the mirror of kong ho-第23章

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more　refined　outlook　the　analogy　is　lacking　both　in　delicacy　of　wit



and　in　exactitude　of　balance；　but　to　the　grosser　barbarian　conception



of　what　is　gravity…removing　it　is　irresistible。







I　am；　however；　reminded　of　the　saying　by　perceiving　that　I　was　on　the



point　of　recording　certain　details　of　recent　occurrence　without　first



unrolling　to　your　mind　the　incidents　from　which　it　has　arisen　that　the



person　who　is　now　communicating　with　you　is　no　longer　reposing　in　the



Capital；　but　spending　a　period　profitably　in　observing　the　habits　of



those　who　dwell　in　the　more　secluded　recesses　on　the　outskirts　of　the



Island。　This　reversal　of　the　proper　sequence　of　affairs　would



doubtless　strike　those　around　as　an　instance　of　setting　the　banquet



before　the　horse。　Without　delay；　then；　to　pursue　the　allusion　to　its



appropriate　end；　I　will　return；　as　it　may　be　said；　to　my　nosebag。







At　various　points　about　the　streets　of　the　Capital　there　are　certain



caverns　artificially　let　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　to　which　any



person　may　betake　himself　upon　purchasing　a　printed　sign　which　he　must



display　to　the　guardian　of　the　gate。　Once　within　the　underneathmost



parts　he　is　free　to　be　carried　from　place　to　place　by　means　of　the



trains　of　carriages　which　I　have　already　described　to　you；　until　he



would　return　to　the　outer　surface；　when　he　must　again　display　his



talisman　before　he　is　permitted　to　pass　forth。　Nor　is　this　an　empty



form；　for　upon　an　occasion　this　person　himself　witnessed　a　very　bitter



contention　between　a　keeper　of　the　barrier　and　one　whose　token　had



through　some　cause　lost　its　potency。







In　the　company　of　the　experienced　I　had　previously　gone　through　the



trial　without　mischance；　so　that　recently　when　I　expressed　a　wish　to



visit　a　certain　Palace；　and　was　informed　that　the　most　convenient



manner　would　be　to　descend　into　the　nearest　cavern；　I　had　no



reasonable　device　for　avoiding　the　encounter。　Nevertheless；



enlightened　sire；　I　will　not　attempt　to　conceal　from　your　omniscience



that　I　was　by　no　means　impetuous　towards　the　adventure。　Owing　to　the



pugnacious　and　unworthy　suspicions　of　those　who　direct　their



destinies；　I　have　not　yet　been　able　to　penetrate　the　exact　connection



between　the　movements　of　these　hot…smoke　chariots　and　the　Unseen



Forces。　To　a　person　whose　chief　object　in　life　is　to　avoid　giving



offence　to　any　of　the　innumerable　demons　which　are　ever　on　the　watch



to　revenge　themselves　upon　our　slightest　indiscretion；　this



uncertainty　opens　an　unending　vista　of　intolerable　possibilities。　As



if　to　emphasise　the　perils　of　this　overhanging　doubt　the　surroundings



are　ingeniously　arranged　so　as　to　represent　as　nearly　as　practicable



the　terrors　of　the　Beneath　World。　Both　by　day　and　night　a　funereal



gloom　envelops　the　caverns；　the　pathways　and　resting…places　are　meagre



and　so　constructed　as　to　be　devoid　of　attraction　or　repose；　and　by　a



skilful　contrivance　the　natural　atmosphere　is　secretly　withdrawn　and　a



very　acrimonious　sulphurous　haze　driven　in　to　replace　it。　In　sudden



and　unforeseen　places　eyes　of　fire　open　and　close　with　disconcerting



rapidity；　and　even　change　colour　in　vindictive　significance；　wooden



hands　are　outstretched　as　in　unrelenting　rigidity　against



supplication；　or；　divining　the　unexpressed　thoughts；　inexorably　point；



as　one　gazes；　still　deeper　into　the　recesses　of　the　earth；　while　the



air　is　never　free　from　the　sounds　of　groans；　shrieks；　the　rattling　of



chains；　dull；　hopeless　noises　beneath　one's　feet　or　overhead；　and　the



hoarse　wordless　cries　of　despair　with　which　the　attending　slaves　of



the　caverns　greet　the　distant　clamour　of　every　approaching



fire…chariot。　Admittedly　the　intention　of　the　device　is　benevolently



