the mirror of kong ho-第14章

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



wisdom　and　authority　of　the　country；　the　building　was　in　reality　an



establishment　for　the　mentally　defective　and　those　of　treacherous



instincts。







For　some　time　after　this　occurrence　I　failed　to　regard　the　subject　of



demons　and　allied　Forces　in　any　but　a　spirit　of　complete　no



enthusiasm；　but　more　recently　my　interest　and　research　have　been



enlarged　by　the　zeal　and　supernatural　conversation　of　a　liberal…minded



person　who　sought　my　prosaic　society　with　indefatigable　persistence。



When　we　had　progressed　to　such　a　length　that　the　one　might　speak　of



affairs　without　the　other　at　once　interposing　that　he　himself　had　also



unfortunately　come　out　quite　destitute　of　money；　this　stranger；　who



revealed　to　me　that　his　name　was　Glidder；　but　that　in　the　company　of　a



certain　chosen　few　he　was　known　intimately　as　the　Keeper　of　the



Salograma；　approached　me　confidentially；　and　inquired　whether　we　of



our　Central　Kingdom　were　in　the　habit　of　receiving　manifestations　from



the　spirits　of　those　who　had　Passed　Beyond。







At　the　unassumed　ingenuousness　of　this　remark　I　suffered　my



impassiveness　to　relax；　as　I　replied　with　well…established　pride　that



although　a　country　which　neglected　its　ancestors　might　doubtless　be



able　to　produce　more　of　the　ordinary　or　graveyard　spectres；　we　were



unapproachable　for　the　diverse　forms　and　malignant　enmity　of　our



apparitions。　Of　invisible　beings　alone；　I　continued　tolerantly；　we　had



the　distinction　of　being　harassed　by　upwards　of　seven　hundred



clearly…defined　varieties；　while　the　commoner　inflictions　of　demons；



shades；　visions；　warlocks；　phantoms；　sprites；　imps；　phenomena；　ghosts；



and　reflections　passed　almost　without　comment；　and　touching　our



admitted　national　speciality　of　dragons；　the　honour　of　supremacy　had



never　been　questioned。







At　this；　the　agreeable　person　said　that　the　pleasure　he　derived



from　meeting　me　was　all…excelling；　and　that　I　must　certainly　accompany



him　to　a　meeting…place　of　this　same　chosen　few　the　following　evening；



when；　by　the　means　of　sacred　expedients；　they　hoped　to　invoke　the



presence　of　some　departed　spirits；　and　perchance　successfully　raise　a



tangible　vision　or　two。　To　so　fair…minded　a　proposal　I　held　myself



acquiescently；　and　then　inquired　where　the　meeting…place　in　question



was　destined　to　bewhether　in　a　ruined　and　abandoned　sanctuary；　or



upon　some　precipitous　spot　of　desolation。







The　inquiry　was　gracefully　intended；　but　a　passing　cloud　of　unworthy



annoyance　revealed　itself　upon　the　upper　part　of　the　other's



expression　as　he　replied；　〃We；　the　true　seekers；　despise　theatrical



accessories；　and；　as　a　matter　of　act；　I　couldn't　well　get　away　from



the　office　in　time　to　go　anywhere　far。　To…morrow　we　meet　at　my　place



in　the　Camden　Road。　It's　only　a　three…half…penny　tram　stage　from　the



Euston　and　Tottenham　Court　corner；　so　it　couldn't　be　much　more



convenient　for　you。〃　He　thereupon　gave　me　an　inscribed　fragment　of



paper　and　mentioned　the　appointed　hour。







〃I'll　tell　you　why　I　am　particularly　anxious　for　you　to　come



to…morrow；〃　he　said　as　we　were　each　departing　from　one　another。



〃Pashhe's　the　Reader　of　the　Veda　among　usand　his　people　have　got



hold　of　a　Greek　woman　（they　SAY　she　is　a　princess；　of　course）；　who　can



do　a　lot　of　things　with　flowers　and　plate　glass。　They　are　bringing　her



for　the　first　time　to…morrow；　and　it　struck　me　that　if　I　have　YOU



there　already　when　they　arriveyou'll　come　in　your　national　costume



by　the　way？it　will　be　a　considerable　set…off。　Since　his　daughter　was



presented　to　the　duchess　at　the　opening　of　a　bazaar；　there　has　been　no



holding　Pash；　why　he　was　ever　elected　Reader　of　the　Books；　I　don't



know。　Erwe　have　had　scoffers　sometimes；　but　I　trust　I　may　rely　upon



