the wallet of kai lung-第33部分

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



to　hold　a　promise　from　the　Chief　Mandarin　of　Fow　Hou　regarding



marriage…gifts　towards　his　daughter；　he　would　advise　you　to　go　at　once



to　that　person。　A　misunderstanding　has　evidently　arisen；　for　the　one



whom　you　are　addressing　is　merely　Chan　Hung；　and　the　words　spoken　by



the　Mandarin　have　no　sort　of　interest　for　himindeed；　he　understands



that　all　that　person's　acts　have　been　reversed；　so　that　he　fails　to



see　how　anyone　at　all　can　regard　you　and　your　claim　in　other　than　a



gravity…removing　light。　Furthermore；　the　maiden　in　question　is　now



definitely　and　irretrievably　pledged　to　this　faithful　and　successful



one　by　my　side；　who；　as　you　will　doubtless　be　gracefully　overjoyed　to



learn；　has　recently　disposed　of　a　most　ingenious　and　diverting



contrivance　for　an　enormous　number　of　taels；　so　many；　indeed；　that



both　the　immediate　and　the　far…distant　future　of　all　the　persons　who



are　here　before　you　are　now　in　no　sort　of　doubt　whatever。'







〃At　these　words　the　three　persons　whom　he　had　interrupted　again　turned



their　attention　to　the　matter　before　them；　but　as　Pe…tsing　walked



away；　he　observed；　though　he　failed　to　understand　the　meaning；　that



they　all　raised　certain　objects　to　their　eyes；　and　at　once　became



amused　to　a　most　striking　and　uncontrollable　degree。〃















CHAPTER　V







THE　CONFESSION　OF　KAI　LUNG







Related　by　himself　at　Wu…whei　when　other　matter　failed　him。







As　Kai　Lung；　the　story…teller；　unrolled　his　mat　and　selected；　with



grave　deliberation；　the　spot　under　the　mulberry…tree　which　would　the



longest　remain　sheltered　from　the　sun's　rays；　his　impassive　eye



wandered　round　the　thin　circle　of　listeners　who　had　been　drawn



together　by　his　uplifted　voice；　with　a　glance　which；　had　it　expressed



his　actual　thoughts；　would　have　betrayed　a　keen　desire　that　the



assembly　should　be　composed　of　strangers　rather　than　of　his　most



consistent　patrons；　to　whom　his　stock　of　tales　was　indeed　becoming



embarrassingly　familiar。　Nevertheless；　when　he　began　there　was　nothing



in　his　voice　but　a　trace　of　insufficiently　restrained　triumph；　such　as



might　be　fitly　assumed　by　one　who　has　discovered　and　makes　known　for



the　first　time　a　story　by　the　renowned　historian　Lo　Cha。







〃The　adventures　of　the　enlightened　and　nobly…born　Yuin…Pel〃







〃Have　already　thrice　been　narrated　within　Wu…whei　by　the　versatile　but



exceedingly　uninventive　Kai　Lung；〃　remarked　Wang　Yu　placidly。　〃Indeed；



has　there　not　come　to　be　a　saying　by　which　an　exceptionally　frugal



host's　rice；　having　undoubtedly　seen　the　inside　of　the　pot　many　times；



is　now　known　in　this　town　as　Kai…Pel？〃







〃Alas！〃　exclaimed　Kai　Lung；　〃well　was　this　person　warned　of　Wu…whei　in



the　previous　village；　as　a　place　of　desolation　and　excessively　bad



taste；　whose　inhabitants；　led　by　an　evil…minded　maker　of　very



commonplace　pipes；　named　Wang　Yu；　are　unable　to　discriminate　in　all



matters　not　connected　with　the　cooking　of　food　and　the　evasion　of　just



debts。　They　at　Shan　Tzu　hung　on　to　my　cloak　as　I　strove　to　leave　them；



