the mirror of kong ho-第40章

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halting　for　a　moment　to　point　significantly　back　to　the　varied　and



animated　scene　behind；　where；　amid　a　very　profuse　display　of



contending　passions；　the　erected　stage　was　already　being　dragged　to



the　ground；　and　a　band　of　the　official　watch　was　in　the　act　of



converging　from　every　side；　he　led　me　through　more　deserted　paths　to



the　scene　of　a　final　extrication。







With　a　well…gratified　sense　of　having　held　an　unswerving　course　along



the　convoluted　outline　of　Destiny's　decree；　to　whatever　tending。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　XIV











Concerning　a　pressing　invitation　from　an　ever　benevolently…



disposed　father　to　a　prosaic　but　dutifully…inclined　son。　The



recording　of　certain　matters　of　no　particular　moment。　



Concerning　that　ultimate　end　which　is　symbolic　of　the



inexorable　wheels　of　a　larger　Destiny。















VENERATED　SIRE；It　is　not　for　the　earthworm　to　say　when　and　in　what



exact　position　the　iron…shod　boot　shall　descend；　and　this　person；



being　an　even　inferior　creature　for　the　purpose　of　the　comparison；



bows　an　acquiescent　neck　to　your　very　explicit　command　that　he　shall



return　to　Yuen…ping　without　delay。　He　cannot　put　away　from　his　mind　a



clinging　suspicion　that　this　arising　is　the　result　of　some



imperfection　in　his　deplorable　style　of　correspondence；　whereby　you



have　formed　an　impression　quite　opposed　to　that　which　it　had　been　the



intention　to　convey；　and　that；　perchance；　you　even　have　a　secret　doubt



whether　upon　some　specified　occasion　he　may　not　have　conducted　the



enterprise　to　an　ignoble；　or　at　least　not　markedly　successful；　end。



However；　the　saying　runs；　〃The　stone…cutter　always　has　the　last　word；〃



and　you　equally；　by　intimating　with　your　usual　unanswerable　and



clear…sighted　gift　of　logic　that　no　further　allowance　of　taels　will　be



sent　for　this　one's　dispersal；　diplomatically　impose　upon　an



ever…yearning　son　the　most　feverish　anxiety　once　more　to　behold　your



large　and　open…handed　face。







Standing　thus　poised；　as　it　may　be　said；　for　a　returning　flight　across



the　elements　of　separation；　it　is　not　inopportune　for　this　person　to



let　himself　dwell　gracefully　upon　those　lighter　points　of　recollection



which　have　engraved　themselves　from　time　to　time　upon　his　mind　without



leading　to　any　more　substantial　adventure　worthy　to　record。　Many　of



the　things　which　seemed　strange　and　incomprehensible　when　he　first



came　among　this　powerful　though　admittedly　barbarian　people；　are　now



revealed　at　a　proper　angle；　others；　to　which　he　formerly　imagined　he



had　found　the　disclosing　key；　are；　on　the　other　hand；　plunged　into　a



distorting　haze；　while　between　these　lie　a　multitude　of　details　in



every　possible　stage　of　disentanglement　and　doubt。　As　a　final　and



painstaking　pronouncement；　this　person　has　no　hesitation　in　declaring



that　this　country　is　notas　practically　all　our　former　travellers



have　declaredcompletely　down…side…up　as　compared　with　our　own



manners　and　customs；　but　at　the　same　time　it　is　very　materially



sideways。







Thus；　instead　of　white；　black　robes　are　the　indication　of　mourning；



but　as；　for　the　generality；　the　same　colour　is　also　used　for　occasions



of　commerce；　ceremony；　religion；　and　the　ordinary　affairs　of　life；　the



matter　remains　exactly　as　it　was　before。　Yet　with　obtuse　inconsistency



the　garments　usually　whitein　which　a　change　would　be　really



noticeableremain　white　throughout　the　most　poignant　grief。　How　much



more　markedly　expressed　would　be　the　symbolism　if　during　such　a　period



they　wore　white　outer　robes　and　black　body　garments。　Nevertheless　it



cannot　be　said　that　they　are　unmindful　of　the　emblematic　influence　of



colour；　for；　unlike　the　reasonable　conviction　that　red　is　red　and　blue



