the wallet of kai lung-第47节

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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　and



overhanging　table　until　his　guest　should　have　availed　himself　of　the



opportunity　to　examine　at　his　leisure　whatever　the　room　containedthe



person　in　question　stood　before　him。　In　every　detail　of　dress　and



appointment　he　had　the　undoubted　appearance　of　being　one　to　whom　no



door　might　be　safely　closed。







〃'Alas！'　exclaimed　Quen；　'how　inferior　and　ill…contrived　is　the　mind



of　a　person　of　my　feeble　intellectual　attainments。　Even　at　this



moment；　when　the　near　approach　of　one　who　obviously　commands　every



engaging　accomplishment　might　reasonably　be　expected　to　call　up　within



it　an　adequate　amount　of　commonplace　resource；　its　ill…destined



possessor　finds　himself　entirely　incapable　of　conducting　himself　with



the　fitting　outward　marks　of　his　great　internal　respect。　This



residence　is　certainly　unprepossessing　in　the　extreme；　yet　it　contains



many　objects　of　some　value　and　of　great　rarity；　illiterate　as　this



person　is；　he　would　not　be　so　presumptuous　as　to　offer　any　for　your



acceptance；　but　if　you　will　confer　upon　him　the　favour　of　selecting



that　which　appears　to　be　the　most　priceless　and　unreplaceable；　he　will



immediately；　and　with　every　manifestation　of　extreme　delight；　break　it



irredeemably　in　your　honour；　to　prove　the　unaffected　depth　of　his



gratified　emotions。'







〃'Quen…Ki…Tong；'　replied　the　person　before　him；　speaking　with　an



evident　sincerity　of　purpose；　'pleasant　to　this　one's　ears　are　your



words；　breathing　as　they　do　an　obvious　hospitality　and　a　due　regard



for　the　forms　of　etiquette。　But　if；　indeed；　you　are　desirous　of



gaining　this　person's　explicit　regard；　break　no　articles　of　fine



porcelain　or　rare　inlaid　wood　in　proof　of　it；　but　immediately　dismiss



to　a　very　distant　spot　the　three…score　gong…beaters　who　have　enclosed



him　within　two　solid　rings；　and　who　are　now　carrying　out　their　duties



in　so　diligent　a　manner　that　he　greatly　doubts　if　the　unimpaired



faculties　of　hearing　will　ever　be　fully　restored。　Furthermore；　if　your



exceedingly　amiable　intentions　desire　fuller　expression；　cause　an



unstinted　number　of　vessels　of　some　uninflammable　liquid　to　be



conveyed　into　your　chrysanthemum　garden　and　there　poured　over　the



numerous　fireworks　and　coloured　lights　which　still　appear　to　be　in



progress。　Doubtless　they　are　well…intentioned　marks　of　respect；　but



they　caused　this　person　considerable　apprehension　as　he　passed　among



them；　and；　indeed；　give　to　this　unusually　pleasant　and　unassuming　spot



the　by　no　means　inviting　atmosphere　of　a　low…class　tea…house　garden



during　the　festivities　attending　the　birthday　of　the　sacred　Emperor。'







〃'This　person　is　overwhelmed　with　a　most　unendurable　confusion　that



the　matters　referred　to　should　have　been　regarded　in　such　a　light；'



replied　Quen　humbly。　'Although　he　himself　had　no　knowledge　of　them



until　this　moment；　he　is　confident　that　they　in　no　wise　differ　from



the　usual　honourable　manifestations　with　which　it　is　customary　in　this



Province　to　welcome　strangers　of　exceptional　rank　and　titles。'







〃'The　welcome　was　of　a　most　dignified　and　impressive　nature；'　replied



the　stranger；　with　every　appearance　of　not　desiring　to　cause　Quen　any



uneasy　internal　doubts；　'yet　the　fact　is　none　the　less　true　that　at



the　moment　this　person's　head　seems　to　contain　an　exceedingly　powerful



and　well…equipped　band；　and　also；　that　as　he　passed　through　the



courtyard　an　ingeniously　constructed　but　somewhat　unmanageable　figure



of　gigantic　size；　composed　entirely　of　jets　of　many…coloured　flame；



leaped　out　suddenly　from　behind　a　dark　wall　and　made　an　almost



successful　attempt　to　embrace　him　in　its　ever…revolving　arms。　Lo　Yuen



greatly　fears　that　the　time　when　he　would　have　rejoiced　in　the



necessary　display　of　agility　to　which　the　incident　gave　rise　has　for



ever　passed　away。'







〃'Lo　Yuen！'　exclaimed　Quen；　with　an　unaffected　mingling　of　the



emotions　of　reverential　awe　and　pleasureable　anticipation。　'Can　it



indeed　be　an　uncontroversial　fact　that　so　learned　and　ornamental　a



person　as　the　renowned　Controller　of　Unsolicited　Degrees　stands



beneath　this　inelegant　person's　utterly　unpresentable　roof！　Now；



indeed；　he　plainly　understands　why　this　ill…conditioned　chamber　has



the　appearance　of　being　filled　with　a　Heaven…sent　brilliance；　and　why



at　the　first　spoken　words　of　the　one　before　him　a　melodious　sound；



like　the　rushing　waters　of　the　sacred　Tien…Kiang；　seemed　to　fill　his



ears。'







