第四十回

第四十回 史太君两宴大观园 金鸳鸯三宣牙牌令

话说宝玉听了，忙进来看时，只见琥珀站在屏风跟前说：“快去吧，立等你说话呢。”宝玉来至上房，只见贾母正和王夫人众姊妹商议给史湘云还席。宝玉因说道：“我有个主意。既没有外客，吃的东西也别定了样数，谁素日爱吃的拣样儿做几样。也不要按桌席，每人跟前摆一张高几，各人爱吃的东西一两样，再一个什锦攒心盒子[2]，自斟壶，岂不别致。”贾母听了，说“很是”，忙命传与厨房：“明日就拣我们爱吃的东西作了，按着人数，再装了盒子来。早饭也摆在园里吃。”商议之间早又掌灯，一夕无话。

次日清早起来，可喜这日天气清朗。李纨侵晨[3]先起，看着老婆子丫头们扫那些落叶，并擦抹桌椅，预备茶酒器皿。只见丰儿带了刘姥姥板儿进来，说“大奶奶倒忙的紧。”李纨笑道：“我说你昨儿去不成，只忙着要去。”刘姥姥笑道：“老太太留下我，叫我也热闹一天去。”丰儿拿了几把大小钥匙，说道：“我们奶奶说了，外头的高几恐不够使，不如开了楼把那收着的拿下来使一天罢。奶奶原该亲自来的，因和太太说话呢，请大奶奶开了，带着人搬罢。”李氏便令素云接了钥匙，又令婆子出去把二门上的小厮叫几个来。李氏站在大观楼下往上看，令人上去开了缀锦阁，一张一张往下抬。小厮老婆子丫头一齐动手，抬了二十多张下来。李纨道：“好生着，别慌慌张张鬼赶来似的，仔细碰了牙子[4]。”又回头向刘姥姥笑道：“姥姥，你也上去瞧瞧。”刘姥姥听说，巴不得一声儿，便拉了板儿登梯上去。进里面，只见乌压压的堆着些围屏、桌椅、大小花灯之类，虽不大认得，只见五彩炫耀，各有奇妙。念了几声佛，便出来了。然后锁上门，一齐才下来。李纨道：“恐怕老太太高兴，越性把舡[5]上划子、篙桨、遮阳幔子都搬了下来预备着。”众人答应，复又开了，色色的搬了下来。令小厮传驾娘们到舡坞里撑出两只船来。

正乱着安排，只见贾母已带了一群人进来了。李纨忙迎上去，笑道：“老太太高兴，倒进来了。我只当还没梳头呢，才撷了菊花要送去。”一面说，一面碧月早捧过一个大荷叶式的翡翠盘子来，里面盛着各色的折枝菊花。贾母便拣了一朵大红的簪于鬓上。因回头看见了刘姥姥，忙笑道：“过来带花儿。”一语未完，凤姐便拉过刘姥姥来，笑道：“让我打扮你。”说着，将一盘子花横三竖四的插了一头。贾母和众人笑的不住。刘姥姥笑道：“我这头也不知修了什么福，今儿这样体面起来。”众人笑道：“你还不拔下来摔到他脸上呢，把你打扮的成了个老妖精了。”刘姥姥笑道：“我虽老了，年轻时也风流，爱个花儿粉儿的，今儿老风流才好。”

说笑之间，已来至沁芳亭子上。丫鬟们抱了一个大锦褥子来，铺在栏杆榻板上。贾母倚柱坐下，命刘姥姥也坐在旁边，因问他：“这园子好不好？”刘姥姥念佛说道：“我们乡下人到了年下，都上城来买画儿贴。时常闲了，大家都说，怎么得也到画儿上去逛逛。想着那个画儿也不过是假的，那里有这个真地方呢。谁知我今儿进这园里一瞧，竟比那画儿还强十倍。怎么得有人也照着这个园子画一张，我带了家去，给他们见见，死了也得好处。”贾母听说，便指着惜春笑道：“你瞧我这个小孙女儿，他就会画。等明儿叫他画一张如何？”刘姥姥听了，喜的忙跑过来，拉着惜春说道：“我的姑娘，你这么大年纪儿，又这么个好模样，还有这个能干，别是神仙托生的罢。”

贾母少歇一回，自然领着刘姥姥都见识见识。先到了潇湘馆。一进门，只见两边翠竹夹路，土地下苍苔布满，中间羊肠一条石子漫的路。刘姥姥让出路来与贾母众人走，自己却走[6]土地。琥珀拉着他说道：“姥姥，你上来走，仔细苍苔滑了。”刘姥姥道：“不相干的，我们走熟了的，姑娘们只管走罢。可惜你们的那绣鞋，别沾脏了。”他只顾上头和人说话，不防底下果跴滑了，咕咚一跤跌倒。众人拍手都哈哈的笑起来。贾母笑骂道：“小蹄子们，还不搀起来，只站着笑。”说话时，刘姥姥已爬了起来，自己也笑了，说道：“才说嘴就打了嘴。”贾母问他：“可扭了腰了不曾？叫丫头们捶一捶。”刘姥姥道：“那里说的我这么娇嫩了。那一天不跌两下子，都要捶起来，还了得呢。”

紫鹃早打起湘帘，贾母等进来坐下。林黛玉亲自用小茶盘捧了一盖碗茶来奉与贾母。王夫人道：“我们不吃茶，姑娘不用倒了。”林黛玉听说，便命丫头把自己窗下常坐的一张椅子挪到下首，请王夫人坐了。刘姥姥因见窗下案上设着笔砚，又见书架上磊着满满的书，刘姥姥道：“这必定是那位哥儿的书房了。”贾母笑指黛玉道：“这是我这外孙女儿的屋子。”刘姥姥留神打量了黛玉一番，方笑道：“这那像个小姐的绣房，竟比那上等的书房还好。”贾母因问：“宝玉怎么不见？”众丫头们答说：“在池子里舡上呢。”贾母道：“谁又预备下舡了？”李纨忙回说：“才开楼拿几，我恐怕老太太高兴，就预备下了。”贾母听了方欲说话时，有人回说：“姨太太来了。”贾母等刚站起来，只见薛姨妈早进来了，一面归坐，笑道：“今儿老太太高兴，这早晚就来了。”贾母笑道：“我才说来迟了的要罚他，不想姨太太就来迟了。”

说笑一会，贾母因见窗上纱的颜色旧了，便和王夫人说道：“这个纱新糊上好看，过了后来就不翠了。这个院子里头又没有个桃杏树，这竹子已是绿的，再拿这绿纱糊上反不配。我记得咱们先有四五样颜色糊窗的纱呢，明儿给他把这窗上的换了。”凤姐儿忙道：“昨儿我开库房，看见大板箱里还有好些匹银红蝉翼纱，也有各样折枝花样的，也有流云卍福花样的，也有百蝶穿花花样的，颜色又鲜，纱又轻软，我竟没见过这样的。拿了两匹出来，作两床绵纱被，想来一定是好的。”贾母听了笑道：“呸，人人都说你没有不经过不见过，连这个纱还不认得呢，明儿还说嘴。”薛姨妈等都笑说：“凭他怎么经过见过，如何敢比老太太呢。老太太何不教导了他，我们也听听。”凤姐儿也笑说：“好祖宗，教给我罢。”

贾母笑向薛姨妈众人道：“那个纱，比你们的年纪还大呢。怪不得他认作蝉翼纱，原也有些像，不知道的，都认作蝉翼纱。正经名字叫作‘软烟罗’。”凤姐儿道：“这个名儿也好听。只是我这么大了，纱罗也见过几百样，从没听见过这个名色。”贾母笑道：“你能够活了多大，见过几样没处放的东西，就说嘴来了。那个软烟罗只有四样颜色：一样雨过天晴，一样秋香色，一样松绿的，一样就是银红的，若是做了帐子，糊了窗屉，远远的看着，就似烟雾一样，所以叫作‘软烟罗’。那银红的又叫作‘霞影纱’。如今上用的府纱也没有这样软厚轻密的了。”薛姨妈笑道：“别说凤丫头没见，连我也没听见过。”

凤姐儿一面说，早命人取了一匹来了。贾母说：“可不是这个！先时原不过是糊窗屉，后来我们拿这个作被作帐子，试试也竟好。明儿就找出几匹来，拿银红的替他糊窗子。”凤姐答应着。众人都看了，称赞不已。刘姥姥也觑着眼看个不了，念佛说道：“我们想他作衣裳也不能，拿着糊窗子，岂不可惜？”贾母道：“倒是做衣裳不好看。”凤姐忙把自己身上穿的一件大红绵纱袄子襟儿拉了出来，向贾母薛姨妈道：“看我的这袄儿。”贾母薛姨妈都说：“这也是上好的了，这是如今的上用内造的，竟比不上这个。”凤姐儿道：“这个薄片子，还说是上用内造呢，竟连官用的也比不上了。”贾母道：“再找一找，只怕还有青的。若有时都拿出来，送这刘亲家两匹，做一个帐子我挂，下剩的添上里子〔一〕，做些夹背心子给丫头们穿，白收着霉坏了。”凤姐忙答应了，仍令人送去。

贾母起身笑道：“这屋里窄，再往别处逛去。”刘姥姥念佛道：“人人都说大家子住大房。昨儿见了老太太正房，配上大箱大柜大桌子大床，果然威武。那柜子比我们那一间房子还大还高。怪道后院子里有个梯子。我想并不上房晒东西，预备个梯子作什么？后来我想起来，定是为开顶柜收放东西，非离了那梯子，怎么得上去呢。如今又见了这小屋子，更比大的越发齐整了。满屋里的东西都只好看，都不知叫什么，我越看越舍不得离了这里。”凤姐道：“还有好的呢，我都带你去瞧瞧。”说着一径离了潇湘馆。

远远望见池中一群人在那里撑舡。贾母道：“他们既预备下船，咱们就坐。”一面说着，便向紫菱洲蓼溆一带走来。未至池前，只见几个婆子手里都捧着一色捏丝戗金五彩大盒子[8]走来。凤姐忙问王夫人早饭在那里摆。王夫人道：“问老太太在那里，就在那里罢了。”贾母听说，便回头说：“你三妹妹那里就好。你就带了人摆去，我们从这里坐了舡去。”

凤姐听说，便回身同了探春、李纨、鸳鸯、琥珀带着端饭的人等，抄着近路到了秋爽斋，就在晓翠堂上调开桌案。鸳鸯笑道：“天天咱们说外头老爷们吃酒吃饭都有一个篾片[9]相公，拿他取笑儿。咱们今儿也得了一个女篾片了。”李纨是个厚道人，听了不解。凤姐儿却知是说的是刘姥姥了，也笑说道：“咱们今儿就拿他取个笑儿。”二人便如此这般的商议。李纨笑劝道：“你们一点好事也不做，又不是个小孩儿，还这么淘气，仔细老太太说。”鸳鸯笑道：“很不与你相干，有我呢。”

