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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..32b8d29 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #63625 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63625) diff --git a/old/63625-0.txt b/old/63625-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 23d186e..0000000 --- a/old/63625-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10001 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Broken Butterflies, by Henry Walsworth -Kinney - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this ebook. - -Title: Broken Butterflies - -Author: Henry Walsworth Kinney - -Release Date: November 04, 2020 [EBook #63625] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian - Libraries) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BROKEN BUTTERFLIES *** - -+-------------------------------------------------+ -|Transcriber's note: | -| | -|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | -| | -+-------------------------------------------------+ - - -BROKEN BUTTERFLIES - - - - -By Henry Walsworth Kinney - -THE CODE OF THE KARSTENS -BROKEN BUTTERFLIES - - - - -BROKEN BUTTERFLIES - -BY -HENRY WALSWORTH KINNEY - - -TORONTO -THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY -LIMITED - - - - -_Copyright, 1924_, -BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. - -_All rights reserved_ - -Published February, 1924 - - -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - -BROKEN BUTTERFLIES - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -The black bow of the _Tenyo Maru_ cut into the broad ribbon of -moonlight stretching, interminably, straight into the vast spaces -of the opalescent night. Somewhere ahead, bathed in that same pale -illumination, invisible, lay Japan. - -Arms folded over the rail, Hugh Kent looked forward into the opaque -dimness. From the main deck below the plaint of a bamboo flute came -softly up to him. The following wind brought stray bits of the dance -music from astern where the cabin passengers were enjoying their last -night at sea. Ahead the Orient, dim, mysterious, indefinitely veiled as -the flute notes--behind him the virile, strident, restless clamor of -the West; ever approaching, the two, East and West, seeking to blend, -even partly blending, yet each as yet too strongly individual, mutually -strange, to combine in full harmony. - -The vastness of space, vagueness of translucent darkness, shimmer of -niveous sparkle of foam cascaded before the tall prow and glimmer of -phosphorescence flickering in the dark water below, all induced to -introspection, reflection, vague wonder as to what lay before him, what -new revelations would life in Japan bring to him. - -It had surely changed vastly in the score of years which had passed -since he had left it, at fifteen. He would find much that he knew -though, would enjoy recapturing fluency in the speech which he had -prattled expertly as a toddler in amah's care and as a boy in the -streets and gardens of Kyoto. It would be a new, a more sophisticated -Japan that he would see, spoiled without doubt; still how he had longed -for years to return, to rediscover. - -A shadow fell over his thoughts. How he had cherished that dream, a -few years ago, during the first years of their marriage, to go there -with Isabel. How they had both looked forward to it, to the time when -he should attain a post as correspondent at Tokyo for one of the great -dailies, to which his knowledge of the language gave him good reason -to aspire. Even after the first years of marriage had passed, when in -time they had gradually drifted apart, had become almost indifferent, -he had hoped that when Japan should provide a new scene for their -lives, it might be possible to revive interest, to make a new start. -He had felt that it contained some vague potentiality of that sort, -and when the offer came from the _San Francisco Herald_ to be its -Tokyo correspondent, he had felt certain that the opportunity had come -for them, that she would appreciate it as well as he. For that reason -he had said nothing to her about it until every arrangement had been -made, the contract signed, that he might carry the glad tidings to her, -complete, that the realization of all that this meant to them might -sweep her off her feet and envelop her, as it had him. And then the -shock of her absolute coldness, when he had brought his surprise to -her; her absolute refusal to go to Japan. It had thrown him off his -feet, confused him, so that when she reproached him with secrecy, with -having taken this important step without even consulting her, trying to -learn her wishes, he had been able to explain only confusedly how with -the very best intentions he had meant to give her a splendid surprise; -how, in fact, he had had to restrain himself from telling her when the -first inkling of the great news came, just in order that he might make -the marvel of the revelation more complete. As he had tried to justify -himself, to explain, to convince her, her indifference had baffled -him--surely, commonplace and torpid as their relations had become, he -had never felt towards her the indifference which she apparently felt -towards him. And this had been followed by her absolute refusal to go -with him, accompanied by her statement that she did not object to his -going, that, in fact, she could understand that he must not lose the -great opportunity, that it really might be for the best for both of -them to live apart for some time, for some years--she had veiled her -speech in obscure indefiniteness, giving him, suddenly, the impression -that she expected that they would never come together again. - -It had been borne in on him that in her heart she welcomed this as an -opportunity to end, through propitious circumstance, a relationship -which had become apathetic, a marriage which had failed. He could -understand her feeling--the thought was not unfamiliar to him--but -she had evidently progressed much farther than had he on the road of -indifference. Further conversations had brought the same result. She -had resolutely refused to place credence in his belief that life in a -new country might revive affection. She was not romantic, she had said, -and it was plain that separation would cause neither of them to suffer. -He had felt that had she given him but a little encouragement, the -slightest sympathy, he might ardently have swept her over to his belief -that here lay a chance for renewal of the affection of the first years; -but her indifference had chilled him. - -So they had parted, phlegmatically. Now he felt certain that this -episode had come to an end. He had tried marriage, and it had been a -failure. And such a stupid failure. There had been no other woman, and, -he felt sure, no other man. It had failed simply through inanition. -Still, it might have been worse. At least, there was no heartbreak, -no anguish. He had tried the marriage experiment. Probably he would -never have been content until he had tried it. Now, he had found that -it did not work; yet he was not much the worse. He enjoyed the company -of women only in the manner of a mild stimulant. Thus he would live -henceforth. He would have his new work to occupy him, and curiosity to -lift the curtain veiling the mystery of marriage would not affect him. -Like men who regard lack of desire for liquor as an asset, thus he felt -that his freedom from relation to, from craving for woman would be an -advantage. It would make for a peaceful and well-ordered life. - -His thoughts lost themselves in indefiniteness, a pleasant Nirvana -of emptiness which resented the sound of footsteps approaching along -the deck behind him. He turned, annoyed. Still, it was not so bad. He -would rather have it be Lüttich than any of the others. The Russian had -a fortunate faculty of sympathetic adjustment, of ever being able to -attune himself to one's mood of the moment, serious, gay, reflective. -And he admired his talents, the facility with which he spoke French, -German, English, even Japanese, his easy mastery of the violin, and, -above all, his unobtrusive friendliness. He felt for him, also, -sympathy for his misfortunes and admiration for the careless manner -in which he had adapted himself to new circumstances. Hardships as an -officer during the war, imprisonment, escape through Siberia, and, -finally, adjustment to a fairly precarious existence as a teacher -of languages and the violin to Japanese, had caused no bitterness. -"You never know what it is to be free from care until you have lost -everything," he had explained to Hugh. "_Nichivo!_" - -Lüttich pointed out into the night before them. "To-morrow, Japan. What -will it bring?" - -Hugh smiled. "Something like that. One dreams, reflects, speculates at -the future." - -The Russian snapped his fingers. "Unprofitable. If the dreams are -pleasant, disappointment and disillusionment follow. If they are -unpleasant, why, they are not worth having. The true philosophy lies -in gathering the fullest measure of the pleasures of the moment. This -is the last night on board, remember. They are short of men, as usual. -Come on. Join the dance, and have a drink with me, _auf wiedersehen_ in -Japan." - -They walked aft together, where the ship's orchestra played to the -couples dancing in the obscure half-light of the moon and the Japanese -lanterns strung crisscross in wavy lines. Along the wall of the -deckhouse tables and chairs had been set close together so as to give -room for the dancers. They sat down and had their drink. Hugh was -still half immersed in reverie, but the Russian was active, febrile. -Presently he joined the dancers. Hugh watched the scene languidly. -He could always find enjoyment, food for idle speculation in the -odd assortment of passengers, international, Americans and Japanese -predominating; some falling into easily defined classes, missionaries, -business men, tourists; others more definitely characteristic, -individualistic; some particularly interesting in their baffling of -curiosity, about whom ship's gossip had contrived fanciful fables. - -At the table next to him sat Baron Saiki, returning after years of -service at the Japanese Embassy at Washington, man of the world, -polyglot, marvelously well informed in international politics, a -striking contrast to his wife, who spoke little and who appeared -to have retained, in spite of years of residence abroad, the -self-effacement of Japanese women. Another contrast, again, was young -Miss Suzuki, who sat with them, college educated in America, stylish, -with even a French-like chic, in her fashionable gown and cleverly -arranged hair. Farther over was Miss Wilson, an American stenographer -returning to Yokohama, after a vacation in California, with Miss -Elliott, who had lived long in Japan where she was beginning to make a -success with her painting, water colors following largely the manner of -the Japanese color prints, but combining therewith a hint of Maxfield -Parrish, with intense blues and deft arrangement of light and shadow -contrast, which she cleverly contrived to work out into a style quite -peculiarly her own. She was one of the passengers whom Hugh hoped he -would meet again in his life in Japan. - -Still farther over was a group of tourists, guidebooks on the table -before them, arranging the itinerary for a breathless chase through the -most conspicuous marvels of Japan. Then a table with a couple of girls -with bobbed hair, and a youth on his way to Shanghai. Farther over were -others whose faces were half effaced in the shadows. The approach to -land caused general animation. The dancers swung and gyrated to the -rhythm of jazz. Good-bys were said and promises to meet in Japan made -as drinks more numerous than usual marked the last night at sea. - -"Are you glad to come back to Japan?" - -It was Miss Suzuki who had turned to him. She spoke in Japanese. He -had often practiced speaking the language with her, rejoicing at the -facility with which he was regaining the once familiar tongue. - -"Of course, though to me it will be like a new country," he answered. -"But I know that you must certainly be happy to return." - -He was surprised to see the wistful expression which came over her -face. "I don't know." She spoke in English. He had noticed that she -found greater facility therein than in Japanese. "I don't know. I was -only eight when I left Japan. I am afraid I have become too foreign in -my ways and my mind, and my parents are such old-fashioned Japanese. It -may be very difficult; I am really quite afraid." - -The orchestra crashed into a new dance. From the dimness beyond the -lanterns the ship's Adonis strode into the light, a young fellow on his -way to Tokyo as a student interpreter. He walked towards Miss Wilson. -Hugh saw her straighten expectantly, eyes meeting the boy. But Adonis' -roving eye had perceived Miss Kanae, a Japanese girl who with her -parents had joined the ship at Honolulu. He changed direction, bowed, -smiled, and the two glided in among the dancing couples. - -Miss Wilson flushed angrily. Her glance swept away, encountered his for -a moment, took in his companion with obvious disapproval. - -"I don't see how a white man can bring himself to dance with one of -these." - -It was said loudly enough to carry across the tables. Evidently -intentionally, with a desire to wound. Hugh saw the Baron wince almost -imperceptibly. He knew that the girl at his side must have heard. The -orchestra fiddled on to a crashing finish. The dancers called for an -encore. The violins struck up again. Hugh turned to her. - -"I wish you would let me have this dance, Miss Suzuki?" - -He saw her flush. "I think I would rather not. I did not think you -danced. I have not seen you dance at all." - -"I have not." He did not care greatly for dancing. "But this is the -last night, you know. Surely you will not deny me this one dance at -parting." - -She hesitated. He bowed ceremoniously. She arose slowly, and he led her -out among the dancers. He was pleased to find how lightly she danced, -elfin-like fine and graceful movements following his. The glare of -Miss Wilson's eyes directly into his as they passed her gave him grim -satisfaction. He knew that she knew what was in his mind. She would be -implacable. How easy it was to make enemies in this world. He danced -mechanically. The thought spoiled his enjoyment. Then his mind reverted -to his partner. She was smiling up to him. What a shame it was to wound -wantonly such a dainty child, for, after all, that was all she was. - -"We shall dance often like this, in Japan, shall we not?" - -"I don't know." Her smile became a little dubious. "I hope so. We shall -see." - -He made up his mind that he must try to come into touch with her in -Tokyo. The music ceased. He led her back to her seat. The Baron smiled. -"You will have a drink with me before we go below, Mr. Kent. It is -getting late, but we shall have our nightcap." They drank slowly. "I -hope to see you in Tokyo," said the Baron. "Your business will take you -to the Foreign Office very often, I know. I expect to be in Japan for a -while. Look me up there. I may be of some use to you. Good night." - -After all, how easy it was to make friends, also. - -They arose. The Baroness bowed to him silently. The girl gave him her -hand. "Good night. _Arigato de gozaimazu._" She smiled to him and -followed the others before he could collect himself to reply. She was -a charming child. He hoped that he would come to know her better, in -Japan. - -The Russian came up to him. "Good boy." He patted him on the shoulder. -So others had noticed. He looked over for the Wilson girl, but she had -disappeared. Miss Elliott caught his glance, beckoned him over. - -"You throw yourself into the battle quickly, even before you have -reached Japan," she smiled. "You have chosen your side early. It may -not be entirely wise, but I liked it. Thank you." - -It