the wallet of kai lung-第50节

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



is　for　you　to　entrust　the　amount　you　will　require　to　a　person　of



exceptional　piety；　receiving　in　return　his　written　word　to　repay　the



full　sum　whenever　you　shall　claim　it　from　him　in　the　Upper　Air。　By



this　crafty　method　the　amount　will　be　placed　at　the　disposal　of　the



person　in　question　as　soon　as　he　has　passed　beyond；　and　he　will　be



held　by　his　written　word　to　return　it　to　you　whenever　you　shall　demand



it。'







〃So　amiably　impressed　with　this　ingenious　scheme　was　Ah…Ping　that　he



would　at　once　have　entered　more　fully　into　the　detail　had　the　thought



not　arisen　in　his　mind　that　the　person　before　him　was　the　father　of



Liao；　who　urgently　required　a　certain　large　sum；　and　that　for　this



reason　he　might　with　prudence　inquire　more　fully　into　the　matter



elsewhere；　in　case　Quen　himself　should　have　been　imperceptibly　led



aside；　even　though　he　possessed　intentions　of　a　most　unswerving



honourableness。　To　this　end；　therefore；　he　desired　to　converse　again



with　Quen　on　the　matter；　pleading　that　at　that　moment　a　gathering　of



those　who　direct　enterprises　of　a　commercial　nature　required　his



presence。　Nevertheless；　he　would　not　permit　the　person　referred　to



depart　until　he　had　complimented　him；　in　both　general　and　specific



terms；　on　the　high　character　of　his　life　and　actions；　and　the



intelligent　nature　of　his　understanding；　which　had　enabled　him　with　so



little　mental　exertion　to　discover　an　efficient　plan。







〃Without　delay　Ah…Ping　sought　out　those　most　skilled　in　all　varieties



of　law…forms；　in　extorting　money　by　devices　capable　of　very　different



meanings；　and　in　expedients　for　evading　just　debts；　but　all　agreed



that　such　an　arrangement　as　the　one　he　put　before　them　would　be



unavoidably　binding；　provided　the　person　who　received　the　money



alluded　to　spent　it　in　the　exercise　of　his　charitable　desires；　and



provided　also　that　the　written　agreement　bore　the　duty　seal　of　the



high　ones　at　Peking；　and　was　deposited　in　the　coffin　of　the　lender。



Fully　satisfied；　and　rejoicing　greatly　that　he　could　in　this　way



adequately　provide　for　his　future　and　entrap　the　avaricious　ones　of



his　house；　Ah…Ping　collected　together　the　greater　part　of　his



possessions；　and　converting　it　into　pieces　of　gold；　entrusted　them　to



Quen　on　the　exact　understanding　that　has　already　been　described；　he



receiving　in　turn　Quen's　written　and　thumb…signed　paper　of　repayment；



and　his　assurance　that　the　whole　amount　should　be　expended　upon　the



silver…paper　and　gold…leaf　Temple　with　which　he　was　still　engaged。







〃It　is　owing　to　this　circumstance　that　Quen…Ki…Tong's　irreproachable



name　has　come　to　be　lightly　regarded　by　many　who　may　be　fitly　likened



to　the　latter　person　in　the　subtle　and　experienced　proverb；　'The　wise



man's　eyes　fell　before　the　gaze　of　the　fool；　fearing　that　if　he　looked



he　must　cry　aloud；　〃Thou　hopeless　one！〃　〃There；〃　said　the　fool　to



himself；　〃behold　this　person's　power！〃'　These　badly　educated　and



undiscriminating　persons；　being　entirely　unable　to　explain　the　ensuing



train　of　events；　unhesitatingly　declare　that　Quen…Ki…Tong　applied　a



portion　of　the　money　which　he　had　received　from　Ah…Ping　in　the　manner



described　to　the　object　of　acquiring　Ts'ain　for　his　son　Liao。　In　this



feeble　and　incapable　fashion　they　endeavour　to　stigmatize　the



pure…minded　Quen　as　one　who　acted　directly　contrary　to　his



deliberately　spoken　word；　whereas　the　desired　result　was　brought　about



in　a　much　more　artful　manner；　they　describe　the　commercially



successful　Ah…Ping　as　a　person　of　very　inferior　prudence；　and　one



easily　imposed　upon；　while　they　entirely　pass　over；　as　a　detail



outside　the　true　facts；　the　written　paper　reserved　among　the　sacred



relics　in　the　Temple；　which　announces；　among　other　gifts　of　a　small



and　uninviting　character；　'Thirty　thousand　taels　from　an　elderly



ginseng　merchant　of　Lu…kwo；　who　desires　to　remain　nameless；　through



the　hand　of　Quen…Ki…Tong。'　The　full　happening　in　its　real　and　harmless



face　is　now　set　forth　for　the　first　time。







〃Some　weeks　after　the　recorded　arrangement　had　been　arrived　at　by



Ah…Ping　and　Quen；　when　the　taels　in　question　had　been　expended　upon



