the mirror of kong ho-第30章

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following　incident。　〃Is　it　true；　Mr。　Kong；〃　asked　a　lesser　one；　who　is



spoken　of　as　vastly　rich　but　discontented　with　her　previous　lot；　of



this　person　upon　an　occasion；　〃is　it　really　true　that　your　countrymen



to　not　consider　it　right　to　speak　of　their　fathers'　names；　even　in



this　enlightened　age？〃　To　this　I　replied　that　the　matter　was　as　she



had　eloquently　expressed　it；　and；　encouraged　by　her　amiable



condescension；　I　asked　after　the　memory　of　her　paternal　grandsire；



whose　name　I　had　frequently　heard　whispered　in　connection　with　her



own。　To　my　inelegant　confusion　she　regarded　me　for　a　period　as　though



I　had　the　virtue　of　having　become　transparent；　and　then　passed　on　in　a



most　overwhelming　excess　of　disconcertingly…arranged　silence。







〃You've　done　it　now；　Kong；〃　said　one　who　stood　by　（or；　as　we　would



express　the　same　thought；　〃You　have　succeeded　in　accomplishing　the



undesirable〃）；　〃don't　you　know　that　the　old　man　was　in　the　tripe　and



trotter　line？〃







〃To　no　degree；〃　I　replied　truly。　〃Yet；〃　I　continued；　matching　his



idiom　with　another　equally　facile；　〃wherein　was　this　person's　screw



loose？　Are　they　not　openly　referred　tothose　of　the　Line　of　Tripe　and



Trotterby　their　descendants？〃







〃Not　in　most　cases；〃　he　said；　with　a　concentration　that　indicated　a



lurking　sting　among　his　words。　〃Generally　speaking；　they　aren't



mentioned　or　taken　into　any　account　whatever。　While　they　are　alive



they　are　kept　in　the　background　and　invited　to　treat　themselves　to　the



Tower　when　nice　people　are　expected；　when　dead　they　are　fastened　up　in



the　family　back　cupboard　by　a　score　of　ten…inch　nails　and　three…trick



Yale　locks；　so　to　speak。　And　in　the　meantime　all　the　splash　is　being



made　on　their　muddy　oof。　See？〃







I　nodded　agreeably；　though；　had　the　opportunity　been　more　favourable；



I　would　have　made　the　feint　to　learn　somewhat　more　of　this　secret



practice　of　burying　in　the　enclosed　space　beneath　the　stairs。　Thus　is



it　set　forth　why；　after　the　statement；　〃They　do　not　hesitate　to



express　their　fathers'　names　openly；〃　it　is　further　written；　〃Walk



slowly！　Engrave　well　upon　your　discreet　remembrance　the　unmentionable



Line　of　Tripe　and　Trotter。〃







Another　point　of　comparison　which　the　superficial　have　failed　to



record　is　to　be　found　in　the　frequent　encouragements　to　regard　The



Virtues　which　are　to　be　seen；　like　our　own　Confucian　extracts；　freely



inscribed　on　every　wall　and　suitable　place　about　the　city。　These　for



the　most　part　counsel　moderation　in　taking　false　oaths；　in　stepping



heedlessly　upon　the　unknown　ground；　in　following　paths　which　lead　to



doubtful　ends；　and　other　timely　warnings。　〃Beware　a　smoke…breathing



demon；〃　is　frequently　cast　across　one's　path　upon　a　barrier；　and　this



person　has　never　failed　to　accept　the　omen　and　to　retrace　his　steps



hastily　without　looking　to　the　right　or　the　left。　Even　our　own



national　caution　is　not　forgotten；　although　to　conform　to　barbarian



indolence　it　is　written；　〃Slowly；　slowly；　drive　slowly。〃　〃Keep　to　the



Right〃　（or；　〃Abandon　that　which　is　evil；〃　as　the　analogy　holds；）　is



perhaps　the　most　frequently　displayed　of　all；　and　doubtless　many



charitable　persons　obtain　an　ever…accruing　merit　by　hanging　the　sign



bearing　these　words　upon　every　available　post。　Others　are　of　a　stern



and　threatening　nature；　designed　to　make　the　most　hardened　ill…doer



pause；　asin　their　own　tongue〃Rubbish　may　be　shot　here〃；　which　we



