the wallet of kai lung-第18节

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own　door　the　person　in　question　persistently　endeavoured　to　pass　in



also。　Forming　a　fresh　judgement　about　the　matter；　Ling；　who　was　very



powerfully　constructed；　and　whose　natural　instincts　were　enhanced　in



every　degree　by　the　potent　fluid　of　which　he　had　lately　partaken；



repeatedly　threw　him　across　the　street　until　he　became　weary　of　the



diversion。　At　length；　however；　the　thought　arose　that　one　who



patiently　submitted　to　continually　striking　the　opposite　houses　with



his　head　must　have　something　of　importance　to　communicate；　whereupon



he　courteously　invited　him　to　enter　the　apartment　and　unweigh　his



mind。







〃The　facts　of　the　case　appear　to　have　been　somewhat　inadequately



represented；〃　said　the　stranger；　bowing　obsequiously；　〃for　this



unornamental　person　was　assured　by　the　benignant　Chang…ch'un　that　the



one　whose　shadow　he　was　to　become　was　of　a　mild　and　forbearing



nature。〃







〃Such　words　are　as　the　conversation　of　birds　to　me；〃　replied　Ling；　not



conjecturing　how　the　matter　had　fallen　about。　〃This　person　has　just



left　the　presence　of　the　elegant　and　successful　Chang…ch'un；　and　no



word　that　he　spoke　gave　indication　of　such　a　follower　or　such　a



service。〃







〃Then　it　is　indeed　certain　that　the　various　transactions　have　not　been



fully　understood；〃　exclaimed　the　other；　〃for　the　exact　communication



to　this　unseemly　one　was；　'The　valuable　and　enlightened　Ling　has　heard



and　agreed　to　the　different　things　to　be　done　and　not　to　be　done；　one



phrase　of　which　arranges　for　your　continual　presence；　so　that　he　will



anticipate　your　attentions。'〃







At　these　words　the　truth　became　as　daylight　before　Ling's　eyes；　and　he



perceived　that　the　written　paper　to　which　he　had　affixed　his　sign



contained　the　detail　of　such　an　office　as　that　of　the　person　before



him。　When　too　late；　more　than　ever　did　he　regret　that　he　had　not



formed　some　pretext　for　causing　the　document　to　be　read　a　second　time；



as　in　view　of　his　immediate　intentions　such　an　arrangement　as　the　one



to　which　he　had　agreed　had　every　appearance　of　becoming　of　an　irksome



and　perplexing　nature。　Desiring　to　know　the　length　of　the　attendant's



commands；　Ling　asked　him　for　a　clear　statement　of　his　duties；　feigning



that　he　had　missed　that　portion　of　the　reading　through　a　momentary



attack　of　the　giddy　sickness。　To　this　request　the　stranger；　who



explained　that　his　name　was　Wang；　instantly　replied　that　his　written



and　spoken　orders　were：　never　to　permit　more　than　an　arm's　length　of



space　to　separate　them；　to　prevent；　by　whatever　force　was　necessary



for　the　purpose；　all　attempts　at　evading　the　things　to　be　done　and　not



to　be　done；　and　to　ignore　as　of　no　interest　all　other　circumstances。



It　seemed　to　Ling；　in　consequence；　that　little　seclusion　would　be



enjoyed　unless　an　arrangement　could　be　effected　between　Wang　and



himself；　so　to　this　end；　after　noticing　the　evident　poverty　and



covetousness　of　the　person　in　question；　he　made　him　an　honourable



offer　of　frequent　rewards；　provided　a　greater　distance　was　allowed　to



come　between　them　as　soon　as　Si…chow　was　reached。　On　his　side；　Ling



undertook　not　to　break　through　the　wording　of　the　things　to　be　done



and　not　to　be　done；　and　to　notify　to　Wang　any　movements　upon　which　he



meditated。　In　this　reputable　manner　the　obstacle　was　ingeniously



removed；　and　the　intelligent　nature　of　the　device　was　clearly　proved



by　the　fact　that　not　only　Ling　but　Wang　also　had　in　the　future　a　much



greater　liberty　of　action　than　would　have　been　possible　if　it　had　been



necessary　to　observe　the　short…sighted　and　evidently



hastily…thought…of　condition　which　Chang…ch'un　had　endeavoured　to



impose。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIII







IN　spite　of　his　natural　desire　to　return　to　Mian　as　quickly　as



possible；　Ling　judged　it　expedient　to　give　several　days　to　the



occupation　of　purchasing　apparel　of　the　richest　kinds；　weapons　and



armour　in　large　quantities；　jewels　and　ornaments　of　worked　metals　and



other　objects　to　indicate　his　changed　position。　Nor　did　he　neglect



actions　of　a　pious　and　charitable　nature；　for　almost　his　first　care



was　to　arrange　with　the　chief　ones　at　the　Temple　of　Benevolent



