the mirror of kong ho-第24节

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of　The　Virtues；　the　unenviable　condition　of　the　proud　and　affluent；



and　the　myriads　of　fire…demons　certainly　laying　in　wait　for　those　who



partook　of　spiced　tea　and　rich　foods　in　the　afternoon；　and　did　not



wear　a　uniform　similar　to　his　own；　I　began　to　recognise　that　the



selection　had　been　inauspiciously　arranged。　Upon　taxing　some　around



with　the　discrepancy　（as　there　seemed　to　be　no　more　dignified　way　of



evading　the　responsibility）；　they　were　unable　to　contend　against　me



that　there　were；　indeed；　two；　if　not　more；　distinct　varieties　of　those



bearing　the　rank　of　captain；　and　that　they　themselves　belonged　to　an



entirely　different　camp；　wearing　another　dress；　and　possessing　no



authority　to　display　the　symbol　of　the　letters　S。A。　upon　their　necks。



With　this　admission　I　was　content　to　leave　the　matter；　in　no　way



accusing　them　of　actual　duplicity；　yet　so　withdrawing　that　any　of



unprejudiced　standing　could　not　fail　to　carry　away　the　impression　that



I　had　been　the　victim　of　an　unworthy　artifice；　and　had　been　lured　into



their　society　by　the　pretext　that　they　were　other　than　what　they



really　were。







With　the　bitter…flavoured　memory　of　this；　and　other　in　no　way



dissimilar　episodes；　lingering　in　my　throat；　it　need　not　be　a　matter



of　conjecture　that　for　a　time　I　greeted　warily　all　who　bore　a　title；　a



mark　of　rank；　or　any　similar　appendage；　who　wore　a　uniform；　weapon；



brass　helmet；　jewelled　crown；　coat　of　distinctive　colour；　or　any



excessive　superfluity　of　pearl　or　metal　buttons；　who　went　forth



surrounded　by　a　retinue；　sat　publicly　in　a　chair　or　allegorical



chariot；　spoke　loudly　in　the　highways　and　places　in　a　tone　of　official



pronouncement；　displayed　any　feather；　emblem；　inscribed　badge；　or



printed　announcement　upon　a　pole；　or　in　any　way　conducted　themselves



in　what　we　should　esteem　to　be　fitting　to　a　position　of　high　dignity。



From　this　arose　the　absence　of　outward　enthusiasm　with　which　I　at



first　received　Sir　Philip's　extended　favour；　for　although　I　had　come



to　distrust　all　the　reasonable　signs　of　established　power；　I



distrusted；　to　a　much　more　enhanced　degree；　their　complete　absence；



and　when　I　observed　that　the　one　in　question　was　never　accompanied　by



a　band　of　musicians　or　flower…strewers；　that　he　mingled　as　though　on



terms　of　familiar　intercourse　with　the　ordinary　passers…by　in　the



streets；　and　never　struck　aside　those　who　chanced　to　impede　his



progress；　and　that　he　actually　preferred　those　of　low　condition　to



approach　him　on　their　feet；　rather　than　in　the　more　becoming　attitude



of　unconditional　prostration；　I　reasoned　with　myself　whether　indeed　he



could　consistently　be　a　person　of　well…established　authority；　or



whether　I　was　not　being　again　led　away　from　my　self…satisfaction　by



another　obliquity　of　barbarian　logic。　It　was　for　this　reason　that　I



now　welcomed　the　admitted　power　which　he　has　of　incriminating　persons



in　a　variety　of　punishable　offences；　and　I　perceived　with　an　added



satisfaction　that　here；　where　this　privilege　is　more　fully　understood；



few　meet　him　without　raising　their　hands　to　the　upper　part　of　their



heads　in　token　of　unquestioning　submission；　or；　as　one　would　interpret



the　symbolism　into　actual　words；　meaning；　〃Thus；　from　this　point　to



the　underneath　part　of　our　sandals；　all　between　lies　in　the　hollow　of



your　comprehensive　hand。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







There　is　a　written　jest　among　another　barbarian　nation　that　these



among　whom　I　am　tarrying；　being　by　nature　a　people　who　take　their



pleasures　tragically；　when　they　rise　in　the　morning　say；　one　to



another；　〃Come；　behold；　it　is　raining　again　as　usual；　let　us　go　out



and　kill　somebody。〃　Undoubtedly　the　pointed　end　of　this　adroit…witted



saying　may　be　found　in　the　circumstance　that　it　is；　indeed；　as　the



proverb　aptly　claims；　raining　on　practically　every　occasion　in　life；



while；　to　complete　the　comparison；　for　many　dynasties　past　this　nation



has　been　successfully　engaged　in　killing　people　（in　order　to　promote



their　ultimate　benefit　through　a　momentary　inconvenience；）　in　every



part　of　the　world。　Thus　the　lines　of　parallel　thought　maintain　a



harmonious　balance　beyond　the　general　analogy　of　their　sayings；　but



