第五十七回
第五十七回 慧紫鹃情辞试忙玉 慈姨妈爱语慰痴颦
话说宝玉听王夫人唤他，忙至前边来，原来是王夫人要带他拜甄夫人去。宝玉自是欢喜，忙去换衣服，跟了王夫人到那里。见其家中形景，自与荣宁不甚差别，或有一二稍盛者。细问，果有一宝玉。甄夫人留席，竟日方回，宝玉方信。因晚间回家来，王夫人又吩咐预备上等的席面，定名班大戏，请过甄夫人母女。后二日，他母女便不作辞，回任去了。无话。
这日宝玉因见湘云渐愈，然后去看黛玉。正值黛玉才歇午觉，宝玉不敢惊动，因紫鹃正在回廊上手里做针黹，便来问他：“昨日夜里咳嗽可好了？”紫鹃道：“好些了。”宝玉笑道：“阿弥陀佛！宁可好了罢。”紫鹃笑道：“你也念起佛来，真是新闻！”宝玉笑道：“所谓‘病笃乱投医’了。”一面说，一面见他穿着弹墨绫薄绵袄，外面只穿着青缎夹背心，宝玉便伸手向他身上摸了一摸，说：“穿这样单薄，还在风口里坐着，春天风馋[1]，时气又不好，你再病了，越发难了。”紫鹃便说道：“从此咱们只可说话，别动手动脚的。一年大二年小的，叫人看着不尊重。打紧[2]的那起混帐行子[3]们背地里说你，你总不留心，还只管和小时一般行为，如何使得。姑娘常常吩咐我们，不叫和你说笑。你近来瞧他远着你还恐远不及呢。”说着便起身，携了针线进别房去了。
宝玉见了这般景况，心中忽浇了一盆冷水一般，只瞅着竹子，发了一回呆。因祝妈正来挖笋修竿，便怔怔的走出来，一时魂魄失守，心无所知，随便坐在一块山石上出神，不觉滴下泪来。直呆了五六顿饭工夫，千思万想，总不知如何是可。
偶值雪雁从王夫人房中取了人参来，从此经过，忽扭项看见桃花树下石上一人手托着腮颊出神，不是别人，却是宝玉。雪雁疑惑道：“怪冷的，他一个人在这里作什么？春天凡有残疾的人都犯病，敢是他犯了呆病了？”一边想，一边便走过来蹲下笑道：“你在这里作什么呢？”宝玉忽见了雪雁，便说道：“你又作什么来找我？你难道不是女儿？他既防嫌，不许你们理我，你又来寻我，倘被人看见，岂不又生口舌？你快家去罢了。”雪雁听了，只当是他又受了黛玉的委屈，只得回至房中。
黛玉未醒，将人参交与紫鹃。紫鹃因问他：“太太做什么呢？”雪雁道：“也歇中觉，所以等了这半日。姐姐你听笑话儿：我因等太太的工夫，和玉钏儿姐姐坐在下房里说话儿，谁知赵姨奶奶招手儿叫我。我只当有什么话说，原来他和太太告了假，出去给他兄弟伴宿坐夜，明儿送殡去，跟他的小丫头子小吉祥儿没衣裳，要借我的月白缎子袄儿。我想他们一般也有两件子的，往脏地方儿去恐怕弄脏了，自己的舍不得穿，故此借别人的。借我的弄脏了也是小事，只是我想，他素日有些什么好处到咱们跟前，所以我说了：‘我的衣裳簪环都是姑娘叫紫鹃姐姐收着呢。如今先得去告诉他，还得回姑娘呢。姑娘身上又病着，更费了大事，误了你老出门，不如再转借罢。’”紫鹃笑道：“你这个小东西子倒也巧。你不借给他，你往我和姑娘身上推，叫人怨不着你。他这会子就下去了，还是等明日一早才去？”雪雁道：“这会子就去的，只怕此时已去了。”紫鹃点点头。雪雁道：“姑娘还没醒呢，是谁给了宝玉气受，坐在那里哭呢。”紫鹃听了，忙问在那里。雪雁道：“在沁芳亭后头桃花树底下呢。”
紫鹃听说，忙放下针线，又嘱咐雪雁好生听叫：“若问我，答应我就来。”说着，便出了潇湘馆，一径来寻宝玉，走至宝玉跟前，含笑说道：“我不过说了那两句话，为的是大家好，你就赌气跑了这风地里来哭，作出病来唬我。”宝玉忙笑道：“谁赌气了！我因为听你说的有理。我想你们既这样说，自然别人也是这样说，将来渐渐的都不理我了，我所以想着自己伤心。”
紫鹃也便挨他坐着。宝玉笑道：“方才对面说话你尚走开，这会子如何又来挨我坐着？”紫鹃道：“你都忘了？几日前你们兄妹两个正说话，赵姨娘一头走了进来——我才听见他不在家，所以我来问你。正是前日你和他才说了一句‘燕窝’就歇住了，总没提起，我正想着问你。”宝玉道：“也没什么要紧。不过我想着宝姐姐也是客中，既吃燕窝，又不可间断，若只管和他要，太也托实[4]。虽不便和太太要，我已经在老太太跟前略露了个风声，只怕老太太和凤姐姐说了。我告诉他的，竟没告诉完了他。如今我听见一日给你们一两燕窝，这也就完了。”紫鹃道：“原来是你说了，这又多谢你费心。我们正疑惑，老太太怎么忽然想起来叫人每一日送一两燕窝来呢？这就是了。”宝玉笑道：“这要天天吃惯了，吃上三二年就好了。”紫鹃道：“在这里吃惯了，明年家去，那里有这闲钱吃这个。”
宝玉听了，吃了一惊，忙问：“谁？往那个家去？”紫鹃道：“你妹妹回苏州家去。”宝玉笑道：“你又说白话。苏州虽是原籍，因没了姑父姑母，无人照看，才就了来的。明年回去找谁？可见是扯谎。”紫鹃冷笑道：“你太看小了人。你们贾家独是大族人口多的，除了你家，别人只得一父一母，房族中真个再无人了不成？我们姑娘来时，原是老太太心疼他年小，虽有叔伯，不如亲父母，故此接来住几年。大了该出阁时，自然要送还林家的。终不成林家的女儿在你贾家一世不成？林家虽贫到没饭吃，也是世代书宦之家，断不肯将他家的人丢在亲戚家，落人的耻笑。所以早则明年春天，迟则秋天，这里纵不送去，林家亦必有人来接的。前日夜里姑娘和我说了，叫我告诉你：将从前小时顽的东西，有他送你的，叫你都打点出来还他。他也将你送他的打叠了在那里呢。”宝玉听了，便如头顶上响了一个焦雷一般。紫鹃看他怎样回答，等了半日，见他只不作声。忽见晴雯找来说：“老太太叫你呢，谁知道在这里。”紫鹃笑道：“他这里问姑娘的病症。我告诉了他半日，他只不信。你倒拉他去罢。”说着，自己便走回房去了。
晴雯见他呆呆的，一头热汗，满脸紫胀，忙拉他的手，一直到怡红院中。袭人见了这般，慌起来，只说时气所感，热汗被风扑了。无奈宝玉发热事犹小可，更觉两个眼珠儿直直的起来，口角边津液流出，皆不知觉。给他个枕头，他便睡下；扶他起来，他便坐着；倒了茶来，他便吃茶。众人见他这般，一时忙乱起来，又不敢造次去回贾母，先便差人出去请李嬷嬷。
一时李嬷嬷来了，看了半日，问他几句话也无回答，用手向他脉门摸了摸，嘴唇人中[5]上边着力掐了两下，掐的指印如许来深，竟也不觉疼。李嬷嬷只说了一声“可了不得了”，“呀”的一声便搂着放声大哭起来。急的袭人忙拉他说：“你老人家瞧瞧，可怕不怕？且告诉我们去回老太太、太太去。你老人家怎么先哭起来？”李嬷嬷捶床捣枕说：“这可不中用了！我白操了一世心了！”袭人等以他年老多知，所以请他来看，如今见他这般一说，都信以为实，也都哭起来。
晴雯便告诉袭人，方才如此这般。袭人听了，便忙到潇湘馆来，见紫鹃正服侍黛玉吃药，也顾不得什么，便走上来问紫鹃道：“你才和我们宝玉说了些什么？你瞧他去，你回老太太去，我也不管了！”说着，便坐在椅上。
黛玉忽见袭人满面急怒，又有泪痕，举止大变，便不免也慌了，忙问怎么了。袭人定了一会，哭道：“不知紫鹃姑奶奶说了些什么话，那个呆子眼也直了，手脚也冷了，话也不说了，李妈妈掐着也不疼了，已死了大半个了！连李妈妈都说不中用了，那里放声大哭。只怕这会子都死了！”黛玉一听此言，李妈妈乃是经过的老妪，说不中用了，可知必不中用。哇的一声，将腹中之药一概呛出，抖肠搜肺、炽胃扇肝的痛声大嗽了几阵，一时面红发乱，目肿筋浮，喘的抬不起头来。紫鹃忙上来捶背，黛玉伏枕喘息半晌，推紫鹃道：“你不用捶，你竟拿绳子来勒死我是正经！”紫鹃哭道：“我并没说什么，不过是说了几句顽话，他就认真了。”袭人道：“你还不知道他，那傻子每每顽话认了真。”黛玉道：“你说了什么话，趁早儿去解说，他只怕就醒过来了。”紫鹃听说，忙下了床，同袭人到了怡红院。
谁知贾母王夫人等已都在那里了。贾母一见了紫鹃，眼内出火，骂道：“你这小蹄子，和他说了什么？”紫鹃忙道：“并没说什么，不过说几句顽话。”谁知宝玉见了紫鹃，方嗳呀了一声，哭出来了。众人一见，方都放下心来。贾母便拉住紫鹃，只当他得罪了宝玉，所以拉紫鹃命他打。
谁知宝玉一把拉住紫鹃，死也不放，说：“要去连我也带了去。”众人不解，细问起来，方知紫鹃说“要回苏州去”一句顽话引出来的。贾母流泪道：“我当有什么要紧大事，原来是这句顽话。”又向紫鹃道：“你这孩子素日最是个伶俐聪敏的，你又知道他有个呆根子，平白的哄他作什么？”薛姨妈劝道：“宝玉本来心实，可巧林姑娘又是从小儿来的，他姊妹两个一处长了这么大，比别的姊妹更不同。这会子热剌剌的说一个去，别说他是个实心的傻孩子，便是冷心肠的大人也要伤心。这并不是什么大病，老太太和姨太太只管万安，吃一两剂药就好了。”
正说着，人回林之孝家的单大良〔一〕家的都来瞧哥儿来了。贾母道：“难为他们想着，叫他们来瞧瞧。”宝玉听了一个“林”字，便满床闹起来说：“了不得了，林家的人接他们来了，快打出去罢！”贾母听了，也忙说：“打出去罢。”又忙安慰说：“那不是林家的人。林家的人都死绝了，没人来接他的，你只放心罢。”宝玉哭道：“凭他是谁，除了林妹妹，都不许姓林的！”贾母道：“没姓林的来，凡姓林的我都打走了。”一面吩咐众人：“以后别叫林之孝家的进园来，你们也别说‘林’字。好孩子们，你们听我这句话罢！”众人忙答应，又不敢笑。
一时宝玉又一眼看见了十锦格子上陈设的一只金西洋自行船，便指着乱叫说：“那不是接他们来的船来了，湾在那里呢。”贾母忙命拿下来。袭人忙拿下来，宝玉伸手要，袭人递过，宝玉便掖在被中，笑道：“可去不成了！”一面说，一面死拉着紫鹃不放。
一时人回大夫来了，贾母忙命快进来。王夫人、薛姨妈、宝钗等暂避里间，贾母便端坐在宝玉身旁。王太医进来见许多的人，忙上去请了贾母的安，拿了宝玉的手诊了一回。那紫鹃少不得低了头。王大夫也不解何意，起身说道：“世兄这症乃是急痛迷心。古人曾云：‘痰迷有别。有气血亏柔，饮食不能熔化痰迷者；有怒恼中痰裹而迷者；有急痛壅塞者。’此亦痰迷之症[7]，系急痛所致，不过一时壅蔽，较诸痰迷似轻。”
贾母道：“你只说怕不怕，谁同你背药书呢。”王太医忙躬身笑说：“不妨，不妨。”贾母道：“果真不妨？”王太医道：“实在不妨，都在晚生身上。”贾母道：“既如此，请到外面坐，开药方。若吃好了，我另外预备好谢礼，叫他亲自捧了送去磕头；若耽误了，打发人去拆了太医院大堂。”王太医只躬身笑说：“不敢，不敢。”他原听了说“另具上等谢礼命宝玉去磕头”，故满口说“不敢”，竟未听见贾母后来说拆太医院之戏语，犹说“不敢”，贾母与众人反倒笑了。
一时，按方煎了药来服下，果觉比先安静。无奈宝玉只不肯放紫鹃，只说他去了便是要回苏州去了。贾母王夫人无法，只得命紫鹃守着他，另将琥珀去服侍黛玉。
黛玉不时遣雪雁来探消息，这边事务尽知，自己心中暗叹。幸喜众人都知宝玉原有些呆气，自幼是他二人亲密，如今紫鹃之戏语亦是常情，宝玉之病亦非罕事，因不疑到别事去。
晚间宝玉稍安，贾母王夫人等方回房去。一夜还遣人来问讯几次。李奶母带领宋嬷嬷等几个年老人用心看守，紫鹃、袭人、晴雯等日夜相伴。有时宝玉睡去，必从梦中惊醒，不是哭了说黛玉已去，便是说有人来接。每一惊时，必得紫鹃安慰一番方罢。彼时贾母又命将祛邪守灵丹及开窍通神散各样上方秘制诸药，按方饮服。
次日又服了王太医药，渐次好起来。宝玉心下明白，因恐紫鹃回去，故有时或作佯狂之态。紫鹃自那日也着实后悔，如今日夜辛苦，并没有怨意。袭人等皆心安神定，因向紫鹃笑道：“都是你闹的，还得你来治。也没见我们这呆子听了风就是雨，往后怎么好。”暂且按下。
