the wallet of kai lung-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





appearance；　and　those　of　the　person　to　whom　he　was　speaking；　he　had



turned　to　leave　when　the　other　continued：







〃Ever　since　your　dignified　presence　illumined　this　very　ordinary



chamber；　this　person　has　been　endeavouring　to　bring　to　his　mind　an



incident　which　occurred　to　him　last　night　while　he　slept。　Now　it　has



come　back　to　him　with　a　diamond　clearness；　and　he　is　satisfied　that　it



was　as　follows：　While　he　floated　in　the　Middle　Air　a　benevolent　spirit



in　the　form　of　an　elderly　and　toothless　vampire　appeared；　leading　by



the　hand　a　young　man；　of　elegant　personality。　Smiling　encouragingly



upon　this　person；　the　spirit　said；　'O　Fou；　recipient　of　many　favours



from　Mandarins　and　of　innumerable　taels　from　gratified　persons　whom



you　have　obliged；　I　am；　even　at　this　moment；　guiding　this　exceptional



young　man　towards　your　presence；　when　he　arrives　do　not　hesitate；　but



do　as　he　desires；　no　matter　how　great　the　danger　seems　or　how



inadequately　you　may　appear　to　be　rewarded　on　earth。'　The　vision　then



melted；　but　I　now　clearly　perceive　that　with　the　exception　of　the



embroidered　cloak　which　you　wear；　you　are　the　person　thus　indicated　to



me。　Remove　your　cloak；　therefore；　in　order　to　give　the　amiable　spirit



no　opportunity　of　denying　the　fact；　and　I　will　advance　your　wishes；



for；　as　the　Book　of　Verses　indicates；　'The　person　who　patiently　awaits



a　sign　from　the　clouds　for　many　years；　and　yet　fails　to　notice　the



earthquake　at　his　feet；　is　devoid　of　intellect。'〃







Convinced　that　he　was　assuredly　under　the　especial　protection　of　the



Deities；　and　that　the　end　of　his　search　was　in　view；　Ling　gave　his



rich　cloak　to　the　attendant；　and　was　immediately　shown　into　another



room；　where　he　was　left　alone。







After　a　considerable　space　of　time　the　door　opened　and　there　entered　a



person　whom　Ling　at　first　supposed　to　be　the　Mandarin。　Indeed；　he　was



addressing　him　by　his　titles　when　the　other　interrupted　him。　〃Do　not



distress　your　incomparable　mind　by　searching　for　honourable　names　to



apply　to　so　inferior　a　person　as　myself；〃　he　said　agreeably。　〃The



mistake　is；　nevertheless；　very　natural；　for；　however　miraculous　it　may



appear；　this　unseemly　individual；　who　is　in　reality　merely　a　writer　of



spoken　words；　is　admitted　to　be　exceedingly　like　the　dignified



Mandarin　himself；　though　somewhat　stouter；　clad　in　better　garments；



and；　it　is　said；　less　obtuse　of　intellect。　This　last　matter　he　very



much　doubts；　for　he　now　finds　himself　unable　to　recognize　by　name　one



who　is　undoubtedly　entitled　to　wear　the　Royal　Yellow。〃







With　this　encouragement　Ling　once　more　explained　his　position；



narrating　the　events　which　had　enabled　him　to　reach　the　second　chamber



of　the　Yamen。　When　he　had　finished　the　secretary　was　overpowered　with



a　high…minded　indignation。







〃Assuredly　those　depraved　and　rapacious　persons　who　have　both　misled



and　robbed　you　shall　suffer　bow…stringing　when　the　whole　matter　is



brought　to　light；〃　he　exclaimed。　〃The　noble　Mandarin　neither　fasts　nor



receives　guests；　for；　indeed；　he　has　slept　since　the　sun　went　down。



This　person　would　unhesitatingly　break　his　slumber　for　so　commendable



a　purpose　were　it　not　for　a　circumstance　of　intolerable



unavoidableness。　It　must　not　even　be　told　in　a　low　breath　beyond　the



walls　of　the　Yamen；　but　my　benevolent　and　high…born　lord　is　in　reality



a　person　of　very　miserly　instinct；　and　nothing　will　call　him　from　his



natural　sleep　but　the　sound　of　taels　shaken　beside　his　bed。　In　an



unexpected　manner　it　comes　about　that　this　person　is　quite　unsupplied



with　anything　but　thin　printed　papers　of　a　thousand　taels　each；　and



these　are　quite　useless　for　the　purpose。〃







〃It　is　unendurable　that　so　obliging　a　person　should　be　put　to　such



inconvenience　on　behalf　of　one　who　will　certainly　become　a　public



laughing…stock　at　the　examinations；〃　said　Ling；　with　deep　feeling；　and



taking　from　a　concealed　spot　in　his　garments　a　few　taels；　he　placed



them　before　the　secretary　for　the　use　he　had　indicated。







Ling　was　again　left　alone　for　upwards　of　two　strokes　of　the　gong；　and



was　on　the　point　of　sleep　when　the　secretary　returned　with　an



expression　of　dignified　satisfaction　upon　his　countenance。　Concluding



that　he　had　been　successful　in　the　manner　of　awakening　the　Mandarin；



Ling　was　opening　his　mouth　for　a　polite　speech；　which　should　contain　a



delicate　allusion　to　the　taels；　when　the　secretary　warned　him；　by



affecting　a　sudden　look　of　terror；　that　silence　was　exceedingly



desirable；　and　at　the　same　time　opened　another　door　and　indicated　to



Ling　that　he　should　pass　through。







In　the　next　room　Ling　was　overjoyed　to　find　himself　in　the　presence　of



