the wallet of kai lung-第29节

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acquainted　with　the　person　that　Sen　Heng　was；　by　nature　and



endowments；　utterly　incapable　of　representing　matters　of　even　the　most



insignificant　degree　to　be　otherwise　than　what　they　really　were。







Filled　with　an　acute　anxiety　to　discover　what　amount　of　success　would



be　accorded　to　his　latest　contrivance；　King…y…Yang　led　Sen　Heng　to　a



secluded　chamber；　and　there　instructed　him　in　the　method　of　selling



certain　apparently　very　ingeniously　constructed　ducks；　which　would



have　the　appearance　of　swimming　about　on　the　surface　of　an　open　vessel



of　water；　at　the　same　time　uttering　loud　and　ever…increasing　cries；



after　the　manner　of　their　kind。　With　ill…restrained　admiration　at　the



skilful　nature　of　the　deception；　King…y…Yang　pointed　out　that　the



ducks　which　were　to　be　disposed　of；　and　upon　which　a　seemingly　very



low　price　was　fixed；　did　not；　in　reality；　possess　any　of　these



accomplishments；　but　would；　on　the　contrary；　if　placed　in　water；　at



once　sink　to　the　bottom　in　a　most　incapable　manner；　it　being　part　of



Sen's　duty　to　exhibit　only　a　specially　prepared　creature　which　was



restrained　upon　the　surface　by　means　of　hidden　cords；　and；　while



bending　over　it；　to　simulate　the　cries　as　agreed　upon。　After



satisfying　himself　that　Sen　could　perform　these　movements　competently；



King…y…Yang　sent　him　forth；　particularly　charging　him　that　he　should



not　return　without　a　sum　of　money　which　fully　represented　the　entire



number　of　ducks　entrusted　to　him；　or　an　adequate　number　of　unsold



ducks　to　compensate　for　the　deficiency。







〃At　the　end　of　seven　days　Sen　returned　to　King…y…Yang；　and　although



entirely　without　money；　even　to　the　extent　of　being　unable　to　provide



himself　with　the　merest　necessities　of　a　frugal　existence；　he



honourably　returned　the　full　number　of　ducks　with　which　he　had　set



out。　It　then　became　evident　that　although　Sen　had　diligently　perfected



himself　in　the　sounds　and　movements　which　King…y…Yang　had　contrived；



he　had　not　fully　understood　that　they　were　to　be　executed　stealthily；



but　had；　in　consequence；　manifested　the　accomplishment　openly；　not



unreasonably　supposing　that　such　an　exhibition　would　be　an　additional



inducement　to　those　who　appeared　to　be　well…disposed　towards　the



purchase。　From　this　cause　it　came　about　that　although　large　crowds



were　attracted　by　Sen's　manner　of　conducting　the　enterprise；　none



actually　engaged　to　purchase　even　the　least　expensively…valued　of　the



ducks；　although　several　publicly　complimented　Sen　on　his　exceptional



proficiency；　and　repeatedly　urged　him　to　louder　and　more　frequent



cries；　suggesting　that　by　such　means　possible　buyers　might　be



attracted　to　the　spot　from　remote　and　inaccessible　villages　in　the



neighbourhood。







〃When　King…y…Yang　learned　how　the　venture　had　been　carried　out；　he



became　most　intolerably　self…opinionated　in　his　expressions　towards



Sen's　mental　attainments　and　the　manner　of　his　bringing　up。　It　was



entirely　in　vain　that　the　one　referred　to　pointed　out　in　a　tone　of



persuasive　and　courteous　restraint　that　he　had　not；　down　to　the　most



minute　particulars；　transgressed　either　the　general　or　the　specific



obligations　of　the　Five　General　Principles；　and　that；　therefore；　he



was　blameless；　and　even　worthy　of　commendation　for　the　manner　in　which



he　had　acted。　With　an　inelegant　absence　of　all　refined　feeling；



King…y…Yang　most　incapably　declined　to　discuss　the　various　aspects　of



the　controversy　in　an　amiable　manner；　asserting；　indeed；　that　for　the



consideration　of　as　many　brass　cash　as　Sen　had　mentioned　principles　he



would　cause　him　to　be　thrown　into　prison　as　a　person　of　unnatural



ineptitude。　Then；　without　rewarding　Sen　for　the　time　spent　in　his



service；　or　even　inviting　him　to　partake　of　food　and　wine；　the



insufferable　deviser　of　very　indifferent　animated　contrivances　again



sent　him　out；　this　time　into　the　streets　of　Hankow　with　a　number　of



delicately　inlaid　boxes；　remarking　in　a　tone　of　voice　which　plainly



indicated　an　exactly　contrary　desire　that　he　would　be　filled　with　an



overwhelming　satisfaction　if　Sen　could　discover　any　excuse　for



returning　a　second　time　without　disposing　of　anything。　This　remark



Sen's　ingenuous　nature　led　him　to　regard　as　a　definite　fact；　so　that



