the wallet of kai lung-第53节

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person　has　now　unfolded　to　you。〃







When　Yat　Huang　reached　the　end　of　the　matter　which　it　was　his　duty　to



disclose；　Yin　for　some　time　pondered　the　circumstances　before



replying。　In　spite　of　a　most　engaging　reverence　for　everything　of　a



sacred　nature；　he　could　not　consider　the　inspired　remark　of　the



well…intentioned　hermit　without　feelings　of　a　most　persistent　doubt；



for　it　occurred　to　him　that　if　the　person　in　question　had　really　been



as　wise　as　he　was　represented　to　be；　he　might　reasonably　have　been



expected　to　avoid　the　unaccountable　error　of　offending　the　enlightened



and　powerful　Emperor　under　whom　he　lived。　Nevertheless；　the　prospect



of　engaging　in　the　trade　of　porcelain　clay　was　less　attractive　in　his



eyes　than　that　of　setting　forth　upon　a　journey　of　adventure；　so　that



at　length　he　expressed　his　willingness　to　act　after　the　manner　of



those　who　had　gone　before　him。







This　decision　was　received　by　Yat　Huang　with　an　equal　intermingling　of



the　feelings　of　delight　and　concern；　for　although　he　would　have　by　no



means　pleasurably　contemplated　Yin　breaking　through　a　venerable　and



esteemed　custom；　he　was　unable　to　put　entirely　from　him　the　thought　of



the　degrading　fate　which　had　overtaken　the　fifth　in　line　who　made　the



venture。　It　was；　indeed；　to　guard　Yin　as　much　as　possible　against　the



dangers　to　which　he　would　become　exposed；　if　he　determined　on　the



expedition；　that　the　entire　course　of　his　training　had　been　selected。



In　order　that　no　precaution　of　a　propitious　nature　should　be



neglected；　Yat　Huang　at　once　despatched　written　words　of　welcome　to



all　with　whom　he　was　acquainted；　bidding　them　partake　of　a　great



banquet　which　he　was　preparing　to　mark　the　occasion　of　his　son's



leave…taking。　Every　variety　of　sacrifice　was　offered　up　to　the



controlling　deities；　both　good　and　bad；　the　ten　ancestors　were



continuously　exhorted　to　take　Yin　under　their　special　protection；　and



sets　of　verses　recording　his　virtues　and　ambitions　were　freely



distributed　among　the　necessitous　and　low…caste　who　could　not　be



received　at　the　feast。







The　dinner　itself　exceeded　in　magnificence　any　similar　event　that　had



ever　taken　place　in　Ching…toi。　So　great　was　the　polished　ceremony



observed　on　the　occasion；　that　each　guest　had　half　a　score　of　cups　of



the　finest　apricot…tea　successively　placed　before　him　and　taken　away



untasted；　while　Yat　Huang　went　to　each　in　turn　protesting　vehemently



that　the　honour　of　covering　such　pure…minded　and　distinguished　persons



was　more　than　his　badly　designed　roof　could　reasonably　bear；　and



wittingly　giving　an　entrancing　air　of　reality　to　the　spoken　compliment



by　begging　them　to　move　somewhat　to　one　side　so　that　they　might　escape



the　heavy　central　beam　if　the　event　which　he　alluded　to　chanced　to



take　place。　After　several　hours　had　been　spent　in　this　congenial



occupation；　Yat　Huang　proceeded　to　read　aloud　several　of　the　sixteen



discourses　on　education　which；　taken　together；　form　the　discriminating



and　infallible　example　of　conduct　known　as　the　Holy　Edict。　As　each



detail　was　dwelt　upon　Yin　arose　from　his　couch　and　gave　his　deliberate



testimony　that　all　the　required　tests　and　rites　had　been　observed　in



his　own　case。　The　first　part　of　the　repast　was　then　partaken　of；　the



nature　of　the　ingredients　and　the　manner　of　preparing　them　being　fully



explained；　and　in　a　like　manner　through　each　succeeding　one　of　the



four…and…forty　courses。　At　the　conclusion　Yin　again　arose；　being



encouraged　by　the　repeated　uttering　of　his　name　by　those　present；　and



with　extreme　modesty　and　brilliance　set　forth　his　manner　of　thinking



concerning　all　subjects　with　which　he　was　acquainted。







Early　on　the　morning　of　the　following　day　Yin　set　out　on　his　travels；



entirely　unaccompanied；　and　carrying　with　him　nothing　beyond　a　sum　of



money；　a　silk　robe；　and　a　well…tried　and　reliable　spear。　For　many　days



he　journeyed　in　a　northerly　direction；　without　encountering　anything



sufficiently　unusual　to　engage　his　attention。　This；　however；　was



doubtless　part　of　a　pre…arranged　scheme　so　that　he　should　not　be　drawn



from　a　destined　path；　for　at　a　small　village　lying　on　the　southern



shore　of　a　large　lake；　called　by　those　around　Silent　Water；　he　heard



