红楼梦Chapter31_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter31

the girl caught these words， and was frightened out of her wits. Raising her head， she at once descried some one or other standing beyond the flowers and calling out to her： Leave off writing. Its pouring! But as Pao-yue was， firstly， of handsome appearance， and as secondly the luxuriant abundance of flowers and foliage screened with their boughs， thick-laden with leaves， the upper and lower part of his person， just leaving half of his countenance exposed to view， the maiden simply jumped at the conclusion that he must be a servant girl， and never for a moment dreamt that it might be Pao-yue. Many thanks， sister， for recalling me to my senses， she consequently smiled. Yet is there forsooth anything outside there to protect you from the rain?

This single remark proved sufficient to recall Pao-yue to himself. With an exclamation of Ai-yah， he at length became conscious that his whole body was cold as ice. then drooping his head， he realised that his own person too was drenched. This will never do， he cried， and with one breath he had to run back into the I Hung court. His mind， however， continued much exercised about the girl as she had nothing to shelter her from the rain.

As the next day was the dragon-boat festival， Wen Kuan and the other singing girls， twelve in all， were given a holiday， so they came into the garden and amused themselves by roaming everywhere and anywhere. As luck would have it， the two girls Pao-Kuan， who filled the _role_ of young men and Yue Kuan， who represented young women， were in the I Hung court enjoying themselves with Hsi Jen， when rain set in and they were prevented from going back， so in a body they stopped up the drain to allow the water to accumulate in the yard. Then catching those that could be caught， and driving those that had to be driven， they laid hold of a few of the GREen-headed ducks， variegated marsh-birds and coloured mandarin-ducks， and tying their wings they let them loose in the court to disport themselves. Closing the court Hsi Jen and her playmates stood together under the verandah and enjoyed the fun. Pao-yue therefore found the entrance shut. He gave a rap at the door. But as every one inside was bent upon laughing， they naturally did not catch the sound; and it was only after he had called and called， and made a noise by thumping at the door， that they at last heard. Imagining， however， that Pao-yue could not be coming back at that hour， Hsi Jen shouted laughing： whos it now knocking at the door? Theres no one to go and open.