embarrassed him. "But surely it was the only thing to do, you know. -She heard it. It was so unexpected, so utterly undeserved." - -"I know. Still, you will see much of just that kind of thing in Japan. -I feel sorry for that poor girl. She will have a hard time, and she -suspects it. You know, she went to America when she was only eight -years old, was adopted by her uncle and aunt. They sent her to college. -She has been thoroughly foreignized. Now they have both died and she -is going back to her own family. I know of them. Her brothers have -both been abroad and have the foreign manner, but they are Japanese. -She is nothing, neither Japanese nor foreign, or, rather, she is -both, Japanese body and foreign mind. And her parents are typically -old-fashioned Japanese. She has learned to expect the courtesy, the -deference paid our women, the 'ladies first' of our world. Now she -will be forced into the strait-jacket of Japanese women. She will be -beautifully dressed and will have motor cars and all that, but she will -learn that her freedom is gone, her personality is gone, and that it -is 'men first' always in Japan. That is the way it will be with her -with the Japanese, and then, if she goes with the foreigners, if she -is allowed to mingle with them well--you saw what happened to-night. -It is fortunate for her that she will not live in Yokohama. In Tokyo -it is better. There the foreigners are scattered, and they mingle more -sympathetically, generally, with the Japanese; but in Yokohama, where -all the foreigners live together in the Settlement, with their little -cliques, and coteries, and constant gossip and observing what every one -does, there a girl like she is much held at arm's length. It is the -women mainly who cause it. They make the men feel that they must not -show too much interest, or they suffer their displeasure." - -"But a girl like that; why she's a mere child!" - -"A mere child." She laughed. "I have so often wondered, when the men -always say that about these girls, whether they really are so dense. -Is it possible that the mere smallness and quaintness really blind -them. Can't they see that they are as much women as we are, with the -same thoughts, with passions as intense as those of all other women. Of -course, many of the men must know better, must have learned----" She -seemed to seek for words, gave it up, laughed. "You know, I am becoming -involved in a delicate subject. After all, you must see for yourself -and form your own conclusions." - -The Russian was coming towards them. She rose. "It is late, and we must -be up early if we are to see Fuji. If you want more information, ask -Mr. Lüttich. Men can explain such things better. Good night." - -"Lüttich," Kent turned to the Russian. "Miss Elliott was just hinting -that the lot of the foreign-educated Japanese girl in Japan is not a -very happy one. What do you know about it? It interests me." - -Lüttich shrugged his shoulders. "One of the pangs of the transition -that Japan is going through. It is the whole keynote to Japan -to-day. The nation is trying to squeeze a feudal chain and mail -outfit in under the white shirt front of modernity, and the process -causes difficulties. The point is that, with all her modern veneer, -railroads, electric lights, factories, street cars and all that, Japan -is still feudal entirely in thought. Take your friend, Baron Saiki, -for instance; as polished a diplomat as you can find in Washington or -London. To-morrow, back in Japan, his mind will be as feudal as was -that of his ancestors three hundred years ago. In fact, it has always -remained so, but the Japanese have learned to put on a foreign suit of -thought, just as they put on a foreign suit of clothes, and, under it -all, the old feudal thought remains unchanged, just like their skins. - -"In that way you see these well-bred men and women of Japan attending -social functions, dressed like us, acting like us, following our codes -and manners, and that is about all you see of their lives, the modern, -the outward part. But the everyday life, that which goes on behind -the walls and _shoji_, which you seldom get even a glimpse of, that -has not changed. There the old feudal era is persisting. The wife is -subservient to her husband, the daughters must obey and serve their -brothers. And after all, it works well; in fact, apparently better -than our system. They have practically no marital scandals. The Empire -is built on the foundation of the family and it seems to wear well; -it would be foolish to tamper with it, to try to replace it with -something, our system, for instance, which is hardly a success. And it -is my firm belief that generally the Japanese women are happy, every -bit as happy as those of America or Europe. That system is what they -have always known. It may be the bliss which is born of ignorance, but -as long as the ignorance remains they are happy. - -"Now that is where the point comes in about girls like Miss Suzuki. -She has become accustomed to our ways, our point of view. She expects -to take the usual precedence, to receive the usual courtesies from -men, to be waited on by them. And now, in her home, the men will walk -in advance and she will follow. If she drops something she will pick -it up herself, but if her brothers drop it, she will have to scramble -after it, and if a servant is not handy, they will order her about like -one. Now, if she had never seen anything else all her life, that would -be natural; she would never give it a thought. But she has grown up -under our conventions. She cannot help but long for the courtesy, the -deference, which she has become used to, which she craves for. But, -first of all, she does not go out much, as do our girls, for Japanese -women don't attend, generally, social functions where both sexes are -present, except garden parties, receptions and other boresome affairs. -But even if she does go out, say to teas, hotel dances and such things, -and even if she receives there from the modernized young Japanese the -outward show of courtesy which is part of modern social usage, she -knows that it is all for the moment only. Her brother who picks up her -fan at the Imperial Hotel will send her scurrying for his slippers at -home. If she marries the young blood who obsequiously leads her to -her seat in the ballroom, she will jolly well walk behind him if she -marries him. - -"That, I think, is the tragedy of the modernized Japanese girl, that -she has had a glimpse of ideals which she will probably never attain. -Of course, there may be some heart-burning at the attitude of some of -the foreign lady cats, who would prevent white men from associating -with the Japanese girls. It is natural that they resent the charm which -these girls have for many of the young men who should be the exclusive -property of the women of their own race; but that obtains mainly in -Yokohama, and very little in Tokyo, where the foreigners are scattered -and where the biggest guns in the social world are undeniably Japanese. -And outside of some isolated incidents like that to-night, I don't -think that point counts much. The fact is that while the Japanese -girl who has had some contact with foreigners undoubtedly wishes that -our manner of treating our women might be extended to them, you will -find that marriages of ladies of the aristocracy with foreigners are -extremely rare. The man who thinks he is regarded as a prize simply -because he is white is a fool. Among the lower and middle classes -it is probably different. To many of these girls the courtesy and -consideration shown by foreign men to their women must contrast sharply -with the prospect of a life of constant obedience, subservience and -drudgery, first to her brothers and then to her husband. They say that -once a Japanese girl has had relations with a foreigner, at least a -decent foreigner, she almost never wishes to take up with men of her -own people. I've seen a lot of cases which make me believe that this -is true. But girls of the class of Miss Suzuki are practically never -allowed to marry foreigners, and foreigners of their class hardly ever -marry Japanese. So they must be unhappy, poor dears. They despise the -trammels of Japanese married life, and that which they have learned -to wish for they can't attain. The lives of these girls, the pioneers -of their sex in attainment of western culture, is one of the many -tragedies of Japan in transition." - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -They arrived too late in the morning to see Fuji-san. Clouds lay over -the mountain ranges and smoky haze obscured the land, only the nearest -foreshore appearing, gray, formless, without detail. It might have been -the California coast, any coast line, in fact. Only the sampans which -passed them, standing out to sea, with their characteristic square -sails, high galleon-like poops, indicated the Orient. They passed -quarantine. A launch came up smartly to the ship's ladder. A tall man -in pongee waved his big white sun-helmet up to Kent. - -It was Erik Karsten. Kent had expected to see him. They had been -friends, when Karsten was dramatic and art critic on the _Herald_, -before he had gone to Japan some years ago. They had corresponded and -Kent had looked after his son, young Mortimer Karsten, until the boy -had graduated from the university and had gone to Europe for further -study. Karsten had written him, when he had heard that he was coming to -Japan, that he must make his home with him, at least until he decided -to make other arrangements. It made it particularly pleasant. They were -warm friends. - -They climbed up the ladder, police officials, steamship agents, Karsten -and the rest. The friends shook hands. - -"By Cæsar, but it is good to see you," said Karsten. "I have been -feeling a bit lonesome these last few years. I am glad you will stay -with me, at least for a while. Here, give your trunk keys to Martin. -He will see your stuff through the customs. It will be too late to get -to Tokyo for tiffin, so we will eat at the Grand. Then you can take a -turn about Yokohama, and we'll be in Tokyo in time for dinner." - -He went through the usual form of police examination. The steamer -crept up to the wharf. Yokohama was as he had expected, the foreign -settlement drab and tedious as of old; the typically Japanese section -had receded a bit farther into the background; there were a few more -red-brick official buildings. The return brought no thrill. Even the -rickshaw seemed commonplace after he had ridden in it a few minutes. -He felt as if he had been away from Japan only a score of weeks rather -than a score of years. - -Though he had halfway expected this, he was disappointed. Karsten read -his thought. - -"Yokohama always disappoints, doesn't it? I shall never forget my shock -when I first came to the Fabled Orient and found this nondescript -changeling of a city. Tokyo is becoming spoiled, too. They are covering -it with electric poles, tangles of wires, atrocious buildings, all -the dreariness of civilization, which they have a positive genius for -making as obtrusive as possible. It seems almost that when they copy -our civilization they make a point of making the worst parts thereof -the most conspicuous. They can endow them with a hideousness which you -don't find in any other place in the world. Still, Tokyo is not as bad -as Yokohama. You may still find large quarters which are Japan. I have -found such a place. I hope you will like it." - -They arrived at Karsten's house late in the afternoon. Hugh felt -his hopes rise as they left the prosy, noisy main streets and their -rickshaws began a tortuous journey through narrow alleys, through a -typically Japanese quarter, with clean wooden houses, latticed paper -windows, grilled entrances, bamboo fences, and daintily contrived -roofed gates through which might be glimpsed miniature gardens, with -dwarfed pines, stone lanterns, curved paths of broad gray stones. - -A steep stone stairway, winding erratically up the hillside against -which nestled the quarter below, brought them to Karsten's house. Thank -God, here was a place such as he would wish to live in, which was in -harmony with his dreams of the spirit of Japan. Japanese in every -detail, set in a cool garden overlooking the cluster of houses through -which they had passed. In the rear lay a great temple, set in extensive -grounds, a cool, calm space shadowed by old trees conveying a feeling -of vast, eternal peace. - -"You see, I am almost literally between the devil and the deep sea." -Karsten swept his hand before him. "These houses below are a geisha -quarter, as you might know by the immaculate trimness and careful -detail. It is more characteristic at night, when the lights are -lit. You'll see. There, behind us, in the temple grounds, you may -always find peace, rest. Can it be a sort of telepathic influence? I -don't know; but it seems almost as if centuries of calm meditation, -projection of their minds into the infinite by generations of priests, -the devout prayers of hundreds of thousands of worshipers, from cradle -to grave, have permeated the whole space with an atmosphere, an aura -of infinite peace. I am absolutely pagan. I have no creed or religious -philosophy whatever. Still, sitting alone in this place, letting my -thoughts go, I come nearer the idea that there is something, some one, -some force, above, beyond, eternal, dominant, controlling the universe. -Buddha, God, call it by whatever name you like, but some vast, hidden, -mysterious force. Anyway, if I am troubled, agitated, here I may always -find peace." - -They entered the house. A tall, handsome Japanese woman met them, -bowed deeply, gracefully. "_O hairi nasai._ Please enter." - -The soft, deep ring of her voice, its musical modulation; the richness -of her silks in spite of their somber shades; the every evidence that -here was a woman of refinement, a gentlewoman, startled Kent. Plainly -this was no servant. Could it be that Karsten had contracted one of -these indefinite Loti'esque temporary arrangements which are fairly -common in Japan? Still, then he would have said something about it. He -wondered. - -But Karsten gave no explanation. - -"Jun-san, this is Kent-san. Kent, Jun-san has been looking forward to -your coming. She is pleased that you speak Japanese. She speaks no -English." - -She clapped her hands. A servant came, took their hats. They entered a -large, cool room, upstairs, whence they had a full view of the clusters -of geisha houses below. Jun-san followed, brought tea. He noticed that -she drank also. Evidently not a servant; probably an "_oku-san_," after -all? Still, in such case it was odd that Karsten had not mentioned -it. Well, time would tell soon enough. He liked her presence there, -sitting gracefully, Japanese-fashion, on a silk cushion, ever watchful, -attentive to anticipate their wants. Her mere being there lent an air -of rich, but delicate, exotic Oriental beauty to the room, as though -she were some infinitely wonderful, gorgeous ornament, contrived to -harmonize with, to add grace to the surroundings. He liked the soft, -slow smile when she answered him in her grave contralto voice; but -he noticed that when she was not speaking, when he and Karsten were -conversing in English, when she took no part, she was ever watching -Karsten, with an expression of sadness, it seemed to him, a hint of -wistfulness. It oppressed him a little with its indefinite mystery. He -tried to put the thought away, as he went on talking with Karsten, but -he could not free himself from the sense of an oppression of sadness, -vaguely permeating the house as might a breath of heavy incense. He -felt himself seized, unaccountably, knowing no definite reason, with a -feeling of compassion, of sympathy, for Jun-san. