Hung-chien, who was about to take a drink, brusquely shoved the cup away, saying, "I won't drink it!" (pp156?157) Fortress Besieged is also a scholar's novelThroughout the novel, par ticularly in Section 1, references are made to Chinese and Western literature, philosophy, logic, customs, laws, educational systems, and other areas such as foreign languages and feminismThe author's knowledge is so wide that he is probably modern China's foremost "scholar novelist," a designation for a special class of literary men "who utilized the form of a long narrative not merely to tell a story but to satisfy their needs for all other kinds of intellectual and literary self-expression'0 Among the works of Chinese lit erature that belong to this special category are Journey to the West (Hsi yu chi), Dream of the Red Chamber (Hung-lou meng), The Scholars (lu-un wai-shih), Flowers in the Mirror (Chin g-hua yuan), Yeh-sou p'u-y en, T'an shih, and Yen-shan wai-shih However, a distinction must be drawn between Fortress Besieged and the othersWhereas the others are mostly episodic in nature and often digress on such subjects as astrology, arithmetic, calligraphy, gardening, medicine, and so forth for the sole purpose of displaying their authors' erudition, Fortress Besieged has structural unity and never burdens the reader with unnecessary or excessive information on any subjectThe author's knowledge merely helps the narrative strand of the novel in supplying the reader with an observant, witty, and rhetorical narrator The narrator is indeed all of the aboveHis observations are sharp and directRemarking on the filth on the deck of Vicomte de Bragelonne, he muses: "The French are famous for the clarity of their thought and the lucidness of their prose, yet in whatever they do, they never fail to bring chaos, filth, and hubbub, as witness the mess on board the ship" (pIn a second instance, the narrator's wit bubbles forth in his description of Miss Pao: "When men students saw Miss Pao, they burned with lewd desire, and found some relief by endlessly cracking jokes behind her backSome called her a charcuterie?a shop selling cooked meats?because only such a shop would have so much warm-colored flesh on public displayOthers called her 'Truth,' since it is said that 'the truth is naked' But Miss Pao wasn't exactly without a stitch on, so they revised her name to 'Partial Truth'" (pRhetorically, the narrator takes a great deal of delight in word playHis penchant for definitions is seen in the following two examples: "It is said that 'girl friend' is the scientific term for sweetheart, making it sound more dignified, just as the biological term for rose is 'rosaceae dicotyledonous,' or the legal term for divorcing one's wife is 'negotiated separation by consent'" (pIn another case, he writes, "Kao Sung-nien, the president of San Lu University, was an 'old science scholar' The word 'old' here is quite bothersomeIt could describe science or it could just as well be describing a scientistUnfortunately, there is a world of difference between a scientist and scienceA scientist is like wineThe older he gets, the more valuable he is, while science is like a womanWhen she gets old, she's worthless" (p The author's knowledge of Chinese classics and Pidgin English unquestionably helps him to better caricature MrFang Tung-weng, the protagonist's father, and MrJimmy Chang, a Shanghai compradorIn the case of the former, his every thought is an allusion, a proverb, or a quote from the classics, as evidenced in the following letter advising his son to pay more attention to school work: I did not begrudge the expense of sending you hundreds of miles away to studyIf you devoted yourself to your studies as you should, would you still have the leisure to look in a mirror? You are not a woman, so what need do you have of a mirror? That sort of thing is for actors onlyA real man who gazes at himself in the mirror will only be scorned by societyNever had I thought once you parted from me that you would pick up such base habitsMost deplorable and disgusting! Moreover, it is said that "When one's parents are still living, a son should not speak of getting old You have no consideration for your parents, who hold you dearly in their hearts, but frighten them with the talk of deathThis is certainly neglect of filial duties to the extreme! It can only be the result of your attending a coeducational school?seeing women around has put ideas in your headThe sight of girls has made you think of changeThough you make excuses about "autumnal melancholy," I know full well that what ails you are the "yearnings of springtime9?10) Fang Tung-weng's style of writing is the man himself: allusive, self- righteous, prejudiced, traditional, and pedanticThe success of the portrait of Fang Tung-weng is due, to a large extent, to the author's understanding of the empty posturings of the traditional country squire whose ideas are those of the imperial past though he lives in the modern twentieth century On the other hand, Ch'ien Chung-shu's portrait of Jimmy Chang is preciseThe following is a description of Fang Hung-chien's visit with Jimmy (the words in italics are in English in the original): As shop Mr

