the mirror of kong ho-第3部分

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become　intelligible　or　when　they　experience　a　like　difficulty　with



him。　Upon　an　earlier　occasion；　before　he　had　made　so　much　progress；



being　one　day　left　to　his　own　resources；　and　feeling　an　internal　lack；



he　entered　what　appeared　to　be　a　tea…shop　of　reputable　demeanour；　and；



seating　himself　at　one　of　the　little　marble　tables；　he　freely



pronounced　the　carefully…learned　word　〃rice〃　to　the　attending　nymph。



To　put　aside　all　details　of　preparation　（into　which；　indeed；　this



person　could　not　enter）　he　waved　his　hand　gracefully；　at　the　same　time



smiling　with　an　expression　of　tolerant　acquiescence；　as　of　one　who



would　say　that　what　was　good　enough　to　be　cooked　and　offered　by　so



entrancing　a　maiden　was　good　enough　to　be　eaten　by　him。　After



remaining　in　unruffled　tranquillity　for　the　full　portion　of　an　hour；



and　observing　that　no　other　person　around　had　to　wait　above　half　that



period；　this　one　began　to　perceive　that　the　enterprise　was　not　likely



to　terminate　in　a　manner　satisfactory　to　himself；　so　that；　leaving



this　place　with　a　few　well…chosen　phrases　of　intolerable　regret　in　his



own　tongue；　he　entered　another；　and　conducted　himself　in　a　like



fashion。　。　。　。　Towards　evening；　with　an　unperturbed　exterior；　but



materially　afflicted　elsewhere；　this　person　seated　himself　within　the



eleventh　tea…shop；　and；　pointing　first　towards　his　own　constituents　of



digestion；　then　at　the　fire；　and　lastly　in　an　upward　direction；



thereby　signified　to　any　not　of　stunted　intellect　that　he　had　reached



such　a　condition　of　mind　and　body　that　he　was　ready　to　consume



whatever　the　ruling　deities　were　willing　to　allot；　whether　boiled；



baked；　roast；　or　suspended　from　a　skewer。　In　this　resolve　nothing



would　move　him；　untilafter　many　maidens　had　approached　with



outstretched　hands　and　gestures　of　despairthere　presently　entered　a



person　wearing　the　helmet　of　a　warrior　and　the　manner　of　a　high



official；　who　spoke　strongly；　yet　persuasively；　of　the　virtues　of



immediate　movement　and　a　quiet　and　reposeful　bearing。







Assuredly　a　people　who　devote　so　little　attention　to　the　study　of



food；　and　all　matters　connected　with　it；　must　inevitably　remain



barbaric；　however　skilfully　they　may　feign　a　superficial　refinement。



It　is　said；　although　I　do　not　commit　this　matter　to　my　own　brush；　that



among　them　are　more　books　composed　on　subjects　which　have　no　actual



existence　than　on　cooking；　and；　incredible　as　it　may　appear；　to　be



exceptionally　round…bodied　confers　no　public　honour　upon　the



individual。　Should　a　favourable　occasion　present　itself；　there　are



many　who　do　not　scruple　to　jest　upon　the　subject　of　food；　or；　what　is



incalculably　more　depraved；　upon　the　scarcity　of　it。







Nevertheless；　there　are　exceptions　of　a　highly　distinguished　radiance。



Among　these　must　be　accounted　one　into　whose　presence　this　person　was



recently　led　by　our　polished　and　harmonious　friend　Quang…Tsun；　the



merchant　in　tea　and　spices。　This　versatile　person；　whose　business…name



is　spoken　of　as　Jones　Bob…Jones；　is　worthy　of　all　benignant　respect；



and　in　a　really　enlightened　country　would　doubtless　be　raised　to　a



more　exalted　position　than　that　of　a　breaker　of　outsides　（an



occupation　difficult　to　express　adequately　in　the　written　language　of



