She then bade P'ing Erh take the keys of the door of the upstairs room and send for several trustworthy persons to carry it away.

Chia Jung was so elated that his eyebrows dilated and his eyes smiled. "I've brought myself，" he added， with vehemence， "some men to take it away； I won't let them recklessly bump it about."

Saying this， he speedily got up and left the room.

Lady Feng suddenly bethought herself of something， and turning towards the window， she called out， "Jung Erh， come back." Several servants who stood outside caught up her words： "Mr. Jung，" they cried， "you're requested to go back；" whereupon Chia Jung turned round and retraced his steps； and with hands drooping respectfully against his sides， he stood ready to listen to his aunt's wishes.

Lady Feng was however intent upon gently sipping her tea， and after a good long while of abstraction， she at last smiled： "Never mind，" she remarked； "you can go. But come after you've had your evening meal， and I'll then tell you about it. Just now there are visitors here； and besides， I don't feel in the humour."

Chia Jung thereupon retired with gentle step.

Old goody Liu， by this time， felt more composed in body and heart. "I've to-day brought your nephew，" she then explained， "not for anything else， but because his father and mother haven't at home so much as anything to eat； the weather besides is already cold， so that I had no help but to take your nephew along and come to you， old friend， for assistance！"

As she uttered these words， she again pushed Pan Erh forward. "What did your father at home tell you to say？" she asked of him； "and what did he send us over here to do？ Was it only to give our minds to eating fruit？"

Lady Feng had long ago understood what she meant to convey， and finding that she had no idea how to express herself in a decent manner， she readily interrupted her with a smile. "You needn't mention anything，" she observed， "I'm well aware of how things stand；" and addressing herself to Mrs. Chou， she inquired， "Has this old lady had breakfast， yes or no？"

Old goody Liu hurried to explain. "As soon as it was daylight，" she proceeded， "we started with all speed on our way here， and had we even so much as time to have any breakfast？"

Lady Feng promptly gave orders to send for something to eat. In a short while Chou Jui's wife had called for a table of viands for the guests， which was laid in the room on the eastern side， and then came to take goody Liu and Pan Erh over to have their repast.

"My dear Mrs. Chou，" enjoined lady Feng， "give them all they want， as I can't attend to them myself；" which said， they hastily passed over into the room on the eastern side.

Lady Feng having again called Mrs. Chou， asked her： "When you first informed madame about them， what did she say？" "Our Lady observed，" replied Chou Jui's wife， "that they don't really belong to the same family； that， in former years， their grandfather was an official at the same place as our old master； that hence it came that they joined ancestors； that these few years there hasn't been much intercourse （between their family and ours）； that some years back， whenever they came on a visit， they were never permitted to go empty-handed， and that as their coming on this occasion to see us is also a kind attention on their part， they shouldn't be slighted. If they've anything to say，" （our lady continued）， "tell lady Secunda to do the necessary， and that will be right."

"Isn't it strange！" exclaimed lady Feng， as soon as she had heard the message； "since we are all one family， how is it I'm not familiar even with so much as their shadow？"

While she was uttering these words， old goody Liu had had her repast and come over， dragging Pan Erh； and， licking her lips and smacking her mouth， she expressed her thanks.

Lady Feng smiled. "Do pray sit down，" she said， "and listen to what I'm going to tell you. What you， old lady， meant a little while back to convey， I'm already as much as yourself well acquainted with！ Relatives， as we are， we shouldn't in fact have waited until you came to the threshold of our doors， but ought， as is but right， to have attended to your needs. But the thing is that， of late， the household affairs are exceedingly numerous， and our lady， advanced in years as she is， couldn't at a moment， it may possibly be， bethink herself of you all！ What's more， when I took over charge of the management of the menage， I myself didn't know of all these family connections！ Besides， though to look at us from outside everything has a grand and splendid aspect， people aren't aware that large establishments have such GREat hardships， which， were we to recount to others， they would hardly like to credit as true. But since you've now come from a great distance， and this is the first occasion that you open your mouth to address me， how can I very well allow you to return to your home with empty hands！ By a lucky coincidence our lady gave， yesterday， to the waiting-maids， twenty taels to make clothes with， a sum which they haven't as yet touched， and if you don't despise it as too little， you may take it home as a first instalment， and employ it for your wants."

When old goody Liu heard the mention made by lady Feng of their hardships， she imagined that there was no hope； but upon hearing her again speak of giving her twenty taels， she was exceedingly delighted， so much so that her eyebrows dilated and her eyes gleamed with smiles.

"We too know，" she smilingly remarked， "all about difficulties！ but the proverb says， 'A camel dying of leanness is even bigger by much than a horse！' No matter what those distresses may be， were you yet to pluck one single hair from your body， my old friend， it would be stouter than our own waist."

Chou Jui's wife stood by， and on hearing her make these coarse utterances， she did all she could to give her a hint by winking， and make her desist. Lady Feng laughed and paid no heed； but calling P'ing Erh， she bade her fetch the parcel of money， which had been given to them the previous day， and to also bring a string of cash； and when these had been placed before goody Liu's eyes： "This is，" said lady Feng， "silver to the amount of twenty taels， which was for the time given to these young girls to make winter clothes with； but some other day， when you've nothing to do， come again on a stroll， in evidence of the good feeling which should exist between relatives. It's besides already late， and I don't wish to detain you longer and all for no purpose； but， on your return home， present my compliments to all those of yours to whom I should send them."

As she spake， she stood up. Old goody Liu gave utterance to a thousand and ten thousand expressions of gratitude， and taking the silver and cash， she followed Chou Jui's wife on her way to the out-houses. "Well， mother dear，" inquired Mrs. Chou， "what did you think of my lady that you couldn't speak； and that whenever you opened your mouth it was all 'your nephew.' I'll make just one remark， and I don't mind if you do get angry. Had he even been your kindred nephew， you should in fact have been somewhat milder in your language； for that gentleman， Mr. Jung， is her kith and kin nephew， and whence has appeared such another nephew of hers （as Pan Erh）？"

Old goody Liu smiled. "My dear sister-in-law，" she replied， "as I gazed upon her， were my heart and eyes， pray， full of admiration or not？ and how then could I speak as I should？"

As they were chatting， they reached Chou Jui's house. They had been sitting for a while， when old goody Liu produced a piece of silver， which she was purposing to leave behind， to be given to the young servants in Chou Jui's house to purchase fruit to eat； but how could Mrs. Chou satiate her eye with such a small piece of silver？ She was determined in her refusal to accept it， so that old goody Liu， after assuring her of her boundless gratitude， took her departure out of the back gate she had come in from.

Reader， you do not know what happened after old goody Liu left， but listen to the explanation which will be given in the next chapter.