第六十一回

第六十一回 投鼠忌器宝玉瞒赃 判冤决狱平儿行权

那柳家的笑道：“好猴儿崽子，你亲婶子找野老儿去了，你岂不多得一个叔叔，有什么疑的！别讨我把你头上的杩子盖[3]似的几根屄毛[4]下来！还不开门让我进去呢。”这小厮且不开门，且拉着笑说：“好婶子，你这一进去，好歹偷些杏子出来赏我吃。我这里老等。你若忘了时，日后半夜三更打酒买油的，我不给你老人家开门，也不答应你，随你干叫去。”柳氏啐道：“发了昏的，今年不比往年，把这些东西都分给了众奶奶了。一个个的不像抓破了脸的，人打树底下一过，两眼就像那黧鸡[5]似的，还动他的果子！昨儿我从李子树下一走，偏有一个蜜蜂儿往脸上一过，我一招手儿，偏你那好舅母就看见了。他离的远看不真，只当我摘李子呢，就屄声浪嗓喊起来，说又是‘还没供佛呢’，又是‘老太太、太太不在家还没进鲜呢，等进了上头，嫂子们都有分的’，倒像谁害了馋痨等李子出汗呢。叫我也没好话说，抢白了他一顿。可是你舅母姨娘两三个亲戚都管着，怎不和他们要去〔二〕，倒和我来要。这可是‘仓老鼠和老鸹去借粮——守着的没有，飞着的有’。”

小厮笑道：“哎哟哟，没有罢了，说上这些闲话！我看你老以后就用不着我了？就便是姐姐有了好地方，将来更呼唤着的日子多，只要我们多答应他些就有了。”柳氏听了，笑道：“你这个小猴精，又捣鬼吊白的，你姐姐有什么好地方了？”那小厮笑道：“别哄我了，早已知道了。单是你们有内牵，难道我们就没有内牵不成？我虽在这里听哈[7]，里头却也有两个姊妹成个体统的，什么事瞒了我们！”

正说着，只听门内又有老婆子向外叫：“小猴儿们，快传你柳婶子去罢，再不来可就误了。”柳家的听了，不顾和小厮说话，忙推门进去，笑说：“不必忙，我来了。”一面来至厨房——虽有几个同伴的人，他们都不敢自专，单等他来调停分派——一面问众人：“五丫头那去了？”众人都说：“才往茶房里找他们姊妹去了。”

柳家的听了，便将茯苓霜搁起，且按着房头分派菜馔。忽见迎春房里小丫头莲花儿走来说：“司棋姐姐说了，要碗鸡蛋，炖的嫩嫩的。”柳家的道：“就是这样尊贵。不知怎的，今年这鸡蛋短的很，十个钱一个还找不出来。昨儿上头给亲戚家送粥米去，四五个买办出去，好容易才凑了二千个来。我那里找去？你说给他，改日吃罢。”

莲花儿道：“前儿要吃豆腐，你弄了些馊的，叫他说了我一顿。今儿要鸡蛋又没有了。什么好东西，我就不信连鸡蛋都没有了，别叫我翻出来。”一面说，一面真个走来，揭起菜箱一看，只见里面果有十来个鸡蛋，说道：“这不是？你就这么利害！吃的是主子的，我们的分例，你为什么心疼？又不是你下的蛋，怕人吃了。”柳家的忙丢了手里的活计，便上来说道：“你少满嘴里混唚！你娘才下蛋呢！通共留下这几个，预备菜上的浇头[8]。姑娘们不要，还不肯做上去呢，预备接急的。你们吃了，倘或一声要起来，没有好的，连鸡蛋都没了。你们深宅大院，水来伸手，饭来张口，只知鸡蛋是平常物件，那里知道外头买卖的行市呢。别说这个，有一年连草根子都没了的日子还有呢。我劝他们，细米白饭，每日肥鸡大鸭子，将就些儿也罢了。吃腻了膈，天天又闹起故事来了。鸡蛋、豆腐，又是什么面筋、酱萝卜炸儿，敢自倒换口味。只是我又不是答应你们的，一处要一样，就是十来样。我倒别伺候头层主子，只预备你们二层主子了。”

莲花听了，便红了脸，喊道：“谁天天要你什么来？你说上这两车子话！叫你来，不是为便宜却为什么。前儿小燕来，说‘晴雯姐姐要吃芦蒿’，你怎么忙的还问肉炒鸡炒？小燕说‘荤的因不好才另叫你炒个面筋的，少搁油才好’。你忙的倒说‘自己发昏’，赶着洗手炒了，狗颠儿似的亲捧了去。今儿反倒拿我作筏子，说我给众人听。”柳家的忙道：“阿弥陀佛！这些人眼见的。别说前儿一次，就从旧年一立厨房以来，凡各房里偶然间不论姑娘姐儿们要添一样半样，谁不是先拿了钱来，另买另添。有的没的，名声好听，说我单管姑娘厨房省事，又有剩头儿，算起帐来，惹人恶心：连姑娘带姐儿们四五十人，一日也只管要两只鸡，两只鸭子，十来斤肉，一吊钱的菜蔬。你们算算，够作什么的？连本项两顿饭还撑持不住，还搁的住这个点这样，那个点那样，买来的又不吃，又买别的去。既这样，不如回了太太，多添些分例，也像大厨房里预备老太太的饭，把天下所有的菜蔬用水牌[9]写了，天天转着吃，吃到一个月现算倒好。连前儿三姑娘和宝姑娘偶然商议了要吃个油盐炒枸杞芽儿来，现打发个姐儿拿着五百钱来给我，我倒笑起来了，说：‘二位姑娘就是大肚子弥勒佛，也吃不了五百钱的去。这三二十个钱的事，还预备的起。’赶着我送回钱去，到底不收，说赏我打酒吃，又说：‘如今厨房在里头，保不住屋里的人不去叨登[10]，一盐一酱，那不是钱买的？你不给又不好，给了你又没的赔。你拿着这个钱，全当还了他们素日叨登的东西窝儿。’这就是明白体下的姑娘，我们心里只替他念佛。没的赵姨奶奶听了又气不忿，又说太便宜了我，隔不了十天，也打发个小丫头子来寻这样寻那样，我倒好笑起来。你们竟成了例，不是这个，就是那个，我那里有这些赔的。”

正乱时，只见司棋又打发人来催莲花儿，说他：“死在这里了，怎么就不回去？”莲花儿赌气回来，便添了一篇话，告诉了司棋。司棋听了，不免心头起火。此刻伺候迎春饭罢，带了小丫头们走来，见了许多人正吃饭，见他来的势头不好，都忙起身陪笑让坐。司棋便喝命小丫头子动手，“凡箱柜所有的菜蔬，只管丢出来喂狗，大家赚不成。”

