the mirror of kong ho-第21章

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my　account；　that　he　did　not　remain　content　with　the　spoken　words；　but



threw　the　various　belongings　about　as　he　mentioned　them　in　a　really



profuse　display　of　inimitable　vehemence。　〃Here；　Kong；　take　this　hyer



pocket…book　whatever　he　says。　Now　on　the　top　of　that　take　everything



I've　got；　and　you　know　what　THAT　figures　up　to。　Now　give　this



gentleman　your　little　lot　to　keep　him　quiet；　I　don't　ask　for　anything。



Now；　stranger；　I'm　ready。　You　and　I　will　take　a　stroll　round　the　block



and　back　again；　and　if　Mr。　Kong　isn't　waiting　here　for　us　when　we



return　with　everything　intact　and　O。K。；　I'll　double　your　deposit　and



never　trust　a　durned　soul　again。〃







Nodding　genially　over　his　shoulder　with　a　harmonious　understanding；



expressive　of　the　fact　that　we　were　embarking　upon　an　undeniably



diverting　episode；　the　benevolent…souled　person　who　had　accumulated



more　riches　than　he　was　competent　to　melt　away　himself；　passed　out；



urging　the　doubtful　and　still　protesting　one　before　him。







Thus　abandoned　to　my　own　reflections；　I　pondered　for　a　short　time



profitably　on　the　third　head　of　the　day's　meditation　（Touching　the



match　and　this　person's　unattractively…lined　face。　The　revealed　truth：



the　inexperienced　sheep　cannot　pass　through　the　hedge　without　leaving



portions　of　his　wool）；　and　then　finding　the　philosophy　of　Wei　Chung



very　good；　I　determined　to　remove　the　superfluous　apprehensions　of　the



vender　of　food…stuffs　with　less　delay　by　setting　out　and　meeting　them



on　their　return。







A　few　paces　distant　from　the　door；　one　of　the　ever…present　watchers　of



the　street　was　standing；　watching　the　street　with　unremitting



vigilance；　while　from　the　well…guarded　expression　of　his　face　it　might



nevertheless　be　gathered　that　he　stood　as　though　in　expectation。







〃Prosperity；〃　I　said；　with　seasonable　greeting。　（For　no　excess　of



consideration　is　too　great　to　be　lavished　upon　these；　who　unite　within



themselves　the　courage　of　a　high　warrior；　the　expertness　of　a



three…handed　magician；　and　the　courtesy　of　a　genial　mandarin。）　〃I　seek



two；　apparelled　thus　and　thus。　Did　you；　by　any　chance；　mark　the



direction　of　their　footsteps？〃







〃Oh；〃　he　said；　regarding　this　person　with　a　most　flattering



application；　〃YOU　seek　them；　do　you？　Well；　they've　just　gone　off　in



a　hansom；　and　they'll　want　a　lot　of　seeking　for　the　next　week　or　two。



You　let　them　carry　your　purse；　perhaps？〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　replied。　〃As　a　mark　of　confidence；　this　person；　for　his



