第七十七回
第七十七回 俏丫鬟抱屈夭风流 美优伶斩情归水月
话说王夫人见中秋已过，凤姐病已比先减了，虽未大愈，然亦可以出入行走得了，仍命大夫每日诊脉服药，又开了丸药方子来配调经养荣丸。因用上等人参二两，王夫人命人取时，翻寻了半日，只向小匣内寻了几枝簪挺粗细的。王夫人看了嫌不好，命再找去，又找了一大包须末出来。
王夫人焦躁道：“用不着偏有，但用着了，再找不着。成日家我说叫你们查一查，都归拢在一处，你们白不听，就随手混撂。你们不知他的好处，用起来得多少换[1]买来还不中使呢。”彩云道：“想是没了，就只有这个。上次那边的太太来寻了些去，太太都给过去了。”王夫人道：“没有的话，你再细找找。”彩云只得又去找，又拿了几包药材来说：“我们不认得这个，请太太自看。除这个再没有了。”王夫人打开看时，也都忘了，不知都是什么药，并没有一枝人参。因一面遣人去问凤姐有无，凤姐来说：“也只有些参膏芦须[2]。虽有几枝，也不是上好的，每日还要煎药里用呢。”王夫人听了，只得向邢夫人那里问去。邢夫人说〔一〕：“因上次没了，才往这里来寻，早已用完了。”
王夫人没法，只得亲身过来请问贾母。贾母〔二〕忙命鸳鸯取出当日所馀的来，竟还有一大包，皆有手指头粗细的，遂称二两与王夫人。王夫人出来交与周瑞家的拿去令小厮送与医生家去，又命将那几包不能辨得的药也带了去，命医生认了，各包记号了来。
一时，周瑞家的又拿了进来说：“这几包都各包好记上名字了。但这一包人参固然是上好的，如今〔三〕就连三十换也不能得这样的了，但年代太陈了。这东西比别的不同，凭是怎样好的，只过一百年后，便自己就成了灰了。如今这个虽未成灰，然已成了朽糟烂木，也无性力的了。请太太收了这个，倒不拘粗细，好歹再换些新的倒好。”王夫人听了，低头不语，半日才说：“这可没法了，只好去买二两来罢。”也无心看那些，只命：“都收了罢。”因向周瑞家的说：“你就去说给外头人们，拣好的换二两来。倘一时老太太问，你们只说用的是老太太的，不必多说。”
周瑞家的方才要去时，宝钗因在坐，乃笑道：“姨娘且住。如今外头卖的人参都没好的。虽有一枝全的，他们也必截做两三段，镶嵌上芦泡须枝，掺匀了好卖，看不得粗细。我们铺子里常和参行交易，如今我去和妈说了，叫哥哥去托个伙计过去和参行商议说明，叫他把未作的原枝好参兑二两来。不妨咱们多使几两银子，也得了好的。”王夫人笑道：“倒是你明白。就难为你亲自走一趟更好。”
于是宝钗去了，半日回来说：“已遣人去，赶晚就有回信的。明日一早去配也不迟。”王夫人自是喜悦，因说道：“‘卖油的娘子水梳头’，自来家里有好的，不知给了人多少。这会子轮到自己用，反倒各处求人去了。”说毕长叹。宝钗笑道：“这东西虽然值钱，究竟不过是药，原该济众散人才是。咱们比不得那没见世面的人家，得了这个，就珍藏密敛的。”王夫人点头道：“这话极是。”
一时宝钗去后，因见无别人在室，遂唤周瑞家的来问前日园中搜检的事情可得个下落。周瑞家的是已和凤姐等人商议停妥，一字不隐，遂回明王夫人。
王夫人听了，虽惊且怒，却又作难，因思司棋系迎春之人，皆系那边的人，只得令人去回邢夫人。周瑞家的回道：“前日那边太太嗔着王善保家的多事，打了几个嘴巴子，如今他也装病在家，不肯出头了。况且又是他外孙女儿，自己打了嘴，他只好装个忘了，日久平服了再说。如今我们过去回时，恐怕又多心，倒像似咱们多事似的。不如直把司棋带过去，一并连赃证与那边太太瞧了，不过打一顿配了人，再指个丫头来，岂不省事。如今白告诉去，那边太太再推三阻四的，又说‘既这样你太太就该料理，又来说什么’，岂不反耽搁了。倘那丫头瞅空寻了死，反不好了。如今看了两三天，人都有个偷懒的时候，倘一时不到，岂不倒弄出事来。”王夫人想了一想，说：“这也倒是。快办了这一件，再办咱们家的那些妖精。”
周瑞家的听说，会齐了那几个媳妇，先到迎春房里，回迎春道：“太太们说了，司棋大了，连日他娘求了太太，太太已赏了他娘配人，今日叫他出去，另挑好的与姑娘使。”说着，便命司棋打点走路。迎春听了，含泪似有不舍之意，因前夜已闻得别的丫鬟悄悄的说了原故，虽数年之情难舍，但事关风化，亦无可如何了。那司棋也曾求了迎春，实指望迎春能死保赦下的，只是迎春语言迟慢，耳软心活，是不能作主的。
司棋见了这般，知不能免，因哭道：“姑娘好狠心！哄了我这两日，如今怎么连一句话也没有？”周瑞家的等说道：“你还要姑娘留你不成？便留下，你也难见园里的人了。依我们的好话，快快收了这样子，倒是人不知鬼不觉的去罢，大家体面些。”迎春含泪道：“我知道你干了什么大不是，我还十分说情留下，岂不连我也完了。你瞧入画也是几年的人，怎么说去就去了。自然不止你两个，想这园里凡大的都要去呢。依我说，将来终有一散，不如你各人去罢。”周瑞家的道：“所以到底是姑娘明白。明儿还有打发的人呢，你放心罢。”
司棋无法，只得含泪与迎春磕头，和众姊妹告别，又向迎春耳根说：“好歹打听我要受罪，替我说个情儿，就是主仆一场！”迎春亦含泪答应：“放心。”
于是周瑞家的人等带了司棋出了院门，又命两个婆子将司棋所有的东西都与他拿着。走了没几步，后头只见绣桔赶来，一面也擦着泪，一面递与司棋一个绢包说：“这是姑娘给你的。主仆一场，如今一旦分离，这个与你作个想念罢。”司棋接了，不觉更哭起来了，又和绣桔哭了一回。周瑞家的不耐烦，只管催促，二人只得散了。
司棋因又哭告道：“婶子大娘们，好歹略徇个情儿，如今且歇一歇，让我到相好的姊妹跟前辞一辞，也是我们这几年好了一场。”周瑞家的等人皆各有事务，作这些事便是不得已了，况且又深恨他们素日大样，如今那里有工夫听他的话，因冷笑道：“我劝你走罢，别拉拉扯扯的了。我们还有正经事呢。谁是你一个衣包里爬出来的，辞他们作什么，他们看你的笑声还看不了呢。你不过是挨一会是一会罢了，难道就算了不成！依我说快走罢。”一面说，一面总不住脚，直带着往后角门出去了。司棋无奈，又不敢再说，只得跟了出来。
可巧正值宝玉从外而入，一见带了司棋出去，又见后面抱着些东西，料着此去再不能来了。因闻得上夜之事，又兼晴雯之病亦因那日加重，细问晴雯，又不说是为何。上日又见入画已去，今又见司棋亦走，不觉如丧魂魄一般，因忙拦住问道：“那里去？”周瑞家的等皆知宝玉素日行为，又恐唠叨误事，因笑道：“不干你事，快念书去罢。”宝玉笑道：“好姐姐们，且站一站，我有道理。”周瑞家的便道：“太太不许少捱一刻，又有什么道理。我们只知遵太太的话，管不得许多。”
司棋见了宝玉，因拉住哭道：“他们做不得主，你好歹求求太太去。”宝玉不禁也伤心，含泪说道：“我不知你作了什么大事，晴雯也病了，如今你又去。都要去了，这却怎么的好。”周瑞家的发躁向司棋道：“你如今不是副小姐了，若不听话，我就打得你。别想着往日姑娘护着，任你们〔四〕作耗。越说着，还不好好走。如今和小爷们拉拉扯扯，成个什么体统！”那几个媳妇不由分说，拉着司棋便出去了。
宝玉又恐他们去告舌，恨的只瞪着他们，看已去远，方指着恨道：“奇怪，奇怪，怎么这些人只一嫁了汉子，染了男人的气味，就这样混帐起来，比男人更可杀了！”守园门的婆子听了，也不禁好笑起来，因问道：“这样说，凡女儿个个是好的了，女人个个是坏的了？”宝玉点头道：“不错，不错！”婆子们笑道：“还有一句话我们糊涂不解，倒要请问请问〔五〕。”
方欲说时，只见几个老婆子走来，忙说道：“你们小心，传齐了伺候着。此刻太太亲自来园里，在那里查人呢。只怕还查到这里来呢。又吩咐快叫怡红院的晴雯姑娘的哥嫂来，在这里等着领出他妹妹去。”因笑道：“阿弥陀佛！今日天睁了眼，把这一个祸害妖精退送了，大家清净些。”宝玉一闻得王夫人进来亲查，便料定晴雯也保不住了，早飞也似的赶了去，所以这后来趁愿之语竟未得听见。
宝玉及到了怡红院，只见一群人在那里，王夫人在屋里坐着，一脸怒色，见宝玉也不理。晴雯四五日水米不曾沾牙，恹恹弱息〔六〕，如今现从炕上拉了下来，蓬头垢面，两个女人才架起来去了。王夫人吩咐，只许把他贴身衣服撂出去，馀者好衣服留下给好丫头们穿。
又命把这里所有的丫头们都叫来一一过目。原来王夫人自那日着恼之后，王善保家的去趁势告倒了晴雯，本处有人和园中不睦的，也就随机趁便下了些话。王夫人皆记在心中。因节间有碍，故忍了两日，今日特来亲自阅人。一则为晴雯犹可，二则因竟有人指宝玉为由，说他大了，已解人事，都由屋里的丫头们不长进教习坏了。因这事更比晴雯一人较甚，乃从袭人起以至于极小作粗活的小丫头们，个个亲自看了一遍。
因问：“谁是和宝玉一日的生日？”本人不敢答应，老嬷嬷指道：“这一个蕙香，又叫作四儿的，是同宝玉一日生日的。”王夫人细看了一看，虽比不上晴雯一半，却有几分水秀。视其行止，聪明皆露在外面，且也打扮的不同。王夫人冷笑道：“这也是个不怕臊的。他背地里说的，同日生日就是夫妻。这可是你说的？打谅我隔的远，都不知道呢。可知道我身子虽不大来，我的心耳神意时时都在这里。难道我通共一个宝玉，就白放心凭你们勾引坏了不成！”这个四儿见王夫人说着他素日和宝玉的私语，不禁红了脸，低头垂泪。王夫人即命也快把他家的人叫来，领出去配人。
又问：“谁是耶律雄奴？”老嬷嬷们便将芳官指出。王夫人道：“唱戏的女孩子，自然是狐狸精了！上次放你们，你们又懒待出去，可就该安分守己才是。你就成精鼓捣起来，调唆着宝玉无所不为。”芳官笑辩道：“并不敢调唆什么。”王夫人笑道：“你还强嘴。我且问你，前年我们往皇陵上去，是谁调唆宝玉要柳家的丫头五儿了？幸而那丫头短命死了，不然进来了，你们又连伙聚党遭害这园子呢。你连你干娘都欺倒了，岂止别人！”因喝命：“唤他干娘来领去，就赏他外头自寻个女婿去吧。把他的东西一概给他。”又吩咐上年凡有姑娘们分的唱戏的女孩子们，一概不许留在园里，都令其各人干娘带出，自行聘嫁。一语传出，这些干娘皆感恩趁愿不尽，都约齐来与王夫人磕头领去。
王夫人又满屋里搜捡宝玉之物。凡略有眼生之物，一并命收的收，卷的卷，着人拿到自己房内去了。因说：“这才干净，省得旁人口舌。”因又吩咐袭人麝月等人：“你们小心！往后再有一点分外之事，我一概不饶。因叫人查看了，今年不宜迁挪，暂且挨过今年，明年一并给我仍旧搬出去心净。”说毕，茶也不吃，遂带领众人又往别处去阅人。暂且说不到后文。
如今且说宝玉只当王夫人不过来搜检搜检，无甚大事，谁知竟这样雷嗔电怒的来了。所责之事皆系平日私语，一字不爽，料必不能挽回的。虽心下恨不能一死，但王夫人盛怒之际，自不敢多言一句，多动一步，一直跟送王夫人到沁芳亭。王夫人命：“回去好生念念那书，仔细明儿问你。才已发下狠了。”宝玉听如此说，方回来〔七〕，一路打算：“谁这样犯舌？况这里事也无人知道，如何就都说着了。”一面想，一面进来，只见袭人在那里垂泪。且又去了心上第一等的人，岂不伤心，便倒在床上也哭起来。
