評論
打印
the two spirits smiled， "The conversation，" they added， "refers to the primordial scheme and cannot be divulged before the proper season； but， when the time comes， mind do not forget us two， and you will readily be able to escape from the fiery furnace."
Shih-yin， after this reply， felt it difficult to make any further inquiries. "The primordial scheme，" he however remarked smiling， "cannot， of course， be divulged； but what manner of thing， I wonder， is the good-for-nothing object you alluded to a short while back？ May I not be allowed to judge for myself？"
"This object about which you ask，" the Buddhist Bonze responded， "is intended， I may tell you， by fate to be just glanced at by you." With these words he produced it， and handed it over to Shih-yin.
Shih-yin received it. On scrutiny he found it， in fact， to be a beautiful gem， so lustrous and so clear that the traces of characters on the surface were distinctly visible. The characters inscribed consisted of the four "T'ung Ling Pao Yue，" "Precious Gem of Spiritual Perception." On the obverse， were also several columns of minute words， which he was just in the act of looking at intently， when the Buddhist at once expostulated.
"We have already reached，" he exclaimed， "the confines of vision." Snatching it violently out of his hands， he walked away with the Taoist， under a lofty stone portal， on the face of which appeared in large type the four characters： "T'ai Hsue Huan Ching，" "The Visionary limits of the GREat Void." On each side was a scroll with the lines：
When falsehood stands for truth， truth likewise becomes false， Where naught be made to aught， aught changes into naught.
Shih-yin meant also to follow them on the other side， but， as he was about to make one step forward， he suddenly heard a crash， just as if the mountains had fallen into ruins， and the earth sunk into destruction. As Shih-yin uttered a loud shout， he looked with strained eye； but all he could see was the fiery sun shining， with glowing rays， while the banana leaves drooped their heads. By that time， half of the circumstances connected with the dream he had had， had already slipped from his memory.
He also noticed a nurse coming towards him with Ying Lien in her arms. To Shih-yin's eyes his daughter appeared even more beautiful， such a bright gem， so precious， and so lovable. Forthwith stretching out his arms， he took her over， and， as he held her in his embrace， he coaxed her to play with him for a while； after which he brought her up to the street to see the GREat stir occasioned by the procession that was going past.
He was about to come in， when he caught sight of two priests， one a Taoist， the other a Buddhist， coming hither from the opposite direction. The Buddhist had a head covered with mange， and went barefooted. The Taoist had a limping foot， and his hair was all dishevelled.
Like maniacs， they jostled along， chattering and laughing as they drew near.
As soon as they reached Shih-yin's door， and they perceived him with Ying Lien in his arms， the Bonze began to weep aloud.
Turning towards Shih-yin， he said to him： "My good Sir， why need you carry in your embrace this living but luckless thing， which will involve father and mother in trouble？"
these words did not escape Shih-yin's ear； but persuaded that they amounted to raving talk， he paid no heed whatever to the bonze.
"Part with her and give her to me，" the Buddhist still went on to say.
Shih-yin could not restrain his annoyance； and hastily pressing his daughter closer to him， he was intent upon going in， when the bonze pointed his hand at him， and burst out in a loud fit of laughter.
He then gave utterance to the four lines that follow：
You indulge your tender daughter and are laughed at as inane； Vain you face the snow， oh mirror！ for it will evanescent wane， When the festival of lanterns is gone by， guard 'gainst your doom， 'Tis what time the flames will kindle， and the fire will consume.
Shih-yin understood distinctly the full import of what he heard； but his heart was still full of conjectures. He was about to inquire who and what they were， when he heard the Taoist remark，——"You and I cannot speed together； let us now part company， and each of us will be then able to go after his own business. After the lapse of three ages， I shall be at the Pei Mang mount， waiting for you； and we can， after our reunion， betake ourselves to the Visionary Confines of the GREat Void， there to cancel the name of the stone from the records."
"Excellent！ first rate！" exclaimed the Bonze. And at the conclusion of these words， the two men parted， each going his own way， and no trace was again seen of them.
"these two men，" Shih-yin then pondered within his heart， "must have had many experiences， and I ought really to have made more inquiries of them； but at this juncture to indulge in reGREt is anyhow too late."
While Shih-yin gave way to these foolish reflections， he suddenly noticed the arrival of a penniless scholar， Chia by surname， Hua by name， Shih-fei by style and Yue-ts'un by nickname， who had taken up his quarters in the Gourd temple next door. This Chia Yue-ts'un was originally a denizen of Hu-Chow， and was also of literary and official parentage， but as he was born of the youngest stock， and the possessions of his paternal and maternal ancestors were completely exhausted， and his parents and relatives were dead， he remained the sole and only survivor； and， as he found his residence in his native place of no avail， he therefore entered the capital in search of that reputation， which would enable him to put the family estate on a proper standing. He had arrived at this place since the year before last， and had， what is more， lived all along in very straitened circumstances. He had made the temple his temporary quarters， and earned a living by daily occupying himself in composing documents and writing letters for customers. Thus it was that Shih-yin had been in constant relations with him.
As soon as Yue-ts'un perceived Shih-yin， he lost no time in saluting him. "My worthy Sir，" he observed with a forced smile； "how is it you are leaning against the door and looking out？ Is there perchance any news astir in the streets， or in the public places？"
"None whatever，" replied Shih-yin， as he returned the smile. "Just a while back， my young daughter was in sobs， and I coaxed her out here to amuse her. I am just now without anything whatever to attend to， so that， dear brother Chia， you come just in the nick of time. Please walk into my mean abode， and let us endeavour， in each other's company， to while away this long summer day."
After he had made this remark， he bade a servant take his daughter in， while he， hand-in-hand with Yue-ts'un， walked into the library， where a young page served tea. They had hardly exchanged a few sentences， when one of the household came in， in flying haste， to announce that Mr. Yen had come to pay a visit.
