the mirror of kong ho-第21部分

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three…quarters　of　the　brass　cash　of　the　land；　and　judging　that　no　more



suitable　object　could　be　procured　for　the　purpose；　I　entered　the　shop；



and　desired　the　attending　slave　to　submit　it　to　my　closer　scrutiny。







〃Behold；〃　I　exclaimed；　when　I　had　made　a　feint　of　setting　the　device



into　motion　（for　it　need　not　be　concealed　from　you；　O　discreet　one；



that　I　was　really　inadequate　to　the　attempt；　and；　indeed；　narrowly



escaped　impaling　myself　upon　its　sudden　and　unexpected　protrusions）；



〃the　highly…burnished　surface　of　your　dexterously　arranged　window　gave



to　this　engine　a　rich　attractiveness　which　is　altogether　lacking　at　a



closer　examination。　Nevertheless；　this　person　will　not　recede　from　a



perhaps　too　impulsive　offer　of　one　unit　of　gold；　three　pieces　of



silver；　and　four　and　a　half　brass　cash；〃　my　object；　of　course；　being



that　after　the　mutual　recrimination　of　disparagement　and　over…praise



we　should　in　the　length　of　an　hour　or　two　reach　a　becoming　compromise



in　the　middle　distance。







〃Well；〃　responded　the　menial　one；　regarding　me　with　an　expression　in



which　he　did　not　even　attempt　to　subdue　the　baser　emotions；　〃you　HAVE



come　a　long　way　for　nothing〃；　and　he　made　a　pretence　of　wishing　to



replace　the　object。







〃Yet；〃　I　continued；　〃observe　with　calm　impartiality　how　insidiously



the　rust　has　assailed　the　outer　polish　of　the　lacquer；　perceive　here



upon　the　beneath　part　of　wood　the　ineffaceable　depression　of　a



deeply…pointed　blow；　note　well　the〃







〃It　was　good　enough　for　you　to　want　me　to　muck　up　out　of　the　window；



wasn't　it？〃　demanded　the　obstinate　barbarian；　becoming　passionate　in



his　bearing　rather　than　reluctantly；　but　with　courteous　grace；



lessening　the　price　to　a　trifling　degree；　as　we　regard　the　proper　way



of　carrying　on　the　enterprise。







〃It　is　well　said；〃　I　admitted；　hoping　that　he　might　yet　learn　wisdom



from　my　attitude　of　unruffled　urbanity；　though　I　feared　that　his　angle



of　negotiating　was　unconquerably　opposed　to　mine；　〃but　now　its　many



imperfections　are　revealed。　The　inelegance　of　its　outline；　the



grossness　of　the　applied　colours；　the　unlucky　combination　of　numbers



engraved　upon　this　plate；　the〃







〃Damme！〃　cried　the　utterly　perverse　rebel　standing　opposite；　〃why



don't　you　keep　on　your　Compound；　you　Yellow　Peril？　Who　asked　you　to



come　into　my　shop　to　blackguard　the　things？　Come　now；　who　did？〃　　







〃Assuredly　it　is　your　place　of　commerce；〃　I　replied　cheerfully；



preparing　to　bring　forward　an　argument；　which　in　our　country　never



fails　to　shake　the　most　stubborn；　〃yet　bend　your　eyes　to　the　fact　that



at　no　great　distance　away　there　stands　another　and　a　more　alluring



stall　of　merchandise　where〃







〃Go　to　it　then！〃　screamed　the　abandoned　outcast；　leaping　over　his



counter　and　shouting　aloud　in　a　frenzy　of　uncontrollable　rage。　〃Clear



out；　or　I'll　bend　my　feet〃　but　concluding　at　this　point　that　some



private　calumny　from　which　he　was　doubtless　suffering　was　disturbing



his　mind　to　so　great　an　extent　that　there　was　little　likelihood　of　our



bringing　the　transaction　to　a　profitable　end；　I　left　the　shop



immediately　but　with　befitting　dignity。







With　a　fell…founded　assurance　that　you　will　now　be　acquiring　a　really



