the mirror of kong ho-第31节

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〃Truly；〃　thought　Kao　to　himself　when　they　had　departed；　〃their　words



were　irrationally　offensive；　but　among　them　there　may　stand　out　a



pointed　edge。　Our　magnanimous　father　is　now　bereft　of　both　comforts



and　necessities；　and　although　an　ebony　rod　is　certainly　not　much　in



the　circumstances；　if　this　person　is　really　humanely…intentioned　he



will　not　withhold　it。〃　With　this　charitable　design　Kao　build　a　fire



before　the　couch　（being　desirous；　out　of　his　forgiving　nature；　to



associate　his　eldest　brother　in　the　offering）；　and　without　hesitation



sacrificed　the　most　substantial　of　his　three　possessions。







It　here　becomes　necessary　to　explain　that　in　addition　to　being　an



expert　astrologer；　Wei　was　a　far…seeing　magician。　The　rod　of



unimpressionable　solidity　was　in　reality　a　charm　against　decay；　and



its　hidden　virtues　being　thus　destroyed；　a　contrary　state　of　things



naturally　arose；　so　that　the　next　morning　it　was　found　that　during　the



night　the　gold　couch　had　crumbled　away　into　a　worthless　dust。







Even　this　manifestation　did　not　move　the　three　brothers；　although　the



geniality　of　Shan　and　Hing's　countenances　froze　somewhat　towards　Chu。



Nevertheless　Chu　still　possessed　a　house；　and　by　pointing　out　that



they　could　live　as　luxuriantly　as　before　on　the　resources　of　the　river



and　the　field　and　the　tree；　he　succeeded　in　maintaining　his　position



among　them。







After　seven　days　Kao　reflected　again。　〃This　avaricious　person　still



has　two　objects；　both　of　which　he　owes　to　his　revered　father's



imperishable　influence；〃　he　admitted　conscience…stricken；　〃while　the



being　in　question　has　only　one。〃　Without　delay　he　took　the　paper



umbrella　and　ceremoniously　burned　it；　scattering　the　ashes　this　time



upon　Shan's　river。　Like　the　rod　the　umbrella　also　possessed　secret



virtues；　its　particular　excellence　being　a　curse　against　clouds；　wind



demons；　thunderbolts　and　the　like；　so　that　during　the　night　a　great



storm　raged；　and　by　the　morning　Shan's　boat　had　been　washed　away。







This　new　calamity　found　the　three　brothers　more　obstinately　perverse



than　ever。　It　cannot　be　denied　that　Hing　would　have　withdrawn　from　the



guilty　confederacy；　but　they　were　as　two　to　one；　and　prevailed；



pointing　out　that　the　house　still　afforded　shelter；　the　river　yielded



some　of　the　simpler　and　inferior　fish　which　could　be　captured　from　the



banks；　and　the　fruitfulness　of　the　orange…tree　was　undiminished。







At　the　end　of　seven　more　days　Kao　became　afflicted　with　doubt。　〃There



is　no　such　thing　as　a　fixed　proportion　or　a　set　reckoning　between　a



dutiful　son　and　an　embarrassed　sire；〃　he　confessed　penitently。　〃How



incredibly　profane　has　been　this　person's　behaviour　in　not　seeing　the



obligation　in　its　unswerving　necessity　before。〃　With　this　scrupulous



resolve　Kao　took　his　last　possession；　and　carrying　it　into　the　field



he　consumed　it　with　fire　beneath　Hing's　orange…tree。　The　fan；　in　turn；



also　had　hidden　properties；　its　written　sentence　being　a　spell　against



drought；　hot　winds；　and　the　demons　which　suck　the　nourishment　from　all



crops。　In　consequence　of　the　act　these　forces　were　called　into　action；



and　before　another　day　Hing's　tree　had　withered　away。







It　is　said　with　reason；　〃During　the　earthquake　men　speak　the　truth。〃



At　this　last　disaster　the　impious　fortitude　of　the　three　brothers



suddenly　gave　way；　and　cheerfully　admitting　their　mistake；　each



committed　suicide；　Chu　disembowelling　himself　among　the　ashes　of　his



couch；　Shan　sinking　beneath　the　waters　of　his　river；　and　Hing　hanging



by　a　rope　among　the　branches　of　his　own　effete　orange…tree。







When　they　had　thus　fittingly　atoned　for　their　faults　the　imprecation



was　lifted　from　off　their　possessions。　The　couch　was　restored　by　magic



art　to　its　former　condition；　the　boat　was　returned　by　a　justice…loving



person　into　whose　hands　it　had　fallen　lower　down　the　river；　and　the



orange…tree　put　out　new　branches。　Kao　therefore　passed　into　an



undiminished　inheritance。　He　married　three　wives；　to　commemorate　the



number　of　his　brothers；　and　had　three　sons；　whom　he　called　Chu；　Shan；



and　Hing；　for　a　like　purpose。　These　three　all　attained　to　high　office



