the wallet of kai lung-第14部分

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entrancing　subject　to　a　contemplation　of　the　manner　in　which　his



condition　would　enable　him　to　frustrate　the　uninventive　villainies　of



the　obstinate　person　Li　Keen；　and　to　provide　a　suitable　house　and　mode



of　living　to　which　he　would　be　justified　in　introducing　Mian；　after



adequate　marriage　ceremonies　had　been　observed　between　them。　In　this



endeavour　he　was　less　successful　than　he　had　imagined　would　be　the



case；　for　when　he　had　first　fully　understood　that　his　body　was　of　such



a　substance　that　nothing　was　wanting　to　transmute　it　into　fine　gold



but　the　absence　of　the　living　spirit；　he　had　naturally；　and　without



deeply　examining　the　detail；　assumed　that　so　much　gold　might　be



considered　to　be　in　his　possession。　Now；　however；　a　very　definite



thought　arose　within　him　that　his　own　wishes　and　interests　would　have



been　better　secured　had　the　benevolent　spirits　who　undertook　the



matter　placed　the　secret　within　his　knowledge　in　such　a　way　as　to



enable　him　to　administer　the　fluid　to　some　very　heavy　and　inexpensive



animal；　so　that　the　issue　which　seemed　inevitable　before　the　enjoyment



of　the　riches　could　be　entered　upon　should　not　have　touched　his　own



comfort　so　closely。　To　a　person　of　Ling's　refined　imagination　it　could



not　fail　to　be　a　subject　of　internal　reproach　that　while　he　would



become　the　most　precious　dead　body　in　the　world；　his　value　in　life



might　not　be　very　honourably　placed　even　by　the　most　complimentary　one



who　should　require　his　services。　Then　came　the　thought；　which；　however



degraded；　he　found　himself　unable　to　put　quite　beyond　him；　that　if　in



the　meantime　he　were　able　to　gain　a　sufficiency　for　Mian　and　himself；



even　her　pure　and　delicate　love　might　not　be　able　to　bear　so　offensive



a　test　as　that　of　seeing　him　grow　old　and　remain　intolerably



healthyperhaps　with　advancing　years　actually　becoming　lighter　day　by



day；　and　thereby　lessening　in　value　before　her　eyeswhen　the　natural



infirmities　of　age　and　the　presence　of　an　ever…increasing　posterity



would　make　even　a　moderate　amount　of　taels　of　inestimable　value。







No　doubt　remained　in　Ling's　mind　that　the　process　of　frequently　making



smooth　his　surfaces　would　yield　an　amount　of　gold　enough　to　suffice



for　his　own　needs；　but　a　brief　consideration　of　the　matter　convinced



him　that　this　source　would　be　inadequate　to　maintain　an　entire



household　even　if　he　continually　denuded　himself　to　an　almost



ignominious　extent。　As　he　fully　weighed　these　varying　chances　the



certainty　became　more　clear　to　him　with　every　thought　that　for　the



virtuous　enjoyment　of　Mian's　society　one　great　sacrifice　was　required



of　him。　This　act；　it　seemed　to　be　intimated；　would　without　delay



provide　for　an　affluent　and　lengthy　future；　and　at　the　same　time　would



influence　all　the　spiritseven　those　who　had　been　hitherto



evilly…disposed　towards　himin　such　a　manner　that　his　enemies　would



be　removed　from　his　path　by　a　process　which　would　expose　them　to



public　ridicule；　and　he　would　be　assured　in　founding　an　illustrious



and　enduring　line。　To　accomplish　this　successfully　necessitated　the



loss　of　at　least　the　greater　part　of　one　entire　member；　and　for　some



time　the　disadvantages　of　going　through　an　existence　with　only　a



single　leg　or　arm　seemed　more　than　a　sufficient　price　to　pay　even　for



the　definite　advantages　which　would　be　made　over　to　him　in　return。



This　unworthy　thought；　however；　could　not　long　withstand　the　memory　of



Mian's　steadfast　and　high…minded　affection；　and　the　certainty　of　her



enlightened　gladness　at　his　return　even　in　the　imperfect　condition



which　he　anticipated。　Nor　was　there　absent　from　his　mind　a



dimly…understood　hope　that　the　matter　did　not　finally　rest　with　him；



but　that　everything　which　he　might　be　inspired　to　do　was　in　reality



only　a　portion　of　the　complete　and　arranged　system　into　which　he　had



been　drawn；　and　in　which　his　part　had　been　assigned　to　him　from　the



beginning　without　power　for　him　to　deviate；　no　matter　how　much　to　the



contrary　the　thing　should　appear。







As　no　advantage　would　be　gained　by　making　any　delay；　Ling　at　once



sought　the　most　favourable　means　of　putting　his　resolution　into



practice；　and　after　many　skilful　and　insidious　inquiries　he　learnt　of



an　accomplished　person　who　made　a　consistent　habit　of　cutting　off



limbs　which　had　become　troublesome　to　their　possessors　either　through



accident　or　disease。　Furthermore；　he　was　said　to　be　of　a　sincere　and



charitable　disposition；　and　many　persons　declared　that　on　no　occasion



had　he　been　known　to　make　use　of　the　helpless　condition　of　those　who



visited　him　in　order　to　extort　money　from　them。







Coming　to　the　ill…considered　conclusion　that　he　would　be　able　to



