第十九回

第十九回 情切切良宵花解语 意绵绵静日玉生香

话说贾妃回宫，次日见驾谢恩，并回奏归省之事。龙颜甚悦，又发内帑彩缎金银等物，以赐贾政及各椒房等员，不必细说。

且说荣宁二府中因连日用尽心力，真是人人力倦，各各神疲，又将园中一应陈设动用之物收拾了两三天方完。第一个凤姐事多任重，别人或可偷安躲静，独他是不能脱得的；二则本性要强，不肯落人褒贬，只拃挣着与无事的人一样。

第一个宝玉是极无事最闲暇的。偏这日一早，袭人的母亲又亲来回过贾母，接袭人家去吃年茶，晚间才得回来。因此，宝玉只和众丫头们掷骰子赶围棋作戏。正在房内顽的没兴头，忽见丫头们来回说：“东府珍大爷来请过去看戏、放花灯。”宝玉听了，便命换衣裳。才要去时，忽又有贾妃赐出糖蒸酥酪来；宝玉想上次袭人喜吃此物，便命留与袭人了。自己回过贾母，过去看戏。

谁想贾珍这边唱的是《丁郎认父》、《黄伯央大摆阴魂阵》，更有《孙行者大闹天宫》、《姜子牙斩将封神》等类的戏文[3]，倏尔神鬼乱出，忽又妖魔毕露，甚至于扬幡过会，号佛[4]行香，锣鼓喊叫之声远闻巷外。满街之人个个都赞：“好热闹戏，别人家断不能有的。”宝玉见繁华热闹到如此不堪的田地，只略坐了一坐，便走开各处闲耍。先是进内去和尤氏和丫鬟姬妾说笑了一回，便出二门来。

尤氏等仍料他出来看戏，遂也不曾照管。贾珍、贾琏、薛蟠等只顾猜枚行令，百般作乐，也不理论，纵一时不见他在座，只道在里边去了，故也不问。至于跟宝玉的小厮们，那年纪大些的，知宝玉这一来了，必是晚间才散，因此偷空也有去会赌的，也有往亲友家去吃年茶的，更有或嫖或饮的，都私散了，待晚间再来；那小些的，都钻进戏房里瞧热闹去了。

宝玉见一个人没有，因想“这里素日有个小书房〔二〕，内曾挂着一轴美人，极画的得神。今日这般热闹，想那里自然无人〔三〕，那美人也自然是寂寞的，须得我去〔四〕望慰他一回。”想着，便往书房里来。刚到窗前，闻得房内有呻吟之韵。宝玉倒唬了一跳：敢是美人活了不成？乃乍着胆子，舔破窗纸，向内一看——那轴美人却不曾活，却是茗烟按着一个女孩子，也干那警幻所训之事。宝玉禁不住大叫：“了不得！”一脚踹进门去，将那两个唬开了，抖衣而颤。

茗烟见是宝玉，忙跪求不迭。宝玉道：“青天白日，这是怎么说。珍大爷知道，你是死是活？”一面看那丫头，虽不标致，倒还白净，些微亦有动人处，羞的脸红耳赤，低首无言。宝玉跺脚道：“还不快跑！”一语提醒了那丫头，飞也似去了。宝玉又赶出去，叫道：“你别怕，我是不告诉人的。”急的茗烟在后叫：“祖宗，这是分明告诉人了！”宝玉因问：“那丫头十几岁了？”茗烟道：“大不过十六七岁了。”宝玉道：“连他的岁属也不问问，别的自然越发不知了。可见他白认得你了。可怜，可怜！”又问：“名字叫什么？”茗烟大笑道：“若说出名字来话长——真真新鲜奇文，竟是写不出来的。据他说，他母亲养他的时节做了个梦，梦见得了一匹锦，上面是五色富贵不断头卍字的花样，所以他的名字叫作卍儿〔五〕。”宝玉听了笑道：“真也新奇，想必他将来有些造化。”说着，沉思一会。

茗烟因问：“二爷为何不看这样的好戏？”宝玉道：“看了半日，怪烦的，出来逛逛，就遇见你们了。这会子作什么呢？”茗烟[9]笑道：“这会子没人知道，我悄悄的引二爷往城外逛逛去，一会子再往这里来，他们就不知道了。”宝玉道：“不好，仔细花子[10]拐了去。便是他们知道了，又闹大了，不如往熟近些的地方去，还可就来。”茗烟道：“熟近地方，谁家可去？这却难了。”宝玉笑道：“依我的主意，咱们竟找你花大姐姐去，瞧他在家作什么呢。”茗烟笑道：“好，好！倒忘了他家。”又道：“若他们知道了，说我引着二爷胡走，要打我呢？”宝玉道：“有我呢。”茗烟听说，拉了马，二人从后门就走了。

幸而袭人家不远，不过一半里路程，展眼已到门前。茗烟先进去叫袭人之兄花自芳。彼时袭人之母接了袭人与几个外甥女儿、几个侄女儿来家，正吃果茶。听见外面有人叫“花大哥”，花自芳慌忙出去看时，见是他主仆两个，唬的惊疑不止，连忙抱下宝玉来，在院内嚷道：“宝二爷来了！”别人听见还可，袭人听了，也不知为何，忙跑出来迎着宝玉，一把拉着问：“你怎么来了？”宝玉笑道：“我怪闷的，来瞧瞧你作什么呢。”袭人听了，才放下心来，嗐[11]了一声，笑道：“你也忒胡闹了，可作什么来呢！”一面又问茗烟：“还有谁跟来？”茗烟笑道：“别人都不知，就只我们两个。”袭人听了，复又惊慌，说道：“这还了得！倘或碰见了人，或是遇见了老爷，街上人挤车碰，马轿纷纷的，若有个闪失，也是顽得的！你们的胆子比斗还大。都是茗烟调唆的，回去我定告诉嬷嬷们打你。”茗烟撅了嘴道：“二爷骂着打着，叫我引了来，这会子推到我身上。我说别来罢，——不然我们还去罢。”花自芳忙劝：“罢了，已是来了，也不用多说了。只是茅檐草舍，又窄又脏，爷怎么坐呢？”

袭人之母也早迎了出来。袭人拉了宝玉进去。宝玉见房中三五个女孩儿，见他进来，都低了头，羞惭惭的。花自芳母子两个百般怕宝玉冷，又让他上炕，又忙另摆果桌，又忙倒好茶。袭人笑道：“你们不用白忙，我自然知道。果子也不用摆，也不敢乱给东西吃。”一面说，一面将自己的坐褥拿了铺在一个杌上，宝玉坐了；用自己的脚炉垫了脚；向荷包内取出两个梅花香饼儿[12]来，又将自己的手炉掀开焚上，仍盖好，放与宝玉怀内；然后将自己的茶杯斟了茶，送与宝玉。彼时他母兄已是忙另齐齐整整摆上一桌子果品来。袭人见总无可吃之物，因笑道：“既来了，没有空去之理，好歹尝一点儿，也是来我家一趟。”说着，便拈了几个松子穰，吹去细皮，用手帕托着送与宝玉。

宝玉看见袭人两眼微红，粉光融滑，因悄问袭人：“好好的哭什么？”袭人笑道：“何尝哭，才迷了眼揉的。”因此便遮掩过了。当下宝玉穿着大红金蟒狐腋箭袖，外罩石青貂裘排穗褂。袭人道：“你特为往这里来又换新服，他们就不问你往那去的？”宝玉笑道：“珍大爷那里去看戏换的。”袭人点头。又道：“坐一坐就回去罢，这个地方不是你来的。”宝玉笑道：“你就家去才好呢，我还替你留着好东西呢。”袭人悄笑道：“悄悄的，叫他们听着什么意思。”一面又伸手从宝玉项上将通灵玉摘了下来，向他姊妹们笑道：“你们见识见识。时常说起来都当希罕，恨不能一见，今儿可尽力瞧了。再瞧什么希罕物儿，也不过是这么个东西。”说毕，递与他们传看了一遍，仍与宝玉挂好。又命他哥哥去或雇一乘小轿，或雇一辆小车，送宝玉回去。花自芳道：“有我送去，骑马也不妨了。”袭人道：“不为不妨，为的是碰见人。”

花自芳忙去雇了一顶小轿来，众人也不敢相留，只得送宝玉出去。袭人又抓些果子与茗烟，又把些钱与他买花炮放，教他“不可告诉人，连你也有不是”。一直送宝玉至门前，看着上轿，放下轿帘。花、茗二人牵马跟随。来至宁府街，茗烟命住轿，向花自芳道：“须等我同二爷还到东府里混一混，才好过去的，不然人家就疑惑了。”花自芳听说有理，忙将宝玉抱出轿来，送上马去。宝玉笑说：“倒难为你了。”于是仍进后门来。俱不在话下。

却说宝玉自出了门，他房中这些丫鬟们都越性恣意的顽笑，也有赶围棋的，也有掷骰抹牌的，嗑了一地瓜子皮。偏奶母李嬷嬷拄拐进来请安，瞧瞧宝玉，见宝玉不在家，丫头们只顾顽闹，十分看不过。因叹道：“只从我出去了，不大进来，你们越发没个样儿了，别的妈妈们越不敢说你们了。那宝玉是个丈八的灯台——照见人家，照不见自家的。只知嫌人家脏，这是他的屋子，由着你们遭塌，越不成体统了。”这些丫头们明知宝玉不讲究这些，二则李嬷嬷已是告老解事出去的了，如今管他们不着，因此只顾顽，并不理他。那李嬷嬷还只管问“宝玉如今一顿吃多少饭”、“什么时辰睡觉”等语。丫头们总胡乱答应。有的说：“好一个讨厌的老货！〔六〕”

