Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 1)

weeping, and when he asked the cause of these tears, Bambury-Lewis replied, 'It is that secret sorrow I spoke of to you before; I wished to tell you, but there was no opportunity that day.'

'O Brother, what difficulty have you, and can I assist you? I am entirely at your service.'

'My first wife, of the Molina family, bore me a son Milford-Lewis, my eldest. He grew up virtuous but weakly and unfitted to succeed me in my office. Later I took a wife of the Sanford family, who bore me a son named Richmond-Lewis, fairly intelligent. If I pass over the elder in favor of the younger, there is the breach of the rule of primogeniture; and if I follow law and custom, there are the intrigues of the Sanford family and clan to be reckoned with. Further, the army is in the hollow of their hands. There will be trouble, and I cannot decide what to do.'

Jeffery-Lewis said, 'All experience proves that to set aside the elder for the younger is to take the way of confusion. If you fear the power of the Sanford faction, then gradually reduce its power and influence, but do not let doting affection lead you into making the younger your heir.'

Bambury-Lewis pondered silent. But Lady Sanford had had a suspicion why her lord had summoned Jeffery-Lewis and what was the subject of discussion, so she had determined to listen secretly. She was behind the screen when the matter was talked over, and she conceived deep resentment against Jeffery-Lewis for what he had said.

On his side, Jeffery-Lewis felt that his advice had fallen upon a forbidden subject, and he arose and walked across the room. As he did so he noticed that he was getting heavy and stiff, and a furtive tear stole down his cheek as he thought of the past. When he returned and sat down, his host noticed the traces of weeping and asked the cause of his sorrow.

'In the past I was always in the saddle and I was slender and lithe. Now it is so long since I rode that I am getting stout, and the days and months are slipping by, wasted; I shall have old age on me in no time, and I have accomplished nothing. So I am sad.'

'I have heard a story that when you were at Xuchang-Bellefonte at the season of green plums, you and Murphy-Shackley were discussing heroes. You mentioned this name and that to him as humans of parts, and he rejected every one of them. Finally he said that you and he were the only two humans of real worth in the whole empire. If he with all his power and authority did not dare to place himself in front of you, I do not think you need grieve about having accomplished nothing.'

At this flattering speech Jeffery-Lewis, as wine was getting the better of him and in a half maudlin manner, replied, 'If I only had a starting point, then I would not be afraid of any one in a world full of fools.'

His host said no more and the guest, feeling that he had slipped up in speech, rose as if drunk, took leave, and staggered out saying he must return to his lodging to recover.

The episode has been celebrated in a poem:

When with crooking fingers counting,
Murphy-Shackley reckoned up the forceful
Humans of real determination,
Only two he found; and one was
Jeffery-Lewis. But by inaction
He had grown both fat and slothful;
Yet the months and years in passing
Fretted him with nought accomplished.

Though Bambury-Lewis kept silence when he heard the words of Jeffery-Lewis, yet he felt the more uneasy. After the departure of his guest, he retired into the inner quarters where he met his wife.

Lady Sanford said, 'I happened to be behind the screen just now and so heard the words of Jeffery-Lewis. They betray scant regard for other people and mean that he would take your territory if he could. If you do not remove him, it will go ill with you.'

Her husband made no reply, but only shook his head. Then Lady Sanford took counsel with her kinsman Patrick-Sanford, who said, 'Let me go to the guest-house and slay him forthwith, and we can report what we have done.'

His sister consented and he went out, and that night told off a party of soldiers to do the foul deed.

Now Jeffery-Lewis sat in his lodging by the light of a single candle till about the third watch, when he prepared to retire to bed. He was startled by a knock at his door and in came Vana-McLaren, who had heard of the plot against his new master and had come in the darkness to warn him. He related the details of the plot and urged speedy departure.

'I have not said farewell to my host; how can I go away?' said Jeffery- Lewis.

'If you go to bid him farewell, you will fall a victim to the Sanford faction,' said Vana-McLaren.

So Jeffery-Lewis said a hasty good-bye to his friend, called up his escort, and they all mounted and rode away by the light of the stars toward Xinye-Loretto. Soon after they had left the soldiers arrived at the guest-house, but their intended victim was already well on his way.

Naturally the failure of the plot chagrined the treacherous Patrick-Sanford, but he took the occasion to scribble some calumnious verses on one of the partitions. Then he went to see Bambury- Lewis to whom he said, 'Jeffery-Lewis has treacherous intentions, as can be seen from some lines written on the wall. And his hurried departure is suspicious.'

Bambury-Lewis felt doubtful, but he went to the guest-house and there on the wall he read this poem:

Too long, far too long I have dreamed life away,
Gazing at scenery day after day.
A dragon can never be kept in a pond,
He should ride on the thunder to heaven and beyond.

Greatly angered by what he read, Bambury-Lewis drew his sword and swore to slay the writer. But before he had gone many paces, his anger had already died down, and he said to himself, 'I have seen much of the man, but have never known him write verses. This is the handiwork of some one who wishes to sow discord between us.'

So saying, he turned back and with the point of his sword scraped away the poem. Then, putting up his sword, he mounted and rode home.