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -Kent's office was in the rear of a building in the Shimbashi section, a -corner room facing two sides on narrow alleys, neither more than four -feet wide. His landlord, Nishimura, whose International Agency occupied -the front, was holding forth volubly. He would talk inexhaustibly about -his life, his affairs and, principally, about his manifold abilities, -in English, for he had lived for years in the United States. - -As he talked, Kittrick came in. Kent had known him years ago, in the -San Francisco Press Club, before he had gone to Japan for the Universal -Syndicate. He hoped that his arrival would put an end to Nishimura's -talk, but the Japanese only waved a greeting to Kittrick--evidently he -knew him. He bubbled on. - -"I am very pleased that I can always help you, in anything, everything. -If you want anything, ask Nishimura. I can get you access to all the -big men, the ministers of state, the politicians, the big business men, -everybody. I can get you anything, an interview, a clerk, invitations -to the official functions, a streetcar pass, a sweetheart," he leered -suggestively. "You have a unique advantage of situation, Mr. Kent, -between knowledge," he pointed towards the region of the International -Agency, "and pleasure," he waved his hand generally in the direction -of the walls and paper-covered _shoji_ appearing, familiarly close, -through the office windows. - -"It is a select neighborhood, Mr. Kent. The heart of the most refined -geisha quarter, hidden, so discreetly, don't you think, behind our -respectability, yours and mine. There, you see, is the Akebono -_machiai_, one of the most famous waiting houses, where you may feast -with geisha." He pointed across one of the alleys where the _shojis_ -had been drawn aside, the wide window opening displaying a large, -immaculately clean room, furnished with the constraint usual in Japan, -with only a low table and some silk cushions, a _kakemono_, hanging -silk scroll picture, in the _tokonoma_ recess. "A very quiet place -usually in the day," he explained. "But at night, ah, what scenes of -revelry, with happy guests disporting themselves with sake wine and -the pretty geisha." He sighed and threw wide his arms, as would he, -ravished, press to his breast one of the beauties of his imagination. -"You shall see, Mr. Kent, even here," now he was pointing through -the window in the other wall to a smaller house. The closed, opaque -paper _shoji_, bamboo barred, were almost within arm's length. From -beyond it came the strident whimper of samisen strings. "That is -O-Toshi-san," he explained confidentially, impressively, "the famous -O-Toshi-san. You shall see her often, there in her window; but, Mr. -Kent, do not lose your heart there. No, don't," he became even more -confidential, suggestively smiling. "She belongs to Mr. Kato, the -police commissioner. He paid big _makura-kin_, pillow-money, oh, so -big, I hear----" - -A clerk entered and whispered to Nishimura. "I am so sorry," said the -landlord. "My affairs. I must go, but I shall come and see you often. -Good morning." - -It was a relief. His chatter had filled the room, monopolized the -situation. "I have certainly fallen into a queer neighborhood," said -Kent. "I shall apparently have a liberal and inexpensive education in -geisha matters. What did he mean by pillow-money, anyway?" - -"That's so; you left Japan too young to know about such things," said -Kittrick. "Well, the institution differs considerably, according to -locality, I think, but it means ordinarily a sum paid to a geisha who -then becomes, so far as love favors are concerned, the exclusive jewel -of the man who pays it. She may, of course, continue to entertain -other guests as a singer or dancer and so forth, but that man is, or -is supposed to be, her only lover. In fact, you know, you are not -as queerly situated as you think you are. The geisha quarters are -scattered in various parts of the city; you find them rubbing up -against business and office quarters in lots of places. They are not -bad neighbors at all. You may come to like these girls. For while -some of them are just common women, many are quite exclusive, as, for -instance, your neighbor lady appears to be, with just one lover; and -not a few are absolutely clean morally, virginal, even though they -make their living by singing, and playing, and entertaining men in -their idle hours. For the Japanese they are institutional. In many -cases important business deals are closed only in the _machiai_, with -geisha adding grace to the occasion. Statesmen discuss their affairs -in their presence. The Japanese tired business man, when he wants a -change from the formality of family life, finds relaxation in a few -hours with them, drinking, chatting, listening to their singing, -enjoying their bright wit; often, as a rule, I think, that is all, -though, of course, it frequently goes further. I myself have come to -appreciate very much the Japanese point of view. There is so little to -do in Tokyo, no theaters or concerts to speak of; only the cinemas. -So occasionally, when time hangs on my hands, I go to some clean -little tea house, call a geisha or two, lie about comfortably, lazily, -enjoy their chatter--they are such merry, charming children. You get -complete relaxation. It is easy to understand how the Japanese men, -whose wives, as gentlewomen, could not and would not think of unbending -to the gay fripperies of such talk and play, find their amusement with -these girls. Of course, many of the men have sweethearts, mistresses, -_mekakes_, concubines, as they commonly are called, but these things -are not as greatly different from similar phenomena in America and -Europe as you might think, and I am under the impression that the -characteristically Japanese concubine system, if there is such a thing, -is gradually dying out. - -"However, I didn't come here to talk geisha. If you want me to show you -the ropes as a newspaperman, I'm going now to the Foreign Office, and -you had better come along." - -The first glimpse of the Foreign Office attracted Kent--the great -wall, with white mortar forming big lozenges, the only glimpse of -typical Japan in the vicinity where great red brick buildings, the Navy -Department, the courts, and, gray and forbidding, imposing even while -its walls were crumbling, the Russian Embassy, formed the nucleus of -official Japan. But once inside the iron grilled gate, the Foreign -Office buildings were unimpressive, tediously modern. They did not -even go to the main structure, but went to the right into a long, drab -edifice. - -"This will be one of your main points in your work," said Kittrick, as -they waited while the solemn old commissionaire shuffled upstairs to -announce them. "This is the information bureau of the Foreign Office, -the main function of which is to see that foreign correspondents are -kept satisfied with as little information as possible. We are now about -to see the head oracle, Mr. Kubota. He was in London and Washington for -years, and Japanese officialdom speaks highly of his abilities. He has -to be quite a diplomat, you know, to answer a great many questions and -still give out next to no information, anyway." - -The commissionaire appeared and ushered them into Kubota's office, -a large, simply furnished room. A middle-aged, pleasant-faced man, -immaculate in frock coat, rose to greet them. His English was perfect. -He was courteously cordial. One liked him instinctively. They chatted -awhile about Kent's plans, how he liked Japan, the usual trivialities. -"I hope you will come here often. We shall all be glad to be of every -service possible to you, I and my assistants." - -He called over a young man who had been sitting in the background. "My -chief assistant, Mr. Kikuchi," he introduced. Kikuchi, more interesting -at first sight than his chief, was a typical young aristocrat, in rich -silk kimono, with long, sensitive fingers, urbanely smiling. Kent -learned later on that he was regarded as one of the rising men in the -Foreign Office, a man with brains as well as prestige. His father, -Viscount Kikuchi, was considered, in the most intimately informed -circles, to be the leading mind of the Privy Council. - -"We have heard of you already from Baron Saiki," said Kikuchi, shaking -Kent's hand firmly. "We shall be glad to become your good friends, if -we may. In fact----" he glanced towards his chief. - -The older man smiled. "Yes, Mr. Kittrick, we had, in fact, thought -of having one of our little tea parties as a welcome to Mr. Kent and -for Mr. Jones, you know, who came a few weeks ago for the _New York -Chronicle_. To get them acquainted, just a few of us from the office -here and the newspapermen. We have these little informal, friendly -gatherings now and then, Mr. Kent. Do you think you should like to -come?" - -Kent thanked him. They chatted for a while. Kent was introduced to a -few more officials, all pleasant, extremely urbane, fluent in English. -Then they came away. - -"It should be pleasant to come here," commented Kent. "They seem -intelligent and friendly. I like them." - -"They are pleasant," replied Kittrick. "And clever too, though, queerly -enough, it is the common thing for the Japanese to regard the Foreign -Office as a pretty stupid institution. Although it has done mighty -well, it seems to me, disentangling the foreign policy mess left by -Terauchi and his ilk, cleaning up the Yap, Shantung, Chinese and -Siberian questions, the Japanese people and press seem to think that -they are a pretty poor lot. Of course, they have had a fairly hard time -of it with the War Office, the General Staff. Many people think that -they are unduly under the thumb of the militarists, but the very fact -that the army and navy Ministers are not responsible to the Cabinet -makes running the foreign policy harder, as the militarists have had -the habit of letting the Foreign Office propose, and then doing the -disposing themselves, and that seems to me to make what our diplomatic -friends have done the more praiseworthy. - -"Yes, you will find the Foreign Office crowd pleasant," he continued. -"But as a source of information you'll find them disappointing. Like -all the rest of the officials, they are obsessed with the national -mania for secrecy. All the officials seem to think that they may get -into all kinds of trouble by telling the press something; that they -can never get into trouble when they tell nothing. The great cry of -the Japanese is constantly that they are misunderstood by the rest -of the world, and still when we fellows who honestly want to bring -about understanding try to help them along, they won't help us or -themselves. Say, for instance, that some fool report against Japan -crops up in Washington, or London, or Paris, and you come here to get -the thing straightened out, to get Japan's side; you will, as a rule, -find it is like pulling teeth, and often, when you do get the story, -they won't let you quote the Foreign Minister, or even the Foreign -Office generally. They want you to cable that 'it is reported,' or 'it -is said' or 'there are indications that,' taking all the value out -of the statement. Then, if you want to see one of the Ministers or -some other big gun, they will probably arrange that you see him--they -are tremendously obliging, I admit--but it will take a week or more -before the interview can be arranged, and in the meantime the harm -has been done abroad. Your story, Japan's version, has become old as -Genesis, it has gone cold. And then they sit up and wail that the -world misunderstands them. All this talk you hear about the infernally -clever, insidious Japanese propaganda is plain rot. If there is one -thing they don't know a thing about, it is propaganda. They have their -propaganda newspapers, it is true, particularly in China, but everybody -knows them, and they don't count. This talk about the Foreign Office -handing out huge sums to writers and others is funny. The War Office -people have the funds, and I daresay they spend them where they think -it will do good. The General Staff, that is the secret force in the -Japanese Government, and you and I never hear what goes on in there. -See its headquarters, that old, gray building with the green copper -roof; that's the last remaining stronghold of militarism, in its good -old form, on this earth; and General Matsu, the chief, is the proper -high priest, the simon-pure militarist, with ethics as primitive -as those of a cave man. They are giving in now. They have to, for -Japanese public opinion about spending great sums on armies is the same -as it is in the rest of the world, but they are clever. They feel--it -is probably their sincere idea of patriotism--that Japan can be great -only by militarism, and where they reduce the army by two soldiers, -they probably buy one machine gun, making up in strength in one way -what they lose in the other. They probably feel that if they can't -preserve Japan's strength openly on account of public opinion, they -must do it quietly, for Japan's good. But there, under that green roof, -lie the forces of old Japan, and there, on the other side of the city, -in the students' quarter in Kanda, in the laborers' quarters of Honjo -and Fukagawa, the forces of new thought are stirring and fermenting. -It is medieval feudalism as opposed to modern industrialism, with a -lot of more 'isms thrown in, Socialism, Communism, Sovietism even, new -ideas, half understood, misunderstood, but grasped at with passionate -eagerness, the young generation and the workers seeking such morsels -of new thought, often the worse thought, that they can find, and -swallowing them, half digested, or not digested at all. - -"There is danger in all this. There is a turbulence of too precipitate -transition. It needs wise handling. There is good in it all, this -passionate desire for making Japan modern, but all these young, -restless forces should be directed, led along wholesome paths, and -all that the powers-that-be--the militarists, the capitalists, the -police--seem to know is repression. I can see lots of good in both -sides, the cautious conservatism of the old generation which clings -desperately to the ancient virtues which it sees spurned; and which -sees all that is bad, unwholesome, in the new movement; and the young -generation which wants to create a new Japan in a day, which wants to -walk before it has learned to crawl, which is prone to discard the -virtues and values of old Japan before it has learned to understand and -use modern, Western civilization. It is a game for high stakes which is -going on here under our eyes, where immeasurably precious values of an -old civilization, unique, irreplaceable, are likely to be lost, to be -thrown ruthlessly aside; and, on the other hand, there is loss every -day that the intentness, the eagerness of the younger generation, of -the masses in the cities where they have acquired zest for modernism, -is suffered to waste itself in futile groping after lots of unwholesome -stuff, which they think must be good fruit mainly because it is -forbidden; especially when all this eagerness to learn, this ambitious -energy might, with a little sympathy, a bit of understanding wisdom, be -made into a tremendous power for constructive good. The longer you live -here, Kent, the more you will come to see that what Japan needs to-day, -what she must have, is another Meiji, some strong, wise directing -force, a truly big man--but there is no such man to-day." - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -A row of shoes in the entrance of the tea house told them that most of -the others had already arrived. A flock of maidservants met them, took -their hats and canes, waiting while Kent and Kittrick took off their -shoes. Kikuchi appeared. "We are nearly all of us here," he smiled. -"Come in. Make yourself at home, Mr. Kent, Kittrick-san will tell you -that we don't stand on ceremony." - -In a large room, unfurnished save for a few _kakemono_ pictures, they -found