the wallet of kai lung-第46节

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now　pass　beyond　with　a　tranquil　countenance　and　every　assurance　of



divine　favour。〃







With　these　words　Ping　Siang　indicated　that　he　was　desirous　of　setting



forth　the　Final　Expression；　and　arranging　the　necessary　matters　upon



the　table　beside　him；　he　stretched　forth　his　hands　over　Yang　Hu；　who



placed　himself　in　a　suitable　attitude　of　reverence　and　abasement。







〃Yang　Hu；〃　began　the　Mandarin；　〃undoubted　son；　and；　after　the



accomplishment　of　the　intention　which　it　is　our　fixed　purpose　to　carry



out；　fitting　representative　of　the　person　who　is　here　before　you；



engrave　well　within　your　mind　the　various　details　upon　which　he　now



gives　utterance。　Regard　the　virtues；　endeavour　to　pass　an　amiable　and



at　the　same　time　not　unremunerative　existence；　and　on　all　occasions



sacrifice　freely；　to　the　end　that　the　torments　of　those　who　have　gone



before　may　be　made　lighter；　and　that　others　may　be　induced　in　turn　to



perform　a　like　benevolent　charity　for　yourself。　Having　expressed



himself　upon　these　general　subjects；　this　person　now　makes　a　last　and



respectfully…considered　desire；　which　it　is　his　deliberate　wish　should



be　carried　to　the　proper　deities　as　his　final　expression　of　opinion：



That　Yang　Hu　may　grow　as　supple　as　the　dried　juice　of　the



bending…palm；　and　as　straight　as　the　most　vigorous　bamboo　from　the



forests　of　the　North。　That　he　may　increase　beyond　the　prolificness　of



the　white…necked　crow　and　cover　the　ground　after　the　fashion　of　the



binding　grass。　That　in　battle　his　sword　may　be　as　a　vividly…coloured



and　many…forked　lightning　flash；　accompanied　by　thunderbolts　as



irresistible　as　Buddha's　divine　wrath；　in　peace　his　voice　as



resounding　as　the　rolling　of　many　powerful　drums　among　the　Khingan



Mountains。　That　when　the　kindled　fire　of　his　existence　returns　to　the



great　Mountain　of　Pure　Flame　the　earth　shall　accept　again　its



component　parts；　and　in　no　way　restrain　the　divine　essence　from



journeying　to　its　destined　happiness。　These　words　are　Ping　Siang's



last　expression　of　opinion　before　he　passes　beyond；　given　in　the



unvarying　assurance　that　so　sacred　and　important　a　petition　will　in　no



way　be　neglected。〃







Having　in　this　manner　completed　all　the　affairs　which　seemed　to　be　of



a　necessary　and　urgent　nature；　and　fixing　his　last　glance　upon　Yang　Hu



with　every　variety　of　affectionate　and　estimable　emotion；　the　Mandarin



drank　a　sufficient　quantity　of　the　liquid；　and　placing　himself　upon　a



couch　in　an　attitude　of　repose；　passed　in　this　dignified　and



unassuming　manner　into　the　Upper　Air。







After　the　space　of　a　few　moments　spent　in　arranging　certain　objects



and　in　inward　contemplation；　Yang　Hu　crossed　the　chamber；　still



holding　the　half…filled　vessel　of　gold…leaf　in　his　hand；　and　drawing



back　the　hanging　silk；　gazed　over　the　silent　streets　of　Ching…fow　and



towards　the　great　sky…lantern　above。







〃Hiya　is　faithless；〃　he　said　at　length　in　an　unspeaking　voice；　〃this



person's　mother　a　bitter…tasting　memory；　his　father　a　swiftly　passing



shadow　that　is　now　for　ever　lost。〃　His　eyes　rested　upon　the　closed



vessel　in　his　hand。　〃Gladly　would〃　his　thoughts　began；　but　with　this



unworthy　image　a　new　impression　formed　itself　within　his　mind。　〃A



clearly…expressed　wish　was　uttered；〃　he　concluded；　〃and　Tung　Fel　still



remains。〃　With　this　resolution　he　stepped　back　into　the　chamber　and



struck　the　gong　loudly。















CHAPTER　VII







THE　CAREER　OF　THE　CHARITABLE　QUEN…KI…TONG











FIRST　PERIOD：　THE　PUBLIC　OFFICIAL







〃The　motives　which　inspired　the　actions　of　the　devout　Quen…Ki…Tong



have　long　been　ill…reported；〃　said　Kai　Lung　the　story…teller；　upon　a



certain　occasion　at　Wu…whei；　〃and；　as　a　consequence；　his　illustrious



memory　has　suffered　somewhat。　Even　as　the　insignificant　earth…worm　may



bring　the　precious　and　many　coloured　jewel　to　the　surface；　so　has　it



been　permitted　to　this　obscure　and　superficially　educated　one　to



discover　the　truth　of　the　entire　matter　among　the　badly…arranged　and



frequently　really　illegible　documents　preserved　at　the　Hall　of　Public



Reference　at　Peking。　Without　fear　of　contradiction；　therefore；　he　now



sets　forth　the　credible　version。







