the mirror of kong ho-第6章

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pleasantly。　〃What　an　important　name。　Can　you　pardon　our　curiosity　and



tell　us　what　she　is　like？〃







〃Ning；　Hia…Fa　AND　T'ain　Yen；〃　repeated　this　person；　not　submitting　to



be　deprived　of　the　consequence　of　two　wives　without　due　protest。



〃Three　names；　three　wives。　Three　very　widely　separated　likes。〃







At　this　in　no　way　boastfully　uttered　statement　the　agreeably　outlined



surface　of　the　faces　around　variated　suddenly；　the　effect　being　one



which　I　have　frequently　observed　in　the　midst　of　my　politest



expressions　of　felicity。　For　a　moment；　indeed；　I　could　not　disguise



from　myself　that　the　one　who　had　made　the　inquiry　stretched　forth　her



lotus…like　hand　towards　the　secret　spring　by　which　it　is　customary　to



summon　the　attending　slaves　from　the　underneath　parts；　but　restraining



herself　with　the　manner　of　one　who　would　desire　to　make　less　of　a



thing　that　it　otherwise　might　seem；　she　turned　to　me　again。







〃How　nice！〃　she　murmured。　〃What　a　pity　you　did　not　bring　them　all　with



you；　Mr。　Kong。　They　would　have　been　a　great　acquisition。〃







〃Yet　it　must　be　well　weighed；〃　I　replied；　not　to　be　out…complimented



touching　one　another；　〃that　here　they　would　have　met　so　many　fine　and



superior　gentlemen　that　they　might　have　become　dissatisfied　with　my



less　than　average　prepossessions。〃







〃I　wonder　if　they　did　not　think　of　that　in　your　case；　and　refuse　to



let　you　come；〃　said　one　of　the　maidens。







〃The　various　persons　must　not　be　regarded　as　being　on　their　all



fours；〃　I　replied；　anxious　that　there　should　be　no　misunderstanding　on



this　point。　〃They；　of　course；　reside　within　one　inner　chamber；　but



there　would　be　no　duplicity　in　this　one　adding　indefinitely　to　the



number。〃







〃Of　course　not；　how　silly　of　me！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden。　〃What　splendid



musical　evenings　you　can　have。　But　tell　me；　Mr。　Kong　（ought　it　not　to



be　Messrs。　Kong；　mamma？）；　if　a　girl　married　you　here　would　she　be



legally　married　to　you　in　China？〃







〃Oh　yes；〃　replied　this　person　positively。







〃But　could　you　not；　by　your　own　laws；　have　the　marriage　set　aside



whenever　you　wished？〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　admitted。　〃It　is　so　appointed。〃







