the wallet of kai lung-第39部分

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forward　towards　the　accomplishment　of　the　just　and　divinely…inspired



act。〃







With　these　words　the　devout　and　unassuming　person　in　question



inscribed　his　name　upon　a　square　piece　of　rice…paper；　attesting　his



sincerity　to　the　fixed　purpose　for　which　it　was　designed　by　dipping



his　thumb　into　the　mixed　blood　of　the　slain　animals　and　impressing



this　unalterable　seal　upon　the　paper　also。　He　was　followed　by　a　seller



of　drugs　and　subtle　medicines；　whose　entire　stock　had　been　seized　and



destroyed　by　order　of　Ping　Siang；　so　that　no　one　in　Ching…fow　might



obtain　poison　for　his　destruction。　Then　came　an　overwhelming　stream　of



persons；　all　of　whom　had　received　some　severe　and　well…remembered



injury　at　the　hands　of　the　malicious　and　vindictive　Mandarin。　All



these　followed　a　similar　observance；　inscribing　their　names　and



binding　themselves　by　the　Blood　Oath。　Last　of　all　Yang　Hu　stepped　up；



partly　from　a　natural　modesty　which　restrained　him　from　offering



himself　when　so　many　more　versatile　persons　of　proved　excellence　were



willing　to　engage　in　the　matter；　and　partly　because　an　ill…advised



conflict　was　taking　place　within　his　mind　as　to　whether　the　extreme



course　which　was　contemplated　was　the　most　expedient　to　pursue。　At



last；　however；　he　plainly　perceived　that　he　could　not　honourably



withhold　himself　from　an　affair　that　was　in　a　measure　the　direct



outcome　of　his　own　unendurable　loss；　so　that　without　further



hesitation　he　added　his　obscure　name　to　the　many　illustrious　ones



already　in　Tung　Fel's　keeping。







When　at　length　dark　fell　upon　the　city　and　the　cries　of　the　watchmen；



warning　all　prudent　ones　to　bar　well　their　doors　against　robbers；　as



they　themselves　were　withdrawing　until　the　morrow；　no　longer　rang



through　the　narrow　ways　of　Ching…fow；　all　those　persons　who　had



pledged　themselves　by　name　and　seal　went　forth　silently；　and　came



together　at　the　place　whereof　Tung　Fel　had　secretly　conveyed　them



knowledge。　There　Tung　Fel；　standing　somewhat　apart；　placed　all　the



folded　papers　in　the　form　of　a　circle；　and　having　performed　over　them



certain　observances　designed　to　insure　a　just　decision　and　to　keep



away　evil　influences；　submitted　the　selection　to　the　discriminating



choice　of　the　Sacred　Flat　and　Round　Sticks。　Having　in　this　manner



secured　the　name　of　the　appointed　person　who　should　carry　out　the　act



of　justice　and　retribution；　Tung　Fel　unfolded　the　paper；　inscribed



certain　words　upon　it；　and　replaced　it　among　the　others。







〃The　moment　before　great　deeds；〃　began　Tung　Fel；　stepping　forward　and



addressing　himself　to　the　expectant　ones　who　were　gathered　round；　〃is



not　the　time　for　light　speech；　nor；　indeed；　for　sentences　of　dignified



length；　no　matter　how　pleasantly　turned　to　the　ear　they　may　be。　Before



this　person　stand　many　who　are　undoubtedly　illustrious　in　various　arts



and　virtues；　yet　one　among　them　is　pre…eminently　marked　out　for



distinction　in　that　his　name　shall　be　handed　down　in　imperishable



history　as　that　of　a　patriot　of　a　pure…minded　and　uncompromising



degree。　With　him　there　is　no　need　of　further　speech；　and　to　this　end　I



have　inscribed　certain　words　upon　his　namepaper。　To　everyone　this



person　will　now　return　the　paper　which　has　been　entrusted　to　him；



folded　so　that　the　nature　of　its　contents　shall　be　an　unwritten　leaf



to　all　others。　Nor　shall　the　papers　be　unfolded　by　any　until　he　is



within　his　own　chamber；　with　barred　doors；　where　all；　save　the　one　who



shall　find　the　message；　shall　remain；　not　venturing　forth　until



daybreak。　I；　Tung　Fel；　have　spoken；　and　assuredly　I　shall　not　eat　my



word；　which　is　that　a　certain　and　most　degrading　death　awaits　any　who



transgress　these　commands。〃







It　was　with　the　short　and　sudden　breath　of　the　cowering　antelope　when



the　stealthy　tread　of　the　pitiless　tiger　approaches　its　lair；　that



Yang　Hu　opened　his　paper　in　the　seclusion　of　his　own　cave；　for　his



mind　was　darkened　with　an　inspired　inside　emotion　that　he；　the　one



doubting　among　the　eagerly　proffering　and　destructively　inclined



multitude；　would　be　chosen　to　accomplish　the　high　aim　for　which；



indeed；　he　felt　exceptionally　unworthy。　The　written　sentence　which　he



perceived　immediately　upon　unfolding　the　paper；　instructing　him　to



appear　again　before　Tung　Fel　at　the　hour　of　midnight；　was；　therefore；



nothing　but　the　echo　and　fulfilment　of　his　own　thoughts；　and　served　in



reality　to　impress　his　mind　with　calmer　feelings　of　dignified



unconcern　than　would　have　been　the　case　had　he　not　been　chosen。　Having



neither　possessions　nor　relations；　the　occupation　of　disposing　of　his



goods　and　making　ceremonious　and　affectionate　leavetakings　of　his



family；　against　the　occurrence　of　any　unforeseen　disaster；　engrossed



