the mirror of kong ho-第33章

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the　luckiest　protective　number　among　the　superstitious）。　Though　unable



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



examination　at　his　hands　without　deviating　in　the　slightest



particular；　whereupon　distrusting　the　outcome　of　the　strife；　the



person　who　was　relating　the　adventure　had　withdrawn　breathless。







When　this　versatile　lesser　priest　had　finished　the　narration；　and　the



applause；　which　clearly　showed　that　those　present　approved　of　the



solitary　maiden's　discreet　stratagem；　had　ceased；　the　one　who　occupied



the　central　platform；　rising；　exclaimed　loudly；　〃Mr。　Kong　will　next



favour　us　with　a　contribution；　which　will　consist；　I　am　informed；　of　a



Chinese　tale。〃







Now　there　chanced　to　be　present　a　certain　one　who　had　already　become



offensive　to　me　by　the　systematic　dexterity　with　which　he　had　planted



his　inopportune　shadow　between　the　sublime…souled　Helena　and　any　other



who　made　a　movement　to　approach　her　heaven…dowered　outline。　When　this



presumptuous　and　ill…nurtured　outcast；　who　was；　indeed；　then　seated



by　the　side　of　the　enchanting　maiden　last　referred　to；　heard　the



announcement　he　said　in　a　voice　feigned　to　reach　her　peach…skin　ear



alone；　yet　intentionally　so　modulated　as　to　penetrate　the　furthest



limit　of　the　room；　〃A　Chinese　tale！　Why；　assuredly；　that　must　be　a



pig…tail。〃　At　this　unseemly　shaft　many　of　those　present　allowed



themselves　to　become　immoderately　amused；　and　even　the　goat…like　sage



who　had　called　upon　my　name　concealed　his　face　behind　an　open　hand；



but　the　amiably…disposed　Helena；　after　looking　at　the　undiscriminating



youth　coldly　for　a　moment；　deliberately　rose　and　moved　to　a　vacant



spot　at　a　distance。　Encouraged　by　this　fragrant　act　of　sympathy　I



replied　with　a　polite　bow　to　indicate　the　position；　〃On　the　contrary；



the　story　which　it　is　now　my　presumptuous　intention　to　relate　will



contain　no　reference　whatever　to　the　carefully…got…up　one　occupying



two　empty　seats　in　the　front　row；〃　and　without　further　introduction



began　the　history　of　Kao　and　his　three　brothers；　to　which　I　had　added



the　title；　〃The　Three　Gifts。〃







At　the　conclusion　of　this　classical　example　of　the　snares　ever　lying



around　the　footsteps　of　the　impious；　I　perceived　that　the　jocular



stripling；　whom　I　had　so　delicately　reproved；　was　no　longer　present。



Doubtless　he　had　been　unable　to　remain　in　the　same　room　with　the



commanding　Helena's　high…spirited　indignation；　and　anticipating　that



in　consequence　there　would　now　be　no　obstacle　to　her　full…faced



benignity；　I　drew　near　with　an　appropriate　smile。







It　is　somewhere　officially　recorded；　〃There　is　only　one　man　who　knew



with　accurate　certainty　what　a　maiden's　next　attitude　would　be；　and　he



died　young　of　surprise。〃　As　I　approached　I　had　the　sensation　of



passing　into　so　severe　an　atmosphere　of　rigid　disfavour；　that　the



ingratiating　lines　upon　my　face　became　frozen　in　its　intensity；



despite　the　ineptness　of　their　expression。　Unable　to　penetrate　the



cause　of　my　offence；　I　made　a　variety　of　agreeable　remarks；　until



finding　that　nothing　tended　towards　a　becoming　reconciliation；　I



gradually　withdrew　in　despair；　and　again　turned　my　face　in　the



direction　of　that　same　accommodation　which　I　had　already　found　beneath



the　sign　of　an　Encompassed　Goat。　Here；　by　the　sarcasm　of　destiny；　I



encountered　the　person　who　had　drawn　the　slighting　analogy　between



this　one's　pig…tail　and　his　ability　as　a　story…teller。　For　a　brief



space　of　time　the　ultimate　development　of　the　venture　was　doubtfully



poised；　but　recognising　in　each　other's　features　the　overhanging　cloud



of　an　allied　pang；　the　one　before　me　expressed　a　becoming　contrition



for　the　jest；　together　with　a　proffered　cup。　Not　to　appear　out…classed



