the house of pride(傲慢之家)-第15章
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was a saying that his word was as good as his bond。 His signature was
never needed to bind him。 He never broke his word。 Twenty years
after Hotchkiss； of Hotchkiss； Morterson Company； died； they found
among mislaid papers a memorandum of a loan of thirty thousand
dollars to Ah Chun。 It had been incurred when Ah Chun was Privy
Councillor to Kamehameha II。 In the bustle and confusion of those
heyday； money…making times； the affair had slipped Ah Chun's mind。
There was no note； no legal claim against him； but he settled in full with
the Hotchkiss' Estate； voluntarily paying a compound interest that
dwarfed the principal。 Likewise； when he verbally guaranteed the
disastrous Kakiku Ditch Scheme； at a time when the least sanguine did
not dream a guarantee necessary〃Signed his cheque for two hundred
thousand without a quiver； gentlemen； without a quiver；〃 was the report
of the secretary of the defunct enterprise； who had been sent on the
forlorn hope of finding out Ah Chun's intentions。 And on top of the
many similar actions that were true of his word； there was scarcely a
man of repute in the islands that at one time or another had not
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experienced the helping financial hand of Ah Chun。
So it was that Honolulu watched his wonderful family grow up into a
perplexing problem and secretly sympathized with him； for it was
beyond any of them to imagine what he was going to do with it。 But
Ah Chun saw the problem more clearly than they。 No one knew as he
knew the extent to which he was an alien in his family。 His own family
did not guess it。 He saw that there was no place for him amongst this
marvellous seed of his loins； and he looked forward to his declining
years and knew that he would grow more and more alien。 He did not
understand his children。 Their conversation was of things that did not
interest him and about which he knew nothing。 The culture of the West
had passed him by。 He was Asiatic to the last fibre； which meant that
he was heathen。 Their Christianity was to him so much nonsense。
But all this he would have ignored as extraneous and irrelevant； could he
have but understood the young people themselves。 When Maud； for
instance； told him that the housekeeping bills for the month were thirty
thousandthat he understood； as he understood Albert's request for five
thousand with which to buy the schooner yacht Muriel and become a
member of the Hawaiian Yacht Club。 But it was their remoter；
complicated desires and mental processes that obfuscated him。 He was
not slow in learning that the mind of each son and daughter was a secret
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
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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。〃
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〃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
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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