beneath　this　may　be　found　an　even　subtler　edge；　for　in　order　to　inure



themselves　to　the　requirement　of　a　high　destiny　their　various　games



and　manners　of　disportment　are；　with　a　set　purpose；　so　rigorously



contested　that　in　their　progress　most　of　the　weak　and　inefficient　are



opportunely　exterminated。







There　is　a　favourite　and　well…attended　display　wherein　two　opposing



bands；　each　clad　in　robes　of　a　distinctive　colour；　stand　in　extended



lines　of　mutual　defiance；　and　at　a　signal　impetuously　engage。　The



design　of　each　is　by　force　or　guile　to　draw　their　opponents　into　an



unfavourable　position　before　an　arch　of　upright　posts；　and　then



surging　irresistibly　forward；　to　carry　them　beyond　the　limit　and　hurl



them　to　the　ground。　Those　who　successfully　inflict　this　humiliation



upon　their　adversaries　until　they　are　incapable　of　further　resistance



are　hailed　victorious；　and　sinking　into　a　graceful　attitude　receive



each　a　golden　cup　from　the　magnanimous　hands　of　a　maiden　chose　to　the



service；　either　on　account　of　her　peerless　outline；　the　dignified



position　of　her　House；　or　（should　these　incentives　be　obviously



wanting；）　because　the　chief　ones　of　her　family　are　in　the　habit　of



contributing　unstintingly　to　the　equipment　of　the　triumphal　band。



There　is　also　another　kind　of　strife；　differing　in　its　essentials　only



so　far　that　all　who　engage　therein　are　provided　with　a　curved　staff；



with　which　they　may　dexterously　draw　their　antagonists　beyond　the



limits；　or；　should　they　fail　to　defend　themselves　adequately；　break



the　smaller　bones　of　their　ankles。　But　this　form　of　encounter；　despite



the　use　of　these　weapons；　is　really　less　fatal　than　the　other；　for　it



is　not　a　permissible　act　to　club　an　antagonist　resentfully　about　the



head　with　the　staff；　nor　yet　even　to　thrust　it　rigidly　against　his



middle　body。　From　this　moderation　the　public　countenance　extended　to



the　curved…pole　game　is　contemptibly　meagre　when　viewed　by　the　side　of



the　overwhelming　multitudes　which　pour　along　every　channel　in　order　to



witness　a　more　than　usually　desperate　trial　of　the　hurl…headlong



variety　（the　sight；　indeed；　being　as　attractive　to　these　pale；



blood…thirsty　foreigners　as　an　unusually　large　execution　is　with　us）；



and　as　a　consequence　the　former　is　little　reputed　save　among　maidens；



the　feeble；　and　those　of　timorous　instincts。







Thus　positioned；　regarding　a　knowledge　of　their　outside　amusements；　it



has　always　been　one　of　the　most　prominent　ambitions　of　this　person's



strategy　to　avoid　being　drawn　into　any　encounter。　At　the　same　time；



the　thought　that　the　maidens　of　the　household　here　（of　whom　there　are



several；　all　so　attractively　proportioned　that　to　compare　them　in　a



spirit　of　definite　preference　would　be　distastefully　presumptuous　to



this　person；）　should　regard　me　as　one　lacking　in　a　sufficient　display



of　violence　was　not　fragrant　to　my　sense　of　refinement；　so　that　when



Sir　Philip；　a　little　time　after　our　arrival；　related　to　me　that　on　the



following　day　he　and　a　chosen　band　were　to　be　engaged　in　the　match　of



a　cricket　game　against　adversaries　from　the　village；　and　asked　whether



I　cared　to　bear　a　part　in　the　strife；　I　grasped　the　muscles　of　the



upper　part　of　my　left　arm　with　my　right　handas　I　had　frequently　seen



the　hardy　and　virile　do　when　the　subject　of　their　powers　had　been



raised　questioninglyand　replied　that　I　had　long　concealed　an



insatiable　wish　to　take　such　a　part　at　a　point　where　the　conflict



would　be　the　most　revengefully　contested。







Being　thus　inflexibly　committed　it　became　very　necessary　to　arrange　a



well…timed　intervention　（whether　in　the　nature　of　bodily　disorder；



fire；　or　demoniacal　upheaval；　a　warning　omen；　or　the　death　of　some　of



our　chief　antagonists）；　but　before　doing　so　I　was　desirous　of



understanding　how　this　contest；　which　had　hitherto　remained　outside　my



experience；　was　waged。







There　is　here　one　of　benevolent　rotundity　in　whose　authority　lie　the



cavernous　stores　beneath　the　house　and　the　vessels　of　gold　and　silver；



of　menial　rank　admittedly；　yet　exacting　a　seemly　deference　from　all　by



the　rich　urbanity　of　his　voice　and　the　dignity　of　his　massive



proportions。　In　the　affable　condescension　of　his　tone；　and　the



discriminating　encouragement　of　his　attitude　towards　me　on　all



occasions；　I　h