the mirror of kong ho-第19节

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consideration　is　too　great　to　be　lavished　upon　these；　who　unite　within



themselves　the　courage　of　a　high　warrior；　the　expertness　of　a



three…handed　magician；　and　the　courtesy　of　a　genial　mandarin。）　〃I　seek



two；　apparelled　thus　and　thus。　Did　you；　by　any　chance；　mark　the



direction　of　their　footsteps？〃







〃Oh；〃　he　said；　regarding　this　person　with　a　most　flattering



application；　〃YOU　seek　them；　do　you？　Well；　they've　just　gone　off　in



a　hansom；　and　they'll　want　a　lot　of　seeking　for　the　next　week　or　two。



You　let　them　carry　your　purse；　perhaps？〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　replied。　〃As　a　mark　of　confidence；　this　person；　for　his



part；　receiving　a　like　token　at　their　hands。〃







〃That's　it；〃　said　the　official　watcher；　conveying　into　his　voice　a



subtle　indication　that　he　had　become　excessively　fatigued。　〃It's　like



a　nursery　talenever　too　old　to　take　with　the　kids。　Well；　come　along；



poor　lamb；　the　station　isn't　far。〃







So　great　had　become　the　reliance　which　by　this　time　I　habitually



reposed　in　these　men；　that　I　never　sought　to　oppose　their



pronouncements　（such　a　course　being　not　only　useless　but　undignified）；



and　we　therefore　together　reached　the　place　which　the　one　by　my　side



had　described　as　a　station。







From　the　outside　the　building　was　in　no　way　imposing；　but　upon



reaching　an　inner　dungeon　it　at　once　became　plain　that　no　matter　with



what　crime　a　person　might　be　charged；　even　the　most　stubborn



resistance　would　be　unavailing。　Before　a　fiercely…burning　fire　were



arranged　metal　pincers；　massive　skewers；　ornamental　branding　irons；



and　the　usual　accessories　of　the　grill；　one　tool　being　already　thrust



into　the　heart　of　the　flame　to　indicate　the　nature　of　its　use；　and　its



immediate　readiness　for　the　purpose。　Pegs　from　which　the　accused　could



be　hung　by　the　thumbs　with　weights　attached　to　the　feet；　covered　an



entire　wall；　chains；　shackling…irons；　fetters；　steel　rings　for



compressing　the　throat；　and　belts　for　tightening　the　chest；　all　had



their　appointed　places；　while　the　Chair；　the　Boot；　the　Heavy　Hat；　and



many　other　appliances　quite　unknown　to　our　system　of　administering



justice　were　scattered　about。







Without　pausing　to　select　any　of　these；　the　one　who　led　me　approached



a　raised　desk　at　which　was　seated　a　less　warlike　official；　whose



sympathetic　appearance　inspired　confidence。　〃Kong　Ho；〃　exclaimed　to



himself　the　person　who　is　inscribing　these　words；　〃here　is　an



individual　into　whose　discriminating　ear　it　would　be　well　to　pour　the



exact　happening　without　evasion。　Then　even　if　the　accusation　against



you　be　that　of　resembling　another　or　trafficking　with　unlawful　Forces；



he　will　doubtless　arrange　the　matter　so　that　the　expiation　shall　be　as



light　and　inexpensive　as　possible。〃







By　this　time　certain　other　officials　had　drawn　near。　〃What　is　it？〃　I



heard　one　demand；　and　another　replied；　〃Brooklyn　Ben　and　Jimmie　the



Butterman　again。　Ah；　they　aren't　artful；　are　they！〃　but　at　this　moment



the　two　into　whose　power　I　had　chiefly　fallen　having　conversed



together；　I　was　commanded　to　advance　towards　them　and　reveal　my　name。







〃Kong；〃　I　replied　freely；　and　I　had　formed　a　design　to　explain



somewhat　of　the　many　illustrious　ancestors　of　the　House；　when　the　one



at　the　desk；　pausing　to　inscribe　my　answer　in　a　book；　spoke　out。







〃Kong？〃　he　said。　〃Is　that　the　christian　or　surname？〃







〃Sir…name？〃　replied　this　person　between　two　thoughts。　〃Undoubtedly　the



one　before　you　is　entitled　by　public　examination　to　the　degree



'Recognised　Talent；'　which　may；　as　a　meritorious　distinction；　be　held



equal　to　your　title　of　a　warrior　clad　in　armour。　Yet；　if　it　is　so



held；　that　would　rightly　be　this　person's　official　name　of　Paik。〃







〃Oh；　it　would；　would　it？〃　said　the　one　seated　upon　the　high　chair。



〃That's　quite　clear。　Are　there　any　other　names　as　well？〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　explained；　pained　inwardly　that　one　of　official　rank



should　so　slightly　esteem　my　appearance　as　to　judge　that　I　was　so



meagrely　endowed。　〃The　milk　name　of　Ho；　Tsin　upon　entering　the



Classes；　as　a　Great　Name　Cheng；　another　style　in　Quank；　the　official



title　already　expressed；　and　T'chun；　Li；　Yuen　and　Nung　as　the　various



emergencies　of　life　arise。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　high…chair　official　courteously。　〃Now；　just　the