should　render；　〃At　any　moment；　and　in　such　a　place　as　this；　a　just



doom　and　extinction　may　overtake　the　worthless。〃　This　inscription　is



never　to　be　seen　except　in　waste　expanses；　where　it　points　its



significance　with　a　multiplied　force。　There　is　another　definite　threat



which　is　lavishly　set　out；　and　so　thoroughly　that　it　may　be



encountered　in　the　least　frequented　and　almost　inaccessible　spots。



This；　as　it　may　be　translated；　reads；　〃Trespass　not　the　forbidden。　The



profligate　may　flourish　like　the　gourd　for　a　season；　but　in　the　end



assuredly　they　will　be　detected；　and　justice　meted　out　with　the



relentless　fury　of　the　written　law。〃







In　a　converse　position；　the　wide　difference　in　the　ceremonial　forms　of



retaliatory　invective　has　practically　disarmed　this　usually　eloquent



person；　and　he　long　since　abandoned　every　hope　of　expressing　himself



with　any　satisfaction　in　encounters　of　however　acrimonious　a　trend。　At



first；　with　an　urbane　smile　and　gestures　of　dignified　contempt；　he



impugned　the　authenticity　of　the　Ancestral　Tablets　of　those　with　whom



he　strove；　in　an　unbroken　stream　of　most　bitter　contumely。　Finding



them　silent　under　this　reproach；　he　next　lightly　traced　their　origin



back　through　generations　of　afflicted　lepers；　deformed　ape…beings；　and



Nameless　Things；　to　a　race　of　primitive　ghouls；　and　then　went　on　in



relentless　fluency　to　predict　an　early　return　in　their　descendants　to



the　condition　of　a　similar　state。　For　some　time　he　had　a



well…gratified　assurance　that　those　whom　he　assailed　were　so



overwhelmed　as　to　be　incapable　of　retort；　and　in　this　belief　he　never



failed　to　call　upon　passers…by　to　witness　his　triumph；　but　on　the



fourth　occasion　a　young　man　whom　I　had　thus　publicly　denounced　for　a



sufficient　though　forgotten　reason；　after　listening　courteously　to　my



venomous　accusations；　bestowed　a　two…cash　piece　upon　me　and　passed　on；



remarking　that　it　was　hard；　and　those　around；　also；　would　have　added



from　their　stores　had　it　been　permitted。　From　this　time　onward　I　did



not　attempt　to　make　myself　disagreeable　either　in　public　or　to　those



whom　I　esteemed　privately。　On　the　other　hand；　the　barbarian　manner　of



retort　did　not　find　me　endowed　by　nature　to　parry　it　successfully。



Quite　lacking　in　measured　periods；　it　aims；　by　an　extreme　rapidity　of



thrust　and　an　insincerity　of　sequence；　to　entangle　the　one　who　is



assailed　in　a　complication　of　arising　doubts　and　emotions。　〃Who　are



you；no　one　but　yourself；〃　exclaimed　a　hireling　of　hung…dog



expression　who　claimed　to　have　exchanged　pledging　gifts　with　a　certain



maiden　who　stood；　as　it　were；　between　us；　and　falling　into　the　snare；



I　protested　warmly　against　the　insult；　and　strove　to　disprove　the



inference　before　the　paralogism　lay　revealed。　Throughout　the　whole



range　of　the　Odes；　the　Histories；　the　Analects；　and　the　Rites　what



recognised　formula　of　rejoinder　is　there　to　the　taunt；　〃Oh；　go　and　put



your　feet　in　mustard　and　cress〃；　or　how　can　one；　however　skilled　in



the　highest　Classics；　parry　the　subtle　inconsistencies　of　the



reproach；　〃You're　a　nice　bit　of　orl　right；　aren't　you？　Not　arf；　I



don't　think。〃







Among　the　arts　of　this　country　that　of　painting　upon　canvas　is　held　in



repute；　but　to　a　person　associated　with　the　masterpieces　of　the　Ma



epoch　these　native　attempts　would　be　gravity…dispelling　if　they　were



not　too　reminiscent　of　the　torture　chamber。　It　is　rarely；　indeed；　that



even　the　most　highly…esteemed　picture…makers　succeed　in　depicting



