第三十一回

第三十一回 撕扇子作千金一笑 因麒麟伏白首双星

话说袭人见了自己吐的鲜血在地，也就冷了半截，想着往日常听人说：“少年吐血，年月不保，纵然命长，终是废人了。”想起此言，不觉将素日想着后来争荣夸耀之心尽皆灰了，眼中不觉滴下泪来。宝玉见他哭了，也不觉心酸起来，因问道：“你心里觉的怎么样？”袭人勉强笑道：“好好的，觉怎么呢。”宝玉的意思即刻便要叫人烫黄酒，要山羊血黎洞丸[2]来。袭人拉了他的手，笑道：“你这一闹不打紧，闹起多少人来，倒抱怨我轻狂。分明人不知道，倒闹的人知道了，你也不好，我也不好。正经明儿你打发小子问问王太医去，弄点子药吃吃就好了。人不知鬼不觉的可不好？”宝玉听了有理，也只得罢了，向案上斟了茶来，给袭人漱了口。袭人知宝玉心内是不安稳的，待要不叫他服侍，他又必不依；二则定要惊动别人，不如由他去罢：因此只在榻上由宝玉去服侍。

一交五更，宝玉也顾不的梳洗，忙穿衣出来，将王济仁叫来，亲自确问。王济仁问其原故，不过是伤损，便说了个丸药的名字，怎么服，怎么敷。宝玉记了，回园依方调治。不在话下。

这日正是端阳佳节，蒲艾簪门，虎符系臂[3]。午间，王夫人治了酒席，请薛家母女等赏午[4]。宝玉见宝钗淡淡的，也不和他说话，自知是昨儿的原故。王夫人见宝玉没精打采，也只当是金钏儿昨日之事，他没好意思的，越发不理他。林黛玉见宝玉懒懒的，只当是他因为得罪了宝钗的原故，心中不自在，形容也就懒懒的。凤姐昨日晚间王夫人就告诉了他宝玉金钏的事，知道王夫人不自在，自己如何敢说笑，也就随着王夫人的气色行事，更觉淡淡的。贾迎春姊妹见众人无意思，也都无意思了。因此，大家坐了一坐就散了。

林黛玉天性喜散不喜聚。他想的也有个道理，他说，“人有聚就有散，聚时欢喜，到散时岂不清冷？既清冷则生伤感，所以不如倒是不聚的好。比如那花开时令人爱慕，谢时则增惆怅，所以倒是不开的好。”故此人以为喜之时，他反以为悲。那宝玉的情性只愿常聚，生怕一时散了添悲；那花只愿常开，生怕一时谢了没趣；及到筵散花谢，虽有万种悲伤，也就无可如何了。

因此，今日之筵，大家无兴散了，林黛玉倒不觉得，倒是宝玉心中闷闷不乐，回至自己房中长吁短叹。偏生晴雯上来换衣服，不防又把扇子失了手跌在地下，将股子跌折。宝玉因叹道：“蠢才，蠢才！将来怎么样？明日你自己当家立事，难道也是这么顾前不顾后的？”晴雯冷笑着：“二爷近来气大的很，行动就给脸子瞧。前儿连袭人都打了，今儿又来寻我们的不是。要踢要打凭爷去。就是跌了扇子，也是平常的事。先时连那么样的玻璃缸、玛瑙碗不知弄坏了多少，也没见个大气儿，这会子一把扇子就这么着了。何苦来！要嫌我们就打发我们，再挑好的使。好离好散的，倒不好？”宝玉听了这些话，气的浑身乱战，因说道：“你不用忙，将来有散的日子！”

袭人在那边早已听见，忙赶过来向宝玉道：“好好的，又怎么了？可是我说的‘一时我不到，就有事故儿’。”晴雯听了冷笑道：“姐姐既会说，就该早来，也省了爷生气。自古以来，就是你一个人服侍爷的，我们原没服侍过。因为你服侍的好，昨日才挨窝心脚；我们不会服侍的，到明儿还不知是个什么罪呢！”袭人听了这话，又是恼，又是愧，待要说几句话，又见宝玉已经气的黄了脸，少不得自己忍了性子，推晴雯道：“好妹妹，你出去逛逛，原是我们的不是。”

晴雯听他说“我们”两个字，自然是他和宝玉了，不觉又添了醋意，冷笑几声，道：“我倒不知道你们是谁，别教我替你们害臊了！便是你们鬼鬼祟祟干的那事儿，也瞒不过我去，那里就称起‘我们’来了。明公正道，连个姑娘[5]还没挣上去呢，也不过和我似的，那里就称上‘我们’了！”袭人羞的脸紫胀起来，想一想，原来是自己把话说错了。宝玉一面说：“你们气不忿，我明儿偏抬举他。”袭人忙拉了宝玉的手道：“他一个糊涂人，你和他分证什么？况且你素日又是有担待的，比这大的过去了多少，今儿是怎么了？”晴雯冷笑道：“我原是糊涂人，那里配和我说话呢！”袭人听说道：“姑娘倒是和我拌嘴呢，是和二爷拌嘴呢？要是心里恼我，你只和我说，不犯着当着二爷吵；要是恼二爷，不该这们吵的万人知道。我才也不过为了事，进来劝开了，大家保重。姑娘倒寻上我的晦气。又不像是恼我，又不像是恼二爷，夹枪带棒，终久是个什么主意？我就不多说，让你说去。”说着便往外走。

宝玉向晴雯道：“你也不用生气，我也猜着你的心事了。我回太太去，你也大了，打发你出去好不好？”晴雯听见了这话，不觉又伤起心来，含泪说道：“为什么我出去？要嫌我，变着法儿打发我出去，也不能够。”宝玉道：“我何曾经过这个吵闹？一定是你要出去了。不如回太太，打发你去吧。”说着，站起来就要走。袭人忙回身拦住，笑道：“往那里去？”宝玉道：“回太太去。”袭人笑道：“好没意思！真个的去回，你也不怕臊了？便是他认真的要去，也等把这气下去了，等无事中说话儿回了太太也不迟。这会子急急的当作一件正经事去回，岂不叫太太犯疑？”宝玉道：“太太必不犯疑，我只明说是他闹着要去的。”晴雯哭道：“我多早晚闹着要去了？饶生了气，还拿话压派我。只管去回，我一头碰死了也不出这门儿。”宝玉道：“这也奇了。你又不去，你又闹些什么？我经不起这吵，不如去了倒干净。”说着一定要去回。

袭人见拦不住，只得跪下了。碧痕、秋纹、麝月等众丫鬟见吵闹，都鸦雀无闻的在外头听消息，这会子听见袭人跪下央求，便一齐进来都跪下了。宝玉忙把袭人扶起来，叹了一声，在床上坐下，叫众人起去，向袭人道：“叫我怎么样才好！这个心使碎了也没人知道。”说着不觉滴下泪来。袭人见宝玉流下泪来，自己也就哭了。

