the mirror of kong ho-第4部分

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LETTER　II











Concerning　the　ill…destined　manner　of　existence　of　the　hound



Hercules。　The　thoughtlessly…expressed　desire　of　the　entrancing



maiden　and　its　effect　upon　a　person　of　susceptible　refinement。



The　opportune　（as　it　may　yet　be　described）　visit　of　one



Herbert。　The　behaviour　of　those　around。　Reflections。











VENERATED　SIRE　（whose　large　right　hand　is　continuously　floating　in



spirit　over　the　image　of　this　person's　dutiful　submission）；







Doubtless　to　your　all…consuming　prescience；　it　will　at　once　become



plain　that　I　have　abandoned　the　place　of　residence　from　which　I



directed　my　former　badly…written　and　offensively…constructed　letter；



the　house　of　the　sympathetic　and　resourceful　Maidens　Blank；　where　in



return　for　an　utterly　inadequate　sum　of　money；　produced　at　stated



intervals；　this　very　much　inferior　person　was　allowed　to　partake　of　a



delicately…balanced　and　somewhat　unvarying　fare　in　the　company　of　the



engaging　of　both　sexes；　and　afterwards　to　associate　on　terms　of



honourable　equality　with　them　in　the　chief　apartment。　The　reason　and



manner　of　this　one's　departure　are　in　no　degree　formidable　to　his



refined　manner　of　conducting　any　enterprise；　but　arose　partly　from　an



insufficient　grasp　of　the　more　elaborate　outlines　of　a　confessedly



involved　language；　and　still　more　from　a　too　excessive　impetuousness



in　carrying　out　what　at　the　time　he　believed　to　be　the　ambition　of　one



who　had　come　to　exercise　a　melodious　influence　over　his　most　internal



emotions。　Well　remarked　the　Sage；　〃A　piece　of　gold　may　be　tried



between　the　teeth；　a　written　promise　to　pay　may　be　disposed　of　at　a



sacrifice　to　one　more　credulous；　but　what　shall　be　said　of　the　wind；



the　Hoang　Ho；　and　the　way　of　a　woman？〃







To　contrive　a　pitfall　for　this　short…sighted　person's　immature　feet；



certain　malicious　spirits　had　so　willed　it　that　the　chief　and　more



autumnal　of　the　Maidens　Blank　（who；　nevertheless；　wore　an　excessively



flower…like　name）；　had　long　lavished　herself　upon　the　possession　of　an



obtuse　and　self…assertive　hound；　which　was　in　the　habit　of　gratifying



this　inconsiderable　person　and　those　who　sat　around　by　continually



depositing　upon　their　unworthy　garments　details　of　its　outer　surface；



and　when　the　weather　was　more　than　usually　cold；　by　stretching　its



graceful　and　refined　body　before　the　fire　in　such　a　way　as　to　ensure



that　no　one　should　suffer　from　a　too　acute　exposure　to　the　heat。　From



these　causes；　and　because　it　was　by　nature　a　hound　which　even　on　the



darkest　night　could　be　detected　at　a　more　than　reasonable　distance



away；　while　at　all　times　it　did　not　hesitate　to　shake　itself　freely



into　the　various　prepared　viands；　this　person　（and　doubtless　others



also）　regarded　it　with　an　emotion　very　unfavourable　towards　its



prolonged　existence；　but　observing　from　the　first　that　those　who



permitted　themselves　to　be　deposited　upon；　and　their　hands　and　even



their　faces　to　be　hound…tongue…defiled　with　the　most　externally



cheerful　spirit　of　word　suppression；　invariably　received　the　most



desirable　of　the　allotted　portions　of　food；　he　judged　it　prudent　and



conducive　to　a　settled　digestion　to　greet　it　with　favourable　terms　and



actions；　and　to　refer　frequently　to　its　well…displayed　proportions；



