the mirror of kong ho-第38部分

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ingratiating　lines　upon　my　face　became　frozen　in　its　intensity；



despite　the　ineptness　of　their　expression。　Unable　to　penetrate　the



cause　of　my　offence；　I　made　a　variety　of　agreeable　remarks；　until



finding　that　nothing　tended　towards　a　becoming　reconciliation；　I



gradually　withdrew　in　despair；　and　again　turned　my　face　in　the



direction　of　that　same　accommodation　which　I　had　already　found　beneath



the　sign　of　an　Encompassed　Goat。　Here；　by　the　sarcasm　of　destiny；　I



encountered　the　person　who　had　drawn　the　slighting　analogy　between



this　one's　pig…tail　and　his　ability　as　a　story…teller。　For　a　brief



space　of　time　the　ultimate　development　of　the　venture　was　doubtfully



poised；　but　recognising　in　each　other's　features　the　overhanging　cloud



of　an　allied　pang；　the　one　before　me　expressed　a　becoming　contrition



for　the　jest；　together　with　a　proffered　cup。　Not　to　appear　out…classed



I　replied　in　a　suitable　vein；　involving　the　supply　of　more　vessels；



whereupon　there　succeeded　many　more　vessels；　called　for　both　singly



and　in　harmonious　unison；　and　the　reappearance　of　numerous　bright



images；　accompanied　by　a　universal　scintillation　of　meteor…like



iridescence。　In　this　genial　and　greatly…enlarged　spirit　we　returned



affably　together　to　the　hall；　and　entered　unperceived　at　the　moment



when　the　one　who　made　the　announcements　was　crying　aloud；　〃According



to　the　programme　the　next　item　should　have　been　a　Chinese　poem；　but　as



Mr。　Kong　Ho　appears　to　have　left　the　building；　we　shall　pass　him



over〃







〃What　Ho？〃　exclaimed　the　somewhat　impetuous　one　by　my　side；　stepping



forward　indignantly　and　mounting　the　platform　in　his　affectionate



zeal。　〃No　one　shall　pass　over　my　old　and　valued　friendthis　Howhile



I　have　a　paw　to　raise。　Step　forward；　Mandarin；　and　let　them　behold　the



inventor　and　sole　user　of　the　justly　far…famed　G。　R。　Ko…Ho　hair



restorersent　in　five　guinea　bottles　to　any　address　on　receipt　of　four



penny　stampsas　he　appeared　in　his　celebrated　impersonation　of　the



human…faced　Swan　at　Doll　and　Edgar's。　Come　on；　oh；　Ho！〃







〃Assuredly；〃　I　replied；　striving　to　follow　him；　〃yet　with　the　wary



greeting；　'Slowly；　slowly；　walk　slowly；'　engraved　upon　my　mind；　for



the　barrier　of　these　convoluted　stairs〃　but　at　this　word　a　band　of



maidens　passed　out　hastily；　and　in　the　tumult　I　reached　the　dais　and



began　Weng　Chi's　immortal　verses；　entitled　〃The　Meandering　Flight；〃



which　had　occupied　me　three　complete　days　and　nights　in　the　detail　of



rendering　the　allusions　into　well…balanced　similitudes　and　at　the　same



time　preserving　the　skilful　evasion　of　all　conventional　rules　which



raises　the　original　to　so　sublime　a　height。







　　　　The　voice　of　one　singing　at　the　dawn；



　　　　The　seven　harmonious　colours　in　the　sky；



　　　　The　meeting　by　the　fountain；



　　　　The　exchange　of　gifts；　and　the　sound　of　the　processional　drum；



　　　　The　emotion　of　satisfaction　in　each　created　being；



　　　　This　is　the　all…prominent　indication　of　the　Spring。







　　　　The　general　disinclination　to　engage　in　laborious　tasks；



　　　　The　general　readiness　to　consume　voluminous　potions　on　any



　　　　　　　　pretext。



　　　　The　deserted　appearance　of　the　city　and　the　absence　of　the



　　　　　　　　come…in　motion　at　every　door；



　　　　The　sportiveness　of　maidens；　and　even　those　of　maturer　age；



