第三十七回

第三十七回 秋爽斋偶结海棠社 蘅芜苑夜拟菊花题

这年贾政又点了学差[1]，择于八月二十日起身。是日拜过宗祠及贾母起身〔一〕，宝玉诸子弟等送至洒泪亭。

却说贾政出门去后，外面诸事不能多记。单表宝玉每日在园中任意纵性的逛荡，真把光阴虚度，岁月空添。这日正无聊之际，只见翠墨进来，手里拿着一副花笺送与他。宝玉因道：“可是我忘了，才说要瞧瞧三妹妹去的，可好些了，你偏走来。”翠墨道：“姑娘好了，今儿也不吃药了，不过是凉着一点儿。”宝玉听说，便展开花笺看时，上面写道：

娣[3]探谨奉

二兄文几：前夕新霁，月色如洗，因惜清景难逢，讵忍就卧，时漏已三转，犹徘徊于桐槛之下，未防风露所欺，致获采薪之患[4]。昨蒙亲劳抚嘱，复又数遣侍儿问切，兼以鲜荔并真卿[5]墨迹见赐，何痌瘝[6]惠爱之深哉！今因伏几凭床处默之时，因思及历来古人中处名攻利敌之场，犹置一些山滴水[7]之区，远招近揖，投辖攀辕[8]，务结二三同志盘桓于其中，或竖词坛，或开吟社，虽一时之偶兴，遂成千古之佳谈。娣虽不才，窃[9]同叨栖处于泉石之间，而兼慕薛林之技。风庭月榭，惜未宴集诗人；帘杏溪桃，或可醉飞吟盏。孰谓莲社[10]之雄才，独许须眉；直以东山[11]之雅会，让馀脂粉。若蒙棹〔二〕雪而来[13]，娣则扫花以待[14]。此谨奉。

宝玉看了，不觉喜的拍手笑道：“倒是三妹妹的高雅，我如今就去商议。”一面说，一面就走，翠墨跟在后面。

刚到了沁芳亭，只见园中后门上值日的婆子手里拿着一个字帖走来，见了宝玉，便迎上去，口内说道：“芸哥儿请安，在后门口等着，叫我送来的。”宝玉打开看时，写道是：

不肖男芸恭请

父亲大人万福金安。男思自蒙天恩，认于膝下，日夜思一孝顺，竟无可孝顺之处。前因买办花草，上托大人金福，竟认得许多花儿匠，并认得许多名园。因忽见有白海棠一种，不可多得。故变尽方法，只弄得两盆。大人若视男是亲男一般，便留下赏玩。因天气暑热，恐园中姑娘们不便，故不敢面见。奉书恭启，并叩

台安。　　　　　男芸跪书

宝玉看了，笑道：“独他来了，还有什么人？”婆子道：“还有两盆花儿。”宝玉道：“你出去说，我知道了，难为他想着。你便把花儿送到我屋里去就是了。”一面说，一面同翠墨往秋爽斋来，只见宝钗、黛玉、迎春、惜春已都在那里了。

众人见他进来，都笑说：“又来了一个。”探春笑道：“我不算俗，偶然起个念头，写了几个帖儿试一试，谁知一招皆到。”宝玉笑道：“可惜迟了，早该起个社的。”黛玉道：“此时还不算迟，也没什么可惜。但是你们只管起社，可别算上我，我是不敢的。”迎春笑道：“你不敢谁还敢呢。”宝玉道：“这是一件正经大事，大家鼓舞起来，不要你谦我让的。各有主意自管说出来大家平章[15]。宝姐姐也出个主意，林妹妹也说个话儿。”宝钗道：“你忙什么，人还不全呢。”

一语未了，李纨也来了，进门笑道：“雅的紧！要起诗社，我自荐我掌坛。前儿春天我原有这个意思的。我想了一想，我又不会作诗，瞎乱些什么，因而也忘了，就没有说得。既是三妹妹高兴，我就帮你作兴起来。”

黛玉道：“既然定要起诗社，咱们都是诗翁了，先把这些姐妹叔嫂的字样改了才不俗。”李纨道：“极是，何不大家起个别号，彼此称呼则雅。我是定了‘稻香老农’，再无人占的。”

探春笑道：“我就是‘秋爽居士’罢。”宝玉道：“居士、主人到底不恰，且又瘰赘。这里梧桐芭蕉尽有，或指梧桐芭蕉起个倒好。”探春笑道：“有了，我最喜芭蕉，就称‘蕉下客’罢。”众人都道别致有趣。黛玉笑道：“你们快牵了他去，炖了脯子吃酒。”众人不解。黛玉笑道：“古人曾云‘蕉叶覆鹿’[16]。他自称‘蕉下客’，可不是一只鹿了？快做了鹿脯来。”众人听了都笑起来。

探春因笑道：“你别忙中使巧话来骂人，我已替你想了个极当的美号了。”又向众人道：“当日娥皇女英洒泪在竹上成斑，故今斑竹又名湘妃竹。如今他住的是潇湘馆，他又爱哭，将来他想林姐夫，那些竹子也是要变成斑竹的。以后都叫他作‘潇湘妃子’就完了。”大家听说，都拍手叫妙。林黛玉低了头方不言语。李纨笑道：“我替薛大妹妹也早已想了个好的，也只三个字。”惜春迎春都问是什么。李纨道：“我是封他为‘蘅芜君’了，不知你们以为如何。”探春笑道：“这个封号极好。”宝玉道：“我呢？你们也替我想一个。”宝钗笑道：“你的号早有了，‘无事忙’三字恰当的很。”李纨道：“你还是你的旧号‘绛洞花主’就好。”宝玉笑道：“小时候干的营生，还提他作什么。”探春道：“你的号多的很，又起什么。我们爱叫你什么，你就答应着就是了。”宝钗道：“还得我送你个号罢。有最俗的一个号，却于你最当。天下难得的是富贵，又难得的是闲散，这两样再不能兼有，不想你兼有了，就叫你‘富贵闲人’也罢了。”宝玉笑道：“当不起，当不起，倒是随你们混叫去罢。”李纨道：“二姑娘四姑娘起个什么号？”迎春道：“我们又不大会诗，白起个号作什么？”探春道：“虽如此，也起个才是。”宝钗道：“他住的是紫菱洲，就叫他‘菱洲’；四丫头在藕香榭，就叫他‘藕榭’就完了。”

李纨道：“就是这样好。但序齿我大，你们都要依我的主意，管情说了大家合意。我们七个人起社，我和二姑娘四姑娘都不会作诗，须得让出我们三个人去。我们三个各分一件事。”探春笑道：“已有了号，还只管这样称呼，不如不有了。以后错了，也要立个罚约才好。”李纨道：“立定了社，再定罚约。我那里地方大，竟在我那里作社。我虽不能作诗，这些诗人竟不厌俗客，我作个东道主人，我自然也清雅起来了。若是要推我作社长，我一个社长自然不够，必要再请两位副社长，就请菱洲藕榭二位学究来，一位出题限韵，一位誊录监场。亦不可拘定了我们三个人不作，若遇见容易些的题目韵脚，我们也随便作一首。你们四个却是要限定的。若如此便起，若不依我，我也不敢附骥[17]了。”迎春惜春本性懒于诗词，又有薛林在前，听了这话便深合己意，二人皆说“极是”。

探春等也知此意，见他二人悦服，也不好强，只得依了。因笑道：“这话也罢了，只是自想好笑，好好的我起了个主意，反叫你们三个来管起我来了。”宝玉道：“既这样，咱们就往稻香村去。”李纨道：“都是你忙，今日不过商议了，等我再请。”宝钗道：“也要议定几日一会才好。”探春道：“若只管会的多，又没趣了。一月之中，只可两三次才好。”宝钗点头道：“一月只要两次就够了。拟定日期，风雨无阻。除这两日外，倘有高兴的，他情愿加一社的，或情愿到他那里去，或附就了来，亦可使得，岂不活泼有趣。”众人都道：“这个主意更好。”

探春道：“只是原系我起的意，我须得先作个东道主人，方不负我这兴。”李纨道：“既这样说，明日你就先开一社如何？”探春道：“明日不如今日，此刻就很好。你就出题，菱洲限韵，藕榭监场。”迎春道：“依我说，也不必随一人出题限韵，竟是拈阄公道。”李纨道：“方才我来时，看见他们抬进两盆白海棠来，倒是好花。你们何不就咏起他来？”迎春道：“都还未赏，先倒作诗。”宝钗道：“不过是白海棠，又何必定要见了才作。古人的诗赋，也不过都是寄兴写情耳。若都是等见了作，如今也没这些诗了。”

迎春道：“既如此，待我限韵[18]。”说着，走到书架前抽出一本诗来，随手一揭，这首竟是一首七言律，递与众人看了，都该作七言律。迎春掩了诗，又向一个小丫头道：“你随口说一个字来。”那丫头正倚门立着，便说了个“门”字。迎春笑道：“就是门字韵，‘十三元’了。头一个韵定要这‘门’字。”说着，又要了韵牌匣子[19]过来，抽出“十三元”一屉，又命那小丫头随手拿四块。那丫头便拿了“盆”“魂”“痕”“昏”四块来。宝玉道：“这‘盆’‘门’两个字不大好作呢！”

待书一样预备下四份纸笔，便都悄然各自思索起来。独黛玉或抚梧桐，或看秋色，或又和丫鬟们嘲笑。迎春又令丫鬟炷了一支“梦甜香”。原来这“梦甜香”只有三寸来长，有灯草粗细，以其易烬，故以此烬为限，如香烬未成便要罚。

一时探春便先有了，自提笔写出，又改抹了一回，递与迎春。因问宝钗：“蘅芜君，你可有了？”宝钗道：“有却有了，只是不好。”宝玉背着手，在回廊上踱来踱去，因向黛玉说道：“你听，他们都有了。”黛玉道：“你别管我。”宝玉又见宝钗已誊写出来，因说道：“了不得！香只剩了一寸了，我才有了四句。”又向黛玉道：“香就完了，只管蹲在那潮地下作什么？”黛玉也不理。宝玉道：“我可顾不得你了，好歹也写出来罢。”说着也走在案前写了。

李纨道：“我们要看诗了，若看完了还不交卷是必罚的。”宝玉道：“稻香老农虽不善作却善看，又最公道，你就评阅优劣，我们都服的。”众人都道：“自然。”于是先看探春的稿上写道是：