李嬷嬷又问道：“这盖碗里是酥酪，怎不送与我去？我就吃了罢。”说毕，拿匙就吃。一个丫头道：“快别动！那是说了给袭人留着的，回来又惹气了。你老人家自己承认，别带累我们受气。”李嬷嬷听了，又气又愧，便说道：“我不信他这样坏了。别说我吃了一碗牛奶，就是再比这个值钱的，也是应该的。难道待袭人比我还重？难道他不想想怎么长大了？我的血变的奶，吃的长这么大，如今我吃他一碗牛奶，他就生气了？我偏吃了，看怎么样！你们看袭人不知怎样，那是我手里调理出来的毛丫头，什么阿物儿[14]！”一面说，一面赌气将酥酪吃尽。又一丫头笑道：“他们不会说话，怨不得你老人家生气。宝玉还时常送东西孝敬你老去，岂有为这个不自在的。”李嬷嬷道：“你们也不必妆狐媚子[15]哄我，打量上次为茶撵茜雪的事我不知道呢。明儿有了不是，我再来领！”说着，赌气去了。

少时，宝玉回来，命人去接袭人。只见晴雯躺在床上不动，宝玉因问：“敢是病了？再不然输了？”秋纹道：“他倒是赢的。谁知李老太太来了，混输了，他气的睡去了。”宝玉笑道：“你别和他一般见识，由他去就是了。”说着，袭人已来，彼此相见。袭人又问宝玉何处吃饭，多早晚回来，又代母妹问诸同伴姊妹好。一时换衣卸妆。宝玉命取酥酪来，丫鬟们回说：“李奶奶吃了。”宝玉才要说话，袭人便忙笑道：“原来是留的这个，多谢费心。前儿我吃的时候好吃，吃过了好肚子疼，足的吐了才好。他吃了倒好，搁在这里倒白遭塌了。我只想风干栗子吃，你替我剥栗子，我去铺床。”

宝玉听了信以为真，方把酥酪丢开，取栗子来，自向灯前检剥。一面见众人不在房中，乃笑问袭人道：“今儿那个穿红的是你什么人？”袭人道：“那是我两姨妹子。”宝玉听了，赞叹了两声。袭人道：“叹什么？我知道你心里的缘故，想是说他那里配红的。”宝玉笑道：“不是，不是。那样的人不配穿红的，谁还敢穿。我因为见他实在好的很，怎么也得他在咱们家就好了。”袭人冷笑道：“我一个人是奴才命罢了，难道连我的亲戚都是奴才命不成？定还要拣实在好的丫头才往你家来。”宝玉听了，忙笑道：“你又多心了。我说往咱们家来，必定是奴才不成？说亲戚就使不得？”袭人道：“那也搬配不上。”

宝玉便不肯再说，只是剥栗子。袭人笑道：“怎么不言语了？想是我才冒撞冲犯了你，明儿赌气花几两银子买他们进来就是了。”宝玉笑道：“你说的话，怎么叫我答言呢。我不过是赞他好，正配生在这深堂大院里，没的我们这种浊物倒生在这里。”袭人道：“他虽没这造化，倒也是娇生惯养的呢，我姨爹姨娘的宝贝。如今十七岁，各样的嫁妆都齐备了，明年就出嫁。”宝玉听了“出嫁”二字，不禁又嗐了两声。正是不自在，又听袭人叹道：“只从我来这几年，姊妹们都不得在一处。如今我要回去了，他们又都去了。”

宝玉听这话内有文章，不觉吃一惊，忙丢下栗子，问道：“怎么，你如今要回去了？”袭人道：“我今儿听见我妈和哥哥商议，教我再耐烦一年，明年他们上来，就赎我出去的呢。”宝玉听了这话，越发怔了，因问：“为什么要赎你？”袭人道：“这话奇了！我又比不得是你这里的家生子儿[16]，一家子都在别处，独我一个人在这里，怎么是个了局？”宝玉道：“我不叫你去也难。”袭人道：“从来没这道理。便是朝廷宫里，也有个定例，或几年一选，几年一入，也没有个长远留下人的理，别说你了！”

宝玉想一想，果然有理。又道：“老太太不放你也难。”袭人道：“为什么不放？我果然是个最难得的，或者感动了老太太，老太太必不放我出去的，设或多给我们家几两银子，留下我，然或有之；其实我也不过是个平常的人，比我强的多而且多。自我从小儿来了，跟着老太太，先服侍了史大姑娘几年，如今又服侍了你几年。如今我们家来赎，正是该叫去的，只怕连身价也不要，就开恩叫我去呢。若说为服侍的你好，不叫我去，断然没有的事。那服侍的好，是分内应当的，不是什么奇功。我去了，仍旧有好的来，不是没了我就不成事。”

宝玉听了这些话，竟是有去的理，无留的理，心内越发急了，因又道：“虽然如此说，我只一心留下你，不怕老太太不和你母亲说。多多给你母亲些银子，他也不好意思接你了。”袭人道：“我妈自然不敢强。且慢说和他好说，又多给银子；就便不好和他说，一个钱也不给，安心要强留下我，他也不敢不依。但只是咱们家从没干过这倚势仗贵霸道的事。这比不得别的东西，因为你喜欢，加十倍利弄了来给你，那卖的人不得吃亏，可以行得。如今无故平空留下我，于你又无益，反叫我们骨肉分离，这件事，老太太、太太断不肯行的。”宝玉听了，思忖半晌，乃说道：“依你说，你是去定了？”袭人道：“去定了。”宝玉听了，自思道：“谁知这样一个人，这样薄情无义。”乃叹道：“早知道都是要去的，我就不该弄了来，临了剩我一个孤鬼儿。”说着，便赌气上床睡去了。

原来袭人在家，听见他母兄要赎他回去，他就说至死也不回去的。又说：“当日原是你们没饭吃，就剩我还值几两银子，若不叫你们卖，没有个看着老子娘饿死的理。如今幸而卖到这个地方，吃穿和主子一样，又不朝打暮骂。况且如今爹虽没了，你们却又整理的家成业就，复了元气。若果然还艰难，把我赎出来，再多掏澄[17]几个钱，也还罢了，其实又不难了。这会子又赎我作什么？权当我死了，再不必起赎我的念头！”因此哭闹了一阵。

他母兄见他这般坚执，自然必不出来的了。况且原是卖倒的死契[18]，明仗着贾宅是慈善宽厚之家，不过求一求，只怕身价银一并赏了还是有的事呢。二则，贾府中从不曾作践下人，只有恩多威少的。且凡老少房中所有亲侍的女孩子们，更比待家下众人不同，平常寒薄人家的小姐，也不能那样尊重的。因此，他母子两个也就死心不赎了。次后忽然宝玉去了，他二人又是那般景况，他母子二人心下更明白了，越发石头落了地，而且是意外之想，彼此放心，再无赎念了。

如今且说袭人自幼见宝玉性格异常，其淘气憨顽自是出于众小儿之外，更有几件千奇百怪口不能言的毛病儿。近来仗着祖母溺爱，父母亦不能十分严紧拘管，更觉放荡弛纵，任性恣情，最不喜务正。每欲劝时，料不能听，今日可巧有赎身之论，故先用骗词，以探其情，以压其气，然后好下箴规[19]。今见他默默睡去了，知其情有不忍，气已馁堕。自己原不想栗子吃的，只因怕为酥酪又生事故，亦如茜雪之茶等事，是以假以栗子为由，混过宝玉不提就完了。于是命小丫头子们将栗子拿去吃了，自己来推宝玉。只见宝玉〔七〕泪痕满面，袭人便笑道：“这有什么伤心的，你果然留我，我自然不出去了。”宝玉见这话有文章，便说道：“你倒说说，我还要怎么留你，我自己也难说了。”袭人笑道：“咱们素日好处，再不用说。但今日你安心留我，不在这上头。我另说出两三件事来，你果然依了我，就是你真心留我了，刀搁在脖子上，我也是不出去的了。”

宝玉忙笑道：“你说，那几件？我都依你。好姐姐，好亲姐姐，别说两三件，就是两三百件，我也依。只求你们同看着我，守着我，等我有一日化成了飞灰，——飞灰还不好，灰还有形有迹，还有知识。——等我化成一股轻烟，风一吹便散了的时候，你们也管不得我，我也顾不得你们了。那时凭我去，我也凭你们爱那里去就去了。”话未说完〔八〕，急的袭人忙握他的嘴，说：“好好的，正为劝你这些，倒更说的狠了。”宝玉忙说道：“再不说这话了。”袭人道：“这是头一件要改的。”宝玉道：“改了，再要说，你就拧嘴。还有什么？”

袭人道：“第二件，你真喜读书也罢，假喜也罢，只是在老爷跟前或在别人跟前，你别只管批驳诮谤，只作出个喜读书的样子来，也教老爷少生些气，在人前也好说嘴。他心里想着，我家代代读书，只从有了你，不承望你不喜读书，已经他心里又气又愧了。而且背前背后乱说那些混话，凡读书上进的人，你就起个名字叫作‘禄蠹’[22]；又说只除‘明明德’[23]外无书，都是前人自己不能解圣人之书，便另出己意，混编纂出来的。这些话，怎么怨得老爷不气，不时时打你。叫别人怎么想你？”宝玉笑道：“再不说了。那原是那小时不知天高地厚，信口胡说，如今再不敢说了。还有什么？”

