the wallet of kai lung-第4节

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toll　of　sixteen　taels　was　to　be　made　on　each　printed　paper　setting



forth　the　time　and　manner　of　the　examinations；　although；　as　you　may



see；　the　paper　is　undoubtedly　marked；　'Persons　are　given　notice　that



they　are　defrauded　of　any　sum　which　they　may　be　induced　to　exchange



for　this　matter。'　Furthermore；　there　is　a　legal　toll　of　nine　taels　on



all　persons　who　have　previously　been　examined〃







〃I　am　happily　escaped　from　that；〃　exclaimed　Ling　with　some



satisfaction　as　the　Mandarin　paused。







〃and　twelve　taels　on　all　who　present　themselves　for　the　first　time。



This　is　to　be　delivered　over　when　the　paper　is　purchased；　so　that　you；



by　reason　of　this　unworthy　proceeding　at　Peking；　are　required　to



forward　to　that　place；　through　this　person；　no　less　than　thirty…two



taels。〃







〃It　is　a　circumstance　of　considerable　regret；〃　replied　Ling；　〃for　had



I　only　reached　Canton　a　day　earlier；　I　should；　it　appears；　have



avoided　this　evil。〃







〃Undoubtedly　it　would　have　been　so；〃　replied　the　Mandarin；　who　had



become　engrossed　in　exalted　meditation。　〃However；〃　he　continued　a



moment　later；　as　he　bowed　to　Ling　with　an　accomplished　smile；　〃it



would　certainly　be　a　more　pleasant　thought　for　a　person　of　your



refined　intelligence　that　had　you　delayed　until　to…morrow　the



insatiable　persons　at　Peking　might　be　demanding　twice　the　amount。〃







Pondering　the　deep　wisdom　of　this　remark；　Ling　took　his　departure；　but



in　spite　of　the　most　assiduous　watchfulness　he　was　unable　to　discern



any　of　the　three　obliging　persons　to　whose　efforts　his　success　had



been　due。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III







IT　was　very　late　when　Ling　again　reached　the　small　room　which　he　had



selected　as　soon　as　he　reached　Canton；　but　without　waiting　for　food　or



sleep　he　made　himself　fully　acquainted　with　the　times　of　the



forthcoming　examinations　and　the　details　of　he　circumstances　connected



with　them。　With　much　satisfaction　he　found　that　he　had　still　a　week　in



which　to　revive　his　intellect　on　the　most　difficult　subjects。　Having



become　relieved　on　these　points；　Ling　retired　for　a　few　hours'　sleep；



but　rose　again　very　early；　and　gave　the　whole　day　with　great



steadfastness　to　contemplation　of　the　sacred　classics　Y…King；　with　the



exception　of　a　short　period　spent　in　purchasing　ink；　brushes　and



writing…leaves。　The　following　day；　having　become　mentally　depressed



through　witnessing　unaccountable　hordes　of　candidates　thronging　the



streets　of　Canton；　Ling　put　aside　his　books；　and　passed　the　time　in



visiting　all　the　most　celebrated　tombs　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the