正说着，只见贾母等来了，各自随便坐下。先着丫鬟端过两盘茶来，大家吃毕。凤姐手里拿着西洋布手巾，裹着一把乌木三镶银箸[10]，敁敠[11]人位，按席摆下。贾母因说：“把那一张小楠木桌子抬过来，让刘亲家近我这边坐着。”众人听说，忙抬了过来。凤姐一面递眼色与鸳鸯，鸳鸯便拉了刘姥姥出去，悄悄的嘱咐了刘姥姥一席话，又说：“这是我们家的规矩，若错了我们就笑话呢。”调停已毕，然后归坐。

薛姨妈是吃过饭来的，不吃，只坐在一边吃茶。贾母带着宝玉、湘云、黛玉、宝钗一桌，王夫人带着迎春姊妹三个人一桌，刘姥姥傍着贾母一桌。贾母素日吃饭，皆有小丫鬟在旁边，拿着漱盂、麈尾、巾帕等物。如今鸳鸯是不当这差的了，今日鸳鸯偏接过麈尾来拂着。丫鬟们知道他要撮弄刘姥姥，便躲开让他。鸳鸯一面侍立，一面悄向刘姥姥说道：“别忘了。”刘姥姥道：“姑娘放心。”那刘姥姥入了坐，拿起箸来，沉甸甸的不伏手。原是凤姐和鸳鸯商议定了，单拿一双老年四楞象牙镶金的筷子与刘姥姥。刘姥姥见了，说道：“这叉爬子比俺那里铁锨还沉，那里犟的过他。”说的众人都笑起来。

只见一个媳妇端了一个盒子站在当地，一个丫鬟上来揭去盒盖，里面盛着两碗菜。李纨端了一碗放在贾母桌上。凤姐儿偏拣了一碗鸽子蛋放在刘姥姥桌上。贾母这边说声“请”，刘姥姥便站起身来，高声说道：“老刘，老刘，食量大似牛，吃一个老母猪不抬头。”自己却鼓着腮不语。

众人先是发怔，后来一听，上上下下都哈哈的大笑起来。史湘云撑不住，一口饭都喷了出来；林黛玉笑岔了气，伏着桌子叫“嗳哟”；宝玉早滚到贾母怀里，贾母笑的搂着宝玉叫“心肝”；王夫人笑的用手指着凤姐儿，只说不出话来；薛姨妈也撑不住，口里茶喷了探春一裙子；探春手里的饭碗都合在迎春身上；惜春离了坐位，拉着他奶母叫揉一揉肠子。地下的无一个不弯腰屈背，也有躲出去蹲着笑去的，也有忍着笑上来替他姊妹换衣裳的，独有凤姐鸳鸯二人撑着，还只管让刘姥姥。

刘姥姥拿起箸来，只觉不听使，又说道：“这里的鸡儿也俊，下的这蛋也小巧，怪俊的。我且肏攮一个。”众人方住了笑，听见这话又笑起来。贾母笑的眼泪出来，琥珀在后捶着。贾母笑道：“这定是凤丫头促狭鬼儿闹的，快别信他的话了。”那刘姥姥正夸鸡蛋小巧，要肏攮一个，凤姐儿笑道：“一两银子一个呢，你快尝尝罢，那冷了就不好吃了。”刘姥姥便伸箸子要夹，那里夹的起来，满碗里闹了一阵好的[12]，好容易撮起一个来，才伸着脖子要吃，偏又滑下来滚在地下，忙放下箸子要亲自去捡，早有地下的人捡了出去了。刘姥姥叹道：“一两银子，也没听见个响声儿就没了。”

众人已没心吃饭，都看着他笑。贾母又说：“这会子又把那个筷子拿了出来，又不请客摆大筵席。都是凤丫头支使的，还不换了呢。”地下的人原不曾预备这牙箸，本是凤姐和鸳鸯拿了来的，听如此说，忙收了过去，也照样换上一双乌木镶银的。刘姥姥道：“去了金的，又是银的，到底不及俺们那个伏手。”凤姐儿道：“菜里若有毒，这银子下去了就试的出来。”刘姥姥道：“这个菜里若有毒，俺们那菜都成了砒霜了。那怕毒死了也要吃尽了。”贾母见他如此有趣，吃的又香甜，把自己的也都端过来与他吃。又命一个老嬷嬷来，将各样的菜给板儿夹在碗上。

一时吃毕，贾母等都往探春卧室中去说闲话。这里收拾过残桌，又放了一桌。刘姥姥看着李纨与凤姐儿对坐着吃饭，叹道：“别的罢了，我只爱你们家这行事。怪道说‘礼出大家’。”凤姐儿忙笑道：“你可别多心，才刚不过大家取笑儿。”一言未了，鸳鸯也进来笑道：“姥姥别恼，我给你老人家赔个不是。”刘姥姥笑道：“姑娘说那里话，咱们哄着老太太开个心儿，可有什么恼的！你先嘱咐我，我就明白了，不过大家取个笑儿。我要心里恼，也就不说了。”鸳鸯便骂人“为什么不倒茶给姥姥吃。”刘姥姥忙道：“刚才那个嫂子倒了茶来，我吃过了。姑娘也该用饭了。”凤姐儿便拉鸳鸯：“你坐下和我们吃了罢，省的回来又闹。”鸳鸯便坐下了。婆子们添上碗箸来，三人吃毕。

刘姥姥笑道：“我看你们这些人都只吃这一点儿就完了，亏你们也不饿。怪只道风儿都吹的倒。”鸳鸯便问：“今儿剩的菜不少，都那去了？”婆子们道：“都还没散呢，在这里等着一齐散与他们吃。”鸳鸯道：“他们吃不了这些，挑两碗给二奶奶屋里平丫头送去。”凤姐儿道：“他早吃了饭了，不用给他。”鸳鸯道：“他不吃了，喂你们的猫。”婆子听了，忙拣了两样拿盒子送去。鸳鸯道：“素云那去了？”李纨道：“他们都在这里一处吃，又找他作什么。”鸳鸯道：“这就罢了。”凤姐儿道：“袭人不在这里，你倒是叫人送两样给他去。”鸳鸯听说，便命人也送两样去后，鸳鸯又问婆子们：“回来吃酒的攒盒可装上了？”婆子道：“想必还得一会子。”鸳鸯道：“催着些儿。”婆子应喏了。

凤姐儿等来至探春房中，只见他娘儿们正说笑。探春素喜阔朗，这三间屋子并不曾隔断。当地放着一张花梨大理石大案，案上磊着各种名人法帖[13]，并数十方宝砚，各色笔筒，笔海内插的笔如树林一般。那一边设着斗大的一个汝窑花囊[14]，插着满满的一囊水晶球儿的白菊。西墙上当中挂着一大幅米襄阳[15]《烟雨图》，左右挂着一副对联，乃是颜鲁公墨迹，其词云：

烟霞闲骨格 泉石野生涯[16]

案上设着大鼎。左边紫檀架上放着一个大观窑的大盘，盘内盛着数十个娇黄玲珑大佛手[17]。右边洋漆架上悬着一个白玉比目磬，旁边挂着小锤。那板儿略熟了些，便要摘那锤子要击，丫鬟们忙拦住他。他又要那佛手吃，探春拣了一个与他说：“玩罢，吃不得的〔二〕。”东边便设着卧榻，拔步床[19]上悬着葱绿双绣花卉草虫的纱帐。板儿又跑过来看，说“这是蝈蝈，这是蚂蚱”。刘姥姥忙打了他一巴掌，骂道：“下作黄子[20]，没干没净的乱闹。倒叫你进来瞧瞧，就上脸[21]了。”打的板儿哭起来，众人忙劝解方罢。贾母因隔着纱窗往后院内看了一回，说道：“后廊檐下的梧桐也好了，就只细些。”

正说话，忽一阵风过，隐隐听得鼓乐之声。贾母问“是谁家娶亲呢？这里临街倒近。”王夫人等笑回道：“街上的那里听的见，这是咱们的那十几个女孩子们演习吹打呢。”贾母便笑道：“既是他们演，何不叫他们进来演习。他们也逛一逛，咱们可又乐了。”凤姐听说，忙命人出去叫来，又一面吩咐摆下条桌，铺上红毡子。贾母道：“就铺排在藕香榭的水亭子上，借着水音更好听。回来咱们就在缀锦阁底下吃酒，又宽阔，又听的近。”众人都说那里好。

贾母向薛姨妈笑道：“咱们走罢。他们姊妹们都不大喜欢人来坐着，怕脏了屋子。咱们别没眼色，正经坐一回子船喝酒去。”说着大家起身便走。探春笑道：“这是那里的话，求着老太太、姨妈、太太来坐坐还不能呢。”贾母笑道：“我的这三丫头却好，只有两个玉儿可恶。回来吃醉了，咱们偏往他们屋里闹去。”

说着，众人都笑了，一齐出来。走不多远，已到了荇叶渚。那姑苏选来的几个驾娘早把两只棠木舫撑来，众人扶了贾母、王夫人、薛姨妈、刘姥姥、鸳鸯、玉钏儿上了这一只，落后李纨也跟上去。凤姐儿也上去，立在舡头上，也要撑舡。贾母在舱内道：“这不是顽的，虽不是河里，也有好深的。你快不给我进来。”凤姐儿笑道：“怕什么！老祖宗只管放心。”说着便一篙点开。到了池当中，舡小人多，凤姐只觉乱晃，忙把篙子递与驾娘，方蹲下了。然后迎春姊妹等并宝玉上了那只，随后跟来。其馀老嬷嬷散众丫鬟俱沿河随行。

宝玉道：“这些破荷叶可恨，怎么还不叫人来拔去。”宝钗笑道：“今年这几日，何曾饶了这园子闲了，天天逛，那里还有叫人来收拾的工夫。”林黛玉道：“我最不喜欢李义山的诗，只喜他这一句：‘留得残荷听雨声’[22]。偏你们又不留着残荷了。”宝玉道：“果然好句，以后咱们就别叫人拔去了。”说着已到了花溆的萝港之下，觉得阴森透骨，两滩上衰草残菱，更助秋情。

贾母因见岸上的清厦旷朗，便问“这是你薛姑娘的屋子不是？”众人道：“是。”贾母忙命拢岸，顺着云步石梯上去，一同进了蘅芜苑，只觉异香扑鼻。那些奇草仙藤愈冷愈苍翠，都结了实，似珊瑚豆子一般，累垂可爱。及进了房屋，雪洞一般，一色玩器全无，案上只有一个土定瓶[23]中供着数枝菊花，并两部书，茶奁茶杯而已。床上只吊着青纱帐幔，衾褥也十分朴素。

