the wallet of kai lung-第48部分

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sets　of　verses　recording　his　virtues　and　ambitions　were　freely



distributed　among　the　necessitous　and　low…caste　who　could　not　be



received　at　the　feast。







The　dinner　itself　exceeded　in　magnificence　any　similar　event　that　had



ever　taken　place　in　Ching…toi。　So　great　was　the　polished　ceremony



observed　on　the　occasion；　that　each　guest　had　half　a　score　of　cups　of



the　finest　apricot…tea　successively　placed　before　him　and　taken　away



untasted；　while　Yat　Huang　went　to　each　in　turn　protesting　vehemently



that　the　honour　of　covering　such　pure…minded　and　distinguished　persons



was　more　than　his　badly　designed　roof　could　reasonably　bear；　and



wittingly　giving　an　entrancing　air　of　reality　to　the　spoken　compliment



by　begging　them　to　move　somewhat　to　one　side　so　that　they　might　escape



the　heavy　central　beam　if　the　event　which　he　alluded　to　chanced　to



take　place。　After　several　hours　had　been　spent　in　this　congenial



occupation；　Yat　Huang　proceeded　to　read　aloud　several　of　the　sixteen



discourses　on　education　which；　taken　together；　form　the　discriminating



and　infallible　example　of　conduct　known　as　the　Holy　Edict。　As　each



detail　was　dwelt　upon　Yin　arose　from　his　couch　and　gave　his　deliberate



testimony　that　all　the　required　tests　and　rites　had　been　observed　in



his　own　case。　The　first　part　of　the　repast　was　then　partaken　of；　the



nature　of　the　ingredients　and　the　manner　of　preparing　them　being　fully



explained；　and　in　a　like　manner　through　each　succeeding　one　of　the



four…and…forty　courses。　At　the　conclusion　Yin　again　arose；　being



encouraged　by　the　repeated　uttering　of　his　name　by　those　present；　and



with　extreme　modesty　and　brilliance　set　forth　his　manner　of　thinking



concerning　all　subjects　with　which　he　was　acquainted。







Early　on　the　morning　of　the　following　day　Yin　set　out　on　his　travels；



entirely　unaccompanied；　and　carrying　with　him　nothing　beyond　a　sum　of



money；　a　silk　robe；　and　a　well…tried　and　reliable　spear。　For　many　days



he　journeyed　in　a　northerly　direction；　without　encountering　anything



sufficiently　unusual　to　engage　his　attention。　This；　however；　was



doubtless　part　of　a　pre…arranged　scheme　so　that　he　should　not　be　drawn



from　a　destined　path；　for　at　a　small　village　lying　on　the　southern



shore　of　a　large　lake；　called　by　those　around　Silent　Water；　he　heard



of　the　existence　of　a　certain　sacred　island；　distant　a　full　day's



sailing；　which　was　barren　of　all　forms　of　living　things；　and　contained



only　a　single　gigantic　rock　of　divine　origin　and　majestic　appearance。



Many　persons；　the　villagers　asserted；　had　sailed　to　the　island　in　the



hope　of　learning　the　portent　of　the　rock；　but　none　ever　returned；　and



they　themselves　avoided　coming　even　within　sight　of　it；　for　the　sacred



stone；　they　declared；　exercised　an　evil　influence　over　their　ships；



and　would；　if　permitted；　draw　them　out　of　their　course　and　towards



itself。　For　this　reason　Yin　could　find　no　guide；　whatever　reward　he



offered；　who　would　accompany　him；　but　having　with　difficulty　succeeded



in　hiring　a　small　boat　of　inconsiderable　value；　he　embarked　with　food；



incense；　and　materials　for　building　fires；　and　after　rowing



consistently　for　nearly　the　whole　of　the　day；　came　within　sight　of　the



island　at　evening。　Thereafter　the　necessity　of　further　exertion



ceased；　for；　as　they　of　the　village　had　declared　would　be　the　case；



the　vessel　moved　gently　forward；　in　an　unswerving　line；　without　being



in　any　way　propelled；　and　reaching　its　destination　in　a　marvellously



short　space　of　time；　passed　behind　a　protecting　spur　of　land　and　came



to　rest。　It　then　being　night；　Yin　did　no　more　than　carry　his　stores　to



a　place　of　safety；　and　after　lighting　a　sacrificial　fire　and



prostrating　himself　before　the　rock；　passed　into　the　Middle　Air。







In　the　morning　Yin's　spirit　came　back　to　the　earth　amid　the　sound　of



music　of　a　celestial　origin；　which　ceased　immediately　he　recovered



full　consciousness。　Accepting　this　manifestation　as　an　omen　of　Divine



favour；　Yin　journeyed　towards　the　centre　of　the　island　where　the　rock



stood；　at　every　step　passing　the　bones　of　innumerable　ones　who　had



come　on　a　similar　quest　to　his；　and　perished。　Many　of　these　had　left



behind　them　inscriptions　on　wood　or　bone　testifying　their　deliberate



opinion　of　the　sacred　rock；　the　island；　their　protecting　deities；　and



the　entire　train　of　circumstances；　which　had　resulted　in　their　being



in　such　a　condition。　These　were　for　the　most　part　of　a　maledictory　and



unencouraging　nature；　so　that　after　reading　a　few；　Yin　endeavoured　to



pass　without　being　in　any　degree　influenced　by　such　ill…judged



outbursts。







〃Accursed　be　the　ancestors　of　this　tormented　one　to　four　generations



