第四十六回

第四十六回 尴尬人难免尴尬事 鸳鸯女誓绝鸳鸯偶

话说林黛玉直到四更将阑，方渐渐的睡去，暂且无话。

如今且说凤姐儿因见邢夫人叫他，不知何事，忙另穿戴了一番，坐车过来。邢夫人将房内人遣出，悄向凤姐儿道：“叫你来不为别事，有一件为难的事，老爷托我，我不得主意，先和你商议。老爷因看上了老太太的鸳鸯，要他在房里，叫我和老太太讨去。我想这倒平常有的事，只是怕老太太不给，你可有法子？”凤姐儿听了，忙道：“依我说，竟别碰这个钉子去。老太太离了鸳鸯，饭也吃不下去的，那里就舍得了？况且平日说起闲话来，老太太常说，老爷如今上了年纪，作什么左一个小老婆右一个小老婆放在屋里，没的耽误了人家。放着身子不保养，官儿也不好生作去，成日家和小老婆喝酒。太太听这话，很喜欢老爷呢？这会子回避还恐回避不及，倒拿草棍儿戳老虎的鼻子眼儿去了！太太别恼，我是不敢去的。明放着不中用，而且反招出没意思来。老爷如今上了年纪，行事不妥，太太该劝才是。比不得年轻，作这些事无碍。如今兄弟、侄儿、儿子、孙子一大群，还这么闹起来，怎样见人呢？”

邢夫人冷笑道：“大家子三房四妾的也多，偏咱们就使不得？我劝了也未必依。就是老太太心爱的丫头，这么胡子苍白了又作了官的一个大儿子，要了作房里人，也未必好驳回的。我叫了你来，不过商议商议，你先派上了一篇不是。也有叫你要去的理？自然是我说去。你倒说我不劝，你还不知道那性子的，劝不成，先和我恼了。”

凤姐儿知道邢夫人禀性愚，只知承顺贾赦以自保，次则婪聚财货〔一〕为自得，家下一应大小事务，俱由贾赦摆布。凡出入银钱事务，一经他手，便克啬[2]异常，以贾赦浪费为名“须得我就中俭省，方可偿补”，儿女奴仆，一人不靠，一言不听的。如今又听邢夫人如此的话，便知他又弄左性[3]，劝了不中用，连忙陪笑说道：“太太这话说的极是。我能活了多大，知道什么轻重？想来父母跟前，别说一个丫头，就是那么大的活宝贝，不给老爷给谁？背地里的话那里信得？我竟是个呆子。琏二爷或有日得了不是，老爷太太恨的那样，恨不得立刻拿来一下子打死；及至见了面，也罢了，依旧拿着老爷太太心爱的东西赏他。如今老太太待老爷〔二〕，自然也是那样了。依我说，老太太今儿喜欢，要讨今儿就讨去。我先过去哄着老太太发笑，等太太过去了，我搭讪着走开，把屋子里的人我也带开，太太好和老太太说的。给了更好，不给也没妨碍，众人也不知道。”

邢夫人见他这般说，便又喜欢起来，又告诉他道：“我的主意先不和老太太要。老太太要说不给，这事便死了。我心里想着先悄悄的和鸳鸯说。他虽害臊，我细细的告诉了他，他自然不言语，就妥了。那时再和老太太说，老太太虽不依，搁不住他愿意，常言‘人去不中留’，自然这就妥了。”凤姐儿笑道：“到底是太太有智谋，这是千妥万妥的。别说是鸳鸯，凭他是谁，那一个不想巴高望上，不想出头的？这半个主子不做，倒愿意做个丫头，将来配个小子就完了。”邢夫人笑道：“正是这个话了。别说鸳鸯，就是那些执事的大丫头，谁不愿意这样呢。你先过去，别露一点风声，我吃了晚饭就过来。”

凤姐儿暗想：“鸳鸯素习是个极有心胸识见的丫头，虽如此说，保不严他就愿意。我先过去了，太太后过去，若他依了便没话说；倘或不依，太太是多疑的人，只怕就疑我走了风声，使他拿腔作势的。那时太太又见了应了我的话，羞恼变成怒，拿我出起气来，倒没意思。不如同着一齐过去了，他依也罢，不依也罢，就疑不到我身上了。”想毕，因笑道：“方才临来，舅母那边送了两笼子鹌鹑，我吩咐他们炸了，原要赶太太晚饭上送过来的。我才进大门时，见小子们抬车，说太太的车拔了缝，拿去收拾去了。不如这会子坐了我的车一齐过去倒好。”邢夫人听了，便命人来换衣服。凤姐忙着服侍了一回，娘儿两个坐车过来。凤姐儿又说道：“太太过老太太那里去，我若跟了去，老太太若问起我过去作什么的，倒不好。不如太太先去，我脱了衣裳再来。”

邢夫人听了有理，便自往贾母处，和贾母说了一回闲话，便出来假托往王夫人房里去，从后门出去，打鸳鸯的卧房前过。只见鸳鸯正然坐在那里做针线，见了邢夫人，忙站起来。邢夫人笑道：“做什么呢？我瞧瞧，你扎的花儿〔三〕越发好了。”一面说，一面便接他手内的针钱瞧了一瞧，只管赞好。放下针线，又浑身打量。只见他穿着半新的藕合色的绫袄，青缎掐牙背心，下面水绿裙子。蜂腰削背，鸭蛋脸面，乌油头发，高高的鼻子，两边腮上微微的几点雀斑〔四〕。

鸳鸯见这般看他，自己倒不好意思起来，心里便觉诧异，因笑问道：“太太，这会子不早不晚的，过来做什么？”邢夫人使个眼色儿，跟的人退出。邢夫人便坐下，拉着鸳鸯的手笑道：“我特来给你道喜来了。”鸳鸯听了，心中已猜着三分，不觉红了脸，低了头不发一言。听邢夫人道：“你知道，你老爷跟前竟没有个可靠的人，心里再要买一个，又怕那些人牙子[7]家出来的不干不净，也不知道毛病儿，买了来家，三日两日，又要肏鬼吊猴的。因满府里要挑一个家生女儿收了，又没个好的。不是模样儿不好，就是性子不好，有了这个好处，没了那个好处。因此冷眼选了半年，这些女孩子里头，就只你是个尖儿，模样儿，行事作人，温柔可靠，一概是齐全的。意思要和老太太讨了你去，收在屋里。你比不得外头新买的，你这一进去了，进门就开了脸，就封你姨娘，又体面，又尊贵。你又是个要强的人，俗语说的‘金子终得金子换’，谁知竟被老爷看中了你。如今这一来，你可遂了素日志大心高的愿了，也堵一堵那些嫌你的人的嘴。跟了我回老太太去！”说着拉了他的手就要走。鸳鸯红了脸，夺手不行。

邢夫人知他害臊，因又说道：“这有什么臊处？你又不用说话，只跟着我就是了。”鸳鸯只低了头不动身。邢夫人见他这般，便又说道：“难道你不愿意不成？若果然不愿意，可真是个傻丫头了。放着主子奶奶不作，倒愿意作丫头！三年二年，不过配上个小子，还是奴才。你跟了我们去，你知道我的性子又好，又不是那不容人的人。老爷待你们又好。过一年半载，生下个一男半女，你就和我并肩了。家里人你要使唤谁，谁还不动？现成主子不做去，错过这个机会，后悔就迟了。”鸳鸯只管低了头，仍是不语。邢夫人又道：“你这么个响快人，怎么又这样积粘[8]起来？有什么不称心之处，只管说与我，我管保你遂心如意就是了。”鸳鸯仍不语。邢夫人又笑道：“想必你有老子娘，你自己不肯说话，怕臊。你等他们问你，这也是理。让我问他们去，叫他们来问你，有话只管告诉他们。”说毕，便往凤姐儿房中来。

