HE PURGE OF THE PARK STAFF WAS INTERRUPTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS

because Hsi-feng was ill again, and also because of the Mid-Autumn Festival. As the period of mourning for the deceased Prince Hermit was not yet over, the festivities were on a smaller scale than usual this time. Prince Chen had never taken the mourning of his late father very seriously. As the Rites forbade him diversions outside the house during the months of

mourning, he compensated himself by gathering round him every evening, under the pretext of practicing archery, a crowd of aristocratic young rakes with whom he indulged in disgusting orgies of eating and drinking; and the nights passed in dicing and card playing and other frivolous pastimes instead of in the practice of the noble art of archery.

On the fourteenth of the eighth month, the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Prince Chen presided over a family banquet with all the wives and concubines in the Hall of the Green Thicket, which was situated in the Garden of Assembled Perfumes. To celebrate the day a boar and a ram had been roasted whole. After the. meal the company turned to merry drinking and dice playing, at intervals sauntering out to enjoy the sight of the beautiful, clear, full moon. Then the concubine Wen Hua, who had a fine voice, treated the guests to a song, and the concubine Peh Fong accompanied her on a purple bamboo flute. The midnight hour, the third beat of the drum, had arrived. Everyone was in boisterous mood and the Prince was

eight-tenths drunk, when suddenly a weird, long-drawn-out groaning was heard, from the direction of the garden wall. Conversation ceased instantly. Everyone listened with hair standing on end to

the sounds from outside.

"Who is there?" the Prince called out in a sharp voice. There was no answer.

"The sound must have come from behind the wall. Evidently one of the servants is loafing about there," whispered the Princess.

"Nonsense! The servants' quarters are much too far away. Who would have any business at that lonely place near the Hall of Glorification at such an hour?" said the Prince. He had not finished speaking when a short, howling gust of wind swept acjoss from over the top of the wall. At the same time the side doors of the spirit porch in front of the Temple of Ancestors

were distinctly heard to open and shut again with a bang. To the listening company this seemed more uncanny still. Moreover, the moon appeared to have become overcast and to shine less brightly than before. Everyone sat there for quite a while, paralyzed with fear,

unable to stir. The Prince was the first to recover himself. Half his drunkenness and his desire to keep on drinking had disappeared. In silence he rose from the table and ended the party.

The following day, during the usual Mid-Moon ceremony in the Hall of Glorification he looked around carefully for any traces of the mysterious occurrences of the previous night. But he could not perceive the slightest change. On leaving the Hall of Glorification he personally made sure that the entrance was securely locked and bolted after him, but ordered his

servants to keep the matter absolutely quiet.

In the evening he went with his wife to the home of the Ancestress to take part in a general family banquet. The seniors, Prince Shieh and Chia Cheng, had already arrived and were endeavoring to keep the Ancestress in a good humor with jokes. Beneath the platform of honor, at a respectful distance, the male juniors Chia Lien, Pao-yü, Chia Huan, and Chia Lan stood about, and were allowed to listen to the conversation of the elders.

"How has Pao-yü, been progressing recently in archery?" the Ancestress asked Prince Chen, who had modestly sat down on the edge of a seat near the door.

"Splendidly," replied Prince Chen, politely jumping up. "He has not only improved his aim but is also becoming used to weapons of heavier caliber."

"That is good. But he should not overdo it and exert himself too much. And by the way, the moon cakes which you sent me taste wonderful; but the melons look better than they taste."

"The moon cakes were made by an expert confectioner whom I got recently for my kitchen. I, too, find that the melons do not taste so good this season as in past years; I do not know what is the reason."

"Probably it is because the summer was too wet," said Chia Cheng.

"Come, now! Let us go into the park! The beautiful, bright full moon is up long since," said the Ancestress; and leaning on Pao-yü,'s shoulder, she led the company to the park gate, hung all over with rams'-horn lanterns. On the moon terrace in front of the Hall of All Good Spirits a table had been set for an open-air banquet. The place was festively lighted up with

candelabra, the air was scented with the fumes of incense, the ground was covered with carpets and cushions. First of all the whole company, led by the Ancestress, knelt down on the prayer carpet, washed their hands, bowed to the household deities, and burned incense sticks before their images. This done, the banquet could begin.

