the wallet of kai lung-第44节

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sufficient　remuneration　and　a　means　of　living。　This　entrancing　picture



has　been　blotted　out　for　the　time；　and　in　its　place　this　person　finds



himself　face　to　face　with　an　arduous　and　dangerous　undertaking；



followed；　perhaps；　by　hasty　and　immediate　flight。　Yet　if　the　adorable



Hiya　will　prove　the　unchanging　depths　of　her　constantly　expressed



intention　by　accompanying　him　as　far　as　the　village　of　Hing　where



suitable　marriage　ceremonies　can　be　observed　without　delay；　the　exile



will　in　reality　be　in　the　nature　of　a　triumphal　procession；　and　the



emotions　with　which　this　person　has　hitherto　regarded　the　entire



circumstance　will　undergo　a　complete　and　highly　accomplished　change。〃







〃Oh；　Yang！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　whose　feelings　at　hearing　these



words　were　in　no　way　different　from　those　of　her　lover　when　he　was　on



the　point　of　opening　the　folded　paper　upon　which　Tung　Fel　had　written；



〃what　is　the　nature　of　the　mission　upon　which　you　are　so　impetuously



resolved？　and　why　will　it　be　followed　by　flight？〃







〃The　nature　of　the　undertaking　cannot　be　revealed　by　reason　of　a



deliberately　taken　oath；〃　replied　Yang　Hu；　〃and　the　reason　of　its



possible　consequence　is　a　less　important　question　to　the　two　persons



who　are　here　conversing　together　than　of　whether　the　amiable　and



graceful　Hiya　is　willing　to　carry　out　her　often…expressed　desire　for



an　opportunity　of　displaying　the　true　depths　of　her　emotions　towards



this　one。〃







〃Alas！〃　said　Hiya；　〃the　sentiments　which　this　person　expressed　with



irreproachable　honourableness　when　the　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens　and



the　probability　of　secretly　leaving　an　undoubtedly　well…appointed　home



was　engagingly　remote；　seem　to　have　an　entirely　different　significance



when　recalled　by　night　in　a　damp　orchard；　and　on　the　eve　of　their



fulfilment。　To　deceive　one's　parents　is　an　ignoble　prospect；



furthermore；　it　is　often　an　exceedingly　difficult　undertaking。　Let　the



matter　be　arranged　in　this　way：　that　Yang　leaves　the　ultimate　details



of　the　scheme　to　Hiya's　expedient　care；　he　proceeding　without　delay　to



Hing；　or；　even　more　desirable；　to　the　further　town　of　Liyunnan；　and



there　awaiting　her　coming。　By　such　means　the　risk　of　discovery　and



pursuit　will　be　lessened；　Yang　will　be　able　to　set　forth　on　his



journey　with　greater　speed；　and　this　one　will　have　an　opportunity　of



getting　together　certain　articles　without　which；　indeed；　she　would　be



very　inadequately　equipped。〃







In　spite　of　his　conscientious　desire　that　Hiya　should　be　by　his　side



on　the　journey；　together　with　an　unendurable　certainty　that　evil　would



arise　from　the　course　she　proposed；　Yang　was　compelled　by　an　innate



feeling　of　respect　to　agree　to　her　wishes；　and　in　this　manner　the



arrangement　was　definitely　concluded。　Thereupon　Hiya；　without　delay；



returned　to　the　dwelling；　remarking　that　otherwise　her　absence　might



be　detected　and　the　entire　circumstance　thereby　discovered；　leaving



Yang　Hu　to　continue　his　journey　and　again　present　himself　before　Tung



Fel；　as　he　had　been　instructed。







Tung　Fel　was　engaged　with　brush　and　ink　when　Yang　Hu　entered。　Round



him　were　many　written　parchments；　some　venerable　with　age；　and　a



variety　of　other　matters；　among　which　might　be　clearly　perceived



weapons；　and　devices　for　reading　the　future。　He　greeted　Yang　with　many



tokens　of　dignified　respect；　and　with　an　evidently　restrained　emotion



led　him　towards　the　light　of　a　hanging　lantern；　where　he　gazed　into



his　face　for　a　considerable　period　with　every　indication　of



exceptional　concern。







〃Yang　Hu；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃at　such　a　moment　many　dark　and



