for a period not to be measured by days or weeks the air of ching-fow had been as unrestful as that of the locust plains beyond the great wall, for every speech which passed bore two faces, one fair to hear, as a greeting, but the other insidiously speaking behind a screen, of rebellion, violence, and the hope of overturning the fixed order of events. with those whom they did not mistrust of treachery persons spoke in low voices of definite plans, while at all times there might appear in prominent places of the city skilfully composed notices setting forth great wrongs and injustices towards which resignation and a lowly bearing were outwardly counselled, yet with the same words cunningly inflaming the minds, even of the patient, as no pouring out of passionate thoughts and undignified threatenings could have done. among the people, unknown, unseen, and unsuspected, except to the proved ones to whom they desired to reveal themselves, moved the agents of the three societies. while to the many of ching-fow nothing was desired or even thought of behind the downfall of their own officials, and, chief of all, the execution of the evil-minded and depraved mandarin ping siang, whose cruelties and extortions had made his name an object of wide and deserved loathing, the agents only regarded the city as a bright spot in the line of blood and fire which they were fanning into life from peking to canton, and which would presumably burst forth and involve the entire empire.
although it had of late become a plain fact, by reason of the manner of behaving of the people, that events of a sudden and turbulent nature could not long be restrained, yet outwardly there was no exhibition of violence, not even to the length of resisting those whom ping siang sent to enforce his unjust demands, chiefly because a well-founded whisper had been sent round that nothing was to be done until tung fel should arrive, which would not be until the seventh day in the month of winged dragons. to this all persons agreed, for the more aged among them, who, by virtue of their years, were also the formers of opinion in all matters, called up within their memories certain events connected with the two persons in question which appeared to give to tung fel the privilege of expressing himself clearly when the matter of finally dealing with the malicious and self-willed mandarin should be engaged upon.
among the mountains which enclose ching-fow on the southern side dwelt a jade-seeker, who also kept goats. although a young man and entirely without relations, he had, by patient industry, contrived to collect together a large flock of the best-formed and most prolific goats to be found in the neighbourhood, all the money which he received in exchange for jade being quickly bartered again for the finest animals which he could obtain. he was dauntless in penetrating to the most inaccessible parts of the mountains in search of the stone, unfailing in his skilful care of the flock, in which he took much honourable pride, and on all occasions discreet and unassumingly restrained in his discourse and manner of life. knowing this to be his invariable practice, it was with emotions of an agreeable curiosity that on the seventh day of the month of winged dragons those persons who were passing from place to place in the city beheld this young man, yang hu, descending the mountain path with unmistakable signs of profound agitation, and an entire absence of prudent care. following him closely to the inner square of the city, on the continually expressed plea that they themselves had business in that quarter, these persons observed yang hu take up a position of unendurable dejection as he gazed reproachfully at the figure of the all-knowing buddha which surmounted the temple where it was his custom to sacrifice.
“alas!” he exclaimed, lifting up his voice, when it became plain that a large number of people was assembled awaiting his words, “to what end does a person strive in this excessively evilly-regulated district? or is it that this obscure and ill-destined one alone is marked out as with a deep white cross for humiliation and ruin? father, and sacred temple of ancestral virtues, wherein the meanest can repose their trust, he has none; while now, being more destitute than the beggar at the gate, the hope of honourable marriage and a robust family of sons is more remote than the chance of finding the miracle-working crystal image which marks the last footstep of the pure one. yesterday this person possessed no secret store of silver or gold, nor had he knowledge of any special amount of jade hidden among the mountains, but to his call there responded four score goats, the most select and majestic to be found in all the province, of which, nevertheless, it was his yearly custom to sacrifice one, as those here can testify, and to offer another as a duty to the yamen of ping siang, in neither case opening his eyes widely when the hour for selecting arrived. yet in what an unseemly manner is his respectful piety and courteous loyalty rewarded! to-day, before this person went forth on his usual quest, there came those bearing written papers by which they claimed, on the authority of ping siang, the whole of this person’s flock, as a punishment and fine for his not contributing without warning to the celebration of kissing the emperor’s face—the very obligation of such a matter being entirely unknown to him. nevertheless, those who came drove off this person’s entire wealth, the desperately won increase of a life full of great toil and uncomplainingly endured hardship, leaving him only his cave in the rocks, which even the most grasping of many-handed mandarins cannot remove, his cloak of skins, which no beggar would gratefully receive, and a bright and increasing light of deep hate scorching within his mind which nothing but the blood of the obdurate extortioner can efficiently quench. no protection of charms or heavily-mailed bowmen shall avail him, for in his craving for just revenge this person will meet witchcraft with a heaven-sent cause and oppose an unsleeping subtlety against strength. therefore let not the innocent suffer through an insufficient understanding, o divine one, but direct the hand of your faithful worshipper towards the heart that is proud in tyranny, and holds as empty words the clearly defined promise of an all-seeing justice.”