晴雯在旁哭着，方欲说话，只见林黛玉进来，便出去了。林黛玉笑道：“大节下怎么好好的哭起来？难道是为争粽子吃争恼了不成？”宝玉和袭人嗤的一笑。黛玉道：“二哥哥不告诉我，我问你就知道了。”一面说，一面拍着袭人的肩，笑道：“好嫂子，你告诉我。必定是你两个拌了嘴了。告诉妹妹，替你们和劝和劝。”袭人推他道：“林姑娘你闹什么？我们一个丫头，姑娘只是混说。”黛玉笑道：“你说你是丫头，我只拿你当嫂子待。”宝玉道：“你何苦来替他招骂名儿。饶[6]这么着，还有人说闲话，还搁的住你来说他。”袭人笑道：“林姑娘，你不知道我的心事，除非一口气不来死了倒也罢了。”林黛玉笑道：“你死了，别人不知怎么样，我先就哭死了〔一〕。”宝玉笑道：“你死了，我作和尚去。”袭人笑道：“你老实些罢，何苦还说这些话。”林黛玉将两个指头一伸，抿嘴笑道：“作了两个和尚了。我从今以后都记着你作和尚的遭数儿。”宝玉听得，知道是他点前儿的话，自己一笑也就罢了。

一时黛玉去后，就有人说“薛大爷请”，宝玉只得去了。原来是吃酒，不能推辞，只得尽席而散。

晚间回来，已带了几分酒，踉跄来至自己院内，只见院中早把乘凉枕榻设下，榻上有个人睡着。宝玉只当是袭人，一面在榻沿上坐下，一面推他，问道：“疼的好些了？”只见那人翻身起来说：“何苦来，又招我！”宝玉一看，原来不是袭人，却是晴雯。宝玉将他一拉，拉在身旁坐下，笑道：“你的性子越发惯娇了。早起就是跌了扇子，我不过说了那两句，你就说上那些话。说我也罢了，袭人好意来劝，你又括上他，你自己想想，该不该？”晴雯道：“怪热的，拉拉扯扯作什么！叫人来看见像什么！我这身子也不配坐在这里。”宝玉笑道：“你既知道不配，为什么睡着呢？”晴雯没的话，嗤的又笑了，说：“你不来便使得，你来了就不配了。起来，让我洗澡去。袭人麝月都洗了澡，我叫了他们来。”宝玉笑道：“我才又吃了好些酒，还得洗一洗。你既没有洗，拿了水来咱们两个洗。”

晴雯摇手笑道：“罢，罢，我不敢惹爷。还记得碧痕打发你洗澡，足有两三个时辰，也不知道作什么呢。我们也不好进去的。后来洗完了，进去瞧瞧，地下的水淹着床腿，连席子上都汪着水，也不知是怎么洗了，叫人笑了几天。我也没那工夫收拾，也不用同我洗去。今儿也凉快，那会子洗了，可以不用再洗〔二〕。我倒舀一盆水来，你洗洗脸通通头。才刚鸳鸯送了好些果子来，都湃[9]在那水晶缸里呢，叫他们打发你吃。”宝玉笑道：“既这么着，你也不许洗去，只洗洗手来拿果子来吃罢。”

晴雯笑道：“我慌张的很，连扇子还跌折了，那里还配打发吃果子。倘或再打破了盘子，还更了不得呢。”宝玉笑道：“你爱打就打，这些东西原不过是借〔三〕人所用，你爱这样，我爱那样，各自性情不同。比如那扇子原是扇的，你要撕着玩也可以使得，只是不可生气时拿他出气。就如杯盘，原是盛东西的，你喜听那一声响，就故意的碎了也可以使得，只是别在生气时拿他出气。这就是爱物了。”晴雯听了，笑道：“既这么说，你就拿了扇子来我撕。我最喜欢撕的。”宝玉听了，便笑着递与他。晴雯果然接过来，嗤的一声，撕了两半，接着嗤嗤又听几声。宝玉在旁笑着说：“响的好，再撕响些！”

正说着，只见麝月走过来，笑道：“少作些孽罢。”宝玉赶上来，一把将他手里的扇子也夺了递与晴雯。晴雯接了，也撕了几半子，二人都大笑。麝月道：“这是怎么说，拿我的东西开心儿？”宝玉笑道：“打开扇子匣子你拣去，什么好东西！”麝月道：“既这么说，就把匣子搬了出来，让他尽力的撕，岂不好？”宝玉笑道：“你就搬去。”麝月道：“我可不造这孽。他也没折了手，叫他自己搬去。”晴雯笑着，倚在床上说道：“我也乏了，明儿再撕罢。”宝玉笑道：“古人云，‘千金难买一笑’[11]，几把扇子能值几何！”一面说着，一面叫袭人。袭人才换了衣服走出来，小丫头佳蕙过来拾去破扇，大家乘凉，不消细说。

至次日午间，王夫人、薛宝钗、林黛玉众姊妹正在贾母房内坐着，就有人回：“史大姑娘来了。”一时果见史湘云带领众多丫鬟媳妇走进院来。宝钗黛玉等忙迎至阶下相见。青年姊妹间经月不见，一旦相逢，其亲密自不必细说。

一时进入房中，请安问好，都见过了。贾母因说：“天热，把外头的衣服脱脱罢。”史湘云忙起身宽衣。王夫人因笑道：“也没见穿上这些作什么？”史湘云笑道：“都是二婶婶叫穿的，谁愿意穿这些。”宝钗一旁笑道：“姨娘不知道，他穿衣裳还更爱穿别人的衣裳。可记得旧年三四月〔四〕里，他在这里住着，把宝兄弟的袍子穿上，靴子也穿上，额子也勒上，猛一瞧倒像是宝兄弟，就是多两个坠子。他站在那椅子后边，哄的老太太〔五〕只是叫‘宝玉，你过来，仔细那上头挂的灯穗子招下灰来迷了眼’。他只是笑，也不过去。后来大家撑不住笑了，老太太才笑了，说‘倒扮上男人好看了’。”林黛玉道：“这算什么。惟有前年正月里接了他来，住〔六〕了没两日就下起雪来，老太太和舅母那日想是才拜了影[15]回来，老太太的一个新新的大红猩猩毡斗篷放在那里，谁知眼错不见他就披了，又大又长，他就拿了个汗巾子拦腰系上，和丫头们在后院子扑雪人儿去，一跤栽到沟跟前，弄了一身泥水。”说着，大家想着前情，都笑了。

宝钗笑向那周奶妈道：“周妈，你们姑娘还是那么淘气不淘气了？”周奶娘也笑了。迎春笑道：“淘气也罢了，我就嫌他爱说话。也没见睡在那里还是咭咭呱呱，笑一阵，说一阵，也不知那里来的那些话。”王夫人道：“只怕如今好了。前日有人家来相看，眼见有婆婆家了，还是那们着。”贾母因问：“今儿还是住着，还是家去呢？”周奶娘笑道：“老太太没有看见衣服都带了来，可不住两天？”史湘云问道：“宝玉哥哥不在家么？”宝钗笑道：“他再不想着别人，只想宝兄弟，两个人好憨的。这可见还没改了淘气。”贾母道：“如今你们大了，别提小名儿了。”

