the mirror of kong ho-第14节

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scattering　of　thin　white　ashes？〃







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



that　case　consider　how　inadequate　a　witness　could　be　borne　to　your



enlightened　condescension；　when　none　would　be　left　but　one　to　whom　the



spoken　language　of　this　Island　is　more　in　the　nature　of　a　trap　than　a



comfortable　vehicle。〃







〃Your　reasoning　is　profound；　Kong　Ho；〃　he　replied；　〃yet　abundant　proof



shall　not　be　wanting。〃　With　these　words　he　raised　his　hand；　and



immediately　the　air　became　filled　with　an　overwhelming　shower　of　those



productions　with　which　Kwan　Kiang…ti's　name　is　chiefly



associatedshells　and　pebbles　of　all　kinds；　lotus　and　other　roots



from　the　river　banks；　weeds　from　seas　of　greater　depths；　fish　of



interminable　variety　from　both　fresh　and　bitter　waters；　all　falling　in



really　embarrassing　abundance；　and　mingled　with　an　incessant　rain　of



sand　and　water。　In　the　midst　of　this　the　demon　suddenly　passed　away；



striking　the　table　as　he　went；　so　that　it　was　scarred　with　the　brand



of　a　five…clawed　hand；　shattering　all　the　objects　upon　it　（excepting



the　stone　and　the　books；　which　he　doubtless　regarded　as　sacred　to　some



extent）；　and　leaving　the　room　involved　in　a　profound　darkness。







〃For　the　love　av　the　saintsfor　the　love　av　the　saints；　save　us　from



the　yellow　devils！〃　exclaimed　a　voice　from　the　spot　where　last　the



barbarian　princess　had　reclined；　and　upon　this　person　going　to　her



assistance　with　lights　it　was　presently　revealed　that　she　alone　had



remained　seated；　the　others　having　all　assembled　themselves　beneath



the　table　in　spite　of　the　incapability　of　the　space　at　their　disposal。



Most　of　the　weightier　evidences　of　Kwan　Kiang…ti's　majestic　presence



had　faded　away；　though　the　table　retained　the　print　of　his　impressive



hand；　many　objects　remained　irretrievably　torn　apart；　and　in　a　distant



corner　of　the　room　an　insignificant　heap　of　shells　and　seaweed　still



lingered。　From　the　floor　covering　a　sprinkling　of　the　purest　Fuh…chow



sand　rose　at　every　step；　the　salt　dew　of　the　Tung…Hai　still　dropped



from　the　surroundings；　and；　at　a　later　period；　a　shore　crab　was　found



endeavouring　to　make　its　escape　undetected。







Convinced　that　the　success　of　the　manifestation　would　have　enlarged



the　one　Glidder's　esteem　towards　me　to　an　inexpressible　degree；　I　now



approached　him　with　words　of　self…deprecation　ready　on　my　tongue；　but



before　he　spoke　I　became　aware；　from　the　nature　of　his　glance；　that



the　provision　had　been　unnecessary；　for　already　his　face　had　begun　to



assume；　to　a　most　distended　amount；　the　expression　which　I　had　long



recognised　as　a　synonym　that　some　detail　had　been　regarded　at　a



different　angle　from　that　anticipated。







〃May　I　ask；〃　he　began　in　a　somewhat　heavily…laden　voice；　after　he　had



assured　himself　that　the　person　who　was　speaking　was　himself；　and　his



external　attributes　unchanged；　〃May　I　ask；　sir〃　（and　at　this　title；



which　is　untranslatable　in　its　many…sided　significance　when



technically　employed；　I　recognised　that　all　complimentary　intercourse



might　be　regarded　as　having　closed）；　〃whether　you　accept　the



responsibility　of　these　proceedings？〃







〃Touching　the　appearance　which　has　so　essentially　contributed　to　the



success　of　the　occasion；　it　is　undeniably　due　to　this　one's



foresight；〃　I　replied　modestly。







〃Then　let　me　tell　you；　sir；　that　I　consider　it　an　outragea　dastardly



outrage。〃







〃Yet；〃　protested　this　person　with　retiring　assertiveness；　〃the



expressed　object　of　the　ceremony；　as　it　stood　before　my　intelligence；



was　for　the　set　purpose　of　invoking　spirits　and　raising　certain



visions。〃







〃Spirits！〃　exclaimed　the　one　before　me　with　an　accent　of　concentrated



aversion；　〃yes；　spirits；　impalpable；　civilised；　genuine　spirits；　who



manifest　themselves　through　recognised　media；　and　are　conformable　to



the　usages　of　the　best　drawing…room　societyyes。　But　not　demons；　sir；



not　Chinese　devils　in　the　Camden　Roadno。　Truth　and　Light　at　any



cost；　not　paganism。　It's　perfectly　scandalous。　Look　at　the　mahogany



tableruined；　look　at　the　wall…paperconventional　mackerels　with　a



fishing…net　background；　new　this　springsoused；　look　at　the　Brussels