袭人道：“再不可毁僧谤道，调脂弄粉。还有更要紧的一件，再不许吃人嘴上擦的胭脂了，与那爱红的毛病儿。”宝玉道：“都改，都改。再有什么，快说。”袭人笑道：“再也没有了。只是百事检点些〔九〕，不任意任情的就是了。你若果都依了，便拿八人轿也抬不出我去了。”宝玉笑道：“你在这里长远了，不怕没八人轿你坐。”袭人冷笑道：“这我可不希罕的。有那个福气，没有那个道理。纵坐了，也没甚趣。”

二人正说着，只见秋纹走进来，说：“快三更了，该睡了。方才老太太打发嬷嬷来问，我答应睡了。”宝玉命取表来看时，果然针已指到亥正，方从新盥漱，宽衣安歇，不在话下。

至次日清晨，袭人起来，便觉身体发重，头疼目胀，四肢火热。先时还扎挣的住，次后捱不住，只要睡着，因而和衣躺在炕上。宝玉忙回了贾母，传医诊视，说道：“不过偶感风寒，吃一两剂药疏散疏散就好了。”开方去后，令人取药来煎好。刚服下去，命他盖上被渥汗，宝玉自去黛玉房中来看视。

彼时黛玉自在床上歇午，丫鬟们皆出去自便，满屋内静悄悄的。宝玉揭起绣线软帘，进入里间，只见黛玉睡在那里，忙走上来推他道：“好妹妹，才吃了饭，又睡觉。”将黛玉唤醒。黛玉见是宝玉，因说道：“你且出去逛逛。我前儿闹了一夜，今儿还没有歇过来，浑身酸疼。”宝玉道：“酸疼事小，睡出来的病大。我替你解闷儿，混过困去就好了。”黛玉只合着眼，说道：“我不困，只略歇歇儿，你且别处去闹会子再来。”宝玉推他道：“我往那去呢，见了别人就怪腻的。”

黛玉听了，嗤的一声笑道：“你既要在这里，那边去老老实实的坐着，咱们说话儿。”宝玉道：“我也歪着。”黛玉道：“你就歪着。”宝玉道：“没有枕头，咱们在一个枕头上。”黛玉道：“放屁！外头不是枕头？拿一个来枕着。”宝玉出至外间，看了一看，回来笑道：“那个我不要，也不知是那个脏婆子的。”黛玉听了，睁开眼，起身笑道：“真真你就是我命中的‘天魔星’[25]！请枕这一个。”说着，将自己枕的推与宝玉，又起身将自己的再拿了一个来，自己枕了，二人对面倒下。

黛玉因看见宝玉左边腮上有钮扣大小的一块血渍，便欠身凑近前来，以手抚之细看，又道：“这又是谁的指甲刮破了？”宝玉侧身，一面躲，一面笑道：“不是刮的，只怕是才刚替他们淘漉胭脂膏子，[26]上了一点儿。”说着，便找手帕子要揩拭。黛玉便用自己的帕子替他揩拭了，口内说道：“你又干这些事了。干也罢了，必定还要带出幌子来。便是舅舅看不见，别人看见了，又当奇事新鲜话儿去学舌讨好儿，吹到舅舅耳朵里，又该大家不干净惹气。”

宝玉总未听见这些话，只闻得一股幽香，却是从黛玉袖中发出，闻之令人醉魂酥骨。宝玉一把便将黛玉的袖子拉住，要瞧笼着何物。黛玉笑道：“冬寒十月，谁带什么香呢。”宝玉笑道：“既然如此，这香是那里来的？”黛玉道：“连我也不知道。想必是柜子里头的香气，衣服上熏染的也未可知。”宝玉摇头道：“未必。这香的气味奇怪，不是那些香饼子、香毬子、香袋子的香。”黛玉冷笑道：“难道我也有什么‘罗汉’‘真人’给我些香不成？便是得了奇香，也没有亲哥哥亲兄弟弄了花儿、朵儿、霜儿、雪儿替我炮制。我有的是那些俗香罢了。”

宝玉笑道：“凡我说一句，你就拉上这么些，不给你个利害，也不知道，从今儿可不饶你了。”说着翻身起来，将两只手呵了两口，便伸手向黛玉膈肢窝内两肋下乱挠。黛玉素性触痒不禁，宝玉两手伸来乱挠，便笑的喘不过气来，口里说：“宝玉！你再闹，我就恼了。”宝玉方住了手，笑问道：“你还说这些不说了？”黛玉笑道：“再不敢了。”一面理鬓笑道：“我有奇香，你有‘暖香’没有？”

宝玉见问，一时解不来，因问：“什么‘暖香’？”黛玉点头叹笑道：“蠢才，蠢才！你有玉，人家就有金来配你〔一〇〕；人家有‘冷香’，你就没有‘暖香’去配？”宝玉方听出来，笑道：“方才求饶，如今更说狠了。”说着，又去伸手。黛玉忙笑道：“好哥哥，我可不敢了。”宝玉笑道：“饶便饶你，只把袖子我闻一闻。”说着，便拉了袖子笼在面上，闻个不住。黛玉夺了手道：“这可该去了。”宝玉笑道：“去，不能。咱们斯斯文文的躺着说话儿。”说着，复又倒下。黛玉也倒下，用手帕子盖上脸。宝玉有一搭没一搭的说些鬼话，黛玉只不理。宝玉问他几岁上京，路上见何景致古迹，扬州有何遗迹故事，土俗民风。黛玉只不答。

宝玉只怕他睡出病来，便哄他道：“嗳哟！你们扬州衙门里有一件大故事，你可知道？”黛玉见他说的郑重，且又正言厉色，只当是真事，因问：“什么事？”宝玉见问，便忍着笑顺口诌道：

“扬州有一座黛山，山上有个林子洞。”

黛玉笑道：“就是扯谎，自来也没听见这山。”宝玉道：“天下山水多着呢，你那里知道这些不成。等我说完了，你再批评。”黛玉道：“你且说。”宝玉又诌道：

“林子洞里原来有群耗子精。那一年腊月初七日，老耗子升座议事，因说：‘明日乃是腊八，世上人都熬腊八粥。如今我们洞中果品短少，须得趁此打劫些来方妙。’乃拔令箭一枝，遣一能干的小耗前去打听。一时小耗回报：‘各处察访打听已毕，惟有山下庙里果米最多。’老耗问：‘米有几样？果有几品？’小耗道：‘米豆成仓，不可胜记。果品有五种：一红枣，二栗子，三落花生，四菱角，五香芋。’老耗听了大喜，即时点耗前去。乃拔令箭问：‘谁去偷米？’一耗便接令去偷米。又拔令箭问：‘谁去偷豆？’又一耗接令去偷豆。然后一一的都各领令去了。只剩了香芋一种，因又拔令箭问：‘谁去偷香芋？’只见一个极小极弱的小耗应道：‘我愿去偷香芋。’老耗并众耗见他这样，恐不谙练，且怯懦无力，都不准他去。小耗道：‘我虽年小身弱，却是法术无边，口齿伶俐，机谋深远。此去管比他们偷的还巧呢。’众耗忙问：‘如何比他们巧呢？’小耗道：‘我不学他们直偷。我只摇身一变，也变成个香芋，滚在香芋堆里，使人看不出，听不见，却暗暗的用分身法搬运，渐渐的就搬运尽了。岂不比直偷硬取的巧些？’众耗听了，都道：‘妙却妙，只是不知怎么个变法，你先变个我们瞧瞧。’小耗听了，笑道：‘这个不难，等我变来。’说毕，摇身说‘变’，竟变了一个最标致美貌的一位小姐。众耗忙笑道：‘变错了，变错了。原说变果子的，如何变出小姐来？’小耗现形笑道：‘我说你们没见世面，只认得这果子是香芋，却不知盐课林老爷的小姐才是真正的香玉呢。’”

黛玉听了，翻身爬起来，按着宝玉笑道：“我把你烂了嘴的！我就知道你是编我呢。”说着，便拧的宝玉连连央告，说：“好妹妹，饶我罢，再不敢了！我因为闻你香，忽然想起这个故典来。”黛玉笑道：“饶骂了人，还说是故典呢。”

一语未了，只见宝钗走来，笑问：“谁说故典呢？我也听听。”黛玉忙让坐，笑道：“你瞧瞧，有谁！他饶[28]骂了人，还说是故典。”宝钗笑道：“原来是宝兄弟，怨不得他，他肚子里的故典原多。只是可惜一件，凡该用故典之时，他偏就忘了。有今日记得的，前儿夜里的芭蕉诗就该记得。眼面前的倒想不起来，别人冷的那样，你急的只出汗。这会子偏又有记性了。”黛玉听了笑道：“阿弥陀佛！到底是我的好姐姐。你一般也遇见对子[29]了，可知一还一报，不爽不错的。”刚说到这里〔一一〕，只听宝玉房中一片声嚷，吵闹起来。正是——

