the wallet of kai lung-第23部分

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



　　　　marvels。







　　　　　　　　〃They　bring　all　delights　to　the　old　and　the　young；



　　　　　　　　The　elegant　idols　supplied　by　Ti　Hung。







　　　　〃N。B。The　'Great　Sacrifice'　idol；　forty…five　cash；　delivered；



　　　　carriage　free；　in　quantities　of　not　less　than　twelve；　at　any



　　　　temple；　on　the　evening　before　the　sacrifice。







〃It　was　about　this　time　that　Li　Ting　returned。　His　journey　had　been



more　than　usually　successful；　and　he　was　well　satisfied　in



consequence。　It　was　not　until　he　had　made　out　his　accounts　and　handed



in　his　money　that　Ti　Hung　informed　him　of　his　agreement　with　Yung



Chang。







〃'Oh；　most　treacherous　and　excessively　unpopular　Ti　Hung；'　exclaimed



Li　Ting；　in　a　terrible　voice；　'this　is　the　return　you　make　for　all　my



entrancing　efforts　in　your　services；　then？　It　is　in　this　way　that　you



reward　my　exceedingly　unconscientious　recommendations　of　your　very



inferior　and　unendurable　clay　idols；　with　their　goggle　eyes　and



concave　stomachs！　Before　I　go；　however；　I　request　to　be　inspired　to



make　the　following　remarkthat　I　confidently　predict　your　ruin。　And



now　this　low　and　undignified　person　will　finally　shake　the　elegant



dust　of　your　distinguished　house　from　his　thoroughly　inadequate　feet；



and　proceed　to　offer　his　incapable　services　to　the　rival　establishment



over　the　way。'







〃'The　machinations　of　such　an　evilly…disposed　person　as　Li　Ting　will



certainly　be　exceedingly　subtle；'　said　Ti　Hung　to　his　son…in…law　when



the　traveller　had　departed。　'I　must　counteract　his　omens。　Herewith　I



wish　to　prophecy　that　henceforth　I　shall　enjoy　an　unbroken　run　of　good



fortune。　I　have　spoken；　and　assuredly　I　shall　not　eat　my　words。'







〃As　the　time　went　on；　it　seemed　as　though　Ti　Hung　had　indeed　spoken



truly。　The　ease　and　celerity　with　which　he　transacted　his　business



brought　him　customers　and　dealers　from　more　remote　regions　than　ever；



for　they　could　spend　days　on　the　journey　and　still　save　time。　The　army



of　clay…gatherers　and　modellers　grew　larger　and　larger；　and　the



work…sheds　stretched　almost　down　to　the　river's　edge。　Only　one　thing



troubled　Ti　Hung；　and　that　was　the　uncongenial　disposition　of　his



son…in…law；　for　Yung　took　no　further　interest　in　the　industry　to　which



his　discovery　had　given　so　great　an　impetus；　but　resolutely　set　to



work　again　to　pass　his　examination　for　the　second　degree。







〃'It　is　an　exceedingly　distinguished　and　honourable　thing　to　have



failed　thirty…five　times；　and　still　to　be　undiscouraged；'　admitted　Ti



Hung；　'but　I　cannot　cleanse　my　throat　from　bitterness　when　I　consider



that　my　noble　and　lucrative　business　must　pass　into　the　hands　of



strangers；　perhaps　even　into　the　possession　of　the　unendurable　Li



Ting。'