小丫头子们巴不得一声，七手八脚抢上去，一顿乱翻乱掷的。众人一面拉劝，一面央告司棋说：“姑娘别误听了小孩子的话。柳嫂子有八个头，也不敢得罪姑娘。说鸡蛋难买是真。我们才也说他不知好歹，凭是什么东西，也少不得变法儿去。他已经悟过来了，连忙蒸上了。姑娘不信瞧那火上。”

司棋被众人一顿好言，方将气劝的渐平。小丫头们也没得摔完东西，便拉开了。司棋连说带骂，闹了一回，方被众人劝去。柳家的只好摔碗丢盘自己咕嘟了一回，蒸了一碗蛋令人送去。司棋全泼了地下了。那人回来也不敢说，恐又生事。

柳家的打发他女儿喝了一回汤，吃了半碗粥，又将茯苓霜一节说了。五儿听罢，便心下要分些赠芳官，遂用纸另包了一半，趁黄昏人稀之时，自己花遮柳隐的来找芳官。且喜无人盘问。一径到了怡红院门前，不好进去，只在一簇玫瑰花前站立，远远的望着。

有一盏茶时，可巧小燕出来，忙上前叫住。小燕不知是那一个，至跟前方看真切，因问作什么。五儿笑道：“你叫出芳官来，我和他说话。”小燕悄笑道：“姐姐太性急了，横竖等十来日就来了，只管找他做什么。方才使了他往前头去了，你且等他一等。不然，有什么话告诉我，等我告诉他。恐怕你等不得，只怕关园门了。”五儿便将茯苓霜递与了小燕，又说这是茯苓霜，如何吃，如何补益，“我得了些送他的，转烦你递与他就是了。”说毕，作辞回来。

正走蓼溆一带，忽见迎头林之孝家的带着几个婆子走来，五儿藏躲不及，只得上来问好。林之孝家的〔三〕问道：“我听见你病了，怎么跑到这里来？”五儿陪笑道：“因这两日好些，跟我妈进来散散闷。才因我妈使我到怡红院送家伙去。”林之孝家的说道：“这话岔了。方才我见你妈出来我才关门。既是你妈使了你去，他如何不告诉我说你在这里呢，竟出去让我关门，是何主意？可知是你扯谎。”五儿听了，没话回答，只说：“原是我妈一早教我取去的，我忘了，挨到这时我才想起来了。只怕我妈错当我先出去了，所以没和大娘说得。”

林之孝家的听他辞钝色虚，又因近日玉钏儿说那边正房内失落了东西，几个丫头对赖，没主儿，心下便起了疑。可巧小蝉、莲花儿并几个媳妇子走来，见了这事，便说道：“林奶奶倒要审审他。这两日他往这里头跑的不像，鬼鬼唧唧的，不知干些什么事。”小蝉又道：“正是。昨儿玉钏姐姐说，太太耳房里的柜子开了，少了好些零碎东西。琏二奶奶打发平姑娘和玉钏姐姐要些玫瑰露，谁知也少了一罐子。若不是寻露，还不知道呢。”莲花儿笑道：“这话我没听见，今儿我倒看见一个露瓶子。”

林之孝家的正因这些事没主儿，每日凤姐儿使平儿催逼他，一听此言，忙问在那里。莲花儿便说：“在他们厨房里呢。”林之孝家的听了，忙命打了灯笼，带着众人来寻。五儿急的便说：“那原是宝二爷屋里的芳官给我的。”林之孝家的便说：“不管你方官圆官，现有了赃证，我只呈报了，凭你主子前辩去。”一面说，一面进入厨房，莲花儿带着，取出露瓶。恐还有偷的别物，又细细搜了一遍，又得了一包茯苓霜，一并拿了，带了五儿，来回李纨与探春。

那时李纨正因兰哥儿病了，不理事务，只命去见探春。探春已归房。人回进去，丫鬟们都在院内纳凉，探春在内盥沐，只有待书回进去。半日，出来说：“姑娘知道了，叫你们找平儿回二奶奶去。”林之孝家的只得领出来。到凤姐儿那边，先找着了平儿，平儿进去回了凤姐。

凤姐方才歇下，听见此事，便吩咐：“将他娘打四十板子，撵出去，永不许进二门。把五儿打四十板子，立刻交给庄子上，或卖或配人。”平儿听了，出来依言吩咐了林之孝家的。五儿唬的哭哭啼啼，给平儿跪着，细诉芳官之事。平儿道：“这也不难，等明日问了芳官便知真假。但这茯苓霜前日人送了来，还等老太太、太太回来看了才敢打动，这不该偷了去。”五儿见问，忙又将他舅舅送的一节说了出来。

平儿听了，笑道：“这样说，你竟是个平白无辜之人，拿你来顶缸[12]。此时天晚，奶奶才进了药歇下，不便为这点子小事去絮叨。如今且将他交给上夜的人看守一夜，等明儿我回了奶奶，再做道理。”林之孝家的不敢违拗，只得带了出来交与上夜的媳妇们看守，自便去了。

这里五儿被人软禁起来，一步不敢多走。又兼众媳妇也有劝他说，不该做这没行止之事；也有报怨说，正经更还坐不上来，又弄个贼来给我们看，倘或眼不见寻了死，或逃走了，都是我们的不是。于是又有素日一干与柳家不睦的人，见了这般，十分趁愿，都来奚落嘲戏他。这五儿心内又气又委屈，竟无处可诉；且本来怯弱有病，这一夜思茶无茶，思水无水，思睡无衾枕，呜呜咽咽直哭了一夜。

谁知和他母女不和的那些人，巴不得一时撵出他们去，惟恐次日有变，大家先起了个清早，都悄悄的来买转平儿，一面送些东西，一面又奉承他办事简断，一面又讲述他母亲素日许多不好。平儿一一的都应着，打发他们去了，却悄悄的来访袭人，问他可果真芳官给他露了。袭人便说：“露却是给了芳官，芳官转给何人我却不知。”袭人于是又问芳官，芳官听了，唬天跳地，忙应是自己送他的。

芳官便又告诉了宝玉，宝玉也慌了，说：“露虽有了，若勾起茯苓霜来，他自然也实供。若听见了是他舅舅门上得的，他舅舅又有了不是，岂不是人家的好意，反被咱们陷害了。”因忙和平儿计议：“露的事虽完，然这霜也是有不是的。好姐姐，你叫他说也是芳官给他的就完了。”平儿笑道：“虽如此，只是他昨晚已经同人说是他舅舅给的了，如何又说你给的？况且那边所丢的露也是无主儿，如今有赃证的白放了，又去找谁？谁还肯认？众人也未必心服。”

