the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



labyrinth　which　he　could　never　hope　to　tread。　　Always　he　came　upon　

the　wall　that　divides　East　from　West。　　Their　souls　were　inaccessible　

to　him；　and　by　the　same　token　he　knew　that　his　soul　was　inaccessible　

to　them。



Besides；　as　the　years　came　upon　him；　he　found　himself　harking　back　

more　and　more　to　his　own　kind。　　The　reeking　smells　of　the　Chinese　

quarter　were　spicy　to　him。　　He　sniffed　them　with　satisfaction　as　he　

passed　along　the　street；　for　in　his　mind　they　carried　him　back　to　

the　narrow　tortuous　alleys　of　Canton　swarming　with　life　and　

movement。　　He　regretted　that　he　had　cut　off　his　queue　to　please　

Stella　Allendale　in　the　prenuptial　days；　and　he　seriously　considered　

the　advisability　of　shaving　his　crown　and　growing　a　new　one。　　The　

dishes　his　highly　paid　chef　concocted　for　him　failed　to　tickle　his　

reminiscent　palate　in　the　way　that　the　weird　messes　did　in　the　

stuffy　restaurant　down　in　the　Chinese　quarter。　　He　enjoyed　vastly　

more　a　half…hour's　smoke　and　chat　with　two　or　three　Chinese　chums；　

than　to　preside　at　the　lavish　and　elegant　dinners　for　which　his　

bungalow　was　famed；　where　the　pick　of　the　Americans　and　Europeans　

sat　at　the　long　table；　men　and　women　on　equality；　the　women　with　

jewels　that　blazed　in　the　subdued　light　against　white　necks　and　

arms；　the　men　in　evening　dress；　and　all　chattering　and　laughing　over　

topics　and　witticisms　that；　while　they　were　not　exactly　Greek　to　

him；　did　not　interest　him　nor　entertain。



But　it　was　not　merely　his　alienness　and　his　growing　desire　to　return　

to　his　Chinese　flesh…pots　that　constituted　the　problem。　　There　was　

also　his　wealth。　　He　had　looked　forward　to　a　placid　old　age。　　He　had　

worked　hard。　　His　reward　should　have　been　peace　and　repose。　　But　he　

knew　that　with　his　immense　fortune　peace　and　repose　could　not　

possibly　be　his。　　Already　there　were　signs　and　omens。　　He　had　seen　

similar　troubles　before。　　There　was　his　old　employer；　Dantin；　whose　

children　had　wrested　from　him；　by　due　process　of　law；　the　management　

of　his　property；　having　the　Court　appoint　guardians　to　administer　it　

for　him。　　Ah　Chun　knew；　and　knew　thoroughly　well；　that　had　Dantin　

been　a　poor　man；　it　would　have　been　found　that　he　could　quite　

rationally　manage　his　own　affairs。　　And　old　Dantin　had　had　only　

three　children　and　half　a　million；　while　he；　Chun　Ah　Chun；　had　

fifteen　children　and　no　one　but　himself　knew　how　many　millions。



〃Our　daughters　are　beautiful　women；〃　he　said　to　his　wife；　one　

evening。　　〃There　are　many　young　men。　　The　house　is　always　full　of　

young　men。　　My　cigar　bills　are　very　heavy。　　Why　are　there　no　

marriages？〃



Mamma　Achun　shrugged　her　shoulders　and　waited。



〃Women　are　women　and　men　are　menit　is　strange　there　are　no　

marriages。　　Perhaps　the　young　men　do　not　like　our　daughters。〃



〃Ah；　they　like　them　well　enough；〃　Mamma　Chun　answered；　〃but　you　see；　

they　cannot　forget　that　you　are　your　daughters'　father。〃



〃Yet　you　forgot　who　my　father　was；〃　Ah　Chun　said　gravely。　　〃All　you　

asked　was　for　me　to　cut　off　my　queue。〃



〃The　young　men　are　more　particular　than　I　was；　I　fancy。〃



〃What　is　the　greatest　thing　in　the　world？〃　Ah　Chun　demanded　with　

abrupt　irrelevance。



Mamma　Achun　pondered　for　a　moment；　then　replied：　　〃God。〃



He　nodded。　　〃There　are　gods　and　gods。　　Some　are　paper；　some　are　

wood；　some　are　bronze。　　I　use　a　small　one　in　the　office　for　a　paper…

weight。　　In　the　Bishop　Museum　are　many　gods　of　coral　rock　and　lava　

stone。〃



〃But　there　is　only　one　God；〃　she　announced　decisively；　stiffening　

her　ample　frame　argumentatively。



Ah　Chun　noted　the　danger　signal　and　sheered　off。



〃What　is　greater　than　God；　then？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　will　tell　you。　　It　