因此时湘云之症已愈，天天过来瞧看，见宝玉明白了，便将他病中狂态形容了与他瞧，引的宝玉自己伏枕而笑。原来他起先那样竟是不知的，如今听人说还不信。无人时，紫鹃在侧，宝玉又拉他的手问道：“你为什么唬我？”紫鹃道：“不过是哄你顽的，你就认真了。”宝玉道：“你说的那样有情有理，如何是顽话。”紫鹃笑道：“那些顽话都是我编的。林家实没了人口，纵有也是极远的。族中也都不在苏州住，各省流寓不定。纵有人来接，老太太必不放去的。”
宝玉道：“便老太太放去，我也不依。”紫鹃笑道：“果真的你不依？只怕是口里的话。你如今也大了，连亲也定下了，过二三年再娶了亲，你眼里还有谁了？”宝玉听了，又惊问：“谁定了亲？定了谁？”紫鹃笑道：“年里我听见老太太说，要定下琴姑娘呢。不然那么疼他？”宝玉笑道：“人人只说我傻，你比我更傻。不过是句顽话，他已经许给梅翰林家了。果然定下了他，我还是这个形景了？先是我发誓赌咒砸这劳什子，你都没劝过，说我疯的？刚刚的这几日才好了，你又来怄我。”
一面说，一面咬牙切齿的，又说道：“我只愿这会子立刻我死了，把心迸出来你们瞧见了，然后连皮带骨一概都化成一股灰——灰还有形迹，不如再化一股烟——烟还可凝聚，人还看见，须得一阵大乱风吹的四面八方都登时散了，这才好！”一面说，一面又滚下泪来。
紫鹃忙上来握他的嘴，替他擦眼泪，又忙笑解释道：“你不用着急。这原是我心里着急，故来试你。”宝玉听了，更又诧异，问道：“你又着什么急？”紫鹃笑道：“你知道，我并不是林家的人，我也和袭人鸳鸯是一伙的，偏把我给了林姑娘使。偏生他又和我极好，比他苏州带来的还好十倍，一时一刻我们两个离不开。我如今心里却愁，他倘或要去了，我必要跟了他去的。我是合家在这里，我若不去，辜负了我们素日的情常；若去，又弃了本家。所以我疑惑，故设出这谎话来问你，谁知你就傻闹起来。”宝玉笑道：“原来是你愁这个〔二〕，所以你是傻子。从此后再别愁了。我只告诉你一句趸话[9]：活着，咱们一处活着；不活着，咱们一处化灰化烟，如何？”
紫鹃〔三〕听了，心下暗暗筹画。忽有人回：“环爷兰哥儿问候。”宝玉道：“就说难为他们，我才睡了，不必进来。”婆子答应去了。紫鹃笑道：“你也好了，该放我回去瞧瞧我们那一个去了。”宝玉道：“正是这话。我昨日就要叫你去的，偏又忘了。我已经大好了，你就去罢。”紫鹃听说，方打叠铺盖妆奁之类。宝玉笑道：“我看见你文具里头有三两面镜子，你把那面小菱花的给我留下罢。我搁在枕头旁边，睡着好照，明儿出门带着也轻巧。”紫鹃听说，只得与他留下，先命人将东西送过去，然后别了众人，自回潇湘馆来。
林黛玉近日闻得宝玉如此形景，未免又添些病症，多哭几场。今见紫鹃来了，问其原故，已知大愈，仍遣琥珀去服侍贾母。夜间人定后，紫鹃已宽衣卧下之时，悄向黛玉笑道：“宝玉的心倒实，听见咱们去就那样起来。”黛玉不答。
紫鹃停了半晌，自言自语的说道：“一动不如一静。我们这里就算好人家，别的都容易，最难得的是从小儿一处长大，脾气情性都彼此知道的了。”黛玉啐道：“你这几天还不乏，趁这会子不歇一歇，还嚼什么蛆。”紫鹃笑道：“倒不是白嚼蛆，我倒是一片真心为姑娘。替你愁了这几年了，无父母无兄弟，谁是知疼着热的人？趁早儿老太太还明白硬朗的时节，作定了大事要紧。俗语说‘老健春寒秋后热’[11]，倘或老太太一时有个好歹，那时虽也完事，只怕耽误了时光，还不得趁心如意呢。公子王孙虽多，那一个不是三房五妾，今儿朝东，明儿朝西？要一个天仙来，也不过三夜五夕，也丢在脖子后头了，甚至于为妾为丫头反目成仇的。若娘家有人有势的还好些，若是姑娘这样的人，有老太太一日还好一日，若没了老太太，也只是凭人去欺负了。所以说，拿主意要紧。姑娘是个明白人，岂不闻俗语说：‘万两黄金容易得，知心一个也难求’。”
黛玉听了，便说道：“这丫头今儿可疯了？怎么去了几日，忽然变了一个人。我明儿必回老太太退回去，我不敢要你了。”紫鹃笑道：“我说的是好话，不过叫你心里留神，并没叫你去为非作歹，何苦回老太太，叫我吃了亏，又有何好处？”说着，竟自睡了。
黛玉听了这话，口内虽如此说，心内未尝不伤感，待他睡了，便直泣了一夜，至天明方打了一个盹儿。次日勉强盥漱了，吃了些燕窝粥，便有贾母等亲来看视了，又嘱咐了许多话。
目今是薛姨妈的生日，自贾母起，诸人皆有祝贺之礼。黛玉亦早备了两色针线送去。是日也定了一本小戏请贾母王夫人等，独有宝玉与黛玉二人不曾去得。至散时，贾母等顺路又瞧他二人一遍，方回房去。次日，薛姨妈家又命薛蝌陪诸伙计吃了一天酒，连忙了三四天方完备。
因薛姨妈看见邢岫烟生得端雅稳重，且家道贫寒，是个钗荆裙布的女儿，便欲说与薛蟠为妻。因薛蟠素习行止浮奢，又恐遭踏人家的女儿。正在踌躇之际，忽想起薛蝌未娶，看他二人恰是一对天生地设的夫妻，因谋之于凤姐儿。凤姐儿叹道：“姑妈素知我们太太有些左性的，这事等我慢谋。”
因贾母去瞧凤姐儿时，凤姐儿便和贾母说：“薛姑妈有件事求老祖宗，只是不好启齿的。”贾母忙问何事，凤姐便将求亲一事说了。贾母笑道：“这有什么不好启齿？这是极好的事。等我和你婆婆说了，怕他不依？”因回房来，即刻就命人来请邢夫人过来，硬作保山[12]。邢夫人想了一想：薛家根基不错，且现今大富，薛蝌生得又好，且贾母硬作保山，将计就计便应了。贾母十分喜欢，忙命人请了薛姨妈来。
二人见了，自然有许多谦辞。邢夫人即刻命人去告诉邢忠夫妇。他夫妇原是此来投靠邢夫人的，如何不依，早极口的说妙极。贾母笑道：“我最爱管个闲事，今儿又管成了一件事，不知得多少谢媒钱？”薛姨妈笑道：“这是自然的。纵抬了十万银子来，只怕不希罕。但只一件，老太太既是主亲，还得一位才好。”贾母笑道：“别的没有，我们家折腿烂手的人还有两个。”说着，便命人去叫过尤氏婆媳〔四〕二人来。贾母告诉他原故，彼此忙都道喜。
贾母吩咐道：“咱们家的规矩你是尽知的，从没有两亲家争里争面的。如今你算替我在当中料理，也不可太啬，也不可太费，把他两家的事周全了回我。”尤氏忙答应了。薛姨妈喜之不尽，回家来忙命写了请帖补送过宁府。尤氏深知邢夫人情性，本不欲管，无奈贾母亲自嘱咐，只得应了，惟有忖度邢夫人之意行事。薛姨妈是个无可无不可的人，倒还易说。这且不在话下。
如今薛姨妈既定了邢岫烟为媳，合宅皆知。邢夫人本欲接出岫烟去住，贾母因说：“这又何妨，两个孩子又不能见面，就是姨太太和他一个大姑，一个小姑，又何妨？况且都是女儿，正好亲香呢。”邢夫人方罢。
蝌岫二人前次途中皆曾有一面之遇，大约二人心中也皆如意。只是邢岫烟未免比先时拘泥了些，不好与宝钗姊妹共处闲语；又兼湘云是个爱取笑的，更觉不好意思。幸他是个知书达礼的，虽有女儿身分，还不是那种佯羞诈愧一味轻薄造作之辈。
宝钗自见他时，见他家业贫寒，二则别人之父母皆年高有德之人，独他父母偏是酒糟透之人，于女儿分中平常；邢夫人也不过是脸面之情，亦非真心疼爱；且岫烟为人雅重，迎春是个有气的死人〔五〕，连他自己尚未照管齐全，如何能照管到他身上，凡闺阁中家常一应需用之物，或有亏乏，无人照管，他又不与人张口，宝钗倒暗中每相体贴接济，也不敢与邢夫人知道，亦恐多心闲话之故耳。如今却出人意料之外奇缘作成这门亲事。岫烟心中先取中宝钗，然后方取薛蝌。有时岫烟仍与宝钗闲话，宝钗仍以姊妹相呼。
这日宝钗因来瞧黛玉，恰值岫烟也来瞧黛玉，二人在半路相遇。宝钗含笑唤他到跟前，二人同走至一块石壁后，宝钗笑问他：“这天还冷的很，你怎么倒全换了夹的？”岫烟见问，低头不答。宝钗便知道又有了原故，因又笑问道：“必定是这个月的月钱又没得。凤丫头如今也这样没心没计了。”岫烟道：“他倒想着不错日子给，因姑妈打发人和我说，一个月用不了二两银子，叫我省一两给爹妈送出去，要使什么，横竖有二姐姐的东西，能着[15]些儿搭着就使了。姐姐想，二姐姐也是个老实人，也不大留心，我使他的东西，他虽不说什么，他那些妈妈丫头，那一个是省事的，那一个是嘴里不尖的？我虽在那屋里，却不敢很使他们，过三天五天，我倒得拿出钱来给他们打酒买点心吃才好。因一月二两银子还不够使，如今又去了一两。前儿我悄悄的把绵衣服叫人当了几吊钱盘缠。”
宝钗听了，愁眉叹道：“偏梅家又合家在任上，后年才进来。若是在这里，琴儿过去了，好再商议你这事。离了这里就完了。如今不先完〔六〕了他妹妹的事，也断不敢先娶亲的。如今倒是一件难事。再迟两年，又怕你熬煎出病来。等我和妈再商议，有人欺负你，你只管耐些烦儿，千万别自己熬煎出病来。不如把那一两银子明儿也越性给了他们，倒都歇心。你以后也不用白给那些人东西吃，他尖刺让他们去尖刺，很听不过了，各人走开。倘或短了什么，你别存那小家儿女气，只管找我去。并不是作亲后方如此，你一来时咱们就好的。便怕人闲话，你打发小丫头悄悄的和我说去就是了。”岫烟低头答应了。
宝钗又指他裙上一个碧玉珮问道：“这是谁给你的？”岫烟道：“这是三姐姐给的。”宝钗点头笑道：“他见人人皆有，独你一个没有，怕人笑话，故此送你一个。这是他聪明细致之处。但还有一句话你也要知道，这些妆饰原出于大官富贵之家的小姐，你看我从头至脚可有这些富丽闲妆？然七八年之先，我也是这样来的，如今一时比不得一时了，所以我都自己该省的就省了。将来你这一到了我们家，这些没有用的东西，只怕还有一箱子。咱们如今比不得他们了，总要一色从实守分为主，不比他们才是。”岫烟笑道：“姐姐既这样说，我回去摘了就是了。”宝钗忙笑道：“你也太听说了。这是他好意送你，你不佩着，他岂不疑心。我不过是偶然提到这里，以后知道就是了。”
岫烟忙又答应，又问：“姐姐此时那里去？”宝钗道：“我到潇湘馆去。你且回去把那当票[17]叫丫头送来，我那里悄悄的取出来，晚上再悄悄的送给你去，早晚好穿，不然风扇了事大。但不知当在那里了？”岫烟道：“叫作‘恒舒典’，是鼓楼西大街的。”宝钗笑道：“这闹在一家去了。伙计们倘或知道了，好说‘人没过来，衣裳先过来’了。”岫烟听说，便知是他家的本钱，也不觉红了脸一笑，二人走开。
宝钗就往潇湘馆来。正值他母亲也来瞧黛玉，正说闲话呢。宝钗笑道：“妈多早晚来的？我竟不知道。”薛姨妈道：“我这几天连日忙，总没来瞧瞧宝玉和他。所以今儿瞧他二个，都也好了。”黛玉忙让宝钗坐了，因向宝钗道：“天下的事真是人想不到的，怎么想的到姨妈和大舅母又作一门亲家。”薛姨妈道：“我的儿，你们女孩家那里知道，自古道‘千里姻缘一线牵’。管姻缘的有一位月下老人，预先注定，暗里只用一根红丝把这两个人的脚绊住，凭你两家隔着海，隔着国，有世仇的，也终久有机会作了夫妇。这一件事都是出人意料之外，凭父母本人都愿意了，或是年年在一处的，以为是定了的亲事，若月下老人不用红线拴的，再不能到一处。比如你姐妹两个的婚姻，此刻也不知在眼前，也不知在山南海北呢。”
宝钗道：“惟有妈，说动话就拉上我们。”一面说，一面伏在他母亲怀里笑说：“咱们走罢。”黛玉笑道：“你瞧，这么大了，离了姨妈他就是个最老道[18]的，见了姨妈他就撒娇儿。”薛姨妈用手摩弄着宝钗，叹向黛玉道：“你这姐姐就和凤哥儿在老太太跟前一样，有了正经事，就和他商量，没了事，幸亏他开开我的心。我见了他这样，有多少愁不散的。”黛玉听说，流泪叹道：“他偏在这里这样，分明是气我没娘的人，故意来刺我的眼。”宝钗笑道：“妈瞧他轻狂，倒说我撒娇儿。”
薛姨妈道：“也怨不得他伤心，可怜没父母，到底没个亲人。”又摩娑黛玉笑道：“好孩子别哭。你见我疼你姐姐你伤心了，你不知我心里更疼你呢。你姐姐虽没了父亲，到底有我，有亲哥哥，这就比你强了。我每每和你姐姐说，心里很疼你，只是外头不好带出来的。你这里人多口杂，说好话的人少，说歹话的人多，不说你无依无靠，为人作人配人疼，只说我们看老太太疼你了，我们也洑上水[19]去了。”
