the mirror of kong ho-第40部分

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he　consumed　it　with　fire　beneath　Hing's　orange…tree。　The　fan；　in　turn；



also　had　hidden　properties；　its　written　sentence　being　a　spell　against



drought；　hot　winds；　and　the　demons　which　suck　the　nourishment　from　all



crops。　In　consequence　of　the　act　these　forces　were　called　into　action；



and　before　another　day　Hing's　tree　had　withered　away。







It　is　said　with　reason；　〃During　the　earthquake　men　speak　the　truth。〃



At　this　last　disaster　the　impious　fortitude　of　the　three　brothers



suddenly　gave　way；　and　cheerfully　admitting　their　mistake；　each



committed　suicide；　Chu　disembowelling　himself　among　the　ashes　of　his



couch；　Shan　sinking　beneath　the　waters　of　his　river；　and　Hing　hanging



by　a　rope　among　the　branches　of　his　own　effete　orange…tree。







When　they　had　thus　fittingly　atoned　for　their　faults　the　imprecation



was　lifted　from　off　their　possessions。　The　couch　was　restored　by　magic



art　to　its　former　condition；　the　boat　was　returned　by　a　justice…loving



person　into　whose　hands　it　had　fallen　lower　down　the　river；　and　the



orange…tree　put　out　new　branches。　Kao　therefore　passed　into　an



undiminished　inheritance。　He　married　three　wives；　to　commemorate　the



number　of　his　brothers；　and　had　three　sons；　whom　he　called　Chu；　Shan；



and　Hing；　for　a　like　purpose。　These　three　all　attained　to　high　office



in　the　State；　and　by　their　enlightened　morals　succeeded　in　wiping　all



the　discreditable　references　to　others　bearing　the　same　names　from　off



the　domestic　tablets。







From　this　story　it　will　be　seen　that　by　acting　virtuously；　yet　with　an



observing　discretion；　on　all　occasions；　it　is　generally　possible　not



only　to　rise　to　an　assured　position；　but　at　the　same　time



unsuspectedly　to　involve　those　who　stand　in　our　way　in　a　just



destruction。



















LETTER　XIII











Concerning　a　state　of　necessity；　the　arisings　engendered



thereby；　and　the　turned…away　face　of　those　ruling　the　literary



quarter　of　the　city　towards　one　possessing　a　style。　This



foreign　manner　of　feigning　representations；　and　concerning　my



dignified　portrayal　of　two。















VENERATED　SIRE；It　is　now　more　than　three　thousand　years　ago　that　the



sublime　moralist　Tcheng　How；　on　being　condemned　by　a　resentful



official　to　a　lengthy　imprisonment　in　a　very　inadequate　oil　jar；



imperturbably　replied；　〃As　the　snail　fits　his　impliant　shell；　so　can



the　wise　adapt　themselves　to　any　necessity；〃　and　at　once　coiled



himself　up　in　the　restricted　space　with　unsuspected　agility。　In　times



of　adversity　this　incomparable　reply　has　often　shone　as　a　steadfast



lantern　before　my　feet；　but　recently　it　struck　my　senses　with　a



heavier　force；　for　upon　presenting　myself　on　the　last　occasion　at　the



place　of　exchange　frequented　by　those　who　hitherto　have　carried　out



your　spoken　promise　with　obliging　exactitude；　and　at　certain　stated



intervals　freely　granted　to　this　person　a　sufficiency　of　pieces　of



gold；　merely　requiring　in　return　an　inscribed　and　signet…bearing



record　of　the　fact；　I　was　received　with　no　diminution　of　sympathetic



urbanity；　indeed；　but　with　hands　quite　devoid　of　outstretched　fulness。







In　a　small　inner　chamber；　to　which　I　was　led　upon　uttering　courteous



protests；　one　of　solitary　authority　explained　how　the　deficiency　had



