the wallet of kai lung-第22部分

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〃Ning　turned；　and　beheld　fastened　to　the　trunk　of　the　cypress　an



exceedingly　elegantly　written　and　composed　notice；　which　Yung　read　to



her　as　follows：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃'BEWARE　OF　INCURRING　DEATH　FROM　STARVATION







　　　　〃'Let　the　distinguished　inhabitants　of　this　district　observe



　　　　the　exceedingly　ungraceful　walk　and　bearing　of　the　low　person



　　　　who　calls　himself　Li　Ting。　Truthfully；　it　is　that　of　a　dog　in



　　　　the　act　of　being　dragged　to　the　river　because　his　sores　and



　　　　diseases　render　him　objectionable　in　the　house　of　his　master。



　　　　So　will　this　hunchbacked　person　be　dragged　to　the　place　of



　　　　execution；　and　be　bowstrung；　to　the　great　relief　of　all　who



　　　　respect　the　five　senses；　A　Respectful　Physiognomy；



　　　　Passionless；　Reflexion；　Soft　Speech；　Acute　Hearing；　Piercing



　　　　Sight。







　　　　〃'He　hopes　to　attain　to　the　Red　Button　and　the　Peacock's



　　　　Feather；　but　the　right　hand　of　the　Deity　itches；　and　Li　Ting



　　　　will　assuredly　be　removed　suddenly。'







〃'Li　Ting　must　certainly　be　in　league　with　the　evil　forces　if　he　can



withstand　so　powerful　a　weapon；'　said　Ning　admiringly；　when　her　lover



had　finished　reading。　'Even　now　he　is　starting　on　a　journey；　nor　will



he　return　till　the　first　day　of　the　month　when　the　sparrows　go　to　the



sea　and　are　changed　into　oysters。　Perhaps　the　fate　will　overtake　him



while　he　is　away。　If　not'







〃'If　not；'　said　Yung；　taking　up　her　words　as　she　paused；　'then　I　have



yet　another　hope。　A　moment　ago　you　were　regretting　my　choice　of　a



literary　career。　Learn；　then；　the　value　of　knowledge。　By　its　aid



（assisted；　indeed；　by　the　spirits　of　my　ancestors）　I　have　discovered　a



new　and　strange　thing；　for　which　I　can　find　no　word。　By　using　this　new



system　of　reckoning；　your　illustrious　but　exceedingly　narrow…minded



and　miserly　father　would　be　able　to　make　five　taels　where　he　now　makes



one。　Would　he　not；　in　consideration　for　this；　consent　to　receive　me　as



a　son…in…law；　and　dismiss　the　inelegant　and　unworthy　Li　Ting？'







〃'In　the　unlikely　event　of　your　being　able　to　convince　my　illustrious



parent　of　what　you　say；　it　would　assuredly　be　so；'　replied　Ning。　'But



in　what　way　could　you　do　so？　My　sublime　and　charitable　father　already



employs　all　the　means　in　his　power　to　reap　the　full　reward　of　his



sacred　industry。　His　〃solid　house…hold　gods〃　are　in　reality　mere



shells　of　clay；　higher…priced　images　are　correspondingly　constructed；



and　his　clay　gatherers　and　modellers　are　all　paid　on　a　〃profit…sharing



system〃。　Nay；　further；　it　is　beyond　likelihood　that　he　should　wish　for



more　purchasers；　for　so　great　is　his　fame　that　those　who　come　to　buy



have　sometimes　to　wait　for　days　in　consequence　of　those　before　them；



for　my　exceedingly　methodical　sire　entrusts　none　with　the　receiving　of



money；　and　the　exchanges　are　therefore　made　slowly。　Frequently　an



unnaturally　devout　person　will　require　as　many　as　a　hundred　idols；　and



so　the　greater　part　of　the　day　will　be　passed。'