scarcely had yang hu made an end of speaking before there happened an event which could be regarded in no other light than as a direct answer to his plainly expressed request for a definite sign. upon the clear air, which had become unnaturally still at yang hu’s words, as though to remove any chance of doubt that this indeed was the requested answer, came the loud beating of many very powerful brass gongs, indicating the approach of some person of undoubted importance. in a very brief period the procession reached the square, the gong-beaters being followed by persons carrying banners, bowmen in armour, others bearing various weapons and instruments of torture, slaves displaying innumerable changes of raiment to prove the rank and consequence of their master, umbrella carriers and fan wavers, and finally, preceded by incense burners and surrounded by servants who cleared away all obstructions by means of their formidable and heavily knotted lashes, the unworthy and deceitful mandarin ping siang, who sat in a silk-hung and elaborately wrought chair, looking from side to side with gestures and expressions of contempt and ill-restrained cupidity.
at the sign of this powerful but unscrupulous person all those who were present fell upon their faces, leaving a broad space in their midst, except yang hu, who stepped back into the shadow of a doorway, being resolved that he would not prostrate himself before one whom heaven had pointed out as the proper object of his just vengeance.
when the chair of ping siang could no longer be observed in the distance, and the sound of his many gongs had died away, all the persons who had knelt at his approach rose to their feet, meeting each other’s eyes with glances of assured and profound significance. at length there stepped forth an exceedingly aged man, who was generally believed to have the power of reading omens and forecasting futures, so that at his upraised hand all persons became silent.
“behold!” he exclaimed, “none can turn aside in doubt from the deliberately pointed finger of buddha. henceforth, in spite of the well-intentioned suggestions of those who would shield him under the plea of exacting orders from high ones at peking or extortions practised by slaves under him of which he is ignorant, there can no longer be any two voices concerning the guilty one. yet what does the knowledge of the cormorant’s cry avail the golden carp in the shallow waters of the yuen-kiang? a prickly mormosa is an adequate protection against a naked man armed only with a just cause, and a company of bowmen has been known to quench an entire city’s heaven-felt desire for retribution. this person, and doubtless others also, would have experienced a more heartfelt enthusiasm in the matter if the sublime and omnipotent buddha had gone a step further, and pointed out not only the one to be punished, but also the instrument by which the destiny could be prudently and effectively accomplished.”
from the mountain path which led to yang hu’s cave came a voice, like an expressly devised reply to this speech. it was that of some person uttering the “chant of rewards and penalties”:
“how strong is the mountain sycamore!
“its branches reach the middle air, and the eye of none can pierce
its foliage;
“it draws power and nourishment from all around, so that weeds
alone may flourish under its shadow.
“robbers find safety within the hollow of its trunk; its branches
hide vampires and all manner of evil things which prey upon
the innocent;
“the wild boar of the forest sharpen their tusks against the bark,
for it is harder than flint, and the axe of the woodsman turns
back upon the striker.
“then cries the sycamore, ‘hail and rain have no power against me,
nor can the fiercest sun penetrate beyond my outside fringe;
“‘the man who impiously raises his hand against me falls by his
own stroke and weapon.
“‘can there be a greater or a more powerful than this one?
assuredly, i am buddha; let all things obey me.’
“whereupon the weeds bow their heads, whispering among themselves,
‘the voice of the tall one we hear, but not that of buddha.
indeed, it is doubtless as he says.’
“in his musk-scented heaven buddha laughs, and not deigning to
raise his head from the lap of the phoenix goddess, he thrusts
forth a stone which lies by his foot.
“saying, ‘a god’s present for a god. take it carefully, o
presumptuous little one, for it is hot to the touch.’
“the thunderbolt falls and the mighty tree is rent in twain. ‘they
asked for my messenger,’ said the pure one, turning again to
repose.