〃Then　how　could　she　be　legally　married？〃　she　persisted；　with　really



unbecoming　suspicion。







〃Legally　married；　legally　unmarried；〃　replied　this　person；　quite



distressed　within　himself　at　not　being　able　to　understand　the



difficulty　besetting　her。　〃All　perfectly　legal　and　honourably



observed。〃







〃I　think；　Gwendoline〃　said　the　one　of　authority；　and　although　the



matter　was　no　further　expressed；　by　an　instinct　which　he　was　powerless



to　avert；　this　person　at　once　found　himself　rising　with　ceremonious



partings。







Not　desiring　that　the　obstacle　should　remain　so　inadequately　swept



away；　I　have　turned　my　presumptuous　footsteps　in　the　direction　of　the



Law…giver's　house　on　several　later　occasions；　but　each　time　the　word



of　the　slave　guarding　the　door　has　been　that　they　of　the　household；



down　even　to　those　of　the　most　insignificant　degree　of　kinship；　have



withdrawn　to　a　distant　and　secluded　spot。







With　renewed　assurances　that　the　enterprise　is　being　gracefully



conducted；　however　ill…digested　and　misleading　these　immature



compositions　may　appear。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　IV











Concerning　a　desire　to　expatiate　upon　subjects　of



philosophical　importance　and　its　no　accomplishment。　Three



examples　of　the　mental　concavity　sunk　into　by　these



barbarians。　An　involved　episode　which　had　the　outward



appearance　of　being　otherwise　than　what　it　was。















VENERATED　SIRE　（whose　genial　liberality　on　all　necessary　occasions　is



well　remembered　by　this　person　in　his　sacrifices；　with　the　titles



〃Benevolent〃　and　〃Open…sleeved〃）；







I　had　it　in　my　head　at　one　time　to　tell　you　somewhat　of　the　Classics



most　reverenced　in　this　country；　of　the　philosophical　opinions　which



prevail；　and　to　enlighten　you　generally　upon　certain　other　subjects　of



distinguished　eminence。　As　the　deities　arranged；　however；　it　chanced



that　upon　my　way　to　a　reputable　quarter　of　the　city　where　the



actuality　of　these　matters　can　be　learnt　with　the　least　evasion；　my



footsteps　were　drawn　aside　by　an　incident　which　now　permeates　my



truth…laden　brush　to　the　exclusion　of　all　else。







But　in　the　first　place；　if　it　be　permitted　for　a　thoroughly



untrustworthy　son　to　take　so　presumptuous　a　liberty　with　an



unvaryingly　sagacious　father；　let　this　one　entreat　you　to　regard



everything　he　writes　in　a　very　wide…headed　spirit　of　looking　at　the



matter　from　all　round。　My　former　letters　will　have　readily　convinced



you　that　much　that　takes　place　here；　even　among　those　who　can　afford



long　finger…nails；　would　not　be　tolerated　in　Yuen…ping；　and　in　order



to　avoid　the　suspicion　that　I　am　suffering　from　a　serious　injury　to



the　head；　or　have　become　a　prey　to　a　conflicting　demon；　it　will　be



necessary　to　continue　an　even　more　highly…sustained　tolerant



alertness。　This　person　himself　has　frequently　suffered　the　ill　effects



of　rashly　assuming　that　because　he　is　conducting　the　adventure　in　a



prepossessing　spirit　his　efforts　will　be　honourably　received；　as　when



he　courteously　inquired　the　ages　of　a　company　of　maidens　into　whose



presence　he　was　led；　and　complimented　the　one　whom　he　was　desirous　of



especially　gratifying　by　assuring　her　that　she　had　every　appearance　of



being　at　least　twice　the　nine…and…twenty　years　to　which　she　modestly



laid　claim。







Upon　another　occasion　I　entered　a　barber's　stall；　and　finding　it



oppressively　hot　within；　I　commanded　the　attendant　to　carry　a



reclining　stool　into　the　street　and　there　shave　my　lower　limbs　and



anoint　my　head。　As　he　hesitated　to　obeydoubtless　on　account　of　the



trivial　labour　involvedI　repeated　my　words　in　a　tone　of　fuller



authority；　holding　out　the　inducement　of　a　just　payment　when　he



complied；　and　assuring　him　that　he　would　certainly　be　dragged　before



the　nearest　mandarin　and　tortured　if　he　held　his　joints　stiffly。　At



this　he　evidently　understood　his　danger；　for　obsequiously　protesting



that　he　was　only　a　barber　of　very　mean　attainments；　and　that　his



deformed　utensils　were　quite　inadequate　for　the　case；　he　very



