the wallet of kai lung-第22节

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had　fallen　descended　upon　Ling　like　a　heavy　and　unavoidable



thunderbolt。　Nevertheless；　being　by　nature　and　by　reason　of　his　late



exploits　fearless　of　death；　except　for　the　sake　of　the　loved　one　by



his　side；　he　betrayed　no　sign　of　discreditable　emotion　at　the



discovery。







〃In　such　a　case；〃　he　replied；　with　an　appearance　of　entirely



disregarding　the　danger　of　the　position；　〃the　complete　parchment　must



be　of　necessity　overthrown；　for　if　this　person　is　now　officially　dead；



he　was　equally　so　at　the　time　of　sealing；　and　arrangements　entered



into　by　dead　persons　have　no　actual　existence。〃







〃That　is　a　matter　which　has　never　been　efficiently　decided；〃　admitted



Chang…ch'un；　with　no　appearance　of　being　thrown　into　a　state　of



confusion　at　the　suggestion；　〃and　doubtless　the　case　in　question　can



by　various　means　be　brought　in　the　end　before　the　Court　of　Final



Settlement　at　Peking；　where　it　may　indeed　be　judged　in　the　manner　you



assert。　But　as　such　a　process　must　infallibly　consume　the　wealth　of　a



province　and　the　years　of　an　ordinary　lifetime；　and　as　it　is　this



person's　unmoved　intention　to　carry　out　his　own　view　of　the



undertaking　without　delay；　such　speculations　are　not　matters　of



profound　interest。〃







Upon　this　Chang　gave　certain　instructions　to　his　followers；　who



thereupon　prepared　to　advance。　Perceiving　that　the　last　detail　of　the



affair　had　been　arrived　at；　Ling　threw　back　his　hanging　garment；　and



was　on　the　point　of　rushing　forward　to　meet　them；　when　Mian；　who　had



maintained　a　possessed　and　reliant　attitude　throughout；　pushed　towards



him　the　vessel　of　pure　and　sparkling　liquid　with　which　they　had　been



engaged　when　so　presumptuously　broken　in　upon；　at　the　same　time



speaking　to　him　certain　words　in　an　outside　language。　A　new　and



Heaven…sent　confidence　immediately　took　possession　of　Ling；　and



striking　his　sword　against　the　wall　with　such　irresistible　force　that



the　entire　chamber　trembled　and　the　feeble…minded　assassins　shrank



back　in　unrestrained　terror；　he　leapt　upon　the　table；　grasping　in　one



hand　the　open　vessel。







〃Behold　the　end；　O　most　uninventive　and　slow…witted　Chang…ch'un！〃　he



cried　in　a　dreadful　and　awe…compelling　voice。　〃As　a　reward　for　your



faithless　and　traitorous　behaviour；　learn　how　such　avaricious…minded



incompetence　turns　and　fastens　itself　upon　the　vitals　of　those　who



beget　it。　In　spite　of　many　things　which　were　not　of　a　graceful　nature



towards　him；　this　person　has　unassumingly　maintained　his　part　of　the



undertaking；　and　would　have　followed　such　a　course　conscientiously　to



the　last。　As　it　is；　when　he　has　made　an　end　of　speaking；　the　body



which　you　are　already　covetously　estimating　in　taels　will　in　no　way　be



distinguishable　from　that　of　the　meanest　and　most　ordinary　maker　of



commercial　ventures　in　Canton。　For；　behold！　the　fluid　which　he　holds



in　his　hand；　and　which　it　is　his　fixed　intention　to　drain　to　the　last



drop；　is　in　truth　nothing　but　a　secret　and　exceedingly　powerful



counteractor　against　the　virtues　of　the　gold　drug；　and　though　but　a



single　particle　passed　his　lips；　and　the　swords　of　your　brilliant　and



versatile　murderers　met　the　next　moment　in　his　breast；　the　body　which



fell　at　your　feet　would　be　meet　for　worms　rather　than　for　the



melting…pot。〃







It　was　indeed　such　a　substance　as　Ling　represented　it　to　be；　Mian



having　discovered　it　during　her　very　systematic　examination　of　the



dead　magician's　inner　room。　Its　composition　and　distillation　had



involved　that　self…opinionated　person　in　many　years　of　arduous　toil；



for　with　a　somewhat　unintelligent　lack　of　foresight　he　had　obstinately



determined　to　perfect　the　antidote　before　he　turned　his　attention　to



the　drug　itself。　Had　the　matter　been　more　ingeniously　arranged；　he



would　undoubtedly　have　enjoyed　an　earlier　triumph　and　an　affluent　and



respected　old　age。







At　Ling's　earnest　words　and　prepared　attitude　an　instant　conviction　of



the　truth　of　his　assertions　took　possession　of　Chang。　Therefore；



seeing　nothing　but　immediate　and　unevadable　ruin　at　the　next　step；　he



called　out　in　a　loud　and　imploring　voice　that　he　should　desist；　and　no



harm　would　come　upon　him。　To　this　Ling　consented；　first　insisting　that



