the wallet of kai lung-第20节

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refined　person's　unfailing　civility　and　resourceful　strategy　he　has



been　frustrated。〃







〃Perchance；〃　said　Ling；　after　examining　his　thoughts　for　a　short



space；　and　reflecting　that　the　list　of　things　to　be　done　and　not　to　be



done　was　to　him　as　a　blank　leaf；　〃there　may　even　be　some　small　portion



of　that　which　is　accurate　in　his　statement。　In　what　manner；〃　he



continued；　addressing　the　really　unendurable　person；　who　was　by　this



time　preparing　to　pass　the　night　in　the　cool　swamp　by　the　river's



edge；　〃does　this　one　endanger　any　detail　of　the　written　and　sealed



parchment　by　such　an　action？〃







〃Inasmuch；〃　replied　Wang；　pausing　in　the　process　of　removing　his　outer



garments；　〃as　the　seventy…ninththe　intricate　name　given　to　it



escapes　this　person's　tongue　at　the　momentbut　the



ninety…seventhexperLingknowswhameanprovides　that　any　person；　with



or　without；　attempting　or　not　avoiding　to　travel　by　sea；　lake；　or



river；　or　to　place　himself　in　such　a　position　as　he　may　reasonably　and



intelligently　be　drowned　in　salt　water；　fresh　water；　oror　honourable



rice　spirit；　shall　be　guilty　of；　and　suffercomplete　loss　of　memory。〃



With　these　words　the　immoderate　and　contemptible　person　sank　down　in　a



very　profound　slumber。







〃Alas！〃　said　Ling；　turning　to　Mian；　who　stood　near；　unable　to　retire



even　had　she　desired；　by　reason　of　the　extreme　agitation　into　which



the　incident　had　thrown　her　delicate　mind　and　body；　〃how　intensely



aggravating　a　circumstance　that　we　are　compelled　to　entertain　so



dissolute　a　one　by　reason　of　this　person's　preoccupation　when　the



matter　was　read。　Nevertheless；　it　is　not　unlikely　that　the　detail　he



spoke　of　was　such　as　he　insisted；　to　the　extent　of　making　it　a　thing



not　to　be　done　to　journey　in　any　manner　by　water。　It　shall　be　an　early



endeavour　of　this　person　to　get　these　restraining　details　equitably



amended；　but　in　the　meantime　we　will　retrace　our　footsteps　through　the



wood；　and　the　enraptured　Ling　will　make　a　well…thought…out　attempt　to



lighten　the　passage　by　a　recital　of　his　recently…composed　verses　on



the　subject　of　'Exile　from　the　Loved　One；　or；　Farewell　and　Return。'〃











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIV







〃MY　beloved　lord！〃　said　Mian　sadly；　on　a　morning　after　many　days　had



passed　since　the　return　of　Ling；　〃have　you　not　every　possession　for



which　the　heart　of　a　wise　person　searches？　Yet　the　dark　mark　is



scarcely　ever　absent　from　your　symmetrical　brow。　If　she　who　stands



before　you；　and　is　henceforth　an　integral　part　of　your　organization；



has　failed　you　in　any　particular；　no　matter　how　unimportant；　explain



the　matter　to　her；　and　the　amendment　will　be　a　speedy　and　a　joyful



task。〃







It　was　indeed　true　that　Ling's　mind　was　troubled；　but　the　fault　did



not　lie　with　Mian；　as　the　person　in　question　was　fully　aware；　for



before　her　eyes　as　before　those　of　Ling　the　unevadable　compact　which



had　been　entered　into　with　Chang…ch'un　was　ever　present；　insidiously



planting　bitterness　within　even　the　most　select　and　accomplished



delights。　Nor　with　increasing　time　did　the　obstinate　and　intrusive



person　Wang　become　more　dignified　in　his　behaviour；　on　the　contrary；



he　freely　made　use　of　his　position　to　indulge　in　every　variety　of



abandonment；　and　almost　each　day　he　prevented；　by　reason　of　his



knowledge　of　the　things　to　be　done　and　not　to　be　done；　some　refined



and　permissible　entertainment　upon　which　Ling　and　Mian　had　determined。



Ling　had　despatched　many　communications　upon　this　subject　to



Chang…ch'un；　praying　also　that　some　expert　way　out　of　the　annoyance　of



the　lesser　and　more　unimportant　things　not　to　be　done　should　be



arrived　at；　but　the　time　when　he　might　reasonably　expect　an　answer　to



these　written　papers　had　not　yet　arrived。







It　was　about　this　period　that　intelligence　was　brought　to　Ling　from



the　villages　on　the　road　to　Peking；　how　Li　Keen；　having　secretly



ascertained　that　his　Yamen　was　standing　and　his　goods　uninjured；　had



determined　to　return；　and　was　indeed　at　that　hour　within　a　hundred　li



of　Si…chow。　Furthermore；　he　had　repeatedly　been　understood　to



pronounce　clearly　that　he　considered　Ling　to　be　the　head　and　beginning



