the mirror of kong ho-第33节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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



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



there　are　deserted　places　beyond　the　furthest　limits　of　the　city　where



a　more　amiable　full…face　is　shown。　On　the　eleventh　day　of　this　one's



determination　to　sustain　himself　by　the　exercise　of　his　literary



style；　he　was　journeying　about　sunset　towards　one　of　these　spots；



subduing　the　grosser　instincts　of　mankind　by　reviewing　the　wisdom　of



the　sublime　Lao　Ch'un；　who　decided　that　heat　and　cold；　pain　and



fatigue；　and　mental　distress；　have　no　real　existence；　and　are



therefore　amenable　to　logical　disproof；　while　the　cravings　of　hunger



and　thirst　are　merely　the　superfluous　attributes　of　a　former　and　lower



state　of　existence；　when　a　passer…by；　who　for　some　distance　had　been



alternately　advancing　before　and　remaining　behind；　matched　his



footsteps　into　mine。







〃Whichee　way　walk…go；　John；　eh？〃　said　this　unfortunate　being；　who



appeared　to　be　suffering　from　a　laborious　deformity　of　speech。　〃Allee



samee　load　me。　Chin…chin。〃







Filled　with　compassion　for　one　who　evidently　found　himself　alone　in　a



strange　land；　in　the　absence　of　his　more　highly…accomplished



companion；　unable　to　indicate　his　wants　and　requirements　to　those



about　him；　I　regretfully　admitted　that　I　had　not　chanced　to　encounter



that　John　whose　wandering　footsteps　he　sought；　and　to　indicate；　by　not



leaving　him　abruptly；　that　I　maintained　a　sympathetic　concern　over　his



welfare；　I　pointed　out　to　him　the　exceptional　brilliance　of　the



approaching　night；　adding　that　I　myself　was　then　directing　a　course



towards　a　certain　spacious　Heath；　a　few　li　distant　in　the　north。







〃Sing…dance　tomollow；　then？〃　he　said；　with　a　condensed　air　of　general



disappointment。　〃Chop…chop　in　a　pay　look…see　show　on　HamHamstloh



damme！　on　'Ampstead　'Eath？　Booked　up；　eh；　John？〃







Gradually　convinced　that　it　was　becoming　necessary　to　readjust　the



significance　of　the　incident；　I　replied　that　I　had　no　intention　of



partaking　of　chops　or　food　of　any　variety　in　an　erected　tent；　but



merely　of　passing　the　night　in　an　intellectual　seclusion。







〃Oh；〃　said　the　one　who　was　walking　by　my　side；　regarding　my　garments



with　engaging　attention；　and　at　the　same　time　appearing　to　regain　an



unruffled　speech　as　though　the　other　had　been　an　assumed　device；　〃I



understandthe　Blue　Sky　Hotel。　Well；　I've　stayed　there　once　or　twice



myself。　A　bit　down　on　your　uppers；　eh？〃







〃Assuredly　this　person　may　perchance　lay　his　upper　parts　down　for　a



short　space　of　time；〃　I　admitted；　when　I　had　traced　out　the　symbolism



of　the　words。　〃As　it　is　humanely　written　in　The　Books；　'Sleep　and



suicide　are　the　free　refuges　equally　of　the　innocent　and　the　guilty。'〃







〃Oh；　come　now；　don't；〃　exclaimed　the　energetic　person；　striking



himself　together　by　means　of　his　two　hands。　〃It's　sinful　to　talk　about



suicide　the　day　before　bank　holiday。　Why；　my　only　Somali　warrior　has



vamoosed　with　his　full　make…up；　and　the　Magnetic　Girl　too；　and　I　never



thought　of　suicideonly　whether　to　turn　my　old　woman　into　a　Veiled



Beauty　of　the　Harem　or　a　Hairy　Lama　from　Tibet。〃







Not　absolutely　grasping　the　emergency；　yet　in　a　spirit　of　inoffensive



cordiality　I　remarked　that　the　alternative　was　insufferably



perplexing；　while　he　continued。







〃Then　I　spotted　you；　and　in　a　flash　I　got　an　idea　that　ought　to　take



and　turn　out　really　great　if　you'll　come　in。　Now　follow　this：



Missionary's　tent　in　the　wilds　of　Pekin。　Domestic　interior　by



lamp…light。　Missionary　（me）　reading　evening　paper；　missionary's　wife



（the　missus）　making　tea；　and　between　times　singing　to　keep　the　small



pet　goat　quiet　（small　goat；　a　pillow；　horsecloth；　and



pocket…handkerchief）。　Breaks　down　singing；　sobs；　and　says　she　feels　a



strange　all…over　presentiment。　Missionary　admits　being　a　bit　fluffed



himself；　and　lets　out　about　a　notice　signed　in　blood　that　he's　seen　in



the　city。〃







〃Carried　upon　a　pole？〃　this　person　demanded；　feeling　that　something　of



a　literary　nature　might　yet　be　wrested　into　the　incident。







〃On　a　flagstaff　if　you　like；〃　conceded　the　other　one　magnanimously。　〃A



notice　to　the　effect　that　it　is　the　duty　of　every　jack　mother's　son　of



