the mirror of kong ho-第12章

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Lilies。'　Yet　when　this　observance　has　been　slowly　and　painfully



accomplished；　the　extremities　in　question　are　not　less　small　but



infinitely　less　graceful　than　the　select　and　naturally…formed　pair



which　this　person　sees　before　him。〃　And　at　the　ingeniously…devised



compliment　（which；　not　to　become　large…headed　in　self…imagination；　it



must　be　admitted　was　revealed　to　me　as　available　for　practically　all



occassions　by　the　really　invaluable　Quang…Tsun）；　I　bowed



unremittingly。







〃O；　Mr。　Ho！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　and　paused　abruptly　at　the　sound　of



her　words；　as　though　they　were　inept。







〃In　many　other　ways　a　comparison　equally　irreproachable　to　the　exalted



being　at　my　side　might　be　sought　out；〃　I　continued；　suddenly　forming



the　ill…destined　judgment　that　I　was　no　less　competent　than　the　more



experienced　Quang…Tsun　to　contrive　delicate　offerings　of　speech。



〃Their　hair　is　rope　like　in　its　lack　of　spontaneous　curve；　their　eyes



as　deficient　in　lustre　as　a　half…shuttered　window；　their　hands　are



exceedingly　inferior　in　colour；　and　both　on　the　left　side；　as　it　may



be　expressed；　their　legs〃　but　at　this　point　the　maiden　drew　herself



so　hastily　into　herself　that　I　had　no　alternative　but　to　conclude　that



unless　I　reverted　in　some　way　the　enterprise　was　in　peril　of　being



inharmoniously　conducted。







〃Mr。　Ho；〃　said　the　maiden；　after　contemplating　her　inward　thoughts　for



a　moment；　〃you　are　a　foreigner；　and　you　cannot　be　expected　to　know　by



instinct　what　may　and　what　may　not　be　openly　expressed　in　this



country。　Therefore；　although　the　obligation　is　not　alluring；　I　think



it　kinder　to　tell　you　that　the　matters　which　formed　the　subject　of



your　last　words　are　never　to　be　referred　to。〃







At　this　rebuke　I　again　bowed　persistently；　for　it　did　not　appear



reasonable　to　me　that　I　could　in　any　other　way　declare　myself　without



violating　the　imposed　command。







〃Not　only　are　they　never　openly　referred　to；〃　continued　the　maiden；



who　in　spite　of　the　declared　no　allurement　of　the　subject　did　not　seem



disposed　to　abandon　it　at　once；　〃but　among　the　most　select　they　are；



by　unspoken　agreement；　regarded　as　'having　no　actual　existence；'　as



you　yourself　would　say。〃







〃Yet；〃　protested　this　person；　somewhat　puzzled；　〃to　one　who　has



witnessed　the　highly…achieved　attitudes　of　those　within　your　Halls　of



Harmony；　and　in　an　unyielding　search　for　knowledge　has　addressed



himself　even　to　the　advertisement　pages　of　the　ladies'　papers〃







The　maiden　waved　her　hand　magnanimously。　〃In　your　land；　as　you　have



told　me；　there　are　many　things；　not　really　existing；　which　for



politeness　you　assume　to　be。　In　a　like　but　converse　manner　this　is　to



be　so　regarded。〃







I　thanked　her　voluminously。　〃The　etiquette　of　this　country　is　as



involved　as　the　spoken　tongue；〃　I　said；　〃for　both　are　composed　chiefly



of　exceptions　to　a　given　rule。　It　was　formerly　impressed　upon　this



person；　as　a　guiding　principle；　that　that　which　is　unseen　is　not　to　be



discussed；　yet　it　is　not　held　in　disrepute　to　allude　to　so　intimate



and　secluded　an　organ　as　the　heart；　for　no　further　removed　than



yesterday　he　heard　the　deservedly　popular　sea…lieutenant　in　the　act　of



declaring　to　you；　upon　his　knees；　that　you　were　utterly　devoid　of　such



a　possession。〃







At　this　inoffensively…conveyed　suggestion；　the　fire　opposite　had　all



the　appearance　of　suddenly　reflecting　itself　into　the　maiden's　face



with　a　most　engaging　concentration；　while　at　the　same　time　she　stamped



her　foot　in　ill…concealed　rage。







〃You've　been　listening　at　the　door！〃　she　cried　impetuously；　〃and　I



shall　never　forgive　you。〃







〃To　no　extent；〃　I　declared　hastily　（for　although　I　had　indeed　been