〔一〕 回目原缺，原“第十九回”四字为后人所加，己卯、梦稿、蒙府、戚序、舒序、甲辰本回目均作“情切切良宵花解语，意绵绵静日玉生香”，今从各本增补。

[2] 花解语——从“解语花”一词来。解语花：即善解人意的、会说话的花。解：会、能的意思。王仁裕《开元天宝遗事》记述唐玄宗时太液池有数枝千叶白莲盛开，帝与贵戚共赏，指杨贵妃对左右说：“争如我解语花。”后常用以比喻美人。这里“花”指花袭人。玉生香：见明余文台梓行《万锦情林》卷一《凤凰台上忆吹箫》：“何如花解语，玉又生香”。这里“玉”指林黛玉。

[3] 《丁郎认父》等戏——《丁郎认父》演明代杜文学（一说高文举）被严嵩迫害流落湖广，入赘胡丞相府中，他与前妻所生之子丁郎在街上相遇不敢相认，后入府说明原委才得父子相认。《黄伯央大摆阴魂阵》又名《黄伯英怒摆阴兵阵》，故事本于《七国春秋平话》“黄伯杨下山”，“迷魂阵困孙子四人”等章节，讲燕将乐毅的师父黄伯杨下山布迷魂阵围困齐将孙膑的事，剧情十分热闹。《孙行者大闹天宫》、《姜子牙斩将封神》分别为敷演《西游记》和《封神演义》的故事。

[4] 号佛——口宣佛号，即大声念佛。

〔二〕 “有个小书房”，底本“房”下有“名”字并空五字地位，可能是作者拟为小书房起名空下的，后来书房名未起，故将“名”字点去。

〔三〕 “今日这般热闹，想那里自然无人”，原“自然”二字点去，下空半行地位，为求上下文字衔接，此处各本均有改动。甲辰本保留“自然”二字，下添“无人”二字，今从。

〔四〕 “须得我去”，原无“须”字，从各本补。

〔五〕 “叫作卍儿”，己卯、蒙府、戚序、舒序诸本同。梦稿、甲辰、程甲、程乙本作“叫作万儿”。

[9] （xī西）——通“嘻”。：象声词，笑声。

[10] 花子——这里指诓骗小孩的拐子。亦称“拍花子”。

[11] 嗐（hài）——叹词，表示伤感、惋惜、悔恨之意。

[12] 梅花香饼儿——用香料粉末做成的梅花状小饼，可以佩带，也可焚烧。

〔六〕 “老货”，原无“老”字，从己卯、蒙府、戚序本补。

[14] 阿物儿——如同说“东西”、“家伙”（指人），是一种轻蔑的口气。

[15] 妆狐媚子——用狐狸精善迷人来比喻献媚讨好。

[16] 家生子儿——指家奴的子女。按清代法律，家奴子女世代为奴，永远服役。

[17] 掏澄——掏换、搜寻。

[18] 卖倒的死契——指旧社会买卖人口所立的一种字据，其载明永远不能赎取者叫“死契”。“卖倒”即“卖定”、“卖死”、不可变更的意思。

[19] 箴（zhēn针）规——规劝；告诫。

〔七〕 “只见宝玉”，原无，从梦稿、舒序、甲辰本补。

〔八〕 “话未说完”，原无，从蒙府本补。

[22] 禄蠹（dù杜）——禄：古代官吏的俸禄。蠹：蛀虫。《韩非子·五蠹》曾把遵“先王之道”的学者、设诈“以成其私”的言谈者、带剑者、习御者以及商工这五种人称为“五蠹之民”，认为足以导致邦国破灭。李贽《史纲评要》赞同前人“无功泽及人，而浪度岁月，宴然为天地间一蠹”的说法。“禄蠹”之称或由此等处化出，用以讽刺那些热中功名利禄的人。

[23] 明明德——语出《大学》。前一个“明”字作动词，彰明、发扬的意思；后一个“明”字修饰“德”，“明德”即所谓至德、完美的德行。

〔九〕 “只是百事检点些”，己卯、蒙府、戚序、舒序、甲辰本并同。梦稿本作“只是诸事检点些”。原作“只是凡百的事检点些”，“凡”、“的”均为旁添。

[25] 天魔星——天魔：佛家语，印度古代传说中四魔之一，即“他化自在天魔”，为魔界之主，常率众魔扰人身心、障碍佛法、破坏善事。这里是缠人的“冤家”的意思。

[26] （cènɡ层去声）——同、蹭，摩擦，这里是沾上的意思。

〔一〇〕 “有金来配你”，原无“来”字，从各本补。

[28] 饶——义近“不但”。这里用在动词“骂”之前，使意思更进一层，与下句中的“还”相应。

[29] 对子——对手。

〔一一〕 “刚说到这里”，原无“到”字，从梦稿、戚序本补。

CHAPTER 19. A very earnest young woman offers counsel by night And a very endearing one is found to be a source of fragrance by day

On the day following the Imperial Concubine’s return to the Palace, she called on the Emperor to offer thanks and gave him a full account of her Visitation. The Emperor was visibly pleased by her report and commanded that bounties of gold, silver and silks should be issued to Jia Zheng and the other fathers of visiting ladies by the Inner Treasury.

But there is no need for us to pursue these matters in further detail.

The events of the last few days had taxed the energies of all the inmates of the Ning-guo and Rong-guo mansions to the utmost, and by now all of them were feeling both physically and mentally exhausted. Even so, Xi-feng forced herself to supervise the taking down and storing away of all the decorations and other movables from the garden – an operation which took another two or three days to accomplish.

Xi-feng’s duties and responsibilities were so many that she could not evade them and seek recuperation in rest and quiet as the others did. At the same time, however, the anxiety to be thought well of and the shrinking fear of criticism that were a part of her nature made her take pains, even when she was at her busiest, to appear outwardly as idle and unoccupied as the rest.

Of those idle and unoccupied rest, the idlest and most unoccupied was Bao-yu. On this particular morning, Aroma’s mother had been round first thing to report to Grandmother Jia that she was taking her daughter home for a New Year’s party and would not be bringing her back until late that evening. After her departure Bao-yu played ‘Racing Go’ with the other maids. This was a game in which you moved your Go-piece across the board in accordance with the throw of dice, the object being to reach the opposite side before everyone else and pocket all the stakes.

He was already tired of sitting indoors and was beginning to find the game boring, when one of the maids told him that someone had just been round from Cousin Zhen’s inviting him over to the other house to see their New Year lanterns and to join them in watching some plays. Bao-yu told the maids to fetch his going-out clothes and help him change. As he was on the point of leaving, someone arrived with a present of sweetened koumiss from the Imperial Concubine. He remembered how much Aroma had enjoyed this drink last time they had had some, and asked them to put it by for her. Then, having first called on Grandmother Jia to tell her he was leaving, he went over to the other house to watch the players.

The plays they were performing turned out to be very noisy ones: Ding-lang Finds His Father, Huang Bo-yang and the Ghostly Army, Monkey Makes War in Heaven and The Investiture of the Gods. All of them, but especially the last two, seemed to involve much rushing in and out of supernatural beings, and the sound of drums and cymbals and blood-curdling battle-cries, as they whirled into combat across the stage with banners flying and weapons flashing or invoked the names of the Buddha with waving of burning joss-sticks, was positively deafening. It carried into the street outside, where the passers-by smiled appreciatively and told each other that only a family like the Jias could afford theatricals that produced so satisfying a volume of noise.

To Bao-yu, however, a little of this kind of thing was more than enough, and after sitting for a short while with the rest, he drifted off to seek his amusement elsewhere. To begin with he went inside and spent some time in bantering conversation with You-shi and the maids and concubines in the women’s quarters. When he went off once more through the inner gate, the women assumed that he was going back to the play and made no attempt to detain him. The menfolk – Cousin Zhen, Jia Lian, Xue Pan and the rest – were engrossed in games of guess-fingers and other convivial aids to drunkenness, and if they noticed his absence at all, assumed that he was inside with the ladies and did not comment on it.

As for the pages who had accompanied him: the older ones, estimating that he had almost certainly come over for the day, gave themselves time off to gamble and drink with their cronies or to visit friends and relations outside, confident that if they returned in the evening they would be in time for Bao-yu’s departure. The younger ones wormed their way into the green-room to watch the excitement and get in the way of the actors. Bao-yu was left without a single one of them in attendance.

Finding himself alone, he began thinking about a certain painting he remembered having seen in Cousin Zhen’s ‘smaller study’. It was a very life-like portrait of a beautiful woman. While everyone was celebrating, he reflected, she was sure to have been left on her own and would perhaps be feeling lonely. He would go and have a look at her and cheer her up.

But as he approached the study, he experienced a sudden thrill of fright. A gentle moaning could be heard coming from inside it.

‘Good gracious!’ he thought. ‘Can the woman in the painting really have come to life?’

He made a tiny hole in the paper window with his tongue and peeped through. It was no painted lady he saw, stepped down from her hanging scroll upon the wall, but Tealeaf, pressed upon the body of a girl and evidently engaged in those exercises in which Bao-yu had once been instructed by the fairy Disenchantment.

‘Good lord!’

He cried out involuntarily, and kicking open the door, strode into the study, so startling the two inside that they shook in their clothes. Seeing that it was Bao-yu, Tealeaf at once fell upon his knees and begged for mercy.

‘In broad daylight!’ said Bao-yu. ‘What do you think you’re at? If Mr Zhen got to hear of this, it would be more than your life is worth.’

