NAMI-KO 
 
 A 
 
 T3ANS 
 
 KENJIRO TOKUTOMI
 
 O .O 
 
 I 
 
 v_x . ,
 
 Nami-K 
 
 o 
 
 A REALISTIC NOVEL 
 By KENJIRO TOKUTOMI 
 
 R*k*. - .-'-' L \ 
 
 ' * y t fi*t f * r 
 
 'Translated from the Japanese 
 By 
 
 SAKAE SHIOYA 
 
 and 
 
 E. F. EDGETT 
 
 BOSTON 
 Herbert B. Turner & Co. 
 
 1904
 
 , 1904 
 3Sp Herbert -J8. Currier & Co, 
 
 /4// rights reserved 
 
 CntereU at Stationers' full 
 
 Published April, 1904 
 
 (Colonial prtsa 
 
 Electrotypad and Fainted by C. H. Slmonds & Co. 
 Boston, Mass., U. S. A.
 
 fntroDuction 
 
 (3TV f^AMI-KO a title chosen especially by 
 QJ iC the author for the English version of his 
 Hototogisu is one of the most popular novels in 
 modern Japanese literature. The reason for this 
 lies in the absolute-truth. QjLthe^story, in the careful 
 and unsophisticated working out of details, and in 
 its series of faithful pictures of Japanese life of the 
 present day. The popularity of Nami-ko, however, 
 must also be sought in another conspicuous fact, viz. : 
 the novel stands unparalleled in the history of 
 modern Japanese literature in that it embodies the 
 spirit of knighthood in Japan. The China-Japan 
 War of 1894 - 95 was not merely an historical event 
 in which the two nations came into conflict. It 
 was the first case in which the national consciousness 
 of its existence and possibilities as an independent 
 nation asserted itself. The thirty years that pre- 
 ceded that event was a period of assimilation, strug- 
 gle, and bewilderment in thought and in principle. 
 
 M 
 
 2091715
 
 3Tntrotittcttott 
 
 Slowly, however, the nation saw its ethical ideal in 
 the resuscitation of the old Samurai spirit wedded 
 to the broad principles of humanity. The war served 
 to translate into words what had hitherto been only 
 a general tendency. Nami-ko is therefore dear to 
 the Japanese people through the patriotic spirit of 
 two characters Takeo and the General. 
 
 There is one more important point to be noticed, 
 a tendency in the novel which characterizes all the 
 literary work of Mr. Tokutomi and has found 
 thousands of admirers in Japan. Owing to a 
 peculiar Japanese household system, many evils have 
 resulted from an undue exercise of the prerogatives 
 allotted to the head of a family. The question of 
 divorce, as depicted in Nami-ko, is its salient point. 
 The author has settled this vital question for the 
 Japanese, and has treated it after the manner of 
 Hugo, Tolstoi, or Zola, in whose steps, indeed, as 
 he avows in one of his prefaces, Mr. Tokutomi is 
 following. It is for humanity, pure and simple, that 
 he stands, and his object is accomplished in his 
 sympathetic and imaginative treatment of Nami-ko. 
 
 Kenjiro Tokutomi was born in 1868 in a south- 
 ern town of Kumamoto, Japan. He was educated 
 at Doshisha College. When his brother, lichiro 
 Tokutomi, one of Japan's leading essayists, formed 
 [vi]
 
 a literary society, called the Min-yu-Sha, in 1888, he 
 joined it at once, and identified himself with its pro- 
 jects for about fourteen years. Slowly but surely he 
 established a position for himself among Japanese 
 writers, and his fame was at its height when his 
 first important novel, Hototogisu, the original of 
 Nami-ko, was published in 1900. His other im- 
 portant works are Omoiide-no-Ki and Kuro-Shio 
 (The Black Stream), the former a sort of diary 
 filled with poetic fancy and deep thought, and the 
 latter a socialistic novel which is gradually attract- 
 ing widespread attention. 
 
 In offering Nami-ko to the American and English 
 public, the translators must acknowledge that the 
 very nature of the two widely different languages 
 has made the task a very difficult one. Literal ac- (X 
 curacy has, of course, not been attempted, the en- 
 deavor being especially to reproduce the spirit and 
 general effect of the story as an example of modern 
 Japanese fiction. On the whole, however, it is 
 hoped that as full justice as possible has been done 
 to the author. 
 
 [vii]
 
 'g preface 
 
 /T has been significantly said that one-half the 
 world does not know how the other half lives, 
 and this is especially true of the outside knowledge 
 of Eastern civilization, and especially of our Japan- 
 ese civilization. It was not to reveal our life and 
 customs to the foreigner that Nami-ko was written, 
 however, for at the time of its writing, four years 
 ago, I did not dream that it would ever be trans- 
 lated, or, indeed, that it would ever reach the pop- 
 ularity it has gained in my own country. But the 
 unforseen result is that the English-speaking people 
 will learn, by its means, something about the great 
 moral struggle now going on in Japan. 
 
 Incredible as it may seem to the Western mind, 
 Nami-ko is founded on fact. I was much moved 
 when I first heard about the unhappy Nami-ko, and 
 I determined at once to make her life the basis 
 of a story. It was not, of course, my purpose to 
 attempt to reform the social customs of my country 
 [viii]
 
 'g preface 
 
 by means of fiction, for I am certainly more novelist 
 than reformer, but, as the exposure of an evil fre- 
 quently paves the way for its destruction, I have 
 perhaps builded better than I knew. It is true that 
 divorce laws, .securing in some degree the rights of 
 women, and tending to uphold the holy ties of 
 marriage, have been promulgated in recent years, 
 and that the ideas of humanity, freedom, and justice 
 are day by day displacing the worn-out Confucian 
 ethics. Yet I regret to say that the old evil does 
 not die easily, and that there is much shedding of 
 tears during this age of transition. In truth, it is 
 the age of emancipation in Japan. We are strug- 
 gling to throw off the thousand fetters which have 
 bound us, and many a victim consequently falls in 
 the struggle. 
 
 The present story is merely a picture of one epi- 
 sode among many. If it happen that this insignificant 
 story and many other significant ones, I hope 
 serve to acquaint you who live on the other side of 
 the Pacific with the manner in which we live, how 
 we feel, and what we think, what struggles we are 
 passing through, and so tend to tighten the bonds 
 of sympathy between us, it will certainly be of service 
 to humanity. Especially do I wish to avail myself 
 of this opportunity to thank the generous American 
 [ix]
 
 preface 
 
 and English public for the sympathy they have 
 always shown to us, and which they are now making 
 manifest as we stand in the midst of a great national 
 trial. 
 
 KENJIRO TOKUTOMI. 
 Tokyo, Jan. 21, 1904.
 
 Contents 
 
 Introduction ...... v 
 
 Author's Preface ..... x 
 
 One 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Chapter I 
 
 THE HONEYMOON . . . . i 
 Chapter II 
 
 NAMI - KO ii 
 
 Chapter III 
 
 THE FERN GATHERING . . .17 
 Chapter IV 
 
 THE HOUSE OF YAMAKI ... 28 
 Chapter V 
 
 THE GENERAL AT HOME ... 45 
 Chapter VI 
 
 THE MOTHER - IN - LAW 61 
 
 Chapter VII 
 
 ON DUTY 74 
 
 [xi]
 
 Contents 
 
 PAGE 
 
 *5oab (Ftuo 
 Chapter I 
 
 HOME LIFE ...... 83 
 
 Chapter II 
 
 YAMAKI ENTERTAINS .... 97 
 Chapter III 
 
 CONFIDENCES ..... 112 
 Chapter IV 
 
 ZUSHI DAYS ..... 125 
 Chapter V 
 
 REVENGE . .... 145 
 
 Chapter VI 
 
 MOTHER AND SON . . . . I5 1 
 Chapter VII 
 
 A PROSPECTIVE BRIDE . . . .166 
 Chapter VIII 
 
 THE RECALL ..... 178 
 Chapter IX 
 
 THE HOME- COMING . . . .184 
 Chapter X 
 
 TAKEO AND His MOTHER . . .193 
 
 Chapter I 
 
 BATTLE OFF YALU RIVER . . . 201 
 [xii]
 
 Contents 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Chapter II 
 
 IN TIME OF WAR .... 223 
 Chapter III 
 
 CONVALESCENCE 238 
 
 Chapter IV 
 
 TEMPTATION 246 
 
 Chapter V 
 
 THE YASO'S STORY .... 260 
 Chapter VI 
 
 PORT ARTHUR 276 
 
 Chapter VII 
 
 TAKEO'S RETURN .... 283 
 Chapter VIII 
 
 PASSING TRAINS .... 289 
 
 Chapter IX 
 
 SAYONARA 297 
 
 Chapter X 
 
 THE MEETING AT AOYAMA . . . 306 
 
 [xiii]
 
 Boofe >ne
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 CIjc 
 
 TT T was evening at Ikao, the famous town of hot 
 X springs in Joshu. A lady stood gazing at the 
 beautiful scene revealed through an open screen 
 in the third story of the Chigira Hotel. Her age 
 was eighteen or thereabouts. Her hair was dressed 
 in a tasteful mage 1 , and she wore a gray crape gown, 
 relieved by green bows at her breast. 
 
 She was of a fair and clear complexion, and 
 though her eyebrows were a little too close to- 
 gether and her cheeks were somewhat thin, she 
 seemed to be as gentle in nature as she was slender 
 and graceful in figure. She was not like the plum- 
 blossom, daring to bloom in the bleak north wind, 
 nor like the cherry-flower, whose petals are blown 
 hither and thither like butterflies in the spring 
 
 1 Mage, or, in full, marumage ; the head dress of a married 
 woman. 
 
 [I]
 
 morn. She was, indeed, like the shy daisy dimly 
 discovering itself in the dusk of a summer eve. 
 
 In the evening of that spring day the far-away 
 hills of Nikko and Ashio, and those on the borders 
 of Echigo, as well as the nearer peaks of Onoko, 
 Komochi, and Akagi, were glorious in the rays of 
 the sinking sun. Even the cawing of the crows, 
 flying from a tree just beneath, seemed to be toned 
 with gold, as two fragments of cloud floated out 
 from behind Akagi. The lady at the screen in 
 the third story was watching their movement. 
 
 The downy clouds, not larger than could be 
 embraced with both arms, slowly separated from 
 the summit, and, glittering like two golden butter- 
 flies, sailed on side by side toward Ashio through 
 the boundless mid-air. With the setting of the 
 sun and the rising of a cool breeze in the tawny 
 dusk, they now faded into pink, were blown off 
 one above the other, and were seen wandering 
 separate in the slowly darkening sky. But it was 
 only for a short time. The lower grew smaller 
 and smaller, and finally faded away almost unob- 
 served. The remaining fragment now turned into 
 dismal gray and wandered aimlessly. 
 
 Presently the hills and skies were shrouded in 
 darkness, and only the face of the lady at the
 
 ^onepmoon 
 
 screen in the third story was seen pale in the 
 night. 
 
 " Miss Oh, what is the matter with me I 
 am so forgetful," Iku said, laughingly. " Madam, 
 I should have said, I have just returned. How dark 
 it is. Madam Nami, where are you?" 
 
 Nami, as she was called, replied, " Here I am." 
 
 " Why are you out there ? Come in, quick ; 
 you'll catch cold. Hasn't master come home?" 
 
 "What is he doing, I wonder?" said the lady, 
 as she opened the screen and entered the room. 
 " You had better ask the clerk to send some one 
 for him." 
 
 " Yes, indeed, I will." 
 
 As she talked, Iku, an old woman of about fifty, 
 groped for a match in the dark and lighted the 
 lamp. 
 
 At that moment a maid of the house was heard 
 coming up the stairs, and, entering, she handed a 
 letter to Iku. 
 
 " Thank you for your trouble," said Iku. " The 
 baron is pretty late, but we have sent a boy for 
 him. He will be in before long. Here is a letter," 
 she added, handing it to Nami-san. 
 
 " A letter from father ! Why does Takeo stay 
 
 [3]
 
 so long? " At that, the lady in marumage took the 
 letter in her hand and looked at the familiar hand- 
 writing. 
 
 " A letter from my lord? " asked Iku. " I should 
 like to know what the news is. Surely he has 
 written us something funny, as usual." 
 
 The maid, after shutting the sliding screens and 
 attending to the fire, went down-stairs, and then 
 the old woman put the bundle she had brought 
 into a small closet, and approached Nami, saying: 
 
 " How cold it is here ! What a difference from 
 Tokyo!" 
 
 " You ought to expect that, as cherry-flowers are 
 blooming here in May. But come and sit nearer, 
 Iku." 
 
 " Excuse me," said Iku, as she sat down beside 
 her mistress. 
 
 The old woman, looking fondly at the face of her 
 young mistress, said : " I can hardly believe that 
 you, who sit so gracefully in mage, are the same little 
 one I had the honor of nursing. It seems but yes- 
 terday that, when your mother died, you cried 
 ' Mamma ! ' on my back." With tears in her eyes she 
 continued : " On the day of your wedding I thought 
 how happy your mother would be if she could only 
 see you in your beautiful attire." 
 
 [41
 
 fmepmoon 
 
 Iku wiped her eyes. The lady also sat with her 
 head bowed, as if she sympathized with the ser- 
 vant. The ring on her right hand, resting on the 
 lid of the fire-box, shone in brilliant lustre. 
 
 Presently the old woman looked up. 
 
 " I beg your pardon. I have been talking fool- 
 ishly. Old age makes me childish. Miss madam, 
 you had so much trouble when a child. It is simply 
 wonderful how you could have lived through it. 
 But everything from now on will be so happy. 
 Your husband is such a tender-hearted man " 
 
 At this moment a servant shouted from the stair- 
 way : " The baron has come back." 
 
 " Lord, but I am tired ! " 
 
 A young man of about twenty-three or so, and 
 in foreign dress, after removing the native trav- 
 elling sandals, walked up the hall and nodded 
 slightly to the women who came to meet him. 
 Suddenly he stopped and turned toward a lad who 
 bore a paper lantern. 
 
 " Thanks for your trouble. But put those flowers 
 in warm water, will you ? " 
 
 " Oh, how pretty ! " said the lady, as she came 
 down to meet him. 
 
 " Really, what pretty azaleas they are," Iku 
 [5]
 
 chimed in. " Where did you get them, mas- 
 ter?" 
 
 " They are pretty, aren't they ? Look, here 
 is a yellow one. I want Nami-san to arrange these 
 to-morrow. Well, I'm going to take a bath now." 
 
 The lady and the old woman went back to the 
 room. 
 
 " My master is so lively. A naval officer is 
 always lively, isn't he, madam ? " 
 
 Without replying, the lady smiled, and, brushing 
 carefully her husband's overcoat, she touched it 
 furtively with her lips before she hung it up. 
 
 A few minutes later the sound of heavy foot- 
 steps on the stairs suddenly ceased at the outside 
 of the screen, and the young man entered the room, 
 ejaculating: 
 
 " There, now I feel refreshed." 
 
 " Well, you have taken your bath in no time," 
 said Iku. 
 
 " I am a man, you know." 
 
 He laughed gaily, and with his wife's help put 
 on a broad-striped quilted kimono. He sat down 
 upon the cushion unceremoniously, and rubbed his 
 cheeks with both his hands. His head, with its 
 close-cut hair, was as rotund as a chestnut-worm, 
 and his sunburnt face was as red as an apple. His 
 [6]
 
 f)onepmoon 
 
 eyebrows were dark and his eyes were bright, and, 
 although he had a " caterpillar-like " mustache, his 
 face was still youthful, and one could not help 
 smiling at its innocence. 
 
 " Here is a letter for you, dear," and Nami-san 
 gave him the letter. 
 
 " Ah, it looks as if it were from father." 
 
 The young man changed his position a little and 
 opened the letter. Another sealed letter dropped 
 from it. 
 
 " Here's a note for Nami-san. He seems to be 
 well. Ha, ha, such a joke! It seems as if I could 
 hear him speak." Smiling, he laid aside the 
 letter. 
 
 " Father wants me to tell you, Iku," said Nami, 
 looking up from her letter and turning toward the 
 old woman, who was setting the table for dinner, 
 " that you should take good care of yourself. You 
 are not used to the climate, and you will be liable 
 to suffer from your old complaint." 
 
 " Oh, it is very kind of him to say so." 
 
 " Now I want something to eat," said the young 
 man. " To-day I have had only two pieces of rice- 
 cake, and walked all day long. I feel very hungry. 
 Well, what do you call this fish? It doesn't look 
 like smelt." 
 
 [7]
 
 " They call it ' yamame ' don't they, Iku? " 
 
 " Yes, they do. This tastes good very good. 
 Here, another bowl of rice, please." 
 
 " My master is very hungry." 
 
 " Naturally, for to-day I climbed Mount Soma 
 from Haruna, and then over to Futatsu-take. It 
 was while coming down over Byobu Rocks that I 
 met the boy they sent to look for me." 
 
 " Did you really walk so far? " 
 
 " Yes. The view from Mount Soma was splendid. 
 I wanted Nami-san to be with me. On one side is a 
 vast stretch of lowlands, through which the River 
 Tone winds away into the distance, while on the 
 other side rolling hills cluster one behind another, 
 and over their farthest ridges the white cap of 
 Fujiyama is dimly seen. If I could write verse, 
 I might challenge the poet Hitomaro." And he 
 laughed merrily. " Another bowl, please." 
 
 " How beautiful it must be ! How I would like 
 to go there! " said Nami-san. 
 
 " H'm, if Nami-san could climb I would decorate 
 her with the order of the Golden Kite. I never 
 saw in my life such a steep and rugged ascent. 
 About a dozen iron chains are fastened on the way, 
 and you have to help yourself up by them. To 
 me such a task is nothing, as my training at Yeda- 
 [8]
 
 pontpmoon 
 
 jima, the naval academy, you know, enables me 
 even now to climb up a mast or suspend myself 
 from the rigging. But you have never touched 
 even the soil of Tokyo with your little feet, I 
 suppose." 
 
 "Bless me!" she said, smilingly, and blushing, 
 " I took gymnastics while at school " 
 
 " Pooh ! One cannot rely much on gymnastics at 
 the Peeress's School. I remember once when I visited 
 the school I saw girls with fans doing all sorts of 
 things to the sound of a piano, while some were 
 singing a ' Song of Nations.' At first I thought 
 it to be a fancy dance. But I found that it was what 
 you call gymnastics! " He laughed again. 
 
 "You shouldn't say such things! " 
 
 " Let me tell you. There was standing next to 
 Yamaki's daughter a pretty girl with her long hair 
 hanging down her back, and in what do you call 
 it? yes, a plum-colored skirt, dancing without a 
 thought of the visitor. I am sure it was Nami-san ! 
 What! not a word to say? " 
 
 " How you talk ! You know Yamaki's daugh- 
 ter?" 
 
 " Why, my father used to favor him, and he still 
 comes to see us, Nami-san. Now you are silenced, 
 aren't you? " 
 
 [9]
 
 lmtti 
 
 "You talk " 
 
 " Husband and wife must not quarrel so," said 
 Iku, laughingly. " Come, let's have tea and make 
 it up." 
 
 [10]
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 ^ ^ "HE young man who appeared in the pre- 
 M ceding chapter was Baron Takeo Kawashima. 
 He had been married recently to Nami Kataoka, 
 eldest daughter of Viscount Lieutenant-General Ki 
 Kataoka, well known as a soldier. Availing himself 
 of a leave of absence, he had come to Ikao with his 
 bride and the old nurse Iku. 
 
 Nami's mother died when she was eight years 
 old. Being then so young, she could not remember 
 clearly how her mother looked. But she knew that 
 her mother was always tender, and she remembered 
 that at her death-bed she took Nami's little hand 
 into hers, and said : " My dear child, mamma is 
 going to a far-off land. So you must be a very good 
 child, and love your papa and little Ko-chan." Then 
 she wept. " You will think of me after I am gone, 
 won't you ? " 
 
 And she patted Nami's head, whose hair, now 
 long, was then cut short on the forehead. These 
 memories had sunk deep in Nami's heart, and not 
 a day passed without her thinking about them.
 
 A year later her stepmother came. After that, 
 everything underwent a complete change. Her own 
 mother was from a Samurai family of note, and, 
 although she had been strict in all things, the ser- 
 vants bore witness that such a peaceful home as 
 hers was rarely to be found. The second mother 
 was also of a noted Samurai family, but she had 
 been sent to England in childhood, and was so 
 thoroughly Europeanized that her active nature 
 would not give her rest until she had effected a 
 reform in everything that might revive the sweet 
 memory of Nami's real mother. To Nami's father 
 she would express her thoughts on things small and 
 great without the least reserve, and he was wont 
 to say in jest: " Well, all right. You know better 
 than I." One day, however, when his favorite 
 military secretary was talking with him over sake, 
 he said, laughingly, as he glanced at his wife : " I 
 tell you, Namba, you must not take an educated 
 girl for your wife, because you will be mercilessly 
 ridiculed for your ignorance." Witty as he was, 
 Namba was completely at a loss how to answer 
 him, and did nothing but toy awkwardly with his 
 glass. Namba was said to have told his wife after- 
 ward that their daughters must not study too much, 
 
 [12]
 
 and that their training should be simply that of a 
 public school. 
 
 Nami was a good and bright child. Her father 
 took pleasure in taking his hat from her hand, as 
 in the arms of the nurse, when only two years old, 
 she was wont to bid him good-by at the porch. The 
 heart of a child is like a blade of grass in spring. 
 Though it may be covered with late snow, yet it 
 grows when the snow is gone and the grass is free 
 from human tread. The sorrow Nami felt at her 
 mother's death was too deep-seated for a child of 
 eight, yet who could doubt that she would bloom 
 into a lovely flower if the kindly light of the sun 
 should shine upon her. When she met her step- 
 mother, the large mouth, the eyes somewhat 
 oblique, the hair dressed in a foreign style, and the 
 costume overperfumed, she was naturally a little 
 shy at first. 
 
 But gentle Nami would easily have been won over 
 had not the stepmother been strangely prejudiced 
 against the little child. Being devoid of tact, selfish, 
 pedantic, and somewhat disagreeable, she treated her, 
 a simple and artless child of eight or nine, as if 
 she were a full-grown girl. The poor child was 
 always left alone to feel how sad and cold the 
 world was. Nami had a mother, but she could 
 [^3]
 
 not love her; she had a sister, but she could not 
 love her. To be sure, she had her father, Iku the 
 nurse, and an aunt, who was sister to her real 
 mother. But, however much she was attached to 
 them, her aunt did not live with her, and Iku was 
 but a servant. And, indeed, with Iku, as her 
 stepmother kept her eyes open to everything in the 
 house, a little favor shown to or from Nami would 
 in the end bring harm rather than good. Only her 
 father he was all love. But even he was careful 
 not to cross her mother though all this was done 
 out of kindness to Nami. He would correct the 
 child in her mother's presence, but behind the latter's 
 back he would give comfort in a few but sympathetic 
 words. This vague struggle in his mind was more 
 than appreciated by the quick-witted Nami, and 
 her little heart would swell w r ith a tender and 
 grateful feeling toward him, which would make 
 her dare to go through fire and water for his sake. 
 Yet, if she showed even a shadow of such emotion, 
 her stepmother would cause Nami great uneasiness 
 by her dissatisfaction at such an unwarranted intru- 
 sion into her rightful domain. But if Nami kept 
 silent and reserved, and remained apparently im- 
 passive, she would be censured ruthlessly for being 
 dull, obstinate, and perverse. Once, when a slight
 
 J&amUfeo 
 
 misunderstanding arose, a volley of disparaging 
 words was hurled at her in voluble Choshu speech 
 and in English imported logic. And not alone was 
 Nami reviled, but her dead mother was openly 
 scoffed at. Whenever she wanted to retaliate, how- 
 ever, the thought of her father would immediately 
 silence her bitter words. 
 
 At another time she was suspected so unjustly 
 that she wept bitterly over her misfortune behind 
 a curtain. But had she really a father? Yes, she 
 had a father and a loving one. But to a girl 
 whose home is her world, one mother means more 
 than five fathers put together. And with a step- 
 mother like Nami's, ten years will easily foster a 
 perverse nature in a child and take away the gloss 
 of her youth and beauty. 
 
 " Really," the viscount used to say, " there is 
 nothing childish about Nami. She is so dull and 
 gloomy." Ah, there is really no difference in 
 flowers, whether they bloom in a pot of rude earthen- 
 ware or in costly china they all need the warm- 
 ing light of the sun. But Nami was a flower 
 blooming in perpetual shade. 
 
 So when Nami became engaged to Takeo, and at 
 last the wedding ceremony was over, she drew a 
 long breath of satisfaction, and her father, step- 
 [15]
 
 mother, aunt, and Iku did so, too each in his or 
 her own way. 
 
 The old nurse used to murmur that, though the 
 viscountess loved to dress herself fancifully, she 
 would get for Nami nothing but homely-looking 
 things. The old nurse even wept over the scanti- 
 ness of Nami's bridal outfit, and vainly dreamed 
 upon the days long past when her mother was still 
 alive. Yet Nami was glad to leave her father's 
 house, and the thought that freedom and happiness 
 yet unknown to her were awaiting her arrival made 
 easy the parting with her dear father. 
 
 [16]
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 ^T HE road that leads from Ikao to Mizusawa- 
 M no-Kwannon is about three miles in length 
 and winds like a snake along the side of a naked 
 hill, with the exception of one place where the 
 hill dips into a dell and another where the path 
 dives into a ravine and emerges on the other side. It 
 is so well beaten that you could easily go over it 
 blindfolded. Behind and below, the plain of Jomo 
 lies in full view. A grassy stretch of land extends to 
 the right and left of the road, and in springtime, 
 when, from the soil black with burnt ashes of the 
 last year's weeds, fresh blades of rushes, bush-clovers, 
 goldenrods, bluebells, and the like make their 
 appearance, they weave themselves into a delicately 
 patterned carpet, dotted here and there with pretty 
 flowers and the slender stems of moss-veiled ferns. 
 To a lover of nature a long spring day spent in 
 such a place will appear to be only too short. 
 
 On a sunny afternoon Takeo and Nami had 
 come here with Iku and a maid of the house to 
 gather young ferns. A little tired after their work, 
 
 [17]
 
 they chose a comfortable spot for a resting-place, 
 and upon it the maid spread a rug. Takeo seated 
 himself unceremoniously on it, but Nami took off 
 her sandals, and dusting her kimono lightly with 
 her pink handkerchief, sat down gracefully, saying: 
 
 " How soft this is! Such a couch is fit for a 
 king." 
 
 " Oh, miss I beg your pardon madam, you 
 look beautiful to-day. And I have not heard you 
 sing like that for a long time." And Iku looked 
 into her face with sparkling eyes. 
 
 " I have sung too much and feel thirsty." 
 
 " I'm sorry I did not bring some tea," apologized 
 the maid, and, untying a package, she disclosed 
 oranges, cakes, and sushi. 
 
 " Oranges will do very well," rejoined Takeo. 
 And, peeling one of them, he continued : " Look 
 here, Nami-san. You can't peel an orange like that, 
 can you? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, I'm sure I can." 
 
 " My lord," interposed the maid, " the ferns you 
 have gathered contain a great many weeds." 
 
 " Be careful ! You are trying to cover your own 
 fault by finding fault with others," said Takeo. 
 " But what fine weather this is! It makes me feel 
 splendid." 
 
 [18]
 
 JFern 
 
 " A beautiful sky, indeed ! A piece of cloth like 
 that would make a fine gown for a lady," Nami 
 remarked. 
 
 " And perhaps even better for a sailor's coat ? " 
 
 " How fragrant everything smells ! Listen, a lark 
 is singing yonder." 
 
 " Well, I've had enough to eat. What do you 
 say to work again, Matsu?" said the old nurse 
 to the maid, and they both went off to gather more 
 ferns. 
 
 " Be sure and leave some of the ferns, Iku. Isn't 
 she lively for her age, Nami-san ? " 
 
 " Indeed she is." 
 
 " Nami-san, don't you feel tired ? " 
 
 " No, not a bit to-day. I think I have never had 
 such a good time." 
 
 " When I'm at sea, I often come across fine 
 views; but such a beautiful landscape as this from 
 a high hill is especially lovely. Don't you feel 
 refreshed? You see the white glittering wall on 
 the left down there? That is Shibukawa, where 
 we had lunch on our way up. And in this direction 
 you see something that looks like a blue ribbon? 
 That is the River Tone. You see it, don't you? 
 And then, as you follow the slope of Mount Akagi 
 well, it is where you see smoke rising way 
 ['9]
 
 Jdamt'lta 
 
 down the slope there is something nestling. That 
 is the town of Mayebashi. What is that silvery 
 thread away yonder? That is also the Tone. You 
 can't see any further; it is too hazy. We should 
 have brought a field-glass, shouldn't we, Nami-san ? 
 But perhaps the dim and hazy background may be 
 more poetic, after all." 
 
 Nami laid her hand on Takeo's knee, and sighed. 
 
 " How I would like to be here with you forever! " 
 she said. 
 
 Two golden butterflies appeared, and, touching 
 lightly the waving sleeve of Nami, fluttered away; 
 and then a rustling sound as of footsteps over 
 the grass was heard, and suddenly, a shadow 
 fell slantingly before the lovers. 
 
 "Takeo-san!" 
 
 " Hullo, Chijiwa-kun. How did you happen to 
 find us here ? " 
 
 The newcomer was a man of about twenty-six, 
 dressed in a lieutenant's uniform. He was ex- 
 ceptionally handsome, even for a soldier, and, singu- 
 larly enough, his face was not tanned. There was, 
 however, something that marred his good looks; 
 and that was a peculiar sarcastic expression of the 
 mouth and a disagreeable staring of the jet-black 
 
 [20]
 
 Clje Jern (Satjjertng; 
 
 eyes. This young man, Yasuhiko Chijiwa by name, 
 was a cousin to Takeo, and, though inferior to him 
 in rank, he was nevertheless one of the ablest mem- 
 bers in the Headquarters Staff. 
 
 " You are surprised to find me here, aren't 
 you? I had some business yesterday at Takasaki, 
 and stayed there overnight. This morning I went 
 to Shibukawa, where I heard that it was only a 
 short distance to Ikao. So I came this way, and 
 called on you at your hotel. They told me you 
 were out fern-gathering, and so I followed here. 
 But I must go back to-morrow. I fear I'm in- 
 truding." 
 
 " Oh, nothing of the sort. Did you go and see 
 my mother? " 
 
 " Yes, I did so yesterday morning. She looked 
 well. But she seemed to be quite anxious for your re- 
 turn." Casting a sharp glance at Nami's face from 
 his jet-black eyes, he added, " Your people at Aka- 
 saka are also well." 
 
 All this time Nami's face was growing red, and 
 now she colored still more and looked down. 
 
 " Look here, now I have got reinforcements," ex- 
 claimed Takeo. " I sha'n't be beaten any more. 
 This is a union of the military and the naval forces. 
 Thousands of Amazons can't do us a bit of harm 
 [21]
 
 now. Why, these women," pointing at the nurse 
 and the maid, who had just returned, " tried to 
 find fault with me when we were alone by saying 
 that I could not gather as many ferns as they, or 
 that I gathered weeds and not ferns." 
 
 The old woman started, and slightly knit her 
 brows, as she said: " Chijiwa-sama. What a sur- 
 prise to see you here ! " 
 
 " I wired him a short time ago for reinforce- 
 ments," said Takeo. 
 
 "You are joking," said Iku. "Did you, really? 
 So you go back to-morrow?" 
 
 " Talking about returning, madam, we must get 
 back before you in time for dinner." 
 
 " Yes, that's right. Do so. We are to have 
 Chijiwa-kun with us this evening, and you must 
 have something nice ready. You will find us 
 hungry as wolves. Why, are you going too, Nami- 
 san? You'd better stay with us. Are you trying 
 to get away with your confederates? Don't worry. 
 We won't tease you any more." 
 
 Nami could not refuse, and remained while Iku 
 and the maid made up a bundle of the things they 
 had brought with them, and departed. 
 
 The three began to hunt for ferns again, and, as 
 it was not too late in the day, they wandered as 
 
 [22]
 
 fern 
 
 far as Mizusawa-no-Kawannon before turning back 
 to retrace their way down the hill. 
 
 The evening sun, resting on the ridge of Mount 
 Monokiki, blazed in its refulgent splendor. The 
 grass on the right and left of the road caught its 
 golden rays and seemed to burn in a single sheet 
 of fire, while shadows of lonely pines here and there 
 measured their long length on the hill. Far away, 
 the distant hills were silently bathing in the flood 
 of light, and the evening smoke of many hearths 
 rose from the villages at their feet. A farmer and 
 his oxen, plodding along, completed the picture, the 
 still evening air resounding with the lowing of the 
 animals at the driver's threats. 
 
 Takeo and Chijiwa walked abreast, talking, while 
 Nami followed behind. The three sauntered lei- 
 surely, crossed the dell, and approached the up- 
 hill road glittering in the sun. 
 
 Takeo stopped suddenly. 
 
 " Gracious ! I have left my cane. It's just where 
 we rested awhile on the way back. Wait a moment, 
 please. I'll get it." 
 
 " Let me go with you, dear," said Nami-san. 
 
 " No, you had better wait. It is not very far. 
 I'll run all the way." 
 
 Takeo almost compelled Nami to stay, and, drop-
 
 JQami fed 
 
 ping the bundle of ferns on the grass, quickly made 
 his way down into the dell. 
 
 After Takeo had gone Nami stood silent, a few 
 steps away from Chijiwa. Takeo's figure was now 
 dimly seen on the hill across the dell, but it was 
 soon blotted out of sight at the turning. 
 
 "Nami-ko-san!" 
 
 Nami, whose face was turned away, shuddered 
 at being spoken to so familiarly. 
 
 " Nami-ko-san ! " he repeated, drawing nearer. 
 
 Nami receded a step or so, but was forced to look 
 up, and, meeting the stare of those jet-black eyes, 
 turned her face away again. 
 
 " I congratulate you! " 
 
 She was silent ; her face grew red. 
 
 " I congratulate you ! You must be very happy. 
 But," he added, with a scornful tone in his voice, 
 " you know there is one who is not happy." 
 
 Nami stood with her eyes on the ground, and 
 tried to stab the grass with the end of her par- 
 asol. 
 
 "Nami-ko-san!" 
 
 Like a squirrel, terrified by the persistent pursuit 
 of a snake, she now faced her foe. 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 [24]
 
 Clje JFern 
 
 " The rank of baron and money that is not so 
 bad, is it ? Why, I congratulate you ! " 
 
 "What are you talking about?" 
 
 " To marry a man of nobility and of fortune 
 even if he is a fool, and to scorn the man in love 
 with her if he has no money, this is the principle 
 of an upper-class girl nowadays though, of course, 
 you are an exception." 
 
 Gentle as she was, Nami flushed with anger, and 
 looked fiercely at Chijiwa. 
 
 "What are you talking about? Repeat that in 
 the presence of Takeo, you coward. To send me 
 such a letter, without first asking my father like a 
 man! I won't endure it any longer." 
 
 "What?" 
 
 Chijiwa looked black, and, biting his lips, he 
 tried to approach her. 
 
 Suddenly the neighing of a horse was heard below, 
 and the head of an old farmer on horseback came 
 into view over the hill. 
 
 " Good evening to you," and the rider removed 
 his hat and passed by, looking back over his shoulder 
 
 K 
 
 and wondering who the young couple might be. 
 
 Chijiwa did not move; the rigidity of his face 
 relaxed somewhat, but gave place to the sarcastic 
 twist of his closed lips. 
 
 [25]
 
 " H'm, send it back to me if you don't care to 
 keep it." 
 
 "Send what back?" 
 
 " What you just spoke of. The thing you hate! " 
 
 " I haven't it." 
 
 "Where is it?" 
 
 " I put it in the fire the filthy thing! " 
 
 "Are you sure of that? No one has seen it?" 
 
 " Of course not." 
 
 "Very sure?" 
 
 " Don't speak to me." 
 
 The enraged gaze of Nami was met by a fierce 
 and disagreeable stare from Chijiwa's black eyes, 
 which sent a cold shiver through her, and made her 
 turn away. At this moment, at the crest of the 
 hill across the dell, Takeo appeared, his face rosy 
 as a cherry shining in the evening sun. 
 
 Nami drew a long breath. 
 
 "Nami-ko-san!" 
 
 Chijiwa persistently tried to catch Nami's eyes, 
 but they evaded his. Finally he said : " Nami-ko- 
 san, one word before I leave you. Be discreet. Keep 
 the secret, by all means, from Takeo-san, and from 
 your parents as well. If not, you will be sure to 
 repent." 
 
 Emphasizing these words with a threatening look, 
 [26]
 
 jFcrn (Satljmng; 
 
 Chijiwa turned away and stooped to gather some 
 wild flowers. 
 
 With hurried steps and a flourish of his stick, 
 Takeo came up the hill, saying: " Have I kept 
 you waiting long? I am almost out of wind; I've 
 run all the way, you know. But I found the stick 
 all right. Why, Nami-san, what's the matter ? You 
 don't look well." 
 
 Chijiwa, fixing the violets he had just picked 
 in a knot on his breast, said : " You took so much 
 time in coming back that she was worried with the 
 thought that you might lose your way." And he 
 laughed. 
 
 Takeo laughed in return. " Was she ? Now let's 
 go home." 
 
 Three shadows moved slowly abreast along the 
 ground toward Ikao.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 l)e f ouge of gamafei 
 
 /N the corner of a. second-class compartment in 
 the 3 P. M. up-train from Takasaki, the only 
 passenger was seated with his legs stretched out on 
 the seat. He was reading a paper while he smoked. 
 It was Yasuhiko Chijiwa. 
 
 He threw aside the paper impatiently. 
 
 "Pshaw!" 
 
 Crushing angrily with his foot the cigarette which 
 had slipped out of his teeth as he spoke, he spat 
 out of the window, and hesitated a moment. Pres- 
 ently, in a mood of indecision, he walked the length 
 of the compartment and then returned to his seat. 
 He folded his arms and shut his eyes, the black 
 eyebrows being drawn close together. 
 
 Yasuhiko Chijiwa was an orphan. His father, 
 a Samurai of the Kagoshima clan, had been killed 
 in the War of Restoration. His mother was carried 
 away by a plague when the boy was six years old. 
 He was taken care of by his aunt, sister to his mother 
 and mother to Takeo Kawashima. His aunt was 
 [28]
 
 !)0ttse of 
 
 kind to Yasuhiko, but his uncle did not treat him 
 at all kindly. On occasions of ceremony Takeo 
 was dressed in a stiff silk skirt and sat in an upper 
 seat, but Chijiwa had nothing on but a cheap cotton 
 one, and had to occupy a lower seat. Thus he was 
 early to learn his position: that, unlike Takeo, 
 who had parents, fortune, and rank, he was destined 
 to work his way with his hands and brain. 
 Naturally, he soon learned to dislike Takeo and to 
 hate his uncle. 
 
 He discovered that there were two ways the 
 broad and the narrow to succeed in life, and 
 he swore by all means to take the easier road. So, 
 while he was in the Military School, to which his 
 uncle had sent him, and while his classmates were 
 troubling themselves with examinations and grade- 
 marks, Chijiwa was not slow to form acquaintance 
 with influential men from his own province, and 
 was careful to select such friends as would be of 
 benefit to him in the future. His cleverness was 
 first shown soon after his graduation. While others 
 had not yet recovered from their joy at the honors 
 they had won, he had managed to get into the 
 Military Headquarters. Unlike his comrades, who 
 were sent to regiments of infantry here and there 
 and ordered to serve, in an endless succession of drills 
 [29]
 
 and marches, Chijiwa was settled in an enviable 
 position where the secrets of important military 
 affairs might chance to reach one's ears over the 
 social pipe. 
 
 The next important problem to him was mar- 
 riage. He understood that it was only by a good 
 matrimonial alliance that one could succeed in life, 
 just as by the interlocking of limbs monkeys are 
 able to reach water. He surveyed the field, and 
 found that the daughter of this marquis was to 
 be married to that baron, of this count to that 
 high official, and of this millionaire to the son of 
 that marquis. His sharp eyes at last alighted on 
 the house of General Kataoka. Though he was 
 on the reserved list, General Kataoka was a man 
 of wide reputation and of special favor at court. 
 Chijiwa was quick to divine his secret, yet powerful, 
 influence; and he approached him gradually under 
 some slight pretext, and made clever advances to- 
 ward his family. His eyes were fixed on the eldest 
 daughter, Nami. He chose her because he per- 
 ceived that Nami was the favorite of the general, 
 while her stepmother did not care for her and 
 wanted to marry her off at the first opportunity. 
 
 The selection, however, was not unaided by his 
 love for her quiet and noble demeanor. He watched 
 [30]
 
 bouse of 
 
 his opportunity. The general was a man who never 
 betrayed his feelings, and so Chijiwa could not 
 easily sound the impression that he had made on 
 him. But he was sure that he had gained the favor 
 of Madam Kataoka. The second daughter, named 
 Koma, who was fifteen years of age and of a for- 
 ward nature, was also a good friend of his. There 
 were two more children born of the second wife, 
 but these did not concern him. There was, how- 
 ever, an old nurse, Iku, who had served from the 
 days of Nami's mother, and was retained by a 
 special desire of the general when all the rest of 
 the servants had been dismissed with the coming 
 of the present lady. This nurse was always with 
 Nami, and showed little regard for Chijiwa. He 
 felt a little uneasy at this, but made light of it 
 in view of his decision to court Nami directly. 
 Chijiwa waited a year for an opportunity. But he 
 was now impatient, and he boldly prepared a love- 
 letter, sealed it in a double envelope, and, addressing 
 it in a feminine hand, sent it to Nami by post. 
 
 On that day he was suddenly ordered to take 
 an official trip. When he returned, after a lapse 
 of three months, he was astounded to find that, in 
 his absence, through the match-making of Viscount 
 Kato, a Member of Upper House, Nami was wedded 
 
 [30
 
 to no less than his own cousin, Takeo Kawa- 
 shima ! 
 
 Chijiwa, enraged at this unexpected failure, tore 
 into rags a piece of beautiful crape which he had 
 bought at Kyoto as gift to Nami, in the hope that 
 its bright colors might be an augury of his suc- 
 cess. 
 
 But Chijiwa was not a man to be utterly crushed 
 by failure, and he soon recovered from his disap- 
 pointment. He feared, however, that if Nami 
 should tell her father or husband about his love- 
 letter, he would suffer a second loss, and be de- 
 prived of an influential patron. Discreet as she 
 was, he was not quite sure of Nami's feeling toward 
 him, and, availing himself of his trip to Takasaki, 
 he visited the newly married couple at Ikao, and 
 slyly investigated matters. One feeling now dom- 
 inated him, and that was his hatred of Takeo. 
 
 Thinking that he heard some one call " Takeo, 
 Takeo," Chijiwa aroused himself suddenly from his 
 reverie. Looking out of the window, he saw that 
 his train had just reached a certain station, and 
 that the porter called " Ageo, Ageo." 
 
 "Damn!" 
 
 Cursing himself, Chijiwa rose and walked the 
 [32]
 
 of gamafci 
 
 compartment. Shrugging his shoulders as if to 
 shake off something obnoxious, he resumed his seat. 
 A look of scorn was on his eyes and lips. 
 