courteously　directed　me　in　inquire　for　a　public　chariot　bound　for　a



quarter　called　Colney　Hatch　（the　place　of　commerce；　it　is　reasonable



to　infer；　of　the　higher　class　barbers）；　and；　seating　myself　in　it；



instruct　the　attendant　to　put　me　down　at　the　large　gates；　where　they



possessed　every　requisite　appliance；　and　also　would；　if　desirable；



shave　my　head　also。　Here　the　incident　assumes　a　more　doubtful　guise；



for；　notwithstanding　the　admitted　politeness　of　the　one　who　spoke；



each　of　those　to　whom　I　subsequently　addressed　myself　on　the　subject；



presented　to　me　a　face　quite　devoid　of　encouragement。　While　none



actually　pointed　out　the　vehicle　I　sought；　many　passed　on　in　a　state



of　inward　contemplation　without　replying；　and　somechiefly　the



attendants　of　other　chariots　of　a　similar　kindreplied　in　what　I



deemed　to　be　a　spirit　of　elusive　metaphor；　as　he　who　asserted　that



such　a　conveyance　must　be　sought　for　at　a　point　known　intimately　as



the　Aldgate　Pump；　whence　it　started　daily　at　half…past　the　thirteenth



gong…stroke；　and　another；　who　maintained　that　I　had　no　prospect　of



reaching　the　desired　spot　until　I　secured　the　services　of　one　of　a



class　of　female　attendants　who　wear　flowing　blue　robes　in　order　to



indicate　that　they　are　prepared　to　encounter　and　vanquish　any



emergency　in　life。　To　make　no　elaborate　pretence　in　the　matter　this



person　may　definitely　admit　that　he　never　did　reach　the　place　in



question；　norin　spite　of　a　diligent　search　in　which　he　has



encountered　much　obloquyhas　he　yet　found　any　barber　sufficiently



well　equipped　to　undertake　the　detail。







Even　more　recently　I　suffered　the　unmerited　rebuke　of　the　superficial



through　performing　an　act　of　deferential　politeness。　Learning　that　the



enlightened　and　magnanimous　sovereign　of　this　country　was　setting　out



on　a　journey　I　stationed　myself　in　the　forefront　of　those　who　stood



before　his　palace；　intending　to　watch　such　parts　of　the　procession　as



might　be　fitly　witnessed　by　one　of　my　condition。　When　these　had



passed；　and　the　chariot　of　the　greatest　approached；　I　respectfully



turned　my　back　to　the　road　with　a　propitiatory　gesture；　as　of　one　who



did　not　deem　himself　worthy　even　to　look　upon　a　being　of　such　majestic



rank　and　acknowledged　excellence。　This　delicate　action；　by　some



incredible　process　of　mental　obliquity；　was　held　by　those　around　to　be



a　deliberate　insult；　if　not　even　a　preconcerted　signal；　of　open



treachery；　and　had　not　a　heaven…sent　breeze　at　that　moment　carried　the



hat　of　a　very　dignified　bystander　into　the　upper　branches　of　an



opportune　tree；　and　successfully　turned　aside　the　attention　of　the



assembly　into　a　most　immoderate　exhibition　of　utter　loss　of　gravity；　I



should　undoubtedly　have　been　publicly　tortured；　if　not　actually　torn



to　pieces。







But　the　incident　first　alluded　to　was　of　an　even　more



elaborately…contrived　density　than　these；　and　some　of　the　details　are



still　unrolled　before　the　keenest　edge　of　this　one's　inner　perception。



Nevertheless；　all　is　now　set　down　in　unbroken　exactness　for　your



impartial　judgment。







At　the　time　of　this　exploit　I　had　only　ventured　out　on　a　few



occasions；　and　then；　save　those　recorded；　to　no　considerable　extent；



for　it　had　already　become　obvious　that　the　enterprises　in　which　I



persistently　became　involved　never　contributed　to　my　material



prosperity；　and　the　disappointment　of　finding　that　even　when　I　could



remember　nine　words　of　a　sentence　in　their　language　none　of　the



barbarians　could　understand　even　so　much　as　a　tenth　of　my　own；　further



cast　down　my　enthusiasm。







On　the　day　which　has　been　the　object　of　this　person's　narration　from



the　first；　he　set　out　to　become　more　fully　instructed　in　the　subjects



already　indicated；　and　proceeding　in　a　direction　of　which　he　had　no



actual　knowledge；　he　soon　found　himself　in　a　populous　and　degraded



quarter　of　the　city。　Presently；　to　his　reasonable　astonishment；　he　saw



before　him　at　a　point　where　two　ill…constructed　thoroughfares　met；　a



spacious　and　important　building；　many…storied　in　height；　ornamented



with　a