the mirror of kong ho-第31章

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limits；　I　began　to　traverse　the　field　in　every　direction；　becoming



more　proficient　with　each　effort；　imparting　to　myself　a　sideway　and



even　backward　motion　while　yet　in　the　upper　spaces；　remaining　poised



for　an　appreciable　period；　and　lightly；　yet　with　graceful　ease；



avoiding　the　embraces　of　those　who　would　have　detained　me。　Undoubtedly



I　could　have　maintained　this　supremacy　until　our　band　might　justly



have　claimed　the　reward；　had　not　the　flattering　cries　of　approval



caused　an　indiscreet　mistake；　for　the　alarm　being　spread　in　the



village　that　a　conflagration　of　imposing　ferocity　was　raging；　an



ornamental　chariot　conveying　a　band　of　warriors　clad　in　brass　armour



presently　entered　into　the　strife；　and　discovering　no　fire　to　occupy



their　charitable　energies　they　misguidedly　honoured　this　offensive



person　by　propelling　a　solid　column　of　the　purest　and　most　refreshing



water　against　his　ignoble　body　when　at　the　point　of　his　highest



flight。　This　introduction　of　a　thunderbolt　into　the　everyday　life　of



an　insect　must　be　of　questionable　authenticity；　yet　not　feeling



sufficiently　instructed　in　the　lesser　details　of　the　sportiveness　to



challenge　the　device；　I　suffered　myself　to　be　led　towards　the　pavilion



with　no　more　struggling　than　enough　to　remove　the　ignominy　of　an



unresisting　surrender；　pleasantly　remarking　to　those　who　bore　me　along



that　to　a　person　of　philosophical　poise　the　written　destiny　was　as



apparent　in　the　falling　leaf　as　in　the　rising　sun；　pointing　the　saying



thus：　〃Although　the　Desert　of　Shan…tz　is　boundless；　and　mankind　number



a　million　million；　yet　in　it　Li…hing　encountered　his　mother…in…law。〃



Changing　to　meet　another　of　our　company　setting　forth　with　a　club　to



make　the　venture；　I　was　permitted　for　a　moment　to　engage　him；



whereupon　thrusting　into　his　hand　a　leather　charm　against　ill…directed



efforts；　and　instructing　him　to　bind　it　about　his　head；　I　encouraged



him　with　the　imperishable　watch…word　of　the　Emperor　Tsin　Su；　〃The



stars　are　indeed　small；　but　their　light　carries　as　far　as　that　of　the



full　moon。〃







At　the　steps　of　the　pagoda　so　great　was　the　throng　of　those　who　would



have　overwhelmed　me　with　their　gracious　attention；　that　had　not　this



person's　neck　become　practically　automatic　by　ceaseless　use　of　late；



he　would　have　been　utterly　unequal　to　the　emergency。　As　it　was；　he



could　only　bestow　a　superficial　hand…wave　upon　a　company　of



gold…embroidered　musicians　who　greeted　his　return　with　appropriate



melody；　and　a　glance　of　well…indicated　regret　that　he　had　no　fuller



means　of　conveying　his　complicated　emotions；　in　the　direction　of　the



uppermost　tier　of　maidens。　Then　the　awaiting　Sir　Philip　took　him



firmly　towards　the　inner　part　of　the　pavilion；　and　announced；　so



adroitly　and　with　such　high…spirited　vigour　had　this　one　maintained



the　conflict；　that　it　had　been　resolutely　agreed　on　all　sides　not　to



make　a　test　of　his　competence　any　further。







Thereupon　a　band　of　very　sumptuously　arrayed　nymphs　drew　near　with



offerings　of　liquid　fat　and　a　variety　of　crimson　fruit；　which　it　is



customary　to　grind　together　on　the　platterunapproachable　in　the



result；　certainly；　yet　incredibly　elusive　to　the　unwary　in　the　manner



of　bruising；　and　practically　ineradicable　upon　the　more　delicate



shades　of　silk　garment。　In　such　a　situation　the　one　who　is　now



relating　the　various　incidents　of　the　day　may　be　imagined　by　a



broad…minded　and　affectionate　sire：　partaking　of　this　native　fruit　and



oil；　and　from　time　to　time　expressing　his　insatiable　anguish　that　he



continually　fails　to　become　more　proficient　in　controlling　the　oblique



movements　of　the　viands；　while　the　less　successful　crickets　are



constrained　to　persevere　in　the　combat；　and　the　ever…present　note　of



