“Hush, hush!” resounded again on all sides. Lim Ho and the bride now, each in a golden spoon, took up a red and a white ball, swallowed them and once again bowed deeply to one another. Then the dishes were interchanged, just as the cups had been before, the ceremony was repeated and with that act, the marriage was complete. They were now man and wife inseparably joined together.
Ngow Ming Nio and Lim Ho, the one set of millions was joined to the other.
During all these festive rites, did Lim Ho bestow even one passing thought upon his victim, baboe Dalima? We doubt it.
The nuptial ceremonies having been thus performed, the young wife took up in the spoon two of the little balls and gracefully presented them to the lips of her husband, and, with a winning smile, invited him to eat. By this rite the newly married woman bound herself to bear all the cares and anxieties of the domestic arrangements in the future household. While this ceremony was going on, one of the oldest members of the family audibly recited a few words in the Chinese tongue.
“What is he saying?” asked Grenits, turning to his friendly neighbour.
“O toean,” replied the latter, “it is a quotation from the Sji-king, the book of songs which was printed long, very long ago.”
(It is said to have been printed in the eleventh century B.C.)
“But what is the meaning of the quotation?”
“It has a very pretty meaning—something like this: ‘The peach tree is young and fair, its blossoms are pure and bright—this young woman is going to her future home and will be an excellent manager of her domestic affairs.’ ”
“Very pretty indeed!” laughed Grenits.