the mirror of kong ho- 第7部分

you　that　much　that　takes　place　here；　even　among　those　who　can　afford



long　finger…nails；　would　not　be　tolerated　in　Yuen…ping；　and　in　order



to　avoid　the　suspicion　that　I　am　suffering　from　a　serious　injury　to



the　head；　or　have　become　a　prey　to　a　conflicting　demon；　it　will　be



necessary　to　continue　an　even　more　highly…sustained　tolerant



alertness。　This　person　himself　has　frequently　suffered　the　ill　effects



of　rashly　assuming　that　because　he　is　conducting　the　adventure　in　a



prepossessing　spirit　his　efforts　will　be　honourably　received；　as　when



he　courteously　inquired　the　ages　of　a　company　of　maidens　into　whose



presence　he　was　led；　and　complimented　the　one　whom　he　was　desirous　of



especially　gratifying　by　assuring　her　that　she　had　every　appearance　of



being　at　least　twice　the　nine…and…twenty　years　to　which　she　modestly



laid　claim。







Upon　another　occasion　I　entered　a　barber's　stall；　and　finding　it



oppressively　hot　within；　I　commanded　the　attendant　to　carry　a



reclining　stool　into　the　street　and　there　shave　my　lower　limbs　and



anoint　my　head。　As　he　hesitated　to　obeydoubtless　on　account　of　the



trivial　labour　involvedI　repeated　my　words　in　a　tone　of　fuller



authority；　holding　out　the　inducement　of　a　just　payment　when　he



complied；　and　assuring　him　that　he　would　certainly　be　dragged　before



the　nearest　mandarin　and　tortured　if　he　held　his　joints　stiffly。　At



this　he　evidently　understood　his　danger；　for　obsequiously　protesting



that　he　was　only　a　barber　of　very　mean　attainments；　and　that　his



deformed　utensils　were　quite　inadequate　for　the　case；　he　very



courteously　directed　me　in　inquire　for　a　public　chariot　bound　for　a



quarter　called　Colney　Hatch　（the　place　of　commerce；　it　is　reasonable



to　infer；　of　the　higher　class　barbers）；　and；　seating　myself　in　it；



instruct　the　attendant　to　put　me　down　at　the　large　gates；　where　they



possessed　every　requisite　appliance；　and　also　would；　if　desirable；



shave　my　head　also。　Here　the　incident　assumes　a　more　doubtful　guise；



for；　notwithstanding　the　admitted　politeness　of　the　one　who　spoke；



each　of　those　to　whom　I　subsequently　addressed　myself　on　the　subject；



presented　to　me　a　face　quite　devoid　of　encouragement。　While　none



actually　pointed　out　the　vehicle　I　sought；　many　passed　on　in　a　state



of　inward　contemplation　without　replying；　and　somechiefly　the



attendants　of　other　chariots　of　a　similar　kindreplied　in　what　I



deemed　to　be　a　spirit　of　elusive　metaphor；　as　he　who　asserted　that



such　a　conveyance　must　be　sought　for　at　a　point　known　intimately　as



the　Aldgate　Pump；　whence　it　started　daily　at　half…past　the　thirteenth



gong…stroke；　and　another；　who　maintained　that　I　had　no　prospect　of



reaching　the　desired　spot　until　I　secured　the　services　of　one　of　a



class　of　female　attendants　who　wear　flowing　blue　robes　in　order　to



indicate　that　they　are　prepared　to　encounter　and　vanquish　any



emergency　in　life。　To　make　no　elaborate　pretence　in　the　matter　this



person　may　definitely　admit　that　he　never　did　reach　the　place　in



question；　norin　spite　of　a　diligent　search　in　which　he　has



encountered　much　obloquyhas　he　yet　found　any　barber　sufficiently



well　equipped　to　undertake　the　detail。







Even　more　recently　I　suffered　the　unmerited　rebuke　of　the　superficial



through　performing　an　act　of　deferential　politeness。　Learning　that　the



enlightened　and　magnanimous　sovereign　of　this　country　was　setting　out



on　a　journey　I　stationed　myself　in　the　forefront　of　those　who　stood



before　his　palace；　intending　to　watch　such　parts　of　the　procession　as



might　be　fitly　witnessed　by　one　of　my　condition。　When　these　had



passed；　and　the　chariot　of　the　greatest　approached；　I　respectfully



turned　my　back　to　the　road　with　a　propitiatory　gesture；　as　of　one　who



did　not　deem　himself　worthy　even　to　look　upon　a　being　of　such　majestic



rank　and　acknowledged　excellence。　This　delicate　action；　by　some



incredible　process　of　mental　obliquity；　was　held　by　those　around　to　be



a　deliberate　insult；　if　not　even　a　preconcerted　signal；　of　open



treachery；　and　had　not　a　heaven…sent　breeze　at　that　moment　carried　the



hat　of　a　very　dignified　bystander　into　the　upper　branches　of　an



opportune　tree；　and　successfully　turned　aside　the　attention　of　the



assembly　into　a　most　immoderate　exhibition　of　utter　loss　of　gravity；　I



should　undoubtedly　have　been　publicly　tortured；　if　not　actually　torn



to　pieces。







But　the　incident　first　alluded　to　was　of　an　even　more



elaborately…contrived　density　than　these；　and　some　of　the　details　are



still　unrolled　before　the　keenest　edge　of　this　one's　inner　perception。



Nevertheless；　all　is　now　set　down　in　unbroken　exactness　for　your



impartial　judgment。







At　the　time　of　this　exploit　I　had　only　ventured　out　on　a　few