and　to　the　agile　dexterity　which　it　certainly　maintained　in　breathing



into　the　contents　of　every　dish。　Thus　the　matter　may　be　regarded　as



being　positioned　for　a　space　of　time。







One　evening　I　returned　at　the　appointed　gong…stroke　of　dinner；　and　was



beginning；　according　to　my　custom；　to　greet　the　hound　with



ingratiating　politeness；　when　the　one　of　chief　authority　held　up　a



reproving　hand；　at　the　same　time　exclaiming：







〃No；　Mr。　Kong；　you　must　not　encourage　Hercules　with　your　amiable



condescension；　for　just　now　he　is　in　very　bad　odour　with　us　all。〃







〃Undoubtedly；〃　replied　this　person；　somewhat　puzzled；　nevertheless；



that　the　imperfection　should　thus　be　referred　to　openly　by　one　who



hitherto　had　not　hesitated　to　caress　the　hound　with　most　intimate



details；　〃undoubtedly　the　surrounding　has　a　highly　concentrated



acuteness　to…night；　but　the　ever…present　characteristic　of　the　hound



Hercules　is　by　no　means　new；　for　whenever　he　is　in　the　room〃







At　this　point　it　is　necessary　to　explain　that　the　ceremonial　etiquette



of　these　barbarian　outcasts　is　both　conflicting　and　involved。　Upon



most　of　the　ordinary　occasions　of　life　to　obtrude　oneself　within　the



conversation　of　another　is　a　thing　not　to　be　done；　yet　repeatedly　when



this　unpretentious　person　has　been　relating　his　experience　or



inquiring　into　the　nature　and　meaning　of　certain　matters　which　he　has



witnessed；　he　has　become　aware　that　his　words　have　been　obliterated；



as　it　were；　and　his　remarks　diverted　from　their　original　intention　by



the　sudden　and　unanticipated　desire　of　those　present　to　express



themselves　loudly　on　some　topic　of　not　really　engrossing　interest。　Not



infrequently　on　such　occasions　every　one　present　has　spoken　at　once



with　concentrated　anxiety　upon　the　condition　of　the　weather；　the



atmosphere　of　the　room；　the　hour　of　the　day；　or　some　like　detail　of



contemptible　inferiority。　At　other　times　maidens　of　unquestionable



politeness　have　sounded　instruments　of　brass　or　stringed　woods　with



unceasing　vigour；　have　cast　down　ornaments　of　china；　or　even　stood



upon　each　other'sor　this　person'sfeet　with　assumed　inelegance。



When；　therefore；　in　the　midst　of　my　agreeable　remark　on　the　asserted



no　fragrance　of　the　hound　Hercules；　a　gentleman　of　habitual　refinement



struck　me　somewhat　heavily　on　the　back　of　the　head　with　a　reclining



seat　which　he　was　conveying　across　the　room　for　the　acceptance　of　a



lady；　and　immediately　overwhelmed　me　with　apologies　of　almost



unnecessary　profusion；　my　mind　at　once　leapt　to　an　inspired



conclusion；　and　smiling　acquiescently　I　bowed　several　times　to　each



person　to　convey　to　them　an　admission　of　the　undoubted　fact　that　to



the　wise　a　timely　omen　before　the　storm　is　as　effective　as　a



thunderbolt　afterwards。







It　chanced　that　there　was　present　the　exceptionally　prepossessing　



maiden　to　whom　this　person　has　already　referred。　So　varied　and　ornate



were　her　attractions　that　it　would　be　incompetent　in　one　of　my　less



than　average　ability　to　attempt　an　adequate　portrayal。　She　had　a



light…coloured　name　with　the　letters　so　harmoniously　convoluted　as　to



be　quite　beyond　my　inferior　power　of　pronunciation；　so　that　if　I



wished　to　refer　to　her　in　her　absence　I　had　to　indicate　the　one　I



meant　by　likening　her　to　a　full…blown　chrysanthemum；　a　piece　of　rare



jade；