the wallet of kai lung-第24节

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with　a　description　of　the　deformities　of　the　very　ordinary　young



person　at　Chee　Chou；〃　said　Kai　Lung　imperturbably；　〃then　the　remainder



of　the　history　of　the　noble…minded　Yung　Chang　can　remain　until　an　evil



fate　has　overtaken　Wang　Yu；　as　it　assuredly　will　shortly。〃







〃A　fair　wind　raises　no　storm；〃　said　Wang　Yu　sulkily；　and　Kai　Lung



continued：







〃Such　loveliness　could　not　escape　the　evil　eye　of　Li　Ting；　and



accordingly；　as　he　grew　in　favour　with　Ti　Hung；　he　obtained　his



consent　to　the　drawing　up　of　the　marriage　contracts。　More　than　this；



he　had　already　sent　to　Ning　two　bracelets　of　the　finest　gold；　tied



together　with　a　scarlet　thread；　as　a　betrothal　present。　But；　as　the



proverb　says；　'The　good　bee　will　not　touch　the　faded　flower'；　and



Ning；　although　compelled　by　the　second　of　the　Five　Great　Principles　to



respect　her　father；　was　unable　to　regard　the　marriage　with　anything



but　abhorrence。　Perhaps　this　was　not　altogether　the　fault　of　Li　Ting；



for　on　the　evening　of　the　day　on　which　she　had　received　his　present；



she　walked　in　the　rice　fields；　and　sitting　down　at　the　foot　of　a



funereal　cypress；　whose　highest　branches　pierced　the　Middle　Air；　she



cried　aloud：







〃'I　cannot　control　my　bitterness。　Of　what　use　is　it　that　I　should　be



called　the　〃White　Pigeon　among　Golden　Lilies〃；　if　my　beauty　is　but　for



the　hog…like　eyes　of　the　exceedingly　objectionable　Li　Ting？　Ah；　Yung



Chang；　my　unfortunate　lover！　what　evil　spirit　pursues　you　that　you



cannot　pass　your　examination　for　the　second　degree？　My　noble…minded



but　ambitious　boy；　why　were　you　not　content　with　an　agricultural　or



even　a　manufacturing　career　and　happiness？　By　aspiring　to　a　literary



degree；　you　have　placed　a　barrier　wider　than　the　Whang　Hai　between



us。'







〃'As　the　earth　seems　small　to　the　soaring　swallow；　so　shall



insuperable　obstacles　be　overcome　by　the　heart　worn　smooth　with　a



fixed　purpose；'　said　a　voice　beside　her；　and　Yung　Chang　stepped　from



behind　the　cypress　tree；　where　he　had　been　waiting　for　Ning。　'O　one



more　symmetrical　than　the　chrysanthemum；'　he　continued；　'I　shall　yet；



with　the　aid　of　my　ancestors；　pass　the　second　degree；　and　even　obtain



a　position　of　high　trust　in　the　public　office　at　Peking。'







〃'And　in　the　meantime；'　pouted　Ning；　'I　shall　have　partaken　of　the



wedding…cake　of　the　utterly　unpresentable　Li　Ting。'　And　she　exhibited



the　bracelets　which　she　had　that　day　received。







〃'Alas！'　said　Yung　Chang；　'there　are　times　when　one　is　tempted　to



doubt　even　the　most　efficacious　and　violent　means。　I　had　hoped　that　by



this　time　Li　Ting　would　have　come　to　a　sudden　and　most　unseemly　end；



for　I　have　drawn　up　and　affixed　in　the　most　conspicuous　places



notifications　of　his　character；　similar　to　the　one　here。'







〃Ning　turned；　and　beheld　fastened　to　the　trunk　of　the　cypress　an



exceedingly　elegantly　written　and　composed　notice；　which　Yung　read　to



her　as　follows：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃'BEWARE　OF　INCURRING　DEATH　FROM　STARVATION







　　　　〃'Let　the　distinguished　inhabitants　of　this　district　observe



　　　　the　exceedingly　ungraceful　walk　and　bearing　of　the　low　person



　　　　who　calls　himself　Li　Ting。　Truthfully；　it　is　that　of　a　dog　in



　　　　the　act　of　being　dragged　to　the　river　because　his　sores　and



　　　　diseases　render　him　objectionable　in　the　house　of　his　master。



　　　　So　will　this　hunchbacked　person　be　dragged　to　the　place　of



　　　　execution；　and　be　bowstrung；　to　the　great　relief　of　all　who



　　　　respect　the　five　senses；　A　Respectful　Physiognomy；



　　　　Passionless；　Reflexion；　Soft　Speech；　Acute　Hearing；　Piercing



　　　　Sight。







　　　　〃'He　hopes　to　attain　to　the　Red　Button　and　the　Peacock's



　　　　Feather；　but　the　right　hand　of　the　Deity　itches；　and　Li　Ting



　　　　will　assuredly　be　removed　suddenly。'







〃'Li　Ting　must　certainly　be　in　league　with　the　evil　forces　if　he　can



withstand　so　powerful　a　weapon；'　said　Ning　admiringly；　when　her　lover



had　finished　reading。　'Even　now　he　is　starting　on　a　journey；　nor　will



he　return　till　the　first　day　of　the　month　when　the　sparrows　go　to　the



sea　and　are　changed　into　oysters。　Perhaps　the　fate　will　overtake　him



while　he　is　away。　If　not'







