the mirror of kong ho- 第16部分

barrier；〃　I　at　once　replied；　so　inflexibly　determined　not　to　lose



sight　of　a　person　possessing　such　engaging　attributes　as　to　be



cheerfully　prepared　even　to　consume　my　rice　spirit　in　the　inverted



position　which　his　words　implied　if　the　display　was　persisted　in。



〃Nevertheless；〃　I　added；　with　a　resourceful　prudence；　〃although　by　no



means　undistinguished　among　the　highest　literary　and　competitive



circles　of　his　native　Yuen…ping；　the　one　before　you　is　incapable　of



walking　in　the　footsteps　of　a　person　whose　accumulations　are　greater



than　he　himself　can　appreciably　diminish。〃







〃That's　all　right；　Kong；〃　exclaimed　the　one　whom　my　last　words



fittingly　described；　striking　the　recess　of　his　lower　garment　with　a



gesture　of　graceful　significance。　〃When　I　take　a　fancy　to　any　one　it



isn't　a　matter　of　dollars。　I　usually　carry　a　trifle　of　five　hundred



or　a　thousand　pounds　in　my　pocket…book；　and　if　we　can　get　through



thatwhy；　there's　plenty　more　waiting　at　the　bank。　Say；　though；　I



hope　you　don't　keep　much　about　you；　it　isn't　really　safe。〃







〃The　temptation　to　do　so　is　one　which　this　person　has　hitherto



successfully　evaded；〃　I　replied。　〃The　contents　of　this　reptile…skin



case〃and　not　to　be　outshone　in　mutual　confidence　I　here　displayed　it



openly〃do　not　exceed　nine　or　ten　pieces　of　gold　and　a　like　number　of



printed　obligations　promising　to　pay　five　pieces　each。〃







〃Put　it　away；　Kong；〃　he　said　resolutely。　〃You　won't　need　that　so　long



as　you're　with　me。　Well；　now；　what　sort　of　a　saloon　have　we　here？〃







As　far　as　the　opinion　might　be　superficially　expressed　it　had　every



indication　of　being　one　of　noteworthy　antiquity；　and　to　the　innately



modest　mind　its　unassuming　diffidence　might　have　lent　an　added　charm。



Nevertheless；　on　most　occasions　this　person　would　have　maintained　an



unshaken　dexterity　in　avoiding　its　open　door；　but　as　the　choice



admittedly　lay　in　the　hands　of　one　who　carried　five　hundred　or　a



thousand　pieces　of　gold　we　went　in　together　and　passed　through　to　a



compartment　of　retiring　seclusion。







In　our　own　land；　O　my　orthodox…minded　father；　where　the　unfailing



resources　of　innumerable　bands　of　dragons；　spirits；　vampires；　ghouls；



shadows；　omens；　and　thunderstorms　are　daily　enlisted　to　carry　into



effect　the　pronouncements　of　an　appointed　destiny；　we　have　many



historical　examples　of　the　inexorably　converging　legs　of　coincidence；



but　none；　I　think；　more　impressively　arranged　than　the　one　now



descending　this　person's　brush。







We　had　scarcely　reposed　ourselves；　and　taken　from　the　hands　of　an



awaiting　slave　the　vessels　of　thrice…potent　liquid　which　in　this　Island



is　regarded　as　the　indispensable　accompaniment　to　every　movement　of



existence；　when　a　third　person　entered　the　room；　and　seating　himself



at　a　table　some　slightly　removed　distance　away；　lowered　his　head　and



abandoned　himself　to　a　display　of　most　lavish　dejection。









〃That　poor　cuss　doesn't　appear　to　be　holiday…making；〃　remarked　the



sincerely…compassionate　person　at　my　side；　after　closely　observing　the



other　for　a　period；　and　then；　moved　by　the　overpowering　munificence　of



his　inward　nature；　he　called　aloud；　〃Say；　stranger；　you　seem　to　have



got　it　thickly　in　the　neck。　Is　it　family　affliction　or　the　whisky　of



the　establishment？〃







At　these　affably…intentioned　words　the　stranger　raised　his　eyes



quickly；　with　an　indication　of　not　having　up　to　that　time　been　aware



of　our　presence。







〃Sir；〃　he　exclaimed；　approaching　to　a　spot　where　he　could　converse



with　a　more　enhanced　facility；　〃when　I　loosened　the　restraint　of　an



overpowering　if　unmanly　grief；　I　imagined　that　I　was　alone；　for　I



would　have　shunned　even　the　most　flattering　sympathy；　but　your



charitably…modulated　voice　invites　confidence。　The　one　before　you　is



the　most　contemptible；　left…handed；　and　disqualified　outcast　in



creation；　and　he　is　now　making　his　way　towards　the　river；　while　his



widow　will　be　left　to　take　in　washing；　his　infant　son　to　vend　evening



printed　leaves；　and　his　graceful　and　hitherto　highly　secluded



daughters　to　go　upon　the　stage。〃







〃Say；　stranger；〃　interposed　this　person；　by　no　means　unwilling　to



engrave　upon　his　memory　this　newly…acquired　form　of　greeting；　〃the



emotion　is　doubtless　all…pressing；　but　in　my　ornate　and　flower…laden



tongue　we　have　a　salutation；　'Slowly；　slowly；　walk　slowly；'　which



seems　to　be　of　far…seeing　application。〃







〃That's　so；〃　remarked　the　one　by　my　side。　〃Separate　it　with　the　teeth；



inch　by　inch。〃







〃I　will　be　calm；　then；〃　continued　the　other　（who；　to　avoid　the



complication　of　the　intermingling　circumstances；　may　be　described　as



the　more　stranger　of　the　two）；　and　he　took　of　his　neckcloth。　〃I　am　a



