the wallet of kai lung-第38节

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commerce；　and　being　entirely　ignorant　of　all　matters　save　the　now



useless　details　of　attempting　to　pass　public　examinations；　he



reluctantly　decided　that　he　was　destined　to　become　one　of　those　who



imagine　and　write　out　stories　and　similar　devices　for　printed　leaves



and　books。







〃This　determination　was　favourably　received；　and　upon　learning　it；



this　person's　dignified　father　took　him　aside；　and　with　many



assurances　of　regard　presented　to　him　a　written　sentence；　which；　he



said；　would　be　of　incomparable　value　to　one　engaged　in　a　literary



career；　and　should　in　fact；　without　any　particular　qualifications；



insure　an　honourable　competency。　He　himself；　he　added；　with　what　at



the　time　appeared　to　this　one　as　an　unnecessary　regard　for　detail；



having　taken　a　very　high　degree；　and　being　in　consequence　appointed　to



a　distinguished　and　remunerative　position　under　the　Board　of　Fines　and



Tortures；　had　never　made　any　use　of　it。







〃The　written　sentence；　indeed；　was　all　that　it　had　been　pronounced。　It



had　been　composed　by　a　remote　ancestor；　who　had　spent　his　entire　life



in　crystallizing　all　his　knowledge　and　experience　into　a　few　written



lines；　which　as　a　result　became　correspondingly　precious。　It　defined



in　a　very　original　and　profound　manner　several　undisputable



principles；　and　was　so　engagingly　subtle　in　its　manner　of　expression



that　the　most　superficial　person　was　irresistibly　thrown　into　a　deep



inward　contemplation　upon　reading　it。　When　it　was　complete；　the　person



who　had　contrived　this　ingenious　masterpiece；　discovering　by　means　of



omens　that　he　still　had　ten　years　to　live；　devoted　each　remaining　year



to　the　task　of　reducing　the　sentence　by　one　word　without　in　any　way



altering　its　meaning。　This　unapproachable　example　of　conciseness　found



such　favour　in　the　eyes　of　those　who　issue　printed　leaves　that　as　fast



as　this　person　could　inscribe　stories　containing　it　they　were　eagerly



purchased；　and　had　it　not　been　for　a　very　incapable　want　of　foresight



on　this　narrow…minded　individual's　part；　doubtless　it　would　still　be



affording　him　an　agreeable　and　permanent　means　of　living。







〃Unquestionably　the　enlightened　Wen…weng　was　well　acquainted　with　the



subject　when　he　exclaimed；　'Better　a　frugal　dish　of　olives　flavoured



with　honey　than　the　most　sumptuously　devised　puppy…pie　of　which　the



greater　portion　is　sent　forth　in　silver…lined　boxes　and　partaken　of　by



others。'　At　that　time；　however；　this　versatile　sayingwhich　so



gracefully　conveys　the　truth　of　the　undeniable　fact　that　what　a　person



possesses　is　sufficient　if　he　restrain　his　mind　from　desiring　aught



elsewould　have　been　lightly　treated　by　this　self…conceited



story…teller　even　if　his　immature　faculties　had　enabled　him　fully　to



understand　the　import　of　so　profound　and　well…digested　a　remark。







〃At　that　time　Tiao　Ts'un　was　undoubtedly　the　most　beautiful　maiden　in



all　Peking。　So　frequently　were　the　verses　describing　her　habits　and



appearances　affixed　in　the　most　prominent　places　of　the　city；　that



many　persons　obtained　an　honourable　livelihood　by　frequenting　those



spots　and　disposing　of　the　sacks　of　written　papers　which　they



collected　to　merchants　who　engaged　in　that　commerce。　Owing　to　the　fame



attained　by　his　written　sentence；　this　really　very　much　inferior　being



had　many　opportunities　of　meeting　the　incomparable　maiden　Tiao　at



flower…feasts；　melon…seed　assemblies；　and　those　gatherings　where



persons　of　both　sexes　exhibit　themselves　in　revolving　attitudes；　and



are　permitted　to　embrace　openly　without　reproach；　whereupon　he　became



so　subservient　to　her　charms　and　virtues　that　he　lost　no　opportunity



of　making　himself　utterly　unendurable　to　any　who　might　chance　to　speak



to；　or　even　gaze　upon；　this　Heaven…sent　creature。







〃So　successful　was　this　person　in　his　endeavour　to　meet　the　sublime



Tiao　and　to　gain　her　conscientious　esteem　that　all　emotions　of



prudence　forsook　him；　or　it　would　soon　have　become　apparent　even　to



his　enfeebled　understanding　that　such　consistent　good　fortune　could



only　be　the　work　of　unforgiving　and　malignant　spirits　whose　ill…will



he　had　in　some　way　earned；　and　who　were　luring　him　on　in　order　that



they　might　accomplish　his　destruction。　That　object　was　achieved　on　a



