the mirror of kong ho-第15章

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charitably…modulated　voice　invites　confidence。　The　one　before　you　is



the　most　contemptible；　left…handed；　and　disqualified　outcast　in



creation；　and　he　is　now　making　his　way　towards　the　river；　while　his



widow　will　be　left　to　take　in　washing；　his　infant　son　to　vend　evening



printed　leaves；　and　his　graceful　and　hitherto　highly　secluded



daughters　to　go　upon　the　stage。〃







〃Say；　stranger；〃　interposed　this　person；　by　no　means　unwilling　to



engrave　upon　his　memory　this　newly…acquired　form　of　greeting；　〃the



emotion　is　doubtless　all…pressing；　but　in　my　ornate　and　flower…laden



tongue　we　have　a　salutation；　'Slowly；　slowly；　walk　slowly；'　which



seems　to　be　of　far…seeing　application。〃







〃That's　so；〃　remarked　the　one　by　my　side。　〃Separate　it　with　the　teeth；



inch　by　inch。〃







〃I　will　be　calm；　then；〃　continued　the　other　（who；　to　avoid　the



complication　of　the　intermingling　circumstances；　may　be　described　as



the　more　stranger　of　the　two）；　and　he　took　of　his　neckcloth。　〃I　am　a



merchant　in　tea；　yellow　fat；　and　mixed　spices；　in　a　small　but　hitherto



satisfactory　way。〃　Thus　revealing　himself；　he　continued　to　set　forth



how　at　an　earlier　hour　he　had　started　on　a　journey　to　deposit　his



wealth　（doubtless　as　a　propitiation　of　outraged　deities）　upon　a



certain　bank；　and　how；　upon　reaching　the　specified　point；　he



discovered　that　what　he　carried　had　eluded　his　vigilance。　〃All　gone：



notes；　gold；　and　pocket…bookthe　savings　of　a　lifetime；〃　concluded



the　ill…omened　one；　and　at　the　recollection　a　sudden　and　even　more



highly…sustained　frenzy　of　self…unpopularity　involving　him；　without　a



pause　he　addressed　himself　by　seven　and　twenty　insulting　expressions；



many　of　which　were　quite　new　to　my　understanding。







At　the　earliest　mention　of　the　details　affecting　the　loss；　the　elbow



of　the　person　who　had　made　himself　responsible　for　the　financial



obligation　of　the　day　propelled　itself　against　my　middle　part；　and



unseen　by　the　other　he　indicated　to　me　by　means　of　his　features　that



the　entertainment　was　becoming　one　of　agreeable　prepossession。







〃Now；　touching　this　hyer　wallet；〃　he　said　presently。　〃How　might　you



describe　it？〃







〃In　colour　it　was　red；　and　within　were　two　compartments；　the　one



containing　three　score　notes　each　of　ten　pounds；　the　other　fifty



pounds　of　gold。　But　what's　the　use　of　describing　it？　Some　lucky　demon



will　pick　it　up　and　pocket　the　lot；　and　I　shall　never　see　a　cent　of　it



again。〃







〃Then　you'd　better　consult　one　who　reburnishes　the　eyes；〃　declared



the　magnanimous　one　with　a　laugh；　and　drawing　forth　the　article



referred　to　he　cast　it　towards　the　merchant　in　a　small　way。







At　this　point　of　the　narrative　my　thoroughly　incompetent　brush



confesses　the　proportions　of　the　requirement　to　be　beyond　its　most



extended　limit；　and　many　very　honourable　details　are　necessarily　left



without　expression。







〃I've　known　men　of　all　sorts；　good；　bad；　and　bothwise；〃　exclaimed　the



one　who　had　recovered　his　possessions；　〃but　I　never　thought　to　meet　a



gent　as　would　hand　over　six　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　as　if　it　was　a



