the wallet of kai lung-第15节

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but　which　he　nevertheless　regarded　with　a　most　undignified　expression



of　confusion　and　awe。







〃Illustrious　demon；〃　he　cried　at　length；　kow…towing　very　respectfully；



〃have　the　extreme　amiableness　to　be　of　a　benevolent　disposition；　and



do　not　take　an　unworthy　and　entirely　unremunerative　revenge　upon　this



very　unimportant　person　for　failing　to　detect　and　honour　you　from　the



beginning。〃







〃Such　words　indicate　nothing　beyond　an　excess　of　hemp　spirit；〃



answered　Ling；　with　signs　of　displeasure。　〃To　gain　my　explicit　esteem；



make　me　smooth　without　delay；　and　do　not　exhibit　before　me　the　lock　of



hair　which；　from　its　colour　and　appearance；　has　evidently　adorned　the



head　of　one　of　those　maidens　whose　duty　it　is　to　quench　the　thirst　of



travellers　in　the　long　narrow　rooms　of　this　city。〃







〃Majestic　and　anonymous　spirit；〃　said　the　other；　with　extreme



reverence；　and　an　entire　absence　of　the　appearance　of　one　who　had



gazed　into　too　many　vessels；　〃if　such　be　your　plainly…expressed



desire；　this　superficial　person　will　at　once　proceed　to　make　smooth



your　peach…like　skin；　and　with　a　carefulness　inspired　by　the　certainty



that　the　most　unimportant　wound　would　give　forth　liquid　fire；　in　which



he　would　undoubtedly　perish。　Nevertheless；　he　desires　to　make　it



evident　that　this　hair　is　from　the　head　of　no　maiden；　being；　indeed；



the　uneven　termination　of　your　own　sacred　pigtail；　which　this



excessively　self…confident　slave　took　the　inexcusable　liberty　of



removing；　and　which　changed　in　this　manner　within　his　hand　in　order　to



administer　a　fit　reproof　for　his　intolerable　presumption。〃







Impressed　by　the　mien　and　unquestionable　earnestness　of　the　remover　of



hair；　Ling　took　the　matter　which　had　occasioned　these　various　emotions



in　his　hand　and　examined　it。　His　amazement　was　still　greater　when　he



perceived　thatin　spite　of　the　fact　that　it　presented　every



appearance　of　having　been　cut　from　his　own　personnone　of　the



qualities　of　hair　remained　in　it；　it　was　hard　and　wire…like；



possessing；　indeed；　both　the　nature　and　the　appearance　of　a　metal。







As　he　gazed　fixedly　and　with　astonishment；　there　came　back　into　the



remembrance　of　Ling　certain　obscure　and　little…understood　facts



connected　with　the　limitless　wealth　possessed　by　the　Yellow



Emperorof　which　the　great　gold　life…like　image　in　the　Temple　of



Internal　Symmetry　at　Peking　alone　bears　witness　nowand　of　his　lost



secret。　Many　very　forcible　prophecies　and　omens　in　his　own　earlier



life；　of　which　the　rendering　and　accomplishment　had　hitherto　seemed　to



be　dark　and　incomplete；　passed　before　him；　and　various　matters　which



Mian　had　related　to　him　concerning　the　habits　and　speech　of　the



magician　took　definite　form　within　his　mind。　Deeply　impressed　by　the



exact　manner　in　which　all　these　circumstances　fitted　together；　one



into　another；　Ling　rewarded　the　person　before　him　greatly　beyond　his



expectation；　and　hurried　without　delay　to　his　own　chamber。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XI