As he spoke, his eye fell upon the girl. She had a soft, white skin, to whose charms he could not be insensible. At the moment she was red to the very tips of her ears and stood there in silence, hanging her head with shame. Bao-yu stamped his foot impatiently:

‘Why don’t you go?’

The words seemed to bring her to herself, for she turned and fled immediately. Bao-yu ran after her, shouting.

‘Don’t be afraid! I won’t tell anyone!’

Tealeaf, running out behind him, was frantic:

‘My dear little grandfather, that’s exactly what you are doing!’

‘How old is she?’ Bao-yu asked him.

‘Not more than fifteen or so,’ said Tealeaf.

‘You don’t even know her age!’ said Bao-yu. ‘You can do this to her without even knowing her age! She’s wasted on you, that’s evident. Poor girl! What’s her name?’

‘Ah now, that’s quite a story,’ said Tealeaf with a broad smile. ‘She says that just before she was born her mother dreamed she saw a beautiful piece of brocade, woven in all the colours of the rainbow, with a pattern of lucky swastikas all over it. So when she was born, she gave her the name “Swastika”.’

Bao-yu smiled back.

‘She ought to have a lucky future ahead of her, then. Shall I ask them tomorrow if you can have her for your wife?’

Tealeaf thought this was a huge joke.

‘Why aren’t you watching the plays, Master Bao?’ he asked. ‘They’re ever so good!’

‘I did watch for quite a while,’ said Bao-yu, ‘but I got rather deafened and came out to walk around for a bit. That’s how I found you here. But what are we going to do now?’

Tealeaf gave a sly little smile:

‘What about going for a ride outside the city? If we slipped off quietly we could get there and back without anyone knowing.’

‘Too risky,’ said Bao-yu. ‘We might get kidnapped or something. Besides, there would be terrible trouble if they found out. It’d better be somewhere nearer, so that we can get back quickly.’

‘Who do we know near here that we could call on?’ said Tealeaf. ‘I can’t think of anyone.’

‘I know,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Why don’t we go round to the Huas’ house and see what Aroma is up to?’

‘All right. But I’ve forgotten where they live,’ said Tealeaf untruthfully. ‘And suppose they do find out you’ve been gadding around outside’ (he added the real reason for his hesitation) ‘they’ll say I put you up to it, and I shall get a beating.’

‘I’ll see you don’t get into trouble,’ said Bao-yu.

Reassured, Tealeaf fetched the horse, and the two of them slipped out by the back entrance.

Luckily the Huas’ house was only a few hundred yards from the Ning-guo mansion, and in no time at all they had reached its gate. Tealeaf entered first and called out the name of Aroma’s elder brother, Hua Zi-fang.

Aroma’s mother was not long back from collecting the various nieces, on both her own and her late husband’s side of the family, who had had to be fetched after she had been to call for Aroma, and the family had only just settled down to their tea when they heard this voice outside calling for Hua Zi-fang. To the latter’s considerable surprise and mystification he found, on going outside to look, his sister’s young master waiting at the gate with a servant. Having first lifted Bao-yu off his horse, he went back into the courtyard and bawled to the rest inside:

‘It’s Master Bao!’

Aroma was dumbfounded and came running out to discover the cause of this unaccountable visit. As soon as she saw him she clung to him anxiously:

‘What is it? Are you all right?’

Bao-yu laughed carelessly.

‘I was just feeling bored, so I came over to see what you were up to.’

‘Stupid!’ said Aroma, relieved to find that nothing was amiss. ‘What did you think I would be up to?’

She turned to Tealeaf.

‘Who else is with you?’

‘Nobody,’ said Tealeaf with a grin. ‘Nobody else knows we’re here.’

At this Aroma became alarmed once more.

‘That’s terrible! Suppose you were to run into someone? Suppose you were to meet the Master?’ She glanced at Bao-yu fearfully. ‘In any case, the streets are so crowded now, you could easily get ridden down or something. It would be no joke if you were to have an accident. You two certainly have a nerve!’ She turned to Tealeaf again. ‘You put him up to this, didn’t you? Wait till I get back: I’ll tell his nannies about you. They’ll have you flogged like a felon, see if they don’t!’

Tealeaf pulled a face.

‘Don’t go trying to pin the blame on me! Master Bao was cursing and swearing at me to make me go with him. I kept telling him not to come. Anyway, we’d better be going back now, if that’s the way you feel!’

‘You might as well stay, now you’re here,’ said Hua Zi-fang in a conciliatory manner. ‘There’s no point in quarrelling about it. The only trouble is, this is not much of a place we live in here: poor and cramped and not too clean and that. Hardly a fit place for the likes of Master Bao, I’m thinking.’

By this time Aroma’s mother had joined them outside to welcome the visitors. Aroma took Bao-yu by the hand and led him in. He saw four or five girls sitting down inside who hung their heads and blushed when he entered. Despite their blushes, Hua Zi-fang and his mother insisted that Bao-yu should get up on the kang with them, as they were afraid that he would find their house cold. Having installed him on the kang, they bustled to and fro fetching things to eat and pouring tea.

‘Now don’t you two rush about, Mother,’ said Aroma. ‘I know how to look after him. There’s no point in your giving him a lot of things he won’t be able to eat.’

As she said this she took her own cushion that she had been sitting on, put it on top of a little short-legged kang table, and made Bao-yu sit on it with his feet on her metal foot-warmer. Then she took a couple of rose-shaped perfume lozenges from a little purse she was wearing, opened up her hand-warmer, popped the lozenges onto the burning charcoal, and closing it up again, stuffed it into the front of his gown. Having at last got him settled comfortably and to her own satisfaction, she served him with tea which she poured out for him into her own cup.

Hua Zi-fang and his mother had by now finished laying an elaborate tea. The cakes, nuts and dried fruits were arranged on their plates, and the plates themselves on the table, with painstaking attention to symmetry and design. Aroma could tell at a glance that there was nothing there which Bao-yu could possibly be expected to eat. But her family must not be offended.

‘Since you’ve decided to come,’ she said to Bao-yu with a smile, ‘we can’t let you go without having tasted something of ours. You’ll have to try something, just to be able to say that you have been our guest!’

She took a handful of pine nuts from one of the dishes on the table, and blowing away the skins, handed them to him on her handkerchief.

Bao-yu noticed that Aroma’s eyes were slightly red and that there were recent tear-stains on her powdered cheeks.

‘Why have you been crying?’ He spoke the words in an undertone as she handed him the pine nuts.

‘Who’s been crying?’ said Aroma with a feigned laugh. ‘I’ve just been rubbing my eyes.’

Her little fiction was successful, for he made no further comment.

Bao-yu was wearing his dark-red gown with the pattern of golden dragons and white fox-fur lining, and a sable-lined slate-blue jacket with fringed edges.

‘Fancy!’ said Aroma, ‘you got yourself all dressed up just to come and see us. Didn’t anyone ask you where you were going?’

‘No,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Actually I changed because I was going to Cousin Zhen’s. He invited me over to watch the players.’

Aroma nodded.

‘You’d better go back after you’ve sat a bit longer,’ she said. ‘This is really no place for you here.’

‘You shouldn’t be too long, either,’ said Bao-yu with a smile. ‘I’ve got something nice waiting for you when you get back.’

‘Sh!’ said Aroma. ‘Do you want them all to hear you?’

As she said this, she reached out and took the Magic Jade from his neck.

‘Here’s something that will interest you all,’ she said, holding it out to the others. ‘You know how often you’ve spoken about that wonderful jade of Master Bao’s and said how much you’d give for a look at it? Well, here it is! Now you can look to your heart’s content. There you are, that’s all it is! Not so wonderful, really, is it?’

They passed it from hand to hand, and when it had gone full circle and all had examined it, she hung it once more round his neck.

Aroma told her elder brother to go out and hire the cleanest, smartest-looking cab he could find to take Bao-yu home in.

‘I can see him safely back,’ said Hua Zi-fang. ‘He won’t come to any harm on horseback.’

‘It’s not a question of whether he’ll come to any harm or not,’ said Aroma. ‘I’m afraid someone might see him.’

Hua Zi-fang hurried out to hire a cab. The rest of the company, realizing that Bao-yu had no real business to be there, made no effort to detain him and rose to see him off. Aroma snatched up a handful of sweetmeats for Tealeaf. She also gave him a few coppers to buy fireworks with.

‘Mind you don’t tell anyone about this visit!’ she said. ‘You’ll be in trouble yourself if they find out about it.’

She escorted Bao-yu to the gate and saw him into the cab, pulling the blind down on him as soon as he was inside. Tealeaf and her brother followed behind it with the horse. When they arrived outside the Ning-guo mansion, Tealeaf told the cabbie to stop.

‘We’d better go in here for a bit before going home,’ he explained to Aroma’s brother. ‘Otherwise they might get suspicious.’

Hua Zi-fang acknowledged the sense of this precaution, and lifting Bao-yu from the cab, helped him up on to his horse.

‘Thank you for your trouble,’ said Bao-yu with a winning smile as he rode into the rear gate of the Ning-guo mansion.

And there, for the time being, we shall leave him.

When Bao-yu left his room for the other mansion, his maids were free to do exactly as they liked and threw themselves into their amusements with great abandon. Some played at Racing Go, some at Dice and Dominoes. Everywhere a litter of the spat-out skins of melon-seeds bore silent testimony to their indulgence.

