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Upon hearing the text of the stanza， Pao-yue comprehends the Buddhistic spells. While the enigmas for the lanterns are being devised， Chia Cheng is grieved by a prognostic. Chia Lien， for we must now prosecute our story， upon hearing lady Feng observe that she had something to consult about with him， felt constrained to halt and to inquire what it was about. On the 21st， lady Feng explained， is cousin Hsueehs birthday， and what do you， after all， purpose doing? Do I know what to do? exclaimed Chia Lien; you have made， time and again， arrangements for ever so many birthdays of grown-up people， and do you， really， find yourself on this occasion without any resources? Birthdays of grown-up people are subject to prescribed rules， lady Feng expostulated; but her present birthday is neither one of an adult nor that of an infant， and thats why I would like to deliberate with you! Chia Lien upon hearing this remark， lowered his head and gave himself to protracted reflection. Youre indeed grown dull! he cried; why youve a precedent ready at hand to suit your case! Cousin Lins birthday affords a precedent， and what you did in former years for cousin Lin， you can in this instance likewise do for cousin Hsueeh， and it will be all right. At these words lady Feng gave a sarcastic smile. Do you， pray， mean to insinuate， she added， that Im not aware of even this! I too had previously come， after some thought， to this conclusion; but old lady Chia explained， in my hearing yesterday， that having made inquiries about all their ages and their birthdays， she learnt that cousin Hsueeh would this year be fifteen， and that though this was not the birthday， which made her of age， she could anyhow well be regarded as being on the dawn of the year， in which she would gather up her hair， so that our dowager lady enjoined that her anniversary should， as a matter of course， be celebrated， unlike that of cousin Lin. | 
