the mirror of kong ho-第4节

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seat　which　he　was　conveying　across　the　room　for　the　acceptance　of　a



lady；　and　immediately　overwhelmed　me　with　apologies　of　almost



unnecessary　profusion；　my　mind　at　once　leapt　to　an　inspired



conclusion；　and　smiling　acquiescently　I　bowed　several　times　to　each



person　to　convey　to　them　an　admission　of　the　undoubted　fact　that　to



the　wise　a　timely　omen　before　the　storm　is　as　effective　as　a



thunderbolt　afterwards。







It　chanced　that　there　was　present　the　exceptionally　prepossessing　



maiden　to　whom　this　person　has　already　referred。　So　varied　and　ornate



were　her　attractions　that　it　would　be　incompetent　in　one　of　my　less



than　average　ability　to　attempt　an　adequate　portrayal。　She　had　a



light…coloured　name　with　the　letters　so　harmoniously　convoluted　as　to



be　quite　beyond　my　inferior　power　of　pronunciation；　so　that　if　I



wished　to　refer　to　her　in　her　absence　I　had　to　indicate　the　one　I



meant　by　likening　her　to　a　full…blown　chrysanthemum；　a　piece　of　rare



jade；　an　ivory　pagoda　of　unapproachable　antiquity；　or　some　other



object　of　admitted　grace。　Even　this　description　may　scarcely　convey　to



you　the　real　extent　of　her　elegant　personality；　but　in　her　presence　my



internal　organs　never　failed　to　vibrate　with　a　most　entrancing



uncertainty；　and　even　now；　at　the　recollection　of　her　virtuous



demeanour；　I　am　by　no　means　settled　within　myself。







〃Well；〃　exclaimed　this　melodious　vision；　with　sympathetic　tact；　〃if



every　one　is　going　to　disown　poor　Hercules　because　he　has　eaten　all



our　dinners；　I　shall　be　quite　willing　to　have　him；　for　he　is　a　dzear



ole　loveykins；　wasn't　ums？〃　（This；　O　my　immaculate　and　dignified　sire；



which　I　transcribe　with　faithful　undeviation；　appears　to　be　the



dialect　of　a　remote　province；　spoken　only　by　maidensboth　young　and



of　autumnal　solitudeunder　occasional　mental　stress；　as　of　a　native



of　Shan…si　relapsing　without　consciousness　into　his　uncouth　tongue



after　passing　a　lifetime　in　the　Capital。）　〃Don't　you　think　so　too；



Mr。　Kong？〃







〃When　the　sun　shines　the　shadow　falls；　for　truly　it　is　said；　'To　the



faithful　one　even　the　voice　of　the　corncrake　at　evening　speaks　of　his



absent　love；'〃　replied　this　person；　so　engagingly　disconcerted　at



being　thus　openly　addressed　by　the　maiden　that　he　retained　no　delicate



impression　of　what　she　said；　or　even　of　what　he　was　replying；　beyond



an　unassuming　hope　that　the　nature　of　his　feelings　might　perchance　be



inoffensively　revealed　to　her　in　the　semblance　of　a　discreet　allegory。







〃Perhaps；〃　interposed　a　person　of　neglected　refinement；　turning



towards　the　maiden；　〃you　would　like　to　have　a　corncrake　also；　to　remind



you　of　Mr。　Kong？〃







〃I　do　not　know　what　a　corncrake　is　like；〃　replied　the　maiden　with



commendable　dignity。　〃I　do　not　think　so；　however；　for　I　once　had　a



pair　of　canaries；　and　I　found　them　very　unsatisfying；　insipid



creatures。　But　I　should　love　to　have　a　little　dog　I　am　sure；　only　Miss



Blank　won't　hear　of　it。〃







〃Kong　Ho；〃　thought　this　person　inwardly；　〃not　in　vain　have　you　burnt



joss　sticks　unceasingly；　for　the　enchanting　one　has　said　into　your



eyes　that　she　would　love　to　partake　of　a　little　dog。　Assuredly　we　have



recently　consumed　the　cold　portion　of　sheep　on　more　occasions　than　a



strict　honourableness　could　require　of　those　who　pay　a　stated　sum　at



regular　intervals；　and　the　change　would　be　a　welcome　one。　As　she　truly



says；　the　flavour　even　of　canaries　is　trivial　and　insignificant　by



comparison。〃　During　the　period　of　dinnerwhich　consisted　of　eggs　and



green　herbs　of　the　fieldthis　person　allowed　the　contemplation　to



grow　within　him；　and　inspired　by　a　most　pleasant　and　disinterested



ambition　to　carry　out　the　expressed　wishes　of　the　one　who　had　spoken；



he　determined　that　the　matter　should　be　unobtrusively　arranged



despite　the　mercenary　opposition　of　the　Maidens　Blank。







This　person　had　already　learned　by　experience　that　dogs　are　rarely　if



ever　exposed　for　sale　in　the　stalls　of　the　meat　venders；　the　reason



doubtless　being　that　they　are　articles　of　excessive　luxury　and



reserved　by　law　for　the　rich　and　powerful。　Those　kept　by　private



persons　are　generally　closely　guarded　when　they　approach　a　desirable



