the mirror of kong ho-第25节

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discriminating　encouragement　of　his　attitude　towards　me　on　all



occasions；　I　have　read　a　sympathetic　concern　over　my　welfare。　Him　I



now　approached；　and　taking　him　aside；　I　first　questioned　him



flatteringly　about　his　age　and　the　extent　of　his　yearly　recompense；



and　then　casually　inquired　what　in　his　language　he　would　describe　the



nature　of　a　cricket　to　be。







〃A　cricket？〃　repeated　the　obliging　person　readily；　〃a　cricket；　sir；　is



a　hinsect。　Something；　I　take　it；　after　the　manner　of　a　grass…'opper。〃







〃Truly；〃　I　agreed。　〃It　is　aptly　likened。　And；　to　continue　the　simile；



a　game　cricket？〃







〃A　game　cricket？〃　he　replied；　〃well；　sir；　naturally　a　game　one　would



be　more　gamier　than　the　others；　wouldn't　it？〃







〃The　inference　is　unflinching；〃　I　admitted；　and　after　successfully



luring　away　his　mind　from　any　significance　in　the　inquiry　by　asking



him　whether　the　gift　of　a　lacquered　coffin　or　an　embroidered　shroud



would　be　the　more　regarded　on　parting；　I　left　him。







His　words；　esteemed；　for　a　definite　reason　were　as　the　jade…clappered



melody　of　a　silver　bell。　This　trial　of　sportiveness；　it　became



clear；less　of　a　massacre　than　most　of　their　amusementsis　really　a



rivalry　of　leapings　and　dexterity　of　the　feet：　a　conflict　of　game



crickets　or　grass…hoppers；　in　the　somewhat　wide…angled　obscurity　of



their　language；　or；　as　we　would　more　appropriately　call　it　doubtless；



a　festive　competition　in　the　similitude　of　high…spirited　locusts。　To



whatever　degree　the　surrounding　conditions　might　vary；　there　could　no



longer　be　a　doubt　that　the　power　of　leaping　high　into　the　air　was　the



essential　constituent　of　success　in　this　barbarian　match　of



cricketsand　in　such　an　accomplishment　this　person　excelled　from　the



time　of　his　youth　with　a　truly　incredible　proficiency。　Can　it　be　a



reproach；　then；　that　when　I　considered　this；　and　saw　in　a　vision　the



contempt　of　inferiority　which　I　should　certainly　be　able　to　inflict



upon　these　native　crickets　before　the　eyes　of　their　maidens；　even　the



accumulated　impassiveness　of　thirty…seven　generations　of　Kong



fore…fathers　broke　down　for　the　moment；　and　unable　to　restrain　every



vestige　of　emotion　I　crept　unperceived　to　the　ancestral　hall　of　Sir



Philip　and　there　shook　hands　affectionately　with　myself　before　each　of



the　nine　ironclad　warriors　about　its　walls　before　I　could　revert　to　a



becoming　state　of　trustworthy　unconcern。　That　night　in　my　own　upper



chamber　I　spent　many　hours　in　testing　my　powers　and　studying　more



remarkable　attitudes　of　locust　flight；　and　I　even　found　to　be　within



myself　some　new　attainments　of　life…like　agility；　such　as　feigning　the



continuous　note　of　defiance　with　which　the　insect　meets　his　adversary；



as　remaining　poised　in　the　air　for　an　appreciable　moment　at　the　summit



of　each　leap；　and　of　conveying　to　the　body　a　sudden　and　disconcerting



sideway　movement　in　the　course　of　its　ascent。　So　immersed　did　I　become



in　the　achievement　of　a　high　perfection　that；　to　my　never…ending



self…reproach；　I　failed　to　notice　a　supernatural　visitation　of



undoubted　authenticity；　for　the　next　morning　it　was　widely　admitted



that　a　certain　familiar　demon　of　the　house；　which　only　manifests　its



presence　on　occasions　of　tragic　omen；　had　been　heard　throughout　the



night　in　warning；　not　only　beating　its　head　and　body　against　the　walls



and　doors　in　despair；　but　raising　from　time　to　time　a　wailing　cry　of



soul…benumbing　bitterness。







With　every　assurance　that　the　next　letter；　though　equally　distorted　in



style　and　immature　in　expression；　will　contain　the　record　of　a



deteriorated　but　ever　upward…striving　son's　ultimate　triumph。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　XI