〃'In　what　way？'　inquired　Yung　tremulously。







〃'Why；　in　order　that　the　countings　may　not　get　mixed；　of　course；　it　is



necessary　that　when　he　has　paid　for　one　idol　he　should　carry　it　to　a



place　aside；　and　then　return　and　pay　for　the　second；　carrying　it　to



the　first；　and　in　such　a　manner　to　the　end。　In　this　way　the　sun　sinks



behind　the　mountains。'







〃'But；'　said　Yung；　his　voice　thick　with　his　great　discovery；　'if　he



could　pay　for　the　entire　quantity　at　once；　then　it　would　take　but　a



hundredth　part　of　the　time；　and　so　more　idols　could　be　sold。'







〃'How　could　this　be　done？'　inquired　Ning　wonderingly。　'Surely　it　is



impossible　to　conjecture　the　value　of　so　many　idols。'







〃'To　the　unlearned　it　would　indeed　be　impossible；'　replied　Yung



proudly；　'but　by　the　aid　of　my　literary　researches　I　have　been　enabled



to　discover　a　process　by　which　such　results　would　be　not　a　matter　of



conjecture；　but　of　certainty。　These　figures　I　have　committed　to



tablets；　which　I　am　prepared　to　give　to　your　mercenary　and　slow…witted



father　in　return　for　your　incomparable　hand；　a　share　of　the　profits；



and　the　dismissal　of　the　unintentive　and　morally　threadbare　Li　Ting。'







〃'When　the　earth…worm　boasts　of　his　elegant　wings；　the　eagle　can



afford　to　be　silent；'　said　a　harsh　voice　behind　them；　and　turning



hastily　they　beheld　Li　Ting；　who　had　come　upon　them　unawares。　'Oh；



most　insignificant　of　table…spoilers；'　he　continued；　'it　is　very



evident　that　much　over…study　has　softened　your　usually　well…educated



brains。　Were　it　not　that　you　are　obviously　mentally　afflicted；　I



should　unhesitatingly　persuade　my　beautiful　and　refined　sword　to



introduce　you　to　the　spirits　of　your　ignoble　ancestors。　As　it　is；　I



will　merely　cut　off　your　nose　and　your　left　ear；　so　that　people　may



not　say　that　the　Dragon　of　the　Earth　sleeps　and　wickedness　goes



unpunished。'







〃Both　had　already　drawn　their　swords；　and　very　soon　the　blows　were　so



hard　and　swift　that；　in　the　dusk　of　the　evening；　it　seemed　as　though



the　air　were　filled　with　innumerable　and　many…coloured　fireworks。　Each



was　a　practised　swordsman；　and　there　was　no　advantage　gained　on　either



side；　when　Ning；　who　had　fled　on　the　appearance　of　Li　Ting；



reappeared；　urging　on　her　father；　whose　usually　leisurely　footsteps



were　quickened　by　the　dread　that　the　duel　must　surely　result　in



certain　loss　to　himself；　either　of　a　valuable　servant；　or　of　the



discovery　which　Ning　had　briefly　explained　to　him；　and　of　which　he　at



once　saw　the　value。







〃'Oh；　most　distinguished　and　expert　persons；'　he　exclaimed



breathlessly；　as　soon　as　he　was　within　hearing　distance；　'do　not



trouble　to　give　so　marvellous　an　exhibition　for　the　benefit　of　this



unworthy　individual；　who　is　the　only　observer　of　your　illustrious



dexterity！　Indeed；　your　honourable　condescension　so　fills　this



illiterate　person　with　shame　that　his　hearing　is　thereby



preternaturally　sharpened；　and　he　can　plainly　distinguish　many　voices



from　beyond　the　Hoang　Ho；　crying　for　the　Heaven…sent　representative　of



the　degraded　Ti　Hung　to　bring　them　more　idols。　Bend；　therefore；　your



refined　footsteps　in　the　direction　of　Poo　Chow；　O　Li　Ting；　and　leave



me　to　make　myself　objectionable　to　this　exceptional　young　man　with　my



intolerable　commonplaces。'