咏白海棠限门盆魂痕昏

斜阳寒草带重门[20]，苔翠盈铺雨后盆。

玉是精神难比洁，雪为肌骨易销魂。

芳心一点娇无力，倩影三更月有痕。[21]

莫谓缟仙能羽化[22]，多情伴我咏黄昏。

大家看了，称赏一回。又看宝钗的是〔三〕：

珍重芳姿昼掩门[24]，自携手瓮灌苔盆。

胭脂洗出秋阶影，冰雪招来露砌魂。[25]

淡极始知花更艳，愁多焉得玉无痕。[26]

欲偿白帝凭清洁，不语婷婷日又昏。[27]

李纨笑道：“到底是蘅芜君。”说着又看宝玉的，道是：

秋容浅淡映重门，七节攒成雪满盆。[28]

出浴太真冰作影，捧心西子玉为魂。[29]

晓风不散愁千点，宿雨还添泪一痕。[30]

独倚画栏如有意，清砧怨笛送黄昏。[31]

大家看了，宝玉说探春的好，李纨才要推宝钗这诗有身分，因又催黛玉。黛玉道：“你们都有了？”说着，提笔一挥而就，掷与众人〔四〕。李纨等看他写道是：

半卷湘帘[33]半掩门，碾冰为土玉为盆。

看了这句，宝玉先喝起彩来，只说“从何处想来！”又看下面道：

偷来梨蕊三分白，借得梅花一缕魂。

众人看了也都不禁叫好，说“果然比别人又是一样心肠。”又看下面道是：

月窟仙人缝缟袂[34]，秋闺怨女拭啼痕。

娇羞默默同谁诉，倦倚西风夜已昏。

众人看了，都道是这首为上。李纨道：“若论风流别致，自是这首；若论含蓄浑厚，终让蘅稿。”探春道：“这评的有理，潇湘妃子当居第二。”李纨道：“怡红公子是压尾，你服不服？”宝玉道：“我的那首原不好了，这评的最公。”又笑道：“只是蘅潇二首还要斟酌。”李纨道：“原是依我评论，不与你们相干，再有多说者必罚。”宝玉听说，只得罢了。

李纨道：“从此后，我定于每月初二、十六这两日开社，出题限韵都要依我。这其间你们有高兴的，你们只管另择日子补开，那怕一个月每天都开社，我只不管。只是到了初二、十六这两日，是必往我那里去。”宝玉道：“到底要起个社名才是。”探春道：“俗了又不好，特新了，刁钻古怪也不好。可巧才是海棠诗开端，就叫个海棠社罢。虽然俗些，因真有此事，也就不碍了。”说毕大家又商议了一回，略用些酒果，方各自散去。也有回家的，也有往贾母王夫人处去的。当下别人无话。

且说袭人因见宝玉看了字贴儿便慌慌张张的同翠墨去了，也不知是何事。后来又见后门上婆子送了两盆海棠花来。袭人问是那里来的，婆子便将宝玉前一番缘故说了。袭人听说便命他们摆好，让他们在下房里坐了，自己走到自己房内秤了六钱银子封好，又拿了三百钱走来，都递与那两个婆子道：“这银子赏那抬花来的小子们，这钱你们打酒吃罢。”那婆子们站起来，眉开眼笑，千恩万谢的不肯受，见袭人执意不收，方领了。

袭人又道：“后门上外头可有该班的小子们？”婆子忙应道：“天天有四个，原预备里面差使的。姑娘有什么差使，我们吩咐去。”袭人笑道：“有什么差使？今儿宝二爷要打发人到小侯爷家与史大姑娘送东西去，可巧你们来了，顺便出去叫后门小子们雇辆车来。回来你们就往这里拿钱，不用叫他们又往前头混碰去。”婆子答应着去了。

袭人回至房中，拿碟子盛东西与史湘云送去，却见槅子上碟槽空着。因回头见晴雯、秋纹、麝月等都在一处做针黹，袭人问道：“这一个缠丝白玛瑙碟子那去了？”众人见问，都你看我我看你，都想不起来。半日，晴雯笑道：“给三姑娘送荔枝去的，还没送来呢。”袭人道：“家常送东西的洴伙也多，巴巴的拿这个去。”晴雯道：“我何尝不也这样说。他说这个碟子配上鲜荔枝才好看。我送去，三姑娘见了也说好看，叫连碟子放着，就没带来。你再瞧，那槅子尽上头的一对联珠瓶[35]还没收来呢。”

秋纹笑道：“提起瓶来，我又想起笑话。我们宝二爷说声孝心一动，也孝敬到二十分。因那日见园里桂花，折了两枝，原是自己要插瓶的，忽然想起来说，这是自己园里的才开的新鲜花，不敢自己先顽，巴巴的把那一对瓶拿下来，亲自灌水插好了，叫个人拿着，亲自送一瓶进老太太，又进一瓶与太太。谁知他孝心一动，连跟的人都得了福了。可巧那日是我拿去的。老太太见了这样，喜的无可无不可，见人就说：‘到底是宝玉孝顺我，连一枝花儿也想的到。别人还只抱怨我疼他。’他们知道，老太太素日不大同我说话的，有些不入他老人家的眼的。那日竟叫人拿几百钱给我，说我可怜见的，生的单柔。这可是再想不到的福气。几百钱是小事，难得这个脸面。及至到了太太那里，太太正和二奶奶、赵姨奶奶、周姨奶奶好些人翻箱子，找太太当日年轻的颜色衣裳，不知给那一个。一见了，连衣裳也不找了，且看花儿。又有二奶奶在旁边凑趣儿，夸宝玉又是怎么孝敬，又是怎样知好歹，有的没的说了两车话。当着众人，太太自为又增了光，堵了众人的嘴。太太越发喜欢了，现成的衣裳就赏了我两件。衣裳也是小事，年年横竖也得，却不像这个彩头。”

晴雯笑道：“呸！没见世面的小蹄子！那是把好的给了人，挑剩下的才给你，你还充有脸呢。”秋纹道：“凭他给谁剩的，到底是太太的恩典。”晴雯道：“要是我，我就不要。若是给别人剩下的给我，也罢了。一样这屋里的人，难道谁又比谁高贵些？把好的给他，剩下的才给我，我宁可不要，冲撞了太太，我也不受这口软气。”秋纹忙问：“给这屋里谁的？我因为前儿病了几天，家去了，不知是给谁的。好姐姐，你告诉我知道知道。”晴雯道：“我告诉了你，难道你这会退还太太去不成？”秋纹笑道：“胡说。我白听了喜欢喜欢。那怕给这屋里的狗剩下的，我只领太太的恩典，也不犯[36]管别的事。”众人听了都笑道：“骂的巧，可不是给了那西洋花点子哈巴儿了。”袭人笑道：“你们这起烂了嘴的！得了空就拿我取笑打牙儿[37]。一个个不知怎么死呢。”秋纹笑道：“原来姐姐得了，我实在不知道。我陪个不是罢。”

袭人笑道：“少轻狂罢。你们谁取了碟子来是正经。”麝月道：“那瓶得空儿也该收来了。老太太屋里还罢了，太太屋里人多手杂。别人还可以，赵姨奶奶一伙的人见是这屋里的东西，又该使黑心弄坏了才罢。太太也不大管这些，不如早些收来是正经。”晴雯听说，便掷下针黹道：“这话倒是，等我取去。”秋纹道：“还是我取去罢，你取你的碟子去。”晴雯笑道：“我偏取一遭儿去。是巧宗儿你们都得了，难道不许我得一遭儿？”麝月笑道：“通共秋丫头得了一遭儿衣裳，那里今儿又巧，你也遇见找衣裳不成。”晴雯冷笑道：“虽然碰不见衣裳，或者太太看见我勤谨，一个月也把太太的公费里分出二两银子来给我，也定不得。”说着，又笑道：“你们别和我装神弄鬼的，什么事我不知道。”一面说，一面往外跑了。秋纹也同他出来，自去探春那里取了碟子来。

袭人打点齐备东西，叫过本处的一个老宋妈妈来，向他说道：“你先好生梳洗了，换了出门的衣裳来，如今打发你与史姑娘送东西去。”那宋嬷嬷道：“姑娘只管交给我，有话说与我，我收拾了就好一顺去的。”袭人听说，便端过两个小掐丝盒子来。先揭开一个，里面装的是红菱和鸡头[38]两样鲜果；又揭那一个，是一碟子桂花糖蒸新栗粉糕。又说道：“这都是今年咱们这里园里新结的果子，宝二爷送来与姑娘尝尝。再前日姑娘说这玛瑙碟子好，姑娘就留下顽罢。这绢包儿里头是姑娘上日叫我作的活计，姑娘别嫌粗糙，能着[39]用罢。替我们请安，替二爷问好就是了。”宋嬷嬷道：“宝二爷不知还有什么说的，姑娘再问问去，回来又别说忘了。”袭人因问秋纹：“方才可见在三姑娘那里？”秋纹道：“他们都在那里商议起什么诗社呢，又都作诗。想来没话，你只去罢。”宋嬷嬷听了，便拿了东西出去，另外穿戴了。袭人又嘱咐他：“从后门出去，有小子和车等着呢。”宋妈去后，不在话下。

宝玉回来，先忙着看了一回海棠，至房内告诉袭人起诗社的事。袭人也把打发宋妈妈与史湘云送东西去的话告诉了宝玉。宝玉听了，拍手道：“偏忘了他。我自觉心里有件事，只是想不起来，亏你提起来，正要请他去。这诗社里若少了他还有什么意思。”袭人劝道：“什么要紧，不过玩意儿。他比不得你们自在，家里又作不得主儿。告诉他，他要来又由不得他；不来，他又牵肠挂肚的，没的叫他不受用。”宝玉道：“不妨事，我回老太太打发人接他去。”正说着，宋妈妈已经回来，回复道生受[40]，与袭人道乏，又说：“问二爷作什么呢，我说和姑娘们起什么诗社作诗呢。史姑娘说，他们作诗也不告诉他去，急的了不的。”宝玉听了立身便往贾母处来，立逼着叫人接去。贾母因说：“今儿天晚了，明日一早再去。”宝玉只得罢了，回来闷闷的。