every　portion　of　a　human　body　submitted　to　their　brush；　and　not



infrequently　half　of　the　face　is　left　out。　Once；　when　asked　by　a



paint…applier　who　was　entitled　to　append　two　signs　of　exceptional



distinction　behind　his　name；　to　express　an　opinion　upon　a　finished



work；　I　diffidently　called　his　attention　to　the　fact　that　he　had



forgotten　to　introduce　a　certain　exalted　one's　left　ear。　〃Not　at　all；



Mr。　Kong；〃　he　replied；　with　an　expression　of　ill…merited



self…satisfaction；　〃but　it　is　hidden　by　the　face。〃　〃Yet　it　exists；〃　I



contended；　〃why　not；　therefore；　press　it　to　the　front　at　all　hazard；



rather　than　send　so　great　a　statesman　down　into　the　annals　of



posterity　as　deformed　to　that　extent？〃　〃It　certainly　exists；〃　he



admitted；　〃and　one　takes　that　for　granted；　but　in　my　picture　it　cannot



be　seen。〃　I　bowed　complaisantly；　content　to　let　so　damaging　an



admission　point　its　own　despair。　A　moment　later　I　continued；　〃In　the



great　Circular　Hall　of　the　Palace　of　Envoys　there　is　a　picture　of　two



camels；　foot…tethered；　as　it　fortunately　chanced；　to　iron　rings。



Formerly　there　were　a　drove　of　eightthe　others　being　freeso



exquisitely　outlined　in　all　their　parts　that　one　night；　when　the　door



had　been　left　incautiously　open；　they　stepped　down　from　the　wall　and



escaped　to　the　woods。　How　deplorable　would　have　been　the　plight　of



these　unfortunate　beings；　if　upon　passing　into　the　state　of　a　living



existence　they　had　found　that　as　a　result　of　the　limited　vision　of



their　creator　they　only　possessed　twelve　legs　and　three　whole　bodies



among　them。〃







Perchance　this　tactfully…related　story；　so　applicable　to　his　own



deficiencies；　may　sink　into　the　imagination　of　the　one　for　whom　it　was



inoffensively　unfolded。　Yet　doubt　remains。　Our　own　picture…judgers



take　up　a　position　at　the　side　of　work　when　they　with　to　examine　its



qualities；　retiring　to　an　ever…diminishing　angle　in　order　to　bring　out



the　more　delicate　effects；　until　a　very　expert　and　conscientious



critic　will　not　infrequently　stand　really　behind　the　picture　he　is



considering　before　he　delivers　a　final　pronouncement。　Not　until　these



native　artists　are　able　to　regard　their　crude　attempts　from　the　other



side　of　the　canvas　can　they　hope　to　become　equally　proficient。　To　this



fatal　shortcoming　must　be　added　that　of　insatiable　ambition；　which



prompts　the　young　to　the　portrayal　of　widely　differing　subjects。　Into



the　picture…room　of　one　who　might　thus　be　described　this　person　was



recently　conducted；　to　pass　an　opinion　upon　a　scene　in　which　were



depicted　seven　men　of　varying　nationalities　and　appropriately　garbed；



one　of　the　opposing　sex　carrying　a　lighted　torch；　an　elephant



reclining　beneath　a　fruitful　vine；　and　the　President　of　a　Republic。



For　a　period　this　person　resisted　the　efforts　of　those　who　would　have



questioned　him；　withdrawing　their　attention　to　the　harmonious　lights



upon　the　river　mist　floating　far　below；　but　presently；　being



definitely　called　upon；　he　replied　as　follows：　〃Mih　Ying；　who　was



perhaps　the　greatest　of　his　time；　spent　his　whole　life　in　painting



green　and　yellow　beetles　in　the　act　of　concealing　themselves　beneath



dead　maple　leaves　upon　the　approach　of　day。　At　the　age　of　seventy…five



he　burst　into　tears；　and　upon　being　approached　for　a　cause　he



exclaimed；　'Alas；　if　only　this　person　had　resisted　the　temptation　to



be　diffuse；　and　had　confined　himself　to　green　beetles　alone；　he　might



now；　instead　of　contemplating　a　misspent　ca