. She mustn’t feel like an outsider. She is to make herself completely at home.’

Dai-yu stood up throughout this recital and murmured polite assent whenever assent seemed indicated. She then sat for about another quarter of an hour before rising to take her leave. Her Aunt Xing was very pressing that she should have a meal with her before she went, but Dai-yu smilingly replied that though it was very kind of her aunt to offer, and though she ought really not to refuse, nevertheless she still had to pay her respects to her Uncle Zheng, and feared that it would be disrespectful if she were to arrive late. She hoped that she might accept on another occasion and begged her aunt to excuse her.

‘In that case, never mind,’ said Lady Xing, and instructed the old nurses to see her to her Uncle Zheng’s in the same carriage she had come by. Dai-yu formally took her leave, and Lady Xing saw her as far as the inner gate, where she issued a few more instructions to the servants and watched her niece’s carriage out of sight before returning to her rooms.

Presently they re-entered the Rong mansion proper and Dai-yu got down from the carriage. There was a raised stone walk running all the way up to the main gate, along which the old nurses now conducted her. Turning right, they led her down a roofed passage-way along the back of a south-facing hall, then through an inner gate into a large courtyard.

The big building at the head of the courtyard was connected at each end to galleries running through the length of the side buildings by means of ‘stag’s head’ roofing over the corners. The whole formed an architectural unit of greater sumptuousness and magnificence than anything Dai-yu had yet seen that day, from which she concluded that this must be the main inner hall of the whole mansion.

High overhead on the wall facing her as she entered the hall was a great blue board framed in gilded dragons, on which was written in large gold characters

THE HALL OF EXALTED FELICITY

with a column of smaller characters at the side giving a date and the words ‘… written for Our beloved Subject, Jia Yuan, Duke of Rong-guo’, followed by the Emperor’s private seal, a device containing the words ‘kingly cares’ and ‘royal brush’ in archaic seal-script.

A long, high table of carved red sandalwood, ornamented with dragons, stood against the wall underneath. In the centre of this was a huge antique bronze ding, fully a yard high, covered with a green patina. On the wall above the ding hung a long vertical scroll with an ink-painting of a dragon emerging from clouds and waves, of the kind often presented to high court officials in token of their office. The ding was flanked on one side by a smaller antique bronze vessel with a pattern of gold inlay and on the other by a crystal bowl. At each side of the table stood a row of eight yellow cedar-wood armchairs with their backs to the wall; and above the chairs hung, one on each side, a pair of vertical ebony boards inlaid with a couplet in characters of gold:

(on the right-hand one)

May the jewel of learning shine in this house more effulgently than the sun and moon.

(on the left-hand one)

May the insignia of honour glitter in these halls more brilliantly than the starry sky.

This was followed by a colophon in smaller characters:

With the Respectful Compliments of your Fellow-

Student, Mu Shi, Hereditary Prince of Dong-an.

Lady Wang did not, however, normally spend her leisure hours in this main reception hall, but in a smaller room on the east side of the same building. Accordingly the nurses conducted Dai-yu through the door into this side apartment.

Here there was a large kang underneath the window, covered with a scarlet Kashmir rug. In the middle of the kang was a dark-red bolster with a pattern of medallions in the form of tiny dragons, and a long russet-green seating strip in the same pattern. A low rose-shaped table of coloured lacquer-work stood at each side. On the left-hand one was a small, square, four-legged ding, together with a bronze ladle, metal chopsticks, and an incense container. On the right-hand one was a narrow-waisted Ru-ware imitation gu with a spray of freshly cut flowers in it.

In the part of the room below the kang there was a row of four big chairs against the east wall. All had footstools in front of them and chair-backs and seat-covers in old rose brocade sprigged with flowers. There were also narrow side-tables on which tea things and vases of flowers were arranged, besides other furnishings which it would be superfluous to enumerate.

The old nurses invited Dai-yu to get up on the kang; but guessing that the brocade cushions arranged one on each side near the edge of it must be her uncle’s and aunt’s places, she deemed it more proper to sit on one of the chairs against the wall below. The maids in charge of the apartment served tea, and as she sipped it Dai-yu observed that their clothing, makeup, and deportment were quite different from those of the maids she had seen so far in other parts of the mansion.

Before she had time to finish her tea, a smiling maid came in wearing a dress of red damask and a black silk sleeveless jacket which had scalloped borders of some coloured material.

‘The Mistress says will Miss Lin come over to the other side, please.’