praying　that　I　would　again　entrance　their　ears　with　what　they　termed



the　melodious　word…music　of　this　person's　inimitable　version　of　the



inspired　story　of　Yuin…Pel。〃







〃Truly　the　story　of　Yuin…Pel　is　in　itself　excellent；〃　interposed　the



conciliatory　Hi　Seng；　〃and　Kai　Lung's　accomplishment　of　having　three



times　repeated　it　here　without　deviating　in　the　particular　of　a　single



word　from　the　first　recital　stamps　him　as　a　story…teller　of　no



ordinary　degree。　Yet　the　saying　'Although　it　is　desirable　to　lose



persistently　when　playing　at　squares　and　circles　with　the　broad…minded



and　sagacious　Emperor；　it　is　none　the　less　a　fact　that　the　observance



of　this　etiquette　deprives　the　intellectual　diversion　of　much　of　its



interest　for　both　players'；　is　no　less　true　today　than　when　the　all



knowing　H'sou　uttered　it。〃







〃They　well　saidthey　of　Shan　Tzuthat　the　people　of　Wu…whei　were



intolerably　ignorant　and　of　low　descent；〃　continued　Kai　Lung；　without



heeding　the　interruption；　〃that　although　invariably　of　a　timorous



nature；　even　to　the　extent　of　retiring　to　the　woods　on　the　approach　of



those　who　select　bowmen　for　the　Imperial　army；　all　they　require　in　a



story　is　that　it　shall　be　garnished　with　deeds　of　bloodshed　and



violence　to　the　exclusion　of　the　higher　qualities　of　well…imagined



metaphors　and　literary　style　which　alone　constitute　true　excellence。〃







〃Yet　it　has　been　said；〃　suggested　Hi　Seng；　〃that　the　inimitable　Kai



Lung　can　so　mould　a　narrative　in　the　telling　that　all　the　emotions　are



conveyed　therein　without　unduly　disturbing　the　intellects　of　the



hearers。〃







〃O　amiable　Hi　Seng；〃　replied　Kai　Lung　with　extreme　affability；



〃doubtless　you　are　the　most　expert　of　water…carriers；　and　on　a　hot　and



dusty　day；　when　the　insatiable　desire　of　all　persons　is　towards　a



draught　of　unusual　length　without　much　regard　to　its　composition；　the



sight　of　your　goat…skins　is　indeed　a　welcome　omen；　yet　when　in　the



season　of　Cold　White　Rains　you　chance　to　meet　the　belated



chair…carrier　who　has　been　reluctantly　persuaded　into　conveying



persons　beyond　the　limit　of　the　city；　the　solitary　official　watchman



who　knows　that　his　chief　is　not　at　hand；　or　a　returning　band　of　those



who　make　a　practise　of　remaining　in　the　long　narrow　rooms　until　they



are　driven　forth　at　a　certain　gong…stroke；　can　you　supply　them　with



the　smallest　portion　of　that　invigorating　rice　spirit　for　which　alone



they　crave？　From　this　simple　and　homely　illustration；　specially



conceived　to　meet　the　requirements　of　your　stunted　and　meagre



understanding；　learn　not　to　expect　both　grace　and　thorns　from　the



willow…tree。　Nevertheless；　your　very　immature　remarks　on　the　art　of



story…telling　are　in　no　degree　more　foolish　than　those　frequently



uttered　by　persons　who　make　a　living　by　such　a　practice；　in　proof　of



which　this　person　will　relate　to　the　select　and　discriminating　company



now　assembled　an　entirely　new　and　unrecorded　storythat；　indeed；　of



the　unworthy；　but　frequently　highly…rewarded　Kai　Lung　himself。〃







〃The　story　of　Kai　Lung！〃　exclaimed　Wang　Yu。　〃Why　not　the　story　of



Ting；　the　sightless　beggar；　who　has　sat　all　his　life　outside　the