back！〃　was　prominently　traced　upon　an　unusually　large　shoulder…blade。



〃May　they　at　this　moment　be　simmering　in　a　vat　of　unrefined　dragon's



blood；　as　a　reward　for　having　so　undiscriminatingly　reared　the　person



who　inscribes　these　words　only　to　attain　this　end！〃　〃Be　warned；　O



later　one；　by　the　signs　around！〃　Another　and　more　practical…minded



person　had　written：　〃Retreat　with　all　haste　to　your　vessel；　and　escape



while　there　is　yet　time。　Should　you；　by　chance；　again　reach　land



through　this　warning；　do　not　neglect；　out　of　an　emotion　of　gratitude；



to　burn　an　appropriate　amount　of　sacrifice　paper　for　the　lessening　of



the　torments　of　the　spirit　of　Li…Kao；〃　to　which　an　unscrupulous　one；



who　was　plainly　desirous　of　sharing　in　the　benefit　of　the　requested



sacrifice；　without　suffering　the　exertion　of　inscribing　a　warning



after　the　amiable　manner　of　Li…Kao；　had　added　the　words；　〃and　that　of



Huan　Sin〃。







Halting　at　a　convenient　distance　from　one　side　of　the　rock　which；



without　being　carved　by　any　person's　hand；　naturally　resembled　the



symmetrical　countenance　of　a　recumbent　dragon　（which　he　therefore



conjectured　to　be　the　chief　point　of　the　entire　mass）；　Yin　built　his



fire　and　began　an　unremitting　course　of　sacrifice　and　respectful



ceremony。　This　manner　of　conduct　he　observed　conscientiously　for　the



space　of　seven　days。　Towards　the　end　of　that　period　a　feeling　of



unendurable　dejection　began　to　possess　him；　for　his　stores　of　all



kinds　were　beginning　to　fail；　and　he　could　not　entirely　put　behind　him



the　memory　of　the　various　well…intentioned　warnings　which　he　had



received；　or　the　sight　of　the　fleshless　ones　who　had　lined　his　path。



On　the　eighth　day；　being　weak　with　hunger　and；　by　reason　of　an



intolerable　thirst；　unable　to　restrain　his　body　any　longer　in　the　spot



where　he　had　hitherto　continuously　prostrated　himself　nine…and…ninety



times　each　hour　without　ceasing；　he　rose　to　his　feet　and　retraced　his



steps　to　the　boat　in　order　that　he　might　fill　his　water…skins　and



procure　a　further　supply　of　food。







With　a　complicated　emotion；　in　which　was　present　every　abandoned　and



disagreeable　thought　to　which　a　person　becomes　a　prey　in　moments　of



exceptional　mental　and　bodily　anguish；　he　perceived　as　soon　as　he



reached　the　edge　of　the　water　that　the　boat；　upon　which　he　was



confidently　relying　to　carry　him　back　when　all　else　failed；　had



disappeared　as　entirely　as　the　smoke　from　an　extinguished　opium　pipe。



At　this　sight　Yin　clearly　understood　the　meaning　of　Li…Kao's



unregarded　warning；　and　recognized　that　nothing　could　now　save　him



from　adding　his　incorruptible　parts　to　those　of　the　unfortunate　ones



whose　unhappy　fate　had；　seven　days　ago；　engaged　his　refined　pity。



Unaccountably　strengthened　in　body　by　the　indignation　which　possessed



him；　and　inspired　with　a　virtuous　repulsion　at　the　treacherous　manner



of　behaving　on　the　part　of　those　who　guided　his　destinies；　he　hastened



back　to　his　place　of　obeisance；　and　perceiving　that　the　habitually



placid　and　introspective　expression　on　the　dragon　face　had



imperceptibly　changed　into　one　of　offensive　cunning　and　unconcealed



contempt；　he　snatched　up　his　spear　and；　without　the　consideration　of　a



moment；　hurled　it　at　a　score　of　paces　distance　full　into　the　sacred



but　nevertheless　very　unprepossessing　face　before　him。







At　the　instant　when　the　presumptuous　weapon　touched　the　holy　stone　the



entire　intervening　space　between　the　earth　and　the　sky　was　filled　with



innumerable　flashes　of　forked　and　many…tongued　lightning；　so　that　the



island　had　the　appearance　of　being　the　scene　of　a　very　extensive　but



somewhat　badly…arranged　display　of　costly　fireworks。　At　the　same　time



the　thunder　rolled　among　the　clouds　and　beneath　the　sea　in　an



exceedingly　disconcerting　manner。　At　the　first　indication　of　these



celestial　movements　a　sudden　blindness　came　upon　Yin；　and　all　power　of



thought　or　movement　forsook　him；　nevertheless；　he　experienced　an



emotion　of　flight　through　the　air；　as　though　borne　upwards　upon　the



back　of　a　winged　creature。　When　this　emotion　ceased；　the　blindness



went　from　him　as　suddenly　and　entirely　as　if　a　cloth　had　been　pulled



away　from　his　eyes；　and　he　perceived　that　he　was　held　in　the　midst　of



a　boundless　space；　with　no　other　object　in　view　than　the　sacred　rock；



which　had　opened；　as　it　were；　revealing　a　mighty　throng　within；　at　the



sight　of　whom　Yin's　internal　organs　trembled　as　they　would　never　have



moved　at　ordinary　danger；　for　it　was　put　into　his　spirit　that　these　in



whose　presence　he　stood　were　the　sacred　Emperors　of　his　country　from



the　earliest　time　until　the　usurpation　of　the　Chinese　throne　by　the



devouring　Tartar　hordes　from　the　North。







As　Yin　gazed　in　fear…stricken　amazement；　a　knowledge　of　the　various