But the Ancestress thought it would be nicer to enjoy the view of the full moon from a more airy height, and she chose as a suitable place the Hall of Blossoms, which was the lookout pavilion situated on top of the near-by Emerald Cone. The pavilion was made ready in a great hurry. After resting for a short time, the Ancestress stood up to lead the ascent. Madame

Cheng and the other ladies, afraid that she might miss her footing on the steep, stony, moss-covered pathway, appealed to her to allow herself to be carried up on a sedan chair; but the vigorous old lady, who had celebrated her eightieth birthday only a short time before, insisted

on walking up. The pathways were well tended and in good order, and a little exercise and loosening up of her old bones and sinews could not harm her, she declared, laughing.

Led by Prince Shieh and Chia Cheng, the company moved off. Two serving women with rams'-horn lanterns lighted the way in front of the Ancestress, who walked along supported by Princess Chen and the waiting maids Yüan Yang and Amber. At last they reached the summit without mishap, by a path of many windings.

There they sat down on round upholstered seats, which encircled two large round tables separated by a folding screen, which stood on the open terrace in front of the Hall of Blossoms. The round form had been chosen in honor of the round full moon. The Ancestress took her seat at one table with the male members of the family, while the ladies occupied the other table completely.

It worried the Ancestress to see a large vacant space at the lower part of the table. She therefore had the three Spring girls fetched from the ladies' table behind the folding screen,

so that the space would be filled and the guests would form a complete round.

To raise the spirits of the company the Ancestress ordered a merry game with drinks as forfeits. A branch of cinnamon flowers was passed round the table from hand to hand, while a waiting maid beat a drum behind the folding screen. Once the drum stopped, the branch was to go no further, and whoever held it in his hand at that moment was sen-tenced to drink a goblet of wine and treat the company to an anecdote.

It happened that the first person in whose hand the branch remained was the stern Chia Cheng. A surreptitious ripple of giggles, accompanied by much secret tugging of sleeves and nudging of sides, ran around the table. What humor could.be expected from this solemn-faced person? But today, for the sake of the Ancestress, Chia Cheng had no wish to be a spoilsport, and he declared himself ready to treat the company to the only anecdote he had in

stock.

"But if it does not make us laugh there will be an additional fine," said the Ancestress.

"Agreed."

And Chia Cheng began: "There once lived a man who had a most terrible respect for his wife.

. . ."

He had only got as far as this when the whole company burst out in loud laughter, forcing him to a brief rhetorical pause.

"Well?" he said, turning triumphantly to the Ancestress.

"I admit that the story must be splendid since everyone laughs in advance," said the Ancestress, herself shaking with laughter.

"Then it should be your own turn next to drink a glass by way of forfeit," joked Chia Cheng.

"Agreed."

And she tossed off the drink forfeit which Prince Shieh and Chia Cheng, ceremoniously standing side by side, presented to her after tasting it themselves. As soon as she had drunk it and the two seniors had resumed their seats, Mr. Cheng continued: "Moreover, the said man never dared to stay away from home for long, but once, on the day of the Mid-Autumn

Festival, as he was shopping in the town, he chanced to meet a few old friends who induced him to join them in a merry carousal in the house of a mutual friend. In the end he became so tipsy that he quite forgot about going home, and spent the night with his friend. The next day,

when he was sober again, he appeared before his wife repentant and conscience-stricken.

His wife was just washing her feet. Having listened to his confession, she said: 'Just this once I will let you off the thrashing you deserve, but you are to lick my feet as a punishment!' This he did but immediately started to vomit. Now she became really angry and was about to thrash him. So he knelt down beside her and cried: 'Do not' be angry with me, wife. It really

was not your dirty feet but my sour stomach that made me vomit!' "

His story was greeted with general laughter, and the Ancestress consented to take another voluntary forfeit drink.

"Take this as a warning, you married men, and drink only warmed wine! It is more beneficial than cold wine," she said, amidst a renewed

outburst of laughter. And she ordered punch to be served instead of the cold wine.

On its next round the wandering branch of cinnamon flowers remained in Pao-yü,!s hand.