 The train left Ageo, and, after passing several 
 stations with the speed of the wind, it reached Oji. 
 Five or six persons entered the second-class com- 
 partment, noisily crunching the gravel on the plat- 
 form under their heels. Among them was a man 
 of about fifty, with a dark red face, eyes whose 
 ends turned downward, and with a red mole like 
 a pea under his left eye. He was richly dressed 
 in double garments of ichiraku silk, with a heavy 
 gold chain wound around a white crape belt, and he 
 wore a thick gold ring on his right finger. 
 
 As he sat down, his eyes casually met those of 
 Chijiwa. 
 
 "Oh, Chijiwa-san!" 
 
 "Well, how do you do?" 
 
 " Where have you been ? " As he said this, the 
 man with the red mole arose and sat down next 
 to Chijiwa. 
 
 " To Takasaki." 
 
 "To Takasaki?" After scanning Chijiwa's face 
 for awhile, the man added, in a low voice: "Are 
 you in a hurry? If not, let's take supper together." 
 
 Chijiwa nodded. 
 
 [33]
 
 Near the ferry of Hashiba, and hard by the 
 water, there stood a house which, but for the sign 
 reading " Villa owned by Hyozo Yamaki," might 
 have been taken for a fashionable rendezvous. In 
 one of the rooms of the second story, on whose 
 paper screen a fanciful shimada 1 in silhouette might 
 appropriately appear amidst a seductive strain of 
 music, or over whose greenish mattings a crimson 
 rug might have been spread and cards played thereon, 
 in such a room, lighted by a shaded lamp, in lieu 
 of the more prosaic electric light, sat at their ease, 
 with glasses and plates lying in disorder, Chijiwa 
 and the Red Mole, who was no other than the 
 master of the house, Hyozo Yamaki. 
 
 That no maid was there to wait upon them was 
 apparently intentional. In front of the Red Mole 
 there was a small, open memorandum-book, with 
 a pencil lying across it. The names of many per- 
 sons, with their addresses and official titles, were 
 written in it. They were marked Math such signs 
 as a circle, a square, a triangle, and numerals and 
 letters of the alphabet, some of which were crossed 
 out or had been again restored. 
 
 " Well, Chijiwa-san. It is agreed, then. But 
 
 1 Shimada; the head-dress of a Japanese singer, geisha 
 (as here), or of a young unmarried woman. 
 
 [34]
 
 I)oucic of 
 
 I want you to advise me at once when it is ar- 
 ranged. You are quite sure of success ? " 
 
 " Yes, pretty sure. It's already in the hands of 
 the Minister. But, you know, the other party is 
 also urgent, so you cannot do better than to be 
 liberal." Pointing to the names in the book : " This 
 fellow is a regular knave. You will have to bridle 
 him pretty closely." 
 
 " How about this one?" 
 
 " He's no good. I don't know him well, but he 
 is said to be very scrupulous. The only way to 
 approach him is to go openly and on your knees. 
 If you don't succeed, take care." 
 
 " I tell you, there are many sensible persons in 
 the army, but there are quite as many just the 
 opposite. Last year, you know, when we contracted 
 to supply uniforms to a certain regiment, every- 
 thing passed quite satisfactorily in the usual way. 
 But there was one captain what was his name ? 
 with a red mustache. That fellow troubled us 
 a great deal by finding fault with our goods. So 
 when our manager sent him the customary box of 
 cake, he declared that he would not be bribed, and 
 that it would be disgraceful for a soldier to be 
 influenced by presents. And imagine to yourself 
 how he at last threw the box on the floor. You 
 [35]
 
 see, it was full of silver, with a thin layer of hard 
 cake on the top. What a fix! The autumn-leaf 
 cakes mingling with flakes of silver snow rolled all 
 over the floor! At this, the fellow got still angrier, 
 and, saying that he had never known such a shameful 
 thing, threatened to denounce us publicly. We 
 were barely able to keep him quiet. It was 
 such a hard task. It is on account of such fellows 
 that we have suffered so much trouble. Talking 
 of troublesomeness, Takeo-san is also a man of 
 that character. It's almost impossible to bring him 
 to an understanding. The other day " 
 
 " But Takeo inherited such a fortune from his 
 father that he can afford to do as he pleases 
 to be upright and stiff as a poker. As for me, you 
 know, being single-handed " 
 
 " Oh, I had forgotten." The Red Mole looked 
 for a moment at Chijiwa's face, and then took out 
 ten bills of five yen each. ' This is for your 
 carriage fare. The real thing is to follow." 
 
 " Thanks, I accept without reserve," and he put 
 them quickly into his inner pocket. " But, Yamaki- 
 san!" 
 
 "Yes?" 
 
 " It's a commonplace truth that one can't reap 
 without sowing." 
 
 [36]
 
 )ott6c of 
 
 Yamaki smiled drily. He patted Chijiwa on the 
 back, and said : " You are a smart fellow ! It's a 
 pity you are not at least the Chief of Commissariat." 
 
 Chijiwa laughed. " But Yamaki, the shorter 
 sword of the hero Kiyomasa is more effective than 
 the three feet three inches 1 of a child." 
 
 " Well said ! But, my friend, I warn you about 
 this speculation business. An outsider will rarely 
 succeed." 
 
 " Oh, well. It is only odd money, you know. 
 But I must go now. I'll see you in a few days. 
 As soon as I know about it. No, thank you; it 
 will be better to take a kuruma on the way." 
 
 " Well, then. Sorry my wife can't see you this 
 evening. She has to be with my daughter." 
 
 " Oh, O-Toyo-san ? Is she sick ? " 
 
 " Yes, for about a month. That's why my 
 wife brought her here. I tell you, Chijiwa-san, 
 don't take a wife or have children rashly. Nothing 
 is better than a bachelor's life for making money." 
 
 Chijiwa then left Yamaki's villa, the master and 
 the maid accompanying him as far as the porch. 
 
 Turning from his guest, Yamaki went to his room. 
 Opening the sliding door noiselessly, a middle-aged 
 1 Three feet three inches : the length of a large sword. 
 [37]
 
 woman entered and seated herself by his side. Her 
 complexion was fair, her hair was thin, and she had 
 two prominent front teeth. 
 
 "Has Chijiwa-san gone?" 
 
 " Yes, he has just left. How is O-Toyo? " 
 
 The woman with the prominent front teeth looked 
 grave and said, " I am almost out of patience with 
 her. Kane," speaking to a servant, " you may leave 
 the room for a little while. Why, to-day she again 
 dashed a cup into pieces, rent her clothes, and did 
 many other naughty things at the slightest cause. 
 And she is eighteen years old! " 
 
 " After all, we must send her to Sugamo asylum, 
 eh? Poor girl!" 
 
 " This is no time for joking. But I really pity 
 her. She said to Take to-day: ' Ungrateful Takeo- 
 san! How cruel he is! I sent him a New Year's 
 gift last year of a pair of worsted socks I knit 
 myself, and a handkerchief I embroidered, and also 
 gloves and other things besides. Last New Year's 
 Day I made him a present of a red worsted shirt, 
 and all this out of my own purse. And, mark 
 you, without the slightest notice to me, he mar- 
 ried that ugly, cross, and proud Nami-ko-san. 
 Oh, how cruel, how cruel! I'm a daughter of 
 Yamaki. Why should I be eclipsed by Nami-ko- 
 
 [38]
 
 DOUBT of JJamafet 
 
 san ? How unkind and cruel ! ' And she wept. 
 My dear, can anything be done for her? She is 
 so much in love with him ! " 
 
 " Nonsense. ' Like mother like daughter,' as 
 the saying is. You are truly mother to that naughty 
 girl. You know Kawashima is a newly created 
 noble and has a large fortune, and he is in no way 
 a fool. I did what I could to make O-Toyo his 
 wife, but everything came to naught. The mar- 
 riage is over and the thing is settled. Unless 
 O-Nami-san dies or is divorced, there is no hope. 
 So give up such foolish notions, and try to get 
 her married to some better man. You're an unen- 
 terprising woman." 
 
 " That's all folly. I cannot think as you do, 
 and I am not so clever as you are you who at 
 your age of fifty still make a fool of yourself with 
 women " 
 
 " I am by no means a match for your eloquence. 
 But you are indeed f that is, you easily get angry. 
 I love O-Toyo just as much as you do. She is 
 our daughter. So, instead of dreaming over im- 
 possible things, I am trying to find some place where 
 she can be happy all her life. Come, O-Sumi, let us 
 go and talk to her a little while." They went 
 together through a corridor to Toyo's room. 
 [39]
 
 Hyozo Yamaki was a man of obscure origin, but 
 he was now counted a " gentleman-merchant." At 
 the beginning of his career, he had received no 
 little favor from the deceased father of Takeo, and 
 he still remained faithful to the Kawashima family. 
 This, some averred, was due to the fact that the 
 Kawashima House was one of the richest among 
 the new nobility, but such criticism was too exacting. 
 He had his residence in Shiba, and a villa near the 
 Hashiba Ferry. Formerly he had been somewhat 
 of a usurer, but now his chief business was as a 
 contractor to the army and other government de- 
 partments. His son was now in America for a 
 commercial education, while his daughter Toyo had 
 till lately been attending the Peeress's school. His 
 wife no one knew where and how he came to 
 marry her was only known as a Kyotonian. She 
 was a homely woman, and some even wondered how 
 Yamaki could remain satisfied with her. But the 
 fact was that he had several mistresses to whom 
 such adjectives as charming, lovely, and the like 
 could be applied, and who were constantly awaiting 
 his visits. And of this his wife was well aware. 
 
 In the alcove a harp, a mandolin, and a glass box 
 containing a large doll are placed. In one corner 
 [40]
 
 SDJje ^otise of 
 
 there is a beautiful writing-table, and in another 
 a cheval-glass. Wondering what peeress might be 
 the occupant of this beautiful room, you are tempted 
 to look at a bed, all in silk, placed in the middle. 
 On it a girl of about seventeen is lying on her 
 side, tossing w r ildly her corn-silk hair in a large 
 shimada. Her complexion is rosy, and her cheeks 
 are full and round. You might imagine from this 
 that she was pretty, but, as a matter of fact, her 
 features are altogether too rotund. Her lips are 
 parted as if she were too weary to close them, and 
 the eyes under her delicate eyebrows are surrounded 
 by superfluous flesh, and look as if, veiled in a spring 
 haze, they had just awakened from a preexistent 
 sleep. 
 
 Ejaculating " Fool! " to the maid who had just 
 left the room, laughing in her sleeve at her mistress's 
 commands, the girl feverishly threw off the bed- 
 clothes, got out of bed, and took from the alcove 
 a large picture, in which a group of schoolgirls 
 were represented in uniform hakama. She looked 
 earnestly at it with eyes slender as a thread; and 
 then snapped her fingers at the face of one of the 
 figures. To show her dislike still more, she scratched 
 the picture with her finger-nail. 
 
 The sliding door was heard to open. 
 [41]
 
 JQami-fco 
 
 "Who is it? Take?" 
 
 " Yes, I am Take, a bald-headed Take," and, 
 laughingly, her father Yamaki and her mother came 
 in and sat by the bed. The girl tried to conceal 
 the picture, and bent over in a half-reclining posture. 
 
 "How do you feel, O-Toyo? Better? What 
 is it that you hid just now? Let me see. Let me 
 see. Let me see what it is ? This is 
 Nami-ko-san's face, isn't it? Mercy! How you 
 have spoilt it! A hundred times wiser to offer a 
 cursing prayer at some shrine in the dead of night 
 than do such a naughty thing." 
 
 His wife, making a wry face, exclaimed : " Don't 
 suggest such a thing ! " 
 
 " O-Toyo, you are a daughter of Hyozo Yamaki, 
 aren't you? Be brave, and try your luck again. 
 Instead of remaining faithful to such a petty fellow 
 who does not return your love, my dear child, make 
 bold to catch a millionaire's son, such as Mitsui, or 
 Mitsubushi, or the son of a marshal, a prime min- 
 ister, or, better than that, some foreign prince. 
 How can you be so spiritless?" 
 
 Fret and cry as she did in the presence of her 
 mother, her Ladyship O-Toyo was utterly helpless 
 before her father. She remained moody, and made 
 no answer. 
 
 [42]
 
 of 
 
 " No answer, my child ? You can't forget Takeo- 
 san? Well, well, you still love him, do you?" 
 Say, O-Toyo, wouldn't you like to go and see Kyoto 
 for a change? It is such a pleasant trip! There 
 are many interesting sights worth seeing, and, be- 
 sides, you may go to Nishijin, a famous weaving 
 district, and get a beautiful obi or triple robes. How 
 would you like that? You can't afford to miss it, 
 can you? It's a long time since you were there, 
 O-Sumi," he said, turning to his wife. " You had 
 better go with O-Toyo." 
 
 "You will go with us, I suppose?" she asked 
 him. 
 
 " I ? Oh, nonsense. You don't know how busy 
 I am." 
 
 " Then I sha'n't go, either." 
 
 " How is that? You don't mean to obey me?" 
 
 " Ha, ha." 
 
 "What?" 
 
 " Ha, ha, ha." 
 
 " I don't like to hear you laugh like that. Tell 
 me why you won't go." 
 
 " I can't let you out of my sight," said his wife. 
 
 " Pshaw ! How dare you say such a thing before 
 O-Toyo? O-Toyo, what your mother says is 
 false. Don't pay any attention to it." 
 
 [43]
 
 " You can't play the hypocrite with me," O-Sumi 
 rejoined. 
 
 " A truce to such talk. But come, O-Toyo, don't 
 worry. Cheer up. Have patience, and all will 
 come right." 
 
 [44]
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 General at 
 
 ON a Saturday afternoon in the middle of June, 
 when the chestnut-trees by his house at Aka- 
 saka were in bloom, the Viscount Lieutenant-General 
 Kataoka was sitting comfortably in his study-chair. 
 He was not much over fifty, but his forehead was 
 somewhat bald and his hair was turning gray. His 
 corpulent body weighed about two hundred pounds, 
 and even an Arab courser would be likely to sweat 
 under him. His thick neck was almost buried in 
 his square shoulders, and his double chin seemed 
 joined to his breast. His abdomen was large, his 
 thighs thick as those of an ox. His face was brown, 
 his nose large, his lips thick, his beard scanty, and 
 his eyebrows thin. His eyes, however, out of har- 
 mony to the rest of his body, were narrow like those 
 of an elephant, and mild to look upon. There was 
 also a smile lurking constantly about his mouth, 
 giving a humorous cast to his countenance. 
 
 It happened that in the fall of some years ago, 
 the general was hunting in a hilly district. He was 
 clad in his ordinary clothes, and, chancing to ask for 
 [45]
 
 a. cup of tea at a small hut where an old woman was 
 living alone, she carefully surveyed him and ex- 
 pressed her admiration. 
 
 " How big you are ! You've shot some game, I 
 suppose? " 
 
 The general smilingly said : " No, not any." 
 
 " Oh, you can't make a living out of hunting. 
 Work as a day-laborer with your big body, I tell 
 you, and you could make fifty yen." 
 
 "In a month?" 
 
 " Oh, no ! In a year, of course. But come and 
 get to work. I'll let you have a job any time." 
 
 " Well, thank you. I may come again and ask 
 your advice." 
 
 " Do so, by all means. Your big body is too 
 good to waste on hunting." 
 
 This humorous incident was one of the favorite 
 anecdotes with which he amused his friends. By 
 one unacquainted with the man, he might be judged 
 no better than the old woman judged him. But 
 to one who knew him well, this self-reliant soldier 
 was a living wall of iron in times of trouble. His 
 body massive as a little hill, and his spirit serene 
 as that of the gods, would make easy the hearts of a 
 host of soldiers, trembling before impending danger. 
 
 On the table near by was placed a blue pot of 
 [46]
 
 Clje (General at |)ome 
 
 straight-growing dwarf bamboos. High up on the 
 walls were hung pictures of the emperor and em- 
 press; lower, and on the farther side, was hung 
 a tablet on which were two characters, written by 
 Nanshu, signifying " Be Charitable." On the 
 bookcase some rows of books; on the mantelpiece 
 and on the triangular shelf, in one corner, a half- 
 dozen pictures of Japanese and foreigners, some of 
 whom were in uniform. 
 
 The green curtains being drawn aside, the six 
 windows on the east and south were opened wide. 
 To the east, over across the crowded streets of 
 Tami-machi below, the eye could command the leafy 
 hill of Reinan, over which the spire of the Atago 
 Tower raised its tiny head. A kite was seen circling 
 over it. To the south there lay a garden shaded by 
 blooming chestnut-trees, and through an opening 
 in them could be seen a poplar in the compound of 
 the Hikawa Shrine, resembling a green spear. 
 
 The early summer sky, as seen from the windows, 
 shone like blue satin. Here and there, among the 
 fresh leaves, creamy tassel-like chestnut blossoms 
 bloomed in profusion, painted against the azure of 
 the sky. One branch jutted out near the window. 
 Ungraceful as it was, it was loaded with flowers, 
 like epaulets, and its leaves, filtering the light of 
 
 [47]
 
 the sun, broke it into rays of emerald, sapphire, 
 and amber. At the slightest breath of wind the 
 fragrance was wafted stealthily into the study, and 
 the lavender shadows from the window danced 
 over a page of the " Present Condition of the 
 Siberian Railroad," held in the general's left hand. 
 Closing for a moment his narrow eyes, he drew a 
 breath, and then turned them, as they slowly opened, 
 to the pamphlet. 
 
 Somewhere outside, the sound of a well-pulley was 
 heard like the rolling of a bowl, but it soon stopped. 
 The quiet of the afternoon now settled upon the 
 house, when suddenly two little rogues were seen 
 looking for a chance to steal into the house. 
 
 Through the slightly opened door they stealthily 
 thrust in their heads, and then drew them back. 
 Then the sound of tittering was heard outside. One 
 of them was a boy of about eight, dressed in a 
 sailor suit, and the other was a girl, younger by 
 two or three years, with her hair long over her 
 brow, and clad in purple striped clothes with a 
 red obi. 
 
 The two little rogues hesitated awhile, but, as 
 
 if unable to wait any longer, they threw the door 
 
 open, burst into the room, and, easily scaling the 
 
 fortress of piled papers and attacking the general's 
 
 [48]
 
 Cfje General at |)ome 
 
 chair straight ahead, captured the knees of the mas- 
 sive soldier, the Sailor from the right, and the 
 Ringlet from the left. 
 
 "Papa!" 
 
 "School out, eh?" the general smilingly said, 
 with a voice deep from his chest, as, with his heavy 
 hands, he patted the Sailor on his back and the 
 Ringlet on her head. 
 
 "How about the test? Good? " 
 
 " Papa, I I got A in arithmetic." 
 
 " Papa, teacher said my needlework was good." 
 
 The Ringlet took out her kindergarten work and 
 placed it on her father's knees. 
 
 "Ah! That's good!" 
 
 " And then, B in writing and reading, and the rest 
 all C. I was beaten at last by Mina-kami. I feel 
 very bad over that." 
 
 " Well, keep at it. What story did you read 
 to-day?" 
 
 The Sailor, brightening up, said : " Papa, the 
 story of Masatsura. I like Masatsura so much. 
 Which is greater, Masatsura or Napoleon ? " 
 
 " Oh, both are great." 
 
 "Papa, I like Masatsura, but I like the navy 
 better. Papa is in the army, and I am going into 
 the navy." 
 
 [49]
 
 JBami-feo 
 
 The general laughed. " You will be a sailor under 
 Takeo-san? " 
 
 " Why, he is an ensign. I want to be lieutenant- 
 general." 
 
 "They don't call it so in the navy; it's rear 
 admiral. But won't you be admiral ? " 
 
 " But papa is lieutenant-general. Papa, lieutenant- 
 general is greater than ensign, isn't it? " 
 
 " Ensign or general, he who studies most is the 
 greatest." 
 
 " Papa, papa, say papa," and the Ringlet, 
 jumping on her father's knee, exclaimed : " Teacher 
 told us such a good story the story of a rabbit 
 and a tortoise. Shall I tell you about it? Once 
 upon a time there were a rabbit and a tortoise 
 Ah, here comes mamma." 
 
 As the clock struck two, a tall lady of about forty 
 came into the room. Her hair was dressed in 
 foreign style, her bang being curled and parted on 
 her high brow. Her large eyes were set a little 
 obliquely, bespeaking her rather acrimonious temper. 
 Her somewhat dark face was slightly painted, 
 and the teeth, seen at times, were polished to the 
 last degree. She was dressed in showy crape, with 
 an obi of black satin, and she wore valuable rings. 
 
 " You are again hanging on your papa." 
 [50]
 
 (General at f)ome 
 
 " Why, I was just asking about their school work. 
 Well, now it is time for papa's lesson. You go 
 out and play. We all will go for a walk after- 
 ward." 
 
 " Oh, how nice ! " said the Ringlet. 
 
 " Hurrah ! " shouted the Sailor. 
 
 The two children, hand in hand, dancing for 
 joy, went out of the room, and the cries of " Hur- 
 rah," " Let me, Ki-chan," were heard far off. 
 
 " Say what you will, you are too lenient with 
 your children." 
 
 The general said, smiling : " No, not exactly. 
 But children thrive better when they are loved." 
 
 " But, my dear, you know ' severe father ' and 
 ' kind mother ' are coupled together even in popu- 
 lar notion. But, since you fondle them so much, 
 the saying is reversed, and I have always to correct 
 them. Dear me, I alone am made an object of 
 dislike." 
 
 " Well, you need not reproach me like that. And 
 pray, be a little milder. Well, professor, have a 
 seat, if you please." 
 
 The general, laughing, took up an old copy of 
 the Royal Third Reader from the table, and began 
 to read slowly in his queer English with the Satsuma 
 accent.
 
 The lady listened attentively, and corrected an 
 occasional error. 
 
 This was the general's daily lesson. Having 
 raised himself as a soldier at the Restoration of 
 1868, he at once found himself entered upon such 
 an important career that no time remained in which 
 to indulge in the study of foreign languages. It 
 was only in the last year that he was transferred 
 to the reserved list. Some of the leisure hours 
 thus obtained he devoted at once to reading English. 
 For teacher, Madam Shige was at hand. She was 
 a daughter of a noted Choshu Samurai, and had been 
 in London so long that a better English scholar 
 was seldom to be found in Japan. The lady was 
 so thoroughly imbued with Western ideas that she 
 wanted to conduct the management of her house- 
 hold affairs just as she had seen and learned in that 
 far-off land. But, unluckily, things generally fell 
 short of her endeavor, the servants laughed in their 
 sleeves at her inexperience, and the children naturally 
 made much of their generous father alone. These 
 mistakes, and the Oriental high-mindedness of her 
 husband, who never cared for trifling matters, often 
 put the poor lady frightfully out of humor. 
 
 At last, by severe effort, the general finished 
 reading one page and was about to translate it, 
 [52]
 
 >c General at l>omr 
 
 when the door opened and there entered a pretty girl 
 of about fifteen, with her hair tied with a red 
 ribbon. Seeing her father holding a small book 
 in his large hand and reading it with the docility 
 of a pupil, she involuntarily laughed as she an- 
 nounced : 
 
 " Mother, Aunt Kato is in the sitting-room." 
 
 "Is she?" 
 
 The lady, knitting her brows almost imperceptibly, 
 waited for the general to speak. 
 
 The general, raising himself deliberately and 
 drawing a chair to his side, said : " Show her in 
 here." 
 
 " Good afternoon," said an attractive-looking 
 lady of about forty-five, as she entered the room. 
 She wore blue glasses, presumably on account of 
 her weak sight. She looked somewhat like Nami-san, 
 and not without reason, for she was sister of the 
 first wife of General Kataoka. She was married to 
 Viscount Kato, member of Upper House, and it 
 was she who, with her husband, acted as go-between 
 in the marriage of Nami and Takeo. 
 
 Smiling, the general gave her a chair and drew 
 the little curtain at the window opposite it, saying: 
 " Please have a seat. I haven't seen you for a long 
 time. Your husband is pretty busy, I suppose ? " 
 
 [531
 
 " Oh, yes. He is just like a. gardener, always 
 shears in hand. It's a little early for irises, but the 
 pomegranate-trees, of which he is very proud, are 
 in full bloom, and the roses are still blooming. 
 Please come and see them. He especially wishes 
 me to ask you to come." Turning to Madam 
 Kataoka. " And bring Ki-chan and Mi-chan with 
 you." 
 
 To be frank, the viscountess did not like Madam 
 Kato very much. Owing to the difference in edu- 
 cation and temperament, a mutual understanding 
 was almost out of the question. Moreover, the 
 idea that she was sister to the first wife always 
 came up in the viscountess's mind and caused her 
 much uneasiness. She herself wanted to monopolize 
 the general's heart and wield the sceptre as queen 
 of the household. But here was a sister of the 
 former wife, who not only brought before the 
 general the very picture of her now gone, but by 
 stealthily sympathizing with Nami and nurse Iku, 
 reminded him of times past, and, by reviving the 
 memory of the dead one in many ways, tried to 
 fight for supremacy. This was what she could not 
 bear. Now that Nami and Iku were gone, the 
 right of exterritoriality had been removed, to her 
 great satisfaction, but as often as she saw the face 
 [54]
 
 (Scnetal at 
 
 of Madam Kato, she felt as if the dead one had 
 risen from the grave to contend with her for her 
 husband, her authority as mistress, and the system 
 and management of every household matter that she 
 had planned so carefully. 
 
 Madam Kato took out some confectionery from 
 her silk bag. 
 
 " With my love to Ki-chan and Mi-chan. Is 
 school not yet out? I don't see them. Oh, I see." 
 Giving an artificial flower-pin to the girl with the 
 red ribbon, who had just come in with cups of tea, 
 " With my love to Koma-san." 
 
 " Thank you for all of them. They will be so 
 pleased." 
 
 Thus saying, Madam Kataoka laid the confec- 
 tionery on the table. At this moment a servant 
 announced that a man from the Red Cross Society 
 wanted to see the mistress, and she immediately left 
 the room. On going out she beckoned to the girl, 
 and whispered something into her ear. The girl 
 came back stealthily, and placed herself behind a 
 curtain within hearing, while the lady went through 
 the corridor on her way to the parlor. 
 
 The red-ribboned Koma was a daughter of the 
 first wife, but was much loved by the viscountess, 
 while her sister Nami was not. The viscountess 
 [55]
 
 took the silent and reserved Nami for an obstinate 
 and morose girl, and was pleased with the younger 
 sister, whose forward nature was quite in harmony 
 with her own. And, in order to give an indirect 
 snub to Nami, and also to show the world what a 
 stepmother could do, she favored Koma as her 
 husband favored Nami. It is usual for a self-willed 
 man to do as he likes without deference to others, 
 but, on the other hand, he is apt to be uncritical. 
 Such a man always loves to be thought well 
 of, while he never desists from the pursuit of self- 
 interest. No one is so fond of flattery as he. Madam 
 Kataoka was a refined and spirited lady who in 
 argument always got the better of her husband, so 
 renowned for his military skill, but, unlike him, 
 who gained friendship wherever he was, she was 
 always left alone, and in her loneliness she welcomed 
 those who hung upon her sleeve. Blunt and artless 
 servants were dismissed one by one, while their places 
 were filled with courteous, honey-tongued ones. 
 Koma-san had, of course, no reason to dislike her 
 sister, but, finding that her stepmother loved to hear 
 her speak ill of Nami, she contracted the bad habit 
 of telling tales, and at times caused Iku to make 
 a wry face. This, however, seemed to be of some 
 use to the viscountess, who, occasionally, even after
 
 General at |)ome 
 
 the marriage of Nami, made her render service in 
 petty affairs like this. 
 
 Standing close by the second window on the 
 east veranda, Koma could hear the hoarse laugh 
 of her father alternate with the ringing laugh of 
 her aunt. But soon the voices grew low, the words 
 faint, and the more indistinctly the words " mother- 
 in-law," " Nami-san," and like phrases came through 
 the window, the more attentively the red-ribboned 
 girl listened. 
 
 " A host of foes one million told 
 
 Now come from out the land so vast, 
 What need Kam'kura men so bold 
 To fear, not beaten for ages past ? " 
 
 The little Sailor who came marching along sing- 
 ing this song was at once attracted to the Red 
 Ribbon standing still on the veranda. In spite 
 of her endeavor to express her meaning by covering 
 her mouth, shaking her head, or turning her back 
 on him, he rushed forward, calling, " Koma-chan! " 
 and asked what she was doing. She still tried to 
 silence him, but, being annoyed with so many 
 "Whats?" she cried aloud "Fie!" unwittingly; 
 upon which she ran away hurriedly, shrugging her 
 shoulders at her untimely mishap. 
 
 [57]
 
 " Ah, you coward ! " 
 
 Saying this, the Sailor proceeded to his father's 
 study, and, on seeing his aunt, made a smiling bow, 
 and went at once to his father's knees. 
 
 " Well, my dear Ki-chan ! You seem to have 
 grown taller since I saw you last. You go to 
 school every day? You did? A in arithmetic? 
 Good. Come and see aunty, with your papa and 
 mamma. 
 
 "Where is Michi? Look, here's aunty's present. 
 You like it, don't you? " Giving him the cake, the 
 general added : " Do you know where mamma 
 is? Still in the parlor? Tell her aunty must 
 go." 
 
 The general, seeing the child leaving, and looking 
 at the visitor thoughtfully, said : " Well, then, 
 be sure and arrange about Iku without trouble, 
 please. I feared at first that the matter would turn 
 out in this way. I should not have sent her, but it 
 was Nami's desire as well as hers. Yes, exactly. 
 Well, now you understand what I want? " 
 
 The conversation was interrupted by the coming 
 of Madam Kataoka, who, glancing at Madam Kato, 
 said: "You are leaving us so soon? I'm very 
 sorry I was called away by the visitor. No, he has 
 just gone. Why, it was about the Charity Bazar 
 [58]
 
 General at Ibome 
 
 again. Not much to be made out of it, I fear. 
 Must you go now? Please give my love to Chizu- 
 ko-san. I miss her very much since Nami went." 
 
 "She has not been well, and has neglected her 
 calls for a long time. Good-by." 
 
 " Good-by." 
 
 " I will go with you a little way," said the 
 general. " Well, just a little. Come on, Ki and 
 Mi now for a walk ! " 
 
 Madam Kataoka, seating herself in an easy-chair 
 in the sitting-room and looking over the prospectus 
 of the Charity Bazar, nodded to Koma. 
 
 " Koma-san, what was the talk about? " 
 
 " Well, mamma, I could not hear well, but it 
 was something about Iku." 
 
 "Iku?" 
 
 " Yes, it was like this. Takeo-san's old mother 
 has been ill on account of rheumatism, and is very 
 irritable. One day Iku happened to be talking to 
 Nami-san in her room. ' Why is the old lady so 
 peevish ? ' she said. ' I pity you, madam, for that. 
 But, as she is old, it will not be long before she dies.' 
 Wasn't Iku foolish to say such a thing, mamma? " 
 
 " She is always making mischief, the meddling 
 old woman ! " 
 
 " And just at that moment the old lady happened 
 [591
 
 to be passing by the room, heard all Iku said, and 
 was very angry." 
 
 "There! That's the penalty of eavesdropping." 
 
 " She was so angry that Nami-san was greatly 
 troubled, and went to see Aunt Kato." 
 
 "To see aunt?" 
 
 " Nami-san always sees her aunt about every- 
 thing." 
 
 The lady smiled drily. 
 
 "And what else?" 
 
 " Then father said that he would send Iku away 
 to take care of the villa." 
 
 "Did he?" she remarked, uneasily. "Is that 
 all?" 
 
 " I would have listened to more, but Ki-chan 
 came just then, and " 
 
 [60]
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 ^ ^ 'AKEO'S mother's name was Kei, and she 
 I was now fifty-three. With the exception of fre- 
 quent attacks of rheumatism, she was very healthy. 
 It was said that she could readily cover on foot 
 the distance of ten miles each way between her 
 house and the cemetery where her husband was 
 buried. She weighed over a hundred and fifty 
 pounds, and there were few ladies of nobility who 
 exceeded her in this respect. Her corpulency, how- 
 ever, began after the death of her husband, Michi- 
 take, some six years ago, for before that event she 
 was pale and as lean as a rake. Some observed 
 jestingly that she must be a sort of rubber ball 
 which swelled up as soon as the pressure was re- 
 moved. 
 
 Her late husband was a petty Samurai of the 
 Kagoshima clan, and he was pretty badly off at the 
 time of his marriage. But he came into prominence 
 in the Restoration War, and was for a long time 
 a successful local governor under the Okubo Min- 
 istry. He had, however, a very wilful nature, 
 [61]
 
 which cut him off from friendly intercourse with 
 all of his associates except a few, of whom the 
 Viscount Kato was one. After Okubo was gone, 
 he did not enjoy much public confidence. He was 
 created baron simply because, as they say, he was 
 lucky enough to have been born in that favored 
 quarter, Kagoshima. Thus Michitake the opinionist 
 and Tartar always drank away his irrepressible dis- 
 content, and when, after draining five bowlfuls of 
 sake, each holding about a pint, he faced the local 
 assembly with his shoulders drawn back and his face 
 red as a demon, there was not a soul in the assembly 
 who dared oppose him. 
 
 Such a miserable household as Kawashima's was 
 rarely to be met with. The whole house was under 
 the despotic rule of a tyrant, and the family lived 
 as if in a thunder-storm under a tall tree unpro- 
 tected by a lightning-rod. With the exception of 
 Takeo, who, in his childhood, had made his father's 
 knees his dancing-place and knew no better play- 
 mate than he, no one, neither his wife nor the 
 servants, nor even the pillars of the sitting-room, 
 was unacquainted with the pain the master's hand 
 had inflicted upon them. Even Yamaki, now well 
 known as a " gentleman merchant," was an occa- 
 sional recipient of this gift; but, of course, he 
 [62]
 
 never refrained from calling on the Kawashima fam- 
 ily, thinking that this was rather a cheap toll con- 
 sidering the gain he became entitled to through his 
 favor or disfavor whichever you please. 
 
 When it was rumored that his lordship was out 
 of humor, even a mouse in the kitchen would stop 
 gnawing, and if his angry voice, like a sudden thun- 
 der-clap, was heard from the interior of the house, 
 even a dull servant was wont to drop her knife from 
 the shock. It is said that the subordinate officers 
 who wanted to see him had first to find out from 
 the servants in which quarter the wind lay. 
 
 Think what an enormous amount of patience was 
 required of Madam Kei, his mate for nearly thirty 
 years! While her husband's parents were living, 
 she saw nothing very extraordinary in his nature 
 as compared with theirs, but, once they were gone, 
 one at the heels of the other, the real character of 
 her husband was brought boldly into relief, and her 
 patience was tried to the extreme. At first she 
 offered some resistance, but she soon learned that 
 it was all to no purpose. She no longer showed a 
 bold front, but either wisely submitted like a bent 
 reed before the wind, or else did what is said to 
 be the crowning method of safeguard took to 
 flight. 
 
 [63]
 
 JQami-feo 
 
 In the meantime she came to understand some- 
 what how to turn the tide, and was successful at 
 least in every third attempt, but the nature of her 
 husband remained without a shadow of change. The 
 last three or four years of his life were especially 
 spent in such a fury of passion, inflamed by alcoholic 
 draughts, that, fortified as she was by the experience 
 of over twenty years, she felt deeply the bitterness 
 of her miserable life. Not unfrequently forgetting 
 her dear son Takeo and her gray hairs, she would 
 even think she preferred the peaceful life of a poor 
 sexton's wife to the enviable honor of being a vis- 
 countess and wife to a governor. But time went 
 by swiftly as an arrow, and thirty years had already 
 passed when she beheld her heartless husband Michi- 
 take lying stark in his coffin with his lifeless face 
 turned toward heaven. She drew a long breath 
 and yet, poor soul, the tears ran freely down her 
 cheeks. 
 
 She wept, but she was relieved, and with her freer 
 breath there came to her something of power. While 
 her husband was alive she was almost of no im- 
 portance by the side of the corpulent and loud- 
 voiced man. But now she walked out of her cor- 
 ner and, lo, instantly she swelled and broadened to 
 the full size of the house. Those who used to 
 [64]
 
 (ZDJje 
 
 notice her shyness by the side of her husband, re- 
 marked that the change was simply wonderful. 
 According, however, to the view of a certain scholar, 
 man and wife become more and more alike, both 
 mentally and physically, with increasing years. 
 True or no, such was really the case with her 
 whose build, carriage, roughness, and, above all, 
 quick temper were nothing but a copy of the ways 
 of her deceased husband. 
 
 " To kill at Nagasaki one's enemy at Yedo " 
 so runs a common saying stating a peculiar law of 
 action and reaction in nature. An anti-government 
 member of Parliament may make a very eloquent 
 attack in the House against the government. It is 
 all very fine, but how few realize that one-half of 
 his fire is called forth to satisfy his vengeance on 
 the usurer who drove him hard the night before. 
 Again, a low atmospheric depression in the South 
 China Sea causes a flood in the central part of Japan, 
 and land-slides in the depth of Tuscarora cause tidal 
 waves along the coasts. Nature is only seeking a 
 balance. And, in securing this balance, a mean 
 fellow, so says one well versed in human affairs, pro- 
 ceeds just as a miser duns for a debt, impatient at 
 the delay of even a single day, while a great man, 
 trusting his whole account to the management 
 [65]
 
 JQamt-feo 
 
 of Heaven's Bank, simply does his part with heart 
 and soul. Mark further the way a low-minded per- 
 son seeks his balance. As if he were mere matter, 
 he follows the law of motion; that is, to attack 
 where the resistance is least. 
 
 Madam Kawashima, whose patience had been 
 taxed to the utmost for thirty long years, thought 
 that she was now to have her day, and no sooner 
 was the lid of her husband's coffin closed than she 
 opened once for all the flood-gates which had with- 
 stood the pressure of her patience. The one whom 
 she had most dreaded was now gone, and there was 
 no more fear that his detestable hand would rest 
 heavily upon her again. She now appeared as if 
 she wished to show that she had not been silent 
 because of her own helplessness, and, wishing it clear 
 that she thought herself his better half, she began 
 to dun those people to whom money had been loaned 
 at one time or other, the amount becoming con- 
 siderable by years of neglect. There was, however, 
 a great difference in the nature of their irritability: 
 the deceased baron was a man of heroic spirit, and, 
 though troublesome, his anger had a dash of some- 
 thing that was almost pleasing; but the temper of 
 his wife, who was selfish, suspicious, and narrow- 
 minded, and totally devoid of manful audacity, was 
 [66]
 
 simply unbearable, and the servants had by far the 
 harder time of it. 
 
 And this was Nami's mother-in-law. 
 
 To every young bride there comes soon after 
 her marriage a trial due to her still unsettled mental 
 state of newly imposed wifehood. The marumage, 
 which only the decorum of married life requires, 
 may be put aside for any other fashion of dressing 
 the hair. Nevertheless, it is not unlikely that an 
 uninformed kuruma-man might, for safety's sake, 
 address her as " miss," a form of salutation certainly 
 embarrassing to a woman who has not courage 
 enough to explain the mistake. At home, however, 
 she will be worried by the servants with a " ma- 
 dam," an appellation which is yet too much for her. 
 But soon she realizes her new situation, and begins 
 to see in their true light her surroundings, hitherto 
 only dimly understood through the misty veil of her 
 bashfulness. It was at this stage of her life that 
 Nami had now arrived. 
 
 Since customs differ greatly with each family, 
 it was incumbent upon her that she should not 
 measure her new home by the standard of the old, 
 and that she must not forget that Nami Kataoka 
 was gone, and that henceforth she must become a 
 [67]
 
 new Nami Kawashima these were the words her 
 father uttered with heartfelt tenderness when she 
 was in her wedding-dress and the carriage was wait- 
 ing for her departure. She remembered the advice 
 too well, and, on finding herself in her new home, 
 she saw that the contrast was something amazing. 
 
 The property of the house of Kawashima ex- 
 ceeded perhaps in value that of her paternal home. 
 The house was counted one of the greatest among 
 the new nobility, for the wealth amassed during the 
 governorship of Takeo's father was immense. She 
 found, however, that, while the Kataoka family was 
 so popular owing to the fame of her father, and that 
 there things looked bright as the sunrise, here every- 
 thing was stagnant as a pool of water. The relatives 
 were few, the acquaintances were not many, and 
 even those who used to call while Takeo's father was 
 alive kept away after his death. Moreover, the 
 widow was not sociable in any sense, while the 
 master who was to establish the prestige of the house 
 was yet young and low in official rank, and stayed 
 most of his time away from home. Again Kami's 
 stepmother loved anything gay and novel, and of 
 course she was particularly at home in lecturing on 
 housekeeping. She practised economy in a strange 
 way, evoking at times the criticism of the servants 
 [68]
 
 whose common sense was fully developed in matters 
 of every-day usage. But say what you will, as is 
 usual with the intercourse among military men, 
 everything there was on the whole showy and quite 
 extravagant. But what a difference here at her 
 new abode! The old usages and rather coarse 
 country customs were adhered to closely, as if they 
 were the only usages in the world. The widow's 
 methods of housekeeping remained just as they were 
 thirty years ago, when she was the wife of a poor 
 Samurai. And the habit of managing everything 
 by herself, done formerly out of necessity, had 
 grown into a second nature. Making a certain 
 Tazaki a plain, honest fellow who had been no 
 more than a mere domestic her steward, she her- 
 self calculated the monthly expenses in fire- wood, 
 charcoal, and so forth, item by item. Such being 
 the case, when Iku came with Nami as her maid, 
 the widow was heard to say, in surprise : " What 
 airs these illustrious families put on ! " Indeed, the 
 expulsion of Iku might not be due wholly to the 
 widow's wrath at her slanderous remark. 
 
 Bright as she was, the bride was still young, and 
 there is little wonder that she lacked the tact to face 
 so suddenly the widely different customs of her new 
 home. But Nami understood well the full import 
 
 [69]
 
 of her father's counsel, and made up her mind to 
 resign herself to the new situation. An opportunity 
 to put her determination to the test was near at 
 hand. 
 
 Not long after his return from Ikao, Takeo was 
 ordered on a cruise. Married to a sailor, Nami 
 was quite prepared for an occasional absence, but 
 a parting in so short a time after their union almost 
 broke her heart, and she was left for a while quite 
 stupefied. 
 
 Nami's father met Takeo before the engagement, 
 and liked him very much. She took her father at 
 his word and married. And the result proved that 
 she was right. She found Takeo a manful and 
 high-minded man, frank to the core and loving 
 in heart, a man in whom there was not a particle 
 of meanness, a very miniature of her dear father. 
 Yes, even his manner of walking, with bold step 
 and rocking gait, and his laughter, like that of a 
 child, were but a copy of her father. How happy, 
 she thought, to be with such a good husband. And 
 so she loved him with her whole heart. Takeo, 
 on his part, felt unbounded love toward such a 
 loving creature, and, being an only child, he felt 
 as if he were given a sister as well as a wife, and 
 caressed her as his own dear " Nami-san." Three 
 [70]
 
 months had not elapsed since their marriage, but 
 they loved each other as if they had been acquainted 
 from the previous world, and the sadness of their 
 parting, though temporary, was to both almost un- 
 bearable. 
 
 But Nami was not allowed to weep long over 
 her sorrow. Soon after Takeo's departure, her 
 mother-in-law had a severe attack of rheumatism, 
 and her characteristic irascibility was much increased. 
 And after Iku was gone, poor Nami had specially 
 a hard time of it. 
 