凤姐儿早换了衣服，因房内无人，便将此话告诉了平儿。平儿也摇头笑道：“据我看，此事未必妥。平常我们背着人说起话来，听他那主意，未必是肯的。也只说着瞧罢了。”凤姐儿道：“太太必来这屋里商议。依了还可，若不依，白讨个臊，当着你们，岂不脸上不好看。你说给他们炸鹌鹑，再有什么配几样，预备吃饭。你且别处逛逛去，估量着去了再来。”平儿听说，照样传给婆子们，便逍遥自在的往园子里来。

这里鸳鸯见邢夫人去了，必在凤姐儿房里商议去了，必定有人来问他的，不如躲了这里，因找了琥珀说道：“老太太要问我，只说我病了，没吃早饭，往园子里逛逛就来。”琥珀答应了。鸳鸯也往园子里来，各处游玩，不想正遇见平儿。平儿因见无人，便笑道：“新姨娘来了！”鸳鸯听了，便红了脸，说道：“怪道你们串通一气来算计我！等着我和你主子闹去就是了。”

平儿听了，自悔失言，便拉他到枫树底下，坐在一块石上，越性把方才凤姐过去回来所有的形景言词始末原由告诉与他。鸳鸯红了脸，向平儿冷笑道：“这是咱们好，比如袭人、琥珀、素云、紫鹃〔五〕、彩霞、玉钏儿、麝月、翠墨，跟了史姑娘去的翠缕，死了的可人和金钏，去了的茜雪，连上你我，这十来个人，从小儿什么话儿不说？什么事儿不作？这如今因都大了，各自干各自的去了，然我心里仍是照旧，有话有事，并不瞒你们。这话我且放在你心里，且别和二奶奶说：别说大老爷要我做小老婆，就是太太这会子死了，他三媒六聘的娶我去作大老婆，我也不能去。”

平儿方欲笑答，只听山石背后哈哈的笑道：“好个没脸的丫头，亏你不怕牙碜[10]。”二人听了不免吃了一惊，忙起身向山石背后找寻，不是别个，却是袭人笑着走了出来〔六〕问：“什么事情？告诉我。”说着，三人坐在石上。平儿又把方才的话说与袭人，袭人听了说道：“真真这话论理不该我们说，这个大老爷太好色了，略平头正脸的，他就不放手了。”

平儿道：“你既不愿意，我教你个法子，不用费事就完了。”鸳鸯道：“什么法子？你说来我听。”平儿笑道：“你只和老太太说，就说已经给了琏二爷了，大老爷就不好要了。”鸳鸯啐道：“什么东西！你还说呢，前儿你主子不是这么混说的！谁知应到今儿了。”袭人笑道：“他们两个都不愿意，我就和老太太说，叫老太太说，把你已经许了宝玉了，大老爷也就死了心了。”鸳鸯又是气，又是臊，又是急，因骂道：“两个蹄子不得好死的！人家有为难的事，拿着你们当正经人，告诉你们与我排解排解，你们倒替换着取笑儿。你们自为都有了结果了，将来都是做姨娘的。据我看，天下的事未必都遂心如意。你们且收着些儿，别忒乐过了头儿！”

二人见他急了，忙陪笑央告道：“好姐姐，别多心，咱们从小儿都是亲姊妹一般，不过无人处偶然取个笑儿。你的主意告诉我们知道，也好放心。”鸳鸯道：“什么主意！我只不去就完了。”平儿摇头道：“你不去未必得干休。大老爷的性子你是知道的。虽然你是老太太房里的人，此刻不敢把你怎么样，将来难道你跟老太太一辈子不成？也要出去的。那时落了他的手，倒不好了。”鸳鸯冷笑道：“老太太在一日，我一日不离这里。若是老太太归西去了，他横竖还有三年的孝呢，没个娘才死了他先放小老婆的！等过三年，知道又是怎么个光景，那时再说。纵到了至急为难，我剪了头发作姑子去；不然，还有一死。一辈子不嫁男人，又怎么样？乐得干净呢！”平儿袭人笑道：“真这蹄子没了脸，越发信口儿都说出来了。”鸳鸯道：“事到如此，臊一会怎么样！你们不信，慢慢的看着就是了。太太才说了，找我老子娘去。我看他南京找去！”平儿道：“你的父母都在南京看房子，没上来，终久也寻的着。现在还有你哥哥嫂子在这里。可惜你是这里的家生女儿，不如我们两个人是单在这里。”鸳鸯道：“家生女儿怎么样？‘牛不吃水强按头’？我不愿意，难道杀我的老子娘不成？”

正说着，只见他嫂子从那边走来。袭人道：“当时找不着你的爹娘，一定和你嫂子说了。”鸳鸯道：“这个娼妇专管是个‘九国贩骆驼的’[12]，听了这话，他有个不奉承去的！”说话之间，已来到跟前。他嫂子笑道：“那里没找到，姑娘跑了这里来！你跟了我来，我和你说话。”平儿袭人都忙让坐。他嫂子说：“姑娘们请坐，我找我们姑娘说句话。”袭人平儿都装不知道，笑道：“什么话这样忙？我们这里猜谜儿赢手批子打呢，等猜了这个再去。”鸳鸯道：“什么话？你说罢。”他嫂子笑道：“你跟我来，到那里我告诉你，横竖有好话儿。”鸳鸯道：“可是大太太和你说的那话？”他嫂子笑道：“姑娘既知道，还奈何我！快来，我细细的告诉你，可是天大的喜事。”

鸳鸯听说，立起身来，照他嫂子脸上下死劲啐了一口，指着他骂道：“你快夹着屄嘴离了这里，好多着呢！什么‘好话’！宋徽宗的鹰，赵子昂的马，都是好画儿[13]。什么‘喜事’！状元痘儿灌的浆儿——又满是喜事[14]。怪道成日家羡慕人家女儿作了小老婆，一家子都仗着他横行霸道的，一家子都成了小老婆了！看的眼热了，也把我送在火坑里去。我若得脸呢，你们在外头横行霸道，自己就封自己是舅爷了。我若不得脸败了时，你们把忘八脖子一缩，生死由我。”一面说，一面哭，平儿袭人拦着劝。

他嫂子脸上下不来，因说道：“愿意不愿意，你也好说，不犯着牵三挂四的。俗语说‘当着矮人，别说短话’。姑奶奶骂我，我不敢还言；这二位姑娘并没惹着你，小老婆长小老婆短，人家脸上怎么过得去？”袭人平儿忙道：“你倒别这么说，他也并不是说我们，你倒别牵三挂四的。你听见那位太太、太爷们封我们做小老婆？况且我们两个也没有爹娘哥哥兄弟在这门子里仗着我们横行霸道的。他骂的人自有他骂的，我们犯不着多心。”鸳鸯道：“他见我骂了他，他臊了，没的盖脸，又拿话挑唆你们两个，幸亏你们两个明白。原是我急了，也没分别出来，他就挑出这个空儿来。”他嫂子自觉没趣，赌气去了。

鸳鸯气得还骂，平儿袭人劝他一回，方才罢了。平儿因问袭人道：“你在那里藏着做甚么的？我们竟没看见你。”袭人道：“我因为往四姑娘房里瞧我们宝二爷去的，谁知迟了一步，说是来家里来了。我疑惑怎么不遇见呢，想要往林姑娘家里找去，又遇见他的人说也没去。我这里正疑惑是出园子去了，可巧你从那里来了，我一闪，你也没看见。后来他又来了。我从这树后头走到山子石后，我却见你两个说话来了，谁知你们四个眼睛没见我。”

一语未了，又听身后笑道：“四个眼睛没见你？你们六个眼睛竟没见我！”三人唬了一跳，回身一看，不是别个，正是宝玉走来。袭人先笑道：“要我好找，你那里来？”宝玉笑道：“我从四妹妹那里出来，迎头看见你来了，我就知道是找我去的，我就藏了起来哄你。看你[15]着头过去了，进了院子就出来了，逢人就问。我在那里好笑，只等你到了跟前唬你一跳的，后来见你也藏藏躲躲的，我就知道也是要哄人了。我探头往前看了一看，却是他两个，所以我就绕到你身后。你出去，我就躲在你躲的那里了。”平儿笑道：“咱们再往后找找去，只怕还找出两个人来也未可知。”宝玉笑道：“这可再没了。”