is　blue；　which　has　satisfied　our　great　nation　from　the　days　of　the



legendary　Shun；　these　pale…eyed　foreigners　have　diverged　into



countless　trifling　imaginings；　so　that　when　the　one　who　is　now



expressing　his　contempt　for　the　development　required　a　robe　of　a



certain　hue；　he　had　to　bend　his　mouth；　before　he　could　be　exactly



understood；　to　the　degrading　necessity　of　asking　for　〃Drowned…rat



brown；〃　〃Sunstroke　magenta；〃　〃Billingsgate　purple；〃　〃London　milk



azure；〃　〃Settling…day　green；〃　or　the　like。　In　the　other　signs　of



mourning　they　do　not　come　within　measurable　distance　of　our　pure　and



uncomfortable　standard。　〃If　you　are　really　sincere　in　your　regret　for



the　one　who　has　Passed　Beyond；　why　do　you　not　sit　upon　the　floor　for



seven　days　and　nights；　take　up　all　food　with　your　fingers；　and　allow



your　nails　to　grow　untrimmed　for　three　years？〃　was　a　question　which　I



at　first　instinctively　put　to　lesser　ones　in　their　affliction。　In



every　case　save　one　I　received　answers　of　evasive　purport；　and　even



the　one　stated　reason；　〃Because　although　I　am　a　poor　widder　I　ain't　a



pig；〃　I　deemed　shallow。







I　have　already　dipped　a　revealing　brush　into　the　subject　of　names。



Were　the　practice　of　applying　names　in　a　wrong　and　illogical　sequence



maintained　throughout　it　might　indeed　raise　a　dignified　smile；　but　it



would　not　appear　contemptible；　but　what　can　be　urged　when　upon　an



occasion　one　name　appears　first；　upon　another　occasion　last？　A　dignity



is　conferred　in　old　age；　and　it　is　placed　before　the　family



designation　borne　by　an　honoured　father　and　a　direct　line　of　seventeen



revered　ancestors。　Another　title　is　bestowed；　and　eats　up　the　former



like　a　revengeful　dragon。　New　distinctions　follow；　some　at　one　end；



others　at　another；　until　a　very　successful　person　may　be　suitably



compared　to　the　ringed　oleander　snake；　which　has　the　power　of　growing



equally　from　either　the　head　or　the　tail。　To　express　the　matter　by　a



definite　allusion；　how　much　more　graceful　and　orchideous；　even　in　a



condensed　fashion；　would　appear　the　designation　of　this　selected　one；



if　instead　of　the　usual　form　of　the　country　it　was　habitually　set



forth　in　the　following　logical　and　thoroughly　Chinese　style：…



Chamberlain　Joseph；　Master；　Mr。；　Thrice　Wearer　of　the　Robes　and　Golden



Collar；　One　of　the　Just　Peacemakers；　Esquire；　Member　of　the　House　of



Law…givers；　Leader　in　the　Council　of　Commerce；　Presider　over　the



Tables　of　Provincial　Government；　Uprightly　Honourable　Secretary　of　the



Outlying　Parts。







Among　the　notes　which　at　various　times　I　have　inscribed　in　a　book　for



future　guidance　I　find　it　written　on　an　early　page；　〃They　do　not



hesitate　to　express　their　fathers'　names　openly；〃　but　to　this



assertion　there　stands　a　warning　sign　which　was　added　after　the



following　incident。　〃Is　it　true；　Mr。　Kong；〃　asked　a　lesser　one；　who　is



spoken　of　as　vastly　rich　but　discontented　with　her　previous　lot；　of



this　person　upon　an　occasion；　〃is　it　really　true　that　your　countrymen



to　not　consider　it　right　to　speak　of　their　fathers'　names；　even　in



this　enlightened　age？〃　To　this　I　replied　that　the　matter　was　as　she



had　eloquently　expressed　it；　and；　encouraged　by　her　amiable



condescension；　I　asked　after　the　memory　of　her　paternal　grandsire；



whose　name　I　had　frequently　heard　whispered　in　connection　with　her



own。　To　my　inelegant　confusion　she　regarded　me　for　a　period　as　though



I　had　the　virtue　of　having　become　transparent；　and　then　passed　on　in　a



most　overwhelming　excess　of　disconcertingly…arranged　silence。







〃You've　done　it　now；　Kong；〃　said　one　who　stood　by　（or；　as　we　would



express　the　same　thought；　〃You　have　succeeded　in　accomplishing　the



undesirable〃）；　〃don't　you　know　that　the　old　man　was　in　the　tripe　and



trotter　line？〃







〃To　no　degree；〃　I　replied　truly。　〃Yet；〃　I　cont