the wallet of kai lung-第17部分

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undertaking　at　which　he　had　arrived　with　Chang…ch'un；　than　she　became



a　prey　to　the　most　intolerable　and　unrestrained　anguish。







〃Oh；　my　devoted　but　excessively　ill…advised　lover；〃　she　exclaimed



wildly；　and　in　tones　which　clearly　indicated　that　she　was　inspired　by



every　variety　of　affectionate　emotion；　〃has　the　unendurable　position



in　which　you　and　all　your　household　will　be　placed　by　the　degrading



commercial　schemes　and　instincts　of　the　mercenary…souled　person



Chang…ch'un　occupied　no　place　in　your　generally　well…regulated



intellect？　Inevitably　will　those　who　drink　our　almond　tea；　in　order　to



have　an　opportunity　of　judging　the　value　of　the　appointments　of　the



house；　pass　the　jesting　remark　that　while　the　Lings　assuredly　have　'a



dead　person's　bones　in　the　secret　chamber'；　at　the　present　they　will



not　have　one　in　the　family　graveyard　by　reason　of　the　death　of　Ling



himself。　Better　to　lose　a　thousand　limbs　during　life　than　the　entire



person　after　death；　nor　would　your　adoring　Mian　hesitate　to　clasp



proudly　to　her　organ　of　affection　the　veriest　trunk　that　had　parted



with　all　its　attributes　in　a　noble　and　sacrificing　endeavour　to



preserve　at　least　some　dignified　proportions　to　embellish　the



Ancestral　Temple　and　to　receive　the　worship　of　posterity。〃







〃Alas！〃　replied　Ling；　with　extravagant　humiliation；　〃it　is　indeed



true；　and　this　person　is　degraded　beyond　the　common　lot　of　those　who



break　images　and　commit　thefts　from　sacred　places。　The　side　of　the



transaction　which　is　at　present　engaging　our　attention　never　occurred



to　this　superficial　individual　until　now。〃







〃Wise　and　incomparable　one；〃　said　Mian；　in　no　degree　able　to　restrain



the　fountains　of　bitter　water　which　clouded　her　delicate　and



expressive　eyes；　〃in　spite　of　this　person's　biting　and　ungracious



words　do　not；　she　makes　a　formal　petition；　doubt　the　deathless



strength　of　her　affection。　Cheerfully；　in　order　to　avert　the　matter　in



question；　or　even　to　save　her　lover　the　anguish　of　unavailing　and



soul…eating　remorse；　would　she　consign　herself　to　a　badly…constructed



and　slow…consuming　fire　or　expose　her　body　to　various　undignified



tortures。　Happy　are　those　even　to　whom　is　left　a　little　ash　to　be



placed　in　a　precious　urn　and　diligently　guarded；　for　it；　in　any　event；



truly　represents　all　that　is　left　of　the　once　living　person；　whereas



after　an　honourable　and　spotless　existence　my　illustrious　but



unthinking　lord　will　be　blended　with　a　variety　of　baser　substances　and



passed　from　hand　to　hand；　his　immaculate　organs　serving　to　reward



murderers　for　their　deeds　and　to　tempt　the　weak　and　vicious　to　all



manner　of　unmentionable　crimes。〃







So　overcome　was　Ling　by　the　distressing　nature　of　the　oversight　he　had



permitted　that　he　could　find　no　words　with　which　to　comfort　Mian；　who；



after　some　moments；　continued：







〃There　are　even　worse　visions　of　degradation　which　occur　to　this



person。　By　chance；　that　which　was　once　the　noble…minded　Ling　may　be



disposed　of；　not　to　the　Imperial　Treasury　for　converting　into　pieces



of　exchange；　but　to　some　undiscriminating　worker　in　metals　who　will



fashion　out　of　his　beautiful　and　symmetrical　stomach　an　elegant



food…dish；　so　that　from　the　ultimate　developments　of　the　circumstance



may　arise　the　fact　that　his　own　descendants；　instead　of　worshipping



him；　use　his　internal　organs　for　this　doubtful　if　not　absolutely



unclean　purpose；　and　thereby　suffer　numerous　well…merited　afflictions；



to　the　end　that　the　finally…despised　Ling　and　this　discredited　person；



instead　of　founding　a　vigorous　and　prolific　generation；　become　the



parents　of　a　line　of　feeble…minded　and　physically…depressed　lepers。〃







〃Oh；　my　peacock…eyed　one！〃　exclaimed　Ling；　in　immeasurable　distress；



〃so　proficient　an　exhibition　of　virtuous　grief　crushes　this　misguided



person　completely　to　the　ground。　Rather　would　he　uncomplainingly　lose



his　pigtail　than〃







〃Such　a　course；〃　said　a　discordant　voice；　as　the　unpresentable　person



Wang　stepped　froth　from　behind　a　hanging　curtain；　where；　indeed；　he



had　stood　concealed　during　the　entire　conversation；　〃is　especially



forbidden　by　the　twenty…third　detail　of　the　things　to　be　done　and　not



to　be　done。〃







〃What　new　adversity　is　this？〃　cried　Mian；　pressing　to　Ling　with　a



still　closer　embrace。　〃Having　disposed　of　your　incomparable　body　after



death；　surely　an　adequate　amount　of　liberty　and　seclusion　remains　to



us　during　life。〃







〃Nevertheless；〃　interposed　the　dog…like　Wang；　〃the　refined　person　in



question　must　not　attempt　to　lose　or　to　dispose　of　his　striking　and



invaluable　pigtail；　for　by　such　an　action　he　would　be　breaking　through