晴雯走来笑道：“太太那边的露再无别人，分明是彩云偷了给环哥儿去了。你们可瞎乱说。”平儿笑道：“谁不知是这个原故，但今玉钏儿急的哭，悄悄问着他，他若应了，玉钏儿也罢了，大家也就混着不问了。难道我们好意[13]兜揽这事不成！可恨彩云不但不应，他还挤玉钏儿，说他偷了去了。两个人窝里发炮，先吵的合府皆知，我们如何装没事人。少不得要查的。殊不知告失盗的就是贼，又没赃证，怎么说他。”

宝玉道：“也罢，这件事我也应起来，就说是我唬他们顽的，悄悄的偷了太太的来了。两件事都完了。”袭人道：“也倒是件阴骘事，保全人的贼名儿。只是太太听见又说你小孩子气，不知好歹了。”平儿笑道：“这也倒是小事。如今便从赵姨娘屋里起了赃来也容易，我只怕又伤着一个好人的体面。别人都别管，这一个人岂不又生气。我可怜的是他，不肯为打老鼠伤了玉瓶。”说着，把三个指头一伸。袭人等听说，便知他说的是探春。大家都忙说：“可是这话。竟是我们这里应了起来的为是。”

平儿又笑道：“也须得把彩云和玉钏儿两个业障叫了来，问准了他方好。不然他们得了益，不说为这个，倒像我没了本事问不出来，烦出这里来完事，他们以后越发偷的偷，不管的不管〔四〕了。”袭人等笑道：“正是，也要你留个地步。”

平儿便命人叫了他两个来，说道：“不用慌，贼已有了。”玉钏儿先问贼在那里，平儿道：“现在二奶奶屋里，你问他什么应什么。我心里明知不是他偷的，可怜他害怕都承认。这里宝二爷不过意，要替他认一半。我待要说出来，但只是这做贼的素日又是和我好的一个姊妹，窝主却是平常，里面又伤着一个好人的体面，因此为难，少不得央求宝二爷应了，大家无事。如今反要问你们〔五〕两个，还是怎样？若从此以后大家小心存体面，这便求宝二爷应了；若不然，我就回了二奶奶，别冤屈了好人。”

彩云听了，不觉红了脸，一时羞恶之心感发，便说道：“姐姐放心，也别冤了好人，也别带累了无辜之人伤体面。偷东西原是赵姨奶奶央告我再三，我拿了些与环哥是情真。连太太在家我们还拿过，各人去送人，也是常事。我原说嚷过两天就罢了。如今既冤屈了好人，我心也不忍。姐姐竟带了我回奶奶去，我一概应了完事。”

众人听了这话，一个个都诧异，他竟这样有肝胆。宝玉忙笑道：“彩云姐姐果然是个正经人。如今也不用你应，我只说是我悄悄的偷的唬你们顽，如今闹出事来，我原该承认。只求姐姐们以后省些事，大家就好了。”彩云道：“我干的事为什么叫你应，死活我该去受。”平儿袭人忙道：“不是这样说，你一应了，未免又叨登出赵姨奶奶来，那时三姑娘听了，岂不生气。竟不如宝二爷应了，大家无事，且除这几个人皆不得知道这事，何等的干净。但只以后千万大家小心些就是了。要拿什么，好歹耐到太太到家，那怕连这房子给了人，我们就没干系了。”彩云听了，低头想了一想，方依允。

于是大家商议妥贴，平儿带了他两个并芳官往前边来，至上夜房中叫了五儿，将茯苓霜一节也悄悄的教他说系芳官所赠，五儿感谢不尽。平儿带他们来至自己这边，已见林之孝家的带领了几个媳妇，押解着柳家的等够多时。

林之孝家的又向平儿说：“今儿一早押了他来，恐园里没人伺候姑娘们的饭，我暂且将秦显的女人派了去伺候。姑娘一并回明奶奶，他倒干净谨慎，以后就派他常伺候罢。”平儿道：“秦显的女人是谁？我不大相熟。”林之孝家的道：“他是园里南角子上夜的，白日里没什么事，所以姑娘不大相识。高高孤拐[16]，大大的眼睛，最干净爽利[17]的。”玉钏儿道：“是了。姐姐，你怎么忘了？他是跟二姑娘的司棋的婶娘。司棋的父母虽是大老爷那边的人，他这叔叔却是咱们这边的。”

平儿听了，方想起来，笑道：“哦，你早说是他，我就明白了。”又笑道：“也太派急了些。如今这事八下里水落石出了，连前儿太太屋里丢的也有了主儿。是宝玉那日过来和这两个业障要什么的，偏这两个业障怄他顽，说太太不在家不敢拿。宝玉便瞅他两个不堤防的时节，自己进去拿了些什么出来。这两个业障不知道，就唬慌了。如今宝玉听见带累了别人，方细细的告诉了我，拿出东西来我瞧，一件不差。那茯苓霜是宝玉外头得了的，也曾赏过许多人，不独园内人有，连妈妈子们讨了出去给亲戚们吃，又转送人，袭人也曾给过芳官之流的人。他们私情各相来往，也是常事。前儿那两篓还摆在议事厅上，好好的原封没动，怎么就混赖起人来。等我回了奶奶再说。”说毕，抽身进了卧房，将此事照前言回了凤姐儿一遍。

凤姐儿道：“虽如此说，但宝玉为人不管青红皂白，爱兜揽事情。别人再求求他去，他又搁不住人两句好话，给他个炭篓子戴上，什么事他不应承。咱们若信了，将来若大事也如此，如何治人。还要细细的追求才是。依我的主意，把太太屋里的丫头都拿来，虽不便擅加拷打，只叫他们垫着磁瓦子跪在太阳地下，茶饭也别给吃。一日不说跪一日，便是铁打的，一日也管招了。又道是‘苍蝇不抱无缝的蛋’。虽然这柳家的没偷，到底有些影儿，人才说他。虽不加贼刑，也革出不用。朝廷家原有罣误[18]的，倒也不算委屈了他。”

平儿道：“何苦来操这心！‘得放手时须放手。’什么大不了的事，乐得不施恩呢。依我说，纵在这屋里操上一百分的心，终久咱们是那边屋里去的。没的结些小人仇恨，使人含怨。况且自己又三灾八难的，好容易怀了一个哥儿，到了六七个月还掉了，焉知不是素日操劳太过，气恼伤着的。如今乘早儿见一半不见一半的，也倒罢了。”一席话，说的凤姐儿倒笑了，说道：“凭你这小蹄子发放去罢。我才精爽些了，没的淘气。”平儿笑道：“这不是正经！”说毕，转身出来，一一发放。要知端的，且听下回分解。