　　　　　　　　ethereally　clad；　upon　the　shore。



　　　　The　avowed　willingness　of　merchants　to　dispose　of　their　wares



　　　　　　　　for　half　the　original　sum。



　　　　This　undoubtedly　is　the　Summer。







　　　　The　yellow　tea　leaf　circling　as　it　falls；



　　　　The　futile　wheeling　of　the　storm…tossed　swan；



　　　　The　note　of　the　marble　lute　at　evening　by　the　pool；



　　　　The　immobile　cypress　seen　against　the　sun。



　　　　The　unnecessarily　difficult　examination　paper。



　　　　All　these　things　are　suggestive　of　the　Autumn。







　　　　The　growing　attraction　of　a　well…lined　couch。



　　　　The　obsequious　demeanour　of　message…bearers；　charioteers；　and



　　　　　　　　the　club…armed　keepers　of　peace。



　　　　The　explosion　of　innumerable　fire…crackers　round　the　convivial



　　　　　　　　shines；



　　　　The　gathering　together　of　relations　who　at　all　other　times



　　　　　　　　shun　each　other　markedly。



　　　　The　obtrusive　recollection　of　a　great　many　things　contrary　to



　　　　　　　　a　spoken　vow；　and　the　inflexible　purpose　to　be　more



　　　　　　　　resolute　in　future。



　　　　These　in　turn　invariably　attend　each　Winter。







It　certainly　had　not　presented　itself　to　me　before　that　the　words



〃invariably　attend〃　are　ill…chosen；　but　as　I　would　have　uttered　them



their　inelegance　became　plain；　and　this　person　made　eight



conscientious　attempts　to　soften　down　their　harsh　modulation　by



various　interchanges。　He　was　still　persevering　hopefully　when　he　of



chief　authority　approached　and　requested　that　the　one　who　was　thus



employed　and　that　same　other　would　leave　the　hall　tranquilly；　as　the



all…water　entertainment　was　at　an　end；　and　an　attending　slave　was　in



readiness　to　extinguish　the　lanterns。







〃Yet；〃　I　protested　unassumingly；　〃that　which　has　so　far　been　expressed



is　only　in　the　semblance　of　an　introductory　ode。　There　follow〃







〃You　must　not　argue　with　the　Chair；〃　exclaimed　another　interposing　his



voice。　〃Whatever　the　Chair　rules　must　be　accepted。〃







〃The　innuendo　is　flat…witted；〃　I　replied　with　imperturbable　dignity；



but　still　retaining　my　hold　upon　the　rail。　〃When　this　person　so　far



loses　his　sense　of　proportion　as　to　contend　with　an　irrational　object；



devoid　of　faculties；　let　the　barb　be　cast。　After　that　introduction



dealing　with　the　four　seasons；　the　twelve　gong…strokes　of　the　day　are



reviewed　in　a　like　fashion。　These　in　turn　give　place　to　the　days　of



the　month；　then　the　moons　of　the　year；　and　finally　the　years　of　the



cycle。〃







〃That's　fair；〃　exclaimed　the　perverse　though　well…meaning　youth；　whom



I　was　beginning　to　recognise　as　the　cause　of　some　misunderstanding



among　us。　〃If　you　don't　want　any　more　of　his　poemand　I　don't　blame



youmy　pal　Ho；　who　is　one　of　the　popular　Flip…Flap　Troupe；　offers　to



do　some　trick　cycle…riding　on　his　ears。　What　more　can　you　expect？〃







〃We　expect　a　policeman　very　soon；〃　replied　another　severely。　〃He　has



already　been　sent　for。〃







〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　one　who　had　so　persistently　claimed　me　as　an



ally；　〃perhaps　I　can　do　you　a　service　by　directing　him　here〃；　and



leaving　this　person　to　extricate　himself　by　means　of　a　reassuring



silence　and　some　of　the　larger　silver　pieces　of　the　Island；　he



vanished　hastily。







With　some　doubt　whether　or　not　this　deviation　into　the　society　of　the



professedly　virtuous；　ending　as　it　admittedly　does　in　an　involvemen