〃'The　shadow　falls　in　such　a　direction　as　the　sun　wills；'　said　Li



Ting；　as　he　replaced　his　sword　and　departed。







〃'Yung　Chang；'　said　the　merchant；　'I　am　informed　that　you　have　made　a



discovery　that　would　be　of　great　value　to　me；　as　it　undoubtedly　would



if　it　is　all　that　you　say。　Let　us　discuss　the　matter　without　ceremony。



Can　you　prove　to　me　that　your　system　possesses　the　merit　you　claim　for



it？　If　so；　then　the　matter　of　arrangement　will　be　easy。'







〃'I　am　convinced　of　the　absolute　certainty　and　accuracy　of　the



discovery；'　replied　Yung　Chang。　'It　is　not　as　though　it　were　an



ordinary　matter　of　human　intelligence；　for　this　was　discovered　to　me



as　I　was　worshipping　at　the　tomb　of　my　ancestors。　The　method　is



regulated　by　a　system　of　squares；　triangles；　and　cubes。　But　as　the



practical　proof　might　be　long；　and　as　I　hesitate　to　keep　your　adorable



daughter　out　in　the　damp　night　air；　may　I　not　call　at　your　inimitable



dwelling　in　the　morning；　when　we　can　go　into　the　matter　thoroughly？'







〃I　will　not　weary　this　intelligent　gathering；　each　member　of　which



doubtless　knows　all　the　books　on　mathematics　off　by　heart；　with　a



recital　of　the　means　by　which　Yung　Chang　proved　to　Ti　Hung　the



accuracy　of　his　tables　and　the　value　of　his　discovery　of　the



multiplication　table；　which　till　then　had　been　undreamt　of；〃　continued



the　story…teller。　〃It　is　sufficient　to　know　that　he　did　so；　and　that



Ti　Hung　agreed　to　his　terms；　only　stipulating　that　Li　Ting　should　not



be　made　aware　of　his　dismissal　until　he　had　returned　and　given　in　his



accounts。　The　share　of　the　profits　that　Yung　was　to　receive　was　cut



down　very　low　by　Ti　Hung；　but　the　young　man　did　not　mind　that；　as　he



would　live　with　his　father…in…law　for　the　future。







〃With　the　introduction　of　this　new　system；　the　business　increased　like



a　river　at　flood…time。　All　rivals　were　left　far　behind；　and　Ti　Hung



put　out　this　sign：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃NO　WAITING　HERE！







　　　　〃Good…morning！　Have　you　worshipped　one　of　Ti　Hung's　refined



　　　　ninety…nine　cash　idols？







　　　　〃Let　the　purchasers　of　ill…constructed　idols　at　other



　　　　establishments；　where　they　have　grown　old　and　venerable　while



　　　　waiting　for　the　all…thumb　proprietors　to　count　up　to　ten；　come



　　　　to　the　shop　of　Ti　Hung　and　regain　their　lost　youth。　Our



　　　　ninety…nine　cash　idols　are　worth　a　tael　a　set。　We　do　not；



　　　　however；　claim　that　they　will　do　everything。　The　ninety…nine



　　　　cash　idols　of　Ti　Hung　will　not；　for　example；　purify　linen；　but



　　　　even　the　most　contented　and　frozen…brained　person　cannot　be



　　　　happy　until　he　possesses　one。　What　is　happiness？　The



　　　　exceedingly　well…educated　Philosopher　defines　it　as　the



　　　　accomplishment　of　all　our　desires。　Everyone　desires　one　of　the



　　　　Ti　Hung's　ninety…nine　cash　idols；　therefore　get　one；　but　be



　　　　sure　that　it　is　Ti　Hung's。







　　　　〃Have　you　a　bad　idol？　If　so；　dismiss　it；　and　get　one　of　Ti



　　　　Hung's　ninety…nine　cash　specimens。







　　　　〃Why　does　your　idol　look　old　sooner　than　your　neighbours？



　　　　Because　yours　is　not　one　of　Ti　Hung's　ninety…nine　cash