the mirror of kong ho-第18章

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aggressively　assertive　engine　could　not　proceed；　so　that　he　had　no



fears　of　being　incapably　drawn　into　more　remote　places；　yet　when　hour



after　hour　passed　and　the　ill…destined　machine　never　failed　in　its



malicious　endeavours　to　leave　each　successive　tarrying　station；　it　is



not　to　be　denied　that　my　imagination　dwelt　regretfully　upon　the　true



civilisation　of　our　own　enlightened　country；　where；　by　the　considerate



intervention　of　an　all…wise　government；　the　possibilities　of　so



distressing　an　experience　are　sympathetically　removed　from　one's　path。



Thus　the　greater　part　of　the　day　had　faded；　and　I　was　conjecturing



that　by　this　time　we　must　inevitably　be　approaching　the　barren　and



inhospitable　country　which　forms　the　northern　limit　of　the　Island；



when　the　door　suddenly　opened　and　the　barbarian　stranger　whom　I　had



left　many　hundred　li　behind　entered　the　carriage。







At　this　manifestation　all　uncertainty　departed；　and　I　now　understood



that　to　some　obscure　end　witchcraft　of　a　very　powerful　and　high…caste



kind　was　being　employed　around　me；　for　in　no　other　way　was　it　credible



to　one's　intelligence　that　a　person　could　propel　himself　through　the



air　with　a　speed　greater　than　that　of　one　of　these　fire…chariots；　and



overtake　it。　Doubtless　it　was　a　part　of　this　same　scheme　which　made　it



seem　expedient　to　the　stranger　that　he　should　feign　a　part；　for　he　at



once　greeted　me　as　though　the　occasion　were　a　matter　of　everyday



happening；　exclaiming　genially







〃Well；　Mr。　Kong；　returning？　And　what　do　you　think　of　the　Palace？〃







〃It　is　fitly　observed；　'To　the　earthworm　the　rice　stalk　is　as　high　as



the　pagoda；'〃　I　replied　with　adroit　evasion；　clearly　understanding



from　his　manner　that　for　some　reason；　not　yet　revealed　to　me；　a　course



of　dissimulation　was　expedient　in　order　to　mislead　the　surrounding



demons　concerning　my　movements；　and　by　a　subtle　indication　of　the　face



conveying　to　the　stranger　an　assurance　that　I　had　tactfully　grasped



the　requirement；　and　would　endeavour　to　walk　well　upon　his　heels；　〃and



therefore　it　would　be　unseemly　for　a　person　of　my　insignificant



attainments　to　engage　in　the　doubtful　flattery　of　comparing　it　with



the　many　other　residences　of　the　pure　and　exalted　which　embellish　your



Capital。〃







〃Oh；〃　said　the　one　whom　I　may　now　suitably　describe　by　the　name　of　Sir



Philip；　〃that's　rather　a　useful　proverb　sometimes。　Many　people　there？〃







At　this　inquiry　I　could　not　disguise　from　myself　an　emotion　that　the



person　seated　opposite　was　not　diplomatically　inspired　in　so



persistently　clinging　to　the　one　subject　upon　which　he　must　assuredly



know　that　I　experienced　an　all…pervading　deficiency。　Nevertheless；



being　by　this　more　fully　convinced　that　the　disguise　was　one　of



critical　necessity；　and　not　deeming　that　the　essential　ceremonies　of



one　Palace　would　differ　from　those　of　another；　no　matter　in　what　land



they　stood　（while　through　all　I　read　a　clear　design　on　Sir　Philip's



part　that　the　opportunity　was　craftily　arranged　so　that　I　might



impress　upon　any　vindictively…intentioned　spirits　within　hearing　an



assumption　of　high　protection）；　I　replied　that　the　gathering　had　been



one　of　unparalleled　splendour；　both　by　reason　of　the　multitude　of



exalted　nobles　present　and　also　owing　to　the　jewelled　magnificence



lavished　on　every　detail。　Furthermore；　I　continued；　now　definitely