黛玉笑道：“姨妈既这么说，我明日就认姨妈做娘，姨妈若是弃嫌不认，便是假意疼我了。”薛姨妈道：“你不厌我，就认了才好。”宝钗忙道：“认不得的。”黛玉道：“怎么认不得？”宝钗笑问道：“我且问你，我哥哥还没定亲事，为什么反将邢妹妹先说与我兄弟了，是什么道理？”黛玉道：“他不在家，或是属相生日不对，所以先说与兄弟了。”宝钗笑道：“非也。我哥哥已经相准了，只等来家就下定了，也不必提出人来，我方才说你认不得娘，你细想去。”说着，便和他母亲挤眼儿发笑。
黛玉听了，便也一头伏在薛姨妈身上，说道：“姨妈不打他我不依。”薛姨妈忙也搂他笑道：“你别信你姐姐的话，他是顽你呢。”宝钗笑道：“真个的，妈明儿和老太太求了他作媳妇，岂不比外头寻的好？”黛玉便够上来要抓他，口内笑说：“你越发疯了。”薛姨妈忙也笑劝，用手分开方罢。因又向宝钗道：“连邢女儿我还怕你哥哥遭踏了他，所以给你兄弟说了。别说这孩子，我也断不肯给他。前儿老太太因要把你妹妹说给宝玉，偏生又有了人家，不然倒是一门好亲。前儿我说定了邢女儿，老太太还取笑说：‘我原要说他的人，谁知他的人没到手，倒被他说了〔七〕我们的一个去了。’虽是顽话，细想来倒也有些意思。我想宝琴虽有了人家，我虽没人可给，难道一句话也不说。我想着，你宝兄弟老太太那样疼他，他又生的那样，若要外头说去，老太太〔八〕断不中意。不如竟把你林妹妹定与他，岂不四角俱全[22]？”
林黛玉先还怔怔的，听后来见说到自己身上，便啐了宝钗一口，红了脸，拉着宝钗笑道：“我只打你！你为什么招出姨妈这些老没正经的话来？”宝钗笑道：“这可奇了！妈说你，为什么打我？”紫鹃忙也跑来笑道：“姨太太既有这主意，为什么不和太太说去？”薛姨妈哈哈笑道：“你这孩子，急什么，想必催着你姑娘出了阁，你也要早些寻一个小女婿去了。”紫鹃听了，也红了脸，笑道：“姨太太真个倚老卖老的起来。”说着，便转身去了。黛玉先骂：“又与你这蹄子什么相干？”后来见了这样，也笑起来说：“阿弥陀佛！该，该，该！也臊了一鼻子灰去了！”薛姨妈母女及屋内婆子丫鬟都笑起来。婆子们因也笑道：“姨太太虽是顽话，却倒也不差呢。到闲了时和老太太一商议，姨太太竟做媒保成这门亲事是千妥万妥的。”薛姨妈道：“我一出这主意，老太太必喜欢的。”
一语未了，忽见湘云走来，手里拿着一张当票，口内笑道：“这是个帐篇子？”黛玉瞧了，也不认得。地下婆子们都笑道：“这可是一件奇货，这个乖可不是白教人的。”宝钗忙一把接了，看时，就是岫烟才说的当票，忙折了起来。
薛姨妈忙说：“那必定是那个妈妈的当票子失落了，回来急的他们找。那里得的？”湘云道：“什么是当票子？”众人都笑道：“真真是个呆子，连个当票子也不知道。”薛姨妈叹道：“怨不得他，真真是侯门千金，而且又小，那里知道这个？那里去有这个？便是家下人有这个，他如何得见？别笑他呆子，若给你们家的小姐们看了，也都成了呆子。”众婆子笑道：“林姑娘方才也不认得，别说姑娘们。此刻宝玉他倒是外头常走出去的，只怕也还没见过呢。”薛姨妈忙将原故讲明。
湘云黛玉二人听了，方笑道：“原来为此。人也太会想钱了，姨妈家的当铺也有这个不成？”众人笑道：“这又呆了。‘天下老鸹一般黑’，岂有两样的？”薛姨妈因又问是那里拣的？湘云方欲说时，宝钗忙说：“是一张死了没用的，不知那年勾了帐的，香菱拿着哄他们玩的。”薛姨妈听了此话是真，也就不问了。一时人来回：“那府里大奶奶过来请姨太太说话呢。”薛姨妈起身去了。
这里屋内无人时，宝钗方问湘云何处捡的。湘云笑道：“我见你令弟媳的丫头篆儿悄悄的递与莺儿。莺儿便随手夹在书里，只当我没看见。我等他们出去了，我偷着看，竟不认得。知道你们都在这里，所以拿来大家认认。”黛玉忙问：“怎么，他也当衣裳不成？既当了，怎么又给你去？”宝钗见问，不好隐瞒他两个，遂将方才之事都告诉了他二人。
黛玉便说“兔死狐悲，物伤其类”，不免感叹起来。史湘云便动了气说：“等我问着二姐姐去！我骂那起老婆子丫头一顿，给你们出气何如？”说着，便要走。宝钗忙一把拉住，笑道：“你又发疯了，还不给我坐着呢。”黛玉笑道：“你要是个男人，出去打一个抱不平儿。你又充什么荆轲聂政[23]，真真好笑。”湘云道：“既不叫我问他去，明儿也把他接到咱们苑里一处住去，岂不好？”宝钗笑道：“明日再商量。”说着，人报：“三姑娘四姑娘来了。”三人听了，忙掩了口不提此事。要知端的，且听下回分解。
[1] 风馋——形容春天的风对衣衫单薄者的侵袭，容易使人受寒致病。
[2] 打紧——要紧。
[3] 行子——行，读作hánɡ，音杭。骂语，指所厌恶的人或物。
[4] 托实——实心眼儿，不会客气。
[5] 人中——人体穴位名，在鼻下唇上正中之凹痕处。对此穴扎针或用指甲力掐，可急救昏迷不醒。
〔一〕 “单大良”，原作“单大娘”。己卯本同。梦稿本阙此句。戚序、甲辰本均作“单大”。按第五十四回曾出现“单大良”其人，从改。
[7] 痰迷之症——中医术语，亦称“痰迷心窍”，由痰阻经络、孔窍引起神志昏迷的一种病症。亦泛指“中风”病。
〔二〕 “宝玉笑道，原来是你愁这个”，原作“宝来是愁这个”，点改为“本来是愁这个”。从各本增改。
[9] 趸话——打总的话。
〔三〕 “紫鹃”，底本点改为“宝玉”。各本均作“紫鹃”，从底本原文。
[11] 老健春寒秋后热——春日渐暖，虽寒也不会持久；立秋之后即转凉，再热也是暂时的。这里用春寒秋热比喻老年人的健康不易常保。
[12] 保山——对保人或媒人的称呼，谓其像山一样稳当可靠。此处保山指媒人。
〔四〕 “尤氏婆媳”，原作“贾珍婆媳”，各脂本同。从程甲本改。
〔五〕 “有气的死人”，原作“有气的人”，点改为“老实人”。从甲辰本改。
[15] 能着——将就。
〔六〕 “完了”，原作“定了”，己卯本同。其馀各本均作“完了”，从改。
[17] 当票——当铺付给贷款人作为凭证的票据。当铺是旧时以典当进行高利剥削的一种行业，收取抵押品，发放贷款，利率很高，若过期不赎，抵押品即归当铺所有。
[18] 老道——这里义同“老到”，老成练达的意思。
[19] 洑（fù父）上水——洑：游泳。洑上水：游向上游，比喻巴结有权势的人。
〔七〕 “邢女儿……他说了”三十字，原无，从己卯、梦稿、戚序、甲辰本补。
〔八〕 “老太太”，原无。从各本增。
[22] 四角俱全——完美无缺的意思。
[23] 荆轲聂政——荆轲：战国时卫国人，曾谋刺秦始皇，未成被杀。聂政：战国时韩国人，曾代人报仇，刺死韩相侠累后自杀。见《史记·刺客列传》。历来都被看作重义轻生、为报效知己而慷慨赴死的人物。
CHAPTER 57. Nightingale tests Jade Boy with a startling message And Aunt Xue comforts Frowner with words of loving kindness
Obedient to the summons, Bao-yu hurried from the Garden and over to his mother’s apartment. It appeared that she was about to pay a call on Lady Zhen and wanted to take him with her. Bao-yu was delighted and hurried back again to get changed.
The Zhens’ town house was very much like the Ning and Rong establishments – if anything, a shade more opulent. In answer to Bao-yu’s questioning, Lady Zhen assured him that there was indeed a Bao-yu in Nanking. She kept the two of them to dinner and they stayed there for the rest of the day. Bao-yu was at last convinced.
As soon as they got back in the evening, Lady Wang made arrangements for entertaining Lady Zhen. A first-class dinner was ordered, a well-known troupe of adult players engaged, and Lady Zhen and her daughter were invited to come over next day. The day after that mother and daughter left town. They had no time for farewells: Sir Zhen had been ordered back to his post.
It was on the day of their departure that Bao-yu, after visiting Xiang-yun and finding that she was distinctly on the mend, went over to see how Dai-yu was getting on, only to be told that she was taking her afternoon nap. Nightingale chanced to be sitting outside in the covered walk doing some sewing, so, not wishing to disturb Dai-yu, he went over to talk to Nightingale instead.
‘How was she last night? Is her cough any better?’
‘Yes, a bit better,’ said Nightingale.
‘Thank the Lord for that!’ said Bao-yu fervently. ‘If only she could shake it off altogether!’
Nightingale looked up at him with amusement:
‘It’s not often we hear you calling on the Lord.’
Bao-yu returned her smile:
‘Any doctor will do in an emergency.’
His eye took in her costume as he said this: a cotton-padded dress of thin black-and-white material with only a lined black satin waistcoat over the top of it. He reached out his hand to feel it.
