the mirror of kong ho- 第31部分

them　within。　This　pacific　face　was　undoubtedly　successful；　however



offensively　the　ill…conditioned　one　who　stood　by　was　inspired　to



express　himself　behind　his　teeth；　for　the　space　of　the　tent　was　very



quickly　occupied　and　the　actions　of　simulation　were　to　begin。







Without　doubt　it　might　have　been　better　if　this　person　had　first　made



himself　more　fully　acquainted　with　the　barbarian　manner　of　acting。　The



fact　that　this　imagined　play；　which　even　in　one　of　our　inferior



theatres　would　have　filled　the　time　pleasantly　for　two　or　three



months；　was　to　be　compressed　into　the　narrow　limits　of　seven　minutes



and　a　half；　should　reasonably　have　warned　him　that　amid　the　ensuing



rapidity　of　word　and　action；　most　of　the　leisurely　courtesies　and　all



the　subtle　range　of　concealed　emotion　which　embellish　our　own　wood



pavement　must　be　ignored。　But　it　is　well　and　suggestively　written；



〃The　person　who　deliberates　sufficiently　before　taking　every　step　will



spend　his　life　standing　upon　one　leg。〃　In　the　past　this　one　had　not



found　himself　to　be　grossly　inadequate　on　any　arising　emergency；　and



he　now　drew　aside　the　hanging　drapery　and　prepared　to　carry　out　a



preconcerted　part　with　intrepid　self…reliance。







It　has　already　been　expressed；　that　the　reason　and　incentive　urging　me



to　a　ready　agreement　lay　in　the　opportunities　by　which　suitable



passages　from　the　high　Classics　could　be　discreetly　woven　into　the



fabric　of　the　plot；　and　the　occupation　thereby　permeated　with　an



honourable　literary　flavour。　In　accordance　with　this　resolve　I



blended　together　many　imperishable　sayings　of　the　wisest　philosophers



to　present　the　cries　and　turmoil　of　the　approaching　mob；　but　it　was



not　until　I　protruded　my　head　beneath　the　hanging　canopy　in　the　guise



of　one　observing　that　an　opportunity　arose　of　a　really　well…sustained



effort。　In　this　position　I　recited　Yung　Ki's　stimulating　address　to



his　troops　when　in　sight　of　an　overwhelming　foe；　and；　in　spite　of　the



continually　back…thrust　foot　of　the　undiscriminating　one　before　me；　I



successfully　accomplished　the　seventy…five　lines　of　the　poem　without　a



stumble。　Then　entering　fully；　with　many　deprecatory　bows　and



expressions　of　self…abasement　at　taking　part　in　so　seemingly



detestable　an　action；　I　treacherously；　yet　with　inoffensive　tact；



struck　the　one　wearing　an　all…round　collar　delicately　upon　the　back。



Not　recognising　the　movement；　or　being　in　some　other　way　obtuse；　the



person　in　question　instead　of　sinking　to　the　ground　turned　hastily　to



me　in　the　form　of　an　inquiry；　leaving　me　no　other　reasonable　course



than　to　display　the　knife　openly　to　him；　and　to　assure　him　that　the



fatal　blow　had　already　been　inflicted。　Undoubtedly　his　immoderate



retorts　were　inept　at　such　a　moment；　nor　was　his　ensuing　strategy　of



turning　completely　round　three　times；　striking　himself　about　the　head



and　body；　and　uttering　ceremonious　curses　before　he　fell　devoid　of



lifeas　though　the　earlier　remarks　had　been　part　of　the　ordained



schemeto　any　degree　convincing；　and　the　cries　of　disapproval　from



the　onlookers　proved　that　they　also　regarded　this　one　as　the　victim　of



an　unworthy　rebuke。







〃Not　if　the　benches　were　filled　at　half　a　guinea　a　head　would　I　take



on　another　performance　like　that；〃　exclaimed　the　one　with　whom　I　was



associated；　when　it　was　over。　〃Besides　the　dead　loss　of　lasting　three



quarters　of　an　hour　it's　tempting　providence　when　the　seats　are



movable。　I　suppose　it　isn't　your　fault；　Kong；　you　poor　creature；　but



you　haven't　got　no　glare　and　glitter。　There's　only　one　thing　for　it：



you　must　be　the　Rev。　Mr。　Walker　and　I'll　take　Fang。〃　He　then　robed



himself　in　my　attire；　guided　me　among　the　intricacies　of　the　all…round



collar　and　outer　garments　in　exchange；　hung　a　slender　rope　about　his



back；　and　after　completing　the　artifice　by　a　skilful　device　of　massing



coloured　inks　upon　our　faces；　he　commanded　me　to　lead　him　out　by　a



chain　and　observe　intelligently　how　a　captive　Boxer　chief　should



disport　himself。







No　sooner　had　we　reached　the　platform　than　the　one　whom　I　controlled



leapt　high　into　the　air；　dragged　me　to　the　edge　of　the　erection；



showed　his　teeth　towards　the　assembly　and　waved　his　arms　menacingly　at



them；　then　turning　upon　this　person；　he　inflamed　his　face　with



passion；　rattled　his　chain　furiously；　and　uttered　such　vengeance…laden



cries　that；　unable　to　subdue　the　emotion　of　fear；　I　abandoned　all



pretence；　and　dropping　the　chain；　fled　to　the　furthest　recess　of　the



tent；　followed　by　the　still　threatening　Fang。







There　is　an　expression　among　us；　〃Cheng…hu　was　too　considerate：　he



tried　to　drive　nails　with　a　cucumber。〃　Cheng…hu　would　certainly　have