袭人知他心内别的还犹可，独有晴雯是第一件大事，乃推他劝道：“哭也不中用了。你起来我告诉你，晴雯已经好了，他这一家去，倒心净养几天。你果然舍不得他，等太太气消了，你再求老太太，慢慢的叫进来也不难。不过太太偶然信了人的诽言，一时气头上如此罢了。”宝玉哭道：“我究竟不知晴雯犯了何等滔天大罪！”袭人道：“太太只嫌他生的太好了，未免轻佻些。在太太是深知这样美人似的人必不安静，所以恨嫌他，像我们这粗粗笨笨的倒好。”宝玉道：“这也罢了。咱们私自顽话怎么也知道了？又没外人走风的，这可奇怪。”袭人道：“你有甚忌讳的，一时高兴了，你就不管有人无人了。我也曾使过眼色，也曾递过暗号，倒被那别人已知道了，你反不觉。”宝玉道：“怎么人人的不是太太都知道，单不挑出你和麝月秋纹来？”
袭人听了这话，心内一动，低头半日，无可回答，因便笑道：“正是呢。若论我们也有顽笑不留心的孟浪[10]去处，怎么太太竟忘了？想是还有别的事，等完了再发放我们，也未可知。”宝玉笑道：“你是头一个出了名的至善至贤之人，他两个又是你陶冶教育的，焉得还有孟浪该罚之处！只是芳官尚小，过于伶俐些，未免倚强压倒了人，惹人厌。四儿是我误了他，还是那年我和你拌嘴的那日起，叫上来作些细活，未免夺占了地位，故有今日。只是晴雯也是和你一样，从小儿在老太太屋里过来的，虽然他生得比人强，也没甚妨碍去处。就只是他的性情爽利，口角锋芒些，究竟也不曾得罪你们。想是他过于生得好了，反被这好所误。”说毕，复又哭起来。
袭人细揣此话，好似宝玉有疑他之意，竟不好再劝，因叹道：“天知道罢了。此时也查不出人来了，白哭一会子也无益。倒是养着精神，等老太太喜欢时，回明白了再要他是正理。”宝玉冷笑道：“你不必虚宽我的心。等到太太平服了再瞧势头去要时，知他的病等得等不得。他自幼上来娇生惯养，何尝受过一日委屈。连我知道他的性格，还时常冲撞了他。他这一下去，就如同一盆才抽出嫩箭来的兰花送到猪窝里去一般。况又是一身重病，里头一肚子的闷气。他又没有亲爷热娘，只有一个醉泥鳅姑舅哥哥。他这一去，一时也不惯的，那里还等得几日。知道还能见他一面两面不能了！”说着又越发伤心起来。
袭人笑道：“可是你‘只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯’[11]。我们偶然说一句略妨碍些的话，就说是不吉利之谈，你如今好好的咒他，是该的了！他便比别人娇些，也不至这样起来。”宝玉道：“不是我妄口咒他，今年春天已有兆头的。”袭人忙问何兆。宝玉道：“这阶下好好的一株海棠花，竟无故死了半边，我就知有异事，果然应在他身上。”
袭人听了，又笑起来，因说道：“我待不说，又撑不住，你太也婆婆妈妈的了。这样的话，岂是你读书的男人说的。草木怎又关系起人来？若不是婆婆妈妈的，真也成了个呆子了。”宝玉叹道：“你们那里知道，不但草木，凡天下之物，皆是有情有理的，也和人一样，得了知己，便极有灵验的。若用大题目比，就有孔子庙前之桧、坟前之蓍[12]，诸葛祠前之柏，岳武穆坟前之松。这都是堂堂正大随人之正气，千古不磨之物。世乱则萎，世治则荣，几千百年了，枯而复生者几次。这岂不是兆应？小题目比，就有杨太真沉香亭之木芍药，端正楼之相思树，王昭君冢上之草，岂不也有灵验。所以这海棠亦应其人欲亡，故先就死了半边。”
袭人听了这篇痴话，又可笑，又可叹〔八〕，因笑道：“真真的这话越发说上我的气来了。那晴雯是个什么东西，就费这样心思，比出这些正经人来！还有一说，他纵好，也灭不过我的次序去。便是这海棠，也该先来比我，也还轮不到他。想是我要死了。”宝玉听说，忙握他的嘴，劝道：“这是何苦！一个未清，你又这样起来。罢了，再别提这事，别弄的去了三个，又饶上[14]一个。”袭人听说，心下暗喜道：“若不如此，你也不能了局。”
宝玉乃道：“从此休提起，全当他们三个死了，不过如此。况且死了的也曾有过，也没有见我怎么样，此一理也。如今且说现在的，倒是把他的东西，作瞒上不瞒下，悄悄的打发人送出去与了他。再或有咱们常时积攒下的钱，拿几吊出去给他养病，也是你姊妹好了一场。”袭人听了，笑道：“你太把我们看的又小器又没人心了。这话还等你说，我才已将他素日所有的衣裳以至各什各物总打点下了，都放在那里。如今白日里人多眼杂，又恐生事，且等到晚上，悄悄的叫宋妈给他拿出去。我还有攒下的几吊钱也给他罢。”宝玉听了，感谢不尽。袭人笑道：“我原是久已出了名的贤人，连这一点子好名儿还不会买来不成！”宝玉听他方才的话，忙陪笑抚慰一时。晚间果密遣宋妈送去。
宝玉将一切人稳住，便独自得便出了后角门，央一个老婆子带他到晴雯家去瞧瞧。先是这婆子百般不肯，只说怕人知道，“回了太太，我还吃饭不吃饭！”无奈宝玉死活央告，又许他些钱，那婆子方带了他来。
这晴雯当日系赖大家用银子买的，那时晴雯才得十岁，尚未留头。因常跟赖嬷嬷进来，贾母见他生得伶俐标致，十分喜爱。故此赖嬷嬷就孝敬了贾母使唤，后来所以到了宝玉房里。这晴雯进来时，也不记得家乡父母，只知有个姑舅哥哥，专能庖宰，也沦落在外，故又求了赖家的收买进来吃工食。
赖家的见晴雯虽到贾母跟前，千伶百俐，嘴尖性大，却倒还不忘旧，故又将他姑舅哥哥收买进来，把家里一个女孩子配了他。成了房后，谁知他姑舅哥哥一朝身安泰，就忘却当年流落时，任意吃死酒，家小也不顾。偏又娶了个多情美色之妻，见他不顾身命，不知风月，一味死吃酒，便不免有蒹葭倚玉[15]之叹，红颜寂寞之悲。又见他器量宽宏，并无嫉衾妒枕之意，这媳妇遂恣情纵欲，满宅内便延揽英雄，收纳材俊〔九〕，上上下下竟有一半是他考试过的。若问他夫妻姓甚名谁，便是上回贾琏所接见的多浑虫灯姑娘儿的便是了。
目今晴雯只有这一门亲戚，所以出来就在他家。此时多浑虫外头去了，那灯姑娘吃了饭去串门子，只剩下晴雯一人，在外间房内爬着〔一〇〕。
宝玉命那婆子在院门瞭哨，他独自掀起草帘进来，一眼就看见晴雯睡在芦席土炕上，幸而衾褥还是旧日铺的。心内不知自己怎么才好，因上来含泪伸手轻轻拉他，悄唤两声。
当下晴雯又因着了风，又受了他哥嫂的歹话〔一一〕，病上加病，嗽了一日，才朦胧睡了。忽闻有人唤他，强展星眸，一见是宝玉，又惊又喜，又悲又痛，忙一把死攥住他的手。哽咽了半日，方说出半句话来：“我只当不得见你了。”接着便嗽个不住。宝玉也只有哽咽之分。
晴雯道：“阿弥陀佛，你来的好，且把那茶倒半碗我喝。渴了这半日，叫半个人也叫不着。”宝玉听说，忙拭泪问：“茶在那里？”晴雯道：“那炉台上就是。”宝玉看时，虽有个黑沙吊子，却不像个茶壶。只得桌上去拿了一个碗，也甚大甚粗，不像个茶碗，未到手内，先就闻得油膻之气。宝玉只得拿了来，先拿些水洗了两次，复又用水汕过，方提起沙壶斟了半碗。看时，绛红的，也太不成茶。晴雯扶枕道：“快给我喝一口罢！这就是茶了。那里比得咱们的茶！”宝玉听说，先自己尝了一尝，并无清香，且无茶味，只一味苦涩，略有茶意而已。尝毕，方递与晴雯。只见晴雯如得了甘露一般，一气都灌下去了。
宝玉心下暗道：“往常那样好茶，他尚有不如意之处；今日这样。看来，可知古人说的‘饱饫烹宰，饥餍糟糠’[19]，又道是‘饭饱弄粥’，可见都不错了〔一二〕。”一面想，一面流泪问道：“你有什么说的，趁着没人告诉我。”晴雯呜咽道：“有什么可说的！不过挨一刻是一刻，挨一日是一日。我已知横竖不过三五日的光景，就好回去了。只是一件，我死也不甘心的：我虽生的比别人略好些，并没有私情密意勾引你怎样，如何一口死咬定了我是个狐狸精！我太不服。今日既已担了虚名，而且临死，不是我说一句后悔的话，早知如此，我〔一三〕当日也另有个道理。不料痴心傻意，只说大家横竖是在一处。不想平空里生出这一节话来，有冤无处诉。”说毕又哭。
宝玉拉着他的手，只觉瘦如枯柴，腕上犹戴着四个银镯，因泣道：“且卸下这个来，等好了再戴上罢。”因与他卸下来，塞在枕下。又说：“可惜这两个指甲，好容易长了二寸长，这一病好了，又损好些。”晴雯拭泪，就伸手取了剪刀，将左手上两根葱管一般的指甲齐根铰下；又伸手向被内将贴身穿着的一件旧红绫袄脱下，并指甲都与宝玉道：“这个你收了，以后就如见我一般。快把你的袄儿脱下来我穿。我将来在棺材内独自躺着，也就像还在怡红院的一样了。论理不该如此，只是担了虚名，我可也是无可如何了。”宝玉听说，忙宽衣换上，藏了指甲。晴雯又哭道：“回去他们看见了要问，不必撒谎，就说是我的。既担了虚名，越性如此，也不过这样了。”
一语未了，只见他嫂子笑嘻嘻掀帘进来，道：“好呀，你两个的话，我已都听见了。”又向宝玉道：“你一个作主子的，跑到下人房里作什么？看我年轻又俊，敢是来调戏我么？”宝玉听说，吓的忙陪笑央道：“好姐姐，快别大声。他服侍我一场，我私自来瞧瞧他。”灯姑娘便一手拉了宝玉进里间来，笑道：“你不叫嚷也容易，只是依我一件事。”说着，便坐在炕沿上，却紧紧的将宝玉搂入怀中。
宝玉如何见过这个，心内早突突的跳起来了，急的满面红涨，又羞又怕，只说：“好姐姐，别闹。”灯姑娘乜斜醉眼，笑道：“呸！成日家听见你风月场中惯作工夫的，怎么今日就反讪起来。”宝玉红了脸，笑道：“姐姐放手，有话咱们好说。外头有老妈妈，听见什么意思。”灯姑娘笑道：“我早进来了，却叫婆子去园门等着呢。我等什么似的，今儿等着了你。虽然闻名，不如见面，空长了一个好模样儿，竟是没药性的炮仗，只好装幌子罢了，倒比我还发讪怕羞。可知人的嘴一概听不得的。就比如方才我们姑娘下来，我也料定你们素日偷鸡盗狗的。我进来一会在窗下细听，屋内只你二人，若有偷鸡盗狗的事，岂有不谈及于此，谁知你两个竟还是各不相扰。可知天下委屈事也不少。如今我反后悔错怪了你们。既然如此，你但放心。以后你只管来，我也不罗唣你。”
宝玉听说，才放下心来，方起身整衣央道：“好姐姐，你千万照看他两天。我如今去了。”说毕出来〔一四〕，又告诉晴雯。二人自是依依不舍，也少不得一别。晴雯知宝玉难行，遂用被蒙头，总不理他，宝玉方出来。意欲到芳官四儿处去，无奈天黑，出来了半日，恐里面人找他不见，又恐生事，遂且进园来了，明日再作计较。因乃至后角门，小厮正抱铺盖，里边嬷嬷们正查人，若再迟一步也就关了。
宝玉进入园中，且喜无人知道。到了自己房内，告诉袭人只说在薛姨妈家去的，也就罢了。一时铺床，袭人不得不问今日怎么睡。宝玉道：“不管怎么睡罢了。”
原来这一二年间，袭人因王夫人看重了他了，他越发自要尊重。凡背人之处，或夜晚之间，总不与宝玉狎昵，较先幼时反倒疏远了。况虽无大事办理，然一应针线并宝玉及诸小丫头们凡出入银钱衣履什物等事，也甚烦琐；且有吐血旧症虽愈，然每因劳碌风寒所感，即嗽中带血，故迩来夜间总不与宝玉同房。宝玉夜间常醒，又极胆小，每醒必唤人。因晴雯睡卧警醒，且举动轻便，故夜晚一应茶水起坐呼唤之任皆悉委他一人，所以宝玉外床只是他睡。今他去了，袭人只得要问，因思此任比日间紧要之意。宝玉既答不管怎样，袭人只得还依旧年之例，遂仍将自己铺盖搬来设于床外。
宝玉发了一晚上呆。及催他睡下，袭人等也都睡后，听着宝玉在枕上长吁短叹，复去翻来，直至三更以后，方渐渐的安顿了，略有齁声。袭人方放心，也就朦胧睡着。没半盏茶时，只听宝玉叫“晴雯”。袭人忙睁开眼连声答应，问作什么。宝玉因要吃茶。袭人忙下去向盆内蘸过手，从暖壶内倒了半盏茶来吃过。宝玉乃笑道：“我近来叫惯了他，却忘了是你。”袭人笑道：“他一乍来时你也曾睡梦中直叫我，半年后才改了。我知道这晴雯人虽去了，这两个字只怕是不能去的。”说着，大家又卧下。
