the mirror of kong ho-第13章

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an　outcast　of　my　illimitable　obtuseness　to　move　to　one　side　or　the



other　without　putting　his　foot　into　that。〃







〃Oh　no；〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　in　fragrant　encouragement；　〃I　think　you



are　getting　on　very　nicely；　Mr。　Kong；　and　one　does　not　look　for



absolute　conformance　from　a　foreignerespecially　one　who　is　so



extremely　foreign。　If　I　can　help　you　with　anythingof　course　I　could



not　even　speak　as　I　have　done　to　an　ordinary　stranger；　but　with　one　of



a　distant　race　it　seems　differentif　I　can　tell　you　anything　that



will　save　you〃







〃You　are　all…exalted；〃　I　replied；　with　seemly　humility；　〃and　virtue



and　wisdom　press　out　your　temples　on　either　side。　Certainly；　since　I



have　learned　that　the　heart　is　so　poetically　regarded；　I　have　been



assailed　by　a　fear　lest　other　organs　which　I　have　hitherto　despised



might　be　used　in　a　similar　way。　Now；　as　regards　liver〃







〃It　is　only　used　with　bacon；〃　replied　the　maiden；　rising　abruptly。







〃Kidneys？〃　suggested　this　person　diffidently；　really　anxious　to　detain



her　footsteps；　although　from　her　expression　it　did　not　rest　assured



that　the　incident　was　taking　an　actually　auspicious　movement。







〃I　don't　think　you　need　speak　of　those　except　at　breakfast；〃　she　said；



〃but　I　hear　the　others　returning；　and　I　must　really　go　to　dress　for



dinner。〃







Among　the　barbarians　many　keep　books　wherein　to　inscribe　their　deep



and　beautiful　thoughts。　This　person　had　therefore　provided　himself



with　one　also；　and；　drawing　it　forth；　he　now　added　to　a　page　of　many



other　interesting　compositions：　〃Maidens　of　immaculate　refinement　do



not　hesitate　to　admit　before　a　person　of　a　different　sex　that　they　are



on　the　point　of　changing　their　robes。　The　liver　is　in　some　intricate



way　an　emblem　representing　bacon；　or　together　with　it　the　two　stand



for　a　widely　differing　analogy。　Among　those　of　the　highest



exclusiveness　kidneys　are　never　alluded　to　after　the　tenth　gong…stroke



of　the　morning。〃







With　a　sincerely　ingrained　trust　that　the　scenes　of　dignity；　opulence；



and　wisdom；　set　forth　in　these　superficial　letters；　are　not　unsettling



your　intellect　and　causing　you　to　yearn　for　a　fuller　existence。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　VI