 A new cadet is teased for a time by the older 
 ones, but, after a year or so, he himself finds no 
 greater pleasure than to tease freshmen coming after 
 him. A mother-in-law who knows only too well the 
 painful experience she had when she first joined the 
 family, should not, on principle, treat a bride with 
 injustice. But such is the frailty of human nature 
 that, when the flower of her youth has faded away 
 and she finds herself transplanted to the position of 
 mother-in-law, her tyrannical nature gets the upper 
 hand and she becomes the very mother-in-law she 
 so much detested. 
 
 "Look here, you have made a mistake in the width 
 of the gore. Make it four inches and turn it in 
 like this. Tchut! dear me!" she will say to a
 
 bride, " that is not the way. Here, let me have it. 
 Bless my heart, you must have been sleeping all 
 these twenty years. And you mean to be a wife! 
 Eh?" If she can find in this situation something 
 that brings before her the horror of a bygone sar- 
 castic voice and look, once real to her even as it is 
 real now to the one before her, she may feel sorry 
 for it and even try secretly to make amends, 
 such a woman may still be said to be heaven-born. 
 But not a few are ruled by the principle of "an 
 eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," and try 
 to avenge on the bride of Nagasaki the wrong done 
 to them by the mother-in-law of Yedo. And thus 
 they unconsciously seek retribution during their own 
 life. The mother-in-law of Nami was this sort of 
 person. 
 
 To work under the eyes of the Europeanized 
 stepmother, and again to suffer at the hands of the 
 old-fashioned mother-in-law such was the lot of 
 poor Nami. Many a time Nami offered her service 
 out of pure and sincere sympathy for the old widow 
 in her sick-bed, who wanted a maid too often. Being 
 unfamiliar with the task, however, her tender efforts 
 would be scarcely satisfactory to the patient. The 
 widow, then, thanking Nami at one moment, would 
 purposely scold the maid at the next with such a 
 [72]
 
 loud and almost savage voice as to terrify Nami, 
 accustomed as she had been for ten years to the 
 sarcastic eloquence of her stepmother. This, how- 
 ever, was but for the first few weeks; after that, 
 the attack was directed straight at Nami. When 
 Iku, the only sympathetic soul in the house, had gone, 
 she felt at times as if she had returned to the sunless 
 corner of her past days. But when she went to her 
 room and saw on the table in a silver frame the 
 silent picture of the robust officer, all other feelings 
 would give way to the one which gained in tender- 
 ness as she took it up in her hand. She would 
 feast her eyes on it, kiss it, fondle it, and whisper 
 to it, as if she could be heard : " Come back soon, 
 dearest! " For his dearest sake she could willingly 
 quaff the bitterest cup, and, denying herself, minister 
 unto her mother-in-law. 
 
 [73J
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 " HONGKONG, July , 
 
 NAMI: I write this to you in 
 a heat of ninety-nine degrees, with myself 
 in a reeking perspiration. You read my letter posted 
 at Saseho, I believe. Since weighing anchor there, 
 the weather was fine day after day, and so hot that 
 even we, the sailors of the Invincible Islands, had 
 to give in a little bit. About a dozen of our officers 
 and men suffered from sunstroke, but I am all right ; 
 have never once been an inmate of the sick-ward. 
 By being burnt by the broiling sun near the equator, 
 my dark complexion has got such a finish as to 
 surprise even me. On landing to-day I went to a 
 barber-shop and looked carelessly into a glass, when, 
 lo, there stood a new man ! One of my merry 
 comrades suggested to me to send you my picture 
 in my present condition, but of course I don't want 
 to do that. It being fine all the way (except once 
 when we were overtaken by a monsoon), we all 
 arrived safely here yesterday morning amidst ringing 
 cheers. 
 
 [74]
 
 " At Saseho I got your loving letter, which I read 
 and re-read. I was sorry to learn that my mother 
 has been attacked by her old malady. But I feel 
 very much at ease this year, since you are with her. 
 I wish you would look after her in my place. When 
 sick, she is specially hard to please, and I very much 
 sympathize with you in your difficult task. 
 
 " I trust the folks at Akasaka are all well. How 
 about Uncle Kato? Still busy with shears in hand? 
 Nurse Iku has gone, I understand. I don't know 
 how it was, but I feel very sorry it happened so. 
 Give her my love when you write, and tell her that 
 I shall bring her many souvenirs. I am very fond 
 of her. She is very jolly, and I suppose you miss 
 her, too. Do Aunt Kato and Chizu-ko-san call on 
 you occasionally? 
 
 " Chijiwa conies often, I hear. We have few 
 relatives, of whom Chijiwa is one, and I know 
 mother thinks much of him. To be cordial to him 
 is to please mother. He is a bright and smart fellow, 
 and I hope he may be of help to you in case of 
 need. . . . 
 
 " Yours most affectionately, 
 
 " TAKEO. 
 
 " P. S. Please read the enclosed letter to mother. 
 
 " P. S. Will stay here for a few days. After 
 [75]
 
 buying provisions, etc., will sail for Sidney, via 
 Manila, and then to San Francisco by way of New 
 Caledonia, Fiji, and then home by way of Hawaii. 
 Expect to be back this fall. 
 
 " P. S. Send letters, care of Japanese Consul, 
 San Francisco, U. S. A." 
 
 " SIDNEY, August , . 
 
 " DEAREST NAMI : ... Last May I was at 
 Ikao with Nami-san gathering ferns; now I am at 
 Sidney, far down in the Southern Hemisphere. As 
 I look up at the Southern Cross at night and dwell 
 upon the days gone by, I cannot help thinking how 
 changeable the world we live in is. When I was 
 cruising last year I was occasionally seasick, but this 
 time I am surprised to find myself so well. A 
 strange and new feeling is my constant companion 
 on this voyage. When I am alone on the bridge 
 on duty, and look up at the dark southern skies 
 studded with myriads of diamonds, this feeling is 
 especially strong, and I seem to see before my eyes 
 your lovely face. Don't laugh at my folly. Among 
 my comrades I feign to be careless and sing with 
 them, ' What care we for tears at home, for feats 
 so bold,' but (please don't laugh) a picture of 
 Nami-san is always in my inner pocket. Even while 
 [76]
 
 I am writing I see clearly the figure of one who 
 will read this in the small room at home, over- 
 shadowed by the palm-trees. . . . 
 
 " At Sidney Bay there are many families yachting 
 for pleasure. A thought comes over me that when 
 we succeed in life and Nami-san and I are gray- 
 headed, we shall own a large yacht of at least 
 five thousand tons displacement. I shall be captain, 
 and our sons and grandsons will be the sailors, and 
 we shall sail the four seas. We shall come to 
 Sidney, and I shall tell you, then a white-headed 
 Nami, the dreams a young naval officer had in the 
 years gone by. ... 
 
 " Yours most affectionately, 
 
 " TAKEO." 
 
 " TOKYO, , . 
 
 " MY DEAREST TAKEO : I read over and over 
 with such interest your loving letter dated Hong- 
 kong, July 1 5th. I am so glad that you are so well 
 in spite of the hot weather. Mother is getting well, 
 and I hope you will feel at ease about her. I spend 
 my lonely days in one way or another. I try to 
 please mother, especially since you are away, but 
 I am so dull that I am sorry to say my effort falls 
 [77]
 
 JQamt feo 
 
 : 
 
 far short of my wishes. I am looking impatiently 
 to the day when I shall see you safe home again. 
 
 " The folks at Akasaka are all well. They have 
 gone to the villa at Zushi. The Katos went to 
 Okitsu, and we are left very lonely at Tokyo. Iku 
 is also at Zushi, and is doing well. I wrote her 
 about your wishes, and she thanked me in tears 
 for your kindness. 
 
 " I have come to feel that I have left several 
 important things unlearned. The management of 
 domestic affairs, which my father counselled me to 
 take special interest in, I neglected at the time, and 
 am now much worried about my inefficiency. I 
 wanted to follow your advice to study English ; but 
 I am afraid that mother will not think well of me 
 if I sit at the desk too much. So at present I am 
 devoting myself altogether to housekeeping. I hope 
 you will not think I am neglecting my studies with- 
 out cause. I am ashamed of myself, but sometimes 
 I feel so sad and lonely and want to see you so 
 much that if I had the wings of a dove I would 
 immediately fly to you. My only consolation is 
 your picture and that of your ship. I did not pay 
 much attention to universal geography while at 
 school, but now I take out an almost forgotten 
 [78]
 
 map and take a great deal of pleasure in tracing the 
 progress of your ship. Sometimes I wish I had been 
 born a man and could be a sailor, for then I could 
 be with you on all your cruises. Do pity my foolish- 
 ness, dearest, for my thoughts are all for you. 
 I have not noticed heretofore the weather indica- 
 tions in the paper, but now I look for them every 
 day, and, though I know that you are sailing far be- 
 yond the places they cover, I feel very anxious for 
 you when there is warning of high winds. I hope 
 you will take good care of yourself. . . . 
 " Your loving wife, 
 
 " NAMI." 
 
 " TOKYO, October , . 
 
 " MY DEAREST TAKEO : Dreaming of you 
 every night, I long to see you very much. Last 
 night I thought I went with you to Ikao by ship 
 to gather ferns, when somebody came in between us, 
 and, while you were fading away into the distance, 
 I fell overboard. I cried out and mother woke 
 me up. I was greatly relieved to find it was only 
 a dream. But still there is something that seems 
 to trouble me. So I am very anxious for your 
 speedy return. Wishing to talk over everything per- 
 sonally, I watch every day the eastern sky in your 
 
 [79]
 
 JBamt-ko 
 
 direction. This letter may cross you on the way, 
 but I am sending it to you at Honolulu. . . . 
 " Your loving wife, 
 
 " KAMI." 
 
 [80]
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 JLife 
 
 ^^" HE widow Kawashima, who was warming 
 _M herself at the fireplace and looking over her 
 shoulder at the clock which had just struck eight, 
 muttered: " Eight! They ought to be back by this 
 time." She then reached slowly for a tobacco-box 
 with her fat hand, and, after puffing furiously, 
 stopped and listened. Though near the suburbs, the 
 street was noisy with kuruma going to and fro, 
 as is always the case for the first few evenings after 
 New Year's Day. The widow could hear, from a 
 neighboring house, the voices of the young people 
 at their games, while occasional peals of laughter 
 poured forth into the night. She grumbled im- 
 patiently: " What is there funny about it? Tut! " 
 Then, thinking of Takeo, she exclaimed : " It is 
 always like this when they go to Akasaka every 
 one forgets his business, Take, Nami, and every- 
 body. Young people nowadays can't be depended 
 on." Thus muttering and trying to move a little, 
 she touched a rheumatic spot. " Ouch! " she ejac- 
 ulated, and, making a wry face, she rapped the 
 
 [83]
 
 tobacco-tray furiously in a fit of temper, and called 
 out to the maid, sharply: " Matsu, Matsu, Matsu." 
 
 Just at this moment two kuruma pulled up at the 
 gate, and a servant announced the arrival of the 
 master. 
 
 The maid came bustling in, clad in holiday 
 attire, and asked politely the widow's pleasure, but 
 was only scolded for her tardiness in answering the 
 call. Upon this she withdrew in confusion. 
 
 Immediately a ringing voice was heard. 
 
 " Good evening, mother." 
 
 Following just behind Takeo, who was still tak- 
 ing off his gloves, and handing her coat and that 
 of her husband to the maid, Nami entered quietly 
 and said, meekly: 
 
 " Good evening, mother. I'm sorry to be so 
 late." 
 
 " Oh, so you have come back ? You stayed quite 
 long." 
 
 " Yes," answered Takeo. " We went first to 
 Kato's, and then they wanted to go with us to 
 Akasaka. So uncle, aunt, Chizu-ko-san, Nami, and 
 I just five in all went together. They were 
 very glad to see us at Akasaka, and, as there were 
 other guests there, we enjoyed ourselves so much 
 that we stayed longer than we expected." Feeling 
 [84]
 
 $)Dme Life 
 
 that his cheeks were red as a lobster and drinking 
 a cup of tea served by the maid, he said to him- 
 self : " I'm a little tipsy, I'm afraid." 
 
 " Well," said the widow, " is everybody well at 
 Akasaka, Nami ? " 
 
 " Yes, they are all well. They wanted to be 
 remembered to you, and told me to tell you they 
 are sorry they have not had a chance to call. They 
 also wished me to thank you very much for the 
 fine present." 
 
 " Talking of the present, Nami-san, where is 
 ah, here it is ! " 
 
 Takeo took a tray from Nami's hands and placed 
 it before his mother. A pair of pheasants, some 
 quail and snipes, were piled on the tray. 
 
 "Oh, game-birds? And so many " 
 
 " Mother, the general had such good sport the 
 last time that he only returned on the evening of the 
 3 1 st. They were just going to send them to us 
 to-day. To-morrow they expect a boar." 
 
 "A boar? Well, is it possible? Your father 
 is only three years younger than I am, isn't he, 
 Nami? He was a spirited man from his youth, 
 and still seems to be so." 
 
 " I tell you, mother, he is so robust that he 
 has passed three nights on the hills without the 
 [85]
 
 least ill result to his health. He takes pride in 
 thinking that he can still keep up with the young 
 people." 
 
 " I should think he would. Anybody crippled as 
 I am by rheumatism is not much use. There is 
 no greater foe to man than sickness. But it is 
 about nine o'clock. You had better change your 
 clothes and go to rest. Oh, by the way, Take, 
 Yasuhiko was here to-day." 
 
 Takeo, who was about to rise, looked rather 
 uneasy at this, and Nami also pricked up her ears. 
 
 "Chijiwa?" 
 
 " I think he wanted to see you." 
 
 Takeo replied, after a pause : " Did he ? I also 
 want to see him. Mother, did he come for money? " 
 
 " Why ? No, by no means. Why do you think 
 so?" 
 
 " I happened to hear something about him. Well, 
 I will see him before long." 
 
 " And then, Yamaki was here, too." 
 
 "Oh, that foolish Yamaki?" 
 
 " He invited you to dinner on the loth." 
 
 "H'm, such a bore!" 
 
 " You had better accept his invitation. He still 
 remembers your father's favors." 
 
 "But " 
 
 [86]
 
 life 
 
 " You had really better accept the invitation. 
 Well, I'll go to bed. Good night." 
 
 " Good night," said Takeo, and Nami repeated 
 after him : " Good night, mother." 
 
 The young couple went to their room. Nami 
 helped her husband remove his coat and put on a 
 quilted silk dress, over which Takeo quickly tied 
 a white crape sash. He sat in an armchair. Nami, 
 after brushing the coat and hanging it in the ad- 
 joining room, ordered the maid to make tea and 
 came to her husband's side. 
 
 " You must be tired, dear." 
 
 Takeo, who was puffing blue smoke and looking 
 over the cards, letters and New Year's congratula- 
 tions received during the day, raised his head. 
 
 " You must be tired, Nami-san. Oh, beautiful 
 splendid ! " 
 
 "What?" 
 
 " I say, what a beautiful-looking bride you are! " 
 
 " You make me blush." 
 
 And she blushed and turned her eyes away from 
 the glare of the lamplight, showing her pale cheek 
 now bright with a rosy glow and her round mage 
 glossy as a mirror. She had on a black silk kimono 
 with a pattern of waves and water-fowls around the 
 skirt, with a broad belt of creamy satin and a 
 [87]
 
 jewelled pin shaped like a forget-me-not at her 
 breast, a gift Takeo had brought her from America. 
 As she stood in the light with a bashful smile, 
 Takeo thought his wife very beautiful. 
 
 " I really feel as if you were a newly made 
 bride in that dress." 
 
 " If you say such things I shall go away." 
 
 Takeo laughed. " I sha'n't say any more. But 
 why will you go away? " 
 
 And then Nami laughed. " I shall go to change 
 my clothes." 
 
 Takeo went out on a cruise early in the summer, 
 and would have been back in the fall but for the 
 fact that certain parts of the ship's machinery had 
 to be repaired at San Francisco, where they were 
 detained for a considerable time. It was, there- 
 fore, late in the year before he returned home. 
 So it was not until to-day, the third day of the 
 first month, that he was able to make his first 
 ceremonial and private calls with Nami on the 
 Kato and Kataoka families. 
 
 Takeo's mother was an old-fashioned lady, and 
 
 was rather averse to anything foreign, but she 
 
 could not be too strict to suit the taste of the 
 
 young master. His spacious sitting-room was fur- 
 
 [88]
 
 home Life 
 
 nished in a mingled native and foreign style. A 
 green carpet was spread on the soft floor mats, on 
 which stood a table and chairs. In the alcove- 
 wall was hung a landscape painting, and in front 
 of and above it a portrait of his father Michitake. 
 A covered bookcase and shelves stood in one corner 
 of the room, while in the middle of the alcove was 
 placed a sword of Kanemitsu make, much loved 
 by his father. A naval cap and a marine glass were 
 laid on some shelves, and a dagger hung on an 
 alcove pillar. Among the pictures upon the wall 
 was one representing the man-of-war he had sailed 
 on, and another of a group of cadets, taken probably 
 while he was at Yedajima. There were also some 
 pictures on the table: one represented a group 
 of three, Takeo's parents and himself when he was 
 about five years old, leaning on his father's knee; 
 another, Lieutenant-General Kataoka, his father-in- 
 law, in uniform. Young and careless as the master 
 was, everything in the room was in good order, 
 and not a particle of dust was to be found. More- 
 over, in an old bronze vase on the table a few 
 sprays of early plum-blossoms were artistically ar- 
 ranged. All this betrayed a heart warm and deli- 
 cate and hands skilful and artistic which were 
 constantly at work in the room. Their owner could 
 [89]
 
 be seen smiling from a. heart-shaped silver frame by 
 the vase, and seemed to be bathing in the sweet 
 fragrance of the plum-blossoms. The lamp shed its 
 bright light into every corner of the room, and the 
 comfortable charcoal fire in a large fire-box rose 
 in a purple flame against the green of the carpet. 
 
 Varied as are the things most pleasant to us, 
 chief among them is the safe return from a long 
 journey, when we change our travelling-suit to a 
 comfortable kimono and sit by a fireside, listening 
 to the mournful sound of the night wind outside, 
 relieved by the accustomed ticking of the clock. 
 The pleasure increases when we have with us our 
 mother in good health and a wife young and lovely. 
 
 Takeo, who was now smoking and comfortably 
 reclining in an easy-chair, was indeed enjoying just 
 this sort of pleasure. 
 
 The only thing that troubled him was the thought 
 of Chijiwa, whom his mother had mentioned a little 
 while ago, and whose name he had just come across 
 among the visiting-cards. Something disreputable 
 about him had been disclosed to Takeo that very 
 day. Some time last month, a post-card came for 
 Chijiwa in care of the Military Headquarters while 
 he was away. One of his fellow officers picked it 
 up by mistake, glanced over it, and found it was 
 [90]
 
 |)0me life 
 
 a note from a famous usurer, the amount of his 
 debts being written in red ink. More than that, it 
 was certain that military secrets found their outlet 
 at times through some unexpected channel, and 
 benefited some speculating merchants. And still 
 more: some one even noticed Chijiwa in the stock 
 market, an improper place for officers to fre- 
 quent. Taking all these things into consideration, 
 Chijiwa was decidedly under suspicion. All this 
 was told Takeo by his father-in-law, who was an 
 intimate friend of the chief of the Headquarters 
 staff. Takeo should be careful of Chijiwa, and 
 advise him to turn over a new leaf. 
 
 "Damnable fellow!" 
 
 Speaking to himself, Takeo again looked at Chi- 
 jiwa's card. But he could not trouble himself 
 long with such disagreeable thoughts. He made 
 up his mind to see him personally, and act accord- 
 ingly. His mind again turned to his present happy 
 situation, when Nami came in with some black 
 tea she had made after changing her dress. 
 
 "Black tea? Thank you." 
 
 He left the chair to sit by the fire. 
 
 " How about mother? " 
 
 " She has just gone to bed." 
 
 Giving him a cup of hot tea and looking at his
 
 JSamt-fco 
 
 red face, Nami said : " Have you a headache, my 
 dear? You have taken more sake than was good 
 for you. Mother urged you too much." 
 
 " Oh, no. We had such a good time, didn't 
 we? I was so much interested in father's con- 
 versation that I scarcely knew how much I was 
 drinking," and he laughed. " You have indeed a 
 good father, haven't you, Nami-san ? " 
 
 Nami smiled, and, glancing at him, said: 
 
 " And more than that, a good " 
 
 " What? What did you say? " 
 
 With an astonished look, Takeo rolled his eyes 
 purposely. 
 
 " I don't know," said she, flushing and looking 
 down, as she played with her ring. 
 
 " Bless my heart ! When did you learn to say 
 such nice things? The breastpin was not worth it." 
 
 Rubbing her rosy cheeks with her hands which 
 had been warmed at the fire, and heaving a little 
 sigh, Nami reflected : " Indeed, for a long time 
 mother must have been very lonely. When I think 
 that you must go on duty again so soon it makes 
 me feel that time passes all too fast." 
 
 " But if I stay always at home, you are sure 
 to say, on every third day, ' My dear, you had 
 better go out for a walk, hadn't you ? ' ' 
 [92]
 
 f)oinr life 
 
 "How dare you say that? More tea?" 
 
 Taking a sip and knocking off the ashes from 
 his cigar into the fire-box, he looked contentedly 
 around the room. 
 
 " After having been rocked in a hammock for 
 more than half a year, I find this kind of room too 
 spacious for me ; everything is as luxurious as para- 
 dise. I seem to be enjoying a second honeymoon. 
 Doesn't it seem so to you, Nami-san?" 
 
 Indeed, they had parted soon after their mar- 
 riage, and now met after the lapse of half a year 
 to live over the happiest time in their memory. 
 
 Words were now lost between them, and they 
 only smiled and looked at each other in dreamy 
 ecstasy. The delicate fragrance of the plum-blos- 
 soms filled the room as the happy couple sat to- 
 gether before the fire. 
 
 Nami raised her head as if awakened by a new 
 thought. 
 
 "Shall you go, then, to Yamaki's?" 
 
 " To Yamaki's? Mother wants me to, so I sup- 
 pose I must go." 
 
 " I wish to go, too." 
 
 " Yes, certainly. Let's go together." 
 
 " No, I sha'n't go." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 [93]
 
 " Because I am a little afraid." 
 
 " Afraid ? What do you fear ? " 
 
 "I am hated, you know." 
 
 " Hated? By whom, Nami-san? " 
 
 " There is some one who hates me. Shall I tell 
 you? It is O-Toyo-san!" 
 
 " Oh, nonsense! But she's a silly girl, isn't she? 
 I wonder if any one will ever ask for her hand ? " 
 
 " Mother says that Chijiwa is on familiar terms 
 with Yamaki. He would do well to marry her." 
 
 "Chijiwa? Chijiwa? Damnable fellow! I 
 knew he was a smart man, but I did not think 
 of his ever being under suspicion. I am almost 
 ashamed of the officers of the present day though 
 I am one of them. They do not retain even a 
 shadow of the old Samurai spirit, and they are 
 all trying to get rich. Of course I don't mean 
 that officers should be poor. No, it is all right 
 for them to be thrifty and to provide for their 
 families in time of need. But what I mean is this: 
 that one whose sole duty is to guard one's country 
 should not indulge in money-making, especially by 
 such disgraceful means as to loan money at a high 
 rate of interest, to appropriate part of a poor sol- 
 dier's provisions, or to arrange with supply-mer- 
 chants for unlawful commissions. And then what 
 [94]
 
 |)0me life 
 
 annoys me most is the gambling. I know some of 
 my fellow officers are indulging in it, and I feel 
 very sensitive about it. Every one nowadays seems 
 to do nothing but flatter his superiors and rob his 
 inferiors of their money." 
 
 The ensign, as yet inexperienced in worldly 
 ways, attacked furiously the vices of some of the 
 officers as if he were speaking face to face with 
 them, Nami taking in with delicious delight every 
 word that fell from his lips. She felt proud of 
 her brave husband, and wanted to see him raised 
 to the position of Minister of the Navy, or, at least, 
 to that of Head of the Ordnance Bureau, so that 
 he might make a sweeping reform in the navy. 
 
 " I think what you say is very true. I don't 
 know much about it, but when father was a Min- 
 ister of State, many brought presents to him and 
 made all sorts of requests. Father, of course, hated 
 their ways, and told them that things which were 
 to be done would be done without their special 
 request, and things which could not be done would 
 not be done, however much they tried to influence 
 him. But still they sent him many presents under 
 some pretext or other. And father would say, 
 laughingly, that it was no wonder everybody de- 
 sired to be an official." 
 
 [95]
 
 " Exactly. The navy and the army are just 
 alike in that respect. Ah, money is everything." 
 Looking at the clock, which was just striking, he 
 said: "Why, it's ten o'clock!" 
 
 " Indeed, time flies so fast! " said Nami. 
 
 [96]
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 gamafei entertain^ 
 
 TTTYOZO YAMAKI'S estate at Shiba was not 
 J_J_very large, but it bordered a part of Sakura- 
 gawa Street and some portion of Nishinokubo hill. 
 The garden contained a pond irregular in shape, 
 with plenty of natural rocks to give it a wild air. 
 Paths led here and there up the hill, while bridges 
 were built across the narrow portions of the pond. 
 Maples, pines, cherry-trees, and bamboo-bushes arti- 
 ficially dotted the landscape, while in strong con- 
 trast a massive stone lamp-post and a quaint Inari 
 shrine stood among them. Far back from the street 
 a summer-house was concealed and reserved for the 
 sudden discovery of the surprised visitor. It was 
 astonishing that such a garden should be found 
 within the gates of a comparatively unostentatious 
 estate, but this was Yamaki's castle in the air; not 
 in the unrealized sense, but in the substantial sense 
 of something built by thousands of dollars unlaw- 
 fully amassed. 
 
 It was already past four in the afternoon. The 
 evening cawing of crows was heard far and near, 
 
 [97]
 
 when a man in native full dress was seen leaving 
 the noise of the house and climbing the garden hill, 
 faintly illuminated by the setting sun. 
 
 It was Takeo. Being unable to withstand his 
 mother's wish, he came to Yamaki's feast, but he 
 found no pleasure in meeting and in drinking taste- 
 less sake with guests whom he did not know. Sev- 
 eral kinds of entertainment were provided, the last 
 being the questionable dancing of professional girls, 
 followed by a general orgy of the whole company. 
 Being disgusted with such vulgarity, he had wanted 
 to leave the place long before, and would have 
 done so but for the repeated request of Yamaki 
 to stay to the last, and the non-appearance of 
 Chijiwa, whom he felt that he must see. So he 
 slipped away for a moment, and strolled by him- 
 self, in order that his flushed face might be fanned 
 by the cool evening breeze. 
 
 A few days after Takeo's father-in-law had told 
 him about Chijiwa's conduct, a stranger with an 
 alligator-leather satchel called unexpectedly, and, 
 showing Takeo a note of which he knew nothing, 
 asked for the payment of three thousand yen. The 
 note was signed by Yasuhiko Chijiwa in his own 
 handwriting, and the endorser appeared to be none 
 other than Takeo Kawashima, under whose name 
 [98]
 
 |3amafet Cntrrtatno 
 
 appeared his legal seal. The stranger said that, 
 though the note had long since expired, the borrower 
 had not even tried to take it up, and, more than 
 that, had suddenly moved away to some other place. 
 He was obliged to call upon the security, being 
 unable to see Chijiwa even at his office. The note 
 seemed to be legally correct, and the letters shown 
 concerning it were undoubtedly written by Chijiwa. 
 Astonished at this unexpected affair, Takeo pro- 
 ceeded at once to look into the matter, but found 
 that his mother and the steward Tazaki knew 
 nothing of it, nor had they ever allowed Chijiwa 
 the use of Takeo's legal seal. Considering, how- 
 ever, the matter in connection with the recent 
 rumor about Chijiwa, Takeo was not slow to 
 guess at the probable facts in the case. He was try- 
 ing to see him on the very day when Chijiwa wrote 
 to Takeo, desiring to meet him at Yamaki's on 
 the following day. 
 
 As soon as they met, Takeo intended to ask 
 Chijiwa about the matter, tell him briefly and to 
 the point what he thought of him, and be gone. 
 But Chijiwa was very late in arriving. With his 
 anger smouldering, Takeo went up the hill-path, 
 by the bushes of slender bamboo, and, finding the 
 open summer-house in the shade of the ivies, he 
 [99]
 
 had rested awhile in it before he heard the light 
 sound of wooden clogs on an adjoining path, and 
 Toyo suddenly confronted him. With her hair 
 dressed in a high shimada and clothed in triple 
 robes of lilac crape, she stood there unconscious 
 of any incongruity between the gaudy attire and 
 her mean bearing. Making her crescent-shaped eyes 
 still narrower, she exclaimed: 
 
 " So you are here ! " 
 
 Dauntless as he was in the face of a shrieking 
 shell from a 3O-centimetre gun, he shrank from the 
 attack of this unexpected enemy, and, trying to 
 retire, turned about instantly on his heel. Being 
 alarmed, she pursued him, exclaiming: " Takeo- 
 san!" 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 " Father wants me to show you around the 
 garden." 
 
 "You to show me? I don't want any one to 
 show me around the garden." 
 
 "But " 
 
 " Leave me alone. It pleases me better." 
 
 A cold refusal such as this might well seem 
 to discourage the boldest seducer, but she would 
 not let him go. 
 
 [100]
 
 JJaraafci (Entertain* 
 
 " I don't see why you want to run away from 
 me." 
 
 Takeo was brought to a standstill. 
 
 More than ten years ago, when Takeo's father 
 was in charge of a certain Prefecture, and Toyo's 
 father was an official under him, Takeo used often 
 to meet Toyo. Being then a mere boy, he de- 
 lighted in teasing the little girl, and, although at 
 times he caused her to cry, he was still fond of 
 his playfellow. Now, after the lapse of so many 
 years, during which things had changed, children 
 had grown to men, and Takeo had taken to himself 
 a young wife, Toyo cherished as ever her hopeless 
 love for the mischievous boy, although he had be- 
 come the young man who bore the title of Baron 
 Kawashima. Rough as he was, the naval officer 
 knew something of her mind, and was on his guard 
 against her, even on his rare visits to Yamaki. To- 
 day, however, he was taken by surprise, and easily 
 fell a prey to her stratagem. 
 
 "Run away? I have no need to run away. I 
 go where I choose." 
 
 " You speak too bluntly." 
 
 Feeling ridiculous, foolish, troubled, and offended 
 in turn, Takeo wanted to go, and tried to turn 
 away, but to no purpose. In the secluded corner 
 [101]
 
 j&amt feo 
 
 of the garden he was almost at the mercy of his 
 persistent pursuer. At last a thought flashed 
 through his mind. 
 
 "Has Chijiwa come yet? O-Toyo-san, please go 
 and see for me." 
 
 " Chijiwa-san will not be here before evening." 
 
 " Does he come here often ? " 
 
 " Yes ; he was here yesterday and talked with 
 father till late." 
 
 " Did he ? Well, but he may be here now. Just 
 go and see, please." 
 
 " No, I won't." 
 
 "But why?" 
 
 " You are sure to run away. Though you don't 
 like me and think Nami-ko-san beautiful, it is 
 very rude of you to send me away like that." 
 
 As Takeo wished to avoid any argument with 
 Toyo, he had no other resource but to walk away 
 from her. At that moment a voice was heard 
 calling for Toyo. A maid appeared and stopped her. 
 Availing himself of the opportunity, Takeo turned 
 around the bamboo-bushes and walked hurriedly 
 some distance. Breathing freely at last, and mut- 
 tering a complaint, he went back to the house 
 within whose walls he need not fear a second at- 
 tack. 
 
 [102]
 
 Pamafct Cntcrtains 
 
 The sun had gone down; the guests had dis- 
 persed; and the noise of the day was now trans- 
 ferred to the kitchen. Having taken off the cum- 
 bersome parts of his dress, Yamaki, the master of 
 the house, came almost staggering into a small room 
 in the back of the house, with a tobacco-tray in his 
 hand. He sat down as if crushed, his red, steam- 
 ing forehead glistening in the bright light of a 
 lamp. 
 
 " I have kept you waiting, gentlemen. I am 
 so glad that we had a lively party." He laughed. 
 " Well, Baron, you do not drink as if you were 
 a sailor. Your father could quaff bottle after bottle. 
 Though old, I am Hyozo Yamaki. It is an easy 
 matter to swallow half a gallon or so." 
 
 Chijiwa cast his jet-black eyes on Yamaki. 
 
 " You are in high spirits, Yamaki-san. Making 
 lots of money, I suppose? " 
 
 " No doubt about it. Why, speaking of that " 
 He chopped his sentences between puffs, and at last 
 succeeded in lighting his pipe after many fruitless 
 attempts. After puffing once, " That you know 
 what I mean is now in the market. I secretly 
 had their standing reported to me. They seem to 
 be in a bad fix, and I think we can make a trade 
 at a comparatively low figure. The business is very 
 
 [ I0 3]
 
 promising, and, now that foreigners are allowed to 
 reside in the interior, it will be more so. What do 
 you say to investing twenty or thirty thousand yen 
 in the name of Tazaki-kun, Baron? I am sure it 
 will make you richer." 
 
 The tongue of the drunkard ran on wheels. 
 Chijiwa, looking askance at Takeo, who was sitting 
 silent and stiff, continued: 
 
 "That of Aomono Street, isn't it? Didn't 
 they once have a very good business? " 
 
 " Yes, but they spoiled it by poor management. 
 If rightly handled, it will turn out to be a regular 
 gold mine." 
 
 " What a good chance ! Sorry it is not within 
 the power of a moneyless fellow such as I. But, 
 Takeo-kun, you will do well to try it." 
 
 Takeo had not spoken a word till now. A dark 
 shadow of displeasure had settled between his brows 
 and was now knitting them closer; casting a 
 fierce look at both of them, he began: 
 
 " I thank you for your kindness, but I don't 
 see any use of money-making for a man in my 
 profession, who knows not when he will be a prey 
 to the fishes or a target for an exploding shell. I 
 beg your pardon, but I would rather contribute 
 thirty thousand yen, if I could spare them, to the 
 [104]
 
 (Entertains 
 
 Seamen's Educational Fund, than to invest them 
 in the business you are talking of." 
 
 Chijiwa quickly surveyed Takeo's face upon his 
 downright refusal, and winked at Yamaki. 
 
 " Yamaki-san," he said, " I may be selfish, but 
 I want you to put off this matter till after my affair 
 is settled. Baron Kawashima has been kind enough 
 to comply with my request, and so I want you to 
 do as I desired. You have your seal with you?" 
 
 He took out something like a promissory note and 
 placed it before Yamaki. 
 
 No wonder that Chijiwa was under a cloud. 
 Taking advantage of his position during the last 
 year, he not only had been Yamaki's adviser and 
 spy and shared in his profit, but had boldly made 
 use of government funds and tried his luck on the 
 stock exchange, which attempt had ended in a loss 
 of over five thousand yen. Forcing Yamaki and 
 shelling out all he himself had, Chijiwa managed 
 to get together about two thousand yen, but still 
 there was a deficit of three thousand to be made up. 
 His only relative, Kawashima, was rich, and the 
 widow was very fond of him. Chijiwa knew the 
 nature of his tight-fisted aunt too well to ask frankly 
 a loan, and yet, needing the funds for the time 
 being, he committed a crime by forging Takeo's
 
 Barai/feo 
 
 seal, and borrowed the sum at a high rate of interest. 
 The note soon expired, and he was annoyed to 
 find the money-lender was so urgent as to send an 
 open notice even to his government office. There 
 being no help, he tried to induce Takeo, who 
 had just come home, to loan him three thousand 
 yen to cover the other three thousand. Thus he 
 was trying to redeem Takeo's name with Takeo's 
 money! He had called on Takeo the other day, but 
 had not been able to see him. Then an official trip 
 took him away from town for a few days, and 
 kept him totally ignorant of the fact that the usurer 
 had already been to Kawashima's. 
 
 Yamaki nodded ; ringing a bell for a red ink-pad 
 and running his eyes over the note, he took out his 
 seal and stamped it under his name as security. 
 
 Chijiwa took it up and placed it before Takeo, 
 as he said : " Now the note is ready. When can 
 I get the money? " 
 
 " I have it with me." 
 
 "With you? You are joking." 
 
 " Yes, I have. Here three thousand yen. All 
 right, isn't it?" 
 
 He took from his pocket something wrapped in 
 paper and tossed it to Chijiwa. 
 
 Chijiwa, who had picked it up wonderingly and 
 [106]
 
 )ainnfei Cntcrtaino 
 
 opened it, turned suddenly red in the face, and 
 the next moment turned black with rage and ground 
 his teeth furiously. What he saw before his eyes 
 was the note which he believed was still in the 
 hands of the usurer the note which Takeo, on 
 his part, after due inquiry into the matter, had paid 
 silently for the shameless debtor. 
 
 " Why, this " 
 
 " You pretend not to recognize it? Confess 
 your guilt like a man ! " 
 
 Thoroughly circumvented by Takeo, at whom he 
 had been laughing till this very moment as a mere 
 boy, Chijiwa bit his lip with a vengeance, his whole 
 soul being aflame with rage. 
 
 Yamaki sat as if petrified, holding his long pipe 
 by the wrong end and looking mechanically at the 
 faces of his companions. 
 
 " Chijiwa," said Takeo, " I won't say any more 
 about this. We are cousins, and I will never sue 
 for the forgery of my seal. I paid the man three 
 thousand yen, and so his dunning notices will not 
 reach your office again. You may be at ease upon 
 that point." 
 
 Stared out of countenance, Chijiwa tried hard 
 to appear calm. He would gladly have pounced 
 upon Takeo but for his quickness to see, even in
 
 JQami-feo 
 
 his fury, that it was too late to justify himself. 
 So he changed his attitude at once. 
 
 " Well, my dear cousin, I feel ashamed of myself 
 to be thus spoken to. But I was forced to " 
 
 " Forced to ? Forced to borrow money by violat- 
 ing the civil and moral law?" 
 
 " Just a moment, please. It was like this. I 
 was hard pressed for money and had nowhere to go 
 for it. Had you been at home, I should of course 
 have spoken to you about it, but how could I ask 
 aunt for such a thing? Then it was so urgent that, 
 counting on something I had expected last month, 
 I I knew it was very, very wrong, but I in- 
 tended to confess frankly when all was settled " 
 
 " Nonsense. How could one who intended to 
 confess frankly dare to borrow another three thou- 
 sand yen without a word ? " 
 
 Yamaki, alarmed at the fierceness of Takeo, who 
 seemed tempted to attack Chijiwa, said: "Hold 
 on, Baron. Don't get excited. I know nothing 
 about the matter, but I think you will do well to 
 be lenient, Baron, as he is your cousin. Two or three 
 thousand yen is not a very large sum. Chijiwa-kun 
 is wrong. There is no doubt about that. But, if 
 this be made public, Chijiwa-kun can no longer 
 hold his position. And so I pray, Baron " 
 [108]
 
 i (Entertains 
 
 " I told you that for that reason I had paid 
 the debt, and was not going to sue for it. Yamaki, 
 you had better be silent; this does not concern 
 you at all." Turning to Chijiwa, he said: "No, 
 that I won't do, but I'll break off friendship with 
 you from this very moment." 
 
 The thing having gone to this length, Chijiwa 
 saw that he need no longer be afraid, and began, 
 in a bold and sarcastic way: 
 
 "Break off friendship? I am not particularly 
 sorry for that, but " 
 
 Takeo's eyes shot fire. 
 
 " You don't care for that if only you have money? 
 You coward ! " 
 
 "What?" 
 
 Yamaki, who had become somewhat sobered at 
 the situation, could not refrain from putting in a 
 word. 
 
 " Baron Chijiwa-san well, be be still 
 a moment. You can't settle it in that way. Say, 
 now wait." Turning this way and that way: 
 " I say, wait." 
 
 They were forced to calm down. After a while 
 
 Takeo broke the silence, fixing his eyes on Chijiwa: 
 
 " Chijiwa, I won't say anything more about this. 
 
 We were brought up from childhood like brothers, 
 
 [109]
 
 and I really thought you my superior in talent as 
 well as in age. I thought that we might be a mutual 
 help, and I meant to do my best for you as long 
 as I could. Until lately my trust in you has defied 
 all ill-report about you. But really I was deceived 
 by you. To deceive me is a personal affair, but, 
 more than that, you no, I will not say it. I do 
 not care to hear how you spent the three thousand 
 yen. But let me say one word. You may not know 
 how quick people's eyes and ears are. But I tell 
 you that you're now under suspicion. I advise 
 you to take care not to smirch the honor of a soldier. 
 You care for nothing more precious than gold, so it 
 is useless to talk, but study what shame is. I 
 shall refuse to see you in the future. I formally 
 make you a present of the three thousand yen." 
 
 Thus, speaking gravely, Takeo took up the note 
 before him and tore it to pieces. Rising suddenly, he 
 stepped out into the adjoining room and ran against 
 and knocked down Yamaki's daughter, Toyo, who 
 appeared to have been listening. Leaving her cry- 
 ing for help, he went out boldly towards the 
 porch. 
 
 The dumfounded Yamaki looked at Chijiwa, 
 whose eyes had just been raised to meet his: 
 
 "How boyish he is still! But, Chijiwa-san, 
 [no]
 
 i Cntec'tatns 
 
 three thousand yen for breaking off friendship 
 it isn't so bad, is it? " 
 
 Chijiwa looked down at the scattered pieces of 
 the note and remained motionless, biting his lips. 
 
 [in]
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Continences 
 
 ARLY in February, Nami caught a cold. She 
 n recovered, but one evening she had to 
 sit up till late in order to finish a garment for 
 her mother-in-law, and she was taken sick again. 
 And on this, the fifteenth of the month, she was 
 still confined to her bed. 
 
 People love to remark that each winter exceeds 
 in cold any that went before, but, in this particular 
 year, they were certainly right, for the raw north 
 wind that daily raged often brought snow or rain, 
 and pierced one to the marrow even on fine days. 
 The strong fell sick, the ill died, and many were 
 the death-notices in the papers. The cold helped 
 to prolong the indisposition of Nami, who was not 
 in any way strong, and, though she showed no 
 special symptom, she spent day after day languidly, 
 with a heavy head and little appetite. 
 
 The clock had just struck two. After its vibra- 
 tions had died away, everything seemed to be silent 
 for a while, and the slow tick-tock of the clock added 
 to the stillness of the moment. It was a remarkably 
 
 [112]
 
 Confluences 
 
 fine day for the season, and, though the light azure 
 of the early spring sky was shut out by four paper 
 screens, the mild light of the sun rested brightly on 
 them and a few filtered invisible rays even seemed to 
 dance about the nimble fingers of Nami, who was 
 lying down and knitting a black sock, and on her 
 glossy locks as they flowed wildly over a snow-white 
 pillow. On a screen to the left, the slender shadows 
 of a sumac were seen drooping over a bronze basin ; 
 on the right was clearly outlined an old broad- 
 stemmed plum-tree, whose bare boughs kept inter- 
 weaving in and out, the budding shadow with 
 flowers few and far between bespeaking a spring 
 still in its infancy. Above the low wainscot of one 
 screen the little head of a kitten basking in the 
 sunshine was shadowed forth. Suddenly she jumped 
 at a moth over her head, which had been allured 
 perhaps by the warm sun, and, missing it, fell flat 
 on the floor. But she did not seem to care a whit, 
 and presumably was taking her time in licking 
 her paws, as the shadow of her head was seen 
 nodding and nodding. Nami watched the whole 
 movement as pictured on the paper, and smiled, 
 but, being dazed, she shut her eyes and remained in 
 a dreamy dulness. Then, changing from one side 
 ["3]
 
 to the other, she stroked the half-knit sock and 
 began to move her needles in and out. 
 