Kubota and half a dozen Foreign Office men, with six or seven -correspondents, talking, smoking. Butterfield of the _Times_ and -Templeton of the _Express_ were old hands, with many years in Japan -behind them. Most of the others were far more recent arrivals. Some of -them showed by the self-conscious lack of ease of the white man when -he first finds himself, socially, in stocking feet, that they were -still new in Japan. Kent was introduced. The conversation flowed on, in -groups. Tea and cigarettes were served. - -A maid slid aside some of the partitions and they looked into a large -room with small, individual lacquered tables set in three sides of a -square, each with a cushion on the matting. "Please take your seats, -gentlemen," Kubota waved them in. "Take your places where you please." - -They squatted on the cushions. Kent was pleased to have on one side -young Kikuchi. He had taken an instinctive liking to him. On the other -side was Jones, a dumpy, solemn-faced man, fidgety, ill at ease. -Beyond him was Kittrick. Farther along, on both sides, sat the rest, -Japanese and foreigners mingled. Conversation flowed easily, mostly in -English. - -Soup was brought in lacquered, covered bowls, and a cloud of geisha -appeared, a score or more, brightly clad in shimmering silks, with -huge brocade obi scarfs fashioned in elaborate bow-like arrangements. -The curious whitening of the faces, with the black, delicately arched -eyebrows, almond eyes, crimson lips, fantastically high headdress, -tastefully contrived contrasts of color, all served to provide an -exotic air, to produce the impression that, after all, this was Japan, -a unique country, different from all others. The deadening effect of -trite modernism produced by the modern garb of the Japanese hosts, -their perfect foreign polish, faded into the background. The geisha -scattered among the tables, seating themselves with the guests, smiling -to them, attending to their needs. As he looked across the table into -the pretty face opposite him, Kent experienced a sense of grateful -relief. Thank God, the bloom and charm of old fairy-tale-like Japan had -not all faded away yet. - -He fumbled with his chopsticks. He had almost forgotten the art of -using them. The geisha gently took them from him, smiled engagingly, -showed him how to use them. "_So desho._" - -He thanked her in Japanese. Her finely formed hands, small like a -child's, came up in surprise. "But you can't use chopsticks; you are -new in Japan; and still you speak Japanese. _Bikuri shimashita._ I am -surprised." - -The spirit of the thing swept over him. He felt as if he had played -with geisha all his life. "It is true. I have just come. But I looked -into your bright eyes, and see, the words have come to me. It is a -gift." - -"I think you lie." She eyed him dubiously. Japanese girls are disposed -to take literally even the unbelievable. "Kikuchi-san, he lies, doesn't -he?" - -But Kikuchi smilingly upheld him. "It is true. He has just come. You -know, these foreigners are truly wonderful people." - -"It is wonderful." She clapped her hands delightedly, called over -other girls that they might share in the marvel. They twittered like -birds. Kent suddenly found himself the center of attention, enjoyed -the exhilaration of flashing _jeu de mots_, though he found that his -childhood's vocabulary served only haltingly in the bright thrust and -parry repartée with the geisha. - -"I didn't know you could speak Japanese. What are they saying?" It -was the querulous voice of Jones. Kent felt a quick pang of sympathy -for him; he had been forgotten, neglected even by the geisha in the -excitement. - -"Oh, I lived here as a child, and I remember a little, but I told -that girl that I was learning the language from her eyes; such is the -gay foolishness with geisha, irresponsibility, laughter, that is the -charm." But he could not draw Jones in. "I see," was his only reply, -and he turned to the food before him. - -More food was brought, course after course, daintily served, strange -dishes, often puzzling as to how they must be eaten. The geisha -fluttered about, changing from table to table, staying a few minutes -with this guest, a bit longer with this other, charmingly gay, -beautiful creatures, woman bodies in butterfly raiment, and with the -radiant spontaneous happiness of children. And with all their laughing -familiarity, intimacy almost, they were constantly watchful, alert to -attend the men, with bewildering skill picking the bones from the -trout, which were served whole, leaf-garlanded, on richly ornamented -porcelain. Sake was brought in, hot, in small stone bottles. Guests -and geisha lifted steaming little cups, laughed, drank, the girls -constantly refilling the tiny bowls. The atmosphere titillated with -laughter and talk. The men stretched themselves more easily on their -cushions. Some rose and went visiting at other tables. The room was -electric with gayety, staccato Japanese and guttural English words -mingling, accompanied, set off by the rippling laughter of the geisha. - -Kubota had begun the journey which is the function of the host. From -table to table he proceeded, offering a cup of sake to each guest. The -guests drank; each rinsed the cup in the bowl of water on the table -before him, the ones who were old in Japan doing it expertly, immersing -the bowl and withdrawing it suddenly so that the water was sucked in by -the vacuum with a gurgling cluck. Then the guest would hold the bowl -out towards the geisha. She filled it, and he handed it to Kubota, who -drank ceremoniously, said a few words of polite greeting, and passed on -to the next guest. He passed his cup to Kent. "I am glad to greet you -here as a new friend," he said. "I hope we may often enjoy ourselves -together." They drank. - -Kubota passed on to Jones' table, held out his cup, but Jones waved it -away. "Thanks, but I disapprove of liquor." A look of blank surprise -crept over Kubota's face. The hand with the cup remained outstretched. -It took him a moment to adjust himself to the surprising situation. -Then he smiled engagingly. But Jones remained solemn, impassive. -Kittrick came to the rescue. "Are you not going to drink with me, Mr. -Kubota?" The incident passed, but Kent felt his sympathy for Jones -turning to disgust. He turned impatiently to the geisha. - -But there was a stir among the girls. A number of them were running -towards the space where there were no tables. Samisens were brought in. -Three of the girls seated themselves, began tuning the instruments. -Three others ranged themselves in line and stood waiting. Suddenly -ivory plectra smote taut strings. In a loud treble, almost stridently, -the voices of the singers rose over the noisy clamor of the music. -The dancers postured for a moment, each with a fan, closed, held -straight before her. A chord was struck. Instantly the three fans -were snapped open, simultaneously, with a graceful, wide sweep of -arms, deep, fluttering sleeves following the undulating movements of -small, bejeweled hands. The guests leaned back, watching the brilliant -picture, the three girls, faces set in conventional expressionless -masks, rich, gorgeous silks waving and sweeping in rhythmic movement, -synchronizing with the bizarre cadences of the samisens and the voices, -a picture of graceful lines, swaying and changing harmoniously, -waves of radiant, flaming colors and shimmering, indefinite tints. -The real Orient finally, gorgeous, rare, exotic. A wave of pleasure, -satisfaction, swept over Kent. Impulsively he turned to Jones. - -"Barbaric." The cold, hard tone cut in like a discord. Kent stared -at him. Great heavens, what a point of view! He was about to turn -impatiently towards the dancers, but Jones cut in quickly. It was as -if anger, resentment, disgust, had been accumulating in him, from one -phase of the entertainment to another, had been pent up, gathering -volume until he must free himself of his thoughts. He seemed to clamor -for Kent's attention, to demand it, speaking nervously, jerkily, finger -tips drumming on the table top in emphasis. - -"I wish I hadn't come. It is a shock to me to see these men, high -officials of the Government, publicly, brazenly disporting themselves -with these women, common women, singers, dancers. And, I really can't -help saying it, to see white men, Americans, entering into this -degradation. Look at it," he swept his hand towards the dancers, -swaying in soft, seductive movement before his irritated eyes. A small -_hangyoku_, geisha apprentice, sitting close by, saw his outstretched -hand. She glanced at him, puzzled, eager to be of service, and hastily -handed him a cup of sake. He swept it aside, and she gazed at him, -wondering, black child's eyes large with surprise against the white -powder of her face, quaint doll features contrasting oddly against the -high coiffure. - -Jones went on urgently, as if in competition with the whimper and cry -of the samisens, the strident voices. "It seems to me that we white -men should set them an example, that we have a duty to perform, that -even as we are newspapermen, we should assist the missionaries, act as -missionaries here----" - -Kittrick's attention had been attracted. He cut in. "If you will -pardon me, Mr. Jones, I think we have too many missionaries here -already. Japan has far less misery and crime than there is in our -big cities, New York, Chicago, San Francisco. Why don't they clean -up at home first, where they are needed, maybe, before they come out -here. You take my word for it, Mr. Jones, Japan can get along quite -nicely without them, and so can the rest of us. But what is the use of -talking. If you can't enjoy the hospitality you have accepted, at least -have the decency not to criticize it. Here, little beauty," he turned -to the _hangyoku_. "Fill the cups, please. Have a drink with me, Kent." - -An uproarious twang of the samisens marked the end of the dance. -The guests clapped. The dancers sank to the floor, bowed in deep -salutation, ran down among the guests. The men rose from their places, -new groups formed. Kent was glad to escape. He went up to Kubota, -expressed his pleasure. He felt as if he must make some atonement for -Jones, wondered whether the Japanese had noticed him. He sensed a -soft pressure on his arm. It was the geisha who had first waited on -him at table. She had plucked from her hair an ornament, a cluster of -artificial flowers, curiously and intricately wrought, with little -polished metal bits faintly tinkling and glittering among the red -and purple petals. She offered it to him. "You are a nice stranger," -she smiled up to him. "I want you to have this. It is a _katami_, a -souvenir." He glanced to Kubota, a little at a loss. The diplomat -laughed. "It is all right. Take it. It is an omen that Japan likes you. -I hope that you may like Japan." - -It was getting late. The foreigners began to leave. The Japanese -remained behind. "They always do," commented Kittrick. "I have an idea -that now the real fun begins. But we never see it. Almost always only -the surface, here in Japan." - -"He came near spoiling the evening, that man Jones," he remarked, as -they walked from the tea house. "Of course, he has a right to his point -of view, but why drag in the missionary question on such an occasion. -It made me angry. In fact, he made me say more about the missionaries -than I really meant." - -Kent laughed. "It seems an odd thing how it crops up in all sorts of -incongruous places, isn't it; in steamer smoking rooms, in hotel bars. -Do you people really dislike them so?" - -"It is a big jump from geisha to missionaries," said Kittrick. "Still, -since you ask, I should say that on the whole I don't. In some ways -the missionaries do a lot of good for the standing of the white man -in the Orient, men like Doctor Wheelwright, for instance, men of -broad education and culture, who in a way serve as demonstrations to -the Japanese that the West, our race, has culture and high ideals, -something beyond mere lust for gain and pleasure. You know otherwise -the rest of us--most of us, at least--might easily give the Orientals -the idea that we are entirely materialists, that we stand a poor -comparison with their own scholars and men of culture. But then there -is the other class of missionaries, the fellows with little minds, who -can't see beyond the narrow vision they gained at their seminaries, -who are forever deploring what they call the evil example set by the -worldly white man, you and me, finding fault with our conduct, ever -criticizing us, and, for business reasons, taking the side of the -Japanese if we happen to criticize Japan. I feel as if the good done by -the one class is about evened up by the nuisance caused by the other. -I am thankful that I have friends among the first class; the others I -carefully avoid. As for the good they do among the Japanese, I don't -know. They undoubtedly do some good, but, on the other hand, personally -I can't help being a bit suspicious of the native Christian. So many -of them go in for Christianity on account of material advantages. It -is an easy way to learn English, for one thing, and then, undoubtedly, -many of them, the class of Japanese who want to be modern, who grasp -at any modern movement, be it French art, opera music, Communism, or -jazz, take up Christianity with sort of an idea that it is up-to-date, -_haikara_ they call it. It is only fair to say, though, that all the -smoking-room talk you hear about the missionaries living at ease on -the fat of the land is largely rot. Most of them have to live modestly -enough, on mighty small salaries. I am willing to give them credit, -most of them, of being sincere enough. I am neutral. I am willing to -let them alone, if they will leave me alone. There is the missionary -question in the Orient in a nutshell. Well, here I take my car. Give my -regards to Karsten--and to Jun-san. Good night." - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily. His Japanese -clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and -translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles -which Kent called for. He had made friends with several Japanese -newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment -on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift -of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot -news. Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, -War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative -procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting -formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite -blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the -world. The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule -be interviewed only by submission of written questions. It seemed as if -the human element, the touch of man to man, was constantly deliberately -shrouded in an impenetrable veil of bureaucratic formalism. Was it -instinctive passion for secrecy, suspicion of the foreigner in general, -or merely the deadening influence of worship of official form? He could -not make up his mind, but he wished it were possible to talk frankly -and openly, with return in openness and frankness, and not always under -the peculiar feeling of restraint, of necessity of being constantly _en -guard_, as if one were fencing with an adversary in the dark. They were -always talking about frankness, about their desire for it, and yet he -felt that it was always one-sided, that all the frankness came from -the foreigner, but that for him there could be no penetrating through -an impalpable wall of instinctive reserve, into the real, innermost -thought of the Japanese. - -Still, it was after all a pleasant life and, generally, an easy one. He -concluded that Japanese reserve was racial, rather than consciously, -deliberatively individual. And still there were times when they would -be surprisingly frank, almost incredibly outspoken. Even about such a -subject as the Imperial House they would sometimes, even officials, -like young Kikuchi, speak in terms entirely democratic, as would an -American, expressing carelessly ideas which he knew were well within -the "dangerous thought" category of the police. It amazed Kent, left -him a little at a loss as to how to reply, careful as he felt that -he must be in such matters. At first he thought that the opinions -were merely thrown out as bait, to draw him out, sound his views, -but he soon concluded that this was not the case, that the spread of -liberalism had extended far beyond the masses and was finding converts -among the young aristocracy, even among some of its older men. Some of -it was pose, he felt, the constant desire to show the foreigner that -Japanese were as advanced in modern thought as was he, but at the same -time he became convinced that substantially, generally, these men spoke -truthfully, just what they thought. - -He was speaking about it one morning at his office, to Kittrick, -when the door opened noiselessly, and Terada appeared, drifted in, -floated in rather, as if without movement. He had introduced himself -a few weeks after Kent's arrival as an official of the police -department, whose business it was to keep a watchful eye on foreigners, -particularly correspondents. Since then he had come at intervals of -a few weeks. The door would open, and he would enter, soundlessly, -almost apologetically. In his gray kimono, gray felt hat, he seemed -like a sort of genii out of Arabian Nights; it was almost as if -he materialized, a smoky, indefinite figure, mysteriously growing -out of the empty space of the room. It was his habit to make some -commonplace observation and then sit smoking, for ten minutes often, -before he would make his next remark, also quite commonplace, about -the weather, the cherry blossoms, anything. Thus he would sit for an -hour at a time, a courteous, self-effacing gentleman, saying something -entirely inconsequential; then smoking silently, thinking up his next -triviality. But out of the dozen or score of remarks would always be -one which Kent felt was the one that counted, the question which he -evidently hoped would pass unnoticed among all the others. Who was -going to be the new correspondent for the _Post_, what did he think of -the action of the Cabinet on such and such a matter? There would come -some more camouflage remarks, polite leave-taking, and he would vanish, -dissolve, fade away, leaving Kent to wonder whether he had really -managed to get any information that he had come for. - -He made his usual remarks. Everything seemed to stop, while they waited -for him to frame the next one. It became a bore. Kittrick's patience -gave out. - -"Do you really know so much about us foreigners, Terada-san?" he asked -banteringly. "What do you really find out about us?" - -"Oh, we know. You were at Ringo-san's tea house last Monday night, with -Sato-san, but you only stayed till ten," he smiled sourly. "You got -a new cook yesterday. Mr. Kent is to dine at Baron Saiki's to-morrow -night." - -He smoked for a while silently. Then he faded away. - -"He's a queer bird," said Kent, as Terada disappeared. "I'm sure I -don't see what he gets out of coming to me? His questions are too -transparent, with the main one so carefully sandwiched in among all the -rot that he so laboriously contrives. What does he do with it all, the -back-door gossip that he gathers so painstakingly?" - -"Oh, it all goes down in reports, I daresay, good, bad and -indifferent," said Kittrick. "It is all stored away somewhere. It is -all a part of their marvelously ramified secret service system, which -they copied from Germany. It is a good system. On the whole, it is -a good idea for the authorities to keep track of every one, foreign -and Japanese, and I don't see why any one should object. The bad ones -should be watched. The innocent ones shouldn't mind; in fact, they get -protection from the others in that way. I know that some foreigners -object to the detectives, but the police are usually polite. Old-timers -who have detectives following them often make friends with them--you -know they don't hide the fact that they are trailing you--and use them -to buy railroad tickets, to help with the luggage; they are willing -enough to act as kind of free couriers. Of course, there are some -damned stupid officials who look on every foreigner as a potential -spy, but much of the talk of newcomers about their being followed by -detectives is buncombe. They like to think they are being shadowed. It -gives them a sense of importance." - -"Ishii-san, run out and get me a package of Golden Bats, please." Kent -waited until the clerk had left the room. "I wanted to get him out of -the way," he explained to Kittrick. "The fact is that I know positively -that my desk is being systematically examined. I lock it; still I find -things disarranged. I keep nothing of consequence in it, but it annoys -me to have some one constantly going through my private letters, and I -don't know who it can be." - -"I don't think it is Ishii," said Kittrick. "I have reason to believe -that he is a young man inclined to have 'dangerous thoughts.' That is -one reason why I picked him out for you; so he wouldn't be a spy. It -is far more likely to be your good landlord. I'm pretty certain that -he is in Foreign Office pay. I have had several indications. Tokyo is -full of them, people who get information for the Foreign Office, the -Home Office, the police, the militarists. They are clerks, rickshaw -men, business men, high and low, all kinds. You see, they not only -copied the system, but they tried to elaborate on it. But all they -got, as usual, was the form, but not the intelligence. They go through -the motions of a secret service, but the whole thing is ramified in -numberless useless ways. They dovetail and overlap and get all kinds of -stupid information. I often wonder at what they do with all they get, -all the stuff about my being at a tea house and getting a new cook and -the like; but I think that it all goes down in reports, that many of -them don't care much what they get, as long as they get something they -can put in their reports, any old thing to fill the pages. And still, -you know, from all the trash they must undoubtedly get something worth -their while every now and then. At times you find evidences of really -skillful and clever work. And after all, why should you or I care? -They are discreet enough. Nothing comes out of what little foibles -they may learn about. Probably they don't care. Remember that, as far -as personal freedom is concerned, this is truly The Land of the Free, -where no one gives a hang if you have a drink or kiss a pretty geisha -behind the _shoji_." - -"But how are they in business?" asked Kent. "Do they watch the stuff we -send out?" - -"I wish I knew. I think every correspondent wishes he knew," said -Kittrick. "Sometimes I think a copy of every cable we send goes to the -Foreign Office. There is no reason why it shouldn't; in fact, I can -see no great objection. Still, I never knew them to interfere with our -cables. I have sent stuff that I thought would be stopped; but it went -through. At the time of the so-called 'serious affair,' when old Prince -Yamagata tried to interfere with the engagement of the Crown Prince, -and the whole nation was whispering about it, and the censors were -working overtime to keep the thing quiet, I cabled the whole thing. -Now, if they ever interfere, they would have done it then; but the -cable went. I know most of us feel a bit suspicious, and once or twice -old Kubota has quoted almost word by word cables which I had sent the -day before. It may have been coincidence, but it is funny. It makes you -wonder. In fact, you will find that most of the fellows send mail stuff -that they want to be sure of, through friends who are going across to -the States, but, frankly, I don't actually know how far we are being -watched." - -"By the way, I heard that you were going to dinner at the Saiki's," he -added. "If he is a friend of yours, you will find him a good one." - - -Kent had hoped that the dinner at the Saiki's would be given in -Japanese style, that he might thus have an opportunity to get a glimpse -of the more intimate life in an aristocratic Japanese household, but -the moment he and Karsten drove into the grounds, it was plain that he -would be disappointed in this. The house was a large hybrid affair, -with a foreign style section and another part purely native, weird -and ungainly combinations which are becoming common in Tokyo and -which do their share in degrading the architecture of the city. The -Japanese part lay in semi-darkness, but the other wing was brilliantly -lighted. Servants in foreign livery took their things, and they were -ushered into a large drawing-room, furnished punctiliously in French -fashion, almost too correct. One suspected immediately the hand of the -professional decorator behind it all. There was even less to indicate -Japan than is usual in foreign homes in Tokyo. The pictures, the -bric-a-brac, all was European. A splendid cloisonné vase in a corner -was the only bit characteristic of Japan; but then such a thing might -be found in any drawing-room in Paris or London. At table it was the -same,--a cocktail, then French courses, wines, decorations, served by -servants in black and gold livery. The kimonos of some of the women, -the high helmet-like coiffures of a few, served only to accentuate -the European atmosphere: and then some of the younger women, even -though they wore kimonos, dressed their hair in the foreign mode which -was becoming fashionable in Tokyo, the hair arranged, in its natural -softness, without the usual oily dressing, in soft rolls hiding the -ears. - -Kent found himself seated between Baroness Saiki and Miss Suzuki. -Farther on sat young Kikuchi, then another Miss Suzuki, then Karsten, -with Kikuchi's sister at his right. Among the others were Templeton -of the _Express_ and Butterfield of the _Times_. The rest were all -Japanese officials and their wives. - -Conversation was carried on in English and Japanese. The men were -all fluent in English. The women, even when they spoke it, smiled -much, charmingly, but said little, seemed to be a peculiarly happily -contrived background rather than a material element of the affair. -Kent found himself absurdly ill at ease when Baroness Saiki insisted -on speaking Japanese. He knew that only few foreigners attain the -perfection where they may venture with safety to attempt the language -of the aristocracy, with its honorifics and a vocabulary containing -many words and idioms entirely different from those of the common -tongue. He felt as might a Frenchman who had learned his English on the -Bowery and who suddenly finds himself under necessity to speak with -a _grande dame_ of ancient Boston lineage. He tried it, hesitantly, -fearing momentarily that he would make a _faux pas_; then he made a -clean breast of his trouble to her. She was amused, encouraged him to -go on; but even then it was irritatingly difficult to devise subjects -which might interest her. Books, the opera, mutual friends, all the -usual topics were useless. It was almost like trying to interest a -woman who had come forth, suddenly, from the seclusion of a seraglio. -Fortunately she had been abroad. He grasped at the usual banalities: -how did she find Japan after Washington and Paris. She answered -quietly, always smiling, charming, gracious; but she would reply in -only a sentence or two. Then he must find something new. She had -always, when he knew her on the steamer, been very quiet, discreetly -non-assertive, but even with that it seemed as if she had changed, -become even more retiring, self-effacing since she had come to Japan. -He had to think hard to devise pabulum for conversation and began to -get a little desperate. It was a relief when Kubota addressed her and -she turned to him. - -It gave Kent an opportunity to speak to Miss Suzuki. He had been -relieved to see that she still wore foreign dress. Evidently her -family had not Japanized her to the extent of insisting on her wearing -kimono, as did her sister, an extremely pretty girl, in gorgeous silks, -with, however, her hair dressed in the modern mode. Kent was extremely -pleased to meet Miss Suzuki again; he had thought of her often and -had wondered how he might manage to see her, but it had seemed oddly -impossible; there had seemed to be no way of contriving to meet her. -But she did not seem as spontaneously gay as she had been on the -_Tenyo_. Momentarily a hint of her American animation would appear -like a glint of heat lightning, a vivacious bit of high spirits, but -it flashed out, subdued into a vague, intangible quietness, smiling -gentleness, suggesting a sense of restraint, an almost imperceptibly -subtle change in manner and mind. - -Baron Saiki addressed him from across the table, a matter of current -politics. Templeton and Kubota came into the discussion. Gradually -the conversation became general among the men, the presence of the -women being sensed, rather than forming an equal part, as a lovely and -delicately enchanting obligato beside the dominating pervasion of the -men. - -Later, in the drawing-room, he found chance to meet the Suzuki -girls again. They formed a striking contrast, Kimiko, the younger, -resplendent in brilliant silks, gracefully drooping, wide kimono -sleeves, stiff brocade obi, recalling a picture of imagination, a -fanciful Oriental fairyland vision, picturesque, fantastic almost, -against the modestly cut pink evening gown of the sister. Here, removed -from the immediate presence of the others, she proved a lively, -capricious little damsel. She extended her hand frankly when the elder -girl introduced her to Kent. - -"Don't you think that I am not modern, just because I speak no -English and have always lived in Japan," she flashed at him. "_Nous -sommes moderne, nous autres Japonnaises, n'est-ce-pas_, Kikuchi-san?" -It suited her. French harmonized better with her air of being a -resplendent illusion of whimsical imagination. - -Kikuchi came over. "Of course, we are modern, _le dernier cri_. We -must show Kent. Now, how would it be if we all went to Tsurumi, to -Kagetsuen. We will show him how Japan and jazz mix. I am sure my sister -can fix it so you girls can go. Would you like it, Kent? I'm sure you -would. All right, I'll let you know the day later." - -The girls were radiant. "You must not think, Mr. Kent, that because -we wear the kimono, we can't dance," bubbled Kimiko, protestingly. "I -have been dancing for two years now, even at some of the public places, -like Kagetsuen. But they are beginning to make a fuss about it, the -newspapers and the old fogeys. I hope they don't stop it. My sister has -never even been to Tsurumi. We'll have--what is it you say in English, -Tsuyuko, oh, yes, a hellu off a time." - -"Oh, be careful," the sister glanced about hastily. "Kimiko is so crazy -to be modern that she wants to learn English phrases, and she likes the -swear words best, I'm sorry I taught her. She won't be careful. She is -irresponsible. Please pardon her. I wonder what Baroness Saiki would -say." - -Karsten came over, but even his rather grave manner could not daunt -Kimiko-san. It seemed as if she wished to startle the sister, to -impress her with the fact that she, at least, was not old-fashioned. -"You look so grave, Mr. Karsten, so dignified, just like our -old-fashioned Japanese men. You should be a Japanese, and have a -Japanese wife, old-fashioned, of course. Would you like to have one?" -She was laughing up at him, like a pretty, mischievous child enjoying -its naughtiness. - -Karsten laughed. "But I am so stupid about women. Now, if I do, will -you find me one, a pretty one? Will you be my _nakodo_, my go-between?" - -"Certainly. Of course, an old-fashioned man like you must have a -marriage by arrangement, through a _nakodo_; but Tsuyuko and I, -when we marry, we are modern, we shall marry for love, _l'amour, -n'est-ce-pas?