the mirror of kong ho-第24章

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strategy　for　my　observance。







At　this　point　let　it　be　set　forth　deliberately　that　there　existed　no



treachery　in　the　advice；　still　less　that　this　person　is　incapable　of



competently　achieving　the　destined　end　of　any　hazard　upon　which　he　may



embark　when　once　the　guiding　signs　have　been　made　clear　to　his



understanding。　Whatever　entanglement　arose　was　due　merely　to　the



conflicting　manners　of　expression　used　by　two　widely…varying　races；



even　as　our　own　proverb　says；　〃What　is　only　sauce　for　the　cod　is



serious　for　the　oyster。〃







At　the　station　indicated　as　bearing　the　sign　of　the　ruler　of　the



country　（which　even　a　person　of　little　discernment　could　have



recognised　by　the　highly…illuminated　representation　bearing　the



elusively…worded　inscription；　〃In　packets　only〃）；　I　left　this



fire…chariot；　and　at　once　perceiving　another　in　an　attitude　of



departure；　I　entered　it；　as　the　casual　barbarian　had　definitely



instructed；　and　began　to　assure　myself　that　I　had　already　become



expertly　proficient　in　the　art　of　journeying　among　these　Beneath



Regions　and　to　foresee　the　time；　not　far　distant；　when　others　would



confidently　address　themselves　to　me　in　their　extremities。　So



entrancing　did　this　contemplation　grow；　that　this　outrageous　person



began　to　compose　the　actual　words　with　which　he　would　instruct　them　as



the　occasion　arose；　as　thus；　〃Undoubtedly；　O　virtuous　and　not



unattractive　maiden；　this　fire…engine　will　ultimately　lead　your



refined　footsteps　into　the　street　called　Those　who　Bake　Food。　Do　not



hesitate；　therefore；　to　occupy　the　vacant　place　by　this　insignificant



one's　side〃；　or；　〃By　no　means；　honourable　sir；　the　Cross　of　Charing　is



in　the　precisely　opposite　direction　to　that　selected　by　this



self…opinionated　machine　for　its　inopportune　destination。　Do　not



rebuke　this　person　for　his　immoderate　loss　of　mental　gravity；　for　your



mistake；　though　pardonable　in　a　stranger；　is　really　excessively



diverting。　Your　most　prudent　course　now　will　assuredly　be　to　cast



yourself　from　the　carriage　without　delay　and　rely　upon　the　benevolent



intervention　of　a　fire…chariot　proceeding　backwards。〃







Alas；　it　is　truly　said；　〃None　but　sword…swallowers　should　endeavour　to



swallow　swords；〃　thereby　signifying　the　vast　chasm　that　lies　between



those　who　are　really　adroit　in　an　undertaking　and　those　who　only　think



that　they　may　easily　become　so。　Presently　it　began　to　become　deeply



impressed　upon　my　discrimination　that　the　journey　was　taking　a　more



lengthy　duration　than　I　had　been　given　to　understand　would　be　the



case；　while　at　the　same　time　a　permanent　deliverance　from　the　terrors



of　the　Beneath　Parts　seemed　to　be　insidiously　lengthening　out　into　a



funereal　unattainableness。　The　point　of　this　person's　destination；　he



had　been　assured　on　all　hands；　was　a　spot　beyond　which　even　the　most



aggressively　assertive　engine　could　not　proceed；　so　that　he　had　no



fears　of　being　incapably　drawn　into　more　remote　places；　yet　when　hour



after　hour　passed　and　the　ill…destined　machine　never　failed　in　its



malicious　endeavours　to　leave　each　successive　tarrying　station；　it　is



not　to　be　denied　that　my　imagination　dwelt　regretfully　upon　the　true



civilisation　of　our　own　enlightened　country；　where；　by　the　considerate



intervention　of　an　all…wise　government；　the　possibilities　of　so



distressing　an　experience　are　sympathetically　removed　from　one's　path。



Thus　the　greater　part　of　the　day　had　faded；　and　I　was　conjecturing



that　by　this　time　we　must　inevitably　be　approaching　the　barren　and



inhospitable　country　which　forms　the　northern　limit　of　the　Island；



when　the　door　suddenly　opened　and　the　barbarian　stranger　whom　I　had



left　many　hundred　li　behind　entered　the　carriage。