〃But　it　had　been　appointed　that　this　degrading　thing　should　not



happen；　however；　and　it　was　indeed　fortunate　that　Yung　did　not　abandon



his　literary　pursuits；　for　after　some　time　it　became　very　apparent　to



Ti　Hung　that　there　was　something　radically　wrong　with　his　business。　It



was　not　that　his　custom　was　falling　off　in　any　way；　indeed；　it　had



lately　increased　in　a　manner　that　was　phenomenal；　and　when　the



merchant　came　to　look　into　the　matter；　he　found　to　his　astonishment



that　the　least　order　he　had　received　in　the　past　week　had　been　for　a



hundred　idols。　All　the　sales　had　been　large；　and　yet　Ti　Hung　found



himself　most　unaccountably　deficient　in　taels。　He　was　puzzled　and



alarmed；　and　for　the　next　few　days　he　looked　into　the　business



closely。　Then　it　was　that　the　reason　was　revealed；　both　for　the



falling　off　in　the　receipts　and　for　the　increase　in　the　orders。　The



calculations　of　the　unfortunate　Yung　Chang　were　correct　up　to　a



hundred；　but　at　that　number　he　had　made　a　gigantic　errorwhich；



however；　he　was　never　able　to　detect　and　rectifywith　the　result　that



all　transactions　above　that　point　worked　out　at　a　considerable　loss　to



the　seller。　It　was　in　vain　that　the　panic…stricken　Ti　Hung　goaded　his



miserable　son…in…law　to　correct　the　mistake；　it　was　equally　in　vain



that　he　tried　to　stem　the　current　of　his　enormous　commercial



popularity。　He　had　competed　for　public　favour；　and　he　had　won　it；　and



every　day　his　business　increased　till　ruin　grasped　him　by　the　pigtail。



Then　came　an　order　from　one　firm　at　Peking　for　five　millions　of　the



ninety…nine　cash　idols；　and　at　that　Ti　Hung　put　up　his　shutters；　and



sat　down　in　the　dust。







〃'Behold！'　he　exclaimed；　'in　the　course　of　a　lifetime　there　are　many



very　disagreeable　evils　that　may　overtake　a　person。　He　may　offend　the



Sacred　Dragon；　and　be　in　consequence　reduced　to　a　fine　dry　powder；　or



he　may　incur　the　displeasure　of　the　benevolent　and　pure…minded



Emperor；　and　be　condemned　to　death　by　roasting；　he　may　also　be



troubled　by　demons　or　by　the　disturbed　spirits　of　his　ancestors；　or　be



struck　by　thunderbolts。　Indeed；　there　are　numerous　annoyances；　but



they　become　as　Heaven…sent　blessings　in　comparison　to　a



self…opinionated　and　more　than　ordinarily　weak…minded　son…in…law。　Of



what　avail　is　it　that　I　have　habitually　sold　one　idol　for　the　value　of



a　hundred？　The　very　objectionable　man　in　possession　sits　in　my



delectable　summer…house；　and　the　unavoidable　legal　documents　settle



around　me　like　a　flock　of　pigeons。　It　is　indeed　necessary　that　I



should　declare　myself　to　be　in　voluntary　liquidation；　and　make　an



assignment　of　my　book　debts　for　the　benefit　of　my　creditors。　Having



accomplished　this；　I　will　proceed　to　the　well…constructed　tomb　of　my



illustrious　ancestors；　and　having　kow…towed　at　their　incomparable



shrines；　I　will　put　an　end　to　my　distinguished　troubles　with　this



exceedingly　well…polished　sword。'







〃'The　wise　man　can　adapt　himself　to　circumstances　as　water　takes　the



shape　of　the　vase　that　contains　it；'　said　the　well…known　voice　of　Li



Ting。　'Let　not　the　lion　and　the　tiger　fight　at　the　bidding　of　the



jackal。　By　combining　our　forces　all　may　be　well　with　you　yet。　Assist



me　to　dispose　of　the　entirely　superfluous　Yung　Chang　and　to　marry　the



elegant　and　symmetrical　Ning；　and　in　return　I　will　allot　to　you　a



portion　of　my　not　inconsiderable　income。'







〃'However　high　the　tree；　the　leaves　fall　to　the　ground；　and　your　hour



has　come　at　last；　O　detestable　Li　Ting！'　said　Yung；　who　had　heard　the



speakers　and　crept　upon　them　unperceived。　'As　for　my　distinguished　and



immaculate　father…in…law；　doubtless　the　heat　has　affected　his



indefatigable　brains；　or　he　would　not　have　listened　to　your



contemptible　suggestion。　For　yourself；　draw！'







〃Both　swords　flashed；　but　before　a　blow　could　be　struck　the　spirits　of



his　ancestors　hurled　Li　Ting　lifeless　to　the　ground；　to　avenge　the



memories　that　their　unworthy　descendant　had　so　often　reviled。







〃'So　perish　all　the　enemies　of　Yung　Chang；'　said　the　victor。　'And　now；



my　venerated　but　exceedingly　short…sighted　father…in…law；　learn　how



narrowly　you　have　escaped　making　yourself　exceedingly　objectionable　to



yourself。　I　have　just　received　intelligence　from　Peking　that　I　have



passed　the　second　degree；　and　have　in　consequence　been　appointed　to　a



remunerative　position　under　the　Government。　This　will　enable　us　to



live　in　comfort；　if　not　in　affluence；　and　the　rest　of　your　engaging



days　can　be　peacefully　spent　in　flying　kites。'〃















CHAPTER　III







THE　PROBATION　OF　SEN　HENG







Related　by　Kai　Lung；　at　Wu…whei；　as　a　rebuke　to　Wang　Yu　and



certain　others　who　had　questioned　the　practical　value　of　his　stories。







〃It　is　an　undoubted　fact　that　this　person　has　not　realized　the　direct



remunerative　advantage　which　he　confidently　anticipated；〃　remarked　the



idle　and　discontented　pipe…maker　Wang　Yu；　as；　with　a　few　other　persons



of　similar　inclination；　he　sat　in　the　shade　of　the　great　mulberry　tree



at　Wu…whei；　waiting　for　the　evil　influence　of　certain　very　mysterious



sounds；　which　had　lately　been　heard；　to　pass　away　before　he　resumed



his　occupation。　〃When　the　seemingly　proficient　and　trustworthy　Kai



Lung　first　made　it　his　practice　to　journey　to　Wu…whei；　and　narrate　to



us　the　doings　of　persons　of　all　classes　of　life；〃　he　continued；　〃it



seemed　to　this　one　that　by　closely　following　the　recital　of　how



Mandarins　obtained　their　high　position；　and　exceptionally　rich　persons



their　wealth；　he　must；　in　the　end；　inevitably　be　rendered　competent　to



follow　in　their　illustrious　footsteps。　Yet　in　how　entirely　contrary　a



direction　has　the　whole　course　of　events　tended！　In　spite　of　the



honourable　intention　which　involved　a　frequent　absence　from　his　place



of　commerce；　those　who　journeyed　thither　with　the　set　purpose　of



possessing　one　of　his　justly…famed　opium　pipes　so　perversely　regarded



the　matter　that；　after　two　or　three　fruitless　visits；　they



deliberately　turned　their　footsteps　towards　the　workshop　of　the



inelegant　Ming…yo；　whose　pipes　are　confessedly　greatly　inferior　to



those　produced　by　the　person　who　is　now　speaking。　Nevertheless；　the



rapacious　Kai　Lung；　to　whose　influence　the　falling　off　in　custom　was



thus　directly　attributable；　persistently　declined　to　bear　any　share



whatever　in　the　loss　which　his　profession　caused；　and；　indeed；



regarded　the　circumstance　from　so　grasping　and　narrow…minded　a　point



of　observation　that　he　would　not　even　go　to　the　length　of　suffering



this　much…persecuted　one　to　join　the　circle　of　his　hearers　without　on



every　occasion　making　the　customary　offering。　In　this　manner