I　replied　in　a　suitable　vein；　involving　the　supply　of　more　vessels；



whereupon　there　succeeded　many　more　vessels；　called　for　both　singly



and　in　harmonious　unison；　and　the　reappearance　of　numerous　bright



images；　accompanied　by　a　universal　scintillation　of　meteor…like



iridescence。　In　this　genial　and　greatly…enlarged　spirit　we　returned



affably　together　to　the　hall；　and　entered　unperceived　at　the　moment



when　the　one　who　made　the　announcements　was　crying　aloud；　〃According



to　the　programme　the　next　item　should　have　been　a　Chinese　poem；　but　as



Mr。　Kong　Ho　appears　to　have　left　the　building；　we　shall　pass　him



over〃







〃What　Ho？〃　exclaimed　the　somewhat　impetuous　one　by　my　side；　stepping



forward　indignantly　and　mounting　the　platform　in　his　affectionate



zeal。　〃No　one　shall　pass　over　my　old　and　valued　friendthis　Howhile



I　have　a　paw　to　raise。　Step　forward；　Mandarin；　and　let　them　behold　the



inventor　and　sole　user　of　the　justly　far…famed　G。　R。　Ko…Ho　hair



restorersent　in　five　guinea　bottles　to　any　address　on　receipt　of　four



penny　stampsas　he　appeared　in　his　celebrated　impersonation　of　the



human…faced　Swan　at　Doll　and　Edgar's。　Come　on；　oh；　Ho！〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　replied；　striving　to　follow　him；　〃yet　with　the　wary



greeting；　'Slowly；　slowly；　walk　slowly；'　engraved　upon　my　mind；　for



the　barrier　of　these　convoluted　stairs〃　but　at　this　word　a　band　of



maidens　passed　out　hastily；　and　in　the　tumult　I　reached　the　dais　and



began　Weng　Chi's　immortal　verses；　entitled　〃The　Meandering　Flight；〃



which　had　occupied　me　three　complete　days　and　nights　in　the　detail　of



rendering　the　allusions　into　well…balanced　similitudes　and　at　the　same



time　preserving　the　skilful　evasion　of　all　conventional　rules　which



raises　the　original　to　so　sublime　a　height。







　　　　The　voice　of　one　singing　at　the　dawn；



　　　　The　seven　harmonious　colours　in　the　sky；



　　　　The　meeting　by　the　fountain；



　　　　The　exchange　of　gifts；　and　the　sound　of　the　processional　drum；



　　　　The　emotion　of　satisfaction　in　each　created　being；



　　　　This　is　the　all…prominent　indication　of　the　Spring。







　　　　The　general　disinclination　to　engage　in　laborious　tasks；



　　　　The　general　readiness　to　consume　voluminous　potions　on　any



　　　　　　　　pretext。



　　　　The　deserted　appearance　of　the　city　and　the　absence　of　the



　　　　　　　　come…in　motion　at　every　door；



　　　　The　sportiveness　of　maidens；　and　even　those　of　maturer　age；



　　　　　　　　ethereally　clad；　upon　the　shore。



　　　　The　avowed　willingness　of　merchants　to　dispose　of　their　wares



　　　　　　　　for　half　the　original　sum。



　　　　This　undoubtedly　is　the　Summer。







　　　　The　yellow　tea　leaf　circling　as　it　falls；



　　　　The　futile　wheeling　of　the　storm…tossed　swan；



　　　　The　note　of　the　marble　lute　at　evening　by　the　pool；



　　　　The　immobile　cypress　seen　against　the　sun。



　　　　The　unnecessarily　difficult　examination　paper。



　　　　All　these　things　are　suggestive　of　the　Autumn。







　　　　The　growing　attraction　of　a　well…lined　couch。



　　　　The　obsequious　demeanour　of　message…bearers；　charioteers；　and



　　　　　　　　the　club…armed　keepers　of　peace。



　　　　The　explosion　of　innumerable　fire…crackers　round　the　convivial



　　　　　　　　shines；



　　　　The　gathering　together　of　relations　who　at　all　other　times



　　　　　　　　shun　each　other　markedly。



　　　　The　obtrusive　recollection　of　a　great　many　things　contrary　to



　　　　　　　　a　spoken　vow；　and　the　inflexible　purpose　to　be　more



　　　　　　　　resolute　in　future。



　　　　These　in　turn　invariably　attend　each　Winter。







It　certainly　had　not　presented　itself　to　me　before　that　the　words



〃invariably　attend〃　are　ill…chosen；　but　as　I　would　have　uttered　them



their　inelegance　became　plain；　and　this　person　made　eight



conscientious　attempts　to　soften　down　their　harsh　modulation　by



various　interchanges。　He　was　still　persevering　hopefully　when　he　of