the wallet of kai lung-第12部分

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　　　　graceful　reward　for　his　indefatigable　efforts　to　uphold　the



　　　　dignity　of　the　sublime　Emperor；　but　to　all　such　persons　the



　　　　Mandarin　has　sternly　replied　that　such　a　proposal　would　more



　　　　fitly　originate　from　the　renowned　and　valuable　Office　of



　　　　Warlike　Deeds　and　Arrangements；　he　well　knowing　that　the　wise



　　　　and　engaging　persons　who　conduct　that　indispensable　and



　　　　well…regulated　department　are　gracefully　voracious　in　their



　　　　efforts　to　reward　merit；　even　when　it　is　displayed；　as　in　the



　　　　case　in　question；　by　one　who　from　his　position　will　inevitably



　　　　soon　be　urgently　petitioning　in　a　like　manner　on　their　behalf。







When　Ling　had　finished　reading　this　elegantly　arranged　but　exceedingly



misleading　parchment；　he　looked　up　with　eyes　from　which　he　vainly



endeavoured　to　restrain　the　signs　of　undignified　emotion；　and　said　to



the　upper　one：







〃It　is　difficult　employment　for　a　person　to　refrain　from　unendurable



thoughts　when　his　unassuming　and　really　conscientious　efforts　are



represented　in　a　spirit　of　no　satisfaction；　yet　in　this　matter　the



very　expert　Li　Keen　appears　to　have　gone　beyond　himself；　the　Commander



Ling；　who　is　herein　represented　as　being　slain　by　the　enemy；　is；



indeed；　the　person　who　is　standing　before　you；　and　all　the　other



statements　are　in　a　like　exactness。〃







〃The　short…sighted　individual　who　for　some　hidden　desire　of　his　own　is



endeavouring　to　present　himself　as　the　corrupt　and　degraded　creature



Ling；　has　overlooked　one　important　circumstance；〃　said　the　upper　one；



smiling　in　a　very　intolerable　manner；　at　the　same　time　causing　his



head　to　move　slightly　from　side　to　side　in　the　fashion　of　one　who



rebukes　with　assumed　geniality；　and；　turning　over　the　written　paper；



he　displayed　upon　the　under　side　the　Imperial　vermilion　Sign。



〃Perhaps；〃　he　continued；　〃the　omniscient　person　will　still　continue　in



his　remarks；　even　with　the　evidence　of　the　Emperor's　unerring　pencil



to　refute　him。〃







At　these　words　and　the　undoubted　testimony　of　the　red　mark；　which



plainly　declared　the　whole　of　the　written　matter　to　be　composed　of



truth；　no　matter　what　might　afterwards　transpire；　Ling　understood　that



very　little　prosperity　remained　with　him。







〃But　the　town　of　Si…chow；〃　he　suggested；　after　examining　his　mind；　〃if



any　person　in　authority　visited　the　place；　he　would　inevitably　find　it



standing　and　its　inhabitants　in　agreeable　health。〃







〃The　persistent　person　who　is　so　assiduously　occupying　my　intellectual



moments　with　empty　words　seems　to　be　unaccountably　deficient　in　his



knowledge　of　the　customs　of　refined　society　and　of　the　meaning　of　the



Imperial　Signet；〃　said　the　other；　with　an　entire　absence　of　benevolent



consideration。　〃That　Si…chow　has　fallen　and　that　Ling　is　dead　are　two



utterly　uncontroversial　matters　truthfully　recorded。　If　a　person



visited　Si…chow；　he　might　find　it　rebuilt　or　even　inhabited　by　those



from　the　neighbouring　villages　or　by　evil　spirits　taking　the　forms　of



the　ones　who　formerly　lived　there；　as　in　a　like　manner；　Ling　might　be



restored　to　existence　by　magic；　or　his　body　might　be　found　and



possessed　by　an　outcast　demon　who　desired　to　revisit　the　earth　for　a



period。　Such　circumstances　do　not　in　any　way　disturb　the　announcement



that　Si…chow　has　without　question　fallen；　and　that　Ling　has　officially



ceased　to　live；　of　which　events　notifications　have　been　sent　to　all



who　are　concerned　in　the　matters。〃







As　the　upper　one　ceased　speaking；　four　strokes　sounded　upon　the　gong；



and　Ling　immediately　found　himself　carried　into　the　street　by　the



current　of　both　lesser　and　upper　ones　who　poured　forth　at　the　signal。



The　termination　of　this　conversation　left　Ling　in　a　more　unenviable



state　of　dejection　than　any　of　the　many　preceding　misfortunes　had



done；　for　with　enlarged　inducements　to　possess　himself　of　a　competent



appointment　he　seemed　to　be　even　further　removed　from　this　attainment



than　he　had　been　at　any　time　in　his　life。　He　might；　indeed；　present



himself　again　for　the　public　examinations；　but　in　order　to　do　even



that　it　would　be　necessary　for　him　to　wait　almost　a　year；　nor　could　he



assure　himself　that　his　efforts　would　again　be　likely　to　result　in　an



equal　success。　Doubts　also　arose　within　his　mind　of　the　course　which



he　should　follow　in　such　a　case；　whether　to　adopt　a　new　name；



involving　as　it　would　certain　humiliation　and　perhaps　disgrace　if



detection　overtook　his　footsteps；　or　still　to　possess　the　title　of　one



who　was　in　a　measure　dead；　and　hazard　the　likelihood　of　having　any



prosperity　which　he　might　obtain　reduced　to　nothing　if　the　fact　should



become　public。







