the wallet of kai lung-第9部分

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It　is　not　a　matter　for　wonder；　therefore；　that　when　unnaturally　loud



thunder　was　heard　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Si…chow　the　more　ignorant



and　credulous　persons　refused　to　continue　in　any　description　of　work



until　certain　ceremonies　connected　with　rice　spirit；　and　the　adherence



to　a　reclining　position　for　some　hours；　had　been　conscientiously



observed　as　a　protection　against　evil。







Not　even　the　most　venerable　person　in　Si…chow　could　remember　the　time



when　the　magician　had　not　lived　there；　and　as　there　existed　no　written



record　narrating　the　incident；　it　was　with　well…founded　probability



that　he　was　said　to　be　incapable　of　death。　Contrary　to　the　most



general　practice；　although　quite　unmarried；　he　had　adopted　no　son　to



found　a　line　which　would　worship　his　memory　in　future　years；　but　had



instead　brought　up　and　caused　to　be　educated　in　the　most　difficult



varieties　of　embroidery　a　young　girl；　to　whom　he　referred；　for　want　of



a　more　suitable　description；　as　the　daughter　of　his　sister；　although



he　would　admit　without　hesitation；　when　closely　questioned；　that　he



had　never　possessed　a　sister；　at　the　same　time；　however；　alluding　with



some　pride　to　many　illustrious　brothers；　who　had　all　obtained



distinction　in　various　employments。







Few　persons　of　any　high　position　penetrated　into　the　house　of　the



magician；　and　most　of　these　retired　with　inelegant　haste　on　perceiving



that　no　domestic　altar　embellished　the　great　hall。　Indeed；　not　to　make



concealment　of　the　fact；　the　magician　was　a　person　who　had　entirely



neglected　the　higher　virtues　in　an　avaricious　pursuit　of　wealth。　In



that　way　all　his　time　and　a　very　large　number　of　taels　had　been



expended；　testing　results　by　means　of　the　four　elements；　and　putting



together　things　which　had　been　inadequately　arrived　at　by　others。　It



was　confidently　asserted　in　Si…chow　that　he　possessed　every　manner　of



printed　leaf　which　had　been　composed　in　whatsoever　language；　and　all



the　most　precious　charms；　including　many　snake…skins　of　more　than



ordinary　rarity；　and　the　fang　of　a　black　wolf　which　had　been　stung　by



seven　scorpions。







On　the　death　of　his　father　the　magician　had　become　possessed　of　great



wealth；　yet　he　contributed　little　to　the　funeral　obsequies　nor　did　any



suggestion　of　a　durable　and　expensive　nature　conveying　his　enlightened



name　and　virtues　down　to　future　times　cause　his　face　to　become



gladdened。　In　order　to　preserve　greater　secrecy　about　the　enchantments



which　he　certainly　performed；　he　employed　only　two　persons　within　the



house；　one　of　whom　was　blind　and　the　other　deaf。　In　this　ingenious



manner　he　hoped　to　receive　attention　and　yet　be　unobserved；　the　blind



one　being　unable　to　see　the　nature　of　the　incantations　which　he



undertook；　and　the　deaf　one　being　unable　to　hear　the　words。　In　this；



however；　he　was　unsuccessful；　as　the　two　persons　always　contrived　to



be　present　together；　and　to　explain　to　one　another　the　nature　of　the



various　matters　afterwards；　but　as　they　were　of　somewhat　deficient



understanding；　the　circumstance　was　unimportant。







It　was　with　more　uneasiness　that　the　magician　perceived　one　day　that



the　maiden　whom　he　had　adopted　was　no　longer　a　child。　As　he　desired



secrecy　above　all　things　until　he　should　have　completed　the　one



important　matter　for　which　he　had　laboured　all　his　life；　he　decided



with　extreme　unwillingness　to　put　into　operation　a　powerful　charm



towards　her；　which　would　have　the　effect　of　diminishing　all　her



attributes　until　such　time　as　he　might　release　her　again。　Owing　to　his



reluctance　in　the　matter；　however；　the　magic　did　not　act　fully；　but



only　in　such　a　way　that　her　feet　became　naturally　and　without　binding



the　most　perfect　and　beautiful　in　the　entire　province　of　Hu　Nan；　so



that　ever　afterwards　she　was　called　Pan　Fei　Mian；　in　delicate



reference　to　that　Empress　whose　feet　were　so　symmetrical　that　a　golden



lily　sprang　up　wherever　she　trod。　Afterwards　the　magician　made　no



further　essay　in　the　matter；　chiefly　because　he　was　ever　convinced



that　the　accomplishment　of　his　desire　was　within　his　grasp。







The　rumours　of　armed　men　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Si…chow　threw　the



