Free The Warning Voice by Cao Xueqin Page A

that she kept low so as not to be audible inside:
    â€˜You’ve gone too far this time and no mistake! Miss Tan is a real little lady, but just because she is too well-bred to throw her weight about, it doesn’t mean that you can afford to take advantage of her. On the contrary, you ought to respect her all the more for it. If she were ever to get really angry, my word you would be in trouble! It wouldn’t just be a question of saying “sorry” then. If she took it into her head to throw a tantrum, even Her Ladyship would have to give in to her. Mrs Lian certainly wouldn’t stand in her way, she wouldn’t dare. So just what makes
you
so bold against her I do not know. You might just as well pelt a rock with eggs as set yourselves up against her!’
    â€˜We
wouldn’t dare set ourselves up against her,’ said the women. ‘This was all Mrs Zhao’s doing.’
    â€˜Oh, come on now!’ said Patience, still speaking in a half-whisper. ‘Everyone likes to push a falling wall. We all know that Mrs Zhao isn’t the most sensible of mortals. She doesn’t know whether she’s coming or going half the time. It’s just a bit too easy to blame it all on her when things go wrong. Do you think after all the years I’ve been here I don’t know how unmanageable and how ruthless you can be? If Mrs Lian were just a shade less determined, she’d have been finished off by you lot years ago. As it is, you only need half a chance to start making things difficult for her. Many and many’s the time she’s nearly come unstuck because of your whispering. Everyone’s always saying what a holy terror
she
is and how you’re all afraid of her. I’m probably the only one who realizes that in her heart of hearts
she’s
actually afraid of
you
. As a matter of fact she and I were talking about this only the other day. We both agreed that if you didn’t make yourselves a bit more accommodating, there were sure to be one or two explosions. Miss Tan may be only a young girl, but you’re completely mistaken in treating her like this. Even Mrs Lian is a tiny bit scared of Miss Tan. Of all the young ladies in this household Miss Tan is the only one she feels that way about. And yet
you
think you can do what you like with her!’
    Just then Ripple approached and the women all crowded round to greet her.
    â€˜Better stay outside with us for a bit, miss,’ they said. ‘They’ve just laid for lunch inside. Better wait until they take the table away before going in to report anything.’
    â€˜I’m not like you,’ said Ripple loftily. ‘I can’t wait.’
    She began mounting the steps.
    â€˜Come back at once!’ Patience called after her.
    Ripple looked back and saw that it was Patience.
    â€˜Oh, what are
you
doing here? Sentry duty?’
    She came down again then and sat beside Patience on the rug.
    â€˜What have you come about?’ Patience asked her in a low voice.
    â€˜I want to ask about Bao-yu’s and our allowances for this month. We’ve been wondering when we’re going to get them.’
    â€˜Oh
that
!’ said Patience. ‘That’s not very important. Go back and tell Aroma this – say
I
told you to tell her: no matter what it is, don’t come here asking for anything today. Anything you ask for will be refused. If you ask for a hundred things, one after the other, the answer will be “no” every time.’
    â€˜Why’s that?’ said Ripple.
    Patience and the women explained, pointing out that to go in and ask for something on Bao-yu’s behalf at the very moment when Tan-chun was looking around for someone of consequence to make an example of would be simply courting disaster.
    â€˜There’s no sense in your going in now,’ said Patience. ‘Either way it will be awkward. If they make an example of Bao-yu they will risk offending Their