the mirror of kong ho-第8节

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indicate　that　they　are　prepared　to　encounter　and　vanquish　any



emergency　in　life。　To　make　no　elaborate　pretence　in　the　matter　this



person　may　definitely　admit　that　he　never　did　reach　the　place　in



question；　norin　spite　of　a　diligent　search　in　which　he　has



encountered　much　obloquyhas　he　yet　found　any　barber　sufficiently



well　equipped　to　undertake　the　detail。







Even　more　recently　I　suffered　the　unmerited　rebuke　of　the　superficial



through　performing　an　act　of　deferential　politeness。　Learning　that　the



enlightened　and　magnanimous　sovereign　of　this　country　was　setting　out



on　a　journey　I　stationed　myself　in　the　forefront　of　those　who　stood



before　his　palace；　intending　to　watch　such　parts　of　the　procession　as



might　be　fitly　witnessed　by　one　of　my　condition。　When　these　had



passed；　and　the　chariot　of　the　greatest　approached；　I　respectfully



turned　my　back　to　the　road　with　a　propitiatory　gesture；　as　of　one　who



did　not　deem　himself　worthy　even　to　look　upon　a　being　of　such　majestic



rank　and　acknowledged　excellence。　This　delicate　action；　by　some



incredible　process　of　mental　obliquity；　was　held　by　those　around　to　be



a　deliberate　insult；　if　not　even　a　preconcerted　signal；　of　open



treachery；　and　had　not　a　heaven…sent　breeze　at　that　moment　carried　the



hat　of　a　very　dignified　bystander　into　the　upper　branches　of　an



opportune　tree；　and　successfully　turned　aside　the　attention　of　the



assembly　into　a　most　immoderate　exhibition　of　utter　loss　of　gravity；　I



should　undoubtedly　have　been　publicly　tortured；　if　not　actually　torn



to　pieces。







But　the　incident　first　alluded　to　was　of　an　even　more



elaborately…contrived　density　than　these；　and　some　of　the　details　are



still　unrolled　before　the　keenest　edge　of　this　one's　inner　perception。



Nevertheless；　all　is　now　set　down　in　unbroken　exactness　for　your



impartial　judgment。







At　the　time　of　this　exploit　I　had　only　ventured　out　on　a　few



occasions；　and　then；　save　those　recorded；　to　no　considerable　extent；



for　it　had　already　become　obvious　that　the　enterprises　in　which　I



persistently　became　involved　never　contributed　to　my　material



prosperity；　and　the　disappointment　of　finding　that　even　when　I　could



remember　nine　words　of　a　sentence　in　their　language　none　of　the



barbarians　could　understand　even　so　much　as　a　tenth　of　my　own；　further



cast　down　my　enthusiasm。







On　the　day　which　has　been　the　object　of　this　person's　narration　from



the　first；　he　set　out　to　become　more　fully　instructed　in　the　subjects



already　indicated；　and　proceeding　in　a　direction　of　which　he　had　no



actual　knowledge；　he　soon　found　himself　in　a　populous　and　degraded



quarter　of　the　city。　Presently；　to　his　reasonable　astonishment；　he　saw



before　him　at　a　point　where　two　ill…constructed　thoroughfares　met；　a



spacious　and　important　building；　many…storied　in　height；　ornamented



with　a　profusion　of　gold　and　crystal；　marble　and　precious　stones；　and



displaying　from　a　tall　pole　the　three…hued　emblem　of　undeniable



authority。　A　never…ending　stream　of　people　passed　in　and　out　by　the



numerous　doors；　the　strains　of　expertly　wielded　instruments　could　be



distinctly　heard　inside；　and　the　warm　odour　of　a　most　prepossessing



spiced　incense　permeated　the　surroundings。　〃Assuredly；〃　thought　the



person　who　is　now　recording　the　incident；　〃this　is　one　of　the　Temples



of　barbarian　worship〃；　and　to　set　all　further　doubt　at　rest　he　saw　in



letters　of　gilt　splendour　a　variety　of　praiseworthy　and　appropriate



inscriptions；　among　which　he　read　and　understood；　〃Excellent；〃　〃Fine



Old；〃　〃Well　Matured；〃　〃Spirits　only　of　the　choicest　quality　within；〃



together　with　many　other　invocations　from　which　he　could　not　wrest　the



hidden　significance；　as　〃Old　Vatted；〃　〃Barclay's　Entire；〃　〃An　Ordinary



at　One；〃　and　the　like。







By　this　time　an　impressive　gathering　had　drawn　around；　and　from　its



manner　of　behaving　conveyed　the　suspicion　that　an　entertainment　or



manifestation　of　some　kind　was　confidently　awaited。　To　disperse　so



outrageous　a　misconception　this　person　was　on　the　point　of　withdrawing



himself　when　he　chanced　to　see；　over　the　principal　door　of　the　Temple；



a　solid　gold　figure　of　colossal　magnitude；　represented　as　crowned　with



leaves　and　tendrils；　and　holding　in　his　outstretched　hands　a　gigantic；



and　doubtless　symbolic；　bunch　of　grapes。　〃This；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃is



