《红楼梦》杨宪益和霍克斯翻译对照--34

第三十四回

情中情因情感妹妹 错里错以错劝哥哥

话说袭人见贾母王夫人等去后，便走来宝玉身边坐下，含泪问他：\"怎么就打到这步田地？ \"

宝玉叹气说道：\"不过为那些事，问他作什么！只是下半截疼的很，你瞧瞧打坏了那里。\"

袭人听说，便轻轻的伸手进去，将中衣褪下。宝玉略动一动，便咬着牙叫`嗳哟'，袭人连忙停住手，如此三四次才褪了下来。

杨宪益

Chapter 34

Moved by Affection, Baoyu

Moves His Cousin A Wrong Report Makes

Baochai

Wrong Her Brother

霍克斯

CHAPTER 34

A wordless message meets with silent understanding

And a groundless imputation leads to undeserved rebukes

As soon as the others had left, Xiren sat down by Baoyu's side and with tears in her eyes asked the reason for this fearful beating.

\"Oh, nothing special. What's the use of asking?\" Baoyu sighed. \"The lower part of my body hurts terribly. Do see how serious the damage is.\"

Xiren gently set about removing his underwear, but the least move¬ment made him grit his teeth and groan so much that she stopped. Only after three or four attempts did she succeed in undressing him.

WHEN she saw that Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang and the rest had all gone, Aroma went and sat down at Bao-yu’s bedside and asked him, with tears in her eyes, the reason why he had been beaten so severely.

Bao-yu sighed.

‘Oh, the usual things. Need you ask? I wish you’d take a look down below, though, and tell me if anything’s broken. It’s hurting so dreadfully down there.’

Very gently Aroma inserted her fingers into the top of his trousers and began to draw them off. She had barely started when he gritted his teeth and let out a cry, and she had to stop immediately. This happened three or

袭人看时，只见腿上半段青紫，都有四指宽的僵痕高了起来。袭人咬着牙说道：\"我的娘，怎么下这般的狠手！你但凡听我一句话，也不得到这步地位。幸而没动筋骨，倘或打出个残疾来，可叫人怎么样呢！\"

正说着，只听丫鬟们说：\"宝姑娘来了。\"袭人听见，知道穿不及中衣，便拿了一床袷纱被替宝玉盖了。

只见宝钗手里托着一丸药走进来，向袭人说道：\"晚上把这药用酒研开，替他敷上，把那淤血的热毒散开，可以就好了。\"

Then she clenched her teeth at the sight of his thighs, all black and purple with weals four fingers wide.

\"Heavens! How could he be so cruel?\" she exclaimed. \"But, you know, this would never have happened if you'd paid the least attention to my advice. Well, it's lucky no bones are broken. What if you'd been maimed for life?\"

Just then Baochai was announced. As there was no time to clothe Baoyu again, Xiren threw a lined gauze coverlet over him as Baochai walked in, a pill in one hand.

\"Dissolve this drug in wine this evening and apply it as a salve,\" she told Xiren. \"That will draw the heat and poison from the bruise and help to cure him.\"

four times before she finally succeeded in getting them off.

The sight revealed made her grit her own teeth.

‘Mother of mine!’ she gasped, ‘he must have hit you savagely. If only you’d listened to me a bit in the past, it would never have come to this. Why, you might have been crippled for life. It doesn’t bear thinking of.’

Just then Bad-chai’s arrival was announced by one of the maids. Since putting his trousers on again was out of the question, Aroma snatched up a lightweight coverlet and hurriedly threw it over him.

Bao-chai came in carrying a large tablet of some sort of solid medicine which she instructed Aroma to pound up in wine and apply to Bao-yu’s injuries in the evening.

‘This is a decongestant,’ she said,

说毕，递与袭人，又问道：\"这会子可好些？ \"宝玉一面道谢说：\"好了。\"又让坐。宝钗见他睁开眼说话，不象先时，心中也宽慰了好些，便点头叹道：\"

早听人一句话，也不至今日。别说老太太，太太心疼，就是我们看着，心里也疼。\"刚说了半句又忙咽住，

自悔说的话急了，不觉的就红了脸，低下头来。

宝玉听得这话如此

handing it to her. ‘It will take away the inflammation by

dispersing the bad blood

in his bruises. After that,

he should heal quite

quickly.’

She turned to

Bao-yu.

Having handed her the ‘Are you feeling any pill, she asked, \"Is he any better now?’ better?\" Bao-yu thanked her. Baoyu gratefully assured Yes, he said, he was her that he was and asked

feeling a little better, and

her to take a seat. Seeing

invited her to sit down

he was now able to open

beside him. Bao-chai was

his eyes and talk, Baochai

relieved to see him with nodded in relief.

his eyes open and talking

again. She shook her head

sadly.

\"If you'd listened to our ‘If you had listened advice, this wouldn't have to what one said, this happened,\" she sighed. would

never have

\"Now you've not only

happened. Everyone is so

upset the old lady and

upset now. It isn’t only

your mother; when the

rest of us see you like Grand-mother and Lady

you know. this, our hearts ache too.... Wang,

Even—’ \"

She broke off abruptly, She checked herself regretting her abruptly, regretting that indiscretion, and hung her she had allowed her head with a blush. feelings to run away with her, and lowered her head,

blushing.

Bao-yu d sensed She had spoken with such

hidden depths of feeling

亲切稠密，大有深意，忽见他又咽住不往下说，红了脸，低下头只管弄衣带，那一种娇羞怯怯，非可形容得出者，不觉心中大畅，将疼痛早丢在九霄云外，心中自思：

\"我不过挨了几下打，他们一个个就有这些怜惜悲感之态露出，令人可玩可观，可怜可敬。假若我一时竟遭殃横死，他们还不知是何等悲感呢！既是他们这样，我便一时死了，得他们如此，一生事业纵然尽付东流，亦无足叹惜，冥冥之中若不怡然自得，亦可谓糊涂鬼祟矣。\"

想着，只听宝钗问袭人道：\"怎么好好的动了气，就打起来了？\" intimate, tender concern, although attempt¬ing to hide her deep emotion, and she looked so indescribably charming in her bashful confusion as she hid her blushing face and fingered her sash, that Baoyu completely forgot his pain in his elation.

\"I just get given a few strokes,\" he thought, \"and they show such sweet distress and sym¬pathy. How good and kind they are! How admirable! If I were to meet with some accident and die, they'd surely be quite overcome with grief. But it would be worth dying, even with nothing to show for my life, pro¬vided I'd won their hearts. Indeed, it would be silly if I wasn't a happy and contented ghost.\" His thoughts were interrupted by a question Baochai put to Xiren:

in the passionate earnestness of her tone, and when she suddenly faltered and turned red, there was something so touching about the pretty air of confusion with which she dropped her head and played with the ends of her girdle, that his spirits soared and his pain was momentarily forgotten.

‘What have I undergone but a few whacks of the bamboo?’ he thought, ‘—yet already they are so sad and concerned about me! What dear, adorable, sweet, noble girls they are! Heaven knows how they would grieve for me if I were actually to die! It would be almost worth dying, just to find Out. The loss of a life’s ambitions would be a small price to pay, and I should be a peevish, ungrateful ghost if I did not feel proud and happy when such darling creatures were grieving for me.’

He was roused from this reverie by the sound of Bao-chai’s voice asking Aroma what it was

袭人便把焙茗的话说了出来。宝玉原来还不知道贾环的话，见袭人说出方才知道。因又拉上薛蟠，惟恐宝钗沉心，忙又止住袭人道：

\"薛大哥哥从来不这样的，你们不可混猜度。\"

宝钗听说，便知道是怕他多心，用话相拦袭人，因心中暗暗想道：

\"打的这个形象，疼还顾不过来，还是这样细心，怕得罪了人，可见在我们身上也算是用心了。 \"What's the reason for this sudden row and beating?\"

Xiren passed on what Beiming had said, and this was Baoyu's first inkling of Jia Huan's tale-telling. But when Xue Pan's name came up he was afraid Baochai would be upset.

\"Cousin Xue would never do such a thing!\" he interposed quickly. \"Stop making such wild guesses. \"

Baochai understood why he had silenced Xiren.

\"How tactful and cautious you are in spite of your pain after such a dreadful beating,\" she thought. \"If you can be so considerate of our feelings, why not pay equal attention to important matters

that had moved his father

to such violent anger against him.

Aroma’s low reply, in which she merely repeated what Tealeaf had told her, was his first inkling of the part that Jia Huan had played in his misfortune. Her mention of Xue Pan’s involvement, however, made him apprehensive that Bao-chai might feel embarrassed, and he hastily interrupted Aroma to prevent her from saying more.

Old Xue would never do a thing like that,’ he said. ‘It’s silly to make these wild assertions.’

Bao-chai knew that it was out of respect for her feelings that he was silencing Aroma, and she wondered at his considerateness.

‘What delicacy of feeling!’ she thought, ‘after so terrible a beating and in spite of all the pain, to be still able to worry about the possibility of someone else’s being offended!

你既这样用心，何不在外头大事上作工夫，老爷也喜欢了，也不能吃这样亏。但你固然怕我沉心，所以拦袭人的话，难道我就不知我的哥哥素日恣心纵欲，毫无防范的那种心性。

当日为一个秦钟，还闹的天翻地覆，自然如今比先又更利害了。\"

想毕，因笑道：

\"你们也不必怨这个，怨那个。

据我想，到底宝兄弟素日不正，肯和那些人来往，老爷才生气。

outside?

For then your father would be pleased, and you wouldn't get into hot water like this. You cut Xiren short for fear of hurting me, but do you suppose I don't know my brother's wild, lawless ways?