‘What you’re wearing is much too thin for this time of year. You’re sitting in a draught here as well. If you go sick too, things here will be in a pretty pickle!’
‘Look,’ said Nightingale sharply, ‘let’s just talk to each other in future, shall we, without any of this pawing about? Now that we’re all beginning to grow up, it creates such a bad impression. However much that horrible lot over there say things about you behind your back, you still carry on the same as when you were little. It won’t do. Miss Lin has warned us time and again about getting into conversations with you. Look at the way she behaves towards you herself nowadays: she can’t keep far enough away from you.’
She rose to her feet as she said this and moved, with her sewing, into the house.
The effect of this rebuff on Bao-yu’s feelings was as if a bowl of icy water had been emptied over him. For some moments he was stunned and stood gazing stupidly at the clump of bamboos that were growing in front of him; then, as he became gradually aware that Mamma Zhu, to whose expert care they had been entrusted, was rooting about in their midst, he took himself off, but still in a daze, and scarcely aware what he was doing. Presently he sat down on a rock somewhere to think. Tears rolled down his cheeks, but he did not feel them. For an hour or more he continued to sit there motionless, turning the same question, ‘What am I to do?’, over and over in his mind, but never reaching a conclusion.
Snowgoose, sent on an errand to fetch ginseng from Lady Wang’s, passed by him on her way back. As she glanced sideways from the path, she saw a figure sitting motionless on a rock underneath a peach-tree, chin cupped in hand and evidently lost in thought, which she recognized, with some surprise, as Bao-yu.
‘It’s ever so cold,’ she thought: ‘what can he be, doing, all on his own out here? They say that sickly people are specially liable to catch things in spring. Perhaps he’s gone mental.’
She went over to where he was sitting and, squatting down in front of him, peered smilingly into his face.
‘What are you doing out here?’
Bao-yu noticed her with a start.
‘Why do you come up to me like this? You’re a girl, aren’t you? She’s told you all not to have anything to do with me, for fear of creating a scandal; so why do you still come up to me? If we’re seen here talking together, there’ll only be more gossip. Go back home!’
Snowgoose assumed that Dai-yu had been upsetting him and continued on her way. When she got back to the Naiad’s House, Dai-yu was still asleep, so she gave the ginseng to Nightingale.
‘What was Her Ladyship doing?’ Nightingale asked her.
‘She was having an afternoon nap, too. That’s why I was so long. I’ll tell you something that will make you laugh, Night. While I was sitting in the servants’ room talking to Silver and waiting for Her Ladyship to get up, who should look in but Mrs Zhao, and beckoned me over to her. And do you know what she wanted? They’re burying her brother tomorrow and she’s got leave from Her Ladyship to go there for the wake. Young Fortune’s going with her, and she said Fortune hasn’t got anything to wear, would I please lend her my pale-blue dress? Well, I thought to myself, Fortune’s got just as many dresses as I have; the only reason she wants to borrow someone else’s is because she’s too mean to let her wear her own there and risk getting it dirtied. I wouldn’t mind lending it to her – even if she dirtied it, it wouldn’t matter all that much – but what has she ever done for us? So I said, “Miss Lin told me to hand all my clothes and jewellery to Nightingale to look after. I should have to see Nightingale about it first, and I should have to tell Miss Lin. It might take rather a long time. I might not be able to get it to you before you go,” I said. “Perhaps it would be safer to borrow someone else’s.”’
Nightingale laughed.
‘You’re an artful little minx, aren’t you? You don’t want to lend her your dress, but you take very good care that it’s me and Miss Lin that get blamed for refusing it, and not you. Is Mrs Zhao going now, then, or first thing tomorrow?’
‘Now,’ said Snowgoose. ‘She’s probably already left.’
Nightingale nodded.
‘It looks as if Miss Lin’s still asleep,’ said Snowgoose. ‘If it wasn’t her, I wonder who it was that made Bao-yu so upset. He was sitting out there in the Garden crying.’
‘Oh?’ said Nightingale sharply. ‘Where?’
‘Under that peach-tree behind Drenched Blossoms Pavilion.’
Nightingale hurriedly put down her sewing and stood up.
‘You take over in case she calls. If she wants me, tell her I’ll be back directly.’