searching　thoughts　may　naturally　arise　in　the　mind　concerning　objects



and　reasons；　omens；　and　the　moving　cycle　of　events。　Yet　in　all　these；



out　of　a　wisdom　gained　by　deep　endurance　and　a　hardly…won　experience



beyond　the　common　lot；　this　person　would　say；　Be　content。　The　hand　of



destiny；　though　it　may　at　times　appear　to　move　in　a　devious　manner；　is



ever　approaching　its　appointed　aim。　To　this　end　were　you　chosen。〃







〃The　choice　was　openly　made　by　wise　and　proficient　omens；〃　replied



Yang　Hu；　without　any　display　of　uncertainty　of　purpose；　〃and　this



person　is　content。〃







Tung　Fel　then　administered　to　Yang　the　Oath　of　Buddha's　Face　and　the



One　called　the　Unutterable　（which　may　not　be　further　described　in



written　words）　thereby　binding　his　body　and　soul；　and　the　souls　and



repose　of　all　who　had　gone　before　him　in　direct　line　and　all　who



should　in　a　like　manner　follow　after；　to　the　accomplishment　of　the



design。　All　spoken　matter　being　thus　complete　between　them；　he　gave



him　a　mask　with　which　he　should　pass　unknown　through　the　streets　and



into　the　presence　of　Ping　Siang；　a　variety　of　weapons　to　use　as　the



occasion　arose；　and　a　sign　by　which　the　attendants　at　the　Yamen　would



admit　him　without　further　questioning。







As　Yang　Hu　passed　through　the　streets　of　Ching…fow；　which　were　in　a



great　measure　deserted　owing　to　the　command　of　Tung　Fel；　he　was　aware



of　many　mournful　and　foreboding　sounds　which　accompanied　him　on　all



sides；　while　shadowy　faces；　bearing　signs　of　intolerable　anguish　and



despair；　continually　formed　themselves　out　of　the　wind。　By　the　time　he



reached　the　Yamen　a　tempest　of　exceptional　violence　was　in　progress；



nor　were　other　omens　absent　which　tended　to　indicate　that　matters　of　a



very　unpropitious　nature　were　about　to　take　place。







At　each　successive　door　of　the　Yamen　the　attendant　stepped　back　and



covered　his　face；　so　that　he　should　by　no　chance　perceive　who　had　come



upon　so　destructive　a　mission；　the　instant　Yang　Hu　uttered　the　sign



with　which　Tung　Fel　had　provided　him。　In　this　manner　Yang　quickly



reached　the　door　of　the　inner　chamber　upon　which　was　inscribed：　〃Let



the　person　who　comes　with　a　doubtful　countenance；　unbidden；　or



meditating　treachery；　remember　the　curse　and　manner　of　death　which



attended　Lai　Kuen；　who　slew　the　one　over　him；　so　shall　he　turn　and　go



forth　in　safety。〃　This　unworthy　safeguard　at　the　hands　of　a　person　who



passed　his　entire　life　in　altering　the　fixed　nature　of　justice；　and



who　never　went　beyond　his　outer　gate　without　an　armed　company　of



bowmen；　inspired　Yang　Hu　with　so　incautious　a　contempt；　that　without



any　hesitation　he　draw　forth　his　brush　and　ink；　and　in　a　spirit　of



bitter　signification　added　the　words；　〃'Come；　let　us　eat　together；'



said　the　wolf　to　the　she…goat。〃







Being　now　within　a　step　of　Ping　Siang　and　the　completion　of　his



undertaking；　Yang　Hu　drew　tighter　the　cords　of　his　mask；　tested　and



proved　his　weapons；　and　then；　without　further　delay；　threw　open　the



door　before　him　and　stepped　into　the　chamber；　barring　the　door　quickly



so　that　no　person　might　leave　or　enter　without　his　consent。







At　this　interruption　and　manner　of　behaving；　which　clearly　indicated



the　nature　of　the　errand　upon　which　the　person　before　him　had　come；



Ping　Siang　rose　from　his　couch　and　stretched　out　his　hand　towards　a



gong　which　lay　beside　him。







〃All　summonses　for　aid　are　now　unavailing；　Ping　Siang；〃　exclaimed



Yang；　without　in　any　measure　using　delicate　or　set　phrases　of　speech；



〃for；　as　you　have　doubtless　informed　yourself；　the　slaves　of　tyrants



are　the　first　to　welcome　the　downfall　of　their　lord。〃







〃The　matter　of　your　speech　is　as　emptiness　to　this　person；〃　replied



the　Mandarin；　affecting　with　extreme　difficulty　an　appearance　of



no…concern。　〃In　what　manner　has　he　fallen？　And　how　will　the　depraved



and　self…willed　person　before　him　avoid　the　well…deserved　tortures



which　certainly　await　him　in　the　public　square　on　the　morrow；　as　the



reward　of　his　intolerable　presumptions？〃







〃O　Mandarin；〃　cried　Yang　Hu；　〃the　fitness　and　occasion　for　such



speeches　as　the　one　to　which　you　have　just　given　utterance　lie　as　far



behind　you　as　the　smoke　of　yesterday's　sacrifice。　With　what　manner　of



eyes　have　you　frequently　journeyed　through　Ching…fow　of　late；　if　the



signs　and　omens　there　have　not　already　warned　you　to　prepare　a　coffin



adequately　designed　to　receive　your　well…proportioned　body？　Has　not



the　pungent　vapour　of　burning　houses　assailed　your　senses　at　every



turn；　or　the　salt　tears　from　the　eyes　of　forlorn　ones　dashed　your



peach…tea　and　spiced　foods　with　bitterness？〃







〃Alas！〃　exclaimed　Ping　Siang；　〃this　person　now　certainly　begins　to



perceive　that　many　things　which　he　has　unthinkingly　allowed　would



present　a　very　unendurable　face　to　others。〃







〃In　such　a　manner　has　it　appeared　t