toothpick。　Sir；　it　overbalances　me；　it　does；　indeed。〃







〃Say　no　more　about　it；〃　urged　the　first　person；　and　to　suggest



gracefully　that　the　incident　had　reached　its　furthest　extremity；　he



began　to　set　out　the　melody　of　an　unspoken　verse。







〃I　will　say　no　more；　then；〃　he　replied；　〃but　you　cannot　reasonably



prevent　my　doing　something　to　express　my　gratitude。　If　you　are　not　too



proud　you　will　come　and　partake　of　food　and　wine　with　me　beneath　the



sign　of　the　Funereal　Male　Cow；　and　to　show　my　confidence　in　you　I



shall　insist　upon　you　carrying　my　pocket…book。〃







The　person　whom　I　had　first　encountered　suffered　his　face　to　become



excessively　amused。　〃Say；　stranger；　do　you　take　me　for　a　pack…mule？〃



he　replied　good…naturedly。　〃I　already　have　about　as　much　as　I　want　to



handle。　Never　mind；　we'll　come　along　with　you；　and　Mr。　Kong　shall



carry　your　bullion。〃







At　this　delicate　and　high…minded　proposal　a　rapid　change；　in　no　way



complimentary　to　my　explicit　habit　of　adequately　conducting　any



venture　upon　which　I　may　be　engaged；　came　over　the　face　of　the　second



person。







〃Sir；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I　have　nothing　to　say　against　this　gentleman；