If such a rumpus was raised that time because of Qin Zhong, much worse things are possible now.\"

After these reflections she turned to Xiren with a smile.

\"Why pin the blame on this person or that?\" she said. \"

I think the master was angry because Cousin Bao doesn't behave well and keeps bad company.

If only you could apply some of that thoughtfulness to the more important things of life, my friend, you would make my Uncle so happy; and then perhaps these awful things would never happen. And when all’s said and done, this sensibility on my behalf is rather wasted. Do you really think I know my own brother so little that I am unaware of his unruly nature? Nothing has ever been allowed to stand in the way of Pan’s desires.

Look at the terrible trouble he made for you that time over Qin Zhong. That was a long time ago, and I am sure he has got much worse since then.’

Those were her thoughts, but what she said was:

‘There’s really no need to look around for someone to blame.

If you ask me, the mere fact that Cousin Bao has been willing to keep such company was in itself

就是我哥哥说话不防头，一时说出宝兄弟来，也不是有心调唆：

一则也是本来的实话，二则他原不理论这些防嫌小事。

袭姑娘从小儿只见宝兄弟这么样细心的人，你何尝见过天不怕地不怕，心里有什么口里就说什么的人。\"

袭人因说出薛蟠来，见宝玉拦他的话，早已明白自己说造次了，恐宝钗

Even if my brother did let fall some careless remark about Cousin Bao, he can't have meant to make trouble.

For after all, in the first place, it was the truth; in the second, he's the type who can't be bothered to gossip. You're used to Cousin Bao who's so considerate.

You haven't met my brother, who fears neither Heaven nor Earth and blurts out whatever happens to be in his mind.\"

Baoyu's interruption when she spoke of Xue Pan had made Xiren realize that

quite enough to make Uncle angry.

And though my brother can be very tactless and may well have let something out about Cousin Bao in the course of conversation, I’m sure it wouldn’t have been deliberate trouble-making on his part.

In the first place, it is, after all, true, what he is supposed to have said: Cousin Bao has been going around with that actor. And in the second place, my brother simply hasn’t got it in him to be discreet.

You have lived all your life with sensitive, considerate people like Cousin Bao, my dear Aroma. You have never had to deal with a crude, forthright person like my brother someone who says whatever comes into his head with complete disregard for the consequences.’

When Bao-yu cut short her remarks about Xue Pan, Aroma had

没意思，听宝钗如此说，更觉羞愧无言。

宝玉又听宝钗这番话，一半是堂皇正大，一半是去己疑心，更觉比先畅快了。

方欲说话时，只见宝钗起身说道：

\"明儿再来看你，你好生养着罢。方才我拿了药来交给袭人，晚上敷上管就好了。\"

说着便走出门去。袭人赶着送出院外，说： her tactlessness must have embarrassed Baochai, whose last remarks abashed her even more.

As for Baoyu, he could see that while saying what was right and proper Baochai was also trying to put him at his ease. He felt even more touched.

But before he could speak again she rose to leave.

\"I'll come back tomorrow to see how you are,\" she assured him. \"Have a good rest. I've given Xiren something to make you a salve tonight, and that should help.\"

With that she left, and Xiren escorted her out of

realized at once that she was being tactless and inwardly prayed that Bao-chai had not taken exception to them.To her, therefore, these words of Bao-chai’s were a source of tongue-tied embarrassment.

Bao-yu, on the other hand, could see in them only the refusal of a frank and generous nature to admit deviousness in others and a sensibility capable of matching and responding to his own. As a consequence his spirits soared yet higher.

He was about to say something, but Bao-chai rose to her feet and anticipated him.

‘I’ll come and see you again tomorrow. You must rest now and give yourself a chance to get well. I’ve given Aroma something to make a lotion with. Get her to put it on for you in the evening. I can guarantee that it will hasten your re-covery.’

She was moving towards the door as she said this. When she was

\"姑娘倒费心了。改日宝二爷好了，亲自来谢。\"

宝钗回头笑道：\"有什么谢处。你只劝他好生静养，别胡思乱想的就好了。不必惊动老太太，太太众人，倘或吹到老爷耳朵里，虽然彼时不怎么样，将来对景，终是要吃亏的。\"说着，一面去了。

袭人抽身回来，心内着实感激宝钗。进来见宝玉沉思默默似睡非睡的模样，因而退出房外，自去栉沐。 the courtyard.

\"Thank you, miss, for taking so much trouble,\" she said. \"When Master Bao's better he'll come himself to thank you.\" Baochai turned and smiled.

\"There's nothing to thank me for. Just persuade him to rest properly and not let his imagination run away with him. We don't want the old lady and the mistress and everyone disturbed. For if word of it reached the master's ears, even if he did nothing for the time being, there'd be trouble later on.\"

So saying, she went off. With a warm sense of gratitude to her, Xiren returned to Baoyu. Finding him in a dreamy, drowsy state, she went to the other room to tidy herself.

outside, Aroma hurried after her to see her off and to thank her for her trouble.

‘As soon as he’s better,’ she said, ‘Master Bao will come over and thank you himself, Miss.’

‘It’s nothing at all,’ said Bao-chai, turning back to her with a smile. ‘Do tell him to rest properly, though, and -not to brood. And if there’s anything at all he wants, just quietly come round to my place for it. Don’t go bothering Lady Jia or Lady Wang or any of the others, in case my uncle gets to hear of it. It probably wouldn’t matter at the time, but it might do later on, next time there is any trouble.’

With that she left, and Aroma turned back into the courtyard, her heart full of gratitude for Bao-chai’s kindness. Re-entering Bao-yu’s room, she found him lying back quietly, plunged in thought. From the look of it, he was already half

宝玉默默的躺在床上，无奈臀上作痛，如针挑刀挖一般，更又热如火炙，略展转时，禁不住\"嗳哟\"之声。

那时天色将晚，因见袭人去了，却有两三个丫鬟伺候，此时并无呼唤之事，因说道：\"你们且去梳洗，等我叫时再来。\"众人听了，也都退出。

这里宝玉昏昏默默，只见蒋玉菡走了进来，诉说忠顺府拿他之事，又见金钏儿进来哭说为他投井之情。

Although Baoyu lay as still as he could, his buttocks were smarting as if scorched by fire, pricked by needles, or cut by knives.

The slightest movement wrung a groan from him. Dusk was falling, Xiren had gone, and he dismissed the other maids saying that he would call if he wanted anything.

Dozing off, he dreamed that Qiguan had come to tell of his capture by prince Zhongshun's steward; after which Jinchuan appeared, in tears, to explain why she had thrown herself into

asleep. Tiptoeing out again, she went off to wash her hair.

But it was difficult for Bao-yu to lie quietly for very long. The pain in his buttocks was like the stabbing and pricking of knives and needles and there was a burning sensation in them as if he were being grilled over a fire, so that the slightest movement made him cry out.

Already it was growing late. Aroma appeared to have gone away, but two or three maids were still in attendance. As there was nothing that they could do for him, he told them that they might go off and prepare themselves for the night, provided that they remained within call. The maids accordingly withdrew, leaving him on his own.

He had dozed off. The shadowy form of Jiang Yu-han had come in to tell him of his capture by the Prince of Zhong--shun’s men, followed, shortly after, by Golden, who gave him a tearful

宝玉半梦半醒，都不在意。忽又觉有人推他，恍恍忽忽听得有人悲戚之声。宝玉从梦中惊醒，睁眼一看，不是别人，却是林黛玉。

宝玉犹恐是梦，忙又将身子欠起来，向脸上细细一认，只见两个眼睛肿的桃儿一般，满面泪光，不是黛玉，却是那个？

宝玉还欲看时，怎奈下半截疼痛难忍，支持不住，便\"嗳哟\"一声，仍就倒下，叹了一声，说道： the well.

Half sleeping and half waking, he paid only scant attention. But then he felt himself shaken and caught the faint sound of sobbing. He opened his eyes with a start to see Daiyu.

Suspecting at first that this was another dream, he propped him¬self up to look at her more closely. Her eyes were swollen, her face was bathed in tears: it was Daiyu beyond a doubt.

He would have gazed at her longer, but the pain in his legs was so unbearable that he fell back with a groan.

account of how she had drowned herself.

In his half dream, half-awake state he was having the greatest difficulty in attending to what they were saying, when suddenly he felt someone pushing him and became dimly aware of a sound of weeping in his ear. He gave a start. Fully awake now, he opened his eyes. It was Lin Dai-yu.

Suspecting this, too, to be a dream, he raised his head to look. A pair of eyes swollen like peaches met his own, and a face that was glistening with tears. It was Dai-yu all right, no doubt about that.

He would have looked longer, but the strain of raising himself was causing such excruciating pain in his nether parts, that he fell back again with a groan. The groan was followed by a sigh.

\"你又做什么跑来！虽说太阳落下去，那地上的余气未散，走两趟又要受了暑。我虽然捱了打，并不觉疼痛。我这个样儿，只装出来哄他们，好在外头布散与老爷听，其实是假的。你不可认真。\"

此时林黛玉虽不是嚎啕大哭，然越是这等无声之泣，气噎喉堵，更觉得利害。听了宝玉这番话，心中虽然有万句言语，只是不能说得，半日，方抽抽噎噎的说道： \"你从此可都改了罢！\"

宝玉听说，便长叹一声，道：\"你放心，别说这样话。就便为这些人死了，也是情愿的！\" \"You shouldn't have come,\" he said. \"Though the sun's set, the ground is still hot. Walking here and back may make you unwell again. I'm not in any pain after my beating, just putting on an act to fool them so that word of it will get out to my father. I'm shamming actually. Don't you worry about me. \"

Daiyu was not crying aloud. She swallowed her tears in silence till she felt as if she would choke. She had a thousand replies to make to Baoyu, but not one word could she utter. At long last she sobbed:

\"Never do such things again.\"

\"Don't you worry,\" replied Baoyu with a long sigh. \"Please don't talk this way. I would die

‘Now what have you come for?’ he said. ‘The sun’s not long set and the ground must still be very hot underfoot. You could still get a heat-stroke at this time of day, and that would he a fine how-do-you-do. Actually, in spite of the beating, I don’t feel very much pain. This fuss I make is put on to fool the others. I’m hoping they’ll spread the word around outside how badly I’ve been hurt, so that Father gets to hear of it. It’s all shamming, really. You mustn’t be taken in by it.’

