the mirror of kong ho-第13节

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know。　Erwe　have　had　scoffers　sometimes；　but　I　trust　I　may　rely　upon



you　not　to　laugh　at　anything　you　may　not　happen　to　agree　with？〃







With　conscientious　dignity　I　replied　that　I　had　only　really　laughed



seven　times　in　my　life；　and　therefore　the　entertainment　was　one　which



I　was　not　likely　to　embark　upon　hastily　or　with　inadequate　cause。　He



immediately　expressed　a　seemly　regret　that　the　detail　had　been　spoken；



and　again　assuring　him　that　at　the　stated　hour　I　would　present　myself



at　the　house　bearing　the　symbol　engraved　upon　the　card；　we　definitely



parted。







That；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　did　not　so　present　myself　at　the　exact



hour；　chiefly　concerns　the　uncouth　and　arbitrary…minded　charioteer　who



controlled　the　movements　of　the　vehicle　to　which　the　one　whom　I　was



seeking　had　explicitly　referred；　for　at　an　angle　in　the　road　he



suffered　the　horses　to　draw　us　aside　into　a　path　which　did　not



correspond　to　the　engraved　signs　upon　the　card；　nor　by　any　word　of



persuasion　could　he　be　prevailed　upon　to　return。







Thus；　without　any　possible　reproach　upon　the　manner　in　which　I　was



conducting　the　enterprise；　it　came　about　that　by　the　time　I　reached



the　spot　indicated；　all　those　persons　who　had　been　spoken　of　as



constituting　a　chosen　band　were　assembled；　and　with　them　the



barbarian　princess。　Nevertheless；　this　person　was　irreproachably



greeted；　and　the　maiden　indicated　even　spoke　a　few　words　to　him　in　an



outside　tongue。　Being　necessarily　unacquainted　with　the　import　of　the



remark　I　spread　out　my　hands　with　a　sign　of　harmonious　sympathy　and



smiled　agreeably；　whereat　she　appeared　to　receive　an　added　esteem　from



the　faces　of　those　around　（excluding　those　directly　of　the　House　of



Glidder）；　and　was　thereby　encouraged　to　speak　similarly　at　intervals；



this　person　each　time　replying　in　a　like　fashion。







〃Is　he　then　a　Guide　of　the　Way；　also；　princess？〃　said　the　one　Pash；



who　had　noted　the　occurrence；　to　which　the　maiden　replied；　〃To　a



degree；　yet　lacking　the　Innermost　Mysteries。〃







Presently　it　was　announced　that　all　things　were　fittingly　prepared　in



another　chamber。　Here；　upon　a　table　of　polished　wood；　stood　on　the　one



side　a　round　stone　with　certain　markings；　a　group　of　inscribed　books；



and　various　other　emblems；　and　on　the　other　side　a　bowl　of　water；　a



sphere　of　crystal；　pieces　of　unwritten　parchment；　and　behind　all；　and



at　a　distance　away；　a　sheet　of　transparent　glass；　greater　in　height



than　an　ordinary　person　and　as　wide。　When　all　were　seatedthe　one　who



had　enticed　me　among　them　placing　himself　before　the　stone；　the　person



Pash　guarding　the　books；　the　barbarian　princess　being　surrounded　by



her　symbols　and　alone　in　a　self…imposed　solitude；　and　the　others　at



various　pointsthe　lights　were　subdued　and　the　appearances　awaited。







It　would　scarcely　be　respectful；　O　my　enlightened　father；　to　take　up



your　well…spent　leisure　by　a　too　prolific　account　of　the　matters　which



followed；　they　being　in　no　way　dissimilar　from　the　manifestations　by



which　the　uninitiated　little　ones　of　Yuen…ping　are　wont　to　amuse



themselves　and　pass　the　winter　evenings。　From　time　to　time　harmonious



sounds　could　be　plainly　detected；　flowers　and　branches　of　wood　were



scattered　sparsely　here　and　there；　persons　claimed　that　passing



objects　had　touched　their　faces；　and　misshapen　forms　of　smoke…like



density　（which　some　confidently　recognised　as　the　outlines　of　departed



ones　whom　they　had　known）；　revealed　themselves　against　the　glass。　When



this　had　been　accomplished；　the　lights　were　recalled；　and　the



barbarian　maiden；　sinking　into　a　condition　of　languor；　announced　and



foretold　events　and　happenings　upon　which　she　was　consulted；　sometimes



replying　by　spoken　words；　at　others　suffering　her　hand　to　trace　them



lightly　upon　the　parchment　sheets。　Thus；　to　an　inquirer　it　was



announced　that　one；　Aunt　Mary；　in　the　Upper　Air；　was　well　and　happy；



though　undeniably　pained　at　the　action　of　Cousin　William　in　the　matter



of　the　freehold　houses；　and　more　than　sceptical　how　his　marriage　would



turn　out。　Another　was　advised　that　although　the　interest　on　Consols



was　admittedly　lower　than　that　anticipated　by　those　controlling　the