鸳鸯已知话俱被宝玉听了，只伏在石头上装睡。宝玉推他笑道：“这石头上冷，咱们回房里去睡，岂不好？”说着拉起鸳鸯来，又忙让平儿来家坐吃茶。平儿和袭人都劝鸳鸯走，鸳鸯方立起身来，四人竟往怡红院来。宝玉将方才的话俱已听见，心中自然不快，只默默的歪在床上，任他三人在外间说笑。

那边邢夫人因问凤姐儿鸳鸯的父母，凤姐因回说：“他爹的名字叫金彩，两口子都在南京看房子，从不大上京。他哥哥金文翔，现在是老太太那边的买办。他嫂子也是老太太那边浆洗上的头儿。”邢夫人便令人叫了他嫂子金文翔媳妇来，细细说与他。金家媳妇自是喜欢，兴兴头头找鸳鸯，指望一说必妥，不想被鸳鸯抢白一顿，又被袭人平儿说了几句，羞恼回来，便对邢夫人说：“不中用，他倒骂了我一场。”

因凤姐儿在旁，不敢提平儿，只说：“袭人也帮着他抢白我，也说了许多不知好歹的话，回不得主子的。太太和老爷商议再买罢。谅那小蹄子也没有这么大福，我们也没有这么大造化。”邢夫人听了，因说道：“又与袭人什么相干？他们如何知道的？”又问：“还有谁在跟前？”金家的道：“还有平姑娘。”凤姐儿忙道：“你不该拿嘴巴子打他回来？我一出了门，他就逛去了，回家来连一个影儿也摸不着他！他必定也帮着说什么呢！”金家的道：“平姑娘没在跟前，远远的看着倒像是他，可也不真切，不过是我白忖度。”凤姐便命人去：“快找了他来，告诉他我来家了，太太也在这里，请他来帮个忙儿。”丰儿忙上来回道：“林姑娘打发了人下请字请了三四次，他才去了。奶奶一进门我就叫他去的。林姑娘说：‘告诉你奶奶，我烦他有事呢。’”凤姐儿听了方罢，故意的还说：“天天烦他，有些什么事！”

邢夫人无计，吃了饭回家，晚间告诉了贾赦。贾赦想了一想，即刻叫贾琏来说：“南京的房子还有人看着，不止一家，即刻叫上金彩来。”贾琏回道：“上次南京信来，金彩已经得了痰迷心窍〔七〕，那边连棺材银子都赏了，不知如今是死是活，便是活着，人事不知，叫来也无用。他老婆子又是个聋子。”贾赦听了，喝了一声，又骂：“下流囚攮的，偏你这么知道，还不离了我这里！”唬得贾琏退出，一时又叫传金文翔。贾琏在外书房伺候着，又不敢家去，又不敢见他父亲，只得听着。一时金文翔来了，小幺儿们直带入二门里去，隔了五六顿饭的工夫才出来去了。贾琏暂且不敢打听，隔了一会，又打听贾赦睡了，方才过来。至晚间凤姐儿告诉他，方才明白。

鸳鸯一夜没睡。至次日，他哥哥回贾母接他家去逛逛，贾母允了，命他出去。鸳鸯意欲不去，又怕贾母疑心，只得勉强出来。他哥哥只得将贾赦的话说与他，又许他怎么体面，又怎么当家作姨娘。鸳鸯只咬定牙不愿意。

他哥哥无法，少不得去回覆了贾赦。贾赦怒起来，因说道：“我这话告诉你，叫你女人向他说去，就说我的话‘自古嫦娥爱少年’，他必定嫌我老了。大约他恋着少爷们，多半是看上了宝玉，只怕也有贾琏。果有此心，叫他早早歇了心。我要他不来，此后谁还敢收？此是一件。第二件，想着老太太疼他，将来自然往外聘作正头夫妻去。叫他细想，凭他嫁到谁家去，也难出我的手心。除非他死了，或是终身不嫁男人，我就服了他！若不然时，叫他趁早回心转意，有多少好处。”贾赦说一句，金文翔应一声“是”。贾赦道：“你别哄我，我明儿还打发你太太过去问鸳鸯，你们说了，他不依，便没你们的不是。若问他，他再依了，仔细你的脑袋！”

金文翔忙应了又应，退出回家，也不等得告诉他女人转说，竟自己对面说了这话。把个鸳鸯气的无话可回，想了一想，便说道：“便愿意去，也须得你们带了我回声老太太去。”他哥嫂听了，只当回想过来，都喜之不胜。他嫂子即刻带了他上来见贾母。

可巧王夫人、薛姨妈、李纨、凤姐儿、宝钗等姊妹并外头的几个执事有头脸的媳妇，都在贾母跟前凑趣儿呢。鸳鸯喜之不尽，拉了他嫂子，到贾母跟前跪下，一行哭，一行说，把邢夫人怎么来说，园子里他嫂子又如何说，今儿他哥哥又如何说，“因为不依，方才大老爷越性说我恋着宝玉，不然要等着往外聘，我到天上，这一辈子也跳不出他的手心去，终久要报仇。我是横了心的，当着众人在这里，我这一辈子莫说是‘宝玉’，便是‘宝金’‘宝银’‘宝天王’‘宝皇帝’，横竖不嫁人就完了！就是老太太逼着我，我一刀抹死了，也不能从命！若有造化，我死在老太太之先；若没造化，该讨吃的命，服侍老太太归了西，我也不跟着我老子娘哥哥去，我或是寻死，或是剪了头发当尼姑去！若说我不是真心，暂且拿话来支吾，日后再图别的，天地鬼神，日头月亮照着嗓子，从嗓子里头长疔烂了出来，烂化成酱在这里！”原来他一进来时，便袖了一把剪子，一面说着，一面左手打开头发，右手便铰。众婆娘丫鬟忙来拉住，已剪下半绺来了。众人看时，幸而他的头发极多，铰的不透，连忙替他挽上。

贾母听了，气的浑身乱战，口内只说：“我通共剩了这么一个可靠的人，他们还要来算计！”因见王夫人在旁，便向王夫人道：“你们原来都是哄我的！外头孝敬，暗地里盘算我。有好东西也来要，有好人也要，剩了这么个毛丫头，见我待他好了，你们自然气不过，弄开了他，好摆弄我！”王夫人忙站起来，不敢还一言。薛姨妈见连王夫人怪上，反不好劝的了。李纨一听见鸳鸯的话，早带了姊妹们出去。

探春有心的人，想王夫人虽有委曲，如何敢辩；薛姨妈也是亲姊妹，自然也不好辩的；宝钗也不便为姨母辩；李纨、凤姐、宝玉一概不敢辩；这正用着女孩儿之时，迎春老实，惜春小，因此窗外听了一听，便走进来陪笑向贾母道：“这事与太太什么相干？老太太想一想，也有大伯子要收屋里的人，小婶子如何知道？便知道，也推不知道。”犹未说完，贾母笑道：“可是我老糊涂了！姨太太别笑话我。你这个姐姐他极孝顺我，不像我那大太太一味怕老爷，婆婆跟前不过应景儿。可是委屈了他。”薛姨妈只答应“是”，又说：“老太太偏心，多疼小儿子媳妇，也是有的。”贾母道：“不偏心！”因又说道：“宝玉，我错怪了你娘，你怎么也不提我，看着你娘受委屈？”宝玉笑道：“我偏着娘说大爷大娘不成？通共一个不是，我娘在这里不认，却推谁去？我倒要认是我的不是，老太太又不信。”贾母笑道：“这也有理。你快给你娘跪下，你说太太别委屈了，老太太有年纪了，看着宝玉罢。”