It was unfortunate that Nannie Li should have chosen such a moment to come stomping in, stick in hand, to call on Bao-yu and to inquire how he was getting on. She could see that Bao-yu was out, and the uproar created in his absence by the maids was deeply offensive to her.

‘Now that I’ve left service and don’t come in very often,’ she said with a sigh, ‘you girls have got worse than ever. The other nannies can do nothing with you. And as for Bao-yu: he’s like a six-foot lampstand that lights up others but stays dark itself; for he’s always on about how dirty other people are, but look at the mess he allows you to make of his own room! It’s a disgrace!’

Now the maids all knew that Bao-yu did not care about such matters. They also knew that Nannie Li was pensioned off now and had no more power over them. They therefore continued with their fun and took no notice of her. But Nannie Li was not to be ignored. ‘How is Bao-yu eating nowadays?’ ‘What time does he go to bed?’ She plied the maids with questions which they answered either cheekily or not at all. One of them even said, quite audibly and in her hearing, ‘Old nuisance!’

‘What’s in this covered bowl?’ Nannie Li went on. ‘It’s junket, isn’t it? Why don’t you offer it to me?’ She picked up the gift of koumiss and began to drink it.

‘Don’t you touch that!’ said one of the maids. ‘He was keeping that for Aroma. He’ll be angry when he gets back and finds out about that. You’d better tell him yourself you took it. We don’t want you getting us into trouble!’

Nannie Li was angry and embarrassed at one and the same time.

‘I won’t believe it of him,’ she said. ‘I won’t believe he would be so wicked as to grudge his old Nannie a bowl of milk. Why, he owes it to me. And not only a bowl of milk, either. Much more precious things than that. Do you mean to tell me that Aroma counts for more with him than I do? He ought to stop and ask himself how he grew up to be the big boy he is today. It’s my milk he sucked, that came from my own heart’s blood: that’s what he grew up on. And you mean to tell me that now, if I drink one little bowlful of his milk – cow’s milk – he’s going to be angry with me? Well, I will drink it, so there! He can do what he likes about it. And as for that Aroma. I don’t know what sort of a wonderful creature you think she is – a little bit of a girl I picked out myself and trained with my own hand!’

Defiantly she applied the koumiss once more to her lip and downed it to the last gulp.

One of the maids, politer than the rest, attempted to placate her:

‘They shouldn’t talk to you like that, Nannie! I’m not surprised you are cross. Of course Bao-yu isn’t going to upset himself over a little thing like that. He’s much more likely to send something nice round to you when he hears that you’ve been to see him.’

‘Don’t you try wheedling me with your airs and graces, young woman!’ said Nannie Li implacably. ‘You think I don’t know about Snowpink being dismissed that time over the tea? You needn’t worry. If he makes a fuss about it tomorrow, I shall take the blame.’

She went off in dudgeon.

Presently Bao-yu returned and sent someone off to fetch Aroma. He noticed Skybright lying motionless on the day-bed.

‘What’s the matter with her?’ he asked. ‘Is she ill? Or has she lost the game?’

‘She was winning,’ said Ripple. ‘Then Nannie Li came along and put her off her stroke and she started losing. She got so cross that she had to go and lie down.’

‘You shouldn’t all take the old girl so seriously,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Just leave her to do as she likes and take no notice!’

Just at that moment Aroma arrived and said ‘hullo’ to everyone. She asked Bao-yu where he had eaten and what time he had got back. She also gave her mother’s regards to the other maids. When she had finished changing out of her holiday attire and taken the ‘going-out’ ornaments from her hair, Bao-yu asked someone to fetch the koumiss. There was a chorus of replies from the maids:

‘Nannie Li drank it!’

Bao-yu was about to say something when Aroma cut in with a smile:

‘So that’s what you were saving for me! It was a very kind thought; but last time I had some of that stuff I took too much, being so fond of it, and gave myself a terrible stomachache. It didn’t go away until I’d brought it all up again, and it’s put me off it ever since. It’s a good job really that she did drink it. It would only have got left around and gone bad. Now what I’d really fancy are some dried chestnuts, if you’d like to be peeling them for me while I make up your bed on the kang.’

Bao-yu was completely taken in by this little ruse, and forgetting all about the koumiss, went off for some chestnuts and sat down by the lamp to peel them. He and Aroma were now alone in the room together. Glancing up with a smile from his peeling he said,

‘What relation of yours was that girl in the red dress today?’

‘That’s my mother’s sister’s child.’

Bao-yu made appreciative noises.

‘What are you “oo-ing” and “ah-ing” about?’ said Aroma. ‘No, don’t tell me! I know how your mind works. You think she’s not good enough to wear red.’

‘No. On the contrary,’ said Bao-yu. ‘If she’s not good enough to wear red, I shouldn’t think anyone is. No, I was merely thinking what a beautiful girl she is and how nice it would be if we could have her to live with us here.’

‘Because I have the misfortune to be a slave,’ Aroma said bitterly, ‘does that mean that all my relations ought to be slaves too? I suppose you think every pretty girl you see is just waiting to be bought so that she can be a servant in your household!’

‘How touchy you are!’ said Bao-yu. ‘Having her to live with us doesn’t have to mean as a servant, does it? It could mean as a bride.’

‘Thank you, I’m sure!’ said Aroma. ‘But my folk are not quite grand enough for that!’

Bao-yu was unwilling to pursue a conversation that had become so unpleasant and went on peeling in silence.

‘Why don’t you say something?’ said Aroma. ‘I suppose I’ve upset you now. Well, never mind! Tomorrow you can go out and buy the lot of them, just to spite me!’

‘I don’t see what answer I can give when you say things like that,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I only said what a nice girl she was. I think she is exactly suited to live in a big, wealthy household like ours. Much more so than some of the lumbering idiots who do live here.’

‘She may not have that much good fortune,’ said Aroma; ‘but for all that she has been very delicately brought up – the apple of my aunt’s and uncle’s eye. She was seventeen this holidays, and her trousseau is all ready for her to be married next year.’

‘Hai!’

An involuntary expression of regret broke from him when he heard that the girl in red was to be married. Already Aroma’s words had made him uneasy; but worse was to follow.

‘I haven’t been able to see much of my cousins during these last few years,’ she said with a sigh, ‘and now it looks as if they will all have left home when I do go back.’

There was obviously a good deal more that lay behind this remark. Startled, he threw down the chestnut he was peeling and asked her:

‘How do you mean, “when you do go back”?’

‘Today I heard my mother discussing it with my elder brother. They want me to hold out this one year more, then next year they will see about buying me out of service.’

Bao-yu was becoming more and more alarmed.

‘Why should they want to buy you out of service?’

‘Well upon my word, that’s a funny question to ask!’ said Aroma. ‘I’m not one of your house-born slaves, my family lives elsewhere. I’m the only member of my family away from home. There’s no future for me here. Naturally I want to rejoin them.’

‘You can’t if I won’t let you,’ said Bao-yu.

‘I never heard of such a thing!’ said Aroma:

‘Even in palace hall

Law is the lord of all.

A bond is a bond. When their term of service has ended, you have to let people go. You can’t force them to stay in service for ever and ever – especially a household like yours.’

Bao-yu thought a bit. What she said seemed reasonable enough.

‘But suppose Grandmother won’t let you?’

‘Why shouldn’t she?’ said Aroma. ‘If I were a very exceptional sort of person, it’s quite possible that she and Her Ladyship might feel upset at the idea of losing me and offer my family money to let me stay on. But as it is I’m only a very ordinary sort of maid. There are any number much better than me. I started off with Her Old Ladyship and served Miss Shi for a few years. Then I was transferred to you, and I’ve already been quite a few years with you. They would think it quite natural that my family should want to buy me out now. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they let me go as a kindness without even asking for the money. If you think they wouldn’t let me go because I’ve served you so well, that’s just ridiculous. Serving you well is no more nor less than what I’m supposed to do. It’s my job. There’s nothing remarkable about that. There’ll be plenty of other good ones to take my place when I’m gone. I’m not irreplaceable.’

Everything Aroma said pointed to the reasonableness of her going and the unreasonableness of her staying. A kind of desperateness began to seize him.

‘That may be so,’ he said, ‘but if I’m absolutely determined to keep you, I’m sure Grandmother would speak to your mother about it. If Grandmother had a talk with your mother and offered her a really large sum of money, surely she wouldn’t refuse?’

‘I’m sure my mother would never insist,’ said Aroma. ‘And I don’t only mean if you spoke to her and gave her a lot of money. Even if you didn’t speak to her about it and didn’t give her any money at all, but simply made up your minds to keep me here against my will and say nothing, I’m sure she wouldn’t dare object. But your family has never gone in for throwing its weight about like that in the past, and I don’t believe it is going to start doing so now. It would be different if I were just an object you’d taken a fancy to and they could get it for you without any danger of upsetting the owner by simply offering him ten times the price. But I’m not an object. If you were to keep me here without rhyme or reason against my will, you’d not only be doing yourselves no good, you’d be breaking up someone else’s family; and that’s something I’m quite sure Her Old Ladyship and Her Ladyship would never be willing to do.’

For some time Bao-yu reflected in silence. At last he spoke:

‘The long and short of all this is that you are definitely going, is that right?’

‘Definitely.’

‘Who would have believed that so sweet a person could be so faithless and unfeeling?’ he thought to himself. But all he said was:

‘If I had known all along that in the end you would go away and leave me on my own, I should never have let you work for me in the first place.’