“lo, he comes!”
with the last spoken word there came into the sight of those who were collected together a person of stern yet engaging appearance. his hands and face were the colour of mulberry stain by long exposure to the sun, while his eyes looked forth like two watch-fires outside a wolf-haunted camp. his long pigtail was tangled with the binding tendrils of the forest, and damp with the dew of an open couch. his apparel was in no way striking or brilliant, yet he strode with the dignity and air of a high official, pushing before him a covered box upon wheels.
“it is tung fel!” cried many who stood there watching his approach, in tones which showed those who spoke to be inspired by a variety of impressive emotions. “undoubtedly this is the seventh day of the month of winged dragons, and, as he specifically stated would be the case, lo! he has come.”
few were the words of greeting which tung fel accorded even to the most venerable of those who awaited him.
“this person has slept, partaken of fruit and herbs, and devoted an allotted time to inward contemplation,” he said briefly. “other and more weighty matters than the exchange of dignified compliments and the admiration of each other’s profiles remain to be accomplished. what, for example, is the significance of the written parchment which is displayed in so obtrusive a manner before our eyes? bring it to this person without delay.”
at these words all those present followed tung fel’s gaze with astonishment, for conspicuously displayed upon the wall of the temple was a written notice which all joined in asserting had not been there the moment before, though no man had approached the spot. nevertheless it was quickly brought to tung fel, who took it without any fear or hesitation and read aloud the words which it contained.
“to the custom-respecting persons of ching-fow.
“truly the span of existence of any upon this earth is brief and
not to be considered; therefore, o unfortunate dwellers of
ching-fow, let it not affect your digestion that your bodies are
in peril of sudden and most excruciating tortures and your family
temples in danger of humiliating disregard.
“why do your thoughts follow the actions of the noble mandarin
ping siang so insidiously, and why after each unjust exaction do
your eyes look redly towards the yamen?
“is he not the little finger of those at peking, obeying their
commands and only carrying out the taxation which others have
devised? indeed, he himself has stated such to be the fact. if,
therefore, a terrible and unforeseen fate overtook the usually
cautious and well-armed ping siang, doubtless—perhaps after the
lapse of some considerable time—another would be sent from peking
for a like purpose, and in this way, after a too-brief period of
heaven-sent rest and prosperity, affairs would regulate themselves
into almost as unendurable a condition as before.
“therefore ponder these things well, o passer-by. yesterday the
only man-child of huang the wood-carver was taken away to be sold
into slavery by the emissaries of the most just ping siang (who
would not have acted thus, we are assured, were it not for the
insatiable ones at peking), as it had become plain that the very
necessitous huang had no other possession to contribute to the
amount to be expended in coloured lights as a mark of public
rejoicing on the occasion of the moonday of the sublime emperor.
the illiterate and prosaic-minded huang, having in a most unseemly
manner reviled and even assailed those who acted in the matter,
has been effectively disposed of, and his wife now alternately
laughs and shrieks in the establishment of irregular intellects.
“for this reason, gazer, and because the matter touches you more
closely than, in your self-imagined security, you are prone to
think, deal expediently with the time at your disposal. look twice
and lingeringly to-night upon the face of your first-born, and
clasp the form of your favourite one in a closer embrace, for he
by whose hand the blow is directed may already have cast devouring
eyes upon their fairness, and to-morrow he may say to his armed
men: ‘the time is come; bring her to me.’”
“from the last sentence of the well-intentioned and undoubtedly moderately-framed notice this person will take two phrases,” remarked tung fel, folding the written paper and placing it among his garments, “which shall serve him as the title of the lifelike and accurately-represented play which it is his self-conceited intention now to disclose to this select and unprejudiced gathering. the scene represents an enlightened and well-merited justice overtaking an arrogant and intolerable being who—need this person add?—existed many dynasties ago, and the title is:
“the time is come!
by whose hand?”
delivering himself in this manner, tung fel drew back the hanging drapery which concealed the front of his large box, and disclosed to those who were gathered round, not, as they had expected, a passage from the record of the three kingdoms, or some other dramatic work of undoubted merit, but an ingeniously constructed representation of a scene outside the walls of their own ching-fow. on one side was a small but minutely accurate copy of a wood-burner’s hut, which was known to all present, while behind stood out the distant but nevertheless unmistakable walls of the city. but it was nearest part of the spectacle that first held the attention of the entranced beholders, for there disported themselves, in every variety of guileless and attractive attitude, a number of young and entirely unconcerned doves. scarcely had the delighted onlookers fully observed the pleasing and effective scene, or uttered their expressions of polished satisfaction at the graceful and unassuming behaviour of the pretty creatures before them, than the view entirely changed, and, as if by magic, the massive and inelegant building of ping siang’s yamen was presented before them. as all gazed, astonished, the great door of the yamen opened stealthily, and without a moment’s pause a lean and ill-conditioned rat, of unnatural size and rapacity, dashed out and seized the most select and engaging of the unsuspecting prey in its hungry jaws. with the expiring cry of the innocent victim the entire box was immediately, and in the most unexpected manner, involved in a profound darkness, which cleared away as suddenly and revealed the forms of the despoiler and the victim lying dead by each other’s side.
tung fel came forward to receive the well-selected compliments of all who had witnessed the entertainment.
