the mirror of kong ho-第7章

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



with　a　profusion　of　gold　and　crystal；　marble　and　precious　stones；　and



displaying　from　a　tall　pole　the　three…hued　emblem　of　undeniable



authority。　A　never…ending　stream　of　people　passed　in　and　out　by　the



numerous　doors；　the　strains　of　expertly　wielded　instruments　could　be



distinctly　heard　inside；　and　the　warm　odour　of　a　most　prepossessing



spiced　incense　permeated　the　surroundings。　〃Assuredly；〃　thought　the



person　who　is　now　recording　the　incident；　〃this　is　one　of　the　Temples



of　barbarian　worship〃；　and　to　set　all　further　doubt　at　rest　he　saw　in



letters　of　gilt　splendour　a　variety　of　praiseworthy　and　appropriate



inscriptions；　among　which　he　read　and　understood；　〃Excellent；〃　〃Fine



Old；〃　〃Well　Matured；〃　〃Spirits　only　of　the　choicest　quality　within；〃



together　with　many　other　invocations　from　which　he　could　not　wrest　the



hidden　significance；　as　〃Old　Vatted；〃　〃Barclay's　Entire；〃　〃An　Ordinary



at　One；〃　and　the　like。







By　this　time　an　impressive　gathering　had　drawn　around；　and　from　its



manner　of　behaving　conveyed　the　suspicion　that　an　entertainment　or



manifestation　of　some　kind　was　confidently　awaited。　To　disperse　so



outrageous　a　misconception　this　person　was　on　the　point　of　withdrawing



himself　when　he　chanced　to　see；　over　the　principal　door　of　the　Temple；



a　solid　gold　figure　of　colossal　magnitude；　represented　as　crowned　with



leaves　and　tendrils；　and　holding　in　his　outstretched　hands　a　gigantic；



and　doubtless　symbolic；　bunch　of　grapes。　〃This；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃is



