the mirror of kong ho-第20章

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From　this　arose　the　absence　of　outward　enthusiasm　with　which　I　at



first　received　Sir　Philip's　extended　favour；　for　although　I　had　come



to　distrust　all　the　reasonable　signs　of　established　power；　I



distrusted；　to　a　much　more　enhanced　degree；　their　complete　absence；



and　when　I　observed　that　the　one　in　question　was　never　accompanied　by



a　band　of　musicians　or　flower…strewers；　that　he　mingled　as　though　on



terms　of　familiar　intercourse　with　the　ordinary　passers…by　in　the



streets；　and　never　struck　aside　those　who　chanced　to　impede　his



progress；　and　that　he　actually　preferred　those　of　low　condition　to



approach　him　on　their　feet；　rather　than　in　the　more　becoming　attitude



of　unconditional　prostration；　I　reasoned　with　myself　whether　indeed　he



could　consistently　be　a　person　of　well…established　authority；　or



whether　I　was　not　being　again　led　away　from　my　self…satisfaction　by



another　obliquity　of　barbarian　logic。　It　was　for　this　reason　that　I



now　welcomed　the　admitted　power　which　he　has　of　incriminating　persons



in　a　variety　of　punishable　offences；　and　I　perceived　with　an　added



satisfaction　that　here；　where　this　privilege　is　more　fully　understood；



few　meet　him　without　raising　their　hands　to　the　upper　part　of　their



heads　in　token　of　unquestioning　submission；　or；　as　one　would　interpret



the　symbolism　into　actual　words；　meaning；　〃Thus；　from　this　point　to



the　underneath　part　of　our　sandals；　all　between　lies　in　the　hollow　of



your　comprehensive　hand。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







There　is　a　written　jest　among　another　barbarian　nation　that　these



among　whom　I　am　tarrying；　being　by　nature　a　people　who　take　their



pleasures　tragically；　when　they　rise　in　the　morning　say；　one　to



another；　〃Come；　behold；　it　is　raining　again　as　usual；　let　us　go　out



and　kill　somebody。〃　Undoubtedly　the　pointed　end　of　this　adroit…witted



saying　may　be　found　in　the　circumstance　that　it　is；　indeed；　as　the



proverb　aptly　claims；　raining　on　practically　every　occasion　in　life；



while；　to　complete　the　comparison；　for　many　dynasties　past　this　nation



has　been　successfully　engaged　in　killing　people　（in　order　to　promote



their　ultimate　benefit　through　a　momentary　inconvenience；）　in　every



part　of　the　world。　Thus　the　lines　of　parallel　thought　maintain　a



harmonious　balance　beyond　the　general　analogy　of　their　sayings；　but



beneath　this　may　be　found　an　even　subtler　edge；　for　in　order　to　inure



themselves　to　the　requirement　of　a　high　destiny　their　various　games



and　manners　of　disportment　are；　with　a　set　purpose；　so　rigorously



contested　that　in　their　progress　most　of　the　weak　and　inefficient　are



opportunely　exterminated。







There　is　a　favourite　and　well…attended　display　wherein　two　opposing



bands；　each　clad　in　robes　of　a　distinctive　colour；　stand　in　extended



lines　of　mutual　defiance；　and　at　a　signal　impetuously　engage。　The



design　of　each　is　by　force　or　guile　to　draw　their　opponents　into　an



unfavourable　position　before　an　arch　of　upright　posts；　and　then



surging　irresistibly　forward；　to　carry　them　beyond　the　limit　and　hurl



them　to　the　ground。　Those　who　successfully　inflict　this　humiliation



upon　their　adversaries　until　they　are　incapable　of　further　resistance



are　hailed　victorious；　and　sinking　into　a　graceful　attitude　receive



each　a　golden　cup　from　the　magnanimous　hands　of　a　maiden　chose　to　the



service；　either　on　account　of　her　peerless　outline；　the　dignified