 The noise of heavy footsteps was heard on the 
 veranda, and the dwarfed shadow of a portly human 
 figure moved along the screens. Presently it stopped 
 and disclosed itself to be the widow Kawashima, 
 who entered and sat by the bed. 
 
 " How do you feel to-day? " 
 
 " Much better, thank you, mother. I could get 
 up, but " 
 
 Nami put her work aside, and, adjusting her 
 clothes a little, tried to sit up. The widow stopped 
 her. 
 
 " Oh, no, that won't do. I am no stranger, you 
 know. Don't trouble yourself over my coming. 
 Why, look there, you are knitting again. That 
 won't do, either. A patient has nothing to do but 
 to look after herself, you see. Now, Nami, you 
 must forget everything on Takeo's account. Take 
 care and get well soon, my dear " 
 
 " Excuse me, I have been confined to my bed 
 so long " 
 
 " You are not talking to your mother, are you ? 
 I don't like that; you are altogether too distant." 
 
 The widow did not say everything that was 
 in her mind. She used to complain that daughters- 
 ["4]
 
 Confluences 
 
 in-law in these days were not polite enough to a 
 person of her position, and thought it was at least 
 one redeeming point in Nami's favor that she was 
 remarkably free from such a defect. But to-day she 
 was thinking of something else, and, as if she were 
 suddenly reminded of it, she asked: 
 
 " Oh, you got a letter from Takeo, did you not ? 
 What did he say?" 
 
 Nami took out a letter from under her pillow 
 and showed her a part of it, saying: 
 
 " He is coming back next Saturday, he says." 
 
 "Is he?" 
 
 The widow ran her eyes over the paper and gave 
 it back. 
 
 " H'm, what nonsense he talks about taking you 
 away for your health. If you move about in this 
 cold weather you will be sick even if you are strong. 
 A cold will be easily cured if you stay in bed 
 patiently. Takeo is young, you know, and so he 
 is always over-anxious and talks about doctors and 
 going somewhere for the health. When I was young 
 I hardly ever went to bed for a little sickness, and 
 even when my child was born I did not stay in 
 bed more than ten days. Write to Takeo, and tell 
 him not to be anxious about you, as I am here." 
 
 The widow laughed, but her eyes showed her
 
 displeasure. As she went out, Nami sat up, saying: 
 " Excuse me for not rising." 
 
 Then Nami drew a troubled breath. 
 
 She hardly believed that a mother could be jealous 
 of her son's wife, but, after the return of her 
 husband, she perceived that a strange feeling had 
 developed between her and her mother-in-law. 
 When Takeo returned from his cruise he found 
 Nami in very poor health; he sympathized with 
 her deeply for her anxiety for him during his ab- 
 sence, and his love for her was more apparent than 
 ever. Although Nami was very happy to be the ob- 
 ject of his thoughtful care, she was troubled to find 
 that her mother-in-law was jealous about it. How 
 hard it was, she thought, to love and be loved by 
 her husband, and yet to serve and please such a 
 mother-in-law as the widow was. 
 
 " Madam, Miss Kato is here to see you." 
 
 At the voice of the maid Nami opened her eyes. 
 On looking at the guest her face brightened joy- 
 fully. 
 
 " Well, O-Chizu-san ! It is so good of you to come 
 to see me." 
 
 " Do you feel better to-day? " 
 Putting aside her silk pouch and her head-gear of 
 [116]
 
 Confluences 
 
 lilac crape, a girl of about seventeen in shimada 
 approached Nami's bed. Her slender figure was 
 clothed in a black overcoat, and her sparkling black 
 eyes shone brightly under her well-formed eye- 
 brows. She was Chizu Kato, eldest daughter of 
 the Baroness Kato, Nami's aunt. 
 
 Nami and Chizu were cousins. They had been 
 great friends from the time they were in the kinder- 
 garten, and poor Koma, the younger sister of 
 Nami, often complained that she was left without 
 any playmate. And so, after the marriage of Nami, 
 while other schoolmates were estranged gradually, 
 Chizu, on the contrary, was- delighted at the near- 
 ness of their houses, and came to see her quite 
 often. During Takeo's long absence the greatest 
 consolation of the sad and lonely Nami, excepting 
 the letters of Takeo burning with love, were the 
 friendly visits of her dear Chizu. 
 
 Nami said, smilingly: "I feel much better to- 
 day, but my head is still heavy and my cough 
 very troublesome." 
 
 " Oh, that is bad. But how cold it is! " 
 
 Glancing at the maid, who courteously offered 
 her a cushion, she took a seat near Nami. Then, 
 warming her hands with their jewelled rings over
 
 jQamt-tto 
 
 the fire, she repeatedly covered her rosy cheeks with 
 them. 
 
 " Aunt and uncle are both well ? " 
 
 " All well, thank you. They are very anxious 
 about you, as it is so cold. We were saying last 
 night that when you get a little better you had 
 better go to Zushi for a change. It will certainly 
 do you good." 
 
 " Were you ? Takeo wrote me from Yokosura, 
 saying that I needed a change." 
 
 " Oh, did he ? Then you had better go as soon as 
 possible." 
 
 " But I shall get well very soon, anyway." 
 
 " You will have to be very careful of your 
 cold." 
 
 The maid came in and brought tea for Chizu. 
 
 " Kane, where is mother ? A guest ? Well, who ? 
 A man from the country? O-Chizu-san, you have 
 plenty of time to-day, I suppose? Kane, bring in 
 some nice things for O-Chizu-san." 
 
 " Why, I come often, you know. You can't 
 afford to entertain me always. Wait a moment." 
 Taking out a little box : " Your mother is fond 
 of rice dumpling, isn't she? I have brought her 
 some. But if she has a caller, take it in afterward." 
 
 " Thank you ; she will be so pleased." 
 [118]
 
 Chizu then took out some red oranges. " Look 
 here, aren't these nice? These are my present to 
 you. But I fear they aren't very sweet." 
 
 " Oh, how nice! Do peel one for me, please." 
 
 Nami tasted with a relish the one that Chizu 
 gave her, and tried to brush back the loose hair 
 playing about her forehead. 
 
 " You feel uncomfortable, don't you ? Isn't it 
 better to dress it loosely? Now, let me help you. 
 No, no need of sitting up; that is all right." 
 
 Chizu brought in the necessary things from a 
 toilet-stand in the adjoining room, and began to 
 comb Nami's hair gently. 
 
 " I haven't told you about the alumni meeting 
 we had yesterday. You received a notice, didn't 
 you ? We had a very nice time. Everybody wanted 
 to be remembered to you." With a light laugh, she 
 continued : " It is only a year since we left our 
 school, but already one-third of us are married. 
 It was such fun to see Okubo-san, Honda-san, 
 and Kitakoji-san; they all dressed their hair in 
 marumage, and they looked peculiarly grave. Do 
 I hurt you? And, dear me, they all talked about 
 themselves. And then we had a debate on the 
 advisability of parents and married sons living apart. 
 Kitakoji-san took the negative, saying that her inex- 
 
 C"9]
 
 perience as a housekeeper had constantly been sup- 
 plemented by the help of her gentle mother-in-law, 
 while Okubo-san championed the affirmative side, her 
 mother-in-law, you know, being very strict. 
 
 " Oh, it was so funny ! And then I tried to 
 perplex them, when they told me that I had no 
 business in such discussion, as I was still an out- 
 sider! Isn't this a little too tight?" 
 
 " No, not at all. You must have enjoyed it very 
 much. Every one spoke from her own experience, I 
 imagine. Things are different in each house, so 
 you cannot include all in a general proposition, I 
 suppose. O-Chizu-san, you remember what aunt 
 said once; that young people alone are apt to 
 become indolent and selfish. I think she was right 
 in saying so. We should not neglect the older 
 people ; don't you agree with me ? " 
 
 Nami was a thoughtful girl who had a taste of 
 her own in managing household affairs. She lis- 
 tened to her father's teachings with intelligence, 
 and watched the ways of her stepmother with 
 critical eyes. And she looked forward to the time 
 when one day she should be mistress of her own 
 house and put her ideas into practice. But here 
 with the Kawashima family she found what she had 
 scarcely dreamed of. The whole administrative 
 [120]
 
 Confluences 
 
 power lay in the hands of an empress dowager, and 
 she herself stood in the position of a nominal princess 
 imperial. To conform to the new situation for 
 a while and wait for a better day this was what 
 she did. But when she found herself standing 
 between her husband and his mother, and unable 
 to help him as she desired, she silently wept over 
 her hard fortune, and often doubted if her step- 
 mother's favorite theory on separate living, which 
 Nami once thought not congenial to her country's 
 custom, was not after all the better one. Nami, 
 however, was too spirited to give up rashly her 
 long-cherished ideas. 
 
 Tying Nami's coiffure with white ribbon, Chizu, 
 unable to read the inner thoughts of her cousin, 
 who had spent ten years under a stepmother and 
 almost one year by the side of a mother-in-law, 
 looked into her face and said, with a low voice: 
 " Does she still get out of temper often ? " 
 
 " Sometimes, but she treats me kindly since I 
 have been sick. But she does not like me to 
 think so much of Takeo, that is the trouble. And 
 then Takeo on his part always tells me that here 
 mother is the queen, and I must try to please her 
 more than him ! Yes, but let's stop talking about 
 such things. I feel more comfortable, thank you. 
 
 [121]
 
 jftami ko 
 
 My head is much better now." And, feeling of 
 her head-dress, Nami closed her eyes wearily. 
 
 Putting away the comb and wiping her hands with 
 a piece of soft paper, Chizu stood a while before 
 the toilet-stand, where she finally noticed a little 
 box. As she opened it and took out something, 
 she said : " I am never tired of looking at this 
 pin. It is so beautiful. Takeo-san has good taste, 
 hasn't he?" Coming back to her seat: " Shunji, 
 you know, always urges me to study French or 
 German. He thinks that the wife of a diplomat 
 ought to know one of them. But it's too hard for 
 me." Shunji was the name of Chizu's future hus- 
 band, now an official in the Foreign Department. 
 
 " How I shall love to see you in marumage 
 though the shimada becomes you so well," laughed 
 Nami. 
 
 "Oh, mercy!" 
 
 Her beautiful eyebrows were drawn together, but 
 a smile which blossomed out of her dainty lips 
 betrayed her. 
 
 " You know, O-Nami-san, Hagiwara-san, who 
 graduated the year before us ? " 
 
 "Yes, she who was married to Matsudaira? " 
 
 "Yes; she was divorced yesterday, I hear." 
 
 " Divorced ? What was the trouble ? " 
 
 [122]
 
 Confluences! 
 
 " She was much liked by her husband's parents, 
 but Matsudaira appeared to take a dislike to her." 
 
 " Has she not a child ? " 
 
 " Yes, one. But Matsudaira turned from her 
 to a bad woman, and was so shameless in his in- 
 fidelity that Hagiwara-san's father got very angry, 
 and said that he would not have his daughter 
 married to such a man. And he at last called her 
 back." 
 
 "What a pity! Why did he dislike her ? Wasn't 
 it very cruel in him? " 
 
 " Indeed, it makes me angry to think of it. I 
 wish it had been the other way. How wretched 
 one must be not to be loved by one's husband, 
 although liked by his parents." 
 
 Nami sighed. 
 
 " It makes me feel sad and lonely to think how 
 those who attended the same school and studied 
 in the same class-room are scattered far and wide, 
 each following her own destiny. O-Chizu-san, we 
 two must be friends forever and stand by each 
 other!" 
 
 " That is my prayer." 
 
 Their hands were clasped unconsciously. After 
 a while Nami smiled, and said : " I dream of lots 
 of things as I lie here idle. Don't laugh at me
 
 if I tell you one of my dreams. Suppose many 
 years hence we should have war with some foreign 
 power, and Japan wins. Then Shunji-san as Min- 
 ister of State for Foreign Affairs will go abroad to 
 negotiate a peace treaty, and Takeo as Commander- 
 in-Chief of our fleet will station scores of vessels 
 at the enemy's ports " 
 
 " And then uncle of Akasaka will be Commander- 
 in-Chief of the Army, and my father in the Upper 
 House will have a bill passed appropriating hun- 
 dreds of millions of yen for the army and navy 
 expenditures." 
 
 " And then O-Chizu-san and I will join the 
 ranks of the Red Cross." 
 
 " But you can't do that if you are not strong," 
 laughed Chizu. 
 
 No sooner had Nami laughed than she coughed 
 and put her hand to her right breast. 
 
 " We have talked too much. Are you in pain 
 there?" 
 
 " When I cough it hurts me here." 
 
 As she spoke Nami turned her eyes to the fading 
 light.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 ONLY five days following his return home in 
 disgrace with Takeo, and harboring a grudge 
 in his breast, Chijiwa was transferred suddenly 
 from his office at the Headquarters to a regiment 
 in the First Division. 
 
 There is a time at least once in life when every- 
 thing we do goes wrong, and we are constantly hur- 
 ried from bad to worse, as if Heaven would never 
 stop chastising us. During the past year Chijiwa had 
 been in this strait, and as yet he was unable to 
 see his way out. Nami had been snatched away 
 by Takeo ; his speculations had failed ; the borrow- 
 ing of money brought him disgrace; Takeo, whom 
 he had slighted as a mere boy, had humiliated him ; 
 and the intercourse with the Kawashima family, his 
 only relatives, had come to an end. And, more 
 than this, without a word of warning he was 
 stripped of his position at Headquarters, which, as 
 a short cut to his speedy promotion, he would have 
 defended at all hazards, and was consigned 
 to a petty office in a division which he had
 
 J&amt feu 
 
 despised hitherto as a mere drudgery. Chijiwa, 
 however, was conscious of his guilt, and did not 
 dare to protest. Disdaining nothing in his mis- 
 fortune, he served in his new office unblushingly. 
 Hitherto he had been a self-possessed man who 
 never lost his presence of mind, but this last incident 
 dealt him such a blow that, whenever his thoughts 
 turned to his disgrace, he could not prevent his 
 blood from boiling up like a seething pit. 
 
 The present condition of Cbijiwa's life was 
 like that of a man who, putting his feet on the 
 ladder of promotion which leads inevitably to the 
 crown of success, had been knocked off suddenly 
 when he had already ascended one or two rounds. 
 But who had knocked him off? From a slight 
 hint in Takeo's words, and from the fact that the 
 Chief of the Headquarters staff was an intimate 
 friend of Lieutenant-General Kataoka, Chijiwa sus- 
 pected that the latter had at least some share in 
 the matter. Again, he knew Takeo to be a man 
 quite indifferent to money. So his extraordinary 
 anger about three thousand yen though it in- 
 cluded the seal forgery argued something deeper 
 than a matter of mere money. Might not Nami 
 have slandered him to Takeo about his old love- 
 making? The deeper he reflected the more his 
 [126]
 
 suspicion became fact, and this in time added fuel 
 to his wrath. His resentment toward his lost love, 
 his chagrin at the loss of a promising position, and 
 all sorts of feelings of despair, jealousy, and hatred 
 eddied around the general, Nami, and Takeo, and 
 rose up like tongues of flame. He had been proud 
 of his cool-headedness and had laughed at the folly 
 of forgetting calculation in the heat of excitement. 
 But now, after these repeated overthrows, he lost 
 his temper so far that if he could not find vent for 
 the swelling volume of his venomous feelings he 
 felt as if he could no longer contain himself. 
 
 Revenge, revenge! There is no joy in this world 
 comparable to that of sipping the blood of those 
 whom we have detested, and of smacking the lips 
 over its deliciousness. Revenge, revenge! But 
 how? How could he lay a mine to blow up the 
 two odious houses of Kataoka and Kawashima, and, 
 springing it from a safe distance, glory in the de- 
 lightful scene in which the flesh of the hated men 
 and women would be rent and their bones crushed 
 as they all were sent half-alive to hell? This was 
 the problem that had crossed and recrossed Chijiwa's 
 mind, day and night, since last January. 
 
 It was the middle of March, when the plum- 
 blossoms were falling like flakes of snow. One 
 
 ["7]
 
 J&arai ko 
 
 day Chijiwa went to the Shinbashi Station to meet 
 a friend who had been transferred to Tokyo from 
 the Third Division. As he was going out of the 
 waiting-room he chanced to meet a tall lady with 
 a young girl just outside of the ladies' room. 
 
 "How do you do?" 
 
 Madam Kataoka and Koma stood in front of 
 him. For a moment Chijiwa changed color, but he 
 instantly recovered himself, reading from their faces 
 that they knew nothing of his conduct. He bore 
 malice, it was true, for the general and Nami, but 
 he saw at once there was no use in being an enemy 
 to Madam Kataoka. So he made a courteous bow, 
 and smilingly said, " How do you do? " 
 
 " You are quite a stranger." 
 
 " I should have called on you, but I have been 
 kept very busy these days. Where are you going 
 now?" 
 
 "ToZushi. And you?" 
 
 " Just to meet a friend here. Are you going 
 for a vacation ? " 
 
 " Oh, haven't you heard the news ? We have 
 a patient." 
 
 "A patient? Who is it?" Chijiwa wondered. 
 
 " Nami," answered the viscountess. 
 
 The bell rang at this moment, and the passen- 
 [128]
 
 gees went along like a tide to the gates. Koma 
 urged her mother to hurry, saying, " Mother, it 
 is time." 
 
 Chijiwa took a bag from the hand of the vis- 
 countess and walked by her side. 
 
 "Is she very ill?" 
 
 " Yes, it is lung trouble." 
 
 " Lung trouble ? Consumption ? " 
 
 " Well, she had a severe hemorrhage, and so 
 went to Zushi the other day for the season. I am 
 going to see her now." Taking the bag from 
 Chijiwa at the gate, she thanked him, adding: 
 " Good-by ; I will be back soon. Come and see 
 me sometime." 
 
 As he watched the beautiful cashmere shawl and 
 the red-ribboned coiffure vanish into a first-class 
 compartment, Chijiwa turned about with a revenge- 
 ful smile on his lips. 
 
 Seeing that Nami's symptoms became more and 
 more marked, the doctor did all he could without 
 exciting alarm. But for all that her condition grew 
 steadily worse, and by the beginning of March it 
 became apparent that she was a victim of con- 
 sumption. 
 
 Even her mother-in-law, who, taking pride in 
 [129]
 
 her own health, had derided the weakness of young 
 people and turned a deaf ear to any such plan of 
 treating sickness by a change of climate, was alarmed 
 at Nami's hemorrhages. She also was afraid of 
 the consequences, she had heard of the infec- 
 tious nature of this dreadful disease, and had 
 followed the advice of the doctor in sending Nami 
 with a suitable nurse to Kataoka's villa at Zushi. 
 
 Nami had shrunk from the first attacks of the 
 disease, feeling as if she were a lonely traveller 
 in a vast stretch of wilderness enshrouded in a coal- 
 black sheet of threatening clouds. But now that 
 the awful silence was already broken, and Nami 
 stood in the midst of deafening thunder and ghastly 
 lightning, black wind and smoking rain, she de- 
 termined to pass on quickly through the thick folds 
 of storm at any cost. And yet how horrible to think 
 of the first attack. 
 
 It was the second day of March. Nami was 
 feeling unusually well and was trying to amuse 
 herself by arranging flowers something she had 
 not indulged in for a long time. Asking her hus- 
 band, who happened to be at home, to help her get 
 the material, she was sitting on the veranda and 
 selecting boughs from a beautiful budding red plum- 
 tree. All at once she felt a pain in her breast, her
 
 head swam, and, uttering an involuntary cry, was 
 immediately overcome by a hemorrhage. It had 
 come at last that moment which she had fore- 
 seen with a sense of horror, and she now felt that 
 she had caught a glimpse of her grave in the vague 
 distance. 
 
 Ah, death! When Nami had been a hapless 
 child life had little joy for her, and death little 
 sorrow. But now that she had tasted the sweets 
 of life, which was everything to her, to think of 
 its termination was simply terrible. And as she 
 meditated upon her doom, she felt that she must 
 fight against it by all means. Bracing her spirits, 
 too easily depressed, she assiduously took care of 
 herself, to the surprise of the attending doctor. 
 
 Takeo, who at that time was at the naval station 
 of Yokosura, within a short distance of Zushi, came 
 to see her often, snatching for this purpose every 
 spare hour. Letters came from her father, and 
 the visits of her aunt and Chizu were as frequent 
 as possible. And then her old nurse Iku, who had 
 been separated from her since the last summer, 
 when she was sent away from the Kawashima house- 
 hold, watched over her with a tenderness that 
 pleased Nami to such an extent that she even felt 
 a delight in the sadness of being ill, since it afforded
 
 the opportunity for their happy meeting. And, 
 besides, there was an old faithful servant who at- 
 tended to every comfort about the house. Nami, 
 who had left the city when it was cold, and placed 
 herself in the mild bosom of the sunny shore, 
 breathed in the warm light of kindly nature and 
 the still warmer atmosphere of human sympathy. 
 She felt relieved, and, after two weeks, the hemor- 
 rhage stopped and the cough lessened. The doctor, 
 who visited her twice a week from Tokyo, was 
 pleased to find no progress in the disease, even if 
 she was not improving, and he assured her that 
 there was a hope of recovery if she would not worry 
 and would remain patiently under medical treat- 
 ment. 
 
 It was the first Saturday in April, and, although 
 still early for cherry flowers in the capital, here at 
 Zushi the wild cherry-trees on the hills had already 
 begun to bloom, and patches of white were seen 
 on the green slopes. But to-day nature seemed to 
 be in a gloomy mood, and from early morning the 
 rain drizzled and the hills and sea were blotted 
 out in one misty gray. The long spring day ap- 
 peared to draw itself out endlessly. Toward even- 
 ing, however, the rain steadily increased and the
 
 wind began to rise. The wind shrieked and howled 
 through the doors and screens, and the rolling roar 
 of the angry sea sounded like the gallop of millions 
 of wild horses. The whole village of fishermen 
 bolted their doors, and not a light was seen to betray 
 their existence. 
 
 At the villa of Kataoka, however, a scene totally 
 different was presented. There Takeo was wel- 
 comed. He had been expected early in the day, 
 but, being unavoidably detained, he had hastened 
 to come through the deep dark of the stormy night. 
 He had already changed his dress and had eaten 
 supper, and was now leaning on a table reading 
 a letter. Opposite to him sat Nami, sewing a pretty 
 bag, and often stopping her needle to glance and 
 smile at her husband or to listen to the noise out- 
 side as she mused silently. A tuft of cherry flowers 
 and leaves was pinned in her hair. On the table 
 between the two was placed a lamp which burned 
 cheerfully and reflected a pink light from its shade. 
 In the vase near by a cherry spray was thrust, with 
 its snowy flowers silently drooping. Perhaps they 
 were dreaming of the spring they had left that 
 morning on the hill. 
 
 The noise of the wind and rain was heard rush- 
 ing and splashing around the house. 
 
 [ J 33]
 
 Takeo folded the letter. " Father seems to be 
 very anxious about you," said he. " I have to go 
 to Tokyo to-morrow, so I will try to go to Akasaka, 
 too." 
 
 "You are going to-morrow? In this weather? 
 But mother will be waiting for you. I wish to 
 go with you." 
 
 " Nami-san ! Don't forget what you are here 
 for. Remember for awhile that you are in exile." 
 
 "If this be exile, I wish that I might spend" my 
 whole life here. My dear, you may smoke." 
 
 "Do I look as if I wanted to smoke? Well, 
 I had better not while I am here. But on the 
 day before I come and the day after I will smoke 
 twice as much as usual." 
 
 Nami laughed, and said : " Well, as you are 
 so good I will give you some nice cakes. Iku will 
 bring them." 
 
 " Thank you. Did O-Chizu-san bring them ? 
 What is that? A pretty thing, isn't it?" 
 
 " I am just killing time by making this for 
 mother. Oh, no, this won't hurt me. I am taking 
 my time, you know. I feel so well this evening. 
 Won't you let me sit up a little longer? I don't 
 look sick now, do I ? " 
 
 " You ought to feel well, for Doctor Kawashima 
 [134]
 
 is here," he laughingly replied. " But you really 
 look better these days. No more fear about you." 
 
 Old Iku, who came in at that moment with 
 cakes and tea, remarked: 
 
 "What a terrible storm this is! We could 
 hardly sleep to-night if my master were not with 
 us. Miss Chizu has gone back, and the nurse also 
 has left for Tokyo. How lonely we should feel 
 without them, even though old Mohei is here." 
 
 " How a sailor at sea must feel in this kind of 
 weather! But I should think that the one who 
 is thinking of him at home is more to be pitied." 
 
 " Oh," said Takeo, drinking a cup of tea and 
 eating two or three pieces of cake in rapid succession, 
 " oh, this is mild weather. But if you were to be 
 in a big storm for two or three days in the South 
 China Sea, you would know what a terrible one 
 really is. A large vessel of over four thousand tons 
 will pitch thirty to forty degrees, the decks being 
 washed by the mountainous waves, and the hull 
 creaking like a wooden house. You wouldn't feel 
 very well, I'll wager you." 
 
 The wind grew more violent, and a blast dashed 
 
 the rain against the house, sounding like a shower 
 
 of pebbles. Nami shut her eyes and Iku shrugged 
 
 her shoulders. They stopped talking, and for a while 
 
 [135]
 
 J&ami-io 
 
 only the voice of the storm was heard raging 
 furiously. 
 
 " Let us stop talking about dismal things. You 
 can do no better in this kind of weather than to 
 make the lamp burn bright and talk cheerfully. 
 This place seems to be warmer than Yokosura. 
 Wild cherry-trees are already in bloom like these." 
 
 Putting the flowers in the vase, Nami said : " Old 
 Mohei brought this from the hill this morning. 
 Isn't it beautiful? This weather, I am afraid, will 
 do much harm to the trees on the hill. But how 
 brave this looks! Oh, yes, I read this afternoon 
 in the. poems of Rengetsu this pretty one: 
 
 " ' How I love thee, O flower fair, 
 
 E'er blooming in thy first delight, 
 And in the morning sun so bright 
 E'er falling bravely, pure as air.' " 
 
 "What? E'er falling bravely? I tell you, our 
 people admire flowers and everything else too much 
 as they fall. That is very gallant, but it is not good 
 to be too gallant. In war or in anything, those" 
 who die quickly are losing ground. I want to 
 encourage the headstrong, obstinate, and enduring 
 side of our people's character. And so my song
 
 will be like this. Listen. It will sound queer, as 
 it is my first trial, you know: 
 
 " Don't laugh and say 'tis obstinate 
 To stick so long, loathing to part 
 With life, but how it cheers my heart 
 To see the flowers bloom sedate 
 And bloom and bloom till Spring is late." 
 
 " How is this? Don't I beat Rengetsu?" 
 
 " Why, my master is a regular poet," remarked 
 Iku. " Don't you think so, madam ? " 
 
 Takeo was merry. " With old Iku's sanction, 
 I could at once establish my fame." 
 
 The noise of the increasing storm, reenforced by 
 that of the waves, filled a gap made in their talk, 
 and they felt as if they were out in a boat on the 
 angry sea. Old Iku went out to get some water 
 in a kettle. Nami took out the thermometer she 
 had just been using, and, reading it by the light, told 
 her husband proudly that her temperature was even 
 lower than usual. She then looked for a while at 
 the flowers on the table, and, suddenly dimpling, 
 said: 
 
 "It's just a year now. I remember the day 
 well. I was just starting in a carriage and my 
 folks came out to see me off, but I could not find
 
 words to say farewell. Then, as I crossed Tameike 
 Bridge, the evening overtook us and the full moon 
 rose. Cherry flowers were in full bloom on the 
 hill beyond, and, when I drove past, the petals 
 came falling off like flakes of snow and danced 
 into my carriage window. One settled on a lock 
 of my hair, and I did not know it until my aunt 
 picked it off when I was about to get out." 
 
 Takeo, resting his cheek on his hand, said : " Oh, 
 a year or so passes very quickly. It will not be 
 long before we shall celebrate our silver wedding. 
 It amuses me to think how composed you looked 
 at our wedding. I always wondered how you could 
 appear so cool." 
 
 " I know you did, but I will tell you confidently 
 that I was really scared and could hardly hold the 
 ceremonial cup." 
 
 Iku came in with the kettle, smiling. " You are 
 having a good time. I never felt so light-hearted 
 at seeing you merry. This reminds me of our 
 stay at Ikao last year." 
 
 "Ikao! How I enjoyed it!" said Nami. 
 
 "How about the fern-gathering?" asked Takeo. 
 " I remember a lady who took her own time." 
 
 " But you hurried me so much," she expostulated. 
 
 " It will soon be the season for ferns. You must
 
 get well, my dear, and we will have another fern- 
 gathering." 
 
 " Oh, yes, I must get well by that time." 
 
 The next day was miraculously fine after the 
 storm of the night. 
 
 Takeo was to go to Tokyo in the afternoon. 
 And wishing to take a walk that warm, windless 
 morning, he went out with Nami from the back 
 of the villa to the beach, passing over a sandy hill 
 covered with pine-trees. 
 
 "What fine weather! We never thought last 
 night that we should have such a fine day," said 
 Nami. 
 
 " No, indeed," replied Takeo. " See how near the 
 opposite shore seems to be. It looks as if it were 
 within call." 
 
 Stepping on the sandy beach, already dry, and 
 leaving behind them some children hunting for 
 shells and fishermen getting a seine ready, the two 
 walked along the crescent beach toward a lonely spot. 
 
 As if suddenly reminded of something, Nami 
 asked: "Do you know, my dear, what Chijiwa- 
 san is doing? " 
 
 " Chijiwa? That shameless fellow! I haven't 
 seen him since. But why do you ask about him ? " 
 
 I>39]
 
 Nami, hesitating: " Why, you will laugh at me, 
 but I dreamed about him last night." 
 
 ''You dreamed about him?" 
 
 " Yes, he was talking with mother." 
 
 " You worry yourself about such things," he said, 
 with a laugh. " But what was he talking 
 about?" 
 
 " I could not tell, but mother nodded many 
 times. O-Chizu-san told me the other day that 
 she had seen him and Yamaki walking together, so 
 I think that made me dream of him. My dear, 
 Chijiwa-san won't come to our house, will he?" 
 
 " He won't, I am sure. Mother is also angry 
 with him, you know." 
 
 A sigh escaped Kami's lips. 
 
 " I am always thinking how mother is vexed 
 with me on account of my illness." 
 
 Takeo felt a spasm go through him. He did 
 not tell his sick wife that since she had been away 
 his mother had become more and more ill-disposed 
 towards her, that she had advised him to keep away 
 as much as possible from Zushi for fear of infection, 
 or that she had grumbled about the trouble occa- 
 sioned by Nami's illness, and had even spoken ill 
 of the Kataoka family. If Takeo tried to appease 
 her, she would call him a fool, saying that he was 
 [140]
 
 2-u6l)t 
 
 disobeying his parent for his wife's sake. And 
 this happened more than once or twice. 
 
 " Oh, you are over anxious. Why should you 
 worry? Use all your strength to get well and be 
 ready for next spring. We will then go with 
 mother to Yoshino to enjoy the wild cherry flowers. 
 Well, we have come quite a ways. Do you feel 
 tired? Shall we turn back?" 
 
 The couple now stood where the sandy coast rose 
 into a rocky hill. 
 
 " Let's go to Fudo. I am not at all tired. I 
 feel as if I could walk as far as America." 
 
 "Are you sure you are all right? Perhaps you 
 had better put on this shawl. The rocks are slippery, 
 so hold my arm fast." 
 
 Takeo helped Nami to follow a narrow path over 
 the rocks, and, stopping many times on the way, 
 they went to where some threads of water were 
 falling from above. By the side of the waterfall 
 was a shrine of Fudo. A few pine-trees, lengthen- 
 ing out their stems from the slope, looked down over 
 the sea slantingly. 
 
 Takeo brushed the dust from a rock and spread 
 the shawl to let Nami sit upon it. He took his seat 
 by her, and, clasping his knees, exclaimed: "How 
 calm this is ! " 
 
 [HI]
 
 The sea was indeed very calm. The midday 
 sky was cloudless and blue to the very core of 
 heaven, and a vast expanse of the azure sea gleamed 
 here and there like a silken white sheet, and as 
 far as eye could reach not a single ripple disturbed 
 its perfect smoothness. The land and sea now rested 
 dreamily in a peaceful spring day. 
 
 " My dearest ! " said she. 
 
 "What is it?" he asked. 
 
 "Can this be cured?" 
 
 "What?" 
 
 " My disease." 
 
 "What are you talking about? Why should it 
 not be cured? Depend on me, you will be cured. 
 I will cure you ! " 
 
 Nami, leaning on her husband's shoulder : " But 
 I often think that I may never get well. My 
 mother died of this disease, and " 
 
 " Nami-san, why do you talk like that to-day ? 
 You are certain to get well. You heard the doctor 
 say so, didn't you? Well, your mother might be 
 by that disease, but you are under twenty, and 
 the disease is still in its early stage, so you may be 
 sure you will be cured. You know of Okahara, 
 one of our relatives? He lost his right lung, and 
 the doctors gave up all hopes of him, but he lived
 
 fifteen years after that. You will be cured if your 
 will is strong enough. If not, it will be due to my 
 lack of love for you. But I do love you, and so you 
 will get well. But why are you in this mood?" 
 
 Takeo took Nami's right hand and pressed it 
 passionately to his lips. On her finger there sparkled 
 a diamond ring given to her by Takeo. 
 
 The two remained silent for awhile. A white 
 sail appeared coming from the direction of Yeno- 
 shima, and glided along on the smooth sea. And 
 the merry songs of the far away fishermen were 
 wafted to them through the still air. 
 
 Nami, with a smile in her swimming eyes, said: 
 " I shall be cured. Yes, surely. But why must we 
 die? How I should like to live a thousand and 
 twenty years! But, if we must die, let us die 
 together! " 
 
 " When you are gone, you may be sure I shall 
 not live." 
 
 "Really? What a joy to die together! But 
 you have a mother and duty to attend, and cannot 
 do as you wish. I shall have to go first and wait. 
 Will you think of me often when I am gone? You 
 will, dearest, won't you ? " 
 
 Shedding tears and patting Nami on the head, 
 Takeo said : " Let's talk no more of such sad 
 [H3]
 
 things. Get well, Nami-san, and we shall live 
 to celebrate our golden wedding." 
 
 Clasping Takeo's hands tightly in hers and drop- 
 ping her head upon his knees, she wept. " I am 
 your wife even in death. Nothing shall ever part 
 us neither foes, disease, nor death. I am your 
 own till the very end of time ! " 
 
 [H4]
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 Befcenge 
 
 'HE smile that rose to Chijiwa's lips when 
 he heard at Shinbashi Station of Kami's illness 
 signalized his first feeling of triumph in finding an 
 unexpected clue to the solution of the hard problem 
 which had hitherto remained unsolvable. The hated 
 families of Kawashima and Kataoka were concen- 
 trated in the person of Nami. Her disease was 
 therefore a rare opportunity for revenge. Its in- 
 fectious and fatal nature and the habitual absence 
 of Takeo also favored his scheming. And it seemed 
 that a word or two dropped between the widow 
 and her daughter-in-law was all that was necessary. 
 If his mine exploded at once, he would but jump 
 aside and view from a safe place the whole tragedy 
 in which they would be writhing in one bloody 
 struggle. Chijiwa's mind dwelt upon his revenge 
 and cheered his depressed soul. 
 
 He knew well his aunt's nature. He knew that 
 
 she was not so much offended with him as Takeo 
 
 was. He knew that she always looked down upon 
 
 Takeo as a mere boy, and trusted more to his own 
 
 [H5]
 
 advice as a man of the world. He knew also that 
 as her relations were few and the young couple were 
 not at one with her, she was feeling lonesome in 
 spite of her extreme audacity, and that she wanted 
 some one to side with her. He, therefore, had no 
 difficulty in seeing that his scheme was sure of 
 success before he took a single step to advance it. 
 First of all, Chijiwa sent Yamaki occasionally 
 to the house of Kawashima to spy out its con- 
 dition, and also to set afloat false news about his 
 own penitent conduct. One night toward the end 
 of April, hearing that Nami was still far from well 
 after two months' treatment, and that his aunt 
 was more and more ill-disposed toward her, he 
 took advantage of Takeo's absence, and also of a 
 business trip of Steward Tazaki's, and found his 
 way to the house of Kawashima, which for a long 
 time had been unvisited by him. He happened to 
 find his aunt alone, deeply engrossed in thought, 
 with a letter from Takeo in her hand. 
 
 " No, there has been little result, though her 
 treatment costs a great deal of money," said the 
 widow. " It's more than two months, yet she is 
 far from recovery. I don't know really what to 
 do. I should be greatly relieved if I had some 
 [146]
 
 Eetoenge 
 
 one to advise me, but you know Take is still a 
 boy " 
 
 " I deeply sympathize with you, dear aunt. I 
 really ought not to be seen here, but this is a grave 
 matter for the house of Kawashima, and I cannot 
 keep silent when I think of what kindness you, 
 Takeo-san, and my deceased uncle have shown me. 
 And so I have been bold enough to call on you. 
 Well, dear aunt, there is no disease so dangerous 
 as consumption. You know there are many cases 
 in which a husband has caught it from his wife, 
 and the whole family has been swept away. I am 
 very anxious about Takeo-san, and if you are not 
 careful this will become a grave matter." 
 
 " You are right, I am also afraid of that, and 
 I have told Takeo not to go to Zushi. But he 
 won't hear me. Look here," pointing to the letter 
 in her hand, " nothing but his wife, what the doctor 
 said or the nurse did, and so on." 
 
 Chijiwa rejoined with a smile: 
 
 " But, aunt, that can't be helped. The love 
 between husband and wife can never be too great. 
 Takeo-san's care for his sick wife deserves nothing 
 but praise." 
 
 " Well, but is it right for him to disobey his 
 parents on account of his wife's sickness? " 
 [H7]
 
 Chijiwa sighed. 
 
 " How things have changed ! It was only yester- 
 day that we thought Takeo-san was well mated, 
 and you were pleased. But now has come the 
 turning-point in the history of the house of Kawa- 
 shima for good or for bad. And you have had 
 some sort of sympathy from O-Nami-san's parents?" 
 
 " Oh, a mere formal call from that proud lady, 
 with an unimportant present! From Kato we had 
 visits two or three times, but " 
 
 Chijiwa again heaved a sigh. 
 
 " In a time like this her parents should be quick 
 to see our trouble. But how can they remain so 
 indifferent, forcing such a sick girl upon us? Well, 
 this is a world of self-interest. That is all." 
 
 " Undoubtedly." 
 
 " But what concerns us most is Takeo-san's 
 health. If what we are fearing most should happen, 
 it would be the end of the house of Kawashima. 
 And he may contract the disease at any time. But 
 since they are married you cannot keep them sep- 
 arate." 
 
 " Exactly." 
 
 " The duty of parents is not to let children 
 always have their own way. Sometimes it is for 
 their own good that you whip them. And then, 
 [148]
 
 young people may look very desperate at first, but 
 after some time they change their minds quite 
 readily." 
 
 "That is very true." 
 
 " You cannot risk the safety of the house of 
 Kawashima for a little love or pity." 
 
 " Certainly not." 
 
 " And then, if by chance she be with child, that 
 is the end of " 
 
 " Exactly, that is the point." 
 
 Seeing that his aunt was impressed by his argu- 
 ment, Chijiwa felt his heart leap at his success, 
 and at once changed his subject. He not only 
 awaited a speedy circulation of the poison he had 
 deposited in her mind, but he also found seed already 
 sown, which, covered as it were with temporary 
 reserve, would in time germinate, bloom, and bear 
 fruit. And that time, he knew, was not far dis- 
 tant. 
 
 In her real self, Takeo's mother was not so bad 
 as to despise Nami on any account. On the con- 
 trary, she appreciated Nami's effort to bring her- 
 self into accord with her mother-in-law in spite 
 of the vast difference in culture and temper, re- 
 joiced over their occasional coincidence in some 
 points of taste, and even thought in her inmost 
 [H9]
 
 Jftamt fco 
 
 heart, though she had never shown it, that she 
 herself had been by no means the equal of Nami 
 in her youth. But when she saw Nami, after a 
 month's lingering sickness, the victim of an incurable 
 disease, before her very eyes, and, again, when she 
 saw that in spite of the expenditure of no small 
 amount of money there was no hope of speedy 
 recovery, she felt in her heart a strange feeling 
 of disappointment or disgust, she knew not which. 
 And, as her feelings gathered volume with every 
 turn of thought, her reserve melted away before the 
 growth of that stronger feeling of hatred. 
 
 Chijiwa, on his part, entered cleverly into every 
 by-path of his aunt's mind, and, trying on his occa- 
 sional visits to bring her to his way of thinking, 
 awaited the time when an actual conflict should 
 take effect. By the time Chijiwa's frequent calls 
 on his aunt in Takeo's absence began to be talked 
 about, he had already carried his main plan through, 
 and had celebrated with Yamaki his success as the 
 author of a coming drama. 
 
 [ISO]
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 ana 
 
 TTTARLY in May the warship on which Takeo 
 A J was serving was to go south to a naval station 
 at Saseho, and thence north to join a naval manoeuvre 
 of the united squadrons near Hakodate. And, as he 
 had to be away for over a month, he went home 
 one evening to take leave of his mother. 
 
 The widow had lately been out of sorts with 
 Takeo, as if she had had a flea put into her ear. But 
 this evening she was unusually pleasant, and looked 
 personally after his comfort. Indifferent as he was 
 to small things, Takeo felt discomposed at her 
 unusual tenderness. But any boy, however old he 
 gets, is happy to be loved by his mother. And 
 Takeo was now particularly so after her recent ill- 
 temper. Having eaten a good dinner, he allowed 
 his thoughts to wander, as he was taking a bath and 
 listening to the pattering sound of the rain-drops 
 from the reminiscence of what he had seen that day 
 at Zushi on his way home, to the happy time when 
 Nami would recover from her illness and await 
 his return. Refreshed by bathing and clad in a
 
 loose garment, he now entered his mother's room, 
 rubbing his forehead with the palm of his right 
 hand while he held a lighted cigar between his 
 fingers. 
 
 The widow was just having her shoulders mas- 
 saged by the maid, and was smoking her long pipe. 
 She looked up as she said : " Have you finished 
 so soon? You remind me of your father as he 
 used to come out of his bath. Won't you sit down 
 on that cushion? Matsu, all right; go and bring 
 tea now." 
 
 The widow rose, and took down a cake-plate 
 from the cupboard. 
 
 " You treat me like a guest, mother." Puffing 
 his cigar, Takeo smiled. 
 
 " You came back just at the right time, Take. I 
 had something to talk over, and wanted to see you. 
 You stopped on your way at Zushi ? " 
 
 Although Takeo knew that his mother disliked 
 his constant visits to Zushi, he was unable to deceive 
 her. 
 
 " Yes, just for a short time. She seems to be 
 getting well. She was very sorry to cause you 
 trouble on her account." 
 
 "Was she?" 
 
 She watched Takeo's face closely.
 
 Just then the tea-things were brought in, and, 
 as the widow took them, she said : " You are not 
 needed for the present, Matsu. Shut the screen 
 tight." 
 