evasive　purport　is　raised　by　a　voice　from　behind　a　screen　exclaiming；



〃Out　afore？　That　he　may　have　been；　but　do　ee　think　we　was　a…going　to



give　he　out　afore？　No；　maaster；　us　doant　a…have　a　circus　every　day



hereabouts。〃







Thus　may　this　imagination　of　competitive　locusts　be　set　forth　to　the



end。　If　a　fuller　proof　of　what　an　unostentatious　self…effacement



hesitates　to　enlarge　upon　were　required；　it　might　be　found　in　the



barbarian　printed　leaf；　for　the　next　day　this　person　saw　a　public



record　of　the　strife；　in　which　his　own　name　was　followed　by　a



numerical　emblem　signifying　that　he　had　not　stumbled　or　proved



incompetent　in　any　one　particular。　Sir　Philip；　I　beheld　with　pained



surprise；　had　obtusely　suffered　himself　to　be　caught　out　in　the



committal　of　fifty…nine　set　offences。







With　a　not　unnatural　anticipation　that；　as　a　result　of　this



painstaking　description；　this　person　will　find　two　well…equipped　camps



of　contending　locusts　in　Yuen…ping　on　his　return。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　XII











Concerning　the　obvious　misunderstanding　which　has　entwined



itself　about　a　revered　parent's　faculties　of　passionless



discrimination。　The　all…water　disportment　and　the　two；　of



different　sexes；　who　after　regarding　me　conflictingly　from　the



beginning；　ended　in　a　like　but　inverted　manner。















VENERATED　SIRE；Your　gem…adorned　letter　containing　a　thousand



burnished　words　of　profuse　reproach　has　entered　my　diminished　soul　in



the　form　of　an　equal　number　of　rusty　barbs。　Can　it　be　that　the



incapable　person　whom；　as　you　truly　say；　you　sent；　〃to　observe　the



philosophical　subtleties　of　the　barbarians；　to　study　their　dynastical



records　and　to　associate　liberally　with　the　venerable　and　dignified；〃



has；　in　your　own　unapproachable　felicity　of　ceremonial　expression；



〃according　to　a　discreet　whisper　from　many　sources；　chiefly　affected



the　society　of　tea…house　maidens；　the　immature　of　both　sexes；　doubtful



characters　of　all　classes；　and　criminals　awaiting　trial；　has　evinced



an　unswerving　affinity　towards　light　amusement　and　entertainments　of　a



no…class　kind；　and　in　place　of　a　wise　aloofness；　befitting　a　wearer　of



the　third　Gold　Button　and　the　Horn　Belt…clasp；　in　situations　of



critical　perplexity；　seems　by　his　own　ingenuous　showing　to　have



maintained　an　unparalleled　aptitude　for　behaving　either　with　the



crystalline　simplicity　of　a　Kan…su　earth…tiller；　or　the　misplaced



buffoonery　of　a　seventh…grade　body…writher　taking　the　least



significant　part　in　an　ill…equipped　Swatow　one…cash　Hall　of　Varied



Melodies。〃　Assuredly；　if　your　striking　and　well…chosen　metaphors　were



not　more　unbalanced　than　the　ungainly　attitude　of　a　one…legged



hunchback　crossing　a　raging　torrent　by　means　of　a　slippery　plank　on　a



stormy　night；　they　would　cause　the　very　acutest　bitterness　to　the



throat　of　a　dutiful　and　always　high…stepping　son。　There　is　an　apt



saying；　however；　〃A　quarrel　between　two　soldiers　in　the　market…place



becomes　a　rebellion　in　the　outskirts；〃　and　when　this　person　remembers



that　many　thousand　li　of　mixed　elements　flow　between　him　and　his



usually　correct　and　dispassionate　sire；　he　is　impelled　to　take　a　mild



and　tolerant　attitude　towards　the　momentary　injustice　brought　about　by



the　weakness　of　approaching　old　age；　the　vile…intentioned　mendacity　of



outcasts　envious　of　the　House　of　Kong；　and；　perchance；　the　irritation



brought　on　by　a　too　lavish　indulgence　in　your　favourite　dish　of　stewed



mouse。







Having　thus　re…established　himself　in　the　clear…sighted　affection　of



an　ever　mild　and　perfect　father；　and　cleansed　the　ground　of　all



possible　misunderstandings　in　the　future；　this　person　will　concede　the



fact　that；　not　to　stand　beneath　the　faintest　shadow　of　an　implied



blemish　in　your　sympat