the wallet of kai lung-第30节

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destructive　a　kind　that　the　consideration　of　his　return　need　not



engage　a　single　conjecture。







〃Entirely　tranquil　in　intellectfor　the　possibility　of　King…y…Yang's



intention　being　in　any　way　other　than　what　he　had　represented　it　to　be



did　not　arise　within　Sen's　ingenuous　mindthe　person　in　question



cheerfully　set　forth　on　his　long　but　unavoidable　march　towards　the



region　of　Yun。　As　he　journeyed　along　the　way；　the　nature　of　his



meditation　brought　up　before　him　the　events　which　had　taken　place



since　his　arrival　at　Hankow；　and；　for　the　first　time；　it　was　brought



within　his　understanding　that　the　story　of　the　youth　and　the　three



tigers；　which　his　father　had　related　to　him；　was　in　the　likeness　of　a



proverb；　by　which　counsel　and　warning　is　conveyed　in　a　graceful　and



inoffensive　manner。　Readily　applying　the　fable　to　his　own　condition；



he　could　not　doubt　but　that　the　first　two　animals　to　be　overthrown



were　represented　by　the　two　undertakings　which　he　had　already



conscientiously　performed　in　the　matter　of　the　mechanical　ducks　and



the　inlaid　boxes；　and　the　conviction　that　he　was　even　then　engaged　on



the　third　and　last　trial　filled　him　with　an　intelligent　gladness　so



unobtrusive　and　refined　that　he　could　express　his　entrancing　emotions



in　no　other　way　that　by　lifting　up　his　voice　and　uttering　the



far…reaching　cries　which　he　had　used　on　the　first　of　the　occasions



just　referred　to。







〃In　this　manner　the　first　part　of　the　journey　passed　away　with



engaging　celerity。　Anxious　as　Sen　undoubtedly　was　to　complete　the



third　task；　and　approach　the　details　which；　in　his　own　case；　would



correspond　with　the　command　of　the　bowmen　and　the　marriage　with　the



Mandarin's　daughter　of　the　person　in　the　story；　the　noontide　heat



compelled　him　to　rest　in　the　shade　by　the　wayside　for　a　lengthy　period



each　day。　　During　one　of　these　pauses　it　occurred　to　his　versatile



mind　that　the　time　which　was　otherwise　uselessly　expended　might　be



well　disposed　of　in　endeavouring　to　increase　the　value　and　condition



of　the　creatures　under　his　care　by　instructing　them　in　the　performance



of　some　simple　accomplishments；　such　as　might　not　be　too　laborious　for



their　feeble　and　immature　understanding。　In　this　he　was　more



successful　than　he　had　imagined　could　possibly　be　the　case；　for　the



discriminating　insects；　from　the　first；　had　every　appearance　of



recognizing　that　Sen　was　inspired　by　a　sincere　regard　for　their



ultimate　benefit；　and　was　not　merely　using　them　for　his　own



advancement。　So　assiduously　did　they　devote　themselves　to　their



allotted　tasks；　that　in　a　very　short　space　of　time　there　was　no　detail



in　connexion　with　their　own　simple　domestic　arrangements　that　was　not



understood　and　daily　carried　out　by　an　appointed　band。　Entranced　at



this　intelligent　manner　of　conducting　themselves；　Sen　industriously



applied　his　time　to　the　more　congenial　task　of　instructing　them　in　the



refined　arts；　and　presently　he　had　the　enchanting　satisfaction　of



witnessing　a　number　of　the　most　cultivated　faultlessly　and



unhesitatingly　perform　a　portion　of　the　well…known　gravity…removing



play　entitled　〃The　Benevolent　Omen　of　White　Dragon　Tea　Garden；　or；



Three　Times　a　Mandarin〃。　Not　even　content　with　this　elevating　display；



Sen　ingeniously　contrived；　from　various　objects　which　he　discovered　at



different　points　by　the　wayside；　an　effective　and　life…like



representation　of　a　war…junk；　for　which　he　trained　a　crew；　who；　at　an



agreed　signal；　would　take　up　their　appointed　places　and　go　through　the



required　movements；　both　of　sailing；　and　of　discharging　the　guns；　in　a



reliable　and　efficient　manner。







〃As　Sen　was　one　day　educating　the　least　competent　of　the　insects　in



the　simpler　parts　of　banner…carriers；　gong…beaters；　and　the　like；　to



their　more　graceful　and　versatile　companions；　he　lifted　up　his　eyes



and　beheld；　standing　by　his　side；　a　person　of　very　elaborately



embroidered　apparel　and　commanding　personality；　who　had　all　the



appearance　of　one　who　had　been　observing　his　movements　for　some　space



of　time。　Calling　up　within　his　remembrance　the　warning　which　he　had



received　from　King…y…Yang；　Sen　was　preparing　to　restore　the　creatures



to　their　closed　box；　when　a　stranger；　in　a　loud　and　dignified　voice；



commanded　him　to　refrain；　adding：







〃'There　is；　resting　at　a　spot　within　the　immediate　neighbourhood；　a



person　of　illustrious　name　and　ancestry；　who　would　doubtless　be



gratified　to　witness　the　diverting　actions　of　which　this　one　has



recently　been　a　spectator。　As　the　reward　of　a　tael　cannot　be　unwelcome



to　a　person　of　your　inferior　appearance　and　unpresentable　garments；



take　up　your　box　without　delay；　and　follow　the　one　who　is　now　before



you。'







