the mirror of kong ho-第8章

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



reaching　the　place　of　his　abode。







With　unalterable　affection　and　a　material　request　that　an　unstinted



adequacy　of　new　garments　may　be　sent　by　a　sure　and　speedy　hand。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　V











Concerning　the　neglect　of　ancestors　and　its　discreditable



consequences。　Two　who　state　the　matter　definitely。　Concerning



the　otherside　way　of　looking　at　things　and　the



self…contradictory　bearing　of　the　maiden　Florence。















VENERATED　SIRE；A　discovery　of　overwhelming　malignity　oppresses　me。



In　spite　of　much　baffling　ambiguity　and　the　frequent　evasion　of



conscious　guilt；　there　can　be　no　longer　any　reasonable　doubt　that



these　barbarians　DO　NOT　WORSHIP　THEIR　ANCESTORS！







Hitherto　the　matter　had　rested　in　my　mind　as　an　uneasy　breath　of



suspicion；　agitated　from　time　to　time　by　countless　indications　that



such　a　possibility　might；　indeed；　exist　in　a　condensed　form；　but　too



inauspiciously　profane　to　be　contemplated　in　the　altogether。　Thus；



when　in　the　company　of　the　young　this　person　has　walked　about　the



streets　of　the　city；　he　may　at　length　have　said；　〃Truly；　out　of　your



amiable　condescension；　you　have　shown　me　a　variety　of　entrancing



scenes。　Let　us　now　in　turn　visit　the　tombs　of　your　ancestors；　to　the



end　that　I　may　transmit　fitting　gifts　to　their　spirits　and　discharge　a



few　propitious　fireworks　as　a　greeting。〃　Yet　in　no　case　has　this



well…intentioned　offer　been　agilely　received；　one　asserting　that　he



did　not　know　the　resting…place　of　the　tombs　in　question；　a　second　that



he　had　no　ancestors；　a　third　that　Kensal　Green　was　not　an　entrancing



spot　for　a　wet　afternoon；　a　fourth　that　he　would　see　them　removed　to　a



greater　distance　first；　another　that　he　drew　the　line　at　mafficking　in



a　cemetery；　and　the　like。　These　things；　it　may　occur　to　your



omniscience；　might　in　themselves　have　been　conclusive；　yet　the　next



reference　to　the　matter　would　perhaps　be　tending　to　a　more　alluring



hope。







〃To…morrow；〃　a　person　has　remarked　in　the　hearing　of　this　one；　〃I　go



to　the　Stratford　which　is　upon　the　Avon；　and　without　a　pause　I　shall



prostrate　myself　intellectually　before　the　immortal　Shakespeare's　tomb



and　worship　his　unequalled　memory。〃







〃The　intention　is　benevolently　conceived；〃　I　remarked。　〃Yet　has　he　no



descendants；　this　same　Shakespeare；　that　the　conciliation　of　his



spirit　must　be　left　to　chance？〃







When　he　assured　me　that　this　calamity　had　come　about；　I　would　have



added　a　richly…gilded　brick　from　my　store　for　transmission　also；　in



the　hope　that　the　neglected　and　capricious　shadow　would　grant　me　an



immunity　from　its　resentful　attention；　but　the　one　in　question　raised



a　barrier　of　dissent。　If　I　wished　to　adorn　a　tomb；　he　added　（evading



the　deeper　significance　of　the　act）；　there　was　that　of　Goldsmith



within　its　Temple；　upon　which　many　impressionable　maidens　from　across



the　Bitter　Waters　of　the　West　make　it　a　custom　to　deposit　chaplets　of



verses；　in　the　hope　of　seeing　the　offering　chronicled　in　the　papers；



and　in　the　Open　Space　called　Trafalgar　there　were　the　images　of　a



great　captain　who　led　many　junks　to　victory　and　the　Emperor　of　a



former　dynasty；　where　doubtless　the　matter　could　be　arranged；　but　the



surrounding　had　by　this　time　become　too　involved；　and　this　person　had



no　alternative　but　to　smile　symmetrically　and　reply　that　his　words