“it may be objected,” he remarked, “that the play is, in a manner of expressing one’s self, incomplete; for it is unrevealed by whose hand the act of justice was accomplished. yet in this detail is the accuracy of the representation justified, for though the time has come, the hand by which retribution is accorded shall never be observed.”
in such a manner did tung fel come to ching-fow on the seventh day of the month of winged dragons, throwing aside all restraint, and no longer urging prudence or delay. of all the throng which stood before him scarcely one was without a deep offence against ping siang, while those who had not as yet suffered feared what the morrow might display.
a wandering monk from the island of irredeemable plagues was the first to step forth in response to tung fel’s plainly understood suggestion.
“there is no necessity for this person to undertake further acts of benevolence,” he remarked, dropping the cloak from his shoulder and displaying the hundred and eight scars of extreme virtue; “nor,” he continued, holding up his left hand, from which three fingers were burnt away, “have greater endurances been neglected. yet the matter before this distinguished gathering is one which merits the favourable consideration of all persons, and this one will in no manner turn away, recounting former actions, while he allows others to press forward towards the accomplishment of the just and divinely-inspired act.”
with these words the devout and unassuming person in question inscribed his name upon a square piece of rice-paper, attesting his sincerity to the fixed purpose for which it was designed by dipping his thumb into the mixed blood of the slain animals and impressing this unalterable seal upon the paper also. he was followed by a seller of drugs and subtle medicines, whose entire stock had been seized and destroyed by order of ping siang, so that no one in ching-fow might obtain poison for his destruction. then came an overwhelming stream of persons, all of whom had received some severe and well-remembered injury at the hands of the malicious and vindictive mandarin. all these followed a similar observance, inscribing their names and binding themselves by the blood oath. last of all yang hu stepped up, partly from a natural modesty which restrained him from offering himself when so many more versatile persons of proved excellence were willing to engage in the matter, and partly because an ill-advised conflict was taking place within his mind as to whether the extreme course which was contemplated was the most expedient to pursue. at last, however, he plainly perceived that he could not honourably withhold himself from an affair that was in a measure the direct outcome of his own unendurable loss, so that without further hesitation he added his obscure name to the many illustrious ones already in tung fel’s keeping.
when at length dark fell upon the city and the cries of the watchmen, warning all prudent ones to bar well their doors against robbers, as they themselves were withdrawing until the morrow, no longer rang through the narrow ways of ching-fow, all those persons who had pledged themselves by name and seal went forth silently, and came together at the place whereof tung fel had secretly conveyed them knowledge. there tung fel, standing somewhat apart, placed all the folded papers in the form of a circle, and having performed over them certain observances designed to insure a just decision and to keep away evil influences, submitted the selection to the discriminating choice of the sacred flat and round sticks. having in this manner secured the name of the appointed person who should carry out the act of justice and retribution, tung fel unfolded the paper, inscribed certain words upon it, and replaced it among the others.
“the moment before great deeds,” began tung fel, stepping forward and addressing himself to the expectant ones who were gathered round, “is not the time for light speech, nor, indeed, for sentences of dignified length, no matter how pleasantly turned to the ear they may be. before this person stand many who are undoubtedly illustrious in various arts and virtues, yet one among them is pre-eminently marked out for distinction in that his name shall be handed down in imperishable history as that of a patriot of a pure-minded and uncompromising degree. with him there is no need of further speech, and to this end i have inscribed certain words upon his namepaper. to everyone this person will now return the paper which has been entrusted to him, folded so that the nature of its contents shall be an unwritten leaf to all others. nor shall the papers be unfolded by any until he is within his own chamber, with barred doors, where all, save the one who shall find the message, shall remain, not venturing forth until daybreak. i, tung fel, have spoken, and assuredly i shall not eat my word, which is that a certain and most degrading death awaits any who transgress these commands.”