〃Quen…Ki…Tong　was　one　who　throughout　his　life　had　been　compelled　by



the　opposing　force　of　circumstances　to　be　content　with　what　was



offered　rather　than　attain　to　that　which　he　desired。　Having　been



allowed　to　wander　over　the　edge　of　an　exceedingly　steep　crag；　while



still　a　child；　by　the　aged　and　untrustworthy　person　who　had　the　care



of　him；　and　yet　suffering　little　hurt；　he　was　carried　back　to　the　city



in　triumph；　by　the　one　in　question；　who；　to　cover　her　neglect；



declared　amid　may　chants　of　exultation　that　as　he　slept　a　majestic



winged　form　had　snatched　him　from　her　arms　and　traced　magical　figures



with　his　body　on　the　ground　in　token　of　the　distinguished　sacred



existence　for　which　he　was　undoubtedly　set　apart。　In　such　a　manner　he



became　famed　at　a　very　early　age　for　an　unassuming　mildness　of



character　and　an　almost　inspired　piety　of　life；　so　that　on　every　side



frequent　opportunity　was　given　him　for　the　display　of　these　amiable



qualities。　Should　it　chance　that　an　insufficient　quantity　of　puppy…pie



had　been　prepared　for　the　family　repast；　the　undesirable　but　necessary



portion　of　cold　dried　rat　would　inevitably　be　allotted　to　the



uncomplaining　Quen；　doubtless　accompanied　by　the　engaging　but



unnecessary　remark　that　he　alone　had　a　Heaven…sent　intellect　which　was



fixed　upon　more　sublime　images　than　even　the　best　constructed



puppy…pie。　Should　the　number　of　sedan…chairs　not　be　sufficient　to　bear



to　the　Exhibition　of　Kites　all　who　were　desirous　of　becoming



entertained　in　such　a　fashion；　inevitably　would　Quen　be　the　one　left



behind；　in　order　that　he　might　have　adequate　leisure　for　dignified　and



pure…minded　internal　reflexion。







〃In　this　manner　it　came　about　that　when　a　very　wealthy　but　unnaturally



avaricious　and　evil…tempered　person　who　was　connected　with　Quen's



father　in　matters　of　commerce　expressed　his　fixed　determination　that



the　most　deserving　and　enlightened　of　his　friend's　sons　should　enter



into　a　marriage　agreement　with　his　daughter；　there　was　no　manner　of



hesitation　among　those　concerned；　who　admitted　without　any　questioning



between　themselves　that　Quen　was　undeniably　the　one　referred　to。







〃Though　naturally　not　possessing　an　insignificant　intellect；　a



continuous　habit；　together　with　a　most　irreproachable　sense　of　filial



duty；　subdued　within　Quen's　internal　organs　whatever　reluctance　he



might　have　otherwise　displayed　in　the　matter；　so　that　as　courteously



as　was　necessary　he　presented　to　the　undoubtedly　very　ordinary　and



slow…witted　maiden　in　question　the　gifts　of　irretrievable　intention；



and　honourably　carried　out　his　spoken　and　written　words　towards　her。







〃For　a　period　of　years　the　circumstances　of　the　various　persons　did



not　in　any　degree　change；　Quen　in　the　meantime　becoming　more



pure…souled　and　inward…seeing　with　each　moon…change；　after　the　manner



of　the　sublime　Lien…ti；　who　studied　to　maintain　an　unmoved　endurance



in　all　varieties　of　events　by　placing　his　body　to　a　greater　extent



each　day　in　a　vessel　of　boiling　liquid。　Nevertheless；　the　good　and



charitable　deities　to　whom　Quen　unceasingly　sacrificed　were　not



altogether　unmindful　of　his　virtues；　for　a　son　was　born；　and　an　evil



disease　which　arose　from　a　most　undignified　display　of　uncontrollable



emotion　on　her　part　ended　in　his　wife　being　deposited　with　becoming



ceremony　in　the　Family　Temple。







〃Upon　a　certain　evening；　when　Quen　sat　in　his　inner　chamber



deliberating　upon　the　really　beneficent　yet　somewhat　inexplicable



arrangement　of　the　all…seeing　ones　to　whom　he　was　very　amiably



disposed　in　consequence　of　the　unwonted　tranquillity　which　he　now



enjoyed；　yet　who；　it　appeared　to　him；　could　have　set　out　the　entire



matter　in　a　much　more　satisfactory　way　from　the　beginning；　he　was　made



aware　by　the　unexpected　beating　of　many　gongs；　and　by　other　signs　of



refined　and　deferential　welcome；　that　a　person　of　exalted　rank　was



approaching　his　residence。　While　he　was　still　hesitating　in　his



uncertainty　regarding　the　most　courteous　and　delicate　form　of



self…abasement　with　which　to　honour　so　important　a　visitorwhether　to



rush　forth　and　allow　the　chair…carriers　to　pass　over　his　prostrate



form；　to　make　a　pretence　of　being　a　low…caste　slave；　and　in　that　guise



doing　menial　service；　or　to　conceal　himself　beneath　a　massive