evidently　the　tutelary　deity　of　the　place；　so　displayed　to　receive　the



worship　of　the　passer…by。〃　With　the　discovery　a　thought　of　the　most



irreproachable　benevolence　possessed　me。　〃Why　should　not　this　person；〃



I　reflected；　〃gain　the　unstinted　approbation　of　those　barbarians〃



（who　by　this　time　completely　encircled　me　in）　〃by　doing　obeisance



towards　their　deity；　and　by　the　same　act　delicately　and　inoffensively



rebuke　them　for　their　own　too…frequent　intolerable　attitude　towards



the　susceptibilities　of　others？　As　an　unprejudiced　follower；　in　his



own　land；　of　the　systems　of　Confucius；　Lao…tse；　and　Buddha；　this



person　already　recognises　the　claims　of　seventeen　thousand　nine



hundred　and　thirty…three　deities　of　various　grades；　so　that　the



addition　of　one　more　to　that　number　can　be　a　heresy　of　very　trivial



expiation。〃　Inspired　by　these　honourable　sentiments；　therefore；　I　at



once　prostrated　myself　on　the　ground；　and；　amid　a　silence　of　really



illimitable　expectation；　I　began　to　kow…tow　repeatedly　with



ceremonious　precision。







At　this　display　of　charitable　broadmindedness　an　approving　shout　went



up　on　all　sides。　Thus　encouraged　I　proceeded　to　kow…tow　with　even　more



unceasing　assiduousness；　and　presently　words　of　definite　encouragement



mingled　with　the　shout。　〃Do　not　flag　in　your　amiable



disinterestedness；　Kong　Ho；〃　I　whispered　in　my　ear；　〃and　out　of　your



well…sustained　endurance　may　perchance　arise　a　cordial　understanding；



and　ultimately　a　remunerative　alliance　between　two　distinguished



nations。〃　Filled　with　this　patriotic　hope　I　did　not　suffer　my　neck　to



stiffen；　and　doubtless　I　would　have　continued　the　undertaking　as　long



as　the　sympathetic　persons　who　hemmed　me　in　signified　their　refined



approval；　when　suddenly　the　cry　was　raised；　〃Look　out；　here　comes　the



coppers！〃







This；　O　my　venerable…headed　father；　I　at　once　guessed　to　be　the



announcement　heralding　the　collecting…bowl　which　some　over…zealous



bystander　was　preparing　to　pass　round　on　my　behalf；　doubtless　under



the　impressionso　obtuse　in　grasping　the　true　relationship　of　events



are　many　of　the　barbariansthat　I　was　a　wandering　monk；　displaying　my



reverence　for　the　purpose　of　mendicancy。　Not　wishing　to　profit　by　this



offensive　misapprehension；　I　was　preparing　to　rise；　when　a　hand　was



unceremoniously　laid　upon　my　shoulder；　and　turning　round　I　saw　behind



me　one　of　the　official　watcha　class　of　men　so　powerful　that　at　a



gesture　from　their　uplifted　hands　even　the　fiercest　untamed　horse　will



not　infrequently　stand　upon　its　hind　legs　in　mute　submission。







〃Early　morning　salutations；〃　I　said　pleasantly；　though　somewhat



involved　in　speech　by　my　exertion　（for　these　persons　are　ever　to　be



treated　with　discriminating　courtesy）。　〃Prosperity　to　your　house；　O



energetic　street…watcher；　and　a　thousand　grandsons　to　worship　their



illustrious　ancestor。〃







〃Thanks；〃　he　replied　concisely。　〃I'm　a　single　man。　As　yet。　Now　then；



will　you　make　a　way　there？　Can　you　stand？〃







〃Stand？〃　repeated　this　person；　at　once　recognising　one　of　the



important　words　of　inner　meaning　concerning　which　he　had　been



initiated　by　the　versatile　Quang…Tsun。　〃Certainly　this　person　will　not



hesitate　to　establish　his　footing　if　the　exaction　is　thought　to　be



desirable。　Let　us；　therefore；　bend　our　steps　in　the　direction　of　a



tea…house　of　unquestionable　propriety。〃







〃You've　bent　your　steps　into　quite　enough　tea…houses；　as　you　call



them；　for　one　day；〃　replied　the　official　with　evasive　meaning；　at　the



same　time　assisting　me　to　rise　（for　it　need　not　be　denied　that　the



restrained　position　had　made　me　for　the　moment　incapable　of　a



self…sustaining　effort）。　〃Look　what　you've　done。〃







At　the　direction　of　his　glance　I　cast　my　eyes　along　the　street；　east



and　west；　and　for　the　first　time　I　became　aware　that　what　I　had　last



seen　as　a　reasonable　gathering　had　now　taken　the　proportions　of　an



innumerable　multitude　which　filled　the　entire　space　of　the



thoroughfare；　while　others　covered　the　roofs　above　and　protruded



themselves　from　every　available　window。　In　our　own　land　the



interspersal　of　umbrellas；　musical　instruments；　and