of　all　his　inconveniences；　and　to　declare　that　the　first　act　of



justice　which　he　should　accomplish　on　his　return　would　be　to　submit



the　person　in　question　to　the　most　unbearable　tortures；　and　then　cause



him　to　lose　his　head　publicly　as　an　outrager　of　the　settled　state　of



things　and　an　enemy　of　those　who　loved　tranquillity。　Not　doubting　that



Li　Keen　would　endeavour　to　gain　an　advantage　by　treachery　if　the



chance　presented　itself；　Ling　determined　to　go　forth　to　meet　him；　and



without　delay　settle　the　entire　disturbance　in　one　well…chosen　and



fatally…destructive　encounter。　To　this　end；　rather　than　disturb　the



placid　mind　of　Mian；　to　whom　the　thought　of　the　engagement　would　be



weighted　with　many　disquieting　fears；　he　gave　out　that　he　was　going



upon　an　expedition　to　surprise　and　capture　certain　fish　of　a　very



delicate　flavour；　and　attended　by　only　two　persons；　he　set　forth　in



the　early　part　of　the　day。







Some　hours　later；　owing　to　an　ill…considered　remark　on　the　part　of　the



deaf　attendant；　to　whom　the　matter　had　been　explained　in　an　imperfect



light；　Mian　became　possessed　of　the　true　facts　of　the　case；　and



immediately　all　the　pleasure　of　existence　went　from　her。　She　despaired



of　ever　again　beholding　Ling　in　an　ordinary　state；　and　mournfully



reproached　herself　for　the　bitter　words　which　had　risen　to　her　lips



when　the　circumstance　of　his　condition　and　the　arrangement　with



Chang…ch'un　first　became　known　to　her。　After　spending　an　interval　in　a



polished　lament　at　the　manner　in　which　things　were　inevitably　tending；



the　thought　occurred　to　Mian　whether　by　any　means　in　her　power　she



could　influence　the　course　and　settled　method　of　affairs。　In　this



situation　the　memory　of　the　person　Wang；　and　the　fact　that　on　several



occasions　he　had　made　himself　objectionable　when　Ling　had　proposed　to



place　himself　in　such　a　position　that　he　incurred　some　very　remote



chance　of　death　by　drowning　or　by　fire；　recurred　to　her。　Subduing　the



natural　and　pure…minded　repulsion　which　she　invariably　experienced　at



the　mere　thought　of　so　debased　an　individual；　she　sought　for　him；　and



discovering　him　in　the　act　of　constructing　cardboard　figures　of　men



and　animals；　which　it　was　his　custom　to　dispose　skilfully　in



little…frequented　paths　for　the　purpose　of　enjoying　the　sudden　terror



of　those　who　passed　by；　she　quickly　put　the　matter　before　him；　urging



him；　by　some　means；　to　prevent　the　encounter；　which　must　assuredly



cost　the　life　of　the　one　whom　he　had　so　often　previously　obstructed



from　incurring　the　slightest　risk。







〃By　no　means；〃　exclaimed　Wang；　when　he　at　length　understood　the　full



meaning　of　the　project；　〃it　would　be　a　most　unpresentable　action　for



this　commonplace　person　to　interfere　in　so　honourable　an　undertaking。



Had　the　priceless　body　of　the　intrepid　Ling　been　in　any　danger　of



disappearing；　as；　for　example；　by　drowning　or　being　consumed　in　fire；



the　nature　of　the　circumstance　would　have　been　different。　As　the



matter　exists；　however；　there　is　every　appearance　that　the　far…seeing



Chang…ch'un　will　soon　reap　the　deserved　reward　of　his　somewhat



speculative　enterprise；　and　to　that　end　this　person　will　immediately



procure　a　wooden　barrier　and　the　services　of　four　robust　carriers；　and



proceed　to　the　scene　of　the　conflict。〃







Deprived　of　even　this　hope　of　preventing　the　encounter；　Mian　betook



herself　in　extreme　dejection　to　the　secret　room　of　the　magician；　which



had　been　unopened　since　the　day　when　the　two　attendants　had　searched



for　substances　to　apply　to　their　master；　and　there　she　diligently



examined　every　object　in　the　remote　chance　of　discovering　something



which　might　prove　of　value　in　averting　the　matter　in　question。







Not　anticipating　that　the　true　reason　of　his　journey　would　become



known　to　Mian；　Ling　continued　on　his　way　without　haste；　and　passing



through　Si…chow　before　the　sun　had　risen；　entered　upon　the　great　road



to　Peking。　At　a　convenient　distance　from　the　town　he　came　to　a



favourable　piece　of　ground　where　he　decided　to　await　the　arrival　of　Li



Keen；　spending　the　time　profitably　in　polishing　his　already　brilliant



sword；　and　making　observations　upon　the　nature　of　the　spot　and　the



condition　of　the　surrounding　omens；　on　which　the　success　of　his



expedition　would　largely　depend。







As　the　sun　reached　the　highe