"My dear girl," Ch'ing Wen interposed smiling, "do give me also a sip."
"You put on more airs than ever," She Yüeh laughed.
"My dear girl;" Ch'ing Wen added, "to-morrow night, you needn't budge;
I'll wait on you the whole night long. What do you say to that?"
Hearing this, She Yüeh had no help but to attend to her as well, while she washed her mouth, and to pour a cup of tea and give it to her to drink.
"Won't you two go to sleep," She Yüeh laughed, "but keep on chatting?
I'll go out for a time; I'll be back soon."
"Are there any evil spirits waiting for you outside?" Ch'ing Wen smiled.
"It's sure to be bright moonlight out of doors," Pao-yü observed, "so go, while we continue our chat."
So speaking, he coughed twice.
She Yüeh opened the back-door, and raising the woollen portière and looking out, she saw what a beautiful moonlight there really was.
Ch'ing Wen allowed her just time enough to leave the room, when she felt a wish to frighten her for the sake of fun. But such reliance did she have in her physique, which had so far proved better than that of others, that little worrying her mind about the cold, she did not even throw a cloak over her, but putting on a short jacket, she descended, with gentle tread and light step, from the warming-frame and was making her way out to follow in her wake, when "Hallo!" cried Pao-yü warning her. "It's freezing; it's no joke!"