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第32章

jamesclavell.noblehouse-第32章

小说: jamesclavell.noblehouse 字数: 每页4000字

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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

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