the mirror of kong ho-第4章

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unbecoming　garments；　that　I　must　surely　have　become　confused　and　sent



a　Mrs。　Hong　Kong　instead　of　myself；　and　frequently　he　undermined　the



gravity　of　all　most　successfully　by　pulling　me　backwards　suddenly　by



the　pigtail；　with　the　plea　that　he　imagined　he　was　picking　up　his



riding…whip。　This　attractive　person　was　always　accompanied　by　a



formidable　dogof　convex　limbs；　shrunken　lip；　and　suspicious



demeanourwhich　he　called　Influenza；　to　the　excessive　amusement　of



those　to　whom　he　related　its　characteristics。　For　some　inexplicable



reason　from　the　first　it　regarded　my　lower　apparel　as　being　unsuitable



for　the　ordinary　occasions　of　life；　and　in　spite　of　the　low　hissing



call　by　which　its　master　endeavoured　to　attract　its　attention　to



himself；　it　devoted　its　energies　unceasingly　to　the　self…imposed　task



of　removing　them　fragment　by　fragment。　Nevertheless　it　was　a　dog　of



favourable　size　and　condition；　and　it　need　not　therefore　be　a　matter



for　surprise　that　when　the　intellectual　person　Herbert　took　his



departure　on　the　day　in　question　it　had　to　be　assumed　that　it　had



already　preceded　him。　Having　accomplished　so　much；　this　person　found



little　difficulty　in　preparing　it　tastefully　in　his　own　apartment；



and　making　the　substitution　on　the　following　day。







Although　his　mind　was　confessedly　enlarged　at　the　success　of　his



venture；　and　his　hopes　most　ornamentally　coloured　at　the　thought　of



the　adorable　one's　gratified　esteem　when　she　discovered　how　expertly



her　wishes　had　been　carried　out；　this　person　could　not　fail　to　notice



that　the　Maiden　Blank　was　also　materially　agitated　when　she



distributed　the　contents　of　the　dish　before　her。







〃Will　you；　of　your　enlightened　courtesy；　accept；　and　overlook　the



deficiencies　of；　a　portion　of　rabbit…pie；　O　high…souled　Mr。　Kong？〃　she



inquired　gracefully　when　this　insignificant　person　was　reached；　and；



concealing　my　many…hued　emotion　beneath　an　impassive　face；　I　bowed



agreeably　as　I　replied；　〃To　the　beggar；　black　bread　is　a　royal



course。〃







〃WHAT　pie　did　you　say；　dear？〃　whispered　another　autumnal　maiden；



when　all　had　partaken　somewhat；　and　at　her　words　a　most　consistently



acute　silence　involved　the　table。







〃II　don't　quite　know；〃　replied　the　one　of　the　upper　end；　becoming



excessively　devoid　of　complexion；　and　restraining　her　voice　she



forthwith　sent　down　an　attending　slave　to　inquire　closely。







At　this　point　a　person　of　degraded　ancestry　endeavoured　to　remove　the



undoubted　cloud　of　depression　by　feigning　the　nocturnal　cry　of　the



domestic　cat；　but　in　this　he　was　not　successful；　and　a　maiden



opposite；　after　fixedly　regarding　a　bone　on　her　plate；　withdrew



suddenly；　embracing　herself　as　she　went。　A　moment　later　the　slave



returned；　proclaiming　aloud　that　the　dish　which　had　been　prepared　for



the　occasion　had　now　been　accidentally　discovered　by　the　round…bodied



cook　beneath　the　cushions　of　an　arm…chair　（a　spot　by　no　means



satisfactory　to　this　person's　imagination　had　the　opportunities　at　his



disposal　been　more　diffuse）。







〃What；　then；　is　this　of　which　we　have　freely　partaken？〃　cried　they



around；　and；　in　the　really　impressive　silence　which　followed；　an



inopportune　person　discovered　a　small　silver　tablet　among　the



fragments　upon　his　plate；　and；　taking　it　up；　read　aloud　the　single



word；　〃Influenza。〃







During　the　day；　and　even　far　into　the　uncounted　gong…strokes　of　the



