the wallet of kai lung-第41部分

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Ping　Siang。　〃At　one　time　this　person　and　Tung　Fel　were；　by　nature　and



endowments；　united　in　the　most　amiable　bonds　of　an　inseparable



friendship。　Presently　Tung　Fel　signed　the　preliminary　contract　of　a



marriage　with　one　who　seemed　to　be　endowed　with　every　variety　of



enchanting　and　virtuous　grace；　but　who　was；　nevertheless；　as　the



unrolling　of　future　events　irresistibly　discovered；　a　person　of



irregular　character　and　undignified　habits。　On　the　eve　of　the　marriage



ceremony　this　person　was　made　known　to　her　by　the　undoubtedly



enraptured　Tung　Fel；　whereupon　he　too　fell　into　the　snare　of　her



engaging　personality；　and　putting　aside　all　thoughts　of　prudent



restraint；　made　her　more　remunerative　offers　of　marriage　than　Tung　Fel



could　by　any　possible　chance　overbid。　In　such　a　mannerfor　after　the



nature　of　her　kind　riches　were　exceptionally　attractive　to　her



degraded　imaginationshe　became　this　person's　wife；　and　the　mother　of



his　only　son。　In　spite　of　these　great　honours；　however；　the　undoubted



perversity　of　her　nature　made　her　an　easy　accomplice　to　the　duplicity



of　Tung　Fel；　who；　by　means　of　various　disguises；　found　frequent



opportunity　of　uttering　in　her　presence　numerous　well…thought…out



suggestions　specially　designed　to　lead　her　imagination　towards　an



existence　in　which　this　person　had　no　adequate　representation。



Becoming　at　length　terrified　at　the　possibility　of　these　unworthy



emotions；　obtruding　themselves　upon　this　person's　notice；　the　two　in



question　fled　together；　taking　with　them　the　one　who　without　any　doubt



is　now　before　me。　Despite　the　most　assiduous　search　and　very　tempting



and　profitable　offers　of　reward；　no　information　of　a　reliable　nature



could　be　obtained；　and　at　length　this　dispirited　and　completely



changed　person　gave　up　the　pursuit　as　unavailing。　With　his　son　and



heir；　upon　whose　future　he　had　greatly　hoped；　all　emotions　of　a



generous　and　high…minded　nature　left　him；　and　in　a　very　short　space　of



time　he　became　the　avaricious　and　deservedly　unpopular　individual



against　whose　extortions　the　amiable　and　long…suffering　ones　of



Ching…fow　have　for　so　many　years　protested　mildly。　The　sudden　and　not



altogether　unexpected　fate　which　is　now　on　the　point　of　reaching　him



is　altogether　too　lenient　to　be　entirely　adequate。〃







〃Oh；　my　distinguished　and　really　immaculate　sire！〃　cried　Yang　Hu；　in　a



voice　which　expressed　the　deepest　feelings　of　contrition。　〃No　oaths　or



vows；　however　sacred；　can　induce　this　person　to　stretch　forth　his　hand



against　the　one　who　stands　before　him。〃







〃Nevertheless；〃　replied　Ping　Siang；　speaking　of　the　matter　as　though



it　were　one　which　did　not　closely　concern　his　own　existence；　〃to



neglect　the　Unutterable　Oath　would　inevitably　involve　not　only　the　two



persons　who　are　now　conversing　together；　but　also　those　before　and



those　who　are　to　come　after　in　direct　line；　in　a　much　worse　condition



of　affairs。　That　is　a　fate　which　this　person　would　by　no　means　permit



to　exist；　for　one　of　his　chief　desires　has　ever　been　to　establish　a



strong　and　vigorous　line；　to　which　end；　indeed；　he　was　even　now



concluding　a　marriage　arrangement　with　the　beautiful　and　refined



Hiya…ai…Shao；　whom　he　had　at　length　persuaded　into　accepting　his



betrothal　tokens　without　reluctance。〃







〃Hiya…ai…Shao！〃　exclaimed　Yang；　〃she　has　accepted　your　silk…bound



gifts？〃







〃The　matter　need　not　concern　us　now；〃　replied　the　Mandarin；　not



observing　in　his　complicated　emotions　the　manner　in　which　the　name　of



Hiya　had　affected　Yang；　revealing　as　it　undoubtedly　did　the　treachery



of　his　beloved　one。　〃There　only　appears　to　be　one　honourable　way　in



which　the　full　circumstances　can　be　arranged；　and　this　person　will　in



no　measure　endeavour　to　avoid　it。〃







〃Such　an　end　is　neither　ignoble　nor　painful；〃　he　said；　in　an



unchanging　voice；　〃nor　will　this　one　in　any　way　shrink　from　so　easy



and　honourable　a　solution。〃







〃The　affairs　of　the　future　do　not　exhibit　themselves　in　delicately



coloured　hues　to　this　person；〃　said　Yang　Hu；　〃and　he　would；　if　the



thing　could　be　so　arranged；　cheerfully　submit　to　a　similar　fate　in



order　that　a　longer　period　of　existence　should　be　assured　to　one　who



has　every　variety　of　claim　upon　his　affection。〃







〃The　proposal　is　a　graceful　and　conscientious　one；〃　said　Ping　Siang；



〃and　is；　moreover；　a　gratifying　omen　of　the　future　of　our　race；　which



must　of　necessity　be　left　in　your　hands。　But；　for　that　reason　itself；



such　a　course　cannot　be　pursued。　Nevertheless；　the　events　of　the　past



few　hours　have　been　of　so　exceedingly　prosperous　and　agreeable　a



nature　that　this　short…sighted　and　frequently　desponding　person　can



