Hung Lou Meng, Book II
by Cao Xueqin
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 two
perfect men.
Hsiao Hung, the story continues, was much unsettled in her mind. Her
thoughts rolled on in one connected string. But suddenly she became
drowsy, and falling asleep, she encountered Chia Yün, who tried to
carry out his intention to drag her near him. She twisted herself
round, and endeavoured to run away; but was tripped 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 did she, in
consequence of this fright, keep on rolling and tossing that she could
not close her eyes during the whole night. As soon as the light of the
next day dawned, she got up. Several waiting-maids came at once to tell
her to go and sweep the floor of the rooms, and to bring water to wash
the face with. Hsiao Hung 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 to sweep the apartments.
Who would have thought it, Pao-yü also had set his heart upon her the
moment he caught sight of her the previous day. Yet he feared, in the
first place, that if he mentioned her by name and called her over into
his service, Hsi Jen and the other girls might feel the pangs of
jealousy. He did not, either in the second place, have any idea what
her disposition was like. The consequence was that he felt downcast; so
much so, that when he got up at an early hour, he did not even comb his
hair or wash, but simply remained seated, and brooded in a state of
abstraction. After a while, he lowered the window. Through the gauze
frame, from which he could distinctly discern what was going on
outside, he espied several servant-girls, engaged in sweeping the
court. All of them were rouged and powdered; they had flowers inserted
in their hair, and were grandly got up. But the only one, of whom he
failed to get a glimpse, was the girl he had met the day before.
Pao-yü speedily walked out of the door with slipshod shoes. Under the
pretence of admiring the flowers, he glanced, now towards the east; now
towards the west. But upon raising his head, he descried, in the
southwest corner, some one or other leaning by the side of the railing
under the covered passage. A crab-apple tree, however, obstructed the
view and he could not see distinctly who 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 in a reverie.
His wish was to go forward and meet her, but he did not, on the other
hand, see how he could very well do so. Just as he was cogitating
within himself, he, of a sudden, perceived Pi Hen come and ask him to
go and wash his face. This reminder placed him under the necessity of
betaking himself into his room. But we will leave him there, without
further details, so as to return to Hsiao Hung.