it was with the short and sudden breath of the cowering antelope when the stealthy tread of the pitiless tiger approaches its lair, that yang hu opened his paper in the seclusion of his own cave; for his mind was darkened with an inspired inside emotion that he, the one doubting among the eagerly proffering and destructively inclined multitude, would be chosen to accomplish the high aim for which, indeed, he felt exceptionally unworthy. the written sentence which he perceived immediately upon unfolding the paper, instructing him to appear again before tung fel at the hour of midnight, was, therefore, nothing but the echo and fulfilment of his own thoughts, and served in reality to impress his mind with calmer feelings of dignified unconcern than would have been the case had he not been chosen. having neither possessions nor relations, the occupation of disposing of his goods and making ceremonious and affectionate leavetakings of his family, against the occurrence of any unforeseen disaster, engrossed no portion of yang hu’s time. yet there was one matter to which no reference has yet been made, but which now forces itself obtrusively upon the attention, which was in a large measure responsible for many of the most prominent actions of yang hu’s life, and, indeed, in no small degree influenced his hesitation in offering himself before tung fel.
not a bowshot distance from the place where the mountain path entered the outskirts of the city lived hiya-ai-shao with her parents, who were persons of assured position, though of no particular wealth. for a period not confined to a single year it had been the custom of yang hu to offer to this elegant and refined maiden all the rarest pieces of jade which he could discover, while the most symmetrical and remunerative she-goat in his flock enjoyed the honourable distinction of bearing her incomparable name. towards the almond garden of hiya’s abode yang hu turned his footsteps upon leaving his cave, and standing there, concealed from all sides by the white and abundant flower-laden foliage, he uttered a sound which had long been an agreed signal between them. presently a faint perfume of choo-lan spoke of her near approach, and without delay hiya herself stood by his side.
“well-endowed one,” said yang hu, when at length they had gazed upon each other’s features and made renewals of their protestations of mutual regard, “the fixed intentions of a person have often been fitly likened to the seed of the tree-peony, so ineffectual are their efforts among the winds of constantly changing circumstance. the definite hope of this person had long pointed towards a small but adequate habitation, surrounded by sweet-smelling olive-trees and not far distant from the jade cliffs and pastures which would afford a sufficient remuneration and a means of living. this entrancing picture has been blotted out for the time, and in its place this person finds himself face to face with an arduous and dangerous undertaking, followed, perhaps, by hasty and immediate flight. yet if the adorable hiya will prove the unchanging depths of her constantly expressed intention by accompanying him as far as the village of hing where suitable marriage ceremonies can be observed without delay, the exile will in reality be in the nature of a triumphal procession, and the emotions with which this person has hitherto regarded the entire circumstance will undergo a complete and highly accomplished change.”
“oh, yang!” exclaimed the maiden, whose feelings at hearing these words were in no way different from those of her lover when he was on the point of opening the folded paper upon which tung fel had written; “what is the nature of the mission upon which you are so impetuously resolved? and why will it be followed by flight?”
“the nature of the undertaking cannot be revealed by reason of a deliberately taken oath,” replied yang hu; “and the reason of its possible consequence is a less important question to the two persons who are here conversing together than of whether the amiable and graceful hiya is willing to carry out her often-expressed desire for an opportunity of displaying the true depths of her emotions towards this one.”
“alas!” said hiya, “the sentiments which this person expressed with irreproachable honourableness when the sun was high in the heavens and the probability of secretly leaving an undoubtedly well-appointed home was engagingly remote, seem to have an entirely different significance when recalled by night in a damp orchard, and on the eve of their fulfilment. to deceive one’s parents is an ignoble prospect; furthermore, it is often an exceedingly difficult undertaking. let the matter be arranged in this way: that yang leaves the ultimate details of the scheme to hiya’s expedient care, he proceeding without delay to hing, or, even more desirable, to the further town of liyunnan, and there awaiting her coming. by such means the risk of discovery and pursuit will be lessened, yang will be able to set forth on his journey with greater speed, and this one will have an opportunity of getting together certain articles without which, indeed, she would be very inadequately equipped.”
in spite of his conscientious desire that hiya should be by his side on the journey, together with an unendurable certainty that evil would arise from the course she proposed, yang was compelled by an innate feeling of respect to agree to her wishes, and in this manner the arrangement was definitely concluded. thereupon hiya, without delay, returned to the dwelling, remarking that otherwise her absence might be detected and the entire circumstance thereby discovered, leaving yang hu to continue his journey and again present himself before tung fel, as he had been instructed.
tung fel was engaged with brush and ink when yang hu entered. round him were many written parchments, some venerable with age, and a variety of other matters, among which might be clearly perceived weapons, and devices for reading the future. he greeted yang with many tokens of dignified respect, and with an evidently restrained emotion led him towards the light of a hanging lantern, where he gazed into his face for a considerable period with every indication of exceptional concern.