precise　and　bird's…eye…like　insight　into　practically　all　phases　of



this　country。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　VIII











Concerning　the　wisdom　of　the　sublime　Wei　Chung　and　its



application　to　the　ordinary　problems　of　existence。　The　meeting



of　three；　hitherto　unknown　to　each　other；　about　a　wayside　inn；



and　their　various　manners　of　conducting　the　enterprise。















VENERATED　SIRE；You　will　doubtless　remember　the　behaviour　of　the　aged



philosopher　Wei　Chung；　when　commanded　by　the　broad…minded　emperor　of



his　time　to　reveal　the　hidden　sources　of　his　illimitable　knowledge；　so



that　all　might　freely　acquire；　and　the　race　thereby　become　raised　to　a



position　of　unparalleled　excellence。　Taking　the　well…disposed



sovereign　familiarly　by　the　arm；　Wei　Chung　led　him　to　the　mouth　of　his



cave　in　the　forest；　and；　standing　by　his　side；　bade　him　reflect　with



open　eyes　for　a　short　space　of　time；　and　then　express　aloud　what　he



had　seen。　〃Nothing　of　grave　import；〃　declared　the　emperor　when　the



period　was　accomplished；　〃only　the　trees　shaken　by　the　breeze。〃　〃It　is



enough；〃　replied　Wei　Chung。　〃What；　to　the　adroitly…balanced　mind；　does



such　a　sight　reveal？〃　〃That　it　is　certainly　a　windy　day；〃　exclaimed



the　omnipotent　triumphantly；　for　although　admittedly　divine；　he　yet



lacked　the　philosopher's　discrimination。　〃On　the　contrary；〃　replied



the　sage　coldly；　〃that　is　the　natural　pronouncement　of　the　rankly



superficial。　To　the　highly…trained　intellect　it　conveys　the　more



subtle　truth　that　the　wind　affects　the　trees；　and　not　the　trees　affect



the　wind。　For　upwards　of　seventy　years　this　one　has　daily　stood　at　the



door　of　his　cave　for　a　brief　period；　and　regularly　garnering　a　single



detail　of　like　brilliance；　has　made　it　the　well…spring　for　a　day's



reflection。　As　the　result　he　now　has　by　heart　upwards　of　twenty…five



thousand　useful　facts；　all　serviceable　for　original　proverbs；　and　an



encyclopaedic　mind　which　would　enable　him　to　take　a　high　place　in　a



popular　competition　unassisted　by　a　single　work　of　reference。〃　Much



impressed　by　the　adventure　the　charitably…inclined　emperor　presented



Wei　Chung　with　an　onyx　crown　（which　the　philosopher　at　once　threw　into



an　adjacent　well）；　and　returning　to　his　capital　published　a　decree



that　each　day　at　sunrise　every　person　should　stand　at　the　door　of　his



dwelling；　and　after　observing　for　a　period；　compare　among　themselves



the　details　of　their　thoughts。　By　this　means　he　hoped　to　achieve　his



imperial　purpose；　but　although　the　literal　part　of　the　enactment　is



scrupulously　maintained；　especially　by　the　slothful　and　defamatory；



who　may　be　seen　standing　at　their　doors　and　conversing　together　even



to　this　day；　from　some　unforeseen　imperfection　the　intellectual



capacity　of　the　race　has　remained　exactly　as　it　was　before。







Nevertheless　it　is　not　to　be　questioned　that　the　system　of　the



versatile　Wei　Chung　was；　in　itself；　grounded　upon　a　far…seeing



accuracy；　and　as　the　need　of　such　a　rational　observation　is　deepened



among　the　inconsistencies　and　fantastic　customs　of　a　barbarian　race；　I



have　made　it　a　useful　habit　to　accept　as　a　guide　for　the　day's



behaviour　the　reflections　engendered　by　the　first　noteworthy　incident



of　the　morning。







Upon　the　day　with　which　this　letter　concerns　itself　I　had　set　forth；



in　accordance　with　an　ever…present　desire；