Dai-yu’s sobbing had by this time ceased to be audible; but somehow her strangled, silent weeping was infinitely more pathetic than the most clamorous grief. At that moment volumes would have been inadequate to contain the things she wanted to say to him; yet all she could get out, after struggling for some time with her choking sobs, was

‘I suppose you’ll change now.’

Bao-yu gave a long sigh.

‘Don’t worry, I

一句话未了，只见院外人说：\"二奶奶来了。\" 林黛玉便知是凤姐来了，连忙立起身说道：\"我从后院子去罢，回来再来。\"

宝玉一把拉住道：\"这可奇了，好好的怎么怕起他来。\"林黛玉急的跺脚，悄悄的说道：\"你瞧瞧我的眼睛，又该他取笑开心呢。\"宝玉听说赶忙的放手。黛玉三步两步转过床后，出后院而去。

凤姐从前头已进来了，问宝玉：\"可好些了？想什么吃，叫人往我那里取去。\"接着，薛姨妈又来happily for people like them, and I'm still alive.\"

At this point some maids in the courtyard announced Xifeng's arrival. Daiyu at once stood up.

\"I'll go out the back way and drop in again later,\" she said.

Baoyu caught her hand protesting, \"That's a strange thing to do. Why should you be afraid of her?\"

Daiyu stamped one foot in desperation.

\"Look at my eyes,\" she whispered. \"She'd make fun of me if she saw. \" At once he released her and she slipped past his bed and out through the back court just as Xifeng came in from the front.

\"Are you better?\" she asked Baoyu. \"If you fancy anything to eat, send someone to my place

shan’t change. People like that are worth dying for. I wouldn’t change if he killed me.’

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when they heard someone outside in the courtyard saying:

‘Mrs Lian has come.’

Dai-yu had no wish to see Xi-feng, and rose to her feet hurriedly.

Bao-yu seized hold of her hand.

‘Now that’s funny. Why should you start being afraid of her all of a sudden?’

She stamped with impatience.

‘Look at the state my eyes are in I’ she said. ‘I don’t want them all making fun of me again.’

At that Bao-yu released her hand and she bounded round to the back of the bed, slipping into the rear courtyard just as Xi-feng was entering the room from the front.

‘A bit better now?’ said Xi-feng. ‘Is there anything you feel like eating yet? If there is, tell

了。一时贾母又打发了人来。至掌灯时分，宝玉只喝了两口汤，便昏昏沉沉的睡去。

接着，周瑞媳妇，吴新登媳妇，郑好时媳妇这几个有年纪常往来的，听见宝玉捱了打，也都进来。

袭人忙迎出来，悄悄的笑道：\"婶婶们来迟了一步，二爷才睡着了。\"

说着，一面带他们到那边房里坐了，倒茶与他们for it.\"

Aunt Xue called next. And then the Lady Dowager sent maids to inquire after the invalid. When it was time to light the lamps, Baoyu swal¬lowed two mouthfuls of soup and soon dozed off.

Then came some of the older maid-servants, the wives of Zhou Rui, Wu Xindeng and Zheng Haoshi, who were in the habit of calling and had dropped in after hearing of today's trouble. Xiren hurried out to greet them with a smile.

\"You're a second too late, aunties,\" she whispered, \"Master Bao has just gone to sleep.\"

She offered them tea in the outer room and after

them to come round to my place and get it.’

As soon as Xi-feng had gone, Bao-yu was visited by Aunt Xue, and shortly after that by someone whom his grand-mother had sent to see how he was getting on. At lighting-up time, after taking a few mouthfuls of soup, he settled down into a fitful sleep.

Just then a new group of visitors arrived, consisting of Zhou Rui’s wife, Wu Xin-deng’s wife, Zheng Hao-shi’s wife, and those other members of the mansion’s female staff who had had most to do with Bao-yu in the past and who, having heard of his beating, were anxious to see how he was. Aroma came out smiling on to the verandah to welcome them.

‘You’re just too late to see him, ladies,’ she told them in a low voice. ‘He’s just this minute dropped off.’

She ushered them into the Outer room, invited them to be seated,

吃。那几个媳妇子都悄悄的坐了一回，向袭人说：\"等二爷醒了，你替我们说罢。\"

袭人答应了，送他们出去。刚要回来，只见王夫人使个婆子来，口称\"太太叫一个跟二爷的人呢。\"

袭人见说，想了一想，便回身悄悄的告诉晴雯，麝月，檀云，秋纹等说：\"太太叫人，你们好生在房里，我去了就来。\"

说毕，同那婆子一径出了园子，来至上房。王夫人正坐在凉榻上摇着芭蕉扇子，见他来了，说：\"不管叫个谁来也罢了。你又丢下他来了，谁伏侍他sitting quietly for a while

they left, having asked her to let Baoyu know that they had called.

As Xiren was coming back from seeing them off, one of Lady Wang's women accosted her with the message that her mistress wanted to see one of Master Bao's maids.

Xiren came to a quick decision. Turning softly she told Qingwen, Sheyue, Tanyun and Qiuwen:

\"The mistress has sent for one of us. You see to things here. I'll be back presently.\"

She went with the other woman out of the Garden to Lady Wang's apartments, where she found her fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan on

and served them with tea. After sitting there very quietly for several minutes, they got up to take their leave, requesting Aroma as they did so that she would inform Bao-yu when he waked that they had been round to ask about him.

Aroma promised to do so and showed them out. Just as she was about to go in again, an old woman arrived from Lady Wang’s to say that ‘Her Ladyship would like to see one of Master Bao’s people.’

After reflecting for a moment, Aroma turned to the house and called softly to Skybright, Musk and Ripple inside.

‘Her Ladyship wants to see someone, so I’m going over. Stay indoors and keep an eye on things while I’m away. I shan’t be long.’

Then she followed the old woman out of the Garden and round to Lady Wang’s apartment in the central courtyard. She found Lady Wang sitting on a cane summer-bed

呢？\"

袭人见说，连忙陪笑回道：\"二爷才睡安稳了，那四五个丫头如今也好了，会伏侍二爷了，太太请放心。恐怕太太有什么话吩咐，打发他们来，一时听不明白，倒耽误了。\"

王夫人道：\"也没甚话，白问问他这会子疼的怎么样。\"

袭人道：\"宝姑娘送去的药，我给二爷敷上了，比先好些了。先疼的躺不the couch.

\"Why didn't you send one of the others?\" asked Baoyu's mother. \"Who'll look after him in your absence?\"

\"Master Bao's sound asleep now, and the other girls know how to look after him,\" Xiren answered confidently. \"Please don't worry, madam. I thought perhaps you had some instructions which one of the others might not understand, and that might hold things up.\" \"I've no special instructions. I just wanted to know how he is now.\"

\"Miss Baochai brought us a salve, and after I applied it he seemed better. At

and fanning herself with a palm leaf fan. She appeared not entirely pleased when she saw that it was Aroma.

‘You could have sent one of the others,’ she said. ‘There was no need for you to come and leave him unattended.’

Aroma smiled reassuringly.

‘Master Bao has just settled down for the night, Madam. If he should want anything, the others are nowadays quite capable of looking after him on their own. Your Ladyship has no need to worry. I thought I had better come myself and not send one of the others, in case Your Ladyship had something important to tell us. I was afraid that if I sent one of the others, they might not understand what you wanted.’

‘I have nothing in particular to tell you,’ said Lady Wang. ‘I merely wanted to ask about my son. How is the pain now?’

‘Much better since I put on some of the lotion that Miss Bao brought for him,’ said Aroma. ‘It was

稳，这会子都睡沉了，可见好些了。\"

王夫人又问：\"吃了什么没有？\"

袭人道：\"老太太给的一碗汤，喝了两口，只嚷干喝，要吃酸梅汤。我想着酸梅是个收敛的东西，才刚捱了打，又不许叫喊，自然急的那热毒热血未免不存在心里，倘或吃下这个去激在心里，再弄出大病来，可怎么样呢。因此我劝了半天才没吃，只拿那糖腌的玫瑰卤子和了吃，吃了半碗，又嫌吃絮了，不香甜。\" first the pain kept him awake, but now he's sleeping soundly. It shows he's on the mend.\"

\"Did he eat anything?\"

\"Only two mouthfuls of the soup the old lady sent. He complained he was parched and asked for some sour plum juice. But I thought to my¬self: Sour things are astringent, and when he was beaten and couldn't cry out some choleric humours must have rushed to his viscera; plum juice might affect them, bringing on a serious illness, and that would never do. Finally I talked him out of it and gave him some candied rose petals instead. He only ate half a bowl, though, then found it cloying and in¬sipid.\"

so bad before that he couldn’t lie still, but now he’s sleeping quite soundly, so you can tell it must be better than it was.’

‘Has he had anything to eat yet?’ said Lady Wang.