Because of his father's presence Pao-yü, became terribly embarrassed. He knew plenty of jokes and anecdotes, but what would his father say? A bad joke would make his father mock him, but a good joke would make him angry and evoke the reproach that he had ability for jokes and mischief, but none for anything serious. It would therefore be better not to tell any

funny story at all. So he stood up and declared: "I do not know any jokes or anecdotes. I therefore beg you to give me another task."

"Very well, then, compose a poem on the subject of autumn!" ordered Mr. Cheng. "If the poem is good you will get a reward. If it is bad, woe betide you! In that case you will have an examination tomorrow."

"But we only want to pass the time amusing ourselves. Do not torment him with such difficult tasks!" protested the Ancestress.

"Let it be ! He will do it all right," replied Chia Cheng with a smile. So the Ancestress ordered paper, brush, and ink to be brought.

"And do not make use of threadbare phrases such as 'liquid crystal' and 'frozen jasper' and 'silver splendor,' and suchlike!" said Mr. Cheng severely and emphatically. "I beg you to be original! I wish to test your own ability."

Now, Pao-yü, did not need to ponder long before he had composed his quatrain and put it on paper. Mr. Cheng read it and merely nodded in silence, which was interpreted by the Ancestress as a good sign. She eagerly asked his opinion.

"He has made an effort. But if only he would study history more diligently ! Poetry writing

alone does not get one anywhere," was the paternal verdict.

"Then it is all right!" cried the Ancestress, relieved. "But now you must give him a present to reward and encourage him!"

"Yes, I will do so."

Mr. Cheng turned round and ordered a serving woman to run and get his servants to give her two of the fans which he had brought back with him from his official tour in Hainan. Before the assembled family he presented them to his son as a mark of approval of his achievement.

Pao-yü, thanked him, striking his forehead on the ground, and returned to his place in better spirits.

A stanza improvised by Chia Lan, the offspring of Mr. Cheng's firstborn son Chu, who had died young, evoked even greater applause. The Ancestress and Mr. Cheng observed with satisfaction that the ancient

inherited fragrance of traditional culture, inherent in the house of Chia, was living on most auspiciously in the younger generation.

Prince Shieh, in whose hand the branch of cinnamon flowers now remained, contributed the following anecdote: "There once was a man who had a very good son. One day the mother fell ill. As no doctor could be found, an old woman quack healer was fetched. T he old woman only knew how to give treatment with the puncturing needle, and she also knew a little about

cauterization, but she had no idea of the higher arts of medicine. She diagnosed the illness as 'fire in the heart' and suggested treatment with the puncturing needle. 'But then, my mother will have to die all the same if her heart is pricked with a sharp needle,' the son objected in

alarm. 'Do not worry, it will only be a matter of a little prick between the ribs,' the old woman assured him. 'Yes, but then the heart will not benefit from it. Heaven knows how far away from the ribs the heart is situated,' the son objected once more. 'That is all right. A true mother's

heart is so big that it reaches right down to the ribs,' the quack doctor said, finally reassuring him."

Once more there was merry laughter. After the bastard Chia Huan had given a test of his ability, which in Mr. Clieng's opinion was a failure, the Ancestress ordered that the game should stop. The gentlemen might now take their leave and enjoy themselves with their personal friends at the other side. It was already the hour of the second night watch, and she

wished to be alone with the young girls for a while, she said.

As soon as the gentlemen had gone the Ancestress had the folding screen removed and the two tables pushed together. The ladies then "changed their dresses," washed their hands, rinsed out their mouths with tea, and continued the feast by themselves. The Ancestress cast her eyes about her and remarked sadly that this year there were many gaps in the circle

around the table. Hsi-feng and the Widow Chu were absent, owing to illness; Pao-ch'ai and Precious Harp had had to stay with Aunt Hsueh, who was also ill. She missed particularly the gaiety which Hsi-feng always contributed to these family gatherings.

"Last year it was more cheerful; true, the men were absent, but we women were all here and Hsi-feng provided enough entertainment for ten. This time the men were here, but we women are not in full number. It just shows how difficult it is to have everything one wants at the same time in this world," she sighed.

