the wallet of kai lung-第57节

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this　letter；　in　proof　of　his　resolve：







〃To　the　Heaven…sent　human　chrysanthemum；　in　whose　body　reside　the



Celestial　Principles　and　the　imprisoned　colours　of　the　rainbow。







〃From　the　very　offensive　and　self…opinionated　picture…maker。







〃Henceforth　this　person　will　take　no　rest；　nor　eat　any　but　the



commonest　food；　until　he　shall　have　carried　out　the　wishes　of　his　one



Jade　Star；　she　whose　teeth　he　is　not　worthy　to　blacken。







〃When　Kin　Yen　has　been　entrusted　with　a　story　which　contains　a　being



in　some　degree　reflecting　the　character　of　Tien；　he　will　embellish　it



with　her　irreproachable　profile　and　come　to　hear　her　words。　Till　then



he　bids　her　farewell〃







From　that　moment　most　of　this　person's　time　was　necessarily　spent　in



learning　to　draw　the　two　new　characters；　and　in　consequence　of　this　he



lost　much　work；　and；　indeed；　the　greater　part　of　the　connexion　which



he　had　been　at　such　pains　to　form　gradually　slipped　away　from　him。



Many　months　passed　before　he　was　competent　to　reproduce　persons



resembling　Tien　and　himself；　for　in　this　he　was　unassisted　by　Tieng



Lin；　and　his　progress　was　slow。







At　length；　being　satisfied；　he　called　upon　the　least　fierce　of　those



who　sit　in　easy…chairs；　and　requested　that　he　might　be　entrusted　with



a　story　for　picture…making。







〃We　should　have　been　covered　with　honourable　joy　to　set　in　operation



the　brush　of　the　inspired　Kin　Yen；〃　replied　the　other　with　agreeable



condescension；　〃only　at　the　moment；　it　does　not　chance　that　we　have



before　us　any　stories　in　which　funerals；　or　beggars　being　driven　from



the　city；　form　the　chief　incidents。　Perhaps　if　the　polished　Kin　Yen



should　happen　to　be　passing　this　ill…constructed　office　in　about　six



months'　time〃







〃The　brush　of　Kin　Yen　will　never　again　depict　funerals；　or　labourers



arranging　themselves　to　receive　pay　or　similar　subjects；〃　exclaimed



this　person　impetuously；　〃for；　as　it　is　well　said；　'The　lightning



discovers　objects　which　the　paper…lantern　fails　to　reveal。'　In　future



none　but　tales　dealing　with　the　most　distinguished　persons　shall　have



his　attention。〃







〃If　this　be　the　true　word　of　the　dignified　Kin　Yen；　it　is　possible



that　we　may　be　able　to　animate　his　inspired　faculties；〃　was　the



response。　〃But　in　that　case；　as　a　new　style　must　be　in　the　nature　of



an　experiment；　and　as　our　public　has　come　to　regard　Kin　Yen　as　the



great　exponent　of　Art　Facing　in　One　Direction；　we　cannot　continue　the



exceedingly　liberal　payment　with　which　we　have　been　accustomed　to



reward　his　elegant　exertions。〃







〃Provided　the　story　be　suitable；　that　is　a　matter　of　less　importance；〃



replied　this　person。







〃The　story；〃　said　the　one　in　the　easy…chair；　〃is　by　the　refined



Tong…king；　and　it　treats　of　the　high…minded　and　conscientious　doubts



of　one　who　would　become　a　priest　of　Fo。　When　preparing　for　this



distinguished　office　he　discovers　within　himself　leanings　towards　the



religion　of　Lao…Tse。　His　illustrious　scruples　are　enhanced　by　his



affection　for　Wu　Ping；　who　now　appears　in　the　story。〃







〃And　the　ending？〃　inquired　this　person；　for　it　was　desirable　that　the



two　should　marry　happily。







〃The　inimitable　stories　of　Tong…king　never　have　any　real　ending；　and



this　one；　being　in　his　most　elevated　style；　has　even　less　end　than



most　of　them。　But　the　whole　narrative　is　permeated　with　the　odour　of



joss…sticks　and　honourable　high…mindedness；　and　the　two　characters　are



both　of　noble　birth。〃







As　it　might　be　some　time　before　another　story　so　suitable　should　be



offered；　or　one　which　would　afford　so　good　an　opportunity　of　wafting



incense　to　Tien；　and　of　displaying　her　incomparable　outline　in



dignified　and　magnanimous　attitudes；　this　was　eagerly　accepted；　and



for　the　next　week　this　obscure　person　spent　all　his　days　and　nights　in



picturing　the　lovely　Tien　and　his　debased　self　in　the　characters　of



the　nobly…born　young　priest　of　Fo　and　Wu　Ping。　The　pictures　finished；



he　caused　them　to　be　carefully　conveyed　to　the　office；　and　then；



sitting　down；　spent　many　hours　in　composing　the　following　letter；　to



be　sent　to　Tien；　accompanying　a　copy　of　the　printed　leaves　wherein　the