quickly　found　the　necessity　of　a　weapon　of　three…times　hardened　steel



if　he　had　lived　among　these　barbarians；　who　are　insensible　to　the



higher　forms　of　politeness；　in　addition　to　acting　in　a　contrary　and



illogical　manner　on　all　occasions。　Instead　of　being　repelled　and



discouraged　by　Fang's　outrageous　behaviour；　they　clamoured　to　be



admitted　into　the　tent　more　vehemently　than　before；　and　so



successfully　established　the　venture　that　the　one　to　whom　I　must　now



allude　throughout　as　Fang　signified　to　me　his　covetous　intention　of



reducing　the　performance　by　a　further　two　and　a　half　minutes　in　order



to　reap　an　added　profit　and　to　garner　all　his　rice　before　the　Hoang　Ho



rose。







As　for　myself；　revered；　it　would　be　immature　to　hold　the　gauze　screen



of　prevarication　between　your　all…discerning　mind　and　my　own



trepidation。　From　the　moment　when　I　first　saw　the　expression　of



utterly　depraved　malignity　and　deep…seared　hate　which　he　had　cunningly



engraved　upon　his　face　by　means　of　the　coloured　inks；　I　was　far　from



being　comfortably　settled　within　myself。　Even　the　society　of　the　not



inelegant　being　of　the　inner　chamber；　whom　it　was　now　my　part　to



console　with　alluring　words　and　movements；　could　not　for　some　time



retain　my　face　from　a　back…way　instinct　at　every　sound；　but　when　the



detail　was　reached　that　she　sank　into　my　grasp　bereft　of　all　energy；



and　for　the　first　time　I　was　just　succeeding　in　forgetting　the



unpropitious　surroundings；　the　one　Fang；　who　had　entered　with　unseemly



stealth；　suddenly　hurled　his　soul…freezing　battle…cry　upon　my　ear　and



leapt　forward　with　uplifted　knife。　Perceiving　the　action　from　an　angle



of　my　eye　even　as　he　propelled　himself　through　the　air；　I　could　not



restrain　an　ignoble　wail　of　despair；　and　not　scrupling　to　forsake　the



maiden；　I　would　have　taken　refuge　beneath　a　couch　had　he　not　seized　my



outer　robe　and　hurled　me　to　the　ground。　From　this　point　to　the　close



of　the　entertainment　the　vigorous　person　in　question　did　not　cease



from　raising　cries　and　challenges　in　an　unfaltering　and　many…fathomed



stream；　while　at　the　same　time　he　continued　to　spring　from　one



extremity　of　the　stage　to　the　other　surrounded　by　every　external



attribute　of　an　insatiable　tiger…like　rage。　It　is　circumstantially



related　that　the　one　near　at　hand；　who　has　been　referred　to　as



possessing　a　voiced　machine；　became　demented；　and　bearing　the



contrivance　to　a　certain　tent　erected　by　the　charitable；　entreated



them　to　remove　the　impediment　from　its　speech　so　that　it　might　be



heard　again　and　his　livelihood　restored。　When　the　action　of



brandishing　a　profusion　of　knives　before　the　lesser　one's　eyes　was



reached；　so　nerve…shattering　was　the　impression　which　Fang　created



that　the　back　of　the　tent　had　to　be　removed　in　order　to　let　out　those



who　no　longer　had　possession　of　themselves；　and　to　let　in　thoseto　a



ten…fold　degreewho　strove　for　admission　on　the　rumour　spreading　that



something　exceptionally　repellent　was　progressing　within。







With　what　attenuated　organs　of　repose　this　person　would　have　reached



the　end　of　so　strenuous　an　occupation　had　he　been　compelled　to　twelve



enactments　each　hour　throughout　the　gong…strokes　of　the　day　without



any　literary　relief；　it　is　not　enticing　to　dwell　upon。　This　evil　was



averted　by　a　timely　intervention；　for　upon　proceeding　to　the　outer　air



for　the　third　time　I　at　once　perceived　among　the　foremost　throng　the



engaging　full…face　of　William　Beveledge　Greyson。　This　really



painstaking　individual　had　learned；　as　he　afterwards　explained；　that



the　chiefs　of　exchange　（those　who　in　the　first　case　had　opposed　me



resolutely；）　had　received　a　written　omen；　and　now　in　contrition　were



expressing　their　willingness　to　hold　out　a　full　restitution。　With　this



assurance　he　had　set　forth　in　an　unremitting　search；　and　guided　by



street…watchers；　removers　of　superfluous　earth；　families　propelling



themselves　forward　upon　one　foot；　astrologers；　two…wheeled



charioteers；　and　others　who　move　early　and　secretly　by　night；　he　had



traced　my　description　to　this　same　Heath。　Here　he　had　been　attracted



by　the　displayed　placard　（remembering　my　honourable　boast）；　and



approaching　nearer；　he　had　plainly　recognised　my　voice　within。　But　in



spite　of　this　the　successful　disentanglement　was　by　no　means　yet



accomplished。







Not　expecting　so　involved　a　reversal　of　things；　and　being　short…eyed



by　nature；　William　Greyson　did　not　wait　for　a　fuller　assurance　than　to



be　satisfied　that　the　one　before　him　wore　my　robes　and　conformed　in　a



general　outline；　before　he　addressed　him。







〃Kong　Ho；〃　he　said　pleasantly；　〃what　the　Chief　Evil　Spirit　are　you



doing　up　there？〃　adding　persuasively；　〃Come　down；　there's　a　good



fellow。　I　have　something　important　to　tel