"If that won't do，" Pao-yue continued， "I'll wait for your mistress to wake and appeal to her at once."
Chin Ch'uan-erh distended her eyes wide， and pushed Pao-yue off. "What's the hurry？" she laughed. "'A gold hair-pin may fall into the well； but if it's yours it will remain yours only.' Is it possible that you don't even see the spirit of this proverb？ But I'll tell you a smart thing. Just you go into the small court， on the east side， and you'll find for yourself what Mr. Chia Huau and Ts'ai Yun are up to！"
"Let them be up to whatever they like，" smiled Pao-yue， "I shall simply stick to your side！"
But he then saw Madame Wang twist herself round， get up， and give a slap to Chin Ch'uan-erh on her mouth. "You mean wench！" she exclaimed， abusing her， while she pointed her finger at her， "it's you， and the like of you， who corrupt these fine young fellows with all the nice things you teach them！"
the moment Pao-yue perceived Madame Wang rise， he bolted like a streak of smoke. Chin Ch'uan-erh， meanwhile， felt half of her face as hot as fire， yet she did not dare utter one word of complaint. The various waiting-maids soon came to hear that Madame Wang had awoke and they rushed in in a body.
"Go and tell your mother，" Madame Wang thereupon said to Yue Ch'uan-erh， "to fetch your elder sister away."
Chin Ch'uan-erh， at these words， speedily fell on her knees. With tears in her eyes： "I won't venture to do it again，" she pleaded. "If you， Madame， wish to flog me， or to scold me do so at once， and as much as you like but don't send me away. You will thus accomplish an act of heavenly grace！ I've been in attendance on your ladyship for about ten years， and if you now drive me away， will I be able to look at any one in the face？"
Though Madame Wang was a generous， tender-hearted person， and had at no time raised her hand to give a single blow to any servant-girl， she， however， when she accidentally discovered Chin Ch'uan-erh behave on this occasion in this barefaced manner， a manner which had all her lifetime been most reprehensible to her， was so overcome by passion that she gave Chin Ch'uan-erh just one slap and spoke to her a few sharp words. And albeit Chin Ch'uan-erh indulged in solicitous entreaties， she would not on any account keep her in her service. At length， Chin Ch'uan-erh's mother， Dame Pao， was sent for to take her away. Chin Ch'uan-erh therefore had to conceal her disgrace， suppress her resentment， and quit the mansion.