certain　evening　when　this　person　stood　alone　with　Tiao　upon　an



eminence　overlooking　the　city　and　watched　the　great　sky…lantern　rise



from　behind　the　hills。　Under　these　delicate　and　ennobling　influences



he　gave　speech　to　many　very　ornamental　and　refined　thoughts　which



arose　within　his　mind　concerning　the　graceful　brilliance　of　the　light



which　was　cast　all　around；　yet　notwithstanding　which　a　still　more



exceptional　and　brilliant　light　was　shining　in　his　own　internal　organs



by　reason　of　the　nearness　of　an　even　purer　and　more　engaging　orb。



There　was　no　need；　this　person　felt；　to　hide　even　his　most　inside



thoughts　from　the　dignified　and　sympathetic　being　at　his　side；　so



without　hesitation　he　spokein　what　he　believes　even　now　must　have



been　a　very　decorative　mannerof　the　many　thousand　persons　who　were



then　wrapped　in　sleep；　of　the　constantly　changing　lights　which



appeared　in　the　city　beneath；　and　of　the　vastness　which　everywhere　lay



around。







〃'O　Kai　Lung；'　exclaimed　the　lovely　Tiao；　when　this　person　had　made　an



end　of　speaking；　'how　expertly　and　in　what　a　proficient　manner　do　you



express　yourself；　uttering　even　the　sentiments　which　this　person　has



felt　inwardly；　but　for　which　she　has　no　words。　Why；　indeed；　do　you　not



inscribe　them　in　a　book？'







〃Under　her　elevating　influence　it　had　already　occurred　to　this



illiterate　individual　that　it　would　be　a　more　dignified　and；　perhaps；



even　a　more　profitable　course　for　him　to　write　out　and　dispose　of；　to



those　who　print　such　matters；　the　versatile　and　high…minded



expressions　which　now　continually　formed　his　thoughts；　rather　than　be



dependent　upon　the　concise　sentence　for　which；　indeed；　he　was　indebted



to　the　wisdom　of　a　remote　ancestor。　Tiao's　spoken　word　fully　settled



his　determination；　so　that　without　delay　he　set　himself　to　the　task　of



composing　a　story　which　should　omit　the　usual　sentence；　but　should



contain　instead　a　large　number　of　his　most　graceful　and　diamond…like



thoughts。　So　engrossed　did　this　near…sighted　and　superficial　person



become　in　the　task　（which　daily　seemed　to　increase　rather　than　lessen



as　new　and　still　more　sublime　images　arose　within　his　mind）　that　many



months　passed　before　the　matter　was　complete。　In　the　end；　instead　of　a



story；　it　had　assumed　the　proportions　of　an　important　and　many…volumed



book；　while　Tiao　had　in　the　meantime　accepted　the　wedding　gifts　of　an



objectionable　and　excessively　round…bodied　individual；　who　had　amassed



an　inconceivable　number　of　taels　by　inducing　persons　to　take　part　in



what　at　first　sight　appeared　to　be　an　ingenious　but　very　easy



competition　connected　with　the　order　in　which　certain　horses　should



arrive　at　a　given　and　clearly　defined　spot。　By　that　time；　however；



this　unduly　sanguine　story…teller　had　become　completely　entranced　in



his　work；　and　merely　regarded　Tiao…Ts'un　as　a　Heaven…sent　but　no



longer　necessary　incentive　to　his　success。　With　every　hope；　therefore；



he　went　forth　to　dispose　of　his　written　leaves；　confident　of　finding



some　very　wealthy　person　who　would　be　in　a　condition　to　pay　him　the



correct　value　of　the　work。







〃At　the　end　of　two　years　this　somewhat　disillusionized　but　still



undaunted　person　chanced　to　hear　of　a　benevolent　and　unassuming　body



of　men　who　made　a　habit　of　issuing　works　in　which　they　discerned



merit；　but　which；　nevertheless；　others　were　unanimous　in　describing　as



'of　no　good'。　Here　this　person　was　received　with　gracious　effusion；



and　being　in　a　position　to　impress　those　with　whom　he　was　dealing　with



his　undoubted　knowledge　of　the　subject；　he　finally　succeeded　in　making



a　very　advantageous　arrangement　by　which　he　was　to　pay　one…half　of　the



number　of　taels　expended　in　producing　the　work；　and　to　receive　in



return　all　the　profits　which　should　result　from　the　undertaking。　Those



who　were　concerned　in　the　matter　were　so　engagingly　impressed　with　the



incomparable　literary　merit　displayed　in　the　production　that　they



counselled　a　great　number　of　copies　being　made　ready　in　order；　as　they



said；　that　this　person　should　not　lose　by　there　being　any　delay　when



once　the　accomplishment　became　the　one　topic　of　conversation　in



tea…houses　and　yamens。　From　this　cause　it　came　about　that　the　matter



of　taels　to　be　expended　was　much　gre