On the day that Tuen arrived at the yâmen, the wife of the Viceroy came
out into the court to take her airing, and because her poor little feet
were so small they would not bear her weight, a maid walked on each side
to support her. Even then she tottered helplessly, and was glad to sit
down in a chair beside the lily pool. She was low and plump, with a
wealth of glossy black hair arranged high on her head, and adorned with
many fancy pins, while across her forehead was a pointed band
embroidered in gold and pearls, getting gradually narrower toward the
back, where it was fastened with a jewelled brooch. Her sloping
eyebrows, shaped like a crescent moon, were heavily pencilled, her
olive complexion was lightened by a generous supply of powder, and her
cheeks and lips and even her little round chin had been touched with
vermilion. The costume she wore was not less striking than was her
appearance, consisting of a long outer robe of pink crêpe, embroidered
in blue and red flowers with golden centres, with here and there a spray
of green leaves, and on her breast was the yellow lily, the same as the
one the Viceroy wore. From beneath this robe came a plaited petticoat of
pale green silk, and with every step the folds opened and closed,
showing the pink lining. Her chubby feet were encased in diminutive
shoes of red satin, heavily worked in gilt thread, from her ears hung
two pairs of long, swinging ear-rings, and upon her arms were gold and
silver bracelets, from one of which hung an amulet of jade to ward off
evil spirits. The long sleeves of her tunic covered her hands, for in
China it is immodest for a woman to expose her hands or wrists, or any
part of her body.
Despite the gorgeousness of her apparel there was nothing haughty in the
bearing of this great lady, and although her countenance was destitute
of that intellectuality that brightens the faces of the women of the
western world, her expression was one of extreme amiability.
"Can you tell me nothing that will interest me? Have you not some news
of what goes on in the city?" she asked, turning to one of the maids;
but hardly had she finished speaking when Wang appeared, followed by the
timid Tuen.
"Ah, here is the little slave of whom I have heard!" she exclaimed,
seeing their approach. "Bring her here, Wang."
Tuen made her salutations humbly, and waited with hands clasped in front
of her for the verdict of her new mistress. Thanks to the kindly
ministrations of Wang, her face was now clean, her hair neatly braided,
and her old worn-out garments replaced by new ones.
The Viceroy's lady examined her critically, even approvingly, as she
said: "I am glad she has such big feet. She can the better work. Only
ladies of high rank should bind their feet--it is foolishness in
servants."
Tuen looked from her own brown, shapely feet to the clumsy ones of her
mistress, and was silent, though it must be confessed she thought the
Viceroy's wife had the very loveliest feet she had ever seen.
"Can you do anything?" the lady next questioned; and Tuen managed to
stammer that she knew how to embroider, and to cook some dishes that
were esteemed dainties in the province of Hunan, from whence she came.
But her new mistress seemed astonished at the enumeration of these
accomplishments, and said coldly.
"We have those who are well trained to do such work for us. If you are
quick to learn, Wang will teach you other things, and if you are stupid
and bad,"--here she frowned and shook her head, "why, we will sell you
again."
"Sell who again?" cried a shrill voice, and Tuen jumped and looked
hastily behind her to see from whence it came.
The Viceroy's wife, with her maids supporting her, quickly rose to her
feet, and with many low bows offered the vacant chair to an old,
withered woman, most magnificently attired, who emerged from one of the
corridors. This elderly female scorned the proffered seat, and glared
irately around her.
"Who is this creature?" she screamed, pointing her long, bony finger at
Tuen, who now became conscious of a wild desire to fly.
"It is a slave my husband has bought to-day, mother," the Viceroy's
lady said in a humble, almost pleading voice.
"Your husband has bought!" exclaimed the old lady in a tone of withering
scorn. "You mean my son has bought, do you not? And how dare you speak
of selling her? You! Umh! I will box your ears if I hear any more such
saucy talk."
"Indeed, indeed I did not mean to be disrespectful to your worshipful
highness," the wife of the Viceroy murmured. But the mother-in-law was
not so readily appeased.