story　and　his　drawing　should　appear：







〃When　the　light　has　for　a　period　been　hidden　from　a　person；　it　is　no



uncommon　thing　for　him　to　be　struck　blind　on　gazing　at　the　sun；



therefore；　if　the　sublime　Tien　values　the　eyes　of　Kin　Yen；　let　her



hide　herself　behind　a　gauze　screen　on　his　approach。







〃The　trembling　words　of　Tien　have　sunk　deep　into　the　inside　of　Kin　Yen



and　become　part　of　his　being。　Never　again　can　he　depict　persons　of　the



quality　and　in　the　position　he　was　wont　to　do。







〃With　this　he　sends　his　latest　efforts。　In　each　case　he　conceives　his



drawings　to　be　the　pictures　of　the　written　words；　in　the　noble　Tien's



case　it　is　undoubtedly　so；　in　his　own　he　aspires　to　it。　Doubtless　the



unobtrusive　Tien　would　make　no　claim　to　the　character　and　manner　of



behaving　of　the　one　in　the　story；　yet　Kin　Yen　confidently　asserts　that



she　is　to　the　other　as　the　glove　is　to　the　hand；　and　he　is　filled　with



the　most　intelligent　delight　at　being　able　to　exhibit　her　in　her　true



robes；　by　which　she　will　be　known　to　all　who　see　her；　in　spite　of　her



dignified　protests。　Kin　Yen　hopes；　he　will　come　this　evening　after



sunset。〃







The　week　which　passed　between　the　finishing　of　the　pictures　and　the



appearance　of　the　eminent　printed　leaves　containing　them　was　the



longest　in　this　near…sighted　person's　ill…spent　life。　But　at　length



the　day　arrived；　and　going　with　exceedingly　mean　haste　to　the　place　of



sale；　he　purchased　a　copy　and　sent　it；　together　with　the　letter　of　his



honourable　intention；　on　which　he　had　bestowed　so　much　care；　to　Tien。







Not　till　then　did　it　occur　to　this　inconsiderable　one　that　the



impetuousness　of　his　action　was　ill…judged；　for　might　it　not　be　that



the　pictures　were　evilly…printed；　or　that　the　delicate　and　fragrant



words　painting　the　character　of　the　one　who　now　bore　the　features　of



Tien　had　undergone　some　change？







To　satisfy　himself；　scarce　as　taels　had　become　with　him；　he　purchased



another　copy。







There　are　many　exalted　sayings　of　the　wise　and　venerable　Confucious



constructed　so　as　to　be　of　service　and　consolation　in　moments　of



strong　mental　distress。　These　for　the　greater　part　recommend



tranquillity　of　mind；　a　complete　abnegation　of　the　human　passions　and



the　like　behaviour。　The　person　who　is　here　endeavouring　to　bring　this



badly…constructed　account　of　his　dishonourable　career　to　a　close



pondered　these　for　some　moments　after　twice　glancing　through　the



matter　in　the　printed　leaves；　and　then；　finding　the　faculties　of



speech　and　movement　restored　to　him；　procured　a　two…edged　knife　of



distinguished　brilliance　and　went　forth　to　call　upon　the　one　who　sits



in　an　easy…chair。







〃Behold；〃　said　the　lesser　one；　insidiously　stepping　in　between　this



person　an　the　inner　door；　〃my　intellectual　and　all…knowing　chief　is



not　here　to…day。　May　his　entirely　insufficient　substitute　offer　words



of　congratulation　to　the　inspired　Kin　Yen　on　his　effective　and



striking　pictures　in　this　week's　issue？〃







〃His　altogether　insufficient　substitute；〃　answered　this　person；　with



difficulty　mastering　his　great　rage；　〃may　and　shall　offer　words　of



explanation　to　the　inspired　Kin　Yen；　setting　forth　the　reason　of　his



pictures　being　used；　not　with　the　high…minded　story　of　the　elegant



Tong…king　for　which　they　were　executed；　but　accompanying　exceedingly



base；　foolish；　and　ungrammatical　words　written　by　Klan…hi；　the　Peking



remover　of　gravitywords　which　will　evermore　brand　the　dew…like　Tien



as　a　person　of　light　speech　and　no　refinement〃；　and　in　his　agony　this



person　struck　the　lacquered　table　several　times　with　his　elegant



knife。







〃O　Kin　Yen；〃　exclaimed　the　lesser　one；　〃this　matter　rests　not　here。　It



is　a　thing　beyond　the　sphere　of　the　individual　who　is　addressing　you。



All　he　can　tell　is　that　the　graceful　Tong…king　withdraw　his



exceedingly　tedious　story　for　some　reason　at　the　final　moment；　and　as



your　eminent　drawings　had　been　paid　for；　my　chief　of　the　inner　office



decided　to　use　them　with　this　story　of　Klan…hi。　But　surely　it　cannot



be　that　there　is　aught　in　the　story　to　displease　your　illustrious



personality？〃







〃Judge　for　yourself；〃　this　person　said；　〃first　understanding　that　the



two　immaculate　characters　figuring　as　the　personages　of　the　narrativ