the　Mandarin；　who　received　him　graciously；　and　paid　many　estimable



compliments　to　the　name　he　bore　and　the　country　from　which　he　came。



When　at　length　Ling　tore　himself　from　this　enchanting　conversation；



and　explained　the　reason　of　his　presence；　the　Mandarin　at　once　became



a　prey　to　the　whitest　and　most　melancholy　emotions；　even　plucking　two



hairs　from　his　pigtail　to　prove　the　extent　and　conscientiousness　of



his　grief。







〃Behold；〃　he　cried　at　length；　〃I　am　resolved　that　the　extortionate　and



many…handed　persons　at　Peking　who　have　control　of　the　examination



rites　and　customs　shall　no　longer　grow　round…bodied　without　remark。



This　person　will　unhesitatingly　proclaim　the　true　facts　of　the　case



without　regarding　the　danger　that　the　versatile　Chancellor　or　even　the



sublime　Emperor　himself　may；　while　he　speaks；　be　concealed　in　some



part　of　this　unassuming　room　to　hear　his　words；　for；　as　it　is　wisely



said；　'When　marked　out　by　destiny；　a　person　will　assuredly　be　drowned；



even　though　he　passes　the　whole　of　his　existence　among　the　highest



branches　of　a　date　tree。'〃







〃I　am　overwhelmed　that　I　should　be　the　cause　of　such　an　engaging



display　of　polished　agitation；〃　said　Ling；　as　the　Mandarin　paused。　〃If



it　would　make　your　own　stomach　less　heavy；　this　person　will　willingly



follow　your　estimable　example；　either　with　or　without　knowing　the



reason。〃







〃The　matter　is　altogether　on　your　account；　O　most　unobtrusive　young



man；〃　replied　the　Mandarin；　when　a　voice　without　passion　was　restored



to　him。　〃It　tears　me　internally　with　hooks　to　reflect　that　you；　whose



refined　ancestors　I　might　reasonably　have　known　had　I　passed　my　youth



in　another　Province；　should　be　victim　to　the　cupidity　of　the　ones　in



authority　at　Peking。　A　very　short　time　before　you　arrived　there　came　a



messenger　in　haste　from　those　persons；　clearly　indicating　that　a　legal



toll　of　sixteen　taels　was　to　be　made　on　each　printed　paper　setting



forth　the　time　and　manner　of　the　examinations；　although；　as　you　may



see；　the　paper　is　undoubtedly　marked；　'Persons　are　given　notice　that



they　are　defrauded　of　any　sum　which　they　may　be　induced　to　exchange



for　this　matter。'　Furthermore；　there　is　a　legal　toll　of　nine　taels　on



all　persons　who　have　previously　been　examined〃







〃I　am　happily　escaped　from　that；〃　exclaimed　Ling　with　some



satisfaction　as　the　Mandarin　paused。







〃and　twelve　taels　on　all　who　present　themselves　for　the　first　time。



This　is　to　be　delivered　over　when　the　paper　is　purchased；　so　that　you；



by　reason　of　this　unworthy　proceeding　at　Peking；　are　required　to



forward　to　that　place；　through　this　person；　no　less　than　thirty…two



taels。〃







〃It　is　a　circumstance　of　considerable　regret；〃　replied　Ling；　〃for　had



I　only　reached　Canton　a　day　earlier；　I　should；　it　appears；　have



avoided　this　evil。〃







〃Undoubtedly　it　would　have　been　so；〃　replied　the　Mandarin；　who　had



become　engrossed　in　exalted　meditation。　〃However；〃　he　continued　a



moment　later；　as　he　bowed　to　Ling　with　an　accomplished　smile；　〃it



would　certainly　be　a　more　pleasant　thought　for　a　person　of　your



refined　intelligence　that　had　you　delayed　until　to…morrow　the



insatiable　persons　at　Peking　might　be　demanding　twice　the　amount。〃







Pondering　the　deep　wisdom　of　this　remark；　Ling　took　his　departure；　but



in　spite　of　the　most　assiduous　watchfulness　he　was　unable　to　discern



any　of　the　three　obliging　persons　to　whose　efforts　his　success　had



been　due。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III







IT　was　very　late　when　Ling　again　reached　the　small　room　which　he　had



selected　as　soon　as　he　reached　Canton；　but　without　waiting　for　food　or



sleep　he　made　himself　fully　acquainted　with　the　times　of　the



forthcoming　examinations　and　the　details　of　he　circumstances　connected



with　them。　With　much　satisfaction　he　found　that　he　had　still　a　week　in



which　to　revive　his　intellect　on　the　most　difficult　subjects。　Having



become　relieved　on　these　points；　Ling　retired　for　a　few　hours'　sleep；



but　rose　again　very　early；　and　gave　the　whole　day　with　great



steadfastness　to　contemplation　of　the　sacred　classics　Y…King；　with　the



exception　of　a　short　period　spent　in　purchasing　ink；　brushes　and



writing…leaves。　The　following　day；　having　become　mentally　depressed



through　witnessing　unaccountable　hordes　of　candidates　thronging　the



streets　of　Canton；　Ling　put　aside　his　books；　and　passed　the　time　in



visiting　all　the　most　celebrated　tombs　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the



city。　Lightened　in　mind　by　this　charitable　and　agreeable　occupation；



he　returned　to　his　studies　with　a　fixed　resolution；　nor　did　he　again



falter　in　his　purpose。　On　the　evening　of　the　examination；　when　he　was



sitting　alone；　reading　by　the　aid　of　a　single　light