time　of　darkness；　this　person　had　frequently　remained　in　a　fascinated



contemplation　of　the　moment　when　he　should　reveal　himself　and　stand　up



to　receive　the　benevolently…expressed　congratulations　of　all　who　paid



an　agreed　sum　at　fixed　intervals；　and；　particularly；　the　dazzling



though　confessedly　unsettling　glance…thanks　of　the　celestially…formed



maiden　who　had　explicitly　stated　that　she　was　desirous　of　having　a



little　dog。　Now；　however；　when　this　part　of　the　enterprise　ought　to



have　taken　place；　I　found　myself　unable　to　evade　the　conclusion　that



some　important　detail　of　the　entire　scheme　had　failed　to　agree



harmoniously　with　the　rest；　and；　had　it　been　possible；　I　would　have



retired　with　unobtrusive　tact　and　permitted　another　to　wear



my　honourable　acquirements。　But；　for　some　reason；　as　I　looked　around　I



perceived　that　every　eye　was　fixed　upon　me　with　what　at　another　time



would　have　been　a　most　engaging　unanimity；　and；　although　I　bowed　with



undeterred　profusion；　and　endeavoured　to　walk　out　behind　an　expression



of　all…comprehensive　urbanity　that　had　never　hitherto　failed　me；　a



person　of　unsympathetic　outline　placed　himself　before　the　door；　and



two　others；　standing　one　on　each　side　of　me；　gave　me　to　understand



that　a　recital　of　the　full　happening　was　required　before　I　left　the



room。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







It　is　hopeless　to　expect　a　display　of　refined　intelligence　at　the



hands　of　a　people　sunk　in　barbarism　and　unacquainted　with　the



requirements　of　true　dignity　and　the　essentials　of　food　preparation。



On　the　manner　of　behaving　of　the　male　portion　of　those　present　this



person　has　no　inducement　whatever　to　linger。　Even　the　maiden　for　whom



he　had　accomplished　so　much；　after　the　nature　of　the　misunderstanding



had　been　made　plain　to　her；　uttered　only　a　single　word　of　approval；



which；　on　subsequently　consulting　a　book　of　interpretations；　this



person　found　to　indicate：　〃A　person　of　weak　intellect；　one　without　an



adequate　sense　of　the　proportion　and　fitness　of　things；　a　buffoon；　a



jester；　a　compound　of　gooseberries　scalded　and　crushed　with　cream〃；



but　although　each　of　these　definitions　may　in　a　way　be　regarded　as



applicable；　he　is　still　unable　to　decide　which　was　the　precise　one



intended。







With　salutations　of　filial　regard；　and　in　a　spirit　seven　times　refined



by　affliction　and　purified　by　vain　regrets。







KONG　HO。



（Upon　whose　tablet　posterity　will　perchance　inscribe　the　titles；



〃Ill…destined　but　Misjudged。〃）



















LETTER　III











Concerning　the　virtuous　amusements　of　both　old　and　young。　The



sit…round　games。　The　masterpiece　of　the　divine　Li　Tang；　and



its　reception　by　all；　including　that　same　Herbert。















VENERATED　SIRE　（whose　breadth　of　mind　is　so　well　developed　as　to　take



for　granted　boundless　filial　professions；　which；　indeed；　become　vapid



by　a　too　frequent　reiteration）；







Your　amiable　inquiry　as　to　how　the　barbarians　pass　their　time；　when



not　employed　in　affairs　of　commerce　or　in　worshipping　their　ancestors；



has　inspired　me　to　examine　the　matter　more　fully。　At　the　same　time



your　pleasantly…composed　aphorism　that　the　interior　nature　of　persons



does　not　vary　with　the　colour　of　their　eyes；　and　that　if　I　searched　I



should　find　the　old　flying　kites　and　the　younger　kicking　feather



balls　or　working　embroidery；　according　to　their　sex；　does　not　appear



to　be　accurately　sustained。







