the mirror of kong ho-第6章

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has　inspired　me　to　examine　the　matter　more　fully。　At　the　same　time



your　pleasantly…composed　aphorism　that　the　interior　nature　of　persons



does　not　vary　with　the　colour　of　their　eyes；　and　that　if　I　searched　I



should　find　the　old　flying　kites　and　the　younger　kicking　feather



balls　or　working　embroidery；　according　to　their　sex；　does　not　appear



to　be　accurately　sustained。







The　lesser　ones；　it　is　true；　engage　in　a　variety　of　sumptuous



handicrafts；　such　as　the　scorching　of　wooden　tablets　with　the



semblance　of　a　pattern；　and　gouging　others　with　sharpened　implements



into　a　crude　relief；　depicting　birds　and　flowers　upon　the　surface　of



plates；　rending　leather　into　shreds；　and　entwining　beaten　iron；　brass；



and　copper　into　a　diversity　of　most　ingenious　complications；　but　when



I　asked　a　maiden　of　affectionate　and　domesticated　appearance　whether



she　had　yet　worked　her　age…stricken　father's　coffin…cloth；　she　said



that　the　subject　was　one　upon　which　she　declined　to　jest；　and　rapidly



involving　herself　in　a　profuse　display　of　emotion；　she　withdrew；



leaving　this　one　aghast。







To　enable　my　mind　to　retranquillise；　I　approached　a　youth　of



highly…gilded　appearance；　and；　with　many　predictions　of



self…inferiority；　I　suggested　that　we　should　engage　in　the　stimulating



rivalry　of　feather　ball。　When　he　learned；　however；　that　the　diversion



consisted　in　propelling　upwards　a　feather…trimmed　chip　by　striking　it



against　the　side　of　the　foot；　he　candidly　replied　that　he　was　afraid



he　had　grown　out　of　shuttle…cock；　but　did　not　mind；　if　I　was



vigorously　inclined；　〃taking　me　on　for　a　set　of　yang…pong。〃







Old　men　here；　it　is　said；　do　not　fly　kites；　and　they　affect　to　despise



catching　flies　for　amusement；　although　they　frequently　go　fishing。



Struck　by　this　peculiarity；　I　put　it　in　the　form　of　an　inquiry　to　one



of　venerable　appearance；　why；　when　at　least　five　score　flies　were



undeniably　before　his　eyes；　he　preferred　to　recline　for　lengthy



periods　by　the　side　of　a　stream　endeavouring　to　snare　creatures　of



whose　existence　he　himself　had　never　as　yet　received　any　adequate



proof。　Doubtless　in　my　contemptible　ignorance；　however；　I　used　some



word　inaccurately；　for　those　who　stood　around　suffered　themselves



to　become　amused；　and　the　one　in　question　replied　with　no　pretence　of



amiable　condescension　that　the　jest　had　already　been　better　expressed



a　hundred　times；　and　that　I　would　find　the　behind　parts　of　a　printed



leaf　called　〃Punch〃　in　the　bookcase。　Not　being　desirous　of　carrying　on



a　conversation　of　which　I　felt　that　I　had　misplaced　the　most　highly



rectified　ingredient；　I　bowed　repeatedly；　and　replied　affably　that



wisdom　ruled　his　left　side　and　truth　his　right。







It　was　upon　this　same　occasion　that　a　young　man　of　unprejudiced



wide…mindedness；　taking　me　aside；　asserted　that　the　matter　had　not　been



properly　set　forth　when　I　was　inquiring　about　kites。　Both　old　and



young　men；　he　continued；　frequently　endeavoured　to　fly　kites；　even　in



the　involved　heart　of　the　city。　He　had　tried　once　or　twice　himself；



but　never　with　encouraging　success；　chiefly；　he　was　told；　because　his



paper　was　not　good　enough。　Many　people；　he　added；　would　not　scruple　to



mislead　me　with　evasive　ambiguity　on　this　one　subject　owing　to　an



ill…balanced　conception　of　what　constituted　true　dignity；　but　he　was



unwilling　that　his　countrymen　should　be　thought　by　mine　to　be　sunk



into　a　deeper　barbarism　than　actually　existed。







His　warning　was　not　inopportune。　Seated　next　to　this　person　at　a　later



period　was　a　maiden　from　whose　agreeably…poised　lips　had　hitherto



proceeded　nothing　but　sincerity　and　fact。　Watching　her　closely　I　asked



her；　as　one　who　only　had　a　languid　interest　either　one　way　or　the