刚说着，只见宝玉来了，笑道：“云妹妹来了。前儿打发人接你去，怎么不来？”王夫人道：“这里老太太才说这一个，他又来提名道姓的了。”林黛玉道：“你哥哥得了好东西，等着你呢。”史湘云道：“什么好东西？”宝玉笑道：“你信他呢！几日不见，越发高了。”湘云笑道：“袭人姐姐好？”宝玉道：“多谢你记挂。”湘云道：“我给他带了好东西来了。”说着，拿出手帕子来，挽着一个疙瘩。宝玉道：“什么好的？你倒不如把前儿送来的那种绛纹石的戒指[16]儿带两个给他。”湘云笑道：“这是什么？”说着便打开。众人看时，果然就是上次〔七〕送来的那绛纹戒指，一包四个。

林黛玉笑道：“你们瞧瞧他这主意。前儿一般的打发人给我们送了来，你就把他[18]带来，岂不省事？今儿巴巴的自己带了来，我当又是什么新奇东西，原来还是他。真真你是糊涂人。”史湘云笑道：“你才糊涂呢！我把这理说出来，大家评一评谁糊涂。给你们送东西，就是使来的不用说话，拿进来一看，自然就知是送姑娘们的了；若带他们的东西，这得我先告诉来人，这是那一个丫头的，那是那一个丫头的，那使来的人明白还好，再糊涂些，丫头的名字他也不记得，混闹胡说的，反连你们的东西都搅糊涂了。若是打发个女人素日知道的还罢了，偏生前儿又打发小子来，可怎么说丫头们的名字呢？横竖我来给他们带来，岂不清白。”说着，把四个戒指放下，说道：“袭人姐姐一个，鸳鸯姐姐一个，金钏儿姐姐一个，平儿姐姐一个：这倒是四个人的，难道小子们也记得这们清白？”

众人听了，都笑道：“果然明白。”宝玉笑道：“还是这么会说话，不让人。”林黛玉听了，冷笑道：“他不会说话，他的金麒麟会说话。”一面说着，便起身走了。幸而诸人都不曾听见，只有薛宝钗抿嘴一笑。宝玉听见了，倒自己后悔又说错了话，忽见宝钗一笑，由不得也笑了。宝钗见宝玉笑了，忙起身走开，找了林黛玉去说话。贾母向湘云道：“吃了茶歇一歇，瞧瞧你的嫂子们去。园里也凉快，同你姐姐们去逛逛。”

湘云答应了，将三个戒指儿包上，歇了一歇，便起身要瞧凤姐等人去。众奶娘丫头跟着，到了凤姐那里，说笑了一回，出来便往大观园来，见过了李宫裁，少坐片时，便往怡红院来找袭人。因回头说道：“你们不必跟着，只管瞧你们的朋友亲戚去，留下翠缕服侍就是了。”

众人听了，自去寻姑觅嫂，单剩下湘云翠缕两个人。翠缕道：“这荷花怎么还不开？”史湘云道：“时候没到。”翠缕道：“这也和咱们家池子里的一样，也是楼子花[19]？”湘云道：“他们这个还不如咱们的。”翠缕道：“他们那边有棵石榴，接连四五枝，真是楼子上起楼子，这也难为他长。”史湘云道：“花草也是同人一样，气脉充足，长的就好。”翠缕把脸一扭，说〔八〕道：“我不信这话。若说同人一样，我怎么不见头上又长出一个头来的人？”

湘云听了，由不得一笑，说道：“我说你不用说话，你偏好说。这叫人怎么好答言？天地间都赋阴阳二气所生，或正或邪，或奇或怪，千变万化，都是阴阳顺逆多少。一生出来，人罕见的就奇，究竟理还是一样。”翠缕道：“这么说起来，从古至今，开天辟地，都是些阴阳了？”湘云笑道：“糊涂东西，越说越放屁。什么‘都是些阴阳’，难道还有两个阴阳不成！‘阴’‘阳’两个字还只是一字，阳尽了就成阴，阴尽了就成阳，不是阴尽了又有个阳生出来，阳尽了又有个阴生出来。”翠缕道：“这糊涂死了我！什么是个阴阳，没影没形的。我只问姑娘，这阴阳是怎么个样儿？”湘云道：“阴阳可有什么样儿，不过是个气，器物赋了成形。比如天是阳，地就是阴；水是阴，火就是阳；日是阳，月就是阴。”

翠缕听了，笑道：“是了，是了，我今儿可明白了。怪道人都管着日头叫‘太阳’呢，算命的管着月亮叫什么‘太阴星’，就是这个理了。”湘云笑道：“阿弥陀佛！刚刚的明白了。”翠缕道：“这些大东西有阴阳也罢了，难道那些蚊子、虼蚤、蠓虫儿[21]、花儿、草儿、瓦片儿、砖头儿也有阴阳不成？”湘云道：“怎么有没阴阳的呢？比如那一个树叶儿还分阴阳呢，那边向上朝阳的便是阳，这边背阴覆下的便是阴。”翠缕听了，点头笑道：“原来这样，我可明白了。只是咱们这手里的扇子，怎么是阳，怎么是阴呢？”湘云道：“这边正面就是阳，那边反面就为阴。”

翠缕又点头笑了，还要拿几件东西问，因想不起个什么来，猛低头就看见湘云宫绦上系的金麒麟，便提起来笑道：“姑娘，这个难道也有阴阳？”湘云道：“走兽飞禽，雄为阳，雌为阴；牝为阴，牡[22]为阳。怎么没有呢！”翠缕道：“这是公的，到底是母的呢？”湘云道：“这连我也不知道。”翠缕道：“这也罢了，怎么东西都有阴阳，咱们人倒没有阴阳呢？”湘云照脸啐了一口道：“下流东西，好生走罢。越问越问出好的来了！”翠缕笑道：“这有什么不告诉我的呢？我也知道了，不用难我。”湘云笑道：“你知道什么？”翠缕道：“姑娘是阳，我就是阴。”说着，湘云拿手帕子握着嘴，呵呵的笑起来。翠缕道：“说是了，就笑的这样了。”湘云道：“很是，很是。”翠缕道：“人规矩主子为阳，奴才为阴。我连这个大道理也不懂得？”湘云笑道：“你很懂得。”

一面说，一面走，刚到蔷薇架下，湘云道：“你瞧那是谁掉的首饰，金晃晃在那里。”翠缕听了，忙赶上拾在手里攥着，笑道：“可分出阴阳来了。”说着，先拿史湘云的麒麟瞧。湘云要他拣的瞧，翠缕只管不放手，笑道：“是件宝贝，姑娘瞧不得。这是从那里来的？好奇怪！我从来在这里没见有人有这个。”湘云道：“拿来我看。”翠缕将手一撒，笑道：“请看。”湘云举目一验，却是文彩辉煌的一个金麒麟，比自己佩的又大又有文彩。湘云伸手擎在掌上，只是默默不语。

