the wallet of kai lung-第42部分

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



winged　form　had　snatched　him　from　her　arms　and　traced　magical　figures



with　his　body　on　the　ground　in　token　of　the　distinguished　sacred



existence　for　which　he　was　undoubtedly　set　apart。　In　such　a　manner　he



became　famed　at　a　very　early　age　for　an　unassuming　mildness　of



character　and　an　almost　inspired　piety　of　life；　so　that　on　every　side



frequent　opportunity　was　given　him　for　the　display　of　these　amiable



qualities。　Should　it　chance　that　an　insufficient　quantity　of　puppy…pie



had　been　prepared　for　the　family　repast；　the　undesirable　but　necessary



portion　of　cold　dried　rat　would　inevitably　be　allotted　to　the



uncomplaining　Quen；　doubtless　accompanied　by　the　engaging　but



unnecessary　remark　that　he　alone　had　a　Heaven…sent　intellect　which　was



fixed　upon　more　sublime　images　than　even　the　best　constructed



puppy…pie。　Should　the　number　of　sedan…chairs　not　be　sufficient　to　bear



to　the　Exhibition　of　Kites　all　who　were　desirous　of　becoming



entertained　in　such　a　fashion；　inevitably　would　Quen　be　the　one　left



behind；　in　order　that　he　might　have　adequate　leisure　for　dignified　and



pure…minded　internal　reflexion。







〃In　this　manner　it　came　about　that　when　a　very　wealthy　but　unnaturally



avaricious　and　evil…tempered　person　who　was　connected　with　Quen's



father　in　matters　of　commerce　expressed　his　fixed　determination　that



the　most　deserving　and　enlightened　of　his　friend's　sons　should　enter



into　a　marriage　agreement　with　his　daughter；　there　was　no　manner　of



hesitation　among　those　concerned；　who　admitted　without　any　questioning



between　themselves　that　Quen　was　undeniably　the　one　referred　to。







〃Though　naturally　not　possessing　an　insignificant　intellect；　a



continuous　habit；　together　with　a　most　irreproachable　sense　of　filial



duty；　subdued　within　Quen's　internal　organs　whatever　reluctance　he



might　have　otherwise　displayed　in　the　matter；　so　that　as　courteously



as　was　necessary　he　presented　to　the　undoubtedly　very　ordinary　and



slow…witted　maiden　in　question　the　gifts　of　irretrievable　intention；



and　honourably　carried　out　his　spoken　and　written　words　towards　her。







〃For　a　period　of　years　the　circumstances　of　the　various　persons　did



not　in　any　degree　change；　Quen　in　the　meantime　becoming　more



pure…souled　and　inward…seeing　with　each　moon…change；　after　the　manner



of　the　sublime　Lien…ti；　who　studied　to　maintain　an　unmoved　endurance



in　all　varieties　of　events　by　placing　his　body　to　a　greater　extent



each　day　in　a　vessel　of　boiling　liquid。　Nevertheless；　the　good　and



charitable　deities　to　whom　Quen　unceasingly　sacrificed　were　not



altogether　unmindful　of　his　virtues；　for　a　son　was　born；　and　an　evil



disease　which　arose　from　a　most　undignified　display　of　uncontrollable



emotion　on　her　part　ended　in　his　wife　being　deposited　with　becoming



ceremony　in　the　Family　Temple。







〃Upon　a　certain　evening；　when　Quen　sat　in　his　inner　chamber



deliberating　upon　the　really　beneficent　yet　somewhat　inexplicable



arrangement　of　the　all…seeing　ones　to　whom　he　was　very　amiably



disposed　in　consequence　of　the　unwonted　tranquillity　which　he　now



enjoyed；　yet　who；　it　appeared　to　him；　could　have　set　out　the　entire



matter　in　a　much　more　satisfactory　way　from　the　beginning；　he　was　made



aware　by　the　unexpected　beating　of　many　gongs；　and　by　other　signs　of



refined　and　deferential　welcome；　that　a　person　of　exalted　rank　was



approaching　his　residence。　While　he　was　still　hesitating　in　his



uncertainty　regarding　the　most　courteous　and　delicate　form　of



self…abasement　with　which　to　honour　so　important　a　visitorwhether　to



rush　forth　and　allow　the　chair…carriers　to　pass　over　his　prostrate



form；　to　make　a　pretence　of　being　a　low…caste　slave；　and　in　that　guise



doing　menial　service；　or　to　conceal　himself　beneath　a　massive　and



overhanging　table　until　his　guest　should　have　availed　himself　of　the



opportunity　to　examine　at　his　leisure　whatever　the　room　containedthe



person　in　question　stood　before　him。　In　every　detail　of　dress　and



appointment　he　had　the　undoubted　appearance　of　being　one　to　whom　no



door　might　be　safely　closed。







〃'Alas！'　exclaimed　Quen；　'how　inferior　and　ill…contrived　is　the　mind



of　a　person　of　my　feeble　intellectual　attainments。　Even　at　this



moment；　when　the　near　approach　of　one　who　obviously　commands　every



engaging　accomplishment　might　reasonably　be　expected　to　call　up　within



it　an　adequate　amount　of　commonplace　resource；　its　ill…destined



possessor　finds　himself　entirely　incapable　of　conducting　himself　with



the　fitting　outward　marks　of　his　great　internal　respect。　This



residence　is　certainly　unprepossessing　in　the　extreme；　yet　it　contains



many　objects　of　some　value　and　of　great　rarity；　illiterate　as　this



person　is；　he　would　not　be　so　presumptuous　as　to　offer　any　for　your



acceptance；　but　if　you　will　confer　upon　him　the　favour　of　selecting



that　which　appears　to　be　the　most　priceless　and　unreplaceable；　he　will



immediately；　and　with　every　manifestation　of　extreme　delight；　break　it



irredeemably　in　your　honour；　to　prove　the　unaffected　depth　of　his



gratified　emotions。'







