the wallet of kai lung-第14节

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punishment　of　a　more　severe　order　than　that　administered　to



commonplace　criminals　There　are　many　other　disadvantages　affecting



such　persons　when　they　reach　the　Middle　Air；　of　which　the　chief〃







〃This　person　is　immeasurably　indebted　for　such　a　clear　explanation　of



the　position；〃　interrupted　Ling；　who　had　a　feeling　of　not　desiring　to



penetrate　further　into　the　detail；　〃but　as　he　perceives　a　line　of



anxious　ones　eagerly　waiting　at　the　door　to　obtain　advice　and



consolation　from　so　expert　and　amiable　a　wizard；　he　will　not　make



himself　uncongenial　any　longer　with　his　very　feeble　topics　of



conversation。〃







By　this　time　Ling　plainly　comprehended　that　he　had　been　marked　out



from　the　beginningperhaps　for　all　the　knowledge　which　he　had　to　the



opposite　effect；　from　the　period　in　the　life　of　a　far…removed



ancestorto　be　an　object　of　marked　derision　and　the　victim　of　all



manner　of　malevolent　demons　in　whatever　actions　he　undertook。　In　this



condition　of　understanding　his　mind　turned　gratefully　to　the　parting



gift　of　Mian　whom　he　had　now　no　hope　of　possessing；　for　the



intolerable　thought　of　uniting　her　to　so　objectionable　a　being　as



himself　would　have　been　dismissed　as　utterly　inelegant　even　had　he



been　in　a　manner　of　living　to　provide　for　her　adequately；　which　itself



seemed　clearly　impossible。　Disregarding　all　similar　emotions；



therefore；　he　walked　without　pausing　to　his　abode；　and　stretching　his



body　upon　the　rushes；　drank　the　entire　liquid　unhesitatingly；　and



prepared　to　pass　beyond　with　a　tranquil　mind　entirely　given　up　to



thoughts　and　images　of　Mian。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　X







UPON　a　certain　occasion；　the　particulars　of　which　have　already　been



recorded；　Ling　had　judged　himself　to　have　passed　into　the　form　of　a



spirit　on　beholding　the　ethereal　form　of　Mian　bending　over　him。　After



swallowing　the　entire　liquid；　which　had　cost　the　dead　magician　so　much



to　distil　and　make　perfect；　it　was　with　a　well…assured　determination



of　never　again　awakening　that　he　lost　the　outward　senses　and　floated



in　the　Middle　Air；　so　that　when　his　eyes　next　opened　upon　what　seemed



to　be　the　bare　walls　of　his　own　chamber；　his　first　thought　was　a



natural　conviction　that　the　matter　had　been　so　arranged　either　out　of



a　charitable　desire　that　he　should　not　be　overcome　by　a　too　sudden



transition　to　unparalleled　splendour；　or　that　such　a　reception　was　the



outcome　of　some　dignified　jest　on　the　part　of　certain　lesser　and　more



cheerful　spirits。　After　waiting　in　one　position　for　several　hours；



however；　and　receiving　no　summons　or　manifestation　of　a　celestial



nature；　he　began　to　doubt　the　qualities　of　the　liquid；　and　applying



certain　tests；　he　soon　ascertained　that　he　was　still　in　the　lower



world　and　unharmed。　Nevertheless；　this　circumstance　did　not　tend　in



any　way　to　depress　his　mind；　for；　doubtless　owing　to　some　hidden



virtue　of　the　fluid；　he　felt　an　enjoyable　emotion　that　he　still　lived；



all　his　attributes　appeared　to　be　purified；　and　he　experienced　an



inspired　certainty　of　feeling　that　an　illustrious　and



highly…remunerative　future　lay　before　one　who　still　had　an　ordinary



existence　after　being　both　officially　killed　and　self…poisoned。







In　this　intelligent　disposition　thoughts　of　Mian　recurred　to　him　with



unreproved　persistence；　and　in　order　to　convey　to　her　an　account　of



the　various　matters　which　had　engaged　him　since　his　arrival　at　the



city；　and　a　well…considered　declaration　of　the　unchanged　state　of　his



own　feelings　towards　her；　he　composed　and　despatched　with　impetuous



haste　the　following　delicate　verses：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CONSTANCY