of　the　existence　of　a　certain　sacred　island；　distant　a　full　day's



sailing；　which　was　barren　of　all　forms　of　living　things；　and　contained



only　a　single　gigantic　rock　of　divine　origin　and　majestic　appearance。



Many　persons；　the　villagers　asserted；　had　sailed　to　the　island　in　the



hope　of　learning　the　portent　of　the　rock；　but　none　ever　returned；　and



they　themselves　avoided　coming　even　within　sight　of　it；　for　the　sacred



stone；　they　declared；　exercised　an　evil　influence　over　their　ships；



and　would；　if　permitted；　draw　them　out　of　their　course　and　towards



itself。　For　this　reason　Yin　could　find　no　guide；　whatever　reward　he



offered；　who　would　accompany　him；　but　having　with　difficulty　succeeded



in　hiring　a　small　boat　of　inconsiderable　value；　he　embarked　with　food；



incense；　and　materials　for　building　fires；　and　after　rowing



consistently　for　nearly　the　whole　of　the　day；　came　within　sight　of　the



island　at　evening。　Thereafter　the　necessity　of　further　exertion



ceased；　for；　as　they　of　the　village　had　declared　would　be　the　case；



the　vessel　moved　gently　forward；　in　an　unswerving　line；　without　being



in　any　way　propelled；　and　reaching　its　destination　in　a　marvellously



short　space　of　time；　passed　behind　a　protecting　spur　of　land　and　came



to　rest。　It　then　being　night；　Yin　did　no　more　than　carry　his　stores　to



a　place　of　safety；　and　after　lighting　a　sacrificial　fire　and



prostrating　himself　before　the　rock；　passed　into　the　Middle　Air。







In　the　morning　Yin's　spirit　came　back　to　the　earth　amid　the　sound　of



music　of　a　celestial　origin；　which　ceased　immediately　he　recovered



full　consciousness。　Accepting　this　manifestation　as　an　omen　of　Divine



favour；　Yin　journeyed　towards　the　centre　of　the　island　where　the　rock



stood；　at　every　step　passing　the　bones　of　innumerable　ones　who　had



come　on　a　similar　quest　to　his；　and　perished。　Many　of　these　had　left



behind　them　inscriptions　on　wood　or　bone　testifying　their　deliberate



opinion　of　the　sacred　rock；　the　island；　their　protecting　deities；　and



the　entire　train　of　circumstances；　which　had　resulted　in　their　being



in　such　a　condition。　These　were　for　the　most　part　of　a　maledictory　and



unencouraging　nature；　so　that　after　reading　a　few；　Yin　endeavoured　to



pass　without　being　in　any　degree　influenced　by　such　ill…judged



outbursts。







〃Accursed　be　the　ancestors　of　this　tormented　one　to　four　generations



back！〃　was　prominently　traced　upon　an　unusually　large　shoulder…blade。



〃May　they　at　this　moment　be　simmering　in　a　vat　of　unrefined　dragon's



blood；　as　a　reward　for　having　so　undiscriminatingly　reared　the　person



who　inscribes　these　words　only　to　attain　this　end！〃　〃Be　warned；　O



later　one；　by　the　signs　around！〃　Another　and　more　practical…minded



person　had　written：　〃Retreat　with　all　haste　to　your　vessel；　and　escape



while　there　is　yet　time。　Should　you；　by　chance；　again　reach　land



through　this　warning；　do　not　neglect；　out　of　an　emotion　of　gratitude；



to　burn　an　appropriate　amount　of　sacrifice　paper　for　the　lessening　of



the　torments　of　the　spirit　of　Li…Kao；〃　to　which　an　unscrupulous　one；



who　was　plainly　desirous　of　sharing　in　the　benefit　of　the　requested



sacrifice；　without　suffering　the　exertion　of　inscribing　a　warning



after　the　amiable　manner　of　Li…Kao；　had　added　the　words；　〃and　that　of



Huan　Sin〃。







Halting　at　a　convenient　distance　from　one　side　of　the　rock　which；



without　being　carved　by　any　person's　hand；　naturally　resembled　the



symmetrical　countenance　of　a　recumbent　dragon　（which　he　therefore



conjectured　to　be　the　chief　point　of　the　entire　mass）；　Yin　built　his



fire　and　began　an　unremitting　course　of　sacrifice　and　respectful



ceremony。　This　manner　of　conduct　he　observed　conscientiously　for　the



space　of　seven　days。　Towards　the　end　of　that　period　a　feeling　of



unendurable　dejection　began　to　possess　him；　for　his　stores　of　all



kinds　were　beginning　to　fail；　and　he　could　not　entirely　put　behind　him



the　memory　of　the　various　well…intentioned　warnings　which　he　had



received；　or　the　sight　of　the　fleshless　ones　who　had　lined　his　path。



On　the　eighth　day；　being　weak　with　hunger　and；　by　reason　of　an



intolerable　thirst；　unable　to　restrain　his　body　any　longer　in　the　spot



where　he　had　hitherto　continuously　prostrated　himself　nine…and…ninety



times　each　hour　without　ceasing；