The old nurses now led Dai-yu down the east gallery to a reception room at the side of the courtyard. This too had a kang. It was bisected by a long, low table piled with books and tea things. A much-used black satin back-rest was pushed up against the east wall. Lady Wang was seated on a black satin cushion and leaning against another comfortable-looking back-rest of black satin somewhat farther forward on the opposite side.

Seeing her niece enter, she motioned her to sit opposite her on the kang, but Dai-yu felt sure that this must be her Uncle Zheng’s place. So, having observed a row of three chairs near the kang with covers of flower-sprigged brocade which looked as though they were in fairly constant use, she sat upon one of those instead. Only after much further pressing from her aunt would she get up on the kang, and even then she would only sit beside her and not in the position of honour opposite.

‘Your uncle is in retreat today,’ said Lady Wang. ‘He will see you another time. There is, however, something I have got to talk to you about. The three girls are very well-behaved children, and in future, when you are studying or sewing together, even if once in a while they may grow a bit high-spirited, I can depend on them not to go too far. There is only one thing that worries me. I have a little monster of a son who tyrannizes over all the rest of this household. He has gone off to the temple today in fulfilment of a vow and is not yet back; but you will see what I mean this evening. The thing to do is never to take any notice of him. None of your cousins dare provoke him.’

Dai-yu had long ago been told by her mother that she had a boy cousin who was born with a piece of jade in his mouth and who was exceptionally wild and naughty. He hated study and liked to spend all his time in the women’s apartments with the girls; but because Grandmother Jia doted on him so much, no one ever dared to correct him. She realized that it must be this cousin her aunt was now referring to.

‘Do you mean the boy born with the jade, Aunt?’ she asked. ‘Mother often told me about him at home. She told me that he was one year older than me and that his name was Bao-yu. But she said that though he was very wilful, he always behaved very nicely to girls. Now that I am here, I suppose I shall be spending all my time with my girl cousins and not in the same part of the house as the boys. Surely there will be no danger of my provoking him?’

Lady Wang gave a rueful smile. ‘You little know how things are here! Bao-yu is a law unto himself. Because your grandmother is so fond of him she has thoroughly spoiled him. When he was little he lived with the girls, so with the girls he remains now. As long as they take no notice of him, things run quietly enough. But if they give him the least encouragement, he at once becomes excitable, and then there is no end to the mischief he may get up to. That is why I counsel you to ignore him. He can be all honey-sweet words one minute and ranting and raving like a lunatic the next. So don’t believe anything he says.’

Dai-yu promised to follow her aunt’s advice.

Just then a maid came in with a message that ‘Lady Jia said it was time for dinner’, whereupon Lady Wang took Dai-yu by the hand and hurried her out through a back door. Passing along a verandah which ran beneath the rear eaves of the hall they came to a corner gate through which they passed into an alley-way running north and south. At the south end it was traversed by a narrow little building with a short passage-way running through its middle. At the north end was a white-painted screen wall masking a medium-sized gateway leading to a small courtyard in which stood a very little house.

‘That,’ said Lady Wang, pointing to the little house, ‘is where your Cousin Lian’s wife, Wang Xi-feng, lives, in case you want to see her later on. She is the person to talk to if there is anything you need.’

There were a few young pages at the gate of the courtyard who, when they saw Lady Wang coming, all stood to attention with their hands at their sides.

Lady Wang now led Dai-yu along a gallery, running from east to west, which brought them out into the courtyard behind Grandmother Jia’s apartments. Entering these by a back entrance, they found a number of servants waiting there who, as soon as they saw Lady Wang, began to arrange the table and chairs for dinner. The ladies of the house themselves took part in the service. Li Wan brought in the cups, Xi-feng laid out the chopsticks, and Lady Wang brought in the soup.

The table at which Grandmother Jia presided, seated alone on a couch, had two empty chairs on either side. Xi-feng tried to seat Dai-yu in the one on the left nearer to her grandmother – an honour which she strenuously resisted until her grandmother explained that her aunt and her elder cousins’ wives would not be eating with them, so that, since she was a guest, the place was properly hers. Only then did she ask permission to sit, as etiquette prescribed. Grandmother Jia then ordered Lady Wang to be seated. This was the cue for the three girls to ask permission to sit. Ying-chun sat in the first place on the right opposite Dai-yu, Tan-chun sat second on the left, and Xi-chun sat second on the right.

While Li Wan and Xi-feng stood by the table helping to distribute food from the dishes, maids holding fly-whisks, spittoons, and napkins ranged themselves on either side. In addition to these, there were numerous other maids and serving-women in attendance in the outer room, yet not so much as a cough was heard throughout the whole of the meal.

