the wallet of kai lung-第5部分

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shone　in　many　dwellings；　for　two　hundred　persons　were　composing



verses；　setting　forth　their　renown　and　undoubted　accomplishments；



ready　to　affix　to　their　doors　and　send　to　friends　on　the　next　day。　Not



giving　any　portion　of　his　mind　to　this　desirable　act　of　behaviour；



Ling　flung　himself　upon　the　floor；　and；　finding　sleep　unattainable；



plunged　himself　into　profound　meditation　of　a　very　uninviting　order。



〃Without　doubt；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃evil　can　only　arise　from　evil；　and　as



this　person　has　always　endeavoured　to　lead　a　life　in　which　his



devotions　have　been　equally　divided　between　the　sacred　Emperor；　his



illustrious　parents；　and　his　venerable　ancestors；　the　fault　cannot　lie



with　him。　Of　the　excellence　of　his　parents　he　has　full　knowledge；



regarding　the　Emperor；　it　might　not　be　safe　to　conjecture。　It　is



therefore　probable　that　some　of　his　ancestors　were　persons　of



abandoned　manner　and　inelegant　habits；　to　worship　whom　results　in　evil



rather　than　good。　Otherwise；　how　could　it　be　that　one　whose　chief



delight　lies　in　the　passive　contemplation　of　the　Four　Books　and　the



Five　Classics；　should　be　selected　by　destiny　to　fill　a　position



calling　for　great　personal　courage　and　an　aggressive　nature？　Assuredly



it　can　only　end　in　a　mean　and　insignificant　death；　perhaps　not　even



followed　by　burial。〃







In　this　manner　of　thought　he　fell　asleep；　and　after　certain　very　base



and　impressive　dreams；　from　which　good　omens　were　altogether　absent；



he　awoke；　and　rose　to　begin　his　preparations　for　leaving　the　city。



After　two　days　spent　chiefly　in　obtaining　certain　safeguards　against



treachery　and　the　bullets　of　foemen；　purchasing　opium　and　other　gifts



with　which　to　propitiate　the　soldiers　under　his　charge；　and　in



consulting　well…disposed　witches　and　readers　of　the　future；　he　set



out；　and　by　travelling　in　extreme　discomfort；　reached　Si…chow　within



five　days。　During　his　journey　he　learned　that　the　entire　Province　was



engaged　in　secret　rebellion；　several　towns；　indeed；　having　declared



against　the　Imperial　army　without　reserve。　Those　persons　to　whom　Ling



spoke　described　the　rebels；　with　respectful　admiration；　as　fierce　and



unnaturally　skilful　in　all　methods　of　fighting；　revengeful　and



merciless　towards　their　enemies；　very　numerous　and　above　the　ordinary



height　of　human　beings；　and　endowed　with　qualities　which　made　their



skin　capable　of　turning　aside　every　kind　of　weapon。　Furthermore；　he



was　assured　that　a　large　band　of　the　most　abandoned　and　best　trained



was　at　that　moment　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　Si…how。







Ling　was　not　destined　long　to　remain　in　any　doubt　concerning　the　truth



of　these　matters；　for　as　he　made　his　way　through　a　dark　cypress　wood；



a　few　li　from　the　houses　of　Si…chow；　the　sounds　of　a　confused　outcry



reached　his　ears；　and　on　stepping　aside　to　a　hidden　glade　some



distance　from　the　path；　he　beheld　a　young　and　elegant　maiden　of



incomparable　beauty　being　carried　away　by　two　persons　of　most



repulsive　and　undignified　appearance；　whose　dress　and　manner　clearly



betrayed　them　to　be　rebels　of　the　lowest　and　worst…paid　type。　At　this



sight　Ling　became　possessed　of　feelings　of　a　savage　yet　agreeable



order；　which　until　that　time　he　had　not　conjectured　to　have　any　place



within　his　mind；　and　without　even　pausing　to　consider　whether　the



planets　were　in　favourable　positions　for　the　enterprise　to　be



undertaken　at　that　time；　he　drew　his　sword；　and　ran　forward　with　loud



cries。　Unsettled　in　their　intentions　at　this　unexpected　action；　the



two　persons　turned　and　advanced　upon　Ling　with　whirling　daggers；



discussing　among　themselves　whether　it　would　be　better　to　kill　him　at



the　first　blow　or　to　take　him　alive；　and；　when　the　day　had　become



sufficiently　cool　for　the　full　enjoyment　of　the　spectacle；　submit　him



to　various　objectionable　tortures　of　so　degraded　a　nature　that　they



were　rarely　used　in　the　army　of　the　Emperor　except　upon　the　persons　of



barbarians。　Observing　that　the　maiden　was　not　bound；　Ling　cried　out　to



her　to　escape　and　seek　protection　within　the　town；　adding；　with　a



magnanimous　absence　of　vanity：







〃Should　this　person　chance　to　fall；　the　repose　which　the　presence　of



so　lovely　and　graceful　a　being　would　undoubtedly　bring　to　his



departing　spirit　would　be　out…balanced　by　the　unendurable　thought　that



his　commonplace　efforts　had　not　been　sufficient　to　save　her　from　the



two　evilly…disposed　individuals　who　are；　as　he　perceives；　at　this



moment；　neglecting　no　means　within　their　power　to　accomplish　his



destruction。〃　Accepting　the　discernment　of　these　words；　the　maiden



fled；　first　bestowing　a　look　upon　Ling　which　clearly　indicated　an