them　to　douse　the　foreign　devils；　man；　woman；　and　child；　and



especially　the　talk…book　pass…hat…round　men。　Also　that　he　has　had



several　brick…ends　heaved　at　him　on　his　way　back。　Then　stops　suddenly；



hits　his　upper　crust；　and　says　that　it's　like　his　blamed



fat…headedness　to　frighten　her；　while　she　clutches　at　herself　three



times　and　faints　away。〃







〃Amid　the　voluminous　burning　of　blue　lights？〃　suggested　this　person



resourcefully。







〃By　rights　there　should　be；〃　admitted　the　one　who　was　devising　the



representation；　〃but　it　will　hardly　run　to　it。　Anyway；　it　costs



nothing　to　turn　the　lamp　downsaves　a　bit　in　fact；　and　gives　an



effect。　Then　outside；　in　the　distance　at　first　you　understand；　you



begin　to　work　up　the　sound　of　the　advancing　mobrattles；　shouts；



tum…tums；　groans；　tin　plates　and　all　that　one　mortal　man　can　do　with



hands；　feet　and　mouth。〃







〃With　the　interspersal　of　an　occasional　cracker　and　the　stirring　notes



produced　by　striking　a　hollow　wooden　fish　repeatedly？〃　I　cried；　for



let　it　be　confessed　that　amid　the　portrayal　of　the　scene　my



imagination　had　taken　an　allotted　part。







〃If　you　like　to　provide　them；　and　don't　set　the　bally　show　on　fire；〃



he　replied。　〃Anyhow；　these　two　aren't　supposed　to　notice　anything　even



when　the　row　gets　louder。　Then　it　drops　and　you　are　heard　outside



talking　in　whispers　to　the　otherswords　of　command　and　telling　them



to　keep　back　half…a…mo；　and　so　on。　See？〃







〃Doubtless　introducing　a　spoken　charm　and　repeating　the　words　of　an



incantation　against　omens；　treachery；　and　other　matters。〃







〃Next　a　flap　of　the　tent　down　on　the　floor　is　raised；　and　you



reconnoitre；　looking　your　very　worst　and　holding　a　knife　between　your



teeth　and　another　in　each　hand。　Wave　a　hand　to　your　followers　to　keep



backor　come　on：　it　makes　no　difference。　Then　you　crawl　in　on　your



stomach；　give　a　terrific　howl；　and　stab　me　in　the　back。　That　rolls　me



under　the　curtain；　and　so　lets　me　out。　The　missus　ups　with　the



wood…chopper　and　stands　before　the　cradle；　while　you　yell　and　dance



round　with　the　knives。　That　ought　to　be　made　'the　moment'　of　the　whole



piece。　The　great　thing　is　to　make　enough　noise。　If　you　can　yell　louder



than　the　talking…machine　outfit　on　the　next　pitch　we　ought　to　turn



money　away。　While　you　are　at　it　I　start　a　fresh　row　outsideshouts；



cheers；　groans；　words　of　command　and　a　paper　bag　or　two。　Seeing　that



the　game　is　up　you　make　a　rush　at　the　old　woman；　she　downs　you　with



the　chopper；　turns　the　lamp　up　full；　shakes　out　a　Union　Jack　over　the



sleeping　infant；　and　finally　stands　in　her　finest　attitude　with　one



hand　pointing　impressively　upwards　and　the　other　contemptuously



downwards　just　as　Rule　Britannia　is　played　on　the　cornet　outside　and　I



appear　at　the　door　in　a　general's　full　uniform　and　let　down　the



curtain。〃







For　acting　in　the　manner　designatedas　touching　the　noises　both



inside　and　out；　the　set　dance　with　upraised　knives；　the　casting　to



earth　of　himself；　and　being　myself　in　turn　vanquished　by　the　aged



female；　with　an　added　compact　that　from　time　to　time　I　should　be　led



by　a　chain　and　shown　to　the　people　from　a　raised　platformwe　agreed



upon　a　daily　reward　of　two　pieces　of　silver；　an　adequacy　of　food；　and



a　certain　ambiguously…referred…to　share　of　the　gain。　It　need　not　be



denied　that　with　so　favourable　an　opportunity　of　introducing　passages



from　the　Classics　a　much　less　sum　would　have　been　accepted；　but　having



obtained　this　without　a　struggle；　the　one　now　recounting　the　facts



raised　the　opportune　suggestion　of　an　inscribed　placard；　in　order　to



fulfil　the　portent　foreshadowed　by　William　Greyson。　







〃Oh；　we'll　star　you；　never　fear；〃　assented　the　accommodating



personage；　and　having　by　this　time　reached　that　spot　upon　the　Heath



where　his　Domestic　Altar　had　been　raised；　we　entered。







〃All　the　most　distinguished　actors　in　this　country　take　another　name；〃



he　said　reflectively；　when　he　had　drawn　forth　a　parchment　of



praiseworthy　dimensions　and　ink　of　three　colours；　〃and　though　I　have



nothing　to　say　against　Kong　Ho　Tsin　Cheng　Quank　Paik　T'chun　Li　Yuen



Nung　for　quiet　unostentatious　dignity；　it　doesn't　have　just　the　grip



and　shudder　that　we　want。　Now　how　d