the mirror of kong ho-第32章

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



blemish　in　your　sympathetic　eyes；　he　had　no　sooner　understood　the



attitude　in　which　he　had　been　presented　than　he　at　once　plunged　into



the　virtuous　society　of　a　band　of　the　sombre　and　benevolent。







These；　so　far　as　his　intelligence　enables　him　to　grasp　the　position；



may　be　reasonably　accepted　as　the　barbarian　equivalent　of　those　very



high…minded　persons　who　in　our　land　devote　their　whole　lives　secretly



to　killing　others　whom　they　consider　the　chief　deities　do　not　really



approve　of；　for　although　they　are　not　permitted　here；　either　by



written　law　or　by　accepted　custom；　to　perform　these　meritorious



actions；　they　are　so　intimately　initiated　into　the　minds　and　councils



of　the　Upper　Ones　that　they　are　able　to　pronounce　very　severe



judgments　of　torturea　much　heavier　penalty　than　merely　being



assassinatedupon　all　who　remain　outside　their　league。　As　some　of　the



most　objurgatory　of　these　alliances　do　not　number　more　than　a　score　of



persons；　it　is　inevitable　that　the　ultimate　condition　of　the　whole



barbarian　people　must　be　hazardous　in　the　extreme。







Having　associated　myself　with　this　class　sufficiently　to　escape　their



vindictive　pronouncements；　and　freely　professed　an　unswerving



adherence　to　their　rites；　I　next　sought　out　the　priests　of　other



altars；　intending　by　a　seemly　avowal　to　each　in　turn　to　safeguard　my



future　existence　effectually。　This　I　soon　discovered　to　be　beyond　the



capacity　of　an　ordinary　lifetime；　for　whereas　we；　with　four　hundred



million　subjects　find　three　religions　to　be　sufficient　to　meet　every



emergency；　these　irresolute　island　children；　although　numbering　us



only　as　one　to　ten；　vacillate　among　three　hundred；　and　even　amid　this



profusion　it　is　asserted　that　most　of　the　barbarians　are　unable　to



find　any　temple　exactly　conforming　to　their　requirements；　and　after



writing　to　the　paper　to　announce　the　fact；　abandon　the　search　in



despair。







It　was　while　I　was　becoming　proficient　in　the　inner　subtleties　of　one



of　these　ordersthey　who　drink　water　on　all　occasions　and　wear　a



badgethat　a　maiden　of　some　authority　among　them　besought　my　aid　for



the　purpose　of　amusing　a　band　which　she　was　desirous　of　propitiating



into　the　adoption　of　this　badge。　It　is　possible　that　in　the　immature



confidence　of　former　letters　this　person　may　already　have　alluded　to



certain　maidens　with　words　of　courteous　esteem；　but　it　is　now



necessary　to　admit　finally　that　in　the　presence　of　this　same　Helena



they　would　all　appear　as　an　uninviting　growth　of　stunted　and　deformed



poppies　surrounding　a　luxuriant　chrysanthemum。　At　the　presumptuous



thought　of　describing　her　illimitable　excellences　my　fingers　become



claw…like　in　their　confessed　inadequacy　to　hold　a　sufficiently　upright



brush；　yet　without　undue　confidence　it　may　be　set　down　that　her　hands



resembled　the　two　wings　of　a　mandarin　drake　in　their　symmetrical　and



changing　motion；　her　hair　as　light　and　radiant…pointed　as　the



translucent　incense　cloud　floating　before　the　golden　Buddha　of



Shan…Si；　thin　white　satin　stretched　tightly　upon　polished　agate　only



faintly　comparable　to　her　jade　cheeks；　while　her　eyes　were　more



unfathomable　than　the　crystal　waters　of　the　Keng…kiang；　and　within



their　depths　her　pure　and　magnanimous　thoughts　could　be　dimly　seen　to



glide　like　the　gold　and　silver　carp　beneath　the　sacred　river。







When　this　insurpassable　being　approached　me　with　the　flattering



petition　already　alluded　to；　my　gratified　emotions　clashed　together



uncontrollably　with　the　internal　feeling　of　many　volcanoes　in



movement；　and　my　organs　of　expression　became　so　entangled　at　the



condescension　of　her　melodious　voice　being　directly　addressed　to　one



so　degraded；　that　for　several　minutes　I　was　incapable　of　further