“yang hu,” he said at length, “at such a moment many dark and searching thoughts may naturally arise in the mind concerning objects and reasons, omens, and the moving cycle of events. yet in all these, out of a wisdom gained by deep endurance and a hardly-won experience beyond the common lot, this person would say, be content. the hand of destiny, though it may at times appear to move in a devious manner, is ever approaching its appointed aim. to this end were you chosen.”
“the choice was openly made by wise and proficient omens,” replied yang hu, without any display of uncertainty of purpose, “and this person is content.”
tung fel then administered to yang the oath of buddha’s face and the one called the unutterable (which may not be further described in written words) thereby binding his body and soul, and the souls and repose of all who had gone before him in direct line and all who should in a like manner follow after, to the accomplishment of the design. all spoken matter being thus complete between them, he gave him a mask with which he should pass unknown through the streets and into the presence of ping siang, a variety of weapons to use as the occasion arose, and a sign by which the attendants at the yamen would admit him without further questioning.
as yang hu passed through the streets of ching-fow, which were in a great measure deserted owing to the command of tung fel, he was aware of many mournful and foreboding sounds which accompanied him on all sides, while shadowy faces, bearing signs of intolerable anguish and despair, continually formed themselves out of the wind. by the time he reached the yamen a tempest of exceptional violence was in progress, nor were other omens absent which tended to indicate that matters of a very unpropitious nature were about to take place.
at each successive door of the yamen the attendant stepped back and covered his face, so that he should by no chance perceive who had come upon so destructive a mission, the instant yang hu uttered the sign with which tung fel had provided him. in this manner yang quickly reached the door of the inner chamber upon which was inscribed: “let the person who comes with a doubtful countenance, unbidden, or meditating treachery, remember the curse and manner of death which attended lai kuen, who slew the one over him; so shall he turn and go forth in safety.” this unworthy safeguard at the hands of a person who passed his entire life in altering the fixed nature of justice, and who never went beyond his outer gate without an armed company of bowmen, inspired yang hu with so incautious a contempt, that without any hesitation he drew forth his brush and ink, and in a spirit of bitter signification added the words, “‘come, let us eat together,’ said the wolf to the she-goat.”
being now within a step of ping siang and the completion of his undertaking, yang hu drew tighter the cords of his mask, tested and proved his weapons, and then, without further delay, threw open the door before him and stepped into the chamber, barring the door quickly so that no person might leave or enter without his consent.
at this interruption and manner of behaving, which clearly indicated the nature of the errand upon which the person before him had come, ping siang rose from his couch and stretched out his hand towards a gong which lay beside him.
“all summonses for aid are now unavailing, ping siang,” exclaimed yang, without in any measure using delicate or set phrases of speech; “for, as you have doubtless informed yourself, the slaves of tyrants are the first to welcome the downfall of their lord.”
“the matter of your speech is as emptiness to this person,” replied the mandarin, affecting with extreme difficulty an appearance of no-concern. “in what manner has he fallen? and how will the depraved and self-willed person before him avoid the well-deserved tortures which certainly await him in the public square on the morrow, as the reward of his intolerable presumptions?”
“o mandarin,” cried yang hu, “the fitness and occasion for such speeches as the one to which you have just given utterance lie as far behind you as the smoke of yesterday’s sacrifice. with what manner of eyes have you frequently journeyed through ching-fow of late, if the signs and omens there have not already warned you to prepare a coffin adequately designed to receive your well-proportioned body? has not the pungent vapour of burning houses assailed your senses at every turn, or the salt tears from the eyes of forlorn ones dashed your peach-tea and spiced foods with bitterness?”
“alas!” exclaimed ping siang, “this person now certainly begins to perceive that many things which he has unthinkingly allowed would present a very unendurable face to others.”
“in such a manner has it appeared to all ching-fow,” said yang hu; “and the justice of your death has been universally admitted. even should this one fail there would be an innumerable company eager to take his place. therefore, o ping siang, as the only favour which it is within this person’s power to accord, select that which in your opinion is the most agreeable manner and weapon for your end.”