宝玉又翻转了一个更次，至五更方睡去时，只见晴雯从外头走来，仍是往日形景，进来笑向宝玉道：“你们好生过罢，我从此就别过了。”说毕，翻身便走。宝玉忙叫时，又将袭人叫醒。袭人还只当他惯了口乱叫，却见宝玉哭了，说道：“晴雯死了。”袭人笑道：“这是那里的话！你就知道胡闹，被人听着什么意思。”宝玉那里肯听，恨不得一时亮了就遣人去问信。
及至天亮时，就有王夫人房里小丫头立等叫开前角门传王夫人的话：“‘即时叫起宝玉，快洗脸，换了衣裳快来，因今儿有人请老爷寻秋赏桂花，老爷因喜欢他前儿作得诗好，故此要带他们去。’这都是太太的话，一句别错了。你们快飞跑告诉他去，立逼叫他快来，老爷在上房里还等他吃面茶呢。环哥儿已来了。快跑，快跑。再着一个人去叫兰哥儿，也要这等说。”里面的婆子听一句，应一句，一面扣扭子，一面开门。一面早有两三个人一行扣衣，一行分头去了。
袭人听得叩院门，便知有事，忙一面命人问时，自己已起来了。听得这话，忙促人来舀了面汤[23]，催宝玉起来盥漱。他自去取衣。因思跟贾政出门，便不肯拿出十分出色的新鲜衣履来，只拣那二等成色的来。宝玉此时亦无法，只得忙忙的前来。果然贾政在那里吃茶，十分喜悦。宝玉忙行了省晨之礼。贾环贾兰二人也都见过宝玉。贾政命坐吃茶，向环兰二人道：“宝玉读书不如你两个，论题联和诗这种聪明，你们皆不及他。今日此去，未免强你们做诗，宝玉须听便助他们两个〔一五〕。”王夫人等自来不曾听见这等考语，真是意外之喜。
一时候他父子二人等去了。方欲过〔一六〕贾母这边来时，就有芳官等三个的干娘走来，回说：“芳官自前日蒙太太的恩典赏了出去，他就疯了似的，茶也不吃，饭也不用，勾引上藕官〔一七〕蕊官，三个人寻死觅活，只要剪了头发做尼姑去。我只当是小孩子家一时出去不惯也是有的，不过隔两日就好了。谁知越闹越凶，打骂着也不怕。实在没法，所以来求太太，或者就依他们做尼姑去，或教导他们一顿，赏给别人作女儿去罢，我们也没这福。”王夫人听了道：“胡说！那里由得他们起来，佛门也是轻易入进去的！每人打一顿给他们，看还闹不闹了！”
当下因八月十五日各庙内上供去，皆有各庙内的尼姑来送供尖之例，王夫人曾于十五日就留下水月庵的智通与地藏庵的圆信住两日，至今日未回，听得此信，巴不得〔一八〕又拐两个女孩子去作活使唤，因都向王夫人道：“咱们府上到底是善人家。因太太好善，所以感应得这些小姑娘们皆如此。虽说佛门轻易难入，也要知道佛法平等。我佛立愿，原是一切众生无论鸡犬皆要度他，无奈迷人不醒。若果有善根能醒悟，即可以超脱轮回。所以经上现有虎狼蛇虫得道者就不少。如今这两三个姑娘既然无父无母，家乡又远，他们既经了这富贵，又想从小儿命苦入了这风流行次，将来知道终身怎么样，所以苦海回头，立意〔一九〕出家修修来世，也是他们的高意。太太倒不要限了善念。”
王夫人原是个好善的，先听彼等之语不肯听其自由者，因思芳官等不过皆系小儿女，一时不遂心，故有此意，但恐将来熬不得清净，反致获罪。今听这两个拐子的话大近情理；且近日家中多故，又有邢夫人遣人来知会，明日接迎春家去住两日，以备人家相看；且又有官媒婆来求说探春等事，心绪正烦，那里着意在这些小事上。既听此言，便笑答道：“你两个既这等说，你们就带了作徒弟去如何？”两个姑子听了，念一声佛道：“善哉！善哉！若如此，可是你老人家阴德不小。”说毕，便稽首拜谢。
王夫人道：“既这样，你们问他们去。若果真心，即上来当着我拜了师父去罢。”这三个女人听了出去，果然将他三人带来。王夫人问之再三，他三人已是立定主意，遂与两个姑子叩了头，又拜辞了王夫人。王夫人见他们意皆决断，知不可强了，反倒伤心可怜，忙命人取了些东西来赍赏了他们，又送了两个姑子些礼物。从此芳官跟了水月庵的智通，蕊官藕官二人跟了地藏庵的圆信，各自出家去了。再听下回分解。
[1] 换——商行行话，指银两易物单位。下文“三十换”即三十两银子换一两货物（如人参）。
[2] 参膏芦须——参膏：用次参或碎参熬的膏。芦：人参顶部长叶处，亦称“参芦”。须：人参的细根。
〔一〕 “邢夫人说”，原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本补。
〔二〕 “贾母”，原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本补。
〔三〕 “如今”，原无，从各本补。
〔四〕 “任你们”，原无“任”字，从各本补。
〔五〕 “请问请问”，后一“请问”原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本补。
〔六〕 “恹恹弱息”，原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本补。
〔七〕 “方回来”，原无“方”字，从各本补。
[10] 孟浪——冒失、轻率、行为不检。
[11] “只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯”——宋代某州官名田登，忌讳和“登”同音的字，令百姓改称“灯”为“火”，每逢正月十五“放灯”，官榜写作“放火”。百姓讽刺说：“只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯。”见宋代陆游《老学庵笔记》。后用以喻只许自己胡作非为，不许别人正当行动。
[12] “孔子庙前之桧、坟前之蓍”一段——桧，也名“桧柏”、“圆柏”，常绿乔木。孔子庙前之桧，相传为孔子生前所种，当晋永嘉之乱时忽然枯死，到隋统一天下又复活。蓍（shī诗）：蓍草，古代用蓍草茎占卜，传说孔子坟前的蓍草最为灵验。诸葛：诸葛亮。相传诸葛亮庙前的柏树在唐末开始枯萎，到宋初又复活。岳武穆：即岳飞。宋代抗金名将，被奸相秦桧所害，后谥“武穆”。相传岳坟前的树木为岳飞英灵所感，枝都朝南生长，心向南宋。木芍药，即牡丹。唐明皇曾与杨贵妃在沉香亭北赏牡丹，李白作《清平调》三章，以歌其事。端正楼：位于骊山的华清宫，是当年杨贵妃梳妆的地方。相思树：或指端正楼前的琪树。安史之乱后，唐明皇见琪树而思念死在马嵬驿的杨贵妃。一说扶风道旁之石楠树呼为“端正树”，温庭筠有诗曰《题相思树》。王昭君坟上的青草：见五十一回注。
〔八〕 “又可笑，又可叹”，原无“又可笑”，从各本补。
[14] 饶上——另添上，赔上。
[15] 蒹葭（jiān jiā兼家）倚玉——即“蒹葭倚玉树”。蒹葭，芦苇。喻质之贱。玉树，喻质之贵。《世说新语·容止》：魏明帝使毛曾与夏侯玄共坐，时人谓“蒹葭倚玉树”。蒹葭指毛曾，玉树指夏侯玄，谓两人品德才貌极不相称。这里趣指多浑虫不配和灯姑娘结为夫妇。
〔九〕 “延揽英雄，收纳材俊”，原作“延揽雄收内材俊”，“延”点改为“博”、“内材俊”点改为“两府里”。梦稿、蒙府、戚序本均作“延揽满室内的英雄，收纳材俊”。今据各本酌定。
〔一〇〕 “一人，在外间房内爬着”，原作“一进来一眼就看见晴雯睡在芦席土炕上，在外间房内爬着”，据下文，“一进来……土炕上”为衍文，今从梦稿、甲辰本删改。
〔一一〕 “受了他哥嫂的歹话”，原作“受了他嫂子的歹话”，“他”“子”均为旁添。梦稿本作“受了他哥嫂的歹话”，蒙府、戚序本作“受了哥嫂的一夕话”，甲辰本作“受了哥嫂的歹话”。今从梦稿本改。
[19] 饱饫（yù玉）烹宰、饥餍糟糠——出《千字文》。意为饱足者见了美食也无食欲，饥饿者吃到糟糠也能满足。饫：饱食；烹宰：代指鱼肉美食；餍：满足。
〔一二〕 “了”字原无，从各本补。
〔一三〕 “我”字原无，从各本补。
〔一四〕 “出来”，原作“起来”，从各本改。
[23] 面汤——洗脸的热水。
〔一五〕 “未免强你们做诗，宝玉须听便助他们两个”，底本原文抄误不成文，后点改为“未免要作诗词的，宝玉我倒放心，他是能的，你们两个不要给我丢丑”。从梦稿、甲辰本改。
〔一六〕 “方欲过”，原无“欲”字，从梦稿、戚序、甲辰本补。
〔一七〕 “藕官”，原作“菂官”，按第五十八回有菂官已死的交代，从甲辰、戚序本改。下“藕官”同。
〔一八〕 “巴不得”，原无，从戚序本补。
〔一九〕 “立意”，底本原作“一”字，点去，旁添“是岸愿意”。据俄藏本校补。
CHAPTER 77. A wronged maid takes a loving last leave of her master And three young actresses seek to escape matrimony in the cloister
To Lady Wang it appeared that, with the passing of the Mid-Autumn festival, Xi-feng’s condition had improved considerably. True, she was still far from well, but she could get about in the house now and even venture out of doors. The physician, who, notwithstanding this improvement, had on Lady Wang’s instructions been requested to continue his daily visits, was now recommending a course of pills designed to regularize her periods and make some new blood to replace the quantities she had lost. Observing that the prescription for these pills included two ounces of the best quality ginseng, Lady Wang ordered her maids to get out her own supply. After much rummaging they found a few pieces not much thicker than a large hairpin in one of the little medicine-boxes. When they showed them to Lady Wang, she thought them of too inferior a quality and ordered the maids to look again; but further searching produced only a large packet of ‘whiskers’ broken off from the rootlets.