宝玉听了，忙走过去，便跪下要说。王夫人忙笑着拉他起来，说：“快起来，快起来，断乎使不得。终不成你替老太太给我赔不是不成？”宝玉听说，忙站起来。贾母又笑道：“凤姐儿也不提我。”凤姐儿笑道：“我倒不派老太太的不是，老太太倒寻上我了？”贾母听了，与众人都笑道：“这可奇了！倒要听听这不是。”凤姐儿道：“谁教老太太会调理人〔八〕，调理的水葱儿似的，怎么怨得人要？我幸亏是孙子媳妇，若是孙子，我早要了，还等到这会子呢。”贾母笑道：“这倒是我的不是了？”凤姐儿笑道：“自然是老太太的不是了。”贾母笑道：“这样，我也不要了，你带了去罢！”凤姐儿道：“等着修了这辈子，来生托生男人，我再要罢。”贾母笑道：“你带了去，给琏儿放在屋里，看你那没脸的公公还要不要了！”凤姐儿道：“琏儿不配，就只配我和平儿这一对烧糊了的卷子[18]和他混罢。”说的众人都笑起来了。丫鬟回说：“大太太来了。”王夫人忙迎了出去。要知端的——

〔一〕 “婪聚财货”，“聚”原作“娶”，从俄藏本改。

[2] 克（ké）啬——刻薄、吝啬。克，同刻。

[3] 左性——性情固执，遇事不肯变通。

〔二〕 “老太太待老爷”，“待”原作“代”，从各本改。

〔三〕 “你扎的花儿”，“扎”原作“揸”，从甲辰本改。

〔四〕 “雀斑”，“斑”原作“班”，径改。

[7] 人牙子——即人贩子。旧时称买卖的中间经纪人为“牙子”，即掮客。

[8] 积粘——同滞粘。扭扭捏捏，不干脆，不爽快。

〔五〕 “紫鹃”，“鹃”原作“绢”，疑系“绡”“绢”形近而误，或“鹃”“绢”声同而误。此处各本均作“紫鹃”，故从。

[10] 牙碜（chěn）——食物中夹杂砂石，咀嚼起来硌牙，皮肤起栗，叫牙碜。这里引伸为说肉麻话，令人难受。

〔六〕 “走了出来”，原作“说了出来”。从各本改。

[12] 九国贩骆驼的——比喻巧言善辩、钻营图利的人。亦作“六国贩骆驼的”。

[13] 宋徽宗的鹰，赵子昂的马，都是好画儿——歇后语，意即“都是好话儿”。“画儿”与“话儿”谐音。宋徽宗的鹰：宋徽宗赵佶，工于花鸟，以画鹰著称。赵子昂的马：赵孟字子昂，元代书画家，擅长画马。

[14] 状元痘儿灌的浆儿——又满是喜事——歇后语，意即“喜事”。状元痘，是天花痘疹的讳称。痘疹发出灌浆饱满，生命即可保无虞，故称“喜事”。这里是对“天大喜事”一语的嘲弄。

[15] （qǐn寝）——低着头快走。或作“”。《集韵》：“低首疾趋，谓之，或从今。”

〔七〕 “心窍”，原作“心壳”，从戚序本改。

〔八〕 “调理人”，原无，从各本补。

[18] 烧糊了的卷子——喻貌丑。糊：烤焦。卷子：即蒸卷，一种面食。

CHAPTER 46. An awkward person is given an awkward mission And a faithful maid vows faithfulness unto death

IT was not, we observed in the last chapter, until nearly three o’clock in the morning that Dai-yu finally dropped off to sleep. We leave her at this point in our narrative and return to Xi-feng, who, it will be remembered, had been summoned on business of an unspecified nature by Lady Xing.

When the others had left, Xi-feng hurriedly changed into her going-out apparel, got into her carriage, and drove round to the establishment next door.

The air of mystery surrounding this summons persisted after her arrival. Lady Xing dismissed the others who had been present and addressed her daughter-in-law conspiratorially.

‘The reason I have sent for you is that Sir She has entrusted me with a matter of some delicacy which I hardly know how to go about and I thought I had better discuss it first with you. He has taken a fancy to Lady Jia’s maid Faithful and wants her for his concubine; and he has given me the job of asking Lady Jia for her. As I see it, there is nothing very unusual in such a request, but I am rather afraid that Lady Jia may refuse and wondered if you had any bright ideas on how one ought to go about this business.’

Xi-feng put on what she hoped was a disarming smile.

‘I don’t think it’s worth trying. I think it would be merely asking for trouble. Without Faithful, Grandma would be completely lost; she’d never consent to give her up. In any case, she’s often remarked, in private conversation about Father, that she can’t understand why at his age he continues to surround himself with young girls – “wasting their young lives” she calls it. She says it’s not good for his health, and that he ought to save up his energies for his job and not fritter them away on “drinking all day with his fancy women”. You wouldn’t derive much pleasure from hearing this sort of thing said to your face, Mother, and I am very sure that Father wouldn’t. Yet if you insist on approaching Grandma about this, I’m afraid that that’s what will happen. It will be like poking a straw up a tiger’s nostril. I hope you won’t be offended, but I’m afraid I daren’t approach her about this. I should only be demonstrating my own powerlessness to help and making a lot of unpleasantness for myself into the bargain. Father is inclined to be a bit ga-ga at times nowadays. It’s up to you to talk him out of it, Mother. This sort of thing is all very well in a younger man, but in someone of Father’s years, with children and grandchildren of his own, it is really too shaming!’

Lady Xing sniffed.

‘Lots of men in well-to-do families like ours have troops of concubines. Why should it be so shameful only in our case? Anyway, I don’t know what makes you think he’d listen to me, even if I did try to talk him out of it. And even if Lady Jia is so attached to Faithful, she may not find it all that easy to refuse when the person asking is an eldest son with a grey beard who has held a position in the Government. Incidentally, I only asked you over here for your opinion. I don’t see why you should have to start reading me a lecture. There was never any question of asking you to approach Lady Jia for me: I shall naturally undertake that task myself. And as for complaining that I haven’t tried talking Father out of this – obviously you have no conception of what his temper can be like. I did try to dissuade him, but he started hollering at me almost before the words were out of my mouth.’

Xi-feng knew that her mother-in-law was a weak and silly woman, always willing, for the sake of a quiet life, to fall in with her husband’s wishes. Apart from pleasing her husband, her principal aim in life was to see how much she could squeeze out of the domestic economy and divert into her personal savings. Decisions both great and small she left to him; but all household monies passed through her hands, and she saw to it that they suffered a considerable diminution in the process. The reason she gave for this pillage was Jia She’s extravagance. ‘I have to economize,’ she would say, ‘to make up for what Sir She wastes.’ Among the children and servants of the household there was not one whom she trusted or whose advice she would listen to. From the tone of what she had just heard, Xi-feng knew that her mother-in-law’s obstinate streak had been aroused and that it would now be quite useless to reason with her. She therefore smiled even more disarmingly and promptly changed her tack.

‘Of course. You are right, Mother. I haven’t had enough experience to be able to judge these matters. But now I come to think of it, it’s only natural that a mother should give what she treasures to her own son. Who else would Grandma give her favourite maid – or any other precious thing – to if not to Father? One shouldn’t believe everything that people say about other people behind their backs. No, I can see that now. I have been too credulous. One has only to think how you and Father are with Lian. Many a time when Lian has done something he shouldn’t have done, you and Father have spoken as if you could hardly wait to lay your hands on him, but when he eventually turned up, you have forgiven everything and ended up by giving him some treasured possession. I’ve no doubt that in this case it will turn out in exactly the same sort of way with Grandma and Father. As a matter of fact, Grandma is in rather a good mood today, so if you are going to ask her, it would probably be best to do so straight away. Let me go over first to keep her sweet for you. I’ll find some excuse for leaving and taking the others with me when you arrive. That will give you a good opportunity for raising this matter. If she says yes, that will, of course, be splendid. But even if she doesn’t, no great harm will have been done, because no one else will know about it.’

Hearing what she wanted to hear, Lady Xing’s good humour returned and she proceeded to tell Xi-feng what she had already decided to do.

