the wallet of kai lung-第35节

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〃'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；　to　whom；　indeed；　the　proposed　venture　appeared　in　a



somewhat　undignified　light；　although；　with　refined　consideration；　he



withheld　such　a　thought　from　Lila；　who　had　proposed　it　for　him；　and



also　confessed　that　her　usually　immaculate　father　had　taken　part　in



such　an　exhibition。　'Nevertheless；　do　not　permit　the　dark　shadow　of　an



inward　cloud　to　reflect　itself　upon　your　almost　invariably　amiable



countenance；　for　this　person　has　become　possessed　of　a　valuable



internal　suggestion　which；　although　he　has　hitherto　neglected；　being



content　with　a　small　but　assured　competency；　would　doubtless　bring



together　a　serviceable　number　of　taels　if　rightly　utilized。'







〃'Greatly　does　this　person　fear　that　the　valuable　internal　suggestion



of　Lee　Sing　will　weigh　but　lightly　in　the　commercial　balance　against



the　very　rapidly　executed　pictures　of　Pe…tsing；'　said　Lila；　who　had



not　fully　recalled　from　her　mind　a　disturbing　emotion　that　Lee　would



have　been　well　advised　to　have　availed　himself　of　her　ingenious　and



well…thought…out　suggestion。　'But　of　what　does　the　matter　consist？'







〃'It　is　the　best　explained　by　a　recital　of　the　circumstances　leading



up　to　it；'　said　Lee。　'Upon　an　occasion　when　this　person　was　passing



through　the　streets　of　Fow　Hou；　there　gathered　around　him　a　company　of



those　who　had；　on　previous　occasions；　beheld　his　exceptional　powers　of



hurtling　himself　through　the　air　in　an　upward　direction；　praying　that



he　would　again　delight　their　senses　by　a　similar　spectacle。　Not　being



unwilling　to　afford　those　estimable　persons　of　the　amusement　they



desired；　this　one；　without　any　elaborate　show　of　affected　hesitancy；



put　himself　into　the　necessary　position；　and　would　without　doubt　have



risen　uninterruptedly　almost　into　the　Middle　Air；　had　he　not；　in



making　the　preparatory　movements；　placed　his　left　foot　upon　an



over…ripe　wampee　which　lay　unperceived　on　the　ground。　In　consequence



of　this　really　blameworthy　want　of　caution　the　entire　manner　and



direction　of　this　short…sighted　individual's　movements　underwent　a



sudden　and　complete　change；　so　that　to　those　who　stood　around　it



appeared　as　though　he　were　making　a　well…directed　endeavour　to



penetrate　through　the　upper　surface　of　the　earth。　This　unexpected



display　had　the　effect　of　removing　the　gravity　of　even　the　most　aged



and　severe…minded　persons　present；　and　for　the　space　of　some　moments



the　behaviour　and　positions　of　those　who　stood　around　were　such　that



they　were　quite　unable　to　render　any　assistance；　greatly　as　they



doubtless　wished　to　do　so。　Being　in　this　manner　allowed　a　period　for



inward　reflexion　of　a　very　concentrated　order；　it　arose　within　this



one's　mind　that　at　every　similar　occurrence　which　he　had　witnessed；



those　who　observed　the　event　had　been　seized　in　a　like　fashion；　being



very　excessively　amused。　The　fact　was　made　even　more　undoubted　by　the



manner　of　behaving　of　an　exceedingly　stout　and　round…faced　person；　who



had　not　been　present　from　the　beginning；　but　who　was　affected　to　a



most　incredible　extent　when　the　details；　as　they　had　occurred；　were



made　plain　to　him；　he　declaring；　with　many　references　to　the　Sacred



Dragon　and　the　Seven　Walled　Temple　at　Peking；　that　he　would　willingly



have　contributed　a　specified　number　of　taels　rather　than　have　missed



the　diversion。　When　at　length　this　person　reached　his　own　chamber；　he



diligently　applied　himself　to　the　task　of　carrying　into　practical



effect　the　suggestion　which　had　arisen　in　his　mind。　By　an　arrangement



of　transparent　glasses　and　reflecting　surfaceswhich；　were　it　not　for



a　well…defined　natural　modesty；　he　would　certainly　be　tempted　to



describe　as　highly　ingenioushe　ultimately　succeeded　in　bringing



about　the　effect　he　desired。'