conceived；　and　it　is　strenuously　asserted　that　many　persons　of　corrupt



habits　and　ill…balanced　lives；　upon　waking　unexpectedly　while　passing



through　these　Beneath　Parts；　have　abandoned　the　remainder　of　their



journey；　and；　escaping　hastily　to　the　outer　air；　have　from　that　time



onwards　led　a　pure　and　consistent　existence；　but；　on　the　other　foot；



those　who　are　compelled　to　use　the　caverns　daily；　freely　confess　that



the　surroundings　to　not　in　any　material　degree　purify　their　lives　of



tranquillise　the　nature　of　their　inner　thoughts。







In　this　emergency　I　did　not　neglect　to　write　out　a　diversity　of　charms



against　every　possible　variety　of　evil　influence；　and　concealing　them



lavishly　about　my　head　and　body；　I　presented　myself　with　the　outer



confidence　of　a　person　who　is　inured　to　the　exploit。　Doubtless　thereby



being　mistaken　for　one　of　themselves　in　the　obscurity；　I　received　the



inscribed　safeguard　without　opposition；　and　even　an　added　sum　in



copper　pieces；　which　I　discreetly　returned　to　the　one　behind　the



shutter；　with　the　request　that　he　would　honourably　burn　a　few　joss



sticks　or　sacrifice　to　a　trivial　amount；　to　the　success　of　my　journey。



In　such　a　manner　I　reached　an　awaiting　train；　and；　taking　up　within　it



a　position　of　retiring　modesty；　I　definitely　committed　myself　to　the



undertaking。







At　the　next　tarrying　place　there　entered　a　barbarian　of　high…class



appearance；　and　being　by　this　time　less　assured　of　my　competence　in



the　matter　unaided；　both　on　account　of　the　multiplicity　of　evil　omens



on　every　side；　and　the　perverse　impulses　of　the　guiding　demon；　whereby



at　sudden　angles　certain　of　my　organs　had　the　emotion　of　being　left



irrevocably　behind　and　others　of　being　snatched　relentlessly　forward；



I　approached　him　courteously。







〃Behold；〃　I　said；　〃many　thousand　li　of　water；　both　fresh　and　bitter；



flow　between　the　one　who　is　addressing　you　and　his　native　town　of



Yuen…ping；　where　the　tablets　at　the　street　corners　are　as　familiar　to



him　as　the　lines　of　his　own　unshapely　hands；　for；　as　it　is　truly　said；



'Does　the　starling　know　the　lotus　roots；　or　the　pomfret　read　its　way



by　the　signs　among　the　upper　branches　of　the　pines？'　Out　of　the



necessities　of　his　ignorance　and　your　own　overwhelming　condescension



enlighten　him；　therefore；　whether　the　destination　of　this　fire…chariot



by　any　chance　corresponds　with　the　inscribed　name　upon　his　talisman？〃







Thus　adjured；　the　stranger　benevolently　turned　himself　to　the　detail；



and　upon　consulting　a　book　of　symbols　he　expressed　himself　to　this



wise：　that　after　a　sufficient　interval　I　should　come　into　a　certain



station；　called　in　part　after　the　title　of　the　enlightened　ruler　of



this　Island；　and　there　abandoning　the　train　which　was　carrying　us；　I



should　enter　another　which　would　bring　me　out　of　the　Beneath　Parts　and



presently　into　the　midst　of　that　Palace　which　I　sought。　This　advice



seemed　good；　for　a　reasonable　connection　might　be　supposed　to　exist



between　a　station　so　auspiciously　called　and　a　Palace　bearing　the



harmonious　name　of　the　gracious　and　universally…revered



sovereign…consort。　Accordingly　I　thanked　him　ceremoniously；　not　only



on　my　own　part；　but　also　on　behalf　of　eleven　generations　of　immediate



ancestors；　and　in　the　name　of　seven　generations　who　should　come　after；



and　he　on　his　side　agreeably　replied　that　he　was　sure　his　grandmother



would　have　done　as　much　for　mine；　and　he　sincerely　hoped　that　none　of



his　great…great…grandchildren　would　prove　less　obliging。　In　this



intellectual　manner；　varied　with　the　entertainment　of　profuse　bows；



the　time　passed　cordially　between　us　until　the　barbarian　reached　his



own　alighting　stage；　when　he　again　repeated　the　various　details　of　the



strategy　for　my　observance。







At　this　point　let　it　be　set　forth　deliberately　that　there　existed　no



treachery