the wallet of kai lung-第49节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





in　other　benevolent　works。　From　this　cause　it　arose　the　Quen　obtained



around　Lu…kwo　a　reputation　for　high…minded　piety；　in　no　degree　less



than　that　which　had　been　conferred　upon　him　in　earlier　times；　so　that



pilgrims　from　far　distant　places　would　purposely　contrive　their



journey　so　as　to　pass　through　the　town　containing　so　unassuming　and



virtuous　a　person。







〃During　this　entire　period　Quen　had　been　accompanied　by　his　only　son；



a　youth　of　respectful　personality；　in　whose　entertaining　society　he



took　an　intelligent　interest。　Even　when　deeply　engaged　in　what　he



justly　regarded　as　the　crowning　work　of　his　existencethe　planning



and　erecting　of　an　exceptionally　well…endowed　marble　temple；　which　was



to　be　entirely　covered　on　the　outside　with　silver　paper；　and　on　the



inside　with　gold…leafhe　did　not　fail　to　observe　the　various



conditions　of　Liao's　existence；　and　the　changing　emotions　which　from



time　to　time　possessed　him。　Therefore；　when　the　person　in　question；



without　displaying　any　signs　of　internal　sickness；　and　likewise



persistently　denying　that　he　had　lost　any　considerable　sum　of　money；



disclosed　a　continuous　habit　of　turning　aside　with　an　unaffected



expression　of　distaste　from　all　manner　of　food；　and　passed　the　entire



night　in　observing　the　course　of　the　great　sky…lantern　rather　than　in



sleep；　the　sage　and　discriminating　Quen　took　him　one　day　aside；　and



asked　him；　as　one　who　might　aid　him　in　the　matter；　who　the　maiden　was；



and　what　class　and　position　her　father　occupied。







〃'Alas！'　exclaimed　Liao；　with　many　unfeigned　manifestations　of　an



unbearable　fate；　'to　what　degree　do　the　class　and　position　of　her



entirely　unnecessary　parents　affect　the　question？　or　how　little　hope



can　this　sacrilegious　one　reasonably　have　of　ever　progressing　as　far



as　earthly　details　of　a　pecuniary　character　in　the　case　of　so　adorable



and　far…removed　a　Being？　The　uttermost　extent　of　this　wildly…hoping



person's　ambition　is　that　when　the　incomparably　symmetrical　Ts'ain



learns　of　the　steadfast　light　of　his　devotion；　she　may　be　inspired　to



deposit　an　emblematic　chrysanthemum　upon　his　tomb　in　the　Family



Temple。　For　such　a　reward　he　will　cheerfully　devote　the　unswerving



fidelity　of　a　lifetime　to　her　service；　not　distressing　her　gentle　and



retiring　nature　by　the　expression　of　what　must　inevitably　be　a



hopeless　passion；　but　patiently　and　uncomplainingly　guarding　her



footsteps　as　from　a　distance。'







〃Being　in　this　manner　made　aware　of　the　reason　of　Liao's　frequent　and



unrestrained　exclamations　of　intolerable　despair；　and　of　his　fixed



determination　with　regard　to　the　maiden　Ts'ain　（which　seemed；　above



all　else；　to　indicate　a　resolution　to　shun　her　presence）　Quen　could



not　regard　the　immediately…following　actions　of　his　son　with　anything



but　an　emotion　of　confusion。　For　when　his　eyes　next　rested　upon　the



exceedingly　contradictory　Liao；　he　was　seated　in　the　open　space　before



the　house　in　which　Ts'ain　dwelt；　playing　upon　an　instrument　of



stringed　woods；　and　chanting　verses　into　which　the　names　of　the　two



persons　in　question　had　been　skilfully　introduced　without　restraint；



his　whole　manner　of　behaving　being　with　the　evident　purpose　of



attracting　the　maiden's　favourable　attention。　After　an　absence　of　many



days；　spent　in　this　graceful　and　complimentary　manner；　Liao　returned



suddenly　to　the　house　of　his　father；　and；　prostrating　his　body　before



him；　made　a　specific　request　for　his　assistance。







〃'As　regards　Ts'ain　and　myself；'　he　continued；　'all　things　are



arranged；　and　but　for　the　unfortunate　coincidence　of　this　person's



poverty　and　of　her　father's　cupidity；　the　details　of　the　wedding



ceremony　would　undoubtedly　now　be　in　a　very　advanced　condition。　Upon



these　entrancing　and　well…discussed　plans；　however；　the　shadow　of　the



grasping　and　commonplace　Ah…Ping　has　fallen　like　the　inopportune



opium…pipe　from　the　mouth　of　a　person　examining　substances　of　an



explosive　nature；　for　the　one　referred　to　demands　a　large　and　utterly



unobtainable　amount　of　taels　before　he　will　suffer　his



greatly…sought…after　daughter　to　accept　the　gifts　of　irretrievable



intention。'







