the wallet of kai lung-第1节

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THE　WALLET　OF　KAI　LUNG







BY　ERNEST　BRAMAH















〃Ho；　illustrious　passers…by！〃　says　Kai　Lung　as



he　spreads　out　his　embroidered　mat　under　the



mulberry…tree。　〃It　is　indeed　unlikely　that　you



could　condescend　to　stop　and　listen　to　the



foolish　words　of　such　an　insignificant　and



altogether　deformed　person　as　myself。



Nevertheless；　if　you　will　but　retard　your



elegant　footsteps　for　a　few　moments；　this



exceedingly　unprepossessing　individual　will



endeavour　to　entertain　you。〃　This　is　a



collection　of　Kai　Lung's　entertaining　tales；



told　professionally　in　the　market　places　as　he



travelled　about；　told　sometimes　to　occupy　and



divert　the　minds　of　his　enemies　when　they　were



intent　on　torturing　him。















THE　WALLET　OF　KAI　LUNG















CHAPTER　I







THE　TRANSMUTATION　OF　LING











I：　INTRODUCTION







The　sun　had　dipped　behind　the　western　mountains　before　Kai　Lung；　with



twenty　li　or　more　still　between　him　and　the　city　of　Knei　Yang；　entered



the　camphor…laurel　forest　which　stretched　almost　to　his　destination。



No　person　of　consequence　ever　made　the　journey　unattended；　but　Kai



Lung　professed　to　have　no　fear；　remarking　with　extempore　wisdom；　when



warned　at　the　previous　village；　that　a　worthless　garment　covered　one



with　better　protection　than　that　afforded　by　an　army　of　bowmen。



Nevertheless；　when　within　the　gloomy　aisles；　Kai　Lung　more　than　once



wished　himself　back　at　the　village；　or　safely　behind　the　mud　walls　of



Knei　Yang；　and；　making　many　vows　concerning　the　amount　of　prayer…paper



which　he　would　assuredly　burn　when　he　was　actually　through　the　gates；



he　stepped　out　more　quickly；　until　suddenly；　at　a　turn　in　the　glade；



he　stopped　altogether；　while　the　watchful　expression　into　which　he　had



unguardedly　dropped　at　once　changed　into　a　mask　of　impassiveness　and



extreme　unconcern。　From　behind　the　next　tree　projected　a　long　straight



rod；　not　unlike　a　slender　bamboo　at　a　distance；　but；　to　Kai　Lung's



all…seeing　eye；　in　reality　the　barrel　of　a　matchlock；　which　would　come



into　line　with　his　breast　if　he　took　another　step。　Being　a　prudent



man；　more　accustomed　to　guile　and　subservience　to　destiny　than　to



force；　he　therefore　waited；　spreading　out　his　hands　in　proof　of　his



peaceful　acquiescence；　and　smiling　cheerfully　until　it　should　please



the　owner　of　the　weapon　to　step　forth。　This　the　unseen　did　a　moment



later；　still　keeping　his　gun　in　an　easy　and　convenient　attitude；



revealing　a　stout　body　and　a　scarred　face；　which　in　conjunction　made



it　plain　to　Kai　Lung　that　he　was　in　the　power　of　Lin　Yi；　a　noted



brigand　of　whom　he　had　heard　much　in　the　villages。







〃O　illustrious　person；〃　said　Kai　Lung　very　earnestly；　〃this　is



evidently　an　unfortunate　mistake。　Doubtless　you　were　expecting　some



exalted　Mandarin　to　come　and　render　you　homage；　and　were　preparing　to



overwhelm　him　with　gratified　confusion　by　escorting　him　yourself　to



your　well…appointed　abode。　Indeed；　I　passed　such　a　one　on　the　road；



very　richly　apparelled；　who　inquired　of　me　the　way　to　the　mansion　of



the　dignified　and　upright　Lin　Yi。　By　this　time　he　is　perhaps　two　or



three　li　towards　the　east。〃







〃However　distinguished　a　Mandarin　may　be；　it　is　fitting　that　I　should



first　attend　to　one　whose　manners　and　accomplishments　betray　him　to　be



of　the　Royal　House；〃　replied　Lin　Yi；　with　extreme　affability。　〃Precede



me；　therefore；　to　my　mean　and　uninviting　hovel；　while　I　gain　more



honour　than　I　can　reasonably　bear　by　following　closely　in　your　elegant



footsteps；　and　guarding　your　Imperial　person　with　this　inadequate　but



heavily…loaded　weapon。〃







Seeing　no　chance　of　immediate　escape；　Kai　Lung　led　the　way；　instructed



by　the　brigand；　along　a　very　difficult　and　bewildering　path；　until



they　reached　a　cave　hidden　among　the　crags。　Here　Lin　Yi　called　out



some　words　in　the　Miaotze　tongue；　whereupon　a　follower　appeared；　and



opened　a　gate　in　the　stockade　of　prickly　mimosa　which　guarded　the



mouth　of　the　den。　Within　the　enclosure　a　fire　burned；　and　food　was



being　prepared。　At　a　word　from　the　chief；　the　unfortunate　Kai　Lung



found　his　hands　seized　and　tied　behind　his　back；　while　a　second　later