[1] 投鼠忌器——喻作事有所顾忌，不敢放手。《汉书·贾谊传》：“里谚曰：‘欲投鼠而忌器。’此善谕也。鼠近于器，尚惮不投，恐伤其器，况于贵臣之近主乎！”

〔一〕 本回回目原作“投鼠忌器宝玉情赃，判冤决狱平儿情权”，己卯、甲辰本同。唯己卯本又于二“情”字旁，分别添“瞒”“行”二字，与程甲本同。蒙府（正文佚，此据全书总目）、戚序本上联全同底本，下联“情权”作“徇私”。梦稿本此回回首缺数页，系据程甲本补。“情赃”“情权”疑系讹文，今从程甲本改。

[3] 杩子盖——亦作马子盖。“杩子”，见《金瓶梅》第61回。此处指旧时儿童留头发的一种样式，四围剃去，中留短发，犹如杩桶盖。杩，当为马字的俗写。

[4] （xún寻，此处读qián潜）——拔（毛发）。

[5] 黧（lí离）鸡——一种鸣禽，通体黑色，两眼大而圆，身短尾长，凶猛善斗。

〔二〕 “去”，原作“的”，从杨藏、俄藏、甲辰本改。

[7] 听哈——听人哈斥，使唤。这里有自嘲意。

[8] 浇头——浇在菜肴上用作调味和点缀的汁子，或指加在盛好的主食上的菜肴。

[9] 水牌——暂时记写、又可随时擦去的白漆木牌。郎瑛《七修类稿》卷二十六：“俗以长形薄板，涂布油粉，谓之简板，以其易去错字而省纸。官府用之，名曰水牌，盖取水能去污而复清，借义事毕去字而复用耳。”

[10] 叨登——折腾，叨扰。后文“叨登”为“牵扯”之意。

〔三〕 “林之孝家的”，原无“家的”二字，从戚序、甲辰本补。

[12] 顶缸——代人受过的意思。

[13] 好意——此处意为“故意”。

〔四〕 “偷的偷，不管的不管”，原作“偷的不管的不管”，点改为“偷的不相都不管”。从各本增改。

〔五〕 “你们”，己卯、梦稿、甲辰本并同。原作“他们”，点改为“你们”。

[16] 孤拐——这里指颧骨。旧时迷信，认为女人颧骨高是克夫之相，故称作“孤拐”。

[17] 爽利——读作shuà　li，后一字轻声。亦作刷利、刹利，意为麻利快捷。

[18] 罣误——封建社会官吏因受牵连或办错事而被处分撤职叫“罣误”。

CHAPTER 61. Bao-yu owns up to a crime he did not commit And Patience bends authority in order that the innocent may be spared

Cook Liu was trying to get back into the Garden, but the bantering page-boy delayed her.

‘You don’t live in this direction. Naughty old Auntie! What have you been up to?’

‘“Auntie” is it?’ said Cook Liu, laughing. ‘Cheeky little monkey! If your “auntie” has got herself a fancy man, that means you have a new uncle, so what are you worrying about? You open that gate quickly, my lad, and let me in, or I’ll take hold of you by that little po-cover of yours and pull your hair out!’

‘If I let you in, promise you’ll pinch a few apricots for me,’ said the boy, ‘to make up for having kept me waiting so long. Mind you don’t forget, now, or next time you want to nip out in the middle of the night for a bottle of wine or some oil, I’ll not open for you. I’ll just let you stand there shouting and not even answer you.’

‘You must be mad!’ said the cook. ‘We can’t do that sort of thing any more now. Nowadays it’s all divided up among the garden-women; and there isn’t one of them, either, that wouldn’t just as soon scratch your eyes out as look at you. You only have to walk under one of the fruit-trees and they’re watching you like hawks. Fat chance I should have of picking any of the fruit for you! Only yesterday I was walking underneath a plum-tree and raised my hand to drive a bee away that was buzzing in front of my face. One of your old aunties happened to see me, but as she was quite a long way off, she couldn’t quite make out what I was doing. She thought I was picking the plums. Oh, you should have heard her shout! “Don’t take them! We haven’t offered the first-fruits yet. No one must have any of those plums until Their Ladyships have got back and made the offerings. You’ll get your share in time.” I suppose she thought I had a craving and couldn’t wait! I’m afraid I wasn’t very polite. I gave her a piece of my mind. You ask one of your old aunties if you want some fruit, my boy, it’s no good asking me. You asking me for fruit is like the granary rat asking the crow for corn: Have asking Have-not!’

‘Oh dear, oh dear!’ said the boy sarcastically. ‘If you can’t get me any, you can’t; there’s no need to go on about it so. I suppose you think you won’t be needing my services any more; but you will. When your Fivey gets her job inside, you’re going to need my services more than ever.’

‘Whatever rubbish will the boy come out with next?’ said the cook. ‘What job are you talking about?’

‘It’s no good pretending,’ the boy crowed. ‘I know. You needn’t think you’re the only one with contacts inside. I’ve got my contacts too. I may be all the time working here outside, but I’ve got two girl cousins inside who keep me informed. There’s nothing much going on inside there that I don’t know about.’

At that point in their exchange they were interrupted by an old woman’s voice from within:

‘Come on, you little monkey, you let Mrs Liu in this minute! If she doesn’t come in directly, they won’t get their dinners in time.’

‘Don’t worry, I’m coming!’

Cook Liu brushed past the boy and, pushing the gate open for herself, went hurrying back to the kitchen. Several of her assistants were waiting there already. They had been standing about doing nothing, none of them having dared to take the initiative without her.

‘Where’s Fivey gone?’ she asked them.

‘She just this minute went off to look for her cousins in the tea-room,’ they said.

Cook Liu put the packet of Lycoperdon Snow somewhere to give to her daughter later and began making up the food-boxes for the different apartments. While she was engaged in this work, Ying-chun’s little maid Lotus arrived with a message from Chess.

‘Chess says for dinner tonight she wants a bowl of eggcustard, lightly done.’

‘That’s a bit of a luxury just now,’ said the cook. ‘I don’t know why it is, but for some reason hen’s eggs seem to be in very short supply this year. Ten cash each they’re charging for them at the moment, and even then you’re lucky if you can find any. The other day, when they were making up a present for one of Her Ladyship’s relations that had just had a baby, there were four or five of our buyers out scouring the markets for eggs. They had no end of a job getting together two thousand. So you can imagine what it must be like for me. Tell her to ask for eggs some other time.’

