"I've heard grandmother say," he overheard the young person on the couch observe, "that there lives at Ch'ang An, the capital, another Pao-yü endowed with the same disposition as myself. I never believed what she told me; but I just had a dream, and in this dream I found myself in a garden of the metropolis where I came across several maidens; all of whom called me a 'stinking young brat,' and would have nothing whatever to do with me. But after much difficulty, I succeeded in penetrating into his room. He happened to be fast asleep. There he lay like a mere bag of bones. His real faculties had flown somewhere or other; whither it was hard for me to say."
Hearing this, "I've come here," Pao-yü said with alacrity, "in search of
Pao-yü; and are you, indeed, that Pao-yü?"
The young man on the couch jumped down with all haste and enfolded him in his arms. "Are you verily Pao-yü?" he laughingly asked. "This isn't by any means such stuff as dreams are made of!"
"How can you call this a dream?" Pao-yü rejoined. "It's reality, yea, nothing but reality!"
But scarcely was this rejoinder over, than he heard some one come, and say: "our master, your father, wishes to see you, Pao-yü."
The two lads started with fear. One Pao-yü rushed off with all despatch. The other promptly began to shout, "Pao-yü! come back at once! Pao-yü; be quick and return!"
Hsi Jen, who stood by (Pao-yü), heard him call out his own name, in his dreams, and immediately gave him a push and woke him up. "Where is Pao-yü gone to?" she laughed.
Although Pao-yü was by this time aroused from sleep, his senses were as yet dull, so pointing towards the door, "He's just gone out," he replied, "he's not far off."
Hsi Jen laughed. "You're under the delusion of a dream," she said. "Rub your eyes and look carefully! It's your reflection in the mirror."
Pao-yü cast a glance in front of him, and actually caught sight of the large inlaid mirror, facing him quite opposite, so he himself burst out laughing. But, presently, a maid handed him a rince-bouche and tea and salt, and he washed his mouth.