〃With　these　words　the　richly…clad　stranger　led　the　way　through　a



narrow　woodland　path；　closely　followed　by　Sen；　to　whom　the　attraction



of　the　promised　rewarda　larger　sum；　indeed；　than　he　had　ever



possessedwas　sufficiently　alluring　to　make　him　determined　that　the



other　should　not；　for　the　briefest　possible　moment；　pass　beyond　his



sight。







〃Not　to　withhold　that　which　Sen　was　entirely　ignorant　of　until　a　later



period；　it　is　now　revealed　that　the　person　in　question　was　the



official　Provider　of　Diversions　and　Pleasurable　Occupations　to　the



sacred　and　illimitable　Emperor；　who　was　then　engaged　in　making　an



unusually　extensive　march　through　the　eight　Provinces　surrounding　his



Capitalfor　the　acute　and　well…educated　will　not　need　to　be　reminded



that　Nanking　occupied　that　position　at　the　time　now　engaged　with。



Until　his　providential　discovery　of　Sen；　the　distinguished　Provider



had　been　immersed　in　a　most　unenviable　condition　of　despair；　for　his



enlightened　but　exceedingly　perverse…minded　master　had；　of　late；



declined　to　be　in　any　way　amused；　or　even　interested；　by　the　simple



and　unpretentious　entertainment　which　could　be　obtained　in　so



inaccessible　a　region。　The　well…intentioned　efforts　of　the　followers



of　the　Court；　who　engagingly　endeavoured　to　divert　the　Imperial　mind



by　performing　certain　feats　which　they　remembered　to　have　witnessed　on



previous　occasions；　but　which；　until　the　necessity　arose；　they　had



never　essayed；　were　entirely　without　result　of　a　beneficial　order。



Even　the　accomplished　Provider's　one　attainmentthat　of　striking



together　both　the　hands　and　the　feet　thrice　simultaneously；　while



leaping　into　the　air；　and　at　the　same　time　producing　a　sound　not



unlike　that　emitted　by　a　large　and　vigorous　bee　when　held　captive　in



the　fold　of　a　robe；　an　action　which　never　failed　to　throw　the



illustrious　Emperor　into　a　most　uncontrollable　state　of　amusement　when



performed　within　the　Imperial　Palacenow　only　drew　from　him　the



unsympathetic；　of　not　actually　offensive；　remark　that　the　attitude　and



the　noise　bore　a　marked　resemblance　to　those　produced　by　a　person　when



being　bowstrung；　adding；　with　unprepossessing　significance；　that　of



the　two　entertainments　he　had　an　unevadable　conviction　that　the



bowstringing　would　be　the　more　acceptable　and　gravity…removing。







〃When　Sen　beheld　the　size　and　the　silk…hung　magnificence　of　the　camp



into　which　his　guide　led　him；　he　was　filled　with　astonishment；　and　at



the　same　time　recognized　that　he　had　acted　in　an　injudicious　and　hasty



manner　by　so　readily　accepting　the　offer　of　a　tael；　whereas；　if　he　had



been　in　possession　of　the　true　facts　of　the　case；　as　they　now



appeared；　he　would　certainly　have　endeavoured　to　obtain　double　that



amount　before　consenting。　As　he　was　hesitating　within　himself　whether



the　matter　might　not　even　yet　be　arranged　in　a　more　advantageous



manner；　he　was　suddenly　led　forward　into　the　most　striking　and



ornamental　of　the　tents；　and　commanded　to　engage　the　attention　of　the



one　in　whose　presence　he　found　himself；　without　delay。







〃From　the　first　moment　when　the　inimitable　creatures　began；　at　Sen's



spoken　word；　to　go　through　the　ordinary　details　of　their　domestic



affairs；　there　was　no　sort　of　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the　success



with　which　their　well…trained　exertions　would　be　received。　The　dark



shadows　instantly　forsook　the　enraptured　Emperor's　select　brow；　and



from　time　to　time　he　expressed　himself　in　words　of　most　unrestrained



and　intimate　encouragement。　So　exuberant　became　the　overjoyed



Provider's　emotion　at　having　at　length　succeeded　in　obtaining　the



services　of　one　who　was　able　to　recall　his　Imperial　master's　unclouded



countenance；　that　he　came　forward　in　a　most　unpresentable　state　of



haste；　and　rose　into　the　air　uncommand