the mirror of kong ho- 第18部分

examining　certain　obscure　signs　upon　the　metals；　the　contents　of　the



third　scrip；　and　the　like。







〃It　cannot　reasonably　be　denied；〃　I　replied；　〃inasmuch　as　they



departed　without　them。〃







〃Spontaneously？〃　he　demanded；　and　in　spite　of　the　unevadible　severity



of　his　voice　the　expression　of　his　nearer　eye　deviated　somewhat。







〃The　spoken　and　conclusive　word　of　the　first　was　that　it　was　his



intention　to　commit　to　this　one's　keeping　everything　which　he　had；　the



assertion　of　the　second　being　that　with　this　scrip　I　received　all　that



he　possessed。〃







〃While　of　yours；　what　did　they　get；　Mr。　Quack？〃　and　the　tone　of　the



one　who　spoke　had　a　much　more　gratifying　modulation　than　before；　while



the　attitudes　of　those　who　stood　around　had　favourably　changed；　until



they　now　conveyed　a　message　of　deliberate　esteem。







〃A　serpent…skin　case　of　two　enclosures；〃　I　replied。　〃On　the　one　side



was　a　handcount　of　the　small　copper…pieces　of　this　Island；　which　I　had



caused　to　be　burnished　and　gilt　for　the　purpose　of　taking　back　to



amuse　those　of　Yuen…ping。　On　the　other　side　were　two　or　three　pages



from　a　gravity…removing　printed　leaf　entitled　'Bits　of　Tits；'　with



which　this　person　weekly　instructs　himself　in　the　simpler　rudiments　of



the　language。　For　the　rest　the　case　was　controlled　by　a　hidden　spring；



and　inscribed　about　with　a　charm　against　loss；　consumption　by　fire；　or



being　secretly　acquired　by　the　unworthy。〃







〃I　don't　think　you　stand　in　much　need　of　that　charm；　Mr。　Quack；〃



remarked　another　of　more　than　ordinary　rank；　who　was　also　present。



〃Then　they　really　got　practically　no　money　from　you？〃







〃By　no　means；〃　I　admitted。　〃It　was　never　literally　stipulated；　and



whatever　of　wealth　he　possesses　this　person　carries　in　a　concealed



spot　beneath　his　waistbelt。〃　（For　even　to　these；　virtuous　sire；　I　did



not　deem　it　expedient　to　reveal　the　fact　that　in　reality　it　is　hidden



within　the　sole　of　my　left　sandal。）







〃I　congratulate　you；〃　he　said　with　lavish　refinement。　〃Ben　and　the



Butterman　can　be　very　bland　and　persuasive。　Could　you　tell　me；　as　a



matter　of　professional　curiosity；　what　first　put　you　on　your　guard？〃







〃In　this　person's　country；〃　I　replied；　〃there　is　an　apt　saying；　'The



sagacious　bird　does　not　build　his　nest　twice　in　the　empty



soup…toureen；'　and　by　observing　closely　what　has　gone　before　one　may



accurately　conjecture　much　that　will　follow　after。〃　It　may　be；　that



out　of　my　insufferable　shortcomings　of　style　and　expression；　this



answer　did　not　convey　to　his　mind　the　logical　sequence　of　the　warning；



yet　it　would　have　been　more　difficult　to　show　him　how　everything　arose



from　the　faultlessly…balanced　system　of　the　heroic　Wei　Chung；　or　the



exact　parallel　lying　between　the　ill…clad　outcast　who　demanded　a



portion　of　tobacco　and　the　cheerfully　unassuming　stranger　who　had　in



his　possession　a　larger　accumulation　of　money　than　he　could



conveniently　disperse。







In　such　a　manner　I　took　leave　of　the　station　and　those　connected　with



it；　after　directing　that　the　share　of　the　spoil　which　fell　by　the　law



of　this　Island　to　my　lot　should　be　sold　and　the　money　of　exchange



faithfully　divided　among　the　virtuous　and　necessitous　of　both　sexes。



The　higher　officials　each　waved　me　pleasantly　by　the　hand；　according



to　the　striking　and　picturesque　custom　of　the　land；　while　the　lesser



ones　stood　around　and　spoke　flattering　words　as　I　departed；　as



〃honourable；〃　〃a　small　piece　of　all…right；〃　〃astute　ancient　male



fowl；〃　〃ah！〃　and　the　like。







With　repeated　assurances　that　however　ineptly　the　adventure　may　at　the



time　appear　to　be　tending；　as　regards　the　essentials　of　true　dignity



and　an　undeviating　grasp　upon　articles　of　negotiable　value；　nothing　of



a　regrettable　incident　need　be　feared。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　IX