〃With　these　words　Lee　put　into　Lila's　hands　an　object　which　closely



resembled　the　contrivances　by　which　those　who　are　not　sufficiently



powerful　to　obtain　positions　near　the　raised　platform；　in　the　Halls　of



Celestial　Harmony；　are　nevertheless　enabled　to　observe　the　complexions



and　attire　of　all　around　them。　Regulating　it　by　means　of　a　hidden



spring；　he　requested　her　to　follow　closely　the　actions　of　a



heavily…burdened　passerby　who　was　at　that　moment　some　little　distance



beyond　them。　Scarcely　had　Lila　raised　the　glass　to　her　eyes　than　she



became　irresistibly　amused　to　a　most　infectious　degree；　greatly　to　the



satisfaction　of　Lee；　who　therein　beheld　the　realization　of　his　hopes。



Not　for　the　briefest　space　of　time　would　she　permit　the　object　to　pass



from　her；　but　directed　it　at　every　person　who　came　within　her　sight；



with　frequent　and　unfeigned　exclamations　of　wonder　and　delight。







〃'How　pleasant　and　fascinating　a　device　is　this！'　exclaimed　Lila　at



length。　'By　what　means　is　so　diverting　and　gravity…removing　a　result



obtained？'







〃'Further　than　that　it　is　the　concentration　of　much　labour　of



continually　trying　with　glasses　and　reflecting　surfaces；　this　person



is　totally　unable　to　explain　it；'　replied　Lee。　'The　chief　thing；



however；　is　that　at　whatever　moving　object　it　is　directedno　matter



whether　a　person　so　observed　is　being　carried　in　a　chair；　riding　upon



an　animal；　or　merely　walkingat　a　certain　point　he　has　every



appearance　of　being　unexpectedly　hurled　to　the　ground　in　a　most



violent　and　mirth…provoking　manner。　Would　not　the　stout　and



round…faced　one；　who　would　cheerfully　have　contributed　a　certain



number　of　taels　to　see　this　person　manifest　a　similar　exhibition；



unhesitatingly　lay　out　that　sum　to　secure　the　means　of　so　gratifying



his　emotions　whenever　he　felt　the　desire；　even　with　the　revered



persons　of　the　most　dignified　ones　in　the　Empire？　Is　there；　indeed；　a



single　person　between　the　Wall　and　the　Bitter　Waters　on　the　South　who



is　so　devoid　of　ambition　that　he　would　miss　the　opportunity　of



subjecting；　as　it　were；　perhaps　even　the　sacred　Emperor　himself　to　the



exceptional　feat？'







〃'The　temptation　to　possess　one　would　inevitably　prove　overwhelming　to



any　person　of　ordinary　intelligence；'　admitted　Lila。　'Yet；　in　spite　of



this　one's　unassumed　admiration　for　the　contrivance；　internal　doubts



regarding　the　ultimate　happiness　of　the　two　persons　who　are　now



discussing　the　matter　again　attack　her。　She　recollects；　somewhat



dimly；　an　almost　forgotten；　but　nevertheless；　very　unassailable



proverb；　which　declares　that　more　contentment　of　mind　can　assuredly　be



obtained　from　the　unexpected　discovery　of　a　tael　among　the　folds　of　a



discarded　garment　than　could；　in　the　most　favourable　circumstances；



ensue　from　the　well…thought…out　construction　of　the　new　and　hitherto



unknown　device。　Furthermore；　although　the　span　of　a　year　may　seem



unaccountably　protracted　when　persons　who　reciprocate　engaging



sentiments　are　parted；　yet　when　the　acceptance　or　refusal　of



Pe…tsing's　undesirable　pledging…gifts　hangs　upon　the　accomplishment　of



a　remote　and　not　very　probable　object　within　that　period；　it　becomes



as　a　breath　of　wind　passing　through　an　autumn　forest。'







〃Since　the　day　when　Lila　and　Lee　had　sat　together　side　by　side；　and



conversed　in　this　unrestrained　and　irreproachable　manner；　the　great



sky…lantern　had　many　times　been　obscured　for　a　period。　Only　an



insignificant　portion　of　the　year　remained；　yet　the　affairs　of　Lee



Sing　were　in　no　more　prosperous　a　condition　than　before；　nor　had　he



found　an　opportunity　to　set　aside　any　store　of　taels。　Each　day　the



unsupportable　Pe…tsing　became　more　and　more　obtrusive　and



self…conceited；　even　to　the　extent　of　throwing　far　into　the　air　coins



of　insignificant　value　whenever　he　chanced　to　pass　Lee　in　the　street；



at　the　same　time　urging　him　to　leap　after　them　and　thereby　secure　at



least　one　or　two　pieces　of　money　against　the　day　of　calculating。　In　a



similar　but　entirely　opposite　fashion；　Lila　and　Lee　experienced　the



acutest　pangs　of　an　ever…growing　despair；　until　their　only　form　of



greeting　consisted　in　gazing　into　each　other's　eyes　with　a



soul…benumbing　expression　of　self…reproach。







〃Yet　at　this　very　time；　when　even　the　natural　and　unalterable　powers



seemed　to　be　conspiring　against　the　success　of　Lee's　modest　and



inoffensive　hopes；　an　event　was　taking　place　which　was　shortly　to



reverse　the　entire　settled　arrangement　of　persons　and　affairs；　and



involved　Fow　Hou　in　a　very　inextricable　state　of　uncertainty。　For；　not



to　make　a　pretence　of　concealing　a　matter　which　h