“it is truly said that at the final gate of the two ways the necessity for elegant and well-chosen sentences ends,” remarked ping siang with a sigh, “otherwise the manner of your address would be open to reproach. by your side this person perceives a long and apparently highly-tempered sword, which, in his opinion, will serve the purpose efficiently. having no remarks of an improving but nevertheless exceedingly tedious nature with which to imprint the occasion for the benefit of those who come after, his only request is that the blow shall be an unhesitating and sufficiently well-directed one.”
at these words yang hu threw back his cloak to grasp the sword-handle, when the mandarin, with his eyes fixed on the naked arm, and evidently inspired by every manner of conflicting emotions, uttered a cry of unspeakable wonder and incomparable surprise.
“the serpent!” he cried, in a voice from which all evenness and control were absent. “the sacred serpent of our race! o mysterious one, who and whence are you?”
engulfed in an all-absorbing doubt at the nature of events, yang could only gaze at the form of the serpent which had been clearly impressed upon his arm from the earliest time of his remembrance, while ping siang, tearing the silk garment from his own arm and displaying thereon a similar form, continued:
“behold the inevitable and unvarying birthmark of our race! so it was with this person’s father and the ones before him; so it was with his treacherously-stolen son; so it will be to the end of all time.”
trembling beyond all power of restraint, yang removed the mask which had hitherto concealed his face.
“father or race has this person none,” he said, looking into ping siang’s features with an all-engaging hope, tempered in a measure by a soul-benumbing dread; “nor memory or tradition of an earlier state than when he herded goats and sought for jade in the southern mountains.”
“nevertheless,” exclaimed the mandarin, whose countenance was lightened with an interest and a benevolent emotion which had never been seen there before, “beyond all possibility of doubting, you are this person’s lost and greatly-desired son, stolen away many years ago by the treacherous conduct of an unworthy woman, yet now happily and miraculously restored to cherish his declining years and perpetuate an honourable name and race.”
“happily!” exclaimed yang, with fervent indications of uncontrollable bitterness. “oh, my illustrious sire, at whose venerated feet this unworthy person now prostrates himself with well-merited marks of reverence and self-abasement, has the errand upon which an ignoble son entered—the every memory of which now causes him the acutest agony of the lost, but which nevertheless he is pledged to tung fel by the unutterable oath to perform—has this unnatural and eternally cursed thing escaped your versatile mind?”
“tung fel!” cried ping siang. “is, then, this blow also by the hand of that malicious and vindictive person? oh, what a cycle of events and interchanging lines of destiny do your words disclose!”
“who, then, is tung fel, my revered father?” demanded yang.
“it is a matter which must be made clear from the beginning,” replied ping siang. “at one time this person and tung fel were, by nature and endowments, united in the most amiable bonds of an inseparable friendship. presently tung fel signed the preliminary contract of a marriage with one who seemed to be endowed with every variety of enchanting and virtuous grace, but who was, nevertheless, as the unrolling of future events irresistibly discovered, a person of irregular character and undignified habits. on the eve of the marriage ceremony this person was made known to her by the undoubtedly enraptured tung fel, whereupon he too fell into the snare of her engaging personality, and putting aside all thoughts of prudent restraint, made her more remunerative offers of marriage than tung fel could by any possible chance overbid. in such a manner—for after the nature of her kind riches were exceptionally attractive to her degraded imagination—she became this person’s wife, and the mother of his only son. in spite of these great honours, however, the undoubted perversity of her nature made her an easy accomplice to the duplicity of tung fel, who, by means of various disguises, found frequent opportunity of uttering in her presence numerous well-thought-out suggestions specially designed to lead her imagination towards an existence in which this person had no adequate representation. becoming at length terrified at the possibility of these unworthy emotions, obtruding themselves upon this person’s notice, the two in question fled together, taking with them the one who without any doubt is now before me. despite the most assiduous search and very tempting and profitable offers of reward, no information of a reliable nature could be obtained, and at length this dispirited and completely changed person gave up the pursuit as unavailing. with his son and heir, upon whose future he had greatly hoped, all emotions of a generous and high-minded nature left him, and in a very short space of time he became the avaricious and deservedly unpopular individual against whose extortions the amiable and long-suffering ones of ching-fow have for so many years protested mildly. the sudden and not altogether unexpected fate which is now on the point of reaching him is altogether too lenient to be entirely adequate.”