正自出神，忽见宝玉从那边来了，笑问道：“你两个在这日头底下作什么呢？怎么不找袭人去？”湘云连忙将那麒麟藏起道：“正要去呢。咱们一处走。”说着，大家进入怡红院来。

袭人正在阶下倚槛迎风，忽见湘云来了，连忙迎下来，携手笑说一向久别情况。一时进来归坐，宝玉因笑道：“你该早来，我得了一件好东西，专等你呢。”说着，一面在身上摸掏，掏了半天，呵呀了一声，便问袭人“那个东西你收起来了么？”袭人道：“什么东西？”宝玉道：“前儿得的麒麟。”袭人道：“你天天带在身上的，怎么问我？”宝玉听了，将手一拍说道：“这可丢了，往那里找去！”就要起身自己寻去。湘云听了，方知是他遗落的，便笑问道：“你几时又有了麒麟了？”宝玉道：“前儿好容易得的呢，不知多早晚丢了，我也糊涂了。”湘云笑道：“幸而是顽的东西，还是这么慌张。”说着，将手一撒，笑道：“你瞧瞧，是这个不是？”宝玉一见由不得欢喜非常，因说道……不知是如何，且听下回分解。

[1] 因麒麟伏白首双星——因：凭；借。伏：隐伏，伏笔。白首：指老年人。双星：牛郎、织女二星。据庚辰本第三十一回脂批：“后数十回若兰在射圃所佩之麒麟，正此麒麟也。提纲伏于此回中。”这个回目可能是八十回以后原稿中有关史湘云命运的伏笔。

[2] 山羊血黎洞丸——黎洞丸：中成药名，由血竭、三七、儿茶、雄黄、牛黄等十馀味中药组成。治金疮出血、跌打损伤、瘀血奔心、头昏不省及痛肿等症。因为配方用山羊血，故称“山羊血黎洞丸”。

[3] 蒲艾簪门，虎符系臂——蒲、艾：都是香草。簪：插。虎符：这里指用绫罗制成的小老虎。旧俗每逢端午节，将蒲艾插在门上，把虎符系在儿童的臂上，认为可以“避邪”。见《燕京岁时记》。

[4] 赏午——凡端午节吃午饭，饮雄黄酒，吃樱桃、桑椹等时鲜果品，以及赏石榴花等等节日活动，统称赏午。

[5] 姑娘——这里指通房丫头。

[6] 饶——此处作“尽管”解。

〔一〕 “我先就哭死了”，原作“我就先哭了”，从各本改。

〔二〕 “可以不用再洗”，底本原文、己卯本均作“可也不用”，梦稿、舒序本作“这会子可以不用”，蒙府、戚序本作“可以不用洗了”，甲辰本作“可以不用”。今取底本改文。

[9] 湃（bá拔）——用冰或凉水浸泡果品或饮料等使之变冷。

〔三〕 “借人”，梦稿本作“待人”，甲辰本作“为人”，馀各本均同底本。味上下文语意，疑系“供人”之误。

[11] “千金难买一笑”——形容博得美人一笑之不易。语本南朝王僧孺《咏宠姬诗》：“再顾连城易，一笑千金买。”

〔四〕 “三四月”，原无“四”字，从各本补。

〔五〕 “老太太”，原系“老夫人”点改，各本均作“老太太”，从。

〔六〕 “他来住”，原作“老娘来”（“娘”旁添），从各本改。

[15] 拜了影——影：指旧时供奉的祖先画像。逢年过节或祭祀时子孙叩拜祖先画像称“拜影”。

[16] 绛纹石戒指——用深红色纹理的美石镶嵌的指环。

〔七〕 “上次”，原作“上年”，从各本改。

[18] 他——连同下文的“他”，均指“戒指”。

[19] 楼子花——在花蕊里又开出一层花，叫楼子花，又叫重台，俗称起楼子。

〔八〕 “把脸一扭说”，原无，从各本补。

[21] 蠓（měn蒙）虫儿——蠓科昆虫，体呈褐色或黑色，翅短而宽，甚小，雌蠓吸食人畜血液。

[22] 牝（pìn聘）牡——鸟兽雌者叫牝，雄者叫牡。

CHAPTER 31. A torn fan is the price of silver laughter And a lost kylin is the clue to a happy marriage

A cold fear came over Aroma when she saw the fresh blood on the floor. She had often heard people say that if you spat blood when you were young, you would die early, or at the very least be an invalid all your life; and remembering this now, she felt all her bright, ambitious hopes for the future turn into dust and ashes. Tears of misery ran down her cheeks. The sight of them made Bao-yu, too, distressed.

‘What is it?’ he asked her.

‘It’s nothing.’ She forced herself to smile. ‘I’m all right.’

Bao-yu was all for calling one of the maids and getting her to heat some rice wine, so that Aroma could be given hot wine and Hainan kid’s-blood pills; but Aroma, smiling through her tears, caught at his hand to restrain him.

‘It’s all right for you to make a fuss,’ she said; ‘but if you go involving the others, they are sure to accuse me of putting on airs. And besides, it will do neither of us any good to draw attention to ourselves – especially when so far no one seems to have noticed anything. The sensible thing would be for you to send one of the boys round tomorrow to Dr Wang’s and get me some medicine to take. I shall probably be all right again after a few doses, without a single soul knowing anything about it. Surely that’s best, isn’t it?’

Bao-yu knew that she was right and abandoned his intention of rousing the others. Instead he poured her a cup of tea from a pot on the table and gave it to her to rinse her mouth with. Aroma was uneasy about being waited on by her master; but fearing that if she refused his services he would insist on disturbing everybody, she lay back and allowed him to fuss over her.

As soon as it was daylight, Bao-yu threw on his clothes and, without even waiting to wash or comb, went out of the Garden to his study in the front part of the mansion, whither he summoned the doctor Wang Ji-ren for detailed questioning. When this worthy had elicited the information that the hae-morrhage inquired about had been caused by a blow, he seemed less disposed to take a serious view of the case, merely naming some pills and giving perfunctory instructions for taking them internally and for applying them in solution as a poultice. Bao-yu made a note of these instructions and went back into the Garden to carry them out.

But that is no part of our story.

It was now the festival of the Double Fifth. Sprays of calamus and artemisia crowned the doorways and everyone wore tiger amulets fastened on their clothing at the back. At noon Lady Wang gave a little party at which Aunt Xue and Bao-chai were the guests.

Bao-yu, finding Bao-chai somewhat glacial in her manner and evidently unwilling to talk to him, knew that it must be because of his rudeness to her of the day before.

Lady Wang, observing Bao-yu’s dejected appearance, attributed it to embarrassment about yesterday’s episode with Golden and ignored him even more pointedly than Bao-chai.

Dai-yu, seeing how morose Bao-yu looked assumed that it was because Bao-chai was offended with him and, feeling resentful that he should care, at once became as morose as he was.

Xi-feng, having been told all about Bao-yu and Golden the night before by Lady Wang, could scarcely be her usual laughing and joking self when she knew of her aunt’s displeasure and, taking her cue from the latter, was if anything even more glacial than the others.

And Ying-chun, Tan-chun and Xi-chun, seeing everyone else so uncomfortable, soon began to feel just as uncomfortable themselves.

The result was that after sitting for only a very short time, the party broke up.