Concerning　the　game　which　we　should　call　〃Locusts；〃　and　the



deeper　significance　of　its　acts。　The　solicitous　warning　of　one



passing　inwards　and　the　complication　occasioned　by　his　ill…



chosen　words。　Concerning　that　victory　already　dimly　foreshadowed。















VENERATED　SIRE；This　barbarian　game　of　agile　grass…hoppers　is　not



conducted　in　the　best　spirit　of　a　really　well…balanced　display；　and



although　the　one　now　inscribing　his　emotions　certainly　achieved　a　wide



popularity；　and　wore　his　fig　leaves　with　becoming　modesty；　he　has



never　since　been　quite　free　from　an　overhanging　doubt　that　the



compliments　and　genial　remarks　with　which　he　was　assailed　owed　their



modulation　to　an　unsubstantial　atmosphere　of　two…edged　significance



which　for　a　period　enveloped　all　whom　he　approached；　as　in　the　faces



of　maidens　concealed　behind　fans　when　he　passed；　the　down…drawn　lips



and　up…raised　eyes　of　those　of　fuller　maturity；　the　practice　in　most



of　his　own　kind　of　turning　aside；　pressing　their　hands　about　their



middle　parts；　and　bending　forward　into　a　swollen　attitude　devoid　of



grace；　on　the　spur　of　a　sudden　remembrance；　and　in　the　auspicious　but



undeniably　embarrassing　manner　in　which　all　the　unfledged　ones　of　the



village　clustered　about　his　retiring　footsteps；　saluting　him



continually　as　one　〃James；〃　upon　whom　had　been　conferred　the



gratifying　title　of　〃Sunny。〃　Thus　may　the　outline　of　the　combat　be



recounted。







From　each　opposing　group　eleven　were　chosen　as　a　band；　and　we　of　our



company　putting　on　a　robe　of　distinctive　green　（while　they　elected　to



be　regarded　as　an　assemblage　of　brown　crickets）；　we　presently　came　to



a　suitable　spot　where　the　trial　was　to　be　decided。　So　far　this　person



had　reasonably　assumed　that　at　a　preconcerted　signal　the　contest　would



begin；　all　rising　into　the　air　together；　uttering　cries　of　menace；



bounding　unceasingly　and　in　every　way　displaying　the　dexterity　of　our



proportions。　Indeed；　in　the　reasonableness　of　this　expectation　it



cannot　be　a　matter　for　reproach　to　one　of　the　green　grass…hopperswho



need　not　be　further　indicatedthat　he　had　already　begun　a



well…simulated　note　of　challenge　to　those　around　clad　in　brown；　and　to



leap　upwards　in　a　preparatory　essay；　when　the　ever…alert　Sir　Philip



took　him　affectionately　by　the　arm；　on　the　plea　that　the　seclusion　of



a　neighbouring　pavilion　afforded　a　desirable　shade。







Beyond　that　point　it　is　difficult　to　convey　an　accurately　grouped　and



fully　spread…out　design　of　the　encounter。　In　itself　the　scheme　and



intention　of　counterfeiting　the　domestic　life　and　rivalries　of　two



opposing　bands　of　insects　was　pleasantly　conceived；　and　might　have



been　carried　out　with　harmonious　precision；　but；　after　the　manner　of



these　remote　tribes；　the　original　project　had　been　overshadowed　and



the　purity　of　the　imagination　lost　beneath　a　mass　of　inconsistent



detail。　To　this　imperfection　must　it　be　laid　that　when　at　length　this



person　was　recalled　from　the　obscurity　of　the　pagoda　and　the　alluring



society　of　a　maiden　of　the　village；　to　whom　he　was　endeavouring　to



expound　the　strategy　of　the　game；　and　called　upon　to　engage　actively



in　it；　he　courteously　admitted　to　those　who　led　him　forth　that　he　had



not　the　most　shadowy…outlined　idea　of　what　was　required　of　him。







Nevertheless　they　bound　about　his　legs　a　frilled　armour；　ingeniously



fashioned　to　represent　the　ribbed　leanness　of　the　insect's　shank；



encased　his　hands　and　feet　in　covers　to　a　like　purpose；　and　pressing



upon　him　a　wooden　club　indicated　that　the　time　had　come　for　him　to



prove　his　merit　by　venturing　alone　into　the　midst　of　the　eleven　brown



adversaries　who　stood　at　a　distance　in　poised　and　expectant　attitudes。







Assuredly；　benignant　one；　this　sport　of　contending　locusts　began；　as



one　approached　nearer　to　it；　to　wear　no　more　pacific　a　face　than　if　it



had　been　a　carnage　of　the　hurl…headlong　or　the　curved…hook　varieties。



In　such　a　competition；　it　occurred　to　him；　how　little　deference　would



be　paid　to　this　one's　title　of　〃Established　Genius；〃　or　how



inadequately　would　he　be　protected　by　his　undoubted　capacity　of



leaping　upwards；　and　even　in　a　sideway　direction；　for　no　matter　how



vigorously　he　might　propel　himself；　or　how　successfully　he　might



endeavour　to　remain　self…sustained　in　the　air；　the　ill…destined　moment



could　not　be　long　deferred　when　he　must　come　down　again　into　the　midst



of　the　elevenall　doubtless　concealing　weapons　as　massive　and



fatally…destructive　as　his　own。　This　prospect；　to　a　person　of



quiescent　taste；　whose　chief　delight　lay　in　contemplating　the



philosophical　subtleties　of　the　higher　Classics；　was　in　itself　devoid



of　glamour；　but　with　what　funereal　pigments　shall　he　describe　his



sinking　emotions　when　one　of　his　own　band；　a