贾母叹道：“这孩子太老实了。你没有陈设，何妨和你姨娘要些。我也不理论，也没想到，你们的东西自然在家里没带了来。”说着，命鸳鸯去取些古董来，又嗔着凤姐儿：“不送些玩器来与你妹妹，这样小器。”王夫人凤姐儿等都笑回说：“他自己不要的。我们原送了来，他都退回去了。”薛姨妈也笑说：“他在家里也不大弄这些东西的。”贾母摇头道：“使不得。虽然他省事，倘或来一个亲戚，看着不像；二则年轻的姑娘们，房里这样素净，也忌讳。我们这老婆子，越发该住马圈去了。你们听那些书上戏上说的小姐们的绣房，精致的还了得呢。他们姊妹们虽不敢比那些小姐们，也不要很离了格儿。有现成的东西，为什么不摆？若很爱素净，少几样倒使得。我最会收拾屋子的，如今老了，没有这些闲心了。他们姊妹们也还学着收拾的好，只怕俗气，有好东西也摆坏了。我看他们还不俗。如今让我替你收拾，包管又大方又素净。我的梯己两件，收到如今，没给宝玉看见过，若经了他的眼，也没了。”说着叫过鸳鸯来，亲吩咐道：“你把那石头盆景儿和那架纱桌屏，还有个墨烟冻石鼎，这三样摆在这案上就够了。再把那水墨字画白绫帐子拿来，把这帐子也换了。”鸳鸯答应着，笑道：“这些东西都搁在东楼上的不知那个箱子里，还得慢慢找去，明儿再拿去也罢了。”贾母道：“明日后日都使得，只别忘了。”说着，坐了一回方出来，一径来至缀锦阁下。文官等上来请过安，因问“演习何曲”。贾母道：“只拣你们生的演习几套罢。”文官等下来，往藕香榭去不提。

这里凤姐儿已带着人摆设整齐，上面左右两张榻，榻上都铺着锦裀蓉簟[24]，每一榻前有两张雕漆几，也有海棠式的，也有梅花式的，也有荷叶式的，也有葵花式的，也有方的，也有圆的，其式不一。一个上面放着炉瓶[25]，一分攒盒；一个上面空设着，预备放人所喜食物。上面二榻四几，是贾母薛姨妈；下面一椅两几，是王夫人的，馀者都是一椅一几。东边是刘姥姥，刘姥姥之下便是王夫人。西边便是史湘云，第二便是宝钗，第三便是黛玉，第四迎春、探春、惜春挨次下去，宝玉在末。李纨凤姐二人之几设于三层槛内，二层纱厨之外。攒盒式样，亦随几之式样。每人一把乌银洋錾自斟壶，一个十锦珐琅杯。

大家坐定，贾母先笑道：“咱们先吃两杯，今日也行一令才有意思。”薛姨妈等笑道：“老太太自然有好酒令，我们如何会呢，安心要我们醉了。我们都多吃两杯就有了。”贾母笑道：“姨太太今儿也过谦起来，想是厌我老了。”薛姨妈笑道：“不是谦，只怕行不上来倒是笑话了。”王夫人忙笑道：“便说不上来，就便多吃一杯酒，醉了睡觉去，还有谁笑话咱们不成。”薛姨妈点头笑道：“依令。老太太到底吃一杯令酒才是。”贾母笑道：“这个自然。”说着便吃了一杯。

凤姐儿忙走至当地，笑道：“既行令，还叫鸳鸯姐姐来行更好。”众人都知贾母所行之令必得鸳鸯提着，故听了这话，都说“很是”。凤姐儿便拉了鸳鸯过来。王夫人笑道：“既在令内，没有站着的理。”回头命小丫头子：“端一张椅子，放在你二位奶奶的席上。”鸳鸯也半推半就，谢了坐，便坐下，也吃了一钟酒，笑道：“酒令大如军令，不论尊卑，惟我是主。违了我的话，是要受罚的。”王夫人等都笑道：“一定如此，快些说来。”鸳鸯未开口，刘姥姥便下了席，摆手道：“别这样捉弄人，我家去了。”众人都笑道：“这却使不得。”鸳鸯喝令小丫头子们：“拉上席去！”小丫头子们也笑着，果然拉入席中。刘姥姥只叫“饶了我罢！”鸳鸯道：“再多言的罚一壶。”刘姥姥方住了声。

鸳鸯道：“如今我说骨牌副儿[26]，从老太太起，顺领说下去，至刘姥姥止。比如我说一副儿，将这三张牌拆开，先说头一张，次说第二张，再说第三张，说完了，合成这一副儿的名字。无论诗词歌赋，成语俗话，比上一句，都要叶韵。错了的罚一杯。”众人笑道：“这个令好，就说出来。”

鸳鸯道：“有了一副了。左边是张‘天’。”贾母道：“头上有青天。”众人道：“好。”鸳鸯道：“当中是个‘五与六’。”贾母道：“六桥梅花香彻骨。”鸳鸯道：“剩得一张‘六与幺’。”贾母道：“一轮红日出云霄。”鸳鸯道：“凑成便是个‘蓬头鬼’。”贾母道：“这鬼抱住钟馗腿。”[27]说完，大家笑说：“极妙。”贾母饮了一杯。

鸳鸯又道：“有了一副。左边是个‘大长五’。”薛姨妈道：“梅花朵朵风前舞。”鸳鸯道：“右边还是个‘大五长’。”薛姨妈道：“十月梅花岭上香。”鸳鸯道：“当中‘二五’是杂七。”薛姨妈道：“织女牛郎会七夕。”鸳鸯道：“凑成‘二郎游五岳’[28]。”薛姨妈道：“世人不及神仙乐。”说完，大家称赏，饮了酒。

鸳鸯又道：“有了一副。左边‘长幺’两点明。”湘云道：“双悬日月照乾坤。”鸳鸯道：“右边‘长幺’两点明。”湘云道：“闲花落地听无声。”鸳鸯道：“中间还得‘幺四’来。”湘云道：“日边红杏倚云栽。”鸳鸯道：“凑成‘樱桃是九熟’。”湘云道：“御园却被鸟衔出。”[29]说完饮了一杯。

鸳鸯道：“有了一副。左边是‘长三’。”宝钗道：“双双燕子语梁间。”鸳鸯道：“右边是‘三长’。”宝钗道：“水荇牵风翠带长。”鸳鸯道：“当中‘三六’九点在。”宝钗道：“三山半落青天外。”鸳鸯道：“凑成‘铁锁练孤舟’。”宝钗道：“处处风波处处愁。”[30]说完饮毕。

鸳鸯又道：“左边一个‘天’。”黛玉道：“良辰美景奈何天。”宝钗听了，回头看着他。黛玉只顾怕罚，也不理论。鸳鸯道：“中间‘锦屏’颜色俏。”黛玉道：“纱窗也没有红娘报。”鸳鸯道：“剩了‘二六’八点齐。”黛玉道：“双瞻玉座引朝仪。”鸳鸯道：“凑成‘篮子’好采花。”[31]黛玉道：“仙杖香挑芍药花。”说完，饮了一口。

鸳鸯道：“左边‘四五’成花九。”[32]迎春道：“桃花带雨浓。”[33]众人道：“该罚！错了韵，而且又不像。”迎春笑着饮了一口。原是凤姐儿和鸳鸯都要听刘姥姥的笑话，故意都令说错，都罚了。至王夫人，鸳鸯代说了个，下便该刘姥姥。

刘姥姥道：“我们庄家人闲了，也常会几个人弄这个，但不如说的这么好听。少不得我也试一试。”众人都笑道：“容易说的。你只管说，不相干〔三〕。”鸳鸯笑道：“左边‘四四’是个人。”刘姥姥听了，想了半日，说道：“是个庄家人罢。”众人哄堂笑了。贾母笑道：“说的好，就是这样说。”刘姥姥也笑道：“我们庄家人，不过是现成的本色，众位别笑。”鸳鸯道：“中间‘三四’绿配红。”刘姥姥道：“大火烧了毛毛虫。”众人笑道：“这是有的，还说你的本色。”鸳鸯道：“右边‘幺四’真好看。”刘姥姥道：“一个萝亶一头蒜。”众人又笑了。鸳鸯笑道：“凑成便是一枝花。”[35]刘姥姥两只手比着，说道：“花儿落了结个大倭瓜。”众人大笑起来。只听外面乱嚷——

[1] 牙牌令——用牙牌作为酒令。牙牌，用象牙、骨角、硬木等制成，面上有点数和颜色，供游戏或赌博用。

[2] 什锦攒心盒子——一种盛果、菜的食盒，中心一圆格，四周以扇形盘格向中心聚拢。又称“攒盒”。攒心，即向心。

[3] 侵晨——天将亮时，渐近清晨。

[4] 牙子——这里指镶在几面或凳面边沿的雕花装饰。

[5] 舡（xiānɡ）——吴语。同“船”。

[6] （qǐn寝）走——小心地行走。《说文》：“，行难也。”

〔一〕 “下剩的添上里子”，原作“子（点去）剩的上里子”，从各本改。

[8] 捏丝戗（qiànɡ呛）金五彩大盒子——一种有窗孔的透气的漆捧盒，窗孔捏铜丝成纱状。“戗金”为漆器工艺之一，在深色漆地上，镂划出纤细的花纹沟槽，槽内涂胶，上粘金箔，呈现金色花纹。

[9] 篾（miè灭）片——旧时依附于富贵人家，为主子帮闲凑趣的人叫“篾片”。

[10] 乌木三镶银箸——在乌木筷子的下截、中腰及顶端包镶银箔，故称“三镶”。银能试毒，银箸是贵重餐具。

[11] 敁敠（diān　duō颠多）——也写作“掂掇”，估量、盘算、斟酌的意思。

[12] 好的——句末助词，强调前面的动作。

[13] 法帖——这里指供人临摹的前人书法范本。

[14] 汝窑花囊——汝窑所烧制的花囊。汝窑：北宋时建于汝州（今河南临汝）的青器窑。花囊：插花的用具，肚子和口径均较花瓶为大，囊口封闭，上有圆孔多个，便于插枝软而朵大的花。

[15] 米襄阳——即米南宫，本名米芾，因是襄阳人，故称米襄阳。宋代书画家，善画烟雨山水。

[16] “烟霞”一联——是对古代隐士浪迹山林优闲情趣的写照。唐代田游岩曾对唐高宗李治说：“臣所谓泉石膏肓，烟霞痼疾者”。《新唐书·田游岩传》。或为此联所本。烟霞：代指山水，山林。骨格：这里是性情、志趣、格调的意思。

[17] 佛手——即佛手柑，形状像半握着的拳，秋天成熟，皮色鲜黄，有芳香。

〔二〕 “吃不得的”，原作“吃不得的东西”，从己卯、梦稿、戚序、甲辰、舒序本删。

[19] 拔步床——我国型制最大的传统卧床，床前留空二至三尺，与床门围子形成小廊屋，前有镂雕花罩，两边有小柜，床屉下有抽斗，柜上设奁合、灯台，并置有衣笼、便桶等，成为一个有照明条件的生活空间。

