Now the wife of Liu had already retired, and Prudence had shot the bolt of the door.  She was laughing all over the bright chrysanthemum of her face: 

“Sister-in-law, you have taken no refreshment.  Are you not hungry?  If you wish for anything, tell me, and I will go and fetch it for you.”

“I am deeply grateful to my sister-in-law for her gentle thought.”

Prudence noticed that the wick of the lamp had not been trimmed, and was burning long, straight and red.  So she exclaimed: 

“That is for your happiness, sister-in-law!”

The other could not restrain a burst of laughter.

Prudence blushed and laughed also: 

“You know how to be merry.”

So they talked together.  At length the maiden, taking the flowers out of her hair, got upon the bed and knelt down to undress herself.  He asked her: 

“On which pillow would you like to sleep?  The lower one?”

“As my sister-in-law wishes.”

“Then, if you please, let us sleep on the same.”

“Very well.”

Prudence had slipped under the blankets to finish undressing, and the boy did likewise, removing his upper garment.  The lamp, placed on a little table beside the bed, dimly lit up the recess through the thin curtains.

His emotion began to rise, and he asked: 

“How many flowering Springtides have you known?”

“Fifteen, this year.”

“Are you betrothed?”

But she was seized with unaccountable shyness, and dared not answer.  He brought his lips close to the delicate ear lying beside him, and whispered: 

“Why are you so bashful?  We are only two women together.”

Very low, she answered him: 

“I am betrothed to the son of P’ei, the druggist, and already they are urging that the ceremony should take place.  Happily nothing is yet decided.”

“You are not very eager, then?”

She pushed his head gently away, saying: 

“It is not nice of you to take hold of my words in this way, and to make fun of me.  If I am not eager, you do not seem to be any more so than I.”

“And how do you know that, maiden?  In any case, how could I be so when we are two women.”

“You speak to me as if you were my mother,” the other laughed.

“Considering my age, I should rather be your husband,” he thoughtlessly said.

She burst out laughing: 

“It is I who am the husband, seeing that I took my brother’s place at the wedding.”

“Well, let us not argue, but rather act as if we were husband and wife.”

Thus both of them spoke words of meaning.  They grew more and more passionate.

“Since we are husband and wife,” he said impatiently, “why do we not sleep under the same blanket?”

As he spoke, he pushed back the thick quilt, and began to observe the garment on the so sweet and smooth, so soft and graceful body.  She had kept on an under garment, but her heart was filled with Springtime thoughts, and she offered no resistance to his eye.