the mirror of kong ho-第35节

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engraved　upon　his　face　by　means　of　the　coloured　inks；　I　was　far　from



being　comfortably　settled　within　myself。　Even　the　society　of　the　not



inelegant　being　of　the　inner　chamber；　whom　it　was　now　my　part　to



console　with　alluring　words　and　movements；　could　not　for　some　time



retain　my　face　from　a　back…way　instinct　at　every　sound；　but　when　the



detail　was　reached　that　she　sank　into　my　grasp　bereft　of　all　energy；



and　for　the　first　time　I　was　just　succeeding　in　forgetting　the



unpropitious　surroundings；　the　one　Fang；　who　had　entered　with　unseemly



stealth；　suddenly　hurled　his　soul…freezing　battle…cry　upon　my　ear　and



leapt　forward　with　uplifted　knife。　Perceiving　the　action　from　an　angle



of　my　eye　even　as　he　propelled　himself　through　the　air；　I　could　not



restrain　an　ignoble　wail　of　despair；　and　not　scrupling　to　forsake　the



maiden；　I　would　have　taken　refuge　beneath　a　couch　had　he　not　seized　my



outer　robe　and　hurled　me　to　the　ground。　From　this　point　to　the　close



of　the　entertainment　the　vigorous　person　in　question　did　not　cease



from　raising　cries　and　challenges　in　an　unfaltering　and　many…fathomed



stream；　while　at　the　same　time　he　continued　to　spring　from　one



extremity　of　the　stage　to　the　other　surrounded　by　every　external



attribute　of　an　insatiable　tiger…like　rage。　It　is　circumstantially



related　that　the　one　near　at　hand；　who　has　been　referred　to　as



possessing　a　voiced　machine；　became　demented；　and　bearing　the



contrivance　to　a　certain　tent　erected　by　the　charitable；　entreated



them　to　remove　the　impediment　from　its　speech　so　that　it　might　be



heard　again　and　his　livelihood　restored。　When　the　action　of



brandishing　a　profusion　of　knives　before　the　lesser　one's　eyes　was



reached；　so　nerve…shattering　was　the　impression　which　Fang　created



that　the　back　of　the　tent　had　to　be　removed　in　order　to　let　out　those



who　no　longer　had　possession　of　themselves；　and　to　let　in　thoseto　a



ten…fold　degreewho　strove　for　admission　on　the　rumour　spreading　that



something　exceptionally　repellent　was　progressing　within。







With　what　attenuated　organs　of　repose　this　person　would　have　reached



the　end　of　so　strenuous　an　occupation　had　he　been　compelled　to　twelve



enactments　each　hour　throughout　the　gong…strokes　of　the　day　without



any　literary　relief；　it　is　not　enticing　to　dwell　upon。　This　evil　was



averted　by　a　timely　intervention；　for　upon　proceeding　to　the　outer　air



for　the　third　time　I　at　once　perceived　among　the　foremost　throng　the



engaging　full…face　of　William　Beveledge　Greyson。　This　really



painstaking　individual　had　learned；　as　he　afterwards　explained；　that



the　chiefs　of　exchange　（those　who　in　the　first　case　had　opposed　me



resolutely；）　had　received　a　written　omen；　and　now　in　contrition　were



expressing　their　willingness　to　hold　out　a　full　restitution。　With　this



assurance　he　had　set　forth　in　an　unremitting　search；　and　guided　by



street…watchers；　removers　of　superfluous　earth；　families　propelling



themselves　forward　upon　one　foot；　astrologers；　two…wheeled



charioteers；　and　others　who　move　early　and　secretly　by　night；　he　had



traced　my　description　to　this　same　Heath。　Here　he　had　been　attracted



by　the　displayed　placard　（remembering　my　honourable　boast）；　and



approaching　nearer；　he　had　plainly　recognised　my　voice　within。　But　in



spite　of　this　the　successful　disentanglement　was　by　no　means　yet



accomplished。







Not　expecting　so　involved　a　reversal　of　things；　and　being　short…eyed



by　nature；　William　Greyson　did　not　wait　for　a　fuller　assurance　than　to



be　satisfied　that　the　one　before　him　wore　my　robes　and　conformed　in　a



general　outline；　before　he　addressed　him。







〃Kong　Ho；〃　he　said　pleasantly；　〃what　the　Chief　Evil　Spirit　are　you



doing　up　there？〃　adding　persuasively；　〃Come　down；　there's　a　good



fellow。　I　have　something　important　to　tell　you。〃







Thus　appealed　to；　the　one　Fang　hesitated　in　doubt；　seeing　on　the　one



hand　a　certain　loss　of　face　if　he　declined　the　conversation；　and　on



the　other　hand　having　no　clear　perception　of　what　was　required　from



him。　Therefore　he　entered　upon　a　course　of　evasion　and　somewhat



incapably　replied；　〃Chow　Chop　Wei　Hai　Wei　Lung　Tung　Togo　Kuroki　Jim



Jam　Beri　Beri。〃