abandoning　all　the　promptings　of　a　wise　reserve；　and　reflecting；　as　we



say；　that　one　may　as　well　be　drowned　in　the　ocean　as　in　a　wooden



bucket；　not　only　did　the　sublime　and　unapproachable　sovereign



graciously　permit　me　to　kow…tow　respectfully　before　him；　but



subsequently　calling　me　to　his　side　beneath　a　canopy　of　golden



radiance；　he　conversed　genially　with　me　and　benevolently　assured　me　of



his　sympathetic　favour　on　all　occasions　（this；　I　conjectured；　would



certainly　overawe　any　Evil　Force　not　among　the　very　highest　circles）；



while　the　no　less　magnanimous　Prince　of　the　Imperial　Line　questioned



me　with　flattering　assiduousness　concerning　a　method　of　communicating



with　persons　at　a　distance　by　means　of　blows　or　stamps　upon　a　post　（as



far　as　the　outer　meaning　conveyed　itself　to　me）；　the　houses　which　we



build；　and　whether　they　contained　an　adequate　provision　of　enclosed



spaces　in　the　walls。







Doubtless　I　could　have　continued　in　this　praiseworthy　spirit　of



delicate　cordiality　to　an　indefinite　amount　had　I　not　chanced　to



observe　at　this　point　that　the　expression　of　Sir　Philip's　urbanity　had



become　entangled　in　a　variety　of　other　emotions；　not　all　propitious　to



the　scheme；　so　that　in　order　to　retire　imperceptibly　within　myself　I



smiled　broad…mindedly；　remarking　that　it　was　well　said　that　the　moon



was　only　bright　while　the　sun　was　hid；　and　that　I　had　lately　been



dazzled　with　the　sight　of　so　much　brilliance　and　virtuous



condescension　that　there　were　occasions　when　I　questioned　inwardly　how



much　I　had　really　witnessed；　and　how　much　had　been　conveyed　to　me　in



the　nature　of　an　introspective　vision。







It　will　already　have　been　made　plain　to　you；　O　my　courtly…mannered



father；　that　these　barbarians　are　totally　deficient　in　the　polite　art



whereby　two　persons　may　carry　on　a　flattering　and　highly…attuned



conversation；　mutually　advantageous　to　the　esteem　of　each；　without　it



being　necessary　in　any　way　that　their　statements　should　have　more　than



an　ornamental　actuality。　So　wanting　in　this；　the　most　concentrated



form　of　truly　well…bred　entertainment；　are　even　their　high　officials；



that　after　a　few　more　remarks；　to　which　I　made　answer　in　a　spirit　of



skilfully…sustained　elusiveness；　the　utterly　obtuse　Sir　Philip　said　at



length；　〃Excuse　my　asking；　Mr。　Kong；　but　have　you　really　been　to　the



Alexandra　Palace　at　all？〃







Admittedly　there　are　few　occasions　in　life　on　which　it　is　not　possible



to　fail　to　see　the　inopportune　or　low…class　by　a　dignified



impassiveness　of　features；　an　adroitly…directed　jest；　or　a　remark　of



baffling　inconsequence；　but　in　the　face　of　so　distressingly



straightforward　a　demand　what　can　be　advanced　by　a　person　of



susceptible　refinement　when　opposed　to　one　of　incomparably　larger



dimensions；　imprisoned　by　his　side　in　the　recess　of　a　fire…chariot



which　is　leaping　forward　with　uncurbed　velocity；　and　surrounded　by



demons　with　whose　habits　and　partialities　he　is　unfamiliar？







〃In　a　manner　of　expressing　the　circumstance；〃　I　replied；　〃it　is　not　to



be　denied　that　this　person's　actual　footsteps　may　have　imperceptibly



been　drawn　somewhat　aside　from　the　path　of　his　former　design。　Yet



inasmuch　as　it　is　truly　said　that　the　body　is　in　all　things



subservient　to　the　mind；　and　is　led　withersoever　it　is　willed；　and　as



your　engaging　directions　were　scrupulously　observed　with　undeviating



fidelity；　it　would　be　impertinently　self…opinionated　on　this　person's



part　to　imply　that　they　failed　to　guide　him　to　his　destination。　Thus；