name　in　full；　please；　without　any　velvet　trimmings。〃







〃Kong；〃　began　this　person；　desirous　above　all　things　of　putting　the



matter　competently；　yet　secretly　perturbed　as　to　what　might　be



considered　superfluous　and　what　deemed　a　perfidious　suppression；　〃Ho



Tsin　Cheng　Quank〃







〃Hold　hard；〃　cried　this　same　one；　restraining　me　with　an　uplifted　pen。



〃Did　you　say　'Quack'？〃







〃Quack？〃　repeated　this　person；　beginning　to　become　involved　within



himself；　and　not　grasping　the　detail　in　the　right　position。　〃In　a



manner　of　setting　the　expression　forth〃







〃Put　him　down；　'Quack　Duck；'　sir；〃　exclaimed　one　of　dog…like　dejection



who　stood　by。　〃Most　of　these　Lascars　haven't　got　any　real　namesthey



just　go　by　what　any　one　happens　to　call　them　at　the　time；　like



'Burmese　Ike'　down　at　the　Mint；〃　and　this　person　unfortunately



chancing　to　smile　and　bow　acquiescently　at　that　moment　（not　with　any



set　intention；　but　as　a　general　principle　of　courteous　urbanity）；　in



place　of　his　really　distinguished　titles　he　will　henceforth　appear



among　the　historical　records　of　this　dynasty　under　what　he　cannot



disguise　from　his　inner　misgivings　to　be　the　low…caste　appellation　of



Quack　Duck。







〃Now　the　address；　please；〃　continued　the　high　one；　again　preparing　to



inscribe　the　word；　and　being　determined　that　by　no　mischance　should



this　particular　be　offensively　reported；　I　unhesitatingly　replied；



〃Beneath　the　Sign　of　the　Lead　Tortoise；　on　the　northern　course　from



the　Lotus　Pools　outside　the　walls　of　Yuen…ping。〃







This　answer　the　one　with　the　book　did　not　immediately　record。　〃I　don't



say　it　isn't　all　right　when　you　know　the　parts；〃　he　remarked



broad…mindedly；　〃but　it　does　sound　a　trifle　irregular。　Can't　you　give



it　a　number　and　a　street？〃







〃I　fancy　it　must　be　a　pub；　sir；〃　observed　another。　〃He　said　that　it



had　a　signthe　Red　Tortoise。〃







〃Well；　haven't　you　got　a　London　address？〃　said　the　high　one；　and　this



person　being　able　to　supply　a　street　and　a　number　as　desired；　this



part　of　the　undertaking　was　disposed　of；　to　his　cordial　satisfaction。







〃Now　let　me　see　the　articles　which　these　men　left　with　you；〃　commanded



the　chieftain　of　the　band；　and　without　any　misleading　discrepancies　I



at　once　drew　forth　from　an　inner　sleeve　the　two　scrips；　of　which



adequate　mention　has　already　been　made；　another　hitherto　undescribed；



two　instruments　for　measuring　the　passing　hours　of　the　day；　together



with　a　chain　of　fine　gold　ingeniously　wrought　into　the　semblance　of　a



cable；　an　ornament　for　the　breast；　set　about　with　a　jewel；　two



neck…cloths　of　a　kind　usually　carried　in　the　pocket；　a　book　for



recording　happenings　of　any　moment；　pieces　of　money　to　the　value　of



about　eleven　taels；　a　silver　flagon；　a　sheathed　weapon　and　a　few



lesser　objects　of　insignificant　value。　These　various　details　I　laid



obsequiously　before　the　one　who　had　commanded　it；　while　the　others



stood　around　either　in　explicit　silence　or　speaking　softly　beneath



their　breath。







〃Do　I　understand　that　the　two　persons　left　all　these　things　with　you；



while　they　took　your　purse　in　exchange？〃　said　the　high　official；　after



examining　certain　obscure　signs　upon　the　metals；　the　contents　of　the



third　scrip；　and　the　like。







〃It　cannot　reasonably　be　denied；〃　I　replied；　〃inasmuch　as　they



departed　without　them。〃







〃Spontaneously？〃　he　demanded；　and　in　spite　of　the　unevadible　severity



of　his　voice　the　expression　of　his　nearer　eye　deviated　somewhat。







〃The　spoken　and　conclusive　word　of　the　first　was　that　it　was　his



intention　to　commit　to　this　one's　keeping　everything　which　he　had；　the



assertion　of　the　second　being　that　with　this　scrip　I　received　all　that



he　possessed。〃







〃While　of　yours；　what　did　they　get；　Mr。　Quack？〃　and　the　tone　of　the



one　who　spoke　had　a　much　more　gratifying　modulation　than　before；　while



the　attitudes　of　those　who　stood　around　had　favourably　changed；　until



they　now　conveyed　a　message　of　deliberate　esteem。







〃A　serpent…skin　case　of　two　enclosures；〃　I　replied。　〃On　the　one　side



was　a　handcount　of　the　small　copper…pieces　of　this　Island；　which　I　had



caused　to　be　burn