‘The other day when she wanted bean-curd, you gave me some that was rancid,’ said Lotus, ‘and I got a telling-off for it. Now she wants eggs and you say you haven’t got any. I bet I could find some here if I looked.’

She stepped over to the food-container and took the lid off. Among the other things revealed was a little cache of some ten or a dozen eggs.

‘There you are, what are they then?’ she said. ‘Aren’t you terrible? The food we eat is all paid for, I don’t know why you’re so grudging with it. It isn’t as if you’d laid the eggs yourself!’

‘I’ll give you laying eggs, my girl! If anyone lays eggs around here, it’ll be your mother! Those are the only eggs I’ve got left and I’ve been saving them up to use as garnishing on other dishes. Even then I’ll only use them if the young mistresses ask for them specially. I need to have a few eggs by me in case of emergency. What am I going to do if one of the mistresses asks for some eggs and you lot have already eaten them all? “What?” she’ll say. “No eggs? Not even any eggs?” You people lead such soft, sheltered lives. All you’ve got to do is stretch your hands out for washing-water and your mouths open for food. You think eggs are the commonest things in the world, you don’t realize there can be such things as shortages. Never mind eggs, the day may yet come when there’s not even a corn-stalk to be had. My advice to you girls is to try and make do with what you’re given. After all, you get the best quality white rice, and chicken and duck to eat every day. It’s too much pampering that causes this passion for variety: eggs one day, bean-curd the next, fried pickled turnips in gluten batter… It’s all very well saying you want something different, but I’m afraid it won’t do. If each lot wants something different, that’s ten different dishes I’ve got to prepare. I might just as well stop catering for the young mistresses altogether and do nothing but cook for you girls!’

Lotus went red and shouted angrily back at her.

‘It’s not true that we’re always asking for something different. This rigmarole of yours is quite uncalled for. Anyway, it’s your job to give us what we want. If that isn’t your job, I’d like to know what is. You were obliging enough to Swallow the other day, when she came to say that Skybright wanted a dish of artemisia shoots. “With pork or with chicken?” you asked her. And when Swallow said Skybright didn’t eat meat, she’d have it with wheat gluten, only not too much oil, “Oh,” you said, “how stupid of me! I’d quite forgotten she was a vegetarian.” You scurried off to wash your hands first before you cooked it, and when you’d cooked it, you carried it all the way there for her yourself, just like a little dog that runs wagging its tail to its master. Why you should pick on me to make an example of in front of all these people, I do not know.’

‘Holy name!’ said Cook Liu. ‘These people here will be my witness. Whenever anyone from one of the other apartments, whether mistress or maid, asks me for a special order – and I’m not just talking about that occasion you mentioned, I’m talking about ever since this kitchen here first started – they invariably offer me something to cover the extra cost. Whether I have to buy anything extra or not, it’s a nice gesture and I appreciate it. Some people think that as I only have the young ladies to cater for, I must make a lot out of it; but if anyone took the trouble to sit down and work it out, they’d get a shock. Between forty and fifty people I have to cater for, counting both mistresses and maids. And do you know what my daily allowance is? Two chickens, two ducks, ten catties of pork and a thousand cash worth of vegetables. You try managing on that! I can barely make it stretch to two meals a day provided everyone sticks to the regular menu; but if I’m going to have one person ordering one thing and one person ordering another, turning down the food I’ve bought for them and expecting me to buy other materials to make up their orders, my allowance simply won’t stretch to it. If that’s the way you want it, you’ll just have to ask Her Ladyship to give you all bigger allowances; then we can do what they do in the main kitchen for Her Old Ladyship’s meals: have a blackboard with the names of all the dishes under the sun chalked up on it and work through them one by one, having a different dish every day. Then you could settle with me for what you’d eaten at the end of each month. A week or two ago Miss Tan and Miss Bao suddenly thought they’d fancy a dish of salted bean-sprouts and Miss Tan sent one of the girls over with five hundred cash to ask me if I would prepare it for them. I laughed. “They’d never eat five hundred cash worth,” I said, “not if they had bellies like the Laughing Buddha. Twenty or thirty cash would be ample.” I sent the money back to her, but she wouldn’t take it – said I should keep it to buy myself a drink with. “Now that the kitchen’s inside,” she said, “I expect you often have people coming round and asking you for favours.” She said, “I know it’s hard for you to refuse them, but even salt and soy sauce cost something, and we don’t want you to end up out of pocket. Let’s call this a payment to make up for some of the extras that other people have had out of you.” Now there’s a kind, understanding young lady! I praise the Lord in my heart for a young lady like that! Too bad that Mrs Zhao got to hear about it. She was furious, of course: thought I was doing far too well out of it. And sure enough she sent one of her little maids round less than ten days later asking for this and asking for that. I couldn’t help laughing. You’re just the same. I suppose you’ve taken a leaf out of her book. Well, it’s no good. My allowance just won’t stretch to it.’

Just then another messenger arrived from Chess to find out what had become of Lotus.

‘What’s the matter?’ the messenger asked her. ‘Have you taken root or something? Why don’t you come back?’

Lotus flounced off angrily after the messenger. The report that she gave when she got back was so highly embellished that Chess could hardly fail to be incensed by it. She was unable to do anything about it for the time being, because she was in the middle of serving Ying-chun her dinner; but as soon as Ying-chun’s meal was over, she hurried off to the kitchen, taking several of the junior maids with her.

She arrived as the kitchen staff were having-their own dinner. The women, to whom it was obvious that some kind of mischief was imminent, rose to their feet with nervous smiles on their faces and invited her to sit with them. Ignoring the women, she issued a brusque command to her minions:

‘Right! Boxes, bins, cupboards – wherever the food’s kept – throw it all out! Better the dogs eat it than these swindlers have it all!’

The young maids, needing no second bidding, threw themselves with great gusto into the work of ransacking the kitchen, while the women made vain efforts to restrain them and pleaded with Chess to call them off.

‘You don’t want to believe everything those young girls tell you, miss. Mrs Liu would never dare offend you, she knows it’s more than her job is worth. She did say that eggs are hard to come by lately, it’s true; but we told her that it was silly of her to take that line, and that if you say you want something, it’s up to her to find some means of getting it for you, whatever it is. That’s what we told her. She’d already admitted that she was in the wrong and put a basin of eggs in the steamer before you arrived. Look on the stove, if you don’t believe us.’