[20] 下作黄子——下流种子。隋代称三岁以下的小孩为“黄”，唐代称初生的婴儿为“黄”。见元代马端临《文献通考·户口一》。

[21] 上脸——因受宠而放肆的意思。俗有“蹬着鼻子上脸”的话。

[22] 留得残荷听雨声——唐代李商隐《宿骆氏亭寄怀崔雍崔衮》中的诗句。原诗“残”作“枯”。

[23] 土定瓶——仿定窑（北宋时建于定州，即今河北曲阳）烧制的一种质地较粗的瓶子。土定：仿定窑瓷的品种之一。

[24] 锦裀（yīn音）蓉簟（diàn电）——锦裀：这里指华美的丝绸褥子。裀：褥子、垫子、毯子等的通称。蓉簟：有荷花图案的竹席。蓉：芙蓉，荷花。簟：竹席。

[25] 炉瓶——焚香用具。即本书第五十三回所说的“炉瓶三事”，指一个香炉、一个香盒和一个放香铲等用的瓶子。

[26] 骨牌副儿——用两张以上骨牌的色点配成一套，叫做“一副儿”。这里是三张牌为一副儿。

[27] 左边是张“天”……这鬼抱住钟馗（kuí葵）腿——天：指天牌。此牌上下两个六点，点色红绿各半，互相岔开。头上有青天：这是一句旧谚语的下半部分，全句为“眼子头上有青天”，意思是容易上当受骗常常吃亏的人，自有头上的“青天”来保佑。六桥梅花香彻骨：这是一张五六共十一点的牌，各点皆绿色。这里用“六桥”代指六点，“梅花”代指五点。六桥：即跨虹、东浦、压堤、望山、锁澜、映波等六座桥，北宋苏轼修建于杭州西湖苏堤上，堤上多种梅花。西湖的里湖也有六座桥，为明代知府杨孟所建，俗称里六桥。香彻骨：香气沁透肌骨。一轮红日出云霄：这是一张幺六共七点的牌，“一轮红日”代指红色的幺点，“云霄”代指绿色的六点。蓬头鬼：是长六、五六、幺六这副牌的名称。这鬼抱住钟馗腿：钟馗，传说是唐代开元间人，应举未中，死后托梦给唐玄宗，立誓要除尽天下妖孽。玄宗醒后，命画工吴道子画成图像，告示天下，岁暮时家家画其像“以祛邪魅”。

[28] 左边是个“大长五”……凑成“二郎游五岳”——大长五：牌名，上下各五点，皆绿色。梅花朵朵：因为“大长五”是由两个梅花形的五点组成，所以说“梅花朵朵”。大五长：是为了押韵而把“大长五”倒过来的说法。十月梅花：因为“大五长”是由两个梅花形的五点共十点组成，所以说“十月梅花”。杂七：是一张上二下五共七点皆为绿色的牌。二郎游五岳：是长五、二五、长五这副牌的名称。这里用“二郎”代指其中的一个“二”，“五岳”代指其中的五个“五”。二郎：神话传说人物，也称“灌口二郎”。五岳：中岳嵩山、东岳泰山、南岳衡山、西岳华山、北岳恒山。

[29] 左边“长幺”两点明……御园却被鸟衔出——长幺：牌名，上下各一点，皆红色。双悬日月照乾坤：唐代李白《上皇西巡南京歌》中的诗句。“双悬日月”代指“长幺”的两个红点。乾坤：本为《周易》的两个卦名，这里引申为天地的代称，亦即指牌面的上下两点。闲花落地听无声：唐代刘长卿《别严士元》中的诗句。这里用“闲花”代指“长幺”的两个红点，而“长幺”又名地牌，所以称作“落地”。日边红杏倚云栽：唐代高蟾《下第后上永崇高侍郎》中的诗句。这是一张“幺四”牌，“日”代指红色的一点，“红杏”代指红色的四点。樱桃是九熟：是长幺、幺四、长幺这副牌的名称，全副九点皆红色，所以用九颗熟透的樱桃作比。御园却被鸟衔出：这句和上句紧紧相连，意思是樱桃被鸟从皇帝的花园里衔出去了。御园：皇帝的花园。衔，同“含”。

[30] 左边是“长三”……处处风波处处愁——长三：牌名，上下各三点，皆绿色，双行斜排。双双燕子语梁间：这句诗或改宋代刘季孙的“呢喃燕子语梁间”而成，用“双双燕子”代指“长三”分两行平行斜排的绿色六点。三长：是为了押韵而把“长三”倒过来的说法。水荇牵风翠带长：唐代杜甫《曲江对雨》中的诗句。这里用形似绿色飘带的水荇秧蔓代指“长三”分两行斜排的绿色六点。三六：牌名，上三下六共九点，皆绿色。三山半落青天外：唐代李白《登金陵凤凰台》中的诗句。这里用“三山”代指“三六”上面斜排的三点，用“青天”代指“三六”下面相当于“天牌”一半的六点。铁锁练孤舟：原庆远府（府治在今广西宜山）旧歌谣中的一句。在这里是一副骨牌的名字。明代栖筠子《牌统孚玉》用此句代指长三、三六、长三这副牌。其中两个“长三”和“三六”中的“三”代指铁锁，“六”代指“孤舟”。又，第六十二回中亦重出此句，其中“锁”作“索”，“练”作“缆”。处处风波处处愁：或系改唐代薛莹《秋日湖上》“烟波处处愁”而成。

[31] “锦屏”……凑成“篮子”好采花——锦屏：牌名，上四下六共十点，上红下绿形似彩色屏风，故称锦屏或锦屏风。纱窗也没有红娘报：出自《西厢记》金圣叹评本第一本第四折中张生的唱词，原为“纱窗外定有红娘报”，金圣叹改“定有”为“没有”，此依金批本。纱窗：代指牌上的六个绿点。红娘：代指牌上的四个红点。二六：牌名，上二下六共八点，各点皆绿色。双瞻玉座引朝仪：见唐代杜甫《紫宸殿退朝口号》：“户外昭容紫袖垂，双瞻御座引朝仪。”双：指站在殿门外的两个女官（昭容），这里代指牌上的两点。瞻：仰望。御座：皇帝的座位。朝仪：封建时代臣子朝见皇帝时按礼仪规定所站的行列，这里代指牌上的六点。凑成篮子好采花：这副牌由长六、四六、二六凑成，名叫“篮子”，其中红色的四点像花朵，所以说“好采花”。

[32] 花九——牌名，也叫“四五”。这张牌上四下五共九点，点色上红下绿，故称“花九”。

[33] 桃花带雨浓——唐代李白《访戴天山道士不遇》中的诗句。

〔三〕 “你只管说，不相干”，原作“不相干，只管说”，从各本改。

[35] 左边“四四”是个人……凑成便是一枝花——四四：牌名，上下各四共八点，全红色，也叫“长四”，又叫“人牌”，所以说“是个人”。三四：牌名，上三下四共七点，点色上绿下红。大火烧了毛毛虫：这里用“大火”代指“三四”下边红色的四点，用“毛毛虫”代指“三四”上边绿色斜排的三点。幺四：牌名，上一下四共五点，皆红色。一个萝亶一头蒜：这里用“一个萝亶”代指“幺四”上边红色的一点，用紫皮多瓣的“一头蒜”代指“幺四”下边红色的四点。一枝花：是长四、三四、幺四这副牌的名称，其中斜排的三个绿点像花枝，其馀红色的各点像花朵。

CHAPTER 40 The venerable lady Shi attends a second banquet in the garden of Broad Vista. Jin Yangyuan three times promulgates, by means of dominoes, the order to quote passages from old writers.

As soon as Baoyu, we will now explain, heard what the lad told him, he rushed with eagerness inside. When he came to look about him, he discovered Hupo standing in front of the screen. “Be quick and go,” she urged. “They’re waiting to speak to you.”

Baoyu wended his way into the drawing rooms. Here he found dowager lady Jia, consulting with Madame Wang and the whole body of young ladies, about the return feast to be given to Shi Xiangyun.

“I’ve got a plan to suggest,” he consequently interposed. “As there are to be no outside guests, the eatables too should not be limited to any kind or number. A few of such dishes, as have ever been to the liking of any of us, should be fixed upon and prepared for the occasion. Neither should any banquet be spread, but a high teapoy can be placed in front of each, with one or two things to suit our particular tastes. Besides, a painted box with partitions and a decanter. Won’t this be an original way?”

“Capital!” shouted old lady Jia. “Go and tell the people in the cook-house,” she forthwith ordered a servant, “to get ready to morrow such dishes as we relish, and to put them in as many boxes as there will be people, and bring them over. We can have breakfast too in the garden.”

But while they were deliberating, the time came to light the lamps. Nothing of any note transpired the whole night. The next day, they got up at early dawn. The weather, fortunately, was beautifully clear. Li Wan turned out of bed at daybreak. She was engaged in watching the old matrons and servant-girls sweeping the fallen leaves, rubbing the tables and chairs, and preparing the tea and wine vessels, when she perceived Feng’er usher in old goody Liu and Ban’er. “You’re very busy, our senior lady!” they said.

“I told you that you wouldn’t manage to start yesterday,” Li Wan smiled, “but you were in a hurry to get away.”

“Your worthy old lady,” goody Liu replied laughingly, “wouldn’t let me go. She wanted me to enjoy myself too for a day before I went.”

Feng’er then produced several large and small keys. “Our mistress Lian says,” she remarked, “that she fears that the high teapoys which are out are not enough, and she thinks it would be as well to open the loft and take out those that are put away and use them for a day. Our lady should really have come and seen to it in person, but as she has something to tell Madame Wang, she begs your ladyship to open the place, and get a few servants to bring them out.”

Li Wan there and then told Suyun to take the keys. She also bade a matron go out and call a few servant-boys from those on duty at the second gate. When they came, Li Wan remained in the lower story of the Daguan loft, and looking up, she ordered the servants to go and open the Chuojin hall and to bring the teapoys one by one. The young servant-lads, matrons, and servant-maids then set to work, in a body, and carried down over twenty of them.

“Be careful with them,” shouted Li Wan. “Don’t be bustling about just as if you were being pursued by ghosts! Mind you don’t break the tenons!” Turning her head round, “old dame,” she observed, addressing herself smilingly to goody Liu, “go upstairs too and have a look!”

Old goody Liu was longing to satisfy her curiosity, so at the bare mention of the permission, she uttered just one word (“come”) and, dragging Ban’er along, she trudged up the stairs. On her arrival inside, she espied, pile upon pile, a whole heap of screens, tables, and chairs, painted lanterns of different sizes, and other similar articles. She could not, it is true, make out the use of the various things, but, at the sight of so many colors, of such finery and of the unusual beauty of each article, she muttered time after time the name of Buddha, and then forthwith wended her way downstairs. Subsequently (the servants) locked the doors and everyone of them came down.