merchant　in　tea；　yellow　fat；　and　mixed　spices；　in　a　small　but　hitherto



satisfactory　way。〃　Thus　revealing　himself；　he　continued　to　set　forth



how　at　an　earlier　hour　he　had　started　on　a　journey　to　deposit　his



wealth　（doubtless　as　a　propitiation　of　outraged　deities）　upon　a



certain　bank；　and　how；　upon　reaching　the　specified　point；　he



discovered　that　what　he　carried　had　eluded　his　vigilance。　〃All　gone：



notes；　gold；　and　pocket…bookthe　savings　of　a　lifetime；〃　concluded



the　ill…omened　one；　and　at　the　recollection　a　sudden　and　even　more



highly…sustained　frenzy　of　self…unpopularity　involving　him；　without　a



pause　he　addressed　himself　by　seven　and　twenty　insulting　expressions；



many　of　which　were　quite　new　to　my　understanding。







At　the　earliest　mention　of　the　details　affecting　the　loss；　the　elbow



of　the　person　who　had　made　himself　responsible　for　the　financial



obligation　of　the　day　propelled　itself　against　my　middle　part；　and



unseen　by　the　other　he　indicated　to　me　by　means　of　his　features　that



the　entertainment　was　becoming　one　of　agreeable　prepossession。







〃Now；　touching　this　hyer　wallet；〃　he　said　presently。　〃How　might　you



describe　it？〃







〃In　colour　it　was　red；　and　within　were　two　compartments；　the　one



containing　three　score　notes　each　of　ten　pounds；　the　other　fifty



pounds　of　gold。　But　what's　the　use　of　describing　it？　Some　lucky　demon



will　pick　it　up　and　pocket　the　lot；　and　I　shall　never　see　a　cent　of　it



again。〃







〃Then　you'd　better　consult　one　who　reburnishes　the　eyes；〃　declared



the　magnanimous　one　with　a　laugh；　and　drawing　forth　the　article



referred　to　he　cast　it　towards　the　merchant　in　a　small　way。







At　this　point　of　the　narrative　my　thoroughly　incompetent　brush



confesses　the　proportions　of　the　requirement　to　be　beyond　its　most



extended　limit；　and　many　very　honourable　details　are　necessarily　left



without　expression。







〃I've　known　men　of　all　sorts；　good；　bad；　and　bothwise；〃　exclaimed　the



one　who　had　recovered　his　possessions；　〃but　I　never　thought　to　meet　a



gent　as　would　hand　over　six　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　as　if　it　was　a



toothpick。　Sir；　it　overbalances　me；　it　does；　indeed。〃







〃Say　no　more　about　it；〃　urged　the　first　person；　and　to　suggest



gracefully　that　the　incident　had　reached　its　furthest　extremity；　he



began　to　set　out　the　melody　of　an　unspoken　verse。







〃I　will　say　no　more；　then；〃　he　replied；　〃but　you　cannot　reasonably



prevent　my　doing　something　to　express　my　gratitude。　If　you　are　not　too



proud　you　will　come　and　partake　of　food　and　wine　with　me　beneath　the



sign　of　the　Funereal　Male　Cow；　and　to　show　my　confidence　in　you　I



shall　insist　upon　you　carrying　my　pocket…book。〃







The　person　whom　I　had　first　encountered　suffered　his　face　to　become



excessively　amused。　〃Say；　stranger；　do　you　take　me　for　a　pack…mule？〃



he　replied　good…naturedly。　〃I　already　have　about　as　much　as　I　want　to



handle。　Never　mind；　we'll　come　along　with　you；　and　Mr。　Kong　shall



carry　your　bullion。〃







At　this　delicate　and　high…minded　proposal　a　rapid　change；　in　no　way



complimentary　to　my　explicit　habit　of　adequately　conducting　any



venture　upon　which　I　may　be　engaged；　came　over　the　face　of　the　second



person。







〃Sir；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I　have　nothing　to　say　against　this　gentleman；



but　I　am　under　no　obligation　to　him；　and　I　don't　see　why　I　should



trust　him　with　everything　I　possess。〃







〃Stranger；〃　exclaimed　the　other　rising　to　his　feet　（and　from　this



point　it　must　be　understood　that　the　various　details　succeeded　one



another　with　a　really　agile　dexterity）；　〃let　me　tell　you　that　Mr。　Kong



is　my　friend；　and　that　ought　to　be　enough。〃







〃It　is。　If　you　say　this　gentleman　is　your　friend；　and　that　you　have



known　him　long　and　intimately　enough　to　be　able　to　answer　for　him；



that's　good　enough　for　me。〃







〃Well；〃　admitted　the　first　person；　and　I　could　not　conceal　from　myself



that　his　tone　was　inauspiciously　reluctant；　〃I　can't　exactly　say　that



I've　known　him　long；　in　fact　I　only　met　him　half　an　hour　ago。　But　I



have　the　fullest　confidence　in　his　integrity。〃







〃It's　just　as　I　expected。　Well；　sir；　you're　good…natured　enough　for



anything；　but　if　you'll　excuse　me；　I　must　say　that　you're　a　small



piece　of　an　earthenware　vessel　after　all〃the　veiled　allusion



doubtlessly　being　that　the　vessel　of　necessity　being　broken；　the



contents　inevitably　escape〃and　I　hope　you're　not　being　had。〃







〃I'm　not；　and　I'll　prove　it　before　we　go　out　together；〃　retorted　the



engaging　one；　who　had　in　the　meantime　become　so　actively　impetuous　on



my　account；　that　he　did　not　remain　content　with　the　spoken　words；　but



threw　the　various　belongings　about　as