She sped off to look for Bao-yu. There was a reassuring smile on her face as she came up to him.
‘That was only a harmless little remark I made, and it was only for your own and everyone else’s good. Why did you need to get in such a passion and go rushing off to sit in the wind here and cry? Suppose you were to get ill as a result of this.’
Immediately Bao-yu was his smiling self once more:
‘I wasn’t in a passion. I thought what you said was very reasonable. What upset me was the thought that if you felt that way, then other people must feel that way too, in which case soon everyone would stop having anything to do with me.’
Nightingale sat down companionably at his side.
‘A short while ago you moved away from me when I was standing opposite you,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Now, apparently, it is all right to sit close beside me.’
‘I suppose you’ve forgotten the time when you and Miss Lin were talking together and Mrs Zhao burst in on you,’ said Nightingale. ‘That was what made me careful. Now I’ve just heard that she’s away, so it’s quite safe. Incidentally, there’s something about that occasion I’ve always wanted to ask you. You were about to say something about bird’s nest when she came in but didn’t have a chance to finish; and you’ve never referred to it since.’
‘Oh, it was nothing important,’ said Bao-yu. ‘It’s just that once you start taking bird’s nest, you’ve got to keep it up, and it seemed to me that as Cousin Bao is really here as our guest, it would be rather boorish to keep asking her for more; on the other hand it would be rather awkward to have to ask Lady Wang for it; so I dropped a hint to Grandma, and I rather think that she had a word on the subject with Feng. That’s all I was going to tell Dai when we were interrupted. I’ve since heard that you’re getting an ounce a day regularly, so there hasn’t seemed any need to mention it.’
‘Oh, so it was you who told her about it,’ said Nightingale. ‘In that case we owe you our thanks. We couldn’t think what it was that could have suddenly put it into her head.’
‘She should take it regularly, every day,’ said Bao-yu. ‘If she can keep it up for two or three years, she should get completely better.’
‘It’s easy enough now,’ said Nightingale, ‘but where will she find the money for it next year, when she goes home?’
Bao-yu was startled.
‘When who goes home? What home?’
‘When your Cousin Dai goes back to Soochow.’
Bao-yu laughed:
‘You’re joking. Soochow is where her father came from, I know. But the reason we brought her here in the first place was because when my Aunt Lin died there was no one to look after her. There wouldn’t be anyone in Soochow for her to go to. You must be lying.’
‘How arrogant you are!’ said Nightingale scornfully. ‘I suppose you think yours is the only big family in the world. According to you, I suppose, other people only have fathers and mothers: they couldn’t possibly have uncles and aunts on their father’s side like you do. As a matter of fact, when Miss Lin came here it wasn’t because there weren’t any relations of her father’s that she could have gone to; it was because Her Old Ladyship was afraid that being so little she might not be as happy with them as she would with her mother’s folk. But it was only ever her intention to keep her here for a few years. As soon as she’s old enough to be married, she’ll have to go back to the Lin family. You could hardly expect a Lin family girl to spend the rest of her days among Jias, now could you? The Lins may be too poor to afford a square meal, but they are people of education. They’d never sink so low as to hand over responsibility for one of their own number to their marriage-kin. Next year – next spring at the earliest, but certainly not later than next autumn – either your family will send her back to them or the Lins themselves will come here to fetch her. Miss Lin was talking to me about it only the other night. She said I was to ask you to get together all the little presents she’s ever given you and send them back to her, and she’ll do the same with yours.’
To Bao-yu these words were like a thunderclap exploding immediately overhead. Nightingale waited to see how he would reply, but he made no sound. Growing at last impatient, she was about to speak to him again when Skybright appeared. She had been looking for him everywhere, she said. He was wanted by his grandmother.
‘He’s been here all this time talking about Miss Lin’s illness,’ said Nightingale. ‘I keep telling him how she is, but he won’t believe me. If you want him to go with you, you’ll have to take hold of him and make him go.’
She left then, without waiting to see more.
Skybright noticed Bao-yu’s vacant expression. His forehead was beaded with sweat and there was a red, inflamed look about his face. She seized him by the hand and hurried him back to Green Delights.
Aroma was naturally alarmed to see Bao-yu come back in such a state, but attributed it to the weather: it was an inclement spring and he had gone out while overheated and exposed himself to the wind. But it soon became apparent that feverishness was the least serious of his symptoms. His eyes had a fixed and glassy stare, a little trickle of saliva ran from each corner of his mouth, and he seemed to have lost all consciousness of what he was doing: when they brought him a pillow he lay down; when they pulled him by the hand he sat up again; when they handed him a cup of tea he drank it; but all with the mechanical movements of an automaton. The maids, when they saw this, were in a panic; but not daring to report yet to Grandmother Jia, they first sent for Nannie Li to tell them what was wrong.
Nannie Li came promptly. Before she did anything else, she spent a good long while simply observing him. Then she asked him a few questions, but he made no reply. Then she took his wrist in her hand and felt his pulse. Finally, taking the raphe of his lip between her thumb and finger, she pinched it a couple of times, so hard that a deep imprint was made by her nails: yet he seemed to feel nothing.
‘Lord a mercy!’ cried the old woman in a pathetic voice, and clinging to his body, she set up a howl and wept. Aroma, beside herself with anxiety, tugged imploringly at her sleeve:
‘Nannie, Nannie, have another look at him and tell us how serious it is, so that we know what to say to Their Ladyships. Don’t just cry!’
Nannie Li hammered the bed with her fists:
‘It’s all up with him, I tell you. All the heartache I’ve had on account of him was wasted.’
Aroma and the girls who, whatever else they might think of Nannie Li, respected her age and experience, assumed that she must know what she was talking about and all began crying too.
Skybright now told Aroma the circumstances in which she had found Bao-yu. Without a moment’s hesitation Aroma flew over to the Naiad’s House, arriving just as Nightingale was giving Dai-yu her medicine. Wasting no time on civility, she stalked straight up to Nightingale and confronted her there and then.
‘What did you say just now to our Bao-yu? Just go and take a look at him, will you, then go and tell Her Old Ladyship, because I won’t be responsible.’
She concluded by sitting down rudely in a chair.
The sight of Aroma, with her angry, tear-stained face, behaving in a way that was so utterly uncharacteristic of her, filled Dai-yu with alarm.
‘What is it?’
Aroma made an effort to control herself and answered tearfully:
‘I don’t know what Her Ladyship here can have said to him, but that simpleton of ours just stares into space without speaking, his hands and feet are icy-cold, and when Nannie Li pinches him, he doesn’t seem to feel anything. He looked half dead when I left. Even Nannie Li said it was all up with him. She’s over there wailing for him now. He may be already dead for all I know.’
To Dai-yu, as to the girls, Nannie Li, for all her failings, was an old woman whose words carried the weight of experience. If she said it was all up with Bao-yu, it must be all up with him. There was a horrible sickening sound as she vomited up the medicine she had just taken, followed by a dreadful paroxysm of silent coughing that seemed to rack every nerve and fibre of her body. She coughed until her face was scarlet and her hair was in disorder, until her eyes bulged and the veins stood out on her forehead, coughed until she was so breathless that she was unable to lift her face up from the bed. Nightingale at once began thumping her, but Dai-yu raised herself with an effort from the pillow and, after struggling for some moments to regain her breath, pushed her away:
‘Don’t do that. Get a rope and strangle me – that would be kinder!’
‘But I didn’t say anything,’ Nightingale protested. ‘I was only joking. He must have taken me seriously.’
‘Surely you know better by now than to joke with him?’ said Aroma. ‘He’s such a fool, he always takes everything seriously.’
‘Whatever it was you said to him,’ said Dai-yu, ‘you’d better go over there straight away and unsay it. That might bring him back to his senses.’
Nightingale climbed hurriedly off the bed and accompanied Aroma to Green Delights. Unfortunately Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were also there when they arrived. At the sight of Nightingale, Grandmother Jia’s eyes flashed angrily.
‘Wicked creature! What did you say to him?’
‘I didn’t say anything,’ said Nightingale. ‘I was only pulling his leg.’
There was a sudden ‘Aiya!’ from the bed. It was Bao-yu, who had just caught sight of Nightingale and who now, to everyone’s relief, burst into tears.
Grandmother Jia seized hold of Nightingale and thrust her towards him. She supposed that Nightingale had offended Bao-yu in some way and that he would find relief in beating her. To her surprise, instead of doing any such thing, he clung to her imploringly:
‘If you’re going, take me with you!’
No one could make head or tail of this until Nightingale had been questioned and explained to them the nature of her hoax.
‘So that’s all it was!’ said Grandmother Jia in tears. ‘And I was thinking it must be something serious!’ She chided Nightingale, but less unkindly now: ‘You’re normally such a sensible girl. Surely you know he’s inclined to be a bit simple at times? What on earth possessed you to tease him like that?’
Aunt Xue urged a less serious view of Bao-yu’s derangement:
‘It’s true that he is a simple-hearted child; but his Cousin Lin came here when they were both little and they have grown up together and are closer to each other than any of the other children. I think you would expect him to be upset, suddenly out of the blue like that being told that she was going away. Never mind a simple-hearted child, I should think even a sophisticated grown-up would be! This isn’t a serious illness, Lady Jia. I’m sure you and my sister have no reason to feel worried. A dose or two of medicine and he’ll be perfectly all right again.’
Just at that moment the wives of Lin Zhi-xiao and Lai Da were announced, ‘come to see how the young master was’.
‘How thoughtful of them!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Tell them to come in.’
But at the sound of the name ‘Lin’ Bao-yu began threshing about wildly on the bed, calling out that the Lins had come to fetch Dai-yu and insisting that they should be sent away.
‘Yes, send them away,’ said Grandmother Jia, while at the same time she did her best to soothe him: ‘There, there, there. That wasn’t anyone from the Lin family. The Lins all died out long ago. There aren’t any of them left to fetch her. Don’t worry!’
‘I don’t care who it was,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I don’t want any Lins here, apart from Cousin Lin.’
‘There aren’t any Lins here,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘All the Lins in this place have been sent away.’
She turned to the servants:
‘In future Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife is not to be allowed inside the Garden. And I don’t want the word “Lin” to pass your lips even. Is that clearly understood, everyone?’
‘Yes, madam,’ the servants replied in chorus, not daring to laugh.
Presently Bao-yu’s eye chanced to light on a little metal self-propelling boat – a West Ocean toy – which stood on one of the alcove shelves in the carved partition. Immediately he became excited again.
‘Look!’ he said, pointing, ‘the ship that’s come to fetch her – that’s where they’ve docked it, over there.’
At a hurried order from his grandmother, Aroma took it down from the shelf. He held his hand out to receive it, and as soon as it was in his possession, hid it under the quilt, chuckling with satisfaction as he did so:
‘They won’t get away now!’
