the wallet of kai lung-第12节

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offerings　to　the　Great　Mother　Kum…Fa　than　have　the　most　imposing　and



verbose　Triumphal　Arch　erected　to　commemorate　an　empty　and



unsatisfying　constancy？〃







In　this　amiable　manner　the　matter　was　arranged　between　Ling　and　Mian；



as　they　sat　together　in　the　magician's　garden　drinking　peach…tea；



which　the　two　attendantsnot　without　discriminating　and　significant



expressions　between　themselvesbrought　to　them　from　time　to　time。



Here　Ling　made　clear　the　whole　manner　of　his　life　from　his　earliest



memory　to　the　time　when　he　fell　in　dignified　combat；　nor　did　Mian



withhold　anything；　explaining　in　particular　such　charms　and　spells　of



the　magician　as　she　had　knowledge　of；　and　in　this　graceful　manner



materially　assisting　her　lover　in　the　many　disagreeable　encounters　and



conflicts　which　he　was　shortly　to　experience。







It　was　with　even　more　objectionable　feelings　than　before　that　Ling　now



contemplated　his　journey　to　Canton；　involving　as　it　did　the　separation



from　one　who　had　become　as　the　shadow　of　his　existence；　and　by　whose



side　he　had　an　undoubted　claim　to　stand。　Yet　the　necessity　of　the



undertaking　was　no　less　than　before；　and　the　full　possession　of　all



his　natural　powers　took　away　his　only　excuse　for　delaying　in　the



matter。　Without　any　pleasurable　anticipations；　therefore；　he　consulted



the　Sacred　Flat　and　Round　Sticks；　and　learning　that　the　following　day



would　be　propitious　for　the　journey；　he　arranged　to　set　out　in



accordance　with　the　omen。







When　the　final　moment　arrived　at　which　the　invisible　threads　of



constantly　passing　emotions　from　one　to　the　other　must　be　broken；　and



when　Mian　perceived　that　her　lover's　horse　was　restrained　at　the　door



by　the　two　attendants；　who　with　unsuspected　delicacy　of　feeling　had



taken　this　opportunity　of　withdrawing；　the　noble　endurance　which　had



hitherto　upheld　her　melted　away；　and　she　became　involved　in　very



melancholy　and　obscure　meditations　until　she　observed　that　Ling　also



was　quickly　becoming　affected　by　a　similar　gloom。







〃Alas！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃how　unworthy　a　person　I　am　thus　to　impose　upon



my　lord　a　greater　burden　than　that　which　already　weighs　him　down！



Rather　ought　this　one　to　dwell　upon　the　happiness　of　that　day；　when；



after　successfully　evading　or　overthrowing　the　numerous　bands　of



assassins　which　infest　the　road　from　here　to　Canton；　and　after



escaping　or　recovering　from　the　many　deadly　pestilences　which



invariably　reduce　that　city　at　this　season　of　the　year；　he　shall



triumphantly　return。　Assuredly　there　is　a　highly…polished　surface



united　to　every　action　in　life；　no　matter　how　funereal　it　may　at　first



appear。　Indeed；　there　are　many　incidents　compared　with　which　death



itself　is　welcome；　and　to　this　end　Mian　has　reserved　a　farewell　gift。〃







Speaking　in　this　manner　the　devoted　and　magnanimous　maiden　placed　in



Ling's　hands　the　transparent　vessel　of　liquid　which　the　magician　had



grasped　when　he　fell。　〃This　person；〃　she　continued；　speaking　with



difficulty；　〃places　her　lover's　welfare　incomparably　before　her　own



happiness；　and　should　he　ever　find　himself　in　a　situation　which　is



unendurably　oppressive；　and　from　which　death　is　the　only　escapesuch



as　inevitable　tortures；　the　infliction　of　violent　madness；　or　the



subjection　by　magic　to　the　will　of　some　designing　womanshe　begs　him



to　accept　this　means　of　freeing　himself　without　regarding　her　anguish



beyond　expressing　a　clearly　defined　last　wish　that　the　two　persons　in



question　may　be　in　the　end　happily　reunited　in　another　existence。〃







Assured　by　this　last　evidence　of　affection；　Ling　felt　that　he　had　no



longer　any　reason　for　internal　heaviness；　his　spirits　were



immeasurably　raised　by　the　fragrant　incense　of　Mian's　great　devotion；



and　under　its　influence　he　was　even　able　to　breathe　towards　her　a　few



words　of　similar　comfort　as　he　left　the　spot　and　began　his　journey。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IX