were　indeed　opals　falling　from　a　topaz　basin。







Later　in　the　day；　being　desirous　of　becoming　instructed　more



definitely；　I　addressed　myself　to　a　venerable　person　who　makes　clean



the　passage　of　the　way　at　a　point　not　far　distant。







〃If　you　have　no　sons　to　extend　your　industrious　line；〃　I　said；　when　he



had　revealed　this　fact　to　me；　〃why　do　you　not　adopt　one　to　that　end？〃







With　narrow…minded　covetousness；　he　replied　that　nowadays　he　had



enough　to　do　to　keep　himself；　and　that　it　would　be　more　reasonable　to



get　some　one　to　adopt　HIM。







〃But；〃　I　exclaimed；　ignoring　this　ill…timed　levity；　〃who；　when　you



have　Passed　Beyond；　will　worship　you　and　transmit　to　your　spirit　the



necessities　of　life？〃







〃Governor；〃　he　replied；　using　the　term　of　familiar　dignity；　〃I've　made



shift　without　being　worshipped　for　five　and　sixty　years；　and　it



worries　me　a　sight　more　to　know　who　will　transmit　to　my　body　the



necessities　of　life　until　I　HAVE　Passed　Beyond。〃







〃The　final　consequences　of　your　self…opinionated　carelessness；〃　this



person　continued；　〃will　be　that　your　neglected　and　unprovided　shadow；



finding　itself　no　longer　acceptable　to　the　society　of　the　better　class



demons；　will　wander　forth；　and　allying　itself　in　despair　to　the



companionship　of　a　band　of　outcasts　like　itself；　will　be　driven　to



dwell　in　unclean　habitations　and　to　subsist　on　the　uncertain　bounty　of



the　charitable。〃







〃Very　likely；〃　replied　the　irredeemable　person　before　me。　〃I　can't



help　its　troubles。　I　have　to　do　all　that　myself　as　it　is。〃







Doubtless　this　fanaticism　contains　the　secret　of　the　ease　with　which



these　barbarians　have　possessed　themselves　of　the　greater　part　of　the



earth；　and　have　even　planted　their　assertive　emblems　on　one　or　two



spots　in　our　own　Flowery　Kingdom。　What；　O　my　esteemed　parent；　what　can



a　brave　but　devout　and　demon…fearing　nation　do　when　opposed　to　a　people



who　are　quite　prepared　to　die　without　first　leaving　an　adequate



posterity　to　tend　their　shrines　and　offer　incense？　Assuredly；　as　a



neighbouring　philosopher　once　had　occasion　to　remark；　using　for　his



purpose　a　metaphor　so　technically…involved　that　I　must　leave　the



interpretation　until　we　meet；　〃It　may　be　war；　but　it　isn't　cricket。〃







The　inevitable　outcome；　naturally；　is　that　the　Island　must　be　the



wandering…place　of　myriads　of　spirits　possessing　no　recognised



standing；　and　driven　by　wanthaving　none　to　transmit　them



offeringsto　the　most　degraded　subterfuges。　It　is　freely　admitted



that　there　is　scarcely　an　ancient　building　not　the　abode　of　one　or



more　of　these　abandoned　demons；　doubtless　well…disposed　in　the　first



instance；　and　capable　of　becoming　really　beneficent　Forces　until　they



were　driven　to　despair　by　obstinate　neglect。　A　society　of　very



honourable　persons　（to　which　this　one　has　unobtrusively　contributed　a



gift）；　exists　for　the　purpose　of　searching　out　the　most　distressing



and　meritorious　cases　among　them；　and　removing　them；　where　possible；



to　a　more　congenial　spot。　The　remarkable　fact；　to　this　person's　mind；



is；　that　with　the　air　and　every　available　space　around　absolutely



packed　with　demons　（as　certainly　must　be　the　prevailing　state　of



things）；　the　manifestations　of　their　malignity　and　vice　are；　if



anything；　rather　less　evident　here　than　in　our　own　favoured　country；



where　we　do　all　in　our　power　to　satisfy　their　wants。







That　same　evening　I　found　myself　seated　next　to　a　maiden　of