position　of　her　House；　or　（should　these　incentives　be　obviously



wanting；）　because　the　chief　ones　of　her　family　are　in　the　habit　of



contributing　unstintingly　to　the　equipment　of　the　triumphal　band。



There　is　also　another　kind　of　strife；　differing　in　its　essentials　only



so　far　that　all　who　engage　therein　are　provided　with　a　curved　staff；



with　which　they　may　dexterously　draw　their　antagonists　beyond　the



limits；　or；　should　they　fail　to　defend　themselves　adequately；　break



the　smaller　bones　of　their　ankles。　But　this　form　of　encounter；　despite



the　use　of　these　weapons；　is　really　less　fatal　than　the　other；　for　it



is　not　a　permissible　act　to　club　an　antagonist　resentfully　about　the



head　with　the　staff；　nor　yet　even　to　thrust　it　rigidly　against　his



middle　body。　From　this　moderation　the　public　countenance　extended　to



the　curved…pole　game　is　contemptibly　meagre　when　viewed　by　the　side　of



the　overwhelming　multitudes　which　pour　along　every　channel　in　order　to



witness　a　more　than　usually　desperate　trial　of　the　hurl…headlong



variety　（the　sight；　indeed；　being　as　attractive　to　these　pale；



blood…thirsty　foreigners　as　an　unusually　large　execution　is　with　us）；



and　as　a　consequence　the　former　is　little　reputed　save　among　maidens；



the　feeble；　and　those　of　timorous　instincts。







Thus　positioned；　regarding　a　knowledge　of　their　outside　amusements；　it



has　always　been　one　of　the　most　prominent　ambitions　of　this　person's



strategy　to　avoid　being　drawn　into　any　encounter。　At　the　same　time；



the　thought　that　the　maidens　of　the　household　here　（of　whom　there　are



several；　all　so　attractively　proportioned　that　to　compare　them　in　a



spirit　of　definite　preference　would　be　distastefully　presumptuous　to



this　person；）　should　regard　me　as　one　lacking　in　a　sufficient　display



of　violence　was　not　fragrant　to　my　sense　of　refinement；　so　that　when



Sir　Philip；　a　little　time　after　our　arrival；　related　to　me　that　on　the



following　day　he　and　a　chosen　band　were　to　be　engaged　in　the　match　of



a　cricket　game　against　adversaries　from　the　village；　and　asked　whether



I　cared　to　bear　a　part　in　the　strife；　I　grasped　the　muscles　of　the



upper　part　of　my　left　arm　with　my　right　handas　I　had　frequently　seen



the　hardy　and　virile　do　when　the　subject　of　their　powers　had　been



raised　questioninglyand　replied　that　I　had　long　concealed　an



insatiable　wish　to　take　such　a　part　at　a　point　where　the　conflict



would　be　the　most　revengefully　contested。







Being　thus　inflexibly　committed　it　became　very　necessary　to　arrange　a



well…timed　intervention　（whether　in　the　nature　of　bodily　disorder；



fire；　or　demoniacal　upheaval；　a　warning　omen；　or　the　death　of　some　of



our　chief　antagonists）；　but　before　doing　so　I　was　desirous　of



understanding　how　this　contest；　which　had　hitherto　remained　outside　my



experience；　was　waged。







There　is　here　one　of　benevolent　rotundity　in　whose　authority　lie　the



cavernous　stores　beneath　the　house　and　the　vessels　of　gold　and　silver；



of　menial　rank　admittedly；　yet　exacting　a　seemly　deference　from　all　by



the　rich　urbanity　of　his　voice　and　the　dignity　of　his　massive



proportions。　In　the　affable　condescension　of　his　tone；　and　the



discriminating　encouragement　of　his　attitude　towards　me　on　all



occasions；　I　have　read　a　sympathetic　concern　over　my　welfare。　Him　I



now　approached；　and　taking　him　aside；　I　first　questioned　him



flatteringly　about　his　age　and　the　extent　of　his　yearly　recompense；



and　then　casually　inquired　what　in　his　language　he　would　describe　the



