the wallet of kai lung-第11节

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At　this　remark；　which　plainly　proved　Ling　to　be　still　alive；　in　spite



of　the　fact　that　both　the　maiden　and　the　person　himself　had　thoughts



to　the　contrary；　Mian　found　herself　surrounded　by　a　variety　of



embarrassing　circumstances；　among　which　occurred　a　remembrance　of　the



dead　magician　and　the　wise　person　at　Ki　whom　she　had　set　out　to



summon；　but　on　considering　the　various　natural　and　sublime　laws　which



bore　directly　on　the　alternative　before　her；　she　discovered　that　her



plain　destiny　was　to　endeavour　to　restore　the　breath　in　the　person　who



was　still　alive　rather　than　engage　on　the　very　unsatisfactory　chance



of　attempting　to　call　it　back　to　the　body　from　which　it　had　so　long



been　absent。







Having　been　inspired　to　this　conclusionwhich；　when　she　later



examined　her　mind；　she　found　not　to　be　repulsive　to　her　own　inner



feelingsMian　returned　to　the　house　with　dexterous　speed；　and　calling



together　the　two　attendants；　she　endeavoured　by　means　of　signs　and



drawings　to　explain　to　them　what　she　desired　to　accomplish。　Succeeding



in　this　after　some　delay　（for　the　persons　in　question；　being　very



illiterate　and　narrow…minded；　were　unable　at　first　to　understand　the



existence　of　any　recumbent　male　person　other　than　the　dead　magician；



whom　they　thereupon　commenced　to　bury　in　the　garden　with　expressions



of　great　satisfaction　at　their　own　intelligence　in　comprehending



Mian's　meaning　so　readily）　they　all　journeyed　to　the　wood；　and　bearing



Ling　between　them；　they　carried　him　to　the　house　without　further



adventure。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VIII







IT　was　in　the　month　of　Hot　Dragon　Breaths；　many　weeks　after　the　fight



in　the　woods　of　Ki；　that　Ling　again　opened　his　eyes　to　find　himself　in



an　unknown　chamber；　and　to　recognize　in　the　one　who　visited　him　from



time　to　time　the　incomparable　maiden　whose　life　he　had　saved　in　the



cypress　glade。　Not　a　day　had　passed　in　the　meanwhile　on　which　Mian　had



neglected　to　offer　sacrifices　to　Chang…Chung；　the　deity　interested　in



drugs　and　healing　substances；　nor　had　she　wavered　in　her　firm　resolve



to　bring　Ling　back　to　an　ordinary　existence　even　when　the　attendants



had　protested　that　the　person　in　question　might　without　impropriety　be



sent　to　the　Restoring　Establishment　of　the　Last　Chance；　so　little　did



his　hope　of　recovering　rest　upon　the　efforts　of　living　beings。







After　he　had　beheld　Mian's　face　and　understood　the　circumstances　of



his　escape　and　recovery；　Ling　quickly　shook　off　the　evil　vapours　which



had　held　him　down　so　long；　and　presently　he　was　able　to　walk　slowly　in



the　courtyard　and　in　the　shady　paths　of　the　wood　beyond；　leaning　upon



Mian　for　the　support　he　still　required。







〃Oh；　graceful　one；〃　he　said　on　such　an　occasion；　when　little　stood



between　him　and　the　full　powers　which　he　had　known　before　the　battle；



〃there　is　a　matter　which　has　been　pressing　upon　this　person's　mind　for



some　time　past。　It　is　as　dark　after　light　to　let　the　thoughts　dwell



around　it；　yet　the　thing　itself　must　inevitably　soon　be　regarded；　for



in　this　life　one's　actions　are　for　ever　regulated　by　conditions　which



are　neither　of　one's　own　seeking　nor　within　one's　power　of



controlling。〃







At　these　words　all　brightness　left　Mian's　manner；　for　she　at　once



understood　that　Ling　referred　to　his　departure；　of　which　she　herself



had　lately　come　to　think　with　unrestrained　agitation。







〃Oh；　Ling；〃　she　exclaimed　at　length；　'most　expert　of　sword…users　and



most　noble　of　men；　surely　never　was　a　maiden　more　inelegantly　placed



than　the　one　who　is　now　by　your　side。　To　you　she　owes　her　life；　yet　it



is　unseemly　for　her　even　to　speak　of　the　incident；　to　you　she　must



look　for　protection；　yet　she　cannot　ask　you　to　stay　by　her　side。　She



is　indeed　alone。　The　magician　is　dead；　Ki　has　fallen；　Ling　is　going；



and　Mian　is　undoubtedly　the　most　unhappy　and　solitary　person　between



the　Wall　and　the　Nan　Hai。〃







〃Beloved　Mian；〃　exclaimed　Ling；　with　inspiring　vehemence；　〃and　is　not



the　utterly　unworthy　person　before　you　indebted　to　you　in　a　double



measure　that　life　is　still　within　him？　Is　not　the　strength　which　now



promotes　him　to　such　exceptional　audacity　as　to　aspire　to　your　lovely



