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content　to　leave　the　entire　design　in　his　hands；　after　stating　that　he



would　again　present　himself　on　a　certain　occasion　when　it　was　asserted



that　the　brother　in　question　would　be　present。







So　internally　lightened　did　Ling　feel　after　this　inspiring



conversation；　and　so　confident　of　a　speedy　success　had　the　obliging



person's　words　made　him　become；　that　for　the　first　time　since　his



return　to　Canton　he　was　able　to　take　an　intellectual　interest　in　the



pleasures　of　the　city。　Becoming　aware　that　the　celebrated　play



entitled　〃The　Precious　Lamp　of　Spotted　Butterfly　Temple〃　was　in



process　of　being　shown　at　the　Tea　Garden　of　Rainbow　Lights　and　Voices；



he　purchased　an　entrance；　and　after　passing　several　hours　in　this



conscientious　enjoyment；　returned　to　his　chamber；　and　passed　a　night



untroubled　by　any　manifestations　of　an　unpleasant　nature。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XII







CHANG…CH'UN；　the　brother　of　the　one　to　whom　Ling　had　applied　in　his



determination；　was　confidently　stated　to　be　one　of　the　richest　persons



in　Canton。　So　great　was　the　number　of　enterprises　in　which　he　had



possessions；　that　he　himself　was　unable　to　keep　an　account　of　them；



and　it　was　asserted　that　upon　occasions　he　had　run　through　the



streets；　crying　aloud　that　such　an　undertaking　had　been　the　subject　of



most　inferior　and　uninviting　dreams　and　omens　（a　custom　observed　by



those　who　wish　a　venture　ill）；　whereas　upon　returning　and　consulting



his　written　parchments；　it　became　plain　to　him　that　he　had　indulged　in



a　very　objectionable　exhibition；　as　he　himself　was　the　person　most



interested　in　the　success　of　the　matter。　Far　from　discouraging　him；



however；　such　incidents　tended　to　his　advantage；　as　he　could



consistently　point　to　them　in　proof　of　his　unquestionable　commercial



honourableness；　and　in　this　way　many　persons　of　all　classes；　not　only



in　Canton；　or　in　the　Province；　but　all　over　the　Empire；　would



unhesitatingly　entrust　money　to　be　placed　in　undertakings　which　he　had



purchased　and　was　willing　to　describe　as　〃of　much　good〃。　A　certain



class　of　printed　leavesthose　in　which　Chang…ch'un　did　not　insert



purchased　mentions　of　his　forthcoming　ventures　or　verses　recording　his



virtues　（in　return　for　buying　many　examples　of　the　printed　leaf



containing　them）took　frequent　occasion　of　reminding　persons　that



Chang…ch'un　owed　the　beginning　of　his　prosperity　to　finding　a　written



parchment　connected　with　a　Mandarin　of　exalted　rank　and　a　low　caste



attendant　at　the　Ti…i　tea…house　among　the　paper　heaps；　which　it　was　at



that　time　his　occupation　to　assort　into　various　departments　according



to　their　quality　and　commercial　value。　Such　printed　leaves　freely　and



unhesitatingly　predicted　that　the　day　on　which　he　would　publicly　lose



face　was　incomparably　nearer　than　that　on　which　the　Imperial　army



would　receive　its　back　pay；　and　in　a　quaint　and　gravity…removing



manner　advised　him　to　protect　himself　against　an　obscure　but



inevitable　poverty　by　learning　the　accomplishment　of



chair…carryingan　occupation　for　which　his　talents　and　achievements



fitted　him　in　a　high　degree；　they　remarked。







In　spite　of　these　evilly　intentioned　remarks；　and　of　illustrations



representing　him　as　being　bowstrung　for　treacherous　killing；　being



seized　in　the　action　of　secretly　conveying　money　from　passers…by　to



himself　and　other　similar　annoying　references　to　his　private　life；



Chang…ch'un　did　not　fail　to　prosper；　and　his　undertakings　succeeded　to



such　an　extent　that　without　inquiry　into　the　detail　many　persons　were



content　to　describe　as　〃gold…lined〃　anything　to　which　he　affixed　his



sign；　and　to　hazard　their　savings　for　staking　upon　the　ventures。　In





all　other　departments　of　life　Chang　was　equally　successful；　his　chief



wife　was　the　daughter　of　one　who　stood　high　in　the　Emperor's　favour；



his　repast　table　was　never　unsupplied　with　sea…snails；　rats'　tongues；



or　delicacies　of　an　equally　expensive　nature；　and　it　was　confidently



maintained　that　there　was　no　official　in　Canton；　not　even　putting



aside　the　Taotai；　who　dare　neglect　to　fondle　Chang's　hand　if　he



publicly　offered　it　to　him　for　that　purpose。







It　was　at　the　most　illustrious　point　of　his　existenceat　the　time；



indeed；　when　after　purchasing　without　money　the　renowned　and



proficient　charm…water　Ho…Ko　for　a　million　taels；　he　had　sold　it　again



for　tenthat　Chang　was　informed　by　his　brother　of　the　circumstances



connected　with　Ling。　After　becoming　specially　assured　that　the　matter



was　indeed　such　as　it　was　represented　to　be；　Chang　at　once　discerned



that　the　venture　was　of　too　certain　and　profitable　a　nature　to　be　put



before　those　who　entrusted　their　money　to　him　in　ordinary　and　doubtful