nature　of　a　cricket　to　be。







〃A　cricket？〃　repeated　the　obliging　person　readily；　〃a　cricket；　sir；　is



a　hinsect。　Something；　I　take　it；　after　the　manner　of　a　grass…'opper。〃







〃Truly；〃　I　agreed。　〃It　is　aptly　likened。　And；　to　continue　the　simile；



a　game　cricket？〃







〃A　game　cricket？〃　he　replied；　〃well；　sir；　naturally　a　game　one　would



be　more　gamier　than　the　others；　wouldn't　it？〃







〃The　inference　is　unflinching；〃　I　admitted；　and　after　successfully



luring　away　his　mind　from　any　significance　in　the　inquiry　by　asking



him　whether　the　gift　of　a　lacquered　coffin　or　an　embroidered　shroud



would　be　the　more　regarded　on　parting；　I　left　him。







His　words；　esteemed；　for　a　definite　reason　were　as　the　jade…clappered



melody　of　a　silver　bell。　This　trial　of　sportiveness；　it　became



clear；less　of　a　massacre　than　most　of　their　amusementsis　really　a



rivalry　of　leapings　and　dexterity　of　the　feet：　a　conflict　of　game



crickets　or　grass…hoppers；　in　the　somewhat　wide…angled　obscurity　of



their　language；　or；　as　we　would　more　appropriately　call　it　doubtless；



a　festive　competition　in　the　similitude　of　high…spirited　locusts。　To



whatever　degree　the　surrounding　conditions　might　vary；　there　could　no



longer　be　a　doubt　that　the　power　of　leaping　high　into　the　air　was　the



essential　constituent　of　success　in　this　barbarian　match　of



cricketsand　in　such　an　accomplishment　this　person　excelled　from　the



time　of　his　youth　with　a　truly　incredible　proficiency。　Can　it　be　a



reproach；　then；　that　when　I　considered　this；　and　saw　in　a　vision　the



contempt　of　inferiority　which　I　should　certainly　be　able　to　inflict



upon　these　native　crickets　before　the　eyes　of　their　maidens；　even　the



accumulated　impassiveness　of　thirty…seven　generations　of　Kong



fore…fathers　broke　down　for　the　moment；　and　unable　to　restrain　every



vestige　of　emotion　I　crept　unperceived　to　the　ancestral　hall　of　Sir



Philip　and　there　shook　hands　affectionately　with　myself　before　each　of



the　nine　ironclad　warriors　about　its　walls　before　I　could　revert　to　a



becoming　state　of　trustworthy　unconcern。　That　night　in　my　own　upper



chamber　I　spent　many　hours　in　testing　my　powers　and　studying　more



remarkable　attitudes　of　locust　flight；　and　I　even　found　to　be　within



myself　some　new　attainments　of　life…like　agility；　such　as　feigning　the



continuous　note　of　defiance　with　which　the　insect　meets　his　adversary；



as　remaining　poised　in　the　air　for　an　appreciable　moment　at　the　summit



of　each　leap；　and　of　conveying　to　the　body　a　sudden　and　disconcerting



sideway　movement　in　the　course　of　its　ascent。　So　immersed　did　I　become



in　the　achievement　of　a　high　perfection　that；　to　my　never…ending



self…reproach；　I　failed　to　notice　a　supernatural　visitation　of



undoubted　authenticity；　for　the　next　morning　it　was　widely　admitted



that　a　certain　familiar　demon　of　the　house；　which　only　manifests　its



presence　on　occasions　of　tragic　omen；　had　been　heard　throughout　the



night　in　warning；　not　only　beating　its　head　and　body　against　the　walls



and　doors　in　despair；　but　raising　from　time　to　time　a　wailing　cry　of



soul…benumbing　bitterness。







With　every　assurance　that　the　next　letter；　though　equally　distorted　in



style　and　immature　in　expression；　will　contain　the　record　of　a



deteriorated　but　ever　upward…striving　son's　ultimate　triumph。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　XI











Concerning　the　game　which　we　should　call　〃Locusts；〃　and　the



deeper　significance　of　its