He turned pale and sat down:
"My dream was exactly yours. Before these omens are fulfilled, I shall
speak to my father to arrange our marriage."
But, even as they talked, they silently fell asleep arm in arm.
Now about the middle of the night, the wind fell and the river became
calmer. At the fifth watch the sailors untied their moorings and began
to haul their anchors, singing at their work. The noise awakened the
lovers, who heard the men say:
"The ship catches the wind rarely. We shall not be long in getting to
Ch'i-Chow."
They looked at each other in dismay:
"What are we going to do now?"
"Hush!" said she. You must remain hidden for the moment. We will at
last find a plan."
"It is our dream come true."
Remembering that the slaves had seen her lover's feet in her dream,
Elegant leaned forward and covered them carefully with an ample
blanket. At last she said:
"I have a plan. During the day you must hide under the couch, and I
shall pretend to be ill, and keep in bed, or in the cabin. When we
reach Ch'i-Chow, I will give you a little money, and you must escape
in the confusion of the disembarkation. You shall rejoin your parents,
and we will arrange for our marriage. If, by any chance, my parents
were to refuse, we should tell the truth. My family has always loved
me excessively; they will certainly accede.
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