"Cousin，" he added， "take whatever steps you think best; and if you want anything， all you have to do is to simply send for it with this， and there will even be no use to consult me. The only thing I must ask you is， not to be too careful in order to save me expense， for the main consideration is that things should be handsomely done. In the second place， it will be well if you were also to treat servants here in the same way as in the other mansion， and not be too scrupulous in the fear that any one might take offence. Outside these two concerns， there's nothing else to disturb my mind."
Lady Feng did not venture to take over the warrant at once， but merely turned round to ascertain what were madame Wang's wishes.
"In view of the reason brother Chen advances，" madame Wang rejoined， "you had better assume the charge at once and finish with it; don't， however， act on your own ideas; but when there's aught to be done， be careful and send some one to consult your cousin's wife， ever so little though it be on the subject."
Pao-yue had already taken over the warrant from Chia Chen's grasp， and forcibly handed it to lady Feng， "Will you， cousin，" he went on to question， "take up your quarters here or will you come every day? should you cross over， day after day， it will be ever so much more fatiguing for you， so that I shall speedily have a separate court got ready for you in here， where you， cousin， can put up for these several days and be more comfortable."
"there's no need，" replied lady Feng smiling; "for on that side they can't do without me; and it will be better if I were to come daily."
"Do as you like，" Chia Chen observed; and after subsequently passing a few more irrelevant remarks， he at length left the room.
After a time， the lady relatives dispersed， and madame Wang seized the opportunity to inquire of lady Feng， "What do you purpose doing to-day?"
"You had better， please madame， go back，" urged lady Feng， "for I must first of all find out some clue before I can go home."
Madame Wang， upon hearing these words， returned to her quarters， in advance， in company with madame Hsing， where we will leave them.
Lady Feng meanwhile came into a colonnade， which enclosed a suite of three apartments， and taking a seat， she gave way to reflection. "the first consideration，" she communed within herself， "is that the household is made up of mixed elements， and things might be lost; the second is that the preparations are under no particular control， with the result that， when the time comes， the servants might shirk their duties; the third is that the necessary expenditure being GREat， there will be reckless disbursements and counterfeit receipts; the fourth， that with the absence of any distinction in the matter of duties， whether large or small， hardship and ease will be unequally shared; and the fifth， that the servants being arrogant， through leniency， those with any self-respect will not brook control， while those devoid of 'face' will not be able to improve their ways."
these five were， in point of fact， usages in vogue in the Ning mansion. But as you are unable， reader， to ascertain here how lady Feng set things right， listen to the explanations given in the following chapter.
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双语散文:The Star 小星星