次日一早，便又往贾母处来催逼人接去。直到午后，史湘云才来，宝玉方放了心，见面时就把始末原由告诉他，又要与他诗看。李纨等因说道：“且别给他诗看，先说与他韵。他后来，先罚他和了诗：若好，便请入社；若不好，还要罚他一个东道再说。”史湘云道：“你们忘了请我，我还要罚你们呢。就拿韵来，我虽不能，只得勉强出丑。容我入社，扫地焚香我也情愿。”

众人见他这般有趣，越发喜欢，都埋怨昨日怎么忘了他，遂忙告诉他韵。史湘云一心兴头，等不得推敲删改，一面只管和人说着话，心内早已和成，即用随便的纸笔录出，先笑说道：“我却依韵和了两首，好歹我却不知，不过应命而已。”说着递与众人。众人道：“我们四首也算想绝了，再一首也不能了。你倒弄了两首，那里有许多话说，必要重了我们。”一面说，一面看时，只见那两首诗写道：

　其一

神仙昨日降都门[41]，种得蓝田玉一盆[42]。

自是霜娥偏爱冷，非关倩女亦离魂。[43]

秋阴[44]捧出何方雪，雨渍添来隔宿痕。

却喜诗人吟不倦，岂令寂寞度朝昏。

　其二

蘅芷阶通萝薜[45]门，也宜墙角也宜盆。

花因喜洁难寻偶，人为悲秋易断魂。

玉烛滴干风里泪，晶帘隔破月中痕。[46]

幽情欲向嫦娥诉，无奈虚廊夜色昏。[47]

众人看一句，惊讶一句，看到了，赞到了，都说：“这个不枉作了海棠诗，真该要起海棠社了。”史湘云道：“明日先罚我个东道，就让我先邀一社可使得？”众人道：“这更妙了。”因又将昨日的与他评论了一回。

至晚，宝钗将湘云邀往蘅芜苑安歇去。湘云灯下计议如何设东拟题。宝钗听他说了半日，皆不妥当，因向他说道：“既开社，便要作东。虽然是顽意儿，也要瞻前顾后，又要自己便宜，又要不得罪了人，然后方大家有趣。你家里你又作不得主，一个月通共那几串钱，你还不够盘缠呢。这会子又干这没要紧的事，你婶子听见了，越发抱怨你了。况且你就都拿出来，做这个东道也是不够。难道为这个家去要不成？还是往这里要呢？”一席话提醒了湘云，倒踌蹰起来。

宝钗道：“这个我已经有个主意。我们当铺里有个伙计，他家田上出的很好的肥螃蟹，前儿送了几斤来。现在这里的人，从老太太起连上园里的人，有多一半都是爱吃螃蟹的。前日姨娘还说要请老太太在园里赏桂花吃螃蟹，因为有事还没有请呢。你如今且把诗社别提起，只管普通一请。等他们散了，咱们有多少诗作不得的。我和我哥哥说，要几篓极肥极大的螃蟹来，再往铺子里取上几坛好酒，再备上四五桌果碟，岂不又省事又大家热闹了。”湘云听了，心中自是感服，极赞他想的周到。

宝钗又笑道：“我是一片真心为你的话。你千万别多心，想着我小看了你，咱们两个就白好了。你若不多心，我就好叫他们办去的。”湘云忙笑道：“好姐姐，你这样说，倒多心待我了。凭他怎么糊涂，连个好歹也不知，还成个人了？我若不把姐姐当作亲姐姐一样看，上回那些家常话烦难事也不肯尽情告诉你了。”宝钗听说，便叫一个婆子来：“出去和大爷说，依前日的大螃蟹要几篓来，明日饭后请老太太姨娘赏桂花。你说大爷好歹别忘了，我今儿已请下人了。”那婆子出去说明，回来无话。

这里宝钗又向湘云道：“诗题也不要过于新巧了。你看古人诗中那些刁钻古怪的题目和那极险的韵[48]了，若题过于新巧，韵过于险，再不得有好诗，终是小家气。诗固然怕说熟话，更不可过于求生，只要头一件立意清新，自然措词就不俗了。究竟这也算不得什么，还是纺绩针黹是你我的本等。一时闲了，倒是于你我深有益的书看几章是正经。”

湘云只答应着，因笑道：“我如今心里想着，昨日作了海棠诗，我如今要作个菊花诗如何？”宝钗道：“菊花倒也合景，只是前人太多了。”湘云道：“我也是如此想着，恐怕落套。”宝钗想了一想，说道：“有了，如今以菊花为宾，以人为主，竟拟出几个题目来，都是两个字：一个虚字，一个实字，实字便用‘菊’字，虚字就用通用门〔五〕的。如此又是咏菊，又是赋事，前人也没作过，也不能落套。赋景咏物两关着，又新鲜，又大方。”

湘云笑道：“这却很好。只是不知用何等虚字才好。你先想一个我听听。”宝钗想了一想，笑道：“《菊梦》就好。”湘云笑道：“果然好。我也有一个，《菊影》可使得？”宝钗道：“也罢了。只是也有人作过，若题目多，这个也算的上〔六〕。我又有了一个。”湘云道：“快说出来。”宝钗道：“《问菊》如何？”湘云拍案叫妙，因接说道：“我也有了，《访菊》如何？”宝钗也赞有趣，因说道：“越性拟出十个来，写上再来。”说着，二人研墨蘸笔，湘云便写，宝钗便念，一时凑了十个。湘云看了一遍，又笑道：“十个还不成幅，越性凑成十二个便全了，也如人家的字画册页一样。”

宝钗听说，又想了两个，一共凑成十二。又说道：“既这样，越性编出他个次序先后来。”湘云道：“如此更妙，竟弄成个菊谱了。”宝钗道：“起首是《忆菊》；忆之不得，故访，第二是《访菊》；访之既得，便种，第三是《种菊》；种既盛开，故相对而赏，第四是《对菊》；相对而兴有馀，故折来供瓶为玩，第五是《供菊》；既供而不吟，亦觉菊无彩色，第六便是《咏菊》；既入词章，不可不供笔墨，第七便是《画菊》；既为菊如是碌碌，究竟不知菊有何妙处，不禁有所问，第八便是《问菊》；菊如解语，使人狂喜不禁，第九便是《簪菊》；如此人事虽尽，犹有菊之可咏者，《菊影》《菊梦》二首续在第十第十一；末卷便以《残菊》总收前题之盛。这便是三秋的妙景妙事都有了。”

湘云依说将题录出，又看了一回，又问“该限何韵？”宝钗道：“我平生最不喜限韵的，分明有好诗，何苦为韵所缚。咱们别学那小家派，只出题不拘韵。原为大家偶得了好句取乐，并不为此而难人〔七〕。”湘云道：“这话很是。这样大家的诗还进一层。但只咱们五个人，这十二个题目，难道每人作十二首不成？”宝钗道：“那也太难人了。将这题目誊好，都要七言律，明日贴在墙上。他们看了，谁作那一个就作那一个。有力量者，十二首都作也可；不能的，一首不成也可。高才捷足者为尊。若十二首已全，便不许他后赶着又作〔八〕，罚他就完了。”湘云道：“这倒也罢了。”二人商议妥贴，方才息灯安寝。要知端的，且听下回分解。

[1] 学差——即“学政”，全称“提督学政”，朝廷派往各省掌管科举学校等事的官员。

〔一〕 “起身”后原有“诸事”二字，从蒙府、戚序、甲辰本删。

[3] 娣——女弟，义同“妹”。

[4] 采薪之患——即“采薪之忧”，见《孟子·公孙丑下》，意思是有病不能打柴。后用作自称有病的婉辞。薪：柴草。

[5] 真卿墨迹——唐代大书法家颜真卿（又称颜鲁公）的手迹。

[6] 痌瘝（tōnɡ　ɡuān通关）——痌，痛；瘝，病。古代帝王常用“痌瘝乃身”、“痌瘝在抱”一类的话表示其视民间疾苦犹如自身病痛。在这里探春用以表示宝玉对自己生病的关切。

[7] 些山滴水——供玩赏的小巧的盆景山水之类。这里指园林泉石。

[8] 投辖攀辕——极言留客之殷切。辖：穿在车轴头上使轮子不致脱落的零件，多用金属制成。投辖：《汉书·陈遵传》记陈遵嗜酒好客，宴饮时常将客人的车辖投入井中，使客人不得离去。辕：车辕。攀辕：牵挽住车辕子不让走。《六帖》：“汉侯霸为临淮太守，被征，百姓攀辕卧辙，愿留期年。”

[9] 窃——私下、内心之意，常用作表示个人意见的谦词。

[10] 莲社——东晋名僧慧远居庐山虎溪东林寺所结成的一个文社，因寺内有白莲，故称莲社。见梁代释惠皎《高僧传》。

[11] 东山——在浙江会稽。东晋时谢安曾隐居东山，常邀集友人在此遨游山水，吟诗作文。见《晋书·谢安传》。

〔二〕 “棹雪”，原作“掉雪”，从舒序本改。

[13] 棹（zhào照）雪而来——即乘兴而来。《世说新语·任诞》记述王子猷冒雪“夜乘小船”访戴安道，刚到门口就回转了。人家问他为什么，他说：“吾本乘兴而行，兴尽而返，何必见戴。”棹：船桨，这里作动词用，相当于“划”。

[14] 扫花以待——杜甫《客至》诗有“花径不曾缘客扫，蓬门今始为君开”的句子。这里借用诗意表示主人待客的诚意。

[15] 平章——品评；议论。

[16] 蕉叶覆鹿——《列子·周穆王》记述郑国有个樵夫打死了一只鹿，恐人看见，急忙藏在隍（无水池）中，覆之以蕉（同樵），那知过后忘了所藏的地方，便以为是一场梦。后常用“蕉中鹿”比喻世事真假错杂变幻无定。也喻梦幻。这里只是取蕉下有鹿的字面意思来打趣。

[17] 附骥——古有“苍蝇附骥尾而致千里”的说法，见《史记·伯夷列传》司马贞索隐。比喻依附他人而成名。后常以“附骥”作为自谦之辞。骥：好马，喻有才德的人。

[18] 限韵——旧时作诗，限定只能在某一韵部中用韵，或在某一韵部中只能某几个字作韵脚，叫限韵。

[19] 门字韵、十三元、韵牌匣子——近体诗所用的诗韵，共分一〇六韵部。各部都以该韵部的第一个字作为此韵部的名称。“十三元”即上平声中以“元”字起首的第十三韵部的简称。“门字韵”就是用“十三元”韵部中的“门”字作韵。在现代普通话中“门”与“元”并不协韵，是由于古今或不同地区读音变化之故。把每个字做成小牌，按韵部分屉，置于一箱匣内，叫韵牌匣子。