ON　entering　Canton；　which　he　successfully　accomplished　without　any



unpleasant　adventure；　the　marked　absence　of　any　dignified　ostentation



which　had　been　accountable　for　many　of　Ling's　misfortunes　in　the　past；



impelled　him　again　to　reside　in　the　same　insignificant　apartment　that



he　had　occupied　when　he　first　visited　the　city　as　an　unknown　and



unimportant　candidate。　In　consequence　of　this；　when　Ling　was



communicating　to　any　person　the　signs　by　which　messengers　might　find



him；　he　was　compelled　to　add；　〃the　neighbourhood　in　which　this



contemptible　person　resides　is　that　officially　known　as　'the　mean



quarter　favoured　by　the　lower　class　of　those　who　murder　by



treachery'；〃　and　for　this　reason　he　was　not　always　treated　with　the



regard　to　which　his　attainments　entitled　him；　or　which　he　would　have



unquestionably　received　had　he　been　able　to　describe　himself　as　of



〃the　partly…drained　and　uninfected　area　reserved　to　Mandarins　and



their　friends。〃







It　was　with　an　ignoble　feeling　of　mental　distress　that　Ling　exhibited



himself　at　the　Chief　Office　of　Warlike　Deeds　and　Arrangements　on　the



following　day；　for　the　many　disadvantageous　incidents　of　his　past　life



had　repeated　themselves　before　his　eyes　while　he　slept；　and　the　not



unhopeful　emotions　which　he　had　felt　when　in　the　inspiring　presence　of



Mian　were　now　altogether　absent。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　he　reached



the　office　during　the　early　gong　strokes　of　the　morning；　it　was　not



until　the　withdrawal　of　light　that　he　reached　any　person　who　was　in　a



position　to　speak　with　him　on　the　matter；　so　numerous　were　the　lesser



ones　through　whose　chambers　he　had　to　pass　in　the　process。　At　length



he　found　himself　in　the　presence　of　an　upper　one　who　had　the



appearance　of　being　acquainted　with　the　circumstances；　and　who



received　him　with　dignity；　though　not　with　any　embarrassing　exhibition



of　respect　or　servility。







〃'The　hero　of　the　illustrious　encounter　beyond　the　walls　of　Si…chow'；〃



exclaimed　that　official；　reading　the　words　from　the　tablet　of



introduction　which　Ling　had　caused　to　be　carried　into　him；　and　at　the



same　time　examining　the　person　in　question　closely。　〃Indeed；　no　such



one　is　known　to　those　within　this　office；　unless　the　words　chance　to



point　to　the　courteous　and　unassuming　Mandarin　Li　Keen；　who；　however；



is　at　this　moment　recovering　his　health　at　Peking；　as　set　forth　in　the



amiable　and　impartial　report　which　we　have　lately　received　from　him。〃







At　these　words　Ling　plainly　understood　that　there　was　little　hope　of



the　last　events　becoming　profitable　on　his　account。







〃Did　not　the　report　to　which　allusion　has　been　made　bear　reference　to



one　Ling；　Commander　of　the　Archers；　who　thrice　led　on　the　fighting



men；　and　who　was　finally　successful　in　causing　the　rebels　to　disperse



towards　the　mountains？〃　he　asked；　in　a　voice　which　somewhat　trembled。







〃There　is　certainly　reference　to　one　of　the　name　you　mention；〃　said



the　other；　〃but　regarding　the　termsperhaps　this　person　would　better



protect　his　own　estimable　time　by　displaying　the　report　within　your



sight。〃







With　these　words　the　upper　one　struck　a　gong　several　times；　and　after



receiving　from　an　inner　chamber　the　parchment　in　question；　he　placed



it　before　Ling；　at　the　same　time　directing　a　lesser　one　to　interpose



between　it　and　the　one　who　read　it　a　large　sheet　of　transparent



substance；　so　that　destruction　might　not　come　to　it；　no　matter　in　what



way　its　contents　affected　the　reader。　Thereon　Ling　perceived　the



following　facts；　very　skilfully　inscribed　with　the　evident　purpose　of



inducing　persons　to　believe；　without　question；　that　words　so　elegantly



traced　must　of　necessity　be　truthful　also。







　　　　A　Benevolent　Example　of　the　Intelligent　Arrangement　by　which



　　　　the　most　Worthy　Persons　outlive　those　who　are　Incapable。







　　　　The　circumstances　connected　with　the　office　of　the　valuable



　　　　and　accomplished　Mandarin　of　Warlike　Deeds　and　Arrangements　at



　　　　Si…chow　have；　in　recent　times；　been　of　anything　but　a



　　　　prepossessing　order。　Owing　to　the　very　inadequate　methods



　　　　adopted　by　those　who　earn　a　livelihood　by　conveying



　　　　necessities　from　the　more　enlightened　portions　of　the　Empire



　　　　to　that　place；　it　so　came　about　that　for　a　period　of　five　days



　　　　the　Yamen　was　entirely　unsupplied　with　the　fins　of　sharks　or



　　　　even　with　goats'　eyes。　To　add　to　the　polished　Mandarin's



　　　　distress　of　mind　the　barbarous　and　slow…witted　rebels　who



　　　　infest　those　parts　took　this　opportunity　to　destroy　the　town



　　　　and　most