the　Temple　and　were；　therefore；　infallibly　beyond　recall；　the　former



person　chanced　to　be　passing　through　the　public　garden　in　Lu…kwo　when



he　heard　a　voice　lifted　up　in　the　expression　of　every　unendurable



feeling　of　dejection　to　which　one　can　give　utterance。　Stepping　aside



to　learn　the　cause　of　so　unprepossessing　a　display　of　unrestrained



agitation；　and　in　the　hope　that　perhaps　he　might　be　able　to　use　the



incident　in　a　remunerative　manner；　Ah…Ping　quickly　discovered　the



unhappy　being　who；　entirely　regardless　of　the　embroidered　silk　robe



which　he　wore；　reclined　upon　a　raised　bank　of　uninviting　earth；　and



waved　his　hands　from　side　to　side　as　his　internal　emotions　urged　him。







〃'Quen…Ki…Tong！'　exclaimed　Ah…Ping；　not　fully　convinced　that　the　fact



was　as　he　stated　it　in　spite　of　the　image　clearly　impressed　upon　his



imagination；　'to　what　unpropitious　occurrence　is　so　unlooked…for　an



exhibition　due？　Are　those　who　traffic　in　gold…leaf　demanding　a　high



and　prohibitive　price　for　that　commodity；　or　has　some　evil　and



vindicative　spirit　taken　up　its　abode　within　the　completed　portion　of



the　Temple；　and　by　its　offensive　but　nevertheless　diverting　remarks



and　actions　removed　all　semblance　of　gravity　from　the　countenances　of



those　who　daily　come　to　admire　the　construction？'







〃'O　thrice　unfortunate　Ah…Ping；'　replied　Quen　when　he　observed　the



distinguishing　marks　of　the　person　before　him；　'scarcely　can　this



greatly　overwhelmed　one　raise　his　eyes　to　your　open　and　intelligent



countenance；　for　through　him　you　are　on　the　point　of　experiencing　a



very　severe　financial　blow；　and　it　is；　indeed；　on　your　account　more



than　on　his　own　that　he　is　now　indulging　in　these　outward　signs　of　a



grief　too　far　down　to　be　expressed　in　spoken　words。'　And　at　the　memory



of　his　former　occupation；　Quen　again　waved　his　arms　from　side　to　side



with　untiring　assiduousness。







〃'Strange　indeed　to　this　person's　ears　are　your　words；'　said　Ah…Ping；



outwardly　unmoved；　but　with　an　apprehensive　internal　pain　that　he



would　have　regarded　Quen's　display　of　emotion　with　an　easier　stomach



if　his　own　taels　were　safely　concealed　under　the　floor　of　his　inner



chamber。　'The　sum　which　this　one　entrusted　to　you　has；　without　any



pretence　been　expended　upon　the　Temple；　while　the　written　paper



concerning　the　repayment　bears　the　duty　seal　of　the　high　ones　at



Peking。　How；　then；　can　Ah…Ping　suffer　a　loss　at　the　hands　of



Quen…Ki…Tong？'







〃'Ah…Ping；'　said　Quen；　with　every　appearance　of　desiring　that　both



persons　should　regard　the　matter　in　a　conciliatory　spirit；　'do　not



permit　the　awaiting　demons；　which　are　ever　on　the　alert　to　enter　into



a　person's　mind　when　he　becomes　distressed　out　of　the　common　order　of



events；　to　take　possession　of　your　usually　discriminating　faculties



until　you　have　fully　understood　how　this　affair　has　come　about。　It　is



no　unknown　thing　for　a　person　of　even　exceptional　intelligence　to



reverse　his　entire　manner　of　living　towards　the　end　of　a　long　and



consistent　existence；　the　far…seeing　and　not　lightly…moved　Ah…Ping



himself　has　already　done　so。　In　a　similar；　but　entirely　contrary



manner；　the　person　who　is　now　before　you　finds　himself　impelled



towards　that　which　will　certainly　bear　a　very　unpresentable　face　when



the　circumstances　become　known；　yet　by　no　other　means　is　he　capable　of



attaining　his　greatly…desired　object。'







〃'And　to　what　end　does　that　trend？'　demanded　Ah…Ping；　in　no　degree



understanding　how　the　matter　affected　him。







〃'While　occupied　with　enterprises　which　those　of　an　engaging　and



complimentary　nature　are　accustomed　to　refer　to　as　charitable；　this



person　has　almost　entirely　neglected　a　duty　of　scarcely　less



importancethat　of　establishing　an　unending　line；　through　which　his



name　and　actions　shall　be　kept　alive　to　all　time；'　replied　Quen。



'Having　now　inquired　into　the　matter；　he　finds　that　his　only　son；



through　whom　alone　the　desired　result　can　be　obtained；　has　become



unbearably　attached　to　a　maiden　for　whom　a　very　large　sum　is　demanded



in　exchange。　The　thought　of　obtaining　no　advantage　from　an　entire　life



of　self…denial　is　certainly　unprepossessing　in　the　extreme；　but　so；



even　to　a　more　advanced　degree；　is　the　certainty　that　otherwise　the



family　monuments　will　be　untended；　and