_ We shall----" - -"Ssst." Kikuchi made a quick warning gesture. Baroness Saiki came over -to them. There was no perceptible hush, but the bright sparkle of the -manner of the girls changed. They were still smiling, conversing, but -it was the gentle, quaint loveliness of the Orient. The moment of -glitter had gone. It was nothing as definite as palpable restraint -which had come over them; still there seemed to be an indefinite -barrier. - -The groups broke up, changed, reformed. Every one left early. Kent -saw the girls again only when they took leave. He thought he sensed a -barely perceptible, still almost definite pressure of Kimiko's hand, as -she said good-by, the slightest hint of a glint in the dark brilliancy -of her eyes. But he could not be sure; he wondered. - -The Saiki mansion was close to the Karsten house, and they walked home -in the moonlight, through the streets of the geisha quarter with the -opaquely lighted _shoji_ contrasting, brilliantly white, against the -dark walls, tinkle of samisen and ripples of women's laughter coming -out to them in the night. - -"Well, back in Japan again," said Kent. "For what we saw to-night -wasn't really Japan, was it? Still, it wasn't America or Europe either. -What do you think?" - -"It is hard to say," said Karsten. "Even if what we saw to-night is not -Japan now, it is certain to become more and more so, while this----" he -pointed to a _machiai_ just ahead. The _shoji_ had been drawn aside, -and they could see a geisha, resplendent in gold and crimson, languidly -posturing, fan slowly sweeping before her in obedience to the rhythm -of an unseen samisen in the background. "This is not the real Japan, -either. The other was Japan to-morrow. This is Japan yesterday. It is -difficult to say what is Japan to-day." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -Even as they made their way up the hill, among the booths, animal -cages, swinging bridges and slides of the amusement park which formed -an adjunct of the Kagetsuen, the crash and cry of the jazz orchestra -came down to them. Dancing began early and a number of couples filled -the floor of the large hall. The musicians, some fifteen of them, were -all Japanese, but they had mastered their peculiar art, the latest -phase of the modernity invading Japan. Emphasis seemed to have been -laid on modernity. With the exception of a few Japanese lanterns, -some characteristic masks, the arrangements were entirely in foreign -style. Wicker tables and chairs lined two sides of the hall, where tea -was served, English fashion. For a moment this modern air struck Kent -as disappointing. Then he looked about at the people, the dancers, -those sitting at the tables, and the feeling vanished. A glitter of -color shimmered and moved inside this tedious frame, brilliant kimono, -gorgeous obi, rich silk, blazing reds, radiant blues, color in all -shades and tints scintillating in motion. The colorless space, the -commonplace garb of the men, seemed rather to heighten the effect of -the exotic radiance of the women. - -Kipling's "For East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall -meet" came to his mind. It might be true, but the scene before him -seemed to belie it. Was there ever such a melting-pot, raiment of a -civilization thousands of years old, substantially unchanged, absorbed -in the arms of extreme modernism, the unimaginative West and the -evanescent romance of the Orient moving and mingling in the rhythm of -jazz. It was bizarre, discordant, but it made a picture odd, almost -incongruously anachronistic, but interesting, strikingly illustrative -of New Japan. - -They found a table and sat down to tea, Kikuchi, his sister, the -Suzuki sisters and Kent. They made up programs, but Kent reserved only -a few dances. He wished to have opportunity to watch, to study this -heterogeneous potpourri of humanity. - -Japanese predominated, the men all in European clothing, most of the -women in kimonos, though many wore foreign dress, generally simple, -but well tailored, becomingly worn. There were many Europeans and -Americans, nearly all men. It was difficult to determine their status; -they were so much alike, most of them in pongee. Of the women many were -apparently business girls, stenographers from Yokohama probably, though -here and there might be seen one a bit indeterminable, who caused the -mind to hesitate for a moment, in question. - -Then there were the Eurasians, slim young men, inclined to be a shade -dandified, smooth, graceful dancers; the girls slim also, but with -a svelte luxuriance of body, a starry-eyed, almost tropical hint -of potentialities of fiery passion slumbering lightly behind their -sinuous grace. But, after all, his eyes would revert constantly to the -kimonos. They made the high light and luster of the scene, stirring -the imagination to wonder who were they, what were they, what were the -thoughts, the ambitions, the desires and passions, in these faintly -contoured breasts held tightly under silken folds above the stiff -brocade sashes? Difficult as it was to determine the character of the -others, Europeans and Eurasians, he felt himself utterly baffled -by the Japanese women. Any one of them might be a daughter of the -aristocracy, or she might be a geisha, for all he could know. All the -usual minute signs, the hints conveyed by dress, speech and gesture -familiar in white women, the indescribable, subtle nuances, which -made it possible at home to distinguish between the gentlewoman and -the demimonde, were unknown to him here. It added to the fascination, -the bewildering sense of not being able to know, to determine, even -to guess with reasonable certainty, as if one were hesitatingly, -cautiously venturing into a marvelously fascinating, strange, -unexplored country. - -A hundred questions clamored for explanations. Who was this one; what -could that one be? But his companions gave him little information. They -did not know these people, they said. Their tone conveyed to him that -he must restrain his curiosity. It was plain that they insisted on -being exclusive. They showed acquaintance with only one or two other -groups, a party, much like their own, in which young Watanabe, son of -the shipping magnate, was the leader; another composed of the sons -and daughters of wealthy silk merchants from Yokohama. These, quite -evidently, formed a set aside, remote from the gay throng about them. - -He had indicated a girl who had passed them in the dance, rather -full-figured, Eurasian apparently, with large, languid eyes, who moved -with a slow swaying grace before them. It was the sense of dreamlike -voluptuousness that had attracted him. - -"Eurasian. I hear she is a moving-picture actress," answered Kikuchi. -"It is democratic, you see. There are all kinds here, girls of gentle -birth and geishas, stenographers and actresses. It is queer to have -that kind of thing here in Japan, don't you think? Our girls couldn't -come into such mixed company abroad, you know. But we must dance, and -there are only these places, this and a few smaller ones in Tokyo; and -the management is strict; in fact, I believe they pretend to keep out -the geisha element, though I'm sure they wink at their coming so long -as they behave themselves. It is really entirely respectable, and our -girls are quite all right here so long as we keep to ourselves." - -Kent took the hint. He would have liked to have mingled at close range -with the others, to venture into the tangle of dazzling, mysterious -femininity where your partner of chance might turn out to be a -demoiselle of ancient samurai lineage or a motion-picture queen, a -stenographer or a geisha. Still, he enjoyed his growing intimacy with -the girls in his own party. The fact that they were confined mainly to -their own circle brought them together, made it necessary to dance more -often with his companions than would otherwise have been the case. He -found special pleasure in Kimiko-san. It was his first experience in -dancing with a girl in kimono. He enjoyed the strange sense of grasping -about the thick, stiff obi; it was something new. He was surprised at -her agile vivacity. The orchestra was playing an amazing adaptation -of "Zigeunerweisen," stolen almost bodily by the enterprising -pseudo-composer, retaining the gipsy fire and sparkle of the original, -and she seemed to radiate the electric tingle, the flushing abandon -thereof, confusing with the sense of odd contrast of hot, pulsing -passion contained within the feudal conventionality of her gorgeous -costume. - -They sat out the next dance. They were alone at their table. "Do you -like to dance with me? Can I dance?" Her eyes flashed at him. - -"It is marvelous. It seems so impossible that you can be so wonderful. -And in _zori_; how do you do it?" - -She laughed, delighted, looked about. Then she slipped from her small -foot, clad in _tabi_, the mitten-like white silk covering which takes -the place of a stocking, a _zori_, sandal-like flat footgear, held in -place by cross bands. She passed it to him in the shadow of the table. -"See, it is slit. We have them made especially for dancing." - -It seemed almost impossible that this might be such a prosaic thing as -a shoe, this dainty, small object in his hand, surfaced with figured -crimson and gold brocade, like a precious work of art, with its red -silk cross bands. - -"It simply adds to the illusion," he told her. "Out of the mysterious -Orient has come to me a gorgeous Cinderella slipper." - -"Who is Cinderella?" - -He explained, tritely and mechanically at first, restrained by the -oddness of bringing forth such a puerility. But she was interested, -leaned towards him intently. He warmed to the telling. How was it -possible that she might be so interested in such a simple thing? A -moment ago she had been a woman, palpitating, warm, in his arms. Now -she was a child, listening with eager wonder to a fairy tale. What was -she; what were they, anyway, these girls,--children or women, or both? -He enjoyed her intentness; tried to apply in the telling all the skill -and artistry that he could contrive. - -"Oh, what a lovely story! I didn't know you could tell stories. You -must tell me many more. I love it." She was radiantly delighted. It -pleased him immeasurably. It would be a novel thing, a new experience -in life, to recall to memory the half-forgotten childhood tales and to -dress them up for her, in terms suitable to fanciful Oriental setting, -enjoying the tremulous reactions which he might thus cause in this -beautiful creature with the clear, innocent mind of a child, clothed in -the budding curves of the body of a woman. - -They were silent for a moment, then she placed her hand on his arm. -"But you still have my _zori_." - -He had forgotten it. It lay in his hand, absurdly small and elegant. -"If it were not really necessary for you to have it, I should like to -keep it, as a souvenir, a reward for my story." - -"But I can't give it to you now, you know," she was smiling, with -just a shade of seriousness. "But you shall have your reward, if you -really want such a trifling thing as this, for I wish to have many more -stories from you. You must see me often and tell me many just like -Cinderella." - -After that telling stories to Kimiko-san became a regular part of -their evenings at Tsurumi. They came often, and he fell into the habit -of thinking up his tales in advance, finding his themes among the -rich treasures of the West, from mythology and history, folk tale and -medieval romance, even from the Old Testament. It amused him to take -the essential dramatic values, coloring the action so as to render it -understandable to the Japanese mind, dressing the material in Oriental -form. Samson became a valiant samurai and Delilah a perfidious geisha. -Hercules performed his prodigies in the atmosphere of the legendary -_Momotaro_. He became interested as the thought began to take definite -form that here was an idea that he might some day work out into more -concrete shape, and in the meantime he enjoyed the breathless interest, -the childishly intent response which he always awakened in the girl. - -It brought them closer together. Their intimacy became recognized -gradually by tacit understanding in their little group. He became her -acknowledged cavalier. He wondered at times why this girl had become so -much more attractive to him than the elder sister. He was still fond -of Tsuyuko-san, but the feeling remained the same, neither increasing -nor decreasing, while he sensed that Kimiko-san and he were coming -constantly nearer to each other, more intimately parts of each other's -thoughts. Could it be that what attracted was in its intrinsic essence -the glamor of the East, the charm of the seductive, unknown Orient? -The question would come to his mind--were they drifting towards a more -definite relation; might not the love element already be germinating, -unconsciously developing? He recalled the words of Miss Elliott that -these girls were not children, that they were moved and driven by the -same passions as those which dominate the more sophisticated women of -the West. But he put the thought from him. His moral code was a simple -and rigid one. He was married, and he must keep the faith. Even though -marriage had been a failure, as long as the bond existed he would play -the game. He, at least, would keep his record clean, and while the -relation remained there would be no dalliance for him with other women. -So in the case of Kimiko-san, as with other women, there could be no -question of love relations. There were times when a lingering of her -hand, a sidelong glance from dark almond eyes would cause a nervous -titillation of agreeable unrest, would quicken his blood, give a -flashing hint of something pleasantly, subtly dangerous, but sweet; but -it was so evanescent, so intangible. The next moment she would be the -gay, virginal child. - -He felt that it was rather stupid, an absurd exaggeration of caution; -still he had made opportunity to tell her of his wife, in California; -but she had not been interested. "Oh, she is far away," had been her -only comment, carelessly laughing, with no accentuation of meaning; -and she had turned instantly to light chatter of the moment. Quite -apparently it meant nothing to her. So the play kept on. He allowed -himself to take pleasure from her radiant presence, her beauty, to -rest his eye on her flower-like features, dark eyes, to enjoy the -slenderness of her fingers, sense the palpitating magnetism of her -lithe body and inhale the perfume of her hair, as he held her, swaying, -in the rhythm of the dance. He felt pleasure in the thought that he -might enjoy all this rich beauty, as one might that of a flower, a -butterfly, unvitiated by sordid taint of sex interest. - -But his delight in the charm of Kimiko-san did not dull his interest -in the others, the great throng of women, shimmering about him in -their glimmering silks, unknown, mysterious to him. They piqued his -curiosity. He wanted to know who they were, what they were, what were -their lives, their thoughts, to come to know them as intimately as did -these care-free youths who held them in the dance, chattered gayly -with them at the tables. He felt as if he were being withheld from the -familiarity of the charmed circle, resented a little the restraint -which he was under when he was with Kimiko-san and her sister. Finally -he decided that he would come alone. Lüttich seemed to be there -always. Through him he would contrive himself to become a part of this -marvelously fascinating butterfly whirl of strangely unknown femininity. - -So he came alone, one afternoon, and sought out Lüttich. - -"I shall be glad to show you about," said the