〃'Undoubtedly　the　chamber　is　pervaded　by　a　very　exceptional



splendour；'　replied　Lo　Yuen；　who；　in　spite　of　his　high　position；



regarded　graceful　talk　and　well…imagined　compliments　in　a　spirit　of



no…satisfaction；　'yet　this　commonplace…minded　one　has　a　fixed



conviction　that　it　is　caused　by　the　crimson…eyed　and



pink…fire…breathing　dragon　which；　despite　your　slave's　most　assiduous



efforts；　is　now　endeavouring　to　climb　through　the　aperture　behind　you。



The　noise　which　still　fills　his　ears；　also；　resembles　rather　the



despairing　cries　of　the　Ten　Thousand　Lost　Ones　at　the　first　sight　of



the　Pit　of　Liquid　and　Red…hot　Malachite；　yet　without　question　both



proceed　from　the　same　cause。　Laying　aside　further　ceremony；　therefore；



permit　this　greatly　over…estimated　person　to　disclose　the　object　of



his　inopportune　visit。　Long　have　your　amiable　virtues　been　observed



and　appreciated　by　the　high　ones　at　Peking；　O　Quen…Ki…Tong。　Too　long



have　they　been　unrewarded　and　passed　over　in　silence。　Nevertheless；



the　moment　of　acknowledgement　and　advancement　has　at　length　arrived；



for；　as　the　Book　of　Verses　clearly　says；　〃Even　the　three…legged　mule



may　contrive　to　reach　the　agreed　spot　in　advance　of　the　others；



provided　a　circular　running　space　has　been　selected　and　the　number　of



rounds　be　sufficiently　ample。〃　It　is　this　otherwise　uninteresting　and



obtrusive　person's　graceful　duty　to　convey　to　you　the　agreeable



intelligence　that　the　honourable　and　not　ill…rewarded　office　of



Guarder　of　the　Imperial　Silkworms　has　been　conferred　upon　you；　and　to



require　you　to　proceed　without　delay　to　Peking；　so　that　fitting



ceremonies　of　admittance　may　be　performed　before　the　fifteenth　day　of



the　month　of　Feathered　Insects。'







〃Alas！　how　frequently　does　the　purchaser　of　seemingly　vigorous　and



exceptionally　low…priced　flower…seeds　discover；　when　too　late；　that



they　are；　in　reality；　fashioned　from　the　root　of　the　prolific　and



valueless　tzu…ka；　skilfully　covered　with　a　disguising　varnish！　Instead



of　presenting　himself　at　the　place　of　commerce　frequented　by　those　who



entrust　money　to　others　on　the　promise　of　an　increased　repayment　when



certain　very　probable　events　have　come　to　pass　（so　that　if　all　else



failed　he　would　still　possess　a　serviceable　number　of　taels）；



Quen…Ki…Tong　entirely　neglected　the　demands　of　a　most　ordinary



prudence；　nor　could　he　be　induced　to　set　out　on　his　journey　until　he



had　passed　seven　days　in　public　feasting　to　mark　his　good　fortune；　and



then　devoted　fourteen　more　days　to　fasting　and　various　acts　of



penance；　in　order　to　make　known　the　regret　with　which　he　acknowledged



his　entire　unworthiness　for　the　honour　before　him。　Owing　to　this　very



conscientious；　but　nevertheless　somewhat　short…sighted　manner　of



behaving；　Quen　found　himself　unable　to　reach　Peking　before　the　day



preceding　that　to　which　Lo　Yuen　had　made　special　reference。　From　this



cause　it　came　about　that　only　sufficient　time　remained　to　perform　the



various　ceremonies　of　admission；　without　in　any　degree　counselling



Quen　as　to　his　duties　and　procedure　in　the　fulfilment　of　his　really



important　office。







〃Among　the　many　necessary　and　venerable　ceremonies　observed　during　the



changing　periods　of　the　year；　none　occupy　a　more　important　place　than



those　for　which　the　fifteenth　day　of　the　month　of　Feathered　Insects　is



reserved；　conveying　as　they　do　a　respectful　and　delicately…fashioned



petition　that　the　various　affairs　upon　which　persons　in　every



condition　of　life　are　engaged　may　arrive　at　a　pleasant　and



remunerative　conclusion。　At　the　earliest　stroke　of　the　gong　the



versatile　Emperor；　accompanied　by　many　persons　of　irreproachable



ancestry　and　certain　others；　very　elaborately　attired；　proceeds　to　an



open　space　set　apart　for　the　occasion。　With　unassuming　dexterity　the



benevolent　Emperor　for　a　brief　span　of　time　engages　in　the　menial



occupation　of　a　person　of　low　class；　and　with　his　own　hands　ploughs　an