 The widow poured out tea for Takeo and for 
 herself. And, after sipping a cupful, she took up her 
 long pipe, and, as she filled it, opened her lips. 
 
 "I am in very poor health. My last year's 
 rheumatism almost resulted fatally. I went to visit 
 the grave yesterday, and I still feel my bones ache. 
 I feel as if I had one foot already in the grave. 
 Take care of yourself, my dear Take, and never 
 get sick." 
 
 Shaking the ashes from his cigar into the fire- 
 box, Takeo looked at his mother, who, though 
 extremely fleshy, had not a few wrinkles on her 
 forehead. 
 
 " I am away nearly all the time, and there is no 
 one besides you to take charge of the house. I wish 
 Nami were well and able to help you. She is 
 always saying that, too." 
 
 " Well, she may be thinking that, but I am afraid 
 of consumption." 
 
 " But she is getting much better now. The 
 weather is growing warmer, and, besides, she is 
 young and may outgrow the disease." 
 [I53l
 
 " Nevertheless, I doubt very much her speedy re- 
 covery, Take. I heard from the doctor that her 
 mother also died of consumption." 
 
 " Yes, she told me that, too, but " 
 " Consumption is hereditary, isn't it ? " 
 " They say so, but Nami got it from a bad cold. 
 Everything depends upon one's caution, you know. 
 People talk about infection or heredity, but, in the 
 point of fact, there are other causes. You know 
 how strong Kami's father is, and then Kami's 
 sister, yes, O-Koma-san, she has not shown 
 the slightest signs of consumption. We are not 
 so weak as doctors love to think." And he 
 laughed. 
 
 " Yes, but it is not to be laughed away like that." 
 Emptying her pipe by striking it against her hand, 
 she continued : " I think this is the most dreadful 
 of all diseases. You know, Take, the Governor 
 Togo's family. The mother of that boy whom you 
 used to quarrel with died of consumption about 
 two years since. And Togo-san himself died of 
 the same disease only six months ago. You know 
 that, don't you? And then his son he was an 
 official engineer somewhere, I heard also died of 
 it lately. They all got it from one person. I 
 can tell you many more cases like this. So, Take, 
 [154]
 
 anil 
 
 we have to look out very sharply; if not, it will 
 have serious results." 
 
 The widow, putting aside her pipe, leaned for- 
 ward, and, looking sidewise into the face of Takeo, 
 who was listening silently, continued: " I have 
 something I want to talk over with you " She 
 hesitated a little, and fixed her eyes on Takeo. 
 " Nami, you know " 
 
 " What ? " Takeo raised his face. 
 
 " What do you think of having Nami called 
 back?" 
 
 " Called back? What do you mean by calling 
 her back?" 
 
 The widow, without taking her eyes off Takeo's 
 face, said : " To her parents' house." 
 
 " Parents' house ? You want her to be taken 
 care of there? " 
 
 " Well, they may take care of her ; but, at any 
 rate, you should have her called back " 
 
 " But Zushi is the best place for her. They 
 have children at Kataoka's, and, besides, it would 
 be far better for her to stay here if you want her 
 to return to Tokyo." 
 
 Drinking her tea, which was cold by this time, 
 the widow spoke with a tremor in her voice. 
 
 " Take, you are not drunk, I suppose. But why 
 
 [155]
 
 do you pretend to misunderstand me?" With a 
 sharp look at Takeo's face, " What I meant is this 
 to send Nami back to her parents' house." 
 
 " Send back? Send back? Divorce, you mean? " 
 
 "Softly! You talk too loud, Take." Looking 
 at her trembling son, she said : " Divorce well, 
 you may call it so." 
 
 "Divorce! Divorce! But why?" 
 
 " Why, you ask ? As I told you before, it is 
 because of the dangerous nature of her disease." 
 
 " Because of consumption you want me to 
 divorce Nami ? " 
 
 " Yes, exactly, though I am sorry for it." 
 
 "Divorce!" 
 
 The cigar slipped from Takeo's hand and smoked 
 furiously in the fire. The lamp burned with a hiss, 
 and the night-rain spattered against the window- 
 door. 
 
 Burying the smoking cigar in the ashes, the 
 widow began to speak persuasively. 
 
 " I don't blame you for being so surprised at 
 hearing this. It's too sudden to you, but I have 
 thought it over for many days, and you must listen 
 to me with that in mind. Now, there is nothing 
 in Nami that displeases me particularly, so far as 
 I see, and you like her, too. Therefore I very 
 [156]
 
 anil 
 
 much hate to say such a thing. But, say what you 
 will, the dangerous nature of the disease " 
 
 "But she is recovering," Takeo interposed, hastily, 
 and looked up to her defiantly. 
 
 " Listen to what I say. She may not be so bad 
 now, but I have heard the doctor say that the 
 disease will soon grow worse, although temporarily 
 it may look all right. A change in the weather will 
 easily bring this about. No one has ever been 
 absolutely cured of consumption; that is what the 
 doctor says. Though Nami is by no means seriously 
 ill now, she will be sure to grow worse later, and 
 you will certainly catch the disease. You may have 
 a child, and he will inherit it. Suppose not only 
 Nami, but you, the master of the house, and your 
 child, the heir to your estates, all die of consumption. 
 The house of Kawashima will utterly fall to the 
 ground. In that way this house, whose fortune was 
 founded by your father's industry, and was particu- 
 larly favored by the Mikado, will be ruined in your 
 own day. It is true that Nami is much to be pitied, 
 that you feel very sorry for her, and that I myself 
 as a mother feel very reluctant to propose such a 
 thing, but think what her disease is. Much as 
 she is to be pitied, Nami cannot change places with 
 you, master of the house, or with the house of 
 
 [157]
 
 Kawashima itself. You will be wise enough to 
 see the point and to make up your mind for 
 good." 
 
 In the mind of Takeo, who listened all the while 
 in silence, the face of the sick wife whom he had 
 visited in the morning appeared clear as day. 
 
 " Mother, I cannot do such a thing." 
 
 "Why?" Her voice was raised a little higher. 
 
 " If you do so now, Nami will die." 
 
 " Very well, then, she must die. But, Take, 
 I am more anxious for your life for the house 
 of Kawashima." 
 
 "If you think of me, mother, please feel with 
 me. You may think it strange, but, really, I can't 
 do it on any account. She is still young, and not 
 yet competent to help you, but she loves you as 
 well as me. How dare I to divorce such an 
 innocent wife merely on account of her illness? 
 There is no reason why consumption cannot be 
 cured. Yes, she is now on the way to recovery. 
 But if she must die, oh, mother, let her die 
 as my wife. If the disease is dangerous, I 
 may not visit her; I will use all my caution 
 and do just as you like. But to divorce her is what 
 I cannot do for all the world." 
 
 " Pooh ! You speak only of Nami, but you have
 
 Jftotljer anB 
 
 not thought of your own life and the house of 
 Kawashima." 
 
 " You speak of my life only, but what use is 
 there in living by cruel and unjust means? To 
 act inhumanly and unjustly never does good to 
 any house; and it is not to the honor and glory 
 of the Kawashima house. I cannot divorce her 
 no, never." 
 
 Prepared as she was for some sort of opposition, 
 the widow was rather surprised at Takeo's uncom- 
 promising attitude, and her easily excitable temper 
 was thereby mercilessly aroused. The veins stood 
 out on her forehead, the temples quivered, and the 
 hand which held the pipe was shaking. But she 
 struggled hard to repress her fury, and bravely 
 tried to smile. 
 
 " Oh, d-don't get so excited. Think it over 
 calmly. You are still young and don't know much 
 about the world. But you know the saying, ' Save 
 a large animal though you kill a smaller one.' Nami 
 is the smaller animal, and you the house of Ka- 
 washima are a larger animal. I pity Nami and 
 feel very sorry for her parents, but isn't it wrong to 
 fall ill? Whatever they may think of us, it is far 
 better not to bring the house of Kawashima to an 
 end. You speak of injustice or inhumanity, but 
 [159]
 
 you can find many cases like this everywhere. It 
 is right to divorce a wife when she is not con- 
 tributing to the prestige of the house; it is right 
 to do so when she fails to give birth to an heir; 
 and it is right to do so when she contracts a dan- 
 gerous disease. This is the rule, don't you know? 
 There is no need of bringing in the question of 
 justice or humanity. In a case like this, her parents 
 ought to come to take her back. But, as they won't, 
 what wrong is there in saying what we want them 
 to do?" 
 
 " You say ' right, right,' but we have no right 
 to do wrong because others do wrong. To divorce 
 on account of illness that is a thing of the past. 
 But if that be the rule now, it is worth while to 
 
 \ f ^ ^-^^ ^^*^^^ 
 
 break it, indeed, we must break it. You are think- 
 ing of our family only, but how will Nami's family 
 feel to have the daughter whom they have just 
 given away sent back merely because of her illness? 
 And then how could Nami go back without being 
 humiliated ? Imagine a case in which I am suffering 
 from lung trouble, and they come to take Nami 
 back because consumption is a dangerous disease! 
 Would you like that? Yet it is the same thing." 
 
 " No, that is different. Women are not equal 
 with men." 
 
 [160]
 
 anfc 
 
 " Yes, they are. They are equal at least in feel- 
 ing. But, coming down to a more practical point, 
 Nami has recently recovered from the attacks and 
 has shown some sign of improvement. If you now 
 do such a thing, it will cause a relapse. She will 
 die surely die. I couldn't do such a thing even to 
 a stranger. Do you want me to kill Nami ? " 
 
 Takeo wept. 
 
 The widow stood up suddenly, and, taking down 
 an ihai 1 from the household shrine, set it in front 
 of Takeo. 
 
 " Look here, Takeo. You make light of my 
 
 t 
 words, but repeat what you have been saying before 
 
 your father. Repeat it. The spirits of your an- 
 cestors are looking at you. Say it once more. You 
 disobedient son! " 
 
 Looking intently at Takeo, she struck her pipe 
 repeatedly against the rim of the fire-box. 
 
 Mild as he was to his mother, Takeo now turned 
 red in the face. 
 
 "How am I disobedient?" 
 
 " How? Why do you ask that? Is it not dis- 
 obedient for the sake of your wife to ignore what 
 your mother says? Is it not disobedient to think 
 
 1 Ihai : a wooden tablet with a Buddhist name inscribed 
 thereon, to represent the spirit of the dead. 
 
 [161]
 
 nothing of the body I brought up, and to ruin this 
 ancestral house against my will? You are a dis- 
 obedient son, Takeo, a Violator of filial duties." 
 
 " But humanity " 
 
 " Out with that word. Do you value your wife 
 more than your parents? Fool! You talk only 
 of wife, wife, but do you never think of your par- 
 ents? You dog, always talking of Nami. We 
 will disown you." 
 
 Takeo bit his lip, his eyes hot with tears. 
 
 " Mother, you are too cruel." 
 
 "Why cruel?" 
 
 " I have never had such ideas toward you. But 
 you don't know my mind." 
 
 " Why, then, do you not obey me and divorce 
 Nami?" 
 
 "But that " 
 
 " No, no buts. Come, Takeo, you value either 
 your wife or your mother. What? You value 
 Nami? What? Humph! Fool!" 
 
 She struck the fire-box angrily with her pipe, 
 which broke into pieces, the bowl flying off and 
 hitting the screen. 
 
 At this, some one was heard on the other side of 
 the screen, checking a half-uttered exclamation ; and 
 presently a trembling voice said: "E-excuse me." 
 [162]
 
 anil 
 
 "Who is it? What is it?" 
 
 " A telegram " 
 
 Only two minutes intervened between Takeo's 
 opening the screen and glancing over the paper and 
 the maid's slipping away, frightened by the fierce 
 gaze of the widow. But, in this brief time, their 
 passion had cooled a little, and mother and son sat 
 in dead silence. 
 
 The rain came down in torrents. 
 
 The widow opened her mouth at last. Her eyes 
 still flashed anger, but her words were somehow 
 softened. 
 
 " Take, I don't mean to do you any wrong, if 
 I say this. You are my only child, and my sole 
 pleasure is to have you rise in the world and to 
 see the face of a sturdy grandson." 
 
 Takeo, who had been engrossed deeply in thought, 
 raised his head heavily, and, showing the telegram, 
 said : " They send me word that I must go at 
 once. I must therefore start to-morrow at the 
 latest. I shall be back after a month or so. You 
 must never mention this matter till I return." 
 
 The next day Takeo received her assurance once 
 more, and, visiting the family doctor and asking 
 
 "
 
 his careful attention to Nami, went down to Zushi 
 by an afternoon train. 
 
 As he alighted, the sun set, and the crescent moon 
 was hanging in the lavender sky. He crossed the 
 bridge over a streamlet, and stood on a road which 
 wound through a dusky pine grove. When he 
 emerged from the grove and saw the tall pole of 
 a well-bucket outlined dark against the evening 
 sky, the unexpected sound of a harp was wafted to 
 him. 
 
 " Ah, it is she that is playing," thought he, and, 
 feeling as if his heart would break, he stood for 
 a while at the gate to wipe away his tears. Nami 
 was unusually well, and was expressing on the harp 
 the longing in her heart for her husband. 
 
 Nami saw at once that something was on Takeo's 
 mind, and he evaded her questions only by saying 
 that he had sat up late the night before. He and 
 Nami sat down to the dinner especially prepared 
 for his coming, but they could eat but little. Nami 
 \S wore a cheerless smile in order not to betray her 
 sad heart, and was occupied in sewing buttons on 
 her husband's coats and in brushing his garments 
 carefully when the time for the last train drew 
 near. When he could stay no longer, Takeo rose 
 to go. Nami, clinging to his arm, said: 
 [164]
 
 anil 
 
 "You must go now, dearest?" 
 
 "I'll be back soon. Take good care of your- 
 self and get better." 
 
 Their hands were clasped tightly. At the porch, 
 old Iku attended to his shoes, and the servant Mohei 
 was waiting to see him to the station, a satchel in 
 the left hand and a lighted lantern in the other. 
 
 " Well, Iku, I entrust Nami to your care. Nami- 
 san, I am going." 
 
 " Come back soon, dear." 
 
 Takeo nodded. He walked about a dozen steps 
 by the light of the lantern, and then looked back. 
 Nami was standing by the gate with her white 
 shawl on, and waving her handkerchief. 
 
 " Come back soon ! " 
 
 " Yes, I will. You will get chilled outside. 
 You'd better go in, Nami-san." 
 
 But a white dim figure stood there when he 
 looked back for the second and the third time. Then 
 he came to a turn in the road, and the figure was 
 lost to view. Only for the third time the cry, 
 " Come back soon ! " followed him in tearful suppli- 
 cation. Down near the horizon the thin fast- 
 sinking moon was seen through the pine-trees.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 T T 7ITH a lively shout announcing the mas- 
 ff ter's return, Yamaki had been drawn up 
 in a kuruma to the porch. Now, having taken a 
 bath, he sat on a downy cushion in tailor fashion with 
 his back to the alcove where early iris flowers were 
 arranged in a vase, appearing at his ease and as 
 if he were now his own master. Dinner was set 
 before him. First he took some sake, and, with his 
 wife O-Sumi as waitress, he cast on her a glance 
 which though by no means discontented, seemed to 
 take in her homely appearance. 
 
 The maid brought in an evening paper. 
 " Well, about Korea the uprising threatening 
 what ? China sends soldiers ? Good. Japan will 
 be sure to send soldiers, too. Then we'll have war. 
 That will be a great opportunity for money-making. 
 O-Sumi, you must have a cup also, in celebration 
 of the event." 
 
 " Are we really going to have war ? " 
 "Yes. Good! Good! But, O-Sumi, I have 
 another good thing for you. I saw Chijiwa to-day, 
 [166]
 
 and he told me that the matter was progressing 
 well." 
 
 " Is that so? Did Takeo-san give his consent? " 
 
 " Why, no. He is still away, and there is no 
 possibility of getting his consent. But O-Nami-san 
 has had another hemorrhage, and the widow has 
 given up her last hope, and has said that she will 
 carry out her intention during Takeo-san's absence. 
 The thing will surely be done if Chijiwa continues 
 to egg her on. It would be extremely difficult to 
 carry out the plan when Takeo-san is at home, and 
 the widow intends to make short work of it while 
 he is away. Everything then will work all right 
 for our benefit. Here, your ladyship, fill up." 
 
 " O-Nami-san is to be pitied." 
 
 " You are a very peculiar woman. You wanted 
 to get rid of O-Nami-san because O-Toyo was to 
 be pitied, and now the thing is about to succeed, 
 and you begin to pity O-Nami-san! Have done 
 with such nonsense. Try to think how you can 
 put O-Toyo in her place." 
 
 " But I am afraid that Takeo-san will be very 
 angry if he finds O-Nami-san divorced in his 
 absence." 
 
 " Well, he may, but his anger will avail nothing 
 if the matter is settled. And then, Takeo-san is
 
 a good boy, so, if the widow weeps, he will let 
 the matter pass in silence. I am pretty sure of 
 that. Well, so far so good. Now, as regards the 
 matter of vital importance, that is, Lady O-Toyo, 
 we will wait a little till his fiery feeling is 
 somewhat dampened, and then send her to him, 
 invited or not, under the pretence of learning good 
 manners. Of course, we shall pay board and all 
 other expenses. Why, it is not so difficult as it 
 first appears to be. All depends upon the widow's 
 whim. If O-Toyo be Baroness Kawashima, she 
 will obtain her dearest wish, and I, as a father-in- 
 law, must supervise the property of Kawashima 
 House, Takeo-san being a mere child, you know. 
 That is nice well, too nice not to be troublesome. 
 But let it be. Our immediate concern, however, 
 is about O-Toyo." 
 
 " Won't you take rice now? " 
 
 " Never mind ; this is a celebration, you know. 
 But you must look after her manners a little more 
 closely. If not, she will be spoiled. Such fretting 
 every day will be sure to discourage any mother- 
 in-law, even if she be a Goddess of Mercy." 
 
 " But then I can't instruct her by myself. You 
 always " 
 
 " Oh, don't. I hate that sort of excuse. Proof 
 [168]
 
 is better than argument, they say. I'll show you 
 how to instruct. Call in O-Toyo." 
 
 " Miss, your father wants to see you." 
 
 At the voice of the maid Take, Toyo, who had 
 just finished her evening toilet, but was still unable 
 to leave the glass, turned around leisurely. 
 
 " All right, just a moment." Touching her 
 hair: "Say, Take, isn't it a little disarranged 
 here?" 
 
 " No, not at all. How charming you look ! " 
 
 " Thank you." She looked at the glass and 
 smiled. 
 
 Take, taking off her sleeve, with which she had 
 covered her mouth, and composing herself, said: 
 " Your father is waiting for you." 
 
 " I know. I am coming." 
 
 Taking her last lingering look in the glass, she 
 passed through several rooms in haste and went 
 to her father's room. 
 
 " Oh, O-Toyo, we are waiting for you. Come 
 here. Fill my cup in place of your mother. Oh, 
 don't put down the bottle so roughly. That doesn't 
 show your training in tea-serving. That is right; 
 do it so, gracefully." 
 
 Yamaki, already mellow with sake, drank again 
 [169]
 
 Jftarai fee 
 
 in spite of his wife's warning, as he resumed : 
 " O-Toyo looks charming if properly dressed like 
 this, doesn't she, O-Sumi ? Her complexion is fair." 
 
 Toyo smirked and twisted herself almost into 
 the shape of the letter S. 
 
 " Graceful in form and quite charming in speech 
 on a proper occasion. Only her front teeth, like 
 her mother's, protrude a little." 
 
 " Hyozo! " O-Sumi knit her brows. Toyo, 
 feeling as if she had drunk vinegar after eating 
 candy, made a sweet-sour face. 
 
 " Raise the ends of your eyes one-third of an 
 inch, and you will improve your looks." 
 
 " Hyozo ! " O-Sumi would have wished to shut 
 the door of his mouth if it had been provided with 
 one. 
 
 " There ! Why are you provoked, O-Toyo ? 
 That will spoil your looks. You need not look so 
 unpleasant. See here. I have some good news 
 for you. Fill up once more for my trouble, and 
 I'll break it to you." 
 
 Draining the cup filled to the brim, Yamaki 
 proceeded with a cheerful smile. 
 
 " We were just talking about Takeo-san." 
 
 Like a horse which had spent unhappy days by 
 an empty manger, and at last awakened to the
 
 fragrance of spring weeds, Toyo raised her head 
 and pricked up her ears. 
 
 " You scratched O-Nami-san's picture, so she has 
 at last been smitten with your curse." 
 
 " Hyozo! " Madam O-Sumi knit her brows for 
 the third time. 
 
 " Now to the point. At any rate, O-Nami-san is 
 very ill, and for that reason she will be divorced. 
 No, the matter has not yet been presented to her 
 parents, and O-Nami-san herself does not know 
 anything about it, but at all events it will soon 
 be settled. There comes the trouble of finding a 
 substitute. Now this is the point : your mother and 
 I want to let you step into the shoes of O-Nami- 
 san. No, it cannot be so soon, so we will send you 
 to Kawashima as a maid wait, don't be so aston- 
 ished as a candidate, you know, under the pre- 
 text of learning good manners. Now, your success 
 hinges on the widow's pleasure, you understand. 
 That is the point." 
 
 He stopped for breath, and glanced from his 
 wife's face to that of his daughter. 
 
 " This is the point, O-Toyo. It's a little early, 
 but I want to impress it on you. As you know, 
 Takeo-san's mother is known for her crossness, 
 selfishness, and obstinacy, oh, excuse me, I am
 
 forgetting that she is your future mother, but, 
 at any rate, she is not a gentle lady, as is your 
 mother sitting there. But she is not a devil or a 
 snake, but a human being. If you only acquire 
 tact, you can be a wife even to a devil or a snake. 
 Why, if I were a woman, I could make the widow 
 or any one like her as soft as gingerbread in two 
 days. Well, my pride will avail you nothing, but 
 I can instruct you how to act. Now, you must 
 pay attention to what I say, O-Toyo. If you go 
 there as maid, that is, as a disguised candidate 
 for a bride, first of all you must not be so lazy 
 as now. You will have to get up early in the morn- 
 ing old persons, you know, are early risers 
 and attend carefully to the widow's things, though 
 you neglect other matters. And secondly, you must 
 not be easily provoked as you are now; you will 
 have to yield in every case. Do you understand? 
 " You must yield when you are scolded ; you must 
 yield when any unreasonable demand is made; you 
 even must yield when you are right. Then they 
 will meet you half-way. This is what is meant 
 by the saying, to lose is to gain. You must never 
 be provoked, you understand ? Thirdly, this is 
 rather too early, but I tell you now that I have the 
 chance, suppose at last you are married. You
 
 must be careful not to live happily with Takeo- 
 san. 
 
 " No, I don't care what you do in secret, but I 
 mean you must be careful how you act toward him 
 openly. Be familiar with your mother-in-law, but 
 to your husband you must be bold enough to read 
 him a bit of a harmless lesson before her. A mother 
 should be glad to see that her daughter-in-law is 
 much attached to her son, but, strange to say, she 
 does not generally like it. Well, it's jealousy or 
 selfishness. But, aside from that, if you care too 
 much for your husband, you are apt to neglect 
 your mother-in-law. At least, she thinks so. 
 O-Nami-san may have made a blunder in that 
 way, being too happy with Takeo-san. Oh, don't 
 look so jealous. You must yield these, as I told 
 you. So you must let the widow feel that you are 
 her bride and not her son's. Quarrels between a 
 mother and her daughter-in-law generally arise 
 from the former's feeling of isolation on account 
 of the too happy condition of the young couple. So 
 think of yourself as the bride of the widow. After 
 it is all over with her by and by, you may even 
 walk about clinging to the neck of Takeo-san. But 
 in the presence of the widow, you must not even 
 smile upon him. I have some more advice for you, 
 [173]
 
 but will reserve it until you are ready to go. These 
 three things are quite enough at present. Since 
 you are to be a wife to your dearest Takeo-san, 
 you must do your best to deny yourself. Begin 
 now and do the best you can." 
 
 Before he had concluded, the screen was opened, 
 and the maid Take brought in a letter. Yamaki 
 broke the seal, ran his eye over the letter, and 
 flourished it before the faces of his wife and daugh- 
 ter. 
 
 " Look here. Widow Kawashima wants to see 
 me at once ! " 
 
 Two weeks after Takeo went to the naval 
 manoeuvre, and a few days before Yamaki was 
 summoned to the house of Kawashima, Nami had 
 another hemorrhage, and the doctor was called in 
 a hurry. Luckily it was slight, and she was assured 
 of her safety for the present, but this news gave 
 no small incentive to Takeo's mother. A day or 
 two later, the corpulent figure of Widow Kawa- 
 shima, rarely seen outside her gate, was on the way 
 to Kato's at lidamachi. 
 
 On the evening the divorce question was dis- 
 cussed between the widow and her son, she met 
 Takeo's unexpectedly firm opposition, and had 
 
 [174]
 
 promised to let the matter remain unsettled till 
 his return. But she doubted if he would yield by 
 that time; indeed, on the contrary, she feared that 
 time would rather strengthen his attachment to 
 Nami, and moreover, that some unforeseen obsta- 
 cle might present itself. Therefore, she thought 
 it best to settle the matter at once in her son's ab- 
 sence, but, nevertheless, a vague sort of fear, as well 
 as her promise, kept her from taking a step decisive 
 enough to satisfy Chijiwa, who came often to urge 
 her on. The report of Nami's second hemorrhage, 
 however, turned the scale completely, and induced 
 the widow to call on Kato, who had acted as mid- 
 dleman in her son's marriage. 
 
 Although they were neighbors, the widow hardly 
 ever visited the Kato family, except the once when 
 she returned thanks for their assistance in the mar- 
 riage. So her unexpected call naturally aroused 
 the suspicion of Madam Kato that there was some 
 unusual trouble on hand. She received the guest 
 courteously. But when she heard what had brought 
 the widow, she felt as if her heart were pierced. 
 Who would have thought that she should be asked 
 to break the tie asunder with the same hands that 
 had joined the two houses of Kataoka and Kawa- 
 shima ! 
 
 [175]
 
 Madam Kato could only watch her guest, won- 
 dering what sort of assurance she possessed to come 
 to her and utter unblushingly such heartless words. 
 But the widow sat self-composed, with her body 
 corpulent and erect, and her hands locked on her 
 knees. Surely, Madam Kato thought, the widow 
 was not joking, nor was she out of her wits. But, 
 as she finally was compelled to admit that the 
 widow was saying what she meant, her surprise 
 was replaced by the kindling fire of her wrath. 
 Harsh words to rebuke the widow for her too 
 selfish position were about to escape from the lips 
 of Madam Kato. But, by an effort, she was able 
 to check them for the sake of Nami, who was dear 
 to the lady as her own daughter, and, instead, she 
 asked the reasons, combated them mildly, sym- 
 pathized with the widow's position, and finally 
 entreated her forbearance. This last, however, 
 failed to reach the widow's ear. On the contrary, 
 she showed by a glance her contempt for such useless 
 loquacity, and in that way reminded the lady that 
 her business was merely to carry the widow's mes- 
 sage to Kami's parents. Before Madam Kato's eyes, 
 as she listened to the widow, floated the picture of 
 her sick niece, of the death-bed of her sister, Kami's 
 mother, and of the general, anxious for his daughter's 
 [176]
 
 welfare. And, as her feelings gathered volume and 
 her eyes were clouded with tears, Madam Kato rose 
 up bravely and gave a flat refusal, without stop- 
 ping to wait for her husband's opinion, saying that, 
 though the house of Kato had had the honor of 
 assisting the two families to unite in the bond of 
 love, they could not defile their hands in such an 
 unjust and unhuman cause. 
 
 The widow went home enraged, and sent for 
 Yamaki by letter that very evening. She thought 
 that honest Tazaki was too slow for such important 
 business. On Madam Kato's part, her husband 
 being away, she was puzzled very much what to 
 do, but, with the help of her daughter Chizu, did 
 her best to ascertain the whereabouts of Takeo's 
 ship, and wrote him in haste, thinking, in spite 
 of the widow's statement, that he was opposed to 
 such a step. While this was being done, the en- 
 raged widow made up her mind to make a direct 
 application, and, having commissioned Yamaki for 
 that purpose, his kuruma was soon on the way to 
 the house of Kataoka. 
 
 [177]
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 Recall 
 
 T"UST as Yamaki's kuruma was entering the 
 tJ gate of Lieutenant-General Kataoka's house 
 at Akasaka, a brave-looking military officer emerged 
 on horseback. Taking alarm at the noise made by 
 the kuruma as it dashed in, the horse shied, and 
 almost stood erect on his hind legs. The soldier, 
 however, bringing him down easily by reining in 
 and circling once, rode out of the gate. 
 
 Watching the elegant figure of the rider, as he 
 rode off, and clearing his throat, Yamaki neared the 
 stately porch. He had been accustomed to visit the 
 houses of many illustrious officials, but now he felt 
 his heart strangely failing within him. The night 
 before, when he was commissioned by the Widow 
 Kawashima for this day's business, he felt some- 
 what embarrassed, but when he came actually to 
 face it, he pitied himself for the comparative weak- 
 ness of his heart, which he had prided himself was 
 as bold as brass. 
 
 After his card had been sent in and the attendant 
 had appeared for the second time, Yamaki was
 
 Eecall 
 
 shown to the reception-room. On a table was 
 spread a map of China and Korea, which, with 
 burnt matches and a heap of ashes on the small 
 tray, brought to mind the topic which must re- 
 cently have been discussed. Indeed, the uprising 
 in Korea, the movement of Chinese troops, and the 
 rumored despatch of the Japanese army was attract- 
 ing the attention of the whole world at this time, 
 and, though he was on the reserved list, the general 
 had so much to occupy his mind that he was entirely 
 robbed of the time he used to spend over the Eng- 
 lish reader. 
 
 Yamaki sat down, and was looking around the 
 room curiously, when the sound of footsteps like 
 distant thunder was heard approaching, and a man 
 massive as a mountain came into the room and took 
 a seat at the further end. Yamaki rose up hurriedly 
 at the general's entrance, and, in so doing, he upset 
 his chair. With a word or two of surprise and 
 excuse, he raised it confusedly, and made three or 
 four courteous bows to the master. It is possible 
 that he was saluting and apologizing for his rude- 
 ness at the same time. 
 
 " Please take a seat. You are Yamaki-kun? I 
 knew your name, but " 
 
 " I am very glad to make your acquaintance. I 
 
 [179]
 
 j& ami fed 
 
 am Hyozo Yamaki," adding, as one might in wish- 
 ing to seem very humble, " and an awkward person." 
 He made a bow at the end of each phrase, and every 
 time he did so the chair creaked, as if it were 
 amusedly exclaiming, "That is right!" 
 
 A few informal words on unimportant topics and 
 some remarks on Korean questions, and then the 
 general formally asked Yamaki the object of his 
 call. Yamaki first cleared his throat, trying to 
 open his lips; he did so again and for the third 
 time before he could say a word. He wondered 
 how his fluent words should stick in his throat only 
 at that time. 
 
 At last Yamaki spoke. 
 
 " I was sent by the house of Kawashima on a 
 certain matter." 
 
 The general fixed his narrowed eyes on Yamaki, 
 as if in surprise. 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " Widow Kawashima was to come herself, but 
 I was asked to call instead." 
 
 " I understand." 
 
 Yamaki mopped his brow, the sweat oozing out 
 in spite of him. " They wanted Viscountess Kato 
 [180]
 
 Hecall 
 
 to speak for them," he continued, " but, as she was 
 unwilling, they sent me instead." 
 
 " I see, and what about ? " 
 
 " It is about this. I hesitate to say it, but 
 Madam Kawashima, your daughter " 
 
 The general riveted his eyes on the speaker for 
 a while without winking. 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " It is about the young viscountess. We hesitate 
 to say so, but we have been very anxious about her 
 illness, as you know, and, though she is now some- 
 what better, and we are very glad of it " 
 
 " I see." 
 
 " We hate to tell you ourselves, as it presumes 
 too much on your kindness, but, as her illness is 
 of very doubtful nature, and as you know the \/ 
 Kawashima family is small, and the present master, 
 Takeo-san, is the only man in the house, the widow 
 feels very anxious about him. We very much hesi- 
 tate to say, as it presumes too much on your kind- 
 ness, but the nature of her illness is such that, 
 if it should ever infect why, in all probability, 
 it may not happen but it is better to be on the 
 safe side, and if perchance Takeo-san, the mas- 
 ter of the house, be in danger, it will result in 
 the annihilation of the Kawashima line. Well, 
 [181]
 
 such an annihiliation may not be of much account 
 nowadays, but anyhow to tell the truth I 
 loathe to say but as the nature of her illness 
 is such that " 
 
 Yamaki faltered, and beads of sweat stood on 
 his brow, as he stumbled further and further into 
 his speech. The general, who had watched him in 
 silence, raised his right hand at this moment. 
 
 " All right ; I understand. In short, Kami's 
 disease is dangerous, so you want me to call her 
 back? All right. I understand." 
 
 He nodded, and, putting his close-burnt cigar 
 on the ash-tray, folded his arms. 
 
 Feeling as if he had been helped out of the mire, 
 Yamaki breathed freely and mopped his brow. 
 
 " You understand me rightly. It is very awk- 
 ward for me to say, but I pray you will not take 
 it amiss." 
 
 "And Takeo-san is back?" 
 
 " No, he isn't. But of course he knows all about 
 the matter. So I am sure you will not take it in 
 bad part." 
 
 " Very well." 
 
 The general nodded again, and remained for 
 awhile with his eyes shut and his arms folded. 
 Putting a good face on his comparatively easy sue- 
 [182]
 
 Recall 
 
 cess, Yamaki looked up and saw the general clos- 
 ing his eyes and compressing his lips. Then he 
 felt that there was something awesome in the coun- 
 tenance of his host. 
 
 "Yamaki-kun!" 
 
 The general opened his eyes and studied the face 
 of Yamaki. 
 
 "Yes?" said Yamaki. 
 
 " You have children, I suppose ? " asked the 
 general. 
 
 Yamaki, being unable to guess the real import 
 of the question, but, making a bow : " Yes, sir, a 
 son and a daughter." 
 
 " Yamaki-kun, you know how dear a child is to 
 you?" 
 
 "Yes?" 
 
 " Very well, I will consent to the request. Please 
 tell Widow Kawashima to be at ease. Nami shall 
 be called back to-day. I am sorry to trouble you 
 in this matter." 
 
 Yamaki arose and bowed many times, presumably 
 being glad at having fulfilled his mission and in 
 part sorry for the trouble occasioned by his visit. 
 
 The general saw the caller to the porch, and, 
 returning, shut himself up in his study.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 l)t ^ome^ Coming 
 
 si FTER the departure of Takeo, Nami was 
 C^Xjf very lonely, and the days hung heavily at 
 the villa of Zushi. But she somehow managed to 
 endure five weeks there, and at last the wheat had 
 been reaped, and the time for wild lilies arrived. 
 She lost heart over her condition for a time, but, 
 luckily, the doctor reassured her, and she soon re- 
 gained her courage. Comforted by a recent letter 
 from her husband at Hakodate, she did her best to 
 follow the doctor's instructions and to get well, 
 and waited impatiently for Takeo's return. Dur- 
 ing the last few days, however, all communication 
 with Tokyo had ceased, and no word had reached 
 her from her house at Bancho, from her parents, 
 or from her aunt in lidamachi. 
 
 She was now trying to arrange wild lilies in a 
 vase in order to kill time. Speaking to her maid, 
 who had just brought in some water, she said: 
 " Say, Iku, isn't it strange that no mail comes ? " 
 
 " I should say so," replied the old woman. " Per- 
 haps they are all well, and have nothing to write 
 [1*4]
 
 (ZTljr F)0 me Coming; 
 
 us. But it will not be long before you hear, and 
 besides, some one may drop in this very morning. 
 How beautiful the flowers are! How I wish our 
 master would come back before they wither away ! " 
 
 Nami looked at the lilies in her hand, and said: 
 " Beautiful, indeed ! But better to have them stay 
 where they were, I think. It seems cruel to cut 
 them off like this." 
 
 At this moment, a kuruma was heard approach- 
 ing the gate of the villa. It was the Viscountess 
 Kato. She had felt uneasy the day after she re- 
 jected the request of Widow Kawashima, and, ac- 
 cordingly, she went to the house of Kataoka and 
 learned, to her great surprise, that a deputy of the 
 house of Kawashima had already been there, and 
 had gone back with the consent of the general. 
 She was very much annoyed that not only w r as her 
 plan to wait for the return of Takeo frustrated, 
 but that the matter had gone so far beyond her 
 power. But, since there was no help, she at least 
 wanted to see her niece at Zushi, for Nami's father 
 feared the shock to her when she learned the news 
 so far from home, and bring her to her father's 
 house. 
 
 " Well, how glad I am to see you, dear aunt. 
 We've just been talking of you." 
 [185]
 
 " Very glad to see you, Viscountess," said Iku, 
 and, turning to Nami, " Don't you see, madam, 
 that Iku was right ? " 
 
 " How do you feel, my dear Nami-san ? Nothing 
 serious since the last attack, I hope." But she was 
 unable to look straight into Nami's eyes. 
 
 " Nothing at all, thank you," said Nami. " I 
 am getting better. But how are you, dear aunt? 
 You do not look well." 
 
 " I ? Why, I've got a little headache ; perhaps 
 it's the weather. But have you heard from Takeo- 
 san lately? " 
 
 " Yes, he wrote me the day before yesterday 
 from Hakodate. He is coming back pretty soon. 
 No, the date is not fixed. He says he has some- 
 thing for me." 
 
 "Is that so?" said Madam Kato. "It's t' 
 late now Two o'clock, isn't it ? " 
 
 " Why are you in such a hurry ? " asked Nami. 
 " Make yourself quite at home. How is O-Chizu- 
 san?" 
 
 " Oh, she sent her love to you." 
 
 Saying this, her aunt took a cup of tea from 
 Iku, but she was so abstracted that she forgot to 
 drink it. 
 
 ['86]
 
 " Please make yourself at home," Iku begged. 
 " Madam, I'll get you some nice fish." 
 
 " Yes, please." 
 
 Her aunt started as if awakened, looked at 
 Nami's face for a moment, and then turned away 
 her eyes. 
 
 " No, don't. I have not time to-day. Nami- 
 san you are to go with me." 
 
 "I am to go? Where?" Nami was surprised. 
 
 " Yes ; your father wants to see you about your 
 illness on the doctor's advice. Your mother at 
 Bancho she also agrees." 
 
 "He wants to see me? What about?" 
 
 " About your illness, as I told you. And then 
 your father has missed you so long " 
 
 "Is that so?" 
 
 Nami wore a suspicious air, and so did Iku. 
 
 " But you will remain here this evening? " said 
 Iku. 
 
 " No, I can't. The doctor is waiting, you know, 
 and it's better to go before dark. We must start 
 by the next train." 
 
 "Indeed!" 
 
 Old Iku was surprised. Nami also could not 
 understand the situation. But it was her aunt who 
 brought the message, and it was her father who sent
 
 for her, and besides, her mother-in-law knew of 
 the summons. At any rate, she hastened her prep- 
 aration without further questioning. 
 
 "What are you thinking about so much, aunt? 
 There is no need for nurse to go, as I shall soon 
 be back." 
 
 Her aunt, leaving her seat, and helping Nami 
 to dress, said : " Take her with you ; you will 
 need her." 
 
 By four o'clock, three kuruma were ready at 
 the gate. Presently they all came out. Nami put 
 on a light crape dress of silver gray, with a belt 
 of sky-blue satin, a white flower of cape jasmine in 
 her hair, and a tawny parasol in her right hand. 
 Covering her mouth with her handkerchief as she 
 coughed, she said: 
 
 " Well, Iku, I shall be gone for a while. Yes, 
 it's quite a long time since I left there. And then 
 that dress I have been making just a little of it' 
 is still left. Well, all right. I'll do it myself when 
 I come back. It will certainly be ready before 
 his return." 
 
 Her aunt hid her face in the parasol, tears com- 
 ing into her eyes before she could check them. 
 [188]
 
 There is a pit of fate silently awaiting our ap- 
 proach. We walk into it unconsciously and un- 
 avoidably. A cold feeling, however, of indescribable 
 fear will assail us as we draw near the spot. 
 
 Nami, who started home without much ques- 
 tioning on account of her trust in her aunt and 
 her joy at the prospect of meeting her father, felt 
 her heart throb no sooner than she was in the 
 kuruma. The more she thought over her situation, 
 the more she found herself at sea. She doubted 
 the truth of her aunt's words as to her unusual 
 look, and she was unable to clear her mind while 
 on the train. When she had arrived at Shinbashi 
 Station, her mind was so weighed with vague fore- 
 boding that she almost forgot the joy of returning 
 home after a long absence. 
 
 Nami alighted from the train, and, assisted by 
 her nurse, followed her aunt slowly at the end of 
 the crowd. As she passed the gate, a military 
 officer happened to be standing near by. He was 
 talking, and, turning toward Nami suddenly, he 
 exchanged a look with her. It was Chijiwa. Look- 
 ing at her intently, he uncovered his head purposely 
 and smiled. That look and that smile sent a 
 strange tremor into her heart, and, pale as ashes, 
 Nami felt a disagreeable chill which did not come 
 [189]
 
 from her illness, a. chill which continued till long 
 after she drove off in the carriage. 
 
 Her aunt did not speak, and Nami also remained 
 silent. The evening sun that shone on the carriage 
 window went down, and they reached the house of 
 Kataoka in the dusky air, soft with the faint fra- 
 grance of chestnut blossoms. There were carts 
 and litters near the gate, and a lamp burning bright 
 at a side porch. Men were heard speaking inside, 
 and the whole scene suggested a removal. Wonder- 
 ing what these things meant, Nami alighted from 
 the carriage with the help of her aunt and nurse, 
 when Madam Kataoka appeared at the porch to 
 meet them, and said: 
 
 " Oh, so soon. I thank you for your trouble." 
 
 The eyes of Madam Kataoka glided from the 
 face of Nami to that of Madam Kato. 
 
 "How do you do, mother?" asked Nami. 
 "And where's father?" 
 
 " He is in his study," Madam Kataoka answered, 
 briefly. 
 
 At this moment the merry voices of her younger 
 brother and sister were heard shouting Nami's 
 name, and, without heeding their mother's caution, 
 they rushed toward her. Koma also came out after 
 them. 
 
 [190]
 
 " Oh, Mi-chan and Ki-chan, how are you? Oh, 
 here is Koma-chan." 
 
 Michi, hanging on a sleeve of her sister, said: 
 
 " I am so happy. You will always stay here with 
 us. Your things have all come." 
 
 No one dared to hush the young speaker, and 
 the gaze of her stepmother, aunt, Koma, and maids 
 were all focussed on the face of Nami. 
 
 "What?" 
 
 Nami was astonished, and shifted her eyes from 
 the face of her stepmother, over that of her aunt, 
 to the things piled up in a room by the porch. 
 There was no mistaking that they were her toilet- 
 stand, cabinets, and dress-boxes, all of which had 
 been left at her house. 
 
 Nami trembled all over, and, staggering, gripped 
 firmly her aunt's hand. 
 
 All wept. 
 
 Heavy footsteps being heard, her father now 
 appeared on the scene. 
 
 "Oh, father!" 
 
 " My dear child, how I have longed to see you." 
 
 The general clasped Nami's little shivering body 
 into his broad breast. 
 