The　lesser　ones；　it　is　true；　engage　in　a　variety　of　sumptuous



handicrafts；　such　as　the　scorching　of　wooden　tablets　with　the



semblance　of　a　pattern；　and　gouging　others　with　sharpened　implements



into　a　crude　relief；　depicting　birds　and　flowers　upon　the　surface　of



plates；　rending　leather　into　shreds；　and　entwining　beaten　iron；　brass；



and　copper　into　a　diversity　of　most　ingenious　complications；　but　when



I　asked　a　maiden　of　affectionate　and　domesticated　appearance　whether



she　had　yet　worked　her　age…stricken　father's　coffin…cloth；　she　said



that　the　subject　was　one　upon　which　she　declined　to　jest；　and　rapidly



involving　herself　in　a　profuse　display　of　emotion；　she　withdrew；



leaving　this　one　aghast。







To　enable　my　mind　to　retranquillise；　I　approached　a　youth　of



highly…gilded　appearance；　and；　with　many　predictions　of



self…inferiority；　I　suggested　that　we　should　engage　in　the　stimulating



rivalry　of　feather　ball。　When　he　learned；　however；　that　the　diversion



consisted　in　propelling　upwards　a　feather…trimmed　chip　by　striking　it



against　the　side　of　the　foot；　he　candidly　replied　that　he　was　afraid



he　had　grown　out　of　shuttle…cock；　but　did　not　mind；　if　I　was



vigorously　inclined；　〃taking　me　on　for　a　set　of　yang…pong。〃







Old　men　here；　it　is　said；　do　not　fly　kites；　and　they　affect　to　despise



catching　flies　for　amusement；　although　they　frequently　go　fishing。



Struck　by　this　peculiarity；　I　put　it　in　the　form　of　an　inquiry　to　one



of　venerable　appearance；　why；　when　at　least　five　score　flies　were



undeniably　before　his　eyes；　he　preferred　to　recline　for　lengthy



periods　by　the　side　of　a　stream　endeavouring　to　snare　creatures　of



whose　existence　he　himself　had　never　as　yet　received　any　adequate



proof。　Doubtless　in　my　contemptible　ignorance；　however；　I　used　some



word　inaccurately；　for　those　who　stood　around　suffered　themselves



to　become　amused；　and　the　one　in　question　replied　with　no　pretence　of



amiable　condescension　that　the　jest　had　already　been　better　expressed



a　hundred　times；　and　that　I　would　find　the　behind　parts　of　a　printed



leaf　called　〃Punch〃　in　the　bookcase。　Not　being　desirous　of　carrying　on



a　conversation　of　which　I　felt　that　I　had　misplaced　the　most　highly



rectified　ingredient；　I　bowed　repeatedly；　and　replied　affably　that



wisdom　ruled　his　left　side　and　truth　his　right。







It　was　upon　this　same　occasion　that　a　young　man　of　unprejudiced



wide…mindedness；　taking　me　aside；　asserted　that　the　matter　had　not　been



properly　set　forth　when　I　was　inquiring　about　kites。　Both　old　and



young　men；　he　continued；　frequently　endeavoured　to　fly　kites；　even　in



the　involved　heart　of　the　city。　He　had　tried　once　or　twice　himself；



but　never　with　encouraging　success；　chiefly；　he　was　told；　because　his



paper　was　not　good　enough。　Many　people；　he　added；　would　not　scruple　to



mislead　me　with　evasive　ambiguity　on　this　one　subject　owing　to　an



ill…balanced　conception　of　what　constituted　true　dignity；　but　he　was



unwilling　that　his　countrymen　should　be　thought　by　mine　to　be　sunk



into　a　deeper　barbarism　than　actually　existed。







His　warning　was　not　inopportune。　Seated　next　to　this　person　at　a　later



period　was　a　maiden　from　whose　agreeably…poised　lips　had　hitherto



proceeded　nothing　but　sincerity　and　fact。　Watching　her　closely　I　asked



her；　as　one　who　only　had　a　languid　interest　either　one　way　or　the



other；　whether　her　revered　father　or　her　talented　and



richly…apparelled　brothers　ever　spent　their　time　flying　kites　about