[20] “斜阳”句——寒草：经霜的衰草。带：连接。重门：一层层院门。

[21] “芳心”二句——芳心：指女子的情意，这里喻花蕊。倩（qiàn欠）影：俏丽的身影。月有痕：指白海棠在月光下映出的投影。痕：这里指影子。

[22] “莫谓”句——缟仙：白衣仙女。缟（ɡǎo稿），白绢。羽化：道家称得道成仙飞升为“羽化”。

〔三〕 “又看宝钗的是”，底本、己卯本为另笔小字，蒙府、戚序、甲辰、舒序本均为正文。梦稿本作“次看宝钗的道”。

[24] “珍重”句——借白海棠自喻，极写豪门闺秀端庄矜持的仪态，故脂批说：“宝钗诗全是自写身分”。珍重：加意爱惜。

[25] “胭脂”二句——秋阶之上映有洗去红粉的白海棠淡雅的姿影，露水未干的台阶招来白海棠冰雪般素洁的精魂。

[26] “淡极”二句——“淡极”句以花自赞；“愁多”句“讽刺林、宝二人”（脂批）。

[27] “欲偿”二句——白帝：古代神话传说中五天帝之一，掌管西方之神，五行属白，季节属秋，故常以白帝代指秋天。婷婷（tínɡ亭）：形容女子姿态窈窕美丽，这里指白海棠花。

[28] “秋容”二句——秋容：指白海棠素淡的姿容。据“五行”之说秋色属白，故借秋以喻素白。七节：形容海棠枝节繁多。攒（cuán窜阳平）：丛聚。

[29] “出浴”二句——太真：杨贵妃的号。唐玄宗曾赐她沐浴华清池，又曾以海棠睡未足喻贵妃醉态。“捧心西子”指西施“捧心而颦”的病态美。二句均借古代美人喻白海棠。

[30] “晓风”二句——据脂批，“晓风”句宝玉借以自况。“宿雨”句喻黛玉。愁千点：指枝上盛开的朵朵白花，若含无限哀愁。

[31] “独倚”二句——把白海棠喻为独守空闺思念情郎的女子。如有意：像有所思虑。清砧（zhēn针）：指清冷的捣衣声，古时妇女为远人作寒衣多于秋夜将衣捣平，故砧声多用以表达妇女秋夜捣衣怀念远人的意境。怨笛：哀怨幽咽的笛声。

〔四〕 “说着”至“众人”十二字，原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序、甲辰、舒序本补。

[33] 湘帘——湘妃竹做的帘子。

[34] “月窟”句——月窟：月宫。缟袂：代指白绢做的衣服。

[35] 联珠瓶——疑即为“双联瓶”，指两个等大的圆形并联（或叠联）的瓷瓶。一说指饰有联珠纹样的瓶子，“联珠”是以圆珠联串，作为一种连续纹样的带状条饰。

[36] 不犯——犯不着。

[37] 打牙儿——闲磨牙，说俏皮话。

[38] 鸡头——指鸡头米，芡实之俗称。芡是一种水生植物，其果仁可食。

[39] 能着——将就。

[40] 生受——这里是道谢语，难为、有劳的意思。

[41] 都门——即京都。

[42] “种得”句——蓝田：陕西省蓝田县，山中自古产白玉，称蓝田玉。这里以喻白海棠。种玉：晋代干宝《搜神记》载，雒阳人杨伯雍，居无终山，山高八十里，上无水，他担水设义浆于其上，供过路人渴饮。三年之后，遇一仙人来饮，送他一斗石子，叫他种在山上有石处，说：“玉当生其中”，“汝后当得好妇”。杨依言种石，后于种玉之处，挖出白璧五双，以之聘得富家徐氏女。

[43] “自是”二句——霜娥：即青女，神话中司霜雪的女神。倩女离魂：见唐代陈玄祐《离魂记》。故事写张镒的女儿倩娘与表兄王宙相爱，张镒却将倩娘另许他人，王宙愤而远行，途中倩娘忽连夜追至，两人遂一同出走。五年后，他们回家看望父母，这时房中久病的倩娘迎出，与归来的倩娘合为一体。原来跟王宙出走的是倩娘的魂灵。元人郑德辉据此衍为杂剧《迷青琐倩女离魂》。

[44] 秋阴——即秋云。阴：密云。南朝梁江淹《从冠军建平王登庐山香炉峰》：“日落长沙渚，曾（通“层”）阴万里生。”

[45] 蘅芷、萝薜——蘅，杜蘅；芷，白芷；均为香草。萝，松萝；薜，薜荔；皆蔓生植物。

[46] “玉烛”二句——玉烛：白色蜡烛。晶帘：水晶帘。上句以燃着的白蜡烛来比喻在秋风中摇曳的白海棠，下句是说从水晶帘内看月色中白海棠的姿影更显得朦胧模糊。

[47] “幽情”二句——幽情：深藏在内心的衷情。虚廊：寂静的长廊。

[48] 险韵——诗韵各韵部因所属字数的多少不同，特别是容易用来押韵的字多少不同，有宽韵、窄韵和险韵之分；险韵即指最难押的韵部。此外，虽用宽韵作诗，而偏择取其中难用的或生僻的字押韵，也叫用险韵。好用险韵作诗的人，常常借此炫耀自己作诗的本领。

〔五〕 “通用门”，原作“通用关”，点改为“人事双关”。“关”乃“门”字之误。

〔六〕 “算的上”，原作“爽的上”，“爽”又点改为“算”。己卯本情况同。舒序本作“算的上”，甲辰本作“搭的上”。从底本旁改文。

〔七〕 “为此而难人”，原作“为奈邦难人”，己卯、梦稿、蒙府本同。戚本作“为那些难人”，舒本作“奈那难人”。从甲辰本改。

〔八〕 各本如此，疑此处有脱字。

CHAPTER 37. A happy inspiration prompts Tan-chun to found the Crab-flower Club And an ingenious arrangement enables Bao-chai to settle the chrysanthemum poem titles

THIS year Jia Zheng was appointed Commissioner for Education in one of the provinces, with instructions to leave for his tour of duty on the twentieth of the eighth month. When the day for his departure arrived, he took leave of his ancestors in the family shrine, kotowed to his mother, and was seen on his way as far as the hostelry of the ‘Tearful Parting’ (the first post-halt on his journey) by Bao-yu and other junior male members of the clan.

Jia Zheng’s doings after his departure are not recorded in this history; we merely observe that the departure left Bao-yu free to play and idle in the Garden to his heart’s content without the least fear of restraint or reprisal.

The days in idleness passed by To swell the tale of wasted years

On the day of which we write Bao-yu was feeling very bored. He had returned from perfunctory morning calls on his mother and grandmother and had just finished changing back into his everyday clothes, when Tan-chun’s maid Ebony arrived carrying a carefully-folded letter from her mistress.

‘I’m glad you’ve come,’ said Bao-yu, as she handed him the letter. ‘I’d been meaning to see your mistress this morning, but I forgot. How is she? Is she any better?’

‘She’s quite better, thank you,’ said Ebony. ‘She’s stopped taking her medicine today. It was only a slight chill that she was suffering from.’

Bao-yu unfolded the elegant patterned notepaper and glanced at the contents:

Dear Brother,

Some nights ago, when the moon came out in a sky freshly clear after the rain, the garden seemed veritably awash with moonlight, and sleep in the face of so rare a spectacle was unthinkable. Thrice the clepsydra had been turned, and still I lingered beneath the tall paulownias, reluctant to go in. But in the end the treacherous night air betrayed me, and by morning I was lamentably indisposed.

How kind of you to have visited me in my sickroom! and how exquisitely thoughtful to have sent your maid-servant shortly afterwards with solicitous inquiries and with those delicious lychees and the calligraphy by Yan Zhen-qing!

While I have been lying here quietly on my own, I have been thinking how in the olden days even men whose lives were spent amidst the hurly-burly of public affairs would keep some quiet retreat for themselves with its tiny corner of mountain and trickle of running water; and how they would seek, by whatever arts and blandishments they knew of, to assemble there a little group of kindred spirits to share in their enjoyment of it; and how, on the basis of such leisure-time associations, rhymers’ guilds and poetry clubs were then founded, so that the fleeting inspirations of an idle hour might often be perpetuated in imperishable masterpieces of verse.

Now although I am no poet myself, I am privileged to live ‘midst rocks and streams’ and in the company of such gifted practitioners of the poetic art as Xue and Lin; and it seems to me a great pity that the romantic courts and pavilions of our Garden should not echo with the jocund carousal of assembled bards, and its flowering groves and blossoming banksides not become places of wine and song. Why should the founding of poetry clubs be the sole prerogative of the whiskered male, and female versificators allowed a voice in the tunable concert of the muses only when some enlightened patriarch sees fit to invite them?

Will you come, then, and rhyme with us? The pathway to my door is swept to receive you and your arrival is eagerly awaited by

Your affectionate Sister, Tan-chun

When Bao-yu had finished reading, he clapped his hands delightedly.

‘Dear Tan-chun! Bless her poetic soul! I must go and discuss this with her straight away.’

He strode off immediately, with Ebony following at his heels. But he had got no further than Drenched Blossoms Pavilion when he saw one of the old nannies on duty at the back gate of the Garden hurrying from the opposite direction with a note in her hand. She came up to him when she saw who he was and handed him the note.

‘From Mr Yun, sir. He’s waiting at the back gate. He sends his compliments and says would I please give you this.’

Bao-yu opened it and read.

Dear Father,

I have the Honour to present my Humble Duty and hope this finds you as it leaves me in the Best of health, ever since you did me the great Kindness to recognize me as your Son I have been looking for some means of showing my appreciation of your great kindness but so far no opportunity has presented itself, to date. However, thanks to your esteemed Advice I have got to know several Nurserymen also a number of famous gardens and now through this contacts I have come across a very rare Variety of autumn crab flower (Pure White) only very little to be had, but using every means possible I have got two pots of it I hope you will think of me as a real Son and not refuse to keep them for your enjoyment. However, owing to the present Hot Weather I did not like to call in Person as the Young Ladies are outside in the Garden a lot owing to the heat, and not wishing to give Inconvenience

I remain, Honoured Father, Your Dutiful and Affcte. Son, Jia Yun

Bao-yu laughed when he had finished reading it.