All this time he continued to hold tightly on to Nightingale with his other hand.
The doctor’s arrival was announced and Grandmother Jia gave orders that he should be brought in immediately. Lady Wang, Aunt Xue and the girls withdrew into the inner room. Grandmother Jia herself continued to sit beside Bao-yu on the edge of the bed. As her attendants also remained, there were a good many people in the room when the doctor entered. It was Dr Wang. He paid his respects to the old lady before proceeding to take Bao-yu’s pulse, mystified by the presence of a shame-faced Nightingale, who, unable to leave Bao-yu’s side, could only stand there and hang her head.
After feeling the pulse for a while, Dr Wang rose to his feet.
‘The young gentleman is suffering from a delirium caused by a phlegmatic occlusion of the cardiac orifices. The ancients recognized three main types of this form of dementia: in the first type the delirium is associated with an anaemic deficiency, when the body is failing to absorb its nourishment; in the second, it is brought on by some violent emotional disturbance, such as anger; in the third, the occlusion occurs as a result of shock. This is a delirium of the third type. In this type, fortunately, the occlusion is only a temporary one, so it is less serious than the other two.’
‘Just tell us whether it’s dangerous or not,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘We’re not asking you for a treatise on medicine.’
Dr Wang laughed deprecatingly and bowed:
‘He’ll be all right.’
‘Will he really be all right?’
‘Unquestionably,’ said the doctor. ‘I give you my word for it.’
‘Very well,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Then perhaps you will go outside now and write your prescription. If he recovers, I promise you a handsome reward, and Bao-yu himself shall bring it to you and kotow to you when he brings it. But if he doesn’t get better, I shall have the main hall of the College of Physicians pulled down about your ears!’
‘How kind! How kind!’ The doctor, bowing and smiling at the prospect of a ‘handsome reward’ and Bao-yu kotowing at his feet, could not have heard the threat which followed, for he continued to say ‘How kind!’ after it had been uttered and left the room pursued by a wave of laughter.
The medicine he prescribed was soon concocted and Bao-yu did, after taking it, become a good deal calmer. But he would not release Nightingale.
‘If she goes,’ he said, ‘I shall know that they are leaving for Soochow.’
Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang saw that there was nothing for it but to let Nightingale stay with him. Amber was sent to look after Dai-yu in her place. Dai-yu’s other maid, Snowgoose, was kept busy running to and fro for news of Bao-yu’s condition. By evening this was sufficiently improved for Grandmother Jia and the other visitors to feel that they could return to their own apartments. They continued to inquire after him by messenger, however, throughout the course of the night.
Nannie Li came again, bringing Mamma Song and several other old nannies to help watch over him. Nightingale, Aroma, Skybright and Musk kept up a constant vigil at his bedside throughout the night. From time to time Bao-yu would drop off, but invariably he would wake up with a start from some dream and tearfully announce to them either that Dai-yu had already gone or that people had come to take her away. Each time this happened Nightingale was the only one who could calm him. Grandmother Jia had sent over various nostrums –pills and powders she had heard recommended as sovereign specifics in cases of mental disorder – and they used these to dose him with when he woke up.
Next day, after another dose of Dr Wang’s medicine, Bao-yu was distinctly better. His mind was clear now, but because he did not wish to lose Nightingale yet, he pretended that it was still affected. Nightingale regretted what she had done and bore the antics of this pseudo-madman and the weariness of waiting on him both night and day with uncomplaining fortitude.
‘It’s only right that you should have to nurse him, seeing that you were the one who set him off,’ said Aroma, relieved that Bao-yu was only play-acting. ‘You should have known better. He’s a case, this young master of ours. Tell him the wind’s blowing on a fine day, and next minute he can hear the rain! Heighho! What he’ll be like when he’s grown up doesn’t bear thinking of!’
But she did not pursue the subject.
Xiang-yun had by now recovered completely and could drop in daily to see how Bao-yu was progressing. As soon as he seemed normal, she treated them all to an imitation of his madness. Her mimicry was so droll that even Bao-yu had to laugh, shamefacedly, into his pillow. He had no recollection of what he had been like when it all started and now, when they told him, he did not believe them.
Once, when no one was about, he took Nightingale’s hand in his own and drew her to him.
‘Why did you scare me like that?’
‘I was pulling your leg,’ said Nightingale. ‘It was only a joke, but you took it seriously.’
‘That was no joke,’ said Bao-yu. ‘It was too well-reasoned.’
Nightingale laughed.
‘I made it all up. There’s no Lin family – leastways, if there is, they’re very, very distant relations, and not in Soochow, either, but scattered all over the place, in different provinces. And even if one of them did come to take her away, Her Old Ladyship would never let her go.’
‘I wouldn’t, even if she did,’ said Bao-yu.
‘I wonder,’ said Nightingale. ‘I think you’re only saying that. You’re not a child any longer now. You’re already betrothed. Another two or three years, when you’re married, you won’t have time for anyone else.’
Bao-yu heard her with astonishment.
‘Betrothed? To whom?’
‘Just before New Year I heard Her Old Ladyship say that she was betrothing you to Miss Qin. That’s why she makes so much of her, isn’t it?’
Bao-yu burst out laughing.
‘Everyone calls me a simpleton, but you’re an even bigger simpleton than I am. That was only a joke. Qin’s already betrothed to Academician Mei’s son. Do you think I would have taken it so calmly if I had been betrothed to her? Don’t you remember the scene we had last time, when I swore all those oaths and tried to break this beastly thing’ – he pointed to his jade – ‘and you had such a job trying to stop me? What are you trying to do? Start me off again?’
He ground his teeth.
‘If only I could die this minute and my heart burst out of my body so that you could see how true it is! After that I shouldn’t care if all of me – flesh, blood and bones – was burned to ashes, and the ashes turned to smoke, and the smoke blown by the winds into every corner of the earth!’
Big tears rolled down his cheeks. Nightingale covered his mouth up in alarm; then, as she wiped his eyes for him, she spoke to him soothingly as to a child:
‘There, there. There’s no need to get so worked up about it. I’m the one who needs to worry. That’s why I said those things: to test you.’
‘You?’ said Bao-yu in surprise. ‘What have you got to be worried about?’
‘You know I never belonged to the Lin family, don’t you,’ said Nightingale. ‘I was originally one of Her Old Ladyship’s servants, like Faithful and your Aroma. I was transferred to Miss Lin, but as it turned out I got on very well with her – ten times better, as a matter of fact, than the maid she brought with her from Yangchow – and since then we’ve become inseparable. Lately I’ve been worried by the thought that she might have to leave here – in which case, of course, I should want to go with her. But all my family is here. If I didn’t go with her, it would seem like a betrayal after what we’ve been to each other all these years. On the other hand if I did go, it would mean leaving my family behind. I wasn’t sure about how serious you were in wanting her to stay. That’s why I made those things up. I wanted to test you. I never imagined you were going to make such an uproar, or I wouldn’t have said them.’
‘So that’s what was worrying you!’ said Bao-yu, smiling. ‘Well, you are a simpleton. Please don’t worry about that any more. Let me try to put it for you in a nutshell. In life we shall live together; in death we shall mingle our dust. How will that do?’
Nightingale said nothing, but appeared to be thinking. One of the old women came in to announce that Jia Huan and Jia Lan had come to inquire after Bao-yu’s health.
‘Tell them it’s very kind of them,’ said Bao-yu, ‘but not to come in here, because I’ve only just gone to sleep.’
‘Very good,’ said the old woman, and went off to relay the message.
‘Now that you’re better,’ said Nightingale, ‘you ought to let me go back to see how my other invalid is getting on.’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I was meaning to tell you last night that you could go back, but I forgot. I am completely better now. You can go back straight away.’
Nightingale began tying up her bedding and getting her toilet things together.
‘I notice you’ve got several mirrors in your vanity box,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Why don’t you give me that little one with the pattern of caltrops on it as a keepsake? I can keep it by my pillow to use when I’m in bed, and it will be handy to take with me when I go out.’
Nightingale gave him the mirror, then, having first arranged for someone to carry over her things, took leave of the other maids and returned on her own to the Naiad’s House.
During the past few days Dai-yu’s anxiety for Bao-yu had led to a relapse and had been the occasion of several fits of weeping. On inquiring nervously why Nightingale had returned, she was relieved to hear that it was because Bao-yu was better. As Amber’s services were now no longer needed, she sent her back to Grandmother Jia.
That night, when all the others had gone to bed and she had undressed and was lying not far off from her mistress, Nightingale addressed her, in guarded undertone, on the subject of Bao-yu’s intentions.
‘Bao-yu really is a simple soul. Do you know what made him ill? It was because he heard that we were going away.’
Dai-yu said nothing. After waiting in vain for a reply, Nightingale went on as if speaking to herself.
‘Much better stay where we are. You couldn’t ask for a better family than this. And the two of you have grown up together and know each other’s likes and dislikes. Where else would you find someone who understood you so well?’
Dai-yu snorted at her disgustedly.
‘Aren’t you tired after all your exertions during these last few days? I can’t understand why, instead of chattering away to yourself, you don’t take this opportunity to get a bit of rest.’
‘It isn’t just chatter,’ said Nightingale. ‘I’m concerned about your future, Miss. It’s been worrying me for years. You’ve no father or mother or brothers: there’s no one else who will concern themselves about it. The important thing is to get it all properly settled while Her Old Ladyship is still well and in her right mind. You know what they say: “Good health in the old is like warm weather in winter: you can’t depend on it.” If anything were suddenly to happen to her, the chance of getting someone you really liked would have passed you by. No doubt they would do their best to marry you to someone of good family, but look how many of these young aristocrats keep concubines, and how changeable they are in their affections. Some of them if they were married to the Queen of Heaven would tire of her in a week. And neglect is not the worst part of it; often there are hard words and harsh treatment to follow. When that happens, if the wife has a powerful family to stick up for her, it isn’t so bad; but what about someone in your position? As long as Her Old Ladyship is alive you’ll be all right, but once she’s gone, you’ll be at everyone’s mercy. That’s why I say we’ve got to make our minds up.
Easier a golden hoard to win Than find one understanding heart.
You’re a clever young lady. I’m sure you must know that saying.’
‘This girl’s gone out of her mind,’ said Dai-yu. ‘Just these few days away and she’s come back completely altered. I shall have to tell Her Old Ladyship about this tomorrow and get her to take you back. I’m afraid you can’t stay with me any longer.’
‘I meant no harm,’ said Nightingale. ‘I’ve only told you to think about it; I haven’t asked you to do anything wicked. Why should you tell Her Old Ladyship? It’ll only get me into trouble, and what good will that do you?’
She said no more, and presently went to sleep.