Chess’s anger subsided somewhat under these blandishments and the young maids were persuaded, albeit reluctantly, to discontinue their pillage. Chess continued to grumble for a bit and make unflattering remarks about the cook, but was eventually persuaded to return, while Cook Liu, with much banging of pots and pans and indignant muttering, set about making her a custard. When this was in due course delivered to her, Chess promptly emptied it on the ground, but the woman who had taken it prudently refrained from reporting this fact on her return for fear of provoking further unpleasantness.

When Fivey returned to the kitchen, her mother gave her some soup and a half a bowlful of congee and told her about the Lycoperdon Snow. Fivey, resolving to share the latter with her friend and benefactress Parfumée, wrapped half of it up in a separate sheet of paper and, having waited until it was dusk, when there were not many people about, made her way to Green Delights, keeping to the trees as much as possible, so that no one should see her. She managed to get as far as the gate of the courtyard without being stopped by anyone, but, not daring to go inside, retreated to the cover of some rose bushes and lurked there until someone should come out.

Fortunately she did not have long to wait. After about the time it would take to drink a cup of tea Swallow came out of the gate and Fivey stepped out of the bushes and called to her to stop. Swallow could not at first make out who it was and had to go up close and scrutinize her before asking what she wanted.

‘Will you tell Parfumée to come out for a minute, please?’ said Fivey. ‘I want to have a word with her.’

Swallow laughed softly.

‘You’re too impatient. Your business is sure to be settled within the next ten days, whatever you do. It’s silly to keep on asking. Anyway, she’s just gone out to the front, so you’ll have to wait a bit. But perhaps it would be better if you gave me a message to pass on to her. If you wait till she comes back, you might find yourself inside still when they shut the gate.’

Fivey handed her the packet.

‘This stuff is Lycoperdon Snow…’

She went on to explain what its properties were and how it was to be taken.

‘I’ve just been given some and I want to share it with her. Would you mind giving it to her for me, please?’

Leaving the packet in Swallow’s hands, she turned and began swiftly making her way back again. She had just got as far as the part of the Garden bordering Flowery Harbour when she saw Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife at the head of a party of stewardesses coming towards her from the opposite direction. Concealment was impossible; there was nothing for it but to walk straight up to them and greet them.

‘What are you doing, running around like this?’ said Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife. ‘I thought you were supposed to be ill.’

Fivey forced herself to smile.

‘I’ve been a bit better this last day of two, so Mother brought me into the Garden with her for a change of air. I’ve just been to Green Delights for her, to deliver something.’

‘That can’t be right,’ said Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife. ‘I saw your mother go out of the Garden just now; that’s why I shut the gate. If she’d really sent you to Green Delights, why didn’t she tell me you were still inside? Why did she go out and let me lock the gate without saying anything? You must be lying.’

Fivey was momentarily at a loss for a reply.

‘Actually she told me this morning but I forgot,’ she stammered. ‘I only just now remembered. Probably she didn’t say anything about my being in here because she thought I’d already gone home.’

Observing her confusion and the halting nature of her reply, Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife remembered that Silver had lately reported some things missing from Lady Wang’s apartment which none of the other maids would admit to having taken and wondered if Fivey might be the thief. It was unfortunate for Fivey that Ciggy and Lotus, together with a number of older servants, should have arrived on the scene at that moment and helped to confirm her suspicion.

‘Give her a good grilling, Mrs Lin!’ said one of these new arrivals. ‘She’s been sneaking to and fro all over the place this last day or two. I don’t know what she’s been up to, but she’s certainly been up to something.’

‘Yes,’ said Ciggy, ‘and Silver told me yesterday that when they opened that cupboard in Her Ladyship’s side room the other day they found a whole lot of things missing. They noticed there was a bottle short when Mrs Lian sent Patience over for some Essence of Roses, otherwise they’d never have thought of looking.’

‘Oh?’ said Lotus with a pleased-looking smirk. ‘I didn’t know about that. As a matter of fact I’ve seen a bottle of Essence of Roses somewhere today.’

‘Where?’ Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife asked eagerly. Ever since the bottle from Lady Wang’s cupboard had been found missing, Xi-feng had been sending Patience round daily to inquire about the progress of her investigations and she was under great pressure to discover the thief.

‘In her mother’s kitchen,’ said Lotus.

Lanterns were lit and the little party hurried off to investigate, Fivey protesting anxiously as they went:

‘But that little bottle came from Master Bao’s room. It was given to me by Parfumée.’

‘Parfumy!’ said Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife contemptuously. ‘If we find the evidence in the kitchen, I shall have to report it, and that’s that. It will be up to you to explain yourself to the mistresses if you can.’

By now they had reached the kitchen and some of them, led by Lotus, went inside to look. They came out almost immediately with the bottle. Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, thinking that there might be other stolen articles in the kitchen, ordered a thorough search, in the course of which the packet of lycoperdon was discovered. Taking this and the rose essence as evidence, they now led Fivey off to face Li Wan and Tan-chun.

But Li Wan would not see them. Jia Lan was ill, and she was too busy looking after him to have time for household business. They should see Miss Tan about it, she said.

Tan-chun was not in the office, having already returned to her own apartment. Off they all trooped then to Tan-chun’s place, where one of their number went inside to announce their business. The maids were all in the courtyard enjoying the cool evening air. Tan-chun was inside, washing her hair, they said. Scribe went indoors to report. It seemed an age before she re-emerged.

‘I told Miss Tan. She said you’d better find Patience and ask her to see Mrs Lian about it.’

So off they went once more, this time to Wang Xi-feng’s place, where they told their business to Patience. Patience, on going inside to report, found that her mistress had just gone to bed. Xi-feng heard her through, after which she gave judgement summarily as follows:

‘Give the mother forty strokes, turn her out of the Garden, and make sure that she is never employed inside the Inner Gate again. Give Fivey forty strokes too and pack her off to the grange. They can either sell her or marry her to one of the hands.’

Patience relayed this verdict, word for word, to Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife and the others waiting outside. Fivey, shocked and weeping, threw herself on her knees at Patience’s feet and explained to her how Parfumée had given her the rose essence as a present.

‘We can clear that up easily enough,’ said Patience. ‘All we’ve got to do is wait until we can ask Parfumée tomorrow to find out whether she gave it to you or not. But what about this lycoperdon stuff? That was brought here as a present for Their Ladyships. No one had the right to touch that before Their Ladyships had seen it.’

Fivey explained that the packet of powder came not from Lady Wang’s store but from her uncle’s share of the surplus that had been given as a douceur to the gate-people.