city。　Lightened　in　mind　by　this　charitable　and　agreeable　occupation；



he　returned　to　his　studies　with　a　fixed　resolution；　nor　did　he　again



falter　in　his　purpose。　On　the　evening　of　the　examination；　when　he　was



sitting　alone；　reading　by　the　aid　of　a　single　light；　as　his　custom



was；　a　person　arrived　to　see　him；　at　the　same　time　manifesting　a



considerable　appearance　of　secrecy　and　reserve。　Inwardly　sighing　at



the　interruption；　Ling　nevertheless　received　him　with　distinguished



consideration　and　respect；　setting　tea　before　him；　and　performing



towards　it　many　honourable　actions　with　his　own　hands。　Not　until　some



hours　had　sped　in　conversation　relating　to　the　health　of　the　Emperor；



the　unexpected　appearance　of　a　fiery　dragon　outside　the　city；　and　the



insupportable　price　of　opium；　did　the　visitor　allude　to　the　object　of



his　presence。







〃It　has　been　observed；〃　he　remarked；　〃that　the　accomplished　Ling；　who



aspires　to　a　satisfactory　rank　at　the　examinations；　has　never　before



made　the　attempt。　Doubtless　in　this　case　a　preternatural　wisdom　will



avail　much；　and　its　fortunate　possessor　will　not　go　unrewarded。　Yet　it



is　as　precious　stones　among　ashes　for　one　to　triumph　in　such



circumstances。〃







〃The　fact　is　known　to　this　person；〃　replied　Ling　sadly；　〃and　the



thought　of　the　years　he　may　have　to　wait　before　he　shall　have　passed



even　the　first　degree　weighs　down　his　soul　with　bitterness　from　time



to　time。〃







〃It　is　no　infrequent　thing　for　men　of　accomplished　perseverance；　but



merely　ordinary　intellects；　to　grow　venerable　within　the　four　walls　of



the　examination　cell；〃　continued　the　other。　〃Some；　again；　become



afflicted　with　various　malignant　evils；　while　not　a　few；　chiefly　those



who　are　presenting　themselves　for　the　first　time；　are　so　overcome　on



perceiving　the　examination　paper；　and　understanding　the　inadequate



nature　of　their　own　accomplishments；　that　they　become　an　easy　prey　to



the　malicious　spirits　which　are　ever　on　the　watch　in　those　places；



and；　after　covering　their　leaves　with　unpresentable　remarks　and



drawings　of　men　and　women　of　distinguished　rank；　have　at　length　to　be



forcibly　carried　away　by　the　attendants　and　secured　with　heavy



chains。〃







〃Such　things　undoubtedly　exist；〃　agreed　Ling；　〃yet　by　a　due　regard



paid　to　spirits；　both　good　and　bad；　a　proper　esteem　for　one's



ancestors；　and　a　sufficiency　of　charms　about　the　head　and　body；　it　is



possible　to　be　closeted　with　all　manner　of　demons　and　yet　to　suffer　no



evil。〃







〃It　is　undoubtedly　possible　to　do　so；　according　to　the　Immortal



Principles；〃　admitted　the　stranger；　〃but　it　is　not　an　undertaking　in



which　a　refined　person　would　take　intelligent　pleasure；　as　the　proverb



says；　'He　is　a　wise　and　enlightened　suppliant　who　seeks　to　discover　an



honourable　Mandarin；　but　he　is　a　fool　who　cries　out；　〃I　have　found



one。〃'　However；　it　is　obvious　that　the　reason　of　my　visit　is



understood；　and　that　your　distinguished　confidence　in　yourself　is



merely　a　graceful　endeavour　to　obtain　my　services　for　a　less　amount　of



taels　than　I　should　otherwise　have　demanded。　For　half　the　usual　sum；



therefore；　this　person　will　take　your　place　in　the　examination　cell；



and　enable　your　versatile　name　to　appear　in　the　winning　lists；　while



you　pass　your　moments　in　irreproachable　pleasures　elsewhere。〃







Such　a　course　had　never　presented　itself　to　Ling。　As　the　person　who



narrates　this　story　has　already　marked；　he　had　passed　his　life　beyond



the　influence　of　the　ways　and　manners　of　towns；　and　at　the　same　time



he　had　naturally　been　endowed　with　an　unobtrusive　highmindedness。　It



appeared　to　him；　in　consequence；　that　by　accepting　this　engaging　offer



he　would　be　placing　those　who　were　competing　with　him　at　a



disadvantage。　This　person　clearly　sees　that　it　is　a　difficult　matter



for　him　to　explain　how　this　could　be；　as　Ling　would　undoubtedly　reward



the　services　of　the　one　who　took　his　place；　nor　would　the　number　of



the　competitors　be　in　any　way　increased；　yet　in　such　a　way　the　thing



took　shape　before　his　eyes。　Knowing；　however；　that　few　persons　would



be　able　to　understand　this　action；　and　being　desirous　of　not　injuring



the　estimable　emotions　of　the　obliging　person　who　had　come　to　him；



Ling　made　a　number　of　polished　excuses　in　declining；　hiding　the　true



reason　within　himself。　In　this　way　he　earned　the　powerful　malignity　of



the　person　in　question；　who　would　not　depart　until　he　had　effected　a



number　of　very　disagreeable　prophecies　connected　with　unpropitious



omens　and　internal　torments；　all　of　which　undoubtedly　had　a　great



influence　on　Ling's　life　beyond　that　time。







Each　day　of　the　examination　found　Ling　alternately　elated　or



depressed；　according　to　the　length　and　style　of　the　essay　which　he　had



written　while　enclosed　in　his　solitary　examination　cell。　The　trials



each　lasted　a　complete　day；　and　long　before　the　fifteen　days　which



composed　the　full　examination　were　passed；　Ling　found　himself　half



regretting　that　he　had　not　accepted　his　visitor's　offer；　or　even



reviling　the　day　on　which　he　had　abandoned　the　hereditary　calling　of



his　ancestors。　However；　when；　after　all　was　over；　he　came　to



deliberate　with　himself　on　his　chances　of　attaining　a　degree；　he　could



not　disguise　from　his　own　mind　that　he　had　well…formed　hopes；　he　was



not　conscious　of　any　undignified　errors；　and；　in　reply　to　several



questions；　he　had　been　able　to　introduce　curious　knowledge　which　he



possessed　by　means　of　his　exceptional　circumstancesknowledge　which



it　was　unlikely　that　any　other　candidate　would　have　been　able　to　make



himself　master　of。







At　length　the　day　arrived　on　which　the　results　were　to　be　made　public；



and　Ling；　together　with　all　the　other　competitors　and　many



distinguished　persons；　attended　at　the　great　Hall　of　Intellectual



Coloured　Lights　to　hear　the　reading　of　the　lists。　Eight　thousand



candidates