the mirror of kong ho-第16章

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



Butterman　again。　Ah；　they　aren't　artful；　are　they！〃　but　at　this　moment



the　two　into　whose　power　I　had　chiefly　fallen　having　conversed



together；　I　was　commanded　to　advance　towards　them　and　reveal　my　name。







〃Kong；〃　I　replied　freely；　and　I　had　formed　a　design　to　explain



somewhat　of　the　many　illustrious　ancestors　of　the　House；　when　the　one



at　the　desk；　pausing　to　inscribe　my　answer　in　a　book；　spoke　out。







〃Kong？〃　he　said。　〃Is　that　the　christian　or　surname？〃







〃Sir…name？〃　replied　this　person　between　two　thoughts。　〃Undoubtedly　the



one　before　you　is　entitled　by　public　examination　to　the　degree



'Recognised　Talent；'　which　may；　as　a　meritorious　distinction；　be　held



equal　to　your　title　of　a　warrior　clad　in　armour。　Yet；　if　it　is　so



held；　that　would　rightly　be　this　person's　official　name　of　Paik。〃







〃Oh；　it　would；　would　it？〃　said　the　one　seated　upon　the　high　chair。



〃That's　quite　clear。　Are　there　any　other　names　as　well？〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　explained；　pained　inwardly　that　one　of　official　rank



should　so　slightly　esteem　my　appearance　as　to　judge　that　I　was　so



meagrely　endowed。　〃The　milk　name　of　Ho；　Tsin　upon　entering　the



Classes；　as　a　Great　Name　Cheng；　another　style　in　Quank；　the　official



title　already　expressed；　and　T'chun；　Li；　Yuen　and　Nung　as　the　various



emergencies　of　life　arise。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　high…chair　official　courteously。　〃Now；　just　the



