the house of pride(傲慢之家)-第16节
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the latter no man knew a tithe the tale。 It was well known that he was
enormously wealthy； but in his case 〃enormous〃 was merely the symbol
for the unknown。
Ah Chun had shrewd little eyes； black and beady and so very little
that they were like gimlet…holes。 But they were wide apart； and they
sheltered under a forehead that was patently the forehead of a thinker。
For Ah Chun had his problems； and had had them all his life。 Not that
he ever worried over them。 He was essentially a philosopher； and
whether as coolie； or multi…millionaire and master of many men； his
poise of soul was the same。 He lived always in the high equanimity of
spiritual repose； undeterred by good fortune； unruffled by ill fortune。
All things went well with him； whether they were blows from the
overseer in the cane field or a slump in the price of sugar when he
owned those cane fields himself。 Thus； from the steadfast rock of his
sure content he mastered problems such as are given to few men to
consider； much less to a Chinese peasant。
He was precisely thata Chinese peasant； born to labour in the fields
all his days like a beast； but fated to escape from the fields like the
prince in a fairy tale。 Ah Chun did not remember his father； a small
farmer in a district not far from Canton； nor did he remember much of
his mother； who had died when he was six。 But he did remember his
respected uncle； Ah Kow； for him had he served as a slave from his sixth
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year to his twenty…fourth。 It was then that he escaped by contracting
himself as a coolie to labour for three years on the sugar plantations of
Hawaii for fifty cents a day。
Ah Chun was observant。 He perceived little details that not one man
in a thousand ever noticed。 Three years he worked in the field； at the
end of which time he knew more about cane…growing than the overseers
or even the superintendent； while the superintendent would have been
astounded at the knowledge the weazened little coolie possessed of the
reduction processes in the mill。 But Ah Chun did not study only sugar
processes。 He studied to find out how men came to be owners of sugar
mills and plantations。 One judgment he achieved early； namely； that
men did not become rich from the labour of their own hands。 He knew；
for he had laboured for a score of years himself。 The men who grew
rich did so from the labour of the hands of others。 That man was
richest who had the greatest number of his fellow creatures toiling for
him。
So； when his term of contract was up； Ah Chun invested his savings
in a small importing store； going into partnership with one； Ah Yung。
The firm ultimately became the great one of 〃Ah Chun and Ah Yung；〃
which handled anything from India silks and ginseng to guano islands
and blackbird brigs。 In the meantime； Ah Chun hired out as cook。 He
was a good cook； and in three years he was the highest… paid chef in
Honolulu。 His career was assured； and he was a fool to abandon it； as
Dantin； his employer； told him； but Ah Chun knew his own mind best；
and for knowing it was called a triple…fool and given a present of fifty
dollars over and above the wages due him。
The firm of Ah Chun and Ah Yung was prospering。 There was no
need for Ah Chun longer to be a cook。 There were boom times in
Hawaii。 Sugar was being extensively planted； and labour was needed。
Ah Chun saw the chance； and went into the labour…importing business。
He brought thousands of Cantonese coolies into Hawaii； and his wealth
began to grow。 He made investments。 His beady black eyes saw
bargains where other men saw bankruptcy。 He bought a fish…pond for a
song； which later paid five hundred per cent and was the opening wedge
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by which he monopolized the fish market of Honolulu。 He did not talk
for publication； nor figure in politics； nor play at revolutions； but he
forecast events more clearly and farther ahead than did the men who
engineered them。 In his mind's eye he saw Honolulu a modern；
electric…lighted city at a time when it straggled； unkempt and sand…
tormented； over a barren reef of uplifted coral rock。 So he bought land。
He bought land from merchants who needed ready cash； from
impecunious natives； from riotous traders' sons； from widows and
orphans and the lepers deported to Molokai； and； somehow； as the years
went by； the pieces of land he had bought proved to be needed for
warehouses； or coffee buildings； or hotels。 He leased； and rented； sold
and bought； and resold again。
But there were other things as well。 He put his confidence and his
money into Parkinson； the renegade captain whom nobody would trust。
And Parkinson sailed away on mysterious voyages in the little Vega。
Parkinson was taken care of until he died； and years afterward Honolulu
was astonished when the news leaked out that the Drake and Acorn
guano islands had been sold to the British Phosphate Trust for three…
quarters of a million。 Then there were the fat； lush days of King
Kalakaua； when Ah Chun paid three hundred thousand dollars for the
opium licence。 If he paid a third of a million for the drug monopoly；
the investment was nevertheless a good one； for the dividends bought
him the Kalalau Plantation； which； in turn； paid him thirty per cent for
seventeen years and was ultimately sold by him for a million and a half。
It was under the Kamehamehas； long before； that he had served his
own country as Chinese Consula position that was not altogether
unlucrative； and it was under Kamehameha IV that he changed his
citizenship； becoming an Hawaiian subject in order to marry Stella
Allendale； herself a subject of the brown…skinned king； though more of
Anglo…Saxon blood ran in her veins than of Polynesian。 In fact； the
random breeds in her were so attenuated that they were valued at eighths
and sixteenths。 In the latter proportions was the blood of her great…
grandmother； Paahaothe Princess Paahao； for she came of the royal
line。 Stella Allendale's great…grandfather had been a Captain Blunt； an
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English adventurer who took service under Kamehameha I and was
made a tabu chief himself。 Her grandfather had been a New Bedford
whaling captain； while through her own father had been introduced a
remote blend of Italian and Portuguese which had been grafted upon his
own English stock。 Legally a Hawaiian； Ah Chun's spouse was more
of any one of three other nationalities。
And into this conglomerate of the races； Ah Chun introduced the
Mongolian mixture。 Thus； his children by Mrs。 Ah Chun were one
thirty…second Polynesian； one…sixteenth Italian； one sixteenth Portuguese；
one…half Chinese； and eleven thirty…seconds Engl
