the mirror of kong ho-第29节

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so　degraded；　that　for　several　minutes　I　was　incapable　of　further



acquiescence　than　that　conveyed　by　an　adoring　silence　and　an



unchanging　smile。　No　formality　appeared　worthy　to　greet　her　by；　no



expression　of　self…contempt　sufficiently　offensive　to　convey　to　her



enlightenment　my　own　sense　of　a　manifold　inferiority；　and　doubtless　I



should　have　remained　in　a　transfixed　attitude　until　she　had　at　length



turned　aside；　had　not　your　seasonable　reference　to　a　Swatow



limb…contorter　struck　me　heavily　and　abruptly　turned　off　the　source　of



my　agreement。　Might　not　this　all…water　entertainment；　it　occurred　to



this　one；　consist　in　enticing　him　to　drink　a　potion　made　unsuspectedly



hot；　in　projecting　him　backwards　into　a　vat　of　the　same　liquid；　or



some　similar　device　for　the　pleasurable　amusement　of　those　around；



which　would　come　within　the　boundaries　of　your　refined　disapproval？　As



one　by　himself　there　was　no　indignity　that　this　person　would　not



cheerfully　have　submitted　to；　but　the　inexorable　cords　of　an　ingrained



filial　regard　suddenly　pulled　him　sideways　and　into　another　direction。







〃But；　Mr。　Kong；〃　exclaimed　the　bee…lipped　maiden；　when　I　had　explained



（as　being　less　involved　to　her　imagination；）　that　I　was　under　a　vow；



〃we　have　been　relying　upon　you。　Could　you　not〃and　here　she　dropped



her　eyes　and　picked　them　up　again　with　a　fluttering　motion　which　our



lesser　ones　are；　to　an　all…wise　end；　quite　unacquainted　with〃could



you　not　unvow　yourself　for　one　night；　just　to　please　ME？〃







At　these　words；　the　illuminated　proficiency　of　her　glance；　and　her



honourable　resolution　to　implicate　me　in　the　display　by　head　or　feet；



the　ever…revered　image　of　a　just　and　obedience…loving　father　ceased　to



have　any　further　tangible　influence。　Let　it　be　remembered　that　there



is　a　deep　saying；　〃A　virtuous　woman　will　cause　more　evil　than　ten



river　pirates。〃　As　for　the　person　who　is　recording　his　incompetence；



the　room　and　all　those　about　began　to　engulf　him　in　an　ever…increasing



circular　motion；　his　knees　vibrated　together　with　unrestrained



pliancy；　and　concentrating　his　voice　to　indicate　by　the　allegory　some



faint　measure　of　his　emotion；　he　replied　passionately；　〃Let　the



amusement　referred　to　take　the　form　of　sitting　in　a　boiling　cauldron



exposed　to　the　derision　of　all　beholders；　this　one　will　now　enter　it



wearing　yellow　silk　trousers。〃



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It　is　characteristic　of　these　illogical　out…countries　that　the