hand；　of　your　own　creating？　Only　encourage　Ling　to　entertain　a



well…founded　hope　that　on　his　return　he　shall　not　find　you　partaking



of　the　wedding　feast　of　some　wealthy　and　exceptionally　round…bodied



Mandarin；　and　this　person　will　accomplish　the　journey　to　Canton　and



back　as　it　were　in　four　strides。〃







〃Oh；　Ling；　reflexion　of　my　ideal；　holder　of　my　soul；　it　would　indeed



be　very　disagreeable　to　my　own　feelings　to　make　any　reply　save　one；〃



replied　Mian；　scarcely　above　a　breath…voice。　〃Gratitude　alone　would



direct　me；　were　it　not　that　the　great　love　which　fills　me　leaves　no



resting…place　for　any　other　emotion　than　itself。　Go　if　you　must；　but



return　quickly；　for　your　absence　will　weigh　upon　Mian　like　a



dragon…dream。〃







〃Violet　light　of　my　eyes；〃　exclaimed　Ling；　〃even　in　surroundings　which



with　the　exception　of　the　matter　before　us　are　uninspiring　in　the



extreme；　your　virtuous　and　retiring　encouragement　yet　raises　me　to



such　a　commanding　eminence　of　demonstrative　happiness　that　I　fear　I



shall　become　intolerably　self…opinionated　towards　my　fellow…men　in



consequence。〃







〃Such　a　thing　is　impossible　with　my　Ling；〃　said　Mian；　with　conviction。



〃But　must　you　indeed　journey　to　Canton？〃







〃Alas！〃　replied　Ling；　〃gladly　would　this　person　decide　against　such　a



course　did　the　matter　rest　with　him；　for　as　the　Verses　say；　'It　is



needless　to　apply　the　ram's　head　to　the　unlocked　door。'　But　Ki　is



demolished；　the　unassuming　Mandarin　Li　Keen　has　retired　to　Peking；　and



of　the　fortunes　of　his　bowmen　this　person　is　entirely　ignorant。〃







〃Such　as　survived　returned　to　their　homes；〃　replied　Mian；　〃and　Si…chow



is　safe；　for　the　scattered　and　broken　rebels　fled　to　the　mountains



again；　so　much　this　person　has　learned。〃







〃In　that　case　Si…chow　is　undoubtedly　safe　for　the　time；　and　can　be



left　with　prudence；〃　said　Ling。　〃It　is　an　unfortunate　circumstance



that　there　is　no　Mandarin　of　authority　between　here　and　Canton　who　can



receive　from　this　person　a　statement　of　past　facts　and　give　him



instructions　for　the　future。〃







〃And　what　will　be　the　nature　of　such　instructions　as　will　be　given　at



Canton？〃　demanded　Mian。







〃By　chance　they　may　take　the　form　of　raising　another　company　of



bowmen；〃　said　Ling；　with　a　sigh；　〃but；　indeed；　if　this　person　can



obtain　any　weight　by　means　of　his　past　service；　they　will　tend　towards



a　pleasant　and　unambitious　civil　appointment。〃







〃Oh；　my　artless　and　noble…minded　lover！〃　exclaimed　Mian；　〃assuredly　a



veil　has　been　before　your　eyes　during　your　residence　in　Canton；　and



your　naturally　benevolent　mind　has　turned　all　things　into　good；　or　you



would　not　thus　hopefully　refer　to　your　brilliant　exploits　in　the　past。



Of　what　commercial　benefit　have　they　been　to　the　sordid　and　miserly



persons　in　authority；　or　in　what　way　have　they　diverted　a　stream　of



taels　into　their　insatiable　pockets？　Far　greater　is　the　chance　that



had　Si…chow　fallen　many　of　its　household　goods　would　have　found　their



way　into　the　Yamens　of　Canton。　Assuredly　in　Li　Keen　you　will　have　a



friend　who　will　make　many　delicate　allusions　to　your　ancestors　when



you　meet；　and　yet　one　who　will　float　many　barbed　whispers　to　follow



you　when　you　have　passed；　for　you　have　planted　shame　before　him　in　the



eyes　of　those　who　would　otherwise　neither　have　eyes　to　see　nor　tongues



to　discuss　the　matter。　It　is　for　such　a　reason　that　this　person



distrusts　all　things　connected　with　the　journey；　except　your



constancy；　oh；　my　true　and　strong　one。〃







〃Such　faithfulness　would　alone　be　sufficient　to　assure　my　safe　return



if　the　matter　were　properly　represented　to　the　supreme　Deities；〃　said



Ling。　〃Let　not　the　thin　curtain　of　bitter　water　stand　before　your



lustrous　eyes　any　longer；　then　the　events　which　have　followed　one



another　in　the　past　few　days　in　a　fashion　that　can　only　be　likened　to



thunder　following　lightning　are　indeed　sufficient　to　distress　one　with



so　refined　and　swan…like　an　organization；　but　they　are　now　assuredly



at　an　end。〃







〃It　is　a　hope　of　daily　recurrence　to　this　person；〃　replied　Mian；



honourably　endeavouring　to　restrain　the　emotion　which　openly　exhibited



itself　in　her　eyes；　〃for　what　maiden　would　not　rather　make　successful



offerings　to　the　Great　Mother　Kum