Russian, "but the fact is -that I have little time. I am busy. You see, I am here professionally. -For the moment, at least, dancing has taken the upper hand over music -with young Japan, so I have become a dancing teacher. I have more -than I can do. I dance from morning till night, giving lessons. It is -not bad. They learn more easily than you would think. Then, when they -become a bit proficient, I take them out here; but I must dance with -them myself, at first, to give them confidence. A lot of these girls, -and men, too, for that matter, are my pupils. So you see I am busy as a -matter of duty. _N'importe._ It pays, and one must live. - -"However, let us sit down for a moment. Have a drink." He called a -boy. "You want to know who they are. Well, they are a mixed crowd. -All kinds; that's part of the charm, is it not? See that pretty young -woman over there, just passing the pillar. She is the wife of the -Buddhist priest of the big temple on the other side of the hill. -The young fellow with her is an American boy in some company in -Yokohama. Priestess and office clerk. Odd, isn't it? Bizarre. Still, I -daresay mighty few of them realize it, or give it a thought. See that -cadaverous Eurasian with his Japanese wife? They are pupils of mine. -They dance well, don't they? Well, two years ago they had never danced -a step. Now that is all they do; it is their whole life interest, a new -step, the latest fox-trot. You can still see when she walks that she -has not gotten over the duck-walk that they get from Japanese _geta_; -but you don't see it when she dances. These two have reduced life to -terms of fox-trot. That has become their sole standard of measurement; -they regard people as good or bad, according to how well they dance." - -It was interesting. "Tell me about more of them," said Kent. "I have an -absolutely insatiable curiosity." - -"I'll do what I can, when I get the chance, but, as I told you----" He -caught by the arm a young chap who was passing. "Here, Dick, I want you -to look after my friend, Kent. He wants to know some of the girls. Show -him about." He turned to Kent. "Dick here can do the honors better than -I can. He knows nearly all of them. Duty calls, I am off. Be good." - -Dick grinned pleasantly. Kent had noticed him often, a slim, vivacious -man of about thirty, always laughing behind his small mustache, -radiating effervescent vitality, infectiously bubbling over with joy of -life. - -"First of all you must know Madame Hirano," he said. "She's the boss. -It pays to be on the good side of her. She rules with a hand of iron -in a velvet glove, not so much velvet, either, if she should catch -you here with a girl too much on the off side. Then she'd give you -the quick bounce. She's done it often enough. But she's a good fellow -really. Come along over and I'll introduce you." - -They went over to a corner where the tyrant had a place of vantage, -whence she might survey the entire hall. She was an elderly woman, -handsomely dressed. As she sat there, surrounded by a small court of -girls from the neighborhood, attached in an indefinite way to the -establishment, with her sharp, black eyes constantly roving among -the dancers, it was easy to see that here was one of these rather -exceptional Japanese women with will power and executive ability; that -she was, as Dick had said, the "boss." - -She acknowledged the introduction graciously, with the slightest hint -of condescension, consciousness of her power. It was evidently in -Kent's favor that he was a newspaperman. She told him, annoyedly, of -the inimical attitude towards foreign dancing of the Japanese press. -They were so stupid, she complained, so old-fashioned. He began to ask -her questions about the dancers. She looked at him sharply, as if a bit -suspicious. He explained his motive--curiosity--how all these types -which were familiar to her were strange to him. He wanted to become -acquainted with the new woman of Japan. For instance, he should like -to meet some of the motion-picture actresses, a type which seemed so -characteristic of the most modern tendencies of the country. - -Yes, some of them came here, she acknowledged, but she let it go at -that, and gave him no information. He tried to press the subject. A -slight, vivacious girl, in a splendid kimono in the black and white -checkerboard-like pattern which was fashionable that year, fox-trotted -nimbly past them. He had often noticed the passionate pleasure which -she took in the dance, the cat-like grace with which she swung her body -in intoxicated undulations, clinging to her partner, smiling up to him, -teeth flashing in an alluring smile--a Japanese Theda Bara, it seemed -to him. There now, he ventured, was undoubtedly a lady of the screen. - -"But no," she was shocked, with quick intake of breath. "What a -mistake. That is a _go-fujin_, a lady of good, oh, extremely fine -family. Certainly not." - -Kent saw he had made a _faux pas_. He was glad when the cadaverous -dance-mad Eurasian led her off into the dance. - -Dick was laughing. "You certainly got off on the wrong foot, Kent. I'd -better do the honors. I know most of them. I ought to. I have lived -here all my life. So, fire away." - -It was fascinatingly interesting. He was a complete "Who's Who," able -to sketch in a few sentences the entire curriculum _vitæ_ of most of -the dancers, _go-fujin_, actresses, stenographers, married women, rich -men's daughters, geisha, girl students, who they were, whence they -came, approachable or otherwise. Before them, past them, moved the -dancing couples, unconscious of the fact that their lives were being -laid bare, their characters stripped, good-naturedly, laughingly, but -with a sure, quick touch. - -"That girl in pink foreign dress, with pink slippers, that's one of the -Thompson girls, Eurasians; father is in silk. They live in Honmoku. -There are three of them, but one's married. That one, in red, the one -with the pink beads, that's a stenographer with the Standard Oil in -Yokohama. Now, that one, with the big, gold obi, I am not quite sure, -but I think she is geisha. They say she's from Shimbashi. It is odd, -you know, most of the fuss in the Japanese papers has been stirred -up by the geisha guilds. They are afraid that if the men get used to -foreign dancing, it will raise the devil with the geisha business, that -they will come to these dances instead of spending fifty or a hundred -yen an evening on geisha. And still the geisha themselves can't keep -away from the dance places. The lure has got them, too." - -He went on. One after one these elusive, dazzling women, who had so -baffled Kent's ventures at guessing, were singled out for brief, -concise description, as if they were picked out individually, suddenly, -by a searchlight, moving hither and yon in the throng, illuminating -each one in intense glare for a moment, then allowing her to slip back -into the background of the crowd, as the beam shifted to, rested on, -stripped the mystery from another kimono-clad enigma; then moved on to -still another. - -"Now, there are the Kincaids," he went on. Kent had been curious to -know who they were, a middle-aged, quiet American, and a young woman, -whose kimono, with its marvelously delicate texture, glorious though -subdued luxuriance, was noticeable even in that dazzling kaleidoscope -of rich Oriental stuffs. He had taken the man to be some wealthy -foreigner, "import and export" man probably, who took pleasure in -showering his wealth on this slight, fairy-like beauty, to indulge his -fancy by arraying her in constantly changing ornate frames for her -enchanting loveliness. - -"Kincaid is a teacher in one of the most exclusive girls' schools in -Tokyo," Dick was going on. "She was a pupil there, comes from an old -samurai family, blood blue as indigo, but family estates, riches, -glory, the whole business gone, all but pride, tenacious grasp on -the old traditions. She's a beauty, isn't she? Exquisite. Kincaid -was smitten. How he ever managed to see her alone is a mystery. It -was romance. Imagine yourself, in this day of wireless and gasoline, -conducting a courtship after the fashion of feudalism, the infinitely -obscure and meaningless _minutiæ_ of the days of the Shogunate. It -can't have been anything else. The family must have insisted on it. -Kincaid is a deep Oriental scholar. He could do it if any one could. -He may even have enjoyed it, taken it as a sort of top examination, a -supreme test, if he thought of it in that light. I don't know. Nobody -knows just what he went through. But he had the devil's own time. -Luckily, he had influential Japanese friends, blue-blooded, too, but -modern, and they helped him out. And then the girl was infatuated with -him, crazy after him. You know they get all kinds of new ideas, these -girls, Socialism, free love, careers of their own, art, literature, -foreign husbands, it may be one fad or another, anything. Hers -evidently was a foreign husband, or, at least, Kincaid. So at last the -family gave in; but that was only half the game. Then came the wedding. -It had to be Japanese style, most formal ritual, _san san kudo_, three -times three cups of sake drunk by bride and groom and all that. That -didn't bother Kincaid. Probably he liked it. But the expense! You know -these high-class Japanese weddings sometimes run up to hundreds of -thousands of yen. There are all kinds of expensive gowns for the bride, -kimonos, obi, ornaments, God knows what. Then the banquet, hordes of -guests, at fifteen, twenty, thirty yen a plate, something like that. -And then, finally, the presents. You know in Japan the wedded folk -must give return presents, usually about twice the value of those they -get. You get married. I give you something utterly useless, a vase, a -_kakemono_, and then you must come back with something quite as useless -but worth twice the price. They say it cost Kincaid thirty thousand -yen, which wasn't so bad under the circumstances. He spent every yen -he had. That was over two years ago, and they are still saving, paying -off their wedding debts, living in a couple of rooms. She does most -of the housework, but they are both happy. You can see it. He gets -his pleasure taking her here and there, his prize, in her wonderful -kimonos, the trousseau, intensely proud of her; and she adores him. -Look at her. Her eyes are always on him. She has realized her dream; he -has his. No room for regret, no thought of it. Romance, the new, modern -West and the age-old East, they have become one. So it works sometimes." - -The orchestra blared into a new dance. Dick went off for a partner -somewhere in the other end of the hall. Kent leaned back, summarizing, -trying to classify his new knowledge. In a way the glib explanations, -the reduction into terms of commonplace of these people, these women, -dimmed the picture a little, detracted from its attraction of being -unknown; still, he had had but a glimpse behind the veil. What he had -learned would but serve to initiate him further, to penetrate more -deeply, to insinuate himself more intimately into this attractive, -strange world of utterly foreign thoughts, fashions, modes of life. - -Behind him, in the garden outside, staring through the open windows, a -fringe of Japanese, the ordinary folk who found their pleasures in the -slides, and swings and other marvels of the park, were discovering rare -entertainment in watching the dancers, the strange new foreign custom -of women, gentlewomen at that, dancing together with, in the arms of, -men. Abstractedly he listened to their churlish comment. - -"They have the luck, these chaps," a burly fellow of the rickshaw man -type nudged his friend. "For two yen they can put their arms about -these girls, pretty girls, ladies. It's cheaper and better fun than -playing with geisha." - -The voice of a woman cut in; her hair, dressed high, with a great, -heavily oiled knot, proclaimed that she was married. "I don't like it. -It's dirty." - -A girl sitting next to Kent laughed. She had noticed that he had caught -the remark. "Funny, isn't it?" she remarked to him. He aroused himself -from his thoughts. He had not noticed her. It was the priestess. She -chatted on. He had not been introduced, but, would she dance? Why, -certainly; he was a friend of Dick's. So he found himself in the -midst of the whirl, enjoying the thought that he, himself, had now -become part of this bewildering inconsistency, fox-trotting with a -Buddhist priestess, absurd, amusing, but delectable. She danced with -full-bodied enjoyment, chatting vivaciously, with a nimble, flash-like -wit. When they had returned to their seats, he led her to tell him -about the others. She knew them well, as did Dick, but he enjoyed her -characterizations, the Japanese point of view. - -The full-figured Eurasian girl, whose dreamy voluptuosity had attracted -his attention the first night, when he had been with the Suzuki -girls, passed in the dance, nodded over her partner's shoulder to the -priestess. - -"Do you know that girl? I hear she is a motion-picture actress?" - -"_Naruhodo_," she was noncommittal. "Yes, I see her often here. I have -spoken to her." - -"Then introduce me, please. I know so few people here." - -She hesitated for a moment, overcame her doubts. "All right, come." - -The dance had finished. The girl was sitting at one of the large -tables, with two or three other girls and some young foreigners. He -hesitated in his turn. It was a bit awkward. Still, the die had been -cast. He must see it through. The priestess laid her hand on his -sleeve. "This is Mr. Kent. He wants to meet you." - -The girl nodded to him slightly, looking at him, her big eyes wide in -surprise. The others at the table stared. Utter silence. He wished he -were a hundred miles away. But he was in for it. "Please, Miss ----" -Hang it, the priestess had not even given her name. He slid over it. "I -am quite strange here. I wonder if you would be kind enough to give me -a dance?" - -"I am sorry. My dances are all taken." The others still stared. He -bowed. The priestess was already in retreat. He trailed after her, to -the corner of the lady tyrant. Damn it. He bit his lip in resentment. -Who was she, this Eurasian, to hold herself too high, too precious, -as if he were not good enough for her? Still, of course, the girl was -right. What a fool he was immediately to think of race, when he had -always insisted, did, in fact, maintain that he had no race prejudice. -Good for her, whoever she might be. But he had been an ass. He had made -a bad beginning. - -Dick appeared. Kent told him. He laughed. "By Jove, but that's funny. -You do need a guardian. The moment I leave you, you start adventuring -on your own. That's a very respectable girl, a stenographer in Tokyo, -nice parents, you know. She's no motion-picture lady. You can't do like -that. If you are so anxious to meet the motion-picture folk, why didn't -you tell me. The fact is that there are a couple right here. I had sort -of a halfway date with them. Come on. We'll take them to dinner down in -one of the tea houses below in the park. You eat Japanese chow, don't -you?" - -The two girls were at a table at the farther end of the hall. He had -noticed them often. One of them, the elder, he had guessed to be -professional of some sort, theatrical, because of her kimono, a bit -too bright, and especially her unusual coiffure, after some eccentric -foreign fashion, in a mode which he had never seen, a sort of high, -long cone, reminiscent of an Assyrian helmet, which showed to advantage -her luxuriant hair, black with a faint tinge of chestnut, effective, -but odd. The other was one of the girls who had eluded classification. -She had puzzled him, with her large, voluptuous mouth, slow smile -showing teeth which might really be described as pearly, but with her -quiet manner, almost diffident, giving the lie to those sensuous lips. - -"O-Tsuru-san. Kin-chan." There was no