cases。　He　accordingly　called　together　certain　persons　whom　he　was



desirous　of　obliging；　and　informing　them　privately　and　apart　from



business　terms　that　the　opportunity　was　one　of　exceptional



attractiveness；　he　placed　the　facts　before　them。　After　displaying　a



number　of　diagrams　bearing　upon　the　mater；　he　proposed　that　they



should　form　an　enterprise　to　be　called　〃The　Ling　（After　Death）　Without



Much　Risk　Assembly。〃　The　manner　of　conducting　this　undertaking　he



explained　to　be　as　follows：　The　body　of　Ling；　whenever　the　spirit　left



it；　should　become　as　theirs　to　be　used　for　profit。　For　this　benefit



they　would　pay　Ling　fifty　thousand　taels　when　the　understanding　was



definitely　arrived　at；　five　thousand　taels　each　year　until　the　matter



ended；　and　when　that　period　arrived　another　fifty　thousand　taels　to



persons　depending　upon　him　during　his　life。　Having　stated　the　figure



business；　Chang…ch'un　put　down　his　written　papers；　and　causing　his



face　to　assume　the　look　of　irrepressible　but　dignified　satisfaction



which　it　was　his　custom　to　wear　on　most　occasions；　and　especially　when



he　had　what　appeared　at　first　sight　to　be　evil　news　to　communicate　to



public　assemblages　of　those　who　had　entrusted　money　to　his　ventures；



he　proceeded　to　disclose　the　advantages　of　such　a　system。　At　the



extreme；　he　said；　the　amount　which　they　would　be　required　to　pay　would



be　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　taels；　but　this　was　in　reality　a



very　misleading　view　of　the　circumstance；　as　he　would　endeavour　to



show　them。　For　one　detail；　he　had　allotted　to　Ling　thirty　years　of



existence；　which　was　the　extreme　amount　according　to　the　calculations



of　those　skilled　in　such　prophecies；　but；　as　they　were　all　undoubtedly



aware；　persons　of　very　expert　intellects　were　known　to　enjoy　a　much



shorter　period　of　life　than　the　gross　and　ordinary；　and　as　Ling　was



clearly　one　of　the　former；　by　the　fact　of　his　contriving　so　ingenious



a　method　of　enriching　himself；　they　might　with　reasonable　foresight



rely　upon　his　departing　when　half　the　period　had　been　attained；　in



that　way　seventy…five　thousand　taels　would　be　restored　to　them；　for



every　year　represented　a　saving　of　five　thousand。　Another　agreeable



contemplation　was　that　of　the　last　sum；　for　by　such　a　time　they　would



have　arrived　at　the　most　pleasurable　part　of　the　enterprise：　a　million



taels'　worth　of　pure　gold　would　be　displayed　before　them；　and　the



question　of　the　final　fifty　thousand　could　be　disposed　of　by　cutting



off　an　arm　or　half　a　leg。　Whether　they　adopted　that　course；　or　decided



to　increase　their　fortunes　by　exposing　so　exceptional　and　symmetrical



a　wonder　to　the　public　gaze　in　all　the　principal　cities　of　the　Empire；



was　a　circumstance　which　would　have　to　be　examined　within　their　minds



when　the　time　approached。　In　such　a　way　the　detail　of　purchase　stood



revealed　as　only　fifty　thousand　taels　in　reality；　a　sum　so　despicably



insignificant　that　he　had　internal　pains　at　mentioning　it　to　so



wealthy　a　group　of　Mandarins；　and　he　had　not　yet　made　clear　to　them



that　each　year　they　would　receive　gold　to　the　amount　of　almost　a



thousand　taels。　This　would　be　the　result　of　Ling　making　smooth　his



surfaces；　and　it　would　enable　them　to　know　that　the　person　in　question



actually　existed；　and　to　keep　the　circumstances　before　their



intellects。







When　Chang…Ch'un　had　made　the　various　facts　clear　to　this　extent；



those　who　were　assembled　expressed　their　feelings　as　favourably　turned



towards　the　project；　provided　the　tests　to　which　Ling　was　to　be　put



should　prove　encouraging；　and　a　secure　and　intelligent　understanding



of　things　to　be　done　and　not　to　be　done　could　be　arrived　at　between



them。　To　this　end　Ling　was　brought　into　the　chamber；　and　fixing　his



thoughts　steadfastly　upon　Mian；　he　permitted　portions　to　be　cut　from



various　parts　of　his　body　without　betraying　any　signs　of　ignoble



agitation。　No　sooner　had　the　pieces　been　separated　and　the　virtue　of



Ling's　existence　passed　from　them　than　they　changed　colour　and



hardened；　nor　could　the　most　delicate　and　searching　trials　to　which



they　were　exposed　by　a　skilful　worker　in　metals；　who　was　obtained　for



the　purpose；　disclose　any　particular；　however　minute；　in　which　they



differed　from　the　finest　gold。　The　hair；　the　nails；　and　the　teeth　were



similarly　affected；　and　even　Ling's　blood　dried　into　a　fine　gold



powder。　This　detail　of　the　trial　being　successfully　completed；　Ling



subjected　himself　to　intricate　questioning　on　all　matters　connected



with　his　religion　and　manner　of　conducting　himself；　both　in　public　and



privately；　the　history　and　behaviour　of　his　ancestors；　the　various



omens　and　remarkable　sayings　which　had　reference　to　his　life　and



destiny；　and　the　intentions　which　he　then　possesse