‘He had a few sips of some soup Her Old Ladyship sent,’ said Aroma, ‘but that’s all he would take. He kept complaining that he felt dry. He wanted me to give him plum bitters to drink, but of course that’s an astringent, and I thought to myself that as he’d just had a beating and not been allowed to cry out during it, a lot of hot blood and hot poison must have been driven inwards and still be collected round his heart, and if he were to drink some of that stuff, it might stir them up and bring on a serious illness, so I talked him out of it. After a lot of persuading, I got him to take some rose syrup instead, that I mixed up in water for him; but after only half a cup of it he said it tasted sickly and he

王夫人道：\"嗳哟，你不该早来和我说。前儿有人送了两瓶子香露来，原要给他点子的，我怕他胡糟踏了，就没给。既是他嫌那些玫瑰膏子絮烦，把这个拿两瓶子去。一碗水里只用挑一茶匙儿，就香的了不得呢。\"说着就唤彩云来，\"把前儿的那几瓶香露拿了来。\"

袭人道：\"只拿两瓶来罢，多了也白糟踏。等不够再要，再来取也是一样。\"

彩云听说，去了半日，果然拿了两瓶来，付与袭人。袭人看时，只见两个玻璃小瓶，却有三寸大小，上面螺丝银盖，鹅黄

\"Why didn't you send and let me know before?\" cried Lady Wang. \"The other day I was sent a couple of bottles of scented flower juice and meant to give them to him, but thought he might waste them. If he finds rose petals cloying, take him these. One tea-spoon in a bowl of water is delicious.\" She told Caiyun, \"Fetch those bottles of juice which were brought the other day.\"

\"Two bottles will be plenty,\" Xiren assured her, \"More would be wasted. We can always come and ask for more when it's finished.\"

Caiyun went off on this errand, returning presently with two bottles which she handed to Xiren. They were tiny

couldn’t get it down.’

‘Oh dear, I wish you’d told me sooner,’ said Lady Wang. ‘We were sent some bottles of flavouring the other day that I could have let you have. As a matter of fact I was going to send him some of them, but then I thought that if I did they would probably only get wasted, so I didn’t. If he can’t manage the rose syrup, I can easily give you a few of them to take back with you. You need only mix a teaspoonful of essence in a cupful of water. The flavours are quite delicious.’ She called Suncloud to her. ‘Fetch me a few of those bottles of flavouring essence that were sent us the other day.’

‘Two will be enough,’ said Aroma, ‘otherwise it will only get wasted. If we run Out, I can always come back for more later.’

Suncloud was gone for a considerable time. Eventually she returned with two little glass bottles, each about three

笺上写着\"木樨清露\"，那一个写着\"玫瑰清露\"

袭人笑道：\"好金贵东西！这么个小瓶子，能有多少？\"

王夫人道：\"那是进上的，你没看见鹅黄笺子？你好生替他收着，别糟踏了。\"

袭人答应着，方要走时，王夫人又叫：\"站着，我想起一句话来问你。\"

袭人忙又回来。王夫人见房内无人，便问道：\"我glass bottles barely three inches high, with silver caps which screwed on, and yellow labels. On one was written \"Pure Osmanthus Juice,\" on the other \"Pure Rose Juice.\"

\"What luxury objects!\" Xiren laughed. \"Such small bottles can't hold much.\"

\"They're for the Imperial use,\" explained Lady Wang. \"Don't you see the yellow label? Mind you keep them carefully for him. Don't waste any of the juice.\"

Xiren assented and was about to leave when Lady Wang told her to wait. \"There's something else I want to ask you,\" she said.

Having made sure that no one else was about she

inches high, which she handed to Aroma. They had screw on silver tops and yellow labels. One of-them was labelled ‘Essence of Cassia Flower’ and the other one ‘Essence of Roses’.

‘What tiny little bottles!’ said Aroma. ‘They can’t hold very much. I suppose the stuff inside them must be very precious.’

‘It was made specially for the Emperor,’ said Lady Wang. ‘That’s what the yellow labels mean. Haven’t you seen labels like that before? Mind you look after them and don’t let the stuff in them get wasted.’

Aroma promised -to be careful and began to go.

‘Just a minute!’ said Lady Wang. ‘I’ve thought of some-thing else that I wanted to ask you.’

Aroma returned. Lady Wang first glanced about her to make sure

恍惚听见宝玉今儿捱打，是环儿在老爷跟前说了什么话。你可听见这个了？你要听见，告诉我听听，我也不吵出来教人知道是你说的。\"

袭人道： \"我倒没听见这话，为二爷霸占着戏子，人家来和老爷要，为这个打的。\"

王夫人摇头说道：\"也为这个，还有别的原故。\"

袭人道：\"别的原故实在不知道了。我今儿在太太跟前大胆说句不知好歹的话。论理。。。。。。\"说了半截忙又咽住。 continued, \"There's talk that the master beat Baoyu because of some tale Huan told. Did you hear that? If you did, just tell me what it was. I won't make a rumpus about it. No one will know that it was you who told me.\"

\"No, I didn't hear that,\" replied Xiren. \"I heard it was because Mas¬ter Bao kept an actor from some prince's mansion, and they came to ask His Lordship to send him back.\"

Lady Wang shook her head.

\"That was one reason, but there was another too. \"

\"If there's anything else I really don't know it,\" rejoined Xiren. She added, \"May I make so bold, now that I'm here, to suggest something, madam9

She broke off at this point.

that no one else was in the room, then she said:

‘I think I heard someone say that Bao-yu’s beating today was because of something that Huan had said to Sir Zheng. I suppose you don’t happen to have heard anything about that?’

‘No. I haven’t heard anything about that,’ said Aroma. ‘What I heard was that it was because Master Bao had been going around with one of Prince Somebody or other’s players and the Master was told about it by someone who called.’

Lady Wang nodded her head mysteriously.

‘Yes, that was one of the reasons. But -there was another reason as well.’

‘I really know nothing about any other reason, Your Ladyship,’ said Aroma. She dropped her head and hesitated a moment before going on. ‘I wonder if I might be rather bold and say something very outspoken

王夫人道：\"你只管说。\"

袭人笑道：\"太太别生气，我就说了。\"王夫人道：\"我有什么生气的，你只管说来。\"

袭人道：\"论理，我们二爷也须得老爷教训两顿。若老爷再不管，将来不知做出什么事来呢。\"

王夫人一闻此言，便合掌念声\"阿弥陀佛\"，由不得赶着袭人叫了一声\"我的儿，亏了你也明白，这话和我的心一样。我何曾不知道管儿子，先时你珠大爷在，我是怎么样管他，难道我如今倒不知管儿子了？

只是有个原故：如今我想，我已经快五十岁的人，通共剩了他一个，他

\"Go on.

With a sly smile she went on, \"I hope Your Ladyship won't think it presumptuous.\"

\"Of course not. What is it?\"

\"Actually, Master Bao does need to be taught a lesson. If His Lord¬ship doesn't discipline him, there's no knowing what may happen in future.\"

On hearing this, Lady Wang clapped her hands together, exclaiming \"Gracious Buddha!\" Then although so eager to hear more, she confided, \"Dear child, I'm glad you are so understanding -- that's exactly how I fed. Of course I know the importance of discipline. I haven't forgotten how strict I was with Master Zhu.

But there's a reason for my indul¬gence now. I'm getting on for fifty, and

to Your Ladyship? Really and truly ’ She faltered.

‘Please go on.’

‘I will if Your Ladyship will promise not to he angry with me.’

‘That’s all right,’ said Lady Wang. ‘Just tell me what you have to say.’

‘Well, really and truly,’ said Aroma, ‘Master Bao needed punishing. If the Master didn’t keep an eye on him, there’s no knowing what he mightn’t get up to.’

‘My child,’ said Lady Wang with a warmth rarely seen in her, ‘those are exactly my own sentiments. How clever of you to have understood! Of course, I know perfectly well that Bao-yu is in need of discipline; and anyone who saw how strict I used to be with Mr Zhu would realize that I am capable of exercising it.

But I have my reasons. A woman of fifty cannot expect to bear any

又长的单弱，况且老太太宝贝似的，若管紧了他，倘或再有个好歹，或是老太太气坏了，那时上下不安，岂不倒坏了。所以就纵坏了他。

我常常掰着口儿劝一阵，说一阵，气的骂一阵，哭一阵，彼时他好，过后儿还是不相干，端的吃了亏才罢了。若打坏了，将来我靠谁呢！\"说着，由不得滚下泪来。

袭人见王夫人这般悲感，自己也不觉伤了心，陪着落泪。

又道：\"二爷是太太养的，岂不心疼。便是我们做下人的伏侍一场，大家落个I've only the one son left;

be¬sides, he's rather delicate and the old lady dotes on him. If I were too strict so that something happened to him, or if the old lady were upset, the whole household would be turned upside down and that would be even worse. That's why he's been spoiled.

I'm always scolding him, plead¬ing with him, getting angry with him or crying over him, but after a short improvement back he slips. He'll never mend his ways unless he's made to smart. Yet if he's badly injured, I'll have no one to depend on in the future.\" With this she burst into tears.

And Xiren, seeing her distress, wept in sympathy.

\"He's your son, madam, of course you take this to heart. Even those of us

more children and Bao-yu is now the only son I have. He is not a very strong boy; and his Grannie dotes on him. I daren’t risk being strict. I daren’t risk losing another son. I daren’t risk angering Her Old Ladyship and upsetting the whole household.

I do once in a while have it out with him but though I have argued and pleaded and wept, it doesn’t do any good. He seems all right at the time, but he’ll be just the same again a short while afterwards and I always know that I have failed to reach him. Jam afraid he has to suffer before he can learn but suppose it’s too much for him? suppose he doesn’t get over this beating? What will become of me?’

She began to cry.

Seeing her mistress so distressed, Aroma herself was affected and began to cry too.