In order to raise the spirits of the company she had the little wine glasses replaced by big goblets, with the result that in a short time all present became drowsy from wine, with the exception of the Ancestress. For none of the ladies present could hold her own with the Ancestress in the matter of drink. Then she had carpets laid on the terrace steps in

front of the Hall of Blossoms and ordered the serving women and maidservants to sit comfortably on the steps and have a good time and enjoy the fruits and dainties which had been distributed to them, for the staff were also to have some part in the banquet. The moon was now fully risen and was shining if possible more magnificently than before.

"Flute music is just what we want in this glorious moonlight," proposed the Ancestress. The others wanted to send for a company of young girls with all the instruments necessary to make up a complete band.

"That would be too much of a good thing," objected the Ancestress. "Too much noise distracts the mind. I should like to hear only one single, simple flute playing very gently in the distance."

While the company was waiting for the flute-player whom they were expecting, one of Princess Shieh's serving" women came and whispered something in her mistress's ear. The Prince had stumbled on a stone just now and sprained his foot, the Ancestress was told in reply to I er inquiry. Thereupon the Ancestress gave the Princess permission to leave the

company.

"Niece Chen may go with you at the same time; it is time for her to go home," the Ancestress added.

"Oh, no, I should like to keep our old Ancestress company all night," said Princess Chen.

"You are a nice wife indeed ! Young married people should be in bed on this night! Do not neglect your wifely duty!" said the Ancestress with a smile.

"Oh, do not flatter me! I am already in the forties and have been married to my husband for over twenty years," said the Princess, blushing coyly. "Besides, we are still in the mourning period."

"You are quite right. I did not think of that. Yes, of course it is only two years since your father-in-law died. How can one be so forgetful! That will cost me a good, big forfeit drink! But do stay and keep me company! Grandniece Yung may accompany my daughter-in-law."

Princess Shieh and young Mistress Chia Yung thereupon took their leave. The ladies who remained went on drinking and chatting, and at intervals strolled about a little in the moonlight and sniffed the flowering branches of the little cinnamon trees which had been planted around the Hall of the Blossoms, at the same time listening to the clear, gentle tones of a single flute which drifted through the quiet night from the other side of the cinnamon hedge. There was something so gentle, so liberating, and so refreshing about the music that they all fell into silent rapture and listened spellbound.

"Now, was it not beautiful?" asked the Ancestress, beaming with pleasure, when the flute-playing ceased.

"Really, it was much more beautiful than we could have imagined," they all replied with enthusiasm.

"The old Ancestress has certainly shown us how to enjoy art properly."

"Oh, that was nothing very special. Our songbooks have many more beautiful airs. Above all,

the notes should come over more gentle and more sustained."

The Ancestress had a full goblet of wine taken over to the fluteplayer, together with some requests regarding the program. Yüan Yang appeared with a warm hood and a waterproof cloak, which she carefully wrapped around the Ancestress.

"It is late night. Soon the dew will be falling and the air will be getting cooler. The old Tai tai should go to bed in good time," the waiting maid warned her.

"Do not nag me!" growled the old lady. "I am in such good form today ! You do not think, do you. that I can be bowled over by a little carousal at night? I will last out until morning."

She had her glass filled again and the feast continued. Now the single, thin strains ot gentle flute music again penetrated through the darkness of the cinnamon hedge. This time the melody was so plaintive and so full of feeling that it touched the heart of the Ancestress and made her quite emotional.

"Now I should like to tell you an amusing story," suggested Princess Chen, to cheer her up, as soon as the flute-playing ceased.

"So much the better. Go right ahead!" urged the Ancestress, putting on a more cheerful face.

"Then once was a man who had four sons," began the Princess. "The tirst liad only one eye,

the second only one ear, the third only one nostril the fourth had all these parts complete, but he was dumb. . . .''

She stopped because she noticed that the Ancestress had apparently dozed off.

"We should take her to bed," she whispered to Madame Cheng.

"No, no, go on with the story!" said the Ancestress brightly, opening her eyes. "I only shut my eyes in order the better to concentrate on the story."

"Tomorrow is another day, and the moon will be shining again then; it is time to go to bed,"

they advised her gently.

"How late is it, then?"

"We are in the fourth night watch. It is already morning. The young girls were so tired they could not last it out, and have slipped off."

The Ancestress looked around the table. The young girls' places were indeed empty. Only Taste of Spring was still present.