conceal　within　his　own　breast　the　true　reason　for　the　operation；　Ling



placed　himself　before　the　person　in　question；　and　exhibited　the　matter



to　him　so　that　it　would　appear　as　though　his　desires　were　promoted　by



the　presence　of　a　small　but　persistent　sprite　which　had　taken　its



abode　within　his　left　thigh；　and　there　resisted　every　effort　of　the



most　experienced　wise　persons　to　induce　it　to　come　forth　again。



Satisfied　with　this　explanation　of　the　necessity　of　the　deed；　the　one



who　undertook　the　matter　proceeded；　with　Ling's　assistance；　to　sharpen



his　cutting　instruments　and　to　heat　the　hardening　irons；　but　no　sooner



had　he　made　a　shallow　mark　to　indicate　the　lines　which　his　knife



should　take；　than　his　subtle　observation　at　once　showed　him　that　the



facts　had　been　represented　to　him　in　a　wrong　sense；　and　that　his



visitor；　indeed；　was　composed　of　no　common　substance。　Being　of　a



gentle　and　forbearing　disposition；　he　did　not　manifest　any　indication



of　rage　at　the　discovery；　but　amiably　and　unassumingly　pointed　out



that　such　a　course　was　not　respectful　towards　himself；　and　that；



moreover；　Ling　might　incur　certain　well…defined　and　highly　undesirable



maladies　as　a　punishment　for　the　deception。







Overcome　with　remorse　at　deceiving　so　courteous　and　noble…minded　a



person；　Ling　fully　explained　the　circumstances　to　him；　not　even



concealing　from　him　certain　facts　which　related　to　the　actions　of



remote　ancestors；　but　which；　nevertheless；　appeared　to　have　influenced



the　succession　of　events。　When　he　had　made　an　end　of　the　narrative；



the　other　said：







〃Behold　now；　it　is　truly　remarked　that　every　Mandarin　has　three　hands



and　every　soldier　a　like　number　of　feet；　yet　it　is　a　saying　which　is



rather　to　be　regarded　as　manifesting　the　deep　wisdom　and



discrimination　of　the　speaker　than　as　an　actual　fact　which　can　be



taken　advantage　of　when　one　is　so　mindedleast　of　all　by　so　valiant　a



Commander　as　the　one　before　me；　who　has　clearly　proved　that　in　time　of



battle　he　has　exactly　reversed　the　position。〃







〃The　loss　would　undoubtedly　be　of　considerable　inconvenience



occasionally；〃　admitted　Ling；　〃yet　none　the　less　the　sage　remark　of



Huai　Mei…shan；　'When　actually　in　the　embrace　of　a　voracious　and



powerful　wild　animal；　the　desirability　of　leaving　a　limb　is　not　a



matter　to　be　subjected　to　lengthy　consideration'；　is　undoubtedly　a



valuable　guide　for　general　conduct。　This　person　has　endured　many



misfortunes　and　suffered　many　injustices；　he　has　known　the



wolf…gnawings　of　great　hopes；　which　have　withered　and　daily　grown　less



when　the　difficulties　of　maintaining　an　honourable　and　illustrious



career　have　unfolded　themselves　within　his　sight。　Before　him　still　lie



the　attractions　of　a　moderate　competency　to　be　shared　with　the　one



whose　absence　would　make　even　the　Upper　Region　unendurable；　and　after



having　this　entrancing　future　once　shattered　by　the　tiger…like



cupidity　of　a　depraved　and　incapable　Mandarin；　he　is　determined　to



welcome　even　the　sacrifice　which　you　condemn　rather　than　let　the



opportunity　vanish　through　indecision。〃







〃It　is　not　an　unworthy　or　abandoned　decision；〃　said　the　one　whose　aid



Ling　had　invoked；　〃nor　a　matter　in　which　this　person　would　refrain



from　taking　part；　were　there　no　other　and　more　agreeable　means　by



which　the　same　results　may　be　attained。　A　circumstance　has　occurred



within　this　superficial　person's　mind；　however：　A　brother　of　the　one



who　is　addressing　you　is　by　profession　one　of　those　who　purchase　large



undertakings　for　which　they　have　not　the　money　to　pay；　and　who



thereupon　by　various　expedients　gain　the　ear　of　the　thrifty；　enticing



them　by　fair　offers　of　return　to　entrust　their　savings　for　the　purpose



of　paying　off　the　debt。　These　persons　are　ever　on　the　watch　for



transactions　by　which　they　inevitably　prosper　without　incurring　any



obligation；　and　doubtless　my　brother　will　be　able　to　gather　a　just



share　of　the　value　of　your　highly…remunerative　body　without　submitting



you　to　the　insufferable　annoyance　of　losing　a　great　part　of　it



prematurely。〃







Without　clearly　understanding　how　so　inviting　an　arrangement　could　be



effected；　the　manner　of　speaking　was　exceedingly　alluring　to　Ling's



mind；　perplexed　as　he　had　become　through　weighing　and　considering　the



various　attitudes　of　the　entire　matter。　To　receive　a　certain　and



sufficient　sum　of　money　without　his　person　being　in　any　way　mutilated



would　be　a　satisfactory；　but　as　far　as　he　had　been　able　to　observe　an



unapproachable；　solution　to　the　difficulty。　In　the　mind　of　the　amiable



person　with　whom　he　was　conversing；　however；　the　accomplishment　did



not　appear　to　be　surrounded　by　unnatural　obstacles；　so　that　Ling　was



content　to　leave　the　entire　design　in　his　hands；　after　stat