‘When one doesn’t need this stuff, there is always plenty of it,’ said Lady Wang testily. ‘It is only when we want some that you can’t find any. I am always telling you: you must keep a proper check on things and you must keep them together, but you won’t do as I say: you will leave things lying around all over the place, and then afterwards you never know where to look for them.’
‘I think this is all the ginseng we’ve got,’ said Suncloud. ‘That time Lady Xing came for some, I think she must have taken it all.’
‘Nonsense!’ said Lady Wang. ‘Go and look again. And look properly this time!’
Suncloud had to go off and search some more. She came back bearing several packets of herbs.
‘I don’t know what is in these, Your Ladyship. If there isn’t any ginseng in any of these, then we really haven’t got any.’
Lady Wang opened the packets. She had no recollection of what they contained and could not identify the contents, but she could tell at a glance that none of them contained any ginseng. She sent someone to Xi-feng’s room to ask if Xi-feng had got any herself. Xi-feng came over to reply.
‘I’ve only got extract of ginseng,’ she said. ‘Actually I have got a few dried leaves and whiskers, but they are not of good quality and I use them every day in my infusions.’
Lady Wang was obliged to ask Lady Xing; but she, too, was unable to oblige.
Lady Wang was now reduced to going round in person to Grandmother Jia and begging some from her. Grandmother Jia at once asked Faithful to get out whatever remained of her own supply. Fortunately there was still a large packetful. The roots were of various sizes, but mostly about the thickness of a finger. Faithful weighed out two ounces and gave them to Lady Wang, who carried them back to her own apartment and there handed them over to Zhou Rui’s wife, together with the packets of unidentified herbs, instructing her to get one of the pages to carry them to the doctor. While he was about it, she said, he could determine what the herbs were and write their names on the packets.
When Zhou Rui’s wife reappeared some time later, she was carrying not only the packets of herbs but also the ginseng.
‘He’s written the names on the packets,’ she said. ‘But this ginseng – he says it’s very high quality ginseng, but it’s too old. He says ginseng isn’t like other medicines: no matter how good it is, after a hundred years or so it turns into dust. This ginseng here hasn’t turned into dust yet, but he says it’s already dried-up, like rotten wood. It’s got no goodness in it. He told me to bring it back. He said tell Her Ladyship to try and get hold of some a bit fresher than this. It doesn’t matter about the roots being a bit on the thin side as long as it’s fresh.’
Lady Wang bowed her head and thought for some moments in silence.
‘I suppose there’s nothing else for it. We shall just have to buy two ounces. – Take this stuff away!’ she said, feeling no inclination to examine the packets. One of the maids removed them while she continued with her instructions to Zhou Rui’s wife. ‘Tell our buyer to pick out ginseng of the very best quality. He is to get it as cheaply as he can, of course, but it must be high quality ginseng. Oh, and if Lady Jia should ask any of you about this, tell her that we used the ginseng she gave us. Don’t go prattling to her about what the doctor said.’
Zhou Rui’s wife was about to go off on her errand when Bao-chai, who happened to be sitting in the room, smilingly intervened.
‘Just a minute, Aunt. There is really no good ginseng to be had in the shops nowadays. If the dealers ever get hold of a whole root, they cut it into two or three sections which they carve into shape and graft crowns and rootlets onto so that they can make more money by passing off each section as a whole root. Our firm has quite a lot to do with the ginseng suppliers. If I had a word with Mamma about this, I am sure Pan could arrange for one of our people to get two ounces of whole, uncut root from the suppliers. It might cost rather a lot, but at least you could be sure that you were getting ginseng of the very highest quality.’
‘You are so knowledgeable!’ said Lady Wang gratefully. ‘Would you do that then? I am sure it would be better for the request to come from you.’
Bao-chai left immediately and was gone for a long time.
‘He’s sent someone to see about it,’ she said when she got back. ‘We shall have a reply by this evening. That means that we ought to be able to get the stuff first thing tomorrow. That isn’t too long to wait, is it?’