 A half-hour passed, and silence reigned in the 
 house. In the general's study were two persons,
 
 father and child. They were in the same posi- 
 tion as on the day she left that house never to re- 
 turn, Nami listening to the last teaching of her 
 father, the child kneeling and weeping on the 
 knees of her father, and the father caressing gently 
 his sobbing daughter. 
 
 [192]
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 Cafeeo ana 
 
 TTTXTRA! Extra! Extra on the Korean prob- 
 M J lem ! " Thus shouting, a newsboy went by 
 ringing an alarm-bell. And after him, a kuruma 
 was seen drawing up at the gate of the house of 
 Kawashima at Bancho. Takeo had returned home. 
 The widow knew that Takeo would be angry 
 when he learned what had been done during his 
 absence, but he wins who thrusts his sword first, 
 and, on the very day Yamaki had brought her the 
 good news, she at once sent back to the house of 
 Kataoka everything that belonged to Nami. She 
 thought it a little cruel, but as nothing short of 
 imperative measures would suffice, she was satisfied 
 with the steps she had taken, and was in good spirits 
 for two or three days thereafter. On the other 
 hand, the servants, naturally siding with the young 
 couple, held their breath at the ruthless act of the 
 widow, and expected a scene on Takeo's return. 
 And, in the midst of the situation, Takeo came 
 back. The letter Madam Kato sent hurriedly to 
 inform Takeo of what had happened crossed him on 
 
 [193]
 
 the way, and of course his mother did not mention 
 the subject to him in her letter. So he remained 
 totally ignorant of his real position, and took the 
 first opportunity to come home on reaching Yoko- 
 sura Naval Station. 
 
 A chambermaid, who came from the direction 
 of the sitting-room, beckoned to a maid who was 
 making tea, and said : " Say, Mat-chan, our mas- 
 ter does not seem to know anything about the 
 matter. He even brought home something for his 
 wife." 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Matsu. " Where on earth 
 can you find another mother who would divorce 
 her son's wife during his absence? But wait and 
 see how angry he will get. She is an old devil ! " 
 
 " So she is," said the chambermaid. " I have 
 never seen such a cross, stingy, and unreasonable 
 woman. She scolds us, but she doesn't know any- 
 thing herself. The truth is that she was only the 
 daughter of a poor farmer in Satsuma. I hate to 
 stay in such a place." 
 
 " But isn't our master rather slow in finding 
 out that his own wife is divorced ? " 
 
 "Why, no, that couldn't be helped," continued 
 the chambermaid. " He was far away, you know. 
 No one would expect that a mother would drive 
 [194]
 
 Cafceo anU |)tg 
 
 her son's wife away without consulting him, as if 
 she were a mere servant. And then he is still 
 young, you know. I feel sorry for him, but still 
 more for his wife. How is she feeling, I wonder 
 ugh! There, the old woman has begun to roar. 
 Mat-chan, if you don't mind your business, you will 
 be scolded." 
 
 In an inner room, the voices of the widow and 
 her son were heard growing louder and louder. 
 
 " But you promised me to wait till my return," 
 expostulated Takeo. " And you did not even write 
 me, and have done this on your own responsibility. 
 I cannot bear it. I stopped at Zushi on my way 
 here, and, as I did not find Nami, I asked Iku about 
 her. She said that Nami had come to Tokyo 
 on some business. I felt queer about it, but I 
 never dreamed that you This is too much 
 for me." 
 
 " Well, I was wrong," the widow was heard to 
 say, " and I apologize. I didn't dislike Nami at 
 all, but because I love you " 
 
 " You are always thinking of me, but have no 
 regard for honor, reputation, or human feelings." 
 
 " Takeo, you are a man and not a woman, I 
 suppose? You still think of Nami, despite your 
 mother's humiliating herself?" 
 [195]
 
 " But what you have done is more than I can 
 stand," said Takeo. 
 
 " Nevertheless, it is too late now. They have 
 agreed, and the matter is settled once for all. What 
 can you now do against it? I tell you, if you do 
 anything foolish, it will bring shame not only to 
 your mother but to yourself." 
 
 Takeo, who was listening silently, bit his lip an- 
 grily. He rose suddenly and crashed to pieces a 
 basket of choice apples brought for his sick wife. 
 He said: 
 
 " Mother, you have killed Nami and me, too. 
 I will never see you again." 
 
 Takeo went back at once to his war-vessel at 
 Yokosura. 
 
 The Korean problem drawing near to a crisis, 
 the Japanese government declared war against China 
 about the middle of July. And on the eighteenth 
 of the same month, Vice-Admiral Kabayama was 
 made Chief of the Ordnance Bureau, and the Matsu- 
 shima, flag-vessel to the combined fleets, on board 
 of which was Takeo, was ordered to meet the other 
 vessels at Saseho. Preferring to be a target for a 
 shell rather than to preserve his useless life, Takeo 
 immediately left on duty for the West. 
 [196]
 
 Cafceo ana Ibta 
 
 General Kataoka at once built a cozy house for 
 Nami in a quiet, sunny nook of his spacious estate, 
 and, calling old Iku from Zushi, directed her 
 to live there with his daughter. In September 
 he was restored to duty, and, after entrusting Nami 
 most tenderly to the care of his wife, he went down 
 on the thirteenth of the month to the military 
 headquarters at Hiroshima, in the imperial suite, 
 and the next month sailed for the Liaotong Penin- 
 sula with General Oyama, Yamaji, and others. 
 
 All the passion and conflict in the minds of those 
 whom we have followed thus far were for a while 
 carried away in the great national agitation over 
 the China- Japan War.
 
 'Boofc
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 Battle off galu 
 
 /T was five o'clock in the afternoon of the six- 
 teenth of September, 1894, when our combined 
 squadrons, ready for action, steamed out of the 
 mouth of the River Tai-dong toward the north- 
 west. They went in search of the enemy's fleet, 
 reported to have been seen near the River Yalu, 
 protecting Chinese transports, and intended to en- 
 gage in a decisive battle. 
 
 With the Yoshino as flag-ship, the First Flying 
 Squadron, consisting of the Takashiho, the Naniwa, 
 and the Akitsushima, sailed first. Then followed 
 the Main Squadron of the Chiyoda, Itsukushima, 
 Hashidate, Hiyei, and Fuso, with the Matsushima 
 as flag-ship. Next came the gunboat Akagi, and the 
 armored merchant- vessel Saikyo-maru, with the 
 Chief of the Ordnance Bureau on board, who, it 
 was said, wanted to see an engagement. The twelve 
 vessels, in one long line, left the port that after- 
 noon, and, ploughing the waves of the Yellow Sea, 
 moved on like a huge sea-serpent. After a while 
 the sun sank into the sea, and the full moon rose in 
 
 [201]
 
 the east, the ships riding on golden and silvery 
 wavelets, and drifting in the clear moonlight. 
 
 In the gun-room of the Matsushima, supper was 
 over, and, though the officers on duty had left long 
 ago, still a few lads remained and were engaged in 
 a lively talk. The stern windows being tightly 
 closed, so as not to let light escape, the room was 
 warm, and the red faces of the full-blooded youths 
 were deeply flushed. On a table were some cups 
 and saucers and a plate of cakes, which had been 
 done justice to, all but one last slice, waiting 
 its sad doom at the hands of some future admiral. 
 
 " The army may have already captured Phyong- 
 yang," said a small spirited ensign, as he looked 
 around at his fellow officers, resting his cheek on his 
 arm. " But how about the navy ? Look at these 
 idle hours ! " 
 
 A well-fed assistant paymaster smilingly re- 
 marked from his corner : " Don't you know that 
 the play will be over no sooner than the curtain 
 is raised? It's fun to have a long intermission." 
 
 " Oh, away with such idle talk. I am tired of 
 playing blind-man's-buff with the Pei-yang. If we 
 miss them again this time, I can't rest till we force 
 our way into the Gulf of Pechili, and visit the Fort 
 of Taku with a shell." 
 
 [202]
 
 battle off palu Kitoet 
 
 A certain cadet questioned him earnestly: 
 
 " That is the same thing as to enter into a bag. 
 What will you do if you are blockaded ? " 
 
 "What? Blockaded? I wish we were. But 
 I'm sorry to say they are not active enough to 
 blockade us. I don't mean to discourage you, but 
 it seems to me that our intended encounter this time 
 will rather miscarry. I don't know what to do 
 with the everlasting slowness of the Chinese." 
 
 At this moment, footsteps were heard, and a tall 
 ensign appeared at the doorway. 
 
 The small ensign turned around. " Hullo, nav- 
 igating officer ! What news ? Anything in sight ? " 
 
 " Only the moon. You'd better go to bed and 
 get a good rest as soon as the roll is called." Eat- 
 ing the piece of cake left on the plate, he continued : 
 " Stay a little while on deck and you will get 
 awfully hungry. Bring some more cake, boy." 
 
 Another ensign, with a red shirt on, smiled and 
 wondered at his appetite. The tall ensign remarked, 
 in reply: " How about you, my dear friend? Isn't 
 it our privilege, heroes of the gun-room, to eat 
 cakes and look down upon the veterans? But say, 
 fellow, don't you know that the marines could not 
 sleep for joy to-morrow? If we blunder to-morrow, 
 it will not be the fault of the marines, but of " 
 [203]
 
 " Oh, we have no doubt of our courage," asserted 
 a mate, the oldest one of the group. " What we 
 desire is nothing but nerve. Beware of rashness." 
 
 " Speaking of that, I was surprised at the sub- 
 captain of No. corps," remarked another of 
 
 the group. " Such industry ! But, though we make 
 light of our lives, he goes too far in remarking that 
 he is selling his life at a bargain ! " 
 
 " Oh, you mean Kawashima ? Yes, I remember 
 once oh, it was at the demonstration off Wei- 
 hai-wei that he performed such a dangerous feat. 
 If you made him commander-in-chief, he might, 
 perhaps, like Number Three, lead our fleet into 
 the Gulf of Pechili, and, not satisfied with Taku, 
 would send them up the Pei-ho, and try to capture 
 old Li-Hung Chang." 
 
 " And then he is quite changed. He gets angry 
 at nothing. Once I joked him about the Baroness 
 Kawashima, when he turned black, and was about 
 to knock me down. I am more afraid of his blow 
 than of a 3O-centimetre shell from the Ting-yuen. 
 I suspect something has happened to him. Say, 
 Garibaldi, you are his great friend, and you know 
 the secret." The navigating officer looked into the 
 face of the man with a red shirt, nicknamed Gari- 
 baldi. 
 
 [204]
 
 battle off Paltt Utucr 
 
 At this moment, the boy brought in a. plateful of 
 cakes, and the idle gun-room talk ended. 
 
 At ten in the evening, the roll was called. Those 
 on duty reported at their respective quarters, and 
 the rest went to bed. Loud talking and kindling of 
 fire were prohibited ; the upper and lower decks were 
 silent as if deserted. Except the solitary command- 
 ing voice of the chief navigating officer, only the 
 sound of the screw and the ceaseless beating of the 
 engine, like that of an enormous heart, were heard, 
 while the silent smoke from the funnels was drift- 
 ing white in the moon. 
 
 On the forward bridge, two human shadows 
 were seen. One remained standing at the left end 
 of the bridge, and the other was walking noiselessly 
 to and fro. 
 
 The latter was Takeo Kawashima. He was the 
 
 sub-captain of No. corps, and, with the chief 
 
 navigating officer, was keeping his four hours' watch 
 on the bridge. 
 
 He now reached the right end. He raised his 
 glass and looked far around him. Seeing nothing, 
 he lowered his right hand, and stood with his left 
 hand on the rail. Two officers, talking in low tones, 
 came from the front gun, and, passing under the 
 [205]
 
 l^ami-feo 
 
 bridge, disappeared into the shadow. Everything 
 was quiet on the deck, the wind growing chill and 
 the moon shedding her crystal light. 
 
 Stretching beyond the dark figures of the watch- 
 ers on the prow, nothing was visible but the white 
 waters of the Yellow Sea, except the faint shadow 
 of a rocky island on the port side, and the still 
 fainter body of the Akitsushima ahead. The au- 
 tumn sky high above the mainmast, toward which 
 the sparks from the funnels now hurried forth and 
 vanished, was studded with scattered stars, and the 
 milky way, shorn of its lustre, stretched pale from 
 sea to sea. 
 
 Three months had passed since Takeo left his 
 mother in anger. 
 
 But what changes he had lived through during 
 those days! First, his mind had been stirred up 
 by the threatening Korean problem, and then, on 
 the Bay of Saseho, his heart had been wrung by 
 the sad strains of farewell music. The declaration 
 of war had almost doubled his courage, and the 
 bombardment of Wei-hai-wei had given him for the 
 first time a baptism of fire. Things wonderful to 
 his mind and eyes followed one after another, and 
 did not allow him time even to stop to think. So 
 [206]
 
 Battle of! galtt Bttoer 
 
 much the better for him; for he was thereby able 
 to avoid dwelling upon the one thing that con- 
 sumed his soul. In his country's hour of trial, his 
 private affairs, though they were a question of life 
 or death to him, were lost sight of. Thus he 
 thought, and, burying his grief, followed his duty, 
 and with all his desperate courage engaged in bat- 
 tle. To him, indeed, death was of no more value 
 than a particle of dust. 
 
 But whenever there came a peaceful evening on 
 the bridge, or a sleepless night in his hammock, 
 he was at the mercy of his unbearable feelings. 
 Time went by. And now the intensity of the pas- 
 sion before which everything had given way was 
 dulled, and his anger, hardened as it were, secretly 
 consumed his soul. His mother wrote him twice, 
 and hoped for his safe return. Moody as he was, 
 he thought how lonely his old mother was, and, 
 apologizing for his rashness, wished her well. But 
 his feeling toward her could never be changed. 
 It was sunk deep in his breast, and night after night 
 he saw, through his dream over the destruction 
 of the Pei-yang Squadron and his death in the 
 battle, the face of the sick girl wrapped in a snow- 
 white shawl. 
 
 Three months passed with no news about her. 
 [207]
 
 Jftami-feo 
 
 Was she still living? No? Yes, she was. As 
 never a day passed without thinking of her, so it 
 must be with her, too. Did they not pledge to 
 live and die together? 
 
 Takeo thought this. And he thought again of 
 the time he had seen her last. Ah, where was she 
 who, on that dim evening at Zushi, cried after him 
 to come back soon, as she stood at the gate to see 
 him off? Pensively he looked up when he felt as 
 if a slender form in a white shawl were about to 
 step out of the clear moon. 
 
 Perhaps to-morrow the fleet would meet the en- 
 emy. And, if he should be killed by a shell, his 
 life would be but a dream. He thought of it, and 
 then of his mother, who would be left behind him. 
 He thought also of his dead father, and of the days 
 he spent at Yedajima. And again his mind would 
 turn to Nami-san. 
 
 "Kawashima!" 
 
 Takeo hurriedly turned around at a slap on his 
 shoulder. It was the chief navigating officer. 
 
 " How beautiful the night is! We can hardly 
 believe that we are going to war." 
 
 Nodding assent, Takeo brushed aside his tears, 
 and raised his glass. The moon was white, and 
 [208]
 
 Battle off pain EtHer 
 
 nothing was visible but the vast expanse of the 
 water. 
 
 The moon had set and the sky was turning pur- 
 ple. The seventeenth of September was dawning 
 on the Yellow Sea. It was about six in the morn- 
 ing, and the fleet was already near Haiyang Island. 
 The gunboat Akagi had been ordered to reconnoitre 
 the inlets of the island, but to no purpose. The 
 fleet sailed along and was soon off Takooshan, with 
 Talu and Seolu Islands on the port side. 
 
 It was eleven o'clock. Takeo at that moment 
 left the wardroom, and was about to step on deck 
 when a voice was heard crying, " Smoke ! " 
 
 At the same time, hurried footsteps were heard 
 on deck. With his heart beating furiously, Takeo 
 stopped on the stair. A seaman who happened to 
 pass below also stopped and exchanged a look with 
 him. 
 
 " Is the enemy in sight? " 
 
 " It seems so." 
 
 Springing excitedly on deck, Takeo found men 
 running right and left, whistles shrieking, and a 
 signal-flag being hoisted on the mast. At the bow, 
 marines stood in groups, and on the bridge the 
 commander, vice-commander, and other officers all 
 gazed intently in one direction. Far away on the 
 [209]
 
 horizon black streaks of smoke could be counted, 
 one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, 
 nine, and ten. 
 
 It was the enemy's fleet. An officer on the bridge 
 looked at his watch, and said : " An hour and a 
 half more. If things are ready, we can have a good 
 dinner before we get to work." 
 
 Another, in the middle of the group, nodded. 
 " They are keeping us waiting, but, friends, make 
 the most of your time." As he said this, he twisted 
 his mustache. 
 
 Presently the imperial naval flag was hoisted 
 high on the mainmast, and the sound of the bugle 
 from the bridge was heard all over the ship. Men 
 rushed to their respective quarters, and those who 
 were going to climb to the maintop, to descend to 
 the engine-room, to enter the torpedo-room, or to 
 attend to the sickroom, went to right and left, 
 upon the bridge and toward the stern. In an in- 
 stant, preparations were complete, and they were 
 ready for action. It was near noon, and luncheon 
 was ordered before the fight. 
 
 Takeo had been helping the captain, who was 
 directing the gunners about the starboard quick- 
 firing guns. He, therefore, entered the gun-room a 
 little late, and found his messmates already at the 
 [210]
 
 battle off Palu Etber 
 
 table. The short ensign looked earnest, and the 
 mate mopped his forehead as he bent over the plate. 
 Young cadets stole looks at their comrades as they 
 now and then gave orders. Presently one of them 
 rose noisily from his seat. It was the red-shirted 
 ensign. 
 
 " Comrades, I love to see that your spirit is daunt- 
 less, and that you can sit down to a hearty meal 
 in the face of the enemy. But I doubt very much 
 if we shall all meet at mess this evening. Let us 
 therefore shake hands, and say farewell to one an- 
 other." 
 
 Thereupon he clasped the hand of Takeo, who 
 was next to him, and shook it. At the same time 
 the others all rose and clasped each other's hands, 
 two or three plates being thrown off the table in the 
 commotion. One ensign, with a scar on his left 
 cheek, took the hand of the surgeon. 
 
 " When we are wounded, you must handle us 
 gently. This is to bribe you." And he shook the 
 surgeon's hand four or five times. 
 
 All laughed, but presently they became serious. 
 One after another they went out, leaving the room 
 with its piles of empty dishes. 
 
 At twenty minutes past twelve, Takeo was or- 
 dered by the captain of his corps to go up on the 
 
 [211]
 
 Jftami fed 
 
 front bridge to see the vice-commander. From that 
 point of vantage, he saw that the fleet was already 
 disposed in single column: the four cruisers of the 
 First Flying Squadron going first, about four thou- 
 sand metres apart, the six vessels of the Main 
 Squadron, with the Matsushima at the head, com- 
 ing next, and the Akagi and Saikyo-maru following 
 them on the left and under cover. The flag on the 
 mainmast was fluttering bravely to the wind, the 
 funnels were sending forth a volume of black 
 smoke, and the white waves at the bow were rising 
 high in foam. The officers on the bridge, some 
 with marine-glasses at their eyes, and some with 
 hands on swords, were breasting the wind. 
 
 Away to the north, the ten streaks of smoke, first 
 seen close to the horizon, gradually grew, and the 
 enemy's fleet seemed to be springing out of the 
 water. Masts, funnels, and hulls burst into view, 
 and even the flags at the mastheads were now vis- 
 ible. The two huge ironclads, Ting-yuen and Chen- 
 yuen, took the centre position; the King-yuen, 
 Chih-yuen, Wei-yuen, and Tsi-yuen formed the left 
 wing; and the Lai-yuen, Ching-yuen, Chao-yuen, 
 and Yang-wei the right wing. And to the west 
 four more battle-ships, with six torpedo-boats were 
 seen. 
 
 [212]
 
 battle off Pain HiDcr 
 
 The Japanese squadrons advanced in single col- 
 umn toward the centre of the enemy, approaching 
 them in like fashion; but, when about ten thou- 
 sand metres away, the Flying Squadron veered to 
 the left to attack the enemy's right. The rest of 
 the fleet also went to port. The battle lines changed 
 at once from a T to a V shape, and in this position 
 they approached until they were within a distance 
 of six thousand metres. At this moment, white 
 smoke was seen rising at the prow of the Chen-yuen, 
 and two 3O-centimetre shells shrieked in the air 
 and fell into the sea on the port side of the Flying 
 Squadron. The water of the Yellow Sea rose in 
 clouds. 
 
 The Yellow Sea, whose water had been silvery 
 in the moonlight the evening before, and had only 
 this morning reflected in its calm surface the fleecy 
 clouds, the blue islands, and peaceful birds, the 
 Yellow Sea was now the scene of a dreadful battle. 
 
 Takeo returned from the bridge to his quick- 
 firing gun. The captain was busy with his glass, 
 and the gunners had stripped off their jackets and 
 were baring their brown sinewy arms up to the 
 elbow. They all waited silently for orders. At 
 this time, the Flying Squadron, pouring fire into 
 the right wing of the enemy, was about to pass it, 
 
 I 21 3l
 
 JSamUfeo 
 
 and the Matsushima, at the head of the Main 
 Squadron, was nearing it at full speed. The enemy 
 now formed their battle-line into a wedge, with 
 the Chen-yuen and Ting-yuen at the apex. As they 
 closed in on each other, the two great battle-ships 
 became clearly visible to the unaided eye. All at 
 once, Takeo remembered them as he had seen them 
 at Yokohama harbor some years before, and he 
 watched them with renewed interest. To be sure, 
 the ships were the same. But, seeing them now 
 as they vomited forth black smoke, churned white 
 waves into fury, belched forth fire from their guns, 
 and approached threateningly, he felt an irrepres- 
 sible aversion, unmingled with fear, as if they were 
 a terrible beast in his way. 
 
 Suddenly a sound as of thunder was heard in the 
 distance, and something boomed through the air 
 close to the mainmast of the Matsushima. Falling 
 into the sea, it threw the water some twenty feet 
 into the air. Takeo felt a chill run through his 
 body, but he soon recovered himself. He noticed 
 also that a row of his men wavered a little, but 
 they soon regained their courage. The ship con- 
 tinued on its way. Three, four, five shells burst, 
 one striking a boat on the port side, and the rest 
 deluging the ship with water.
 
 Battle off galtt Eiber 
 
 " Captain, must we hold our fire? " asked Takeo, 
 impatiently. It was a few minutes past one. The 
 order of " four thousand metres " was passed along 
 the starboard line, the angle was adjusted, and 
 the cords were grasped. The long-expected bugle 
 was heard. With the order of " Fire ! " the Mat- 
 sushima poured forth a broadside. The vessel 
 shook, and a thick volume of smoke rose along the 
 starboard side. Just then, as if in reply, a huge 
 shell from the enemy grazed the funnel and dropped 
 into the sea. Two or three of the gunners ducked 
 their heads involuntarily. 
 
 The captain turned around and said : " Who 
 is it? Who made that bow?" 
 
 Takeo, the cadets, and gunners all laughed. 
 
 "Fire! Be steady! Fire!" 
 
 All the starboard guns were fired in succession. 
 The big 32-centimetre gun also roared, shaking the 
 ship. The vessels behind now joined the fire. Sud- 
 denly a shot from the enemy exploded near the 
 gun, and one of the gunners who was carrying a 
 shell fell down behind Takeo. He tried to rise 
 and fell again ; the blood gushed forth upon Takeo's 
 uniform. Most of the gunners looked around. 
 
 "Who is it?" asked one of them. 
 
 "Isn't it Nishiyama? It's he!" said another. 
 [215]
 
 "Killed?" asked a third. 
 
 "Fire!" roared the captain, and the gunners 
 crowded to the gun. 
 
 Takeo hurriedly ordered the men to take the 
 corpse away, and turned to his post, when the cap- 
 tain observed his uniform. 
 
 " Kawashima, are you wounded ? " 
 
 " Oh, no. This is only a splash." 
 
 "Well, let's avenge the dead." 
 
 The guns were fired incessantly, and the ship 
 steamed at full speed. The Main Squadron now 
 swept in a great arc past the right wing to the 
 rear of the enemy. The first encounter being ended, 
 the second was about to begin. The starboard guns 
 of the Matsushima were silent for the moment, 
 and the officers and gunners mopped their faces. 
 
 The Japanese vessels were thus arrayed. The 
 Flying Squadron, having concentrated its attack 
 on the right wing of the enemy, and having crip- 
 pled the Yang-wei and Chao-yung, was about to 
 follow the Main Squadron after circling once, in 
 order to attack the enemy from the rear. The 
 Htyeij fifth vessel of the Main Squadron, delayed 
 by its low speed, was in danger of being rammed, 
 and, wanting to shorten the distance which sep- 
 arated her from the rest, boldly resolved to pass 
 [216]
 
 Battle off Pain Lltucr 
 
 through the Chinese line. She succeeded, but was 
 retired from action on account of the severe fire. 
 The Saikyo-maru was also out of danger. Only the 
 Akagi, a small vessel of 600 tons, was left to face 
 the enemy, and she was desperately fighting her way 
 to join the Hiyei. The four vessels of the Flying 
 Squadron and the five of the Main held the line 
 in undisturbed order. 
 
 On the enemy's side, the Chao-yung was on fire, \s 
 the Yang-wei was disabled, and the right wing was 
 in bad order. The three vessels on the left wing 
 also got out of line in order to pursue the Hiyei and 
 Akagi, while the torpedo-boats were separated and 
 far off to one side. Several vessels, with the Chen- 
 yuen and Ting-yuen at the head, turned their prows 
 as they saw the Japanese at their rear, and tried 
 in column to attack the Main Squadron. 
 
 The second encounter now began. The Saikyo- 
 maru having signalled that the Akagi and Hiyei 
 were in danger, the fastest vessels of the Flying 
 Squadron were ordered to the rescue. The Main 
 Squadron, however, in a single column described 
 a great arc, with the enemy at its centre, and poured 
 forth its artillery. 
 
 At half-past two, they had circled round the 
 enemy's fleet, and had reached the other side. Then 
 [217]
 
 the Flying Squadron, having driven into the en- 
 emy's line, the three vessels that pressed on the 
 Hiyei and Akagi began to attack from the other 
 side. Thus the Japanese squadrons had the enemy 
 between them. The third and fiercest encounter of 
 the whole battle was about to ensue. 
 
 The two fleets, Japanese and Chinese, on which 
 were centred the naval forces of each nation, steamed 
 side by side, and were engaged in deadly battle. 
 Like two monstrous serpents surrounding a huge 
 whale, the water of the Yellow Sea seethed and 
 foamed about them. 
 
 The Main Squadron from the right, and the 
 Flying Squadron from the left, pressed on the 
 enemy in opposite directions, and the battle was 
 raging furiously. The fiercer the battle became, 
 the further Takeo forgot himself. He remembered 
 well that he forgot everything at school in the heat 
 of a baseball game, and that he felt as if something 
 from above urged him on. And now he experienced 
 a similar feeling. Except when the ship separated 
 from the enemy's fleet, and again closed in, or when 
 she turned around and faced to port and conse- 
 quently left the starboard guns unused, Takeo was 
 constantly occupied, and his voice became hoarse at 
 [218]
 
 battle off palu Eitoer 
 
 giving incessant orders. But he felt nothing. The 
 enemy's shells burst upon the Matsushima until 
 her iron shields were split, her wood-work scorched, 
 and her decks smeared with blood. But Takeo 
 felt nothing. The sound of the enemy's guns kept 
 time with the beating of his heart, and a short lull 
 in the conflict even made him uneasy. His men also 
 minded nothing of exploding shells, and loaded the 
 gun, adjusted the angle, pulled the cord, and again 
 loaded with the exactness of target practice and 
 the earnestness of real fighting. A fire was ex- 
 tinguished no sooner than it broke out, shells were 
 supplied without waiting an order, and the dead 
 and wounded were removed in a moment. The 
 whole fighting mechanism operated as quickly and 
 smoothly as possible. 
 
 The scene at this moment was confusion itself. 
 The grayish smoke covered the sea and sky, and 
 from among its curling sheets, unexpected flags 
 and masts were dimly visible. The thundering 
 noise rent the skies second by second; the shells 
 sometimes crashed and exploded in the air, and the 
 sea incessantly rose in columns of seething spray. 
 All at once the captain shouted: 
 "Look! The Ting-yuen is on fire!" 
 Through a break in the smoke, the prow of the 
 [219]
 
 Jftamt ko 
 
 enemy's flag-ship, which bore a dragon flag, was 
 seen enveloped in yellow smoke, and her crew, 
 like so many ants, hurried about in confusion. 
 
 Takeo and his men cheered. 
 
 " Come on ; finish her up ! " 
 
 With increased strength, the guns were fired 
 anew. 
 
 Attacked from both sides, the enemy's fleet was 
 now thrown into disorder. The Chao-yung had 
 already sunk under fire, and the Yang-wei escaped 
 disabled. The Chih-yuen was about to sink, the 
 Ting-yuen was on fire, and the Lai-yuen also caught 
 fire. The fleet could no longer hold together, and, 
 leaving the Ting-yuen and Chen-yuen, the rest fled 
 in several directions. The Flying Squadron at 
 once started to give them chase, and the Main 
 Squadron directed its fire on the Ting-yuen and 
 Chen-yuen. 
 
 The fourth encounter was imminent. 
 
 It was three in the afternoon. The fire on the 
 Ting-yuen spread, but she remained there. The 
 Chen-yuen bravely stood by her, and the two large 
 massive hills of iron confronted the Japanese ves- 
 sels. But, as the light-mounted Saracens rode 
 around the Crusaders, and shot in vain on their 
 double-coated armors, so the Japanese shells re- 
 [220]
 
 Battle off paltt Bttoer 
 
 bounded from the fourteen-inch armor-belts, and 
 exploded in the air. At about half-past three, the 
 Matsushima was opposite the enemy's flag-ship. 
 When Takeo saw that the shots from his quick- 
 firing gun struck her side, rebounded and exploded, 
 like fireworks, to no purpose, he was enraged. Bit- 
 ing his lips and grasping the handle of his sword, 
 he exclaimed: 
 
 "Captain, it's damnable! Look look there! 
 The devil!" 
 
 The captain, with bloodshot eyes, stamped about 
 the deck. " Fire! Aim at her deck! Her deck! " 
 
 " Fire ! " roared Takeo. 
 
 The maddened gunners sent their shots furiously 
 to the mark. 
 
 "One more!" shouted Takeo, when a terrible 
 noise shook the whole vessel, as if a volcano had 
 burst suddenly upon them. At the same time, some- 
 thing like scattered drops of rain hit him and threw 
 him to the deck. 
 
 The two 3O-centimetre shells from the enemy 
 had struck the quick-firing gun and exploded. 
 
 " God! " ejaculated Takeo, as he sprang up, and 
 
 then sank to the deck. He felt a terrible pain in 
 
 the lower half of his body. He looked around as 
 
 he fell. The place was covered with blood, fire, 
 
 [221]
 
 JQamt fea 
 
 and human flesh. The captain was not there. The 
 gun-shield looked like a cave in which something 
 blue was seen moving. It was the sea. 
 
 Oppressed with pain and the indescribable smell, 
 Takeo shut his eyes. He could only hear the ago- 
 nizing moan of the wounded, the cracking of burn- 
 ing wood, the cries of " Fire ! Fire ! Ready with 
 pumps!" and at the same time footsteps hurrying 
 toward him. 
 
 Suddenly Takeo felt that strong hands were 
 lifting him. As they touched his legs, the intense 
 pain shot up to his brain, and, with a cry, he fell 
 back. A crimson vapor seemed to wreathe before 
 his closed eyes, and in a moment he was insensible. 
 
 [222]
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Cime of 
 
 the middle of October, the First Division 
 d already started for the Regent's Sword 
 from the military headquarters at Hiroshima, but 
 the soldiers of the Second Division soon began to 
 pour into the town. As a special Diet had been 
 summoned, the six hundred members also helped to 
 swell the multitude. The streets everywhere re- 
 sounded with the clatter of troops, the jingling of 
 swords, and the rolling of kuruma. 
 
 Along the main street of the town, pieces of board, 
 with "H. I. H. the Chief of General Staff," 
 " Prime Minister Ito," " Lieutenant-General Ka- 
 wakami," and similar names on them, were posted 
 to indicate their lodgings. Farther down the street, 
 almost every house was docketed with number and 
 capacity of rooms, and those houses already occu- 
 pied by soldiers who could not find room in the 
 barracks were marked with the names of officers, 
 number of men, and their company. Here and 
 there new offices of private companies were alive 
 with business, while, in the big stores, the packing 
 
 [223]
 
 Jftamt fco 
 
 of provisions was throwing everything into con- 
 fusion. Through all this disturbance, a general 
 on horseback hastened towards the headquarters; 
 after him a newspaper reporter hurried his kuruma 
 to the telegraph-office; and then somebody from 
 the direction of the railway station, with a valise 
 and a sword wrapped in yellow cloth, crossed the 
 way in company with a man whose face was sun- 
 burnt and who was dressed in a worn-out summer 
 suit. The latter appeared to have just landed at 
 Ujina from the seat of war. Directly after them 
 a Minister of State, whose face was familiar to 
 newspaper readers, drove along thoughtfully, mak- 
 ing a peculiar contrast with a coolie, who was loiter- 
 ing and humming a tune. The town, however, 
 heard during such a commotion two sorts of music, 
 the war-song of the northern soldiers with a pecul- 
 iar twang, and the sweet tune of " Hiroshima," 
 sung by gay maidens. 
 
 Upon the main street stood a house over whose 
 front a large sign-board, bearing in large characters 
 the words, " Supply Merchants to the Army," was 
 displayed with two or three others. Piles of cheap 
 blankets, heavy coats, and such things filled the 
 space before the house, where some half a dozen men 
 were engaged busily in packing them. Just then 
 [224]
 
 Cime of 
 
 a middle-aged man, with a somewhat bald forehead 
 and a large red mole under his left eye, came to 
 the door with a visitor. He stopped to say a few 
 words to the clerk who was directing the men, 
 and was about to go in when he observed a kuruma 
 going up the street. Instantly he recognized the 
 man in it and cried: 
 
 " Tazaki-san ! Tazaki-san ! " 
 
 The kuruma passed on without paying any atten- 
 tion to the call, but was soon brought back by a lad 
 who hurried after it. The man in it seemed to 
 be past fifty, with a reddish dark complexion and a 
 gray beard. He had on a dark " haori " of com- 
 mon material, and a hat which seemed to have seen 
 long service. He looked somewhat disconcerted at 
 being called back, but immediately recognized the 
 man at the entrance, and asked, in a surprised 
 tone: 
 
 "Why, it's Yamaki-san, isn't it?" 
 
 " How do you do, Tazaki-san ? When did you 
 arrive? " 
 
 " I am just going back by the next train." Say- 
 ing this, Tazaki alighted from his kuruma, and 
 walked to the entrance over the straw and ropes 
 scattered along the way. 
 
 " Going back ? But where have you been ? " 
 [225]
 
 JftamMto 
 
 " To Saseho. I stayed there a few days, and am 
 now on my way home." 
 
 " Saseho ? Oh, to visit Takeo-san ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Indeed," Yamaki went on, " and you pass me 
 by without so much as looking in on me. I am 
 surprised at my daughter and the old baroness, too. 
 They never wrote me a word about you." 
 
 " Oh, I've been in a great hurry." 
 
 " But, then," continued Yamaki, " it would not 
 have been much trouble just to drop in. Well, 
 come in now at any rate. Send back your kuruma. 
 You must, for I have got to talk with you. You 
 can take the second train back, can't you? How 
 is Takeo-san? I heard he was in the Naval Hos- 
 pital at Saseho, and I wanted to visit him. But 
 at that time the First Division was going to start, 
 and I was extremely busy, and could only send 
 him a letter of condolence. Oh, was it? The 
 bone was not injured? His thigh, was it? Well, 
 I am very glad to hear he is getting better. His 
 mother will be relieved, I am sure." 
 
 Tazaki looked at his watch, and immediately 
 arose. Yamaki stopped him and said: 
 
 " Oh, don't hurry so fast. I have something 
 for the baroness, which I wish you to take with you. 
 [226]
 
 ime of 
 
 Go back by the night train, won't you? You'll 
 have plenty of time for that. I'll finish my business 
 up, and then we'll go somewhere and have a talk 
 over our sake. The fish here is especially fine." 
 
 The evening sun was low on the River Amayasu, 
 and its glow fell on the paper screen of a tea-house 
 by the water. The second floor of the house was 
 now occupied by a noisy crowd from the Diet, 
 assembled for some social purpose, while, in a small 
 room down-stairs, Yamaki and Tazaki were so bus- 
 ily engaged in a quiet talk over their sake that 
 they even compelled the waitress to keep her dis- 
 tance. 
 
 Tazaki had been steward to the house of Kawa- 
 shima from the time of Takeo's father. He still 
 served in that capacity, attending to his duty daily 
 from his house near by. He was not an especially 
 clever fellow, but he scorned to fill his purse with 
 a part of his master's income. And so he was much 
 trusted by the widow and Takeo, and had been 
 sent upon this errand to visit his wounded master 
 at Saseho. 
 
 Yamaki put down his cup of sake, and, with 
 his hand on his forehead, said : " The fact is, I 
 stayed in Tokyo only one day, and had to return 
 [227]
 
 immediately to Hiroshima, and so had no chance 
 to hear the news. Then it seems that Nami-ko- 
 san was very ill ? Well, it was a cruel deed. But, 
 at any rate, it had to be done for the good of the 
 house of Kawashima. Oh, is that so? She is bet- 
 ter now, and again at Zushi? But you can't tell 
 anything about that disease. It's generally fatal, 
 you know. How about Takeo-san? Is he still 
 angry ? " 
 
 Tazaki uncovered the bowl of fish soup, from 
 which the smell of mushrooms arose, and took a 
 sip of the tempting liquid as he said : " Well, that 
 is the difficult point. The widow did everything 
 for the good of the house, and that may be easily 
 forgiven. But, Yamaki-san, don't you think she 
 exceeded her mother's right a little in taking ad- 
 vantage of our master's absence, and divorcing her 
 without his consent? Of course I advised her to 
 wait till his return, but you know her temper. She 
 can't wait for anything, if she once sets her heart 
 on it. And so this was the consequence. I rather 
 sympathize with our master in his anger. But I 
 had a great deal of trouble with Chijiwa. I hear 
 that he is now in China ? " 
 
 Yamaki looked at the face of his companion. 
 
 "Chijiwa! Yes, he went over the other day. 
 [228]
 
 at 
 
 But I had a great deal of trouble with him, too. 
 I had to pay a heavy price for our mere acquaint- 
 ance. He was bold enough to ask me to give him 
 a parting present, explaining that, in case of his 
 death, it might serve as the customary obituary 
 gift. If he survived, he would come back with the 
 order of the Golden Kite, he said. And in this way 
 he squeezed out of me about a hundred yen. But 
 Takeo-san, he will go back to Tokyo as soon 
 as he gets well, won't he?" 
 
 " Oh, no. He intends to go to war again." 
 " Well, I admire his pluck, anyway. But, Ta- 
 zaki-san, don't you think he ought to go home and 
 be reconciled to his mother? I don't know how 
 much he liked Nami-ko-san, but now that the mar- 
 riage tie is broken, and she is suffering from such 
 a fatal disease, he could not, I think, very well 
 renew the relation. There is really no way but 
 to overlook the past, and heal the breach between 
 them. What do you think, Tazaki-san ? " 
 
 Tazaki replied rather thoughtfully : " Our mas- 
 ter has such a good disposition that, though his 
 mother was wrong, he seems to think that he did 
 not behave right himself. My visit this time, how- 
 ever, was at the wish of the baroness, so there is 
 no need to talk about a reconciliation. But " 
 [229]
 
 " It hardly seems the proper thing to talk about 
 an engagement during the war," Yamaki began, 
 " but it seems best for him to take a second wife. 
 How is it, Tazaki-san? Couldn't he forget Nami- 
 ko-san, and at the same time make peace with his 
 mother? A young man is apt to think a great deal 
 of his first love, but, when he meets another, he 
 easily falls into love with her." 
 
 " Well, the baroness is thinking of that, too. 
 But " 
 
 "You say it would be difficult?" 
 
 " He is so strong-willed, you know." 
 
 " But it is for the good of his house and himself, 
 too, you see." 
 
 The talk was dropped for a moment. Up-stairs, 
 some one appeared to have finished his speech, for 
 thunders of applause were resounding. The evening 
 light on the screen was softened, and the sound 
 of the trumpets at the barracks seemed far away. 
 
 Yamaki dipped his sake cup into a water-basin 
 and passed it to Tazaki. 
 
 " Tazaki-san, how about my daughter who is 
 at Kawashima? She is so slow that she might not 
 easily get into the favor of the baroness." 
 
 About a month after Nami had been divorced, 
 Yamaki had sent his daughter Toyo to the house 
 
 [230]
 
 Cirae of 
 
 of Kawashima to be trained by the widow according 
 to his plan. And he was now very anxious to hear 
 about her. 
 
 But Tazaki smiled. He must have recalled 
 something funny. 
 
 When Takeo left his house in anger, his mother 
 cast a wrathful look as he turned from her, and 
 said: 
 
 " You are a disobedient son ! Leave me in- 
 stantly! " 
 
 The widow knew that Takeo had always been a 
 good child, and that he had never hesitated to com- 
 ply with her most exacting demands. And so, 
 though she also knew that he loved Nami greatly, 
 she believed firmly that, in case his love for his 
 wife and his duty to his parents should conflict, 
 he would, of course, prefer the latter. Believing 
 this, though she really thought the step she was 
 to take was rather too bold, she dared to divorce 
 Nami, saying that she was doing it for the sake of 
 Takeo and the family. But when she saw the ex- 
 tent of Takeo's anger, she discovered for the first 
 time that she had made a mistake, and that a mother 
 has no absolute power over her son. 
 
 Formerly she had looked on her son's love toward
 
 Nami with a jealous eye, but now, seeing that her 
 love, esteem, and authority could not compete with 
 the love of one dying woman, she felt as if her 
 power were utterly destroyed, and as if she had been 
 cheated out of her prize. Her resentment at Ta- 
 keo's action was unabated, and she persisted in revil- 
 ing Nami long after she had left the house. 
 
 One thing more added fuel to the flame. She 
 had indeed a slight fear lurking in a corner of 
 her heart that she had been unjust. To her, 
 Takeo's displeasure was absolutely unreasonable, 
 but she began to feel that possibly she had over- 
 stepped the rights of a mother. As she lay sleep- 
 less by night, watching a wan disk of light, thrown 
 by a lantern on the ceiling, she felt as if a small 
 voice were whispering to her : " You are wrong ; 
 you are to blame," and was made very uneasy. 
 Nothing in the world makes us feel so strong as 
 the belief that we are doing right. And nothing 
 is so unpleasant as to be on the point of humbling 
 ourselves under constraint. When injured se- 
 verely, beasts will roar; when reminded of his 
 guilt, man will rage. Takeo's mother was now in 
 this condition, and her irrepressible anger was even 
 increased by this very feeling. As the days went 
 by, Takeo did not return. Neither did he write
 
 of 
 
 to tell her that he was in the wrong. As the only 
 way to get rid of her uneasiness, the widow gave 
 full vent to her anger, and was barely able even 
 then to justify herself. She raged at Takeo, at 
 Nami, at the thought of the past and of the future, 
 at her own isolation and loneliness, and ultimately 
 at her own helplessness, till she would finally wear 
 herself out and fall asleep. 
 