‘Actually my idea is not to mention this to Lady Jia at first. I think I shall begin by having a quiet word with Faithful herself. Though she may be bashful, as long as she doesn’t say anything against it when I’ve explained it all to her, I shall know that as far as she is concerned it is all right. If I talk to Lady Jia then, though she may be unwilling to part with her, she won’t be able to get over the fact that Faithful herself is willing to leave. “There’s no holding someone who has a mind to go,” as they say. I think there should be no difficulty.’

‘Trust you for sound planning, Mother!’ said Xi-feng. ‘That way sounds fool-proof. After all, every one of these girls is ambitious – they all want to improve their position and get on in the world – and it’s unthinkable that she should throw away this chance of becoming almost a mistress in order to remain a maid and end up marrying one of the grooms.’

‘Exactly!’ said Lady Xing. ‘That’s exactly what I thought. Any of these senior maids would give her ears for a chance like this. Anyway, you go over now – only don’t breathe a word of this to anyone else! – and I’ll follow later on, when I’ve had my dinner.’

Xi-feng reflected.

‘Faithful’s no fool,’ she thought. ‘Whatever Mother says, it’s far from certain that she’ll accept. Suppose I do go first and Mother follows later. If Faithful says yes, all well and good; but if she doesn’t, Mother has such a suspicious nature that she’s sure to think it’s because I’ve blabbed and been encouraging the girl to play hard to get. It will be humiliating for her to discover that my prediction was right, and that will make her angry; and then she’ll take it out on me – which won’t be very amusing. It would be better if we went over together; then, whether Faithful accepts or not, no suspicion can possibly fall on me.’

‘Just now as I was on the point of coming over,’ she said, bringing these reflections to a rapid conclusion, ‘two crates of quails arrived from my aunt’s. I told the servants to fry them, intending to send them over later for your dinner. Then, on my way in through your gate, I met some of the boys from here with your carriage. They said it had something wrong with it and they were taking it outside to be mended. Why not make use of my carriage instead? We can go over together in it now, and you can dine at my place afterwards on the quails.’

Finding this proposal acceptable, Lady Xing called in her maids to help her change; then, supported by her ever-solicitous daughter-in-law, she got into the latter’s carriage and drove with her to the establishment next door. On their way Xi-feng pointed out that if they arrived at Grandmother Jia’s place together, the old lady might notice her outdoor clothes and ask her where she had been.

‘It would be better if you went in there alone, while I slip back to my own place to change,’ she said. ‘I’ll join you later, as soon as I’ve got into my everyday clothes.’

Lady Xing thought that this sounded reasonable and went in on her own to see Grandmother Jia. After chatting with her for a few minutes about nothing in particular, she left on the pretext of visiting Lady Wang. This meant that she went out through the rear of the apartment, so that her way took her past Faithful’s room and she was able to look in casually in passing to see if she was there.

Faithful was sitting in her room sewing, but stood up as Lady Xing entered.

‘What’s that you’re embroidering?’ Lady Xing asked her. ‘Let me look.’

She took the embroidery from her hand and inspected it.

‘You are getting very good,’ she said, laying it down again, and proceeded to scrutinize the girl carefully, from head to foot.

Faithful had on an almost new lilac-coloured dress of silk damask over which she wore a dag-edged sleeveless black satin jacket. Her skirt was a pale eau de Nil. Lady Xing observed the slender waist and elegantly sloping shoulders, the oval face, the lustrous, raven-black hair, the slightly aquiline nose, the cheeks slightly spotted with a few tiny moles. Faithful grew embarrassed and apprehensive beneath this scrutiny.

‘What brings Your Ladyship here at this hour?’ she asked. ‘You don’t often come over in the afternoon.’

Lady Xing made a sign to the maids who had accompanied her to leave the room, then, seating herself in Faithful’s place, she took the maid by the hand and smiled at her graciously.

‘I’ve come to wish you joy, my dear.’

Hearing this, Faithful was able to guess, more or less, what her visitor had come about. She coloured and hung her head in silence while Lady Xing continued.

‘You see, Sir She has no one nowadays he feels he can really rely on. He was thinking of buying someone; but you know, you can never trust those girls you get from the dealers. You don’t know how clean they are, and often you don’t find out what the snags are until it is too late. They seem all right when you buy them, but two or three days later you find them getting up to the most frightful antics. Well, then he thought he’d pick someone from among our house-born servants, but he just couldn’t seem to find anyone good enough. Either they weren’t good-looking enough, or their looks were all right but their characters wouldn’t do, or whatever it was there was always something wrong with them. Anyway – to cut a long story short – after half a year’s careful study, he has finally decided that you are the cream of the cream. In looks, in character, in behaviour he finds you perfect: gentle, reliable – in fact, all the things he is looking for in a girl. So he’s decided to ask Lady Jia if he can have you for his concubine. Of course, you would get much better treatment than a newly bought girl from outside could expect. In your case we should put your hair back straight away and treat you as a proper chamber-wife. You would be ‘Auntie’ to the children and ‘Mrs’ to the maids. In fact, you would have practically the status of a mistress. Now I know you are an ambitious young woman. You know what they say: “True gold will find its price.” In your case it’s proved by the fact that Sir She has taken this fancy to you. Here is a chance of doing all those things you ever set your heart on doing. And if you have any enemies, you will be in a position now to make them look very silly. Now – come along with me and tell Her Old Ladyship all about it.’

She took Faithful’s hand and made as if to go, but Faithful reddened and snatched her hand away. Lady Xing assumed that she did so from bashfulness.

‘Come,’ she said, ‘there’s no need to be bashful. You don’t have to say anything yourself if you don’t want to. Just come with me and let me do the talking.’

But Faithful still hung her head and did not move.

‘Surely,’ said Lady Xing, when it became evident that Faithful was determined not to accompany her, ‘surely you can’t mean to refuse this offer? I must say, you’ll be a very silly girl if you do. What, throw away the chance of becoming a lady in order to go on being a maid? If you do, then in two or three years’ time when they marry you off, it will only be to one of the boys, you know. You’ll still be a slave just the same. Whereas if you come to live with us – well, you know my nature: I’m not a difficult person to get on with; and Sir She always treats his girls very nicely. And after you’ve been with him for a year or two, if you can bear him a child, you’ll be on the same level as me: everyone in the household will have to jump to it when you give them orders. If you throw away an opportunity like this, you’ll certainly live to regret it.’

Faithful continued to hang her head and say nothing.

‘You’re such a lively person as a rule,’ said Lady Xing. ‘What’s got hold of your tongue? Is there any particular thing about this arrangement that doesn’t suit you? Please let me know if there is, and I promise that it shall be altered.’

But Faithful still said nothing.

‘Oh, I know what it is,’ said Lady Xing. ‘I expect you’ve got parents and don’t like to say anything until you’ve heard from them. Why yes, very right and proper. I shall get in touch with your parents and no doubt you will be hearing from them in due course. Then anything you want to say, you will be able to say to them.’

With that she left, and went round to Xi-feng’s apartment.

Xi-feng had long since changed back into her ordinary clothes. As no one else was about, she had taken the opportunity of telling Patience about her interview with Lady Xing. Patience was amused, but shook her head doubtfully at Lady Xing’s optimism.

‘If you ask me, I think it’s very uncertain. From the way she’s always spoken in the past when we’ve been alone together, I should think she’ll refuse. Anyway, we’ll just have to wait and see.’

‘Lady Xing is sure to come here afterwards to talk about what happened,’ said Xi-feng. ‘If Faithful has accepted, it will be all right; but if Faithful hasn’t accepted, she’s not going to be in a very good mood, and it would embarrass her to have you here while she was telling me about it. You’d better order them to prepare some of those quails and a few other dishes to go with them so that I can offer her dinner when she arrives; but after you’ve done that, you’d better take yourself off for a bit – and don’t come back until you think she’s gone.’

Patience gave Xi-feng’s instructions to the cook and then went off to enjoy herself in the Garden.