prepossessing　vivacity；　who　was　spoken　of　as　being　one　of　a　kindred



but　not　identical　race。　Filled　with　the　incredible　profanity　of　those



around；　and　hoping　to　find　among　a　nation　so　alluringly　high…spirited



a　more　congenial　elevation　of　mind；　I　at　length　turned　to　her　and



said；　〃Do　not　regard　the　question　as　one　of　unworthy　curiosity；　for



this　person's　inside　is　white　and　funereal　with　his　fears；　but　do　you；



of　your　allied　race；　worship　your　ancestors？〃







The　maiden　spent　a　moment　in　conscientious　thought。　〃No；　Mr。　Kong；〃



she　replied；　with　a　most　commendable　sigh　of　unfeigned　regret；　〃I



can't　say　that　we　do。　I　guess　it's　because　we're　too　new。　Mine；　now；



only　go　back　two　generations；　and　they　were　mostly　in　lard。　If　they



were　old　and　baronial　it　might　be　different；　but　I　can't　imagine



myself　worshipping　an　ancestor　in　lard。〃　（This　doubtless　refers　to



some　barbaric　method　of　embalming。）







〃And　your　wide　and　enlightened　countrymen？〃　I　asked；　unable　to



restrain　a　passion　of　pure…bred　despair。　〃Do　they　also　so　regard　the



obligation？〃







〃I　am　afraid　so；〃　replied　the　maiden；　with　an　honourable　indication



towards　my　emotion。　〃But　of　course　when　a　girl　marries　into　the



European　aristocracy；　she　and　all　her　folk　worship　her　husband's



ancestors；　until　every　one　about　is　fairly　dizzy　with　the　subject。〃







It　is　largely　owing　to　the　graceful　and　virtuous　conversation　of　these



lesser　ones　that　this　person's　knowledge　of　the　exact　position　which



the　ceremonial　etiquette　of　the　country　demands　on　various　occasions



is　becoming　so　proficiently　enlarged。　It　is　true　that　they　of　my　own



sex　do　not　hesitate　to　inquire　with　penetrating　assiduousness　into



certain　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　our　land；　but　these　for　the　most



part　do　not　lead　to　a　conversation　in　any　way　profitable　to　my



discreeter　understanding。　Those　of　the　inner　chamber；　on　the　other



hand；　while　not　scrupling　to　question　me　on　the　details　of　dress；　the



braiding　and　gumming　of　the　hair；　the　style　and　variety　of　the　stalls



of　merchants；　the　wearing　of　jade；　gold；　and　crystal　ornaments　and



flowers　about　the　head；　smoking；　and　other　matters　affecting　our



lesser　ones；　very　magnanimously　lead　my　contemplation　back　to　a　more



custom…established　topic　if　by　any　hap　in　my　ambitious　ignorance　I



outstep　it。







In　such　a　manner　it　chanced　on　a　former　occasion　that　I　sat　side　by



side　with　a　certain　maiden　awaiting　the　return　of　others　who　had



withdrawn　for　a　period。　The　season　was　that　of　white　rains；　and　the



fire　being　lavishly　extended　about　the　grate　we　had　harmoniously



arranged　ourselves　before　it；　while　this　person；　at　the　repeated　and



explicit　encouragement　of　the　maiden；　spoke　openly　of　such　details　of



the　inner　chamber　as　he　has　already　indicated。







〃Is　it　true；　Mr。　Ho〃　（thus　the　maiden；　being　unacquainted　with　the



actual　facts；　consistently　addressed　me）；　〃that　ladies'　feet　are



relentlessly　compressed　until　they　finally　assume　the　proportions　and



appearance　of　two　bulbs？〃　and　as　she　spoke　she　absent…mindedly



regarded　her　own　slippers；　which　were　out…thrust　somewhat　to　receive



the　action　of　the　fire。







〃It　is　a　matter　which　cannot　reasonably　be　denied；〃　I　replied；　〃and　it



is　doubtless　owing　to　this　effect　that　they　are　designated　'Golden



Lilies。'　Yet　when　this　observance　has　been　slowly　and　painfully



accomplished；　the　extremities　in　question　are　not　le