At　this　manifestation　all　uncertainty　departed；　and　I　now　understood



that　to　some　obscure　end　witchcraft　of　a　very　powerful　and　high…caste



kind　was　being　employed　around　me；　for　in　no　other　way　was　it　credible



to　one's　intelligence　that　a　person　could　propel　himself　through　the



air　with　a　speed　greater　than　that　of　one　of　these　fire…chariots；　and



overtake　it。　Doubtless　it　was　a　part　of　this　same　scheme　which　made　it



seem　expedient　to　the　stranger　that　he　should　feign　a　part；　for　he　at



once　greeted　me　as　though　the　occasion　were　a　matter　of　everyday



happening；　exclaiming　genially







〃Well；　Mr。　Kong；　returning？　And　what　do　you　think　of　the　Palace？〃







〃It　is　fitly　observed；　'To　the　earthworm　the　rice　stalk　is　as　high　as



the　pagoda；'〃　I　replied　with　adroit　evasion；　clearly　understanding



from　his　manner　that　for　some　reason；　not　yet　revealed　to　me；　a　course



of　dissimulation　was　expedient　in　order　to　mislead　the　surrounding



demons　concerning　my　movements；　and　by　a　subtle　indication　of　the　face



conveying　to　the　stranger　an　assurance　that　I　had　tactfully　grasped



the　requirement；　and　would　endeavour　to　walk　well　upon　his　heels；　〃and



therefore　it　would　be　unseemly　for　a　person　of　my　insignificant



attainments　to　engage　in　the　doubtful　flattery　of　comparing　it　with



the　many　other　residences　of　the　pure　and　exalted　which　embellish　your



Capital。〃







〃Oh；〃　said　the　one　whom　I　may　now　suitably　describe　by　the　name　of　Sir



Philip；　〃that's　rather　a　useful　proverb　sometimes。　Many　people　there？〃







At　this　inquiry　I　could　not　disguise　from　myself　an　emotion　that　the



person　seated　opposite　was　not　diplomatically　inspired　in　so



persistently　clinging　to　the　one　subject　upon　which　he　must　assuredly



know　that　I　experienced　an　all…pervading　deficiency。　Nevertheless；



being　by　this　more　fully　convinced　that　the　disguise　was　one　of



critical　necessity；　and　not　deeming　that　the　essential　ceremonies　of



one　Palace　would　differ　from　those　of　another；　no　matter　in　what　land



they　stood　（while　through　all　I　read　a　clear　design　on　Sir　Philip's



part　that　the　opportunity　was　craftily　arranged　so　that　I　might



impress　upon　any　vindictively…intentioned　spirits　within　hearing　an



assumption　of　high　protection）；　I　replied　that　the　gathering　had　been



one　of　unparalleled　splendour；　both　by　reason　of　the　multitude　of



exalted　nobles　present　and　also　owing　to　the　jewelled　magnificence



lavished　on　every　detail。　Furthermore；　I　continued；　now　definitely



abandoning　all　the　promptings　of　a　wise　reserve；　and　reflecting；　as　we



say；　that　one　may　as　well　be　drowned　in　the　ocean　as　in　a　wooden



bucket；　not　only　did　the　sublime　and　unapproachable　sovereign



graciously　permit　me　to　kow…tow　respectfully　before　him；　but



subsequently　calling　me　to　his　side　beneath　a　canopy　of　golden



radiance；　he　conversed　genially　with　me　and　benevolently　assured　me　of



his　sympathetic　favour　on　all　occasions　（this；　I　conjectured；　would



certainly　overawe　any　Evil　Force　not　among　the　very　highest　circles）；



while　the　no　less　magnanimous　Prince　of　the　Imperial　Line　questioned



me　with　flattering　assiduousness　concerning　a　method　of　communicating



with　persons　at　a　distance　by　means　of　blows　or　stamps　upon　a　post　（as



far　as　the　outer　meaning　conveyed　itself　to　me）；　the　houses　which　we



build；　and　whether　they　contained　an　adequate　provision　of　enclosed



spaces　in　the　walls。







Doubtless　I　could　have　continued　in　this　praiseworthy　spirit　of



delicate　cordiality　to　an　indefinite　amount　had　I　not　chanced　to



observe　at　this　point　that　the　expression　of　Sir　Philip's　urbanity　had



become　entangled　in　a　variety　of　other　emotions；　not　all　propitious　to



the　scheme；　so　that　in　order　to　retire　imperceptibly　within　myself　I



smiled　broad…mindedly；　remarking　that　it　was　well　said　that　the　moon



was　only　bright　while　the　sun　was　h