FOR　many　hours　Ling　remained　in　his　room；　examining　in　his　mind　all



passages；　either　in　his　own　life　or　in　the　lives　of　others；　which



might　by　any　chance　have　influence　on　the　event　before　him。　In　this



thorough　way　he　became　assured　that　the　competition　and　its　results；



his　journey　to　Si…chow　with　the　encounter　in　the　cypress　wood；　the



flight　of　the　incapable　and　treacherous　Mandarin；　and　the　battle　of



Ki；　were　all；　down　to　the　matter　of　the　smallest　detail；　parts　of　a



symmetrical　and　complete　scheme；　tending　to　his　present　condition。



Cheered　and　upheld　by　this　proof　of　the　fact　that　very　able　deities



were　at　work　on　his　behalf；　he　turned　his　intellect　from　the



entrancing　subject　to　a　contemplation　of　the　manner　in　which　his



condition　would　enable　him　to　frustrate　the　uninventive　villainies　of



the　obstinate　person　Li　Keen；　and　to　provide　a　suitable　house　and　mode



of　living　to　which　he　would　be　justified　in　introducing　Mian；　after



adequate　marriage　ceremonies　had　been　observed　between　them。　In　this



endeavour　he　was　less　successful　than　he　had　imagined　would　be　the



case；　for　when　he　had　first　fully　understood　that　his　body　was　of　such



a　substance　that　nothing　was　wanting　to　transmute　it　into　fine　gold



but　the　absence　of　the　living　spirit；　he　had　naturally；　and　without



deeply　examining　the　detail；　assumed　that　so　much　gold　might　be



considered　to　be　in　his　possession。　Now；　however；　a　very　definite



thought　arose　within　him　that　his　own　wishes　and　interests　would　have



been　better　secured　had　the　benevolent　spirits　who　undertook　the



matter　placed　the　secret　within　his　knowledge　in　such　a　way　as　to



enable　him　to　administer　the　fluid　to　some　very　heavy　and　inexpensive



animal；　so　that　the　issue　which　seemed　inevitable　before　the　enjoyment



of　the　riches　could　be　entered　upon　should　not　have　touched　his　own



comfort　so　closely。　To　a　person　of　Ling's　refined　imagination　it　could



not　fail　to　be　a　subject　of　internal　reproach　that　while　he　would



become　the　most　precious　dead　body　in　the　world；　his　value　in　life



might　not　be　very　honourably　placed　even　by　the　most　complimentary　one



who　should　require　his　services。　Then　came　the　thought；　which；　however



degraded；　he　found　himself　unable　to　put　quite　beyond　him；　that　if　in



the　meantime　he　were　able　to　gain　a　sufficiency　for　Mian　and　himself；



even　her　pure　and　delicate　love　might　not　be　able　to　bear　so　offensive



a　test　as　that　of　seeing　him　grow　old　and　remain　intolerably



healthyperhaps　with　advancing　years　actually　becoming　lighter　day　by



day；　and　thereby　lessening　in　value　before　her　eyeswhen　the　natural



infirmities　of　age　and　the　presence　of　an　ever…increasing　posterity



would　make　even　a　moderate　amount　of　taels　of　inestimable　value。







No　doubt　remained　in　Ling's　mind　that　the　process　of　frequently　making



smooth　his　surfaces　would　yield　an　amount　of　gold　enough　to　suffice



for　his　own　needs；　but　a　brief　consideration　of　the　matter　convinced



him　that　this　source　would　be　inadequate　to　maintain　an　entire



household　even　if　he　continually　denuded　himself　to　an　almost



ignominious　extent。　As　he　fully　weighed　these　varying　chances　the



certainty　became　more　clear　to　him　with　every　thought　that　for　the



virtuous　enjoyment　of　Mian's　society　one　great　sacrifice　was　required



of　him。　This　act；　it　seemed　to　be　intimated；　would　without　delay



provide　for　an　affluent　and　lengthy　future；　and　at　the　same　time　would



influence　all　the　spiritseven　those　who　had　been　hitherto



evilly…disposed　towards　himin　such　a　manner　that　his　enemies　would



be　removed　from　his　path　by　a　process　which　would　expose　them　to



public　ridicule；　and　he　would　be　assured　in　founding　an　illustrious



and　enduring　line。　To　accomplish　this　successfully　necessitated　the



loss　of　at　least　the　greater　part　of　one　entire　member；　and　for　some



time　the　disadvantages　of　going　through　an　existence　with　only　a



single　leg　or　arm　seemed　more　than　a　sufficient　price　to　pay　even　for



the　definite　advantages　which　would　be　made　over　to　him　in　return。



This　unworthy　thought；　however；　could　not　long　withstand　the　memory　of



Mian's　steadfast　and　high…minded　affection；　and　the　certainty　of　her



enlightened　gladness　at　his　return　even　in　the　imperfect　condition



which　he　anticipated。　Nor　was　there　absent　from　his　mind　a



dimly…understood　hope　that　the　matter　did　not　finally　rest　with　him；



but　that　everything　which　he　might　be　inspired　to　do　was　in　reality



only　a　portion　of　the　complete　and　arranged　system　into　which　he　had



been　drawn；　and　in　which　his　part　had　been　assigned　to　him　from　the



beginning　without　power　for　him　to　deviate；　no　matter　how　much　to　the



contrary　the　thing　should　appear。







As　no　advantage　would　be　gained　by　making　any　delay；　Ling　at　once



sought　the　most　favourable　means　of　putting　his　resolution　into



practice；　and　after　many　skilful　and　insidious　inquiries　he　learnt　of



an　accomplished　person　who　made　a　consistent　habit　of　cutting　off



limbs　which　had　become　troublesome　to　their　possessors　either　through



accident　or　disease。　Furthermore；　he　was　said　to　be　of　a　sincere　and



charitable　disposition；　and　many　persons　declared　that　on　no　occasion



had　he　been　known　to　make　use　of　the　helpless　condition　of　those　who



visited　him　in　order　to　extort　money　from　them。







Coming　to　the　ill…considered　conclusion　that　he　would　be　able　to



conceal　within　his　own　breast　the　true　reason　for　the　operation；　Ling



placed　himself　before　the　person　in　question；　and　exhibite