〃'If　not；'　said　Yung；　taking　up　her　words　as　she　paused；　'then　I　have



yet　another　hope。　A　moment　ago　you　were　regretting　my　choice　of　a



literary　career。　Learn；　then；　the　value　of　knowledge。　By　its　aid



（assisted；　indeed；　by　the　spirits　of　my　ancestors）　I　have　discovered　a



new　and　strange　thing；　for　which　I　can　find　no　word。　By　using　this　new



system　of　reckoning；　your　illustrious　but　exceedingly　narrow…minded



and　miserly　father　would　be　able　to　make　five　taels　where　he　now　makes



one。　Would　he　not；　in　consideration　for　this；　consent　to　receive　me　as



a　son…in…law；　and　dismiss　the　inelegant　and　unworthy　Li　Ting？'







〃'In　the　unlikely　event　of　your　being　able　to　convince　my　illustrious



parent　of　what　you　say；　it　would　assuredly　be　so；'　replied　Ning。　'But



in　what　way　could　you　do　so？　My　sublime　and　charitable　father　already



employs　all　the　means　in　his　power　to　reap　the　full　reward　of　his



sacred　industry。　His　〃solid　house…hold　gods〃　are　in　reality　mere



shells　of　clay；　higher…priced　images　are　correspondingly　constructed；



and　his　clay　gatherers　and　modellers　are　all　paid　on　a　〃profit…sharing



system〃。　Nay；　further；　it　is　beyond　likelihood　that　he　should　wish　for



more　purchasers；　for　so　great　is　his　fame　that　those　who　come　to　buy



have　sometimes　to　wait　for　days　in　consequence　of　those　before　them；



for　my　exceedingly　methodical　sire　entrusts　none　with　the　receiving　of



money；　and　the　exchanges　are　therefore　made　slowly。　Frequently　an



unnaturally　devout　person　will　require　as　many　as　a　hundred　idols；　and



so　the　greater　part　of　the　day　will　be　passed。'







〃'In　what　way？'　inquired　Yung　tremulously。







〃'Why；　in　order　that　the　countings　may　not　get　mixed；　of　course；　it　is



necessary　that　when　he　has　paid　for　one　idol　he　should　carry　it　to　a



place　aside；　and　then　return　and　pay　for　the　second；　carrying　it　to



the　first；　and　in　such　a　manner　to　the　end。　In　this　way　the　sun　sinks



behind　the　mountains。'







〃'But；'　said　Yung；　his　voice　thick　with　his　great　discovery；　'if　he



could　pay　for　the　entire　quantity　at　once；　then　it　would　take　but　a



hundredth　part　of　the　time；　and　so　more　idols　could　be　sold。'







〃'How　could　this　be　done？'　inquired　Ning　wonderingly。　'Surely　it　is



impossible　to　conjecture　the　value　of　so　many　idols。'







〃'To　the　unlearned　it　would　indeed　be　impossible；'　replied　Yung



proudly；　'but　by　the　aid　of　my　literary　researches　I　have　been　enabled



to　discover　a　process　by　which　such　results　would　be　not　a　matter　of



conjecture；　but　of　certainty。　These　figures　I　have　committed　to



tablets；　which　I　am　prepared　to　give　to　your　mercenary　and　slow…witted



father　in　return　for　your　incomparable　hand；　a　share　of　the　profits；



and　the　dismissal　of　the　unintentive　and　morally　threadbare　Li　Ting。'







〃'When　the　earth…worm　boasts　of　his　elegant　wings；　the　eagle　can



afford　to　be　silent；'　said　a　harsh　voice　behind　them；　and　turning



hastily　they　beheld　Li　Ting；　who　had　come　upon　them　unawares。　'Oh；



most　insignificant　of　table…spoilers；'　he　continued；　'it　is　very



evident　that　much　over…study　has　softened　your　usually　well…educated



brains。　Were　it　not　that　you　are　obviously　mentally　afflicted；　I



should　unhesitatingly　persuade　my　beautiful　and　refined　sword　to



introduce　you　to　the　spirits　of　your　ignoble　ancestors。　As　it　is；　I



will　merely　cut　off　your　nose　and　your　left　ear；　so　that　people　may



not　say　that　the　Dragon　of　the　Earth　sleeps　and　wickedness　goes



unpunished。'







〃Both　had　already　drawn　their　swords；　and　very　soon　the　blows　were　so



hard　and　swift　that；　in　the　dusk　of　the　evening；　it　seemed　as　though



the　air　were　filled　with　innumerable　and　many…coloured　fireworks。　Each



was　a　practised　swordsman；　and　there　was　no　advantage　gained　on　either



side；　when　Ning；　who　had　fled　on　the　appearance　of　Li　Ting；



reappeared；　urging　on　her　father；　whose　usually　leisurely　footsteps



were　quickened　by　the　dread　that　the　duel　must　surely　result　in



certain　loss　to　himself；　either　of　a　valuable　servant；　or　of　the



discovery　which　Ning　had　briefly　explained　to　him；　and　of　which　he　at



once　saw　the　value。







〃'Oh；　most　distinguished　and　expert　persons；'　he　exclaimed



breathlessly；　as　soon　as　he　was　within　hearing　distance；　'do　not



trouble　to　give　so　marvellous　an　exhibition　for　the　benefit　of　this



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