is　money。　　In　my　time　I　have　had　dealings　with　Jews　and　Christians；　

Mohammedans　and　Buddhists；　and　with　little　black　men　from　the　

Solomons　and　New　Guinea　who　carried　their　god　about　them；　wrapped　in　

oiled　paper。　　They　possessed　various　gods；　these　men；　but　they　all　

worshipped　money。　　There　is　that　Captain　Higginson。　　He　seems　to　

like　Henrietta。〃



〃He　will　never　marry　her；〃　retorted　Mamma　Achun。　　〃He　will　be　an　

admiral　before　he　dies〃



〃A　rear…admiral；〃　Ah　Chun　interpolated。



〃Yes；　I　know。　　That　is　the　way　they　retire。〃



〃His　family　in　the　United　States　is　a　high　one。　　They　would　not　like　

it　if　he　married　。　。　。　if　he　did　not　marry　an　American　girl。〃



Ah　Chun　knocked　the　ashes　out　of　his　pipe；　thoughtfully　refilling　

the　silver　bowl　with　a　tiny　pleget　of　tobacco。　　He　lighted　it　and　

smoked　it　out　before　he　spoke。



〃Henrietta　is　the　oldest　girl。　　The　day　she　marries　I　will　give　her　

three　hundred　thousand　dollars。　　That　will　fetch　that　Captain　

Higginson　and　his　high　family　along　with　him。　　Let　the　word　go　out　

to　him。　　I　leave　it　to　you。〃



And　Ah　Chun　sat　and　smoked　on；　and　in　the　curling　smoke…wreaths　he　

saw　take　shape　the　face　and　figure　of　Toy　ShueyToy　Shuey；　the　maid　

of　all　work　in　his　uncle's　house　in　the　Cantonese　village；　whose　

work　was　never　done　and　who　received　for　a　whole　year's　work　one　

dollar。　　And　he　saw　his　youthful　self　arise　in　the　curling　smoke；　

his　youthful　self　who　had　toiled　eighteen　years　in　his　uncle's　field　

for　little　more。　　And　now　he；　Ah　Chun；　the　peasant；　dowered　his　

daughter　with　three　hundred　thousand　years　of　such　toil。　　And　she　

was　but　one　daughter　of　a　dozen。　　He　was　not　elated　at　the　thought。　　

It　struck　him　that　it　was　a　funny；　whimsical　world；　and　he　chuckled　

aloud　and　startled　Mamma　Achun　from　a　revery　which　he　knew　lay　deep　

in　the　hidden　crypts　of　her　being　where　he　had　never　penetrated。



But　Ah　Chun's　word　went　forth；　as　a　whisper；　and　Captain　Higginson　

forgot　his　rear…admiralship　and　his　high　family　and　took　to　wife　

three　hundred　thousand　dollars　and　a　refined　and　cultured　girl　who　

was　one　thirty…second　Polynesian；　one…sixteenth　Italian；　one…

sixteenth　Portuguese；　eleven　thirty…seconds　English　and　Yankee；　and　

one…half　Chinese。



Ah　Chun's　munificence　had　its　effect。　　His　daughters　became　suddenly　

eligible　and　desirable。　　Clara　was　the　next；　but　when　the　Secretary　

of　the　Territory　formally　proposed　for　her；　Ah　Chun　informed　him　

that　he　must　wait　his　turn；　that　Maud　was　the　oldest　and　that　she　

must　be　married　first。　　It　was　shrewd　policy。　　The　whole　family　was　

made　vitally　interested　in　marrying　off　Maud；　which　it　did　in　three　

months；　to　Ned　Humphreys；　the　United　States　immigration　

commissioner。　　Both　he　and　Maud　complained；　for　the　dowry　was　only　

two　hundred　thousand。　　Ah　Chun　explained　that　his　initial　generosity　

had　been　to　break　the　ice；　and　that　after　that　his　daughters　could　

not　expect　otherwise　than　to　go　more　cheaply。



Clara　followed　Maud；　and　thereafter；　for　a　space　of　two　years；　there　

was　a　continuous　round　of　weddings　in　the　bungalow。　　In　the　meantime　

Ah　Chun　had　not　been　idle。　　Investment　after　investment　was　called　

in。　　He　sold　out　his　interests　in　a　score　of　enterprises；　and　step　

by　step；　so　as　not　to　cause　a　slump　in　the　market；　he　disposed　of　

his　large　holdings　in　real　estate。　　Toward　the　last　he　did　

precipitate　a　slump　and　sold　at　sacrifice。　　What　caused　this　haste　

were　the　squalls　he　saw　already　rising　above　the　horizon。　　By　the　

time　Lucille　was　married；　echoes　of　bickerings　and　jealousies　were　

