the wallet of kai lung-第45节

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present　a　very　unendurable　face　to　others。〃







〃In　such　a　manner　has　it　appeared　to　all　Ching…fow；〃　said　Yang　Hu；



〃and　the　justice　of　your　death　has　been　universally　admitted。　Even



should　this　one　fail　there　would　be　an　innumerable　company　eager　to



take　his　place。　Therefore；　O　Ping　Siang；　as　the　only　favour　which　it



is　within　this　person's　power　to　accord；　select　that　which　in　your



opinion　is　the　most　agreeable　manner　and　weapon　for　your　end。〃







〃It　is　truly　said　that　at　the　Final　Gate　of　the　Two　Ways　the　necessity



for　elegant　and　well…chosen　sentences　ends；〃　remarked　Ping　Siang　with



a　sigh；　〃otherwise　the　manner　of　your　address　would　be　open　to



reproach。　By　your　side　this　person　perceives　a　long　and　apparently



highly…tempered　sword；　which；　in　his　opinion；　will　serve　the　purpose



efficiently。　Having　no　remarks　of　an　improving　but　nevertheless



exceedingly　tedious　nature　with　which　to　imprint　the　occasion　for　the



benefit　of　those　who　come　after；　his　only　request　is　that　the　blow



shall　be　an　unhesitating　and　sufficiently　well…directed　one。〃







At　these　words　Yang　Hu　threw　back　his　cloak　to　grasp　the　sword…handle；



when　the　Mandarin；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　naked　arm；　and　evidently



