the mirror of kong ho-第12节

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



have　approached　feign　to　become　amused　or　have　evaded　a　deliberate



answer　under　the　subterfuge　of　a　jest；　yet；　whenever　I　would　have



lurked　by　night　in　their　temples　or　among　the　enclosed　spaces　of　their



tombs　to　learn　more；　at　a　given　signal　one　in　authority　has　approached



me　with　anxiety　and　mistrust　engraved　upon　his　features；　and；



disregarding　my　unassuming　protest　that　I　would　remain　alone　in　a



contemplative　reverie；　has　signified　that　so　devout　an　exercise　is



contrary　to　their　written　law。







On　one　occasion　only　did　this　person　seem　to　hold　himself　poised　on



the　very　edge　of　a　fuller　enlightenment。　This　was　when；　in　the



venerable　company　of　several　benevolent　persons；　he　was　being　taken



from　place　to　place　to　see　the　more　important　buildings；　and　to



observe　the　societies　of　artificers　labouring　at　their　crafts。　The



greater　part　of　the　day　had　already　been　spent　in　visiting　temples；



open　spaces　reserved　to　children　and　those　whose　speech；　appearance；



and　general　manner　of　behaving　make　it　desirable　that　they　should　be



set　apart　from　the　contact　of　the　impressionable；　halls　containing



relics　and　emblems　of　the　past；　places　of　no　particular　size　or



attraction　but　described　as　being　of　unparalleled　historic　interest；



and　the　stalls　of　the　more　reputable　venders　of　merchandise。







Doubtless；　with　observing　so　many　details　of　a　conflicting　nature；



this　person's　discriminating　faculties　had　become　obscured；　but



towards　evening　he　certainly　understood　that　we　sought　the　company　of



an　assembly　of　those　who　had　been　selected　from　all　the　Empire　to



pronounce　definitely　upon　matters　of　supreme　import。　The　building



before　which　our　chariot　stopped　had　every　appearance　of　being　worthy



of　so　exceptional　a　gathering；　and　with　a　most　affluent　joy　that　I



should　at　last　be　able　to　glean　a　decisive　pronouncement；　I　evaded



those　who　had　accompanied　me；　and；　mingling　self…reliantly　with　the



throng　inside；　I　quickly　surrounded　myself　with　many　of　the



wisest…looking；　and　begged　that　they　would　open　their　heads　freely　and



express　their　innermost　opinions　upon　the　subject　of　demons　of　all



kinds。







Although　I　had　admittedly　hoped　that　these　persons　would　not　conceal



themselves　behind　the　wings　of　epigram　or　intangible　prevarication；　I



was　far　from　being　prepared　for　the　candour　with　which　they　greeted



me；　and　although　by　long　usage　I　am　reasonably　unconcerned　at　the



proximity　of　any　of　our　own　recognised　genii；　it　is　not　to　be　denied



that　my　organs　of　ferocity　grew　small　and　unstable　at　the　revelations。







From　their　words　it　appeared　that　the　spot　on　which　we　stood　had　long



been　the　recognised　centre　and　meeting…place　for　every　class　of



abandoned　and　objectionable　spirit　of　the　universe。　Not　only　this；　but



several　of　the　persons　who　had　gathered　around　were　confidently



pointed　out　as　the　earthly　embodiment　of　various　diabolical　Forces；



while　others　cheerfully　admitted　that　they　themselves　were　the　shadows



of　certain　illustrious　ones　who　had　long　Passed　Above；　and　all　united



in　declaring　that　those　who　moved　among　them　wearing　the　distinction



of　a　dark　blue　uniform　were　Evil　Beings　of　a　most　ghoulish　and



repulsive　type。　Indeed；　as　I　looked　more　closely；　I　could　see　that　not



only　those　pointed　out；　but　all　standing　around；　had　expressions



immeasurably　more　in　keeping　with　a　band　of　outcast　spirits　than



suggestive　of　an　assembly　representing　wisdom　and　dignified　ease。　At



that　moment；　however；　a　most　inelegant　movement　was　caused　by　one



suddenly　declaring　that　he　had　recognised　this　one　who　is　inscribing



his　experiences　to　be　the　apparition　of　a　certain　great　reformer　who



during　the　period　of　his　ordinary　existence　had　received　the　name　of



Guy　Fawkes；　and　amid　a　tumult　of　overwhelming　acclamation　a　proposal



was　raised　that　I　should　be　carried　around　in　triumph　and　afterwards



initiated　into　the　observance　of　a　time…honoured　custom。　Although　it



had　now　become　doubtful　to　what　end　the　adventure　was　really　tending；



this　person　would　have　submitted　himself　agreeably　to　the



participation　had　not　the　blue…apparelled　band　cleft　their　way　into