We have not, however, said a word to the othersIt would break poor Harker's heart, certainly his nerve, if he knew that we had even a suspicion on the subjectVan Helsing examines, he tells me, her teeth very carefully, whilst she is in the hypnotic condition, for he says that so long as they do not begin to sharpen there is no active danger of a change in herIf this change should come, it would be necessary to take steps! We both know what those steps would have to be, though we do not mention our thoughts to each otherWe should neither of us shrink from the task, awful though it be to contemplate"Euthanasia" is an excellent and a comforting word! I am grateful to whoever invented it It is only about 24 hours' sail from the Dardanelles to here, at the rate the Czarina Catherine has come from LondonShe should therefore arrive some time in the morning, but as she cannot possibly get in before noon, we are all about to retire earlyWe shall get up at one o'clock, so as to be ready 25 October, Noon-No news yet of the ship's arrivalHarker's hypnotic report this morning was the same as usual, so it is possible that we may get news at any momentWe men are all in a fever of excitement, except Harker, who is calmHis hands are cold as ice, and an hour ago I found him whetting the edge of the great Ghoorka knife which he now always carries with himIt will be a bad lookout for the Count if the edge of that "Kukri" ever touches his throat, driven by that stern, ice-cold hand! Van Helsing and I were a little alarmed about MrsAbout noon she got into a sort of lethargy which we did not likeAlthough we kept silence to the others, we were neither of us happy about itShe had been restless all the morning, so that we were at first glad to know that she was sleepingWhen, however, her husband mentioned casually that she was sleeping so soundly that he could not wake her, we went to her room to see for ourselvesShe was breathing naturally and looked so well and peaceful that we agreed that the sleep was better for her than anything elsePoor girl, she has so much to forget that it is no wonder that sleep, if it brings oblivion to her, does her good-Our opinion was justified, for when after a refreshing sleep of some hours she woke up, she seemed brighter and better than she had been for daysAt sunset she made the usual hypnotic reportWherever he may be in the Black Sea, the Count is hurrying to his destinationTo his doom, I trust! 26 October-Another day and no tidings of the Czarina CatherineShe ought to be here by nowThat she is still journeying somewhere is apparent, for MrsHarker's hypnotic report at sunrise was still the sameIt is possible that the vessel may be lying by, at times, for fogSome of the steamers which came in last evening reported patches of fog both to north and south of the portWe must continue our watching, as the ship may now be signalled any moment 27 October, NoonNo news yet of the ship we wait forHarker reported last night and this morning as usual"Lapping waves and rushing water," though she added that "the waves were very faint The telegrams from London have been the same, "no further report Van Helsing is terribly anxious, and told me just now that he fears the Count is escaping us He added significantly, "I did not like that lethargy of Madam Mina'sSouls and memories can do strange things during shop trance

We have not, however, said a word to the othersIt would break poor Harker's heart, certainly his nerve, if he knew that we had even a suspicion on the subjectVan Helsing examines, he tells me, her teeth very carefully, whilst she is in the hypnotic condition, for he says that so long as they do not begin to sharpen there is no active danger of a change in herIf this change should come, it would be necessary to take steps! We both know what those steps would have to be, though we do not mention our thoughts to each otherWe should neither of us shrink from the task, awful though it be to contemplate"Euthanasia" is an excellent and a comforting word! I am grateful to whoever invented it It is only about 24 hours' sail from the Dardanelles to here, at the rate the Czarina Catherine has come from LondonShe should therefore arrive some time in the morning, but as she cannot possibly get in before noon, we are all about to retire earlyWe shall get up at one o'clock, so as to be ready 25 October, Noon-No news yet of the ship's arrivalHarker's hypnotic report this morning was the same as usual, so it is possible that we may get news at any momentWe men are all in a fever of excitement, except Harker, who is calmHis hands are cold as ice, and an hour ago I found him whetting the edge of the great Ghoorka knife which he now always carries with himIt will be a bad lookout for the Count