‘I can understand Your Ladyship being so upset,’ she said, ‘when he’s your own son. Even

平安，也算是造化了，要这样起来，连平安都不能了。

那一日那一时我不劝二爷，只是再劝不醒。偏生那些人又肯亲近他，也怨不得他这样，总是我们劝的倒不好了。

今儿太太提起这话来，我还记挂着一件事，每要来回太太，讨太太个主意。只是我怕太太疑心，不但我的话白说了，且连葬身之地都没了。\"

王夫人听了这话内有因，

who wait on him would we servants that have be happy if everyone been with him for a few could keep out of trouble. years get worried about If things go on like this

him. The most that we can

we'll have no peace either. ever hope for is to do our

duty and get by without

too much trouble but even

that won’t be possible if

he goes on the way he has

been doing.

Not a day goes by but I I’m always telling reason with Master Bao, him to change his ways. yet it has no effect. It's not Every day every hour I his fault if people of that

tell him. But it’s no use;

sort make up to him, and

he won’t listen. Of course,

he loses patience when we

if these people will make

reason with him.

so much fuss of him, you

can hardly blame him for

going round with them

though it does make our

job more difficult. Since you've brought this

But now that Your

up, madam, I'd like to ask

Ladyship has spoken like

your advice about

this, it puts me in mind of

something that's been

worrying me for a long something that’s been time. I've never raised it worrying me which I before for fear you might should like to have asked misunderstand. In that Your Ladyship’s advice case, not only would I be about, only I was afraid wasting my breath but you might take it amiss, taking an outrageous and then not only should I liberty.\" have spoken to no purpose, but I should

leave myself without even

a grave to lie in...’

Lady Wang realized there

It was evident to

忙问道：\"我的儿，你有话只管说。近来我因听见众人背前背后都夸你，我只说你不过是在宝玉身上留心，或是诸人跟前和气，这些小意思好，所以将你和老姨娘一体行事。谁知你方才和我说的话全是大道理，正和我的想头一样。你有什么只管说什么，只别教别人知道就是了。\"

袭人道：\"我也没什么别的说。我只想着讨太太一个示下，怎么变个法儿，以后竟还教二爷搬出园外来住就好了。\"

王夫人听了，吃一大惊，was something behind this.

\"Just say what's on your mind, my child,\" she urged. \"I've heard nothing but good of you recently from everyone. I assumed it was just because you looked after Baoyu well and were pleasant to everybody. Such thoughtfulness in little things is good. That's why I treated you like one of the old nurses. Now I see you have principles too and your views coincide with mine. Just say whatever's on your mind, but don't let it go any further.\"

\"It's nothing else, only that I was hoping Your Ladyship might ar¬range for Master Bao to move out of the Garden.\"

Lady Wang was shocked.

Lady Wang that what she was struggling to get out was a matter of some consequence.

‘What is it you want to tell me, my child?’ she said kindly. ‘I’ve heard a lot of people praising you recently, and I confess that I assumed it must be because you took special pains in serving Bao-yu or in making yourself agreeable to other people—little things of that sort. But I see that I was wrong. These are not at all little things that you have been talking about. What you have said so far makes very good sense and entirely accords with my own opinion of the matter. So if you have anything to tell me, I should like to hear it. But I must ask you not to discuss it with anyone else.’

‘All I really wanted to ask,’ said Aroma, ‘was if Your Ladyship could advise me how later on we can somehow or other contrive to get Master Bao moved back outside the Garden,’

Lady Wang looked startled and clutched

忙拉了袭人的手问道：

\"宝玉难道和谁作怪了不成？

袭人连忙回道：\"太太别多心，并没有这话。这不过是我的小见识。如今二爷也大了，里头姑娘们也大了，况且林姑娘宝姑娘又是两姨姑表姊妹，虽说是姊妹们，到底是男女之分，日夜一处起坐不方便，由不得叫人悬心，便是外人看着也不象。

一家子的事，俗语说的`没事常思有事'，世上多少无头脑的人，多半因为无心中做出，有心人看见，当作有心事，反说坏了。只是预先不防着，断然不好。 She caught hold of Xiren's hand.

\"Has Baoyu been up to anything improper?\"

\"No, no, madam. Don't misunderstand me. Nothing of that sort. But in my humble opinion, now that he and the young ladies are no longer children and, what's more, Miss Lin and Miss Bao aren't members of the family, cousins of different sexes should live apart. When they spend all their time together every day, it's not convenient for them and we can't help worrying. Besides, it doesn't look good to people outside.

As the proverb has it: Best be prepared for the worst. A lot of foolishness is quite innocent, but suspicious people always think the worst. Better make sure in advance that there's no trouble.

Aroma’s hand in some alarm.

‘I hope Bao-yu hasn’t been doing something dreadful with one of the girls?’

‘Oh no, Your Ladyship, please don’t suspect that!’ said Aroma hurriedly. ‘That wasn’t my meaning at all. It’s just that—if you’ll allow me to say so—Master Bao and the young ladies are beginning to grow up now, and though they are all cousins, there is the difference of sex between them, which makes it very awkward sometimes when they are all living together, especially in the case of Miss Lin and Miss Bao, who aren’t even of the same clan. One can’t help feeling uneasy.

Even to outsiders it looks like a very strange sort of family. They say “where nothing happens, imagination is busiest”, and I’m sure lots of unaccountable

misfortunes begin when some innocent little thing we did unthinkingly ‘gets misconstrued in someone else’s imagination and reported as something

二爷素日性格，太太是知道的。他又偏好在我们队里闹，倘或不防，前后错了一点半点，不论真假，人多口杂，那起小人的嘴有什么避讳，心顺了，说的比菩萨还好，心不顺，就贬的连畜牲不如。

二爷将来倘或有人说好，不过大家直过没事，若要叫人说出一个不好字来，我们不用说，粉身碎骨，罪有万重，都是平常小事，但后来二爷一生的声名品行岂不完了，二则太太也难见老爷。

\"You know, madam, what Master Bao is like and how he enjoys amus¬ing himself with us girls. If no precautions are taken and he does some¬thing the least bit foolish -- no matter whether it's true or not -- there's bound to be talk. Lowclass people will gossip. When they're well dis¬posed, they laud you to the skies; when they're not, they talk as if you were worse than a beast.

If people speak well of him, that's as it should be. If a single slighting remark is passed, not only shall we deserve a thousand deaths - that's not important - but his reputation will be ruined for life and how will you answer for it to His Lordship?

terrible.

We just have to be on our guard against that sort of thing happening especially when Master Bao has such a peculiar character, as Your Ladyship knows, and spends all his time with girls. He only has to make the tiniest slip in an unguarded moment, and whether he really did anything or not, with so many people about and some of them no better than they should be there is sure to be scandal. For you know what some of these people are like, Your Ladyship. If they feel well-disposed towards you, they’ll make you out to be a saint; but if they’re not, then Heaven help you!

If Master Bao lives to be spoken well of’ we can count ourselves lucky; but the way things are, it only needs someone to breathe a word of scandal and - I say nothing of what will happen to us servants—it’s of no consequence if we’re all chopped up for mincemeat—but what’s

俗语又说`君子防不然'，不如这会子防避的为是。太太事情多，一时固然想不到。我们想不到则可，既想到了，若不回明太太，罪越重了。近来我为这事日夜悬心，又不好说与人，惟有灯知道罢了。\"

王夫人听了这话，如雷轰电掣的一般，正触了金钏儿之事，心内越发感爱袭人不尽，忙笑道：

Another proverb says: A gentleman should show providence. Better guard against this now. You're naturally too busy, madam, to think of these things, and they might not occur to us either. But if they do and we fail to mention it, that would be very remiss. Lately this has been preying on my mind day and night, but I couldn't mention it to anyone else. Only my lamp at night knew how I worried!\"

Lady Wang felt thunderstruck on hearing this, borne out as it was by the case of Jinchuan. The more she thought, the more grateful she felt to Xiren.

more important, Master Bao’s reputation will be destroyed for life and all the care and worry Your Ladyship and Sir Zheng have had on his account will have been wasted.

I know Your Ladyship is very busy and can’t be expected to think of everything, and I probably shouldn’t have thought of this myself, but once I had thought of it, it seemed to me that it would be wrong of me not to tell Your Ladyship, and it’s been preying on my mind ever since. The only reason I haven’t mentioned it before is because I was afraid Your Ladyship might be angry with me.’

What Aroma had lust been saying about misconstructions and scandals so exactly fitted what had in fact happened in the case of Golden that for a moment Lady Wang was quite taken aback. But on reflection she felt nothing but love and gratitude for this humble servant-girl who had shown so much solicitude on her behalf.

\"我的儿，你竟有这个心胸，想的这样周全！我何曾又不想到这里，只是这几次有事就忘了。你今儿这一番话提醒了我。难为你成全我娘儿两个声名体面，真真我竟不知道你这样好。罢了，你且去罢，我自有道理。

只是还有一句话：你今既说了这样的话，我就把他交给你了，好歹留心，保全了他，就是保全了我。我自然不辜负你。\"

袭人连连答应着去了。

回来正值宝玉睡醒，袭人回明香露之事.宝玉喜不自禁，即令调来尝试，果然香妙非常。

\"What a wise child you ‘It is very perceptive of are to see so far!\" she you, my dear, to have exclaimed. \"Of course thought it all out so I've given some thought

carefully,’ she said. ‘I to this myself, but lately

have, of course, thought I've had too much else on

about this matter myself’ my mind. Now you've

reminded me. I'm glad but other things have put it you're so concerned for from my mind, and what our reputation. I really you have just said has had no idea what a good reminded me. It is most girl you are! All right, you thoughtful of you. You are may go now. Leave a very, very good everything to me. girl—Well, you may go now. I think I now know

what to do.