‘That puts you in the clear then,’ said Patience, smiling. ‘It’s beginning to look as if you are wearing the hat for someone else.’ She turned to Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife. ‘It’s too late to do anything about this now. Mrs Lian has just taken her medicine and gone to bed; I can’t go pestering her about a little thing like this at this time of night. You’d better hand her over to the night watch and tell them to look after her until the morning. I’ll explain it all to Mrs Lian tomorrow, and we’ll see what we can do.’

Lacking the confidence to dispute this countermanding by Patience of her mistress’s orders, Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife conducted Fivey outside and handed her into the custody of the watch before continuing about her own business.

Though still unbound, Fivey was unable to move freely and was obliged to stay where she was put and listen to the ill-natured comments of the old women. Some of them, assuming as a matter of course that she was guilty, rebuked her for her misconduct; others complained of the trouble that she was causing them.

‘As if we haven’t got work enough already, they have to give us this thief to mind,’ they grumbled. ‘If she does herself an injury or gives us the slip while we’re not looking, we shall get into trouble!’

And those who in the past had got on badly with her mother rejoiced in the daughter’s discomfiture and lost no opportunity of taunting and abusing her.

Poor Fivey! Her heart was full of the injustice of it, but there was no one to pour out her troubles to. The hardships of that night were doubly distressing to a person of her weak and ailing constitution: no one to give her tea or even a cup of water when she was thirsty, no pillow or bedding for her to lie on – even if she had felt like sleeping. The wretched girl spent the whole night in almost continuous weeping.

The enemies of Fivey and her mother, disappointed that the sentence could not be carried out on them immediately and fearful that the morrow might bring some remission, rose up next morning at crack of dawn and went secretly to Patience, hoping, by means of bribes and flattery, to buy her over. They extolled her resoluteness and drew her attention to various past misdemeanours of Cook Liu in order to strengthen the evidence against her. Patience accepted their presents, listened politely to their advice, and as soon as they had gone, slipped quietly over to Green Delights and asked Aroma whether Parfumée had in fact given some Essence of Roses to Fivey.

‘I certainly gave some to Parfumée,’ said Aroma, ‘but whether or not she passed it on to someone else, I couldn’t say.’

She called in Parfumée to ask her. Parfumée, in some alarm, at once confirmed that she had given the bottle to Fivey and went off to tell Bao-yu what had happened. Bao-yu was as shocked as she was.

‘The Essence of Roses is no problem,’ he said; ‘but what about the Lycoperdon Snow? I’m sure what she told them about it was the truth, but if it gets known that her uncle took it while on duty, then he’s going to get into trouble – which seems a rather poor exchange for his kindness.’

He thought he had better see Patience himself and point this out to her.

‘Look,’ he said, ‘the Essence of Roses can be accounted for easily enough, but that Lycoperdon Snow business still looks a bit fishy. Why don’t you be a nice, kind girl, Patience, and tell them that the Lycoperdon Snow was given to her by Parfumée as well? Then that disposes of the whole affair.’

‘That’s all very well,’ said Patience, smiling, ‘but she told everyone last night that her uncle gave it to her. How can she now make out that she got it from you? And apart from that, don’t forget that the bottle of Essence of Roses from Her Ladyship’s room has still to be accounted for. If this isn’t it, where are they going to look for it? It’s not very likely that anyone else will own up to having taken it.’

Skybright stepped over at this point to join in the discussion.

‘The Essence of Roses from Her Ladyship’s place must have been stolen by Sunset to give to young Huan. It’s as plain as the nose on your face. I don’t understand why you’re all making such a mystery of it.’

‘I know that as well as you do,’ said Patience, ‘but it’s not so simple. Silver, who was so worried about finding that bottle missing that she was in tears, did go, very quietly and nicely, and ask Sunset if she had taken it, and if Sunset had had the grace to say ‘yes’, Silver herself would have done nothing, and I’m quite sure that no one else would have made an issue of it. Who’s going to stir up trouble about a little thing like that? But unfortunately not only would Sunset not admit to having taken it, but she even had the gall to accuse Silver of taking it herself. The two of them made such a hullabaloo between them that soon everyone in the household had heard about it. By that stage I couldn’t ignore the matter any longer, even if I’d wanted to. I had to investigate it. And the first thing I found, of course, was that the one doing all the accusing was actually the thief. But without any evidence, there was nothing much I could do.’

‘I can take responsibility for that too,’ said Bao-yu. ‘You can tell them I stole the bottle from Her Ladyship’s room to give the girls a scare. Now everything is accounted for.’

‘No doubt it’s an act of merit to clear someone else of suspicion,’ said Aroma, ‘but Her Ladyship won’t be very pleased when she hears. She’ll say you’ve been up to your old childish tricks again.’

‘Oh, that’s of no consequence,’ said Patience. ‘We could of course clear this matter up quite easily by looking for the stolen bottle in Mrs Zhao’s room. The only reason I hesitate to do that is because I’m afraid it would make things difficult for a certain person whose feelings I do care about very much. I know she would be distressed, and the last thing I want to do is “damage the jade vase while trying to hit the mouse”.’

She held three fingers up as she said this to indicate that it was Tan-chun she was referring to. Aroma and the rest nodded in agreement.

‘That’s true. Perhaps it would be better if Bao-yu took all the blame.’

‘Yes,’ said Patience, ‘but at the same time I think we ought to call Sunset and Silver here and get this matter properly sorted out. We don’t want whoever it is to think she can get away with it. If we do nothing, she’s sure to think it’s because we haven’t the wit to find out rather than that it’s for the reason I’ve just said, and she’ll think she can go on stealing things with impunity.’

This being agreed on, Patience sent someone to call them over.

‘Well, you can stop worrying now, you two,’ she said when they had arrived. ‘They think they’ve found the thief.’

‘Where is she?’ said Silver.

‘At the moment she’s in Mrs Lian’s room being questioned,’ said Patience. ‘She’s admitted taking everything they’ve asked her about. I happen to know myself that she didn’t take them and is only confessing because she’s frightened. Master Bao can’t bear the idea of an innocent person suffering and has already agreed to take responsibility for some of them. As regards the rest, I could tell them who the real thief is, but there are certain difficulties. One is that the real thief is a very good friend of mine. The other is that the receiver of stolen goods, who is a pretty poor specimen, is closely related to a very nice person who would be very much upset if all of this were to come into the open. It looks as if I shall have to ask Master Bao to take responsibility for the whole lot, so that everyone is clear of suspicion. Before I do that, however, there’s something I should like to be clear about first. Can I be sure, if I do ask him to do us this favour, that everyone is going to be a bit more careful in future? Because if not, then rather than stand by and see an innocent person suffer, I shall have to tell all I know to Mrs Lian.’