the　throng　just　as　I　was　about　to　be　borne　off　in　triumph；　and　forming



themselves　into　a　ringed　barrier　around　me　they　presently　succeeded　in



rearranging　the　contending　elements　and　in　restoring　me　to　the　society



of　my　friends。　To　these　persons　they　complained　with　somewhat



unreasoning　acrimony　that　I　had　been　exciting　the　inmates　into　a　state



of　rebellion　with　wild　imaginings；　and　for　the　first　time　I　then　began



to　understand　that　an　important　error　had　been　perpetrated　by　some



one；　and　that　instead　of　being　a　meeting…place　for　those　upholding　the



wisdom　and　authority　of　the　country；　the　building　was　in　reality　an



establishment　for　the　mentally　defective　and　those　of　treacherous



instincts。







For　some　time　after　this　occurrence　I　failed　to　regard　the　subject　of



demons　and　allied　Forces　in　any　but　a　spirit　of　complete　no



enthusiasm；　but　more　recently　my　interest　and　research　have　been



enlarged　by　the　zeal　and　supernatural　conversation　of　a　liberal…minded



person　who　sought　my　prosaic　society　with　indefatigable　persistence。



When　we　had　progressed　to　such　a　length　that　the　one　might　speak　of



affairs　without　the　other　at　once　interposing　that　he　himself　had　also



unfortunately　come　out　quite　destitute　of　money；　this　stranger；　who



revealed　to　me　that　his　name　was　Glidder；　but　that　in　the　company　of　a



certain　chosen　few　he　was　known　intimately　as　the　Keeper　of　the



Salograma；　approached　me　confidentially；　and　inquired　whether　we　of



our　Central　Kingdom　were　in　the　habit　of　receiving　manifestations　from



the　spirits　of　those　who　had　Passed　Beyond。







At　the　unassumed　ingenuousness　of　this　remark　I　suffered　my



impassiveness　to　relax；　as　I　replied　with　well…established　pride　that



although　a　country　which　neglected　its　ancestors　might　doubtless　be



able　to　produce　more　of　the　ordinary　or　graveyard　spectres；　we　were



unapproachable　for　the　diverse　forms　and　malignant　enmity　of　our



apparitions。　Of　invisible　beings　alone；　I　continued　tolerantly；　we　had



the　distinction　of　being　harassed　by　upwards　of　seven　hundred



clearly…defined　varieties；　while　the　commoner　inflictions　of　demons；



shades；　visions；　warlocks；　phantoms；　sprites；　imps；　phenomena；　ghosts；



and　reflections　passed　almost　without　comment；　and　touching　our



admitted　national　speciality　of　dragons；　the　honour　of　supremacy　had



never　been　questioned。







At　this；　the　agreeable　person　said　that　the　pleasure　he　derived



from　meeting　me　was　all…excelling；　and　that　I　must　certainly　accompany



him　to　a　meeting…place　of　this　same　chosen　few　the　following　evening；



when；　by　the　means　of　sacred　expedients；　they　hoped　to　invoke　the



presence　of　some　departed　spirits；　and　perchance　successfully　raise　a



tangible　vision　or　two。　To　so　fair…minded　a　proposal　I　held　myself



acquiescently；　and　then　inquired　where　the　meeting…place　in　question



was　destined　to　bewhether　in　a　ruined　and　abandoned　sanctuary；　or



upon　some　precipitous　spot　of　desolation。







The　inquiry　was　gracefully　intended；　but　a　passing　cloud　of　unworthy



annoyance　revealed　itself　upon　the　upper　part　of　the　other's



expression　as　he　replied；　〃We；　the　true　seekers；　despise　theatrical



accessories；　and；　as　a　matter　of　act；　I　couldn't　well　get　away　from



the　office　in　time　to　go　anywhere　far。　To…morrow　we　meet　at　my　place



in　the　Camden　Road。　It's　only　a　three…half…penny　tram　stage　from　the



Euston　and　Tottenham　Court　corner；　so　it　couldn't　be　much　more



convenient　for　you。〃　He　thereupon　gave　me　an　inscribed　fragment　of



paper　and　mentioned　the　appointed　hour。







〃I'll　tell　you　why　I　am　particularly　anxious　for　you　to　come



to…morrow；〃　he　said　as　we　were　each　departing　from　one　another。



〃Pashhe's　the　Reader　of　the　Veda　among　usand　his　people　have　got



hold　of　a　Greek　woman　（they　SAY　she　is　a　princess；　of　course）；　who　can



do　a　lot　of　things　with　flowers　and　plate　glass。　They　are　bringing　her



for　the　first　time　to…morrow；　and　it　struck　me　that　if　I　have　YOU



there　already　when　they　arriveyou'll　come　in　your　national　costume



by　the　way？it　will　be　a　considerable　set…off。　Since　his　daughter　was



presented　to　the　duchess　at　the　opening　of　a　bazaar；　there　has　been　no



holding　Pash；　why　he　was　ever　elected　Reader　of　the　Books；　I　don't



know。　Erwe　have　had　scoffers　sometimes；　but　I　trust