the mirror of kong ho-第10节

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〃If　you　have　no　sons　to　extend　your　industrious　line；〃　I　said；　when　he



had　revealed　this　fact　to　me；　〃why　do　you　not　adopt　one　to　that　end？〃







With　narrow…minded　covetousness；　he　replied　that　nowadays　he　had



enough　to　do　to　keep　himself；　and　that　it　would　be　more　reasonable　to



get　some　one　to　adopt　HIM。







〃But；〃　I　exclaimed；　ignoring　this　ill…timed　levity；　〃who；　when　you



have　Passed　Beyond；　will　worship　you　and　transmit　to　your　spirit　the



necessities　of　life？〃







〃Governor；〃　he　replied；　using　the　term　of　familiar　dignity；　〃I've　made



shift　without　being　worshipped　for　five　and　sixty　years；　and　it



worries　me　a　sight　more　to　know　who　will　transmit　to　my　body　the



necessities　of　life　until　I　HAVE　Passed　Beyond。〃







〃The　final　consequences　of　your　self…opinionated　carelessness；〃　this



person　continued；　〃will　be　that　your　neglected　and　unprovided　shadow；



finding　itself　no　longer　acceptable　to　the　society　of　the　better　class



demons；　will　wander　forth；　and　allying　itself　in　despair　to　the



companionship　of　a　band　of　outcasts　like　itself；　will　be　driven　to



dwell　in　unclean　habitations　and　to　subsist　on　the　uncertain　bounty　of



the　charitable。〃







〃Very　likely；〃　replied　the　irredeemable　person　before　me。　〃I　can't



help　its　troubles。　I　have　to　do　all　that　myself　as　it　is。〃







Doubtless　this　fanaticism　contains　the　secret　of　the　ease　with　which



these　barbarians　have　possessed　themselves　of　the　greater　part　of　the



earth；　and　have　even　planted　their　assertive　emblems　on　one　or　two



spots　in　our　own　Flowery　Kingdom。　What；　O　my　esteemed　parent；　what　can



a　brave　but　devout　and　demon…fearing　nation　do　when　opposed　to　a　people



who　are　quite　prepared　to　die　without　first　leaving　an　adequate



posterity　to　tend　their　shrines　and　offer　incense？　Assuredly；　as　a



neighbouring　philosopher　once　had　occasion　to　remark；　using　for　his



purpose　a　metaphor　so　technically…involved　that　I　must　leave　the



interpretation　until　we　meet；　〃It　may　be　war；　but　it　isn't　cricket。〃







The　inevitable　outcome；　naturally；　is　that　the　Island　must　be　the



wandering…place　of　myriads　of　spirits　possessing　no　recognised



standing；　and　driven　by　wanthaving　none　to　transmit　them



offeringsto　the　most　degraded　subterfuges。　It　is　freely　admitted



that　there　is　scarcely　an　ancient　building　not　the　abode　of　one　or



more　of　these　abandoned　demons；　doubtless　well…disposed　in　the　first



instance；　and　capable　of　becoming　really　beneficent　Forces　until　they



were　driven　to　despair　by　obstinate　neglect。　A　society　of　very



honourable　persons　（to　which　this　one　has　unobtrusively　contributed　a



gift）；　exists　for　the　purpose　of　searching　out　the　most　distressing



and　meritorious　cases　among　them；　and　removing　them；　where　possible；



to　a　more　congenial　spot。　The　remarkable　fact；　to　this　person's　mind；



is；　that　with　the　air　and　every　available　space　around　absolutely



packed　with　demons　（as　certainly　must　be　the　prevailing　state　of



things）；　the　manifestations　of　their　malignity　and　vice　are；　if



anything；　rather　less　evident　here　than　in　our　own　favoured　country；



where　we　do　all　in　our　power　to　satisfy　their　wants。







That　same　evening　I　found　myself　seated　next　to　a　maiden　of



prepossessing　vivacity；　who　was　spoken　of　as　being　one　of　a　kindred



but　not　identical　race。　Filled　with　the　incredible　profanity　of　those



around；　and　hoping　to　find　among　a　nation　so　alluringly　high…spirited



a　more　congenial　elevation　of　mind；　I　at　length　turned　to　her　and



said；　〃Do　not　regard　the　question　as　one　of　unworthy　curiosity；　for



this　person's　inside　is　white　and　funereal　with　his　fears；　but　do　you；



of　your　allied　race；　worship　your　ancestors？〃







The　maiden　spent　a　moment　in　conscientious　thought。　〃No；　Mr。　Kong；〃



she　replied；　with　a　most　commendable　sigh　of　unfeigned　regret；　〃I



can't　say　that　we　do。　I　guess　it's　because　we're　too　new。　Mine；　now；



only　go　back　two　generations；　and　they　were　mostly　in　lard。　If　they



were　old　and　baronial　it　might　be　different；　but　I　can't　imagine



myself　worshipping　an　ancestor　in　lard。〃　（This　doubtless　refers　to



some　barbaric　method　of　embalming。）







〃And　your　wide　and　enlightened　countrymen？〃　I　asked；　unable　to



