the wallet of kai lung-第34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！





each　other；　both　the　Mandarin　and　the　official　from　the　Fireworks　and



Coloured　Lights　Department　found　an　opportunity　to　pass　away　secretly；



the　former　to　consider　well　the　various　sides　of　the　matter；　towards



which　he　became　better　disposed　with　every　thought；　the　latter　to　find



a　purchaser　of　his　appointment　and　leave　Fow　Hou　before　the　likelihood



of　Chan　Hung's　scheme　became　generally　known。







〃At　this　point　an　earlier　circumstance；　which　affected　the　future



unrolling　of　events　to　no　insignificant　degree；　must　be　made　known；



concerning　as　it　does　Lila；　the　fair　and　very　accomplished　daughter　of



Chan　Hung。　Possessing　no　son　or　heir　to　succeed　him；　the　Mandarin



exhibited　towards　Lila　a　very　unusual　depth　of　affection；　so　marked；



indeed；　that　when　certain　evil…minded　ones　endeavoured　to　encompass



his　degradation；　on　the　plea　of　eccentricity　of　character；　the　written



papers　which　they　dispatched　to　the　high　ones　at　Peking　contained　no



other　accusation　in　support　of　the　contention　than　that　the　individual



in　question　regarded　his　daughter　with　an　obvious　pride　and　pleasure



which　no　person　of　well…balanced　intellect　lavished　on　any　but　a　son。







〃It　was　his　really　conscientious　desire　to　establish　Lila's　welfare



above　all　things　that　had　caused　Chan　Hung　to　become　in　some　degree



undecided　when　conversing　with　Ming…hi　on　the　detail　of　the　scheme；



for；　unaffected　as　the　Mandarin　himself　would　have　been　at　the



prospect　of　an　honourable　poverty；　it　was　no　part　of　his　intention



that　the　adorable　and　exceptionally…refined　Lila　should　be　drawn　into



such　an　existence。　That；　indeed；　had　been　the　essential　of　his　reply



on　a　certain　and　not　far　removed　occasion；　when　two　persons　of　widely



differing　positions　had　each　made　a　formal　request　that　he　might　be



allowed　to　present　marriage…pledging　gifts　to　the　very　desirable　Lila。



Maintaining　an　enlightened　openness　of　mind　upon　the　subject；　the



Mandarin　had　replied　that　nothing　but　the　merit　of　undoubted



suitableness　of　a　person　would　affect　him　in　such　a　decision。　As　it



was　ordained　by　the　wise　and　unchanging　Deities　that　merit　should



always　be　fittingly　rewarded；　he　went　on　to　express　himself；　and　as



the　most　suitable　person　was　obviously　the　one　who　could　the　most



agreeably　provide　for　her；　the　two　circumstances　inevitably　tended　to



the　decision　that　the　one　chosen　should　be　the　person　who　could　amass



the　greatest　number　of　taels。　To　this　end　he　instructed　them　both　to



present　themselves　at　the　end　of　a　year；　bringing　with　them　the　entire



profits　of　their　undertakings　between　the　two　periods。







〃This　deliberate　pronouncement　affected　the　two　persons　in　question　in



an　entirely　opposite　manner；　for　one　of　them　was　little　removed　from　a



condition　of　incessant　and　most　uninviting　poverty；　while　the　other



was　the　very　highly…rewarded　picture…maker　Pe…tsing。　Both　to　this



latter　person；　and　to　the　other　one；　Lee　Sing；　the　ultimate　conclusion



of　the　matter　did　not　seem　to　be　a　question　of　any　conjecture



therefore；　and；　in　consequence；　the　one　became　most　offensively



self…confident；　and　the　other　leaden…minded　to　an　equal　degree；



neither　remembering　the　unswerving　wisdom　of　the　proverb；　'Wait！　all



men　are　but　as　the　black；　horn…cased　beetles　which　overrun　the



inferior　cooking…rooms　of　the　city；　and　even　at　this　moment　the



heavily…shod　and　unerring　foot　of　Buddha　may　be　lifted。'