Temple　of　Miraculous　Cures？　Who　is　Kai　Lung；　that　he　should　have　a



story？　Is　he　not　known　to　us　all　here？　Is　not　his　speech　that　of　this



Province；　his　food　mean；　his　arms　and　legs　unshaven？　Does　he　carry　a



sword　or　wear　silk　raiment？　Frequently　have　we　seen　him　fatigued　with



journeying；　many　times　has　he　arrived　destitute　of　money；　nor；　on



those　occasions　when　a　newly…appointed　and　unnecessarily　officious



Mandarin　has　commanded　him　to　betake　himself　elsewhere　and　struck　him



with　a　rod　has　Kai　Lung　caused　the　stick　to　turn　into　a　deadly　serpent



and　destroy　its　master；　as　did　the　just　and　dignified　Lu　Fei。　How；



then；　can　Kai　Lung　have　a　story　that　is　not　also　the　story　of　Wang　Yu



and　Hi　Seng；　and　all　others　here？〃







〃Indeed；　if　the　refined　and　enlightened　Wang　Yu　so　decides；　it　must



assuredly　be　true；〃　said　Kai　Lung　patiently；　〃yet　（since　even　trifles



serve　to　dispel　the　darker　thoughts　of　existence）　would　not　the



history　of　so　small　a　matter　as　an　opium　pipe　chain　his　intelligent



consideration？　such　a　pipe；　for　example；　as　this　person　beheld　only



today　exposed　for　sale；　the　bowl　composed　of　the　finest　red　clay；



delicately　baked　and　fashioned；　the　long　bamboo　stem　smoother　than　the



sacred　tooth　of　the　divine　Buddha；　the　spreading　support　patiently　and



cunningly　carved　with　scenes　representing　the　Seven　Joys；　and　the



Tenth　Hell　of　unbelievers。〃







〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Wang　Yu　eagerly；　〃it　is　indeed　as　you　say；　a　Mandarin



among　masterpieces。　That　pipe；　O　most　unobserving　Kai　Lung；　is　the



work　of　this　retiring　and　superficial　person　who　is　now　addressing



you；　and；　though　the　fact　evidently　escaped　your　all…seeing　glance；



the　place　where　it　is　exposed　is　none　other　than　his　shop　of　'The



Fountain　of　Beauty'；　which　you　have　on　many　occasions　endowed　with



your　honourable　presence。〃







〃Doubtless　the　carving　is　the　work　of　the　accomplished　Wang　Yu；　and



the　fitting　together；〃　replied　Kai　Lung；　〃but　the　materials　for　so



refined　and　ornamental　a　production　must　of　necessity　have　been



brought　many　thousand　li；　the　clay　perhaps　from　the　renowned　beds　of



Honan；　the　wood　from　Peking；　and　the　bamboo　from　one　of　the　great



forests　of　the　North。〃







〃For　what　reason？〃　said　Wang　Yu　proudly。　〃At　this　person's　very　door



is　a　pit　of　red　clay；　purer　and　infinitely　more　regular　than　any　to　be



found　at　Honan；　the　hard　wood　of　Wu…whei　is　extolled　among　carvers



throughout　the　Empire；　while　no　bamboo　is　straighter　or　more　smooth



than　that　which　grows　in　the　neighbouring　woods。〃







〃O　most　inconsistent　Wang　Yu！〃　cried　the　story…teller；　〃assuredly　a



very　commendable　local　pride　has　dimmed　your　usually　penetrating



eyesight。　Is　not　the　clay　pit　of　which　you　speak　that　in　which　you



fashioned　exceedingly　unsymmetrical　imitations　of　rat…pies　in　your



childhood？　How；　then；　can　it　be　equal　to　those　of　Honan；　which　you



have　never　seen？　In　the　dark　glades　of　these　woods　have　you　not　chased



the　gorgeous　butterfly；　and；　in　later　years；　the　no　less　gaily　attired



maidens　of　Wu…whei　in　the　entrancing　game　of　Kiss　in　the　Circle？　Have



not　the　bamboo…trees　to　which　you　have　refe