　　　　About　the　walls　and　gates　of　Canton



　　　　Are　many　pleasing　and　entertaining　maidens；



　　　　Indeed；　in　the　eyes　of　their　friends　and　of　the　passers…by



　　　　Some　of　them　are　exceptionally　adorable。



　　　　The　person　who　is　inscribing　these　lines；　however；



　　　　Sees　before　him；　as　it　were；　an　assemblage　of　deformed　and



　　　　　　　　un…prepossessing　hags；



　　　　Venerable　in　age　and　inconsiderable　in　appearance；



　　　　For　the　dignified　and　majestic　image　of　Mian　is　ever　before　him；



　　　　Making　all　others　very　inferior。







　　　　Within　the　houses　and　streets　of　Canton



　　　　Hang　many　bright　lanterns。



　　　　The　ordinary　person　who　has　occasion　to　walk　by　night



　　　　Professes　to　find　them　highly　lustrous。



　　　　But　there　is　one　who　thinks　contrary　facts；



　　　　And　when　he　goes　forth　he　carries　two　long　curved　poles



　　　　To　prevent　him　from　stumbling　among　the　dark　and　hidden



　　　　　　　　places；



　　　　For　he　has　gazed　into　the　brilliant　and　pellucid　orbs　of　Mian；



　　　　And　all　other　lights　are　dull　and　practically　opaque。







　　　　In　various　parts　of　the　literary　quarter　of　Canton



　　　　Reside　such　as　spend　their　time　in　inward　contemplation。



　　　　In　spite　of　their　generally　uninviting　exteriors



　　　　Their　reflexions　are　often　of　a　very　profound　order。



　　　　Yet　the　unpopular　and　persistently…abused　Ling



　　　　Would　unhesitatingly　prefer　his　own　thoughts　to　theirs；



　　　　For　what　makes　this　person's　thoughts　far　more　pleasing



　　　　Is　that　they　are　invariably　connected　with　the　virtuous　and



　　　　　　　　ornamental　Mian。







Becoming　very　amiably　disposed　after　this　agreeable　occupation；　Ling



surveyed　himself　at　the　disc　of　polished　metal；　and　observed　with



surprise　and　shame　the　rough　and　uninviting　condition　of　his　person。



He　had；　indeed；　although　it　was　not　until　some　time　later　that　he



became　aware　of　the　circumstance；　slept　for　five　days　without



interruption；　and　it　need　not　therefore　be　a　matter　of　wonder　or　of



reproach　to　him　that　his　smooth　surfaces　had　become　covered　with　short



hair。　Reviling　himself　bitterly　for　the　appearance　which　he　conceived



he　must　have　exhibited　when　he　conducted　his　business；　and　to　which　he



now　in　part　attributed　his　ill…success；　Ling　went　forth　without　delay；



and　quickly　discovering　one　of　those　who　remove　hair　publicly　for　a



very　small　sum；　he　placed　himself　in　the　chair；　and　directed　that　his



face；　arms；　and　legs　should　be　denuded　after　the　manner　affected　by



the　ones　who　make　a　practice　of　observing　the　most　recent　customs。







〃Did　the　illustrious　individual　who　is　now　conferring　distinction　on



this　really　worn…out　chair　by　occupying　it　express　himself　in　favour



of　having　the　face　entirely　denuded？〃　demanded　the　one　who　conducted



the　operation；　for　these　persons　have　become　famous　for　their　elegant



and　persistent　ability　to　discourse；　and　frequently　assume　ignorance



in　order　that　they　themselves　may　make　reply；　and　not　for　the　purpose



of　gaining　knowledge。　〃Now；　in　the　objectionable　opinion　of　this



unintelligent　person；　who　has　a　presumptuous　habit　of　offering　his



very　undesirable　advice；　a　slight　covering　on　the　upper　lip；



delicately　arranged　and　somewhat　fiercely　pointed　at　the　extremities；



would　bestow　an　appearance　ofhow　shall　this　illiterate　person



explain　himself？dignity？matured　reflexion？doubtless　the



accomplished　nobleman　before　me　will　understand　what　is　intended　with



a　more　knife…like　accuracy　than　this　person　can　describe　itbut



confer　that　highly　desirable　effect　upon　the　face　of　which　at　present



it　is　entirely　destitute　。　。　。　'Entirely　denuded？'　Then　without　fail



it　shall　certainly　be　so；　O　incomparable　personage　。　。　。　Does　the



versatile　Mandarin　now　present　profess　any　concern　as　to　the　condition



of　the　rice　plants？　。　。　。　Indeed；　the　remark　is　an　inspired　one；　the



subject　is　totally　devoid　of　interest　to　a　person　of



intelligence　。　。　。　A　remarkable　and　gravity…removing　event　transpired



within　the　notice　of　this　unassuming　person　recently。　A　discriminating



individual　had　purchased　from　him　a　portion　of　his　justly　renowned



Thrice…extracted　Essence　of　Celestial　Herb　Oila　preparation　which　in



this　experienced　person's　opinion；　indeed；　would　greatly　relieve　the



undoubted　afflictions　from　which　the　one　before　him　is　evidently



sufferingwhen　after　once　anointing　himself〃







A　lengthy　period　containing　no　words　caused　Ling；　who　had　in　the



meantime　closed　his　eyes　and　lost　Canton　and　all　else　in　delicate



thoughts　of　Mian；　to　look　up。　That　which　met　his　attention　on　doing　so



filled　him　with　an　intelligent　wonder；　for　the　person　before　him　held



in　his　hand　what　had　the　appearance　of　a　tuft　of　bright　yellow　hair；



which　shone　in　the　light　of　the　sun　with　a　most　engaging　splendour；



but　which　he　nevertheless　regarded　with　a　most　undignified　expression



of　confusio