magician　into　an　unendurable　condition　of　despair。　To　lose　all；　as



would　most　assuredly　happen　if　he　had　to　leave　his　arranged　rooms　and



secret　preparations　and　take　to　flight；　was　the　more　bitter　because　he



felt　surer　than　ever　that　success　was　even　standing　by　his　side。　The



very　subtle　liquid；　which　would　mix　itself　into　the　component　parts　of



the　living　creature　which　drank　it；　and　by　an　insidious　and　harmless



process　so　work　that；　when　the　spirit　departed；　the　flesh　would　become



resolved　into　a　figure　of　pure　and　solid　gold　of　the　finest　quality；



had　engaged　the　refined　minds　of　many　of　the　most　expert　individuals



of　remote　ages。　With　most　of　these　inspired　persons；　however；　the



search　had　been　undertaken　in　pure…minded　benevolence；　their　chief　aim



being　an　honourable　desire　to　discover　a　method　by　which　one's



ancestors　might　be　permanently　and　effectively　preserved　in　a　fit　and



becoming　manner　to　receive　the　worship　and　veneration　of　posterity。



Yet；　in　spite　of　these　amiable　motives；　and　of　the　fact　that　the



magician　merely　desired　the　possession　of　the　secret　to　enable　him　to



become　excessively　wealthy；　the　affair　had　been　so　arranged　that　it



should　come　into　his　possession。







The　matter　which　concerned　Mian　in　the　dark　wood；　when　she　was　only



saved　by　the　appearance　of　the　person　who　is　already　known　as　Ling；



entirely　removed　all　pleasurable　emotions　from　the　magician's　mind；



and　on　many　occasions　he　stated　in　a　definite　and　systematic　manner



that　he　would　shortly　end　an　ignoble　career　which　seemed　to　be



destined　only　to　gloom　and　disappointment。　In　this　way　an　important



misunderstanding　arose；　for　when；　two　days　later；　during　the　sound　of



matchlock　firing；　the　magician　suddenly　approached　the　presence　of



Mian　with　an　uncontrollable　haste　and　an　entire　absence　of　dignified



demeanour；　and　fell　dead　at　her　feet　without　expressing　himself　on　any



subject　whatever；　she　deliberately　judged　that　in　this　manner　he　had



carried　his　remark　into　effect；　nor　did　the　closed　vessel　of　yellow



liquid　which　he　held　in　his　hand　seem　to　lead　away　from　this　decision。



In　reality；　the　magician　had　fallen　owing　to　the　heavy　and　conflicting



emotions　which　success　had　engendered　in　an　intellect　already　greatly



weakened　by　his　continual　disregard　of　the　higher　virtues；　for　the



bottle；　indeed；　contained　the　perfection　of　his　entire　life's　study；



the　very　expensive　and　three…times　purified　gold　liquid。







On　perceiving　the　magician's　condition；　Mian　at　once　called　for　the



two　attendants；　and　directed　them　to　bring　from　an　inner　chamber　all



the　most　effective　curing　substances；　whether　in　the　form　of　powder　or



liquid。　When　these　proved　useless；　no　matter　in　what　way　they　were



applied；　it　became　evident　that　there　could　be　very　little　hope　of



restoring　the　magician；　yet　so　courageous　and　grateful　for　the



benefits　which　she　had　received　from　the　person　in　question　was　Mian；



that；　in　spite　of　the　uninviting　dangers　of　the　enterprise；　she



determined　to　journey　to　Ki　to　invoke　the　assistance　of　a　certain



person　who　was　known　to　be　very　successful　in　casting　out　malicious



demons　from　the　bodies　of　animals；　and　from　casks　and　barrels；　in



which　they　frequently　took　refuge；　to　the　great　detriment　of　the



quality　of　the　liquid　placed　therein。







Not　without　many　hidden　fears；　Mian　set　out　on　her　journey；　greatly



desiring　not　to　be　subjected　to　an　encounter　of　a　nature　similar　to



the　one　already　recorded；　for　in　such　a　case　she　could　hardly　again



hope　for　the　inspired　arrival　of　the　one　whom　she　now　often　thought　of



in　secret　as　the　well…formed　and　symmetrical　young　sword…user。



Nevertheless；　an　event　of　equal　significance　was　destined　to　prove　the



wisdom　of　the　well…known　remark　concerning　thoughts　which　are



occupying　one's　intellect　and　the　unexpected　appearance　of　a　very



formidable　evil　spirit；　for　as　she　passed　along；　quickly　yet　with　so



dignified　a　motion　that　the　moss　received　no　impression　beneath　her



footsteps；　she　became　aware　of　a　circumstance　which　caused　her　to　stop



by　imparting　to　her　mind　two　definite　and　greatly　dissimilar　emotions。







In　a　grassy　and　open　space；　on　the　verge　of　which　she　stood；　lay　the



dead　bodies　of　seventeen　rebels；　all　disposed　in　very　degraded



attitudes；　which　contrasted　strongly　with　the　easy　and　becoming



position　adopted　by　the　eighteenthone　who　bore　the　unmistakable



emblems　of　the　Imperial　army。　In　this　brave　and　noble…looking



personage　Mian　at　once　saw　her　preserver；　and　not　doubting　that　an



inopportune　and　treacherous　death　had　overtaken　him；　she　ran　forward



and　raised　him　in　her　arms；　being　well　assured　that　however　indiscreet



such　an　action　might　appear　in　the　case　of　an　ordinary　person；　the



most　select　maiden　need　not　hesitate　to　perform　so　honourable　a



service　in　regard　to　one　whose　virtues　had　by　that　time　undoubtedly



placed　him　among　the　Three　Thousand　Pure　Ones。　Being　disturbed　in　this



providential　manner；　Ling　opened　his　eyes；　and　faintly　murmuring；　〃Oh；



sainted　and　adorable　Koon　Yam；　Goddess　of　Charity；　intercede　for　me



with　Buddha！〃　he　again　lost　possession　of　himself　in　the　Middle　Air。



At　this　remark；　which　plainly　proved　Ling　to　be　still　alive；　in　spite



of　the　fact　that　both　the　maiden　and　the　person　h