〃'Grievous　indeed　is　your　plight；'　replied　Quen；　when　he　thus



understood　the　manner　of　obstacle　which　impeded　his　son's　hopes；　'for



in　the　nature　of　taels　the　most　diverse　men　are　to　be　measured　through



the　same　mesh。　As　the　proverb　says；　〃'All　money　is　evil；'　exclaimed



the　philosopher　with　extreme　weariness；　as　he　gathered　up　the　gold



pieces　in　exchange；　but　presently　discovering　that　one　among　them　was



such　indeed　has　he　had　described；　he　rushed　forth　without　tarrying　to



take　up　a　street　garment；　and　with　an　entire　absence　of　dignity



traversed　all　the　ways　of　the　city　in　the　hope　of　finding　the　one　who



had　defrauded　him。〃　Well　does　this　person　know　the　mercenary　Ah…Ping；



and　the　unyielding　nature　of　his　closed　hand；　for　often；　but　always



fruitlessly；　he　has　entered　his　presence　on　affairs　connected　with　the



erecting　of　certain　temples。　Nevertheless；　the　matter　is　one　which



does　not　admit　of　any　incapable　faltering；　to　which　end　this　one　will



seek　out　the　obdurate　Ah…Ping　without　delay；　and　endeavour　to　entrap



him　by　some　means　in　the　course　of　argument。'







〃From　the　time　of　his　earliest　youth　Ah…Ping　had　unceasingly　devoted



himself　to　the　object　of　getting　together　an　overwhelming　number　of



taels；　using　for　this　purpose　various　means　which；　without　being



really　degrading　or　contrary　to　the　written　law；　were　not　such　as



might　have　been　cheerfully　engaged　in　by　a　person　of　high…minded



honourableness。　In　consequence　of　this；　as　he　grew　more　feeble　in



body；　and　more　venerable　in　appearance；　he　began　to　express　frequent



and　bitter　doubts　as　to　whether　his　manner　of　life　had　been　really



well　arranged；　for；　in　spite　of　his　great　wealth；　he　had　grown　to



adopt　a　most　inexpensive　habit　on　all　occasions；　having　no　desire　to



spend；　and　an　ever…increasing　apprehension　began　to　possess　him　that



after　he　had　passed　beyond；　his　sons　would　be　very　disinclined　to



sacrifice　and　burn　money　sufficient　to　keep　him　in　an　affluent



condition　in　the　Upper　Air。　In　such　a　state　of　mind　was　Ah…Ping　when



Quen…Ki…Tong　appeared　before　him；　for　it　had　just　been　revealed　to　him



that　his　eldest　and　favourite　son　had；　by　flattery　and　by　openly



praising　the　dexterity　with　which　he　used　his　brush　and　ink；　entrapped



him　into　inscribing　his　entire　name　upon　certain　unwritten　sheets　of



parchment；　which　the　one　in　question　immediately　sold　to　such　as　were



heavily　indebted　to　Ah…Ping。







〃'If　a　person　can　be　guilty　of　this　really　unfilial　behaviour　during



the　lifetime　of　his　father；'　exclaimed　Ah…Ping；　in　a　tone　of



unrestrained　vexation；　'can　it　be　prudently　relied　upon　that　he　will



carry　out　his　wishes　after　death；　when　they　involve　the　remitting　to



him　of　several　thousand　taels　each　year？　O　estimable　Quen…Ki…Tong；　how



immeasurably　superior　is　the　celestial　outlook　upon　which　you　may



safely　rely　as　your　portion！　When　you　are　enjoying　every　variety　of



sumptuous　profusion；　as　the　reward　of　your　untiring　charitable



exertions　here　on　earth；　the　spirit　of　this　short…sighted　person　will



be　engaged　in　doing　menial　servitude　for　the　inferior　deities；　and



perhaps　scarcely　able；　even　by　those　means；　to　clothe　himself



according　to　the　changing　nature　of　the　seasons。'







〃'Yet；'　replied　Quen；　'the　necessity　for　so　laborious　and



unremunerative　an　existence　may　even　now　be　averted　by　taking



efficient　precautions　before　you　pass　to　the　Upper　Air。'







〃'In　what　way？'　demanded　Ah…Ping；　with　an　awakening　hope　that　the



matter　might　not　be　entirely　destitute　of　cheerfulness；　yet　at　the



same　time　preparing　to　examine　with　even　unbecoming　intrusiveness　any



expedient　which　Quen　might　lay　before　him。　'Is　it　not　explicitly



stated　that　sacrifices　and　acts　of　a　like　nature；　when　performed　at



the　end　of　one's　existence　by　a　person　who　to　that　time　has　professed



no　sort　of　interest　in　such　matters；　shall　in　no　degree　be　entered　as



to　his　good；　but　rather　regarded　as　examples　of　deliberate



presumptuousness；　and　made　the　excuse　for　subjecting　him　to　more



severe　tortures　and　acts　of　penance　than　would　be　his　portion　if　he



neglected　the　custom　altogether？'







〃'Undoubtedly　such　is　the　case；'　replied　Quen；　'and　on　that　account　it



would　indicate　a　most　regrettable　want　of　foresight　for　you　to　conduct



your　affairs　in　the　manner　indicated。　The　only　undeniably　safe　course



is　f