in　the　State；　and　by　their　enlightened　morals　succeeded　in　wiping　all



the　discreditable　references　to　others　bearing　the　same　names　from　off



the　domestic　tablets。







From　this　story　it　will　be　seen　that　by　acting　virtuously；　yet　with　an



observing　discretion；　on　all　occasions；　it　is　generally　possible　not



only　to　rise　to　an　assured　position；　but　at　the　same　time



unsuspectedly　to　involve　those　who　stand　in　our　way　in　a　just



destruction。



















LETTER　XIII











Concerning　a　state　of　necessity；　the　arisings　engendered



thereby；　and　the　turned…away　face　of　those　ruling　the　literary



quarter　of　the　city　towards　one　possessing　a　style。　This



foreign　manner　of　feigning　representations；　and　concerning　my



dignified　portrayal　of　two。















VENERATED　SIRE；It　is　now　more　than　three　thousand　years　ago　that　the



sublime　moralist　Tcheng　How；　on　being　condemned　by　a　resentful



official　to　a　lengthy　imprisonment　in　a　very　inadequate　oil　jar；



imperturbably　replied；　〃As　the　snail　fits　his　impliant　shell；　so　can



the　wise　adapt　themselves　to　any　necessity；〃　and　at　once　coiled



himself　up　in　the　restricted　space　with　unsuspected　agility。　In　times



of　adversity　this　incomparable　reply　has　often　shone　as　a　steadfast



lantern　before　my　feet；　but　recently　it　struck　my　senses　with　a



heavier　force；　for　upon　presenting　myself　on　the　last　occasion　at　the



place　of　exchange　frequented　by　those　who　hitherto　have　carried　out



your　spoken　promise　with　obliging　exactitude；　and　at　certain　stated



intervals　freely　granted　to　this　person　a　sufficiency　of　pieces　of



gold；　merely　requiring　in　return　an　inscribed　and　signet…bearing



record　of　the　fact；　I　was　received　with　no　diminution　of　sympathetic



urbanity；　indeed；　but　with　hands　quite　devoid　of　outstretched　fulness。







In　a　small　inner　chamber；　to　which　I　was　led　upon　uttering　courteous



protests；　one　of　solitary　authority　explained　how　the　deficiency　had



arisen；　but　owing　to　the　skill　with　which　he　entwined　the　most



intricate　terms　in　unbroken　fluency；　the　only　impression　left　upon　my



superficial　mind　was；　that　the　person　before　me　was　imputing　the



scheme　for　my　despoilment　less　to　any　mercenary　instinct　on　the　part



of　his　confederates；　than　to　a　want　of　timely　precision　maintained　by



one　who　seemed　to　bear　an　agreeable…sounding　name　somewhat　similar　to



your　own；　and　who；　from　the　difficulty　of　reaching　his　immediate　ear；



might　be　regarded　as　dwelling　in　a　distant　land。　Encouraged　by　this



conciliatory　profession　（and　seeing　no　likelihood　of　gaining　my　end



otherwise）；　I　thereupon　declared　my　willingness　that　the　difference



lying　between　us　should　be　submitted　to　the　pronouncement　of



dispassionate　omens；　either　passing　birds；　flat　and　round　sticks；　the



seeds　of　two　oranges；　wood　and　fire；　water　poured　out　upon　the　ground



or　any　equally　reliable　sign　as　he　himself　might　decide。　However；　in



spite　of　his　honourable　assurances；　he　was　doubtless　more　deeply



implicated　in　the　adventure　than　he　would　admit；　for　at　this



scrupulous　proposal　the　benignant　mask　of　his　expression　receded



abruptly；　and；　striking　a　hidden　bell；　he　waved　his　hands　and　stood　up



to　signify　that　further　justice　was　denied　me。







In　this　manner　a　state　of　destitution　calling　for　the　fullest



acceptance　of　Tcheng　How's　impassive　philosophy　was　created；　nor　had



many　hours　faded　before　the　first　insidious　temptation　to　depart　from



his　uncompromising　acquiescence　presented　itself。







At　that　time　there　was　no　one　in　whom　I　reposed　a　larger…sized　piece



of　confidence　（in　no　way　involving　sums　of　money；）　than　one　officially



styled　William　Beveledge　Greyson；　although；　profiting　by　our　own



custom；　it　is　unusual　for　those　really　intimate　with　his　society　to



address　him　fully；　unless　the　occasion　should　be　one　of　marked



ceremony。　Forming　a　resolution；　I　now　approached　this　obliging



person；　and　revealing　to　him　the　cause　of　the　emergency；　I　prayed　that



he　would　advise　me；　as　one　abandoned　on　a　strange　Island；　by　what



handicraft　or　exercise　of　skill　I　might　the　readiest　secure　for　the



time　a　frugal　competence。







〃Why；　look　here；　aged　man；〃　at　once　replied　the　lavish　William



Greyson；　〃don't　worry　yourself　about　that。　I　can　easily　let　you　have　a



few　pounds　to　tide　you　over。　You　wi