“I fancy,” cried Li Wan, “that our dowager lady will feel disposed (to go on the water), so you’d better also get the poles, oars, and awnings for the boats and keep them in readiness.”

The servants expressed their obedience. Once more they unlocked the doors, and carried down everything required. She then bade a lad notify the boatwomen go to the dock and punt out two boats. But while all this bustle was going on, they discovered that dowager lady Jia had already arrived at the head of a whole company of people. Li Wan promptly went up to greet them.

“Dear venerable senior,” she smiled, “you must be in good spirits to have come in here! Imagining that you hadn’t as yet combed your hair, I just plucked a few chrysanthemums, meaning to send them to you.”

While she spoke, Biyue at once presented to her a jadite tray, of the size of a lotus leaf, containing twigs cut from every species of chrysanthemum. Old lady Jia selected a cluster of deep red and pinned it in her hair about her temples. But turning round, she noticed old goody Liu. “Come over here,” she vehemently cried with a smile; “and put on a few flowers.”

Scarcely was this remark concluded, than lady Feng dragged goody Liu forward. “Let me deck you up!” she laughed. With these words, she seized a whole plateful of flowers and stuck them three this way, four that way, all over her head. Old lady Jia, and the whole party were greatly amused; so much so, that they could not check themselves.

“I wonder,” shouted goody Liu smiling, “what blessings I have brought upon my head that such honors are conferred upon it to day!”

“Don’t you yet pull them away,” they all laughed, “and chuck them in her face! She has got you up in such a way as to make a regular old elf of you!”

“I’m an old hag, I admit,” goody Liu pursued with a laugh; “but when I was young, I too was pretty and fond of flowers and powder! But the best thing I can do now is to keep to such fineries as befit my advanced age!”

While they bandied words, they reached the Qinfang pavilion. The waiting maids brought a large embroidered rug and spread it over the planks of the divan near the balustrade. On this rug dowager lady Jia sat, with her back leaning against the railing; and, inviting goody Liu to also take a seat next to her, “Is this garden nice or not?” she asked her.

Old goody Liu invoked Buddha several times. “We country-people,” she rejoined, “do invariably come, at the close of each year, into the city and buy pictures and stick them about. And frequently do we find ourselves in our leisure moments wondering how we too could manage to get into the pictures, and walk about the scenes they represent. I presumed that those pictures were purely and simply fictitious, for how could there be any such places in reality? But, contrary to my expectations, I found, as soon as I entered this garden today and had a look about it, that it was, after all, a hundred times better than these very pictures. But if only I could get someone to make me a sketch of this garden, to take home with me and let them see it, so that when we die we may have reaped some benefit!”

Upon catching the wish she expressed, dowager lady Jia pointed at Xichun. “Look at that young granddaughter of mine!” she smiled. “She’s got the knack of drawing. So what do you say to my asking her tomorrow to make a picture for you?”

This suggestion filled goody Liu with enthusiasm and speedily crossing over, she clasped Xichun in her arms. “My dear Miss!” she cried, “so young in years, and yet so pretty, and so accomplished too! Mightn’t you be a spirit come to life!”

After old lady Jia had had a little rest, she in person took goody Liu and showed her everything there was to be seen. First, they visited the Xiaoxiang lodge. The moment they stepped into the entrance, a narrow avenue, flanked on either side with kingfisher-like green bamboos, met their gaze. The earth below was turfed all over with moss. In the center, extended a tortuous road, paved with pebbles. Goody Liu left dowager lady Jia and the party walk on the raised road, while she herself stepped on the earth. But Hupo tugged at her. “Come up, old dame, and walk here!” she exclaimed. “Mind the fresh moss is slippery and you might fall.”

“I don’t mind it!” answered goody Liu. “We people are accustomed to walking (on such slippery things)! So, young ladies, please proceed. And do look after your embroidered shoes! Don’t splash them with mud.”

But while bent upon talking with those who kept on the raised road, she unawares reached a spot, which was actually slippery, and with a sound of “gu dong” she tumbled over.

The whole company clapped their hands and laughed boisterously.

“You young wenches,” shouted out dowager lady Jia, “don’t you yet raise her up, but stand by giggling?”

This reprimand was still being uttered when goody Liu had already crawled up. She too was highly amused. “Just as my mouth was bragging,” she observed, “I got a whack on the lips!”

“Have you perchance twisted your waist?” inquired old lady Jia. “Tell the servant-girls to pat it for you!”

“What an idea!” retorted goody Liu, “am I so delicate? What day ever goes by without my tumbling down a couple of times? And if I had to be patted every time wouldn’t it be dreadful!”

Zijuan had at an early period raised the speckled bamboo portiere. Dowager lady Jia and her companions entered and seated themselves. Lin Daiyu with her own hands took a small tray and came to present a covered cup of tea to her grandmother.

“We won’t have any tea!” Madame Wang interposed, “so, miss, you needn’t pour any.”

Lin Daiyu, hearing this, bade a waiting-maid fetch the chair from under the window where she herself often sat, and moving it to the lower side, she pressed Madame Wang into it. But goody Liu caught sight of the brushes and inkslabs, lying on the table placed next to the window, and espied the bookcase piled up to the utmost with books. “This must surely,” the old dame ejaculated, “be some young gentleman’s study!”

“This is the room of this granddaughter-in-law of mine,” dowager lady Jia explained, smilingly pointing to Daiyu.

Goody Liu scrutinised Lin Daiyu with intentness for a while. “Is this anything like a young lady’s private room?” she then observed with a smile. “Why, in very deed, it’s superior to any first class library!”

“How is it I don’t see Baoyu?” his grandmother Jia went on to inquire.

“He’s in the boat, on the pond,” the waiting-maids, with one voice, returned for answer.

“Who also got the boats ready?” old lady Jia asked.

“The loft was open just now so they were taken out,” Li Wan said, “and as I thought that you might, venerable senior, feel inclined to have a row, I got everything ready.”

After listening to this explanation, dowager lady Jia was about to pass some remark, but someone came and reported to her that Mrs. Xue had arrived. No sooner had old lady Jia and the others sprung to their feet than they noticed that Mrs. Xue had already made her appearance. While taking a seat: “Your venerable ladyship,” she smiled, “must be in capital spirits today to have come at this early hour!”

“It’s only this very minute that I proposed that anyone who came late, should be fined,” dowager lady Jia laughed, “and, who’d have thought it, here you, Mrs. Xue, arrive late!”

After they had indulged in good-humored raillery for a time, old lady Jia’s attention was attracted by the faded color of the gauze on the windows, and she addressed herself to Madame Wang. “This gauze,” she said, “may have been nice enough when it was newly pasted, but after a time nothing remained of kingfisher green. In this court too there are no peach or apricot trees and these bamboos already are green in themselves, so were this shade of green gauze to be put up again, it would, instead of improving matters, not harmonize with the surroundings. I remember that we had at one time four or five kinds of colored gauzes for sticking on windows, so give her some tomorrow to change that on there.”

“When I opened the store yesterday,” hastily put in Lady Feng, “I noticed that there were still in those boxes, made of large planks, several rolls of ‘cicada wing’ gauze of silvery red color. There were also several rolls with designs of twigs of flowers of every kind, several with ‘the rolling clouds and bats’ pattern, and several with figures representing hundreds of butterflies, interspersed among flowers. The colors of all these were fresh, and the gauze supple. But I failed to see anything of the kind you speak of. Were two rolls taken (from those I referred to), and a couple of bed-covers of embroidered gauze made out of them, they would, I fancy, be a pretty sight!”

“Pshaw!” laughed old lady Jia, “everyone says that there’s nothing you haven’t gone through and nothing you haven’t seen, and don’t you even know what this gauze is? Will you again brag by and bye, after this?”

Mrs. Xue and all the others smiled. “She may have gone through a good deal,” they remarked, “but how can she ever presume to pit herself against an old lady like you? So why don’t you, venerable senior, tell her what it is so that we too may be edified.”

Lady Feng too gave a smile. “My dear ancestor,” she pleaded, “do tell me what it is like.”

Dowager lady Jia thereupon proceeded to enlighten Mrs. Xue and the whole company. “That gauze is older in years than any one of you,” she said. “It isn’t therefore to be wondered, if you make a mistake and take it for ‘cicada wing’ gauze. But it really bears some resemblance to it; so much so, indeed, that any one, not knowing the difference, would imagine it to be the ‘cicada wing’ gauze. Its true name, however, is ‘soft smoke’ silk.”

“This is also a nice sounding name,” lady Feng agreed. “But up to the age I’ve reached, I have never heard of any such designation, in spite of the many hundreds of specimens of gauzes and silks, I’ve seen.”

“How long can you have lived?” old lady Jia added smilingly, “and how many kinds of things can you have met, that you indulge in this tall talk? Of this ‘soft smoke’ silk, there only exist four kinds of colors. The one is red-blue; the other is russet; the other pine green; the other silvery-red; and it’s because, when made into curtains or stuck on window-frames, it looks from far like smoke or mist, that it is called ‘soft smoke’ silk. The silvery-red is also called ‘russet shadow’ gauze. Among the gauzes used in the present day, in the palace above, there are none so supple and rich, light and closely-woven as this!”

“Not to speak of that girl Feng not having seen it,” Mrs. Xue laughed, “why, even I have never so much as heard anything of it.”

While the conversation proceeded in this strain, lady Feng soon directed a servant to fetch a roll. “Now isn’t this the kind!” dowager lady Jia exclaimed. “At first, we simply had it stuck on the window frames, but we subsequently used it for covers and curtains, just for a trial, and really they were splendid! So you had better tomorrow try and find several rolls, and take some of the silvery-red one and have it fixed on the windows for her.”

While lady Feng promised to attend to her commission, the party scrutinized it, and unanimously extolled it with effusion. Old goody Liu too strained her eyes and examined it, and her lips incessantly muttered Buddha’s name. “We couldn’t,” she ventured, “afford to make clothes of such stuff, much though we may long to do so; and won’t it be a pity to use it for sticking on windows?”

“But it doesn’t, after all, look well, when made into clothes,” old lady Jia explained.

Lady Feng hastily pulled out the lapel of the deep-red brocaded gauze jacket she had on, and, facing dowager lady Jia and Mrs. Xue, “Look at this jacket of mine,” she remarked.

“This is also of first-rate quality!” old lady Jia and Mrs. Xue rejoined. “This is nowadays made in the palace for Imperial use, but it can’t possibly come up to this!”

“It’s such thin stuff,” lady Feng observed, “and do you still say that it was made in the palace for Imperial use? Why, it doesn’t, in fact, compare favorably with even this, which is worn by officials!”

“You’d better search again!” old lady Jia urged; “I believe there must be more of it! If there be, bring it all out, and give this old relative Liu a couple of rolls! Should there be any red-blue, I’ll make a curtain to hang up. What remains can be matched with some lining, and cut into a few double waistcoats for the waiting-maids to wear. It would be sheer waste to keep these things, as they will be spoilt by the damp.”