when　a　passer…by；　who　tarried　to　examine　the　boxes　chanced　to　remark



that　the　colours　might　have　been　arranged　to　greater　advantage；　in



which　case　he　would　certainly　have　purchased　at　least　one　of　the



articles；　Sen　hastened　back；　although　in　a　distant　part　of　the　city；



to　inform　King…y…Yang　of　the　suggestion；　adding　that　he　himself　had



been　favourably　impressed　with　the　improvement　which　could　be　effected



by　such　an　alteration。







〃The　nature　of　King…y…Yang's　emotion　when　Sen　again　presented　himself



before　himand　when　by　repeatedly　applied　tests　on　various　parts　of



his　body　he　understood　that　he　was　neither　the　victim　of　malicious



demons；　nor　wandering　in　an　insensible　condition　in　the　Middle　Air；



but　that　the　cause　of　the　return　was　such　as　had　been　plainly



statedwas　of　so　mixed　and　benumbing　a　variety；　that　for　a



considerable　space　of　time　he　was　quite　unable　to　express　himself　in



any　way；　either　by　words　or　by　signs。　By　the　time　these　attributes



returned　there　had　formed　itself　with　King…y…Yang's　mind　a　design　of



most　contemptible　malignity；　which　seemed　to　present　to　his　enfeebled



intellect　a　scheme　by　which　Sen　would　be　adequately　punished；　and



finally　disposed　of；　without　causing　him　any　further　trouble　in　the



matter。　For　this　purpose　he　concealed　the　real　condition　of　his



sentiments　towards　Sen；　and　warmly　expressed　himself　in　terms　of



delicate　flattery　regarding　that　one's　sumptuous　and　unfailing　taste



in　the　matter　of　the　blending　of　the　colours。　Without　doubt；　he



continued；　such　an　alteration　as　the　one　proposed　would　greatly



increase　the　attractiveness　of　the　inlaid　boxes；　and　the　matter　should



be　engaged　upon　without　delay。　In　the　meantime；　however；　not　to　waste



the　immediate　services　of　so　discriminating　and　persevering　a　servant；



he　would　entrust　Sen　with　a　mission　of　exceptional　importance；　which



would　certainly　tend　greatly　to　his　remunerative　benefit。　In　the



district　of　Yun；　in　the　north…western　part　of　the　Province；　said　the



crafty　and　treacherous　King…y…Yang；　a　particular　kind　of　insect　was



greatly　esteemed　on　account　of　the　beneficent　influence　which　it



exercised　over　the　rice　plants；　causing　them　to　mature　earlier；　and　to



attain　a　greater　size　than　ever　happened　in　its　absence。　In　recent



years　this　creature　had　rarely　been　seen　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Yun；



and；　in　consequence；　the　earth…tillers　throughout　that　country　had



been　brought　into　a　most　disconcerting　state　of　poverty；　and　would；



inevitably；　be　prepared　to　exchange　whatever　they　still　possessed　for



even　a　few　of　the　insects；　in　order　that　they　might　liberate　them　to



increase；　and　so　entirely　reverse　the　objectionable　state　of　things。



Speaking　in　this　manner；　King…y…Yang　entrusted　to　Sen　a　carefully



prepared　box　containing　a　score　of　the　insects；　obtained　at　a　great



cost　from　a　country　beyond　the　Bitter　Water；　and　after　giving　him



further　directions　concerning　the　journey；　and　enjoining　the　utmost



secrecy　about　the　valuable　contents　of　the　box；　he　sent　him　forth。







〃The　discreet　and　sagacious　will　already　have　understood　the　nature　of



King…y…Yang's　intolerable　artifice；　but；　for　the　benefit　of　the



amiable　and　unsuspecting；　it　is　necessary　to　make　it　clear　that　the



words　which　he　had　spoken　bore　no　sort　of　resemblance　to　affairs　as



they　really　existed。　The　district　around　Yun　was　indeed　involved　in　a



most　unprepossessing　destitution；　but　this　had　been　caused；　not　by　the



absence　of　any　rare　and　auspicious　insect；　but　by　the　presence　of　vast



hordes　of　locusts；　which　had　overwhelmed　and　devoured　the　entire　face



the　country。　It　so　chanced　that　among　the　recently　constructed　devices



at　'The　Pure　Gilt　Dragon　of　Exceptional　Symmetry'　were　a　number　of



elegant　representations　of　rice　fields　and　fruit　gardens　so　skilfully



fashioned　that　they　deceived　even　the　creatures；　and　attracted；　among



other　living　things；　all　the　locusts　in　Hankow　into　that　place　of



commerce。　It　was　a　number　of　these　insects　that　King…y…Yang



vindictively　placed　in　the　box　which　he　instructed　Sen　to　carry　to



Yun；　well　knowing　that　the　reception　which　would　be　accorded　to　anyone



who　appeared　there　on　such　a　mission　would　be　of　so　fatally



destructive　a　kind　that　the　consideration　of　his　return　need　not



engag