Pao-yü, having concluded his scrutiny of her, put on a smile and said,
"This cousin I have already seen in days gone by."
"There you are again with your nonsense," exclaimed lady Chia, sneeringly; "how could you have seen her before?"
"Though I may not have seen her, ere this," observed Pao-yü with a smirk, "yet when I look at her face, it seems so familiar, and to my mind, it would appear as if we had been old acquaintances; just as if, in fact, we were now meeting after a long separation."
"That will do! that will do!" remarked dowager lady Chia; "such being the case, you will be the more intimate."
Pao-yü, thereupon, went up to Tai-yü, and taking a seat next to her, continued to look at her again with all intentness for a good long while.
"Have you read any books, cousin?" he asked.
"I haven't as yet," replied Tai-yü, "read any books, as I have only been to school for a year; all I know are simply a few characters."
"What is your worthy name, cousin?" Pao-yü went on to ask; whereupon
Tai-yü speedily told him her name.
"Your style?" inquired Pao-yü; to which question Tai-yü replied, "I have no style."
"I'll give you a style," suggested Pao-yü smilingly; "won't the double style 'P'in P'in,' 'knitting brows,' do very well?"