When Lady Xing left, Faithful felt sure that she would go straight to Xi-feng’s for consultation and that soon after that someone else would arrive and put the same question to her again. It seemed to her that the best way of avoiding this would be to decamp. She sought out Amber in order to give some cover to her exit.

‘If Her Old Ladyship should ask for me, tell her that I’m not feeling well and couldn’t eat any lunch today. Say I’ve gone to walk in the Garden for a bit and shall be back again shortly.’

Amber agreed to do this and Faithful went off to wander about in the Garden. While she was doing so, she came by coincidence upon Patience doing exactly the same thing.

Seeing no one else but the two of them around, Patience felt no compunction in revealing her newly acquired knowledge.

‘Look who’s here!’ she called out teasingly. ‘Mrs Faithful!’

Faithful blushed bright red.

‘I suppose you’re in the plot against me too. Well, never mind. I’ll be having it out with your mistress presently.’

Patience could see that Faithful was really angry, and regretted her foolish jibe. Taking her by the hand, she led her to some rocks beneath a stand of maple-trees where they could sit down together, and proceeded to tell her all that Xi-feng had a few minutes earlier told her.

‘Thank you,’ said Faithful when she had finished. ‘You and I at least are still friends. When I think of our set – how many were we? – Aroma, Amber, Candida, Nightingale, Suncloud, Silver, Musk, Ebony, Kingfisher – she left to go with Miss Shi – Charmer and Golden – they both died – Snowpink that was dismissed – you and me – there must have been a dozen of us altogether: when we were young we always told each other everything and shared everything together; but now that we are older, the others all seem to go their different ways and just aren’t interested. Not me, though: I haven’t changed. I’m just the same as I always was. I don’t have any secrets from any of you. Now listen: I’m telling you this now for you to remember – only don’t go passing it on to your Mrs Lian. It’s not just a question of not wanting to be his concubine. I wouldn’t go to Sir She, not if Lady Xing had died and he sent matchmakers and witnesses and asked me to be his proper wife!’

Patience was about to answer when there was a laugh from behind the rocks on which they were sitting and a voice called out.

‘What’s this shameless boasting I hear? It’s enough to set one’s teeth on edge!’

Startled, the two of them rose to their feet and went to look behind the rockery to find out who it was. Aroma emerged, laughing, as they did so.

‘What’s all this about? Tell me about it too.’

The three of them sat down on the rocks together and Patience retold all that she had just told Faithful.

‘Well!’ said Aroma when Patience had finished. ‘I suppose it’s not for someone in my place to say so, but what a nasty old man! Unless they’re downright misshapen, just about no one is safe from him.’

‘I can tell you a way out of this if you want to refuse,’ said Patience.

‘What?’ said Faithful.

‘Have a word with Her Old Ladyship and get her to tell him that she’s already given you to Mr Lian. That’ll cool his ardour.’

‘You too now?’ said Faithful angrily. ‘You’re a nice lot, I must say! It was your mistress who suggested that the other day. I thought we hadn’t heard the last of that.’

‘If you don’t want either of them,’ said Aroma, ‘then if you ask me I think your best plan would be to get her to tell him that she’s promised you to Master Bao. That would put him off right away!’

Both embarrassed and exasperated by these taunts, Faithful rounded on her tormentors with some heat.

‘You’re rotten, both of you, and I hope you both come to bad ends! I thought you were decent sorts who might try to comfort me in my trouble. But even if you don’t care, you might at least refrain from treating it as a joke. I suppose you think you don’t have to worry about me because your own futures are assured and each of you will end up as chamber-wife to the person of your choice. Well, as I see it, things in this world don’t always turn out the way you want them to. I wouldn’t be quite so cock-a-hoop if I were you. You might be in for some nasty shocks yourselves.’

The others saw that they had really rattled her and laughingly did their best to calm her down.

‘Now, now, Faithful, don’t take it so much to heart. We three have been like sisters ever since we were little girls. We were only teasing you a bit because there’s no one else around. Tell us what plan you’ve decided on, so that we shan’t be so worried about you.’

‘Plan?’ said Faithful. ‘I’ve got no plan. I just shan’t go to him and that’ll be the end of it.’

Patience shook her head.

‘I very much doubt if it will. You know what Sir She’s temper is like. It’s true that he can’t touch you as long as you’re with Her Old Ladyship; but you’re not going to be with her all your life, are you? You’ll have to leave in the end, and if you fall into his clutches then, you’ll be in real trouble.’

Faithful smiled grimly.

‘As long as Her Old Ladyship lives, I shall stay with Her Old Ladyship. And when all’s said and done, even when the old dear goes to her rest, there are still the years of mourning. There would be no question of his taking a concubine with his mother just dead. And by the time the period of mourning is over – well, anything might have happened. I’ll just have to wait and see. If I get really desperate, I can always shave my hair off and become a nun; or failing that, there’s always suicide. I don’t mind going through life without a man. Glad to keep myself clean.’

The other two tittered protestingly.

‘The things you say, Faithful! Have you no shame?’

‘There’s not much room left for shame when things have come to this pass,’ said Faithful. ‘Anyway, if you don’t believe me, just wait and see. Lady Xing said just now that she was going to see my parents about this. I wonder if she will. She’ll have to go all the way to Nanking if she does!’

‘Your parents are looking after the house in Nanking and can’t be fetched,’ said Patience, ‘but they can be got in touch with eventually. And in any case, your elder brother and his wife are here. It’s a pity you’re a house-born servant and not on your own here like me and Aroma.’

‘It makes no odds,’ said Faithful. ‘ “You can take an ox to the water, but you can’t make him drink.” Just because I refuse him, he’s not going to kill my parents!’

While she was talking, her sister-in-law appeared some distance from where they were sitting, walking in their direction.

‘There you are!’ said Aroma. ‘They’ve evidently found that they can’t get in touch with your parents, so they’ve already had a word with your sister-in-law.’

‘That cow!’ said Faithful. ‘She’s a regular camel-dealer, that one. She’d just jump at a thing like this!’

The ‘cow’ was already upon them, smiling all over her face.

‘Ah, here you are, miss! I’ve looked for you everywhere. Come with me. I’ve got something to tell you.’

Patience and Aroma fussed round her, inviting her to sit with them on the rock.

‘No, you young ladies sit down,’ said the woman. ‘I’ve got to have a word with our Faithful.’

‘Is it really very urgent?’ they asked her innocently. ‘We’ve been playing “I spy”. Can’t it wait until we’ve finished guessing?’

‘What is it?’ said Faithful. ‘Why not just tell me?’

‘Come with me,’ said her sister-in-law. ‘I’ll tell you over there. It’s good news, anyway.’

‘Oh, is it by any chance the thing Lady Xing was talking about?’ said Faithful.

‘There!’ said her sister-in-law. ‘You knew about it all the time! What were you having me on for? Now come on, hurry, and I’ll tell you all the details. It’s a wonderful, wonderful piece of news!’

Faithful stood up and spat hard and deliberately in her sister-in-law’s face.

‘Why don’t you take your bloody trap out of here?’ she shouted, pointing at her angrily. ‘ “Wonderful news” indeed! I suppose you’ve been studying the way families of maids who’ve become concubines can throw their weight about, so you just can’t wait to push me into that fire. If I find favour, then of course you’ll be the great lady and be able to put on airs and throw your weight about too. If I don’t, if I’m a failure – oh, you’ll just draw your tortoise-head back into your tortoise-shell and leave me to get on with it. Whether I live or die, it will be all the same to you.’

She began crying hysterically and had to be restrained and comforted by Patience and Aroma.

‘Huh!’ said her sister-in-law in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve her ruffled dignity. ‘Whether you’re willing or not, you might at least be civil. Anyway, I don’t see why you need drag other people into it. “One doesn’t discuss short legs in front of a dwarf,” they say. I make no comment on the nasty things you said about me, but what about these young ladies? They’ve done nothing to provoke you. This talk about concubines is not very nice for them.’