part；　receiving　a　like　token　at　their　hands。〃







〃That's　it；〃　said　the　official　watcher；　conveying　into　his　voice　a



subtle　indication　that　he　had　become　excessively　fatigued。　〃It's　like



a　nursery　talenever　too　old　to　take　with　the　kids。　Well；　come　along；



poor　lamb；　the　station　isn't　far。〃







So　great　had　become　the　reliance　which　by　this　time　I　habitually



reposed　in　these　men；　that　I　never　sought　to　oppose　their



pronouncements　（such　a　course　being　not　only　useless　but　undignified）；



and　we　therefore　together　reached　the　place　which　the　one　by　my　side



had　described　as　a　station。







From　the　outside　the　building　was　in　no　way　imposing；　but　upon



reaching　an　inner　dungeon　it　at　once　became　plain　that　no　matter　with



what　crime　a　person　might　be　charged；　even　the　most　stubborn



resistance　would　be　unavailing。　Before　a　fiercely…burning　fire　were



arranged　metal　pincers；　massive　skewers；　ornamental　branding　irons；



and　the　usual　accessories　of　the　grill；　one　tool　being　already　thrust



into　the　heart　of　the　flame　to　indicate　the　nature　of　its　use；　and　its



immediate　readiness　for　the　purpose。　Pegs　from　which　the　accused　could



be　hung　by　the　thumbs　with　weights　attached　to　the　feet；　covered　an



entire　wall；　chains；　shackling…irons；　fetters；　steel　rings　for



compressing　the　throat；　and　belts　for　tightening　the　chest；　all　had



their　appointed　places；　while　the　Chair；　the　Boot；　the　Heavy　Hat；　and



many　other　appliances　quite　unknown　to　our　system　of　administering



justice　were　scattered　about。







Without　pausing　to　select　any　of　these；　the　one　who　led　me　approached



a　raised　desk　at　which　was　seated　a　less　warlike　official；　whose



sympathetic　appearance　inspired　confidence。　〃Kong　Ho；〃　exclaimed　to



himself　the　person　who　is　inscribing　these　words；　〃here　is　an



individual　into　whose　discriminating　ear　it　would　be　well　to　pour　the



exact　happening　without　evasion。　Then　even　if　the　accusation　against



you　be　that　of　resembling　another　or　trafficking　with　unlawful　Forces；



he　will　doubtless　arrange　the　matter　so　that　the　expiation　shall　be　as



light　and　inexpensive　as　possible。〃







By　this　time　certain　other　officials　had　drawn　near。　〃What　is　it？〃　I



heard　one　demand；　and　another　replied；　〃Brooklyn　Ben　and　Jimmie　the



Butterman　again。　Ah；　they　aren't　artful；　are　they！〃　but　at　this　moment



the　two　into　whose　power　I　had　chiefly　fallen　having　conversed



together；　I　was　commanded　to　advance　towards　them　and　reveal　my　name。







〃Kong；〃　I　replied　freely；　and　I　had　formed　a　design　to　explain



somewhat　of　the　many　illustrious　ancestors　of　the　House；　when　the　one



at　the　desk；　pausing　to　inscribe　my　answer　in　a　book；　spoke　out。







〃Kong？〃　he　said。　〃Is　that　the　christian　or　surname？〃







〃Sir…name？〃　replied　this　person　between　two　thoughts。　〃Undoubtedly　the



one　before　you　is　entitled　by　public　examination　to　the　degree



'Recognised　Talent；'　which　may；　as　a　meritorious　distinction；　be　held



equal　to　your　title　of　a　warrior　clad　in　armour。　Yet；　if　it　is　so



held；　that　would　rightly　be　this　person's　official　name　of　Paik。〃







〃Oh；　it　would；　would　it？〃　said　the　one　seated　upon　the　high　chair。



〃That's　quite　clear。　Are　there　any　other　names　as　well？〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　explained；　pained　inwardly　that　one　of　official　rank



should　so　slightly　esteem　my　appearance　as　to　judge　that　I　was　so



meagrely　endowed。　〃The　milk　name　of　Ho；　Tsin　upon　entering　the



Classes；　as　a　Great　Name　Cheng；　another　style　in　Quank；　the　official



title　already　expressed；　and　T'chun；　Li；　Yuen　and　Nung　as　the　various



emergencies　of　life　arise。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　high…chair　official　courteously。　〃Now；　just　the



name　in　full；　please；　without　any　velvet　trimmings。〃







〃Kong；〃　began　this　person；　desirous　above　all　things　of　putting　the



matter　competently；　yet　secretly　perturbed　as　to　what　might　be



considered　superfluous　and　what　deemed　a　perfidious　suppression；　〃Ho



Tsin　Cheng　Quank〃







〃Hold　hard；〃　cried　this　same　one；　restraining　me　with　an　uplifted　pen。



〃Did　you　say　'Quack'？〃







〃Quack？〃　repeated　this　person；　beginning　to　become　involved　within



himself；　and　not　grasping　the　detail　in　the　right　position。　〃In　a



manner　of　setting　the　expression　forth〃







〃Put　him　down；　'Quack　Duck；'　sir；〃　exclaimed　one　of　dog…like　dejection



who　stood　by。　〃Most　of　these　Lascars　haven't　got　any　real　namesthey



just　go　by　what　any　one　happens　to　call　them　at　the　time；　like



'Burmese　Ike'　down　at　the　Mint；〃　and　this　person　unfortunately



chancing　to　smile　and　bow　acquiescently　at　that　moment　（not　with　any



set　intention；　but　as　a　general　principle　of　courteous　urbanity）；　in



place　of　his　really　distinguished　titles　he　will　henceforth　appear



among　the　historical　records　of　this　dynasty　under　what　he　cannot



disguise　from　his　inner　misgivings　to　be　the　low…caste　appellation　of



Quack　Duck。







〃Now　the　address；　please；〃　continued　the　high　one；　again　preparing　to



inscribe　the　word；　and　being　determined　that　by　no　mischance　should



this　particular　be　offensively