"You, who must worship me while I am alive, and when I am dead do homage
before my tablet, to sit and tell me what you will do with mine and my
son's possessions! The impudence of it! You need a good beating right
now," and she glared fiercely at the trembling wife. "As for that girl,"
nodding toward Tuen, "I like her looks, and if it pleases me I will take
her for my maid."
This prospect was far from pleasing to the unhappy little slave girl,
but having delivered this threat the autocrat of the household hobbled
away, still scolding beneath her breath. No wonder that the wife of the
Viceroy drew a long sigh of relief as she saw the figure of her
mother-in-law disappear, and she quite complacently settled herself in
her chair and smoothed out the folds of her robe as if nothing had
happened. Such scenes as these were of frequent occurrence in this
aristocratic yâmen, for by the laws of the land the son's wife must be
subject to his parents, and yield them obedience in all things. If she
failed in this, her life became a burden dreadful to be borne, for a
Chinese mother-in-law is often a thing of terror, and besides it was a
satisfactory ground for divorce for the husband to say that his wife was
not obedient to his mother. The reign of the mother-in-law thus became a
thing not curable, and therefore to be endured with all the patience
possible under the circumstances. The wife of the Viceroy possessed a
large supply of this valuable article,--patience--and bore in silence
the many taunts of her mother-in-law; and now with her serenity
unruffled she again addressed Tuen.
"You spoke of the province of Hunan. That must be a long way from here,
as I never heard of it before."
"It _is_ very far," Tuen answered, thinking of the weary weeks they had
journeyed through the country. Then she added proudly:
"My father is even now returning there, but I shall never go back."
"Of course not," her mistress replied. "Why should you, when you have
food and clothes here? Is not that enough?"
Tuen was saved the necessity of a reply, for the Viceroy now appeared on
the scene fanning himself violently with a great gauze fan. For a moment
he did not recognize Tuen, so marked was the change in her appearance,
and he inquired abruptly, not noticing the others:
"What is your name?"
"Tuen, oh great and honored sir," she replied in a trembling voice,
bowing to the ground, for she stood in deep awe of this powerful
magistrate.
"She is the slave you bought this morning," Wang interposed, and at this
the Viceroy pursed up his lips in astonishment. Again he looked at Tuen
closely, then turning to his wife said:
"She is young, and has an intelligent look. I am glad I bought her, for
there is something in her manner I like, and I am sure she will be
useful."
"Her face belies her," his lady put in, "for she seems very stupid."
"At any rate she isn't ugly," he rejoined, and at this remark his wife
threw back her head quickly, and darted an angry glance at Tuen.
"I don't see any beauty," she replied coldly. "Ugh, how scrawny she
is!" with a satisfied glance at her own plump person.
"Take her away," he said shortly to Wang, then addressed his wife in the
same tones of displeasure.
"As for you, come with me to the Hall of my Ancestors to worship," and
he led the way to a small building, shaped like a summer-house, standing
at the far end of the court. The floor of this little edifice was of
tiling, and the wood-work was fancifully carved and decorated, while
many lanterns hung within. At the rear was an altar of costly jade,
before which incense was now burning, and upon it stood five wooden
tablets about twelve inches long and three broad, bearing the name and
the date of death of his ancestors. The Viceroy and his wife prostrated
themselves before this altar, knocking their heads nine times upon the
floor, as their lips moved in prayer. These rites finished, he burned a
quantity of gilt paper in the bowl placed before the tablets for that
purpose, and returned with his wife to the court, where tea was served.
As he sipped this invigorating beverage, the Viceroy dismissed the
servants, and when alone with his wife returned to the former topic of
conversation.
"The girl I have bought is no common creature," he informed her, "but of
good parentage. I desire peace in my family, and for that reason I shall
take no other wives, but see to it that this Tuen is treated well. She
might be taught to wait upon you."
"I have maids enough," she answered, "and I do not need this one. Let
her work with the other kitchen slaves; that is the place for her." For
she had not yet forgiven him for saying that Tuen was not ugly.
"Very well," he replied indifferently. "But she looked like a smart
girl."
"She is but a stupid child yet," his wife said, now somewhat
conciliated. "She may improve when she has lived with us awhile, but she
has much to learn."