Lady Wang was delighted, though her comment was a somewhat rueful one.
‘We have always kept a supply of ginseng in the past, and we have given I don’t know how much away to other people; but now that we want some ourselves, we have to run around looking for it elsewhere.’
She sighed.
‘Although ginseng is so costly, it is only a medicine,’ said Bao-chai consolingly. ‘As such it ought to be given away to others, so that its benefit may be spread as widely as possible. People in our position cannot behave like ill-bred parvenus who hoard their ginseng like an heirloom and can only under the most exceptional circumstances be induced to part with any.’
Lady Wang nodded.
‘Yes, I suppose you are right.’
A little later, after Bao-chai had gone and there was no one else with her in the room, Lady Wang called Zhou Rui’s wife over to ask about another matter.
‘When you made that search in the Garden the other day, did you find what you were looking for?’
Zhou Rui’s wife had already consulted Xi-feng about what Lady Wang should be told and Xi-feng had insisted that there should be no concealment; she therefore told her everything. Lady Wang was deeply shocked. When she had somewhat recovered from her surprise and begun thinking what to do, it occurred to her that, as Chess was Ying-chun’s maid and therefore really a member of Lady Xing’s establishment, it would first be necessary to acquaint Lady Xing with the facts before proceeding any further. Zhou Rui’s wife had her own ideas on the subject.
‘Lady Xing was so angry with Wang Shan-bao’s wife for meddling that she boxed her ears and Wang Shan-bao’s wife has kept at home ever since, pretending to be ill. She certainly won’t have spoken to Lady Xing about this matter because Chess is her own daughter’s child and it would be like slapping her own face if she did so. I expect she’s pretending to have forgotten all about it and is just waiting for the whole affair to blow over. If I report it, Lady Xing will like as not take umbrage and say that I am interfering. It would be best simply to take Chess and the things we found along to her and let her work it all out for herself. Probably she’ll give Chess a beating and have her married to one of the boys and pick another maid for Miss Ying and that will be the end of the matter. But if I just go along and tell her, without taking Chess or the things, she’ll probably think up some excuse for doing nothing. “If your mistress has found this out,” she’ll say, “why doesn’t she deal with it herself? Why do you come here asking me about it?” That way it will get put off. Then suppose when no one is looking the girl finds some means of doing away with herself? We shall have a fine to-do on our hands! She’s already been under guard now for two or three days. If we don’t do something about her soon, we shall be simply asking for trouble.’
Lady Wang reflected for some moments.
‘Yes, you are right,’ she said at last. ‘Do as you have suggested straight away then, and after that we will deal with our own young harpies.’
Now that she had her commission, Zhou Rui’s wife got together several of the other women and took them with her to Ying-chun’s apartment. Ying-chun listened with tears in her eyes while Zhou Rui’s wife explained what she had come about, and it was evident that the idea of parting with Chess distressed her; on the other hand, as she had now heard something about the raid from the other maids and knew that this matter was connected in some way with morality, she felt that however painful the parting might be, there was probably nothing she could do to prevent it. Chess was unaware of this. She had pleaded with Ying-chun the morning after the discovery and was convinced that Ying-chun could save her if she had a mind to. It could only be her habitual reluctance to speak out, her usual weak irresolution, that now kept her silent. When it became clear that her mistress was determined to say nothing and that there was to be no escape for her, Chess fell down on her knees and reproached her tearfully.
‘You have a cruel heart, miss! All through these last few days you have allowed me to go on hoping, but now, when the time comes, you won’t say a single word to help me!’
‘You surely don’t expect Miss Ying to keep you?’ said Zhou Rui’s wife indignantly. ‘Even if she did, what would all the other people in the Garden say? And how would you be able to look them in the face after what you have done? Take my advice: the best thing you can do is to pack your things up and get out of here as quickly as possible, before anyone else has had a chance of finding out what you have been up to.’
‘I know that you have done something serious,’ said Ying-chun tearfully. ‘If I speak up for you or try to keep you, it will be all up with me too. Apart from that, look how quickly they got rid of Picture, in spite of all the years she had served Miss Xi: just “Out!” and out she went. I don’t think it will stop at you and Picture. I think they must be planning to get rid of all the older girls in the Garden. We are all going to be separated sooner or later. If you ask me, I think you and I might just as well part now as any other time.’
‘There, you see?’ said Zhou Rui’s wife. ‘Miss Ying understands. There’ll be plenty of others dismissed after you have gone, don’t you worry!’
Since there was to be no respite, Chess, struggling to hold back her tears, made a last kotow to her mistress and said good-bye to the other maids. As she was leaving, she leaned forwards and whispered in Ying-chun’s ear:
‘Try and find out what’s happening to me, miss. Put in a good word for me if you hear I’m suffering.’
‘Of course I will,’ said Ying-chun. There were tears in her own eyes as she said it.
Those were the last words spoken before Zhou Rui’s wife and the other women took Chess away. Two old women accompanied them carrying her things. They had gone no more than a few steps out of the courtyard gate when little Tangerine came running after them and handed Chess a silk purse, while with the other hand she wiped her streaming eyes.
‘This is from the mistress. She says it’s hard to lose you after all the years you and she have been together and she wants you to have this to remember her by.’
As she received the purse, Chess was unable to restrain a further outburst of tears, and for some moments she and Tangerine clung together weeping, until Zhou Rui’s wife, growing impatient, began hustling Chess on her way, forcing the two girls apart.
Chess spoke to the women imploringly:
‘For charity’s sake, couldn’t you turn a blind eye just for a few minutes while I say good-bye to the maids in the other apartments? Some of the older ones I have known so long, they have become almost like sisters to me.’
Zhou Rui’s wife and the other women all had work of their own to do which they had left unwillingly and were anxious to get back to; moreover all of them deeply resented the overbearing manner which Chess and the other senior maids had adopted towards them in the past; there was therefore little chance of their being moved by her plea.
‘If I were you I should stop all this shilly-shallying and be’ on your way,’ said Zhou Rui’s wife coldly. ‘We’ve got more important things to do than sit around waiting while you say your good-byes. In any case, they’re not your real sisters, so what’s the point of seeing them? It’s only playing for time. You’ve got to leave in the end, however long you delay. You might just as well get it over with now, as quickly as possible.’
She hurried on towards the rear corner gate of the Garden. The hapless Chess, not daring to say another word, had to follow her out of it.
By coincidence, just as they were coming out of the Garden, they ran into Bao-yu who was returning to it from outside. Seeing Chess in the company of this grim escort and with the two older women behind her carrying a lot of things, he realized that she must be leaving the Garden for good. He had heard something now about the raid and had noticed that Skybright’s sickness had grown more serious since her interview with his mother (though he could not induce her to say why). The realization that he was witnessing Chess’s dismissal came as all the greater shock in the light of these other happenings. He stepped forwards impetuously and barred their way.
‘Where are you going?’
Zhou Rui’s wife knew Bao-yu from of old and greatly feared that they were now to be held up indefinitely with a lot of pointless chatter.
‘It’s nothing to do with you,’ she said, smiling grimly. ‘You get back to your books!’
‘Just stop a moment, there’s a good woman,’ said Bao-yu appealingly, ‘just long enough to hear what I’ve got to say.’
‘Her Ladyship told us we were under no circumstances to delay,’ said Zhou Rui’s wife. ‘There’s nothing to be said. We’ve got our orders from Her Ladyship, that’s all We’re concerned about.’
Chess clung to Bao-yu and wept.
‘There’s nothing they can do. If you want to save me, you’ll have to speak to Her Ladyship.’
Bao-yu was deeply upset. His eyes filled with tears.
‘I don’t know what terrible thing you are supposed to have done,’ he said, ‘but I know that something has upset Skybright and made her ill, and now you are going. What on earth is happening?’
Zhou Rui’s wife turned on Chess angrily.
‘You’re not a lady’s maid now, you know. Now if you don’t do what I tell you, I have the right, to beat you, just like any other servant. You can’t play fast and loose with us now and then run to your mistress to save you from the consequences. I’ve told you a number of times to be on your way, but you take no notice. A maid holding on to a young master – whoever heard of such a thing!’
At this the other women laid violent hands on Chess and hurried her away. Bao-yu, fearing that if he said anything it would only make matters worse, glared at them in silence; but he could not resist pointing his finger at them when they had gone and – sotto vote – giving bitter vent to his feelings:
‘Strange, the way they get like this when they marry! It must be something in the male that infects them. If anything they end up even worse than the men!’
The old women on duty at the gate overheard this and could not help laughing at him.
‘In that case all girls must be good and all women must be bad,’ they said. ‘You don’t really believe that, do you?’
‘Indeed I do,’ said Bao-yu feelingly. ‘That’s precisely what I do believe.’
Just at that moment some other old women came hurrying up to them.
‘Make sure you’re all here in case Her Ladyship wants you,’ said one of them. ‘She’s in the Garden now, making an inspection. And someone go and get Skybright’s cousin and his wife, so that they’ll be ready to take her away presently.’ She chuckled. ‘Holy Name! The Lord has opened his eyes at last! With that little pest out of the way, it will be a better place for all of us!’
At the old woman’s mention of his mother’s presence, Bao-yu, fearing that it might bode ill for Skybright, had rushed off immediately, so that he had missed the gloating remark which followed it. When he arrived at Green Delights, he found a small crowd of women waiting outside the door. His mother was sitting inside the room with anger written all over her face. She deliberately ignored him as he entered. Skybright, who had taken no nourishment of any kind for the past four or five days and was in too weak a state to get up, had been dragged from the kang and now stood facing her, propped up between two women. Her hair was in disarray and her face looked as if it needed washing.
‘Throw out the clothes she has been wearing,’ Lady Wang was saying. ‘She can take them with her. The rest can be kept here and given to more deserving maids to wear.’
Having finished with Skybright, she ordered all the other maids to be called in, from Aroma down to the most junior maid-of-all-work, to be subjected to her scrutiny. Each and every one of them was in Lady Wang’s opinion a potential corrupter of her boy.
‘Which is the one whose birthday is on the same day as Bao-yu’s?’ she asked.
Since the girl herself would not answer, one of the old women pointed her out.
‘This is the one, Your Ladyship: Citronella. She’s called “Number Four”. she’s the one whose birthday is on the same day as Bao-yu’s.’