〃'Quen…Ki…Tong；'　replied　the　person　before　him；　speaking　with　an



evident　sincerity　of　purpose；　'pleasant　to　this　one's　ears　are　your



words；　breathing　as　they　do　an　obvious　hospitality　and　a　due　regard



for　the　forms　of　etiquette。　But　if；　indeed；　you　are　desirous　of



gaining　this　person's　explicit　regard；　break　no　articles　of　fine



porcelain　or　rare　inlaid　wood　in　proof　of　it；　but　immediately　dismiss



to　a　very　distant　spot　the　three…score　gong…beaters　who　have　enclosed



him　within　two　solid　rings；　and　who　are　now　carrying　out　their　duties



in　so　diligent　a　manner　that　he　greatly　doubts　if　the　unimpaired



faculties　of　hearing　will　ever　be　fully　restored。　Furthermore；　if　your



exceedingly　amiable　intentions　desire　fuller　expression；　cause　an



unstinted　number　of　vessels　of　some　uninflammable　liquid　to　be



conveyed　into　your　chrysanthemum　garden　and　there　poured　over　the



numerous　fireworks　and　coloured　lights　which　still　appear　to　be　in



progress。　Doubtless　they　are　well…intentioned　marks　of　respect；　but



they　caused　this　person　considerable　apprehension　as　he　passed　among



them；　and；　indeed；　give　to　this　unusually　pleasant　and　unassuming　spot



the　by　no　means　inviting　atmosphere　of　a　low…class　tea…house　garden



during　the　festivities　attending　the　birthday　of　the　sacred　Emperor。'







〃'This　person　is　overwhelmed　with　a　most　unendurable　confusion　that



the　matters　referred　to　should　have　been　regarded　in　such　a　light；'



replied　Quen　humbly。　'Although　he　himself　had　no　knowledge　of　them



until　this　moment；　he　is　confident　that　they　in　no　wise　differ　from



the　usual　honourable　manifestations　with　which　it　is　customary　in　this



Province　to　welcome　strangers　of　exceptional　rank　and　titles。'







〃'The　welcome　was　of　a　most　dignified　and　impressive　nature；'　replied



the　stranger；　with　every　appearance　of　not　desiring　to　cause　Quen　any



uneasy　internal　doubts；　'yet　the　fact　is　none　the　less　true　that　at



the　moment　this　person's　head　seems　to　contain　an　exceedingly　powerful



and　well…equipped　band；　and　also；　that　as　he　passed　through　the



courtyard　an　ingeniously　constructed　but　somewhat　unmanageable　figure



of　gigantic　size；　composed　entirely　of　jets　of　many…coloured　flame；



leaped　out　suddenly　from　behind　a　dark　wall　and　made　an　almost



successful　attempt　to　embrace　him　in　its　ever…revolving　arms。　Lo　Yuen



greatly　fears　that　the　time　when　he　would　have　rejoiced　in　the



necessary　display　of　agility　to　which　the　incident　gave　rise　has　for



ever　passed　away。'







〃'Lo　Yuen！'　exclaimed　Quen；　with　an　unaffected　mingling　of　the



emotions　of　reverential　awe　and　pleasureable　anticipation。　'Can　it



indeed　be　an　uncontroversial　fact　that　so　learned　and　ornamental　a



person　as　the　renowned　Controller　of　Unsolicited　Degrees　stands



beneath　this　inelegant　person's　utterly　unpresentable　roof！　Now；



indeed；　he　plainly　understands　why　this　ill…conditioned　chamber　has



the　appearance　of　being　filled　with　a　Heaven…sent　brilliance；　and　why



at　the　first　spoken　words　of　the　one　before　him　a　melodious　sound；



like　the　rushing　waters　of　the　sacred　Tien…Kiang；　seemed　to　fill　his



ears。'







〃'Undoubtedly　the　chamber　is　pervaded　by　a　very　exceptional



splendour；'　replied　Lo　Yuen；　who；　in　spite　of　his　high　position；



regarded　graceful　talk　and　well…imagined　compliments　in　a　spirit　of



no…satisfaction；　'yet　this　commonplace…minded　one　has　a　fixed



conviction　that　it　is　caused　by　the　crimson…eyed　and



pink…fire…breathing　dragon　which；　despite　your　slave's　most　assiduous



efforts；　is　now　endeavouring　to　climb　through　the　aperture　behind　you。



The　noise　which　still　fills　his　ears；　also；　resembles　rather　the



despairing　cries　of　the　Ten　Thousand　Lost　Ones　at　the　first　sight　of



the　Pit　of　Liquid　and　Red…hot　Malachite；　yet　without　question　both



proceed　from　the　same　cause。　Laying　aside　further　ceremony；　therefore；



permit　this　greatly　over…estimated　person　to　disclose　the　object　of



his　inopportune　visit。　Long　have　your　amiable　virtues　been　observed



and　appreciated　by　the　high　ones　at　Peking；　O　Quen…Ki…Tong。　Too　long



have　they　been　unrewarded　and　passed　over　in　silence。　Nevertheless；



the　moment　of　acknowledgement　and　advancement　has　at　length　arrived；



for；　as　the　Book　of　Verses　clearly　says；　〃Even　the　three…legged　mule



may　contrive　to　reach　the　agreed　spot　in