第21部分(第2/7 页)

。　Unutterable　sadness　filled　his　heart。

Suddenly　a　voice　said；　〃Why　do　you　not　acpany　the　Prime　Minister；　General；　instead　of　standing　here　and　sighing？〃

It　was　Wang　Yun。

〃I　have　been　confined　to　the　house　by　illness　these　few　days；〃　continued　he；　〃so　I　have　not　seen　you。　But　I　had　to　struggle　out　today　to　see　the　Prime　Minister　set　off。　This　meeting　is　most　fortunate。　But　why　were　you　sighing？〃

〃Just　on　account　of　that　daughter　of　yours；〃　said　Lu　Bu。

Feigning　great　astonishment；　Wang　Yun　said；　〃So　long　a　time　and　yet　not　given　to　you！〃

〃The　old　ruffian　has　fallen　in　love　with　her　himself。〃

〃Surely　this　cannot　be　true。〃

Lu　Bu　related　the　whole　story　while　Wang　Yun　listened；　silent；　but　stamping　on　the　ground　as　with　irritation　and　perplexity。

After　a　long　time　Wang　Yun　said；　〃I　did　not　think　he　was　such　a　beast。〃

Taking　Lu　Bu　by　the　hand；　Wang　Yun　said；　〃e　to　my　house；　and　we　will　talk　it　over。〃

So　they　went　away　together　to　the　house　and　retired　to　a　secret　room。　After　some　refreshments；　Lu　Bu　told　the　whole　story　of　the　episode　in　Phoenix　Pavilion　just　as　it　happened。

Wang　Yun　said；　〃He　seems　to　have　corrupted　my　little　girl　and　has　stolen　your　wife。　He　will　be　an　object　of　shame　and　ridicule　to　the　whole　world。　And　those　who　do　not　laugh　at　him　will　laugh　at　you　and　me。　Alas！　I　am　old　and　powerless　and　can　do　nothing。　More　pitied　than　blamed！　But　you；　General；　you　are　a　warrior；　the　greatest　hero　in　the　world。　Yet　you　have　been　put　to　this　shame　and　exposed　to　this　contempt。〃

A　wave　of　fierce　wrath　rolled　up　in　Lu　Bu。　Banging　the　table　he　shouted　and　roared。

His　host　ostentatiously　tried　to　calm　him；　saying；　〃I　forgot　myself。　I　should　not　have　spoken　like　that。　Do　not　be