the mirror of kong ho-第21节

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conceived；　and　it　is　strenuously　asserted　that　many　persons　of　corrupt



habits　and　ill…balanced　lives；　upon　waking　unexpectedly　while　passing



through　these　Beneath　Parts；　have　abandoned　the　remainder　of　their



journey；　and；　escaping　hastily　to　the　outer　air；　have　from　that　time



onwards　led　a　pure　and　consistent　existence；　but；　on　the　other　foot；



those　who　are　compelled　to　use　the　caverns　daily；　freely　confess　that



the　surroundings　to　not　in　any　material　degree　purify　their　lives　of



tranquillise　the　nature　of　their　inner　thoughts。







In　this　emergency　I　did　not　neglect　to　write　out　a　diversity　of　charms



against　every　possible　variety　of　evil　influence；　and　concealing　them



lavishly　about　my　head　and　body；　I　presented　myself　with　the　outer



confidence　of　a　person　who　is　inured　to　the　exploit。　Doubtless　thereby



being　mistaken　for　one　of　themselves　in　the　obscurity；　I　received　the



inscribed　safeguard　without　opposition；　and　even　an　added　sum　in



copper　pieces；　which　I　discreetly　returned　to　the　one　behind　the



shutter；　with　the　request　that　he　would　honourably　burn　a　few　joss



sticks　or　sacrifice　to　a　trivial　amount；　to　the　success　of　my　journey。



In　such　a　manner　I　reached　an　awaiting　train；　and；　taking　up　within　it



a　position　of　retiring　modesty；　I　definitely　committed　myself　to　the



undertaking。







At　the　next　tarrying　place　there　entered　a　barbarian　of　high…class



appearance；　and　being　by　this　time　less　assured　of　my　competence　in



the　matter　unaided；　both　on　account　of　the　multiplicity　of　evil　omens



on　every　side；　and　the　perverse　impulses　of　the　guiding　demon；　whereby



at　sudden　angles　certain　of　my　organs　had　the　emotion　of　being　left



irrevocably　behind　and　others　of　being　snatched　relentlessly　forward；



I　approached　him　courteously。







〃Behold；〃　I　said；　〃many　thousand　li　of　water；　both　fresh　and　bitter；



flow　between　the　one　who　is　addressing　you　and　his　native　town　of



Yuen…ping；　where　the　tablets　at　the　street　corners　are　as　familiar　to



him　as　the　lines　of　his　own　unshapely　hands；　for；　as　it　is　truly　said；



'Does　the　starling　know　the　lotus　roots；　or　the　pomfret　read　its　way



by　the　signs　among　the　upper　branches　of　the　pines？'　Out　of　the



necessities　of　his　ignorance　and　your　own　overwhelming　condescension



enlighten　him；　therefore；　whether　the　destination　of　this　fire…chariot



by　any　chance　corresponds　with　the　inscribed　name　upon　his　talisman？〃







Thus　adjured；　the　stranger　benevolently　turned　himself　to　the　detail；



and　upon　consulting　a　book　of　symbols　he　expressed　himself　to　this



wise：　that　after　a　sufficient　interval　I　should　come　into　a　certain



station；　called　in　part　after　the　title　of　the　enlightened　ruler　of



this　Island；　and　there　abandoning　the　train　which　was　carrying　us；　I



should　enter　another　which　would　bring　me　out　of　the　Beneath　Parts　and



presently　into　the　midst　of　that　Palace　which　I　sought。　This　advice



seemed　good；　for　a　reasonable　connection　might　be　supposed　to　exist



between　a　station　so　auspiciously　called　and　a　Palace　bearing　the



harmonious　name　of　the　gracious　and　universally…revered



sovereign…consort。　Accordingly　I　thanked　him　ceremoniously；　not　only



on　my　own　part；　but　also　on　behalf　of　eleven　generations　of　immediate



ancestors；　and　in　the　name　of　seven　generations　who　should　come　after；



and　he　on　his　side　agreeably　replied　that　he　was　sure　his　grandmother



would　have　done　as　much　for　mine；　and　he　sincerely　hoped　that　none　of



his　great…great…grandchildren　would　prove　less　obliging。　In　this



intellectual　manner；　varied　with　the　entertainment　of　profuse　bows；



the　time　passed　cordially　between　us　until　the　barbarian　reached　his



own　alighting　stage；　when　he　again　repeated　the　various　details　of　the



strategy　for　my　observance。







At　this　point　let　it　be　set　forth　deliberately　that　there　existed　no



treachery　in　the　advice；　still　less　that　this　person　is　incapable　of



competently　achieving　the　destined　end　of　any　hazard　upon　which　he　may



embark　when　once　the　guiding　signs　have　been　made　clear　to　his



understanding。　Whatever　entanglement　arose　was　due　merely　to　the



conflicting　manners　of　expression　used　by　two　widely…varying　races；



even　as　our　own　proverb　says；　〃What　is　only　sauce　for　the　cod　is