Lady Feng vehemently acquiesced; after which, she told a servant to take the gauze away.

“These rooms are so small,” dowager lady Jia then observed, smiling. “We had better go elsewhere for a stroll.”

“Everyone says,” old goody Liu put in, “that big people live in big houses! When I saw yesterday your main apartments, dowager lady, with all those large boxes, immense presses, big tables, and spacious beds to match, they did, indeed, present an imposing sight! Those presses are larger than our whole house; yea loftier too! But strange to say there were ladders in the back court. ‘They don’t also,’ I thought, ‘go up to the house tops to sun things, so what can they keep those ladders in readiness for?’ Well, after that, I remembered that they must be required for opening the presses to take out or put in things. And that without those ladders, how could one ever reach that height? But now that I’ve also seen these small rooms, more luxuriously got up than the large ones, and full of various articles, all so fascinating and hardly even known to me by name, I feel, the more I feast my eyes on them, the more unable to tear myself away from them.”

“There are other things still better than this,” lady Feng added. “I’ll take you to see them all!”

Saying this, they straightway left the Xiaoxiang lodge. From a dis tance, they spied a whole crowd of people punting the boats in the lake.

“As they’ve got the boats ready,” old lady Jia proposed, “we may as well go and have a row in them!”

As she uttered this suggestion, they wended their steps along the persicary-covered bank of the Purple Lily Isle. But before reaching the lake, they perceived several matrons advancing that way with large multi-colored boxes in their hands, made all alike of twisted wire and inlaid with gold. Lady Feng hastened to inquire of Madame Wang where breakfast was to be served.

“Ask our venerable senior,” Madame Wang replied, “and let them lay it wherever she pleases.”

Old lady Jia overheard her answer, and turning her head round: “Miss Tertia,” she said, “take the servants, and make them lay breakfast wherever you think best! We’ll get into the boats from here.”

Upon catching her senior’s wishes, lady Feng retraced her footsteps, and accompanied by Li Wan, Tanchun, Yuanyang, and Hupo, she led off the servants, carrying the eatables, and other domestics, and came by the nearest way, to the Qiushuang library, where they arranged the tables in the Xiaocui hall.

“We daily say that whenever the gentlemen outside have anything to drink or eat, they invariably have someone who can raise a laugh and whom they can chaff for fun’s sake,” Yuanyang smiled, “so let’s also today get a female family-companion.”

Li Wan, being a person full of kindly feelings, did not fathom the insinuation, though it did not escape her ear. Lady Feng, however, thoroughly understood that she alluded to old goody Liu. “Let us too today,” she smilingly remarked, “chaff her for a bit of fun!”

These two then began to mature their plans.

Li Wan chided them with a smile. “You people,” she said, “don’t know even how to perform the least good act! But you’re not small children any more, and are you still up to these pranks? Mind, our venerable ancestor might call you to task!”

“That has nothing whatever to do with you, senior lady,” Yuanyang laughed, “it’s my own look out!”

These words were still on her lips, when she saw dowager lady Jia and the rest of the company arrive. They each sat where and how they pleased. First and foremost, a waiting-maid brought two trays of tea. After tea, lady Feng laid hold of a napkin, made of foreign cloth, in which were wrapped a handful of blackwood chopsticks, encircled with three rings, of inlaid silver, and distributed them on the tables, in the order in which they were placed.

“Bring that small hardwood table over,” old lady Jia then exclaimed; “and let our relative Liu sit next to me here!”

No sooner did the servants hear her order than they hurried to move the table to where she wanted it. Lady Feng, during this interval, made a sign with her eye to Yuanyang. Yuanyang there and then dragged goody Liu out of the hall and began to impress in a low tone of voice various things on her mind. “This is the custom which prevails in our household,” she proceeded, “and if you disregard it we’ll have a laugh at your expense!”

Having arranged everything she had in view, they at length returned to their places. Mrs. Xue had come over, after her meal, so she simply seated herself on one side and sipped her tea. Dowager lady Jia with Baoyu, Xiangyun, Daiyu, and Baochai sat at one table. Madame Wang took the girls, Yingchun, and her sisters, and occupied one table. Old goody Liu took a seat at a table next to dowager lady Jia. Heretofore, while their old mistress had her repast, a young servant-maid usually stood by her to hold the finger bowl, yak-brush, napkin, and other such necessaries, but Yuanyang did not of late fulfil any of these duties, so when, on this occasion, she deliberately seized the yak-brush and came over and flapped it about, the servant-girls concluded that she was bent upon playing some tricks upon goody Liu, and they readily withdrew and let her have her way.

While Yuanyang attended to her self-imposed duties, she winked at the old dame.

“Miss,” goody Liu exclaimed, “set your mind at ease!” Goody Liu sat down at the table and took up the chopsticks, but so heavy and clumsy did she find them that she could not handle them conveniently. The fact is that lady Feng and Yuanyang had put their heads together and decided to only assign to goody Liu a pair of antiquated four-cornered ivory chopsticks, inlaid with gold.

“These forks,” shouted goody Liu, after scrutinizing them, “are heavier than the very iron-lever over at my place. How ever can I move them about?”

This remark had the effect of making everyone explode into a fit of laughter. But a married woman standing in the center of the room, with a box in her hands, attracted their gaze. A waiting-maid went up to her and removed the cover of the box. Its contents were two bowls of eatables. Li Wan took one of these and placed it on dowager lady Jia’s table, while lady Feng chose the bowl with pigeon’s eggs and put it on goody Liu’s table.

“Please (commence),” dowager lady Jia uttered from the near side, where she sat.

Goody Liu at this speedily sprung to her feet. “Old Liu, old Liu,” she roared with a loud voice, “your eating capacity is as big as that of a buffalo! You’ve gorged like an old sow and can’t raise your head up!” Then puffing out her cheeks, she added not a word.

The whole party was at first taken quite aback. But, as soon as they heard the drift of her remarks, everyone, both high as well as low, began to laugh boisterously. Xiangyun found it so difficult to restrain herself that she spurted out the tea she had in her mouth. Lin Daiyu indulged in such laughter that she was quite out of breath, and propping herself up on the table, she kept on ejaculating “Ai-yo.” Baoyu rolled into his grandmother’s lap. The old lady herself was so amused that she clasped Baoyu in her embrace, and gave way to endearing epithets. Madame Wang laughed, and pointed at lady Feng with her finger; but as for saying a word, she could not. Mrs. Xue had much difficulty in curbing her mirth, and she sputtered the tea, with which her mouth was full, all over Tanchun’s petticoat. Tanchun threw the contents of the teacup, she held in her hand, over Yingchun; while Xichun quitted her seat, and, pulling her nurse away, bade her rub her stomach for her.

Below, among the lower seats, there was not one who was not with bent waist and doubled-up back. Some retired to a corner and, squatting down, laughed away. Others suppressed their laughter and came up and changed the clothes of their young mistresses. Lady Feng and Yuanyang were the only ones, who kept their countenance. Still they continued helping old goody Liu to food.

Old goody Liu took up the chopsticks. “Even the chickens in this place are fine,” she went on to add, pretending, she did not hear what was going on; “the eggs they lay are small, but so dainty! How very pretty they are! Let me help myself to one!”

The company had just managed to check themselves, but, the moment these words fell on their ears, they started again with their laughter. Old lady Jia laughed to such an extent that tears streamed from her eyes. And so little could she bear the strain any longer that Hupo stood behind her and patted her.

“This must be the work of that vixen Feng!” old lady Jia laughed. “She has ever been up to tricks like a very imp, so be quick and disbelieve all her yarns!”

Goody Liu was in the act of praising the eggs as small yet dainty, when lady Feng interposed with a smile. “They’re one tael each, be quick, and taste them;” she said; “they’re not nice when they get cold!”

Goody Liu forthwith stretched out the chopsticks with the intent of catching one; but how could she manage to do so? They rolled and rolled in the bowl for ever so long; and, it was only after extreme difficulty that she succeeded in shoving one up. Extending her neck forward, she was about to put it in her mouth, when it slipped down again, and rolled onto the floor. She hastily banged down the chop-sticks, and was going herself to pick it up, when a servant, who stood below, got hold of it and took it out of the room.

Old goody Liu heaved a sigh. “A tael!” she soliloquized, “and here it goes without a sound!”

Everyone had long ago abandoned all idea of eating, and, gazing at her, they enjoyed the fun.

“Who has now brought out these chopsticks again?” old lady Jia went on to ask. “We haven’t invited any strangers or spread any large banquet! It must be that vixen Feng who gave them out! But don’t you yet change them!”

The servants, standing on the floor below, had indeed had no hand in getting those ivory chopsticks; they had, in fact, been brought by lady Feng and Yuanyang; but when they heard these remarks, they hurried to put them away and to change them for a pair similar to those used by the others, made of blackwood inlaid with silver.

“They’ve taken away the gold ones,” old goody Liu shouted, “and here come silver ones! But, after all, they’re not as handy as those we use!”

“Should there be any poison in the viands,” lady Feng observed, “you can detect it, as soon as this silver is dipped into them!”

“If there’s poison in such viands as these,” old goody Liu added, “why those of ours must be all arsenic! But though it be the death of me, I’ll swallow every morsel!”

Seeing how amusing the old woman was and with what relish she devoured her food, dowager lady Jia took her own dishes and passed them over to her.

She then likewise bade an old matron take various viands and put them in a bowl for Ban’er. But presently, the repast was concluded, and old lady Jia and all the other inmates adjoined into Tanchun’s bedroom for a chat.

The remnants were, meanwhile, cleared away, and fresh tables were laid.

Old goody Liu watched Li Wan and lady Feng sit opposite each other and eat. “Putting everything else aside,” she sighed, “what most takes my fancy is the way things are done in your mansion. It isn’t to be wondered at that the adage has it that: ‘propriety originates from great families.’”

“Don’t be too touchy,” lady Feng hastily smiled, “we all made fun of you just now.”

But barely had she done speaking, when Yuanyang too walked in. “Old goody Liu,” she said laughingly, “don’t be angry! I tender you my apologies, venerable dame!”

“What are you saying, Miss?” old goody Liu rejoined smiling. “We’ve coaxed our dowager lady to get a little distraction; and what reason is there to be angry? From the very first moment you spoke to me, I knew at once that it was intended to afford merriment to you all! Had I been angry at heart, I wouldn’t have gone so far as to say what I did!”

Yuanyang then blew up the servants. “Why,” she shouted, “don’t you pour a cup of tea for the old dame?”

“That sister-in-law,” promptly explained old goody Liu, “gave me a cup a little while back. I’ve had it already. But you, Miss, must also have something to eat.”

Lady Feng dragged Yuanyang into a seat. “Have your meal with us!” she said. “You’ll thus save another fuss by and bye.”

Yuanyang readily seated herself. The matrons came up and added to the number of bowls and chopsticks, and the trio went through their meal.