his　spoken　and　written　word　whereby　he　undertook　to　be　ruled　by　the



things　to　be　done　and　not　to　be　done；　and　he　would　also　be　robbing　the



ingenious…minded　Chang…ch'un。〃







〃Alas！〃　lamented　the　unhappy　Ling；　〃that　which　appeared　to　be　the　end



of　all　this　person's　troubles　is　obviously　simply　the　commencement　of



a　new　and　more　extensive　variety。　Understand；　O　conscientious　but



exceedingly　inopportune　Wang；　that　the　words　which　passed　from　this



person's　mouth　did　not　indicate　a　fixed　determination；　but　merely



served　to　show　the　unfeigned　depth　of　his　emotion。　Be　content　that　he



has　no　intention　of　evading　the　definite　principles　of　the　things　to



be　done　and　not　to　be　done；　and　in　the　meantime　honour　this



commonplace　establishment　by　retiring　to　the　hot　and　ill…ventilated



chamber；　and　there　partaking　of　a　suitable　repast　which　shall　be



prepared　without　delay。〃







When　Wang　had　departed；　which　he　did　with　somewhat　unseemly　haste；



Ling　made　an　end　of　recording　his　narrative；　which　Mian's　grief　had



interrupted。　In　this　way　he　explained　to　her　the　reason　of　Wang's



presence；　and　assured　her　that　by　reason　of　the　arrangement　he　had



made　with　that　person；　his　near　existence　would　not　be　so



unsupportable　to　them　as　might　at　first　appear　to　be　the　case。







While　they　were　still　conversing　together；　and　endeavouring　to　divert



their　minds　from　the　objectionable　facts　which　had　recently　come



within　their　notice；　an　attendant　entered　and　disclosed　that　the　train



of　servants　and　merchandise　which　Ling　had　preceded　on　the　journey　was



arriving。　At　this　fresh　example　of　her　lover's　consistent　thought　for



her。　Mian　almost　forgot　her　recent　agitation；　and　eagerly　lending



herself　to　the　entrancing　occupation　of　unfolding　and　displaying　the



various　objects；　her　brow　finally　lost　the　last　trace　of　sadness。



Greatly　beyond　the　imaginings　of　anticipation　were　the　expensive



articles　with　which　Ling　proudly　surrounded　her；　and　in　examining　and



learning　the　cost　of　the　set　jewels　and　worked　metals；　the　ornamental



garments　for　both　persons；　the　wood　and　paper　appointments　for　the



houseeven　incenses；　perfumes；　spices　and　rare　viands　had　not　been



forgottenthe　day　was　quickly　and　profitably　spent。







When　the　hour　of　sunset　arrived；　Ling；　having　learned　that　certain



preparations　which　he　had　commanded　were　fully　carried　out；　took　Mian



by　the　hand　and　led　her　into　the　chief　apartment　of　the　house；　where



were　assembled　all　the　followers　and　attendants；　even　down　to　the



illiterate　and　superfluous　Wang。　In　the　centre　of　the　room　upon　a



table　of　the　finest　ebony　stood　a　vessel　of　burning　incense；　some



dishes　of　the　most　highly…esteemed　fruit；　and　an　abundance　of　old　and



very　sweet　wine。　Before　these　emblems　Ling　and　Mian　placed　themselves



in　an　attitude　of　deep　humiliation；　and　formally　expressed　their



gratitude　to　the　Chief　Deity　for　having　called　them　into　existence；　to



the　cultivated　earth　for　supplying　them　with　the　means　of　sustaining



life；　to　the　Emperor　for　providing　the　numerous　safeguards　by　which



their　persons　were　protected　at　all　times；　and　to　their　parents　for



educating　them。　This　adequate　ceremony　being　completed；　Ling



explicitly　desired　all　those　present　to　observe　the　fact　that　the　two



persons　in　question　were；　by　that　fact　and　from　that　time；　made　as　one



being；　and　the　bond　between　them；　incapable　of　severance。







When　the　ruling　night…lantern　came　out　from　among　the　clouds；　Ling　and



Mian　became　possessed　of　a　great　desire　to　go　forth　with　pressed　hands



and　look　again　on　the　forest　paths　and　glades　in　which　they　had　spent



many　hours　of　exceptional　happiness　before　Ling's　journey　to　Canton。



Leaving　the　attendants　to　continue　the　feasting　and　drum…beating　in　a



completely　unrestrained　manner；　they　therefore　passed　out　unperceived；



and　wandering　among　the　trees；　presently　stood　on　the　banks　of　the



Heng…Kiang。







〃Oh；　my　beloved！〃　exclaimed　Mian；　gazing　at　the　brilliant　and



unruffled　water；　〃greatly　would　this　person　esteem　a　short　river



journey；　such　as　we　often　enjoyed　together　in　the　days　when　you　were



recovering。〃







Ling；　to　whom　the　expressed　desires　of　Mian　were　as　the　word　of　the



Emperor；　instantly　prepared　the　small　and　ornamental　junk　which　was



fastened　near　for　this　purpose；　and　was　about　to　step　in；　when　a



presumptuous　and　highly　objectionable　hand　restrained　him。







〃Behold；〃　remarked　a　voice　which　Ling　had　some　difficulty　in　ascribing



to　any　known　person；　so　greatly　had　it　changed　from　its　usual　tone；



〃behold　how　the　immature　and　altogether　too…inferior　Ling　observes　his



spoken　and　written　assertions！〃







At　this　low…conditioned　speech；　Ling　drew　his　well…tempered　sword



without　further　thought；