honourable　regard　for　himself；　a　high…minded　desire　that　the　affair



might　end　profitably　on　his　account；　and　an　amiable　hope　that　they



should　meet　again；　when　these　subjects　could　be　expressed　more　clearly



between　them。







In　the　meantime　Ling　had　become　at　a　disadvantage；　for　the　time



occupied　in　speaking　and　in　making　the　necessary　number　of　bows　in



reply　to　her　entrancing　glance　had　given　the　other　persons　an



opportunity　of　arranging　their　charms　and　sacred　written　sentences　to



greater　advantage；　and　of　occupying　the　most　favourable　ground　for　the



encounter。　Nevertheless；　so　great　was　the　force　of　the　new　emotion



which　had　entered　into　Ling's　nature　that；　without　waiting　to　consider



the　dangers　or　the　best　method　of　attack；　he　rushed　upon　them；　waving



his　sword　with　such　force　that　he　appeared　as　though　surrounded　by　a



circle　of　very　brilliant　fire。　In　this　way　he　reached　the　rebels；　who



both　fell　unexpectedly　at　one　blow；　they；　indeed；　being　under　the



impression　that　the　encounter　had　not　commenced　in　reality；　and　that



Ling　was　merely　menacing　them　in　order　to　inspire　their　minds　with



terror　and　raise　his　own　spirits。　However　much　he　regretted　this　act



of　the　incident　which　he　had　been　compelled　to　take；　Ling　could　not



avoid　being　filled　with　intellectual　joy　at　finding　that　his　own



charms　and　omens　were　more　distinguished　than　those　possessed　by　the



rebels；　none　of　whom；　as　he　now　plainly　understood；　he　need　fear。







Examining　these　things　within　his　mind；　and　reflecting　on　the　events



of　the　past　few　days；　by　which　he　had　been　thrown　into　a　class　of



circumstances　greatly　differing　from　anything　which　he　had　ever



sought；　Ling　continued　his　journey；　and　soon　found　himself　before　the



southern　gate　of　Si…chow。　Entering　the　town；　he　at　once　formed　the



resolution　of　going　before　the　Mandarin　for　Warlike　Deeds　and



Arrangements；　so　that　he　might　present；　without　delay；　the　papers　and



seals　which　he　had　brought　with　him　from　Canton。







〃The　noble　Mandarin　Li　Keen？〃　replied　the　first　person　to　whom　Ling



addressed　himself。　〃It　would　indeed　be　a　difficult　and　hazardous



conjecture　to　make　concerning　his　sacred　person。　By　chance　he　is　in



the　strongest　and　best…concealed　cellar　in　Si…chow；　unless　the



sumptuous　attractions　of　the　deepest　dry　well　have　induced　him　to　make



a　short　journey〃；　and；　with　a　look　of　great　unfriendliness　at　Ling's



dress　and　weapons；　this　person　passed　on。







〃Doubtless　he　is　fighting　single…handed　against　the　armed　men　by　whom



the　place　is　surrounded；〃　said　another；　〃or　perhaps　he　is　constructing



an　underground　road　from　the　Yamen　to　Peking；　so　that　we　may　all



escape　when　the　town　is　taken。　All　that　can　be　said　with　certainty　is



that　the　Heaven…sent　and　valorous　Mandarin　has　not　been　seen　outside



the　walls　of　his　well…fortified　residence　since　the　trouble　arose；



but；　as　you　carry　a　sword　of　conspicuous　excellence；　you　will



doubtless　be　welcome。〃







Upon　making　a　third　attempt　Ling　was　more　successful；　for　he　inquired



of　an　aged　woman；　who　had　neither　a　reputation　for　keen　and　polished



sentences　to　maintain；　nor　any　interest　in　the　acts　of　the　Mandarin　or



of　the　rebels。　From　her　he　learned　how　to　reach　the　Yamen；　and



accordingly　turned　his　footsteps　in　that　direction。　When　at　length　he



arrived　at　the　gate；　Ling　desired　his　tablets　to　be　carried　to　the



Mandarin　with　many　expressions　of　an　impressive　and　engaging　nature；



nor　did　he　neglect　to　reward　the　porter。　It　was　therefore　with　the



expression　of　a　misunderstanding　mind　that　he　received　a　reply　setting



forth　that　Li　Keen　was　unable　to　receive　him。　In　great　doubt　he



prevailed　upon　the　porter；　by　means　of　a　still　larger　reward；　again　to



carry　in　his　message；　and　on　this　occasion　an　answer　in　this　detail



was　placed　before　him。







〃Li　Keen；〃　he　was　informed；　〃is　indeed　awaiting　the　arrival　of　one



Ling；　a　noble　and　valiant　Commander　of　Bowmen。　He　is　given　to



understand；　it　is　true；　that　a　certain　person　claiming　the　same



honoured　name　is　standing　in　somewhat　undignified　attitudes　at　the



gate；　but　he　is　unable　in　any　way　to　make　these　two　individuals　meet



within　his　intellect。　He　would　further　remind　all　persons　that　the



refined　observances　laid　down　by　the　wise　and　exalted　Board　of　Rites



and　Ceremonies　have　a　marked　and　irreproachable　significance　when　the



country　is　in　a　state　of　disorder；　the　town　surrounded　by　rebels；　and



every　breathing…space　of　time　of　more　than　ordinary　value。〃







Overpowered　with　becoming　shame　at　having　been　connected　with　so



unseemly　a　breach　of　civility；　for　which　his　great　haste　had　in



reality　been　accountable；　Ling　hastened　back　into　the　town；　and　spent



many　hours　endeavouring　to　obtain　a　chair　of　the　requisite　colour　in



which　to　visit　the