name　in　full；　please；　without　any　velvet　trimmings。〃







〃Kong；〃　began　this　person；　desirous　above　all　things　of　putting　the



matter　competently；　yet　secretly　perturbed　as　to　what　might　be



considered　superfluous　and　what　deemed　a　perfidious　suppression；　〃Ho



Tsin　Cheng　Quank〃







〃Hold　hard；〃　cried　this　same　one；　restraining　me　with　an　uplifted　pen。



〃Did　you　say　'Quack'？〃







〃Quack？〃　repeated　this　person；　beginning　to　become　involved　within



himself；　and　not　grasping　the　detail　in　the　right　position。　〃In　a



manner　of　setting　the　expression　forth〃







〃Put　him　down；　'Quack　Duck；'　sir；〃　exclaimed　one　of　dog…like　dejection



who　stood　by。　〃Most　of　these　Lascars　haven't　got　any　real　namesthey



just　go　by　what　any　one　happens　to　call　them　at　the　time；　like



'Burmese　Ike'　down　at　the　Mint；〃　and　this　person　unfortunately



chancing　to　smile　and　bow　acquiescently　at　that　moment　（not　with　any



set　intention；　but　as　a　general　principle　of　courteous　urbanity）；　in



place　of　his　really　distinguished　titles　he　will　henceforth　appear



among　the　historical　records　of　this　dynasty　under　what　he　cannot



disguise　from　his　inner　misgivings　to　be　the　low…caste　appellation　of



Quack　Duck。







〃Now　the　address；　please；〃　continued　the　high　one；　again　preparing　to



inscribe　the　word；　and　being　determined　that　by　no　mischance　should



this　particular　be　offensively　reported；　I　unhesitatingly　replied；



〃Beneath　the　Sign　of　the　Lead　Tortoise；　on　the　northern　course　from



the　Lotus　Pools　outside　the　walls　of　Yuen…ping。〃







This　answer　the　one　with　the　book　did　not　immediately　record。　〃I　don't



say　it　isn't　all　right　when　you　know　the　parts；〃　he　remarked



broad…mindedly；　〃but　it　does　sound　a　trifle　irregular。　Can't　you　give



it　a　number　and　a　street？〃







〃I　fancy　it　must　be　a　pub；　sir；〃　observed　another。　〃He　said　that　it



had　a　signthe　Red　Tortoise。〃







〃Well；　haven't　you　got　a　London　address？〃　said　the　high　one；　and　this



person　being　able　to　supply　a　street　and　a　number　as　desired；　this



part　of　the　undertaking　was　disposed　of；　to　his　cordial　satisfaction。







〃Now　let　me　see　the　articles　which　these　men　left　with　you；〃　commanded



the　chieftain　of　the　band；　and　without　any　misleading　discrepancies　I



at　once　drew　forth　from　an　inner　sleeve　the　two　scrips；　of　which



adequate　mention　has　already　been　made；　another　hitherto　undescribed；



two　instruments　for　measuring　the　passing　hours　of　the　day；　together



with　a　chain　of　fine　gold　ingeniously　wrought　into　the　semblance　of　a



cable；　an　ornament　for　the　breast；　set　about　with　a　jewel；　two



neck…cloths　of　a　kind　usually　carried　in　the　pocket；　a　book　for



recording　happenings　of　any　moment；　pieces　of　money　to　the　value　of



about　eleven　taels；　a　silver　flagon；　a　sheathed　weapon　and　a　few



lesser　objects　of　insignificant　value。　These　various　details　I　laid



obsequiously　before　the　one　who　had　commanded　it；　while　the　others



stood　around　either　in　explicit　silence　or　speaking　softly　beneath



their　breath。







〃Do　I　understand　that　the　two　persons　left　all　these　things　with　you；



while　they　took　your　purse　in　exchange？〃　said　the　high　official；　after



examining　certain　obscure　signs　upon　the　metals；　the　contents　of　the



third　scrip；　and　the　like。







〃It　cannot　reasonably　be　denied；〃　I　replied；　〃inasmuch　as　they



departed　without　them。〃







〃Spontaneously？〃　he　demanded；　and　in　spite　of　the　unevadible　severity



of　his　voice　the　expression　of　his　nearer　eye　deviated　somewhat。







〃The　spoken　and　conclusive　word　of　the　first　was　that　it　was　his



intention　to　commit　to　this　one's　keeping　everything　which　he　had；　the



assertion　of　the　second　being　that　with　this　scrip　I　received　all　that



he　possessed。〃







〃While　of　yours；　what　did　they　get；　Mr。　Quack？〃　and　the　tone　of　the



one　who　spoke　had　a　much　more　gratifying　modulation　than　before；　while



the　attitudes　of　those　who　stood　around　had　favourably　changed；　until



they　now　conveyed　a　message　of　deliberate　esteem。







〃A　serpent…skin　case　of　two　enclosures；〃　I　replied。　〃On　the　one　side



was　a　handcount　of　the　small　copper…pieces　of　this　Island；　which　I　had



caused　to　be　burnished　and　gilt　for　the　purpose　of　taking　back　to



amuse　those　of　Yuen…ping。　On　the　other　side　were　two　or　three　pages



from　a　gravity…removing　printed　leaf　entitled　'Bits　of　Tits；'　with



which　this　person　weekly　instructs　himself　in　the　simpler　rudiments　of