Intentions　that　each　year；　on　the　day　corresponding　to　that　on　which



he　drank　the　gold　fluid；　a　sumptuous　and　well…constructed　coffin



should　be　presented　to　the　most　deserving　poor　and　aged　person　within



that　quarter　of　the　city　in　which　he　had　resided。　When　these



preparations　were　completed；　Ling　set　out　with　an　extensive　train　of



attendants；　but　riding　on　before；　accompanied　only　by　Wang；　he　quickly



reached　Si…chow　without　adventure。







The　meeting　between　Ling　and　Mian　was　affecting　to　such　an　extent　that



the　blind　and　deaf　attendants　wept　openly　without　reproach；



notwithstanding　the　fact　that　neither　could　become　possessed　of　more



than　a　half　of　the　occurrence。　Eagerly　the　two　reunited　ones　examined



each　other's　features　to　discover　whether　the　separation　had　brought



about　any　change　in　the　beloved　and　well…remembered　lines。　Ling



discovered　upon　Mian　the　shadow　of　an　anxious　care　at　his　absence；



while　the　disappointments　and　trials　which　Ling　had　experienced　in



Canton　had　left　traces　which　were　plainly　visible　to　Mian's



penetrating　gaze。　In　such　an　entrancing　occupation　the　time　was　to



them　without　hours　until　a　feeling　of　hunger　recalled　them　to　lesser



matters；　when　a　variety　of　very　select　foods　and　liquids　was　placed



before　them　without　delay。　After　this　elegant　repast　had　been　partaken



of；　Mian；　supporting　herself　upon　Ling's　shoulder；　made　a　request　that



he　would　disclose　to　her　all　the　matters　which　had　come　under　his



observation　both　within　the　city　and　during　his　journey　to　and　from



that　place。　Upon　this　encouragement；　Ling　proceeded　to　unfold　his



mind；　not　withholding　anything　which　appeared　to　be　of　interest；　no



matter　how　slight。　When　he　had　reached　Canton　without　any　perilous



adventure；　Mian　breathed　more　freely；　as　he　recorded　the　interview　at



the　Office　of　Warlike　Deeds　and　Arrangements；　she　trembled　at　the



insidious　malignity　of　the　evil　person　Li　Keen。　The　conversation　with



the　wise　reader　of　the　future　concerning　the　various　states　of　such　as



be　officially　dead　almost　threw　her　into　the　rigid　sickness；　from



which；　however；　the　wonderful　circumstance　of　the　discovered



properties　of　the　gold　fluid　quickly　recalled　her。　But　to　Ling's　great



astonishment　no　sooner　had　he　made　plain　the　exceptional　advantages



which　he　had　derived　from　the　circumstances；　and　the　nature　of　the



undertaking　at　which　he　had　arrived　with　Chang…ch'un；　than　she　became



a　prey　to　the　most　intolerable　and　unrestrained　anguish。







〃Oh；　my　devoted　but　excessively　ill…advised　lover；〃　she　exclaimed



wildly；　and　in　tones　which　clearly　indicated　that　she　was　inspired　by



every　variety　of　affectionate　emotion；　〃has　the　unendurable　position



in　which　you　and　all　your　household　will　be　placed　by　the　degrading



commercial　schemes　and　instincts　of　the　mercenary…souled　person



Chang…ch'un　occupied　no　place　in　your　generally　well…regulated



intellect？　Inevitably　will　those　who　drink　our　almond　tea；　in　order　to



have　an　opportunity　of　judging　the　value　of　the　appointments　of　the



house；　pass　the　jesting　remark　that　while　the　Lings　assuredly　have　'a



dead　person's　bones　in　the　secret　chamber'；　at　the　present　they　will



not　have　one　in　the　family　graveyard　by　reason　of　the　death　of　Ling



himself。　Better　to　lose　a　thousand　limbs　during　life　than　the　entire



person　after　death；　nor　would　your　adoring　Mian　hesitate　to　clasp



proudly　to　her　organ　of　affection　the　veriest　trunk　that　had　parted



with　all　its　attributes　in　a　noble　and　sacrificing　endeavour　to



preserve　at　least　some　dignified　proportions　to　embellish　the



Ancestral　Temple　and　to　receive　the　worship　of　posterity。〃







〃Alas！〃　replied　Ling；　with　extravagant　humiliation；　〃it　is　indeed



true；　and　this　person　is　degraded　beyond　the　common　lot　of　those　who



break　images　and　commit　thefts　from　sacred　places。　The　side　of　the



transaction　which　is　at　present　engaging　our　attention　never　occurred



to　this　superficial　individual　until　now。〃







〃Wise　and　incomparable　one；〃　said　Mian；　in　no　degree　able　to　restrain



the　fountains　of　bitter　water　which　clouded　her　delicate　and



expressive　eyes；　〃in　spite　of　this　person's　biting　and　ungracious



words　do　not；　she　makes　a　formal　petition；　doubt　the　deathless



strength　of　her　affection。　Cheerfully；　in　order　to　avert　the　matter　in



question