第21部分(第1/7 頁)

〃Do　you　think　I　could　bear　to　lose　you？〃　said　Dong　Zhuo。

〃Though　you　love　me　yet　I　must　not　stay　here。　That　Lu　Bu　will　try　to　ruin　me　if　I　do。　I　fear　him。〃

〃We　will　go　to　Meiwo　tomorrow；　you　and　I；　and　we　will　be　happy　together　and　have　no　cares。〃

She　dried　her　tears　and　thanked　him。　Next　day　Li　Ru　came　again　to　persuade　Dong　Zhuo　to　send　the　damsel　to　Lu　Bu。

〃This　is　a　propitious　day；〃　said　Li　Ru。

〃He　and　I　standing　in　the　relation　of　father　and　son。　I　cannot　very　well　do　that；〃　said　Dong　Zhuo。　〃But　I　will　say　no　more　about　his　fault。　You　may　tell　him　so　and　soothe　him　as　well　as　you　can。〃

〃You　are　not　being　beguiled　by　the　woman；　are　you？〃　said　Li　Ru。

Dong　Zhuo　colored；　saying；　〃Would　you　like　to　give　your　wife　to　some　body　else？　Do　not　talk　about　this　any　further。　It　would　be　better　not　to。〃

Li　Ru　left　the　chamber。　When　he　got　outside；　he　cast　his　eyes　up　to　heaven；　saying；　〃We　are　dead　people；　slain　by　the　hand　of　this　girl！〃

When　a　scholar　of　history　reached　this　episode　he　wrote　a　verse　or　two：

Just　introduce　a　woman；

Conspiracies　succeed；

Of　soldiers；　or　their　weapons；

There　really　is　no　need。

They　fought　their　bloody　battles；

And　doughty　deeds　were　done；

But　in　a　garden　summer　house

The　victory　was　won。

The　order　was　given　to　journey　to　Meiwo；　and　the　whole　body　of　officers　assembled　to　add　luster　to　the　start。　Diao　Chan；　from　her　carriage；　saw　Lu　Bu　among　the　crowd。　She　at　once　dropped　her　eyes　and　assumed　an　appearance　of　deepest　melancholy。　After　the　cavalcade　started　and　when　her　carriage　had　almost　disappeared　in　the　distance；　the　disappointed　lover　reined　in　his　steed　on　a　mount　whence　he　could　watch　the　dust　that　rose　around　it