the　language。　For　the　rest　the　case　was　controlled　by　a　hidden　spring；



and　inscribed　about　with　a　charm　against　loss；　consumption　by　fire；　or



being　secretly　acquired　by　the　unworthy。〃







〃I　don't　think　you　stand　in　much　need　of　that　charm；　Mr。　Quack；〃



remarked　another　of　more　than　ordinary　rank；　who　was　also　present。



〃Then　they　really　got　practically　no　money　from　you？〃







〃By　no　means；〃　I　admitted。　〃It　was　never　literally　stipulated；　and



whatever　of　wealth　he　possesses　this　person　carries　in　a　concealed



spot　beneath　his　waistbelt。〃　（For　even　to　these；　virtuous　sire；　I　did



not　deem　it　expedient　to　reveal　the　fact　that　in　reality　it　is　hidden



within　the　sole　of　my　left　sandal。）







〃I　congratulate　you；〃　he　said　with　lavish　refinement。　〃Ben　and　the



Butterman　can　be　very　bland　and　persuasive。　Could　you　tell　me；　as　a



matter　of　professional　curiosity；　what　first　put　you　on　your　guard？〃







〃In　this　person's　country；〃　I　replied；　〃there　is　an　apt　saying；　'The



sagacious　bird　does　not　build　his　nest　twice　in　the　empty



soup…toureen；'　and　by　observing　closely　what　has　gone　before　one　may



accurately　conjecture　much　that　will　follow　after。〃　It　may　be；　that



out　of　my　insufferable　shortcomings　of　style　and　expression；　this



answer　did　not　convey　to　his　mind　the　logical　sequence　of　the　warning；



yet　it　would　have　been　more　difficult　to　show　him　how　everything　arose



from　the　faultlessly…balanced　system　of　the　heroic　Wei　Chung；　or　the



exact　parallel　lying　between　the　ill…clad　outcast　who　demanded　a



portion　of　tobacco　and　the　cheerfully　unassuming　stranger　who　had　in



his　possession　a　larger　accumulation　of　money　than　he　could



conveniently　disperse。







In　such　a　manner　I　took　leave　of　the　station　and　those　connected　with



it；　after　directing　that　the　share　of　the　spoil　which　fell　by　the　law



of　this　Island　to　my　lot　should　be　sold　and　the　money　of　exchange



faithfully　divided　among　the　virtuous　and　necessitous　of　both　sexes。



The　higher　officials　each　waved　me　pleasantly　by　the　hand；　according



to　the　striking　and　picturesque　custom　of　the　land；　while　the　lesser



ones　stood　around　and　spoke　flattering　words　as　I　departed；　as



〃honourable；〃　〃a　small　piece　of　all…right；〃　〃astute　ancient　male



fowl；〃　〃ah！〃　and　the　like。







With　repeated　assurances　that　however　ineptly　the　adventure　may　at　the



time　appear　to　be　tending；　as　regards　the　essentials　of　true　dignity



and　an　undeviating　grasp　upon　articles　of　negotiable　value；　nothing　of



a　regrettable　incident　need　be　feared。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　IX











Concerning　the　proverb　of　the　highly…accomplished　horse。　The



various　perils　to　be　encountered　in　the　Beneath　Parts。　The



inexplicable　journey　performed　by　this　one；　and　concerning　the



obscurity　of　the　witchcraft　employed。















VENERATED　SIRE；Among　these　islanders　there　is　a　proverb；　〃Do　not



place　the　carte〃　（or　card；　the　two　words　having　an　identical　purport；



and　both　signifying　the　inscribed　tablet　of　viands　prepared　for　a



banquet；）　before　the　horse。〃　Doubtless　the　saying　first　arose　as　a



timely　rebuke　to　a　certain　barbarian　emperor　who　announced　his



contempt　for　the　intelligence　of　his　subjects　by　conferring　high



mandarin　rank　upon　a　favourite　steed　and　ceremoniously　appointing　it



to　be　his　chancellor；　but　from　the　narrower　moral　that　an　unreasoning



animal　is　out　of　place；　and　even　unseemly；　in　the　entertaining　hall　or



council　chamber；　the　expression　has　in　the　course　of　time　taken　a



wider　application　and　is　now　freely　used　as　an　insidious　thrust　at　one



who　may　be　suspected　of　contrariness　of　character；　of　confusing



issues；　or　of　acting　in　a　vain　or　illogical　manner。　I　had　already



preserved　the　saying　among　other　instances　of　foreign　thought　and



expression　which　I　am　collecting　for　your　dignified　amusement；　as　it



is　very　characteristic　of　the　wisdom　and　humour　of　these　Outer　Lands。



The　imagination　is　essentially　barbaric。　A　horsedoubtless



well…groomed；　richly…caparisoned；　and　as　intellectual　as　the



circumstances　will　permit；　but　inevitably　an　animal　of　degraded



attributes　and　untraceable　ancestrya　horse　reclining　before　a



lavishly　set…out　table　and　considering　well　of　what　dish　it　shall　next



partake！　Could　anything；　it　appears；　be　more　diverting！　Truly　to　our



more　refined　outlook　the　analogy　is　lacking　both　in　delicacy　of　wit



and　in　exactitude　of　balance；　but　to　the