the wallet of kai lung-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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



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



unworthy　individual；　who　is　the　only　observer　of　your　illustrious



dexterity！　Indeed；　your　honourable　condescension　so　fills　this



illiterate　person　with　shame　that　his　hearing　is　thereby



preternaturally　sharpened；　and　he　can　plainly　distinguish　many　voices



from　beyond　the　Hoang　Ho；　crying　for　the　Heaven…sent　representative　of



the　degraded　Ti　Hung　to　bring　them　more　idols。　Bend；　therefore；　your



refined　footsteps　in　the　direction　of　Poo　Chow；　O　Li　Ting；　and　leave



me　to　make　myself　objectionable　to　this　exceptional　young　man　with　my



intolerable　commonplaces。'







〃'The　shadow　falls　in　such　a　direction　as　the　sun　wills；'　said　Li



Ting；　as　he　replaced　his　sword　and　departed。







〃'Yung　Chang；'　said　the　merchant；　'I　am　informed　that　you　have　made　a



discovery　that　would　be　of　great　value　to　me；　as　it　undoubtedly　would



if　it　is　all　that　you　say。　Let　us　discuss　the　matter　without　ceremony。



Can　you　prove　to　me　that　your　system　possesses　the　merit　you　claim　for



it？　If　so；　then　the　matter　of　arrangement　will　be　easy。'







〃'I　am　convinced　of　the　absolute　certainty　and　accuracy　of　the



discovery；'　replied　Yung　Chang。　'It　is　not　as　though　it　were　an



ordinary　matter　of　human　intelligence；　for　this　was　discovered　to　me



as　I　was　worshipping　at　the　tomb　of　my　ancestors。　The　method　is



regulated　by　a　system　of　squares；　triangles；　and　cubes。　But　as　the



practical　proof　might　be　long；　and　as　I　hesitate　to　keep　your　adorable



daughter　out　in　the　damp　night　air；　may　I　not　call　at　your　inimitable



dwelling　in　the　morning；　when　we　can　go　into　the　matter　thoroughly？'







〃I　will　not　weary　this　intelligent　gathering；　each　member　of　which



doubtless　knows　all　the　books　on　mathematics　off　by　heart；　with　a



recital　of　the　means　by　which　Yung　Chang　proved　to　Ti　Hung　the



accuracy　of　his　tables　and　the　value　of　his　discovery　of　the



multiplication　table；　which　till　then　had　been　undreamt　of；〃　continued



the　story…teller。　〃It　is　sufficient　to　know　that　he　did　so；　and　that



Ti　Hung　agreed　to　his　terms；　only　stipulating　that　Li　Ting　should　not



be　made　aware　of　his　dismissal　until　he　had　returned　and　given　in　his



accounts。　The　share　of　the　profits　that　Yung　was　to　receive　was　cut



down　very　low　by　Ti　Hung；　but　the　young　man　did　not　mind　that；　as　he



would　live　with　his　father…in…law　for　the　future。







〃With　the　introduction　of　this　new　system；　the　business　increased　like



a　river　at　flood…time。　All　rivals　were　left　far　behind；　and　Ti　Hung



put　out　this　sign：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃NO　WAITING　HERE！







