the mirror of kong ho-第9节

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themselves　from　every　available　window。　In　our　own　land　the



interspersal　of　umbrellas；　musical　instruments；　and　banners；　with　an



occasional　firework；　would　have　given　a　greater　animation　to　the



scene；　but　with　this　exception　I　have　never　taken　part　in　a　more



impressive　and　well…extended　procession。　Even　while　I　looked；　the



helmets　of　other　official　watchers　appeared　in　the　distance；　as



immature　junks　upon　the　storm…tossed　Whang…Hai；　apparently　striving



fruitlessly　to　reach　us。







As　I　was　by　no　means　sure　what　attitude　was　expected　of　me；　I　smiled



with　an　all…embracing　approval；　and　signified　to　the　one　at　my　side；



by　way　of　passing　the　time　pleasurably　together；　that　the　likelihood



of　his　nimble…witted　friends　reaching　us　with　unruffled　garments　was



remote　in　the　extreme。







〃Don't　you　let　that　worry　you；　Li　Hung　Chang；〃　he　said；　in　a　tone　that



had　the　appearance　of　being　outside　itself　around　a　deeper　and　more



bitter　significance；　〃if　we　get　out　again　with　any　garments　at　all　it



won't　be　your　fault。　Why；　youwell；　YOU　ought　to　have　been　put　on　the



Black　List　long　ago；　by　rights。〃







This；　exalted　one；　although　I　have　not　yet　been　able　to　learn　the



exact　dignity　of　it　from　any　of　the　books　of　civil　honours；　is



undoubtedly　a　mark　of　signal　attainment；　conferred　upon　the　few　for



distinguishing　themselves　by　some　particular　capacity；　as　our　Double



Dragon；　for　instance。　Anxious　to　learn　something　of　the　privileges　of



the　rank　from　one　who　evidently　was　not　without　influence　in　the



bestowal；　and　not　unwilling　to　show　him　that　I　was　by　no　means　of



low…caste　descent；　I　said　to　the　official；　〃In　his　own　country　one　of



this　person's　ancestors　wore　the　Decoration　of　the　Yellow　Scabbard；



which　entitled　him　to　be　carried　in　his　chair　up　to　the　gate　of　the



Forbidden　Palace　before　descending　to　touch　the　ground。　Is　this　Order



of　the　Black　List　of　a　like　purport？〃







〃You're　right；〃　he　said；　〃it　is。　In　this　country　it　entitles　you　to　be



carried　right　inside　the　door　at　Bow　Street　without　ever　touching　the



ground。　Look　out！　Now　we　shall　not〃







At　that　moment　what　this　person　at　first　assumed　to　be　a　floral



tribute；　until　he　saw　that　not　only　the　entire　plant；　but　the



earthenware　jar　also　were　attached；　struck　the　official　upon　the



helmet；　whereupon；　drawing　a　concealed　club；　he　ceased　speaking。







How　the　entertainment　was　conducted　to　such　a　development　this　person



is　totally　inadequate　to　express；　but　in　an　incredibly　short　space　of



time　the　scene　became　one　of　most　entrancing　variety。　From　every



visible　point　around　the　air　became　filled　with　commodities



whichthough　doubtless　without　set　intentionfittingly　represented



the　arts；　manufactures；　and　natural　history　of　this　resourceful



country；　all　cast　in　prolific　abundance　at　the　feet　of　the　official



and　myself；　although　the　greater　part　inevitably　struck　our　heads　and



bodies　before　reaching　them。　Beyond　our　immediate　circle；　as　it　may　be



expressed；　the　crowd　never　ceased　to　press　forward　with　resistless



activity；　and　among　it　could　be　seen　occasionally　the　official



watchmen　advancing　self…reliantly；　though　frequently　without　helmets；



and；　not　less　often；　the　helmets　advancing　without　the　official



watchmen。　To　add　to　the　acknowledged　interest；　every　person　present



was　proclaiming　his　views　freely　on　a　diversity　of　subjects；　and　above



all　could　be　heard　the　clear　notes　of　the　musical　instruments　by　which



the　officials　sought　to　encourage　one　another　in　their　extremity；　and



to　deaden　the　cries　of　those　whom　they　outclubbed。







Despite　this　person's　repeated　protests　that　the　distinction　was　too



excessive；　he　was　plucked　from　hand　to　hand　irresistibly　among　those



around；　losing　a　portion　of　his　ill…made　attire　at　each　step；　so



agreeably　anxious　were　all　to　detain　him。　Just　when　the　exploit　seemed



likely　to　have　a　disagreeable　ending；　however；　he　was　thrust　heavily



against　a　door　which　yielded；　and　at　once　barring　it　behind　him；　he



passed　across　the　open　space　into　which　it　led；　along　a　passage



between　two　walls；　and　thence　through　an　involved　labyrinth　and



beneath　the　waters　of　a　canal　into　a　wood　of　attractive　seclusion。