you　not　to　laugh　at　anything　you　may　not　happen　to　agree　with？〃







With　conscientious　dignity　I　replied　that　I　had　only　really　laughed



seven　times　in　my　life；　and　therefore　the　entertainment　was　one　which



I　was　not　likely　to　embark　upon　hastily　or　with　inadequate　cause。　He



immediately　expressed　a　seemly　regret　that　the　detail　had　been　spoken；



and　again　assuring　him　that　at　the　stated　hour　I　would　present　myself



at　the　house　bearing　the　symbol　engraved　upon　the　card；　we　definitely



parted。







That；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　did　not　so　present　myself　at　the　exact



hour；　chiefly　concerns　the　uncouth　and　arbitrary…minded　charioteer　who



controlled　the　movements　of　the　vehicle　to　which　the　one　whom　I　was



seeking　had　explicitly　referred；　for　at　an　angle　in　the　road　he



suffered　the　horses　to　draw　us　aside　into　a　path　which　did　not



correspond　to　the　engraved　signs　upon　the　card；　nor　by　any　word　of



persuasion　could　he　be　prevailed　upon　to　return。







Thus；　without　any　possible　reproach　upon　the　manner　in　which　I　was



conducting　the　enterprise；　it　came　about　that　by　the　time　I　reached



the　spot　indicated；　all　those　persons　who　had　been　spoken　of　as



constituting　a　chosen　band　were　assembled；　and　with　them　the



barbarian　princess。　Nevertheless；　this　person　was　irreproachably



greeted；　and　the　maiden　indicated　even　spoke　a　few　words　to　him　in　an



outside　tongue。　Being　necessarily　unacquainted　with　the　import　of　the



remark　I　spread　out　my　hands　with　a　sign　of　harmonious　sympathy　and



smiled　agreeably；　whereat　she　appeared　to　receive　an　added　esteem　from



the　faces　of　those　around　（excluding　those　directly　of　the　House　of



Glidder）；　and　was　thereby　encouraged　to　speak　similarly　at　intervals；



this　person　each　time　replying　in　a　like　fashion。







〃Is　he　then　a　Guide　of　the　Way；　also；　princess？〃　said　the　one　Pash；



who　had　noted　the　occurrence；　to　which　the　maiden　replied；　〃To　a



degree；　yet　lacking　the　Innermost　Mysteries。〃







Presently　it　was　announced　that　all　things　were　fittingly　prepared　in



another　chamber。　Here；　upon　a　table　of　polished　wood；　stood　on　the　one



side　a　round　stone　with　certain　markings；　a　group　of　inscribed　books；



and　various　other　emblems；　and　on　the　other　side　a　bowl　of　water；　a



sphere　of　crystal；　pieces　of　unwritten　parchment；　and　behind　all；　and



at　a　distance　away；　a　sheet　of　transparent　glass；　greater　in　height



than　an　ordinary　person　and　as　wide。　When　all　were　seatedthe　one　who



had　enticed　me　among　them　placing　himself　before　the　stone；　the　person



Pash　guarding　the　books；　the　barbarian　princess　being　surrounded　by



her　symbols　and　alone　in　a　self…imposed　solitude；　and　the　others　at



various　pointsthe　lights　were　subdued　and　the　appearances　awaited。







It　would　scarcely　be　respectful；　O　my　enlightened　father；　to　take　up



your　well…spent　leisure　by　a　too　prolific　account　of　the　matters　which



followed；　they　being　in　no　way　dissimilar　from　the　manifestations　by



which　the　uninitiated　little　ones　of　Yuen…ping　are　wont　to　amuse



themselves　and　pass　the　winter　evenings。　From　time　to　time　harmonious



sounds　could　be　plainly　detected；　flowers　and　branches　of　wood　were



scattered　sparsely　here　and　there；　persons　claimed　that　passing



objects　had　touched　their　faces；　and　misshapen　forms　of　smoke…like



density　（which　some　confidently　recognised　as　the　outlines　of　departed



ones　whom　they　had　known）；　revealed　themselves　against　the　glass。　When



this　had　been　accomplished；　the　lights　were　recalled；　and　the



barbarian　maiden；　sinking　into　a　condition　of　languor；　announced　and



foretold　events　and　happenings　upon　which　she　was　consulted；　sometimes



replying　by　spoken　words；　at　others　suffering　her　hand　to　trace　them



lightly　upon　the　parchment　sheets。　Thus；　to　a