the mirror of kong ho-第42部分

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do　the　parched　first　wipe　round　the　edges　of　the　proffered　cup。〃







〃If　you've　set　your　mind　on　something　literary；〃　said　Beveledge



confidently；　〃you　have　every　chance　of　finishing　up　in　a　chorus　or



carrying　printed　placards　about　the　streets；　certainly。　When　it　comes



to　that；　look　me　up　in　Eastcheap。〃　With　this　encouraging　assurance　of



my　ultimate　success　he　left　me；　and　rejoicing　that　I　had　not　fallen



into　the　snare　of　opposing　a　written　destiny；　I　sought　the　literary



quarters　of　the　city。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







When　this　person　has　been　able　to　write　of　any　custom　or　facet　of



existence　here　in　a　strain　of　conscientious　esteem；　he　has　not



hesitated　to　dip　his　brush　deeply　into　the　inkpot。　Reverting



backwards；　this　barbarian　enactment　of　not　permitting　those　who　from



any　cause　have　decided　upon　spending　the　night　in　a　philosophical



abstraction　to　repose　upon　the　public　seats　about　the　swards　and　open



spaces　is　not　conceived　in　a　mood　of　affable　toleration。　Nevertheless



there　are　deserted　places　beyond　the　furthest　limits　of　the　city　where



a　more　amiable　full…face　is　shown。　On　the　eleventh　day　of　this　one's



determination　to　sustain　himself　by　the　exercise　of　his　literary



style；　he　was　journeying　about　sunset　towards　one　of　these　spots；



subduing　the　grosser　instincts　of　mankind　by　reviewing　the　wisdom　of



the　sublime　Lao　Ch'un；　who　decided　that　heat　and　cold；　pain　and



fatigue；　and　mental　distress；　have　no　real　existence；　and　are



therefore　amenable　to　logical　disproof；　while　the　cravings　of　hunger



and　thirst　are　merely　the　superfluous　attributes　of　a　former　and　lower



state　of　existence；　when　a　passer…by；　who　for　some　distance　had　been



alternately　advancing　before　and　remaining　behind；　matched　his



footsteps　into　mine。







〃Whichee　way　walk…go；　John；　eh？〃　said　this　unfortunate　being；　who



appeared　to　be　suffering　from　a　laborious　deformity　of　speech。　〃Allee



samee　load　me。　Chin…chin。〃







Filled　with　compassion　for　one　who　evidently　found　himself　alone　in　a



strange　land；　in　the　absence　of　his　more　highly…accomplished



companion；　unable　to　indicate　his　wants　and　requirements　to　those



about　him；　I　regretfully　admitted　that　I　had　not　chanced　to　encounter



that　John　whose　wandering　footsteps　he　sought；　and　to　indicate；　by　not



leaving　him　abruptly；　that　I　maintained　a　sympathetic　concern　over　his



welfare；　I　pointed　out　to　him　the　exceptional　brilliance　of　the



approaching　night；　adding　that　I　myself　was　then　directing　a　course



towards　a　certain　spacious　Heath；　a　few　li　distant　in　the　north。







〃Sing…dance　tomollow；　then？〃　he　said；　with　a　condensed　air　of　general



disappointment。　〃Chop…chop　in　a　pay　look…see　show　on　HamHamstloh



damme！　on　'Ampstead　'Eath？　Booked　up；　eh；　John？〃







Gradually　convinced　that　it　was　becoming　necessary　to　readjust　the



significance　of　the　incident；　I　replied　that　I　had　no　intention　of



partaking　of　chops　or　food　of　any　variety　in　an　erected　tent；　but



merely　of　passing　the　night　in　an　intellectual　seclusion。







〃Oh；〃　said　the　one　who　was　walking　by　my　side；　regarding　my　garments



with　engaging　attention；　and　at　the　same　time　appearing　to　regain　an



unruffled　speech　as　though　the　other　had　been　an　assumed　device；　〃I



