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Hardly had she finished these words， when a sound of laughter was heard from the back courtyard. "Here I am too late！" the voice said， "and not in time to receive the distant visitor！"
"Every one of all these people，" reflected Tai-yue， "holds her peace and suppresses the very breath of her mouth； and who， I wonder， is this coming in this reckless and rude manner？"
While， as yet， preoccupied with these thoughts， she caught sight of a crowd of married women and waiting-maids enter from the back room， pressing round a regular beauty.
the attire of this person bore no similarity to that of the young ladies. In all her splendour and lustre， she looked like a fairy or a goddess. In her coiffure， she had a band of gold filiGREe work， representing the eight precious things， inlaid with pearls； and wore pins， at the head of each of which were five phoenixes in a rampant position， with pendants of pearls. On her neck， she had a reddish gold necklet， like coiled dragons， with a fringe of tassels. On her person， she wore a tight-sleeved jacket， of dark red flowered satin， covered with hundreds of butterflies， embroidered in gold， interspersed with flowers. Over all， she had a variegated stiff-silk pelisse， lined with slate-blue ermine； while her nether garments consisted of a jupe of kingfisher-colour foreign crepe， brocaded with flowers.
She had a pair of eyes， triangular in shape like those of the red phoenix， two eyebrows， curved upwards at each temple， like willow leaves. Her stature was elegant； her figure graceful； her powdered face like dawning spring， majestic， yet not haughty. Her carnation lips， long before they parted， betrayed a smile.
Tai-yue eagerly rose and GREeted her.
Old lady Chia then smiled. "You don't know her，" she observed. "This is a cunning vixen， who has made quite a name in this establishment！ In Nanking， she went by the appellation of vixen， and if you simply call her Feng Vixen， it will do."
Tai-yue was just at a loss how to address her， when all her cousins informed Tai-yue， that this was her sister-in-law Lien.
Tai-yue had not， it is true， made her acquaintance before， but she had heard her mother mention that her eldest maternal uncle Chia She's son， Chia Lien， had married the niece of Madame Wang， her second brother's wife， a girl who had， from her infancy， purposely been nurtured to supply the place of a son， and to whom the school name of Wang Hsi-feng had been given.
Tai-yue lost no time in returning her smile and saluting her with all propriety， addressing her as my sister-in-law. This Hsi-feng laid hold of Tai-yue's hand， and minutely scrutinised her， for a while， from head to foot； after which she led her back next to dowager lady Chia， where they both took a seat.
"If really there be a being of such beauty in the world，" she consequently observed with a smile， "I may well consider as having set eyes upon it to-day！ Besides， in the air of her whole person， she doesn't in fact look like your granddaughter-in-law， our worthy ancestor， but in every way like your ladyship's own kindred- granddaughter！ It's no wonder then that your venerable ladyship should have， day after day， had her unforgotten， even for a second， in your lips and heart. It's a pity， however， that this cousin of mine should have such a hard lot！ How did it happen that our aunt died at such an early period？"
As she uttered these words， she hastily took her handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I've only just recovered from a fit of crying，" dowager lady Chia observed， as she smiled， "and have you again come to start me？ Your cousin has only now arrived from a distant journey， and she is so delicate to boot！ Besides， we have a few minutes back succeeded in coaxing her to restrain her sobs， so drop at once making any allusion to your former remarks！"
This Hsi-feng， upon hearing these words， lost no time in converting her sorrow into joy.
"Quite right，" she remarked. "But at the sight of my cousin， my whole heart was absorbed in her， and I felt happy， and yet wounded at heart： but having disregarded my venerable ancestor's presence， I deserve to be beaten， I do indeed！"
And hastily taking once more Tai-yue's hand in her own： "How old are you， cousin？" she inquired； "Have you been to school？ What medicines are you taking？ while you live here， you mustn't feel homesick； and if there's anything you would like to eat， or to play with， mind you come and tell me！ or should the waiting maids or the matrons fail in their duties， don't forget also to report them to me."
Addressing at the same time the matrons， she went on to ask， "Have Miss Lin's luggage and effects been brought in？ How many servants has she brought along with her？ Go， as soon as you can， and sweep two lower rooms and ask them to go and rest."
As she spake， tea and refreshments had already been served， and Hsi-feng herself handed round the cups and offered the fruits.
Upon hearing the question further put by her maternal aunt Secunda， "Whether the issue of the monthly allowances of money had been finished or not yet？" Hsi-feng replied： "The issue of the money has also been completed； but a few moments back， when I went along with several servants to the back upper-loft， in search of the satins， we looked for ever so long， but we saw nothing of the kind of satins alluded to by you， madame， yesterday； so may it not be that your memory misgives you？"
"Whether there be any or not， of that special kind， is of no consequence，" observed madame Wang. "You should take out，" she therefore went on to add， "any two pieces which first come under your hand， for this cousin of yours to make herself dresses with； and in the evening， if I don't forget， I'll send some one to fetch them."
"I've in fact already made every provision，" rejoined Hsi-feng； "knowing very well that my cousin would be arriving within these two days， I have had everything got ready for her. And when you， madame， go back， if you will pass an eye over everything， I shall be able to send them round."