As　Ling　reflected　upon　such　details　he　found　himself　without　intention



before　the　house　of　a　wise　person　who　had　become　very　wealthy　by



advising　others　on　all　matters；　but　chiefly　on　those　connected　with



strange　occurrences　and　such　events　as　could　not　be　settled　definitely



either　one　way　or　the　other　until　a　remote　period　had　been　reached。



Becoming　assailed　by　a　curious　desire　to　know　what　manner　of　evils



particularly　attached　themselves　to　such　as　were　officially　dead　but



who　nevertheless　had　an　ordinary　existence；　Ling　placed　himself　before



this　person；　and　after　arranging　the　manner　of　reward　related　to　him



so　many　of　the　circumstances　as　were　necessary　to　enable　a　full



understanding　to　be　reached；　but　at　the　same　time　in　no　way　betraying



his　own　interest　in　the　matter。







〃Such　inflictions　are　to　no　degree　frequent；〃　said　the　wise　person



after　he　had　consulted　a　polished　sphere　of　the　finest　red　jade　for



some　time；　〃and　this　is　in　a　measure　to　be　regretted；　as　the　hair　of



these　personsprovided　they　die　a　violent　death；　which　is　invariably



the　caseconstitutes　a　certain　protection　against　being　struck　by



falling　stars；　or　becoming　involved　in　unsuccessful　law　cases。　The



persons　in　question　can　be　recognized　with　certainty　in　the　public



ways　by　the　unnatural　pallor　of　their　faces　and　by　the　general



repulsiveness　of　their　appearance；　but　as　they　soon　take　refuge　in



suicide；　unless　they　have　the　fortune　to　be　removed　previously　by



accident；　it　is　an　infrequent　matter　that　one　is　gratified　by　the



sight。　During　their　existence　they　are　subject　to　many　disorders　from



which　the　generality　of　human　beings　are　benevolently　preserved；　they



possess　no　rights　of　any　kind；　and　if　by　any　chance　they　are　detected



in　an　act　of　a　seemingly　depraved　nature；　they　are　liable　to　judgement



at　the　hands　of　the　passers…by　without　any　form　whatever；　and　to



punishment　of　a　more　severe　order　than　that　administered　to



commonplace　criminals　There　are　many　other　disadvantages　affecting



such　persons　when　they　reach　the　Middle　Air；　of　which　the　chief〃







〃This　person　is　immeasurably　indebted　for　such　a　clear　explanation　of



the　position；〃　interrupted　Ling；　who　had　a　feeling　of　not　desiring　to



penetrate　further　into　the　detail；　〃but　as　he　perceives　a　line　of



anxious　ones　eagerly　waiting　at　the　door　to　obtain　advice　and



consolation　from　so　expert　and　amiable　a　wizard；　he　will　not　make



himself　uncongenial　any　longer　with　his　very　feeble　topics　of



conversation。〃







By　this　time　Ling　plainly　comprehended　that　he　had　been　marked　out



from　the　beginningperhaps　for　all　the　knowledge　which　he　had　to　the



opposite　effect；　from　the　period　in　the　life　of　a　far…removed



ancestorto　be　an　object　of　marked　derision　and　the　victim　of　all



manner　of　malevolent　demons　in　whatever　actions　he　undertook。　In　this



condition　of　understanding　his　mind　turned　gratefully　to　the　parting



gift　of　Mian　whom　he　had　now　no　hope　of　possessing；　for　the



intolerable　thought　of　uniting　her　to　so　objectionable　a　being　as



himself　would　have　been　dismissed　as　utterly　inelegant　even　had　he



been　in　a　manner　of　living　to　provide　for　her　adequately；　which　itself



seemed　clearly　impossible。　Disregarding　all　similar　emotions；



therefore；　he　walked　without　pausing　to　his　abode；　and　stretching　his



body　upon　the　rushes；　drank　the　entire　liquid　unhesitatingly；　and



prepared　to　pass　beyond　with　a　tranquil　mind　entirely　given　up　to



thoughts　and　images　of　Mian。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　X







UPON　a　certain　occasion；　the　particulars　of　which　have　already　been



recorded；　Ling　had　judged　himself　to　have　passed　into　the　form　of　a



spirit　on　beholding　the　ethereal　form　of　Mian　bending　over　him。　After



swallowing　the　entire　liquid；　which　had　cost　the　dead　magician　so　much



to　distil　and　make　perfect；　it　was　with　a　well…assured　determination



of　never　again　awakening　that　he　lost　the　outward　senses　and　floated



in　the　Middle　Air；　so　that　when　his　eyes　next　opened　upon　what　seemed



to　be　the　bare　walls　of　his　own　chamber；　his　first　thought　was　a



natural　conviction　that　the　matter　had　been　so　arranged　either　out　of



a　charitable　desire　that　he　should　not　be　overcome　by　a　too　sudden



transition　to　unparalleled　splendour；　or　that　such　a　reception　was　the



outcome　of　some　dignified　jest　on　the　part　of　certain　lesser　and　more



cheerful　spirits。　After　waiting　in　one　position　for　several　hours；



however；　and　receiving　no　summons　or　manifestation　of　a　celestial



nature；　he　began　to　doubt　the　qualities　of　the　liquid；　and　applying



certain　tests；　he　soon　ascertained　that　he　was　still　in　the　lower



world　and　unharmed。　Nevertheless；　this　circumstance　did　not　tend　in



any　way　to　depress　his　mind；　for；　doubtless　owing　to