already　rumbling　in　his　ears。　　The　air　was　thick　with　schemes　and　

counter…schemes　to　gain　his　favour　and　to　prejudice　him　against　one　

or　another　or　all　but　one　of　his　sons…in…law。　　All　of　which　was　not　

conducive　to　the　peace　and　repose　he　had　planned　for　his　old　age。



He　hastened　his　efforts。　　For　a　long　time　he　had　been　in　

correspondence　with　the　chief　banks　in　Shanghai　and　Macao。　　Every　

steamer　for　several　years　had　carried　away　drafts　drawn　in　favour　of　

one；　Chun　Ah　Chun；　for　deposit　in　those　Far　Eastern　banks。　　The　

drafts　now　became　heavier。　　His　two　youngest　daughters　were　not　yet　

married。　　He　did　not　wait；　but　dowered　them　with　a　hundred　thousand　

each；　which　sums　lay　in　the　Bank　of　Hawaii；　drawing　interest　and　

awaiting　their　wedding　day。　　Albert　took　over　the　business　of　the　

firm　of　Ah　Chun　and　Ah　Yung；　Harold；　the　eldest；　having　elected　to　

take　a　quarter　of　a　million　and　go　to　England　to　live。　　Charles；　the　

youngest；　took　a　hundred　thousand；　a　legal　guardian；　and　a　course　in　

a　Keeley　institute。　　To　Mamma　Achun　was　given　the　bungalow；　the　

mountain　House　on　Tantalus；　and　a　new　seaside　residence　in　place　of　

the　one　Ah　Chun　sold　to　the　government。　　Also；　to　Mamma　Achun　was　

given　half　a　million　in　money　well　invested。



Ah　Chun　was　now　ready　to　crack　the　nut　of　the　problem。　　One　fine　

morning　when　the　family　was　at　breakfasthe　had　seen　to　it　that　all　

his　sons…in…law　and　their　wives　were　presenthe　announced　that　he　

was　returning　to　his　ancestral　soil。　　In　a　neat　little　homily　he　

explained　that　he　had　made　ample　provision　for　his　family；　and　he　

laid　down　various　maxims　that　he　was　sure；　he　said；　would　enable　

them　to　dwell　together　in　peace　and　harmony。　　Also；　he　gave　business　

advice　to　his　sons…in…law；　preached　the　virtues　of　temperate　living　

and　safe　investments；　and　gave　them　the　benefit　of　his　encyclopedic　

knowledge　of　industrial　and　business　conditions　in　Hawaii。　　Then　he　

called　for　his　carriage；　and；　in　the　company　of　the　weeping　Mamma　

Achun；　was　driven　down　to　the　Pacific　Mail　steamer；　leaving　behind　

him　a　panic　in　the　bungalow。　　Captain　Higginson　clamoured　wildly　for　

an　injunction。　　The　daughters　shed　copious　tears。　　One　of　their　

husbands；　an　ex…Federal　judge；　questioned　Ah　Chun's　sanity；　and　

hastened　to　the　proper　authorities　to　inquire　into　it。　　He　returned　

with　the　information　that　Ah　Chun　had　appeared　before　the　commission　

the　day　before；　demanded　an　examination；　and　passed　with　flying　

colours。　　There　was　nothing　to　be　done；　so　they　went　down　and　said　

good…bye　to　the　little　old　man；　who　waved　farewell　from　the　

promenade　deck　as　the　big　steamer　poked　her　nose　seaward　through　the　

coral　reef。



But　the　little　old　man　was　not　bound　for　Canton。　　He　knew　his　own　

country　too　well；　and　the　squeeze　of　the　Mandarins；　to　venture　into　

it　with　the　tidy　bulk　of　wealth　that　remained　to　him。　　He　went　to　

Macao。　　Now　Ah　Chun　had　long　exercised　the　power　of　a　king　and　he　

was　as　imperious　as　a　king。　　When　he　landed　at　Macao　and　went　into　

the　office　of　the　biggest　European　hotel　to　register；　the　clerk　

closed　the　book　on　him。　　Chinese　were　not　permitted。　　Ah　Chun　called　

for　the　manager　and　was　treated　with　contumely。　　He　drove　away；　but　

in　two　hours　he　was　back　again。　　He　called　the　clerk　and　manager　in；　

gave　them　a　month's　salary；　and　discharged　them。　　He　had　made　

himself　the　owner　of　the　hotel；　and　in　the　finest　suite　he　settled　

down　during　the　many　months　the　gorgeous　palace　in　the　suburbs　was　

building　for　him。　　In　the　meantime；　with　the　inevitable　ability　that　

was　h