inspired　by　every　manner　of　conflicting　emotions；　uttered　a　cry　of



unspeakable　wonder　and　incomparable　surprise。







〃The　Serpent！〃　he　cried；　in　a　voice　from　which　all　evenness　and



control　were　absent。　〃The　Sacred　Serpent　of　our　Race！　O　mysterious



one；　who　and　whence　are　you？〃







Engulfed　in　an　all…absorbing　doubt　at　the　nature　of　events；　Yang　could



only　gaze　at　the　form　of　the　serpent　which　had　been　clearly　impressed



upon　his　arm　from　the　earliest　time　of　his　remembrance；　while　Ping



Siang；　tearing　the　silk　garment　from　his　own　arm　and　displaying



thereon　a　similar　form；　continued：







〃Behold　the　inevitable　and　unvarying　birthmark　of　our　race！　So　it　was



with　this　person's　father　and　the　ones　before　him；　so　it　was　with　his



treacherously…stolen　son；　so　it　will　be　to　the　end　of　all　time。〃







Trembling　beyond　all　power　of　restraint；　Yang　removed　the　mask　which



had　hitherto　concealed　his　face。







〃Father　or　race　has　this　person　none；〃　he　said；　looking　into　Ping



Siang's　features　with　an　all…engaging　hope；　tempered　in　a　measure　by　a



soul…benumbing　dread；　〃nor　memory　or　tradition　of　an　earlier　state



than　when　he　herded　goats　and　sought　for　jade　in　the　southern



mountains。〃







〃Nevertheless；〃　exclaimed　the　Mandarin；　whose　countenance　was



lightened　with　an　interest　and　a　benevolent　emotion　which　had　never



been　seen　there　before；　〃beyond　all　possibility　of　doubting；　you　are



this　person's　lost　and　greatly…desired　son；　stolen　away　many　years　ago



by　the　treacherous　conduct　of　an　unworthy　woman；　yet　now　happily　and



miraculously　restored　to　cherish　his　declining　years　and　perpetuate　an



honourable　name　and　race。〃







〃Happily！〃　exclaimed　Yang；　with　fervent　indications　of　uncontrollable



bitterness。　〃Oh；　my　illustrious　sire；　at　whose　venerated　feet　this



unworthy　person　now　prostrates　himself　with　well…merited　marks　of



reverence　and　self…abasement；　has　the　errand　upon　which　an　ignoble　son



enteredthe　every　memory　of　which　now　causes　him　the　acutest　agony　of



the　lost；　but　which　nevertheless　he　is　pledged　to　Tung　Fel　by　the



Unutterable　Oath　to　performhas　this　unnatural　and　eternally　cursed



thing　escaped　your　versatile　mind？〃







〃Tung　Fel！〃　cried　Ping　Siang。　〃Is；　then；　this　blow　also　by　the　hand　of



that　malicious　and　vindictive　person？　Oh；　what　a　cycle　of　events　and



interchanging　lines　of　destiny　do　your　words　disclose！〃







〃Who；　then；　is　Tung　Fel；　my　revered　Father？〃　demanded　Yang。







〃It　is　a　matter　which　must　be　made　clear　from　the　beginning；〃　replied



Ping　Siang。　〃At　one　time　this　person　and　Tung　Fel　were；　by　nature　and



endowments；　united　in　the　most　amiable　bonds　of　an　inseparable



friendship。　Presently　Tung　Fel　signed　the　preliminary　contract　of　a



marriage　with　one　who　seemed　to　be　endowed　with　every　variety　of



enchanting　and　virtuous　grace；　but　who　was；　nevertheless；　as　the



unrolling　of　future　events　irresistibly　discovered；　a　person　of



irregular　character　and　undignified　habits。　On　the　eve　of　the　marriage



ceremony　this　person　was　made　known　to　her　by　the　undoubtedly



enraptured　Tung　Fel；　whereupon　he　too　fell　into　the　snare　of　her



engaging　personality；　and　putting　aside　all　thoughts　of　prudent



restraint；　made　her　more　remunerative　offers　of　marriage　than　Tung　Fel



could　by　any　possible　chance　overbid。　In　such　a　mannerfor　after　the



nature　of　her　kind　riches　were　exceptionally　attractive　to　her



degraded　imaginationshe　became　this　person's　wife；　and　the　mother　of



his　only　son。　In　spite　of　these　great　honours；　however；　the　undoubted



perversity　of　her　nature　made　her　an　easy　accomplice　to　the　duplicity



of　Tung　Fel；　who；　by　means　of　various　disguises；　found　frequent



opportunity　of　uttering　in　her　presence　numerous　well…thought…out



suggestions　specially　designed　to　lead　her　imagination　towards　an



existence　in　which　this　person　had　no　adequate　representation。



Becoming　at　length　terrified　at　the　possibility　of　these　unworthy



emotions；　obtruding　themselves　upon　this　person's　notice；　the　two　in



question　fled　together；　taking　with　them　the　one　who　without　any　doubt



is　now　before　me。　Despite　the　most　assiduous　search　and　very　tempting



and　profitable　offers　of　reward；　no　information　of　a　reliable　nature



could　be　obtained；　and　at　length　this　dispirited　and　completely



changed　person　gave　up　the　pursuit　as　unavailing。　With　his　son　and



heir；　upon　whose　future　he　had　greatly　hoped；　all　emotions　of　a



generous　and　high…minded　nature　left　him；　and　in　a　very　short　space　of



time　he　became　the　avaricious　and　deservedly　unpopular　individual



against　whose　extortions　the　amiable　and　long…suffering　ones　of



Ching…fow　have　for　so　many　years　protested　mildly。　The　sudden　and　not



altogether　unexpected　fate　which　is　now　on　the　point　of　reaching　him



is　altogether　too　lenient　to　be　entirely　adequate。〃







〃Oh；　my　distinguished　and　really　immaculate　sire！〃　cried　Yang　Hu；　in　a



voice　which　expressed　the　deepest　feelings　of　contrition。　〃No　oaths　or



vows；　however　sacred；　can　induce　this　person　to　stretch　forth　his　hand



against　the　one　who　stands　before　him。〃







〃Nevertheless；〃　replied　Ping　Siang；　speaking　of　the　matter　as　though



it　were　one　which　did　not　closely　concern　his　own　existence；　〃to



neglect　the　Unutterable　Oath　would　inevitably　involve　not　only　the　two



persons　who　are　now　conversing　together；　but　also　those　before　and



those　who　are　to　come　after　in　direct　line；　in　a　much　worse　condition



of　affairs。　That　is　a　fate　which　this　person　would　by　no　means　permit



to　exist；　for　one　of　his　chief　desires　has　ever　been　to　establish　a



strong　and　vigorous　line；　to　which　end；　indeed；　he　was　even　now



concluding　a　marriage　arrangement　with　the　beautiful　and　refined



Hiya…ai…Shao；　whom　he　had　at　length　persuaded　into　accepting　his



betrothal　tokens　without　reluctance。〃







〃Hiya…ai…Shao！〃　exclaimed　Yang；　〃she　has　accepted　your　silk…bound



gifts？〃







〃The　matter　need　not　concern　us　now；〃　replied　the　Mandarin；　not



observing　in　his　complicated　emotions　the　manner　in　which　the　name　of



Hiya　had　affected　Yang；　revealing　as　it　undoubtedly　did　the　treachery



of　his　beloved　one。　〃There　only　appears　to　be　one　honourable　way　in



which　the　full　circumstances　can　be　arranged；　and　this　person　will　in



no　measure　endeavour　to　avoid　it。〃







〃Such　an　end　is　neither　ignoble　nor　painful；〃　he　said；　in　an



unchanging　voice；　〃nor　will　this　one　in　any　way　shrink　from　so　easy



and　honourable　a　solution。〃







〃The　affairs　of　the　future　do　not　exhibit　themselves　in　delicately



coloured　hues　to　this　person；〃　said　Yang　Hu；　〃and　he　would；　if　the



thing　could　be　so　arranged；　cheerfully　submit　to　a　similar　fate　in



order　that　a　longer　period　of　existence　should　be　assured　to　one　who



has　every　variety　of　claim　upon　his　affection。〃







〃The　proposal　is　a　graceful　and　conscientious　one；〃　said　Ping　Siang；



〃and　is；　moreover；　a　gratifying　omen　of　the　future　of　our　race；　which



must　of　necessity　be　left　in　your　hands。　But；　for　that　reason　itself；



such　a　course　cannot　be　pursued。　Nevertheless；　the　events　of　the　past



few　hours　have　been　of　so　exceedingly　prosperous　and　agreeable　a



nature　that　this　short…sighted　and　frequently　desponding　person　can



now　pass　beyond　with　a　tranquil　countenance　and　every