Dai-yu had a natural aversion to gatherings, which she rationalized by saying that since the inevitable consequence of getting together was parting, and since parting made people feel lonely and feeling lonely made them unhappy, ergo it was better for them not to get together in the first place. In the same way she argued that since the flowers, which give us so much pleasure when they open, only cause us a lot of extra sadness when they die, it would be better if they didn’t come out at all.

Bao-yu was just the opposite. He always wanted the party to go on for ever and flowers to be in perpetual bloom; and when at last the party did end and the flowers did wither – well, it was infinitely sad and distressing, but it couldn’t be helped.

And so today, while everyone else left the party with feelings of gloom, Dai-yu alone was completely unaffected. Bao-yu, on the other hand, returned to his room in a mood of black despondency, sighing and muttering as he went.

Unfortunately it was the sharp-tongued Skybright who came forward to help him change his clothes. With provoking carelessness she dropped a fan while she was doing so and snapped the bone fan-sticks by accidentally treading on it.

‘Clumsy!’ said Bao-yu reproachfully. ‘You won’t be so careless with things when you have a household of your own.’

Skybright gave a sardonic sniff.

‘You’re getting quite a temper lately, Master Bao. Almost every time we move nowadays we get a nasty look from you. Yesterday even Aroma caught it. Today you’re finding fault with me, so I suppose I can expect a few kicks too. Well, kick away. But I must say, I shouldn’t have thought treading on a fan was such a very terrible thing to do. In the past any number of glass bowls and agate cups have got broken without your turning a hair. Why this fuss about a fan, then? If you’re not satisfied with my service, you ought to dismiss me and get someone better. Easy come, easy go. No need for beating about the bush.’

By the time she had finished, Bao-yu was so angry that he was shaking all over.

‘You’ll go soon enough, don’t you worry!’ he said.

Aroma had heard all this from the adjoining room and now came hurrying in.

‘Now what’s all this about?’ she said, addressing herself to Bao-yu. ‘Didn’t I tell you? As soon as I turn my back there’s trouble.’

‘If you knew that already,’ said Skybright, ‘it’s a pity you couldn’t have come in a bit sooner and saved me from provoking him. Of course, we all know that you’re the only one who knows how to serve him properly. None of the rest of us knows how it’s done. I suppose it’s because you serve him so well that he gave you a kick in the ribs yesterday. Heaven knows what he’s got in store for me for having served him so badly!’

Angry, and at the same time ashamed, Aroma was about to retort; but the sight of Bao-yu’s face, now white with anger, made her restrain herself.

‘Be a good girl – just go away and play for a bit. It’s we who are in the wrong.’

Skybright naturally assumed that ‘we’ meant Aroma and Bao-yu. Her jealousy was further inflamed.

‘What do you mean, “we”?’ she said. ‘You two make me feel ashamed for you, you really do – because you needn’t think you deceive me. I know what goes on between you when you think no one is looking. But when all’s said and done, in actual fact, when you come down to it, you’re not even a “Miss” by rights. By rights you’re no better than any of the rest of us. I don’t know where you get this “we” from.’

Aroma blushed and blushed with shame, until her face had become a dusky red colour. Too late she realized her slip. By ‘we’ she had meant no more than ‘you and I’; not ‘Bao-yu and I’ as Skybright imagined. But the pronoun had invited misunderstanding.

It was Bao-yu who retorted, however.

‘I’ll make her a “Miss” then; I’ll make her my chamber-wife tomorrow, if that’s all that’s worrying you. You can spare your jealousy on that account.’

Aroma seized his hand impulsively.

‘Don’t argue with her, she’s only a silly girl. In any case, you’ve put up with much worse than this in the past; why be so touchy today?’

Skybright gave a harsh little laugh.

‘Oh, yes. I’m too stupid to talk to. I’m only a slave.’

‘Are you arguing with me, Miss, or with Master Bao?’ said Aroma. ‘If it’s me you’ve got it in for, you’d better address your remarks to me elsewhere. There’s no cause to go quarrelling with me in front of Master Bao. But if it’s Master Bao you want to quarrel with, then at least you might do it a bit more quietly and not let everyone else know about it. When I came in just now, it was for everyone’s sake, so that we could have a bit of peace and quiet. I don’t know why you had to turn on me and start picking on my shortcomings. It seems as if you can’t make up your mind whether you’re angry with me or with Master Bao. Slipping in a dig here and a dig there. I don’t know what you think you’re up to. Anyway, I shan’t say any more; I’ll just leave you here to get on with it.’

She walked out.

‘There’s no need for you to be so angry,’ Bao-yu said to Skybright. ‘I can guess what it is that’s bothering you. I shall go and tell Her Ladyship that you’re old enough to leave us now and ask her to send you away. That’s what you really want, isn’t it?’

‘I don’t want to go away. Why should I want to go away?’ said Skybright with tears in her eyes – now more upset than ever. ‘You’re inventing this as a means of getting rid of me, aren’t you, because I’m in your way? But you won’t get away with it.’

‘Look, I’ve never had to put up with scenes like this before,’ said Bao-yu. ‘What other reason can there be but that you want to leave? I really think I had better go and see Her Ladyship about this.’

He got up and began to go; but Aroma came in again and barred his way.

‘Where are you off to?’ she asked him smilingly.

‘To see Her Ladyship.’

‘Oh, that’s silly,’ said Aroma. ‘I wonder you’re not ashamed to. Even if Skybright really does want to leave, there will be plenty of time to tell Her Ladyship about it when everyone has cooled down a bit and you are feeling calm and collected. If you go rushing off in your present state, Her Ladyship will suspect something.’

‘Her Ladyship won’t suspect anything,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I shall tell her quite openly that Skybright has been agitating to leave.’

‘When have I ever agitated to leave?’ said Skybright, weeping now in earnest. ‘Even if you’re angry with me, you ought not to twist things round in order to get the better of me. But you go and tell her! I don’t care if I have to beat my own brains out, I’m not going out of that door.’

‘Now that’s really strange,’ said Bao-yu. ‘You don’t want to go, yet at the same time you won’t keep quiet. It’s no good; I really can’t stand this quarrelling. I shall really have to see Her Ladyship about this and get it over with.’

This time he seemed quite determined to go.

Seeing that she was unable to hold him back, Aroma went down on her knees. Emerald, Ripple, Musk and the other maids, aware that a quarrel of more than usual magnitude was going on inside, were waiting together outside in breathless silence. When word reached them that Aroma was now on her knees interceding for Skybright, they came silently trooping in to kneel down behind her. Bao-yu raised Aroma to her feet, sighed, sat down on the edge of the bed, and told the other maids to get up.

‘What do you want me to do?’ he asked Aroma. ‘My heart is destroyed inside me, but none of you knows or cares.’

Tears started from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks unheeded. Seeing his tears, Aroma too began to cry. Skybright, who stood crying beside them, was about to say something; but just at that moment Dai-yu walked in and she slipped outside.

Dai-yu beamed at the weeping pair:

‘Crying on a holiday? What’s all this about? Have you been quarrelling over the rice-cakes?’