the　followers　should　be　dismissed　without　delay；　and　Chang　alone



remain　to　have　conversation　on　the　matter。　By　this　just　act　the　lower



parts　of　Canton　were　greatly　purified；　for　the　persons　in　question



being　driven　forth　into　the　woods；　mostly　perished　by　encounters　with



wild　animals；　or　at　the　hands　of　the　enraged　villagers；　to　whom　Ling



had　by　this　time　become　greatly　endeared。







When　the　usual　state　had　been　restored；　Ling　made　clear　to　Chang　the



altered　nature　of　the　conditions　to　which　he　would　alone　agree。　〃It　is



a　noble…minded　and　magnanimous　proposal　on　your　part；　and　one　to　which



this　misguided　person　had　no　claim；〃　admitted　Chang；　as　he　affixed　his



seal　to　the　written　undertaking　and　committed　the　former　parchment　to



be　consumed　by　fire。　By　this　arrangement　it　was　agreed　that　Ling



should　receive　only　one…half　of　the　yearly　payment　which　had　formerly



been　promised；　and　that　no　sum　of　taels　should　become　due　to　those



depending　on　him　at　his　death。　In　return　for　these　valuable



allowances；　there　were　to　exist　no　details　of　things　to　be　done　and



not　to　be　done；　Ling　merely　giving　an　honourable　promise　to　observe



the　matter　in　a　just　spirit；　whilemost　esteemed　of　allonly　a



portion　of　his　body　was　to　pass　to　Chang　when　the　end　arrived；　the



upper　part　remaining　to　embellish　the　family　altar　and　receive　the



veneration　of　posterity。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







As　the　great　sky…lantern　rose　above　the　trees　and　the　time　of　no…noise



fell　upon　the　woods；　a　flower…laden　pleasure…junk　moved　away　from　its



restraining　cords；　and；　without　any　sense　of　motion；　gently　bore　Ling



and　Mian　between　the　sweet…smelling　banks　of　the　Heng…Kiang。　Presently



Mian　drew　from　beneath　her　flowing　garment　an　instrument　of　stringed



wood；　and　touching　it　with　a　quick　but　delicate　stroke；　like　the



flight　and　pausing　of　a　butterfly；　told　in　well…balanced　words　a



refined　narrative　of　two　illustrious　and　noble…looking　persons；　and



how；　after　many　disagreeable　evils　and　unendurable　separations；　they



entered　upon　a　destined　state　of　earthly　prosperity　and　celestial



favour。　When　she　made　an　end　of　the　verses；　Ling　turned　the　junk's



head　by　one　well…directed　stroke　of　the　paddle；　and　prepared　by　using



similar　means　to　return　to　the　place　of　mooring。







〃Indeed；〃　he　remarked；　ceasing　for　a　moment　to　continue　this　skilful



occupation；　〃the　words　which　you　have　just　spoken　might；　without



injustice；　be　applied　to　the　two　persons　who　are　now　conversing



together。　For　after　suffering　misfortunes　and　wrongs　beyond　an



appropriate　portion；　they　have　now　reached　that　period　of　existence



when　a　tranquil　and　contemplative　future　is　assured　to　them。　In　this



manner　is　the　sage　and　matured　utterance　of　the　inspired　philosopher



Nien…tsu　again　proved：　that　the　life　of　every　person　is　largely



composed　of　two　varieties　of　circumstances　which　together　build　up　his



existencethe　Good　and　the　Evil。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END　OF　THE　STORY　OF　LING











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XVI







WHEN　Kai　Lung；　the　story…teller；　made　an　end　of　speaking；　he　was



immediately　greeted　with　a　variety　of　delicate　and　pleasing　remarks；



all　persons　who　had　witnessed　the　matter；　down　even　to　the　lowest　type



of　Miaotze；　who　by　reason　of　their　obscure　circumstances　had　been



unable　to　understand　the　meaning　of　a　word　that　had　been　spoken；



maintaining　that　Kai　Lung's　accomplishment　of　continuing　for　upwards



of　three　hours　without　a　pause　had　afforded　an　entertainment　of　a　very



high　and　refined　order。　While　these　polished　sayings　were　being



composed；　together　with　many　others　of　a　similar　nature；　Lin　Yi



suddenly　leapt　to　his　feet　with　a　variety　of　highly　objectionable



remarks　concerning　the　ancestors　of　all　those　who　were　present；　and



declaring　that　the　story　of　Ling　was　merely　a　well…considered



stratagem　to　cause　them　to　forget　the　expedition　which　they　had



determined　upon；　for　by　that　time　it　should　have　been　completely



carried　out。　It　was　undoubtedly　a　fact　that　the　hour　spoken　of　for　the



undertaking　had　long　passed；　Lin　Yi　having　completely　overlooked　the



speed　of　time　in　his　benevolent　anxiety　that　the　polite　and　valorous



Ling　should　in　the　end　attain　to　a　high　and　remunerative　destiny。