a　rough　hemp　rope　was　fixed　round　his　neck；　and　the　other　end　tied　to



an　overhanging　tree。







Lin　Yi　smiled　pleasantly　and　critically　upon　these　preparations；　and



when　they　were　complete　dismissed　his　follower。







〃Now　we　can　converse　at　our　ease　and　without　restraint；〃　he　remarked



to　Kai　Lung。　〃It　will　be　a　distinguished　privilege　for　a　person



occupying　the　important　public　position　which　you　undoubtedly　do；　for



myself；　my　instincts　are　so　degraded　and　low…minded　that　nothing　gives



me　more　gratification　than　to　dispense　with　ceremony。〃







To　this　Kai　Lung　made　no　reply；　chiefly　because　at　that　moment　the



wind　swayed　the　tree；　and　compelled　him　to　stand　on　his　toes　in　order



to　escape　suffocation。







〃It　would　be　useless　to　try　to　conceal　from　a　person　of　your　inspired



intelligence　that　I　am　indeed　Lin　Yi；〃　continued　the　robber。　〃It　is　a



dignified　position　to　occupy；　and　one　for　which　I　am　quite



incompetent。　In　the　sixth　month　of　the　third　year　ago；　it　chanced　that



this　unworthy　person；　at　that　time　engaged　in　commercial　affairs　at



Knei　Yang；　became　inextricably　immersed　in　the　insidious　delights　of



quail…fighting。　Having　been　entrusted　with　a　large　number　of　taels



with　which　to　purchase　elephants'　teeth；　it　suddenly　occurred　to　him



that　if　he　doubled　the　number　of　taels　by　staking　them　upon　an



exceedingly　powerful　and　agile　quail；　he　would　be　able　to　purchase



twice　the　number　of　teeth；　and　so　benefit　his　patron　to　a　large



extent。　This　matter　was　clearly　forced　upon　his　notice　by　a　dream；　in



which　he　perceived　one　whom　he　then　understood　to　be　the　benevolent



spirit　of　an　ancestor　in　the　act　of　stroking　a　particular　quail；　upon



whose　chances　he　accordingly　placed　all　he　possessed。　Doubtless　evil



spirits　had　been　employed　in　the　matter；　for；　to　this　person's　great



astonishment；　the　quail　in　question　failed　in　a　very　discreditable



manner　at　the　encounter。　Unfortunately；　this　person　had　risked　not



only　the　money　which　had　been　entrusted　to　him；　but　all　that　he　had



himself　become　possessed　of　by　some　years　of　honourable　toil　and



assiduous　courtesy　as　a　professional　witness　in　law　cases。　Not



doubting　that　his　patron　would　see　that　he　was　himself　greatly　to



blame　in　confiding　so　large　a　sum　of　money　to　a　comparatively　young



man　of　whom　he　knew　little；　this　person　placed　the　matter　before　him；



at　the　same　time　showing　him　that　he　would　suffer　in　the　eyes　of　the



virtuous　if　he　did　not　restore　this　person's　savings；　which　but　for



the　presence　of　the　larger　sum；　and　a　generous　desire　to　benefit　his



patron；　he　would　never　have　risked　in　so　uncertain　a　venture　as　that



of　quail…fighting。　Although　the　facts　were　laid　in　the　form　of　a



dignified　request　instead　of　a　demand　by　legal　means；　and　the



reasoning　carefully　drawn　up　in　columns　of　fine　parchment　by　a　very



illustrious　writer；　the　reply　which　this　person　received　showed　him



plainly　that　a　wrong　view　had　been　taken　of　the　matter；　and　that　the



time　had　arrived　when　it　became　necessary　for　him　to　make　a　suitable



rejoinder　by　leaving　the　city　without　delay。〃







〃It　was　a　high…minded　and　disinterested　course　to　take；〃　said　Kai　Lung



with　great　conviction；　as　Lin　Yi　paused。　〃Without　doubt　evil　will



shortly　overtake　the　avaricious…souled　person　at　Knei　Yang。〃







〃It　has　already　done　so；〃　replied　Lin　Yi。　〃While　passing　through　this



forest　in　the　season　of　Many　White　Vapours；　the　spirits　of　his　bad



deeds　appeared　to　him　in　misleading　and　symmetrical　shapes；　and　drew



him　out　of　the　path　and　away　from　his　bowmen。　After　suffering　many



torments；　he　found　his　way　here；　where；　in　spite　of　our　continual



care；　he　perished　miserably　and　in　great　bodily　pain。　。　。　。　But　I



cannot　conceal　from　myself；　in　spite　of　your　distinguished　politeness；



that　I　am　becoming　intolerably　tiresome　with　my　commonplace　talk。〃







〃On　the　contrary；〃　replied　Kai　Lung；　〃while　listening　to　your　voice　I



seemed　to　hear　the　beating　of　many　gongs　of　the　finest　and　most



polished　brass。　I　floated　in　the　Middle　Air；　and　for　the　time　I　even



became　unconscious　of　the　fact　that　this　honourable　appendage；　though



fashioned；　as　I　perceive；　out　of　the　most　delicate　silk；　makes　it



exceedingly　difficult　for　me　to　breathe。〃