When they had finished eating, a maid served each diner with tea on a little tray. Dai-yu’s parents had brought their daughter up to believe that good health was founded on careful habits, and in pursuance of this principle, had always insisted that after a meal one should allow a certain interval to elapse before taking tea in order to avoid indigestion. However, she could see that many of the rules in this household were different from the ones she had been used to at home; so, being anxious to conform as much as possible, she accepted the tea. But as she did so, another maid proferred a spittoon, from which she inferred that the tea was for rinsing her mouth with. And it was not, in fact, until they had all rinsed out their mouths and washed their hands that another lot of tea was served, this time for drinking.

Grandmother Jia now dismissed her lady servers, observing that she wished to enjoy a little chat with her young grandchildren without the restraint of their grown-up presence.

Lady Wang obediently rose to her feet and, after exchanging a few pleasantries, went out, taking Li Wan and Wang Xi-feng with her.

Grandmother Jia asked Dai-yu what books she was studying.

‘The Four Books,’ said Dai-yu, and inquired in turn what books her cousins were currently engaged on.

‘Gracious, child, they don’t study books,’ said her grandmother; ‘they can barely read and write!’

While they were speaking, a flurry of footsteps could be heard outside and a maid came in to say that Bao-yu was back.

‘I wonder,’ thought Dai-yu, ‘just what sort of graceless creature this Bao-yu is going to be!’

The young gentleman who entered in answer to her unspoken question had a small jewel-encrusted gold coronet on the top of his head and a golden headband low down over his brow in the form of two dragons playing with a large pearl.

He was wearing a narrow-sleeved, full-skirted robe of dark red material with a pattern of flowers and butterflies in two shades of gold. It was confined at the waist with a court girdle of coloured silks braided at regular intervals into elaborate clusters of knotwork and terminating in long tassels.

Over the upper part of his robe he wore a jacket of slate-blue Japanese silk damask with a raised pattern of eight large medallions on the front and with tasselled borders.

On his feet he had half-length dress boots of black satin with thick white soles.

As to his person, he had:

a face like the moon of Mid-Autumn,

a complexion like flowers at dawn,

a hairline straight as a knife-cut,

eyebrows that might have been painted by an artist’s brush,

a shapely nose, and

eyes clear as limpid pools,

that even in anger seemed to smile,

and, as they glared, beamed tenderness the while.

Around his neck he wore a golden torque in the likeness of a dragon and a woven cord of coloured silks to which the famous jade was attached.

Dai-yu looked at him with astonishment. How strange! How very strange! It was as though she had seen him somewhere before, he was so extraordinarily familiar. Bao-yu went straight past her and saluted his grandmother, who told him to come after he had seen his mother, whereupon he turned round and walked straight out again.

Quite soon he was back once more, this time dressed in a completely different outfit.

The crown and circlet had gone. She could now see that his side hair was dressed in a number of small braids plaited with red silk, which were drawn round to join the long hair at the back in a single large queue of glistening jet black, fastened at intervals from the nape downwards with four enormous pearls and ending in a jewelled gold clasp. He had changed his robe and jacket for a rather more worn-looking rose-coloured gown, sprigged with flowers. He wore the gold torque and his jade as before, and she observed that the collection of objects round his neck had been further augmented by a padlock-shaped amulet and a lucky charm. A pair of ivy-coloured embroidered silk trousers were partially visible beneath his gown, thrust into black and white socks trimmed with brocade. In place of the formal boots he was wearing thick-soled crimson slippers.

She was even more struck than before by his fresh complexion. The cheeks might have been brushed with powder and the lips touched with rouge, so bright was their natural colour.

His glance was soulful,

yet from his lips the laughter often leaped;

a world of charm upon that brow was heaped;

a world of feeling from those dark eyes peeped.

In short, his outward appearance was very fine. But appearances can be misleading. A perceptive poet has supplied two sets of verses, to be sung to the tune of Moon On West River, which contain a more accurate appraisal of our hero than the foregoing descriptions.

1

Oft-times he sought out what would make him sad;

Sometimes an idiot seemed and sometimes mad.

Though outwardly a handsome sausage-skin,

He proved to have but sorry meat within.

A harum-scarum, to all duty blind,

A doltish mule, to study disinclined;

His acts outlandish and his nature queer;

Yet not a whit cared he how folk might jeer!

2

Prosperous, he could not play his part with grace,

Nor, poor, bear hardship with a smiling face.

So shamefully the precious hours he’d waste

That both indoors and out he was disgraced.