if the edge of that "Kukri" ever touches his throat, driven by that stern, ice-cold hand! Van Helsing and I were a little alarmed about MrsAbout noon she got into a sort of lethargy which we did not likeAlthough we kept silence to the others, we were neither of us happy about itShe had been restless all the morning, so that we were at first glad to know that she was sleepingWhen, however, her husband mentioned casually that she was sleeping so soundly that he could not wake her, we went to her room to see for ourselvesShe was breathing naturally and looked so well and peaceful that we agreed that the sleep was better for her than anything elsePoor girl, she has so much to forget that it is no wonder that sleep, if it brings oblivion to her, does her good-Our opinion was justified, for when after a refreshing sleep of some hours she woke up, she seemed brighter and better than she had been for daysAt sunset she made the usual hypnotic reportWherever he may be in the Black Sea, the Count is hurrying to his destinationTo his doom, I trust! 26 October-Another day and no tidings of the Czarina CatherineShe ought to be here by nowThat she is still journeying somewhere is apparent, for MrsHarker's hypnotic report at sunrise was still the sameIt is possible that the vessel may be lying by, at times, for fogSome of the steamers which came in last evening reported patches of fog both to north and south of the portWe must continue our watching, as the ship may now be signalled any moment 27 October, NoonNo news yet of the ship we wait forHarker reported last night and this morning as usual"Lapping waves and rushing water," though she added that "the waves were very faint The telegrams from London have been the same, "no further report Van Helsing is terribly anxious, and told me just now that he fears the Count is escaping us He added significantly, "I did not like that lethargy of Madam Mina'sSouls and memories can do strange things during shop trance

One thing is certain,?that there is a mustering among the masses, the world over; and there is a dies irae coming on, sooner or laterThe same thing is working in Europe, in England, and in this countryMy mother used to tell me of a millennium that was coming, when Christ should reign, and all men should be free and happyAnd she taught me, when I was a boy, to pray, ?thy kingdom come Sometimes I think all this sighing, and groaning, and stirring among the dry bones foretells what she used to tell me was comingBut who may abide the day of His appearing?? ?Augustine, sometimes I think you are not far from the kingdom,? said Miss Ophelia, laying down her knitting, and looking anxiously at her cousin ?Thank you for your good opinion, but it?s up and down with me,?up to heaven?s gate in theory, down in earth?s dust in practiceBut there?s the teabell,?do let?s go,?and don?t say, now, I haven?t had one downright serious talk, for once in my life At table, Marie alluded to the incident of Prue?I suppose you?ll think, cousin,? she said, ?that we are all barbarians ?I think that?s a barbarous thing,? said Miss Ophelia, ?but I don?t think you are all barbarians ?Well, now,? said Marie, ?I know it?s impossible to get along with some of these creaturesThey are so bad they ought not to liveI don?t feel a particle of sympathy for such casesIf they?d only behave themselves, it would not happen ?But, mamma,? said Eva, ?the poor creature was unhappy; that?s what made her drink ?O, fiddlestick! as if that were any excuse! I?m unhappy, very oftenI presume,? she said, pensively, ?that I?ve had greater trials than ever she hadIt?s just because they are so badThere?s some of them that you cannot break in by any kind of severityI remember father had a man that was so lazy he would run away just to get rid of work, and lie round in the swamps, stealing and doing all sorts of horrid thingsThat man was caught and whipped, time and again, and it never did him any good; and the last time he crawled off, though he couldn?t but just go, and died in the swampThere was no sort of reason for it, for father?s hands were always treated kindly ?I broke a fellow in, once,? said StClare, ?that all the overseers and masters had tried their hands on in vain ?You!? said Marie; ?well, I?d be glad to know when you ever did anything of the sort ?Well, he was a powerful, gigantic fellow,?a native-born African; and he appeared to have the rude instinct of freedom in him to an uncommon degreeHe was a regular African lionThey called him ScipioNobody could do anything with him; and he was sold round from overseer to overseer, till at last Alfred bought him, because he thought he could manage himWell, one day he knocked down the overseer, and was fairly off into the swampsI was on a visit to Alf?s plantation, for it was after we had dissolved partnershipAlfred was greatly exasperated; but I told him that it was his own fault, and laid him any wager that I could break the man; and finally it was agreed that, if I caught