The Painted Wall

A Kiang-si gentleman, named Mêng Lung-t‘an, was lodging at the capital with a Mr. Chu, M.A. One day, chance led them to a monastery. They found no spacious halls or meditation chambers there, but only an old priest in informal dress.M.A., when one day chance led them to a certain monastery, within which they found no spacious halls or meditation chambers, but only an old priest in deshabille. When he saw the visitors, he adjusted his clothes and went forward to meet them. He led them round and showed them whatever there was to see.On observing the visitors, he arranged his dress and went forward to meet them, leading them round and showing whatever there was to be seen. In the chapel they saw an image of Chih Kung, and the walls on either side were beautifully painted with lifelike pictures of peoplelife-like representations of men and things. On the east side were pictured a number of fairies, among whom was a young girl whose hair still hung loose, instead of being tied in a married woman’smaiden tresses were not yet confined by the matron’s knot. She was picking flowers and gently smiling. Hersmiling, while her cherry lips seemed about to move, and the moisture of her eyes to overflow. Mr. Chu gazed at her for a long time without looking away. At last, he became unaware of anything but the thoughts that filled his mind.taking his eyes off, until at last he became unconscious of anything but the thoughts that were engrossing him. Then, suddenly, he felt himself floating in the air, as if riding on a cloud, and found himself passing through the wall, ⁴⁴ where halls and pavilions stretched away one after another, unlike the dwellingsabodes of mortals. Here an old priest was preaching the Law of Buddha, surrounded by a large crowd of listeners. Mr. Chu mingled with the crowdthrong, and after a few moments feltperceived a gentle tug at his sleeve. Turning round, he saw the young girl he had seen in the painting, walking away and laughingabove-mentioned, who walked laughing away. Mr. Chu at once followed her. He passed a winding balustrade and arrived at a small room, where he dared go noher, and passing a winding balustrade arrived at a small apartment beyond which he dared not venture further. But the young lady, looking back, waved the flowers she had in her hand as though beckoning him to come on. He entered and found nobody else inside.accordingly entered and found nobody else within. Then they fell on their knees and worshipped heaven and earth together, ⁴⁵ and rose as man and wife. Then the bride went away, telling Mr. Chu toup as man and wife, after which the bride went away, bidding Mr. Chu keep quiet until she came back. This went on for a couple of days. Thendays, when the young lady’s companions began to smell a rat and discovered Mr. Chu’s hiding-place. TheyThereupon they all laughed and said, “My dear, you are now a married woman, and should stop wearing that unmarried girl’s hairstyleleave off that maidenly coiffure.” So they gave her the proper hair-pins and head ornaments and told her to tie up her hair. Sheornaments, and bade her go bind her hair, at which she blushed very much but said nothing. Then one of them cried out, “My sisters, let us be off. Two’s company, three’s a crowd.more’s none.” At this they all giggled again and went away.

Mr. Chu thought his wife looked much prettier with her new hairstylefound his wife very much improved by the alteration in the style of her hair. The high top-knot and the little crown with its hanging ornaments suited her very well.coronet of pendants were very becoming to her. But suddenly they heard a sound like the tramping of heavy-soled boots, accompanied by the clanking of chains and the noise of angry discussion. The bride jumped up in a fright, and she and Mr. Chu peeped out. They saw a man dressedclad in golden armour, with a face as black as jet, carrying in his hand chains and whips, and surrounded by all the girls. He asked, “Are you all here?” “All,” they replied. “If,” said he, “any mortal is hidden here amonghere concealed amongst you, report him at once, and do not bring sorrow upondenounce him at once, and lay not up sorrow for yourselves.” Here they all answered as before that there was no one. The man then moved as though he were about to search the place. Themade a movement as if he would search the place, upon which the bride was dreadfully alarmed, and her face turned the colour of ashes. In her terror, she said to Mr. Chu, “Hide yourself under the bed.” Then she opened a small latticed opening in the wall and disappeared through it.terror she said to Mr. Chu, “Hide yourself under the bed,” and opening a small lattice in the wall, disappeared herself. In his hiding-place, Mr. Chu hardly dared to breathe. After a little while, he heard the boots tramp into the room and out again. The voices grewMr. Chu in his concealment hardly dared to draw his breath; and in a little while he heard the boots tramp into the room and out again, the sound of the voices getting gradually fainter and fainter in the distance. This reassured him, but he still heard the voices of people going backwards and forwards outside. He had spent a long time in a cramped position. His ears began to ring as if there was a locust in them, and his eyes beganoutside; and having been a long time in a cramped position, his ears began to sing as if there was a locust in them, and his eyes to burn like fire. It was almost unbearable; however, he remained quietly awaiting the return of the young lady without wondering how or why he had come to be theregiving a thought to the why and wherefore of his present position.

Meanwhile, Mêng Lung-t‘an had noticed his friend’s sudden disappearance. Thinking something was wrong, he asked the priest where his friendthe sudden disappearance of his friend, and thinking something was wrong, asked the priest where he was. “He has gone to hear the preaching of the Law,” replied the priest. “Where?” said Mr. Mêng. “Oh, not very far,” was the answer. Then with his finger the old priest tapped the wall and called out, “Friend Chu! why are you stayingwhat makes you stay away so long?” At this, the likeness of Mr. Chu appeared on the wall, his head tilted as though he werewas figured upon the wall, with his ear inclined in the attitude of one listening. The priest added, “Your friend here has been waiting for you some time.” Immediately Mr. Chu descended from the wall and stood rooted to the spot like a block of wood, with wide-open eyestime;” and immediately Mr. Chu descended from the wall, standing transfixed like a block of wood, with starting eyeballs and trembling legs. Mr. Mêng was much terrified, and asked him quietly what was the matter. While hiding under the bed, he had heard a noise like thunder andNow the matter was that while concealed under the bed he had heard a noise resembling thunder and had rushed out to see what it was.

Here they all noticed that the young lady on the wall whose hair had hung loose now wore it tied up like a married woman’swith the maiden’s tresses had changed the style of her coiffure to that of a married woman. Mr. Chu was greatly astonished at this and asked the old priest the reason.

He replied, “Visions have their origin in those who see them: what explanation can I give?” Mr. Chu found this answer very unsatisfactory. His friend was rather frightened and did not know what to make of it all either. SoThis answer was very unsatisfactory to Mr. Chu; neither did his friend, who was rather frightened, know what to make of it all; so they descended the temple steps and went away.

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Footnotes

44. This will doubtless remind the reader of Alice through the Looking-glass, and what she saw there.Which will doubtless remind the reader of Alice through the Looking-glass, and what she saw there .

45. The all-important part of a Chinese marriage ceremony. It amounts,item of a Chinese marriage ceremony; amounting, in fact, to calling God to witness the contract.