‘Is he alone?’ he asked the old woman, ‘or is there someone with him?’

‘He’s got a couple of young chaps with him carrying potted plants.’

‘I see. Well go back and thank him for me. Tell him it’s very kind of him and I very much appreciate it. And have the pots taken to my room.’

When he had given these instructions, he continued with Ebony on his way to Autumn Studio. He arrived to find that Bao-chai, Dai-yu, Ying-chun and Xi-chun had all got there before him. They laughed excitedly when they saw him enter.

‘Here comes another one!’

‘I hadn’t realized that I was so popular!’ said Tan-chun. ‘I wrote to you all more or less on the spur of the moment. It was no more than a tentative suggestion. I had no idea it would meet with this instant response from everybody.’

‘It’s a pity you didn’t think of it earlier,’ said Bao-yu. ‘We ought to have started a club long ago.’

‘Well I don’t think it’s a pity,’ said Dai-yu. ‘Do, by all means, have a poetry club if you’re all so keen to, only count me out of it, please. I don’t feel up to it.’

Ying-chun laughed.

‘If you’re not, then what about the rest of us?’

‘This is no time for false modesty,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Here is a serious proposition and one which we are obviously all enthusiastic about. What we need are some ideas that we can all discuss. Come on, Chai! Let’s hear what you have got to say first, then perhaps we can hear from Cousin Lin.’

‘What’s the hurry?’ said Bao-chai. ‘We’re not even all here yet.’

Just as she was saying that, Li Wan arrived. She smiled at them all as she entered.

‘My! What a poetic lot we are! If you are going to have a poetry club, may I propose myself for president? The idea of having one did in fact occur to me earlier in the year, but I thought that as I can’t write poetry myself, a proposal coming from me might seem a bit presumptuous, and I did nothing about it. Now that my poetical sister-in-law has had the same idea, I should like to do what I can to help her get it started.’

‘If we are definitely going to have a poetry club,’ said Dai-yu, ‘then as members of the club we are all equals and fellow-poets. We can’t go on calling ourselves “cousin” and “sister-in-law” all the time.’

‘I quite agree,’ said Li Wan. ‘We ought to choose pen-names to sign our poems with, then we can use them for addressing each other by as well. I shall call myself “Farmer Sweet-rice”. I don’t suppose anyone else will want that title.’

‘I shall call myself “Autumn Studio”,’ said Tan-chun.

‘That’s pretty unoriginal!’ said Bao-yu. ‘Can’t you do any better than that? You’ve got all those paulownias and plantain-trees around your place: can’t you make a name out of them?’

‘All right,’ said Tan-chun. ‘I’m very fond of my plantains. I shall call myself “Under the Plantains”.’

‘That’s very original,’ said the others admiringly. But Dai-yu laughed.

‘Come on, everybody!’ she said. ‘Pop her in the stew-pot! We’ll have a nice piece of venison with our wine.’

As no one could understand this recondite joke, Dai-yu undertook to explain it for them.

“Under the plantains” is where the woodcutter in the old Taoist parable hid the deer he had killed; so the allusion means “a deer”. In calling herself by that pen-name, Cousin Tan is therefore offering herself to her fellow-members as venison for them to feast on in their carousals.’

‘Oh, all right, Miss Clever!’ said Tan-chun. ‘ “Plantain Lover”, then. You wait! I’ll be even with you yet. I’ve got just the name for her,’ she told the others. ‘When the Emperor Shun died, his two queens are supposed to have gone along the banks of the river Xiang looking for him. According to the legend, the two queens turned into river goddesses and their tears became thé spots you find on the bamboos that grow along the banks of the river. That’s why there’s a kind of bamboo called “Naiad’s Tears”. Well now, Cousin Dai lives in the Naiad’s House, and she cries so much that I shouldn’t be at all surprised if one of these days the bamboos in her courtyard all turned out to have spots on them; so I think the best pen-name for her would be “River Queen”.’

The others, applauding, agreed that this was exactly the right name for Dai-yu. Dai-yu herself hung her head and said nothing.

‘I’ve thought of one for Bao-chai,’ said Li Wan. ‘Not regal, like Dai-yu’s, but aristocratic, at any rate. What do you all think of “Lady All-spice”?’

‘I think the title becomes her very well,’ said Tan-chun.

‘What about me?’ said Bao-yu. ‘Isn’t anyone going to think of a name for me?’

‘Oh, you!’ said Bao-chai. ‘The obvious one for you is “Busybody” – because you are always so busy doing nothing.’

‘Why not stick to your old pen-name, “Lord of the Flowers”?’ said Li Wan.

‘Do you have to embarrass me by reminding me of my youthful indiscretions?’ said Bao-yu.

‘No, let me choose your name,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Actually I’ve already thought of one. It sounds a bit common, perhaps, but I think it suits you. You are a very lucky person, living in such luxurious and beautiful surroundings and you enjoy an exceptional amount of leisure – in fact, I can’t think of anyone who combines quite so much luck with quite so much leisure – so I suggest “Lucky Lounger” as the most suitable pen-name for you.’

Bao-yu laughed good-humouredly.

‘You are flattering me! – I think you’d better all call me by whatever name each of you fancies.’

‘No, that won’t do,’ said Dai-yu. ‘As you live in the House of Green Delights, why don’t we simply call you “Green Boy”?’

‘Yes,’ said the others. ‘Good.’

‘Now, what names are we going to have for Cousin Ying and Cousin Xi?’ said Li Wan.

‘Neither of us is much good at poetry,’ said Ying-chun. ‘There doesn’t seem much point in having any.’

‘No, I think you ought to have pen-names,’ said Tan-chun.

‘As Ying-chun lives on Amaryllis Eyot, she could be “Amaryllis Islander”, and as Xi-chun lives by the Lotus Pavilion, she could be “Lotus Dweller”,’ said Bao-chai. ‘That would seem to be the simplest solution.’

‘Yes,’ said Li Wan. ‘Those names will do very nicely. Now, I’m the eldest here, so I’m going to propose some conditions that I’d like you all to agree to. I don’t think you’ll have much difficulty in doing so when you’ve heard what they are. The first one is that as three out of the seven of us founding this club – that’s to say Cousin Ying, Cousin Xi and myself – are no good at writing poetry, I propose that the rest of you should let us off versifying and allow us to act as your officers instead.’

‘ “Cousin Ying”? “Cousin Xi”?’ said Tan-chun. ‘What’s the good of inventing all these new names if you’re not going to use them? I think that from now on there ought to be a penalty for not using them.’

‘First things first,’ said Li Wan. ‘Let’s get the club properly founded, and we can talk about penalties later on. I suggest that the club should hold its meetings at my place, because I’ve got the most room. I can’t write poetry myself, but if you don’t object to having so illiterate a person as your host, I’m sure that as time goes by I shall grow more poetical and refined under your influence.

‘My next condition is that you should make me your president. And as I shan’t be able to manage all the official business on my own, I should like to be allowed to co-opt two vice-presidents. I therefore nominate Amaryllis Islander and Lotus Dweller as my assistants, one to set the themes and rhymes in our competitions and the other to act as invigilator and copyist.

‘And lastly, although we three officers don’t have to do any versifying, we should not be precluded from trying our hand at it if we want to. So if there is ever a fairly simple subject with easy rhymes and we feel like joining in, we should be allowed to do so. The rest of you, of course, have no option.

‘Well, those are my conditions. If you agree to them, I’ll be glad to help you found the club. If not, I don’t think there would really be much point in my tagging along.’

The proposed arrangement was highly agreeable to Ying-chun and Xi-chun, neither of whom had much enthusiasm for writing poetry – least of all in competition with experts like Bao-chai and Dai-yu – and they assented readily. The rest, when they saw how willingly Ying-chun and Xi-chun acquiesced, felt that they could scarcely object themselves and added their assent – though Tan-chun did remark, somewhat ruefully, that it seemed a little hard, when she was the one who had thought of the idea in the first place, that she should now have these other three sitting in judgement over her.

‘Right,’ said Bao-yu. ‘That’s all settled. Let’s all move over to Sweet-rice Village, then.’

‘You’re always in such a hurry!’ said Li Wan. ‘Today’s meeting is just a preliminary discussion. Now you will have to wait for me to issue an invitation.’

‘Before we do anything else,’ said Bao-chai, ‘we had better decide how often we are going to meet.’

‘Not too often, I hope,’ said Tan-chun, ‘otherwise it will no longer be a pleasure. I suggest not more than two or three times a month.’

‘Twice a month will be quite enough,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Once we’ve decided which two days to meet on, we should undertake always to turn up on those two days, wet or fine. At the same time, we should be allowed to arrange additional meetings outside the fixed dates as and when the fancy takes any of us to do so. If we leave it that much flexible, it will be more enjoyable.’

The others agreed that this was a good proposal and should be adopted.

‘The poetry club was originally my idea,’ said Tan-chun. ‘I hope you will at least allow me the pleasure of being your hostess at its first meeting.’

‘All right,’ said Li Wan. ‘We’ll have a meeting tomorrow and you shall entertain us.’

‘Why wait until tomorrow?’ said Tan-chun. ‘There’s no time like the present. You choose a title for us, Amaryllis Islander can set the rhymes, and Lotus Dweller can supervise us while we compose our poems.’

‘If you ask me,’ said Ying-chun, ‘I think that rather than always have the same two people to choose the titles and set the rhymes, it would be better to draw lots.’

‘As I was on my way here just now,’ said Li Wan, ‘I saw them carrying in two pots of white crab-blossom. It was so pretty. Couldn’t you have white crab-blossom for your subject?’

‘We haven’t all seen it yet,’ said Ying-chun. ‘How are they going to write poems about it if they haven’t seen it?’

‘We all know what white crab-blossom looks like,’ said Bao-chai. ‘I don’t see why we necessarily have to look at it in order to be able to write a poem about it. The ancients used a poetic theme as a vehicle for whatever feelings they happened to want to express at that particular moment. If they’d waited until they’d seen the objects they were supposed to be writing about, the poems would never have got written!’