evidently　the　tutelary　deity　of　the　place；　so　displayed　to　receive　the



worship　of　the　passer…by。〃　With　the　discovery　a　thought　of　the　most



irreproachable　benevolence　possessed　me。　〃Why　should　not　this　person；〃



I　reflected；　〃gain　the　unstinted　approbation　of　those　barbarians〃



（who　by　this　time　completely　encircled　me　in）　〃by　doing　obeisance



towards　their　deity；　and　by　the　same　act　delicately　and　inoffensively



rebuke　them　for　their　own　too…frequent　intolerable　attitude　towards



the　susceptibilities　of　others？　As　an　unprejudiced　follower；　in　his



own　land；　of　the　systems　of　Confucius；　Lao…tse；　and　Buddha；　this



person　already　recognises　the　claims　of　seventeen　thousand　nine



hundred　and　thirty…three　deities　of　various　grades；　so　that　the



addition　of　one　more　to　that　number　can　be　a　heresy　of　very　trivial



expiation。〃　Inspired　by　these　honourable　sentiments；　therefore；　I　at



once　prostrated　myself　on　the　ground；　and；　amid　a　silence　of　really



illimitable　expectation；　I　began　to　kow…tow　repeatedly　with



ceremonious　precision。







At　this　display　of　charitable　broadmindedness　an　approving　shout　went



up　on　all　sides。　Thus　encouraged　I　proceeded　to　kow…tow　with　even　more



unceasing　assiduousness；　and　presently　words　of　definite　encouragement



mingled　with　the　shout。　〃Do　not　flag　in　your　amiable



disinterestedness；　Kong　Ho；〃　I　whispered　in　my　ear；　〃and　out　of　your



well…sustained　endurance　may　perchance　arise　a　cordial　understanding；



and　ultimately　a　remunerative　alliance　between　two　distinguished



nations。〃　Filled　with　this　patriotic　hope　I　did　not　suffer　my　neck　to



stiffen；　and　doubtless　I　would　have　continued　the　undertaking　as　long



as　the　sympathetic　persons　who　hemmed　me　in　signified　their　refined



approval；　when　suddenly　the　cry　was　raised；　〃Look　out；　here　comes　the



coppers！〃







This；　O　my　venerable…headed　father；　I　at　once　guessed　to　be　the



announcement　heralding　the　collecting…bowl　which　some　over…zealous



bystander　was　preparing　to　pass　round　on　my　behalf；　doubtless　under



the　impressionso　obtuse　in　grasping　the　true　relationship　of　events



are　many　of　the　barbariansthat　I　was　a　wandering　monk；　displaying　my



reverence　for　the　purpose　of　mendicancy。　Not　wishing　to　profit　by　this



offensive　misapprehension；　I　was　preparing　to　rise；　when　a　hand　was



unceremoniously　laid　upon　my　shoulder；　and　turning　round　I　saw　behind



me　one　of　the　official　watcha　class　of　men　so　powerful　that　at　a



gesture　from　their　uplifted　hands　even　the　fiercest　untamed　horse　will



not　infrequently　stand　upon　its　hind　legs　in　mute　submission。







〃Early　morning　salutations；〃　I　said　pleasantly；　though　somewhat



involved　in　speech　by　my　exertion　（for　these　persons　are　ever　to　be



treated　with　discriminating　courtesy）。　〃Prosperity　to　your　house；　O



energetic　street…watcher；　and　a　thousand　grandsons　to　worship　their



illustrious　ancestor。〃







〃Thanks；〃　he　replied　concisely。　〃I'm　a　single　man。　As　yet。　Now　then；



will　you　make　a　way　there？　Can　you　stand？〃







〃Stand？〃　repeated　this　person；　at　once　recognising　one　of　the



important　words　of　inner　meaning　concerning　which　he　had　been



initiated　by　the　versatile　Quang…Tsun。　〃Certainly　this　person　will　not



hesitate　to　establish　his　footing　if　the　exaction　is　thought　to　be



desirable。　Let　us；　therefore；　bend　our　steps　in　the　direction　of　a



tea…house　of　unquestionable　propriety。〃







〃You've　bent　your　steps　into　quite　enough　tea…houses；　as　you　call



them；　for　one　day；〃　replied　the　official　with　evasive　meaning；　at　the



same　time　assisting　me　to　rise　（for　it　need　not　be　denied　that　the



restrained　position　had　made　me　for　the　moment　incapable　of　a



self…sustaining　effort）。　〃Look　what　you've　done。〃







At　the　direction　of　his　glance　I　cast　my　eyes　along　the　street；　east



and　west；　and　for　the　first　time　I　became　aware　that　what　I　had　last



seen　as　a　reasonable　gathering　had　now　taken　the　proportions　of　an



innumerable　multitude　which　filled　the　entire　space　of　the



thoroughfare；　while　others　covered　the　roofs　above　and　protruded



themselves　from　every　available　window。　In　our　own　land　the



interspersal　of　umbrellas；　musical　instruments；　and　banners；　with　an



occasional　firework；　would　have　given　a　greater　animation　to　the



scene；　but　with　this　exception　I　have　never　taken　part　in　a　more



impressive　and　well…extended　procession。　Even　while　I　looked；　the