A blush had overspread Sunset’s face while Patience was saying this. Her natural decency suddenly getting the better of her compelled her now to speak.

‘Don’t worry, Patience. There’s no need for any innocent person to suffer and there’s no need for that other person you mentioned to be upset. I stole those things. It was because Mrs Zhao kept on at me to take them. I stole them to give to Huan. Even when Her Ladyship was here I often used to steal things for him, so that he could give them away to his friends. I thought that the fuss made when they found out that things were missing would die down in a day or two. I can’t stand by and let an innocent person take the blame. You’ll have to take me with you to Mrs Lian and let me make a clean breast of it.’

Her courage took all of them by surprise.

‘You’re a good sort, Sunset, I always knew you were,’ said Bao-yu admiringly, ‘but there’s really no need for you to tell her. All I’ve got to do is say that I stole those things for a lark, to give you all a scare, and that now there’s been all this fuss about them, I feel I ought to own up. There’s only one thing, though. I really must ask you girls to be more careful in future, for all our sakes.’

‘I did it,’ said Sunset, ‘it’s up to me to face the music.’

Patience and Aroma disagreed.

‘That’s not the way to look at it at all. If you confess, they’re sure to worm something out about Mrs Zhao, and that will upset Miss Tan again when she gets to hear about it. You’d much better let Master Bao accept responsibility, so that everyone is cleared. Nobody except the few of us here knows the truth, so it’s terribly easy for him to do this. But as Master Bao says, you really will have to be more careful in future. If you must take anything, at least wait until Her Ladyship is here. When she is back, you can give the whole room away if you like, because then we shan’t be involved!’

Sunset hung her head and pondered for some moments before finally agreeing to go along with this.

When it was settled exactly what they should do, Patience went with Parfumée and the two maids from Lady Wang’s apartment to the watch-room, called out Fivey, and quietly instructed her to say that the Lycoperdon Snow as well as the Essence of Roses had been given to her by Parfumée. Fivey was deeply grateful. Patience next took Fivey with her to Wang Xi-feng’s place, where Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife and her helpers had already been waiting for some time with Fivey’s mother in their custody.

‘I brought her here first thing,’ Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife told Patience in reference to her prisoner. ‘As that left no one to get the lunch ready, I put Qin Xian’s wife temporarily in charge, so that the young ladies should get their meal on time.’

‘Who is Qin Xian’s wife?’ said Patience. ‘I don’t think I know her.’

‘She does night duty in the south corner of the Garden. She doesn’t do anything in the daytime: that’s probably why you don’t know her. Very high cheek-bones and big round eyes. She’s a very clean, lively little body.’

‘Yes, of course you know her, Patience,’ said Silver. ‘She’s the auntie of Miss Ying’s maid, Chess. Chess’s father works for Sir She, but her uncle and auntie work on this side of the mansion with us.’

Patience remembered with a laugh.

‘Oh, that’s who you’ve chosen! If you’d told me that, I should have known who you meant.’ She laughed again. ‘You’ve been a bit too quick with your appointment. It’s all cleared up now, this business. The waters have gone down and we can see the rocks. We know now who the real thief was who stole that stuff from Her Ladyship’s room. It was Bao-yu. He went round to Her Ladyship’s apartment some days ago and asked Silver and Sunset for something and just for a tease the silly girls said he couldn’t have it, because they couldn’t give him anything while Her Ladyship was away. So he simply slipped in later on when they weren’t there and helped himself. When these two found the things missing, they were scared out of their wits. But as soon as Bao-yu heard that someone else had been accused of taking the things, he told me everything. He even brought them round to show me, so that I could see they exactly corresponded with what the girls had told me was missing. As regards the Lycoperdon Snow, that was something that Bao-yu had got from outside. He’s been giving it away to all kinds of people – not only in the Garden: one or two of the old nannies begged some off him to give to their relations outside and they have given it to other people as presents; and Aroma gave some of hers to Parfumée and that lot and they’ve been passing the stuff to and fro between themselves. So you see, it’s all over the place. The two baskets that were left in the jobs room the other day for Their Ladyships are still untouched. The seals on them haven’t been broken. So as far as that’s concerned, there are no grounds for a charge either. If you’ll wait here a few moments longer, I’m just going in to tell Mrs Lian about this and we’ll see what she says.’

Patience then went into the bedroom and repeated almost verbatim to Xi-feng what she had just been telling Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife.

‘That’s as may be,’ said Xi-feng when she had finished; ‘but we all know how ready Bao-yu is to cover up for other people. Someone only has to go to him with a hard-luck story – especially if there’s a bit of flattery thrown in with it – and he’ll own up to anything in order to get them off. If we believe him now, how are we going to deal with more serious cases later on? I think this needs going into more carefully. I think you ought to get hold of those girls from Her Ladyship’s apartment and – well, I wouldn’t say torture them exactly, but you could get them to kneel in the sun on broken china all day without anything to eat or drink. If one day doesn’t make them confess, just go on day after day until they do. They’re sure to give in sooner or later, even if they’re made of iron.’

‘And as for that Liu woman,’ she went on, ‘you know what they say. When flies gather on an egg, it’s generally a sign that there’s a crack in it. She may not have stolen anything in this instance, but I suspect she’s no better than she should be for all these people to be complaining about her. We’ll let her off the flogging, of course, but I still think we ought to dismiss her. Even in the Emperor’s court people get punished for what they call “guilt by association”, so she can’t complain if we sack her merely on suspicion.’

‘Yes, but why bother?’ said Patience. ‘They say that where mercy is possible, mercy should be shown. What better opportunity than this could you have of showing yourself merciful for once? Look at all the trouble you give yourself on account of these people, and they aren’t even your own household: it’s Lady Xing’s household that you really belong to. And where does it all get you, at the end of the day? All you do is build up a lot of resentment against yourself and turn a lot of nasty, spiteful people into your enemies. A person in your delicate health can’t afford to make enemies. Think of all the time it took you to conceive a man-child – and then to lose it after carrying it inside you for six or seven months! How do we know that that wasn’t brought on by too much worrying about this sort of thing? I think you ought to start straight away taking things a bit easier. Close your eyes to things a bit oftener. “What the eye doesn’t see the heart doesn’t grieve”!’

Patience’s little homily quickly won Xi-feng to a better humour.

‘All right,’ she said, laughing. ‘Do as you wish. I’m not going to get myself worked up about it.’

‘Now you’re talking sensibly,’ said Patience happily, and going out of the bedroom, proceeded to dispose of the business outside in the way she had all along intended to.

But more of that in the next chapter.