It was a very large room with only a few pieces of solid, old-fashioned furniture. Although thick draperies were drawn over the windows, he could hear faintly the sounds of the storm outside. A huge bedstead stood against the back wall; heavy curtains of antique brocade hung down from its carved ebony canopy, high up near the raftered ceiling. In the corner he saw a dressing-table of blackwood, and next to it a small tea-table with four stools. Except for a large bronze brazier there was no other furniture. The floor was covered by a thick, faded brown carpet. The room didn't seem very inviting, but he reflected that when the brazier was burning and all the candles lighted, it would probably not be too bad.

He pulled the curtains of the bedstead aside. It provided ample room for himself and his three wives. As a rule he didn't like them all sleeping together. At home each of his wives had her own separate bedroom, and he either passed the night there or invited one to his own bedroom. As a staunch Confucianist he thought that to be the only proper arrangement. He knew that many husbands slept with all their wives together in one bedroom, but Judge Dee thought that a bad habit. It lessened the women's self-respect and did not make for a harmonious household. However, when travelling it couldn't be helped. He went back to the dressing room, and sneezed several times.

"Here's a nice padded robe for you!" his First Lady said. And softer: "Do I give a tip to those lay brothers?"

"Better not," the judge whispered. "We'll leave a gift to the monastery when we take our departure tomorrow." Louder he added: "That robe'll do!"

His second wife helped him to change into the dry garments after having warmed them over the brazier.

"Give me my new cap!" Judge Dee said to his First Lady. "I'll have to go down now and say a few polite things to the abbot."