for　all　ceremonial　purposes；　it　is　permissible　conscientiously　to



assume　that　he　HAS　been　there。〃







〃I　am　afraid　that　I　must　not　have　been　sufficiently　clear；〃　said　Sir



Philip。　〃Did　you　miss　the　train　at　King's　Cross？〃







〃By　no　means；〃　I　replied　firmly；　pained　inwardly　that　he　should　cast



the　shadow　of　such　narrow　incompetence　upon　me。　〃Seeing　this　machine



on　the　point　of　setting　forth　on　a　journey；　even　as　your　overwhelming



sagacity　had　enabled　you　to　predict　would　be　the　case；　I　embarked　with



self…reliant　confidence。〃







〃Good　lord！〃　murmured　the　person　opposite；　beginning　to　manifest　an



excess　of　emotion　for　which　I　was　quite　unable　to　account。　〃Then　you



have　been　in　this　trainyour　actual　footsteps　I　mean；　Mr。　Kong；　not



your　ceremonial　abstract　subliminal　egoever　since？〃







To　this　I　replied　that　his　words　shone　like　the　moon　at　midnight　with



scintillating　points　of　truth；　adding；　however；　as　the　courtesies　of



the　occasion　required；　that　I　had　been　so　impressed　with　the



many…sided　brilliance　of　his　conversation　earlier　in　the　day　as　to



render　the　flight　of　time　practically　unnoticed　by　me。







〃But　did　it　never　occur　to　you　to　ask　at　one　of　the　stations？〃　he



demanded；　still　continuing　to　wave　his　hands　incapably　from　side　to



side。　〃Any　of　the　porters　would　have　told　you。〃







〃Kong　Li　Heng；　the　founder　of　our　line；　who　was　really　great；　has　been



dead　eleven　centuries；　and　no　single　fact　or　incident　connected　with



his　life　has　been　preserved　to　influence　mankind；〃　I　replied。　〃How



much　less　will　it　matter；　then；　even　in　so　limited　a　space　of　time　as



a　hundred　years；　in　what　fashion　so　insignificant　a　person　as　the　one



before　you　acted　on　any　occasion；　and　why；　therefore；　should　he



distress　himself　unnecessarily　to　any　precise　end？〃　In　this　manner　I



sought　to　place　before　him　the　dignified　example　of　an



imperturbability　which　can　be　maintained　in　every　emergency；　and　at



the　same　time　to　administer　a　plain　yet　scrupulously…sheathed　rebuke；



for　the　inauspicious　manner　in　which　he　had　first　drawn　me　on　to　speak



confidently　of　the　ceremonies　of　the　Royal　Palace　and　then　held　up　my



inadequacy　to　undeserved　contempt　had　not　rejoiced　my　imagination；　and



I　was　still　uncertain　how　much　to　claim；　and　whether；　perchance；　even



yet　a　more　subtle　craft　lay　under　all。







〃Well；　in　any　case；　when　you　go　back　you　can　claim　the　distinction　of



having　been　taken　seven　times　round　London；　although　you　can't　really



have　seen　much　of　it；〃　said　Sir　Philip。　〃This　is　a　Circle　train。〃







At　this　assertion　I　looked　up。　Though　admittedly　curved　a　little　about



the　roof　the　chariot　was　in　every　essential　degree　what　we　should



pronounce　to　be　a　square　one；　whereupon；　feeling　at　length　that　the



involvement　had　definitely　passed　to　a　point　beyond　my　contemptible



discernment；　I　spread　out　my　hands　acquiescently　and　affably　remarked



that　the　days　were　lengthening　out　pleasantly。







In　such　a　manner　I　became　acquainted　with　the　one　Sir　Philip；　and



thereby；　in　a　somewhat　circuitous　line；　the　original　purpose　which



possessed　my　brush　when　I　began　this　inept　and　commonplace　letter　is



reached；　for　the　person　in　question　not　only　lay　upon　himself　the



obligation　of　leading　me　〃by　the　strings　of　his　apron…garment〃in　the



characteristic　and　fanciful　turn　of　the　barbarian　languageto　that



same　Palace　on　the　following　day；　but　thenceforth　gracefully　affecting



to　discern　certain　agreeable　vir