the mirror of kong ho-第32节

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few　pounds　to　tide　you　over。　You　will　probably　hear　from　the　bank　in



the　course　of　a　few　days　or　weeks；　and　it's　hardly　worth　while　doing



anything　eccentric　in　the　meantime。〃







At　this　delicately…worded　proposal　I　was　about　to　shake　hands　with



myself　in　agreement；　when　the　memory　of　Tcheng　How's　resolute



submission　again　possessed　me；　and　seeing　that　this　would　be　an



unworthy　betrayal　of　destiny　I　turned　aside　the　action；　and　replying



evasively　that　the　world　was　too　small　to　hold　himself　and　another



equally　magnanimous；　I　again　sought　his　advice。







〃Now　what　silly　upside…down　idea　is　it　that　you've　got　into　that



Chinese　puzzle　you　call　your　head；　Kong？〃　he　replied；　for　this　same



William　was　one　who　habitually　gilded　unpalatable　truths　into　the



semblance　of　a　flattering　jest。　〃Whenever　you　turn　off　what　you　are



saying　into　a　willow…pattern　compliment　and　bow　seventeen　times　like



an　animated　mandarin；　I　know　that　you　are　keeping　something　back。　Be　a



man　and　a　brother；　and　out　with　it；〃　and　he　struck　me　heavily　upon　the



left　shoulder；　which　among　the　barbarians　is　a　proof　of　cordiality　to



be　esteemed　much　above　the　mere　wagging　of　each　other's　hands。







〃In　the　matter　of　guidance；〃　I　replied；　〃this　person　is　ready　to　sit



unreservedly　on　your　well…polished　feet。　But　touching　the　borrowing　of



money；　obligations　to　restore　with　an　added　sum　after　a　certain



period；　initial…bearing　papers　of　doubtful　import；　and　the　like；　I



have　read　too　deeply　the　pointed　records　of　your　own　printed　sheets



not　to　prefer　an　existence　devoted　to　the　scraping　together　of　dust　at



the　street　corners；　rather　than　a　momentary　affluence　which　in　the　end



would　betray　me　into　the　tiger…like　voracity　of　a　native



money…lender。〃







〃Well；　you　do　me　proud；　Kong；〃　said　William　Beveledge；　after　regarding



me　fixedly　for　a　moment。　〃If　I　didn't　remember　that　you　are　a



flat…faced；　slant…eyed；　top…side…under；　pig…tailed　old　heathen；　I



should　be　really　annoyed　at　your　unwarrantable　personalities。　Do　you



take　ME　for　what　you　call　a　'native　money…lender'？〃







The　pronouncements　of　destiny　are　written　in　iron；〃　I　replied



inoffensively；　〃and　it　is　as　truly　said　that　one　fated　to　end　his　life



in　a　cave　cannot　live　for　ever　on　the　top　of　a　pagoda。　Undoubtedly　as



one　born　and　residing　here　you　are　native；　and　as　inexorably　it



succeeds　that　if　you　lend　me　pieces　of　gold　you　become　a　money…lender。



Therefore；　though　honourably　inspired　at　the　first；　you　would　equally



be　drawn　into　the　entanglement　of　circumstance；　and　the　unevadible　end



must　inevitably　be　that　against　which　your　printed　papers　consistently



warn　one。〃







〃And　what　is　that？〃　asked　Beveledge　Greyson；　still　regarding　me



closely；　as　though　I　were　a　creature　of　another　part。







〃At　first；〃　I　replied；　〃there　would　be　an　alluring　snare　of　graceful



words；　tea；　and　the　consuming　of　paper…rolled　herbs；　and　the　matter



would　be　lightly　spoken　of　as　capable　of　an　easy　adjustment；　which；



indeed；　it　cannot　be　denied；　is　how　the　detail　stands　at　present。　The



next　position　would　be　that　this　person；　finding　himself　unable　to



gather　together　the　equivalent　of　return　within　the　stated　time；　would



greet　you　with　a　very　supple　neck　and　pray　for　a　further　extension；



which　would　be　permitted　on　the　understanding　that　in　the　event　of



failure　his　garments　and　personal　charms　should　be　held　in　bondage。　To



escape　so　humiliating　a　necessity；　as　the　time　drew　near　I　would



address　myself　to　another；　one　calling　himself　William；　perchance；　and



dwelling　in　a　northern　province；　to　whom　I　would　be　compelled　to



assign　my　peach…orchard　at　Yuen…ping。　Then　by　varying　degrees　of



infamy　I　would　in　turn　be　driven　to　visit　a　certain　Bevel　of　the



Middle　Lands；　a　person　Edge　carrying　on　his　insatiable　traffic　on　the



southern　coast；　one　Grey　elsewhere；　and　a　Mr。　Son；　of　the　west；　who



might　make　an　honourable　profession　of　lending　money　without　any



security　whatever；　but　who　in　the　end　would　possess　himself　of　my



ancestral　tablets；　wives；　and　inlaid　coffin；　and　probably　also　obtain



a　lien　upon　my　services　and　prosperity　in　the　Upper　Air。　Then；　when　I



had　parted　from　all　comfort　in　this　life；　and　every　hope　of　affluence



