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On some previous occasion, our grand aunt gave you, dear aunt, a stove-couch glass screen, and as to-morrow father has invited some guests of high standing, he wishes to borrow it to lay it out for a little show; after which he purposes sending it back again." "You're late by a day," replied lady Feng. "It was only yesterday that I gave it to some one."
Prompted by this resolution, he came over to a money-shop, and when he had the silver weighed, and no discrepancy was discovered in the weight, he was still more elated at heart; and on his way back, he first and foremost delivered Ni Erh's message to his wife, and then returned to his own home, where he found his mother seated all alone on a stove-couch spinning thread.
TATYÁNA stands before the mirror putting on a kerchief; AFÓNYA is lying on the stove-couch; LUKÉRYA comes in with a figured table-cloth. LUKÉRYA. There, Tánya, I've borrowed a cloth from the neighbor to cover our table. TATYÁNA. Have you started the samovar? LUKÉRYA. Long ago; it'll boil soon. Well, you see it's just as I told you; that kerchief is much more becoming to you.
Then with one leg bent on the edge of the stove-couch, while the other rested on the ground, P'ing Erh kept lady Feng company during her repast; and waiting on her, afterwards, until she finished rinsing her mouth, she issued certain directions to Feng Erh, and crossed over at length to T'an Ch'un's quarters.
On this day, Pao-yue failed, at any early hour, to see anything of Lin Tai-yue, and coming at once to her rooms in search of her, he discovered her reclining on the stove-couch. "Get up," Pao-yue pressed her with a smile, "and come and have breakfast, for the plays will commence shortly; but whichever plays you would like to listen to, do tell me so that I may be able to choose them."
Ch'ing Wen pouted her lips, pointing towards the stove-couch in the inner room, and, on looking in, Pao-yue espied Hsi Jen fast asleep in her daily costume. "Well," Pao-yue observed laughing, "there's no harm in it, but its rather early to sleep.
But in a short while, the old matrons employed for all sorts of duties, brought in some mixture of two drugs; and, as Pao-yue noticed that she was just on the point of perspiring, he did not allow her to get up, but readily taking it up to her, she immediately swallowed it, with her head still on her pillow; whereupon he gave speedy directions to the young servant-maids to lay her stove-couch in order.
The old nurses pressed Tai-yue to sit down on the stove-couch; but, on perceiving near the edge of the couch two embroidered cushions, placed one opposite the other, she thought of the gradation of seats, and did not therefore place herself on the couch, but on a chair on the eastern side of the room; whereupon the waiting maids, in attendance in these quarters, hastened to serve the tea.
Pao-yue forthwith paid his respects to her, and "aunt" Hsueeh, taking him by the hand, drew him towards her and clasped him in her embrace. "With this cold weather," she smilingly urged, "it's too kind of you, my dear child, to think of coming to see me; come along on the stove-couch at once! Bring some tea," she continued, addressing the servants, "and make it as hot as it can be!"
Speaking the while, she drew near, and, seizing Tai-yue, she pressed her down on the stove-couch with the intention of pinching her face. Tai-yue smilingly hastened to implore for grace. "My dear cousin," she cried, "spare me! P'in Erh is young in years; all she knows is to talk at random; she has no idea of what's proper and what's improper. But you are my elder cousin, so teach me how to behave.
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