restrain　a　passion　of　pure…bred　despair。　〃Do　they　also　so　regard　the



obligation？〃







〃I　am　afraid　so；〃　replied　the　maiden；　with　an　honourable　indication



towards　my　emotion。　〃But　of　course　when　a　girl　marries　into　the



European　aristocracy；　she　and　all　her　folk　worship　her　husband's



ancestors；　until　every　one　about　is　fairly　dizzy　with　the　subject。〃







It　is　largely　owing　to　the　graceful　and　virtuous　conversation　of　these



lesser　ones　that　this　person's　knowledge　of　the　exact　position　which



the　ceremonial　etiquette　of　the　country　demands　on　various　occasions



is　becoming　so　proficiently　enlarged。　It　is　true　that　they　of　my　own



sex　do　not　hesitate　to　inquire　with　penetrating　assiduousness　into



certain　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　our　land；　but　these　for　the　most



part　do　not　lead　to　a　conversation　in　any　way　profitable　to　my



discreeter　understanding。　Those　of　the　inner　chamber；　on　the　other



hand；　while　not　scrupling　to　question　me　on　the　details　of　dress；　the



braiding　and　gumming　of　the　hair；　the　style　and　variety　of　the　stalls



of　merchants；　the　wearing　of　jade；　gold；　and　crystal　ornaments　and



flowers　about　the　head；　smoking；　and　other　matters　affecting　our



lesser　ones；　very　magnanimously　lead　my　contemplation　back　to　a　more



custom…established　topic　if　by　any　hap　in　my　ambitious　ignorance　I



outstep　it。







In　such　a　manner　it　chanced　on　a　former　occasion　that　I　sat　side　by



side　with　a　certain　maiden　awaiting　the　return　of　others　who　had



withdrawn　for　a　period。　The　season　was　that　of　white　rains；　and　the



fire　being　lavishly　extended　about　the　grate　we　had　harmoniously



arranged　ourselves　before　it；　while　this　person；　at　the　repeated　and



explicit　encouragement　of　the　maiden；　spoke　openly　of　such　details　of



the　inner　chamber　as　he　has　already　indicated。







〃Is　it　true；　Mr。　Ho〃　（thus　the　maiden；　being　unacquainted　with　the



actual　facts；　consistently　addressed　me）；　〃that　ladies'　feet　are



relentlessly　compressed　until　they　finally　assume　the　proportions　and



appearance　of　two　bulbs？〃　and　as　she　spoke　she　absent…mindedly



regarded　her　own　slippers；　which　were　out…thrust　somewhat　to　receive



the　action　of　the　fire。







〃It　is　a　matter　which　cannot　reasonably　be　denied；〃　I　replied；　〃and　it



is　doubtless　owing　to　this　effect　that　they　are　designated　'Golden



Lilies。'　Yet　when　this　observance　has　been　slowly　and　painfully



accomplished；　the　extremities　in　question　are　not　less　small　but



infinitely　less　graceful　than　the　select　and　naturally…formed　pair



which　this　person　sees　before　him。〃　And　at　the　ingeniously…devised



compliment　（which；　not　to　become　large…headed　in　self…imagination；　it



must　be　admitted　was　revealed　to　me　as　available　for　practically　all



occassions　by　the　really　invaluable　Quang…Tsun）；　I　bowed



unremittingly。







〃O；　Mr。　Ho！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　and　paused　abruptly　at　the　sound　of



her　words；　as　though　they　were　inept。







〃In　many　other　ways　a　comparison　equally　irreproachable　to　the　exalted



being　at　my　side　might　be　sought　out；〃　I　continued；　suddenly　forming



the　ill…destined　judgment　that　I　was　no　less　competent　than　the　more



experienced　Quang…Tsun　to　contrive　delicate　offerings　of　speech。



〃Their　hair　is　rope　like　in　its　lack　of　spontaneous　curve；　their　eyes



as　deficient　in　lustre　as　a　half…shuttered　window；　their　hands　are



exceedingly　inferior　in　colour；　and　both　on　the　left　side；　as　it　may



be　expressed；　their　legs〃　but　at　this　point　the　maiden　drew　herself



so　hastily　into　herself　that　I　had　no　alternative　but　to　conclude　that



unless　I　reverted　in　some　way　the　enterprise　was　in　peril　of　being



inharmoniously　conducted。







〃Mr。　Ho；〃　said　the　maiden；　after　contemplating　her　inward　thoughts　for



a　moment；　〃you　are　a　foreigner；　and　you　cannot　be　expected　to　know　by



instinct　what　may　and　what　may　not　be　openly　expressed　in　this



country。　Therefore；　although　the　obligation　is　not　alluring；　I　think



it　kinder　to　tell　you　that　the　matters　which　formed　the　subject　of



your　last　words　are　never　to　be　referred　to。〃







At　this　rebuke　I　again　bowed　persistently；　for　it　did　not　appear



reasonable　to　me　that　I　could　in　any　other　way　declare　myself　without



violating　the　imposed　command。







〃Not　only　are　they　never　openly　referred　t