‘Oh no!’ said the two young ladies in question. ‘She wasn’t referring to us when she said that. It’s you who are dragging in other people. What makes you think that either of us has been chosen as a concubine? By whom? Even if we had been, neither of us has any family in this household to throw their weight about, so she can say what she likes on the subject: there’s no occasion for us to get worked up about it.’

‘It’s because I made her look silly,’ said Faithful. ‘She’s trying to cover up by setting you two against me. Fortunately you are too intelligent to be taken in. I lost my temper just now and I’m afraid I didn’t choose my words very carefully. She evidently thought she could take advantage of that.’

Faithful’s sister-in-law was by now finding her situation so disagreeable that she removed herself from it by walking away in a huff. Faithful herself was still extremely angry and for some time continued to hurl invectives at her retreating back; but Patience and Aroma reasoned with her, and gradually she began to calm down.

‘Why were you hiding there just now?’ Patience asked Aroma when Faithful’s composure had been restored. ‘It’s funny that we didn’t see you.’

‘I’d been over to Miss Xi-chun’s to see Master Bao,’ said Aroma, ‘but I got there a moment too late. They said he had just that minute left for home. I couldn’t understand why in that case I hadn’t run into him on the way, so I thought perhaps he might have gone to Miss Lin’s; but just as I was going there to look for him, I met one of Miss Lin’s people who said that he wasn’t with her, so I began wondering if he might have gone out of the Garden altogether. Then just at that moment you came along from the direction I was looking in, so I slipped behind a tree and hid. When Faithful came, I slipped out from behind my tree and hid behind this rock. I could see you both sitting there talking, but your two pairs of eyes couldn’t see me.’

‘And your three pairs of eyes couldn’t see me!’ said a mocking voice behind them.

The three girls jumped in surprise. When they turned to look, it was Bao-yu himself who walked out from behind the rock.

Aroma was the first to recover her voice.

‘You led me a nice dance!’ she said. ‘Where have you been all this time?’

‘As I came out of Xi-chun’s place, I could see you coming towards me,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I knew it must be me you had come for, so I hid myself to give you a surprise. I watched you as you walked by with your head in the air. Then I watched you go into Xi-chun’s courtyard. Then I saw you come out again. Then I saw you stop and ask someone something. It was terribly funny. I was hoping that you would eventually come by the place where I was hiding, so that I could pop out and make you jump. But then you started dodging around, and I could see that you were hiding from someone else and evidently planning to play the same trick on them. So I peeped out to see who it was and found that it was these two. Then I began gradually working my way round behind you, and when you stepped out and showed yourself, I slipped forward and hid in the place where you had been hiding.’

‘We’d better go behind and have another look,’ said Patience. ‘We’ll probably find two more people hidden back there!’

‘No, I think there really are no more now,’ said Bao-yu.

When she realized that Bao-yu must have heard everything that had been said, Faithful lay face downwards on the rock and pretended to be asleep. Bao-yu laughed at her and gave her a little prod.

‘It’s damp on that stone. Much better come indoors if you want to lie down.’

He tried to pull her up, at the same time inviting Patience to accompany them back home for some tea. When Patience and Aroma added their own coaxing to his, Faithful finally rose to her feet and the four of them went together to Green Delights.

Bao-yu had, indeed, heard everything from his hiding-place, and his concern for Faithful made him very unhappy. When they were back, he lay back silent on his bed worrying about it while the three girls laughed and chattered in the adjoining room.

When Lady Xing asked Xi-feng about Faithful’s parents, she learned that her father’s name was Jin Cai and that he and her mother lived as caretakers at the Jia family mansion in Nanking and seldom came up to the capital.

‘But she has an elder brother Jin Wen-xiang, who is one of Grandmother’s buyers,’ said Xi-feng, ‘and her sister-in-law is Grandmother’s chief laundress.’

The laundress was duly summoned and Lady Xing carefully explained what was required of her. The woman was naturally delighted and went off in a great bustle of self-importance to look for Faithful, confident that she had only to state her mission for the matter to be successfully concluded. Ill prepared, therefore, for Faithful’s acrimonious rebuff or the strictures of Patience and Aroma which followed it, she returned to Lady Xing to make her report in a state of angry mortification.

‘It’s no good, I’m afraid. She just swore at me.’ Since Xi-feng was present, the woman dared not mention Patience. ‘That Aroma was there, too, helping her. Some of the things she said to me – well, I wouldn’t offend Your Ladyship’s ears by repeating them. I think you and Sir She would be well advised to buy a girl elsewhere. That little fool Faithful evidently wasn’t meant for such great fortune – nor we to share it, seemingly.’

‘Whatever has this got to do with Aroma?’ said Lady Xing. ‘I wonder how she got to know about it.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Was there anyone else there?’

‘Miss Patience was there,’ said the woman.

‘I wish you’d given her a box on the ears then and told her to come home,’ Xi-feng put in hurriedly. ‘She went off wandering somewhere or other as soon as I left the house and there wasn’t a sign of her when I got back. If she was there, she’ll have put in her pennyworth too, I suppose.’

‘Well, she wasn’t exactly there,’ said the woman, ‘she was quite a way off. I couldn’t see her very clearly. Maybe it wasn’t her. I could have been mistaken.’

‘Go and find her at once,’ Xi-feng said to the servants. ‘Tell her I’m back and Lady Xing is here and she is to come home immediately.’

Felicity hurried forward to report:

‘Miss Lin sent round three or four times to ask if Patience would go over to her place, so Patience went to see what she wanted. I went there to call her back when you came in just now, but Miss Lin said would I please tell you that she wants Patience a bit longer to do something for her.’

‘She’s always asking Patience to do things for her,’ said Xi-feng, with pretended annoyance. ‘I wonder what it is this time.’

Resourceless, now that her plan had misfired, Lady Xing returned home as soon as she had eaten dinner and in the evening informed Jia She of what had happened. After reflecting for some moments, Jia She ordered Jia Lian to be summoned immediately.

‘Jin Cai and his wife aren’t the only couple looking after our Nanking property,’ he began as soon as Jia Lian arrived. ‘Have him recalled immediately.’

‘Last time we had a letter from Nanking,’ said Jia Lian, ‘it said that Jin Cai was in a delirium and they’d already issued the money to buy his coffin. He may well be dead by now; and even if he isn’t, he’s probably unconscious and wouldn’t be much use to us back here. And his old woman is as deaf as a post.’

‘Villain! Parricide!’ Jia She shouted, in instant fury. ‘Trust you to know that! Get out of my sight!’

Startled by his father’s unaccountable anger, Jia Lian retreated in a hurry. Shortly after he had done so, Jin Wen-xiang was sent for.

Jia Lian, not daring either to go back home or to go in again to his father, stayed near at hand in his outer study, waiting to see what happened. After a while Jin Wen-xiang arrived, and Jia Lian watched him being conducted through the inner gate by the pages. After a lapse of time in which he could comfortably (had he been so minded) have eaten four or five meals, he saw Jin Wen-xiang come out again, but was still too scared to make inquiries. He did not do so until he had allowed what he thought was a safe interval to elapse after Jin Wen-xiang’s departure, and was then informed that his father had gone to bed. Only then did he dare to go back home; and it was not until Xi-feng informed him that night that he understood what it was all about.

That night Faithful was unable to sleep. Her brother came next morning to ask Grandmother Jia if he could take his sister back home for the day. His request was granted, and Grandmother Jia ordered Faithful to get ready. Faithful did not want to go, but overcame her reluctance because she did not want the old lady to suspect that anything was amiss.

When they were home, her brother told her all that Jia She had said, promising that if she accepted, her position would be an honoured one: she would become ‘Mrs Jin’, and all the household would look up to her. But no matter what he said, Faithful set her face firmly against it all and obstinately continued to say ‘no’. In the end her brother had no alternative but to go back to Jia She and tell him that his sister was unwilling. Jia She was greatly incensed.

‘Now look here,’ he said, ‘you go back and get your wife to tell her this: Sir She says:

The moon ever loved a young man.