occasions；　and　then；　save　those　recorded；　to　no　considerable　extent；



for　it　had　already　become　obvious　that　the　enterprises　in　which　I



persistently　became　involved　never　contributed　to　my　material



prosperity；　and　the　disappointment　of　finding　that　even　when　I　could



remember　nine　words　of　a　sentence　in　their　language　none　of　the



barbarians　could　understand　even　so　much　as　a　tenth　of　my　own；　further



cast　down　my　enthusiasm。







On　the　day　which　has　been　the　object　of　this　person's　narration　from



the　first；　he　set　out　to　become　more　fully　instructed　in　the　subjects



already　indicated；　and　proceeding　in　a　direction　of　which　he　had　no



actual　knowledge；　he　soon　found　himself　in　a　populous　and　degraded



quarter　of　the　city。　Presently；　to　his　reasonable　astonishment；　he　saw



before　him　at　a　point　where　two　ill…constructed　thoroughfares　met；　a



spacious　and　important　building；　many…storied　in　height；　ornamented



with　a　profusion　of　gold　and　crystal；　marble　and　precious　stones；　and



displaying　from　a　tall　pole　the　three…hued　emblem　of　undeniable



authority。　A　never…ending　stream　of　people　passed　in　and　out　by　the



numerous　doors；　the　strains　of　expertly　wielded　instruments　could　be



distinctly　heard　inside；　and　the　warm　odour　of　a　most　prepossessing



spiced　incense　permeated　the　surroundings。　〃Assuredly；〃　thought　the



person　who　is　now　recording　the　incident；　〃this　is　one　of　the　Temples



of　barbarian　worship〃；　and　to　set　all　further　doubt　at　rest　he　saw　in



letters　of　gilt　splendour　a　variety　of　praiseworthy　and　appropriate



inscriptions；　among　which　he　read　and　understood；　〃Excellent；〃　〃Fine



Old；〃　〃Well　Matured；〃　〃Spirits　only　of　the　choicest　quality　within；〃



together　with　many　other　invocations　from　which　he　could　not　wrest　the



hidden　significance；　as　〃Old　Vatted；〃　〃Barclay's　Entire；〃　〃An　Ordinary



at　One；〃　and　the　like。







By　this　time　an　impressive　gathering　had　drawn　around；　and　from　its



manner　of　behaving　conveyed　the　suspicion　that　an　entertainment　or



manifestation　of　some　kind　was　confidently　awaited。　To　disperse　so



outrageous　a　misconception　this　person　was　on　the　point　of　withdrawing



himself　when　he　chanced　to　see；　over　the　principal　door　of　the　Temple；



a　solid　gold　figure　of　colossal　magnitude；　represented　as　crowned　with



leaves　and　tendrils；　and　holding　in　his　outstretched　hands　a　gigantic；



and　doubtless　symbolic；　bunch　of　grapes。　〃This；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃is



evidently　the　tutelary　deity　of　the　place；　so　displayed　to　receive　the



worship　of　the　passer…by。〃　With　the　discovery　a　thought　of　the　most



irreproachable　benevolence　possessed　me。　〃Why　should　not　this　person；〃



I　reflected；　〃gain　the　unstinted　approbation　of　those　barbarians〃



（who　by　this　time　completely　encircled　me　in）　〃by　doing　obeisance



towards　their　deity；　and　by　the　same　act　delicately　and　inoffensively



rebuke　them　for　their　own　too…frequent　intolerable　attitude　towards



the　susceptibilities　of　others？　As　an　unprejudiced　follower；　in　his



own　land；　of　the　systems　of　Confucius；　Lao…tse；　and　Buddha；　this



person　already　recognises　the　claims　of　seventeen　thousand　nine



hundred　and　thirty…three　deities　of　various　grades；　so　that　the



addition　of　one　more　to　that　number　can　be　a　heresy　of　very　trivial



expiation。〃　Inspired　by　these　honourable　sentiments；　therefore；　I　at



once　prostrated　myself　on　the　ground；　and；　amid　a　silence　of　really



illimitable　expectation；　I　began　to　kow…tow　repeatedly　with



ceremonious　precision。







At　this　display　of　charitable　broadmindedness　an　approving　shout　went



up　on　all　sides。　Thus　encouraged　I　proceeded　to　kow…tow　with　even　more



unceasing　assiduousness；　and　presently　words　of　definite　encouragement



mingled　with　the　shout。　〃Do　not　flag　in　your　amiable



disinterestedness；　Kong　Ho；〃　I　whispered　in　my　ear；　〃and　out　of　your



well…sustained　endurance　may　perchance　arise　a　cordial　understanding；



and　ultimately　a　remunerative　alliance　between　two　distinguished



nations。〃　Filled　with　this　patriotic　hope　I　did　not　suffer　my　neck　to



stiffen；　and　doubtless　I　would　have　continued　the　undertaking　as　long



as　the　sympathetic　persons　who　hemmed　me　in　signified　their　refined



approval；　when　suddenly　the　cry　was　raised；　〃Look　out；　here　comes　the



coppers！〃







This；　O　my　venerable…headed　father；　I　at　once　guessed　to　be　the



announcement　heralding　the　collecting…bowl　which　some　over…zealous



bystander　was　preparing　to　pass　round　on　my　behalf；　doubtless　under



the　impressionso　obtuse　in　grasping　the　true　relationship　of　events



are　many　of　the　barbariansthat　I　was　a　wandering　monk；　displaying　my



reverence　for　the　purpose　of　mendicancy。　Not　wishing　to　profit　by　this



offensive　misapprehension；　I　was　preparing　to　rise；　when　a　han