carpet；　seventeen　six　by　twenty…fivesaturated！〃







〃I　quite　agree　with　you；　Mr。　Glidder；〃　here　interposed　the　individual



Pash。　〃I　was　watching　you；　sir；　closely　the　whole　time；　and　I　have　my



suspicions　about　how　it　was　done。　I　don't　know　whether　Mr。　Glidder　has



any　legal　redress；　but　I　should　certainly　advise　him　to　see　his



solicitors　to…morrow；　and　in　the　meantime〃







〃He　is　my　guest；〃　exclaimed　the　one　whose　hospitality　I　was　enjoying；



〃and　while　he　is　beneath　my　roof　he　is　sacred。〃







〃But　I　do　not　think　that　it　would　be　kind　to　detain　him　any　longer　in



his　wet　things；〃　said　another　of　the　household；　with　pointed



malignity；　and　accepting　this　as　an　omen　of　departure；　I　withdrew



myself；　bowing　repeatedly；　but　offering　no　closer　cordiality。







〃Through　a　torn　sleeve　one　drops　a　purse　of　gold；〃　it　is　well　said；



and　as　if　to　prove　to　a　deeper　end　that　misfortune　is　ever



double…handed；　this　incapable　being；　involved　in　thoughts　of　funereal



density；　bent　his　footsteps　to　an　inaccurate　turning；　and　after　much



wandering　was　compelled　to　pass　the　night　upon　a　desolate　heathbut



that　would　be　the　matter　of　another　narrative。







With　an　insidious　doubt　whether；　after　all；　the　far…seeing　Kwan



Kiang…ti's　first　impulse　would　not　have　been　the　most　satisfactory



conclusion　to　the　enterprise。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　VII











Concerning　warfare；　both　as　waged　by　ourselves　and　by　a　nation



devoid　of　true　civilisation。　The　aged　man　and　the　meeting　and



the　parting　of　our　ways。　The　instance　of　the　one　who　expressed



emotion　by　leaping。















VENERATED　SIRE；You　are　omniscient；　but　I　cannot　regard　the　fear



which　you　express　in　your　beautifully…written　letter；　bearing　the　sign



of　the　eleventh　day　of　the　seventh　moon；　as　anything　more　than　the



imaginings　prompted　by　a　too…lavish　supper　of　your　favourite　shark's



fin　and　peanut　oil。　Unless　the　dexterously…elusive　attributes　of　the



genial…spoken　persons　high　in　office　at　Pekin　have　deteriorated



contemptibly　since　this　one's　departure；　it　is　quite　impossible　for



our　great　and　enlightened　Empire　to　be　drawn　into　a　conflict　with　the



northern　barbarians　whom　you　indicate；　against　our　will。　When　the



matter　becomes　urgent；　doubtless　a　prince　of　the　Imperial　line　will



loyally　suffer　himself　to　Pass　Above；　and　during　the　period　of



ceremonial　mourning　for　so　pure　and　exalted　an　official　it　would



indeed　be　an　unseemly　desecration　to　engage　in　any　public　business。　If



this　failed；　and　an　ultimatum　were　pressed　with　truly　savage　contempt



for　all　that　is　sacred　and　refined；　it　might　be　well　next　to　consider



the　health　even　of　the　sublime　Emperor　himself　（or；　perhaps　better；



that　of　the　select　and　ever…present　Dowager　Empress）；　but　should　the



barbarians　still　advance；　and；　setting　the　usages　of　civilised　warfare



at　defiance；　threaten　an　engagement　in　the　midst　of　this　unparalleled



calamity；　there　will　be　no　alternative　but　to　have　a　formidable



rebellion　in　the　Capital。　All　the　barbarian　powers　will　then　assemble



as　usual；　and　in　the　general　involvement　none　dare　move　alone；　and



everything　will　have　to　be　regarded　as　being　put　back　to　where　it　was



before。　It　is　well　said；　〃The　broken　vessel　can　never　be　made　whole；



but　it　may　be　delicately　arranged　so　that　another　shall　displace　it。〃







These　barbarians；　less　resourceful　in　device；　have　only　recently



emerged　from　a　conflict　into　which　they　do　not　hesitate　to　admit　they



were　drawn　despite　their　protests。　Such　incompetence　is　characteristic



of　their　methods　throughout。　Not　in　any　way　disguising　their　purpose；



they　at　once　sent　out　an　army　of　those　whom　could　be　the　readiest



seized；　certainly　furnishing　them　with　weapons；　charms　to　use　in　case



of　emergency；　and　three…coloured　standards　（their　adversaries　adopting



a　white　banner　to　symbolise　the　conciliation　of　their　attitude；　and



displaying　both　freely　in　every　extremity）；　but　utterly　neglecting　to



teach　them　the　arts　of　painting　their　bodies　with　awe…inspiring　forms；



of　imitating　the　cries　of　wild　animals　as　they　attacked；　of　clashing



their　weapons　together　with　menacing　vigour；　or　any　of　the　recognised



artifices　by　which　terror　may　be　struck　into　the　ranks　of　an　awaiting