Lady Wang examined the girl closely. Although not half as good-looking as Skybright, she had a certain gracefulness about her, and intelligence shone out in her every feature. She was moreover better dressed than the other maids. Lady Wang sniffed scornfully.
‘Another shameless young baggage! This is the one who said that those with the same birthday are destined to be husband and wife. You did say that, didn’t you? You think that because I live away from here I don’t know these things; but though I may not come here often myself, I have my eyes and ears here, watching you and listening to you all the time. Do you imagine that I would willingly allow my only son to be corrupted by creatures like you?’
Number Four reddened, hearing from Lady Wang’s own lips the words she once said to Bao-yu in private. It was useless to deny that she had said them. She hung her head and wept.
‘Tell her people to come and take her away,’ said Lady Wang. ‘She can be paired off with one of the boys.’
Exit Number Four.
‘Now which is the one with the foreign name?’ said Lady Wang.
Parfumée-Aventurin stepped forward.
‘Oh, it is you. One expects an actress to be a vampire, but one had hoped, after you turned down the opportunity to go free and insisted on staying here, that you would make some effort to behave. Instead, it seems, you have turned your attentions on my son and been encouraging him to get up to I don’t know what sorts of mischief.’
Parfumée smiled.
‘I haven’t encouraged him to get up to anything.’
Lady Wang smiled back at her.
‘You would argue with me, would you? I suppose it is hardly surprising, considering the way you treated your own foster-mother while I was away. – Call her foster-mother!’ she ordered. ‘I make her a present of this girl. She can marry her to whomever she likes. And you can give her her things to take as well.’
Having thus disposed of Parfumée, she went on to give orders that none of the remaining ex-actresses were to stay any longer in the Garden. Their foster-mothers were to be summoned to collect them and allowed to dispose of them as they wished. The delight and gratitude of these women when they received the message can be imagined. They arranged among themselves to visit Lady Wang in a body and kotow their thanks to her before going into the Garden to collect the girls.
Lady Wang now proceeded to inspect Bao-yu’s things. Anything which looked at all unfamiliar she had put on one side. The whole lot were then wrapped up in one big bundle and carried to her own apartment.
‘Much better make a clean sweep of these things,’ she said. ‘There will be that much less for people to gossip about.’
In conclusion she admonished Aroma and the remaining maids.
‘Now be careful! From now on if I hear of anything the slightest bit untoward happening, I shall have no mercy! I can’t move you out yet, because there are still investigations in progress, but next year I shall have the whole lot of you moved back into the mansion, and then perhaps I shall be able to set my mind at rest.’
She went off at the head of her little troop of women, not even staying for a cup of tea.
When Bao-yu heard from the old woman of his mother’s visit, he had expected something unpleasant but of no great consequence: perhaps another inspection of the maids’ possessions. He was therefore quite unprepared for the raging tempest that had just passed over him. The things his mother had charged the maids with showed so uncanny a knowledge of even his most intimate conversations with them that there seemed little point in denial. He felt wretched enough to die, but it was clear that even self-immolation could achieve nothing while his mother’s anger was at its height. He therefore followed after her in silence, until he had seen her as far as Drenched Blossoms Pavilion half-way across the bridge, when she peremptorily ordered him to return.
‘Go back – and get on with your studies! Then next time your father asks you about them, you will at least be able to say that you have made a start.’
Bao-yu turned back. All the way back to Green Delights he was thinking to himself:
‘Who’s been blabbing? No one outside knows about these things. How did Mother get to hear about them?’
The question was continuing to trouble him when he entered his room. He noticed that Aroma was in tears.
‘Well, she would be if any of the senior maids was leaving,’ he thought. ‘It’s only natural.’
He flung himself down on the bed and broke into loud sobs. Aroma tried to talk him out of his despair. She knew that, whatever might become of anyone else, it was Skybright that he was chiefly concerned about.
‘Oh, do get-up!’ she said. ‘What’s the use of crying? I tell you, Skybright will be better off where she is going. Back at home she will at least be able to have a few days to herself in peace and quiet. And if you really can’t bear to be without her, you have only to wait until Her Ladyship’s anger has cooled down a bit and then go and ask Her Old Ladyship to have her brought back again. It shouldn’t be difficult. Her Ladyship was acting in anger. Probably she had heard someone gossiping about her.’
‘But what heinous crime is Skybright supposed to have committed?’ said Bao-yu.
‘Maybe she isn’t,’ said Aroma. ‘Maybe Her Ladyship just thinks she is too good-looking. She probably thinks that anyone who is so good-looking must be unreliable. She knows these very beautiful young women are often trouble-makers. Probably she dislikes Skybright just for being beautiful. It’s better to be a plain, gawky person like me!’
‘Who said that beautiful women are trouble-makers?’ said Bao-yu. ‘There have always been lots and lots of beautiful women who were nothing of the kind. But never mind all that. What I can’t understand is, how did Mother get to hear about all those private jokes of ours? No one outside could have told her. It’s very, very strange.’
‘Look how careless you are,’ said Aroma. ‘Once you get a bit excited you are capable of saying anything, regardless of who else is around. Many and many’s the time I have given you a look or made some sign to warn you, but you never notice.’
‘Maybe,’ said Bao-yu, ‘but tell me this. How is it that she’d heard something damaging about every single person in this apartment except you and Musk and Ripple?’
Somewhat taken aback by this question, Aroma hung her head and pondered it for some moments, but she was unable to think of an explanation. She laughed embarrassedly.
‘I agree, it is rather strange. We three must often have made careless remarks that could have been used against us. I wonder why Her Ladyship didn’t mention any? Perhaps she’ll come back and deal with us three later.’
‘You?’ said Bao-yu, laughing incredulously. ‘The famous paragon of all the virtues? There’s little danger of her finding fault with you. Or with those other two, whom you trained and moulded in your own image. Parfumée I can understand: she is young and precocious and inclined to use her intelligence for putting other people down, so it’s hardly surprising that she should be disliked. Number Four’s unpopularity I blame myself for. It dates from that time when you and I had quarrelled about something and I allowed her to wait on me in your place. The others must have resented my giving her special treatment, and that, ultimately, must be the reason for what has happened to her today. But why Skybright? You and she started together with my grandmother when you were little girls. It’s true she is a bit better-looking than the rest of you, but she has never taken advantage of that fact: no one has ever been made to feel threatened by it. Even her forthrightness – and she could be quite sharp-tongued on occasion – has never, as far as I am aware, given serious offence. I suppose it must be as you say: her good looks have been her undoing.’
He concluded by once more bursting into tears.
Mulling over what he had just said, Aroma concluded that it could only mean that he suspected her. There seemed little point in protesting. She sighed.
‘There’s One above who knows the truth of the matter; but I don’t suppose we shall find out who it was for a while yet. At all events, crying isn’t going to help. Much better keep your spirits up and next time Her Old Ladyship is feeling cheerful, explain what has happened and ask to have Skybright back again.’
‘You only say that to humour me,’ said Bao-yu bitterly. ‘According to you I am to wait until Mother’s anger has subsided and after that wait until a favourable opportunity arises for talking to Grandmother; but what makes you think that Skybright’s illness will wait that long? Ever since she came into our family as a child she has lived comfortably. She has never had to experience a single day of real hardship. Sending her to that place now is like taking a potted orchid that has just started putting out its first tender spears of growth and setting it down in a pigsty. Apart from being physically ill, she must be in a terrible state mentally as well. And she has no kind parents to look after her, don’t forget: only that worthless cousin and his wife. I doubt she’ll last there a fortnight. I may not even be able to see her again.’
‘Curfew for the common people, but the Prefect can light a fire,’ said Aroma drily. ‘What a fuss you’d have made if I’d said anything so unlucky! How can you bear to talk so glibly about her dying?’
‘It isn’t unlucky to talk about what has already been foretold,’ said Bao-yu. ‘There was a portent of her coming death last spring.’
‘Oh?’ said Aroma in some surprise. ‘What was that?’
‘The crab-apple tree in the courtyard here: only one half of it budded this year; the other side seems to have died. I knew at the time that something awful must be going to happen; now I can see that it must have been a portent of her death.’
Aroma laughed out loud.
‘Forgive me, but I just can’t help myself. You really are an old woman! And you supposed to be so educated! How can what happens to trees and plants have anything to do with human beings?’
Bao-yu sighed.
‘What do you know about it? Not only plants and trees, but all things that live and grow have feelings. And like us, they are most responsive to those who most appreciate them. There are plenty of examples from history: the juniper tree in front of the temple of Confucius, the milfoil that grows beside his tomb, the cypress in front of Zhu-ge Liang’s shrine, the pine-tree that grows in front of Yue Fei’s grave: all those paragons of the vegetable world, mightily endowed with vital essence and able to withstand the ravages of the centuries, have withered and dried up in times of disorder, only to flourish once more when times were prosperous. In the course of a thousand or more years all of them have died and come to life again several times over. If those are not portents, what are they? On a somewhat less exalted level there are the peonies beside Yang Gui-fei’s Aloeswood Pavilion, the rhododendrons of the Duan-cheng-lou and the evergreen grass on Lady Bright’s grave. Surely you can’t deny that all these are instances of sympathy between plants and humans? I see no reason to doubt that our crab-apple tree too was reacting to a human situation.’
By the time his idiotic discourse had ended, Aroma did not know whether to laugh or groan.
‘You really make me angry,’ she said, ‘comparing Sky-bright with all those famous people! What sort of creature do you think she is anyway? And even if she is so wonderful, you seem to forget that I have precedence over her among your maids. If the crab-apple is connected with any of us, it ought to be me. It must mean that I am going to die.’
Bao-yu clapped his hand over her mouth.
‘Now, now, that’s enough of that! I’m already worried enough about her as it is, I don’t want to have to worry about you as well. Let’s say no more about it. Three people is quite enough to lose in one day!’
Aroma was secretly glad to hear him say this.
‘If I hadn’t said that to stop him,’ she thought, ‘heaven knows where this nonsense would have ended!’
‘There’s something else I want to discuss with you,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I’m not quite sure whether you’ll agree to this or not. Couldn’t we somehow, without letting any of the family know about it, contrive to let her have her things? Perhaps we could also send her a few strings of whatever money we have managed to save, so that she has got something to buy medicines with. Could you, for the sake of all your years together, do this for her?’
Aroma laughed.