destines　of　a　new　venture　entitled；　The　Great　Rosy　Dawn　Gold　Mine



Development　Syndicate；　and　the　name　certainly　less　poetically



inspiring；　the　advising　spirits　were　of　the　opinion　that　the　former



enterprise　would　prove　the　more　stable　of　the　two；　and；　in　any　case；



they　recommended　the　person　in　question　to　begin　by　placing　not　more



than　half　of　her　life's　savings　into　the　mine。　The　family　of　the　House



of　Pash　was　assured　that　beneficent　spirits　surrounded　them　at　every



turn；　and　that　their　good　deeds　were　not　suffered　to　fall　unfruitfully



to　the　ground；　while　many　bearing　the　name　of　Glidder；　on　the　other



hand；　were　reproved　by　one　who　had　known　them　in　infancy　for　the



offences　of　jealousy；　ostentation；　vain　thoughts；　shallowness　of



character；　and　the　like。







At　length；　revered；　as　there　seemed　to　be　no　reasonable　indication　of



any　barbarian　phantom　of　weight　or　authority　appearingnothing；



indeed；　beyond　what　a　person　in　our　country；　of　no　admitted　skill；



would　accomplish　in　the　penetrating　light　of　day　with　two　others



holding　his　hands；　and　a　third　reposing　upon　his　head；　I　formed　the



perhaps　immature　judgment　that　the　one　to　whom　I　was　indebted　for　the



entertainment　would　be　suffering　a　grievous　frustration　of　his　hopes



and　a　diminution　of　his　outward　authority。　Therefore；　without



sufficient　consideration　of　the　restricted　surroundings；　as　it



afterwards　appeared；　I　threw　myself　into　a　retrospective　vision；　and



floating　unencumbered　through　space；　I　sought　for　Kwan　Kiang…ti；　the



Demon　of　the　Waters；　upon　whom　I　might　fittingly　call；　as　I　was　given



into　his　keeping　by　the　ceremony　of　spirit…adoption　at　an　early　age。



Meeting　an　influence　which　I　recognised　to　be　an　indication　of　his



presence；　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Eighth　Region；　I　obsequiously



entreated　that　he　would　reveal　himself　without　delay；　and　then；



convinced　of　his　sympathetic　intervention；　I　suffered　my　spirit　to



recall　itself；　and　revived　into　the　condition　of　an　ordinary



existence。







〃We　have　among　us　this　evening；　my　friends；〃　the　one　Pash　was　saying；



〃a　very　remarkable　ladyif　I　may　use　so　democratic　a　term　in　the



connectionto　whom　the　limits　of　Time　and　Space　are　empty　words；　and



before　whose　supreme　Will　the　most　portentous　Forces　of　Occult　Nature



mutely　confess　themselves　her　attending　slaves〃　But　at　that　moment



the　rolling　drums　of　Kiang…ti's　thunder　drowned　his　words；　although　he



subsequently　raised　his　voice　above　it　to　entreat　that　any　knives　or



other　articles　of　a　bright　and　attractive　kind　should　at　once　be



removed　to　a　place　of　safety。







Heralded　by　these　continuous　sounds；　and　accompanied　by　innumerable



flashes　of　lightning；　the　genius　presently　manifested　himself；



leisurely　developing　out　of　the　air　around。　He　appeared　in　his



favourite　guise　of　an　upright　dragon；　his　scales　being　arranged　in



rows　of　nine　each　way；　a　pearl　showing　within　his　throat；　and　upon　his



head　the　wooden　bar。　The　lights　were　extinguished　incapably　by　the



rain　which　fell　continually　in　his　presence；　but　from　his　body　there



proceeded　a　luminous　breath　which　sufficiently　revealed　the　various



incidents。







〃Kong　Ho；〃　said　this　opportune　vision；　speaking　with　a　voice　like　the



beating　of　a　brass　gong；　〃the　course　you　have　adopted　is　an　unusual



one；　but　the　weight　and　regularity　of　your　offerings　have　merit　in　my



eyes。　Nevertheless；　if　your　invocation　is　only　the　outcome　of　a



shallow　vanity　or　a　profane　love　of　display；　nothing　can　save　you　from



a　painful　death。　Speak　now；　fully　and　without　evasion；　and　fear



nothing。〃







〃Amiable　Being；〃　said　this　person；　kow…towing　profoundly；　〃the　matter



was　designed　to　the　end　only　that　your　incomparable　versatility　might



be　fittingly　displayed。　These　barbarians　sought　vainly　to　raise



phantoms　capable　of　any　useful　purpose；　whereupon　I；　jealous　of　your



superior　omnipotence；　judged　it　would　be　an　unseemly　neglect　not　to



inform　you　of　the　opportunity。〃







〃It　is　well；〃　said　the　demon　affably。　〃All　doubt　in　the　matter　shall



now　be　set　at　rest。　Could　any　more　convincing　act　be　found　than　that　I



should　breath　upon　these　barbarians　and　reduce　them　instantly　to　a



scattering　of　thin　white　ashes？〃







〃Assuredly　it　would　be　a　conclusive　testimony；〃　I　replied；　〃yet　in



that