‘Very well, then, I’ll set your rhymes,’ said Ying-chun.

She took a book of verse off the shelf, opened it at random, and held it up for the others to see.

‘There you are: an octet in Regulated Verse. That’s the form.’

She closed the book again and turned to a little maid who was leaning in the doorway looking on.

‘Give us a word,’ she said. ‘Any word.’

‘Door,’ said the girl.

‘That means the first line must end with “door”,’ said Ying-chun. She turned again to the girl: ‘Another one.’

‘Pot,’ said the girl.

‘Right, “pot”,’ said Ying-chun, and going over to a little nest of drawers in which rhyme-cards were kept, she pulled out one of them and asked the maid to select two cards from it at random. These turned out to be the cards for ‘not’ and ‘spot’.

‘Now,’ she said to the girl, ‘pick any card out of any drawer. Just one.’

The girl pulled out another drawer and picked out the card for ‘day’.

‘All right,’ said Ying-chun. ‘That means that your first line must end in “door”, your second in “pot“, your fourth in “not”, your sixth in “spot”, and the rhyming couplet in the seventh and eighth lines must end in “day”.’

Tan-chun’s maid Scribe laid out four identical sets of brushes and paper for the competitors, who all, except Dai-yu, now began, with quiet concentration, to consider what they were going to write. Dai-yu wandered around outside, playing with the bark of the paulownia trees, admiring the signs of autumn in the garden, occasionally joking with the maids, and in general not giving the slightest indication that she was engaged in the throes of composition. Ying-chun told one of the maids to light a stick of Sweet Dreams – a kind of incense which is only about three inches long and has a very thick wick so that it burns down fairly rapidly – and told the competitors that they had to complete their poems by the time the incense had burned itself out, otherwise they would be penalized.

Tan-chun soon had a poem ready. Taking up a brush, she wrote it out and, after going over it and making a few corrections, handed it in to Ying-chun. Then she turned to Bao-chai.

‘How are you doing, Lady All-spice? Have you thought of a poem yet?’

‘Well – yes, I’ve thought of something,’ said Bao-chai, ‘but I’m not very happy about it.’

Bao-yu, meanwhile, was pacing up and down, hands clasped behind his back, in the loggia outside. Hearing this exchange, he paused to address Dai-yu.

‘Do you hear that?’ he said. ‘The other two have nearly finished.’

‘Kindly mind your own business, would you?’ said Dai-yu.

Bao-yu glanced inside and saw that Bao-chai was busy writing her poem down.

‘Lord!’ he said. ‘There’s only an inch left.’ He turned to Dai-yu again: ‘The incense has nearly burned out. What are you still squatting over there on the damp grass for?’

Dai-yu ignored him.

‘Oh well,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I haven’t got time to worry about you. I’ll have to start writing my own now, whether it’s any good or not.’

He went in then, and sat down at the table to write.

‘I’m going to start reading the poems now,’ said Li Wan. ‘Anyone who hasn’t handed in by the time I’ve finished reading will have to pay a fine.’

‘Farmer Sweet-rice may not be much good at writing poetry,’ said Bao-yu, ‘but she is jolly good at reading it. She’s a very fair critic. I’m sure we shall all be willing to accept her judgement.’

The others nodded in agreement. Li Wan picked up Tan-chun’s draft and the others crowded round to read it with her:

A wintry sunset gilds the vine-wreathed door Where stands, mossed by old rains, the flower-pot. Its snowy blooms, as snow impermanent, Are pure as pure white jade that alters not. O fragrant frailty, that so fears the wind! Most radiant whiteness! Full moon without spot! White flower-sprite, shake your silken wings! Away! And join with me to hymn the dying day!2

All complimented Tan-chun on her poem when they had finished reading it. Then they looked at Bao-chai’s:

Guard the sweet scent behind closed courtyard door, And with prompt waterings dew the mossy pot! The carmine hue their summer sisters wore These snowy autumn blossoms envy not –For beauty in plain whiteness best appears, And only in white jade is found no spot. Chaste, lovely flowers! Silent, they seem to pray To autumn’s White God at the close of day.

Li Wan smiled.

‘That has the All-spice touch all right!’

Next they looked at Bao-yu’s poem.

White Autumn’s sister stands beside the door; Like summer snow her blossoms fill the pot –A Yang-fei rising naked from the bath, With a cool, chaste allure that she had not. The dawn wind could not dry those pearly tears With which night’s rain each floweret’s eye did spot. Pensive and grave, her blossoms gently sway, While a sad flute laments the dying day!1

When they had finished reading, Bao-yu said he liked Tan-chun’s poem best of the three, but Li Wan insisted that Bao-chai’s was superior. It had ‘more character’ she said. She was about to press Dai-yu for her contribution when Dai-yu sauntered in of her own volition.

‘Oh! have you all finished?’

She picked up a brush and proceeded, writing rapidly and without a pause, to set down the poem that was already completed in her mind. She wrote on the first sheet of paper that came to hand and, having finished, threw it nonchalantly across the table for the others to inspect.

Beside the half-raised blind, the half-closed door, Crushed ice for earth and white jade for the pot,

They had got no further than the first couplet, when Bao-yu broke out into praises.

‘Clever! How do you get these ideas?’

Three parts of whiteness from the pear-tree stolen, One part from plum for scent (which pear has not) –

All of them were impressed by this second couplet.

‘This is good. Original. It’s quite different from the other three.’

Moon-maidens stitched them with white silken thread, And virgins’ tears the new-made flowers did spot, Which now, like bashful maids that no word say, Lean languid on the breeze at close of day.

‘Yes, this is the best,’ they said. ‘This is the best of the four.’

‘For elegance and originality, yes,’ said Li Wan; ‘but for character and depth I prefer Lady All-spice’s.’

‘I think that’s a fair judgement,’ said Tan-chun. ‘I think River Queen’s has to take second place.’

‘At all events,’ said Li Wan, ‘Green Boy’s is bottom. Do you accept that judgement, Green Boy?’

‘Oh yes,’ said Bao-yu. ‘It’s a perfectly fair one. Mine is just not a good poem. But’ – he smiled hopefully – ‘I think we ought to reconsider the placing of All-spice’s and River Queen’s contributions.’

‘You agreed to abide by my decisions,’ said Li Wan. ‘I don’t think the rest of you have any say in the matter. If anyone questions a decision of mine in future, he will have to pay a penalty.’

Bao-yu was obliged to let the matter drop.

‘I propose that our two meetings should be on the second and sixteenth of each month,’ said Li Wan. ‘On those occasions I shall be responsible for choosing the subjects and the rhymes. If any of you ever feels like having an extra meeting in between those dates, there’s nothing to stop you. In fact, there’s nothing to stop you having a meeting every day, if you feel like it. But that’s entirely up to you. On the second and sixteenth you must all come round to my place, and the meetings on those two days are my responsibility.’

‘We really ought to have a name for the club,’ said Bao-yu.

‘We don’t want anything banal,’ said Tan-chun; ‘on the other hand we don’t want anything too weird and wonderful. As we started off with a poem about white crab-blossom, why don’t we simply call ourselves “The Crab-flower Club”? That might have seemed a somewhat banal title other things being equal, but in our case it wouldn’t be because it would commemorate our founding meeting.’

Tan-chun’s proposal was followed by general discussion. After partaking of the liquid and other refreshment which she provided, the party then broke up, some returning to their own apartments in the Garden, some going on to Grandmother Jia’s or Lady Wang’s apartments outside. Our record leaves them at this point and does not specify.

Aroma had been present when Bao-yu received Tan-chun’s letter and had seen him rush off excitedly with Ebony as soon as he had finished reading it, but without having any idea what the cause of his excitement might be. Shortly after he left, two of the old women from the back gate arrived carrying pots of white-flowering autumn crab. Aroma asked them who the flowers were from, and when the old women had explained, showed them where she wanted them put, after which she took them into the servants’ quarters and made them sit down while she went off to Bao-yu’s room to fetch some money. She weighed out twelve penny-weights of silver and made it into a little parcel, then, taking out an additional three hundred copper cash, hurried back to the old women.

‘The silver is to pay the bearers with,’ she told them as she handed them the money. ‘The cash is for you to buy yourselves a drink with.’

The old women stood up, beaming all over their faces. How kind, how very kind, they said, they couldn’t possibly take it. But as Aroma insisted, they allowed themselves to be persuaded.

‘Are there any boys on duty outside the gate?’ Aroma asked them.

‘Oh yes, there are always four there,’ said the old women, ‘to do any errands you young ladies in the Garden happen to want done outside. If there’s anything you want done, Miss, just let us know and we’ll get them to do it for you.’

‘It isn’t for me,’ said Aroma smiling. ‘I wouldn’t presume. It’s Master Bao. He wants someone to go to the Marquis of Zhong-jing’s place to deliver some things to Miss Shi. I thought that now you’re here I might as well ask you if you wouldn’t mind when you get back telling the boys on the gate to go out and order a cab for me. Only if they do, will you come to me for the fare, please. Don’t go bothering them in the front about it.’

The old women departed, promising to do as she asked, while Aroma went back into the main apartment for a saucer to put some of the things on that she was planning to send to Xiang-yun. But when she looked on the dresser she found that the saucer shelf was completely empty. She glanced back to where Skybright, Ripple and Musk sat sewing together.

‘What happened to that white onyx saucer that used to be here?’ she asked them.

The girls looked at each other blankly, trying to remember. After some moments, Skybright’s face broke into a smile.

‘I remember. I took it to Miss Tan’s with those lychees on. It’s still there.’

‘Whatever did you take that one for, when there are so many other things you could have used?’

‘Well, yes, that’s what I said. But the dark brown lychees and the white-and-browny onyx did go very well together. Even Miss Tan said how pretty they looked. She made me leave the dish there, where she could look at it. That’s why I didn’t bring it back with me. By the way, that pair of identical vases that used to be on the very top of the dresser isn’t back yet, either.’