now　pass　beyond　with　a　tranquil　countenance　and　every　assurance　of



divine　favour。〃







With　these　words　Ping　Siang　indicated　that　he　was　desirous　of　setting



forth　the　Final　Expression；　and　arranging　the　necessary　matters　upon



the　table　beside　him；　he　stretched　forth　his　hands　over　Yang　Hu；　who



placed　himself　in　a　suitable　attitude　of　reverence　and　abasement。







〃Yang　Hu；〃　began　the　Mandarin；　〃undoubted　son；　and；　after　the



accomplishment　of　the　intention　which　it　is　our　fixed　purpose　to　carry



out；　fitting　representative　of　the　person　who　is　here　before　you；



engrave　well　within　your　mind　the　various　details　upon　which　he　now



gives　utterance。　Regard　the　virtues；　endeavour　to　pass　an　amiable　and



at　the　same　time　not　unremunerative　existence；　and　on　all　occasions



sacrifice　freely；　to　the　end　that　the　torments　of　those　who　have　gone



before　may　be　made　lighter；　and　that　others　may　be　induced　in　turn　to



perform　a　like　benevolent　charity　for　yourself。　Having　expressed



himself　upon　these　general　subjects；　this　person　now　makes　a　last　and



respectfully…considered　desire；　which　it　is　his　deliberate　wish　should



be　carried　to　the　proper　deities　as　his　final　expression　of　opinion：



That　Yang　Hu　may　grow　as　supple　as　the　dried　juice　of　the



bending…palm；　and　as　straight　as　the　most　vigorous　bamboo　from　the



forests　of　the　North。　That　he　may　increase　beyond　the　prolificness　of



the　white…necked　crow　and　cover　the　ground　after　the　fashion　of　the



binding　grass。　That　in　battle　his　sword　may　be　as　a　vividly…coloured



and　many…forked　lightning　flash；　accompanied　by　thunderbolts　as



irresistible　as　Buddha's　divine　wrath；　in　peace　his　voice　as



resounding　as　the　rolling　of　many　powerful　drums　among　the　Khingan



Mountains。　That　when　the　kindled　fire　of　his　existence　returns　to　the



great　Mountain　of　Pure　Flame　the　earth　shall　accept　again　its



component　parts；　and　in　no　way　restrain　the　divine　essence　from



journeying　to　its　destined　happiness。　These　words　are　Ping　Siang's



last　expression　of　opinion　before　he　passes　beyond；　given　in　the



unvarying　assurance　that　so　sacred　and　important　a　petition　will　in　no



way　be　neglected。〃







Having　in　this　manner　completed　all　the　affairs　which　seemed　to　be　of



a　necessary　and　urgent　nature；　and　fixing　his　last　glance　upon　Yang　Hu



with　every　variety　of　affectionate　and　estimable　emotion；　the　Mandarin



drank　a　sufficient　quantity　of　the　liquid；　and　placing　himself　upon　a



couch　in　an　attitude　of　repose；　passed　in　this　dignified　and



unassuming　manner　into　the　Upper　Air。







After　the　space　of　a　few　moments　spent　in　arranging　certain　objects



and　in　inward　contemplation；　Yang　Hu　crossed　the　chamber；　still



holding　the　half…filled　vessel　of　gold…leaf　in　his　hand；　and　drawing



back　the　hanging　silk；　gazed　over　the　silent　streets　of　Ching…fow　and



towards　the　great　sky…lantern　above。







〃Hiya　is　faithless；〃　he　said　at　length　in　an　unspeaking　voice；　〃this



person's　mother　a　bitter…tasting　memory；　his　father　a　swiftly　passing



shadow　that　is　now　for　ever　lost。〃　His　eyes　rested　upon　the　closed



vessel　in　his　hand。　〃Gladly　would〃　his　thoughts　began；　but　with　this



unworthy　image　a　new　impression　formed　itself　within　his　mind。　〃A



clearly…expressed　wish　was　uttered；〃　he　concluded；　〃and　Tung　Fel　still



remains。〃　With　this　resolution　he　stepped　back　into　the　chamber　and



struck　the　gong　loudly。















CHAPTER　VII







THE　CAREER　OF　THE　CHARITABLE　QUEN…KI…TONG











FIRST　PERIOD：　THE　PUBLIC　OFFICIAL







〃The　motives　which　inspired　the　actions　of　the　devout　Quen…Ki…Tong



have　long　been　ill…reported；〃　said　Kai　Lung　the　story…teller；　upon　a



certain　occasion　at　Wu…whei；　〃and；　as　a　consequence；　his　illustrious



memory　has　suffered　somewhat。　Even　as　the　insignificant　earth…worm　may



bring　the　precious　and　many　coloured　jewel　to　the　surface；　so　has　it



been　permitted　to　this　obscure　and　superficially　educated　one　to



discover　the　truth　of　the　entire　matter　among　the　badly…arranged　and



frequently　really　illegible　documents　preserved　at　the　Hall　of　Public



Reference　at　Peking。　Without　fear　of　contradiction；　therefore；　he　now



sets　forth　the　credible　version。







〃Quen…Ki…Tong　was　one　who　throughout　his　life　had　been　compelled　by



the　opposing　force　of　circumstances　to　be　content　with　what　was



offered　rather　than　attain　to　that　which　he　desired。　Having　been



allowed　to　wander　over　the　edge　of　an　exceedingly　steep　crag；　while



still　a　child；　by　the　aged　and　untrustworthy　person　who　had　the　care



of　him；　and　yet　suffering　little　hurt；　he　was　carried　back　to　the　city



in　triumph；　by　the　one　in　question；　who；　to　cover　her　neglect；



declared　amid　may　chants　of　exultation　that　as　he　slept　a　majestic



winged　form　had　s