But I tell you this: after There is just one thing what you've said today, I before you go, though. mean to entrust Baoyu to Now that you have spoken you. You must look after to me like this, I am going him and keep him safe. to place Bao-yu entirely in That way, you'll be your hands. Be very safeguarding me as well, careful with him, won’t and I shan't forget our you? Remember that obligation to you. \"

anything you do for him

you will be doing also for

me. You will find that I am

not ungrateful.’

Aroma stood for a Xiren hastily assented and

moment with bowed head, withdrew.

weighing the import of these words. Then she said: ‘I will do what Your Back in Happy Red Ladyship has asked me to Court, she found Baoyu

the utmost of my ability’

had just woken up. When

She left the

she told him about the

juice he was delighted. He apartment slowly and

made her way back to

因心下记挂着黛玉，满心里要打发人去，只是怕袭人，便设一法，先使袭人往宝钗那里去借书。

袭人去了，宝玉便命晴雯来吩咐道：\"你到林姑娘那里看看他做什么呢。他要问我，只说我好了。\"

晴雯道：\"白眉赤眼，做什么去呢？到底说句话儿，也象一件事。\"

宝玉道： \"没有什么可说的。\" asked to taste some and pronounced it delicious.

Because Baoyu had Daiyu on his mind he was eager to send some¬one over to her, but for fear of Xiren he had to resort to a trick. He dispatched Xiren to Baochai to borrow some books, and as soon as she had left called for Qingwen.

\"Go and see what Miss Lin is doing,\" he said. \"If she asks after me, tell her I'm better.\"

\"I can't just go there without any excuse. Is there no message that you want to send?\"

\"Not that I can think of.\"

Green Delights, pondering -as she went.

When she arrived, Bao-yu had just woken up, so she told him about the flavourings. He was pleased and made her mix some for him straight away. It was quite delicious.

He kept thinking about Dai-yu and wanted to send someone over to see her, but he was afraid that Aroma would disapprove, so, as a means of getting her Out of the way?, he sent her over to Bao-chai’s place to borrow a book. As soon as she had gone, he summoned Skybright.

‘I want you to go to Miss Lin’s for me,’ he said. ‘just see what she’s doing, and if she asks about me, tell her I’m all right.’

‘I can’t go rushing in there bald-headed without a reason,’ said Skybright. ‘You’d better give me some kind of a message, just to give me an excuse for going there.’‘I have none to

晴雯道：\"若不然，或是送件东西，或是取件东西，不然我去了怎么搭讪呢？ \"

宝玉想了一想，便伸手拿了两条手帕子撂与晴雯，笑道：\"也罢，就说我叫你送这个给他去了。\"

晴雯道：\"这又奇了。他要这半新不旧的两条手帕子？他又要恼了，说你打趣他。\"

宝玉笑道：\"你放心，他自然知道。\"

晴雯听了，只得拿了帕子往潇湘馆来。只见春纤正在栏杆上晾手帕子，见他进来，忙摆手儿，说：\"睡下了。\"

\"Give me something to take then, or ask to borrow something. Other-wise what am I going to say when I see her?\"

After a little thought Baoyu picked up two handkerchiefs and tossed them to her.

\"All right, tell her I sent you to give her these.\"

\"This is even odder!\" cried Qingwen. \"What would she want two old handkerchiefs for? She'll flare up again and say you're teasing her.\"

\"Don't worry. She'll understand.\"

So Qingwen took his gift to Bamboo Lodge, where she found Chunxian hanging some handkerchiefs to dry on the balustrade.

Chunxian held up a warning finger \"She's

give,’ said Bao-yu.

‘Well, give me something to take, then,’ said Skybright, ‘or think of something I can ask her for. Otherwise it will look so silly.’

Bao-yu thought for a bit and then, reaching out and picking up two of his old handkerchiefs, he tossed them towards her with a smile.

‘All right. Tell her I said you were to give her these.’

‘That’s an odd sort of present!’ said Skybright. ‘What’s she going to do with a pair of your old handkerchiefs? Most likely she’ll think you’re making-fun of her and get upset again.’

‘No she won’t,’ said Bao-yu. ‘She’ll understand.’

Skybright-deemed it pointless to argue, so she picked up the handkerchiefs and went off to the Naiad’s House. Little Delicate, who was hanging some towels out to dry on the verandah

晴雯走进来，满屋а黑。并未点灯。黛玉已睡在床上，问是谁。

晴雯忙答道：\"晴雯。\"

黛玉道：\"做什么？\"

晴雯道：\"二爷送手帕子来给姑娘。\"

黛玉听了，心中发闷：\"做什么送手帕子来给我？\"因问：\"这帕子是谁送他的？必是上好的，叫他留着送别人去罢，我这会子不用这个。\"

晴雯笑道：\"不是新的，就是家常旧的。\" gone to bed.

Qingwen slipped into the dark room where the lamps were not yet lit. Daiyu, lying on the bed, asked who it was.

\"It's me, Qingwen.\"

\"What do you want?\"

\"Master Bao has sent you some handkerchiefs, miss.\"

Why should he send me handkerchiefs? Daiyu wondered. \"Who gave these to him?\" she asked. \"I suppose they're specially fine ones. Tell him to keep them for someone else, I don't need them for the time being.\"

\"They're not new,\" replied Qingwen giggling. \"He's

railings, saw her enter the courtyard and attempted to wave her away.

‘She’s gone to bed.’

Skybright ignored her and went on inside. The lamps had not been lit and the room was in almost total darkness. The voice of Dai-yu, lying awake in bed, spoke to her out of the shadows.

‘Who is it?’

‘Skybright.’

‘What do you want?’

‘Master Bao has sent me with some handkerchiefs, Miss?

Dai-yu seemed to hesitate. She -found the gift puzzling and was wondering what it could mean.

‘I suppose they must be very good ones,’ she said. ‘Probably someone gave them to him. Tell him to keep them and give them to some body else. I have no use for them just now myself.’

Skybright laughed. ‘They’re not new

林黛玉听见，越发闷住，着实细心搜求，思忖一时，方大悟过来，连忙说：\"放下，去罢。\"

晴雯听了，只得放下，抽身回去，一路盘算，不解何意。

这里林黛玉体贴出手帕子的意思来，不觉神魂驰荡：

宝玉这番苦心，能领会我这番苦意，又令我可喜，我这番苦意，不知将来如何，又令我可悲，

忽然好好的送两块旧帕子来，若不是领我深意，often used them.\"

Daiyu was even more mystified at this, but some careful thought cleared up the riddle for her.

\"Leave them then,\" she said quickly, \"You may go.

So Qingwen put down the handkerchiefs and left, puzzling her head all the way back over this gift.

Meanwhile Daiyu, touched by the meaning of this gift, was lost in reverie.

Pleased as she was by Baoyu's insight and sympathy, it was sad to think that all her concern for him might come to nothing.

This unex¬pected present of two used

ones, Miss. They’re two of his did, everyday ones.’

This was even more puzzling. Dai-yu thought very hard for some moments. Then suddenly, in a flash, she understood.

‘Put them down. You may go now.’

Skybright did as she was bid and withdrew. All the way back to Green Delights she tried to make sense of what had happened, but it continued to mystify her.

Meanwhile the message that eluded Skybright had thrown Dai-yu into a turmoil of conflicting emotions.

‘I feel so happy,’ she thought, ‘that in the midst of his own affliction he has been able to grasp the cause of all my trouble.

‘And yet at the same time I am sad,’ she thought; ‘because how do I know that my trouble will end in the way I want it to?

‘Actually, I feel rather amused,’ she

单看了这帕子，又令我可笑，再想令人私相传递与我，又可惧，我自己每每好哭，想来也无味，又令我可愧。

如此左思右想，一时五内沸然炙起。黛玉由不得余意绵缠，令掌灯，也想不起嫌疑避讳等事，便向案上研墨蘸笔，便向那两块旧帕子上走笔写道：

眼空蓄泪泪空垂，暗洒闲抛却为谁？

尺幅鲛あ劳解赠叫人焉得不伤悲！ handkerchiefs was rather laughable if it were not for the fact that she understood the thought behind it; yet it was scandalous that he should send and she accept a secret gift. And it made her ashamed of her habit of crying so much.

As she mused in this way, her heart was very full, her mind in a turmoil. Having ordered the lamps to be lit, without any thought of the possible consequences she ground some ink on the inkstone, dipped her brush in it and quickly wrote these lines on the handkerchiefs:

Vain are all these idle tears,

Tears shed secretly -- for whom?

Your kind gift of a foot of gauze

Only deepens my gloom.

thought. ‘Fancy his sending a pair of old handkerchiefs like that! Suppose I hadn’t understood what he was getting at?

‘But I feel alarmed that he should be sending presents to me in secret.

‘Oh, and I feel so ashamed when I think how I am forever crying and quarrelling,’ she thought, ‘and all the time he has understood! …’

And her thoughts carried her this way and that, until the ferment of excitement within her cried out to be expressed. Careless of what the maids might think, she called for a lamp, sat herself down at her desk, ground some ink, softened her brush, and proceeded to compose the following quatrains, using the handkerchiefs

them-selves to write on:

Seeing my idle teats, you ask me why These foolish drops fall from my teeming eye:

Then know, your gift, being by the merfolk made,

In merman’s currency

其二

抛珠滚玉只偷潸镇日无心镇日闲，

枕上袖边难拂拭，任他点点与斑斑。

其三

彩线难收面上珠，湘江旧迹已模糊，窗前亦有千竿竹，不识香痕渍也无？

林黛玉还要往下写时，觉得浑身火热，面上作烧，走至镜台揭起锦袱一照，只见腮上通红，自羡压倒桃花，却不知病由此萌。一时方上床睡去，犹拿着那帕子思索，不在话下。

must be repaid.