Here　this　person　remained；　spending　the　time　in　a　profitable



meditation；　until　the　light　withdrew　and　the　great　sky　lantern　had



ascended。　Then　he　cautiously　crept　forth；　and　after　some　further



trivial　episodes　which　chiefly　concern　the　obstinate…headed　slave



guarding　the　outer　door　of　a　tea…house；　an　unintelligent　maiden　in　the



employment　of　one　vending　silk…embroidered　raiment；　the　mercenary



controller　of　a　two…wheeled　chariot　and　the　sympathetic　and　opportune



arrival　of　a　person　seated　upon　a　funeral　car；　he　succeeded　in



reaching　the　place　of　his　abode。







With　unalterable　affection　and　a　material　request　that　an　unstinted



adequacy　of　new　garments　may　be　sent　by　a　sure　and　speedy　hand。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　V











Concerning　the　neglect　of　ancestors　and　its　discreditable



consequences。　Two　who　state　the　matter　definitely。　Concerning



the　otherside　way　of　looking　at　things　and　the



self…contradictory　bearing　of　the　maiden　Florence。















VENERATED　SIRE；A　discovery　of　overwhelming　malignity　oppresses　me。



In　spite　of　much　baffling　ambiguity　and　the　frequent　evasion　of



conscious　guilt；　there　can　be　no　longer　any　reasonable　doubt　that



these　barbarians　DO　NOT　WORSHIP　THEIR　ANCESTORS！







Hitherto　the　matter　had　rested　in　my　mind　as　an　uneasy　breath　of



suspicion；　agitated　from　time　to　time　by　countless　indications　that



such　a　possibility　might；　indeed；　exist　in　a　condensed　form；　but　too



inauspiciously　profane　to　be　contemplated　in　the　altogether。　Thus；



when　in　the　company　of　the　young　this　person　has　walked　about　the



streets　of　the　city；　he　may　at　length　have　said；　〃Truly；　out　of　your



amiable　condescension；　you　have　shown　me　a　variety　of　entrancing



scenes。　Let　us　now　in　turn　visit　the　tombs　of　your　ancestors；　to　the



end　that　I　may　transmit　fitting　gifts　to　their　spirits　and　discharge　a



few　propitious　fireworks　as　a　greeting。〃　Yet　in　no　case　has　this



well…intentioned　offer　been　agilely　received；　one　asserting　that　he



did　not　know　the　resting…place　of　the　tombs　in　question；　a　second　that



he　had　no　ancestors；　a　third　that　Kensal　Green　was　not　an　entrancing



spot　for　a　wet　afternoon；　a　fourth　that　he　would　see　them　removed　to　a



greater　distance　first；　another　that　he　drew　the　line　at　mafficking　in



a　cemetery；　and　the　like。　These　things；　it　may　occur　to　your



omniscience；　might　in　themselves　have　been　conclusive；　yet　the　next



reference　to　the　matter　would　perhaps　be　tending　to　a　more　alluring



hope。







〃To…morrow；〃　a　person　has　remarked　in　the　hearing　of　this　one；　〃I　go



to　the　Stratford　which　is　upon　the　Avon；　and　without　a　pause　I　shall



prostrate　myself　intellectually　before　the　immortal　Shakespeare's　tomb



and　worship　his　unequalled　memory。〃







〃The　intention　is　benevolently　conceived；〃　I　remarked。　〃Yet　has　he　no



descendants；　this　same　Shakespeare；　that　the　conciliation　of　his



spirit　must　be　left　to　chance？〃







When　he　assured　me　that　this　calamity　had　come　about；　I　would　have



added　a　richly…gilded　brick　from　my　store　for　transmission　also；　in



the　hope　that　the　neglected　and　capricious　shadow　would　grant　me　an



immunity　from　its　resentful　attention；　but　the　one　in　question　raised



a　barrier　of　dissent。　If　I　wished　to　adorn　a　tomb；　he　added　（evading



the　deeper　significance　of　the　act）；　there　was　that　of　Goldsmith



within　its　Temple；　upon　which　many　impressionable　maidens　from　across



the　Bitter　Waters　of　the　West　make　it　a　custom　to　deposit　chaplets　of



verses；　in　the　hope　of　seeing　the　offering　chronicled　in　the　papers；



and　in　the　Open　Space　called　Trafalgar　there　were　the　images　of　a



great　captain　who　led　many　junks　to　victory　and　the　Emperor　of　a



former　dynasty；　where　doubtless　the　matter　could　be　arranged；　but　the



surrounding　had　by　this　time　become　too　involved；　and　this　person　had



no　alternative　but　to　smile　symmetrically　and　reply　that　his　words



were　indeed　opals　falling　from　a　topaz　basin。







Later　in　the　day；　being　desirous　of　becoming　instructed　more



definitely；　I　addressed　myself　to　a　venerable　person　who　makes　clean



the　passage　of　the　way　at　a　point　not　far　distant。







〃If　you　have　no　sons　to　extend　your　industrious　line；〃　I　said；　when　he



had　revealed　this　fact　to　me；　〃