Translated by H. BENCRAFT JOLY
By a demoniacal art, a junior uncle and an elder brother's wife(Pao-yü and lady Feng) come across five devils.
The gem of Spiritual Perception meets, in a fit of torpor, the twoperfect men.
Hsiao Hung, the story continues, was much unsettled in her mind. Her thoughtsrolled on in one connected string. But suddenly she became drowsy, and fallingasleep, she encountered Chia Yün, who tried to carry out his intention to dragher near him. She twisted herself round, and endeavoured to run away; but wastripped over by the doorstep. This gave her such a start that she woke up.Then, at length, she realised that it was only a dream. But so restlessly didshe, in consequence of this fright, keep on rolling and tossing that she couldnot close her eyes during the whole night. As soon as the light of the next daydawned, she got up. Several waiting-maids came at once to tell her to go andsweep the floor of the rooms, and to bring water to wash the face with. HsiaoHung did not even wait to arrange her hair or perform her ablutions; but,turning towards the looking-glass, she pinned her chevelure up anyhow; and,rinsing her hands, and, tying a sash round her waist, she repaired directly tosweep the apartments.
Who would have thought it, Pao-yü also had set his heart upon her the moment hecaught sight of her the previous day. Yet he feared, in the first place, thatif he mentioned her by name and called her over into his service, Hsi Jen andthe other girls might feel the pangs of jealousy. He did not, either in thesecond place, have any idea what her disposition was like. The consequence wasthat he felt downcast; so much so, that when he got up at an early hour, he didnot even comb his hair or wash, but simply remained seated, and brooded in astate of abstraction. After a while, he lowered the window. Through the gauzeframe, from which he could distinctly discern what was going on outside, heespied several servant-girls, engaged in sweeping the court. All of them wererouged and powdered; they had flowers inserted in their hair, and were grandlygot up. But the only one, of whom he failed to get a glimpse, was the girl hehad met the day before.
Pao-yü speedily walked out of the door with slipshod shoes. Under the pretenceof admiring the flowers, he glanced, now towards the east; now towards thewest. But upon raising his head, he descried, in the southwest corner, some oneor other leaning by the side of the railing under the covered passage. Acrab-apple tree, however, obstructed the view and he could not see distinctlywho it was, so advancing a step further in, he stared with intent gaze. It was,in point of fact, the waiting-maid of the day before, tarrying about plunged ina reverie. His wish was to go forward and meet her, but he did not, on theother hand, see how he could very well do so. Just as he was cogitating withinhimself, he, of a sudden, perceived Pi Hen come and ask him to go and wash hisface. This reminder placed him under the necessity of betaking himself into hisroom. But we will leave him there, without further details, so as to return toHsiao Hung.
She was communing with her own thoughts. But unawares perceiving Hsi Jen waveher hand and call her by name, she had to walk up to her.
"Our watering-pot is spoilt," Hsi Jen smiled and said, "so go to Miss
Lin's over there and find one for us to use."
Hsiao Hung hastened on her way towards the Hsiao Hsiang Kuan.
When she got as far as the Ts'ui Yen bridge, she saw, on raising her head andlooking round, the mounds and lofty places e