listening　at　the　door；　it　appeared；　after　the　weight　which　she　set



upon　the　incident；　more　honourable　that　I　should　deny　it　in　order　to



conciliate　her　mind）。　〃It　so　chanced　that　for　the　moment　this　person



had　forgotten　whether　the　handle　he　was　grasping　was　of　the　push…out



or　turn…in　variety；　and　in　the　involvement　a　few　words　of　no



particular　or　enduring　significance　settled　lightly　upon　his



perception。







〃In　that　case；〃　she　replied　in　high…souled　liberality；　while　her　eyes



scintillated　towards　me　with　a　really　all…overpowering　radiance；　〃I



will　forgive　you。〃







〃We　have　an　old　but　very　appropriate　saying；　'To　every　man　the　voice



of　one　maiden　carries　further　than　the　rolling　of　thunder；'〃　I



remarked　in　a　significantly　restrained　tone；　for；　although　conscious



that　the　circumstance　was　becoming　more　menace…laden　than　I　had　any



previous　intention；　I　found　myself　to　be　incapable　of　extrication。



〃Florence〃







〃Oh；〃　she　exclaimed　quickly；　raising　her　polished　hand　with　an



undeniable　gesture　of　reproof；　〃you　must　not　call　me　by　my　christian



name；　Mr。　Ho。〃







〃Yet；〃　replied　this　person；　with　a　confessedly　stubborn　inelegance；



〃you　call　me　by　the　name　of　Ho。〃







Her　eyes　became　ox…like　in　an　utter　absence　of　almond　outline。　〃Yes；〃



she　said　gazing；　〃but　thatthat　is　not　your　christian　name；　is　it？〃







〃In　a　position　of　speakingthis　one　being　as　a　matter　of　fact　a



discreditable　follower　of　the　sublime　Confuciusit　may　be　so



regarded；〃　I　answered；　〃inasmuch　as　it　is　the　milk…name　of　childhood。〃







〃But　you　always　put　it　last；〃　she　urged。







〃Assuredly；〃　I　replied。　〃Being　irrevocably　born　with　the　family　name



of　Kong；　it　is　thought　more　reasonable　that　that　should　stand　first。



After　that；　others　are　attached　as　the　various　contingencies　demand



it；　as　Ho　upon　participating　in　the　month…age　feast；　the　book…name　of



Tsin　at　a　later　period；　Paik　upon　taking　a　degree；　and　so　forth。〃







〃I　am　very　sorry；　Mr。　Kong；〃　said　the　maiden；　adding；　with　what　at　the



time　certainly　struck　this　person　as　shallow…witted　prejudice。　〃Of



course　it　is　really　quite　your　own　fault　for　being　so　tospy…turvily



arranged　in　every　way。　But；　to　return　to　the　subject；　why　should　not



one　speak　of　one's　heart？〃







〃Because；〃　replied　this　person；　colouring　deeply；　and　scarcely　able　to



control　his　unbearable　offence　that　so　irreproachably…moulded　a



creature　should　openly　refer　to　the　detail；　〃because　it　is　a　gross　and



unrefined　particular；　much　more　internal　and　much　less



pleasantly…outlined　than　those　extremities　whose　spoken　equivalent



shall　henceforth　be　an　abandoned　word　from　my　lips。〃







〃But；　in　any　case；　it　is　not　the　actual　organ　that　one　infers；〃



protested　the　maiden。　〃As　the　seat　of　the　affections；　passions；



virtues；　and　will；　it　is　the　conventional　emblem　of　every　thought　and



emotion。〃







〃By　no　means；〃　I　cried；　forgetting　in　the　face　of　so　heterodox　an



assertion　that　it　would　be　well　to　walk　warily　at　every　point。　〃That



is　the　stomach。〃







〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　burying　her　face　in　a　gracefully…perfumed



remnant　of　lace；　to　so　overwhelming　a　degree　that　for　the　moment　I



feared　she　might　become　involved　in　the　dizzy　falling。　〃Never；　by　any



mischance；　use　that　word　again　the　society　of　the　presentable；　Mr。



Kong。〃







〃The　ceremonial　usage　of　my　own　land　of　the　Heavenly　Dynasty　is



proverbially　elaborate；〃　I　said；　with　a　gesture　of　self…abasement；



〃but　in　comparison　with　yours　it　may　be　regarded　as　an　undeviating



walk　when　opposed　to　a　stately　and　many…figured　dance。　Among　the



company　of　the　really　excessively　select　（in　which　must　ever　be



included　the　one　whom　I　am　now　addressing）；　it　becomes　difficult　for



an　outcast　of　my　illimitable　obtuseness　to　move　to　one　side　o