‘Do you really think I need asking? What a mean, inhuman sort of person you must think I am! I’ve got her clothes and all her other things piled up over there, ready to send her. I can’t send them now, in broad daylight. With so many prying eyes about it would be simply asking for trouble. But as soon as it’s evening I shall get Mrs Liu to take them to her. I’ve got several strings of cash that she can take to her as well.’
Bao-yu nodded.
‘I am a, paragon of all the virtues, don’t forget,’ said Aroma teasingly. ‘It’s worth spending a bit of money to keep up my reputation!’
Bao-yu smiled and said a few words to comfort her. He was afraid that she might have taken what he said earlier to heart.
That evening, when things had quietened down a bit, he slipped out on his own to the rear corner gate of the Garden and begged one of the old women there to take him to Sky-bright’s house. At first she refused absolutely to help. She was too scared, she said. What would become of her rice-bowl if Lady Wang got to hear of it? In the end, after he had pleaded with her very insistently and also promised her some money, she agreed to take him.
Skybright was in the first instance purchased, when she was barely ten years old, by the Chief Steward Lai Da as a little slave-girl for his wife, who often took Skybright with her when she went to work in Rong-guo House. It was in this way that she first came to the attention of Grandmother Jia. Grandmother Jia took a great fancy to the beautiful, intelligent little girl, and when Lai Da’s wife noticed this, she gave Skybright to the old lady as a present. It was because the old lady thought so highly of Skybright that she later on gave her as a maidservant to her beloved grandson.
Skybright had no recollection of her parents or of the place where she was born. The only relation she knew of was a cousin somewhat older than herself, said to be her father’s sister’s son, who was in bondservice elsewhere. After her instalment at the mansion she begged Lai Da’s wife to have this cousin purchased too and find him some employment with the Jias. The stewardess was touched by the gratitude and respect that Skybright continued to show her after her advancement. At her insistence Lai Da purchased the cousin, gave him a small job as a buyer, and even provided him with a wife.
Unfortunately Skybright’s cousin was a timorous, poor-spirited creature, whereas the wife Lai Da had chosen for him was a lively and rather attractive young woman. Finding her husband unable to provide her with what she wanted, she soon took to going out every day, dressed up to the nines, to exercise her charms on the other servants. She was aided in this by a highly expressive pair of eyes which seldom failed to convey their message. The men were drawn towards her irresistibly, like flies towards carrion, so that there was seldom any lack of volunteers to fill the gap left by her neglectful husband.
The couple lived in an apartment not far from the rear side gate of the Garden, and it was to this place that Skybright was taken after her dismissal. The cousin’s young wife had little stomach for nursing a sick relation, and as soon as she had eaten, was off on her customary rounds, leaving Skybright alone and untended in the outer room.
When Bao-yu arrived at the house, he told the old woman who had brought him to wait at the gate and keep a look-out while he went inside. Raising the cotton door-curtain he looked into the room. He could see Skybright at once, lying on an old rush mat on the kang (fortunately she still had her own bedding) but no one else appeared to be at home, and he wondered for a moment what he should do; then, going over to the kang, he plucked timidly at the quilt in which she was wrapped and gently called her name. His eyes were full of tears.
Skybright, who had been ill to start with, had been made even more so by the detestable things said to her by her cousin and his wife since her arrival. After coughing through most of the day, she had recently dozed off into a fitful sleep, and it was not until Bao-yu had called her name for the second time that she opened her eyes. What surprise, delight, sorrow, anguish all mixed in one when she saw who it was! She gripped his hand tightly in hers, but for a long time she could only sob. At last she managed to speak.
‘I didn’t think I should ever see you again.’
After that she coughed and coughed. Bao-yu was sobbing now himself.
‘Holy Name, it’s a good job you’ve come!’ she said. ‘Could you get me half a cup of tea? I’m so thirsty, but though I’ve called and called, no one ever comes.’
Bao-yu hurriedly wiped his eyes.
‘Where’s the tea?’
‘It’s over there on the stove,’ said Skybright.
Bao-yu looked at the brick-and-mud-built stove against the wall. There was only a sort of blackened earthenware skillet on it that bore no resemblance to a tea-pot. He found a teacup on the table whose greasy, rancid odour reached his nostrils even before he picked it up. Having located some water, he washed it twice, rinsed it twice, dried it with his handkerchief, sniffed it (it still smelt) and half filled it with a dusky, reddish liquid from the skillet. Was it tea? He tasted it dubiously. It had a bitter, acrid taste with only a slight suggestion of tea about it.
‘That’s tea,’ said Skybright, who had raised herself on the pillow. ‘Please let me have it. You can’t expect it to be as good as ours.’
Bao-yu handed it to her and she gulped it down greedily as if it were the most delicious nectar. He watched her with tears running down his cheeks, suddenly ashamed of his own fastidiousness.
‘If there’s anything you want to tell me,’ he said, ‘you’d better tell me now, while there’s nobody else about.’
‘What have I got to tell?’ said Skybright. ‘I’m living now from day to day and from hour to hour. I know I’m done for: it can’t be more than four or five days now at the most. If it weren’t for one thing, I could die content. I know I’m a bit better-looking than the others, but I’ve never tried to make up to you. Why will they insist that I am some sort of vampire? It’s so unfair. And now I have so little time left. I ought not to say this, but if I’d known in advance that it would be like this, I might have behaved rather differently.’
She began to cry again.
Bao-yu took her hands in his own. They felt like bundles of dried twigs, so wasted had she become. She was still wearing a pair of silver bangles on either wrist.
‘Better take these off,’ he said (he was crying himself as he spoke). ‘You can put them on again when you are better.’
He took them off for her and put them under the pillow.
‘It’s a pity about these nails,’ he said. ‘It took you such a long time to grow them. By the time you are better, I expect you’ll find that quite a lot of them will have broken off.’
She wiped her eyes, curled the third and fourth fingers of her left hand back against the side of her mouth and with a supreme effort half bit half tore off the two two-inch lengths of scallion-like nail that projected from them.
‘Here!’ She put the pieces into his hand. ‘To remind you of me.’
Then she reached down inside the bedding and managed, after a great deal of struggling, to take off the old red chemise she was wearing and hold it out to him. Because of her weakness, the effort of doing this made her pant so much that she could not speak; but Bao-yu understood what she wanted. He removed his outer garment, took off the shirt he was wearing underneath it and laid it over her, and put on the chemise she was holding out to him. He did not bother to do the buttons up, since it would be hidden anyway beneath his outer garment. While he was fastening his belt on again, he noticed that she was staring at him, trying to say something.
‘Help me up!’
Even with Bao-yu’s assistance it cost her a good deal of effort to sit fully upright. Once she was sitting up, she stretched one of her arms out and tried drawing the shirt on herself. Bao-yu draped it over her shoulders and eased each of her arms in turn into the sleeves, then gently laid her down again.
‘If anyone sees that when you get back and asks you whose it is,’ said Skybright, weeping, ‘there’s no need to tell them any lies. Tell them it’s mine. Since I’ve got such a bad reputation anyway, I might as well have something to show for it when I’m gone!’
At that moment the door-curtain was lifted and the cousin’s wife came into the room, all dazzling smiles.
‘Very nice! I’ve heard all that you two have been saying. ‘She directed a bold look at Bao-yu. ‘And what are you doing, a young master like you, coming to see us servants in our quarters? Bet you heard I was young and good-looking and came here to flirt with me!’
‘Please, I beg of you, don’t speak so loud!’ said Bao-yu entreatingly. ‘I shouldn’t really be here, but your cousin was with me for many years: I came here to see her because she is ill.’
The young woman smiled and nodded approvingly.
‘That’s right. They say you have a good heart.’
She took him by the hand and pulled him after her into the inner room.
‘If you don’t want me to make a noise, you can easily stop me. You have only to do one little thing.’
She got her backside up onto the kang and drawing him down on top of her, put up her legs and gripped him tightly between them. This was something totally outside Bao-yu’s experience. His heart started pounding wildly, his face turned scarlet, and his whole body began to tremble. It would have been hard to say what feeling was at that moment uppermost in his mind: embarrassment, shame, fear or annoyance. All he could manage to say was:
‘Don’t fool about, please!’
The young woman leered up at him through half-closed eyes.
‘Get away with you! From what I’ve been told, you’ve had plenty of practice with other girls. What makes you so bashful today all of a sudden?’
Bao-yu became even redder.
‘Please let me go. If you’ve got anything to talk about, let’s discuss it like reasonable human beings. There’s an old woman outside there listening. What do you think you are doing?’
‘There’s no old woman out there,’ she said. ‘I saw her when I got back and told her to wait for you at the Garden gate. Come on! I’ve waited a long time to get my hands on you. If you won’t do what I ask, I’ll call out. You’re a bold one, aren’t you, coming here! What will Her Ladyship say if she finds out? I was listening to you two outside the window for quite a while. From what I could make out, you and she have nothing between you. Well, more fool she, if that’s the case! You needn’t expect me to be so daft!’
She began to get to work on his clothing, while Bao-yu made frantic efforts to pull himself away. They were still struggling when a voice was heard outside the window asking for Skybright. The young woman gave a start and let go of Bao-yu. Bao-yu was so shaken and confused that he had not heard the voice, and Skybright, listening to what was going on in the next room, was so overcome with shame and anger that she had fainted clean away. This left only the cousin’s wife to answer the caller – or rather callers, for when she went outside to look, it turned out to be Cook Liu and Fivey with a bundle containing Skybright’s things. Cook Liu was also holding several strings of cash.
‘We’ve brought these from Miss Aroma for your young lady,’ she said. ‘Which room is she in?’
The young woman laughed.
‘This room here. Where else would we keep her?’
As Cook Liu and Fivey went into the outer room, a lurking figure dodged into the inner room at the back. Cook Liu knew something of the young wife’s reputation and assumed that it must be one of her lovers. Since Skybright appeared to be asleep, she put the things down beside her and hurried out again. But Fivey had sharper eyes than her mother and had recognized the lurking figure as Bao-yu.
‘Didn’t Miss Aroma say when we were leaving that she’d been looking for Master Bao?’ she asked her mother.
‘Goodness, I nearly forgot!’ said Cook Liu. ‘Mrs Song told me just now that she thought she’d seen him go out of the side gate. And there was someone waiting for him outside the gate too, wasn’t there? They’ll be wanting to close presently.’