Concerning　this　person's　well…sustained　efforts　to　discover　



further　demons。　The　behaviour　of　those　invoked　on　two　occasions。















VENERATED　SIRE；In　an　early　letter　I　made　some　reference　to　a　variety



of　demon　invoked　by　certain　of　the　barbarians。　As　this　matter　aroused



your　congenial　interest；　I　have　since　privately　bent　my　mind



incessantly　to　the　discovery　of　others；　but　this　has　been　by　no　means



easy；　for；　touching　the　more　intimate　details　of　the　subject；　the



barbarians　frequently　maintain　a　narrow…minded　suspicion。　Many　whom　I



have　approached　feign　to　become　amused　or　have　evaded　a　deliberate



answer　under　the　subterfuge　of　a　jest；　yet；　whenever　I　would　have



lurked　by　night　in　their　temples　or　among　the　enclosed　spaces　of　their



tombs　to　learn　more；　at　a　given　signal　one　in　authority　has　approached



me　with　anxiety　and　mistrust　engraved　upon　his　features；　and；



disregarding　my　unassuming　protest　that　I　would　remain　alone　in　a



contemplative　reverie；　has　signified　that　so　devout　an　exercise　is



contrary　to　their　written　law。







On　one　occasion　only　did　this　person　seem　to　hold　himself　poised　on



the　very　edge　of　a　fuller　enlightenment。　This　was　when；　in　the



venerable　company　of　several　benevolent　persons；　he　was　being　taken



from　place　to　place　to　see　the　more　important　buildings；　and　to



observe　the　societies　of　artificers　labouring　at　their　crafts。　The



greater　part　of　the　day　had　already　been　spent　in　visiting　temples；



open　spaces　reserved　to　children　and　those　whose　speech；　appearance；



and　general　manner　of　behaving　make　it　desirable　that　they　should　be



set　apart　from　the　contact　of　the　impressionable；　halls　containing



relics　and　emblems　of　the　past；　places　of　no　particular　size　or



attraction　but　described　as　being　of　unparalleled　historic　interest；



and　the　stalls　of　the　more　reputable　venders　of　merchandise。







Doubtless；　with　observing　so　many　details　of　a　conflicting　nature；



this　person's　discriminating　faculties　had　become　obscured；　but



towards　evening　he　certainly　understood　that　we　sought　the　company　of



an　assembly　of　those　who　had　been　selected　from　all　the　Empire　to



pronounce　definitely　upon　matters　of　supreme　import。　The　building



before　which　our　chariot　stopped　had　every　appearance　of　being　worthy



of　so　exceptional　a　gathering；　and　with　a　most　affluent　joy　that　I



should　at　last　be　able　to　glean　a　decisive　pronouncement；　I　evaded



those　who　had　accompanied　me；　and；　mingling　self…reliantly　with　the



throng　inside；　I　quickly　surrounded　myself　with　many　of　the



wisest…looking；　and　begged　that　they　would　open　their　heads　freely　and



express　their　innermost　opinions　upon　the　subject　of　demons　of　all



kinds。







Although　I　had　admittedly　hoped　that　these　persons　would　not　conceal



themselves　behind　the　wings　of　epigram　or　intangible　prevarication；　I



was　far　from　being　prepared　for　the　candour　with　which　they　greeted



me；　and　although　by　long　usage　I　am　reasonably　unconcerned　at　the



proximity　of　any　of　our　own　recognised　genii；　it　is　not　to　be　denied



that　my　organs　of　ferocity　grew　small　and　unstable　at　the　revelations。







From　their　words　it　appeared　that　the　spot　on　which　we　stood　had　long



been　the　recognised　centre　and　meeting…place　for　every　class　of



abandoned　and　objectionable　spirit　of　the　universe。　Not　only　this；　but



several　of　the　persons　who　had　gathered　around　were　confidently



pointed　out　as　the　earthly　embodiment　of　various　diabolical　Forces；



while　others　cheerfully　admitted　that　they　themselves　were　the　shadows



of　certain　illustrious　ones　who　had　long　Passed　Above；　and　all　united



in　declaring　that　those　who　moved　among　them　wearing　the　distinction



of　a　dark　blue　uniform　were　Evil　Beings　of　a　most　ghoulish　and



repulsive　type。　Indeed；　as　I　looked　more　closely；　I　could　see　that　not



only　those　pointed　out；　but　all　standing　around；　had　expressions



immeasurably　more　in　keeping　with　a　band　of　outcast　spirits　than



suggestive　of　an　assembly　representing　wisdom　and　dignified　ease。　At



that　moment；　however；　a　most　inelegant　movement　was　caused　by　one



suddenly　declaring　that　he　had　recognised　this　one　who　is　inscribing



his　experiences　to　be　the　apparition　of　a　certain　great　reformer　who



during　the　period　of　his　ordinary　existence　had　received　the　name　of



Guy　Fawkes；　and　amid　a　tumult　of　overwhelming　acclamation　a　proposal



was　raised　that　I　should　be　carried　around　in　triumph　and　afterwards



initiated　into　the　observance　of　a　time…honoured　custom。　Although　it



had　now　become　doubtful　to　what　end　the　adventure　was　really　tending；



this　person　would　have　submitted　himself　agreeably　to　the



participation　had　not　the　blue…apparelled　band　cleft　their　way　into



the　throng　just　as　I　was　about　to　be　borne　off　in　triumph；　and　forming



themselves　into　a　ringed　barrier　around　me　they　presently　succeeded　in



rearranging　the　contending　elements　and　in　restoring　me　to　the　society



of　my　friends。　To　these　persons　they　complained　with　somewhat



unreasoning　acrimony　that　I　had　been　exciting　the　inmates　into　a　state



of　rebellion　with　wild　imaginings；　and　for　the　first　time　I　then　began



to　understand　that　an　important　error　had　been　perpetrated　by　some



one；　and　that　instead　of　being　a　meeting…place　for　those　upholding　the



wisdom　and　authority　of　the　countr