〃Lee　Sing　was；　by　profession；　one　of　those　who　hunt　and　ensnare　the



brilliantly…coloured　winged　insects　which　are　to　be　found　in　various



parts　of　the　Empire　in　great　variety　and　abundance；　it　being　his　duty



to　send　a　certain　number　every　year　to　Peking　to　contribute　to　the



amusement　of　the　dignified　Emperor。　In　spite　of　the　not　too



intelligent　nature　of　the　occupation；　Lee　Sing　took　an　honourable



pride　in　all　matters　connected　with　it。　He　disdained；　with



well…expressed　contempt；　to　avail　himself　of　the　stealthy　and　somewhat



deceptive　methods　employed　by　others　engaged　in　a　similar　manner　of



life。　In　this　way　he　had；　from　necessity；　acquired　agility　to　an



exceptional　degree；　so　that　he　could　leap　far　into　the　air；　and　while



in　that　position　select　from　a　passing　band　of　insects　any　which　he



might　desire。　This　useful　accomplishment　was；　in　a　measure；　the　direct



means　of　bringing　together　the　person　in　question　and　the　engaging



Lila；　for；　on　a　certain　occasion；　when　Lee　Sing　was　passing　through



the　streets　of　Fow　Hou；　he　heard　a　great　outcry；　and　beheld　persons　of



all　ranks　running　towards　him；　pointing　at　the　same　time　in　an　upward



direction。　Turning　his　gaze　in　the　manner　indicated；　Lee　beheld；　with



every　variety　of　astonishment；　a　powerful　and　unnaturally　large　bird



of　prey；　carrying　in　its　talons　the　lovely　and　now　insensible　Lila；　to



whom　it　had　been　attracted　by　the　magnificence　of　her　raiment。　The



rapacious　and　evilly…inspired　creature　was　already　above　the　highest



dwelling…houses　when　Lee　first　beheld　it；　and　was　plainly　directing



its　course　towards　the　inaccessible　mountain　crags　beyond　the　city



walls。　Nevertheless；　Lee　resolved　upon　an　inspired　effort；　and　without



any　hesitation　bounded　towards　it　with　such　well…directed　proficiency；



that　if　he　had　not　stretched　forth　his　hand　on　passing　he　would



inevitably　have　been　carried　far　above　the　desired　object。　In　this



manner　he　succeeded　in　dragging　the　repulsive　and　completely



disconcerted　monster　to　the　ground；　where　its　graceful　and　unassuming



prisoner　was　released；　and　the　presumptuous　bird　itself　torn　to　pieces



amid　continuous　shouts　of　a　most　respectful　and　engaging　description



in　honour　of　Lee　and　of　his　versatile　attainment。







〃In　consequence　of　this　incident　the　grateful　Lila　would　often



deliberately　leave　the　society　of　the　rich　and　well…endowed　in　order



to　accompany　Lee　on　his　journeys　in　pursuit　of　exceptionally…precious



winged　insects。　Regarding　his　unusual　ability　as　the　undoubted　cause



of　her　existence　at　that　moment；　she　took　an　all…absorbing　pride　in



such　displays；　and　would　utter　loud　and　frequent　exclamations　of



triumph　when　Lee　leaped　out　from　behind　some　rock；　where　he　had　lain



concealed；　and　with　unfailing　regularity　secured　the　object　of　his



adroit　movement。　In　this　manner　a　state　of　feeling　which　was　by　no



means　favourable　to　the　aspiring　picture…maker　Pe…tsing　had　long



existed　between　the　two　persons；　but　when　Lee　Sing　put　the　matter　in



the　form　of　an　explicit　petition　before　Chan　Hung　（to　which　adequate



reference　has　already　been　made）；　the　nature　of　the　decision　then



arrived　at　seemed　to　clothe　the　realization　of　their　virtuous　and



estimable　desires　with　an　air　of　extreme　improbability。







〃'Oh；　Lee；'　exclaimed　the　greatly…disappointed　maiden　when　her　lover



had　explained　to　her　the　nature　of　the　arrangementfor　in　her



unassuming　admiration　of　the　noble　qualities　of　Lee　she　had



anticipated　that　Chan　Hung　would　at　once　have　received　him　with



ceremonious　embraces　and　assurances　of　his　permanent　affection'how



unendurable　a　state　of　things　in　this　in　which　we　have　become



involved！　Far　removed　from　this　one's　anticipations　was　the　thought　of



becoming　inalienably　associated　with　that　outrageous　person　Pe…tsing；



or　of　entering　upon　an　existence　which　will　necessitate　a　feigned



admiration　of　his　really　unpresentable　efforts。　Yet　in　such　a　manner



must　the　entire　circumstance　complete　its　course　unless　some　ingenious



method　of　evading　it　can　be　discovered　in　the　meantime。　Alas；　my



beloved　one！　the　occupation　of　ensnaring　winged　insects　is　indeed　an



alluring　one；　but　as　far　as　this　person　has　observed；　it　is　also



exceedingly　unproductive　of　taels。　Could　not　some　more　expeditious



means　of　enriching　yourself　be　discovered？　Frequently　has　the



unnoticed　but　nevertheless　very　attentive　Lila　heard　her　father　and



the　round…bodied　ones　who　visit　him　speak　of　exploits　which　seem　to



consist　of　assuming　the　shapes　of　certain　wild　animals；　and　in　that



guise　appearing　from　time　to　time　at　the　place　of　exchange　within　the



city　walls。　As　this　form　of　entertainment　is　undoubtedly　very



remunerative　in　its　results；　could　not　the　versatile　and　ready…witted



Lee　conceal　himself　within　the　skin　of　a　bear；　or　some　other　untamed



beast；　and　in　this　garb；　joining　them　unperceived；　play　an　appointed



part　and　receive　a　just　share　of　the　reward？'







〃'The　result　of　such　an　enterprise　might；　if　the　matter　chanced　to



take　an　unforeseen　development；　prove　of　a　very　doubtful　nature；'



replied　Lee　Sing；　t