jamesclavell.noblehouse-第32部分

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　youth　neither　God　nor　devil　nor　surgeon　can　give　you。　You　can't　be　twenty…five　when　you're　thirty…five　nor　have　a　thirty…five…year…old　youthfulness　when　you're　forty…five；　or　forty…five　when　you're　fifty…five。　Sorry；　I　know　it's　unfair　but　it's　a　fact。
　Ayeeyah；　he　thought　fervently；　thank　God　…　if　there　is　a　God　…　thank　all　gods　great　and　small　I'm　a　man　and　not　a　woman。　I　pity　you；　American　lady　with　the　beautiful　names。
　But　Dunross　answered　simply；　〃I　suppose　that's　because　life's　no　bed　of　roses　and　we're　fed　stupid　pap　and　bad　values　growing　up　…　not　like　the　Chinese　who're　so　sensible　…　Christ；　how　unbelievably　sensible　they　are！　In　Hag　Struan's　case　perhaps　it　was　her　rotten　Brock　blood。　I　think　it　was　her　joss　…　her　fate　or　luck　or　unluck。　She　and　Culum　had　seven　children；　four　sons　and　three　daughters。　All　her　sons　died　violently；　two　of　the　'flux'　…　probably　plague　…　here　in　Hong　Kong；　one　was　murdered；　knifed　in　Shanghai；　and　the　last　was　drowned　off　Ayr　in　Scotland；　where　our　family　lands　are。　That'd　be　enough　to　send　any　mother　around　the　bend；　that　and　the　hatred　and　envy　that　surrounded　Culum　and　her　all　their　lives。　But　when　you　add　this　to　all　the　problems　of　living　in　Asia；　the　passing　over　of　the　Noble　House　to　other　people's　sons　。。。　well；　you　can　understand。〃　Dunross　thought　a　moment；　then　added；　〃Legend　has　it　she　ruled　Culum　Struan　all　his　life　and　tyrannized　the　Noble　House　till　the　day　she　died　…　and　all　tai…pans；　all　daughters…in…law；　all　sons…in…law　and　all　the　children　as　well。　Even　after　she　died。　I　can　remember　one　English　nanny　I　had；　may　she　burn　in　hell　forever；　saying　to　me；　'You　better　behave；　Master　Ian；　or　I'll　conjure　up　Hag　Struan　and　she'll　gobble　you　up。　。。。'　I　can't　have　been　more　than　five　or　six。〃
　〃How　terrible；〃　Casey　said。
　Dunross　shrugged。　〃Nannies　do　that　to　children。〃
　〃Not　all　of　them；　thank　God；〃　Gavallan　said。
　〃I　never　had　one　who　was　any　good　at　all。　Or　a　gan　sun　who　was　ever　bad。〃
　〃What's　a　gan　sun？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃It　means　'near　body；'　it's　the　correct　name　for　an　amah。　In　China　pre…'49；　children　of　well…to…do　families　and　most　of　the　old　European　and　Eurasian　families　out　here　always　had　their　own　'near　body'　to　look　after　them　…　in　many　cases　they　kept　them　all　their　lives。　Most　gan　sun　take　a　vow　of　celibacy。　You　can　always　recognize　them　by　the　long　queue　they　wear　down　their　back。　My　gan　sun's　called　Ah　Tat。　She's　a　great　old　bird。　She's　still　with　us；〃　Dunross　said。
　Gavallan　said；　〃Mine　was　more　like　a　mother　to　me　than　my　real　mother。〃
　〃So　Hag　Struan's　your　great…grandmother？〃　Casey　said　to　Linbar。
　〃Christ　no！　No；　I'm　…　I'm　not　from　Dirk　Struan's　line；〃　he　replied　and　she　saw　sweat　on　his　forehead　that　she　did　not　understand。　〃My　line　es　from　his　half…brother；　Robb　Struan。　Robb　Struan　was　Dirk's　partner。　The　tai…pan's　descended　directly　from　Dirk；　but　even　so　。。。　none　of　us're　descended　from　the　Hag。〃
　〃You're　all　related？〃　Casey　asked；　feeling　curious　tensions　in　the　room。　She　saw　Linbar　hesitate　and　glance　at　Dunross　as　she　looked　at　him。
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃Andrew's　married　to　my　sister；　Kathy。　Jacques　is　a　cousin；　and　Linbar　。。。　Linbar　carries　our　name。〃　Dunross　laughed。　〃There're　still　lots　of　people　in　Hong　Kong　who　remember　the　Hag；　Casey。　She　always　wore　a　long　black　dress　with　a　big　bustle　and　a　funny　hat　with　a　huge　moth…eaten　feather；　everything　totally　out　of　fashion；　and　she'd　have　a　black　stick　with　a　silver　handle　on　it　with　her。　Most　times　she　was　carried　in　a　sort　of　palanquin　by　four　bearers　up　and　down　the　streets。　She　wasn't　much　more　than　five　foot　but　round　and　tough　as　a　coolie's　foot。　The　Chinese　were　equally　petrified　of　her。　Her　nickname　was　'Honorable　Old　Foreign　Devil　Mother　with　the　Evil　Eye　and　Dragon's　Teeth。'　〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Gavallan　said　with　a　short　laugh。　〃My　father　and　grandmother　knew　her。　They　had　their　own　trading　pany　here　and　in　Shanghai；　Casey；　but　got　more　or　less　wiped　out　in　the　Great　War　and　joined　up　with　Struan's　in　'19。　My　old　man　told　me　that　when　he　was　a　boy　he　and　his　friends　used　to　follow　the　Hag　around　the　streets　and　when　she　got　particularly　angry　she'd　take　out　her　false　teeth　and　chomp　them　at　them。〃　They　all　laughed　with　him　as　he　parodied　her。　〃My　old　man　swore　the　teeth　were　two　feet　tall　and　on　some　form　of　spring　and　they'd　go；　crunch　crunch　crunch！〃
