红楼梦Chapter14_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter14

Lady Feng， well aware that not a few guests would call on this day， was quick to get out of bed at four sharp， to dress her hair and perform her ablutions. After having completed every arrangement for the day， she changed her costume， washed her hands， and swallowed a couple of mouthfuls of milk. By the time she had rinsed her mouth， it was exactly 6.30; and Lai Wangs wife， at the head of a company of servants， had been waiting a good long while， when lady Feng appeared in front of the Entrance Hall， mounted her carriage and betook herself， preceded by a pair of transparent horn lanterns， on which were written， in large type， the three characters， Jung Kuo mansion， to the main entrance gate of the Ning Household. The door lanterns shed brilliant rays from where they were suspended; while on either side the lanterns， of uniform colours， propped upright， emitted a lustrous light as bright as day.

the servants of the family， got up in their mourning clothes， covered the ground far and wide like a white sheet. They stood drawn in two rows， and requested that the carriage should drive up to the main entrance. The youths retired， and all the married women came forward， and raising the curtain of the carriage， lady Feng alighted; and as with one arm she supported herself on Feng Erh， two married women， with lanterns in their hands， lighted the way. Pressed round by the servants， lady Feng made her entry. The married women of the Ning mansion advanced to GREet her， and to pay their respects; and this over， lady Feng， with graceful bearing， entered the Garden of Concentrated Fragrance. Ascending the Spirit Hall， where the tablet was laid， the tears， as soon as she caught sight of the coffin， trickled down her eyes like pearls whose string had snapped; while the youths in the court， and their number was not small， stood in a reverent posture， with their arms against their sides， waiting to burn the paper. Lady Feng uttered one remark， by way of command： Offer the tea and burn the paper! when the sound of two blows on the gong was heard and the whole band struck up together. A servant had at an early period placed a large armchair in front of the tablet， and lady Feng sat down， and gave way to loud lamentations. Promptly all those， who stood inside or outside， whether high or low， male or female， took up the note， and kept on wailing and weeping until Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu， after a time， sent a message to advise her to withhold her tears; when at length lady Feng desisted.