Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber Volume Ii Part 35

"I was just now so bent upon talking," Pao-yu smiled to Ying Erh, "that I forgot all about you. I put you to the trouble of coming, not for anything else, but that you should also make me a few nets."

"Nets! To put what in?" Ying Erh inquired.

Pao-yu, at this question, put on a smile. "Don't concern yourself about what they are for!" he replied. "Just make me a few of each kind!"

Ying Erh clapped her hand and laughed. "Could this ever be done!" she cried, "If you want all that lot, why, they couldn't be finished in ten years time."

"My dear girl," smiled Pao-yu, "work at them for me then whenever you are at leisure, and have nothing better to do."

"How could you get through them all in a little time?" Hsi Jen interposed smilingly. "First choose now therefore such as are most urgently needed and make a couple of them."

"What about urgently needed?" Ying-Erh exclaimed, "They are merely used for fans, scented pendants and handkerchiefs."

"Nets for handkerchiefs will do all right." Pao-yu answered.

"What's the colour of your handkerchief?" inquired Ying Erh.

"It's a deep red one." Pao-yu rejoined.

"For a deep red one," continued Ying Erh, "a black net will do very nicely, or one of dark green. Both these agree with the colour."

"What goes well with brown?" Pao-yu asked.

"Peach-red goes well with brown." Ying Erh added.

"That will make them look gaudy!" Pao-yu observed. "Yet with all their plainness, they should be somewhat gaudy."

"Leek-green and willow-yellow are what are most to my taste," Ying Erh pursued.

"Yes, they'll also do!" Pao-yu retorted. "But make one of peach-red too and then one of leek-green."

"Of what design?" Ying Erh remarked.

"How many kinds of designs are there?" Pao-yu said.

"There are 'the stick of incense,' 'stools upset towards heaven,' 'part of elephant's eyes,' 'squares,' 'chains,' 'plum blossom,' and 'willow leaves." Ying Erh answered.

"What was the kind of design you made for Miss Tertia the other day?"

Pao-yu inquired.

"It was the 'plum blossom with piled cores,'" Ying Erh explained in reply.

"Yes, that's nice." Pao-yu rejoined.

As he uttered this remark, Hsi Jen arrived with the cords. But no sooner were they brought than a matron cried, from outside the window: "Girls, your viands are ready!"

"Go and have your meal," urged Pao-yu, "and come back quick after you've had it."

"There are visitors here," Hsi Jen smiled, "and how can I very well go?"

"What makes you say so?" Ying Erh laughed, while adjusting the cords.

"It's only right and proper that you should go and have your food at once and then return."

Hearing this, Hsi Jen and her companions went off, leaving behind only two youthful servant-girls to answer the calls.

Pao-yu watched Ying Erh make the nets. But, while keeping his eyes intent on her, he talked at the same time of one thing and then another, and next went on to ask her how far she was in her teens.

Ying Erh continued plaiting. "I'm sixteen," she simultaneously rejoined.

"What was your original surname?" Pao-yu added.

"It was Huang;" answered Ying Erh.

"That's just the thing," Pao-yu smiled; "for in real truth there's the 'Huang Ying-erh;' (oriole)."

"My name, at one time, consisted of two characters," continued Ying Erh.

"I was called Chin Ying; but Miss Pao-ch'ai didn't like it, as it was difficult to p.r.o.nounce, and only called me Ying Erh; so now I've come to be known under that name."

"One can very well say that cousin Pao-ch'ai is fond of you!" Pao-yu pursued. "By and bye, when she gets married, she's sure to take you along with her."

Ying Erh puckered up her lips, and gave a significant smile.

"I've often told Hsi Jen," Pao-yu smiled, "that I can't help wondering who'll shortly be the lucky ones to win your mistress and yourself."

"You aren't aware," laughed Ying Erh, "that our young mistress possesses several qualities not to be found in a single person in this world; her face is a second consideration."

Pao-yu noticed how captivating Ying Erh's tone of voice was, how complaisant she was, and how simpleton-like unaffected in her language and smiles, and he soon felt the warmest affection for her; and particularly so, when she started the conversation about Pao-ch'ai.

"Where do her qualities lie?" he readily inquired. "My dear girl, please tell me!"

"If I tell you," said Ying Erh, "you must, on no account, let her know anything about it again."

"This goes without saying," smiled Pao-yu.

But this answer was still on his lips, when they overheard some one outside remark: "How is it that everything is so quiet?"

Both gazed round to see who possibly it could be. They discovered, strange enough, no one else than Pao-ch'ai herself.

Pao-yu hastily offered her a seat. Pao-ch'ai seated herself, and then wanted to know what Ying Erh was busy plaiting. Inquiring the while, she approached her and scrutinised what she held in her hands, half of which had by this time been done. "What's the fun of a thing like this?" she said. "Wouldn't it be preferable to plait a net, and put the jade in it?"

This allusion suggested the idea to Pao-yu. Speedily clapping his hands, he smiled and exclaimed: "Your idea is splendid, cousin. I'd forgotten all about it! The only thing is what colour will suit it best?"

"It will never do to use mixed colours," Pao-ch'ai rejoined. "Deep red will, on one hand, clash with the colour; while yellow is not pleasing to the eye; and black, on the other hand, is too sombre. But wait, I'll try and devise something. Bring that gold cord and use it with the black beaded cord; and if you twist one of each together, and make a net with them, it will look very pretty!"

Upon hearing this, Pao-yu was immeasurably delighted, and time after time he shouted to the servants to fetch the gold cord. But just at that moment Hsi Jen stepped in, with two bowls of eatables. "How very strange this is to-day!" she said to Pao-yu. "Why, a few minutes back, my mistress, your mother, sent some one to bring me two bowls of viands."

"The supply," replied Pao-yu smiling, "must have been so plentiful to-day, that they've sent some to every one of you."

"It isn't that," continued Hsi Jen, "for they were distinctly given to me by name. What's more, I wasn't bidden go and knock my head; so this is indeed remarkable!"