Not so Dai-yu. However she might have concealed the fact from Nightingale, she was deeply affected by what the maid had said, and while Nightingale slept beside her, she lay awake weeping through the greater part of the night. The darkness was beginning to lighten when she finally dropped off to sleep. Washing that morning required an effort. Not long after she had finished her bird’s nest syrup, Grandmother Jia came in person to see her and waxed eloquent on the importance of getting well.
It was Aunt Xue’s birthday and everyone from Grandmother Jia downwards sent her a present. Dai-yu looked out two little articles of her own embroidering to send her. Aunt Xue hired a troupe of child actors and threw a birthday party which everyone except Bao-yu and Dai-yu attended. Grandmother Jia took everyone to call on them both on her way back from it.
Next day there was another party for the employees of the Xue family at which Xue Ke acted as host on his aunt’s behalf. There were more festivities on the day which followed. Altogether three or four days were spent just in celebrating the one birthday.
Aunt Xue was very impressed with what she had seen of Xing Xiu-yan. She was such a refined, serious girl, in spite of her unfortunate upbringing: the very model of ‘virtue in homespun and a wooden hairpin’. Aunt Xue had thought of her as a possible daughter-in-law, but when she reflected on the lawless nature of her son, it seemed a pity that so nice a girl should be thrown away on him. She was still trying to make her mind up about this when suddenly it occurred to her that Xue Ke was not yet betrothed and that he and Xiu-yan would make an ideal couple. She decided to ask Xi-feng for her advice. Xi-feng was enthusiastic.
‘But you know how difficult Lady Xing can be,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you leave it to me, Auntie? Let me deal with it in my own time.’
She found her opportunity of broaching the subject when Grandmother Jia next came to call on her.
‘There’s something my Aunt Xue wants you to do for her, Grannie, but she’s a little bit shy of asking.’
‘Oh? What’s that?’ said Grandmother Jia.
She laughed when Xi-feng explained.
‘Good gracious, that’s nothing to be shy about! It’s a splendid idea. Let me have a talk with your mother-in-law about this. She won’t refuse, I promise you.’
As soon as she was back in her own apartment, she summoned Lady Xing and proposed the match to her, urging its suitability in forceful terms.
Lady Xing did some rapid thinking: the Xue family were of respectable origins; they were immensely rich; Xue Ke was a good-looking boy; and Grandmother Jia was making herself responsible for the match. Confident that she would be able to turn it to her own advantage, she assented, to Grandmother Jia’s intense satisfaction, without more ado. The presence of Aunt Xue was now requested and the self-abasing civilities customary on these occasions exchanged between her and Lady Xing. When these had somewhat abated, Lady Xing sent someone to inform Xing Xiu-yan’s parents, Xing Dequan and his wife, of the Xue family’s proposal. Living as they now did on Lady Xing’s charity, they were scarcely in a position to refuse even if they wanted to, and the messenger was soon back again reporting their prompt and enthusiastic acceptance.
‘I love meddling in other people’s affairs,’ said Grandmother Jia jovially. ‘I seem to have meddled successfully in this one. I hope I am going to be paid something for my services.’
‘Of course,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘The only difficulty will be knowing how much to give you. What shall we say? Ten thousand taels? Probably you would regard that as too little! What we really need is a sponsor to settle these matters for us.’
‘We may be short of manpower in this family,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘but I dare say we could rustle up a couple of cripples for you!’
She sent someone to fetch You-shi and her daughter-in-law from Ning-guo House. As soon as they arrived, she explained why she had invited them, whereupon they turned to the other two ladies and offered them their congratulations.
‘Now,’ sáid Grandmother Jia when they had finished, ‘you know our way of doing things in this family, don’t you – you know we never haggle about bride-prices and “face” and that sort of thing? We want you to act as a third party and settle this for us. What we want is a settlement that is not too lavish and yet not too economical: something between the two. And when you’ve worked out what each of the parties should contribute, come and tell me what you have decided.’
You-shi promptly agreed to do this. Aunt Xue, delighted that everything had gone off so well, hurried home and at once had a formal invitation to act as marriage-sponsor drawn up and sent over to Ning-guo House to confirm the arrangement.
You-shi knew Lady Xing too well to want to be mixed up in any affair – particularly one of a pecuniary nature – to which she was a party. She had agreed in this instance only because Grandmother Jia had asked her to and she could not very well refuse. In the event she simply arranged matters in the way she thought would best please Lady Xing. Aunt Xue was a very accommodating person and could be relied on to fall in with almost any terms. But it is not with details such as these that our narrative is concerned.
Aunt Xue’s betrothal of her nephew to Xing Xiu-yan was soon common knowledge throughout the household. At first Lady Xing wanted to segregate the girl by moving her in with herself, but Grandmother Jia objected.
‘Surely she can stay where she is? She can’t see anything of the boy, of course, but surely there’s no harm in her continuing to see Mrs Xue and Bao-chai and little Qin? They’re all females, after all. It will be cosier if they get to know each other better.’
Lady Xing did not renew her offer.
And what of the parties themselves? Xue Ke and Xing Xiu-yan had met briefly on the journey to the capital and there was no reason to suppose that they were not extremely pleased with the betrothal. Inevitably Xiu-yan became a little more withdrawn after it, spending rather less of her time in Bao-chai’s and Bao-qin’s company and speaking, when she was in it, rather more sparingly. But this was partly because Shi Xiang-yun was such a tease. Fortunately she was far too intelligent and well-bred to indulge in any of that false modesty, so common among girls in her position, which shows itself in affected simpering and ridiculous grimaces.
Ever since the day they first met, Bao-chai had felt sorry for Xiu-yan. First of all she was so poor. And then there was her father. Unlike most of the fathers that Bao-chai knew about – grave gentlemen who had gained wisdom with their years – Xiu-yan’s father was a drunken sot who took little interest in his daughter’s welfare. As for Lady Xing, Bao-chai could see that the affection she showed her niece was simulated and that really she did not care for her in the least. And Ying-chun, whose apartment she shared, was too docile to assert herself even on her own behalf, let alone anyone else’s. Since Xiu-yan was too proud to ask for things, this meant that whenever anything was lacking, even one of the simple necessities of life, she had simply to go without it. Knowing this, Bao-chai did all she could to anticipate her wants; but she gave by stealth, careful lest Lady Xing, who was sensitive to gossip, if to nothing else, should get to hear of it.
Xiu-yan had learned to cherish Bao-chai as a special friend long before this magnificent betrothal so wildly beyond her own and everyone else’s expectations and, after it, continued from time to time to confide in her. Bao-chai for her part continued to treat her as an intimate friend and would use none of the formalities that are customary between prospective sisters-in-law.
One day, when Bao-chai was on her way to visit Dai-yu, she caught sight of Xiu-yan, who, as it happened, was also on her way there. Bao-chai smiled and beckoned and waited for Xiu-yan to catch up with her. The two girls then walked on together until they came to the rear side of a miniature mountain of rock. There, where no prying eyes could see them, Bao-chai stopped again.
‘The weather is still really cold. Why have you changed out of your winter clothes already and put on single linings?’
Xiu-yan hung her head and said nothing. Bao-chai guessed at once that she had been forced to pawn them.
‘It must be because you haven’t had this month’s allowance yet,’ she said. ‘How could Cousin Feng be so thoughtless?’
‘No,’ said Xiu-yan. ‘She didn’t forget. She paid the allowance on time. But Aunt Xing sent someone to tell me that she thought I didn’t really need two taels a month and that I ought to contribute one of them towards my parents’ upkeep. She said that if there ever was anything I needed, I could always hent it from Cousin Ying’s things’ – suppressed emotion was causing her to lapse into her native dialect -‘But I ask you, coz, how could I? Cousin Ying wouldn’t mind – she is so meek – and she probably wouldn’t notice, any road. But though she wouldn’t say anything, you can be quite sure that the servants would. The nannies and maids in that apartment are such a prickly lot and so spiteful with their tongues. Although I am living there, I dare not ask them to do very much for me, and even for what little they do I am expected to find money to buy them drinks and other little treats with every four or five days. Even when I was getting two taels it wasn’t enough, and now it’s only one. The only way of raising money I could think of was by pawning my winter clothes. I got someone to slip out and do it for me the other day.’
Bao-chai sighed.
‘It’s a pity all the Mei family are away just now. Academician Mei isn’t due back from his posting until the year after next. If they were here in town, Bao-qin could get married straight away and then we could go ahead with your affair and get you out of this mess. But as things are, your Prospective will never consent to get married before his sister, so the difficulty remains. I shall have to have a word with Mamma about this. Obviously you can’t go on as you are. Another year or two like this and I am afraid you will go into a decline.
‘In future, if those people are nasty to you, you must learn to put up with it. You mustn’t make yourself ill trying to please them. Perhaps you had better hand over the whole of your remaining tael to them when it comes: see if that will keep them quiet. But don’t go treating them any more, whatever you do. Never mind the spiteful things they say to you. If it gets too bad, you can always walk away. And if you are short of anything, don’t behave like a little frightened mouse; ask me straight out for it, without delay. I say this not because we are future sisters-in-law but because we are friends. We are friends, aren’t we, and have been ever since you came? If you are afraid of gossip, don’t come yourself when you want something, send your maid for it, then no one will know.’
Xiu-yan hung her head and the reply she made was scarcely audible. In order to change the subject, Bao-chai pointed to a green jade girdle-ring that was hanging from her waist.
‘Who gave you that?’
‘Cousin Tan,’ said Xiu-yan.
Bao-chai nodded.
‘She must have noticed that all the other girls were wearing one of these things and wanted to spare you the embarrassment of being the only one without. It is typical of her to be so thoughtful. However, I think you ought to realize that these sort of gewgaws are really for the daughters of mandarins and noblemen. Look at me: you don’t see any jewellery on me. A few years ago, it’s true, I would have been smothered with it; but I know now that we are less well off than we used to be, and have given up wearing it as a means of economizing. No doubt when you marry you will be provided with a whole trunkful of this stuff. In the meantime, though, we don’t need to compete with the others in finery, you and I. As long as we are honest and remain true to ourselves, it doesn’t matter that we cannot equal them in appearance.’
Xiu-yan smiled.
‘In that case, I shall go back and take it off,’ she said.
‘Don’t be so precipitate,’ said Bao-chai. ‘She meant it as a kindness. If she sees you not wearing it, she will wonder why. I spoke only in general terms, for your future guidance.’
Xiu-yan murmured her assent.
‘Where are you going now, coz?’ she asked Bao-chai.
‘To the Naiad’s House,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Why don’t you go back now and get your maid to bring me that pawn ticket? I’ll send someone out on the quiet to redeem the things for you and get them round to you in the evening without anyone knowing, so that you can begin wearing them again as soon as possible. We don’t want you catching cold in this wind, do we? Oh, there’s just one other thing: where did you pawn them?’
