the wallet of kai lung-第32部分

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describe　as　highly　ingenioushe　ultimately　succeeded　in　bringing



about　the　effect　he　desired。'







〃With　these　words　Lee　put　into　Lila's　hands　an　object　which　closely



resembled　the　contrivances　by　which　those　who　are　not　sufficiently



powerful　to　obtain　positions　near　the　raised　platform；　in　the　Halls　of



Celestial　Harmony；　are　nevertheless　enabled　to　observe　the　complexions



and　attire　of　all　around　them。　Regulating　it　by　means　of　a　hidden



spring；　he　requested　her　to　follow　closely　the　actions　of　a



heavily…burdened　passerby　who　was　at　that　moment　some　little　distance



beyond　them。　Scarcely　had　Lila　raised　the　glass　to　her　eyes　than　she



became　irresistibly　amused　to　a　most　infectious　degree；　greatly　to　the



satisfaction　of　Lee；　who　therein　beheld　the　realization　of　his　hopes。



Not　for　the　briefest　space　of　time　would　she　permit　the　object　to　pass



from　her；　but　directed　it　at　every　person　who　came　within　her　sight；



with　frequent　and　unfeigned　exclamations　of　wonder　and　delight。







〃'How　pleasant　and　fascinating　a　device　is　this！'　exclaimed　Lila　at



length。　'By　what　means　is　so　diverting　and　gravity…removing　a　result



obtained？'







〃'Further　than　that　it　is　the　concentration　of　much　labour　of



continually　trying　with　glasses　and　reflecting　surfaces；　this　person



is　totally　unable　to　explain　it；'　replied　Lee。　'The　chief　thing；



however；　is　that　at　whatever　moving　object　it　is　directedno　matter



whether　a　person　so　observed　is　being　carried　in　a　chair；　riding　upon



an　animal；　or　merely　walkingat　a　certain　point　he　has　every



appearance　of　being　unexpectedly　hurled　to　the　ground　in　a　most



violent　and　mirth…provoking　manner。　Would　not　the　stout　and



round…faced　one；　who　would　cheerfully　have　contributed　a　certain



number　of　taels　to　see　this　person　manifest　a　similar　exhibition；



unhesitatingly　lay　out　that　sum　to　secure　the　means　of　so　gratifying



his　emotions　whenever　he　felt　the　desire；　even　with　the　revered



persons　of　the　most　dignified　ones　in　the　Empire？　Is　there；　indeed；　a



single　person　between　the　Wall　and　the　Bitter　Waters　on　the　South　who



is　so　devoid　of　ambition　that　he　would　miss　the　opportunity　of



subjecting；　as　it　were；　perhaps　even　the　sacred　Emperor　himself　to　the



exceptional　feat？'







〃'The　temptation　to　possess　one　would　inevitably　prove　overwhelming　to



any　person　of　ordinary　intelligence；'　admitted　Lila。　'Yet；　in　spite　of



this　one's　unassumed　admiration　for　the　contrivance；　internal　doubts



regarding　the　ultimate　happiness　of　the　two　persons　who　are　now



discussing　the　matter　again　attack　her。　She　recollects；　somewhat



dimly；　an　almost　forgotten；　but　nevertheless；　very　unassailable



proverb；　which　declares　that　more　contentment　of　mind　can　assuredly　be



obtained　from　the　unexpected　discovery　of　a　tael　among　the　folds　of　a



discarded　garment　than　could；　in　the　most　favourable　circumstances；



ensue　from　the　well…thought…out　construction　of　the　new　and　hitherto



unknown　device。　Furthermore；　although　the　span　of　a　year　may　seem



unaccountably　protracted　when　persons　who　reciprocate　engaging



sentiments　are　parted；　yet　when　the　acceptance　or　refusal　of



Pe…tsing's　undesirable　pledging…gifts　hangs　upon　the　accomplishment　of



a　remote　and　not　very　probable　object　within　that　period；　it　becomes



as　a　breath　of　wind　passing　through　an　autumn　forest。'