For uselessness the world’s prize he might bear;

His gracelessness in history has no peer.

Let gilded youths who every dainty sample

Not imitate this rascal’s dire example!

‘Fancy changing your clothes before you have welcomed the visitor!’ Grandmother Jia chided indulgently on seeing Bao-yu back again. ‘Aren’t you going to pay your respects to your cousin?’

Bao-yu had already caught sight of a slender, delicate girl whom he surmised to be his Aunt Lin’s daughter and quickly went over to greet her. Then, returning to his place and taking a seat, he studied her attentively. How different she seemed from the other girls he knew!

Her mist-wreathed brows at first seemed to frown, yet were not frowning;

Her passionate eyes at first seemed to smile, yet were not merry.

Habit had given a melancholy cast to her tender face;

Nature had bestowed a sickly constitution on her delicate frame.

Often the eyes swam with glistening tears;

Often the breath came in gentle gasps.

In stillness she made one think of a graceful flower reflected in the water;

In motion she called to mind tender willow shoots caressed by the wind.

She had more chambers in her heart than the martyred Bi Gan; And suffered a tithe more pain in it than the beautiful Xi Shi.

Having completed his survey, Bao-yu gave a laugh.

‘I have seen this cousin before.’

‘Nonsense!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘How could you possibly have done?’

‘Well, perhaps not,’ said Bao-yu, ‘but her face seems so familiar that I have the impression of meeting her again after a long separation.’

‘All the better,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘That means that you should get on well together.’

Bao-yu moved over again and, drawing a chair up beside Dai-yu, recommenced his scrutiny.

Presently: ‘Do you study books yet, cousin?’

‘No,’ said Dai-yu. ‘I have only been taking lessons for a year or so. I can barely read and write.’

‘What’s your name?’

Dai-yu told him.

‘What’s your school-name?’

‘I haven’t got one.’

Bao-yu laughed. ‘I’ll give you one, cousin. I think “Frowner” would suit you perfectly.’

‘Where’s your reference?’ said Tan-chun.

‘In the Encyclopedia of Men and Objects Ancient and Modern it says that somewhere in the West there is a mineral called “dai” which can be used instead of eye-black for painting the eyebrows with. She has this “dai” in her name and she knits her brows together in a little frown. I think it’s a splendid name for her!’

‘I expect you made it up,’ said Tan-chun scornfully.

‘What if I did?’ said Bao-yu. ‘There are lots of made-up things in books – apart from the Four Books, of course.’

He returned to his interrogation of Dai-yu.

‘Have you got a jade?’

The rest of the company were puzzled, but Dai-yu at once divined that he was asking her if she too had a jade like the one he was born with.

‘No,’ said Dai-yu. ‘That jade of yours is a very rare object. You can’t expect everybody to have one.’

This sent Bao-yu off instantly into one of his mad fits. Snatching the jade from his neck he hurled it violently on the floor as if to smash it and began abusing it passionately.

‘Rare object! Rare object! What’s so lucky about a stone that can’t even tell which people are better than others? Beastly thing! I don’t want it!’

The maids all seemed terrified and rushed forward to pick it up, while Grandmother Jia clung to Bao-yu in alarm.

‘Naughty, naughty boy! Shout at someone or strike them if you like when you are in a nasty temper, but why go smashing that precious thing that your very life depends on?’

‘None of the girls has got one,’ said Bao-yu, his face streaming with tears and sobbing hysterically. ‘Only I have got one. It always upsets me. And now this new cousin comes here who is as beautiful as an angel and she hasn’t got one either, so I know it can’t be any good.’

‘Your cousin did have a jade once,’ said Grandmother Jia, coaxing him like a little child, ‘but because when Auntie died she couldn’t bear to leave her little girl behind, they had to let her take the jade with her instead. In that way your cousin could show her mamma how much she loved her by letting the jade be buried with her; and at the same time, whenever Auntie’s spirit looked at the jade, it would be just like looking at her own little girl again.

‘So when your cousin said she hadn’t got one, it was only because she didn’t want to boast about the good, kind thing she did when she gave it to her mamma. Now you put yours on again like a good boy, and mind your mother doesn’t find out how naughty you have been.’

So saying, she took the jade from the hands of one of the maids and hung it round his neck for him. And Bao-yu, after reflecting for a moment or two on what she had said, offered no further resistance.

At this point some of the older women came to inquire what room Dai-yu was to sleep in.