in　the　Beyond；　it　would　presently　be　disclosed　that　all　these　were　in



reality　as　one　person　who　had　unceasingly　plotted　to　my　destruction；



and　William　Beveledge　Greyson　would　stand　revealed　in　the　guise　of　a



malevolent　vampire。　Truly　that　development　has　at　this　moment　an



appearance　of　unreality；　and　worthy　even　of　pooh…pooh；　but　thus　is　the



warning　spread　by　your　own　printed　papers　and　the　records　of　your



Halls　of　Justice；　and　it　would　be　an　unseemly　presumption　for　one　of



my　immature　experience　to　ignore　the　outstretched　and　warning　finger



of　authority。〃







〃Well；　Kong；〃　he　said　at　length；　after　considering　my　words



attentively；　〃I　always　thought　that　your　mental　outlook　was　a　hash　of



Black　Art；　paper　lanterns；　blank　verse；　twilight；　and　delirium



tremens；　but　hang　me　if　you　aren't　sound　on　finance；　and　I　only　wish



that　you'd　get　some　of　my　friends　to　look　at　the　matter　of　borrowing



in　your　own　reasonable；　broad…minded　light。　The　question　is；　what



next？〃







I　replied　that　I　leaned　heavily　against　his　sagacious　insight；　adding；



however；　that　even　among　a　nation　of　barbarians　one　who　could　repeat



the　three　hundred　and　eleven　poems　comprising　the　Book　of　Odes　from



beginning　to　end；　and　claim　the　degree　〃Assured　Genius〃　would　ever　be



certain　of　a　place。







〃Yes；〃　replied　William　Greyson；〃in　the　workhouse。　Put　your　degree　in



your　inside　pocket；　Kong；　and　don't　mention　it。　You'll　have　far　more



chance　as　a　distressed　mariner。　The　casual　wards　are　full　of　B。A。's；



but　the　navy　can't　get　enough　A。B。's　at　any　price。　What　do　you　say　to



an　organ；　by　the　way？　Mysterious　musicians　generally　go　down　well；　and



I　dare　say　there's　room　for　a　change　from　veiled　ladies；　persecuted



captains　and　indigent　earls。　You　ought　to　make　a　sensation。〃







〃Is　it　in　the　nature　of　melodious　sounds　upon　winding　a　handle？〃　I



asked；　not　at　the　moment　grasping　with　certainty　to　what　organ　he



referred。







〃Well；　some　call　them　that；〃　he　admitted；　〃others　don't。　I　suppose；



now；　you　wouldn't　care　to　walk　to　Brighton　with　your　feet　tied



together；　or　your　hair　in　curl　papers；　and　then　get　on　at　a　music



hall？　Or　would　there　be　any　chance　of　your　Legation　kidnapping　you　if



it　was　properly　worked？　'Kong　Ho；　the　great　Chinese　Reformer；　tells



the　Story　of　his　Life；'there　ought　to　be　money　in　it。　Are　you　a



reformer　or　the　leader　of　a　secret　society；　Kong？〃







〃On　the　contrary；〃　I　replied；　〃we　of　our　Line　have　ever　been



unflinching　in　our　loyalty　to　the　dynasty　of　Tsing。〃







〃You　ought　to　have　known　better；　then。　It's　a　poor　business　being　that



in　your　country　nowadays。　Pity　there　are　no　bye…elections　on　the



African　Labour　Question；　or　you'd　be　snapped　up　for　a　procession。〃







To　this　I　replied　that　although　the　idea　of　moving　in　a　processional



triumph　would　readily　ensnare　the　minds　of　the　light　and　fantastic；　I



should　prefer　some　more　literary　occupation；　submissively　adding　that



in　such　a　case　I　would　not　stiffen　my　joints　against　the　most　menial



lot；　even　that　of　blending　my　voice　in　a　laudatory　chorus；　or　of



carrying　official　pronouncements　about　the　walls　of　the　city；　for　it



is　said　with　justice；　〃The　starving　man　does　not　peel　his　melon；　nor



do　the　parched　first　wipe　round　the　edges　of　the　proffered　cup。〃







〃If　you've　set　your　mind　on　something　literary；〃　said　Beveledge



confidently；　〃you　have　every　chance　of　finishing　up　in　a　chorus　or



carrying　printed　placards　about　the　streets；　certainly。　When　it　comes



to　that；　look　me　up　in　Eastcheap。〃　With　this　encouraging　assurance　of



my　ultimate　success　he　left　me；　and　rejoicing　that　I　had　not　fallen



into　the　snare　of　opposing　a　written　destiny；　I　sought　the　literary



quarters　of　the　city。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







When　this　person　has　been　able　to　write　of　any　custom　or　facet　of



existence　here　in　a　strain　of　conscientious　esteem；　he　has　not



hesitated　to　dip　his　brush　deeply　into　the　inkpot。　Reverting



backwards；　this　barbarian　enactment　of　not　permitting　those　who　from



any　cause　have　decided　upon　spending　the　night　in　a　philosophical



abstraction　to　repose　upon　the　public　seats　about　the　swards　and　open



spaces　is　not　conceived　in　a　mood　of　affable　toleration。　Nevertheless