 At the house of Kawashima, the servants were 
 often tempted to pack up their things on account of 
 the widow's continual ill-temper. At last the news 
 of the battles at Phung Island and Asan stirred 
 the capital. The widow was deeply offended be- 
 cause Takeo had neglected to send her a farewell 
 letter on going to the war, and the accounts of 
 other mothers coming up to Tokyo to see off their 
 sons in the army, or writing to encourage them, 
 made her lamentable situation all the worse. She 
 even thought of the possibility that death might 
 separate them forever. And, being moved some- 
 what, she reluctantly condescended to write two 
 letters to her son, and to send them to him at the 
 front. 
 
 Takeo's answer soon came. About a month 
 later, a telegram reached her from the Naval Hos- 
 pital at Saseho, telling of his injury. Her hand 
 
 [ 2 33]
 
 trembled in spite of her, as she held the paper. 
 And, though she learned soon afterward that he 
 was getting better, she sent Tazaki to report on 
 his condition. 
 
 The widow felt relieved when Tazaki returned 
 from Saseho, but she earnestly desired to see her 
 son on his recovery, and thought it best to get a 
 second wife for him as soon as the war was over. 
 In that way she hoped to remove Nami from 
 Takeo's mind, to maintain the house of Kawashima, 
 and to make amends, as she thought, for her rather 
 rash act. 
 
 To find a good second wife for Takeo was the 
 problem she had had in mind since the very day 
 of Nami's divorce. For that purpose, she canvassed 
 a whole list of young daughters of her few ac- 
 quaintances, but could not find one who pleased 
 her. While she was at a loss, Yamaki suddenly 
 sent his daughter Toyo to her house to be instructed 
 in good manners. Of course she was soon aware 
 of Yamaki's purpose and of the fact that Toyo 
 was by no means a faultless girl. But a drowning 
 man grasps at a straw. The widow, who was at 
 her wits' end, finally complied with Yamaki's re- 
 quest and received Toyo for trial. 
 [234]
 
 n Cime of 
 
 The result of her examination was the cause of 
 Tazaki's smile. Neither the widow nor Toyo was 
 satisfied, and the servants heard so much that they 
 made merry over the poor girl. 
 
 At first calmness, then the sparing use of bird- 
 shot, and finally a terrific bombardment, such 
 was the stratagem Widow Kawashima employed 
 against everybody. Nami herself had been the 
 object of such an attack. And, as she had been 
 sensitive, she had felt it keenly. Now it was Toyo's 
 turn. Having a happy disposition, which made it 
 possible for her to remain quite indifferent to her 
 surroundings, she did not care for the bird-shot 
 any more than for the spattering of rain-drops. 
 This naturally impelled the widow to take more 
 severe steps. 
 
 Toyo was by nature easy-going, as if she were 
 always wrapped in spring haze. Her mind was 
 dull, and, not only had she no ambition, but often 
 V / she seemed to have no individuality. As she stood 
 in a garden on a spring evening, her body and soul 
 seemed to dissolve into mist and to elude the grasp 
 of hands. Such as she was, since she first awoke to 
 love, Toyo began to learn what she had to pay 
 for it at the house of Kawashima. As soon as she 
 got up in the morning, she would be ordered to do 
 [235]
 
 Bamt feo 
 
 this or that kind of work, and, in the end, she 
 would be rewarded only with hard words and 
 taunts. Of course she was generally impervious to 
 light attacks, but even she could not withstand con- 
 tinuous harsh treatment. Had she not been serving 
 in the house of her lover, she would have run away 
 long ago. But, remembering the repeated instruc- 
 tions of her parents, she bravely maintained her 
 stand before the assault, and passed many a cheer- 
 less day. At times her situation was almost un- 
 bearable, and then she was wont to think what a 
 hard thing love was, and that she would never 
 be in love again. The Widow Kawashima made 
 poor Toyo a safety-valve for her disturbed temper, 
 and the servants made a laughing-stock of her. 
 Without even being able to see the face of her lover, 
 she vainly awaited better days with a patience she 
 had never known before. 
 
 With the coming of Toyo, the widow found 
 a new source of displeasure. A gem lost is in- 
 valuable; a wife gone is faultless, so the saying 
 goes. Though far from being Nami's equal, Toyo, 
 whose every act caused much trouble to the widow, 
 would remind her mistress regretfully of the one 
 whom she had formerly maltreated. Nami was 
 a modest girl, sparing of words, and gentle in de- 
 [236]
 
 Cirae of 
 
 meaner, not so showy at first glance, but very con- 
 siderate and clever. The widow, taking advantage 
 of her meekness, had never hesitated to scold her, 
 and yet she secretly admitted that Nami was ex- 
 ceptionally bright for her age. Of her the widow 
 thought, in spite of herself, whenever the compari- 
 son was forced on her by the presence of Toyo. 
 Every time something unpleasant happened, when 
 Toyo was near with her vague and indecisive per- 
 sonality, sitting with her eyes half-closed and her 
 lips powerlessly parted, the widow would see before 
 her the pale face and jet-black hair of Nami, who 
 would look up and innocently ask her pleasure. 
 The widow's heart quivered with an odd sense of 
 reproach, and she tried hard to turn her thoughts 
 away by sheer force of the excuse : " It was wrong 
 of her to get ill." Still the strange feeling would 
 increase, a feeling which she mistook for a fit 
 of her ill-humor, and which thus made her burst 
 out angrily upon poor Toyo. 
 
 It therefore happened that at the very moment 
 Yamaki told Tazaki that his aspiration was to make 
 his daughter the second wife of Takeo, the rela- 
 tions between Toyo and the Widow Kawashima 
 had reached a crisis more imminent than even the 
 struggle between Japan and China. 
 
 [ 2 37]
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Contalegcence 
 
 opened his sleepy eyes, awakened by 
 the singing of the birds under his window. 
 
 He stretched his arm across the bed and pushed 
 the curtain aside. The morning sun, just rising 
 over the hills, shone brightly through the window. 
 The hills were still veiled in morning mist, but 
 the autumnal sky above was clear, and brought into 
 relief the branches of a cherry-tree standing in crim- 
 son attire before the window. Two or three little 
 birds were chirping and hopping on the branches. 
 At last they all peeped into the room, exchanged 
 a look with Takeo, as he half-reclined on the bed, 
 and suddenly flew away, as if taken by surprise, 
 leaving behind them a single yellow leaf falling in 
 the windless air. 
 
 Takeo smiled at the thought of the morning mes- 
 sengers who had aroused him from sleep, and, try- 
 ing to lay his head again on the pillow, he knitted 
 his forehead as if in pain. At last he adjusted him- 
 self comfortably, and closed his eyes. 
 
 The morning was quiet, and there was nothing to 
 [238]
 
 Conbalejfcence 
 
 disturb him. Presently a. cock crowed, and a fish- 
 erman's song was heard in the distance. 
 
 Takeo opened his eyes, smiled, and again closed 
 them, as if he were deep in thought. 
 
 It was now more than a month since he had been 
 wounded in battle, and had been sent to Saseho 
 Hospital. 
 
 Hit by fragments of the enemy's shell, which 
 had exploded just within the gun shield, he had 
 fallen insensible to the deck. Luckily the wounds 
 in his leg did not reach the bone, while the remain- 
 ing injuries were nothing but mere bruises. The 
 captain of his corps had been blown to pieces, and 
 the rest of his fellow officers were all killed, al- 
 though a few of his gunners escaped unhurt. 
 Under these circumstances, it was indeed mirac- 
 ulous that Takeo did not lose his life. On being 
 sent to the Naval Hospital, he was delirious at 
 first, on account of high fever, but, as he was young, 
 his condition improved with the return of the cool 
 season. After the lapse of over a month, though 
 he still felt some pain, he had recovered sufficiently 
 to attempt to leave the room filled with the smell 
 of carbolic acid, and get out into the open autumnal 
 air, even at the risk of offending the surgeon. He 
 O39]
 
 was now only waiting for the day when he could 
 go back to the seat of war once more. 
 
 The life he had spurned, as if it were as worth- 
 less as dust, did not forsake him after all. With 
 the abatement of his fever and pain, the love for 
 life returned in spite of himself, and with it the 
 old care and sorrow. The locust changes its skin, 
 but man cannot do the like, and the thread of 
 Takeo's memory, temporarily buried in the heat of 
 battle and suffering, now returned gradually as he 
 recovered his health and his mind grew calmer. 
 
 But, as a severe disease renews our bodily tissues, 
 so the experience Takeo had had in meeting death 
 face to face gave a new color to his feeling. The 
 great battle and the extraordinary events he had 
 met before and after it, shook his mind as if in a 
 storm. The storm was now over, but its effect yet 
 remained in the sea of his heart, and the feeling 
 that floated on it took a different aspect. Takeo 
 was no longer angry at his mother. He enshrined 
 the memory of Nami in the recesses of his heart 
 as if she were no more, and, as his thought turned 
 toward her, he felt as if he were listening to a 
 sad but sweet strain of music wafted from a distant 
 hill. 
 
 Tazaki came to visit him, and Takeo heard from 
 [240]
 
 Convalescence 
 
 him about his mother, and also something about 
 Nami. Fearing to displease him, Tazaki did not 
 tell Takeo about Yamaki's daughter. But that 
 something was enough to draw tears from him. 
 There glided into his nightly dream the figure of 
 the sick girl staying alone at a villa where the wind 
 mourned sadly among the pines. And this vision 
 alternated with his dreams of the battle off the 
 Yalu. 
 
 Takeo was thinking of what had happened a 
 week ago. 
 
 He had thrown away the newspaper he had been 
 reading, and, yawning, looked out of the window. 
 His roommate had gone off the day before, and 
 now he was left alone. It was late in the after- 
 noon. The room was rather dark, and the autumn 
 rain was pouring outside. A patient in the adjoin- 
 ing room must have been under electrical treat- 
 ment ; the humming noise of the instrument blended 
 continually with the rain, and added to the lone- 
 liness of the hour. Listening to the noise without 
 effort, he watched the window-panes as the rain 
 splashed upon them like a fountain, and the wet 
 trees and shrubs outside came into view and then 
 vanished. He looked at them dreamily for a while, 
 [241]
 
 fed 
 
 and then suddenly covered his head with the 
 blanket. 
 
 " Here are a package and a box for you. Are 
 you asleep ? " 
 
 Takeo thrust out his head, and saw a boy by 
 the bedstead. He stood there with a paper package 
 and a heavy box tied round with rope. 
 
 "Oh, something for me?" asked Takeo. 
 " Where are they from ? " 
 
 The boy read the name of the sender. Takeo 
 had never heard it. 
 
 " Open them for me, please." 
 
 The oil-paper being removed, a bundle wrapped 
 in purple cloth was produced. On untying it, there 
 appeared a woollen light dress, a soft silk medium 
 dress, a belt of white crape, a pair of snow-white 
 socks, a broad-sleeved negligee shirt, and a soft 
 shoulder-pad. And what was in the box? It was 
 full of the large pears and fresh bananas of which 
 he was very fond. 
 
 Takeo's heart began to throb. 
 
 " And no letter in it ? " he asked. 
 
 The boy looked everywhere, but not a piece of 
 written paper could be found. 
 
 " Just let me see that oiled paper." 
 
 Takeo looked at his name on the paper, and his 
 [242]
 
 Convalescence 
 
 heart leaped to his mouth. He recognized the 
 handwriting. 
 
 It is she. It is she. Who else but she? Do 
 you not see in every stitch of the clothes the precious 
 V mark of her tears? Do you not see the writing 
 tremble with the feebleness of her hand? 
 
 Hardly waiting to be left alone, Takeo burst 
 into tears. 
 
 Takeo now realized that Nami dwelt forever in 
 his soul, and that it was overflowing with endless 
 love. By day he thought of her, and by night he 
 dreamed of her. 
 
 But the world was not free, as in his dream. 
 Takeo believed that even death could not sever 
 her from him, much less the trifling conventional- 
 ities of the world. But, in trying to materialize 
 his belief, he could only be persuaded that those 
 trifling conventionalities and customs formed an 
 insurmountable barrier between the dream and 
 reality. No matter what the world would do, 
 she was forever his wife. But his mother had 
 divorced her in his name, and her father had re- 
 called the sanction in her stead. There was no 
 more connection between them in the eyes of the 
 world. Would it be possible for him to see her 
 [243]
 
 again on his recovery, and to try to take her again 
 as his wife? Deceive himself as he might, Takeo 
 was scarcely able to believe that, in spite of a so- 
 called social formality, such things might or could 
 be done. On the contrary, he knew that not only 
 every such trial would fail, but it would widen 
 still further the gap between his mother and him- 
 self. He had already tasted enough of bitterness 
 in opposing his mother. 
 
 Living in this wide universe, Takeo thought it 
 unbearable to be thus fettered in his freedom of 
 love, but he could not find the way out. From day 
 to day he lived in this uneasiness, and could only 
 console himself by vowing in his heart that Nami 
 was his wife in life or death. 
 
 Of this Takeo was thinking as he awoke that 
 morning. 
 
 The surgeon came in presently on his regular 
 visit, and went away satisfied that the wound would 
 be healed before long. Then a letter from his 
 mother was brought to him. It expressed her pleas- 
 ure in hearing from Tazaki of Takeo's improved 
 condition, and went on to say that she wanted 
 him to come back as soon as the doctor would allow, 
 as she had something to talk over with him. Some- 
 thing to talk over! Might it not be the thing he 
 l>44]
 
 most shunned and feared? Takeo pondered. And 
 he did not go back to Tokyo. 
 
 Early in November, not long after the Matsu- 
 shima, which had been repaired after the battle 
 in the Yellow Sea, had started again for the war, 
 Takeo left the hospital and sailed on board a trans- 
 port for his own vessel at Tailienwan. 
 
 The day before he started from Saseho, Takeo 
 mailed two letters, one of them to his mother. 
 
 [245]
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 Cemptatton 
 
 FOR the two months following the first of 
 September, when the place had already been 
 deserted by most of the town people who had 
 thronged there during the summer, a lady might 
 be seen taking a walk in the calm of the day on the 
 sunny beach at Zushi, accompanied by a maid of 
 over fifty. 
 
 The fishermen on the shore and the invalids still 
 staying there were accustomed to watch her shadow- 
 like figure, and they bowed to her as often as they 
 met. They all knew something of her sad story. 
 
 The young lady was Nami. 
 
 Although life held no hope for her, she still 
 lingered on, and time soon brought to her again 
 the weary autumn months. 
 
 Nami had returned to Tokyo with her aunt in the 
 previous June, and, from the moment she learned 
 of her unexpected fate, her illness grew worse and 
 worse, and her hemorrhages increased. The doctor 
 could do nothing, her family were sorrow-stricken, 
 [246]
 
 Ceraptation 
 
 and she herself cheerfully waited for death. Her 
 life hung by a thread. Being cast by a single blow 
 into the darkness of a deep pit, she had hardly time 
 for any feelings of hatred or love. Oppressed only 
 by the horror of the situation, she merely sought re- 
 lease. And death was indeed the only way. So she 
 longed for it, and while her body lay suffering on the 
 sick-bed, her mind was already in the world beyond. \y/~ 
 To-day or to-morrow, so soon as this mortal coil 
 should be shuffled off, leaving the weary world far 
 behind, her soul would take flight to heaven through 
 a vast expanse of space, and there she could weep to 
 her heart's content at her dear mother's feet. The 
 messenger of death was never more welcome than 
 now. 
 
 But even death was denied her. She thought 
 every day would be her last, but the end did not 
 come. And when about a month had passed, she was 
 somewhat improved in spite of herself, and after 
 another month, she was better. Being compelled to 
 live in this world, Nami had to live over her life v 
 of tears. Indeed, she was puzzled at her fate, for 
 she had come to disbelieve in the cheerfulness of 
 life, and to think there was no horror in death. 
 Why should she see the doctor, take medicine and 
 try to save her useless life? 
 
 [247]
 
 But there was her father's love. He tenderly 
 visited her from time to time, gave her medicine 
 himself, built a cozy house for her benefit, and tried 
 to restore her health by all means in his power. As 
 often as she heard her father's footsteps and saw his 
 face brighten over her improvement, she could not 
 restrain the tears from gliding down her cheeks. 
 Unable to seek death recklessly, she took care of 
 herself for his sake. And there was another reason. 
 Nami could not doubt her husband. She knew his 
 mind too well to lay the divorce at his door. When 
 she heard from Takeo on her sick-bed, she felt as 
 if a seal was set on her belief, and was much com- 
 forted. Of course she did not know anything about 
 her future. She hardly thought that the severed 
 bond of marriage could again be made whole, even 
 though she should get well. But she believed firmly 
 in the emotional intercourse of their spiritual selves, 
 and consoled herself with the idea that nothing could 
 destroy their eternal love. 
 
 So the love of her father and her hope in the 
 unchanging love of Takeo, together with the skilful 
 treatment of the doctor, helped to rekindle the fire 
 of her nearly extinguished life. And in the early 
 part of September she again moved with Iku and 
 the nurse to the villa at Zushi. 
 [248]
 
 Ccmptatton 
 
 Nami felt better at Zushi, and the quietude of 
 the place calmed her mind. When she was reclining 
 in an easy-chair after a bath, on those afternoons 
 while the roll of the sea receded in the distance, 
 and listened soothingly to the sweet notes of the 
 birds, she felt as if she had been carried back to the 
 previous spring, and she almost felt that her husband 
 might appear before her at any moment. 
 
 Life at the villa was much the same as it had 
 been six months before. With Iku and the nurse 
 as her companion, she daily attended to herself, and 
 observed the rules prescribed by the doctor. Now 
 and then she would amuse herself in making verses 
 or arranging flowers. Once or twice a week the 
 doctor came from Tokyo to see her. Less often 
 she saw her aunt, or her cousin, or rarely her step- 
 mother. Hearing of her illness, some of her old 
 school friends wrote her letters of condolence, but 
 they lacked sincerity. Nami, however, was impatient 
 for the visit of her cousin Chizu. Everything that 
 she wanted to know came through Chizu. 
 
 Since the matrimonial tie had been broken the 
 Kawashima family was further and further removed 
 from her. True, the thought of the beloved one 
 who was hundreds of miles away crossed and re- 
 crossed her mind night and day, but she never 
 
 [ 2 49]
 
 thought of his mother. Indeed she strove not to 
 do so. If once her thought turned towards her old 
 mother-in-law, she would be disturbed by a bitter 
 feeling of horror and disgust. She was terrified 
 even at the thought of her, and tried to turn away 
 from it. When she heard that Yamaki's daughter 
 had been sent to the house of Kawashima, she 
 naturally felt uneasy. But that was only for a 
 moment. She knew that it had nothing to do with 
 the beloved one in whom she believed firmly. Al- 
 though she must remain in a small villa on the sandy 
 beach of Sagami Bay, her heart turned constantly 
 toward the western sky. 
 
 The two men she loved most in this world were 
 now engaged in the war with China. Her father 
 went down to Hiroshima soon after she went to 
 Zushi, and was going over to the Regent's Sword. 
 She wanted very much to see him off, but he sent 
 word to her that she must take good care of herself, 
 and get well enough to welcome him on his vic- 
 torious return. Takeo, so she heard, was not on 
 board the flag-ship of the combined squadrons. She 
 feared that if a change in weather affected him, he 
 would be kept from his duty in time of need. 
 Therefore, though she felt sure that she had no 
 more to do with this world, Nami busied herself 
 [2 5 0]
 
 ( 
 Cemptation 
 
 day and night with thoughts of war on land and 
 sea, and pored over newspapers with a heart anxious 
 for the triumph of her country, the safety of her 
 father, and the success of Takeo. 
 
 Late in September, she heard the news of the 
 battle off the Yalu, and a few days later she found 
 the name of Takeo among the wounded. Nami 
 did not sleep that night. Her aunt in Tokyo, 
 however, heard about his condition, and informed 
 her that Takeo's wounds were not fatal, and that 
 he was now in the hospital at Saseho. She felt 
 greatly relieved, but as her mind wandered to his 
 sick-bed, she was reminded of the meagre sympathy 
 she was able to bestow upon him. Heart to heart 
 they remained the same, but on account of their 
 divorce she could not even send him a card of con- 
 dolence. Nami was depressed by these thoughts. 
 
 Prompted, however, by an irrepressible desire, she 
 discovered a way. With the help of Iku, Nami 
 made dresses for Takeo, and, together with some 
 fruits she knew he was very fond of, sent them to 
 Saseho under a feigned name, hoping that her sor- 
 rowful heart might go with them. 
 
 The days passed, and about the middle of Novem- 
 ber a letter bearing the postmark of Saseho reached 
 Nami. She read it and wept.
 
 JltJami ko 
 
 In the morning, Chizu and Nami's sister Koma, 
 who had been with her since Saturday evening, went 
 back to Tokyo. The house, which had resounded 
 with their cheerful voices, now assumed its usual 
 quiet and lonely aspect. And Nami shutting her- 
 self up on that gloomy day, sat alone opposite the 
 picture of her dead mother. 
 
 To-day, the nineteenth of November, was the 
 date of her mother's last day on earth. Nami took 
 out the picture, hung it in a frame over the wall of 
 the alcove, and decorated it with white chrysanthe- 
 mums in full bloom, which Chizu had brought. For 
 a while she listened to the cheerful old stories Iku 
 had to tell, but now she was left alone before the 
 picture to indulge in meditation. 
 
 It was now ten years since Nami had last seen 
 her mother in this world. And during these long 
 years she never once forgot her. But never before 
 had her heart yearned so much for the departed 
 one. If mother were only alive, Nami thought, she 
 would tell all her grief to her and lighten the bur- 
 den resting too heavily on her weak shoulders. Why 
 did she go away and leave the helpless child behind ? 
 The thought started the silent tears from her eyes. 
 
 She remembered well a happy day several months 
 before her mother died. She was eight years old, 
 [252]
 
 Cemptatton 
 
 and her sister five; both were dressed exactly alike 
 in pink crape with patterns of cherry flowers, and 
 they drove in a carriage with their mother between 
 them to Suzaki's at Kudan. And this picture now 
 in front of her had been taken then and there. The 
 ten years had passed like a dream, her mother 
 remaining to her memory as in the picture, and 
 she 
 
 She made up her mind never to think of herself, 
 but in the miserable life she now led she could think 
 of nothing else. She felt as if her hopeless self were 
 in the midst of heavy clouds, and as if the room 
 she was now in had turned into a cold dungeon 
 where not a ray of sunlight could find its way. 
 
 Suddenly the clock struck two. Awakened from 
 her reverie, she hastened out into the adjoining room 
 as if in flight. There was no one there, and Iku 
 and the nurse was heard talking in the rear. She 
 stood there undecided for a moment, but again 
 stepped out of the room into the garden, and thence 
 though the gate to the beach. 
 
 The sky was gloomy. Although it was autumn, 
 the clouds lay low and heavy and the sea frowned 
 black. The atmosphere was calm and not a breath 
 of wind stirred the water. On the whole expanse 
 of the sea not a sail was to be seen. 
 [ 2 53]
 
 Nami went on and on. To-day there were no 
 fishermen, and nobody taking exercise on the beach, 
 except one little girl with a child on her back, 
 singing and gathering shells. The girl saw Nami, 
 smiled and bowed to her, and Nami on her part 
 returned a sad smile. But sinking again into deep 
 thought, she walked on with downcast eyes. 
 
 Presently she stopped. She came to where the 
 sandy beach ended, and to where a narrow path 
 over the rocks led to the Fudo Shrine by a water- 
 fall which she had visited with her husband the 
 previous spring. 
 
 She walked along that path. 
 
 Nami passed by the Fudo Shrine and sat down 
 on a rock. It was the same rock on which she sat 
 last spring with her husband. Then the sky was 
 bright and clear, and the sea was more glossy than 
 a mirror. But now the dark clouds in strange 
 shapes filled the sky, the tide flowed high up 
 to the very foot of the rock, and not a speck of white 
 sail broke the leaden surface of the sea. 
 
 Nami drew out the letter. It contained only a 
 
 few scribbled lines in bold handwriting, but to 
 
 Nami they appeared far more eloquent than pages of 
 
 finely phrased sentences. And as often as she read 
 
 [254]
 
 Cemptatton 
 
 the simple confession of Takeo, " Not a day passes 
 without thinking of Nami-san," her heart would 
 thrill as if it would burst. 
 
 "Why does the world treat me so?" she asked. 
 " I love him so much, and am almost dying of a 
 broken heart. And he still loves me. And how 
 could it happen that our bond was broken? Isn't 
 his heart's blood in this letter? Here on this very 
 rock we both plighted our faith last spring. The 
 sea knows it and the rock itself marks it. But why 
 was the world so cruel as to crush us under its iron 
 heel? Oh, my dearest husband, here on this rock 
 last spring, last spring " 
 
 Nami opened her eyes. She was sitting alone on 
 the rock. The silent sea lay before her, and only the 
 noise of the waterfall was heard drearily behind. 
 She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. 
 The tears flowed unchecked through her slender 
 fingers. 
 
 Her head throbbed, and her heart grew cold, 
 as the thoughts moved through her mind, quick as 
 a shuttle. Nami thought of the days when she was 
 here with her husband, the time she first fell ill, 
 the time she spent at Ikao, and the time she was 
 a bride. The day she went back to Tokyo with her 
 aunt, the day she lost her mother many, many 
 [255]
 
 years ago, the face of her mother, the face of her 
 father, and the faces of her stepmother, sister, 
 brother, and many others persistently flashed like 
 lightning across her mind. Kami's thought now 
 turned to one of her friends, whom Chizu told 
 about yesterday. She was older than Nami by two 
 years, and had been married the year before her to 
 a certain clever young count. She was much liked 
 by her mother-in-law, but somehow was not loved 
 at all by her husband. She had one child, but on 
 account of the debauched life of her husband she 
 had secured a divorce last spring, and died not 
 long after. On the one hand her friend had died 
 forsaken by her husband, and on the other, Nami led 
 a life of tears, torn from her husband. Varied was 
 the human lot, but all was but sorrow and distress. 
 Nami drew a troubled sigh, and looked at the dark- 
 ening sea. 
 
 The more she thought, the more she felt as if 
 there were no more room for her in this world. 
 Born into a well-to-do family, she had lost her 
 mother at the age of eight, passed ten hard years 
 under the eyes of her stepmother, and no sooner 
 had she been blessed with the crowning joy of 
 human hearts, than she had contracted this horrible 
 disease. And then followed the sentence more 
 [256]
 
 temptation 
 
 cruel than that of death, and though the man of 
 her heart remained true to her, she could no longer 
 call him her husband or be called his wife. If she 
 must lead such an ill-fated life, why was she born 
 at all? Why did she not die with her mother? 
 Why was she married to Takeo? Why did she 
 not die in his arms when she first contracted the 
 disease? Why did she not die when she learned 
 of her fate? Was life still worth living to one 
 who was suffering from an incurable disease, and 
 was yearning after an impossible love? Suppose 
 her disease should be cured; she would be sure to 
 die of a broken heart if she could not be restored 
 to her husband. Ah, to die, to die; there was no 
 hope but in death! 
 
 Without trying to wipe away her falling tears, \/ 
 Nami looked on the sea. 
 
 In the direction of Oshima black clouds were 
 suddenly rising, and an indescribable noise came 
 from a far-off corner of the sky. The face of the 
 wide sea was all at once in a tumult. A gust of 
 wind had risen. No sooner had it passed than a 
 mass of snowy foam appeared suddenly in the midst 
 of the black water, reared itself like a mad horse, 
 and dashed against the rock on which Nami was 
 seated. The vast expanse of the Sagami Sea was
 
 suddenly turned into seething water, weltering 
 waves chasing one after another. 
 
 Without minding the scattering spray, Nami still 
 watched the sea. " Beneath that sea," thought she, 
 " is death. Death may be freer than life. Is it 
 not better to be constantly with my husband in a 
 formless shadow than to linger hopelessly in this 
 life? He is now on the Yellow Sea. Though it 
 is far away, this water flows there. Let me vanish 
 as a foam of the sea, and my spirit fly to him." 
 
 Putting Takeo's letter securely in a fold of her 
 belt, and letting her hair fall loose in the wind, 
 Nami rose from her seat. 
 
 The wind from the depth of heaven blew steadily 
 by this time, and Nami was barely able to stand. 
 Above, the clouds were chasing hurriedly one after 
 another, and in front of her the sea was tossing in 
 a rage. The wind roared over Sakura Hill, and 
 the pines shook like the mane of a horse. The 
 wind howled, the sea roared, the hill wailed, and 
 a confused thundering noise filled the heaven and 
 earth. 
 
 " Now is the time ! Now is the time ! Oh, 
 lead me, dear mother! Forgive your daughter, O 
 father! My short life will vanish like a dream." 
 
 Drawing her dress about her, and taking off her 
 [258]
 
 temptation 
 
 clogs, Nami was about to throw herself into the 
 seething water as it broke against the rock. 
 
 Just at this moment she heard a cry behind her, 
 and felt herself in a strong grasp. 
 
 [259]
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 " T~KU, make the tea. She will be here soon," 
 _/ said Nami to the old woman, who was clean- 
 ing the room. 
 
 " She is so nice," said Iku. " But I am surprised 
 to hear that she is Yaso." 1 
 
 " Yes, I hear so." 
 
 " I did not even dream that such a nice lady 
 was Yaso. And then, she cuts her hair short, you 
 know." 
 
 "What of it?" asked Nami. 
 
 " You know that believers in Yaso never cut 
 their hair short when their husbands die. Instead, 
 they dress themselves still more nicely, and are on 
 the lookout for second husbands." 
 
 "Who told you so?" 
 
 "Oh, I know it," declared Iku. "I tell you, 
 in that religion even young girls grow conceited. 
 I knew a girl living next door to one of my rela- 
 tives. She had been a very gentle girl, but after 
 
 1 Yaso : from Jesu, meaning in vulgar Japanese either a 
 Christian or Christianity. A rather contemptuous term. 
 [260]
 
 she went to a. mission school, she was changed so 
 much that on Sundays, when her mother needed 
 her help most, she would go to church without the 
 least consideration. And then she would say that 
 she did not like her house because it was not as 
 clean as her school, and she would tell her mother 
 that she was obstinate. Although she went to 
 school, she did not know how to write even a 
 receipt, and she could not sew a single seam straight. 
 Her parents were very anxious over her future. 
 She was so vain as to say that she would not 
 marry a man who got less than two hundred and 
 fifty yen a month. Isn't it really astonishing? She 
 had been such a good child that the change in her 
 was all the more marked. It may be that this was 
 due to some witchcraft that religion is said to exer- 
 cise." 
 
 Nami laughed, and said : " That's bad enough. 
 But every question has two sides to it, and you 
 cannot judge rightly without knowing both. Don't 
 you think so ? " 
 
 Iku nodded her head, as if to say that she 
 could hardly believe Nami. Looking earnestly 
 at Nami, she continued: 
 
 " You had better keep away from Yaso." 
 [261]
 
 Nami smiled. " You mean that you don't want 
 me to talk with that lady?" 
 
 " Why, if all Yaso were like her, there might 
 be no harm, but " 
 
 Iku hesitated, as a human shadow was seen on 
 the paper screen. 
 
 " Excuse me if I come in by the garden gate," 
 was heard in a soft voice. Iku arose hurriedly, 
 opened the screen, and a rather small woman of 
 about fifty entered. She looked old for her age, 
 her gray hair was cut short, and she was dressed 
 in black. Lean and careworn, she appeared rather 
 sad, but her eyes looked kind and her lips were 
 smiling. 
 
 She was the very person Iku had been talking 
 about. And, besides, she was the very person who 
 had rescued Nami from drowning the week be- 
 fore. 
 
 She never made the slightest attempt to force 
 herself upon the attention of others, but those who 
 knew her bore strong testimony to her remarkable 
 personality. Her name was Kiyo Ogawa, and she 
 lived at Meguro in charge of a large family of 
 orphans, taking delight in looking after the little 
 souls of deserted children. She had been at Zushi 
 since the end of the last month, seeking recovery 
 [262]
 
 from an attack of pleurisy. It was by the merest 
 chance that she happened to be able to save Nami, 
 whom she gave at once into Iku's care. 
 
 Iku had brought in the tea and was just 
 about to leave the room, when she exclaimed in 
 a surprised tone: 
 
 " Are you going back to-morrow ? What a pity ! 
 We have just got acquainted with you." 
 
 The old lady, looking at Nami with her mild 
 eyes, answered: 
 
 " I wish I could stay a little longer, and have 
 the opportunity to talk with you, for I do not 
 want to go back until you are better." Taking 
 out a small book, she added : " This is the Bible. 
 You haven't read it, I suppose." 
 
 Nami had not read it. Her stepmother had 
 been known as a Christian while in England, but 
 upon her return she had renounced her faith, and 
 had left her Bible at her lodging in London, to- 
 gether with her old shoes and papers. 
 
 " No, I haven't read it," Nami replied. 
 
 Iku, unable to go, stared with open eyes at the 
 book. She was probably thinking that there was 
 witchcraft in it. 
 
 " If you read it," the old lady continued, " when 
 [263]
 
 JBamt feo 
 
 you feel well, I am sure you will be much benefited. 
 If I could stay a little longer, I would take time 
 to talk with you about many things in it. But, as 
 this is my last day, I wanted to tell you how I 
 came to read this book. Don't you feel tired? 
 Please lie down, if you prefer." 
 
 " Thank you, but I am not tired," said Nami. 
 " Please tell me your story." 
 
 Iku now changed the tea, and went away. 
 
 The old lady looked down for a moment, felt 
 of her knees, and then, gazing up into Nami's face, 
 began her story. 
 
 " Life is short, but if you consider the amount 
 of experience you can have, it is indeed very long. 
 My father was a lord under the last Shogun, and 
 was quite well off. Perhaps you remember the 
 little piece of ground with a great many elm-trees 
 growing on it, just beyond Sui-do Bridge at Koishi- 
 kawa. Of course it went into another's possession 
 long, long ago, but I was born in a house there. 
 Mother died when I was twelve years old. Father 
 was very sad over his loss, and he did not take 
 a second wife. So, young as I was, I had to look 
 after all the household matters. My brother was 
 married, and I was soon given away in marriage 
 to a certain Ogawa, also a general, but a little 
 [264]
 
 2EIje 
 
 higher in rank. It was when I was twenty-one, 
 some ten years before you were born, I suppose. 
 
 " I was disciplined in our code of morals for 
 young women, and thought that I was never be- 
 hind anybody in matters of self-sacrifice. But when 
 I came to deal with real things I found them often 
 simply unbearable. It was just before the Restora- 
 tion, my husband could rarely be at home, and as I 
 had parents-in-law and two sisters-in-law, I had 
 five elders in the family to serve. I cannot tell 
 you how much I was worried. My father-in-law 
 was a good-natured man, but my mother-in-law was 
 very hard to please. My husband had had a wife 
 before me, so I understood, but she was frightened 
 away not long after she came. I don't like to 
 speak ill of any one in the grave, but my mother- 
 in-law was really a violent and strong-headed 
 woman, and, in spite of my efforts to deny myself, I 
 sometimes shed many secret tears. To make things 
 still worse, they often discovered that I wept, and 
 I was scolded over and over again. 
 
 " It was, however, not long before the Restora- 
 tion War broke out, and the city of Yedo was all 
 in commotion. My husband, father, and brother 
 all joined the Anti-Restoration Volunteers at Ueno. 
 My father-in-law was dangerously ill, and my child 
 [265]
 
 was about to be born. Indeed, I did not know 
 what to do under the circumstances. At last, Ueno 
 was stormed, my husband fled northward to Hako- 
 date, my father disappeared, my brother died at 
 Ueno, and his family were also lost. In the mean- 
 while, my father-in-law died and my child was 
 born. Everything came at once. I was almost over- 
 whelmed with trouble. And then, as our annuity 
 from the Shogun ceased and our property was con- 
 fiscated, my mother-in-law, with the baby and my- 
 self, accompanied by an old servant, started on a 
 journey to Shizuoka, the old town of the Tokuga- 
 was, over the Hakone hills. I felt as if I were 
 struggling under the weight of a horrible dream." 
 
 At this time the nurse came in, made a bow, and, 
 after giving medicine to Nami, left the room. The 
 old lady closed her eyes for a while. At last she 
 looked at Nami, and continued: 
 
 " The distress of the vassals of Tokugawa House 
 at Shizuoka was simply indescribable. The Shogun 
 was so reduced in power and in income that even 
 Count Katsu was then obliged to live in retirement. 
 The rations for three men allotted us in place of 
 the annuity of ten thousand bushels of rice we had 
 hitherto received was considered very liberal. I am 
 almost ashamed to tell you that we could hardly 
 [266]
 
 afford to buy more than half a loaf of bean-cake 
 at a time. My mother-in-law had been used to 
 luxurious living, so I was very much troubled about 
 her. I did what I could to help my family by 
 giving sewing and writing lessons to little girls, and 
 by making dresses for other people. I did not mind 
 it much, but my mother-in-law, being still in a 
 violent temper, my husband then in prison, and the 
 whereabouts of my father still undiscovered, I was 
 so much distressed that I would willingly have died 
 but for my little child. Indeed, I was so worn 
 with care that by the end of the year I looked ten 
 years older. 
 
 " After a while, however, my husband was re- 
 leased, and entered the army. So again we crossed 
 the Hakone hills and returned to Tokyo the name 
 had already been changed, you know. It was the 
 spring of 1871. A year after, my husband was sent 
 abroad. We fared very well, except for the un- 
 changing temper of my mother-in-law. And then 
 there was one thing that constantly troubled me, 
 and that was the whereabouts of my father. 
 
 " In the fall of the year my husband sailed for 
 
 Europe. One rainy day I went to see a certain 
 
 acquaintance of mine at Koishikawa, and came home 
 
 in a kuruma they hired for me. It was already 
 
 [267]
 
 dark and was storming outside. I sat timidly in the 
 kuruma, while the man drew it lazily along. I 
 could see him with his round projecting head-gear 
 and the wrinkled oil-paper coat from which the 
 rain dripped. The light of the lantern he held in 
 his hand glided over the muddy road, and his 
 splashing footsteps were heard mingled with the 
 occasional groans he uttered. Just as we came to 
 Sui-do Bridge, the lantern went out. The man 
 stopped his kuruma, and asked to be allowed to 
 take a box of matches from under the cushion. I 
 could not hear him very well on account of the 
 wind, but his voice seemed familiar, and, as the 
 light he struck showed me his face, I saw before 
 me my own father ! " 
 
 The old lady covered her face involuntarily, Nami 
 burst into tears, and some one in the adjoining room 
 was also heard sobbing. 
 
 Wiping her eyes, the old lady went on: 
 " I took him to a lunch-house near by at once, 
 and there he told me his story. He said that after 
 the fall of Ueno he had wandered around the 
 country, earning his living in several ways. At 
 times he had been sick, and always poor. He was 
 now staying at the house of a poor gardener, who 
 [268]
 
 had been one of our retainers in his better days, 
 and he gained his livelihood by drawing kuruma 
 every day. Feelings of surprise, joy, alarm, and 
 sadness swept over me by turns, and I could say 
 little. That evening, however, we parted, my 
 father suggesting to me the recklessness of staying 
 out too late. 
 
 " It was quite late when I got home. My 
 mother-in-law had been impatient for my return, 
 and she no sooner saw me than she burst out in 
 all her fury. She even called me a disreputable 
 name. Suppressing my emotion, I told her about 
 my father. Far from sympathizing with me, she 
 still continued to call me disreputable names. I 
 was so much hurt that I made up my mind to 
 leave the house, and go at once to my father. After 
 she had gone to bed, I changed my clothes and 
 began to write a note to my mother-in-law at the 
 bedside of my boy, who was then six years old. 
 He cried out all at once in sleep, and, stretching his 
 right hand towards me, muttered : ' Mamma, don't 
 go away! ' He must have been dreaming over the 
 experiences of the day, as I had left him at home in 
 going to Koishikawa. I was surprised, and watched 
 for a while the face of the sleeping child, when it 
 gradually turned out to be a very copy of my 
 [269]
 
 husband's face. I dropped my writing-brush and 
 wept. I don't know how it happened, but suddenly 
 I was reminded of the old story of a bride and 
 her mother-in-law I used to hear in my childhood 
 from my mother, and it fitted my case exactly. 
 I thought that everything would be all right only 
 through my forbearance, and so I gave up my first 
 idea. I am not wearying you? " 
 
 Nami, who had been listening with deep interest, 
 could only give assent with her tearful eyes. The 
 old lady now resumed her story. 
 
 " Such being the case, I could not provide for 
 my father as I wanted to. And so very secretly I 
 sold my spare things and sent him a little money, 
 but of course that could not last long. Luckily, 
 however, I was introduced to a certain foreign 
 minister's wife who desired to learn Japanese music, 
 and so I gave her lessons, and thus was able to 
 support my father. The foreign lady was very 
 kind to me, and we were soon good friends. She 
 would talk with me in her broken Japanese, and 
 one day she gave me a book and wanted me to read 
 it. It was the Gospel of Matthew, you will 
 find it at the beginning of this Bible, which at 
 that time had just been translated into Japanese. 
 I tried to read it, but, as it was full of strange 
 [270]
 
 's torp 
 
 stories, I laid it aside without paying further atten- 
 tion to it. 
 
 " Early in the following year my mother-in-law 
 was stricken suddenly with paralysis, and this 
 brought a complete change in her temper. Hard- 
 hearted as she had been, she now became meek as 
 a child, and wanted my company so much that 
 she would call me back every time I left her side. 
 As I watched her sleeping there helpless, I was sorry 
 that I had ever felt revengeful towards her, and, 
 wanting to make her well, if possible, I did what I 
 could for her. But all to no purpose. 
 
 " Not long after my mother-in-law died, my hus- 
 band came home. My father was to join us pretty 
 soon, but he suddenly fell ill, and died peacefully 
 a few days after. He told me that no one was 
 more fortunate than he in meeting his lost daughter, 
 and in receiving such tender treatment from her. 
 But I was sorry that I could not do for him one- 
 tenth of what I had intended to do. 
 
 " Things went along very well thereafter, my 
 husband being promoted gradually and my son 
 growing up well. But I was not without anxiety. 
 My husband was too much given to drink, as often 
 is the case with army officers. And then, in those 
 days, men were especially loose, and, though my 
 [271]
 
 husband was better than the average, having profited 
 by Western manners, he was in many ways no 
 exception to the general rule. Being humiliated by 
 his dissipation, I often took occasion to give him 
 some advice, but he only laughed at my words. 
 
 " We had now come to the outbreak of the 
 Civil War in 1876, and my husband, being Major 
 Captain of the Imperial Guard, was sent south. In 
 his absence my boy became ill with scarlet fever, 
 and I had to nurse him day and night. It was 
 the evening of the eighteenth of April. My boy 
 was somewhat better, and was sleeping quietly, so, 
 dismissing the maids, I sat alone by his bedside and 
 was doing a bit of needlework. I gradually became 
 very drowsy and felt almost soulless, when I heard 
 some one come and sit on the bed. I wondered 
 who it was, and looked up. It was my husband, 
 dressed in his uniform, covered with blood and 
 deadly pale ! I cried and, awakened by my 
 voice, I looked around me, but no one was there. 
 The light of the paper lantern burned dim and 
 my boy was sleeping still. My heart palpitated and 
 cold sweat stood on my brow. 
 