By stealth I shed pearly Jewelled drops by tears,

day in secret sorrow

Idle tears the livelong

shed

day;

Or, in the night-time,

Hard to wipe them from

in my wakeful bed, sleeve and pillow,

Then suffer the stains to Lest sleeve or pillow

they should spot or stain, stay.

Shall on these gifts

shower down their salty rain. 3 No silk thread can string

Yet silk preserves but

these pearls;

ill the Naiad’s tears:

Dim now the tear-stains

of those bygone years;

A thousand bamboos Each salty trace of grow before my window – them fast disappears. Is each dappled and Only the speckled

bamboo stems that grow stained with tears?1

Outside the window still her tear marks show.

She would have written She had only more but her whole body half-filled the second was afire, her face

handkerchief and was

burning. Going to the

preparing to write

mirror-stand she removed

its silk cover and saw that another quatrain, when her flushed cheeks were she became aware that redder than peach her whole body was blossom, but failed to burning hot all over and realize that this was the her cheeks were afire. first symptom of Going over to the consumption. She went to dressing table, she bed with the removed the brocade handkerchiefs clasped in cover from the mirror her hands and lost herself

and peered into it.

in dreams.

‘Hmn! “Brighter than

the peach-flower’s hue”,’

却说袭人来见宝钗，谁知宝钗不在园内，往他母亲那里去了，袭人便空手回来。等至二更，宝钗方回来。

原来宝钗素知薛蟠情性，心中已有一半疑是薛蟠调唆了人来告宝玉的，谁知又听袭人说出来，越发信了。

To return to Xiren and her errand to Baochai, when she found that Baochai was not in the Garden but had gone to her mother's house, she went back empty-handed. And Baochai did not return till the second watch.

The fact is that Baochai's knowledge of her brother had led her to suspect that he was behind the visit of the prince's chief steward, and Xiren's report confirmed her suspicion.

she murmured complacently to the flushed face that stared out at her from the glass, and, little imagining that what she had been witnessing was the first symptom of a serious illness, went back to bed, her mind full of handkerchiefs.

*

From Dai-yu and her handkerchiefs let us return to Aroma, who, it will be remembered, bad been sent off to Bao-chai’s for a book. When she got there, she found that Bao-chai was not in the Garden, having gone round to her mother’s place outside. Not liking to return empty-handed, she waited for Bao-chai to return. It was already the beginning of the first watch when she did so.

Knowing her brother as she did, Bao-chai had already, even before hearing anything to that effect, suspected that he was in some way responsible for Bao-yu’s misfortune. What Aroma had earlier on told her had therefore been no more

究竟袭人是听焙茗说的，那焙茗也是私心窥度，并未据实，竟认准是他说的。那薛蟠都因素日有这个名声，其实这一次却不是他干的，被人生生的一口咬死是他，有口难分。

这日正从外头吃了酒回来，见过母亲，只见宝钗在这里，说了几句闲话，因问：

\"听见宝兄弟吃了亏，是为什么？\"

Xiren of course had this on hear¬say from Beiming, who had simply been guessing, not having any proof. But she now was sure of his guilt. The joke was that for all Xue Pan's bad reputation he was not to blame this time, and yet everyone con¬demned him out of hand.

Coming home today after carousing outside, Xue Pan went in to greet his mother and found Baochai with her. After they had exchanged a few words he remarked:

\"I hear Cousin Bao got a whacking. What for?\"

than confirmation of an already existing suspicion.

Yet Aroma had only been echoing what Tealeaf had told her; and what Tealeaf had told her was pure guesswork without a shred of evidence to support it. Thus what started in everyone’s mind as a sus-picion, repetition very soon compounded into a certainty. Yet the ironical fact was that he who by his past behaviour had so richly merited the reputation which had caused them to suspect him was totally innocent on the one Occasion when everyone was most unshakeably convinced of his guilt.

The object of this misunderstanding had on this particular evening returned home having had a good deal to drink out-side. He greeted his mother and then, observing that his sister, too, was sitting there, addressed a few desultory remarks to her. Suddenly he seemed to remember something.

‘I hear young

薛姨妈正为这个不自在，见他问时，便咬着牙道：

\"不知好歹的东西，都是你闹的，你还有脸来问！\"

薛蟠见说，便怔了，忙问道：\"我何尝闹什么？\"

薛姨妈道：\"你还装5憨呢！人人都知道是你说的，还赖呢。\"

薛蟠道：\"人人说我杀了人，也就信了罢？\"

薛姨妈道：\"连你妹妹都知道是你说的，难道他也赖你不成？\"

钗忙劝道：\"妈和哥哥且

Aunt Xue was already upset on this score.

\"You trouble-maker,\" she snapped back, gnashing her teeth, \"this is all your doing. And you have the impudence to ask!\"

Xue Pan was genuinely taken aback.

\"What trouble have I made?\" he asked.

\"Still playing the innocent? Everyone knows you were the one who told. Do you still deny it?\"

\"If everyone said I'd killed a man, would you believe it?\"

\"Even your sister knows it was you. Would she make up something against you?\"

\"Do keep your voices

Bao-yu’s been in trouble,’ he said. ‘What was it about?’

This was too much for Aunt Xue, who had been seething inwardly and now broke out in a fury.

‘Shameless villain! How can you have the face to ask such a question? You know very well it was all your doing?

Xue Pan stared at her in astonishment.

‘What do you mean, “all my doing”?’

‘Don’t act the injured innocent with me!’ said his mother. ‘Everyone knows it was you who told.’

‘Oh, and I suppose if everyone said I’d killed somebody, you’d believe that too!’

‘Even your sister knows it was you. I suppose you’re not going to call her a liar?’

Bao-chai hurriedly

别叫喊，消消停停的，就有个青红皂白了。\"

因向薛蟠道：\"是你说的也罢，不是你说的也罢，事情也过去了，不必较证，倒把小事儿弄大了。

我只劝你从此以后在外头少去胡闹，少管别人的事。天天一处大家胡逛，你是个不防头的人，过后儿没事就罢了。倘或有事，不是你干的，人人都也疑惑是你干的，不用说别人，我就先疑惑。\"

薛蟠本是个心直口快的人，一生见不得这样藏头露尾的事，又见宝钗劝他不要逛去，他母亲又说他犯舌，宝玉之打是他治的，早已急的乱跳，赌身发誓的分辩。 down!\" put in Baochai quickly. \"It will all be cleared up by and by.\"

She turned to her brother. \"Whether you told or not, it's over and done with. Don't let's quibble or make a mountain out of a molehill.

Take my advice, though, and stop fooling around outside. Just mind your own business. You waste all your time with those rowdies and you're too careless. If nothing happens, well and good. But if trouble starts everyone is bound to suspect you, whether you caused it or not. Why, even I would suspect you, let alone others.\"

Blunt, outspoken Xue Pan could not stand such insinuations. Baochai's warning against fooling about outside and his mother's charge that his careless talk had caused Baoyu's flogging made him stamp with rage

intervened.

‘Don’t shout so, both of you! If you’d be a bit more -calm and collected, you might have some chance of getting at the truth.’

She turned to Xue Pan: ‘Anyway, whether it was you or wasn’t you, the damage is done now. There doesn’t seem much point in raking it over or making an issue of it.

My advice to you is to keep out of mischief from now on and stop interfering in other people’s affairs. When you spend day after day fooling around outside, sooner or later something is bound to happen; and you are such a thoughtless creature, that when it does, people naturally suspect that you are the one to blame, even if you aren’t. I know I do!’

Xue Pan, for all his faults, was a forthright,

outspoken sort of fellow, unused to such

ostrich-like avoidance of the issue. Bao-chai’s strictures about fooling around’ and his mother’s insistence that he had

又骂众人：\"谁这样赃派我？我把那囚攮的牙敲了才罢！分明是为打了宝玉，没的献勤儿，拿我来作幌子。难道宝玉是天王？

他父亲打他一顿，一家子定要闹几天。那一回为他不好，姨爹打了他两下子，过后老太太不知怎么知道了，说是珍大哥哥治的，好好的叫了去骂了一顿。今儿越发拉下我了！既拉上，我也不怕，越性进去把宝玉打死了，我替他偿了命，大家干净。\" and swear he must clear himself.

\"Who's been shifting the blame on to me?\" he fumed. \"I'll smash the scoundrel's teeth. It's obvious that to make up to Baoyu they're using me as a whipping-boy. Is Baoyu the king of heaven?

Whenever his father whacks him the whole household's bound to be upside down for days. After my uncle caned him for misbehaving last time, it somehow came to the old lady's ears that Cousin Zhen was behind it and she summoned him to give him a big dressing-down. This time they're pick¬ing on me. Well, I'm not afraid. I'll

brought about Bao-yu’s beating by means of a deliberate indiscretion had exasperated him beyond endurance. He jumped about excitedly,

protesting with the most solemn and desperate oaths that he was innocent.

‘I’d like to find the comedian who’s been making up these stories about me,’ he shouted, turning in anger upon the domestics. ‘I’ll smash his rotten face in if I do. Of course, I know what this is all about: you all want to show how concerned you are for poor, darling Bao-yu, so you’ve decided to do it at my expense. What is he, anyway? a Deva King?