She turned back and asked the young woman if she had seen him.
‘No,’ said the cousin’s wife, beginning to feel nervous. ‘What would Master Bao be doing at our house?’
Hearing her say this, Cook Liu began to go again; but Bao-yu, partly because he was afraid of being shut out of the Garden and partly because he feared that the cousin’s wife might return to the attack if he remained after the visitors had gone, threw discretion to the winds and, lifting up the door-curtain, came rushing out after them.
‘Mrs Liu! Wait for me! We’ll go back together!’
Cook Liu was mightily astonished.
‘My dear young master! Whatever has brought you to this place?’
Bao-yu sped on ahead without replying.
‘Call him back, Ma!’ said Fivey. ‘Tell him not to be in so much of a hurry. He’ll, run into someone if he’s not careful and they’ll find out what he’s been up to. There’s no need for him to hurry in any case. That person we saw waiting for him will see to it that the gate’s kept open for him.’
She and her mother ran after Bao-yu to try and catch up with him. The cousin’s wife stared after them disconsolately: her beautiful young gentleman had got away.
Bao-yu did not stop running until he was inside the Garden gate. Only then did he feel safe again, though his heart was still beating wildly. Fortunately no one appeared to have noticed his absence, and when he got back to Green Delights he managed to put Aroma off by saying that he had been visiting Aunt Xue.
Shortly after this, as she was making up his bed, Aroma asked him how they should sleep.
‘Oh, anyhow,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I don’t mind.’
It should be explained that during the year or two that had elapsed since her unofficial promotion by Lady Wang, Aroma had been taking herself very seriously and no longer, either at night or when they were alone together in the daytime, permitted herself those affectionate intimacies that had been customary between her and Bao-yu in the past. A slight distance seemed to have grown up between them since their younger, more carefree days. Partly it was being so much busier that kept her from him: for although the most important matters remained outside her control, it was she who organized the sewing and other maid’s-work, took care of Bao-yu’s and the junior maids’ pocket-money for them, attended to their clothing and other equipment, and assumed responsibility for the general maintenance of the apartment. Partly it was because she had a fear of infecting him: for she still continued, though very infrequently, to cough blood.
It was mainly for this last reason that she had for some time now ceased sleeping in the same room. But Bao-yu was nervous at night and liked to have someone near at hand whom he could call to when he woke up. Because she knew that Sky-bright was a light sleeper, Aroma entrusted all the night-time duties, like answering him when he called, getting up and making tea for him and so forth, to her, so that it had long since been the custom for Skybright to sleep in the same room with him beside his bed. Now that Skybright was no longer with him, Aroma made her own bed up beside Bao-yu’s in Skybright’s place.
Observing the somewhat dazed manner in which Bao-yu was conducting himself that evening, Aroma urged him to go to bed early, and as soon as she had got him settled, went to bed herself. But he seemed very restless. As she lay in her own bed she could hear him sighing and muttering to himself in his. This went on until well after midnight. Only then did he fall silent and appeared to have gone to sleep. Relieved, Aroma began drifting off herself. But only for a moment. Before she had a chance to get fully off to sleep, she heard him call out:
‘Skybright!’
‘What is it?’ said Aroma, instantly alert again.
Bao-yu said that he wanted some tea, so she got up and poured him out a cup. He sighed as she handed it to him.
‘I’m so used to calling her, I forgot that it was you.’
Aroma laughed.
‘The first night she slept with you, you were calling out in your sleep for me. It took you a while then to get used to the change.’
They both lay down again. Again Bao-yu was restless and continued so for the space of about two hours. It must have been four o’clock before he finally got to sleep. Just as he was dropping off, Skybright walked into the room looking exactly as she used to do before she was ill. She came right up to the bed and spoke to him.
‘Enjoy your lives, all of you! Mine is already over.’
Immediately she had said that, she turned round and walked out again. Bao-yu called out after her. His calling awoke Aroma, who assumed that he was once more calling Skybright’s name instead of her own from force of habit. But when she went over to ask him what he wanted, she saw that he was crying.
‘Skybright’s dead,’ he said.
Aroma laughed.
‘Don’t be ridiculous! Whatever would anyone think if they heard you say such a thing?’
Nevertheless Bao-yu insisted that Skybright was dead and waited impatiently for the daylight when he could send someone to find out the circumstances of her death. But daylight brought a little maid knocking at the front corner gate of the Garden with a message from Lady Wang.
‘You must tell Bao-yu to get up immediately and come over to Her Ladyship’s as soon as he is washed and dressed. The Master is invited out to a chrysanthemum-viewing, and because he was so pleased with the poem Bao-yu made at the party the other night, he wants to take him and the other young masters with him. Have you got that message? Be as quick as you can, please. And tell him to hurry. The Master is in the main room with Her Ladyship. They are waiting for Bao-yu to come so that they can start their breakfast. Master Huan is there already, so be quick. And someone take the same message to Master Lan, please.’
‘Yes, yes,’ said the women, hurriedly buttoning up their clothing, and two of them hurried off to deliver it, one to Green Delights and the other to Sweet-rice Village.
Aroma knew that something unusual must be toward for someone to be knocking so early at the courtyard gate and called to one of the old women to go and find out what it was while she herself got up and put her clothes on. When she heard the message, she sent someone out for washing-water and roused up Bao-yu. She told him to wash himself as quickly as possible while she went to fetch him some clothes. Since it was Jia Zheng he was going out with, she chose his second best, judging his best to be too showy.
As there was now obviously no possibility of following out his original intention, Bao-yu washed and dressed and hurried over to his parents’ apartment immediately. When he got there he found Jia Zheng already sipping his wheatmeal tea and apparently in very good humour. Bao-yu made his morning salutation to his parents after which he in turn was greeted by Jia Huan and Jia Lan. Jia Zheng ordered the three of them to sit down and drink their wheatmeal tea.
‘Bao-yu is not as diligent as you two in his schoolwork,’ he told the two younger boys, ‘but he is much better than you at making up poems and couplets. No doubt all three of you will be called upon to contribute poems at this place we are going to. Bao-yu will have to help you out a bit.’
This was music indeed in the ears of Lady Wang, who had never before heard her husband praise Bao-yu in such terms. She waited until Jia Zheng and the boys had gone before getting up to make her morning call on Grandmother Jia; but before she could get away, Parfumée’s foster-mother and two of the other foster-mothers came in saying that there was something they wished to speak to her about.
‘Ever since Your Ladyship was good enough to let me take Parfumée home with me,’ said Parfumée’s foster-mother, ‘she’s been refusing to eat and drink and behaving like a crazy girl, and now Nénuphar and Étamine are the same. The three of them have been carrying on something dreadful, threatening to kill themselves and I don’t know what. All they want, they say, is to shave their hair off and become nuns. Well, I thought, they’re only children; after a day or two they’ll get over this. But not a bit of it: two days have gone by already and they’re worse than ever. Neither words nor blows have any effect on them. We’re all at our wits’ end. We’ve come to ask Your Ladyship if you will either let them have their way and go into a convent or else deal with them as you see fit and hand them over to somebody else, because we can do nothing with them.’
‘Nonsense!’ said Lady Wang impatiently. ‘It’s not for them to decide what is to become of them. The Buddhist vocation is not to be undertaken on a mere childish caprice. Give each of them a flogging and see if they misbehave then!’
It was the custom for nuns from the various temples which the Jia ladies patronized to visit the mansion over the Mid-Autumn festival bringing the first-fruits of their offerings. Euergesia, the prioress of Water-moon Priory, who had come along with the rest, had been invited to stay on for a few days and happened to be at hand during this interview. This holy old fraud pricked her ears up when she heard of three young persons wanting to become nuns. A few young novices to wait on her and help about the priory were just what she was looking for. She set to work on Lady Wang accordingly.
‘No doubt it is because this is such a blessed household (thanks to all Your Ladyship’s good works) that these young people’s hearts have been turned towards the faith,’ she said. ‘It is true that the Buddha’s gate is not to be entered lightly; but it is also written that the Buddha’s truth is for all sorts and conditions of men. And not only men, for when the Blessed Lord made his vow, it was to work for the salvation of all sentient beings. These three young people have no parents and are far from the place where they were born. Having had a taste of luxury during their years here with you, yet being born to a lowly fate and trained in a profession that at best is vanity, they cannot but tremble when they think what the future may hold for them. I believe that is why, out of the midst of this sea of suffering, they have turned towards the light and resolved to abjure the world and its vanities and prepare themselves for the life to come. That is a noble decision, Your Ladyship. I don’t think you ought to stand in the way of it.’
Lady Wang was a good woman at heart and had only opposed the young actresses’ determination to become nuns because she thought it proceeded from mere childish waywardness and feared that when put to the test they would find the vows of celibacy and abstinence too much for them and fall into mortal sin. But what the old nun said sounded plausible; and besides, she was at this moment very much preoccupied with other matters. Lady Xing had sent someone over to say that she wanted Ying-chun to spend a few days with her so that she could be exhibited to the representatives of a family seeking her in marriage, and Lady Wang herself was facing a visit from an official match-maker who was coming to discuss the matrimonial prospects of Tan-chun. She was far too worried by these other matters to be unduly concerned about the fate of a few entertainers. The answer she gave Euergesia, therefore, was a favourable one.
‘Very well then. Would you be prepared to take them as your disciples?’
‘Now blessings be upon you!’ said the old prioress. ‘It would be a holy thing if you would let me, it would indeed. Praise his Holy Name!’
She pressed her palms together and bowed down almost to the ground.
Lady Wang turned to the three foster-mothers:
‘All right, go and ask them. If they are really serious about this, they can kotow to Mother Euergesia in my presence and formally make themselves her disciples.’
The three women went off and presently reappeared, bringing the three girls with them. Lady Wang questioned each of them closely about her decision and when she was satisfied that they were utterly resolved to go through with it, allowed them to make their kotows to the old nun. After that they kotowed to her. Now that she was convinced of their determination and saw that nothing could deflect them from it, she began to feel quite sorry for them and ordered the servants to get out various things to give them. She also gave several presents to the prioress.
Thus Parfumée, Nénuphar and Étamine left the sinful world behind them and went off with Euergesia to embark on a new life at Water-moon Priory.
What followed thereafter will be related in the following chapter.