‘I think it’s called the “Reliant”,’ said Xiu-yan. ‘It’s in Drum Tower Street West.’
Bao-chai laughed.
‘Well, at least they’ve stayed in the family. If the assistants realized where they had come from, they must have thought they were receiving an advance instalment of your trousseau!’
Xiu-yan coloured, realizing that the ‘Reliant’ must be one of the Xue family’s businesses. She did not say anything, however, but with a little laugh hurried back to look for the pawn ticket.
Bao-chai continued on her way to the Naiad’s House. She arrived to find her mother already ensconced and in the midst of conversation with Dai-yu.
‘Mamma, what a surprise! When did you arrive?’
‘I’ve been so busy during these last few days that I haven’t had time to see her or Bao-yu. Today I decided to see both of them, but both of them seem to be better.’
Dai-yu urged Bao-chai to be seated.
‘The world’s affairs are very mysterious,’ she said, by way of bringing her into the conversation. ‘Who would ever have thought that your mother and Aunt Xing would end up as commères?’
‘My child,’ said Aunt Xue, ‘you are too young to understand these things. Old folk talk about “the unseen thread that binds”. They say that marriages are decided by an Old Man Under the Moon who joins future couples together by tying them round the ankles with a scarlet thread, and that once he’s done that, it doesn’t matter how far apart they are, even if there are oceans between them, sooner or later something will happen to bring them together and they will end up husband and wife. These things are quite unpredictable. Sometimes there will be two young people whose parents on both sides are favourable to their union, who have lived years together in the same place, and who take it as a foregone conclusion that they are going to marry, yet if the Old Man Under the Moon hasn’t tied them with his scarlet thread, then in spite of everything, they never will. Take you two girls, now: we don’t know whether at this moment the two young men you will marry are right here under our noses or somewhere “south of the mountains and north of the sea”!’
‘Mamma!’ said Bao-chai, burying her head in her mother’s dress, ‘how you do always drag one in when you get talking!’
‘Look at her!’ said Dai-yu, mockingly. ‘What a great baby! She’s ever so poised and grown-up when you aren’t here, Auntie. It’s only when she’s with you that she puts on this little girl act.’
Aunt Xue stroked the recumbent head, still buried in her lap, and sighed indulgently.
‘I suppose it’s a bit like Cousin Feng and your grandmother. Chai can be perfectly serious with me when things need discussing, but at the same time she knows the little ways of cheering me up – she knows that when she becomes my little girl again, it helps me forget my troubles.’
It was Dai-yu’s turn to sigh now. A tear rolled down each cheek.
‘I don’t know why she has to do it here though – unless she wants to rub in the fact that I haven’t got a mother.’
‘Oh Mamma, just listen to that I’ said Bao-chai. ‘Who’s putting on a little girl act now?’
‘You mustn’t blame her for being upset,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Poor child! She has no one.’
She stroked Dai-yu’s hair and tried to comfort her.
‘Don’t cry, my dear. You mustn’t be upset because I make a fuss of your cousin. I’m as fond of you, you know – perhaps even more so. Although Chai has no father, she has got me and Pan: so you see I know that you have the greater need. She knows how fond I am of you, because I am always telling her. The only reason I don’t show it more is because there are a lot of people in this household who are always ready to put a false construction on things. If they saw me being nice to you, they would say that I did it not for the very obvious reason that everything about you cries out to be loved and that one can hardly help loving you, but because I saw how much your grandmother loves you and wanted to curry favour with her.’
‘You say you love me as much as Chai,’ said Dai-yu. ‘Let me be your god-daughter then. Don’t refuse, Auntie, or I shall think you don’t really mean it.’
‘If you will have me for your godmother, I should like nothing better.’
‘Out of the question,’ said Bao-chai flatly.
‘But why?’ said Dai-yu.
Bao-chai smiled mischievously:
‘Tell me, why do you think Cousin Xing was betrothed to my Cousin Ke? Why wasn’t she betrothed to my brother, who is Cousin Ke’s senior and who still hasn’t got a betrothed?’
‘I suppose because your brother is away,’ said Dai-yu, ‘or perhaps their horoscopes are incompatible.’
‘No,’ said Bao-chai, ‘that’s not the reason. It’s because someone has already been chosen for my brother. We are only waiting for him to come home to make it public. I don’t need to name names. If I tell you that you can’t possibly become Mamma’s god – daughter, you ought to be able to work it out for yourself.’
She winked at her mother and broke into a laugh.
This time it was Dai-yu who buried her face in Aunt Xue’s bosom.
‘Beat her, Auntie, beat her – I insist!’
Aunt Xue hugged her niece, laughing:
‘You mustn’t believe what she says. She’s only teasing.’
‘No, seriously, Mamma,’ said Bao-chai, ‘why don’t you ask Lady Jia some time if you can have Cousin Lin for your daughter-in-law! You will never find a better one elsewhere.’
Dai-yu threw herself on Bao-chai and made as if to scratch her:
‘Have you gone quite mad?’
Aunt Xue laughingly held them apart.
‘If I thought that your brother was not good enough for Xiu-yan – which is why I betrothed her to your cousin Ke – I certainly wouldn’t inflict him on this child here. Not so long ago Lady Jia was asking me about Bao-qin as a possible match for Bao-yu, but I had to tell her that Bao-qin was already betrothed – not that otherwise it wouldn’t have been a very good match. The other day, when we’d finished discussing Ke and Xiu-yan’s betrothal, she began teasing me about it. “Last time, when I wanted one of her girls,” she said, “I couldn’t have her; and now here she is snapping up one of ours!” She was only joking, of course, but I could see that she was thinking about Bao-yu still and half inviting me to make a suggestion. I rather wish now that I had. She is so concerned about him, and he is such a peculiar boy. You can’t see him getting on with some girl chosen for him from outside. I think much the most satisfactory arrangement would be to betroth him to your Cousin Lin here.’
Dai-yu, who up to this moment had been listening open-mouthed, turned scarlet at the mention of her own name and with a cry of rage threw herself again on Bao-chai.
‘I’ll kill you! You deliberately led Auntie up to this.’
‘How ridiculous!’ said Bao-chai, laughing. ‘It’s Mamma who said it, not I. What are you hitting me for?’
Already Nightingale had darted forward:
‘If that’s what you think, Mrs Xue, why don’t you talk to Her Old Ladyship about it?’
‘Goodness, child, you are impatient!’ said Aunt Xue, laughing, ‘I suppose if you are in such a hurry to get your mistress married, you must be thinking of a little husband for yourself!’
‘Mrs Xue!’ said Nightingale, crimson-faced. ‘You ought to know better at your age!’
She turned and fled.
Dai-yu who, when Nightingale intervened, had angrily bidden her to mind her own business, now gloated over her discomfiture:
‘Holy Name, it serves you right! You would poke your nose in, wouldn’t you, and now you’ve got smut on it!’
There was a burst of laughter in which the maids and serving-women joined. They were still laughing when Xiang-yun ran into the room, brandishing a piece of paper.
‘What sort of bill is this?’
Dai-yu examined the paper but could make nothing of it. The women below had recognized it, however, and tittered with amusement.
‘That’s a nice thing for a young lady to be carrying!’ they said. ‘If you want to know what that is, Miss, you’ll have to pay for the lesson!’
Bao-chai snatched the paper from Xiang-yun’s hand and looked. It was Xiu-yan’s pawn ticket. She hurriedly folded it away.
‘It looks like a pawn ticket that one of the women must have dropped,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Whoever it is will be worried when she misses it. Where did you pick it up?’
‘What’s a pawn ticket?’ Xiang-yun asked her.
The women laughed:
‘What a simpleton! Fancy not knowing what a pawn ticket is!’
‘It’s hardly surprising,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘She’s had a very aristocratic upbringing, don’t forget, and in any case she is still very young. How could she know about pawn tickets? What occasion would she ever have of seeing one? In the household she comes from even if one of the servants had such a thing, they would take very good care that she didn’t see it. You shouldn’t call her a simpleton. I doubt very much whether any of your own young ladies would know a pawn ticket if she saw one.’
‘That’s true,’ said the women, smiling. ‘Miss Lin here didn’t know, so you can be quite sure the others wouldn’t. Even Bao-yu, although he goes outside quite a lot, has probably never seen one.’
Aunt Xue now explained what a pawn ticket was. Xiang-yun and Dai-yu laughed incredulously.
‘The things people do for money! Is that what they do in your pawnshops, Aunt?’
‘That’s a funny question!’ said the women, laughing. ‘All crows are black, you know.’
‘Where did you find this?’ Aunt Xue asked again.
But before Xiang-yun could reply, Bao-chai interrupted:
‘It’s an old ticket, Mamma; it was cancelled years ago. Caltrop has been using it to fool them with.’
Aunt Xue believed her and did not pursue the matter.
Shortly after that a messenger arrived from the Ning-guo mansion to say that You-shi would ‘like a word when convenient with Mrs Xue’ and Aunt Xue got up and left them. As soon as she had gone, Bao-chai asked Xiang-yun where she had found the ticket.
‘I saw Xiu-yan’s maid Signet handing it, very furtively, to Oriole and Oriole slip it between the pages of a book. They thought I hadn’t noticed. I had a peep when they’d gone, but I couldn’t make out what it was, and as I knew you were both here, I thought I would come over and see if either of you could make anything of it.’
‘But why should Cousin Xing be pawning her clothes?’ said Dai-yu, puzzled. ‘And why, having pawned them, should she want you, Chai, to have the ticket?’
Bao-chai saw that Xiu-yan’s circumstances could no longer be concealed and explained to them both what had happened. Dai-yu, feeling ‘the fox’s sympathy for the hunted hare’, was much distressed, but Xiang-yun’s reaction was one of anger.
‘I’m going straight over to see Ying-chun about this,’ she said. ‘You’ll feel better, both of you, when I’ve given those beastly servants a piece of my mind.’
She would have gone, too, had not Bao-chai restrained her.
‘Are you out of your mind? Sit down and stay where you are.’
‘If you were a man,’ said Dai-yu, laughing, ‘you could go around like a knight-errant putting the world to rights; but a Jing Ke in skirts is just plain ridiculous!’
‘All right then,’ said Xiang-yun, ‘if you won’t let me talk to Cousin Ying about it, let’s simply have Xiu-yan over to live with us.’
‘We’ll talk about that tomorrow,’ said Bao-chai.
A servant put her head round the door to make an announcement:
‘Miss Tan and Miss Xi have called.’
Hearing of their arrival, the three in the room fell silent.
For further details of the visit our reader is referred to the next chapter.