He came down from the dais and, bowing low, begged that she would accept him as her slave.  Henceforward the old lady regarded him as her son-in-law; they drank heavily together and finally parted.  Next morning he had all his boxes and bags brought round to Mrs. Li’s house and settled there permanently.  Henceforward he shut himself up with his mistress and none of his friends ever heard of him.  He consorted only with actors and dancers and low people of that kind, passing the time in wild sports and wanton feasting.  When his money was all spent, he sold his horses and men-servants.  In about a year his money, property, servants and horses were all gone.

For some time the old lady’s manner towards him had been growing gradually colder, but his mistress remained as devoted as ever.  One day she said to him, “We have been together a year, but I am still not with child.  They say that the spirit of the Bamboo Grove answers a woman’s prayers as surely as an echo.  Let us go to his temple and offer a libation.”

The young man, not suspecting any plot, was delighted to take her to the temple, and having pawned his coat to buy sweet wine for the libation, he went with her and performed the ceremony of prayer.  They stayed one night at the temple and came back next day.  Whipping up their donkey, they soon arrived at the north gate of the P`ing-k`ang quarter.  At this point his mistress turned to him and said, “My aunt’s house is in a turning just near here.  How would it be if we were to go there and rest for a little?”

He drove on as she directed him, and they had not gone more than a hundred paces, when he saw the entrance to a spacious carriage-drive.  A servant who belonged to the place came out and stopped the cart, saying, “This is the entrance.”  The young man got down and was met by some one who came out and asked who they were.  When told that it was Miss Li, he went back and announced her.  Presently a married lady came out who seemed to be about forty.  She greeted him, saying, “Has my niece arrived?” Miss Li then got out of the cart and her aunt said to her:  “Why have you not been to see me for so long?” At which they looked at one another and laughed.  Then Miss Li introduced him to her aunt and when that was over they all went into a side garden near the Western Halberd Gate.  In the middle of the garden was a pagoda, and round it grew bamboos and trees of every variety, while ponds and summer-houses added to its air of seclusion.  He asked Miss Li if this were her aunt’s estate; she laughed, but did not answer and spoke of something else.

Tea of excellent quality was served; but when they had been drinking it for a little while, a messenger came galloping up on a huge Fergana horse, saying that Miss Li’s mother had suddenly been taken very ill and had already lost consciousness, so that they had better come back as quickly as possible.