‘Move Bao-yu into the closet-bed with me,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘and put Miss Lin for the time being in the green muslin summer-bed. We had better wait until spring when the last of the cold weather is over before seeing about the rooms for them and getting them settled permanently.’

‘Dearest Grannie,’ said Bao-yu pleadingly, ‘I should be perfectly all right next to the summer-bed. There’s no need to move me into your room. I should only keep you awake.’

Grandmother Jia, after a moment’s reflection, gave her consent. She further gave instructions that Dai-yu and Bao-yu were each to have one nurse and one maid to sleep with them. The rest of their servants were to do night duty by rota in the adjoining room. Xi-feng had already sent across some lilac-coloured hangings, brocade quilts, satin coverlets and the like for Dai-yu’s bedding.

Dai-yu had brought only two of her own people with her from home. One was her old wet-nurse Nannie Wang, the other was a little ten-year-old maid called Snowgoose. Considering Snowgoose too young and irresponsible and Nannie Wang too old and decrepit to be of much real service, Grandmother Jia gave Dai-yu one of her own maids, a body-servant of the second grade called Nightingale. She also gave orders that Dai-yu and Bao-yu were to be attended in other respects exactly like the three girls: that is to say, apart from the one wet-nurse, each was to have four other nurses to act as chaper-ones, two maids as body-servants to attend to their washing, dressing, and so forth, and four or five maids for dusting and cleaning, running errands and general duties.

These arrangements completed, Nannie Wang and Nightingale accompanied Dai-yu to bed inside the tent-like summer-bed, while Bao-yu’s wet-nurse Nannie Li and his chief maid Aroma settled him down for the night in a big bed on the other side of the canopy.

Like Nightingale, Aroma had previously been one of Grandmother Jia’s own maids. Her real name was Pearl. Bao-yu’s grandmother, fearful that the maids who already waited on her darling boy could not be trusted to look after him properly, had picked out Pearl as a girl of tried and conspicuous fidelity and put her in charge over them. It was Bao-yu who was responsible for the curious name ‘Aroma’. Discovering that Pearl’s surname was Hua, which means ‘Flowers’, and having recently come across the line

The flowers’ aroma breathes of hotter days

in a book of poems, he told his grandmother that he wanted to call his new maid ‘Aroma’, so ‘Aroma’ her name thenceforth became.

Aroma had a certain dogged streak in her nature which had made her utterly devoted to Grandmother Jia as long as she was Grandmother Jia’s servant, but which caused her to become just as exclusively and single-mindedly devoted to Bao-yu when her services were transferred to him. Since she found his character strange and incomprehensible, her simple devotion frequently impelled her to remonstrate with him, and when, as invariably happened, he took not the least notice of what she said, she was worried and hurt.

That night, when Bao-yu and Nannie Li were already asleep, Aroma could hear that Dai-yu and Nightingale on their side of the canopy had still not settled down, so, when she had finished taking down her hair and making herself ready for bed, she tiptoed through the muslin curtains and in a friendly way inquired what was the matter. Dai-yu invited her to sit down, and when she had seated herself on the edge of the bed, Nightingale proceeded to tell her what was troubling her new mistress.

‘Miss Lin is all upset. She has just been crying her eyes out because she says she only just arrived here today, and yet already she has started young hopeful off on one of his turns. She says if that jade had been really smashed, it would have been all her fault. That’s what she’s so upset about. I’ve had no end of a job trying to comfort her.’

‘You mustn’t take on so, Miss,’ said Aroma. ‘You’ll see him do much stranger things than that before he’s finished. If you allow yourself to feel hurt every time he carries on like that, he will always be hurting you. Try not to be so sensitive, Miss!’

Dai-yu thanked her and promised to bear in mind what she had said, and after talking a little longer, they all settled down and went to sleep.

Rising early next day, they visited Grandmother Jia to wish her a good morning and then went over to Lady Wang’s. They found her closeted with Wang Xi-feng, deep in discussion of a letter which had just arrived from Nanking, and attended by two women who had come with a message from Lady Wang’s elder brother and sister-in-law. Tan-chun and the girls told Dai-yu, who knew nothing of the matter under discussion, that they were talking about Xue Pan, the son of their Aunt Xue who lived in Nanking.

It seemed that Xue Pan, relying on wealth and family pull to protect him from the consequences, had taken another man’s life. The case was at present under investigation by the Ying-tian-fu yamen. Their uncle Wang Zi-teng had been informed of it, and had sent these messengers to the members of the family in the Rong mansion to suggest that they should invite Xue Pan to the capital.

But the outcome of this discussion will be dealt with in the following chapter.