Bao-yu and Aroma both burst out laughing.

‘Well, if Cousin Bao won’t tell me,’ she went on, ‘I’m sure that you will. Come!’ she said, slapping Aroma familiarly on the shoulder. ‘Tell sis all about it. It’s obvious that the two of you have been having an argument. Tell me what it’s all about and I’ll make it up between you.’

‘Oh, Miss!’ Aroma gave her a push. ‘Don’t carry on so! I’m only a maid; you shouldn’t say such things to me.’

‘Only a maid?’ said Dai-yu. ‘I always think of you as my sister-in-law.’

‘Don’t you see that you’re simply encouraging people to be nasty to her?’ Bao-yu protested. ‘Even as it is, people already gossip about her. How can she stand up to them if you come along and lend your weight to what they are saying?’

‘You don’t know what I feel, Miss,’ said Aroma. ‘If I only knew how to stop breathing, I’d gladly die.’

Dai-yu smiled.

‘If you were to die, I don’t know about anyone else, but I know that I should die of grief.’

‘I should become a monk,’ said Bao-yu.

‘Try to be a bit more serious,’ said Aroma. ‘You and Miss Lin are both laughing at me.’

Dai-yu held up two fingers and looked at Bao-yu with a quizzical expression.

‘That’s twice you’re going to become a monk. From now on I’m keeping the score.’

Bao-yu recognized the allusion to what he had said to her the day before. Fortunately he was able to pass it off with a laugh. Shortly after that, Dai-yu left them.

No sooner had Dai-yu gone than someone arrived with an invitation from Xue Pan. Bao-yu thought that this time he had better go. It turned out to be only a drinking-party, but Xue Pan refused to release him and kept him there until it was over. He returned home in the evening more than a little drunk.

As he came lurching into his courtyard, he saw that someone in quest of coolness had taken a bed outside and was lying down on it asleep. Assuming that it must be Aroma, he sat down on the edge of it and gave her a push.

‘Is the pain any better?’

‘Can’t you leave me alone?’ she said, rising up wrathfully.

He looked again and saw that it was not Aroma after all but Skybright. Taking her by the hand, he drew her down on the bed beside him.

‘You’re getting so self-willed,’ he said laughingly. ‘When you trod on that fan this morning, I only made a harmless little remark, but look how you flew up in the air about it! And then when Aroma, out of the kindness of her heart, tried to reason with you, look how you pitched into her! Seriously, now, don’t you think it was all a bit uncalled-for?’

‘I’m so hot,’ said Skybright. ‘Do you have to maul me about like this? Suppose someone were to see us? Anyway, it’s not right for me to be sitting here.’

‘If you know it’s not right to be sitting here,’ he said teasingly, ‘what were you doing lying down?’

‘Che-e-e!’ Unable at once to reply, she gave a little laugh. Then she said:

‘When you are not here it doesn’t matter. It’s your being here that makes it wrong. Anyway, let me get up now, because I want to have a bath. Aroma and Musk have had theirs already. I’ll send them out to you.’

‘I’ve just had rather a lot to drink and I could do with a bath myself,’ said Bao-yu ‘As you haven’t had yours yet, bring the water out here and we’ll have a bath together.’

Skybright laughed and declined with a vigorous gesture of her hand.

‘Oh no! I daren’t start you off on that caper. I still remember that time you got Emerald to help you bath. You must have been two or three hours in there, so that we began to get quite worried. We didn’t like to go in while you were there, but when we did go in to have a look afterwards, we found water all over the floor, pools of water round the legs of the bed, and even the mat on the bed had water splashed all over it. Heaven only knows what you’d been up to. We laughed about it for days afterwards. I haven’t got time to fetch that amount of water. And in any case, you don’t want to go taking baths with me. As a matter of fact it’s cooler now, so I don’t think I shall have a bath after all. Why don’t you let me fetch you a bowl of water so that you can have a nice wash and comb your hair? Faithful just sent a lot of fruit round and we’ve got it soaking in iced water in the big glass bowl. I’ll tell them to bring some out to you, shall I?’

‘All right,’ said Bao-yu. ‘If you’re not having a bath yourself, I’ll just wash my hands; and you can get me some of that fruit to eat.’

Skybright smiled.

‘You’ve already told me once today how clumsy I am. I can’t even drop a fan without treading on it. So I’m much too clumsy to get your fruit for you. Suppose I were to break a plate. That would be terrible!’

‘If you want to break it, by all means break it,’ said Bao-yu. ‘These things are there for our use. What we use them for is a matter of individual taste. For example, fans are made for fanning with; but if you prefer to tear them up because it gives you pleasure, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. What you mustn’t do is to use them as objects to vent your anger on. It’s the same with plates and cups. Plates and cups are made to put food and drink in. But if you want to smash them on purpose because you like the noise, it’s perfectly all right to do so. As long as you don’t get into a passion and start taking it out on things – that is the golden rule.’

‘All right then,’ said Skybright with a mischievous smile. ‘Give me your fan to tear. I love the sound of a fan being torn.’

Bao-yu held it out to her. She took it eagerly and – chah! – promptly tore it in half. And again – chah! chah! chah! – she tore it several more times. Bao-yu, an appreciative onlooker, laughed and encouraged her.

‘Well torn! Well torn! Now again – a really loud one!’

Just then Musk appeared. She stared at them indignantly.

‘Don’t do that!’ she said. ‘It’s wicked to waste things like that.’

But Bao-yu leaped up to her, snatched the fan from her hand, and passed it to Skybright, who at once tore it into several pieces. The two of them, Bao-yu and Skybright, then burst into uproarious laughter.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ said Musk. ‘That’s my fan you’ve just ruined.’

‘What’s an old fan?’ said Bao-yu. ‘Open up the fan box and get yourself another.’

‘If that’s your attitude,’ said Musk, ‘we might as well carry out the whole boxful and let her tear away to her heart’s content.’

‘All right. Go and get it,’ said Bao-yu.

‘And be born a beggar in my next life?’ said Musk. ‘No thank you! She hasn’t broken her arm. Let her go and get it herself.’

Skybright stretched back on the bed, smiling complacently.

‘I’m rather tired just now. I think I shall tear some more tomorrow.’

Bao-yu laughed.

‘The ancients used to say that for one smile of a beautiful woman a thousand taels are well spent. For a few old fans it’s cheap at the price!’

He called to Aroma, who had just finished changing into clean clothes, to come outside and join them. Little Melilot came and cleared away the broken bits of fan, and everyone sat for a while and enjoyed the cool.

But our narrative supplies no further details of that evening.

About noon next day, while Lady Wang, Bao-chai, Dai-yu and the girls were sitting in Grandmother Jia’s room, someone came in to announce that ‘Miss Shi’ had arrived. Shortly afterwards Shi Xiang-yun appeared in the courtyard, attended by a bevy of matrons and maids. Bao-chai, Dai-yu and the rest hurried out to the foot of the steps to welcome her.