helmets　of　other　official　watchers　appeared　in　the　distance；　as



immature　junks　upon　the　storm…tossed　Whang…Hai；　apparently　striving



fruitlessly　to　reach　us。







As　I　was　by　no　means　sure　what　attitude　was　expected　of　me；　I　smiled



with　an　all…embracing　approval；　and　signified　to　the　one　at　my　side；



by　way　of　passing　the　time　pleasurably　together；　that　the　likelihood



of　his　nimble…witted　friends　reaching　us　with　unruffled　garments　was



remote　in　the　extreme。







〃Don't　you　let　that　worry　you；　Li　Hung　Chang；〃　he　said；　in　a　tone　that



had　the　appearance　of　being　outside　itself　around　a　deeper　and　more



bitter　significance；　〃if　we　get　out　again　with　any　garments　at　all　it



won't　be　your　fault。　Why；　youwell；　YOU　ought　to　have　been　put　on　the



Black　List　long　ago；　by　rights。〃







This；　exalted　one；　although　I　have　not　yet　been　able　to　learn　the



exact　dignity　of　it　from　any　of　the　books　of　civil　honours；　is



undoubtedly　a　mark　of　signal　attainment；　conferred　upon　the　few　for



distinguishing　themselves　by　some　particular　capacity；　as　our　Double



Dragon；　for　instance。　Anxious　to　learn　something　of　the　privileges　of



the　rank　from　one　who　evidently　was　not　without　influence　in　the



bestowal；　and　not　unwilling　to　show　him　that　I　was　by　no　means　of



low…caste　descent；　I　said　to　the　official；　〃In　his　own　country　one　of



this　person's　ancestors　wore　the　Decoration　of　the　Yellow　Scabbard；



which　entitled　him　to　be　carried　in　his　chair　up　to　the　gate　of　the



Forbidden　Palace　before　descending　to　touch　the　ground。　Is　this　Order



of　the　Black　List　of　a　like　purport？〃







〃You're　right；〃　he　said；　〃it　is。　In　this　country　it　entitles　you　to　be



carried　right　inside　the　door　at　Bow　Street　without　ever　touching　the



ground。　Look　out！　Now　we　shall　not〃







At　that　moment　what　this　person　at　first　assumed　to　be　a　floral



tribute；　until　he　saw　that　not　only　the　entire　plant；　but　the



earthenware　jar　also　were　attached；　struck　the　official　upon　the



helmet；　whereupon；　drawing　a　concealed　club；　he　ceased　speaking。







How　the　entertainment　was　conducted　to　such　a　development　this　person



is　totally　inadequate　to　express；　but　in　an　incredibly　short　space　of



time　the　scene　became　one　of　most　entrancing　variety。　From　every



visible　point　around　the　air　became　filled　with　commodities



whichthough　doubtless　without　set　intentionfittingly　represented



the　arts；　manufactures；　and　natural　history　of　this　resourceful



country；　all　cast　in　prolific　abundance　at　the　feet　of　the　official



and　myself；　although　the　greater　part　inevitably　struck　our　heads　and



bodies　before　reaching　them。　Beyond　our　immediate　circle；　as　it　may　be



expressed；　the　crowd　never　ceased　to　press　forward　with　resistless



activity；　and　among　it　could　be　seen　occasionally　the　official



watchmen　advancing　self…reliantly；　though　frequently　without　helmets；



and；　not　less　often；　the　helmets　advancing　without　the　official



watchmen。　To　add　to　the　acknowledged　interest；　every　person　present



was　proclaiming　his　views　freely　on　a　diversity　of　subjects；　and　above



all　could　be　heard　the　clear　notes　of　the　musical　instruments　by　which



the　officials　sought　to　encourage　one　another　in　their　extremity；　and



to　deaden　the　cries　of　those　whom　they　outclubbed。







Despite　this　person's　repeated　protests　that　the　distinction　was　too



excessive；　he　was　plucked　from　hand　to　hand　irresistibly　among　those



around；　losing　a　portion　of　his　ill…made　attire　at　each　step；　so



agreeably　anxious　were　all　to　detain　him。　Just　when　the　exploit　seemed



likely　to　have　a　disagreeable　ending；　however；　he　was　thrust　heavily



against　a　door　which　yielded；　and　at　once　barring　it　behind　him；　he



passed　across　the　open　space　into　which　it　led；　along　a　passage



between　two　walls；　and　thence　through　an　involved　labyrinth　and



beneath　the　waters　of　a　canal　into　a　wood　of　attractive　seclusion。



Here　this　person　remained；　spending　the　time　in　a　profitable



meditation；　until　the　light　withdrew　and　the　great　sky　lantern　had



ascended。　Then　he　cautiously　crept　forth；　and　after　some　further



trivial　episodes　which　chiefly　concern　the　obstinate…headed　slave



guarding　the　outer　door　of　a　tea…house；　an　unintelligent　maiden　in　the



employment　of　one　vending　silk…embroidered　raiment；　the　mercenary



controller　of　a　two…wheeled　chariot　and　the　sympathetic　and　opportune



arrival　of　a　person　seated　upon　a　funeral　car；　he　succeeded　in



reaching　the