〃Don't　act　the　horned　sheep；〃　said　Beveledge；　who　was　both　resolute



and　one　easily　set　into　violent　motion　by　an　opposing　stream。　〃Come



down；　or　I'll　come　up　and　fetch　you。〃　And　not　being　satisfied　with



Fang's　ill…advised　attempt　to　express　himself　equivocally；　those



around　took　up　the　apt　similitude　of　a　self…opinionated　animal；　and



began　to　suggest　a　comparison　to　other　creatures　no　less　degraded。







〃Rats　yourselves！〃　exclaimed　the　easily…inflamed　person　at　my　side；



losing　the　inefficient　cords　of　his　prudence　beneath　the　sting。　〃Who's



a　rabbit？　For　two　guinea…pigs　I'd　mow　all　the　grass　between　here　and



the　Spaniards　with　your　own　left　ears；〃　and　not　permitting　me



sufficient　preparation　to　withhold　the　chain　more　firmly；　he　abruptly



cast　himself　down　among　them；　amid　a　scene　of　the　most　untamed



confusion。







〃Oh；　affectionately…disposed　brethren；〃　I　exclaimed；　moving　forward



and　raising　my　hand　in　refined　disapproval；　〃the　sublime　Confucius；　in



the　twenty…third　chapter　of　the　book　called　'The　Great　Learning；'



warns　us　against〃　but　before　I　could　formulate　the　allusion



Beveledge　Greyson；　who　at　the　sound　of　my　conciliatory　words　had　gazed



first　in　astonishment　and　then　in　a　self…convulsed　position；　drew



himself　up　to　my　side；　and　taking　a　firm　grasp　upon　the　all…round



collar；　projected　me　without　a　pause　through　the　tent；　and　only



halting　for　a　moment　to　point　significantly　back　to　the　varied　and



animated　scene　behind；　where；　amid　a　very　profuse　display　of



contending　passions；　the　erected　stage　was　already　being　dragged　to



the　ground；　and　a　band　of　the　official　watch　was　in　the　act　of



converging　from　every　side；　he　led　me　through　more　deserted　paths　to



the　scene　of　a　final　extrication。







With　a　well…gratified　sense　of　having　held　an　unswerving　course　along



the　convoluted　outline　of　Destiny's　decree；　to　whatever　tending。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　XIV











Concerning　a　pressing　invitation　from　an　ever　benevolently…



disposed　father　to　a　prosaic　but　dutifully…inclined　son。　The



recording　of　certain　matters　of　no　particular　moment。　



Concerning　that　ultimate　end　which　is　symbolic　of　the



inexorable　wheels　of　a　larger　Destiny。















VENERATED　SIRE；It　is　not　for　the　earthworm　to　say　when　and　in　what



exact　position　the　iron…shod　boot　shall　descend；　and　this　person；



being　an　even　inferior　creature　for　the　purpose　of　the　comparison；



bows　an　acquiescent　neck　to　your　very　explicit　command　that　he　shall



return　to　Yuen…ping　without　delay。　He　cannot　put　away　from　his　mind　a



clinging　suspicion　that　this　arising　is　the　result　of　some



imperfection　in　his　deplorable　style　of　correspondence；　whereby　you



have　formed　an　impression　quite　opposed　to　that　which　it　had　been　the



intention　to　convey；　and　that；　perchance；　you　even　have　a　secret　doubt



whether　upon　some　specified　occasion　he　may　not　have　conducted　the



enterprise　to　an　ignoble；　or　at　least　not　markedly　successful；　end。



However；　the　saying　runs；　〃The　stone…cutter　always　has　the　last　word；〃



and　you　equally；　by　intimating　with　your　usual　unanswerable　and



clear…sighted　gift　of　logic　that　no　further　allowance　of　taels　will　be



sent　for　this　one's　dispersal；　diplomatically　impose　upon　an



ever…yearning　son　the　most　feverish　anxiety　once　more　to　behold　your



large　and　open…handed　face。







Standing　thus　poised；　as　it　may　be　said；　for　a　returning　flight　across



the　elements　of　separation；　it　is　not　inopportune　for　this　person　to



let　himself　dwell　gracefully　upon　those　lighter　points　of　recollection



which　have　engraved　themselves　from　time　to　time　upon　his　mind　without



leading　to　any　more　substantial　adventure　worthy　to　record。　Many　of



the　things　which　seemed　strange　and　incomprehensible　when　he　first



came　among　this　powerful　though　admittedly　barbarian　people；　are　now



revealed　at　a　proper　angle；　others；　to　which　he　formerly　imagined　he



had　found　the　disclosing　key；　are；　on　the　other　hand；　plunged　into　a



distorting　haze；　while　between　these　lie　a　multitude　of　details　in



every　possible　stage　of　disentanglement　and　doubt。　As　a　final　and



painstaking　pronouncement；　this　person　has　no　hesitation　in　declaring



that　this　country　is　notas　practically　all　our　former　travellers



have　declaredcompletely　down