peacefully. I almost wanted to hold my hand over his nose to see if he was not actually still breathing.
All was still as death, the living as well as the dead. I came out from the room, followed by his cousin who spoke a few appropriate words, saying that his "brother" had "joined the ancients" when he was just in his prime and on the threshold of great things, and that this was not only a great misfortune to his "decaying clan" but was also a severe shock to his friends. He seemed to be making apologies for Lien-shu; such eloquence as this was rarely encountered in one from a mountain village. After this speech everything was again still as death, the living as well as the dead.
I felt weary but I was not particularly sorrowful. I joined Big Liang's grandmother in the yard and talked with her. I learned from her that the encofiining time was near, that they were only waiting for the burial clothes, and that when the cofhn lid was nailed down those born in the years of the Rat, Hare, Ox, and Cock must not be present. She became very much interested in her subject and poured out a stream of words. She spoke of his illness, of the last months of his life, and of her candid opinion of him.
"Do you know that His Excellency became quite a different person after he came under his lucky star? His head was raised high and he looked self-assured. He no longer acted so stiff and formal before people. You know, of course, that he used to act like a dumb person, he used to address me as lao-tai-tai [venerable madam]. But later he called me an old wench. Yes, it was great fun. Once he received a present of pai-shu[1] from Hsien-chü. He didn't take such things himself, so he threw it out into the yard—right here—and said,
- ↑ Atractylis lancea, variety of ovata formalyrata, used for medicine and in soups.