no　portion　of　Yang　Hu's　time。　Yet　there　was　one　matter　to　which　no



reference　has　yet　been　made；　but　which　now　forces　itself　obtrusively



upon　the　attention；　which　was　in　a　large　measure　responsible　for　many



of　the　most　prominent　actions　of　Yang　Hu's　life；　and；　indeed；　in　no



small　degree　influenced　his　hesitation　in　offering　himself　before　Tung



Fel。







Not　a　bowshot　distance　from　the　place　where　the　mountain　path　entered



the　outskirts　of　the　city　lived　Hiya…ai…Shao　with　her　parents；　who



were　persons　of　assured　position；　though　of　no　particular　wealth。　For



a　period　not　confined　to　a　single　year　it　had　been　the　custom　of　Yang



Hu　to　offer　to　this　elegant　and　refined　maiden　all　the　rarest　pieces



of　jade　which　he　could　discover；　while　the　most　symmetrical　and



remunerative　she…goat　in　his　flock　enjoyed　the　honourable　distinction



of　bearing　her　incomparable　name。　Towards　the　almond　garden　of　Hiya's



abode　Yang　Hu　turned　his　footsteps　upon　leaving　his　cave；　and　standing



there；　concealed　from　all　sides　by　the　white　and　abundant　flower…laden



foliage；　he　uttered　a　sound　which　had　long　been　an　agreed　signal



between　them。　Presently　a　faint　perfume　of　choo…lan　spoke　of　her　near



approach；　and　without　delay　Hiya　herself　stood　by　his　side。







〃Well…endowed　one；〃　said　Yang　Hu；　when　at　length　they　had　gazed　upon



each　other's　features　and　made　renewals　of　their　protestations　of



mutual　regard；　〃the　fixed　intentions　of　a　person　have　often　been　fitly



likened　to　the　seed　of　the　tree…peony；　so　ineffectual　are　their



efforts　among　the　winds　of　constantly　changing　circumstance。　The



definite　hope　of　this　person　had　long　pointed　towards　a　small　but



adequate　habitation；　surrounded　by　sweet…smelling　olive…trees　and　not



far　distant　from　the　jade　cliffs　and　pastures　which　would　afford　a



sufficient　remuneration　and　a　means　of　living。　This　entrancing　picture



has　been　blotted　out　for　the　time；　and　in　its　place　this　person　finds



himself　face　to　face　with　an　arduous　and　dangerous　undertaking；



followed；　perhaps；　by　hasty　and　immediate　flight。　Yet　if　the　adorable



Hiya　will　prove　the　unchanging　depths　of　her　constantly　expressed



intention　by　accompanying　him　as　far　as　the　village　of　Hing　where



suitable　marriage　ceremonies　can　be　observed　without　delay；　the　exile



will　in　reality　be　in　the　nature　of　a　triumphal　procession；　and　the



emotions　with　which　this　person　has　hitherto　regarded　the　entire



circumstance　will　undergo　a　complete　and　highly　accomplished　change。〃







〃Oh；　Yang！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　whose　feelings　at　hearing　these



words　were　in　no　way　different　from　those　of　her　lover　when　he　was　on



the　point　of　opening　the　folded　paper　upon　which　Tung　Fel　had　written；



〃what　is　the　nature　of　the　mission　upon　which　you　are　so　impetuously



resolved？　and　why　will　it　be　followed　by　flight？〃







〃The　nature　of　the　undertaking　cannot　be　revealed　by　reason　of　a



deliberately　taken　oath；〃　replied　Yang　Hu；　〃and　the　reason　of　its



possible　consequence　is　a　less　important　question　to　the　two　persons



who　are　here　conversing　together　than　of　whether　the　amiable　and



graceful　Hiya　is　willing　to　carry　out　her　often…expressed　desire　for



an　opportunity　of　displaying　the　true　depths　of　her　emotions　towards



this　one。〃







〃Alas！〃　said　Hiya；　〃the　sentiments　which　this　person　expressed　with



irreproachable　honourableness　when　the　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens　and



the　probability　of　secretly　leaving　an　undoubtedly　well…appointed　home



was　engagingly　remote；　seem　to　have　an　entirely　different　significance



when　recalled　by　night　in　a　damp　orchard；　and　on　the　eve　of　their



fulfilment。　To　deceive　one's　parents　is　an　ignoble　prospect；



furthermore；　it　is　often　an　exceedingly　difficult　undertaking。　Let　the



matter　be　arranged　in　this　way：　that　Yang　leaves　the　ultimate　details



of　the　scheme　to　Hiya's　expedient　care；　he　proceeding　without　delay　to



Hing；　or；　even　more　desirable；　to　the　further　town　of　Liyunnan；　and



there　awaiting　her　coming。　By　such　means　the　risk　of　discovery　and



pursuit　will　be　lessened；　Yang　will　be　able　to　set　forth　on　his



journey　with　greater　speed；　and　this　one　will　have　an　opportunity　of



getting　together　certain　articles　without　which；　indeed；　she　would　be



very　inadequately　equipped。〃







In　spite　of　his　conscientious　desire　that　Hiya　should　be　by　his　side



on　the　journey；　together　with　an　unendurable　certainty　that　evil　would



arise　from　the　course　she　proposed；　Yang　was　compelled　by　an　innate



feeling　of　respect　to　agree　to　her　wishes；　and　in　this　manner　the



arrangement　was　definitely　concluded。　Thereupon　Hiya；　without　delay；



returned　to　the　dwelling；　remarking　that　otherwise　her　absence　might



be　detected　and　the　ent