Upon a certain occasion, the particulars of which have already been
recorded, Ling had judged himself to have passed into the form of a
spirit on beholding the ethereal form of Mian bending over him. After
swallowing the entire liquid, which had cost the dead magician so much
to distil and make perfect, it was with a well-assured determination of
never again awakening that he lost the outward senses and floated in the
Middle Air, so that when his eyes next opened upon what seemed to be
the bare walls of his own chamber, his first thought was a natural
conviction that the matter had been so arranged either out of a
charitable desire that he should not be overcome by a too sudden
transition to unparalleled splendour, or that such a reception was the
outcome of some dignified jest on the part of certain lesser and more
cheerful spirits. After waiting in one position for several hours,
however, and receiving no summons or manifestation of a celestial
nature, he began to doubt the qualities of the liquid, and applying
certain tests, he soon ascertained that he was still in the lower world
and unharmed. Nevertheless, this circumstance did not tend in any way
to depress his mind, for, doubtless owing to some hidden virtue of
the fluid, he felt an enjoyable emotion that he still lived; all his
attributes appeared to be purified, and he experienced an inspired
certainty of feeling that an illustrious and highly-remunerative future
lay before one who still had an ordinary existence after being both
officially killed and self-poisoned.
In this intelligent disposition thoughts of Mian recurred to him with
unreproved persistence, and in order to convey to her an account of the
various matters which had engaged him since his arrival at the city, and
a well-considered declaration of the unchanged state of his own feelings
towards her, he composed and despatched with impetuous haste the
following delicate verses:
CONSTANCY
About the walls and gates of Canton
Are many pleasing and entertaining maidens;
Indeed, in the eyes of their friends and of the passers-by
Some of them are exceptionally adorable.
The person who is inscribing these lines, however,
Sees before him, as it were, an assemblage of deformed and un-prepossessing hags,
Venerable in age and inconsiderable in appearance;
For the dignified and majestic image of Mian is ever before him,
Making all others very inferior.
Within the houses and streets of Canton
Hang many bright lanterns.
The ordinary person who has occasion to walk by night
Professes to find them highly lustrous.
But there is one who thinks contrary facts,
And when he goes forth he carries two long curved poles
To prevent him from stumbling among the dark and hidden places;
For he has gazed into the brilliant and pellucid orbs of Mian,
And all other lights are dull and practically opaque.
In various parts of the literary quarter of Canton
Reside such as spend their time in inward contemplation.
In spite of their generally uninviting exteriors
Their reflexions are often of a very profound order.
Yet the unpopular and persistently-abused Ling
Would unhesitatingly prefer his own thoughts to theirs,
For what makes this person’s thoughts far more pleasing
Is that they are invariably connected with the virtuous and ornamental Mian.
Becoming very amiably disposed after this agreeable occupation, Ling
surveyed himself at the disc of polished metal, and observed with
surprise and shame the rough and uninviting condition of his person. He
had, indeed, although it was not until some time later that he became
aware of the circumstance, slept for five days without interruption, and
it need not therefore be a matter of wonder or of reproach to him that
his smooth surfaces had become covered with short hair. Reviling himself
bitterly for the appearance which he conceived he must have exhibited
when he conducted his business, and to which he now in part attributed
his ill-success, Ling went forth without delay, and quickly discovering
one of those who remove hair publicly for a very small sum, he placed
himself in the chair, and directed that his face, arms, and legs should
be denuded after the manner affected by the ones who make a practice of
observing the most recent customs.
“Did the illustrious individual who is now conferring distinction on
this really worn-out chair by occupying it express himself in favour of
having the face entirely denuded?” demanded the one who conducted the
operation; for these persons have become famous for their elegant and
persistent ability to discourse, and frequently assume ignorance in
order that they themselves may make reply, and not for the purpose
of gaining knowledge. “Now, in the objectionable opinion of this
unintelligent person, who has a presumptuous habit of offering his
very undesirable advice, a slight covering on the upper lip, delicately
arranged and somewhat fiercely pointed at the extremities, would
bestow an appearance of--how shall this illiterate person explain
himself?--dignity?--matured reflexion?--doubtless the accomplished
nobleman before me will understand what is intended with a more
knife-like accuracy than this person can describe it--but confer that
highly desirable effect upon the face of which at present it is entirely
destitute... ‘Entirely denuded?’ Then without fail it shall certainly be
so, O incomparable personage... Does the versatile Mandarin now present
profess any concern as to the condition of the rice plants?... Indeed,
the remark is an inspired one; the subject is totally devoid of interest
to a person of intelligence ... A remarkable and gravity-removing event
transpired within the notice of this unassuming person recently. A
discriminating individual had purchased from him a portion of his justly
renowned Thrice-extracted Essence of Celestial Herb Oil--a preparation
which in this experienced person’s opinion, indeed, would greatly
relieve the undoubted afflictions from which the one before him is
evidently suffering--when after once anointing himself--”
A lengthy period containing no words caused Ling, who had in the
meantime closed his eyes and lost Canton and all else in delicate
thoughts of Mian, to look up. That which met his attention on doing so
filled him with an intelligent wonder, for the person before him held in
his hand what had the appearance of a tuft of bright yellow hair, which
shone in the light of the sun with a most engaging splendour, but which
he nevertheless regarded with a most undignified expression of confusion
and awe.
“Illustrious demon,” he cried at length, kow-towing very respectfully,
“have the extreme amiableness to be of a benevolent disposition, and do
not take an unworthy and entirely unremunerative revenge upon this
very unimportant person for failing to detect and honour you from the
beginning.”
“Such words indicate nothing beyond an excess of hemp spirit,” answered
Ling, with signs of displeasure. “To gain my explicit esteem, make me
smooth without delay, and do not exhibit before me the lock of hair
which, from its colour and appearance, has evidently adorned the head of
one of those maidens whose duty it is to quench the thirst of travellers
in the long narrow rooms of this city.”
“Majestic and anonymous spirit,” said the other, with extreme reverence,
and an entire absence of the appearance of one who had gazed into
too many vessels, “if such be your plainly-expressed desire, this
superficial person will at once proceed to make smooth your peach-like
skin, and with a carefulness inspired by the certainty that the most
unimportant wound would give forth liquid fire, in which he would
undoubtedly perish. Nevertheless, he desires to make it evident that
this hair is from the head of no maiden, being, indeed, the uneven
termination of your own sacred pigtail, which this excessively
self-confident slave took the inexcusable liberty of removing, and which
changed in this manner within his hand in order to administer a fit
reproof for his intolerable presumption.”
Impressed by the mien and unquestionable earnestness of the remover of
hair, Ling took the matter which had occasioned these various emotions
in his hand and examined it. His amazement was still greater when he
perceived that--in spite of the fact that it presented every appearance
of having been cut from his own person--none of the qualities of hair
remained in it; it was hard and wire-like, possessing, indeed, both the
nature and the appearance of a metal.
As he gazed fixedly and with astonishment, there came back into
the remembrance of Ling certain obscure and little-understood facts
connected with the limitless wealth possessed by the Yellow Emperor--of
which the great gold life-like image in the Temple of Internal Symmetry
at Peking alone bears witness now--and of his lost secret. Many very
forcible prophecies and omens in his own earlier life, of which
the rendering and accomplishment had hitherto seemed to be dark and
incomplete, passed before him, and various matters which Mian had
related to him concerning the habits and speech of the magician took
definite form within his mind. Deeply impressed by the exact manner in
which all these circumstances fitted together, one into another, Ling
rewarded the person before him greatly beyond his expectation, and
hurried without delay to his own chamber.