the mirror of kong ho-第11节

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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