And with those words he took himself off to bed in a thoroughly bad humour and composed himself for sleep.

Now Aroma’s mother and elder brother had spoken earlier that day about their intention of buying her out of service, but Aroma had at once stated that she would never go back home as long as she lived.

‘When you sold me in the first place,’ she said, ‘it was because you had nothing to eat and I was the only thing you had left in the house which was worth a bit of money. I couldn’t have refused to go and watched my own mother and father starve. But now, fortunately, I’ve got a good situation – one in which I’m not beaten and sworn at all day long and where I’m fed and clothed as well as the masters themselves – and the rest of you, in spite of losing Father, have managed to get in the clear again and are as well off now as you’ve ever been. If you were still hard up and wanted to buy me out so that you could raise a bit of money by reselling me, there would be some point in it. But you’re not. What do you want to buy me out for? Why don’t you just pretend that I’m dead, then you won’t need to think about buying me out any more?’

And after that she had had a little cry.

Seeing her so adamant, her mother and brother had naturally resigned themselves to her continuing in service. They did so the more readily as Aroma’s contract was, in point of fact, for life. In seeking to redeem her they would have had to rely on the customary generosity of the Jias, who, as soon as they were approached on the subject, would in all probability restore not only the person of Aroma but also the body-price offered for her, but who were certainly not under any obligation to do so.

Another consideration which predisposed them to let her stay was the well-known fact – already mentioned by Aroma – that the Jia household did not ill-treat its servants and relied more on kindness than coercion in its dealings with them. Indeed, the ‘inside maids’ – those who, like Aroma, were in personal attendance on members of the family (and this was true of all of them, no matter in whose apartment they were employed) were the crême le la crême of the household staff and were even regarded as a cut above the free daughters of poorer households outside.

Later, when Bao-yu unexpectedly arrived on the scene and they saw how it was between him and Aroma, the reason for her reluctance to leave service at once became apparent. It was a factor they had not foreseen; but now they recognized it, it was a great weight off their minds, and it was not without feelings of relief that they abandoned all further thought of attempting to purchase her freedom.

But to return to our story.

Since early youth Aroma had always been aware that Bao-yu’s character was peculiar. His naughtiness and intractability exceeded those of normal boys, and in addition he had a number of extraordinary eccentricities of his own which she could scarcely even have put a name to. Recently he had taken advantage of the comparative immunity from parental control, afforded him by the all-encompassing protection of his doting grandmother, to become even more wild and self-indulgent and even more confirmed in his aversion to serious pursuits than in previous years, and all her attempts to remonstrate with him met with the same obstinate unwillingness to hear. Today’s talk about buying her out of service turned out to be providential. By employing only a minimum of deceit, she could use it as a means of ascertaining his real feelings towards her and of humbling his spirit a little, so that he might be in a suitably chastened frame of mind for the lecture with which she was preparing to admonish him. She judged from his going off silently to bed that he was shaken and a little unsure of himself. Evidently she had succeeded in the first part of her plan.

Aroma had not really wanted the chestnuts. She had pretended to do so because she was afraid that the matter of the koumiss might blow up into an incident like the earlier one involving Snowpink and the tea. By pretending to want chestnuts she had deflected him from pursuing it further. She now told the younger maids to take them away and eat them themselves, while she went over to rouse up Bao-yu. The face that he lifted from the pillow was wet with tears.

‘Now what do you want to go upsetting yourself like that for?’ she said with a smile. ‘If you really want me to stay, of course I won’t go.’

Bao-yu at once brightened up.

‘Tell me!’ he said. ‘Tell me what I must do to prove to you how much I want you to stay, since nothing I say myself seems any good!’

‘I know we’re both fond of each other,’ said Aroma. ‘That doesn’t need any proving. But if you want to be sure of my staying here, it mustn’t only be because of that. There are three other things I want to talk to you about. If you will promise to obey me in all of them, I shall know that you really and truly want me to stay; then nothing – not even a knife at my throat – will ever make me leave you!’

‘Tell me what they are!’ he said impetuously. ‘I promise to obey you. Dearest Aroma! I Sweetest Aroma! Never mind two or three: I would promise if it were two or three hundred! All I ask is that you shouldn’t leave me. If the day ever comes when nothing remains of me but floating particles of ash – no, not ash. Ash has form and substance and perhaps consciousness too. Say smoke. A puff of thin smoke dissolved upon the wind. When that is all that remains of me, and you can no longer fuss over me because there is nothing left to fuss over, and I can no longer pay attention to you because there is nothing left to pay attention with – when that time comes, you may go or stay as you please!’

‘My dear young gentleman,’ said Aroma exasperatedly, clapping her hand over his mouth to prevent him saying any more, ‘it’s precisely this way of carrying on that I was going to talk to you about, and here you go, ranting away worse than ever!’

‘Right,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Right. I promise never to talk that way again.’

‘That was the first thing I wanted you to reform.’

‘I’ve reformed already,’ said Bao-yu. ‘If I ever talk that way again, you can pinch my lips! Then what?’

‘The second thing is this,’ said Aroma. ‘I don’t care whether you really like studying or not, but even if you don’t, I’d like you at least to pretend that you do when you’re with the Master or any other gentlemen, and not always be making sarcastic remarks about it. If you could only put on an appearance of liking it, he would have less cause to be angry with you, and could even take a bit of pride in you when he was talking to his friends. Look at it from his point of view. Every generation of your family up to now have been scholars. Then suddenly you come along. Not only do you hate studying – that’s already enough to make him feel angry and upset – but on top of that you have to be forever making rude remarks about it – and not only behind his back but even when he’s there. According to you anyone who studies and tries to improve himself is a “career worm”. According to you the Illumination of Clear Virtue or whatever it’s called is the only genuine book ever written and all the rest are forgeries. No wonder the Master gets so angry with you. No wonder he’s every minute of the day wishing he could lay his hands on you and give you a thrashing.’

Bao-yu laughed.

‘All right. I won’t say such things any more. In any case, these are all things I used to say when I was younger and didn’t know any better. I don’t say things like that nowadays. What else?’

‘You must leave off forever going on about people’s appearance and interfering with their make-up – and you must give up that filthy habit of stealing people’s lipstick and eating it on the sly. That’s most important!’

‘I’ll reform! I’ll reform! Is there anything else, now?’

‘Nothing else, really. Just to be a bit more careful about things in general and not always letting yourself get carried away by your whims and fancies. But if you will really keep your promise about these three things I’ve mentioned, I will promise never to leave you – even if they send a bridal chair and eight strong bearers to carry me away!’

‘Oh, come now! Isn’t that stretching it a bit?’ said Bao-yu with a laugh. ‘For eight bearers and a handsome husband I bet you’d go!’

‘It wouldn’t interest me in the least,’ said Aroma haughtily. ‘“Kind sir, for such blessing I am not willing.” Even if I did go, I should take no pleasure in it.’

Their dialogue was interrupted by Ripple, who just at that moment entered the room.

‘It’s nearly midnight, you two. You ought to be in bed. Her Old Ladyship just now sent one of the nannies round to ask about you and I told her you were asleep.’

‘Bao-yu asked for his watch and looked. The hand was pointing to half past eleven. He washed and cleaned his teeth all over again, and taking off his outer clothes, settled down once more to sleep.

When Aroma got up first thing next morning she felt heavy and unwell. Her head ached, her eyelids were puffy and her whole body was afire. At first she dragged herself round performing her usual tasks, but eventually she could hold out no longer and had to lie down fully clothed on the kang. Bao-yu at once informed Grandmother Jia, who called in a doctor. Having taken Aroma’s pulses, the doctor informed them that she had ‘merely contracted a severe chill and would be all right after taking a few doses of medicine to relieve the congestion,’ and left after writing a prescription. Bao-yu sent out for the materials prescribed, and when they had been duly boiled up and the first draught taken, made her cover herself with a quilt to bring on a perspiration. Then he went off to see Dai-yu.

Dai-yu was at that moment taking a midday nap. Her maids had all gone off about their own affairs. Not à sound could be heard from the inside room. As Bao-yu lifted the embroidered door-curtain and entered, he could see her lying asleep inside and hurried over to rouse her:

‘Sleeping after you’ve just eaten, coz? That’s bad! Wake up!’

His voice woke her. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Bao-yu.

‘Do go away and play for a bit! I’m so dreadfully tired. I didn’t get any sleep last night and I haven’t been able to rest until now.’

‘Never mind how tired you are,’ said Bao-yu. ‘You’ll do yourself much more harm by sleeping after a meal. I’ll stay and amuse you to keep you awake if you feel sleepy.’

‘I’m not sleepy, I’m tired. I want to rest for a bit. Can’t you go and amuse yourself somewhere else for a few minutes and come back later?’

Bao-yu gave her another shake.

‘Where else can I go?’ he said. ‘I’m so bored with everyone else.’

‘Chee-ee-ee!’ Dai-yu exploded in a little laugh. ‘All right. I suppose now you are here you may as well stay. You can sit very, very quietly over there and we will talk.’

‘I should prefer to lie down,’ said Bao-yu.

‘All right, lie down then!’

‘There isn’t a pillow. We shall have to share yours.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ said Dai-yu. ‘Look at all those pillows in the next room. Why don’t you get yourself one of them?’

Bao-yu went into the outer room for a look but came back empty-handed.