a　country　where　it　is　unknown）；　for　his　face　is　like　the　sun　setting



in　the　time　of　harvest；　his　waist　garment　excessive；　and　the　undoubted



symmetry　of　his　middle　portions　honourable　in　the　extreme。　So　welcome



in　my　eyes；　after　witnessing　an　unending　stream　of　concave　and



attenuated　barbarian　ghosts；　was　the　sight　of　these　perfections　of



Jones　Bob…Jones；　that　instead　of　the　formal　greeting　of　this



Islandthe　unmeaning　〃How　do　you　do　it？〃I　shook　hands　cordially



with　myself；　and　exclaimed　affectionately　in　our　own　language；



〃Illimitable　felicities！　How　is　your　stomach？〃







〃Well；〃　replied　Jones　Bob…Jones；　after　Quang…Tsun　had　interpreted　this



polite　salutation　to　his　understanding；　〃since　you　mention　it；　that's



just　the　trouble；　but　I'm　going　on　pretty　well；　thanks。　I've　tried



most　of　the　advertised　things；　and　now　my　doctor　has　put　me



practically　on　a　bread…and…water　courseclear　soup；　boiled　fish；



plain　joint；　no　sweets；　a　crumb　of　cheese；　and　a　bare　three　glasses　of



Hermitage。〃







During　this　amiable　remark　（of　which；　as　it　is　somewhat　of　a　technical



nature；　I　was　unable　to　grasp　the　contained　significance　until　the



agreeable　Quang…Tsun　had　subsequently　repeated　it　several　times　for



my　retention）；　I　maintained　a　consistent　expression　of　harmonious



agreement　and　gratified　esteem　（suitable；　I　find；　for　all　like



occasions）；　and　then；　judging　from　the　sympathetic　animation　of　Jones



Bob…Jones's　countenance；　that　it　had　not　improbably　been　connected



with　food；　I　discreetly　introduced　the　subject　of　sea…snails；



preserved　in　the　essence　of　crushed　peaches；　by　courteously　inquiring



whether　he　had　ever　partaken　of　such　a　delicacy。







〃No；〃　replied　the　liberal…minded　person；　whenencouraged　by　the



protruding　eagerness　of　his　eyes　at　the　mention　of　the　viandI　had



further　spoken　of　the　refined　flavour　of　the　dish；　and　explained　the



manner　of　its　preparation。　〃I　can't　say　that　I　have；　but　it　sounds



uncommonly　goodsomething　like　turtle；　I　should　imagine。　I'll　see　if



they　can　get　it　for　me　at　Pimm's。〃







This　filial　tribute　goes　by　a　trusty　hand；　in　the　person　of　one　Ki



Nihy；　who　is　shortly　committing　himself　to　the　protection　of　his



ancestors　and　the　voracity　of　the　unbounded　Bitter　Waters；　and　with



brightness　and　gold　it　will　doubtless　reach　you　in　the　course　of



twelve　or　eighteen　moons。　The　superstitious　here；　this　person　may



describe；　when　they　wish　to　send　messages　from　one　to　another；



inscribe　upon　the　outer　cover　a　written　representation　of　the　one



whose　habitation　they　require；　and　after　affixing　a　small　paper



talisman；　drop　it　into　a　hole　in　the　nearest　wall；　in　the　hope　that　it



may　be　ultimately　conveyed　to　the　appointed　spot；　either　by　the



services　of　the　charitably…disposed　passer…by；　or　by　the　intervention



of　the　beneficent　deities。







With　a　multiplicity　of　greetings　and　many　abject　expressions　of　a



conscious　inferiority；　and　attested　by　an　unvarying　thumb…mark。







KONG　HO。



（Effete　branch　of　a　pure　and　magnanimous　trunk。）















To　Kong　Ah…Paik；　reclining　beneath　the　sign　of　the　Lead　Tortoise；　in　a



northerly　direction　beyond　the　Lotus　Beds　outside　the　city　of



Yuen…ping。　The　Middle　Flowery　Kingdom。



















LETTER　II











Concerning　the　ill…destined　manner　of　existence　of　the　hound



Hercules。　The　thoug