‘You’ll laugh if I tell you about them,’ said Ripple. ‘You know how Master Bao never does anything by halves. Well, the other day he had a sudden rush of dutiful feelings come over him. He’d just picked a couple of sprays of cassia and was going to put them in a vase, when suddenly he said, “Oh! these are the first cassia flowers I’ve picked this year. I mustn’t keep them for my own enjoyment.” So what does he do but fetch down those two vases, put the water in them and arrange the flowers in them himself, and go along with them (someone else carrying them, of course) to Her Old Ladyship and Her Ladyship to give them each a vase. Anyway, the beauty of it was that some of the effects of this rubbed off on the person carrying the vases – which it so happens was me. When Her Old Ladyship saw the flowers, she was so delighted you just can’t imagine. “Oh, look!” she said. “What a good boy he is to me! He can’t even see a flower without thinking of his old grannie! – And people grumble at me for being too fond of him!” Well, as I expect you know, Her Old Ladyship normally doesn’t seem to have much use for me – I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about me she doesn’t seem to like – but on this occasion she gave me a hundred cash. And she called me a “poor little thing”. “Poor little thing!” she said. “She looks so sickly!” I can tell you, I never expected a piece of luck like that! I mean, a hundred cash is nothing, but the honour! – in front of all those people! Then when we got to Her Ladyship’s, Her Ladyship was with Mrs Lian and Mrs Zhao going through her chests and looking out some of the things she used to wear when she was a girl to give to someone – I don’t know who it was. Anyway, when she saw us, she left off to admire the flowers. So of course Mrs Lian has to make the most of it by putting in her pennyworth – going on about how dutiful Master Bao is and how thoughtful and how this that and the other – I can’t remember a half of what she said, there was a whole cartload of it – but whatever it was it gave Her Ladyship a lot of face, hearing him praised like that in front of everybody, and You Know Who not being able to say a word against him, so of course she was very pleased. And what do you think? She gave me two dresses! Admittedly, we get new dresses every year, so in itself being given two dresses may not seem so wonderful. But the honour!’

‘Pooh!’ said Skybright. ‘Silly girl! You don’t know much! Those would be two dresses that she thought weren’t good enough to give to the other person. I can’t see much honour in that!’

‘I don’t care,’ said Ripple. ‘It was still very kind of Her Ladyship, for all that.’

‘If it had been me, I shouldn’t have wanted them,’ said Skybright. ‘What? take someone else’s old left-overs? All of us here are only maids; none of us is supposed to be any higher than the rest, you know. Why should she give someone else the best and give me the left-overs? No, I’m sorry. I should have had to refuse, even if it meant offending her. I couldn’t take a thing like that lying down!’

‘Which of us was it that she gave those other dresses to?’ said Ripple, curious. ‘I’ve been home ill these last few days. I must have been away when it happened. Be a sport, Skyey – tell us who it was!’

‘Why, if I tell you, will you give those two dresses back again?’

‘Of course not, silly! I’d just like to know,’ said Ripple. don’t care if it was Master Bao’s little puppy-dog she gave them to, I still think Her Ladyship meant to do me a kindness, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s all that matters.’

The other maids laughed.

‘You’d better watch what you say! That’s just who she did give them to: Master Bao’s little dog, Flower.’

‘Wicked girls!’ said ‘Flowers’ Aroma, laughing in spite of herself, ‘taking my name in vain! Whenever you’ve got a few moments to spare you are making fun of me. There’s not one of you that will come to a good end!’

‘Oh, it was you,’ said Ripple. ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize. Oh, I do apologize.’

‘All right, that’s enough fooling for now,’ said Aroma. ‘The question is, which of you is going to get that saucer?’

‘Better get the vases back too, while we’re about it,’ said Musk. ‘The one in Her Old Ladyship’s room should be safe enough, but I wouldn’t be too sure about the one at Her Ladyship’s. There are so many people in and out of that place – especially You Know Who and her lot. If they see anything from our room in there, they’re sure to find some way of breaking it accidentally-on-purpose, if they get half a chance. Her Ladyship won’t stop them. She never notices. We ought to get that one back, at least, as soon as we can.’

‘You’re right,’ said Skybright, laying down her sewing. ‘I’ll go and get it now.’

‘No, I’ll go for that,’ said Ripple. ‘You go and get your saucer.’

‘I’m going for the vase,’ said Skybright. ‘Why should you have all the windfalls? You others have all had a go. Now it’s my turn.’

‘You do exaggerate,’ said Musk. ‘It’s only Ripple who’s had the luck. And it was only because of the coincidence that Her Ladyship happened to be going through her dresses when she arrived. Do you suppose she’ll be going through them again if you go there now?’

‘Maybe not,’ said Skybright, with a tinge of malice. ‘On the other hand maybe she’ll notice how conscientious I am and pay me two taels a month out of her allowance. You see’ – she paused to add this on her way out of the room – ‘I know what goes on in here. There’s no need for the play-acting.’

She ran off with a mocking laugh.

Ripple went, too, and fetched the onyx saucer from Tan-chun’s room, after which Aroma made ready the things that were to go to Xiang-yun, and called in old Mamma Song – one of the nannies attached to Green Delights – to give her instructions for their delivery.

‘Get yourself smartened up and change into your best things,’ she said. ‘I want you to go out presently and take some things for me to Miss Shi’s.’

‘You can give them to me now, Miss – and any message that you want me to deliver,’ said Mamma Song; ‘then I can go off straight away, as soon as I’ve got myself ready.’

Aroma fetched two little boxes of lacquer and bamboo basketwork and taking the tops off them, put foxnuts and caltrops in one and a saucerful of chestnut fudge (made of chestnut purée steam-cooked with cassia-flavoured sugar) in the other.

‘These are all our own things or made from our own things freshly gathered in the Garden that Master Bao is sending Miss Shi a taste of,’ she said. ‘Tell her the onyx saucer the fudge is on is the one she was admiring last time she was here and she is to keep it. This silk bag has got the sewing in that she asked me to do for her. Tell her the needlework’s a bit on the rough side, but I’m sure she’ll understand. And say Master Bao sends his regards. And of course I present my compliments. I think that’s all.’

‘Isn’t there any message from Master Bao?’ said Mamma Song. ‘Perhaps you’d better ask him, Miss, just in case. We don’t want him saying afterwards that we’ve forgotten something.’

‘Didn’t he go round just now to Miss Tan’s place?’ Aroma asked Ripple.

‘Yes,’ said Ripple. ‘They’re all round there. They were having a discussion about setting up a poetry club, whatever that might be, and they were writing poems, some of them.’ She turned to Mamma Song. ‘I shouldn’t think he’d have anything to say. I should just push on, if I were you.’

Mamma Song took up the boxes and went off to get herself ready.

‘When you are ready, go out by the back gate,’ said Aroma as she was leaving. ‘You’ll find some of the boys there and a cab waiting for you.’

Mamma Song then left. The details of her expedition are unrecorded.

Some time after this Bao-yu got back. The first thing he did on arrival was to go and look at the autumn crab-flowers. When he had finished admiring them, he went into the house and told Aroma all about the poetry club, after which Aroma told him how she had sent Mamma Song to Shi Xiang-yun’s with a present of things from the Garden. Bao-yu smote his palms together in vexation.

‘Oh, we forgot about her! I knew there was something we ought to have done and hadn’t, but I couldn’t think what it was. I’m glad you’ve reminded me. We must invite her over at once, of course. The poetry club will be nothing without her in it.’

‘I don’t think I’d be in such a hurry to, if I were you,’ said Aroma. ‘It’s only an amusement, this poetry thing, and Miss Shi doesn’t have the time for amusement that the rest of you do. It isn’t as if she were her own mistress, you know. Even if you tell her about this and she wants to come, it doesn’t follow that they’ll let her. Suppose they don’t. She’ll only fret about it; and then all you’ll have done will be to have made her feel miserable for nothing.’

‘That’s no problem,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I shall ask Her Old Ladyship to have her fetched.’

Just then Mamma Song got back, mission completed, bearing Xiang-yun’s thanks to Aroma for the things.’

‘She asked me what Master Bao was doing,’ said the nannie, ‘so I told her that he and the young ladies were starting a poetry club or some such. She was very upset. “Oh!” she said, “are they writing poetry? I wish they’d have told me about it!” ’

Bao-yu waited to hear no more. Dashing round to his grandmother’s, he insisted that she should send instantly to have Xiang-yun fetched.

‘It’s too late now,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘We’ll send for her first thing tomorrow.’

Bao-yu had to be content with that, and went back to his room much downcast. He was round at Grandmother Jia’s first thing next morning again, pestering; but it was not until the early afternoon that Xiang-yun eventually arrived and his equanimity was restored.

As soon as they were all together, Bao-yu began to tell Xiang-yun how the club had come to be founded and what they had done at its first meeting. He was about to show her the poems that they had written, but Li Wan prevented him.

‘Don’t let her see them yet,’ she said. ‘Just tell her the rhymes. As she missed our first meeting, her penalty shall be to make up another poem now, using the same rhymes that we did. If it’s all right, we shall invite her to join the club straight away. If not, she must first entertain us all at our next meeting as a further penalty.’

‘I like that!’ said Xiang-yun, laughing. ‘You should be the ones to pay a penalty, for having forgotten to invite me. Well, show me the rhymes, then. I’m not much good at this sort of thing, but I don’t mind making a fool of myself. As long as you’ll let me join your club, I don’t mind what I have to do – sweep the floor and light the incense for you, if you like!’

Delighted to see her so enthusiastic, and still reproaching themselves for having forgotten about her at their inaugural meeting, the rest of them made haste to give her the rhyme-words so that she could begin.

Xiang-yun was much too excited for careful composition. Having, even while they were all talking, concocted a number of verses in her head, she took up a brush and proceeded to write them down, without a single pause for correction, on the first piece of paper that came to hand.

‘There you are!’ she said, handing it to the others. ‘I’ve written two poems using the rhymes you gave me. I don’t know whether they’re any good or not, but at least I have done what I was told!’

‘We thought our four had just about scraped the barrel,’ they told her. ‘We couldn’t have written one more poem on the subject, let alone two! Whatever can you have found to say in them? I bet they just repeat what we said in ours.’

But when they looked at the poems, this is what they read.

1

Of late a goddess came down to my door And planted seeds of white jade in a pot, From which a wondrous white Frost Maiden grew, Who, loving cold, all other things loves not. Last night a cloud passed by, whose autumn shower Her cold, unweeping eyes with tears did spot; Since when, the poet here takes up his stay, To praise her loveliness by night and day.