For young girls like the cousins a reunion after a mere month’s separation is an occasion for touching demonstrations of affection. After these initial transports, when they were all indoors and the greetings, introductions and salutations had been completed, Grandmother Jia suggested that, as the weather was so hot, Xiang-yun should remove her outer garments. Xiang-yun rose to her feet with alacrity and divested herself of one or two layers. Lady Wang was amused.

‘Gracious, child! What a lot you have on! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone wearing so much.’

‘It’s my Aunt Shi who makes me wear it all,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘You wouldn’t catch me wearing this stuff if I didn’t have to.’

‘You don’t know our Xiang-yun, Aunt,’ Bao-chai interposed. ‘She’s really happiest in boy’s clothes. That time she was here in the third or fourth month last year, I remember one day she dressed up in one of Bao-yu’s gowns and put a pair of his boots on and one of his belts round her waist. At first glance she looked exactly like Cousin Bao. It was only the ear-rings that gave her away. When she stood behind that chair over there, Grandmother was completely taken in. She said, “Bao-yu, come over here! You’ll get the dust from that hanging lamp in your eyes if you’re not careful.” But Xiang-yun just smiled and didn’t move. It was only when everyone couldn’t hold it in any longer and started laughing that Grandmother realized who it was and joined in the laugh. She told her that she made a very good-looking boy.’

‘That’s nothing,’ said Dai-yu. ‘What about that time last year when she came to stay for a couple of days with us in the first month and it snowed? Grandma and Auntie Wang had just got back from somewhere – I think it was from visiting the ancestors’ portraits – and she saw Grandma’s new scarlet felt rain-cape lying there and put it on when no one was looking. Of course, it was much too big and much too long for her, so she hitched it up and tied it round her waist with a sash and went out like that into the back courtyard to help the maids build a snowman. And then she slipped over in it and got covered all over with mud – ’

The others all laughed at the recollection.

Bao-chai asked Xiang-yun’s nurse, Mrs Zhou, whether Xiang-yun was still as tomboyish as ever. Nurse Zhou laughed but said nothing.

‘I don’t mind her being tomboyish,’ said Ying-chun, ‘but I do wish she wasn’t such a chatterbox. You wouldn’t believe it – even when she’s in bed at night it still goes on. Jabber-jabber, jabber-jabber. Then she laughs. Then she talks a bit more. Then she laughs again. And you never heard such a lot of rubbish in your life. I don’t know where she gets it all from.’

‘Well, perhaps she’ll have got over that by now,’ said Lady Wang. ‘I hear that someone was round the other day to talk about a betrothal. Now that there’s a future mother-in-law to think about, she can’t be quite as tomboyish as she used to be.’

‘Are you staying this time, or do you have to go back tonight?’ asked Grandmother Jia.

‘Your Old Ladyship hasn’t seen all the clothes she’s brought,’ said Nurse Zhou. ‘She’ll be staying two days here at the very least.’

‘Isn’t Bao at home?’ said Xiang-yun.

‘Listen to her!’ said Bao-chai. ‘Cousin Bao is the only one she thinks about. He and she get on well together because they are both fond of mischief. You can see she hasn’t really changed.’

‘Perhaps now that you’re getting older you had better stop using baby-names,’ said Grandmother Jia, reminded by the talk of betrothal that her babies were rapidly turning into grown-ups.

Just then Bao-yu came in.

‘Ah! Hallo, Yun! Why didn’t you come when we sent for you the other day?’

‘Grandmother has just this moment been saying that it is time you all stopped using baby-names,’ said Lady Wang. ‘I must say, this isn’t a very good beginning.’

‘Our cousin has got something nice to give you,’ said Dai-yu to Xiang-yun.

‘Oh? What is it?’ said Xiang-yun.

‘Don’t believe her,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Goodness! It’s no time since you were here last, but you seem to have grown taller already.’

Xiang-yun laughed.

‘How’s Aroma?’

‘She’s fine. Thank you for asking.’

‘I’ve brought something for her,’ said Xiang-yun. She produced a knotted-up silk handkerchief.

‘What treasure have you got wrapped up in there?’ said Bao-yu. ‘The best present you could have brought Aroma would have been a couple of those cheap agate rings like the ones you sent us the other day.’

‘What are these, then?’

With a triumphant smile she opened her little bundle and revealed four rings, each inset with the veined red agate they had so much admired on a previous occasion.

‘What a girl!’ said Dai-yu. ‘These are exactly the same as the ones you sent us the other day by messenger. Why didn’t you get him to bring these too and save yourself some trouble? I thought you must have got some wonderful rarity tied up in that handkerchief, seeing that you’d gone to all the trouble of bringing it here yourself – and all the time it was only a few more of those! You really are rather a silly.’

‘Thilly yourthelf!’ said Xiang-yun. ‘The others can decide which of us is the silly one when I have explained my reason. If I send things for you and the girls, it’s assumed that they are for you without the messenger even needing to say anything; but if I send things for any of the maids, I have to explain very carefully to the messenger which ones I mean. Now if the messenger is someone intelligent, that’s all right; but if it’s someone not so bright who has difficulty in remembering names, they’ll probably make such a mess of it that they’ll get not only the maids’ presents mixed up, but yours as well. Then again, if the messenger is a woman, it’s not so bad; but the other day it was one of the boys – and you know how hopeless they are over girls’ names. So you see, I thought it would be simpler if I delivered the maids’ ones myself. There!’ – she laid the rings down one after another on the table – ‘One for Aroma; one for Faithful; one for Golden; and one for Patience. Can you imagine one of the boys getting those four names right?’

The others laughed.

‘Clever! Clever!’ they said.

‘You’re always so eloquent,’ said Bao-yu. ‘No one else gets a chance.’

‘If she weren’t so eloquent, she wouldn’t be worthy of the gold kylin,’ said Dai-yu huffily, rising from her seat and walking off as she spoke.

Fortunately no one heard her but Bao-chai, who made a laughing grimace, and Bao-yu, who immediately regretted having once more spoken out of turn, but who, suddenly catching sight of Bao-chai’s expression, could not help laughing himself. Seeing him laugh, Bao-chai at once rose from her seat and hurried off to joke with Dai-yu.

‘When you’ve finished your tea and rested a bit,’ said Grandmother Jia to Xiang-yun, ‘you can go and see your married cousins. After that, you can amuse yourself in the Garden with the girls. It’s nice and cool there.’

Xiang-yun thanked her grandmother. She wrapped up three of the rings again, and after sitting a little longer, went off, attended by her nannies and maids, to call on Wang Xi-feng. After chatting a while with her, she went into the Garden and called on Li Wan. Then, after sitting a short while with Li Wan, she went off in the direction of Green Delights in quest of Aroma. Before doing so, however, she turned to dismiss her escort.

‘You needn’t stay with me any longer,’ she said. ‘You can go off now and visit your relations. I’ll just keep Fishy to wait on me.’

The others thanked her and went off to look for various kith and kin, leaving Xiang-yun alone with Kingfisher.

‘Why aren’t these water-lilies out yet?’ said Kingfisher.

‘It isn’t time for them yet,’ said Xiang-yun.

‘Look, they’re going to be “double-decker” ones, like the ones in our lily-pond at home,’ said Kingfisher.

