dred and fifty
ounces?"

He then told her what Liu had done; and both, rejoicing, spent a night
of pleasure. Next day she said to him:

"When this money is paid, I must follow my Lord. But we have made
no preparation for the boats and conveyances of our journey. I have
borrowed twenty ounces from my friends. My Lord may take them for
travelling expenses."

In his uneasiness concerning these expenses, he had not dared to speak
of them. He took the money, and was full of joy.

At that moment there was a knock on the door, and the old woman
entered, saying:

"This is the tenth day."

"I thank the ma-ma for recalling the fact to us," he answered. "I was
on the point of paying her a visit."

And, taking up the bag, he poured the three hundred ounces on to the
table. The old woman had not supposed he could succeed.

She changed color, and seemed on the point of gainsaying her word.
So Shih-niang said; "I have stayed in your house for a long time, and
have brought in several thousands of ounces. To-day I am marrying. If
you do not keep your word, I shall commit suicide before you, and you
will lose the money and the girl."

The old woman could find no words to express her feeling. She took the
money in silence, and finally muttered:

"If you mean to go away, you go now. But you shall take none of your
clothes or jewels with you."

Hustling the two young people along, she led them through the door and
shot the bolt.

It was then the ninth moon, and the weather was cold. Shih-niang had
but just risen from bed, and was not dressed; nor was her hair done.
Yet she saluted the ma-ma with two genuflexions. La Chia shook his
two hands joined together. Thus the married pair left that not too
pleasant old woman:

Even as a carp escapes the metal hook,
Flirts its tail and shakes its head
And returns not.

In front of the door La Chia said to his mistress:

"Wait a moment! I will call a little palankeen to take you to the
house of Liu."

She answered:

"In this very court are my friends, my sisters, who have always been
in sympathy with me.

"I must take leave of them; and I cannot neglect to thank them for the
money they have lent me."

Accompanied by her Lord, she went to each pavilion to greet her
friends. Now, one of them, Yuch-lang, was a very close friend of
Shih-niang, so, seeing that she had not done her hair, she led her to
her own toilet-table, and ran to call another friend, Hsu Su-Su. Then
s