He knows all about that saying. No doubt she thinks him too old for her and has set her heart on one of the younger ones – Bao-yu, probably, or my son Lian. Tell her, if she has, the sooner she abandons hope in that direction the better, because if I can’t have her, she may be very sure that no one else in this family will dare to. That’s one thing. And here’s another. She may think that because she’s Lady Jia’s favourite, she can look forward to marrying outside one day and becoming someone’s regular wife. Well if so, just let her get this firmly into her mind: whoever or wherever she marries, she needn’t think she will ever escape me. If she dies or is prepared to live all her life an old maid, I might admit myself beaten; but otherwise, never. So unless she proposes to choose one of those alternatives, she’d better hurry up and change her mind. It will be a great deal easier for her if she does.’

Each sentence of the above had been punctuated by a nervous ‘Yessir’ from Jin Wen-xiang. Jia She continued.

‘Now don’t think you can fool me over this in the hope of getting better terms. Tomorrow I shall send Lady Xing over to have a word with Faithful herself. If Faithful still refuses after your wife has spoken to her, then that is no fault of yours and I shan’t hold it against you. But woe betide you if when Lady Xing talks to her she finds that she is willing!’

After a good many more ‘Yessirs’ Jin Wen-xiang withdrew and went back home. When he got back, he did not even wait to transmit Jia She’s message through his wife, but went straight in and told it all to Faithful himself. It made Faithful so angry that for some time afterwards she was unable to speak. Finally, after some inward calculation, she answered him as follows.

‘Even if I am willing, you’ll have to take me back first, so that I can have a word about it with Her Old Ladyship.’

Supposing this to mean that she had changed her mind, her brother and his wife were overjoyed, and the latter at once undertook to go with her to see Grandmother Jia.

It so happened that when they arrived, Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Li Wan, Xi-feng, Bao-yu and the girls, and some of the senior stewardesses from outside were all there with the old lady sharing a joke. Faithful led her sister-in-law through their midst, knelt down at her mistress’s feet, and with tears streaming down her face, proceeded to tell her what Lady Xing had said to her the day before, what her sister-in-law had said to her in the Garden, and what her elder brother had told her that morning.

‘When I refused, Sir She said it was because I fancied Master Bao, or else because I was saving myself to marry someone outside. He said that even if I were to fly to the world’s end, I should never as long as I live escape out of his clutches: sooner or later he’d have his revenge. But I’ve made my mind up, and I’m telling Your Ladyship here, in front of all these witnesses. I don’t care whether it’s Master Bao or Prince Bao or the Emperor Bao, I don’t ever want to marry anyone. Even if Your Ladyship herself were to try and force me to, I’d rather cut my own throat than marry. I’ll serve Your Ladyship until you leave this world for the next one; and when that day comes, I shan’t go back to my brother and his wife; I shall either take my own life or I shall cut my hair off and become a nun. And in case anyone should think I don’t really mean this and am only saying it to get myself out of a corner, I call on heaven and earth and all the gods and the sun and moon to be my witness: if I don’t honestly and sincerely mean every word I say, may I be struck with a quinsy this very moment and matter burst out of my mouth!’

She had hidden a pair of scissors up her sleeve before she came, and as she uttered this oath, she undid her hair with her left hand and began hacking away at it with the scissors in her right. The servants rushed forward to stop her, but before they could lay hands on her, she had already cut off a large hank. It was fortunate that her hair was so thick and strong. Observing with relief that she had not succeeded in cutting through all of it, the servants wound up what remained and refastened it on her head.

By the time Faithful had finished speaking, Grandmother Jia was trembling all over with rage.

‘I have only this one girl left that I can rely on,’ she said, speaking half to herself, ‘and now they are plotting to take her away from me.’

As she looked at those standing around her, her eye fastened upon Lady Wang.

‘You deceive me, all of you. You who are outwardly so dutiful: you are secretly plotting against me like all the rest. Whenever I have any good thing you come and ask me for it. All my best people you take away from me. Now I have only this one poor girl left to me; and because you see that I am nice to her, it infuriates you – you can’t bear it! And now you’ve found this means of getting her away from me, so that you can have me at your mercy.’

Lady Wang had risen to her feet as soon as Grandmother Jia addressed her, but dared not defend herself; Aunt Xue could not very well intervene when the object of these strictures was her elder sister; and Li Wan had hustled her young charges from the room at the first hint of impropriety when Faithful began her complaint.

Tan-chun, always one of the more thoughtful members of the family, realized that however unjust the accusation, Lady Wang was in no position to answer back. She realized that Aunt Xue could not speak up for her own sister or Bao-chai say anything when her mother was silent and that Li Wan, Xi-feng and Bao-yu were even more disqualified from coming to the rescue. This was exactly the sort of situation in which a young unmarried granddaughter could be useful. And since Ying-chun was too docile and Xi-chun too childish, Tan-chun herself, after listening for a while at the window, boldly stepped into the room and faced her grandmother with an intrepid smile.

‘How can this matter have anything to do with Mother, Grandma? Can you think of any reason why a younger brother’s wife should be consulted about her brother-in-law’s private business?’

Grandmother Jia was at once all smiles.

‘Of course not, my dear. I am a silly old woman! Mrs Xue, you must try not to laugh at me. Your sister is a most dutiful daughter-in-law: not like She’s wife, who is so scared of her husband that she has no time for me – beyond what she does for form’s sake. I have done your sister a very grave injustice.’

Aunt Xue murmured something in reply, afterwards adding, as a politeness:

‘The younger son’s wife is often the more favoured one. Perhaps you are biased, Lady Jia.’

‘No,’ said Grandmother Jia firmly, ‘I am not biased. Bao-yu,’ she said, turning to her grandson, ‘why didn’t you speak up when I falsely accused your mother? How could you stand by like that and watch her being treated unjustly?’

‘How could I take Mother’s side against Uncle and Aunt?’ said Bao-yu. ‘Obviously someone was to blame; but if it wasn’t Mother, who was I to say that it was? I could hardly have said that it was me. Somehow I don’t think you would have believed me!’

Grandmother Jia laughed.

‘Yes, I suppose you are right. Go and kneel down to your mother, then, Bao-yu. Tell her that I’m getting old and that she is not to be upset by what I said to her. Ask her to forgive me for your sake.’

Bao-yu quickly went over and knelt before Lady Wang. But before he could relay his grandmother’s message, his mother had laughingly prevented him.

‘Get up at once and don’t be ridiculous, Bao-yu! How can you possibly apologize for Grandma to me?’

Bao-yu hurriedly got up to his feet.

‘What about you, Feng?’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Why didn’t you try to stop me?’

‘I’ve been trying to restrain myself from blaming you for what’s happened,’ said Xi-feng. ‘I don’t know why you should pick on me.’

Grandmother Jia’s laughter was echoed by the others present.

‘Oh? Now this is interesting. I should like to know why you think I’m to blame for what has happened.’

‘You shouldn’t be so good at training your girls,’ said Xi-feng. ‘When you’ve brought up a beautiful young bulrush like Faithful, can you blame other people for wanting her? It’s a good job I’m only your granddaughter-in-law. If I’d been your grandson, I should have asked you for her for myself a long time ago. I shouldn’t have waited till now, I can tell you!’

‘Oh,’ said Grandmother Jia, laughing. ‘So it’s all my fault, is it?’

‘Of course it’s your fault,’ said Xi-feng.

‘In that case I won’t try to keep her,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘You can take her back with you.’

‘Not just now,’ said Xi-feng. ‘In my next life, perhaps. If I’m a good girl in this life, I might be reborn as a man, and I can ask you for her then!’

‘Go on, take her with you!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘You can give her to your Lian. See if that shameless father-in-law of yours still wants her then!’

‘Lian doesn’t deserve her,’ said Xi-feng. ‘All he’s fit for is a couple of sad old dumplings like me and Patience!’

This set everyone laughing.

A maid came in to announce someone.

‘Lady Xing, ma’am.’

Lady Wang hurried out to meet her.

What followed will be revealed in the next chapter.