the mirror of kong ho-第22部分

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in　accordance　with　an　ever…present　desire；　to　explore　some　of　the



hidden　places　of　the　city。　At　the　time　a　tempest　of　great　ferocity　was



raging；　and　bending　my　head　before　it　I　had　the　distinction　of　coming



into　contact　with　a　person　of　ill…endowed　exterior　at　an　angle　where



two　reads　met。　This　amiable　wayfarer　exchanged　civilities　with　me



after　the　politeness　characteristic　of　the　labouring　classes　towards



those　who　differ　from　them　in　speech；　dress；　or　colour：　that　is　to



say；　he　filled　his　pipe　from　my　proffered　store；　and　after　lighting　it



threw　the　match　into　my　face；　and　passed　on　with　an　appropriate



remark。







Doubtless　this　insignificant　occurrence　would　have　faded　without



internal　comment　if　the　penetrating　Wei　Chung　had　never　existed；　but



now；　guided　by　his　sublime　precedent；　I　arranged　the　incident　for　the



day's　conduct　under　three　reflective　heads。







It　was　while　I　was　meditating　on　the　second　of　these　that　an



exclamation　caused　me　to　turn；　when　I　observed　a　prosperously…outlined



person　in　the　act　of　picking　up　a　scrip　which　had　the　appearance　of



being　lavishly　distended　with　pieces　of　gold。







〃If　I　had　not　seen　you　pass　it；　I　should　have　opined　that　this　hyer



wallet　belonged　to　you；〃　remarked　the　justice…loving　stranger　（for　the



incident　had　irresistibly　retarded　my　own　footsteps）；　speaking　the



language　of　this　land；　but　with　an　accent　of　penetrating　harmony



hitherto　unknown　to　my　ears。　With　these　auspicious　words　he　turned



over　the　object　upon　his　hand　doubtfully。







〃So　entrancing　a　possibility　is；　as　you　gracefully　suggest；　of



unavoidable　denial；〃　I　replied。　〃Nevertheless；　this　person　will　not



hesitate　to　join　his　acclamation　with　yours；　for；　as　the　Book　of



Verses　wisely　says；　'Even　the　blind；　if　truly　polite；　will　extol　the



prospect　from　your　house…top。'〃







〃That's　so；〃　admitted　the　one　by　my　side。　〃But　I　don't　know　that　there



is　any　call　for　a　special　thanksgiving。　As　I　happen　to　have　more　money



of　my　own　than　I　can　reasonably　spend　I　shall　drop　this　in　at　a



convenient　police　station。　I　dare　say　some　poor　critter　is　pining　away



for　it　now。〃







Pleasantly　impressed　by　the　resolute　benevolence　of　the　one　who　had　a



greater　store　of　wealth　than　he　could；　by　his　own　unaided　efforts；



dispose　of；　I　arranged　myself　unobtrusively　at　his　side；　and



maintaining　an　exhibition　of　my　most　polished　and　genial　conversation；



I　sought　to　penetrate　deeply　into　his　esteem。







〃Gaze　in　this　direction；　Kong；〃　he　said　at　length；　calling　me　by　name



with　auspicious　familiarity；　〃I　am　a　benighted　stranger　in　this　hyer



city；　and　so　are　you；　I　rek'n。　Suppose　we　liquor　up；　and　then　take　a



few　of　the　side　shows　together。〃







〃The　suggestion　is　one　against　which　I　will　erect　no　ill…disposed



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　contem