2

Where flower-fringed steps approach the ivied door, At the wall’s foot or in a graceful pot –What flowers do more sad autumn-thoughts inspire Than these, whose pureness others rival not? Wax tears their petals seem, by wind congealed, Or filtered moonlight, flecked with many a spot. Weep they because the shadows stole away Their goddess-queen, who now makes dark night day?

The reading of these poems was punctuated at the end of each line with expressions of admiration and surprise, and when they had got to the end, all of them agreed that these two poems had made the exercise a worth-while one and fully justified their naming the new society ‘The Crab-flower Club’.

‘You must let me provide the refreshments tomorrow as my penalty,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘I hope you will all consent to be my guests.’

‘Splendid!’ they said; and proceeded to show her the poems they had written the day before, and to discuss them with her.

That evening Bao-chai, who had invited Xiang-yun to spend the night with her at Allspice Court, sat with her guest under the lamplight while the latter discussed themes for the morrow’s meeting and plans for the projected entertainment. As it became increasingly apparent that her ideas on the subject were quite impracticable, Bao-chai presently interrupted the flow.

‘The club has only just been founded and this will be its first entertainment,’ she said. ‘Although it’s all only a game, you are setting a precedent, so you need to think about it rather carefully. If the entertainment is to be equally enjoyable for everyone, you don’t want it to be too much of a burden on you; but on the other hand you don’t want the others to feel that they are being given short commons. Now, you are not your own mistress, and the few strings of cash they give you a month at home are not even enough for your own needs. And if your Aunt got to hear that you were spending money on a frivolous thing like this, she would have still more to grumble about than usual. In any case, even if you spent all you’d got, it still wouldn’t be enough to provide an entertainment for several people. So what are you going to do? You obviously can’t send home for money. Are you going to ask them here for some?’

Xiang-yun, brought back to the realities of her situation, was very much dashed. While she hesitated, Bao-chai went on.

‘Actually I’ve thought of a way out of this. An assistant in one of our pawnshops comes from a place where they have very good crabs. Now nearly everyone here from Lady Jia and Aunt Wang downwards is fond of crabs and only the other day Aunt Wang was saying that we ought to have a crab and cassia-viewing party for Lady Jia. It’s only because she has been otherwise occupied that she hasn’t done anything about it. Why not issue a general invitation, making no mention of the poetry club – we can write all the poems we want to after the rest of them have gone – and I shall ask my brother to let us have a few baskets of the biggest, fattest-looking crabs and tell him to get us a few jars of good wine and side-dishes for four or five tables from the shop? That should save a lot of trouble for you and make more of an occasion of it for everybody else.’

Xiang-yun felt deeply grateful to Bao-chai and praised her warmly for her thoughtfulness. Bao-chai smiled deprecatingly.

‘Now you mustn’t go imagining things and feel that you are being treated like a poor relation! It’s only because I am so fond of you that I have ventured to make this proposal. If you promise you won’t take it amiss, I can get them to arrange it for us straight away.’

‘My dearest girl!’ said Xiang-yun. ‘Of course I shan’t take it amiss! How can you suggest such a thing? If you do so again, I shall begin to think that you aren’t really fond of me at all! I may be a silly goose, but there are some things I understand! Do you think that if I didn’t look on you as my own true sister I should ever have told you last time I was here about all those tiresome things I have to put up with at home?’

Reassured, Bao-chai called in an old woman to take a message outside to her brother.

‘Tell Mr Pan to get us a few baskets of crabs like the ones we had the other day. It’s for after lunch tomorrow. We’re having a cassia-viewing party in the Garden for Their Ladyships. Tell him please not to forget, because I’ve already invited all the guests.’

The old woman went off to deliver her message. In due course she reported back again – but these are details omitted from our story.

Bao-chai resumed her conversation with Xiang-yun.

‘About the theme for tomorrow’s poems,’ she said. ‘We don’t want anything too outlandish. If you look at the works of the great poets, you find that they didn’t go in for the weird and wonderful titles and “daring” rhymes that people nowadays are so fond of. Outlandish themes and daring rhymes do not produce good poetry. They merely show up the poverty of the writer’s ideas. Certainly one wants to avoid clichés; but one can easily go too far in the pursuit of novelty. The important thing is to have fresh ideas. If one has fresh ideas, one does not need to worry about clichés: the words take care of themselves. But what am I saying all this for? Spinning and sewing is the proper occupation for girls like us. Any time we have left over from that should be spent in reading a few pages of some improving book – not on this sort of thing!’

‘Yes’, said Xiang-yun, without much conviction; but presently smiled as a new idea occurred to her.

‘I’ve just thought of something. Yesterday’s theme was “White Crab-blossom”. The flower I’d like to write about is the chrysanthemum. Couldn’t we have “Chrysanthemums” as our theme for tomorrow?’

‘It is certainly a very seasonable one,’ said Bao-chai. ‘The trouble is that so many people have written about it before.’

‘Yes,’ said Xiang-yun, ‘I suppose it is rather a hackneyed one.’

Bao-chai thought for a bit.

‘Unless of course you somehow involved the poet in the theme,’ she said. ‘You could do that by making up verb-object or concrete-abstract titles in which “chrysanthemums” was the concrete noun or the object of the verb as the case might be. Then your poem would be both a celebration of chrysanthemums and at the same time a description of some action or situation. Such a treatment of the subject has been tried in the past, but it is a much less hackneyed one. The combining of narrative and lyrical elements in a single treatment makes for freshness and greater freedom.’

‘It sounds a splendid idea,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘But what sort of verbs or abstract nouns had you in mind? Can you give me an example?’

Bao-chai thought for a bit.

‘What about “The Dream of the Chrysanthemums”?’

‘Yes, that’s a good one,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘I’ve thought of one too. Couldn’t we have “The Shadow of the Chrysanthemums”?’

‘Ye-e-es,’ said Bao-chai, doubtfully. ‘The trouble is, it’s been used before. Still, if we had a lot of titles we could probably slip it in. I’ve thought of another.’

‘Well, come on then!’ said Xiang-yun.

‘What about “Questioning the Chrysanthemums”?’

Xiang-yun slapped the table appreciatively.

‘That’s a lovely one!’ Presently she added: ‘I’ve thought of another. What do you think of “Seeking the Chrysanthemums”?’

‘That should be interesting,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Let’s start making a list. We’ll write down up to ten titles and then see what we think of them.’

The two of them busied themselves for some minutes grinding ink and softening a brush. Xiang-yun then proceeded to write down the titles at Bao-chai’s dictation. Soon they had ten. Xiang-yun read them over.

‘Ten doesn’t make a set,’ she said. ‘We need two more to make a round dozen, then we shall have just the right number for a little album.’

Bao-chai supplied two more without too much difficulty.

‘If we’re thinking in terms of a sequence of poems,’ she said, ‘we may as well, while we’re about it, arrange these titles in some sort of order.’

‘That’s it!’ said Xiang-yun. ‘Then they will be all ready for making our “Chrysanthemum Album” with afterwards.’

‘ “Remembering the Chrysanthemums” should come first,’ said Bao-chai.

‘Now, let’s see. When you remember them, you realize you haven’t got any, so you go and look for some. So “Seeking the Chrysanthemums” will be the second title.

‘Well, having found some, you will want to plant them; so “Planting the Chrysanthemums” will be the third title.

‘After you’ve planted them and the flowers have come out, you’ll want to stand and look at them; so the fourth title will be “Admiring the Chrysanthemums”.

‘You won’t be able to have enough of them by just standing and admiring them, so you’ll naturally want to pick some and arrange them in a vase so that you can enjoy them indoors. That means “Arranging the Chrysanthemums” for Number Five.

‘But however much you enjoy them, you will feel that they somehow lack their full lustre without words to grace them, and so you will want to celebrate them in verse. That means “Celebrating the Chrysanthemums” will be the sixth title.

‘Well now, let’s suppose you’ve just finished writing some verses about them. You’ve got the ink ready-made and the brush is still in your hand and you feel like paying the chrysanthemums a further tribute. What should you do but paint them? That’s Number Seven: “Painting the Chrysanthemums”.

‘Now in spite of these silent tributes, you still don’t know the secret of the chrysanthemums’ mysterious charm and you can’t resist asking them. Which brings us to Number Eight: “Questioning the Chrysanthemums”.

‘And if the chrysanthemums could really reply, it would be so delightful that you would want to have them near you all the time – and how better than by “Wearing the Chrysanthemums”? That’s Number Nine.

‘That brings us to the end of the verb-object titles which involve the poet himself as the understood subject of the action. But there remain other kinds of treatment, in which we consider the flowers by themselves without postulating the presence of the poet. So we have “The Shadow of the Chrysanthemums” and “The Dream of the Chrysanthemums” as Numbers Ten and Eleven.

‘And of course “The Death of the Chrysanthemums” at the end of the album to round off on a suitable note of melancholy.

‘There you are! All three months of autumn condensed into a single sequence of a dozen poems!’

Xiang-yun recopied the twelve titles in the order that Bao-chai had indicated, then, after running her eye rapidly over them, she asked Bao-chai what rhyme-scheme they should set.

‘I have always disliked set rhymes,’ said Bao-chai. ‘If you have a good poem in the making, why shackle it with the constraints of an arbitrary rhyme-scheme? Let us leave set rhymes to vulgar pedants; all we need do is give out the titles and let the others choose their own rhyme-schemes for themselves. After all, the object of the exercise is to give people enjoyment – the enjoyment gained by producing an occasional felicitous line. We aren’t out to make things difficult for them.’

‘I entirely agree,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘And I am sure that in this way we shall get better poems. There’s just one thing, though: we have twelve titles now but only five people writing poems. Presumably we aren’t going to ask each of them to produce a poem for every one of the titles?’

‘Oh no, that would be much too difficult,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Make a fair copy of the list of titles, merely indicating that the poems are to be octets in Regulated Verse, put it up on the wall where everyone can see it, and then simply let them choose whichever titles they like. If anyone has the energy to do them all, they are welcome to try. If they can’t manage more than one, let them do just one. Skill and speed are what we shall be looking for. As soon as all of the twelve titles have been covered, we shall call a halt, and anyone who goes on writing after that will be made to pay a penalty.’

Xiang-yun did not see that this last stipulation was necessary, but otherwise agreed with her, and the two girls, having satisfied themselves that their plans for the morrow were now complete, put out the light and composed themselves for sleep.

As to the outcome of their plans: that will be told in the following chapter.