"A flabby lot, they cannot stand anything!" she murmured. "Our Taste of Spring deserves praise; she is a brave girl! But you are quite right; it is time to go to bed."

She took another drink of clear tea, and then she got into a sedan chair made of bamboo basketwork, borne by two strong maids.

But not all the young girls were by any means so soft as the Ancestress had believed them to be. Instead of remaining to enjoy the moonlit scene from the hilltop, Tai-yü and Little Cloud had gone down below and were enjoying it by the Crystal .Crevice the belvedere built into the rocky wall at the foot of the Emerald Cone, by the brink of the fishpond. For here they had the additional delight of watching the silvery reflection of the moon playing on the rippling waters.

On the way down the hill they had had a lively literary argument as to whether the two ideographs which had been applied by the experts to the hill and the lake belvedere when the park had been created-namely, the two characters tu, signifying "cone," and wa, signifying "crevice" were admissible from the literary point of view or whether they were inappropriate

and should be rejected.

Then they had sat down on two plaited bamboo stools on the open belvedere terrace, and,

inspired by the sight of the two moons the one in the sky and the other on the water they had composed between them a long and wonderfully beautiful five-word stanza on the theme of this moonlit night. They intended next day to surprise and put to shame the other members of the Begonia Club with this nocturnal opus and so to spur the club on to renewed efforts, for

unfortunately it had been very inactive for a long time now.

The two were joined later by the beautiful anchoress Miao Yü, who, like the rest, was unable to sleep that beautiful night of full moon, and had gone for a stroll through the park. She had helped the girls with their poetical composition and then taken them to her Kingfisher's Cage hermitage and regaled them with a bowl of her famous wonder tea. The first crows of the cock were already resounding from the Rice Farm when the two night revellers at last lay down to sleep on the same bed in the Bamboo Hermitage.

When the Mid-Autumn Festival was over and Hsi-feng had more or less recovered, thanks to the lavish use of the best ginseng root, the interrupted purge in the Park of Delightful Vision was resumed once more.

Madame Cheng, having received a report on the recent house-tohouse search, took immediate action. Grief of Spring's painting maid was taken away from the park and transferred to the eastern palace at her mistress's request, and now Greeting of Spring's chess maid was chased out of the house. She was forbidden to take leave of her col-leagues and the other inmates of the park with whom she had passed many happy years.

When Pao-yü, whom she had met by chance as she was being chased away, and whom she had implored with tears to intercede for her, tried to get a reprieve, he was given a nasty reception from the grim supervisors of order. "Off to your books ! This is none of your business!" they rebuked him, and ruthlessly pushed him aside. He could not refrain from

shouting a few biting words after the troop of departing matrons. "It is a strange thing," he cried, "that as soon as you women marry you lose all your womanliness and adopt the bad ways of 'men. Indeed, you are even worse than men!"

"It seems that young girls are higher beings in your opinion and that men are a bad lot?" they scoffed back at him.

"Of course," said Pao-yü, nodding eagerly.

"Ha-ha! Better be off and prepare for a visit from your mother, for your Ch'ing Wen's turn is coming right away! Today at last we are making a clean sweep, and these witches will be chased away! Thanks be to Buddha! Ha-ha!"

Immediately after this Madame Cheng herself arrived at the Begonia Courtyard and turned Ch'ing Wen, whom she detested, out of the house. Though ill, Ch'ing Wen had to pack up a few belongings and leave the place with her relatives, who had been sent for to take her away. Pretty Little Fourth suffered the same fate for having been so imprudent as to boast

that her birthday fell on the same day as that of her young master. Three members of the troupe of dancing girls from Suchow, who had stayed on in the park at their request when the troupe was dispersed last year, also met the same fate. The Tai tai would on no account allow such dangerous "vixens" and "professional seductresses" to remain any longer in the

proximity of her son. The great purge terminated with a strict search of Pao-yü,'s own boxes and trunk-, in the course of which every object which was considered in any way alluring or offensive, and all souvenirs coming from any suspicious source, ruthlessly confiscated.

It may be mentioned that the chief supervisor of order, who was the grandmother of the dismissed chess maid, had herself to put up with a few boxes on the ear from her mistress, Princess Shieh, and had remained invisible afterwards for many days on the plea of being ill.