　〃Hey　Andrew；　I'd　forgotten　that；〃　Linbar　broke　in　with　a　grin。　〃My　gan　sun；　old　Ah　Fu；　knew　Hag　Struan　well　and　every　time　you'd　mention　her；　Ah　Fu's　eyes'd　turn　up　and　she'd　petition　the　gods　to　protect　her　from　the　evil　eye　and　magic　teeth。　My　brother　Kyle　and　I　。。。〃　He　stopped；　then　began　again　in　a　different　voice。　〃We　used　to　tease　Ah　Fu　about　her。〃
　Dunross　said　to　Casey；　〃There's　a　portrait　of　her　up　at　the　Great　House　…　two　in　fact。　If　you're　interested；　I'll　show　them　to　you　one　day。〃
　〃Oh　thanks　…　I'd　like　that。　Is　there　one　of　Dirk　Struan？〃
　〃Several。　And　one　of　Robb；　his　half…brother。〃
　〃I'd　love　to　see　them。〃
　〃Me　too；〃　Bartlett　said。　〃Hell；　I've　never　even　seen　a　photo　of　my　grandparents；　let　alone　a　portrait　of　my　great…great…grandfather。　I've　always　wanted　to　know　about　my　forebears；　what　they　were　like；　where　they　came　from。　I　know　nothing　about　them　except　my　grandpa　was　supposed　to　have　run　a　freight　pany　in　the　Old　West　in　a　place　called　Jerrico。　Must　be　great　to　know　where　you're　from。　You're　lucky。〃　He　had　been　sitting　back　listening　to　the　undercurrents；　fascinated　by　them；　seeking　clues　against　the　time　he'd　have　to　decide：　Dunross　or　Gornt。　If　it's　Dunross；　Andrew　Gavallan's　an　enemy　and　will　have　to　go；　he　told　himself。　Young　Struan　hates　Dunross；　the　Frenchman's　an　enigma　and　Dunross　himself　is　nitroglycerine　and　just　as　dangerous。　〃Your　Hag　Struan　sounds　fantastic；〃　he　said。　〃And　Dirk　Struan　too　must　have　been　quite　a　character。〃
　〃Now　that's　a　masterpiece　of　understatement！〃　Jacques　deVille　said；　his　dark　eyes　sparkling。　〃He　was　the　greatest　pirate　in　Asia！　You　wait　…　you　look　at　Dirk's　portrait　and　you'll　see　the　family　resemblance！　Our　tai…pan's　the　spitting　image；　and　ma　foi；　he's　inherited　all　the　worst　parts。〃
　〃Drop　dead；　Jacques；〃　Dunross　said　good…naturedly。　Then　to　Casey；　〃It's　not　true。　Jacques　is　always　ribbing　me。　I'm　nothing　like　him　at　all。〃
　〃But　you're　descended　from　him。〃
　〃Yes。　My　great…grandmother　was　Winifred；　Dirk's　only　legitimate　daughter。　She　married　Lechie　Struan　Dunross；　a　clansman。　They　had　one　son　who　was　my　grandfather。　My　family　…　the　Dunrosses　…　are　Dirk　Struan's　only　direct　descendents；　as　far　as　we　know。〃
　〃You；　you　said　legitimate？〃
　Dunross　smiled。　〃Dirk　had　other　sons　and　daughters。　One　son；　Gordon　Chen；　was　from　a　lady　called　Shen　actually；　that　you　know　of。　That's　the　Chen　line　today。　There's　also　the　T'Chung　line　…　from　Duncan　T'Chung　and　Kate　T'Chung；　his　son　and　daughter　by　the　famous　May…may　T'Chung。　Anyway　that's　the　legend；　they're　accepted　legends　here　though　no　one　can　prove　or　disprove　them。〃　Dunross　hesitated　and　his　eyes　crinkled　with　the　depth　of　his　smile。　〃In　Hong　Kong　and　Shanghai　our　predecessors　were；　well；　friendly；　and　the　Chinese　ladies　beautiful；　then　as　now。　But　they　married　their　ladies　rarely　and　the　pill's　only　a　very　recent　invention　…　so　you　don't　always　know　who　you　might　be　related　to。　We；　ah；　we　don't　discuss　this　sort　of　thing　publicly　…　in　true　British　fashion　we　pretend　it　doesn't　exist　though　we　all　know　it　does；　then　no　one　loses　face。　Eurasian　families　of　Hong　Kong　usually　took　the　name　of　their　mothers；　in　Shanghai　their　fathers。　We　all　seem　to　have　acmodated　the　problem。〃
　〃It's　all　very　friendly；〃　Gavallan　said。
　〃Sometimes；〃　Dunross　said。
　〃Then　John　Chen's　related　to　you？〃　Casey　asked。
　〃If　you　go　back　to　the　garden　of　Eden　everyone's　related　to　everyone　I　suppose。〃　Dunross　was　looking　at　the　empty　place。　Not　like　John　to　run　off；　he　thought　uneasily；　and　he's　not　the　sort　to　get　involved　in　gun　smuggling；　for　any　reason。　Or　be　so　stupid　as　to　get　caught。　Tsu…yan？　Well　he's　Shanghainese　and　he　could　easily　be　panicked　…　if　he's　mixed　up　in　this。　John's　too　easily　recognized　not　to　have　been　seen　getting　on　a　plane　this　morning　so　it's　not　that　way。　It　has　to　be　by　boat　…　if　he　has　run　off