 " The day following, my boy was very much 
 worse, and died in the evening. I was overcome with 
 sorrow, and was crying with him in my arms, when
 
 'fif g>torp 
 
 a. telegram reached me from the seat of war. It 
 announced the death of my husband in battle." 
 
 The speaker was silent, the listener held her 
 breath, and a deep quiet fell upon the room. After 
 awhile the old lady took up the thread of her story 
 again. 
 
 " Everything was now as dark as if the sun and 
 moon had both sunk together. If this was the 
 result of all my patience, I thought, I felt that I 
 would rather die without recovering, for I had 
 fallen ill soon after that. But, luckily or not, I 
 recovered slowly. 
 
 " The world was now empty to me, and I 
 merely breathed in it. After a while, however, I 
 was persuaded to dispose of my house and to live 
 with a certain friend of mine. With that in view, 
 I was busy packing my things, when I happened 
 to find a book under my son's dress in a cabinet. 
 It was the Bible the foreign minister's wife had 
 given me years ago. I opened and looked at it 
 without intending so much as to read it, when I 
 came across a little phrase which strangely appealed 
 to me. I marked it, and it was that which induced 
 me to look more into the book now and then. I 
 could not understand it very well at first, but I 
 soon felt as if I saw a gleam of light somewhere. 
 
 [273]
 
 JRami feo 
 
 My foreign friend had already gone, but I wanted 
 to get some one to explain to me fully about the 
 book. 
 
 " Not long after, I was offered a position as 
 matron in a girls' school. It happened to be a 
 Christian institution, and I soon made friends with 
 a young man and his wife who were teaching there. 
 They were very good Christians and they kindly 
 made everything clear to me. It is now sixteen 
 years since I began to believe in the new faith, and 
 I have hardly been able to pass a day without the 
 book. It is the very staff of my life. The world 
 which I thought ended with death widened in my 
 knowledge of immortality; my father was given 
 back in our Heavenly Father ; my son was returned 
 to me through the working of love; and all my 
 sufferings are sweetened in the belief in hope. 
 
 " This is briefly how I came to read this book," 
 she said, watching Nami's face for a few moments. 
 
 " I knew," she added, " something of your story, 
 and, as I saw you often on the beach, I wanted 
 very much to visit you. And now that I have 
 grown to know you, I feel very sorry to leave you 
 so soon. But I shall never think of you as a mere 
 acquaintance; something deeper than that seems 
 to exist between us. I wish you would take good 
 [274]
 
 care of yourself, and never think of life as too 
 sad to live. And, when you feel well, just read 
 this book. I go back to Tokyo, but I am thinking 
 of you day and night." 
 
 The old lady left for Tokyo the next day. The 
 book she had given Nami was always by her bed- 
 side. 
 
 Nami felt consolation in thinking that there was 
 somebody in this wide world, not her mother or 
 aunt, but one who, herself having tasted of the 
 bitterness of life, took delight in comforting and 
 sympathizing with her. She often thought of her 
 story, and turned over the book she so sincerely 
 loved. 
 
 [475]
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 ON the twenty-second of November the Second 
 Army captured Port Arthur. 
 
 "Mother! Mother!" 
 
 Holding a newspaper in her hand, Chizu called 
 to her mother in a startled tone. 
 
 " What is the matter ? You ought not to speak 
 so loud." 
 
 Chizu blushed a little at being reprimanded by 
 her mother. Then she smiled, but again she be- 
 came grave, and said: 
 
 " Mother, he is dead Chijiwa! " 
 
 "Chijiwa!" exclaimed Madam Kato. "Chi- 
 jiwa! How? Killed in battle?" 
 
 " Yes. His name is among the killed. Good 
 enough for him ! " 
 
 "You must not say such things Chijiwa died 
 in battle ! But how could he be so brave ? " 
 
 " It was better for him to die," observed Chizu. 
 
 Madam Kato was silent. 
 
 " Isn't it sad to have no one to weep for us 
 after we die, Chizu-san?" 
 [276]
 
 |Jort 
 
 " But the Widow Kawashima will weep for 
 him," Chizu remarked, sarcastically. " Talking of 
 Kawashima, mother, O-Toyo-san has left the house 
 at last." 
 
 "Are you sure?" Her mother was surprised. 
 
 " Yes. Yesterday she had further trouble with 
 the widow. She could stand it no longer, and 
 returned home weeping, I hear. I am glad she has 
 left there." 
 
 " No one can stay there long, I presume." 
 
 Madam Kato sighed, and Chizu was silent. 
 
 Chijiwa was dead. Twenty days after the fore- 
 going conversation, a letter and a piece of human 
 bone reached the cheerless house of Kawashima. 
 The bone was Chijiwa's, and the letter was from 
 Takeo. 
 
 " Two days after the capture of Port Arthur," 
 he said, " all the vessels and the dockyards were to 
 be placed in charge of the navy, and I landed with 
 some other officers from my vessel for that purpose. 
 The bloody scenes after the fierce battle were be- 
 yond description I happened to pass in front of a 
 temporary field-hospital, when I saw men carrying 
 a corpse on a litter. It was covered with a blue 
 blanket, a piece of white cloth being placed over the 
 [277]
 
 face. The mouth and chin seen under the cover 
 seemed to remind me of somebody I knew, and I 
 asked the name. You may well imagine my aston- 
 ishment when I was told that it was Lieutenant 
 Chijiwa! 
 
 " I uncovered him, and saw his face pale and his 
 teeth clinched. He had been badly wounded by 
 bullets at the attack of Itzushan fortress, and was 
 conscious till morning, but he died at last. I 
 asked some of his fellow officers about him. They 
 said that he was not liked at all in his company, 
 but that he fought well in the battle, and that at 
 the attack of Chin-Chow he and his men were 
 the first to break through the Northern Gate. But 
 he was often unsoldierly in his behavior, and had 
 with him a considerable sum of money. Once at 
 Pi-tzu-wo he acted very cruelly toward some of 
 the natives, trying to rob them in spite of strict 
 orders, and he was to be punished for that. At any 
 rate, his death on the battle-field is said to have 
 redeemed his reputation. 
 
 " As you know, he caused me a great deal of 
 trouble, and I had given up all intercourse with 
 him, but have nothing against his memory. And 
 when I think of the days we passed like brothers, 
 I pity him very much. So I got permission to 
 
 [278]
 
 Port 
 
 cremate his body, and send you a piece of his bone 
 with this. I hope you will inter it properly." 
 
 This, however, was not all that Takeo came 
 across at Port Arthur. There was one more inci- 
 dent which he purposely omitted to mention in his 
 letter. 
 
 The day he discovered Chijiwa's corpse, Takeo 
 was delayed in going back toward the pier. The 
 sun had set. 
 
 He passed by sentinels with gleaming bayonets, 
 generals riding on horseback, petty officers receiving 
 orders from their superiors, Chinamen standing 
 open-mouthed, and army subordinates going to and 
 fro. And finally he came to where some coolies 
 were making a big fire. 
 
 " It's cold ! " said one of them. " If we were 
 home we should have a drink and a hot dish of 
 stewed fish. Kichi, that's a fine thing you have on ! " 
 
 Kichi was wearing a beautiful quilted coat of 
 purple satin, which he had probably confiscated. 
 
 " Say, look at Gen," Kichi said, in reply. " He 
 has a fur coat on worth four hundred yen ! " 
 
 " Happy Gen ! " the first one echoed. " No one 
 is as lucky as he. He never loses his game, is 
 never hit by a bullet, and is rewarded for doing 
 [ 2 79]
 
 nothing. Look at me. Nothing but this thin 
 thing. Damn it! I lost everything at Tailienwan. 
 I must get something before long." 
 
 " Be careful," observed another. " I entered 
 a house this afternoon, when suddenly a pig-tailed 
 soldier jumped out from behind a box with a 
 drawn sword. He thought I was going to murder 
 him, but, as a matter of fact, I was almost fright- 
 ened to death. Luckily our soldiers came along 
 and soon made short work of him. If not, I 
 should have been sent to hell right away." 
 
 " Fools ! Why do they still remain here to be 
 butchered ? " 
 
 Only a day or two had passed since the fall of 
 Port Arthur, and not a few fugitive Chinese sol- 
 diers, who had hidden themselves in houses, were 
 killed for offering resistance. 
 
 Overhearing the talk of the common soldiers, 
 Takeo went along toward the pier. The lights 
 were now few, and men were rarely seen. On 
 one side the long wall of the arsenal threw a 
 dark shadow on the ground, and on the other, a 
 street lamp cast a dim, uncertain light upon a lean 
 dog as he went along smelling the earth. 
 
 As Takeo walked in the shadow, he descried two 
 human figures about fifty yards ahead. He was 
 [280]
 
 Port 
 
 sure that they were officers. One was broad- 
 shouldered, and the other was slim in build. As 
 they walked along they were talking. 
 
 Suddenly Takeo noticed some one stealthily 
 tracking them. He felt his heart throb strangely. 
 He could not see clearly, but suddenly the man in 
 the shadow went a step, hesitated, took another 
 step, and looked as if awaiting his opportunity. The 
 figure now came to a lighted space between houses, 
 disclosing itself to be a Chinese. At the same time 
 something glittered in his hand. Takeo hastened 
 after him excitedly. 
 
 The two men ahead now came to the end of the 
 street, when the black figure in the shade stepped 
 boldly out of the dark and ran toward them. 
 Alarmed, Takeo dashed forward. The Chinese, 
 however, approached within ten yards of the men, 
 raised his arm, and brought the slim officer to the 
 earth with a shot. He was about to pull the 
 trigger upon the other officer, who turned around 
 suddenly, just as Takeo reached the spot and gave 
 a hard blow on the right arm of the murderer. 
 The pistol dropped to the ground. Infuriated, the 
 man turned on him and the two fought. The 
 broad-shouldered officer came to his aid, and a band 
 of Japanese soldiers, attracted by the noise of the 
 [281]
 
 shot, came running to the spot and immediately 
 bound the assassin. Takeo was breathless after the 
 struggle, and stood gazing at the broad-shouldered 
 officer who now turned towards him. 
 
 The light of a street-lamp shone in the face of 
 Lieutenant-General Kataoka. 
 
 Takeo exclaimed : " You ! " 
 
 " You ! " The general in his turn was surprised. 
 
 Unexpectedly Takeo had saved the life of Nami's 
 father. 
 
 When the news reached Nami's ears, Iku re- 
 joiced beyond measure, and said : " You see how 
 much we owe him. Do try hard to get well." 
 
 Nami smiled gloomily. 
 
 [282]
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 Cafceo'g Eeturn 
 
 ^f 'HE year began and ended in war. 
 
 JL In the first two months, Wei-hai-wei was 
 captured, and the Peiyang Squadron was anni- 
 hilated; in March the Pescadores fell into the 
 Japanese power, and in the north the Imperial 
 Army swept like a tide until not a shadow of the 
 enemy was to be seen to the east of the River 
 Liao. The Peace Embassy came to Japan, and in 
 the middle of April the Peace Treaty was awaiting 
 the signatures. The intervention of the three 
 Powers was rumored, and the Liatung Peninsula 
 was finally restored. By the end of May his Im- 
 perial Majesty, commander-in-chief of the army 
 and navy, returned triumphantly to the cap- 
 ital, and the war was ended with the impressiveness 
 of an eagle gathering its wings for flight. 
 
 After burying the ashes of Chijiwa at Port 
 
 Arthur, and saving the life of General Kataoka, 
 
 Takeo was at the bombardment of Wei-hai-wei, and 
 
 also at the occupation of the Pescadores. At the 
 
 [283]
 
 Bamt ko 
 
 beginning of June, however, his vessel reached 
 Yokosura, and he returned home. 
 
 It was over a year since he had left his mother 
 in anger. So many thrilling incidents had been 
 crowded into that period, however, that his hard 
 feelings were softened, and on rainy days at the 
 Saseho Hospital, or on the bitter cold nights at Wei- 
 hai-wei, his homeless heart would turn to its old 
 abode in Tokyo. 
 
 Takeo did not notice any change at home except 
 the face of a maid who met him at the door. His 
 mother was as large as ever, and was confined 
 to her bed with rheumatism. Tazaki came daily, 
 and, in his little office, attended to the household 
 business as usual. Everything Takeo saw or heard 
 remained just the same. And Takeo could not 
 find anything to enliven his spirits. Although he 
 had seen his mother again after a long absence, 
 had taken a comfortable bath in his old home, had 
 sat on a thick, downy cushion, had eaten his favorite 
 dishes, and had laid his head on a soft pillow in a 
 comfortable bed, he could not go to sleep. The 
 clock struck one, two, yet his eyes were clear 
 and his heart was heavy. 
 
 A year's time had healed the breach between 
 mother and son; at least, it seemed to have done 
 [284]
 
 'Bi Ketttrn 
 
 so. The mother, of course, welcomed her son home, 
 and Takeo also felt relieved at seeing her. But 
 both perceived, even at their first meeting, that 
 they had nothing in common. He did not ask 
 her anything about Nami, nor did she speak of 
 her, not because he did not wish to ask or she 
 did not know, but because they both knew that 
 danger lurked in that topic. And, as they noticed 
 that each was careful to avoid it, they naturally felt 
 uneasy whenever the conversation came to a halt. 
 
 Takeo, however, needed no incentive to keep v 
 Nami constantly in his mind. Now that he had 
 returned to their old abode, everything seemed to 
 keep her alive in his memory, and his heart yearned 
 for her. Where was she now? Did she know,, 
 of his return? Love, indeed, knows no distance, 
 but now that the bond was broken, the house of 
 Kataoka, though only two miles away, was to Takeo 
 further than the stars. He could not visit even 
 her aunt to ask about Nami. Little did he know, 
 when he stopped at Zushi to take his leave of her in 
 May of the previous year, that it was to be their 
 parting for life. The cry, " Come back soon," 
 which she uttered at the gate of the villa, still 
 rang in his ears, but to whom could he now say, 
 " I have returned " ? 
 
 [285]
 
 Turning these thoughts over in his mind, Takeo 
 alighted one day at Zushi on his way to Yokosura, 
 and wandered towards the villa. He found the 
 front gate closed. Thinking that the occupant must 
 have gone to Tokyo, he went around to the back 
 of the house, where he saw the old servant weeding 
 alone in the garden. 
 
 The old man looked around at the sound of 
 footsteps, and, recognizing his visitor, took off his 
 head-cloth as if surprised, and bowed courteously, 
 saying: 
 
 " Good morning, sir. When did you come back? " 
 
 " A few days ago," answered Takeo. " You 
 are always well, Mohei?" 
 
 " Yes, sir, thank you," said the old man. 
 
 "You are staying here alone?" Takeo asked. 
 
 " Why, the Baroness Miss my sick lady was 
 here with Iku till the end of last month. Since 
 then I have kept the house alone." 
 
 " Returned last month ? Then she is now in 
 Tokyo," muttered Takeo to himself. 
 
 " She went back to Tokyo," the old man went 
 on, " before my lord returned from China. Yes, 
 and then she went to Kyoto with my lord, but 
 I suppose she is not yet back." 
 [286]
 
 Cafeeo's Eetttrn 
 
 "To Kyoto? Then she must be better," mur- 
 mured Takeo to himself. " And when did she 
 go to Kyoto ? " 
 
 " About a week ago " The old man reflected 
 suddenly on the present situation, and stopped short, 
 fearing that he was telling too much. Takeo under- 
 stood what was passing in the mind of the old 
 servant, and flushed. 
 
 They stood there for a while without words. 
 The old man, however, felt sorry for him, and 
 said, as if recollecting himself: 
 
 " I will open the doors. Perhaps you will step 
 in and take some tea." 
 
 " Oh, don't trouble yourself," said Takeo. " I 
 just looked in on my way back to Yokosura." 
 
 Takeo turned to look around the familiar garden. 
 As there was a keeper, things did not look wild, 
 but the doors were all shut and the water in the 
 basin was gone. The leaves were dense, and yellow 
 plums were falling and were scattered on the 
 ground. On the lawn the late roses were half- 
 withered, filling the garden with their faint fra- 
 grance. No human trace was to be found, and the 
 jarring cry of the locusts on a pine-tree was the 
 only sound that met the ear. 
 [287]
 
 Takeo soon parted with the old man, and went 
 away thoughtfully. 
 
 A few days later he was again ordered to leave 
 for the south. He passed two weeks at home, but 
 not in the customary celebrations over a victorious 
 return. His home had seemed to him the best 
 place on earth while he was away from it, but, 
 try as he might, it could not fill the gap in his 
 heart. 
 
 His mother understood his feelings, and her 
 displeasure gave voice to itself in words. Takeo 
 also observed that his mother could read his mind, 
 and, whenever they were talking, he always felt 
 as if there were a wall between them. 
 
 He was to sail from Yokosura, but he missed his 
 train thence. Thereupon he determined to catch 
 his ship at Kure, and on the tenth of June he left 
 by the Tokai-do train, lonely. 
 
 [288]
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 ^*f HREE people were coming out of the Oba- 
 
 M kusan Temples at Uji: a portly gentleman 
 of over fifty, in foreign dress and with a gold- 
 capped cane, a lady of about twenty, carrying a 
 black parasol, and an elderly appearing maid with 
 a small bag. 
 
 As soon as they emerged, the three kuruma-men 
 waiting at the gate brought them their vehicles. 
 The old gentleman looked at the lady, and said: 
 
 " Fine weather. What do you say to walking a 
 little bit?" 
 
 "All right." 
 
 " Won't you get tired ? " the maid asked of the 
 lady. 
 
 " No. I'd rather walk a little way," the lady 
 replied. 
 
 " Then we will go slowly, and take the kuruma 
 when we get tired." 
 
 The three walked along leisurely, followed by 
 the three kuruma. The party was, of course, Gen- 
 eral Kataoka, Nami, and Iku. They had arrived 
 [289]
 
 yesterday from Nara, and were now going toward 
 Yamashima Station on their way to Otsu. 
 
 The general had returned from the Regent's 
 Sword the last of May. One day he saw Kami's 
 doctor privately, and two days after, taking his 
 daughter and the maid Iku, went down to Kyoto. 
 Selecting a quiet hotel by the river as his head- 
 quarters, he spent several days in sightseeing with 
 Nami at her pleasure, clad in private dress instead 
 of uniform, avoiding his friends, and refusing all 
 invitations to public meetings. The world lost 
 sight of the general for a while, and Nami alone 
 possessed her father. 
 
 " Stepping out of Obak' * 
 Lo, Jap'nese tea-picking ! " 
 
 The best season for tea-picking had already passed, 
 but the wind brought now and then the fragrance 
 of drying tea, and a few country girls were seen 
 starting a second picking. Here and there among 
 the tea-fields, the fields of wheat were also turning 
 yellow, and the rustling sound of sickles was heard. 
 The distant hills of Yamato were veiled in a soft 
 
 1 Obaku : the name given to the temples after the famous 
 Chinese temples of the same name. Uji, where the temples 
 are, is a noted tea producing district. Hence the contrast. 
 [290]
 
 passing Crams 
 
 summer mist, while the river Uji betrayed itself 
 by the white sails gliding over the wheat-fields far 
 away. From a low-roofed village near by, the noon- 
 tide crowing was wafted peacefully, and in the 
 sky overhead a lavender cloud remained motionless. 
 
 Nami gave a sigh. 
 
 Presently from a path on the left a farmer and 
 his wife appeared talking. They were returning to 
 their work after lunch. The man had a sickle in 
 his belt, and the woman was made noticeable by 
 her blackened teeth and by her head-covering of 
 a piece of white cloth. She carried a large teapot 
 in her hand. She stopped short as she met the party, 
 looked at them for a while, and, catching up with the 
 man, whispered something to him. Both looked 
 back, the woman smiling and showing her beauti- 
 fully colored teeth. Still talking, they passed along 
 into a field path where the thistles bloomed wild. 
 
 Nami's eyes followed them. The large round 
 straw head-gear and the white cloth sank gradually 
 into the yellow of the wheat-field, and finally dis- 
 appeared. From that direction a voice came, sing- 
 ing: 
 
 " Yours, a Mas'mune make, 
 
 But mine, a rusted sword : 
 
 Though you may sever, 
 
 I never." 
 
 [291]
 
 Nami looked upon the ground with sorrowful 
 eyes. 
 
 The general turned towards her. " You must be 
 tired," he said, and took her hand in his. 
 
 The general talked to Nami as they walked along. 
 
 " Time passes very fast. Nami, do you still 
 remember that, when you were a little girl, you 
 used to kick my sides as I carried you on my back? 
 It was when you were only five or six years old, 
 I am sure." 
 
 " I remember," chimed in Iku, lightly. " When 
 my lord took you on his back, the young miss 
 wanted to be carried too. At this time she is 
 also wishing very much to be with us, I am sure." 
 
 Nami only smiled gloomily. 
 
 " Koma ! " said the general. " We are going to 
 take her plenty of souvenirs instead. But, Nami, 
 Chizu-san wanted to come more than Koma, didn't 
 she?" 
 
 " I believe so," Iku spoke again. " If she could 
 be with us, we should be so merry. I wanted to 
 ask my lord some questions. Is that river we just 
 crossed the Uji? Then it is noted for fire-worms? 
 And it is where Komazawa met his lady-love Mi- 
 
 yuki?" 
 
 [292]
 
 passing; <i rains 
 
 " Why, Iku, you are quite a scholar, aren't 
 you?" the general asked, smilingly. "Well, the 
 world changes rapidly. When I was young, the 
 travelling from Osaka to Kyoto was always done 
 in a junk, passengers being packed into it as in a 
 box. Now I had an even more interesting ex- 
 perience when I was twenty years old. Immediately 
 after Saigo and Kayeda took Priest Gessho to Osaka, 
 an important matter arose, and I had to go after 
 them. But I started so hastily that I left all my 
 money behind. And, there being no help, I ran 
 barefooted all the way through to Osaka it was 
 night, you know along the river bank," and he 
 laughed. " Isn't it warm? Nami, you mustn't 
 walk too much. We must ride now." 
 
 Iku beckoned the kuruma-men, who were lagging 
 behind. Then the three rode along slowly through 
 the tea and wheat fields towards Yamashima. 
 
 Looking at the gray hair of her father as he 
 passed before her, Nami thought deeply. Was 
 this trip with her father happy or sad? She was 
 unfortunate in being deprived of all hope and pleas- 
 ure in this world, and in having to wait for not 
 remote death, but it was easy to feel that her father's 
 heart yearned for her. She thought of his boundless 
 love towards her, and she was troubled because she 
 
 [293]
 
 could find no way to return it. The most she 
 could do was to return in spirit to her bygone child- 
 hood, and to share it with her father away from 
 worldly care. So she sought novel sights with the 
 eagerness of a child. When she bought pieces of 
 silk at Kyoto, she knew they would be of no 
 use to her, but she selected especially showy ones, 
 so that her sister might have them as a keep- 
 sake. 
 
 Although she felt deeply for her father, she 
 never forgot Takeo. The bare report that he had 
 saved her father's life at Port Arthur was the only 
 news that reached her about him. Her thoughts 
 wandered everywhere, and her dreams brought him 
 to her, but she did not know where he was. She 
 wanted to meet him, to meet him once, only once 
 in her lifetime, but, alas! The touching song she 
 had just heard rang in her ears at this thought, 
 and the figures of the farmer and his young wife 
 talking happily floated before her eyes. Ah, they 
 were blessed in their rags, she thought, but she 
 in her soft silk 
 
 Tears came to her eyes. She tried so hard to 
 check the emotion that the only result was a severe 
 coughing spell. 
 
 The general looked back anxiously. 
 [ 2 94]
 
 ("Trains 
 
 " It is all right now," she said, smiling in spite 
 of her pain. 
 
 At Yamashima they took an east-bound train. 
 They were alone in a first-class compartment, and 
 Nami sat by an open window, with her father in 
 front of her, looking at a paper. 
 
 Presently a Kobe train came rolling in from the 
 east, and stopped alongside their train. As the 
 noise of the slamming doors and the voice of 
 a porter calling " Yamashima, Yamashima ! " were 
 heard on the other side, the engine of their train 
 whistled, and the train began to move slowly. Nami 
 was looking at the opposite train from the window. 
 As she came in front of a second-class car, her eyes 
 met those of a young man resting his cheek on his 
 arm. 
 
 " Ah ! " Nami could scarcely speak. 
 
 " Oh, Nami-san ! " cried the young man. 
 
 It was Takeo. 
 
 The train was passing. She madly thrust her- 
 self out of the window, and tossed her violet-colored 
 handkerchief to him. 
 
 " Look out, miss." Alarmed, Iku held Nami's 
 sleeve. 
 
 [295]
 
 The general also looked out of the window with 
 paper in hand. 
 
 The trains drew slowly away from each other. 
 Nami thrust herself still farther out of the window, 
 and saw Takeo waving the handkerchief wildly and 
 saying something. Suddenly the train curved around 
 a hill. On both sides there was now nothing but 
 leafy slopes. A sound was heard behind as of 
 tearing linen; the other train had just steamed 
 off to the west. 
 
 i Nami covered her face and bent over the knees 
 of her father. 
 
 [296]
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 ON the evening of the seventh of July a good 
 many people were assembled at the house of 
 General Kataoka. They talked in subdued tones, 
 for his daughter Nami was dying. 
 
 When the general and Nami came back unex- 
 pectedly at the end of last month from their trip to 
 the old capital, those who received them at the 
 porch saw at once that she was much worse. Nat- 
 urally, the doctor was surprised. He found that 
 not only had her health failed considerably in a 
 short time, but that there was an alarming change 
 in her heart. From that time on, even at mid- 
 night, a light was kept burning at the house of 
 Kataoka, and the doctors came and went almost 
 incessantly. Madam Kataoka was to go to a sum- 
 mer resort, but she had to give up her plan for a 
 time. 
 
 In spite of the skilful treatment of the doctors, 
 and the tearful prayers of Iku by day and by 
 night she grew worse and worse. She had several 
 hemorrhages and convulsions of the heart. After 
 
 [297]
 
 a severe attack, she would remain half-asleep and 
 talking to herself. She was growing weaker and 
 weaker. Whenever her father was awakened by 
 hearing her cough, and came in to see her, Nami 
 would smile faintly and speak clearly in spite of 
 her short breath. In her semiconscious condition 
 she muttered the name of Takeo constantly. 
 
 The day the doctor dreaded was coming to an 
 end. The rooms were all lighted. But, as no one 
 dared to speak aloud, all was silent as the grave. 
 Two ladies came out of the sickroom in order to 
 leave the patient undisturbed. One was Madam 
 Kato and the other was the old lady who had once 
 saved Nami at Zushi. She had not seen Nami 
 since the last fall, but had now been sent for by 
 her special desire. 
 
 " I thank you very much for your kindness to 
 her. She wanted to see you once more. And I 
 am sure she is very glad that you came." Madam 
 Kato could barely speak. 
 
 The old lady only sighed, and scarcely knew 
 what to say. Presently she asked, in a low voice: 
 
 " And where is he now ? " 
 
 " He is in Formosa, I hear." 
 
 "Formosa!" 
 
 [298]
 
 >aj>onata 
 
 The old lady heaved another sigh. 
 
 Madam Kato was barely able to check her tears, 
 as she said: 
 
 " If he is not too far away, as she is always 
 thinking of him, we will summon him by some 
 means, so that she may take leave of him. But 
 I fear that he has already reached there, and, be- 
 sides, he is on board a war-vessel " 
 
 At this moment Madam Kataoka came in, fol- 
 lowed by Chizu, who hurriedly spoke to her mother. 
 
 A large room was dimly lighted with candles, and 
 Nami was lying on a snow-white bed with her 
 eyes closed. 
 
 She had now been ill for almost two years, and 
 was worn to a shadow. Her pallid face was almost 
 transparent, but her black hair was as glossy as 
 ever. At her bedside a nurse was sitting and wet- 
 ting her lips with cooled wine, while Iku, with dark 
 eyes and lean cheeks, was rubbing her with the help 
 of another nurse. The room was silent, and only 
 Nami's breath was heard. 
 
 Suddenly she drew a long sigh, and reopening her 
 eyes, said faintly: 
 
 "Is aunt here?" 
 
 " I am here." 
 
 [299]
 
 Madam Kato drew her chair near the bed, and 
 said to Nami: 
 
 " Did you sleep any? What? All right. Now," 
 looking at the nurse and Iku, " please leave the 
 room for a little while." 
 
 When the three women had gone, the lady drew 
 her chair closer to the bed, and, brushing aside the 
 hair on Nami's brow, she looked sadly into the 
 face of her niece. Nami also gazed at her aunt. 
 
 Presently, with a sigh, Nami took out a sealed 
 letter with her trembling hand from under her 
 pillow. 
 
 " Give this after I am gone." 
 
 Madam Kato wiped her eyes, as she put it se- 
 curely in her breast. 
 
 " Certainly. I will give it to Takeo-san myself." 
 
 "The this ring " 
 
 Nami put her left hand on her aunt's knee. On 
 her third finger, the diamond ring which Takeo gave 
 her at her wedding shone brightly. She had sent 
 back everything that belonged to the house when 
 she was divorced, but she could not part with her 
 ring. 
 
 " This I shall take with me," Nami said. 
 
 Wiping her eyes, Madam Kato only nodded. 
 Nami closed her eyes.
 
 After a while she opened them again. 
 
 " What is he doing I wonder." 
 
 " Takeo-san has already arrived at Formosa, and 
 is working, I believe, and always thinking of us. 
 If possible, we are going to summon him so 
 your father says. But, Nami-san, I will tell him 
 about you, and give him this letter, too." 
 
 A faint smile rose to Nami's lips. 
 
 Presently her bloodless cheeks were tinged with 
 red, her breast throbbed and burning tears started 
 from her eyes. With an effort, she exclaimed : 
 
 " Oh, my heart! Such a torture!" 
 
 Knitting her brow, and pressing her hand to her 
 breast, Nami writhed in agony. She started up in 
 bed, seizing the hands of Madam Kato, who was 
 just going to call the doctor, and with agonizing 
 coughs was overcome by a hemorrhage. She fell 
 back helpless. 
 
 The doctor, and all the rest, came into the room. 
 
 With the help of the nurses, the doctor gave 
 her immediate relief. They opened a window near 
 the bed. 
 
 The cool night air poured into the room. 
 
 Outside, the moon had just risen, and its light 
 shone through the branches of the trees.
 
 The general, the viscountess, Madam Kato, 
 Chizu, Koma, and Iku all sat by the bed. A 
 soft breeze stirred Nami's hair, and she lay as 
 if already dead. The doctor watched her face 
 closely and felt her pulse, while a nurse stood by 
 him with a candle whose flame flickered in her 
 hand. 
 
 Ten fifteen minutes passed. A slight sigh was 
 heard through the room, and Nami's lips moved. 
 The doctor gave her a spoonful of wine. A long 
 breath was again heard, and Nami muttered: 
 
 " Let's go back, let's go back, my dear mother, 
 we are coming, we are coming oh, still here." 
 
 Nami opened her eyes. 
 
 The moon, just rising over the garden, cast a 
 weird light and touched Nami's face. 
 
 The doctor glanced at the general, and left the 
 bedside. The general now took Nami's hand. 
 
 " Nami, listen. I am your father we are all 
 here." 
 
 Nami looked up vaguely, moved, and gazed into 
 the general's eyes, misty with tears. 
 
 " Father don't break down," she said. 
 
 Weeping quietly, Nami moved her right hand 
 weakly and grasped her father's hand, which held 
 her left. 
 
 [3 2 ]
 
 " Mother? " Nami asked. 
 
 The viscountess came nearer and wiped Nami's 
 tears. Nami took her hand. 
 
 " Mother I am going." 
 
 The viscountess's lips quivered, and, covering 
 her face, she left the room without a word. 
 
 Encouraging her weeping daughter, Madam Kato 
 drew nearer and took Nami's hands in her own. 
 Koma also came and knelt by her sister's bed. 
 Raising a trembling hand, Nami put it on Koma's 
 head. 
 
 " Korna-chan Sayonara " 
 
 Nami breathed painfully, and Koma, shuddering, 
 gave her sister a spoonful of wine. She now opened 
 her eyes and looked around. 
 
 " Ki-chan Mi-chan? " asked Nami. 
 
 The two children had already been sent away 
 for the summer by the viscountess. Nami nodded, 
 and scarcely seemed to know what was going on 
 about her. 
 
 At this time, Iku, who was in tears, stepped for- 
 ward and seized Nami's helpless hand. 
 
 " Iku " said Nami. 
 
 " Mi-miss, let me go with you " 
 
 After sending Iku with difficulty into the adjoin- 
 ing room, all was silent. Nami closed her mouth 
 [33]
 
 j&amt-fco 
 
 and eyes, and the shadow of death seemed about to 
 descend upon her face. 
 
 The general drew near for the second time. 
 
 " Nami, is there anything more you want to say? 
 Don't give way! " 
 
 Called back by a familiar voice, Nami opened her 
 eyes and looked at her aunt. 
 
 " Nami-san," said her aunt, " I will do every- 
 thing for you. Be at peace, and go to your mother's 
 home." 
 
 A faint smile rose to her lips, and she soon shut 
 her eyes and breathed her last. 
 
 Th'e cold moonlight streamed in and shone on 
 her pale face. The smile was still on her lips, but 
 Nami was sleeping her long sleep. 
 
 Three days after, Nami was buried in Aoyama 
 Cemetery. 
 
 General Kataoka being a man of wide social ac- 
 quaintance, the funeral was widely attended, and 
 not a few of Nami's old friends came to bid her 
 farewell. Those who knew her story were sad- 
 dened to see the general standing disconsolate 
 by the coffin, and even the strangers present wept 
 at the sight of Iku crying over it. 
 [34]
 
 The deceased being a young lady, many flowers 
 were sent. The only ones refused were brought 
 by a man of about forty. They bore the card of 
 Kawashima House. 
 
 [35l
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 meeting at 
 
 OVER four months had now passed. 
 It was four o'clock in the afternoon; the 
 shadow of the frost-tinged sumac lay long in the 
 garden. Widow Kawashima, portly as ever, opened 
 a screen, and coming out on the veranda, stood 
 by a water-basin. She was provoked at finding no 
 water in it. 
 
 "Matsu Take!" she called. 
 
 At the call, one servant came running from the 
 garden wicket, and the other from the veranda. 
 There was a panic-stricken color on their faces. 
 
 "What's the matter with you? I have told you 
 often look here ! " 
 
 She took up a dipper and rolled it inside the 
 empty basin. The maids only stood breathless. 
 
 " Hurry up ! " she exclaimed. 
 
 Terrified, the two went away. Muttering some- 
 thing to herself, the widow was about to go in, 
 washing her hands with the water just brought, 
 when the other maid appeared and bowed low. 
 
 "What is it?" asked the widow. 
 [306]
 
 " A gentleman Yamaki-sama." 
 
 At the mention of the name, a sarcastic smile 
 and a look of displeasure appeared on the broad 
 face of the widow. To tell the truth, since Toyo 
 had left, the fall before, Yamaki rarely visited the 
 widow. Hearing of the immense fortune he had 
 made in the late war, the widow was all the more 
 provoked at him, and, as often as she lectured to 
 the servants on the feeling of obligation, she made 
 of him a living example. But then her displeasure 
 now had to give way to custom. 
 
 " Show him in," said the widow. 
 
 Yamaki seated himself, and appeared to be some- 
 what embarrassed. 
 
 " Yamaki-san, you are quite a stranger." 
 
 " Why," Yamaki apologized, " I have long been 
 a stranger without intending to be one. I should 
 have come to see you before, but I have been busily 
 occupied with my business after the war. I am 
 very happy to see you so well." 
 
 " Yamaki-san, you made a great deal of money 
 in the war, I hear." 
 
 " Why, that is very easy to say, but just 
 enough to pay for my trouble." 
 
 A maid brought in some things tied up with red 
 and white strings on a tray. Saying, " From the 
 
 [307]
 
 gentleman," she placed them before the widow and 
 retired. 
 
 The widow glanced at them and smiled rather 
 contentedly, as she said: 
 
 " Thank you very much." 
 
 " Not at all ; they are nothing but trifles. Why, 
 I haven't yet congratulated you on the young mas- 
 ter's promotion to the rank of lieutenant. I also 
 read in the paper the other day that he has been 
 decorated and given a sum of money. You must 
 be very proud of him. Where is he now? At 
 Saseho?" 
 
 "Take? He came back yesterday." 
 
 "And is he well?" 
 
 " Yes, but just as boyish as ever. To-day he 
 went out in the morning, and is not back yet." 
 
 " You must be glad that he has returned. At 
 General Kataoka's they were very unfortunate. It 
 is over a hundred days, I believe. But you can't 
 do anything against that disease. You were very 
 wise to foresee it." 
 
 Widow Kawashima looked stern at the mention 
 of Kataoka. She said: 
 
 " You don't know how much trouble she caused 
 us. We spent a good deal of money, even had a 
 quarrel in the house, and after all they call me 
 [308]
 
 ^ttccting; at &opama 
 
 a. devil. Just think of it, Yamaki-san. More than 
 that, when we heard of the funeral we sent Tazaki 
 with flowers. What do you think they did? They 
 sent them back. Was it not very rude, Yamaki- 
 san?" 
 
 When she had learned of the death of Nami, the 
 widow had felt somewhat sorry, but, on rinding that 
 her flowers were returned unceremoniously, all her 
 softer feelings vanished, and only the bitterness 
 remained. 
 
 " That wasn't right. Surely anybody would be 
 hurt at that. Now, madam," sipping the tea which 
 a maid offered him, " I want to announce to you 
 the marriage of my daughter Toyo." 
 
 "Your daughter to marry? I congratulate you. 
 And whom ? " 
 
 "A graduate of the Imperial University, now 
 Chief of a Bureau in the Department of Agriculture 
 and Commerce. I think you know him. His 
 name is he used to be a patron of Chijiwa. Oh, 
 talking of Chijiwa, I am very sorry for his un- 
 timely death." 
 
 A slight shadow passed over the widow's forehead. 
 
 " War is an evil thing, isn't it ? And when does 
 the ceremony take place ? " 
 
 " We have fixed it," Yamaki replied, " for the 
 [39]
 
 day after to-morrow. I desire your presence very 
 much. We shall be proud to have you come. My 
 wife ought to come to ask you, but she is very 
 sorry that she is unable to. And the young master, 
 too, will honor us with his presence we hope." 
 
 The widow nodded. She looked at the clock, 
 which was just striking five. 
 
 " What is Take doing, I wonder ? " 
 
 A naval officer with white crysanthemums in his 
 hand entered the Aoyama Cemetery from Minami- 
 cho Street. 
 
 The autumnal sky was clear, and the light of 
 the afternoon sun flooded the cemetery. A frost- 
 stricken leaf descended noiselessly from a cherry- 
 tree, japonicas blooming in the hedges perfumed 
 the air, incense arose in slender threads, and a bird 
 was heard chirping timidly. After the noise of a 
 kuruma wheeling toward Kogaicho had died away, 
 the stillness of the place was felt all the more. 
 And only the distant noise of the city was murmur- 
 ing dreamily a dirge of human life. 
 
 Somebody was passing behind a hedge. Presently 
 there appeared a lady of about thirty. Her eyes 
 were red, and she was holding the hand of a boy 
 about seven in a sailor's suit. They had passed
 
 Clje f&tttinx at 
 
 by the naval officer a short distance, when the boy 
 called the attention of his mother to him. 
 
 " Mamma, he belongs to the navy, too, doesn't 
 he?" 
 
 The lady went away, covering her face with her 
 handkerchief. 
 
 The naval officer, without noticing them, went on, 
 stopping many times as if to find his way, and 
 reading the newly erected grave-posts. At last 
 he reached a lot hedged in with low shrubs and 
 shaded by pines and cherry-trees. He nodded and 
 moved the wicket, which opened at his touch. In 
 front there was an old tombstone. The officer 
 looked around and stood before a new grave-post 
 at his side. A graceful pine-tree wove an ever- 
 green covering over the grave, and red and yellow 
 cherry leaves were falling around it. On the post 
 was written, in the blackest of ink, " Tomb of 
 Nami Kataoka." The officer looked at the post, 
 and stood as immovable as a stone. 
 
 Presently his face quivered, and sobs escaped from 
 his trembling lips. 
 
 Takeo had returned yesterday from Formosa. 
 Five months ago he had caught a glimpse of 
 Nami as he was on his way to the Formosa expedi-
 
 Bamt bo 
 
 tion, and later, in that far-off island, he had heard 
 from Madam Kato that she was no more. As soon 
 as he returned, he sought Madam Kato, and im- 
 plored her to tell him everything about his beloved 
 wife's final hours on earth. 
 
 Takeo stood before the grave and burst into 
 tears. Memories of three years floated before his 
 misty eyes, the day of his marriage, the sunlight 
 at Ikao, the vow at the Fudo Shrine, the last 
 evening at Zushi, and, last of all, the chance meet- 
 ing at Yamashima. The voice that cried " Come 
 back soon ! " was still fresh in his ears, but when 
 he came back she was no more his wife. He 
 came back for the second time, and now she was 
 gone. 
 
 "Oh, Nami-san, why did you die?" he ex- 
 claimed, weeping bitterly. 
 
 A gust of wind passed overhead, and cherry 
 leaves rustled down on the grave-post. As if awak- 
 ened, Takeo wiped his eyes and approached the 
 grave. He took some withered flowers from the 
 stands, and cleaning the fallen leaves away, re- 
 placed them with the chrysanthemums he had 
 brought. He now took out something from his 
 pocket. 
 
 It was Kami's last letter. His feelings when he
 
 Cfje ^Heettnff at 
 
 read it, receiving it from the hand of Madam Kato, 
 had been overwhelming. He opened it. Not a 
 trace of her beautiful handwriting was to be seen; 
 the letters were wavering, the ink smeared, and the 
 stains of sorrowful tears remained. 
 
 " My days being numbered, I wish to leave you 
 a few words. I hardly hoped to see you in this 
 world, but was so glad that we happened to meet 
 the other day by the mercy of Heaven. But I 
 scarcely knew how to use that single moment." 
 
 A picture of Nami struggling at the window 
 and throwing her violet handkerchief to him stood 
 clearly before his eyes. Takeo looked up. In front 
 of him there was only the grave-post. 
 
 " Everything has gone against us, but I blame 
 nobody. And, though my body will return to dust, 
 my spirit will ever be at your side " 
 
 " Papa, somebody is here." The ringing voice of 
 a boy was heard. The same voice again announced : 
 " Papa, Takeo-san " And the boy with flowers 
 came running to meet him. 
 
 Surprised, Takeo stood with Nami's letter in 
 hand, and looked back, his eyes meeting those of 
 General Kataoka at the wicket. 
 
 Takeo's head was bowed to the ground. 
 
 Suddenly he felt his hand in a warm grasp. 
 
 [3*3]
 
 On looking up, he found himself standing face to 
 face with the general. 
 
 " Takeo-san, I, too, am broken-hearted." Grasp- 
 ing hands, both stood weeping. 
 
 After a while the general wiped his tears. Lay- 
 ing his hand on Takeo's shoulder, he broke the 
 silence, in a firm voice. 
 
 " Takeo-san, though Nami is dead, I am still 
 your father. But come, be a man, Takeo-san, and 
 look into the future. All our misfortunes have been 
 ' to prepare us for a greater work. Indeed, it's a 
 long time since we met. Come with me, Takeo-san, 
 and let me hear what happened to you at Formosa." 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 [3 Hi
 
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