‘I don’t want any of them,’ he said genially. ‘How do I know some dirty old woman hasn’t been sleeping on them?’

Dai-yu opened her eyes very wide.

‘You really are the bane of my life!’ she said. ‘Here, take this!’ She pushed the pillow she had been lying on towards him and got up to fetch another one of her own to replace it with. The two of them then reclined, facing each other, at opposite ends of the bed.

Glancing up from her recumbent position. Dai-yu noticed that there was a blood-spot about the size of a small button on Bao-yu’s left cheek. She bent over him to examine it more closely and touched it lightly with her finger.

‘Whose nails was it this time?’

Bao-yu lay back to avoid her scrutiny and laughed.

‘It isn’t a scratch. I’ve just been helping them make rouge. A little of it must have splashed on to my face.’ He rummaged for a handkerchief to wipe it off with.

Dai-yu wiped it off with her own, clicking her tongue censoriously as she did so.

‘So you’re up to those tricks again? You might at least refrain from advertising the fact! Even if Uncle doesn’t see you himself, someone else might who thought it an amusing story to go around gossiping about. He could easily get to hear about it in that way, and that would make it unpleasant for all of us.’

But her words were lost on Bao-yu. He was preoccupied with a subtle fragrance which seemed to emanate from Dai-yu’s sleeve – a fragrance that intoxicated the senses and caused one to feel rather limp. He seized hold of the sleeve and demanded to know what perfume she was wearing.

‘Perfume? At this season?’ said Dai-yu with a laugh. ‘I’m not wearing any. “In the cold winter none smells sweet”!’

‘Well, where does it come from, then?’

‘I don’t know myself where it comes from,’ said Dai-yu. ‘I suppose it might have come from the wardrobe.’

Bao-yu shook his head.

‘I doubt it. It’s a very unusual scent. Not the kind you would get from a scent-cake or a perfume-ball or sachet.’

‘I hope you don’t imagine it’s some exotic perfume given me by the Immortals of the Isles. Even if I had the recipe, I have no kind elder brother to get together all those flowers and stamens and things and make it up for me. I have got only the ordinary, vulgar sorts of perfume!’

‘Whatever I say, you are always dragging in things like that,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Very well. You will have to be taught a lesson. From now on, no mercy!’

Half rising, he pretended to spit on his hands, then stretching them out before him, began to waggle his fingers up and down in the region of her ribs and armpits. Dai-yu had always been the most ticklish of mortals, and the mere sight of his waggling fingers sent her off into shrieks of laughter which soon ended in breathlessness:

‘Oh! Oh! Bao-yu! No! Stop! I’ll be angry!’

‘Will you say things like that any more?’

‘No,’ said Dai-yu, laughing weakly, ‘I promise.’

She proceeded to pat her hair into place, smilingly complacently:

‘So I’ve got an unusual fragrance, have I? Have you got a warm fragrance?’

For the moment Bao-yu was puzzled:

‘Warm fragrance?’

Dai-yu shook her head pityingly.

‘Don’t be so dense! You have your jade. Somebody has a gold thing to match. Somebody has Cold Fragrance, ergo you must have Warm Fragrance to go with it!’

‘I’ve only just let you off,’ said Bao-yu, ‘and here you go again, worse than ever!’

Once more he stretched out the threatening fingers and Dai-yu again began to shriek.

‘No! Bao-yu! Please! I promise!’

‘All right, I forgive you. But you must let me smell your sleeve.’

He wrapped the free end of that garment over his face and abandoned himself to long and prodigious sniffs.

Dai-yu jerked away her arm.

‘I really think you ought to go.’

‘Couldn’t go if I wanted to. Let’s lie down very quietly and genteelly and have a conversation.’ And he stretched himself out again.

Dai-yu lay down too, and covered her face with a handkerchief.

He tried to arouse her interest with desultory chat – talking for the sake of talking. Dai-yu took no notice. He tried asking questions. How old was she when she first came to the Capital? What had the scenery been like on the journey? What places of historical interest were there in Yangchow? What were its inhabitants like? What were its local customs? Dai-yu made no reply. Still concerned that she might fall asleep and injure her health, he tried a ruse.

‘Why, yes!’ he said, as if suddenly remembering something. ‘There’s a famous story that took place near Yangchow. I wonder if you know about it.’

This was delivered with so straight a face and in so serious a tone of voice that Dai-yu was quite taken in.

‘Oh? What?’

Mastering a strong inclination to laugh, he began to extemporize with whatever came into his head.

‘Near the city of Yangchow there is a mountain called Mt Yu-dai, in the side of which is a cavern called the Cave of Lin.’

‘That’s false, for a start,’ said Dai-yu. ‘I’ve never heard of a mountain of that name.’

‘There are a great many mountains in this world,’ said Bao-yu. ‘You could hardly be expected to know all of them. Leave your criticisms until I have finished my story.’

‘Carry on,’ said Dai-yu.

‘Now in the Cave of Lin there lived a tribe of magic mice, and one year, on the seventh day of the last month, the Oldest Mouse climbed up on to his throne and sat in council with the rest of the tribe.

‘ “Tomorrow is Nibbansday,” he said, “and everywhere in the world of men they will be cooking frumenty. Since our cave is at present short of dry provender, we should take this opportunity of replenishing our stores by raiding theirs.” He took a ceremonial arrow from the receptacle in front of him and handing it to an able younger mouse, instructed him to carry out a reconnaissance. In due course the Able Younger Mouse came back and reported that, though he had looked positively everywhere, there were nowhere more plentiful stores to be found than in the temple at the foot of the mountain.

‘ “How many kinds of grain have they got there, and how many sorts of dried fruits?” the Oldest Mouse asked him.

‘ “There is a whole granary full of rice and beans,” replied the Able Younger Mouse, “but only five kinds of dried fruits:

the first,

red dates

the second,

chestnuts

the third,

peanuts

the fourth,

caltrops

the fifth,

sweet potatoes.”

‘The Oldest Mouse was highly delighted, and picking up another arrow, he said,

‘ “Who will go to steal rice?”

‘A mouse at once took the arrow and went off to steal rice.

‘ “Who will go to steal beans?” he asked, picking up another arrow.

‘Another mouse took the arrow and went off to steal beans.

‘One by one they departed on their missions until only the sweet potatoes had still to be arranged for.

‘The Oldest Mouse took up another arrow.

‘ “Who will go to steal sweet potatoes?”

‘A little puny, weak mouse replied,

‘“I will!”

‘Seeing how young and puny he was, the Oldest Mouse and the other members of the mousey tribe feared that he would be too lacking in training and experience and too timid and weak to carry out the task, and refused to let him go. But the little mouse said,

‘ “Although I am young in years and weak in body, I am eloquent and resourceful and possess unlimited magic powers. I can guarantee to carry out this mission even more expeditiously than the rest.”

‘ “How will you do that?” asked the other mice.

‘ “I shan’t rush at the job head-on like the others,” said the little mouse. “By just giving my body a couple of shakes I shall change myself into a sweet potato; I shall roll myself into the pile of sweet potatoes without anyone seeing me; then – very, very gently – I shall roll the sweet potatoes away, one by one, until there aren’t any more left. Isn’t that a more expeditious way of doing it than the crude and headlong approach which the others have adopted?”

‘ “That’s all very well,” said the other mice, “but what about this transformation business? Let’s see you do it first!”

‘ “Nothing easier!” said the little mouse with a confident smile. “Watch!”

‘He gave his body a couple of shakes.

‘ “Hey presto!”

‘And at once he turned into the most exquisitely beautiful young lady.

‘The other mice all laughed.

‘ “No, no, no, you’ve made a mistake! That’s not a sweet potato, that’s a young lady you’ve turned into!”

‘The little mouse resumed his own shape and smiled at them pityingly.

‘ “It is you who are mistaken. You have seen too little of the world to understand. The vegetable tuber is not the only kind of sweet potato. The daughter of our respected Salt Commissioner Lin is also a sweet potato. She is the sweetest sweet potato of them all.” ’

Dai-yu got up on her knees and, crawling over, planted herself on top of Bao-yu.

‘I’ll teach you to make fun of me, you hateful creature! I’ll teach you!’

She seized his lips between thumb and finger and began to pinch and shake them.

‘Help!’ cried Bao-yu. ‘Mercy! I won’t do it again! It was smelling your beautiful perfume that put me in mind of the allusion.’

‘Allusion?’ said Dai-yu. ‘You vilify someone else and then call it an allusion?’

Just at that moment Bao-chai walked in.

‘Who’s this talking about allusions? I must hear this!’

Dai-yu invited her to sit down.

‘Look! Who else would you expect it to be? He says a lot of horrid things about me and then tells me it’s an allusion!’

‘Oh,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Cousin Bao. I’m not surprised, then. He is full of allusions. The only trouble is that he tends to forget them at the very moment when they are most needed. If he can remember allusions today, he ought to have been able to remember that allusion about the plantain the other night. But no, it just wouldn’t come, and though everyone else was dying of cold, he was perspiring! Yet now his memory has come back again. Strange!’

‘Now praised be!’ said Dai-yu. ‘I have a nice, kind cousin to stick up for me. You’ve met your match now,’ she said to Bao-yu. ‘Now you are going to get as good as you give! Now we shall see you paid in your own coin!’

Their conversation was interrupted by a burst of angry shouting from the direction of Bao-yu’s room.

The occasion of it will be discussed in the following chapter.