other；　whether　her　revered　father　or　her　talented　and



richly…apparelled　brothers　ever　spent　their　time　flying　kites　about



the　city。　In　spite　of　a　most　efficient　self…control　her　colour　changed



at　my　words；　and　her　features　trembled　for　a　moment；　but　quickly



reverting　to　herself　she　replied　that　she　thought　not；　thenas　though



to　subdue　my　suspicions　more　completelythat　she　was　sure　they　did



not；　as　the　kites　would　certainly　frighten　the　horses　and　the



appointed　watchmen　of　the　street　would　not　allow　it。　She　confessed；



however；　with　unassumed　candour；　that　the　immediate　descendants　of　her



sister　were　gracefully　proficient　in　the　art。







From　this；　great　and　enlightened　one；　you　will　readily　perceive　how



misleading　an　impression　might　be　carried　away　by　a　person



scrupulously…intentioned　but　not　continually　looking　both　ways；　when



placed　among　a　people　endowed　with　the　uneasy　suspicion　of　the



barbarian　and　struggling　to　assert　a　doubtful　refinement。　Apart　from



this；　there　has　to　be　taken　into　consideration　their　involved　process



of　reasoning；　and　the　unexpectedly　different　standards　which　they



apply　to　every　subject。







At　the　house　of　the　Maidens　Blank；　when　the　evening　was　not　spent　in



listening　to　melodious　voices　and　the　harmony　of　stringed　woods；　it



was　usual　to　take　part　in　sit…round　games　of　various　kinds。　（And　while



it　is　on　his　brush　this　person　would　say　with　commendable　pride　that　a



well…trained　musician　among　us　can　extort　more　sound　from　a　hollow



wooden　pig；　costing　only　a　few　cash；　than　the　most　skilful　here　ever



attain　on　their　largest　instrumenta　highly…lacquered　coffin　on　legs；



filled　with　bells　and　hidden　springs；　and　frequently　sold　for　a



thousand　taels。）







Upon　a　certain　evening；　at　the　conclusion　of　one　sit…round　game　which



involved　abrupt　music；　a　barrier　of　chairs；　and　the　exhilarating



possibility　of　being　sat　upon　by　the　young　and　vivacious　in　their



zeal；　a　person　of　the　company　turned　suddenly　to　the　one　who　is



communicating　with　you　and　said　enticingly；　〃Why　did　Birdcage　Walk？〃







Not　judging　from　his　expression　that　this　was　other　than　a　polite



inquiry　on　a　matter　which　disturbed　his　repose；　I　was　replying　that



the　manifestation　was　undoubtedly　the　work　of　a　vexatious　demon　which



had　taken　up　its　abode　in　the　article　referred　to；　when　another；　by　my



side；　cried　aloud；　〃Because　it　envied　Queen　Anne's　Gate〃；　and　without



a　pause　cast　back　the　question；　〃Who　carved　The　Poultry？〃







In　spite　of　the　apparent　simplicity　of　the　demand　it　was　received　by



all　in　an　attitude　of　complicated　doubt；　and　this　person　was



considering　whether　he　might　not　acquire　distinction　by　replying　that



such　an　office　fell　by　custom　to　the　lot　of　the　more　austere　Maiden



Blank；　when　the　very　inadequate　reply；　〃Mark　Lane　with　St。　Mary's



Axe；〃　was　received　with　applause　and　some　observations　in　a　half…tone



regarding　the　identity　of　the　fowl。







By　the　laws　of　the　sit…round　games　the　one　who　had　last　spoken　now



proclaimed　himself；　demanding　to　know；　〃Why　did　Battersea　Rise？〃　but



the　involvement　was　evidently　superficial；　for　the　maiden　at　whose



memory　this　one's　organs　still　vibrate　ignobly　at　once　replied；



〃Because　it　thought　Clapham　Common；〃　in　turn　inquiring；　〃What　made　the



Marble　Arch？〃







Although　I　would　have　willingly　sacrificed　to　an　indefinite　extent　to



be　furnished　with　the　preconcerted　watchword；　so　that　I　might　have



enlarged　myself　in　the　eyes　of　this　consecrated　being's　unapproachable



esteem；　I　had　already　decided　that　the　competition　was　too　intangible



for　one　whose　thoughts　lay　in　well…defined　parallel　lines；　and　it　fell



to　another　to　reply；　〃To　hear　Salisbury　Court。〃







This；　O　my　broad…minded　ancestor　of　the　first　degreean　aimless



challenge　coupled　with　the　name　of　one　recogn