Every time his dad gives him a few whacks on the bum, the whole household is in a state of uproar about it for days on end. I remember that time Uncle Zheng beat him for doing something he shouldn’t have and old Lady Jia decided that Cousin Zhen was at the bottom of it. She had the poor so-and-so hauled up in front of her and there

一面嚷，一面抓起一根门闩来就跑。慌的薛姨妈一把抓住，骂道：

\"作死的孽障，你打谁去？你先打我来！\"

薛蟠急的眼似铜铃一般，嚷道：

\"何苦来！又不叫我去，又好好的赖我。将来宝玉活一日，我担一日的口舌，不如大家死了清净。\" go and kill Baoyu then pay with my life -- make a clean sweep!\"

He seized the door bar and started rushing out. In desperation his mother dragged him back.

\"You'll be the death of me, you monster,\" she scolded. \"Off to pick a fight, are you? Better kill me first.\"

Xue Pan's eyes nearly started from his head in fury.

\"What's all this nonsense!\" he bellowed. \"You won't let me go, yet pin this thing on me for no reason at all. As long as Baoyu lives, I shall always be his whipping-boy. We'd better all die and be done

was hell to pay. Now, this time, you want to drag me into it. All right then I don’t care. A life for a life. I’ll go in there and kill the little blighter then you can all do what you like to me.’

In the midst of this bawling he had picked up a door bar and was evidently going off to execute his threat; but his distraught mother clung to him and prevented him from going.

‘You stupid

creature!’ she said. ‘Who do you think you’re going to hit with that? If you’re going to hit anyone, you’d better begin with me!’

Xue Pan’s

exasperation had now reached such a pitch that his eyes stood out in his head like a pair of copper bells.

‘This is rich!’ he shouted. ‘You won’t let me go and finish him off, yet you won’t stop

provoking me by making up all these lies. Every day that fellow stays alive means one more day of nagging and lies for me to

宝钗忙也上前劝道：\"你忍耐些儿罢。妈急的这个样儿，你不说来劝妈，你还反闹的这样。别说是妈，便是旁人来劝你，也为你好，倒把你的性子劝上来了。\"

薛蟠道：\"这会子又说这话。都是你说的！\"

宝钗道：\"你只怨我说，再不怨你顾前不顾后的形景。\"

薛蟠道：\"你只会怨我顾前不顾后，你怎么不怨宝玉外头招风惹草的那个样子！

别说多的，只拿前儿琪官的事比给你们听：那琪官，我们见过十来次的，我并未和他说一句亲热with it.\"

\"Do have patience,\" urged Baochai, stepping quickly forward. \"Mother's so upset, yet instead of soothing her you raise this rumpus. When people -- especially your own mother -- advise you, it's for your own good. You shouldn't fly into a temper.\"

\"So you 're nagging again, are you?\" he roared. \"You're the one who started this.\"

\"You only blame me for nagging, never blame your own thoughtlessness.\"

\"Instead of blaming my thoughtlessness, why don't you blame Baoyu for looking for trouble outside?

Let's take just one example -- that recent business of Qiguan. I've met Qiguan a dozen times

put up with. We’d much better die, the pair of us, and make an end of it!’

‘Have a little self-control!’ said Bao-chai, joining in her mother’s efforts to restrain him. ‘Can’t you see how upset poor Mamma is? You ought to be trying to calm her, not making things worse with this uproar.’

‘Oh yes ! you can say that now,’ said Xue Pan, ‘but it was you who started all this by telling her about me, wasn’t it?’

‘It’s all very well to blame me for telling Mamma,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Why don’t you blame yourself for being so careless, you great blabber-mouth ?’

‘Me careless ?’ said Xue Pan. ‘What about the way Bao-yu stirs up

trouble for himself then?

Let me just give you an example. Let me tell you what happened between him and Bijou the other day. I’d met Bijou ten

话，怎么前儿他见了，连姓名还不知道，就把汗巾儿给他了？难道这也是我说的不成？\"

薛姨妈和宝钗急的说道：\"还提这个！可不是为这个打他呢。可见是你说的了。\"

薛蟠道：\"真真的气死人了！赖我说的我不恼，我只为一个宝玉闹的这样天翻地覆的。\"

宝钗道：\"谁闹了？你先持刀动杖的闹起来，倒说别人闹。\" without his making up to me once; but the very first time Baoyu met him, before he even knew his name, Qiguan gave him his girdle. That was my fault too, I suppose?\"

\"There you go again,\" cried his mother and sister frantically. \"That's why he got beaten. This shows you're the one who told.\"

\"You want me to burst with anger,\" growled Xue Pan. \"It's not being wrongly accused that enrages me, it's this fearful fuss you make over Baoyu.\"

\"Who's making a fuss?\" retorted Baochai. \"You started it by arming yourself and threatening to fight. Now you accuse us of fussin

times, near enough, and never had so much as a kind word out of him, yet Bao-yu, that didn’t even know him by sight, meets him for the first time the other day, and before you know where you are, he’s given him his sash! I hope you’re not going to say that that got about because of me ?’

His mother and sister were indignant.

‘That’s a fine example, isn’t it? It’s precisely because of that that he was beaten. Now we know it must have been you who told.’

‘This is enough to drive a fellow mad!’ said Xue Pan, ‘It’s not so much the lies you keep telling about me. What really gets my goat is the almighty fuss you make about this fellow Bao-yu.’

‘Almighty fuss?’ said Bao-chai. ‘You’ve just been waving a door-bar at us, and you say that we have been making a fuss ?’

薛蟠见宝钗说的话句句有理，难以驳正，比母亲的话反难回答，因此便要设法拿话堵回他去，就无人敢拦自己的话了，也因正在气头上，未曾想话之轻重，便说道：\"

好妹妹，你不用和我闹，我早知道你的心了。从先妈和我说，你这金要拣有玉的才可正配，你留了心。见宝玉有那劳什骨子，你自然如今行动护着他。\"

话未说了，把个宝钗气怔了，拉着薛姨妈哭道：

\"妈妈你听，哥哥说的是什么话！\" As all her arguments were so reasonable and even harder to refute than his mother's, Xue Pan cast about for some way to silence her in order to have his say. And being in a towering rage, he did not trouble to weigh his words carefully.

\"It's no use flying into a huff with me, my dear sister,\" he sneered. \"I can see into your heart. Mother's told me about your gold locket which has to be matched with jade. Naturally you looked round carefully, and now that you find Baoyu has that rubbishy thing you're bound to take his side.\"

Baochai was speechless at first with indignation. Then catching hold of her mother she sobbed:

\"Do you hear what he's saying, mother?\"

Xue Pan could see that Bao-chai had reason on her side and that she was much harder to argue with than his mother. He was therefore eager to find something that would stop her mouth, so that he could say what he wanted to without contradiction. This, coupled with the fact that be was by now far too angry to weigh the seriousness of what he was saying, was responsible for the unpardonable innuendo that followed.

‘All right, sis,’ he said, ‘you don’t need to quarrel with me. I know what your trouble is. Mamma told me long ago that Mr Right would be someone with a jade to match your locket, so naturally, now you’ve seen -that blasted thing that Bao-yu wears round his neck, you do all you can to stick up for him.’

Anger at first made Bao-chai speechless; then, clinging to Aunt Xue, she burst into tears.

‘Mamma, listen to what Pan is saying to me!

薛蟠见妹妹哭了，便知自己冒撞了，便赌气走到自己房里安歇不提。

这里薛姨妈气的乱战，一面又劝宝钗道：\"你素日知那孽障说话没道理，明儿我叫他给你陪不是。

宝钗满心委屈气忿，待要怎样，又怕他母亲不安，少不得含泪别了母亲，各自回来，到房里整哭了一夜。

次日早起来，也无心梳洗，胡乱整理整理，便出来瞧母亲。

可巧遇见林黛玉在花阴之下，问他那里去。薛宝钗因说\"家去\"，口里说着，便只管走。

At this Xue Pan knew he had gone too far and sullenly retired to his own room.

Though trembling with rage, Aunt Xue tried to comfort her daughter. \"You know that monster always talks nonsense,\" she said. \"Tomor¬row I'll tell him to apologize.\"

Bitterly wronged as Baochai felt, she could not make a scene for fear of upsetting her mother. So with tears in her eyes she took her leave and went back to her own apartment to cry all night.

The next morning she rose early and, without troubling to make a careful toilet, simply straightened her clothes and set off to see her mother again.

On the way she happened to meet Daiyu standing alone under the shade of some blossom and was

Realizing, when he saw his sister’s tears, that he had gone too far, Xue Pan retired sulkily to his own room and went to bed;

Bao-chai was left bursting with injury and outrage which she dared not express for fear of further upsetting her mother. She was obliged to bid the latter a tearful goodnight and go back to her own room in the Garden, where she spent the rest of the night weeping.

She was up early next morning. Too dispirited to make a

proper toilet, she stopped only to tidy herself a little before setting off for her mother’s.

On the way she met, of all people, Dai-yu, standing on her own beneath a flowering tree. ‘Where are you going?’ said Dai-yu.

‘To my mother’s.’ She answered without stopping.

Dai-yu noticed how dispirited she looked and saw that her eyes were swollen as if she had been

黛玉见他无精打采的去了，又见眼上有哭泣之状，大非往日可比，便在后面笑道：

\"姐姐也自保重些儿。就是哭出两缸眼泪来，也医不好棒疮。\"不知宝钗如何答对，且听下回分解。 asked where she was

going. Baochai, not stopping, said she was on her way home.

Daiyu saw that she looked in low spirits, quite unlike her usual self, and had been crying.

She called mischievously after her, \"Cousin, look after your health! Even if you fill two vats with tears that won't cure his welts.\"

To know how Baochai replied you must read the next chapter.

weeping.

‘Don’t make yourself ill, coz,’ she called out, almost glee-fully, to the retreating back. ‘Even a cistern full of tears won’t heal the smart of a beating!’

The nature of

Bao-chai’s reply will be revealed in the following chapter.