‘Our ones are better,’ said Xiang-yun.

‘They’ve got a pomegranate-tree here which has four or five lots of flowers growing one above the other on each branch,’ said Kingfisher. ‘That’s a double-double-double-decker. I wonder what makes them grow like that.’

‘Plants are the same as people,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘The healthier their constitution is, the better they grow.’

‘I don’t believe that,’ said Kingfisher with a toss of her head. ‘If that were so, why don’t we see people walking around with one head growing on top of the other?’

Xiang-yun was unable to avoid laughing at the girl’s simplicity.

‘I’ve told you before, you talk too much,’ she said. ‘Let’s see: how can one answer a question like that? Everything in the world is moulded by the forces of Yin and Yang. That means that, besides the normal, the abnormal, the peculiar, the freakish – in fact all the thousands and thousands of different variations we find in things – are caused by different combinations of Yin and Yang. Even if something appears that is so rare that no one has ever seen it before, the principle is still the same.’

‘So according to what you say,’ said Kingfisher, ‘all the things that have ever existed, from the time the world began right up to the present moment, have just been a lot of Yins and Yangs.’

‘No, stupid!’ said Xiang-yun. ‘The more you say, the sillier you get. “Just a lot of Yins and Yangs” indeed! In any case, strictly speaking Yin and Yang are not two things but one and the same thing. By the time the Yang has become exhausted, it is Yin; and by the time the Yin has become exhausted, it is Yang. It isn’t a case of one of them coming to an end and then the other one growing out of nothing.’

‘That’s too deep for me,’ said Kingfisher. ‘What sort of thing is a Yin-yang, I’d like to know? No one’s ever seen one. You just answer that, Miss. What does a Yin-yang look like?’

‘Yin-yang is a sort of force,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘It’s the force in things that gives them their distinctive forms. For example, the sky is Yang and the earth is Yin; water is Yin and fire is Yang; the sun is Yang and the moon is Yin.’

‘Ah yes! Now I understand,’ said Kingfisher happily. ‘That’s why astrologers call the sun the “Yang star” and the moon the “Yin star”.’

‘Holy name!’ said Xiang-yun. ‘She understands.’

‘That’s not so difficult,’ said Kingfisher. ‘But what about things like mosquitoes and fleas and midges and plants and flowers and bricks and tiles? Surely you are not going to say that they are all Yin-yang too?’

‘Certainly they are!’ said Xiang-yun. ‘Take the leaf of a tree, for example. That’s divided into Yin and Yang. The side facing upwards towards the sky is Yang; the underside, facing towards the ground, is Yin.’

Kingfisher nodded.

‘I see. Yes. I can understand that. But take these fans we are holding. Surely they don’t have Yin and Yang?’

‘Yes they do. The front of the fan is Yang; the back of the fan is Yin.’

Kingfisher nodded, satisfied. She tried to think of some other object to ask about, but being for the moment unable to, she began looking around her for inspiration. As she did so, her eye chanced to light on the gold kylin fastened in the intricate loopings of her mistress’s girdle.

‘Well, Miss,’ she said, pointing triumphantly to the kylin, ‘you’re not going to say that that’s got Yin and Yang?

‘Certainly. In the case of birds and beasts the males are Yang and the females are Yin.’

‘Is this a daddy one or a mummy one?’ said Kingfisher.

‘ “A daddy one or a mummy one”! Silly girl! ’

‘All right, then,’ said Kingfisher. ‘But why is it that everything else has Yin and Yang but we haven’t?’

‘Get along with you, naughty girl! What subject will you get on to next?’

‘Why? Why can’t you tell me?’ said Kingfisher. ‘Anyway, I know; so there’s no need for you to be so nasty to me.’

Xiang-yun suppressed a giggle.

‘You’re Yang and I’m Yin,’ said Kingfisher.

Xiang-yun held her handkerchief to her mouth and laughed.

‘Well, that’s right, isn’t it?’ said Kingfisher. ‘What are you laughing at?’

‘Yes, yes,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘That’s quite right.’

‘That’s what they always say,’ said Kingfisher: ‘the master is Yang and the servant is Yin. Even I can understand that principle.’

‘I’m sure you can,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘Very good.’

While they were talking, a glittering golden object at the foot of the rose pergola caught Xiang-yun’s eye. She pointed it out to Kingfisher.

‘Go and see what it is.’

Kingfisher bounded over and picked it up.

‘Ah ha!’ she said, examining the object in her hand. ‘Now we shall be able to see whether it’s Yin or Yang.’

She took hold of the kylin fastened to Xiang-yun’s girdle and held it up to look at it more closely. Xiang-yun wanted to see what it was that she held in her hand, but Kingfisher wouldn’t let her.

‘It’s my treasure,’ she said with a laugh. ‘I won’t let you see it, Miss. Funny, though. I wonder where it came from. I’ve never seen anyone here wearing it.’

‘Come on! Let me look,’ said Xiang-yun.

‘There you are, Miss!’ Kingfisher opened her hand.

Xiang-yun looked. It was a beautiful, shining gold kylin, both larger and more ornate than the one she was wearing. Reaching out and taking it from Kingfisher, she held it on the palm of her hand and contemplated it for some moments in silence.

Whatever reverie the contemplation inspired was broken by the sudden arrival of Bao-yu.

‘What are you doing, standing out here in the blazing sun?’ he asked her. ‘Why don’t you go and see Aroma?’

‘We were on our way,’ said Xiang-yun, hurriedly concealing the gold kylin.

The three of them entered the courtyard of Green Delights together.

Aroma had gone outside to take the air and was leaning on the verandah railings at the foot of the front door steps. As soon as she caught sight of Xiang-yun, she hurried down into the courtyard to welcome her, and taking her by the hand, led her into the house, animatedly exchanging news with her as they went.

‘You should have come sooner,’ said Bao-yu when they were indoors and Aroma had made Xiang-yun take a seat. ‘I’ve got something nice for you here and I’ve been waiting for you to come so that I could give it to you.’

He had been hunting through his pockets as he said this. Not finding what he was searching for, he exclaimed in surprise.

‘Aiyo!’ He turned to Aroma. ‘Have you put it away somewhere?’

‘Put what away?’

‘That little kylin I got the other day.’

‘You’ve been carrying it around with you everywhere,’ said Aroma. ‘Why ask me about it?’

Bao-yu clapped his hands together in vexation.

‘Oh, I’ve lost it! Wherever am I going to look for it?’

He got up to begin searching.

Xiang-yun now realized that it must have been Bao-yu who dropped the kylin she had only a few minutes earlier discovered outside.

‘Since when have you had a kylin?’ she asked him.

‘Oh, several days now,’ said Bao-yu. ‘What a shame! I’ll never get another one like that. And the trouble is, I don’t know when I can have lost it. Oh dear! How stupid of me!’

‘It’s only an ornament you’re getting so upset about,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘What a good job it wasn’t something more serious!’

She opened her hand:

‘Look! Is that it?’

Bao-yu looked and saw, with extravagant delight, that it was.

The remainder of this episode will be told in the following chapter.