him, I should have him to experiment onSo they mustered out a party of some six or seven, with guns and dogs, for the huntPeople, you know, can get up as much enthusiasm in hunting a man as a deer, if it is only customary; in fact, I got a little excited myself, though I had only put in as a sort of mediator, in case he was caught ?Well, the dogs bayed and howled, and we rode and scampered, and finally we started himHe ran and bounded like a buck, and kept us well in the rear for some time; but at last he got caught in an impenetrable thicket of cane; then he turned to bay, and I tell you he fought the dogs right gallantlyHe dashed them to right and left, and actually killed three of them with only his naked fists, when a shot from a gun brought him down, and he fell, wounded and bleeding, almost at my feetThe poor fellow looked up at me with manhood and despair both in his eyeI kept back the dogs and the party, as they came pressing up, and claimed him as my shop prisoner

The same thing is working in Europe, in England, and in this countryMy mother used to tell me of a millennium that was coming, when Christ should reign, and all men should be free and happyAnd she taught me, when I was a boy, to pray, ?thy kingdom come Sometimes I think all this sighing, and groaning, and stirring among the dry bones foretells what she used to tell me was comingBut who may abide the day of His appearing?? ?Augustine, sometimes I think you are not far from the kingdom,? said Miss Ophelia, laying down her knitting, and looking anxiously at her cousin ?Thank you for your good opinion, but it?s up and down with me,?up to heaven?s gate in theory, down in earth?s dust in practiceBut there?s the teabell,?do let?s go,?and don?t say, now, I haven?t had one downright serious talk, for once in my life At table, Marie alluded to the incident of Prue?I suppose you?ll think, cousin,? she said, ?that we are all barbarians ?I think that?s a barbarous thing,? said Miss Ophelia, ?but I don?t think you are all barbarians ?Well, now,? said Marie, ?I know it?s impossible to get along with some of these creaturesThey are so bad they ought not to liveI don?t feel a particle of sympathy for such casesIf they?d only behave themselves, it would not happen ?But, mamma,? said Eva, ?the poor creature was unhappy; that?s what made her drink ?O, fiddlestick! as if that were any excuse! I?m unhappy, very oftenI presume,? she said, pensively, ?that I?ve had greater trials than ever she hadIt?s just because they are so badThere?s some of them that you cannot break in by any kind of severityI remember father had a man that was so lazy he would run away just to get rid of work, and lie round in the swamps, stealing and doing all sorts of horrid thingsThat man was caught and whipped, time and again, and it never did him any good; and the last time he crawled off, though he couldn?t but just go, and died in the swampThere was no sort of reason for it, for father?s hands were always treated kindly ?I broke a fellow in, once,? said StClare, ?that all the overseers and masters had tried their hands on in vain ?You!? said Marie; ?well, I?d be glad to know when you ever did anything of the sort ?Well, he was a powerful, gigantic fellow,?a native-born African; and he appeared to have the rude instinct of freedom in him to an uncommon degreeHe was a regular African lionThey called him ScipioNobody could do anything with him; and he was sold round from overseer to overseer, till at last Alfred bought him, because he thought he could manage himWell, one day he knocked down the overseer, and was fairly off into the swampsI was on a visit to Alf?s plantation, for it was after we had dissolved partnershipAlfred was greatly exasperated; but I told him that it was his own fault, and laid him any wager that I could break the man; and finally it was agreed that, if I caught him, I should have him to experiment onSo they mustered out a party of some six or seven, with guns and dogs, for the huntPeople, you know, can get up as much enthusiasm in hunting a man as a deer, if it is only customary; in fact, I got a little excited myself, though I had only put in as a sort of mediator, in case he was caught ?Well, the dogs bayed and howled, and we rode and scampered, and finally we started himHe ran and bounded like a buck, and kept us well in the rear for some time; but at last he got caught in an impenetrable thicket of cane; then he turned to bay, and I tell you he fought the dogs right gallantlyHe dashed them to right and left, and actually killed three of them with only his naked fists, when a shot from a gun brought him down, and he fell, wounded and bleeding, almost at my feetThe poor fellow looked up at me with manhood and despair both in his eyeI kept back the dogs and the party, as they came pressing up, and claimed him as my prisonerIt was all I could do to keep them from shooting him, in the flush of success; but I persisted in my bargain, and Alfred sold him to shop me