understandthe　Blue　Sky　Hotel。　Well；　I've　stayed　there　once　or　twice



myself。　A　bit　down　on　your　uppers；　eh？〃







〃Assuredly　this　person　may　perchance　lay　his　upper　parts　down　for　a



short　space　of　time；〃　I　admitted；　when　I　had　traced　out　the　symbolism



of　the　words。　〃As　it　is　humanely　written　in　The　Books；　'Sleep　and



suicide　are　the　free　refuges　equally　of　the　innocent　and　the　guilty。'〃







〃Oh；　come　now；　don't；〃　exclaimed　the　energetic　person；　striking



himself　together　by　means　of　his　two　hands。　〃It's　sinful　to　talk　about



suicide　the　day　before　bank　holiday。　Why；　my　only　Somali　warrior　has



vamoosed　with　his　full　make…up；　and　the　Magnetic　Girl　too；　and　I　never



thought　of　suicideonly　whether　to　turn　my　old　woman　into　a　Veiled



Beauty　of　the　Harem　or　a　Hairy　Lama　from　Tibet。〃







Not　absolutely　grasping　the　emergency；　yet　in　a　spirit　of　inoffensive



cordiality　I　remarked　that　the　alternative　was　insufferably



perplexing；　while　he　continued。







〃Then　I　spotted　you；　and　in　a　flash　I　got　an　idea　that　ought　to　take



and　turn　out　really　great　if　you'll　come　in。　Now　follow　this：



Missionary's　tent　in　the　wilds　of　Pekin。　Domestic　interior　by



lamp…light。　Missionary　（me）　reading　evening　paper；　missionary's　wife



（the　missus）　making　tea；　and　between　times　singing　to　keep　the　small



pet　goat　quiet　（small　goat；　a　pillow；　horsecloth；　and



pocket…handkerchief）。　Breaks　down　singing；　sobs；　and　says　she　feels　a



strange　all…over　presentiment。　Missionary　admits　being　a　bit　fluffed



himself；　and　lets　out　about　a　notice　signed　in　blood　that　he's　seen　in



the　city。〃







〃Carried　upon　a　pole？〃　this　person　demanded；　feeling　that　something　of



a　literary　nature　might　yet　be　wrested　into　the　incident。







〃On　a　flagstaff　if　you　like；〃　conceded　the　other　one　magnanimously。　〃A



notice　to　the　effect　that　it　is　the　duty　of　every　jack　mother's　son　of



them　to　douse　the　foreign　devils；　man；　woman；　and　child；　and



especially　the　talk…book　pass…hat…round　men。　Also　that　he　has　had



several　brick…ends　heaved　at　him　on　his　way　back。　Then　stops　suddenly；



hits　his　upper　crust；　and　says　that　it's　like　his　blamed



fat…headedness　to　frighten　her；　while　she　clutches　at　herself　three



times　and　faints　away。〃







〃Amid　the　voluminous　burning　of　blue　lights？〃　suggested　this　person



resourcefully。







〃By　rights　there　should　be；〃　admitted　the　one　who　was　devising　the



representation；　〃but　it　will　hardly　run　to　it。　Anyway；　it　costs



nothing　to　turn　the　lamp　downsaves　a　bit　in　fact；　and　gives　an



effect。　Then　outside；　in　the　distance　at　first　you　understand；　you



begin　to　work　up　the　sound　of　the　advancing　mobrattles；　shouts；



tum…tums；　groans；　tin　plates　and　all　that　one　mortal　man　can　do　with



hands；　feet　and　mouth。〃







〃With　the　interspersal　of　an　occasional　cracker　and　the　stirring　notes



produced　by　striking　a　hollow　wooden　fish　repeatedly？〃　I　cried；　for



let　it　be　confessed　that　amid　the　portrayal　of　the　scene　my



imagination　had　taken　an　allotted　part。







〃If　you　like　to　provide　them；　and　don't　set　the　bally　show　on　fire；〃



he　replied。　〃Anyhow；　these　two　aren't　supposed　to　notice　anything　even



when　the　row　gets　louder。　Then　it　drops　and　you　are　heard　outside



talking　in　whispers　to　the　otherswords　of　command　and　telling　them



to　keep　back　half…a…mo；　and　so　on。　See？〃







〃Doubtless　in