“From all I see,” smiled goody Liu, “you people eat just a little and finish. It’s lucky you don’t feel the pangs of hunger! But it isn’t astonishing if a whiff of wind can puff you over!”

“A good many eatables remained over today. Where are they all gone to?” Yuanyang inquired.

“They haven’t as yet been apportioned!” the matrons responded. “They’re kept in here until they can be given in a lump to them to eat!”

“They can’t get through so many things!” Yuanyang resumed. “You had as well therefore choose two bowls and send them over to that girl Ping, in your mistress Secundus’ rooms.”

“She has had her repast long ago.” lady Feng put in. “There’s no need to give her any!”

“With what she can’t eat, herself,” Yuanyang continued, “she can feed the cats.”

At these words, a matron lost no time in selecting two sorts of eatables, and, taking the box, she went to take them over.

“Where’s Su Yun gone to?” Yuanyang asked.

“They’re all in here having their meal together.” Li Wan replied. “What do you want her for again?”

“Well, in that case, never mind,” Yuanyang answered.

“Xiren isn’t here,” lady Feng observed, “so tell someone to take her a few things!”

Yuanyang, hearing this, directed a servant to send her also a few eatables. “Have the partition boxes been filled with wine for by and bye?” Yuanyang went on to ask the matrons.

“They’ll be ready, I think, in a little while,” a matron explained.

“Hurry them up a bit!” Yuanyang added.

The matron signified her assent.

Lady Feng and her friends then came into Tanchun’s apartments, where they found the ladies chatting and laughing.

Tanchun had ever shown an inclination for plenty of room. Hence that suite of three apartments had never been partitioned. In the center was placed a large table of rosewood and Ta li marble. On this table, were laid in a heap every kind of copyslips written by persons of note. Several tens of valuable inkslabs and various specimens of rubes and receptacles for brushes figured also about; the brushes in which were as thickly packed as trees in a forest. On the off side, stood a flower bowl from the “Ru” kiln, as large as a bushel measure. In it was placed, till it was quite full, a bunch of white chrysanthemums, in appearance like crystal balls. In the middle of the west wall, was suspended a large picture representing vapor and rain; the handiwork of Mi Xiangyang. On the left and right of this picture was hung a pair of antithetical scrolls—the autograph of Yan Lu. The lines on these scrolls were:

Wild scenes are to the taste of those who leisure love, And springs and rookeries are their rustic resort.

On the table, figured a large tripod. On the left, stood on a black- wood cabinet, a huge bowl from a renowned government kiln. This bowl contained about ten “Buddha’s hands” of beautiful yellow and fine proportions. On the right, was suspended, on a Japanese lacquered frame, a white jade sonorous plate. Its shape resembled two eyes, one by the side of the other. Next to it hung a small hammer.

Ban’er had become a little more confident and was about to seize the hammer and beat the plate, when the waiting-maids hastened to prevent him. Next, he wanted a “Buddha’s hand” to eat. Tanchun chose one and let him have it. “You may play with it,” she said, “but you can’t eat it.”

On the east side stood a sleeping divan. On a movable bed was hung a leek-green gauze curtain, ornamented with double embroideries, representing flowers, plants, and insects. Ban’er ran up to have a look. “This is a green-cicada,” he shouted; “this a grasshopper!”

But old goody Liu promptly gave him a slap. “You mean scamp!” she cried. “What an awful rumpus you’re kicking up! I simply brought you along with me to look at things; and lo, you put on airs;” and she beat Ban’er until he burst out crying. It was only after everyone quickly combined in using their efforts to solace him that he at length desisted.

Old lady Jia then looked through the gauze casement into the back court for some time. “The dryandra trees by the eaves of the covered passage are growing all right,” she remarked. “The only thing is that their foliage is rather sparse.”

But while she passed this remark, a sudden gust of wind swept by, and faintly on her ear fell the strains of music. “In whose house is there a wedding?” old lady Jia inquired. “This place must be very near the street!”

“How could one hear what’s going on in the street?” Madame Wang and the others smiled. “It’s our twelve girls practicing on their wind and string instruments!”

“As they’re practicing,” dowager lady Jia eagerly cried, smilingly, “why not ask them to come in here and practice? They’ll be able to have a stroll also, while we, on our part, will derive some enjoyment.”

Upon hearing this suggestion, lady Feng immediately directed a servant to go out and call them in. She further issued orders to bring a table and spread a red cover over it.

“Let it be put,” old lady Jia chimed in, “in the water-pavilion of the Lotus Fragrance Arbor, for (the music) will borrow the ripple of the stream and sound ever so much more pleasant to the ear. We can by and bye drink our wine in the Chuojin Hall; we’ll thus have ample room, and be able to listen from close!”

Everyone admitted that the spot was well adapted. Dowager lady Jia turned herself towards Mrs. Xue. “Let’s get ahead!” she laughed. “The young ladies don’t like anyone to come in here, for fear lest their quar ters should get contaminated; so don’t let us show ourselves disregardful of their wishes! The right thing would be to go and have our wine aboard one of those boats!”

As she spoke, one and all rose to their feet. They were making their way out when Tanchun interposed. “What’s this that you’re saying?” she smiled. “Please do seat yourselves, venerable senior, and you, Mrs. Xue, and Madame Wang! You can’t be going yet?”

“These three girls of mine are really nice! There are only two mistresses that are simply dreadful.” Dowager lady Jia said smilingly. “When we get drunk shortly, we’ll go and sit in their rooms and have a lark!”

These words evoked laughter from everyone. In a body they quitted the place. But they had not proceeded far before they reached the bank covered with aquatic plants, to which place the boat-women, who had been brought from Gusu, had already punted two crab-wood boats. Into one of these boats, they helped old lady Jia, Madame Wang, Mrs. Xue, old goody Liu, Yuanyang, and Yuchuan’er. Last in order Li Wan followed on board. But lady Feng too stepped in, and standing up on the bow, she insisted upon punting.

Dowager lady Jia, however, remonstrated from her seat in the bottom of the boat. “This isn’t a joke,” she cried, “we’re not on the river, it’s true, but there are some very deep places about, so be quick and come in. Do it for my sake.”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” lady Feng laughed. “Compose your mind, worthy ancestor.”

Saying this, the boat was pushed off with one shove. When it reached the middle of the lake, lady Feng became nervous, for the craft was small and the occupants many, and hastily handing the pole to a boat-woman, she squatted down at last.

Yingchun, her sisters, their cousins, as well as Baoyu subsequently got on board the second boat, and followed in their track; while the rest of the company, consisting of old nurses and a bevy of waiting-maids, kept pace with them along the bank of the stream.

“All these broken lotus leaves are dreadful!” Baoyu shouted. “Why don’t you yet tell the servants to pull them off?”

“When was this garden left quiet during all the days of this year?” Baochai smiled. “Why, people have come, day after day, to visit it, so was there ever any time to tell the servants to come and clean it?”

“I have the greatest abhorrence,” Lin Daiyu chimed in, “for Li Yi’s poetical works, but there’s only this line in them which I like:

‘“Leave the dry lotus leaves so as to hear the patter of the rain.’

“and here you people deliberately mean again not to leave the dry lotus stay where they are.”

“This is indeed a fine line!” Baoyu exclaimed. “We mustn’t hereafter let them pull them away!”

While this conversation continued, they reached the shoaly inlet under the flower-laden beech. They felt a coolness from the shady over-growth penetrate their very bones. The decaying vegetation and the withered aquatic chestnut plants on the sand-bank enhanced, to a greater degree, the beauty of the autumn scenery.

Dowager lady Jia at this point observed some spotless rooms on the bank, so spick and so span. “Are not these Miss Xue’s quarters,” she asked. “Eh?”

“Yes, they are!” everybody answered.

Old lady Jia promptly bade them go alongside, and wending their way up the marble steps, which seemed to lead to the clouds, they in a body entered the Hengwu court. Here they felt a peculiar perfume come wafting into their nostrils, for the colder the season got the greener grew that strange vegetation, and those fairy-like creepers. The various plants were laden with seeds, which closely resembled red coral beans, as they drooped in lovely clusters.

The house, as soon as they put their foot into it, presented the aspect of a snow cave. There was a total absence of every object of ornament. On the table figured merely an earthenware vase, in which were placed several chrysanthemums. A few books and teacups were also conspicuous, but no further knick-nacks. On the bed was suspended a green gauze curtain, and of equally extreme plainness were the coverlets and mattresses belonging to it.

“This child,” dowager lady Jia sighed, “is too simple! If you’ve got nothing to lay about, why not ask your aunt for a few articles? I would never raise any objection. I never thought about them. Your things, of course, have been left at home, and have not been brought over.”

So saying, she told Yuanyang to go and fetch several bric-a-brac. She next went on to call lady Feng to task.

“She herself wouldn’t have them,” (lady Feng) rejoined. “We really sent over a few, but she refused everyone of them and returned them.”

“In her home also,” smiled Mrs. Xue, “she does not go in very much for such sort of things.”

Old lady Jia nodded her head. “It will never do!” she added. “It does, it’s true, save trouble; but were some relative to come on a visit, she’ll find things in an impossible way. In the second place, such simplicity in the apartments of young ladies of tender age is quite unpropitious! Why, if you young people go on in this way, we old fogies should go further and live in stables! You’ve all heard what is said in those books and plays about the dreadful luxury, with which young ladies’ quarters are got up. And though these girls of ours could not presume to place themselves on the same footing as those young ladies, they shouldn’t nevertheless exceed too much the bounds of what constitutes the right thing. If they have any objects ready at hand, why shouldn’t they lay them out? And if they have any strong predilection for simplicity, a few things less will do quite as well. I’ve always had the greatest knack for decorating a room, but being an old woman now I haven’t the ease and inclination to attend to such things! These girls are, however, learning how to do things very nicely. I was afraid that there would be an appearance of vulgarity in what they did, and that, even had they anything worth having, they’d so place them about as to spoil them; but from what I can see there’s nothing vulgar about them. But let me now put things right for you, and I’ll wager that everything will look grand as well as plain. I’ve got a couple of my own knick-nacks, which I’ve managed to keep to this day, by not allowing Baoyu to get a glimpse of them; for had he ever seen them, they too would have long ago disappeared!” Continuing, she called Yuanyang. “Fetch that marble pot with scenery on it,” she said to her; “that gauze screen, and that tripod of transparent stone with black streaks, which you’ll find in there, and lay out all three on this table. They’ll be ample! Bring likewise those ink pictures and white silk curtains, and change these curtains.”

Yuanyang expressed her obedience. “All these articles have been put away in the eastern loft,” she smiled. “In what boxes they’ve been put, I couldn’t tell; I must therefore go and find them quietly and if I bring them over tomorrow, it will be time enough.”

“Tomorrow or the day after will do very well; but don’t forget, that’s all,” dowager lady Jia urged.

While conversing, they sat for a while. Presently, they left the rooms and repaired straightway into the Chuojin hall. Wenguan and the other girls came up and paid their obeisance. They next inquired what songs they were to practise.

