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violating the imposed command。







〃Not only are they never openly referred to;〃 continued the maiden;



who in spite of the declared no allurement of the subject did not seem



disposed to abandon it at once; 〃but among the most select they are;



by unspoken agreement; regarded as 'having no actual existence;' as



you yourself would say。〃







〃Yet;〃 protested this person; somewhat puzzled; 〃to one who has



witnessed the highly…achieved attitudes of those within your Halls of



Harmony; and in an unyielding search for knowledge has addressed



himself even to the advertisement pages of the ladies' papers〃







The maiden waved her hand magnanimously。 〃In your land; as you have



told me; there are many things; not really existing; which for



politeness you assume to be。 In a like but converse manner this is to



be so regarded。〃







I thanked her voluminously。 〃The etiquette of this country is as



involved as the spoken tongue;〃 I said; 〃for both are composed chiefly



of exceptions to a given rule。 It was formerly impressed upon this



person; as a guiding principle; that that which is unseen is not to be



discussed; yet it is not held in disrepute to allude to so intimate



and secluded an organ as the heart; for no further removed than



yesterday he heard the deservedly popular sea…lieutenant in the act of



declaring to you; upon his knees; that you were utterly devoid of such



a possession。〃







At this inoffensively…conveyed suggestion; the fire opposite had all



the appearance of suddenly reflecting itself into the maiden's face



with a most engaging concentration; while at the same time she stamped



her foot in ill…concealed rage。







〃You've been listening at the door!〃 she cried impetuously; 〃and I



shall never forgive you。〃







〃To no extent;〃 I declared hastily (for although I had indeed been



listening at the door; it appeared; after the weight which she set



upon the incident; more honourable that I should deny it in order to



conciliate her mind)。 〃It so chanced that for the moment this person



had forgotten whether the handle he was grasping was of the push…out



or turn…in variety; and in the involvement a few words of no



particular or enduring significance settled lightly upon his



perception。







〃In that case;〃 she replied in high…souled liberality; while her eyes



scintillated towards me with a really all…overpowering radiance; 〃I



will forgive you。〃







〃We have an old but very appropriate saying; 'To every man the voice



of one maiden carries further than the rolling of thunder;'〃 I



remarked in a significantly restrained tone; for; although conscious



that the circumstance was becoming more menace…laden than I had any



previous intention; I found myself to be incapable of extrication。



〃Florence〃







〃Oh;〃 she exclaimed quickly; raising her polished hand with an



undeniable gesture of reproof; 〃you must not call me by my christian



name; Mr。 Ho。〃







〃Yet;〃 replied this person; with a confessedly stubborn inelegance;



〃you call me by the name of Ho。〃







Her eyes became ox…like in an utter absence of almond outline。 〃Yes;〃



she said gazing; 〃but thatthat is not your christian name; is it?〃







〃In a position of speakingthis one being as a matter of fact a



discreditable follower of the sublime Confuciusit may be so



regarded;〃 I answered; 〃inasmuch as it is the milk…name of childhood。〃







〃But you always put it last;〃 she urged。







〃Assuredly;〃 I replied。 〃Being irrevocably born with the family name



of Kong; it is thought more reasonable that that should stand first。



After that; others are attached as the various contingencies demand



it; as Ho upon participating in the month…age feast; the book…name of



Tsin at a later period; Paik upon taking a degree; and so forth。〃







〃I am very sorry; Mr。 Kong;〃 said the maiden; adding; with what at the



time certainly struck this person as shallow…witted prejudice。 〃Of



course it is really quite your own fault for being so tospy…turvily



arranged in every way。 But; to return to the subject; why should not



one speak of one's heart?〃







〃Because;〃 replied this person; colouring deeply; and scarcely able to



control his unbearable offence that so irreproachably…moulded a



creature should openly refer to the detail; 〃because it is a gross and



unrefined particular; much more internal and much less



pleasantly…outlined than those extremities whose spoken equivalent



shall henceforth be an abandoned word from my lips。〃







〃But; in any case; it is not the actual organ that one infers;〃



protested the maiden。 〃As the seat of the affections; passions;



virtues; and will; it is the conventional emblem of every thought and



emotion。〃







〃By no means;〃 I cried; forgetting in the face of so heterodox an



assertion that it would be well to walk warily at every point。 〃That



is the stomach。〃







〃Ah!〃 exclaimed the maiden; burying her face in a gracefully…perfumed



remnant of lace; to so overwhelming a degree that for the moment I



feared she might become involved in the dizzy falling。 〃Never; by any



mischance; use that word again the society of the presentable; Mr。



Kong。〃







〃The ceremonial usage of my own land of the Heavenly Dynasty is



proverbially elaborate;〃 I said; with a gesture of self…abasement;



〃but in comparison with yours it may be regarded as an undeviating



walk when opposed to a stately and many…figured dance。 Among the



company of the really excessively select (in which must ever be



included the one whom I am now addressing); it becomes difficult for



an outcast of my illimitable obtuseness to move to one side or the



other without putting his foot into that。〃







〃Oh no;〃 exclaimed the maiden; in fragrant encouragement; 〃I think you



are getting on very nicely; Mr。 Kong; and one does not look for



absolute conformance from a foreignerespecially one who is so



extremely foreign。 If I can help you with anythingof course I could



not even speak as I have done to an ordinary stranger; but with one of



a distant race it seems differentif I can tell you anything that



will save you〃







〃You are all…exalted;〃 I replied; with seemly humility; 〃and virtue



and wisdom press out your temples on either side。 Certainly; since I



have learned that the heart is so poetically regarded; I have been



assailed by a fear lest other organs which I have hitherto despised



might be used in a similar way。 Now; as regards liver〃







〃It is only used with bacon;〃 replied the maiden; rising abruptly。







〃Kidneys?〃 suggested this person diffidently; really anxious to detain



her footsteps; although from her expression it did not rest assured



that the incident was taking an actually auspicious movement。







〃I don't think you need speak of those except at breakfast;〃 she said;



〃but I hear the others returning; and I must really go to dress for



dinner。〃







Among the barbarians many keep books wherein to inscribe their deep



and beautiful thoughts。 This person had therefore provided himself



with one also; and; drawing it forth; he now added to a page of many



other interesting compositions: 〃Maidens of immaculate refinement do



not hesitate to admit before a person of a different sex that they are



on the point of changing their robes。 The liver is in some intricate



way an emblem representing bacon; or together with it the two stand



for a widely differing analogy。 Among those of the highest



exclusiveness kidneys are never alluded to after the tenth gong…stroke



of the morning。〃







With a sincerely ingrained trust that the scenes of dignity; opulence;



and wisdom; set forth in these superficial letters; are not unsettling



your intellect and causing you to yearn for a fuller existence。







KONG HO。



















LETTER VI











Concerning this person's well…sustained efforts to discover 



further demons。 The behaviour of those invoked on two occasions。















VENERATED SIRE;In an early letter I made some reference to a variety



of demon invoked by certain of the barbarians。 As this matter aroused



your congenial interest; I have since privately bent my mind



incessantly to the discovery of others; but this has been by no means



easy; for; touching the more intimate details of the subject; the



barbarians frequently maintain a narrow…minded suspicion。 Many whom I



have approached feign to become amused

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