　　　　〃Good…morning！　Have　you　worshipped　one　of　Ti　Hung's　refined



　　　　ninety…nine　cash　idols？







　　　　〃Let　the　purchasers　of　ill…constructed　idols　at　other



　　　　establishments；　where　they　have　grown　old　and　venerable　while



　　　　waiting　for　the　all…thumb　proprietors　to　count　up　to　ten；　come



　　　　to　the　shop　of　Ti　Hung　and　regain　their　lost　youth。　Our



　　　　ninety…nine　cash　idols　are　worth　a　tael　a　set。　We　do　not；



　　　　however；　claim　that　they　will　do　everything。　The　ninety…nine



　　　　cash　idols　of　Ti　Hung　will　not；　for　example；　purify　linen；　but



　　　　even　the　most　contented　and　frozen…brained　person　cannot　be



　　　　happy　until　he　possesses　one。　What　is　happiness？　The



　　　　exceedingly　well…educated　Philosopher　defines　it　as　the



　　　　accomplishment　of　all　our　desires。　Everyone　desires　one　of　the



　　　　Ti　Hung's　ninety…nine　cash　idols；　therefore　get　one；　but　be



　　　　sure　that　it　is　Ti　Hung's。







　　　　〃Have　you　a　bad　idol？　If　so；　dismiss　it；　and　get　one　of　Ti



　　　　Hung's　ninety…nine　cash　specimens。







　　　　〃Why　does　your　idol　look　old　sooner　than　your　neighbours？



　　　　Because　yours　is　not　one　of　Ti　Hung's　ninety…nine　cash



　　　　marvels。







　　　　　　　　〃They　bring　all　delights　to　the　old　and　the　young；



　　　　　　　　The　elegant　idols　supplied　by　Ti　Hung。







　　　　〃N。B。The　'Great　Sacrifice'　idol；　forty…five　cash；　delivered；



　　　　carriage　free；　in　quantities　of　not　less　than　twelve；　at　any



　　　　temple；　on　the　evening　before　the　sacrifice。







〃It　was　about　this　time　that　Li　Ting　returned。　His　journey　had　been



more　than　usually　successful；　and　he　was　well　satisfied　in



consequence。　It　was　not　until　he　had　made　out　his　accounts　and　handed



in　his　money　that　Ti　Hung　informed　him　of　his　agreement　with　Yung



Chang。







〃'Oh；　most　treacherous　and　excessively　unpopular　Ti　Hung；'　exclaimed



Li　Ting；　in　a　terrible　voice；　'this　is　the　return　you　make　for　all　my



entrancing　efforts　in　your　services；　then？　It　is　in　this　way　that　you



reward　my　exceedingly　unconscientious　recommendations　of　your　very



inferior　and　unendurable　clay　idols；　with　their　goggle　eyes　and



concave　stomachs！　Before　I　go；　however；　I　request　to　be　inspired　to



make　the　following　remarkthat　I　confidently　predict　your　ruin。　And



now　this　low　and　undignified　person　will　finally　shake　the　elegant



dust　of　your　distinguished　house　from　his　thoroughly　inadequate　feet；



and　proceed　to　offer　his　incapable　services　to　the　rival　establishment



over　the　way。'







〃'The　machinations　of　such　an　evilly…disposed　person　as　Li　Ting　will



certainly　be　exceedingly　subtle；'　said　Ti　Hung　to　his　son…in…law　when



the　traveller　had　departed。　'I　must　counteract　his　omens。　Herewith　I



wish　to　prophecy　that　henceforth　I　shall　enjoy　an　unbroken　run　of　good



fortune。　I　have　spoken；　and　assuredly　I　shall　not　eat　my　words。'







〃As　the　time　went　on；　it　seemed　as　though　Ti　Hung　had　indeed　spoken



truly。　The　ease　and　celerity　with　which　he　transacted　his　business



brought　him　customers　and　dealers　from　more　remote　regions　than　ever；



for　they　could　spend　days　on　the　journey　and　still　save　time。　The　army



of　clay…gatherers　and　modellers　grew　larger　and　larger；　and　the



work…sheds　stretched　almost　down　to　the　river's　edge。　Only　one　thing



troubled　Ti　Hung；　and　that　was　the　uncongenial　disposition　of　his



son…in…law；　for　Yung　took　no　further　interest　in　the　industry　to　which



his　discovery　had　given　so　great　an　impetus；　but　resolutely　set　to



work　again　to　pass　his　examination　for　the　second　degree。







〃'It　is　an　exceedingly　distinguished　and　honourable　thing　to　have



failed　thirty…five　times；　and　still　to　be　undiscouraged；'　admitted　Ti



Hung；　'but　I　cannot　cleanse　my　throat　from　bitterness　when　I　consider



that　my　noble　and　lucrative　business　must　pass　into　the　hands　of



strangers；　perhaps　even　into　the　possession　of　the　unendurable　Li



Ting。'







〃But　it　had　been　appointed　that　this　degrading　thing　should　not



happen；　however；　and　it　was　indeed　fortunate　that　Yung　did　not　abandon



his　literary　pursuits；　for　after　some　time　it　became　very　apparent　to



Ti　Hung　that　there　was　something　radically　wrong　with　his　business。　It



was　not　that　his　custom　was　falling　off　in　any　way；　indeed；　it　had



lately　increased　in　a　manner　that　was　phenomenal；　and　when　the



merchant　came　to　look　into　the　matter；　he　found　to　his　astonishment



that　the　least　order　he　had　received　in　the　past　week　had　been　for　a



hundred　idols。　All　the　sales　had　been　large；　and　yet　Ti　Hung　found



himself　most　unaccountably　deficient　in　taels。　He　was　puzzled　and



alarmed；　and　for　the　next　few　days　he　looked　into　the　business



closely。　Then　it　was　that　the　reason　was　revealed；　both　for　the



falling　off　in　the　receipts　and　for　the　increase　in　the　orders。　The



calculations　of　the　unfortunate　Yung　Chang　were　correct　up　to　a



hundred；　but　at　that　number　he　had　made　a　gigantic　errorwhich；



however；　he　was　never　able　to　detect　and　rectifywith　the　result　that



all　transactions　above　that　point　worked　out　at　a　considerable　loss　to



the　seller。　It　was　in　vain　that　the　panic…stricken　Ti　Hung　goaded　his



miserable　son…in…law　to　correct　the　mistake；　it　was　equally　in　vain



that　he　tried　to　stem　the　current　of　his　enormous　commercial



popularity。　He　had　competed　for　public　favour；　and　he　had　won　it；　and



every　day　his　business　increased　till　ruin　grasped　him　by　the　pigtail。



Then　came　an　order　from　one　firm　at　Peking　for　five　millions　of　the



ninety…nine　cash　idols；　and　at　that　Ti　Hung　put　up　his　shutters；　and



sat　down　in　the　dust。







〃'Behold！'　he　exclaimed；　'in　the　course　of　a　lifetime　there　are　many



very　disagreeable　evils　that　may　overtake　a　person。　He　may　offend　the



Sacred　Dragon；　and　be　in　consequence　reduced　to　a　fine　dry　powder；　or



he　may　incur　the　displeasure　of　the　benevolent　and　pure…min