the mirror of kong ho-第15章

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



lightly　upon　the　parchment　sheets。　Thus；　to　an　inquirer　it　was



announced　that　one；　Aunt　Mary；　in　the　Upper　Air；　was　well　and　happy；



though　undeniably　pained　at　the　action　of　Cousin　William　in　the　matter



of　the　freehold　houses；　and　more　than　sceptical　how　his　marriage　would



turn　out。　Another　was　advised　that　although　the　interest　on　Consols



was　admittedly　lower　than　that　anticipated　by　those　controlling　the



destines　of　a　new　venture　entitled；　The　Great　Rosy　Dawn　Gold　Mine



Development　Syndicate；　and　the　name　certainly　less　poetically



inspiring；　the　advising　spirits　were　of　the　opinion　that　the　former



enterprise　would　prove　the　more　stable　of　the　two；　and；　in　any　case；



they　recommended　the　person　in　question　to　begin　by　placing　not　more



than　half　of　her　life's　savings　into　the　mine。　The　family　of　the　House



of　Pash　was　assured　that　beneficent　spirits　surrounded　them　at　every



turn；　and　that　their　good　deeds　were　not　suffered　to　fall　unfruitfully



to　the　ground；　while　many　bearing　the　name　of　Glidder；　on　the　other



hand；　were　reproved　by　one　who　had　known　them　in　infancy　for　the



offences　of　jealousy；　ostentation；　vain　thoughts；　shallowness　of



character；　and　the　like。







At　length；　revered；　as　there　seemed　to　be　no　reasonable　indication　of



any　barbarian　phantom　of　weight　or　authority　appearingnothing；



indeed；　beyond　what　a　person　in　our　country；　of　no　admitted　skill；



would　accomplish　in　the　penetrating　light　of　day　with　two　others



holding　his　hands；　and　a　third　reposing　upon　his　head；　I　formed　the



perhaps　immature　judgment　that　the　one　to　whom　I　was　indebted　for　the



entertainment　would　be　suffering　a　grievous　frustration　of　his　hopes



and　a　diminution　of　his　outward　authority。　Therefore；　without



sufficient　consideration　of　the　restricted　surroundings；　as　it



afterwards　appeared；　I　threw　myself　into　a　retrospective　vision；　and



floating　unencumbered　through　space；　I　sought　for　Kwan　Kiang…ti；　the



Demon　of　the　Waters；　upon　whom　I　might　fittingly　call；　as　I　was　given



into　his　keeping　by　the　ceremony　of　spirit…adoption　at　an　early　age。



Meeting　an　influence　which　I　recognised　to　be　an　indication　of　his



presence；　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Eighth　Region；　I　obsequiously