but　I　am　under　no　obligation　to　him；　and　I　don't　see　why　I　should



trust　him　with　everything　I　possess。〃







〃Stranger；〃　exclaimed　the　other　rising　to　his　feet　（and　from　this



point　it　must　be　understood　that　the　various　details　succeeded　one



another　with　a　really　agile　dexterity）；　〃let　me　tell　you　that　Mr。　Kong



is　my　friend；　and　that　ought　to　be　enough。〃







〃It　is。　If　you　say　this　gentleman　is　your　friend；　and　that　you　have



known　him　long　and　intimately　enough　to　be　able　to　answer　for　him；



that's　good　enough　for　me。〃







〃Well；〃　admitted　the　first　person；　and　I　could　not　conceal　from　myself



that　his　tone　was　inauspiciously　reluctant；　〃I　can't　exactly　say　that



I've　known　him　long；　in　fact　I　only　met　him　half　an　hour　ago。　But　I



have　the　fullest　confidence　in　his　integrity。〃







〃It's　just　as　I　expected。　Well；　sir；　you're　good…natured　enough　for



anything；　but　if　you'll　excuse　me；　I　must　say　that　you're　a　small



piece　of　an　earthenware　vessel　after　all〃the　veiled　allusion



doubtlessly　being　that　the　vessel　of　necessity　being　broken；　the



contents　inevitably　escape〃and　I　hope　you're　not　being　had。〃







〃I'm　not；　and　I'll　prove　it　before　we　go　out　together；〃　retorted　the



engaging　one；　who　had　in　the　meantime　become　so　actively　impetuous　on



my　account；　that　he　did　not　remain　content　with　the　spoken　words；　but



threw　the　various　belongings　about　as　he　mentioned　them　in　a　really



profuse　display　of　inimitable　vehemence。　〃Here；　Kong；　take　this　hyer



pocket…book　whatever　he　says。　Now　on　the　top　of　that　take　everything



I've　got；　and　you　know　what　THAT　figures　up　to。　Now　give　this



gentleman　your　little　lot　to　keep　him　quiet；　I　don't　ask　for　anything。



Now；　stranger；　I'm　ready。　You　and　I　will　take　a　stroll　round　the　block



and　back　again；　and　if　Mr。　Kong　isn't　waiting　here　for　us　when　we



return　with　everything　intact　and　O。K。；　I'll　double　your　deposit　and



never　trust　a　durned　soul　again。〃







Nodding　genially　over　his　shoulder　with　a　harmonious　understanding；



expressive　of　the　fact　that　we　were　embarking　upon　an　undeniably



diverting　episode；　the　benevolent…souled　person　who　had　accumulated



more　riches　than　he　was　competent　to　melt　away　himself；　passed　out；



urging　the　doubtful　and　still　protesting　one　before　him。







Thus　abandoned　to　my　own　reflections；　I　pondered　for　a　short　time



profitably　on　the　third　head　of　the　day's　meditation　（Touching　the



match　and　this　person's　unattractively…lined　face。　The　revealed　truth：



the　inexperienced　sheep　cannot　pass　through　the　hedge　without　leaving



portions　of　his　wool）；　and　then　finding　the　philosophy　of　Wei　Chung



very　good；　I　determined　to　remove　the　superfluous　apprehensions　of　the



vender　of　food…stuffs　with　less　delay　by　setting　out　and　meeting　them



on　their　return。







A　few　paces　distant　from　the　door；　one　of　the　ever…present　watchers　of



the　street　was　standing；　watching　the　street　with　unremitting



vigilance；　while　from　the　well…guarded　expression　of　his　face　it　might



nevertheless　be　gathered　that　he　stood　as　though　in　expectation。







〃Prosperity；〃　I　said；　with　seasonable　greeting。　（For　no　excess　of



consideration　is　too　great　to　be　lavished　upon　these；　who　unite　within



themselves　the　courage　of　a　high　warrior；　the　expertness　of　a



three…handed　magician；　and　the　courtesy　of　a　genial　mandarin。）　〃I　seek



two；　apparelled　thus　and　thus。　Did　you；　by　any　chance；　mark　the



direction　of　their　footsteps？〃







〃Oh；〃　he　said；　regarding　this　person　with　a　most　flattering



application；　〃YOU　seek　them；　do　you？　Well；　they've　just　gone　off　in



a　hansom；　and　they'll　want　a　lot　of　seeking　for　the　next　week　or　two。



You　let　them　carry　your　purse；　perhaps？〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　replied。　〃As　a　mark　of　confidence；　this　person；　for　his



part；　receiving　a　like　token　at　their　hands。〃







〃That's　it；〃　said　the　official　watcher；　conveying　into　his　voice　a



subtle　indication　that　he　had　become　excessively　fatigued。　〃It's　like



a　nursery　talenever　too　old　to　take　with　the　kids。　Well；　come　along；



poor　lamb；　the　station　isn't　far。〃







So　great　had　become　the　reliance　which　by　this　time　I　habitually



reposed　in　these　men；　that　I　never　sought　to　oppose　their



pronouncements　（such　a　course　being　not　only　useless　but　undignified）；



and　we　therefore　together　reached　the　place　which　the　one　by　my　side



had　described　as　a　station。







From　the　outside　the　building　was　in　no　way　imposing；　but　upon



reaching　an　inner　dungeon　it　at　once　became　plain　that　no　matter　with



what　crime　a　person　might　be　charged；　even　the　most　stubborn



resistance　would　be　unavailing。　Before　a　fiercely…burning　fire　were



arranged　metal　pincers；　massive　skewers；　ornamental　branding　irons；



and　the　usual　accessories　of　the　grill；　one　tool　being　already　thrust



into　the　heart　of　the　flame　to　indicate　the　nature　of　its　use；　and　its



immediate　readiness　for　the　purpose。　Pegs　from　which　the　accused　could



be　hung　by　the　thumbs　with　weights　attached　to　the　feet；　covered　an



entire　wall；　chains；　shackling…irons；　fetters；　steel　rings　for



compressing　the　throat；　and　belts　for　tightening　the　chest；　all　had



their　appointed　places；　while　the　Chair；　the　Boot；　the　Heavy　Hat；　and



many　other　appliances　quite　unknown　to　our　system　of　administering



justice　were　scattered　about。







Without　pausing　to　select　any　of　these；　the　one　who　led　me　approached



a　raised　desk　at　which　was　seated　a　less　warlike　official；　whose



sympathetic　appearance　inspired　confidence。　〃Kong　Ho；〃　exclaimed　to



himself　the　person　who　is　inscribing　these　words；　〃here　is　an



individual　into　whose　discriminating　ear　it　would　be　well　to　pour　the



exact　happening　without　evasion。　Then　even　if　the　accusation　against



you　be　that　of　resembling　another　or　trafficking　with　unlawful　Forces；



he　will　doubtless　arrange　the　matter　so　that　the　expiation　shall　be　as



light　and　inexpensive　as　possible。〃







By　this　time　certain　other　officials　had　drawn　near。　〃What　is　it？〃　I



heard　one　demand；　and　another　replied；　〃Brooklyn　Ben　and　Jimmie　the



Butterman　a