arisen；　but　owing　to　the　skill　with　which　he　entwined　the　most



intricate　terms　in　unbroken　fluency；　the　only　impression　left　upon　my



superficial　mind　was；　that　the　person　before　me　was　imputing　the



scheme　for　my　despoilment　less　to　any　mercenary　instinct　on　the　part



of　his　confederates；　than　to　a　want　of　timely　precision　maintained　by



one　who　seemed　to　bear　an　agreeable…sounding　name　somewhat　similar　to



your　own；　and　who；　from　the　difficulty　of　reaching　his　immediate　ear；



might　be　regarded　as　dwelling　in　a　distant　land。　Encouraged　by　this



conciliatory　profession　（and　seeing　no　likelihood　of　gaining　my　end



otherwise）；　I　thereupon　declared　my　willingness　that　the　difference



lying　between　us　should　be　submitted　to　the　pronouncement　of



dispassionate　omens；　either　passing　birds；　flat　and　round　sticks；　the



seeds　of　two　oranges；　wood　and　fire；　water　poured　out　upon　the　ground



or　any　equally　reliable　sign　as　he　himself　might　decide。　However；　in



spite　of　his　honourable　assurances；　he　was　doubtless　more　deeply



implicated　in　the　adventure　than　he　would　admit；　for　at　this



scrupulous　proposal　the　benignant　mask　of　his　expression　receded



abruptly；　and；　striking　a　hidden　bell；　he　waved　his　hands　and　stood　up



to　signify　that　further　justice　was　denied　me。







In　this　manner　a　state　of　destitution　calling　for　the　fullest



acceptance　of　Tcheng　How's　impassive　philosophy　was　created；　nor　had



many　hours　faded　before　the　first　insidious　temptation　to　depart　from



his　uncompromising　acquiescence　presented　itself。







At　that　time　there　was　no　one　in　whom　I　reposed　a　larger…sized　piece



of　confidence　（in　no　way　involving　sums　of　money；）　than　one　officially



styled　William　Beveledge　Greyson；　although；　profiting　by　our　own



custom；　it　is　unusual　for　those　really　intimate　with　his　society　to



address　him　fully；　unless　the　occasion　should　be　one　of　marked



ceremony。　Forming　a　resolution；　I　now　approached　this　obliging



person；　and　revealing　to　him　the　cause　of　the　emergency；　I　prayed　that



he　would　advise　me；　as　one　abandoned　on　a　strange　Island；　by　what



handicraft　or　exercise　of　skill　I　might　the　readiest　secure　for　the



time　a　frugal　competence。







〃Why；　look　here；　aged　man；〃　at　once　replied　the　lavish　William



Greyson；　〃don't　worry　yourself　about　that。　I　can　easily　let　you　have　a



few　pounds　to　tide　you　over。　You　will　probably　hear　from　the　bank　in



the　course　of　a　few　days　or　weeks；　and　it's　hardly　worth　while　doing



anything　eccentric　in　the　meantime。〃







At　this　delicately…worded　proposal　I　was　about　to　shake　hands　with



myself　in　agreement；　when　the　memory　of　Tcheng　How's　resolute



submission　again　possessed　me；　and　seeing　that　this　would　be　an



unworthy　betrayal　of　destiny　I　turned　aside　the　action；　and　replying



evasively　that　the　world　was　too　small　to　hold　himself　and　another



equally　magnanimous；　I　again　sought　his　advice。







〃Now　what　silly　upside…down　idea　is　it　that　you've　got　into　that



Chinese　puzzle　you　call　your　head；　Kong？〃　he　replied；　for　this　same



William　was　one　who　habitually　gilded　unpalatable　truths　into　the



semblance　of　a　flattering　jest。　〃Whenever　you　turn　off　what　you　are



saying　into　a　willow…pattern　compliment　and　bow　seventeen　times　like



an　animated　mandarin；　I　know　that　you　are　keeping　something　back。　Be　a



man　and　a　brother；　and　out　with　it