Concerning　the　proverb　of　the　highly…accomplished　horse。　The



various　perils　to　be　encountered　in　the　Beneath　Parts。　The



inexplicable　journey　performed　by　this　one；　and　concerning　the



obscurity　of　the　witchcraft　employed。















VENERATED　SIRE；Among　these　islanders　there　is　a　proverb；　〃Do　not



place　the　carte〃　（or　card；　the　two　words　having　an　identical　purport；



and　both　signifying　the　inscribed　tablet　of　viands　prepared　for　a



banquet；）　before　the　horse。〃　Doubtless　the　saying　first　arose　as　a



timely　rebuke　to　a　certain　barbarian　emperor　who　announced　his



contempt　for　the　intelligence　of　his　subjects　by　conferring　high



mandarin　rank　upon　a　favourite　steed　and　ceremoniously　appointing　it



to　be　his　chancellor；　but　from　the　narrower　moral　that　an　unreasoning



animal　is　out　of　place；　and　even　unseemly；　in　the　entertaining　hall　or



council　chamber；　the　expression　has　in　the　course　of　time　taken　a



wider　application　and　is　now　freely　used　as　an　insidious　thrust　at　one



who　may　be　suspected　of　contrariness　of　character；　of　confusing



issues；　or　of　acting　in　a　vain　or　illogical　manner。　I　had　already



preserved　the　saying　among　other　instances　of　foreign　thought　and



expression　which　I　am　collecting　for　your　dignified　amusement；　as　it



is　very　characteristic　of　the　wisdom　and　humour　of　these　Outer　Lands。



The　imagination　is　essentially　barbaric。　A　horsedoubtless



well…groomed；　richly…caparisoned；　and　as　intellectual　as　the



circumstances　will　permit；　but　inevitably　an　animal　of　degraded



attributes　and　untraceable　ancestrya　horse　reclining　before　a



lavishly　set…out　table　and　considering　well　of　what　dish　it　shall　next



partake！　Could　anything；　it　appears；　be　more　diverting！　Truly　to　our



more　refined　outlook　the　analogy　is　lacking　both　in　delicacy　of　wit



and　in　exactitude　of　balance；　but　to　the　grosser　barbarian　conception



of　what　is　gravity…removing　it　is　irresistible。







I　am；　however；　reminded　of　the　saying　by　perceiving　that　I　was　on　the



point　of　recording　certain　details　of　recent　occurrence　without　first



unrolling　to　your　mind　the　incidents　from　which　it　has　arisen　that　the



person　who　is　now　communicating　with　you　is　no　longer　reposing　in　the



Capital；　but　spending　a　period　profitably　in　observing　the　habits　of



those　who　dwell　in　the　more　secluded　recesses　on　the　outskirts　of　the



Island。　This　reversal　of　the　proper　sequence　of　affairs　would



doubtless　strike　those　around　as　an　instance　of　setting　the　banquet



before　the　horse。　Without　delay；　then；　to　pursue　the　allusion　to　its



appropriate　end；　I　will　return；　as　it　may　be　said；　to　my　nosebag。







At　various　points　about　the　streets　of　the　Capital　there　are　certain



caverns　artificially　let　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　to　which　any



person　may　betake　himself　upon　purchasing　a　printed　sign　which　he　must



display　to　the　guardian　of　the　gate。　Once　within　the　underneathmost



parts　he　is　free　to　be　carried　from　place　to　place　by　means　of　the



trains　of　carriages　which　I　have　already　described　to　you；　until　he



would　return　to　the　outer　surface；　when　he　must　again　display　his



talisman　before　he　is　permitted　to　pass　forth。　Nor　is　this　an　empty



form；　for　upon　an　occasion　this　person　himself　witnessed　a　very　bitter



contention　between　a　keeper　of　the　barrier　and　one　whose　token　had



through　some　cause　lost　its　potency。







In　the　company　of　the　experienced　I　had　previously　gone　through　the



trial　without　mischance；　so　that　recently　when　I　expressed　a　wish　to



visit　a　certain　Palace；　and　was　informed　that　the　most　convenient



manner　would　be　to　descend　into　the　nearest　cavern；　I　had　no



reasonable　device　for　avoiding　the　encounter。　Nevertheless；



enlightened　sire；　I　will　not　attempt　to　conceal　from　your　omniscience



that　I　was　by　no　means　impetuous　towards　the　adventure。　Owing　to　the



pugnacious　and　unworthy　suspicions　of　those　who　direct　their



destinies；　I　have　not　yet　been　able　to　penetrate　the　exact　connection



between　the　movements　of　these　hot…smoke　chariots　and　the　Unseen



Forces。　To　a　person　whose　chief　object　in　life　is　to　avoid　giving



offence　to　any　of　the　innumerable　demons　which　are　ever　on　the　watch



to　revenge　themselves　upon　our　slightest　indiscretion；　this



uncertainty　opens　an　unending　vista　of　intolerable　possibilities。　As



if　to　emphasise　the　perils　of　this　overhanging　doubt　the　surroundings



are　ingeniously　arranged　so　as　to　represent　as　nearly　as　practicable



the　terrors　of　the　Beneath　World。　Both　by　day　and　night　a　funereal



gloom　envelops　the　caverns；　the　pathways　and　resting…places　are　meagre



and　so　constructed　as　to　be　devoid　of　attraction　or　repose；　and　by　a



skilful　contrivance　the　natural　atmosphere　is　secretly　withdrawn　and　a



very　acrimonious　sulphurous　haze　driven　in　to　replace　it。　In　sudden



and　unforeseen　places　eyes　of　fire　open　and　close　with　disconcerting



rapidity；　and　even　change　colour　in　vindictive　significance；　wooden



hands　are　outstretched　as　in　unrelenting　rigidity　against



supplication；　or；　divining　the　unexpressed　thoughts；　inexorably　point；



as　one　gazes；　still　deeper　into　the　recesses　of　the　earth；　while　the



air　is　never　free　from　the　sounds　of　groans；　shrieks；　the　rattling　of



chains；　dull；　hopeless　noises　beneath　one's　feet　or　overhead；　and　the



hoarse　wordless　cries　of　despair　with　which　the　attending　slaves　of



the　caverns　greet　the　distant　clamour　of　every　approaching



fire…chariot。　Admittedly　the　intention　of　the　device　is　benevolently



conceived；　and　it　is　strenuously　asserted　that　many　persons　of　corrupt



habits　and　ill…balanced　li