〃Since　the　day　when　Lila　and　Lee　had　sat　together　side　by　side；　and



conversed　in　this　unrestrained　and　irreproachable　manner；　the　great



sky…lantern　had　many　times　been　obscured　for　a　period。　Only　an



insignificant　portion　of　the　year　remained；　yet　the　affairs　of　Lee



Sing　were　in　no　more　prosperous　a　condition　than　before；　nor　had　he



found　an　opportunity　to　set　aside　any　store　of　taels。　Each　day　the



unsupportable　Pe…tsing　became　more　and　more　obtrusive　and



self…conceited；　even　to　the　extent　of　throwing　far　into　the　air　coins



of　insignificant　value　whenever　he　chanced　to　pass　Lee　in　the　street；



at　the　same　time　urging　him　to　leap　after　them　and　thereby　secure　at



least　one　or　two　pieces　of　money　against　the　day　of　calculating。　In　a



similar　but　entirely　opposite　fashion；　Lila　and　Lee　experienced　the



acutest　pangs　of　an　ever…growing　despair；　until　their　only　form　of



greeting　consisted　in　gazing　into　each　other's　eyes　with　a



soul…benumbing　expression　of　self…reproach。







〃Yet　at　this　very　time；　when　even　the　natural　and　unalterable　powers



seemed　to　be　conspiring　against　the　success　of　Lee's　modest　and



inoffensive　hopes；　an　event　was　taking　place　which　was　shortly　to



reverse　the　entire　settled　arrangement　of　persons　and　affairs；　and



involved　Fow　Hou　in　a　very　inextricable　state　of　uncertainty。　For；　not



to　make　a　pretence　of　concealing　a　matter　which　has　been　already　in



part　revealed；　the　Mandarin　Chan　Hung　had　by　this　time　determined　to



act　in　the　manner　which　Ming…hi　had　suggested；　so　that　on　a　certain



morning　Lee　Sing　was　visited　by　two　persons；　bearing　between　them　a



very　weighty　sack　of　taels；　who　also　conveyed　to　him　the　fact　that　a



like　amount　would　be　deposited　within　his　door　at　the　end　of　each



succeeding　seven　days。　Although　Lee's　occupation　had　in　the　past　been



very　meagrely　rewarded；　either　by　taels　of　by　honour；　the　circumstance



which　resulted　in　his　now　receiving　so　excessively　large　a　sum　is　not



made　clear　until　the　detail　of　Ming…hi's　scheme　is　closely　examined。



The　matter　then　becomes　plain；　for　it　had　been　suggested　by　that



person　that　the　most　proficient　in　any　occupation　should　be　rewarded



to　a　certain　extent；　and　the　least　proficient　to　another　stated



extent；　the　original　amounts　being　reversed。　When　those　engaged　by



Chang　Hung　to　draw　up　the　various　rates　came　to　the　profession　of



ensnaring　winged　insects；　however；　they　discovered　that　Lee　Sing　was



the　only　one　of　that　description　in　Fow　Hou；　so　that　it　became



necessary　in　consequence　to　allot　him　a　double　portion；　one　amount　as



the　most　proficient；　and　a　much　larger　amount　as　the　least　proficient。







〃It　is　unnecessary　now　to　follow　the　not　altogether　satisfactory



condition　of　affairs　which　began　to　exist　in　Fow　Hou　as　soon　as　the



scheme　was　put　into　operation。　The　full　written　papers　dealing　with



the　matter　are　in　the　Hall　of　Public　Reference　at　Peking；　and　can　be



seen　by　any　person　on　the　payment　of　a　few　taels　to　everyone　connected



with　the　establishment。　Those　who　found　their　possessions　reduced



thereby　completely　overlooked　the　obvious　justice　of　the　arrangement；



and　immediately　began　to　take　most　severe　measures　to　have　the　order



put　aside；　while　those　who　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　found　themselves



raised　to　positions　of　affluence　tended　to　the　same　end　by　conducting



themselves　in　a　most　incapable　and　undiscriminating　manner。　And　during



the　entire　period　that　this　state　of　things　existed　in　Fow　Hou　the



really　contemptible　Ming…hi　continually　followed　Chan　Hung　about　from



place　to　place；　spreading　out　his　feet　towards　him；　and　allowing



himself　to　become　openly　amused　to　a　most　unseemly　extent。







〃Chief　among　those　who　sought　to　have　the　original　manner　of　rewarding



persons　again　established　was　the　picture…maker；　Pe…tsing；　who　now



found　himself　in　a　condition　of　most　abject　poverty；　so　unbearable；



indeed；　that　he　frequently　went　by　night；　carrying　a　lantern；　in　the



hope　that　he　might　discover　some　of　the　small　pieces　of　money　which　he



had　been　accustomed　to　throw　into　the　air　on　meeting　Lee　Sing。　To　his



pangs　of　hunger　was　added　the　fear　that　he　would　certainly　lose　Lila；



so　that　from　day　to　day　he　redoubled　his　efforts；　and　in　the　end；　by



using　false　statements　and　other　artifices　of　a　questionable　nature；



the　party　which　he　led　was　successful　in　obtaining　the　degradation　of



Chan　Hung　and　his　dismissal　from　office；　together　with　an　entire



reversal　of　all　his　plans　and　enactments。







〃On　the　last　day　of　the　year　which　Chan　Hung　had　appointed　as　the



period　of　test　for　his　daughter's　suitors；　the　person　in　question　was



seated　in　a　chamber　of　his　new　abodea　residence　of　unassuming



appearance　but　undoubted　comfortsurrounded　by　Lila　and　Lee；　when　the



hanging　curtains　were　suddenly　flung　aside；　and　Pe…tsing；　followed　by



two　persons　of　low　rank　bearing　sacks　of　money；　appeared　among　them。







〃'Chan　Hung；'　he　said　at　length；　'in　the　past　events　arose　which



compelled　this　person　to　place　himself　against　you　in　your　official



position。　Nevertheless；　he　has　always　maintained　towards　you



personally　an　unchanging　affection；　and　understanding　full　well　that



you　are　one　of　those　who　maintain　their　spoken　word　in　spite　of　all



happenings；　he　has　now　come　to　exhibit　the　taels　which　he　has



collected　together；　and　to　claim　the　fulfilment　of　your　deliberate



promise。'







〃With　these　words　the　commonplace　picture…maker　poured　forth　the



contents　of　the　sacks；　and　stood　looking　at　Lila　in　a　most　confident



and　unprepossessing　manner。







〃'Pe…tsing；'　replied　Chan　Hung；　rising　from　his　couch　and　speaking　in



so　severe　and　impressive　a　voice　that　the　two　servants　of　Pe…tsing　at



once　fled　in　great　apprehension；　'this　person　has　also　found　it



necessary；　in　his　official　position；　to　oppose　you；　but　here　the



similarity　ends；　for；　on　his　part；　he　has　never　felt　towards　you　the



remotest　degree　of　affection。　Nevertheless；　he　is　always　desirous；　as



you　say；　that　persons　should　regard　their　spoken　word；　and　as　you　seem



to　hold　a　promise　from　the　Chief　Mandari