all…water　diversion　did　not；　as　a　matter　to　record；　concern　itself



with　that　liquid　in　any　detail；　beyond　the　contents　of　a　glass　vessel



from　which　a　venerable　person；　who　occupied　a　raised　chair；



continually　partook。　This　discriminating　individual　spoke　so



confidently　of　the　beneficial　action　of　the　fluid；　and　so　unswervingly



described　my　own　feelings　at　the　momentas　of　head　giddiness；　an



inexactitude　of　speech；　and　no　clear　definition　of　where　the　next　step



would　be　arrived　atas　the　common　lot　of　all　who　did　not　consume



regularly；　that　when　that　same　Helena　had　passed　on　to　speak　to



another；　I　left　the　hall　unobserved　and　drank　successive　portions；　in



each　case；　as　the　night　was　cold；　prudently　adding　a　measure　of　the



native　rice　spirit。　His　advice　had　been　well…directed；　for　with　the



fourth　portion　I　suddenly　found　all　doubtful　and　oppressive　visions



withdrawn；　and　a　new　and　exhilarating　self…confidence　raised　in　their



place。　In　this　agreeable　temper　I　returned　to　the　place　of　meeting　to



find　a　priest　of　one　of　the　lesser　orders　relating　a　circumstance



whereby　he　had　encountered　a　wild　maiden　in　the　woods；　who　had



steadfastly　persisted　that　she　was　one　of　a　band　of　seven　（this　being



the　luckiest　protective　number　among　the　superstitious）。　Though　unable



to　cause　their　appearance；　she　had　gone　through　a　most　precise



examination　at　his　hands　without　deviating　in　the　slightest



particular；　whereupon　distrusting　the　outcome　of　the　strife；　the



person　who　was　relating　the　adventure　had　withdrawn　breathless。







When　this　versatile　lesser　priest　had　finished　the　narration；　and　the



applause；　which　clearly　showed　that　those　present　approved　of　the



solitary　maiden's　discreet　stratagem；　had　ceased；　the　one　who　occupied



the　central　platform；　rising；　exclaimed　loudly；　〃Mr。　Kong　will　next



favour　us　with　a　contribution；　which　will　consist；　I　am　informed；　of　a



Chinese　tale。〃







Now　there　chanced　to　be　present　a　certain　one　who　had　already　become



offensive　to　me　by　the　systematic　dexterity　with　which　he　had　planted



his　inopportune　shadow　between　the　sublime…souled　Helena　and　any　other



who　made　a　movement　to　approach　her　heaven…dowered　outline。　When　this



presumptuous　and　ill…nurtured　outcast；　who　was；　indeed；　then　seated



by　the　side　of　the　enchanting　maiden　last　referred　to；　heard　the



announcement　he　said　in　a　voice　feigned　to　reach　her　peach…skin　ear



alone；　yet　intentionally　so　modulated　as　to　penetrate　the　furthest



limit　of　the　room；　〃A　Chinese　tale！　Why；　assuredly；　that　must　be　a



pig…tail。〃　At　this　unseemly　shaft　many　of　those　present　allowed



themselves　to　become　immoderately　amused；　and　even　the　goat…like　sage



who　had　called　upon　my　name　concealed　his　face　behind　an　open　hand；



but　the　amiably…disposed　Helena；　after　looking　at　the　undiscriminating



youth　coldly　for　a　moment；　deliberately　rose　and　moved　to　a　vacant



spot　at　a　distance。　Encouraged　by　this　fragrant　act　of　sympathy　I



replied　with　a　polite　bow　to　indicate　the　position；　〃On　the　contrary；



the　story　which　it　is　now　my　presumptuous　intention　to　relate　will



contain　no　reference　whatever　to　the　carefully…got…up　one　occupying



two　empty　seats　in　the　front　row；〃　and　without　further　introduction



began　the　history　of　Kao　and　his　three　brothers；　to　which　I　had　added



the　title；　〃The　Three　Gifts。〃







At　the　conclusion　of　this　classical　example　of　the　snares　ever　lying



around　the　footsteps　of　the　impious；　I　perceived　that　the　jocular



stripling；　whom　I　had　so　delicately　reproved；　was　no　longer　present。



Doubtless　he　had　been　unable　to　remain　in　the　same　room　with　the



commanding　Helena's　high…spirited　indignation；　and　anticipating　that



in　consequence　there　would　now　be　no　obstacle　to　her　full…faced



benignity；　I　drew　near　with　an　appropriate　smile。







It　is　somewhere　officially　recorded；　〃There　is　only　one　man　who　knew



with　accurate　certainty　what　a　maiden's　next　attitude　would　be；　and　he



died　young　of　surprise。〃　As　I　approached　I　had　the　sensation　of



passing　into　so　severe　an　atmosphere　of　rigid　disfavour；　that　the



ingratiating　lines　upon　my　face　became　frozen　in　its　intensity；



despite　the　ineptness　of　their　expression。　Unable　to　penetrate　the



cause　of　my　offence；　I　made　a　variety　of　agreeable　remarks；　until



finding　that　nothing　tended　towards　a　becoming　reconciliation；　I



gradually　withdrew　in　despair；　and　again　turned　my　face　in　the



direction　of　that　same　accommodation　which　I　had　already　found　beneath



the　sign　of　an　Encompassed　Goat。　Here；　by　the　sarcasm　of　destiny；　I



encountered　the　person　who　had　drawn　the　slighting　analogy　between



this　one's　pig…tail　and　his　ability　as　a　story…teller。　For　a　brief



space　of　time　the　ultimate　development　of　the　venture　was　doubtfully



poised；　but　recognising　in　each　other's　features　the　overhanging　cloud



of　an　allied　pang；　the　one　before　me　expressed　a　becoming　contrition



for　the　jest；　together　with　a　proffered　cup。　Not　to　appear　out…classed



I　replied　in　a　suitable　vein；　involving　the　supply　of　more　vessels；



whereupon　there　succeeded　many　more　vessels；　called　for　both　singly



and　in　harmonious　unison；　and　the　reappearance　of　numerous　bright



images；　accompanied　by　a　universal　scintillation　of　meteor…like



iridescence。　In　this　genial　and　greatly…enlarged　spirit　we　returned



affably　together　to　the　hall；　and　entered　unperceived　at　the　moment



when　the　one　who　made　the　announcements　was　crying　aloud；　〃According



to　the　programme　the　next　item　should　have　been　a　Chinese　poem；　but　as



Mr。　Kong　Ho　appears　to　have　left　the　building；　we　shall　pass　him



over〃







〃What　Ho？〃　exclaimed　the　somewhat　impetuous　one　by　my　side；　stepping



forward　indignantly　and　mounting　the　platform　in　his　affectionate



zeal。　〃No　one　shall　pass　over　my　old　and　valued　friendthis　Howhile



I　have　a　paw　to　raise。　Step　forward；　Mandarin；　and　let　them　behold　the



inventor　and　sole　user　of　the　justly　far…famed　G。　R。　Ko…Ho　hair



restorersent　in　five　guinea　bottles　to　any　address　on　receipt　of　four



penny　stampsas　he　app