“oh, my distinguished and really immaculate sire!” cried yang hu, in a voice which expressed the deepest feelings of contrition. “no oaths or vows, however sacred, can induce this person to stretch forth his hand against the one who stands before him.”
“nevertheless,” replied ping siang, speaking of the matter as though it were one which did not closely concern his own existence, “to neglect the unutterable oath would inevitably involve not only the two persons who are now conversing together, but also those before and those who are to come after in direct line, in a much worse condition of affairs. that is a fate which this person would by no means permit to exist, for one of his chief desires has ever been to establish a strong and vigorous line, to which end, indeed, he was even now concluding a marriage arrangement with the beautiful and refined hiya-ai-shao, whom he had at length persuaded into accepting his betrothal tokens without reluctance.”
“hiya-ai-shao!” exclaimed yang; “she has accepted your silk-bound gifts?”
“the matter need not concern us now,” replied the mandarin, not observing in his complicated emotions the manner in which the name of hiya had affected yang, revealing as it undoubtedly did the treachery of his beloved one. “there only appears to be one honourable way in which the full circumstances can be arranged, and this person will in no measure endeavour to avoid it.”
“such an end is neither ignoble nor painful,” he said, in an unchanging voice; “nor will this one in any way shrink from so easy and honourable a solution.”
“the affairs of the future do not exhibit themselves in delicately coloured hues to this person,” said yang hu; “and he would, if the thing could be so arranged, cheerfully submit to a similar fate in order that a longer period of existence should be assured to one who has every variety of claim upon his affection.”
“the proposal is a graceful and conscientious one,” said ping siang, “and is, moreover, a gratifying omen of the future of our race, which must of necessity be left in your hands. but, for that reason itself, such a course cannot be pursued. nevertheless, the events of the past few hours have been of so exceedingly prosperous and agreeable a nature that this short-sighted and frequently desponding person can now pass beyond with a tranquil countenance and every assurance of divine favour.”
with these words ping siang indicated that he was desirous of setting forth the final expression, and arranging the necessary matters upon the table beside him, he stretched forth his hands over yang hu, who placed himself in a suitable attitude of reverence and abasement.
“yang hu,” began the mandarin, “undoubted son, and, after the accomplishment of the intention which it is our fixed purpose to carry out, fitting representative of the person who is here before you, engrave well within your mind the various details upon which he now gives utterance. regard the virtues; endeavour to pass an amiable and at the same time not unremunerative existence; and on all occasions sacrifice freely, to the end that the torments of those who have gone before may be made lighter, and that others may be induced in turn to perform a like benevolent charity for yourself. having expressed himself upon these general subjects, this person now makes a last and respectfully-considered desire, which it is his deliberate wish should be carried to the proper deities as his final expression of opinion: that yang hu may grow as supple as the dried juice of the bending-palm, and as straight as the most vigorous bamboo from the forests of the north. that he may increase beyond the prolificness of the white-necked crow and cover the ground after the fashion of the binding grass. that in battle his sword may be as a vividly-coloured and many-forked lightning flash, accompanied by thunderbolts as irresistible as buddha’s divine wrath; in peace his voice as resounding as the rolling of many powerful drums among the khingan mountains. that when the kindled fire of his existence returns to the great mountain of pure flame the earth shall accept again its component parts, and in no way restrain the divine essence from journeying to its destined happiness. these words are ping siang’s last expression of opinion before he passes beyond, given in the unvarying assurance that so sacred and important a petition will in no way be neglected.”
having in this manner completed all the affairs which seemed to be of a necessary and urgent nature, and fixing his last glance upon yang hu with every variety of affectionate and estimable emotion, the mandarin drank a sufficient quantity of the liquid, and placing himself upon a couch in an attitude of repose, passed in this dignified and unassuming manner into the upper air.
after the space of a few moments spent in arranging certain objects and in inward contemplation, yang hu crossed the chamber, still holding the half-filled vessel of gold-leaf in his hand, and drawing back the hanging silk, gazed over the silent streets of ching-fow and towards the great sky-lantern above.
“hiya is faithless,” he said at length in an unspeaking voice; “this person’s mother a bitter-tasting memory, his father a swiftly passing shadow that is now for ever lost.” his eyes rested upon the closed vessel in his hand. “gladly would—” his thoughts began, but with this unworthy image a new impression formed itself within his mind. “a clearly-expressed wish was uttered,” he concluded, “and tung fel still remains.” with this resolution he stepped back into the chamber and struck the gong loudly.