“You’d better choose a few pieces to rehearse out of those you know best,” old lady Jia rejoined.

Wenguan and her companions then withdrew and betook themselves to the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion. But we will leave them there without further allusion to them.

During this while, lady Feng had already, with the help of servants, got everything in perfect order. On the left and right of the side of honor were placed two divans. These divans were completely covered with embroidered covers and fine variegated mats. In front of each divan stood two lacquer teapoys, inlaid, some with designs of crab-apple flowers; others of plum blossom, some of lotus leaves, others of sunflowers. Some of these teapoys were square, others round. Their shapes were all different. On each was placed a set consisting of a stove and a bottle, also a box with partitions. The two divans and four teapoys, in the place of honor, were used by dowager lady Jia and Mrs. Xue. The chair and two teapoys in the next best place, by Madame Wang. The rest of the inmates had, all alike, a chair and a teapoy. On the east side sat old goody Liu. Below old goody Liu came Madame Wang. On the west was seated Shi Xiangyun. The second place was occupied by Bao chai; the third by Daiyu; the fourth by Yingchun. Tanchun and Xichun filled the lower seats, in their proper order; Baoyu sat in the last place. The two teapoys assigned to Li Wan and lady Feng stood within the third line of railings, and beyond the second row of gauze frames. The pattern of the partition-boxes corresponded likewise with the pattern on the teapoys. Each inmate had a black decanter, with silver, inlaid in foreign designs; as well as an ornamented, enamelled cup.

After they had all occupied the seats assigned to them, dowager lady Jia took the initiative and smilingly suggested: “Let’s begin by drinking a couple of cups of wine. But we should also have a game of forfeits today, we’ll have plenty of fun then.”

“You, venerable senior, must certainly have a good wine order to impose,” Mrs. Xue laughingly observed, “but how could we ever comply with it? But if your aim be to intoxicate us, why, we’ll all straightway drink one or two cups more than is good for us and finish!”

“Here’s Mrs. Xue beginning to be modest again today!” old lady Jia smiled. “But I expect it’s because she looks down upon me as being an old hag!”

“It isn’t modesty!” Mrs. Xue replied smiling. “It’s all a dread lest I shouldn’t be able to observe the order and thus incur ridicule.”

“If you don’t give the right answer,” Madame Wang promptly interposed with a smile, “you’ll only have to drink a cup or two more of wine, and should we get drunk, we can go to sleep; and who’ll, pray, laugh at us?”

Mrs. Xue nodded her head. “I’ll agree to the order,” she laughed, “but, dear senior, you must, after all, do the right thing and have a cup of wine to start it.”

“This is quite natural!” old lady Jia answered laughingly; and with these words, she forthwith emptied a cup.

Lady Feng with hurried steps advanced to the center of the room. “If we are to play at forfeits,” she smilingly proposed, “we’d better invite sister Yuanyang to come and join us.”

The whole company was perfectly aware that if dowager lady Jia had to give out the rule of forfeits. Yuanyang would necessarily have to suggest it, so the moment they heard the proposal they, with common consent, approved it as excellent. Lady Feng therefore there and then dragged Yuanyang over.

“As you’re to take a part in the game of forfeits,” Madame Wang smilingly observed, “there’s no reason why you should stand up.” And turning her head round, “Bring over,” she bade a young waiting-maid, “a chair and place it at your Mistress Secunda’s table.”

Yuanyang, half refusing and half assenting, expressed her thanks, and took the seat. After partaking also of a cup of wine, “Drinking rules,” she smiled, “resemble very much martial law; so irrespective of high or low, I alone will preside. Anyone therefore who disobeys my words will have to suffer a penalty.”

“Of course, it should be so!” Madame Wang and the others laughed, “so be quick and give out the rule!”

But before Yuanyang had as yet opened her lips to speak, old goody Liu left the table, and waving her hand: “Don’t,” she said, “make fun of people in this way, for I’ll go home.”

“This will never do!” One and all smilingly protested.

Yuanyang shouted to the young waiting-maids to drag her back to her table; and the maids, while also indulging in laughter, actually pulled her and compelled her to rejoin the banquet.

“Spare me!” old goody Liu kept on crying, “spare me!”

“Anyone who says one word more,” Yuanyang exclaimed, “will be fined a whole decanter full.”

Old goody Liu then at length observed silence.

“I’ll now give out the set of dominoes.” Yuanyang proceeded. “I’ll begin from our venerable mistress and follow down in proper order until I come to old goody Liu, when I shall stop. So as to illustrate what I meant just now by giving out a set, I’ll take these three dominoes and place them apart; you have to begin by saying something on the first, next, to allude to the second, and, after finishing with all three, to take the name of the whole set and match it with a line, no matter whether it be from some stanza or roundelay, song or idyl, set phrases or proverbs. But they must rhyme. And anyone making a mistake will be mulcted in one cup.”

“This rule is splendid; begin at once!” they all exclaimed.

“I’ve got a set,” Yuanyang pursued; “on the left, is the piece ‘heaven,’ (twelve dots).”

“Above head stretches the blue heaven,” dowager lady Jia said.

“Good!” shouted everyone.

“In the center is a five and six,” Yuanyang resumed.

“Six,” “The fragrance of the plum blossom pierces the bones on the bridge”

old lady Jia added.

“There now remains,” Yuanyang explained, “one piece, the six and one.”

“From among the fleecy clouds issues the wheel-like russet sun.”

dowager lady Jia continued.

“The whole combined,” Yuanyang observed “forms ‘the devil with dishevelled hair.’”

“This devil clasps the leg of the Zhongqiu devil,”

old lady Jia observed.

At the conclusion of her recitation, they all burst out laughing. “Capital!” they shouted. Old lady Jia drained a cup. Yuanyang then went on to remark, “I’ve got another set; the one on the left is a double five.”

“Bud after bud of the plum bloom dances in the wind,”

Mrs. Xue replied.

“The one on the right is a ten spot,” Yuanyang pursued.

“In the tenth moon the plum bloom on the hills emits its fragrant smell,”

Mrs. Xue added.

“The middle piece is the two and five, making the ‘unlike seven;’” Yuanyang observed.

“The ‘spinning damsel’ star meets the ‘cow-herd’ on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh moon,”

Miss Xue said.

“Together they form: ‘Er Niang strolls on the five mounds,’” Yuanyang continued.

“Mortals cannot be happy as immortals,”

Mrs. Xue rejoined.

Her answers over, the whole company extolled them and had a drink. “I’ve got another set!” Yuanyang once more exclaimed. “On the left, are distinctly the distant dots of the double ace.”

“Both sun and moon are so suspended as to shine on heaven and earth,”

Xiangyun ventured.

“On the right, are a couple of spots, far apart, which clearly form a one and one.” Yuanyang pursued.

“What time a lonesome flower falls to the ground, no sound is au dible,”

Xiangyun rejoined.

“In the middle, there is the one and four,” Yuanyang added.

“The red apricot tree is planted by the sun, and leans against the clouds,”

Xiangyun answered.

“Together they form the ‘cherry fruit ripens for the ninth time,’” Yuanyang said.

“In the imperial garden it is pecked by birds,”

Xiangyun replied.

When she had done with her part, she drank a cup of wine. “I’ve got another set,” Yuanyang began, “the one on the left is a double three.”

“The swallows, pair by pair, chatter on the beams,”

Baochai remarked.

“The right piece is a six,” Yuanyang added.

“The marsh flower is stretched by the breeze e’en to the length of a green sash,”

Baochai returned.

“The center piece is a three and six, making a nine spot,” Yuanyang pursued.

“The three hills tower half beyond the azure skies,”

Baochai rejoined.

“Lumped together they form a ‘chain-bound solitary boat,’” Yuanyang resumed.

“Where there are wind and waves, there I feel sad,”

Baochai answered.

When she had finished her turn and drained her cup, Yuanyang went on again. “On the left,” she said, “there’s a ‘heaven.’”

“A morning fine and beauteous scenery, but, alas, what a day for me!”

Daiyu replied.

When this line fell on Baochai’s ear, she turned her head round and cast a glance at her, but Daiyu was so nervous lest she should have to pay a forfeit that she did not so much as notice her.

“In the middle there’s the ‘color of the embroidered screen, (ten spots, four and six), is beautiful,’” Yuanyang proceeded.

“Not e’en Hong Niang to the gauze window comes, any message to bring.”

Daiyu responded.

“There now remains a two and six, eight in all,” Yuanyang resumed.

“Twice see the jady throne when led in to perform the court ritual,”

Daiyu replied.

“Together they form ‘a basket suitable for putting plucked flowers in,’” Yuanyang continued.

“The fairy wand smells nice as on it hangs a peony,”

Daiyu retorted.

At the close of her replies, she took a sip of wine. Yuanyang then resumed. “On the left,” she said, “there’s a four and five, making a ‘different-combined nine.’”

“The peach blossoms bear heavy drops of rain,”

Yingchun remarked.

The company laughed. “She must be fined!” they exclaimed. “She has made a mistake in the rhyme. Besides, it isn’t right!”

Yingchun smiled and drank a sip. The fact is that both lady Feng and Yuanyang were so eager to hear the funny things that would be uttered by old goody Liu, that they with one voice purposely ruled that everyone answered wrong and fined them. When it came to Madame Wang’s turn, Yuanyang recited something for her. Next followed old goody Liu.

“When we country-people have got nothing to do,” old goody Liu said, “a few of us too often come together and play this sort of game; but the answers we give are not so high-flown; yet, as I can’t get out of it, I’ll likewise make a try!”

“It’s easy enough to say what there is,” one and all laughed, “so just you go on and don’t mind!”

“On the left,” Yuanyang smiled, “there’s a double four, i.e. ‘man.’”

Goody Liu listened intently. After considerable reflection,

“It’s a peasant!”

she cried.

One and all in the room blurted out laughing.

“Well-said!” dowager lady Jia observed with a laugh, “that’s the way.”

“All we country-people know,” old goody Liu proceeded, also laughing, “is just what comes within our own rough-and-ready wits, so young ladies and ladies pray don’t poke fun at me!”

“In the center there’s the three and four, green matched with red,” Yuanyang pursued.

“The large fire burnt the hairy caterpillar,”

old goody Liu ventured.

“This will do very well!”, the party laughed, “go on with what is in your line.”

“On the right,” Yuanyang smilingly continued, “there’s a one and four, and is really pretty.”

“A turnip and a head of garlic.”

old goody Liu answered.

This reply evoked further laughter from the whole company.

“Altogether, it’s a twig of flowers,” Yuanyang added laughing.

“The flower dropped, and a huge melon formed.”

old goody Liu observed, while gesticulating with both her hands by way of illustration.

The party once more exploded in loud merriment.

But, reader, if you entertain any curiosity to hear what else was said during the banquet, listen to the explanation given in the next chapter.