condition　of　body；　and　the　hound　Hercules　would　not　prove　an



attractive　dish　to　those　who　had　known　him　in　life。　Nevertheless；　it



is　well　said；　〃The　Great　Wall　is　unsurmountable；　but　there　are　many



gaps　through；〃　and　that　same　evening　I　was　able　to　carry　the　first



part　of　my　well…intentioned　surprise　into　effect。







The　matter　now　involves　one　named　Herbert；　who　having　exchanged　gifts



of　betrothal　with　a　maiden　staying　at　the　house；　was　in　the　habit　of



presenting　himself　openly；　when　he　was　permitted　to　see　her；　after　the



manner　of　these　barbarians。　（Yet　even　of　them　the　more　discriminating



acknowledge　that　our　customs　are　immeasurably　superior；　for　when　I



explained　to　the　aged　father　of　the　Maidens　Blank　that　among　us　the



marriage　rites　are　irrevocably　performed　before　the　bride　is　seen



unveiled　by　man；　he　sighed　heavily　and　exclaimed　that　the　parents　of



this　country　had　much　to　learn。）







The　genial…minded　Herbert　had　already　acquired　for　himself　the



reputation　of　being　one　who　ceaselessly　removes　the　gravity　of　others；



both　by　word　and　action；　and　from　the　first　he　selected　this　obscure



person　for　his　charitable　purpose　to　a　most　flattering　extent。　Not



only　did　heon　the　pretext　that　his　memory　was　rebelliousinvariably



greet　me　as　〃Mr。　Hong　Kong；〃　but　on　more　than　one　occasion　he



insisted；　with　mirth…provoking　reference　to　certain　details　of　my



unbecoming　garments；　that　I　must　surely　have　become　confused　and　sent



a　Mrs。　Hong　Kong　instead　of　myself；　and　frequently　he　undermined　the



gravity　of　all　most　successfully　by　pulling　me　backwards　suddenly　by



the　pigtail；　with　the　plea　that　he　imagined　he　was　picking　up　his



riding…whip。　This　attractive　person　was　always　accompanied　by　a



formidable　dogof　convex　limbs；　shrunken　lip；　and　suspicious



demeanourwhich　he　called　Influenza；　to　the　excessive　amusement　of



those　to　whom　he　related　its　characteristics。　For　some　inexplicable



reason　from　the　first　it　regarded　my　lower　apparel　as　being　unsuitable



for　the　ordinary　occasions　of　life；　and　in　spite　of　the　low　hissing



call　by　which　its　master　endeavoured　to　attract　its　attention　to



himself；　it　devoted　its　energies　unceasingly　to　the　self…imposed　task



of　removing　them　fragment　by　fragment。　Nevertheless　it　was　a　dog　of



favourable　size　and　condition；　and　it　need　not　therefore　be　a　matter



for　surprise　that　when　the　intellectual　person　Herbert　took　his



departure　on　the　day　in　question　it　had　to　be　assumed　that　it　had



already　preceded　him。　Having　accomplished　so　much；　this　person　found



little　difficulty　in　preparing　it　tastefully　in　his　own　apartment；



and　making　the　substitution　on　the　following　day。







Although　his　mind　was　confessedly　enlarged　at　the　success　of　his



venture；　and　his　hopes　most　ornamentally　coloured　at　the　thought　of



the　adorable　one's　gratified　esteem　when　she　discovered　how　expertly



her　wishes　had　been　carried　out；　this　person　could　not　fail　to　notice



that　the　Maiden　Blank　was　also　materially　agitated　when　she



distributed　the　contents　of　the　dish　before　her。







〃Will　you；　of　your　enlightened　courtesy；　accept；　and　overlook　the



deficiencies　of；　a　portion　of　rabbit…pie；　O　high…souled　Mr。　Kong？〃　she



inquired　gracefully　when　this　insignificant　person　was　reached；　and；



concealing　my　many…hued　emotion　beneath　an　impassive　face；　I　bowed



agreeably　as　I　replied；　〃To　the　beggar；　black　bread　is　a　royal



course。〃







〃WHAT　pie　did　you　say；　dear？〃　whispered　another　autumnal　maiden；



when　all　had　partaken　somewhat；　and　at　her　words　a　most　consistently



acute　silence　involved　the　table。







〃II　don't　quite　know；〃　replied　the　one　of　the　upper　end；　becoming



excessively　devoid　of　complexion；　and　restraining　her　voice　she



forthwith　sent　down　an　attending　slave　to　inquire　closely。







At　this　point　a　person　of　degraded　ancestry　endeavoured　to　remove　the



undoubted　cloud　of　depression　by　feigning　the　nocturnal　cry　of　the



domestic　cat；　but　in　this　he　was　not　successful；　and　a　maiden



opposite；　after　fixedly　regarding　a　bone　on　her　plate；　withdrew



suddenly；　embracing　herself　as　she　went。　A　moment　later　the　slave



returned；　proclaiming　aloud　that　the　dish　which　had　been　prepared　for



the　occasion　had　now　been　accidentally　discovered　by　the　round…bodied



cook　beneath　the　cushions　of　a