entreated　that　he　would　reveal　himself　without　delay；　and　then；



convinced　of　his　sympathetic　intervention；　I　suffered　my　spirit　to



recall　itself；　and　revived　into　the　condition　of　an　ordinary



existence。







〃We　have　among　us　this　evening；　my　friends；〃　the　one　Pash　was　saying；



〃a　very　remarkable　ladyif　I　may　use　so　democratic　a　term　in　the



connectionto　whom　the　limits　of　Time　and　Space　are　empty　words；　and



before　whose　supreme　Will　the　most　portentous　Forces　of　Occult　Nature



mutely　confess　themselves　her　attending　slaves〃　But　at　that　moment



the　rolling　drums　of　Kiang…ti's　thunder　drowned　his　words；　although　he



subsequently　raised　his　voice　above　it　to　entreat　that　any　knives　or



other　articles　of　a　bright　and　attractive　kind　should　at　once　be



removed　to　a　place　of　safety。







Heralded　by　these　continuous　sounds；　and　accompanied　by　innumerable



flashes　of　lightning；　the　genius　presently　manifested　himself；



leisurely　developing　out　of　the　air　around。　He　appeared　in　his



favourite　guise　of　an　upright　dragon；　his　scales　being　arranged　in



rows　of　nine　each　way；　a　pearl　showing　within　his　throat；　and　upon　his



head　the　wooden　bar。　The　lights　were　extinguished　incapably　by　the



rain　which　fell　continually　in　his　presence；　but　from　his　body　there



proceeded　a　luminous　breath　which　sufficiently　revealed　the　various



incidents。







〃Kong　Ho；〃　said　this　opportune　vision；　speaking　with　a　voice　like　the



beating　of　a　brass　gong；　〃the　course　you　have　adopted　is　an　unusual



one；　but　the　weight　and　regularity　of　your　offerings　have　merit　in　my



eyes。　Nevertheless；　if　your　invocation　is　only　the　outcome　of　a



shallow　vanity　or　a　profane　love　of　display；　nothing　can　save　you　from



a　painful　death。　Speak　now；　fully　and　without　evasion；　and　fear



nothing。〃







〃Amiable　Being；〃　said　this　person；　kow…towing　profoundly；　〃the　matter



was　designed　to　the　end　only　that　your　incomparable　versatility　might



be　fittingly　displayed。　These　barbarians　sought　vainly　to　raise



phantoms　capable　of　any　useful　purpose；　whereupon　I；　jealous　of　your



superior　omnipotence；　judged　it　would　be　an　unseemly　neglect　not　to



inform　you　of　the　opportunity。〃







〃It　is　well；〃　said　the　demon　affably。　〃All　doubt　in　the　matter　shall



now　be　set　at　rest。　Could　any　more　convincing　act　be　found　than　that　I



should　breath　upon　these　barbarians　and　reduce　them　instantly　to　a



scattering　of　thin　white　ashes？〃







〃Assuredly　it　would　be　a　conclusive　testimony；〃　I　replied；　〃yet　in



that　case　consider　how　inadequate　a　witness　could　be　borne　to　your



enlightened　condescension；　when　none　would　be　left　but　one　to　whom　the



spoken　language　of　this　Island　is　more　in　the　nature　of　a　trap　than　a



comfortable　vehicle。〃







〃Your　reasoning　is　profound；　Kong　Ho；〃　he　replied；　〃yet　abundant　proof



shall　not　be　wanting。〃　With　these　words　he　raised　his　hand；　and



immediately　the　air　became　filled　with　an　overwhelming　shower　of　those



productions　with　which　Kwan　Kiang…ti's　name　is　chiefly



associatedshells　and　pebbles　of　all　kinds；　lotus　and　other　roots



from　the　river　banks；　weeds　from　seas　of　greater　depths；　fish　of



interminable　variety　from　both　fresh　and　bitter　waters；　all　falling　in



really　embarrassing　abundance；　and　mingled　with　an　incessant　rain　of



sand　and　water。　In　the　midst　of　this　the　demon　suddenly　passed　away；



striking　the　table　as　he　went；　so　that　it　was　scarred　with　the　brand



of　a　five…clawed　hand；　shattering　all　the　objects　upon　it　（excepting



the　stone　and　the　books；　which　he　doubtless　regarded　as　sacred　to　some



extent）；　and　leaving　the　room　involved　in　a　profound　darkness。







〃For　the　love　av　the　saintsfor　the　love　av　the　saints；　save　us　from



the　yellow　devils！〃　exclaimed　a　voice　from　the　spot　where　last　the



barbarian　princess　had　reclined；　and　upon　this　person　going　to　her



assistance　with　lights　it　was　presently　revealed　that　she　alone　had



remained　seated；　the　others　having　all　assembled　themselves　beneath



the　table　in　spite　of　the　incapability　of　the　space　at　their　disposal。



Most　of　the　weightier　evidences　of　Kwan　Kiang…ti's　majestic　presence



had　faded　away；　though　the　table　retained　the　print　of　his　impressive



hand；　many　objects　remained　irretrievably　torn　apart；　and　in　a　distant



corner　of　the　room　an　insignificant　heap　of　shells　and　seaweed　still



lingered。　From　the　floor　covering　a　sprinkling　of　the　purest　Fuh…chow



sand　rose　at　every　step；　the　salt　dew　of　the　Tung…Hai　still　dropped



from　the　surroundings；　and；　at　a　later　period；　a　shore　crab　was　found



endeavouring　to　make　its　escape　undetected。







Convinced　that　the　success　of　the　manifestation　would　have　enlarged



the　one　Glidder's　esteem　towards　me　to　an　inexpressible　degree；　I　now



approached　him　with　words　of　self…deprecation　ready　on　my　tongue；　but



before　he　spoke　I　became　aware；　from　the　nature　of　his　glance；　that



the　provision　had　been　unnecessary；　for　already　his　face　had　begun　to



assume；　to　a　most　distended　amount；　the　expression　which　I　had　long



recognised　as　a　synonym　that　some　detail　had　been　regarded　at　a



different　angle　from　that　anticipated。







〃May　I　ask；〃　he　began　in　a　somewhat　heavily…laden　voice；　after　he　had



assured　himself　that　the　person　who　was　speaking　was　himself；　and　his



external　attributes　un