serious　for　the　oyster。〃







At　the　station　indicated　as　bearing　the　sign　of　the　ruler　of　the



country　（which　even　a　person　of　little　discernment　could　have



recognised　by　the　highly…illuminated　representation　bearing　the



elusively…worded　inscription；　〃In　packets　only〃）；　I　left　this



fire…chariot；　and　at　once　perceiving　another　in　an　attitude　of



departure；　I　entered　it；　as　the　casual　barbarian　had　definitely



instructed；　and　began　to　assure　myself　that　I　had　already　become



expertly　proficient　in　the　art　of　journeying　among　these　Beneath



Regions　and　to　foresee　the　time；　not　far　distant；　when　others　would



confidently　address　themselves　to　me　in　their　extremities。　So



entrancing　did　this　contemplation　grow；　that　this　outrageous　person



began　to　compose　the　actual　words　with　which　he　would　instruct　them　as



the　occasion　arose；　as　thus；　〃Undoubtedly；　O　virtuous　and　not



unattractive　maiden；　this　fire…engine　will　ultimately　lead　your



refined　footsteps　into　the　street　called　Those　who　Bake　Food。　Do　not



hesitate；　therefore；　to　occupy　the　vacant　place　by　this　insignificant



one's　side〃；　or；　〃By　no　means；　honourable　sir；　the　Cross　of　Charing　is



in　the　precisely　opposite　direction　to　that　selected　by　this



self…opinionated　machine　for　its　inopportune　destination。　Do　not



rebuke　this　person　for　his　immoderate　loss　of　mental　gravity；　for　your



mistake；　though　pardonable　in　a　stranger；　is　really　excessively



diverting。　Your　most　prudent　course　now　will　assuredly　be　to　cast



yourself　from　the　carriage　without　delay　and　rely　upon　the　benevolent



intervention　of　a　fire…chariot　proceeding　backwards。〃







Alas；　it　is　truly　said；　〃None　but　sword…swallowers　should　endeavour　to



swallow　swords；〃　thereby　signifying　the　vast　chasm　that　lies　between



those　who　are　really　adroit　in　an　undertaking　and　those　who　only　think



that　they　may　easily　become　so。　Presently　it　began　to　become　deeply



impressed　upon　my　discrimination　that　the　journey　was　taking　a　more



lengthy　duration　than　I　had　been　given　to　understand　would　be　the



case；　while　at　the　same　time　a　permanent　deliverance　from　the　terrors



of　the　Beneath　Parts　seemed　to　be　insidiously　lengthening　out　into　a



funereal　unattainableness。　The　point　of　this　person's　destination；　he



had　been　assured　on　all　hands；　was　a　spot　beyond　which　even　the　most



aggressively　assertive　engine　could　not　proceed；　so　that　he　had　no



fears　of　being　incapably　drawn　into　more　remote　places；　yet　when　hour



after　hour　passed　and　the　ill…destined　machine　never　failed　in　its



malicious　endeavours　to　leave　each　successive　tarrying　station；　it　is



not　to　be　denied　that　my　imagination　dwelt　regretfully　upon　the　true



civilisation　of　our　own　enlightened　country；　where；　by　the　considerate



intervention　of　an　all…wise　government；　the　possibilities　of　so



distressing　an　experience　are　sympathetically　removed　from　one's　path。



Thus　the　greater　part　of　the　day　had　faded；　and　I　was　conjecturing



that　by　this　time　we　must　inevitably　be　approaching　the　barren　and



inhospitable　country　which　forms　the　northern　limit　of　the　Island；



when　the　door　suddenly　opened　and　the　barbarian　stranger　whom　I　had



left　many　hundred　li　behind　entered　the　carriage。







At　this　manifestation　all　uncertainty　departed；　and　I　now　understood



that　to　some　obscure　end　witchcraft　of　a　very　powerful　and　high…caste



kind　was　being　employed　around　me；　for　in　no　other　way　was　it　credible



to　one's　intelligence　that　a　person　could　propel　himself　through　the



air　with　a　speed　greater　than　that　of　one　of　these　fire…chariots；　and



overtake　it。　Doubtless　it　was　a　part　of　this　same　scheme　which　made　it



seem　expedient　to　the　stranger　that　he　should　feign　a　part；　for　he　at



once　greeted　me　as　though　the　occasion　were　a　matter　of　everyday



happening；　exclaiming　genially







〃Well；　Mr。　Kong；　returning？　And　what　do　you　think　of　the　Palace？〃







〃It　is　fitly　observed；　'To　the　earthworm　the　rice　stalk　is　as　high　as



the　pagoda；'〃　I　replied　with　adroit　evasion；　clearly　understanding



from　his　manner　that　for　some　reason；　not　yet　revealed　to　me；　a　course



of　dissimulation　was　expedient　in　order　to　mislead　the　surrounding



demons　concerning　my　movements；　and　by　a　subtle　indication　of　the　face



conveying　to　the　stranger　an　assurance　th