acquiescence　than　that　conveyed　by　an　adoring　silence　and　an



unchanging　smile。　No　formality　appeared　worthy　to　greet　her　by；　no



expression　of　self…contempt　sufficiently　offensive　to　convey　to　her



enlightenment　my　own　sense　of　a　manifold　inferiority；　and　doubtless　I



should　have　remained　in　a　transfixed　attitude　until　she　had　at　length



turned　aside；　had　not　your　seasonable　reference　to　a　Swatow



limb…contorter　struck　me　heavily　and　abruptly　turned　off　the　source　of



my　agreement。　Might　not　this　all…water　entertainment；　it　occurred　to



this　one；　consist　in　enticing　him　to　drink　a　potion　made　unsuspectedly



hot；　in　projecting　him　backwards　into　a　vat　of　the　same　liquid；　or



some　similar　device　for　the　pleasurable　amusement　of　those　around；



which　would　come　within　the　boundaries　of　your　refined　disapproval？　As



one　by　himself　there　was　no　indignity　that　this　person　would　not



cheerfully　have　submitted　to；　but　the　inexorable　cords　of　an　ingrained



filial　regard　suddenly　pulled　him　sideways　and　into　another　direction。







〃But；　Mr。　Kong；〃　exclaimed　the　bee…lipped　maiden；　when　I　had　explained



（as　being　less　involved　to　her　imagination；）　that　I　was　under　a　vow；



〃we　have　been　relying　upon　you。　Could　you　not〃and　here　she　dropped



her　eyes　and　picked　them　up　again　with　a　fluttering　motion　which　our



lesser　ones　are；　to　an　all…wise　end；　quite　unacquainted　with〃could



you　not　unvow　yourself　for　one　night；　just　to　please　ME？〃







At　these　words；　the　illuminated　proficiency　of　her　glance；　and　her



honourable　resolution　to　implicate　me　in　the　display　by　head　or　feet；



the　ever…revered　image　of　a　just　and　obedience…loving　father　ceased　to



have　any　further　tangible　influence。　Let　it　be　remembered　that　there



is　a　deep　saying；　〃A　virtuous　woman　will　cause　more　evil　than　ten



river　pirates。〃　As　for　the　person　who　is　recording　his　incompetence；



the　room　and　all　those　about　began　to　engulf　him　in　an　ever…increasing



circular　motion；　his　knees　vibrated　together　with　unrestrained



pliancy；　and　concentrating　his　voice　to　indicate　by　the　allegory　some



faint　measure　of　his　emotion；　he　replied　passionately；　〃Let　the



amusement　referred　to　take　the　form　of　sitting　in　a　boiling　cauldron



exposed　to　the　derision　of　all　beholders；　this　one　will　now　enter　it



wearing　yellow　silk　trousers。〃



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It　is　characteristic　of　these　illogical　out…countries　that　the



all…water　diversion　did　not；　as　a　matter　to　record；　concern　itself



with　that　liquid　in　any　detail；　beyond　the　contents　of　a　glass　vessel



from　which　a　venerable　person；　who　occupied　a　raised　chair；



continually　partook。　This　discriminating　individual　spoke　so



confidently　of　the　beneficial　action　of　the　fluid；　and　so　unswervingly



described　my　own　feelings　at　the　momentas　of　head　giddiness；　an



inexactitude　of　speech；　and　no　clear　definition　of　where　the　next　step



would　be　arrived　atas　the　common　lot　of　all　who　did　not　consume



regularly；　that　when　that　same　Helena　had　passed　on　to　speak　to



another；　I　left　the　hall　unobserved　and　drank　successive　portions；　in



each　case；　as　the　night　was　cold；　prudently　adding　a　measure　of　the



native　rice　spirit。　His　advice　had　been　well…directed；　for　with　the



fourth　portion　I　suddenly　found　all　doubtful　and　oppressive　visions



withdrawn；　and　a　new　and　exhilarating　self…confidence　raised　in　their



place。　In　this　agreeable　temper　I　returned　to　the　place　of　meeting　to



find　a　priest　of　one　of　the　lesser　orders　relating　a　circumstance



whereby　he　had　encountered　a　wild　maiden　in　the　woods；　who　had



steadfastly　persisted　that　she　was　one　of　a　band　of　seven　（this　being



the　luckiest　protective　number　among　the　superstitious）。　Though　unable



to　cause　their　appearance；　she　had　gone　through　a　most　precis