trouble over these introductions. -The girls laughed, made room at the table. "No," said Dick. "It's time -to eat. Let us go below." - -The tea house was typically Japanese. They slipped off their shoes -and squatted down at a low table, on _zabuton_. The girls were at -ease, friendly. He felt as if he had known them for years. Kin-Chan, -the elder, evidently lived for excitement. She drank continuously. -"Dick-san," she complained, "we should have had a koku-tail before we -came down here, but, never mind, we'll have some by-and-by." - -She chattered incessantly, flitting from subject to subject, light -gossip of Tokyo, dancing, acting, kimono styles, fashions in rings--she -let it be known that she was fond of rubies set in platinum--places -to go to, hot spring resorts, how she liked foreigners, the wiles of -geisha. It amused him to listen to her. As they went back to the dance -hall, up the hill, she leaned on his arm confidentially. The perfume -from her hair came to him pleasantly. He inhaled it, enjoying it, and -her warm, close presence, the bewildering chatter affording flash-like -glimpses of the mind of an engaging phase of modern feminine japan. - -As they danced, she chattered on, touched on this subject and that, -one thought crowding away the other before it had been more than half -expressed, giving him a sense as were he surrounded, enveloped, in -an aura of bright, strange, girlish musings, a glimmering of myriad -fragmentary ideas, oddly, entrancingly interesting. He was beginning to -learn what lay inside these budding breasts under the tensely tightened -kimono silks--at last. - -The other girl said little, smiled, with glimmer of white teeth behind -her full, soft lips, but she seemed to absorb her pleasure by feeling -it, through the senses, silently. Little by little he tried to induce -her to tell about herself. Was she, too, a motion-picture actress? Oh, -no! She went to higher school. She lived with her parents. - -He mentioned it to Dick, in English. It was delightfully safe, even -right in front of the girls. - -"She's a liar," said Dick bluntly. "She's an actorine of some sort at -the Imperial. Probably a minor one. I don't know. But in a way she's my -girl, for the present. She probably wants to throw you off, to hold you -off. They have more guile than you think, these girls, behind all their -childishness." - -So Kin-chan, Little-Gold, fell to Kent, and he saw the girls home, to -Tokyo, as Dick lived in Yokohama. He enjoyed Kin-chan, arranged with -her to come to Tsurumi again. After that, when the Suzukis could not -come, she was often his companion. - -He found constant pleasure in studying her thoughts, in seeing Japan, -Japanese life, through Japanese eyes; learned that in her he might -experience a frankness which could never be obtained from the men. -It was evident that she liked him. At times she even quite openly -encouraged him, as if she were impatient with his slowness in response. -As they became more intimate, she told, without reserve, of her life. -Impatience at the drudgery and bonds of a lower middle-class family. -Then she had begun to go to foreign motion-picture shows. At first it -had been the pictures of foreign children which had taken her fancy. -_Kawaii_; they were so dear! So she had run away, to Yokohama, where -there were many foreigners. She had wanted to take care of children. -Then, after a while, she had become an actress. - -Gradually, as their friendship became older, she gave more detail. -He was amazed at the frankness with which she displayed to him her -intimate life. At last, one evening when they were alone in a discreet -little tea house in Tokyo to which she had taken him--she had become -his wondrously efficient guide into the innermost mazes of the great -rambling metropolis--she threw an arm about his neck, as they were -sitting at a window, looking out over the roofs and told him about -herself. - -It was a girl friend who had persuaded her to come to Yokohama, and she -had taken her to a house, a bad house, where foreigners came. She had -been frightened, she had cried. She had wanted to return home; but she -was afraid of the parents. And it had been a nice class of foreigners -who had come there. They had treated her courteously, been kind to her, -kinder than the Japanese men had been at home. So--_shikataganai_, it -couldn't be helped. But she had hated it. She had stayed only a few -months. She had learned to be independent. And then luck had come her -way. One of the foreigners, who was in Japan selling American films, -had obtained employment for her with a Japanese company which made -pictures. Oh, that wasn't the end; she smiled bitterly. The Japanese -men were just like the rest, one must let them have their way if one -would succeed. "But now I have succeeded, and I can be independent of -them. And I am. There are only half a dozen real Japanese stars, and -I am one of them. Pictures of me go abroad. I get two hundred yen a -month." - -It surprised him, the wage, so infinitesimally small as compared with -the fortunes harvested by the Pickfords, the Chaplins, in the United -States. Why? - -"Oh, it is these Japanese men. They never want to give us women a -chance. They won't advertise our names. They won't feature us, as -they do in America. They are afraid that then we should get popular -and ask for more money." But she was impatient at the interruption. -This phase of the matter was not what she wanted to dwell on. "I don't -like Japanese men. They don't treat us nicely, courteously, as do you -foreigners. If they do, it is only in the beginning. In the end, very -soon, they are all the same. I like foreigners. I am not a bad girl any -more. I never wanted to be. But, sometimes I feel that I should like a -sweetheart, a foreign sweetheart, who would love me, as foreigners do, -and be good to me----" The clasp of the arm about his neck tightened. -The fragrance from her hair, the subtle, evanescent perfume which he -delighted in, which had become to him characteristic of her, became -overpoweringly sweet. She would be his. She was his now, if he cared -to take her. They were tempting, these Japanese girls, with their -quaint, childlike ways, unsophisticated, even though this one had -passed through the mud. The charm of the Japanese women! Kimiko-san -flashed into his mind. It was difficult to hold out against their -seductiveness. Still, he had made up his mind to play the game with his -wife. And yet? He felt that he was hovering. How deliciously soft she -was as she clung to him, closer. - -The sliding door behind them clattered. A maid came in. The tenseness -dissipated. It was like a shock in its suddenness. Trite common sense -came back to him, over him, like a shower of cold water, irritating, -but dominatingly. By Cæsar, it had been a close call. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -The return to Tokyo of Sylvia Elliott at this very time seemed an -especially kind dispensation of Providence. Kent had seen practically -nothing of her since his arrival in Japan. In his eagerness to immerse -himself in the Japanese life, to steep himself therein, he had felt -as if he had no time for intermingling with the foreign element, had -almost resented its intrusion where he had not been able to avoid -it. The whites, Americans, British, French and the rest were, after -all, commonplace, incapable of affording the stimulus of the new, the -attraction of the unknown, the piquancy of the constant zest to peek -and penetrate beyond the mysteries behind the _shoji_. He had known -people like that all his life; now, in Japan, he wanted to be with the -Japanese; in that way only was it possible to attain to the full the -charm of living in a foreign country, strange, picturesque, exotic, to -taste with the critical appreciation with which a connoisseur sips a -rare vintage, in slow sips, the impressions and sensations derivable -from the colorful life stirring all about him. - -And then she had been in the country most of the time, on sketching -tours in the mountain regions about Nikko, Chuzenji, Ikao. He had -noted with half-attentive curiosity that in spite of his instinctive -avoidance of the foreign element he was pleased to see her again, that -she formed an exception. As he came to see her more often, he was -surprised, delighted, that instead of intruding as a discordant note -in the symphony of life which he was trying to compose by blending -his life in tune to his surroundings, she fitted herself into it, even -enhanced his pleasure therein. She had the capacity for enjoyment, the -appreciative understanding of the essential soul of Japan, which is so -rare with foreign women, who, though their eye for beauty admits and -even admires the charm of carved temple gate, or picturesquely gnarled -pine projecting from rocky crag, stop short with the externals, refuse -to extend sympathetic understanding to the people themselves, the -Japanese, blinded by the instinctive resentment of the white woman at -the competitive charm of womankind of another race. She had none of -that. As he did, so she chose to overlook the blots that they might not -disturb her enjoyment of the colors. Possibly it was that the artist in -her was stronger than the woman. He concluded that it must be so--but -what was the difference! He found that when he was with her, delight in -the discovery of beauty, of landscape, a bit of garden, the harmonious -blending of color in a woman's dress, or even a beautiful face, became -heightened, keener, as if concentrated, more clearly defined, through -the doubled capacity for appreciation of two minds which functioned -harmoniously as one. - -For a while they saw much of each other, were constantly together on -expeditions into the surrounding country, or, oftener, on haphazard -rambles through remote quarters of the great, labyrinthic capital, -voyages of discovery in unknown streets where every turn of the road -might lead to new adventure, or bizarre incident which might be added -to the treasures in their common storehouse of memories. They delighted -to lose themselves entirely in some section unfrequented by foreigners, -where one might wander about through the whole day without seeing a -white face, and then to exercise their ingenuity in finding their way -precariously through the maze to some guiding landmark. - -"My God, if my wife had only been like that," or rather, he hastened -to amend the thought, if only Isabel had been with him and he might -have taught her, guided her to become like this. But instantly his -intelligence interrupted disturbingly; Isabel couldn't. She would be -like the majority of the women, instinctively antagonistic, magnifying -the stupidity of a cook, the petty rascality of a peddler to the point -where they warped her entire view of all Japan. It persisted as a voice -clamoring at him, and he forced himself to try to think otherwise, as -if he might, by forced violence of the voice of his will, over-shout, -drown utterly the insistent sardonic irony of his intelligence. - -So he came to compel himself to resist the thought, to think of other -matters, politics, money, even to work out in his head mathematical -problems. But it was difficult at times. After a day with Sylvia, -permeated with her presence, returning through winding lanes, past -bamboo fences, when the thrill of cicadas mingled with the whimper -of unseen samisen, and the moonlight transformed the world into a -glamorous black-and-white tracery of silhouetted branches, sharply -drawn roof-tree contours standing out against a translucent sky, his -entire being would be singing within him, and he would step lightly, -head thrown back, whistling, enamored with the world, with life. - -And then like a pang, sharply, suddenly, like a stitch in the side, -would snap into his brain the inspiration of the devil: "Why all this -gayety?" It was as if the damnable thought took shape, personified -itself into a hideous, leering, grinning imp, with an insidious -wink. "You fool, of course, you are in----" But he was used to it, -was on guard, too quick for the imp; would fling him a mental kick, -indignantly, "Shut up, of course, I am not, you beast." But again, "It -is no use. You can't deceive me. You can't even deceive yourself. You -know damned well that you are in----" Would come again violation of his -thoughts to calculation of algebra, enumeration of bills due at the end -of the month, any beastly thing. He had even tried to think tenderly -of Isabel, to recall the high lights of courtship, red-letter days of -early marriage, to try to conjure a reluctant hope, to compel himself -to wish that she might come back to him, make another attempt to blow -into flame the ashes of dead love. - -For, of course, he did not love Sylvia. He snapped his defiance back -into the teeth of the grinning satyr-face popping forth, irritatingly, -from the corners of his mind. He did not love her--with thought of her -came weakness, softness--at least, he could not love her, would not. -It was impossible; not to be thought of. So long as he was married to -Isabel, he would play the game, keep his side of the slate clean, not -place himself in the wrong. Popped into his mind an incident of a few -days before. He had been dancing with Sylvia at a tea dance at the -Imperial Hotel. The orchestra leader, slim, debonair, one of these men -who seem capable of radiating vitality, joy of life, had been singing, -eyes flashing across the length of his fiddle, leaning forward towards -the couples swaying to his rhythm before him, infusing them with his -flame. It had been a trivial thing, one of the myriad of new fox-trots -which spring forth like lush weeds, the words utterly banal. As Hugh -was passing, he had glanced up, his eyes had met those of the happy -fiddler for the flash of a moment, and as he sang the words, the silly, -inane stuff, "When you play the game of love, are you playing fair," -he had laughed to him. It seemed almost as if there had been the -slightest suggestion of a knowing wink, conveying the suggestion that -he, the fiddler, was sharer of a secret between the two, and as if he -had, friendlily insinuating, tilted his head toward Sylvia. Even at the -moment, Kent had been certain that it was all a play of imagination, -a trumpery pleasantry sardonically contrived by his accursed imp -familiar, but the thing had stuck in his mind with absurdly exaggerated -force. - -Confound it! It was exactly the opposite thing. He was playing -fair. There was not even suggestion of a game of love, of love at -all. Platonic love, then? It was almost as if the suggestion had -been shouted at him; he could even perceive the ring of sarcastic -intonation, the incredulous sneer with which the world usually -accompanies the phrase. It made him angry. Why that stupid sneer? -Why, after all, should not platonic love be possible? To swine no, of -course not. But he did not expect to be a swine, was not one, in fact. -If the majority, the ruck of humanity, were too gross to conceive of -the possibility, the worse for them. That was none of his affair. He -could be, he was capable of intimate association with a beautiful woman -unblemished by thought, suggestion, even hint of sex. - -The idea came to please him. It seemed capable of placing at an end the -indefinite suggestiveness of his thoughts, reduced the whole matter -to a concrete basis, the definitiveness of something recognized as -an existing phenomenon. His mind became easier. Might flash before -him a glimpse of what Karsten, for instance, would say should he have -divined his conclusion. He saw in his mind's eye the friendly irony of -his indulgent smile. Karsten was not unimaginative, just the contrary: -still he had dulled fineness of perception by over-indulgence in -affairs of love. History had examples of it, Dante and Beatrice, and -Petrarch and Laura, and---- For the moment he could think of no others. -Instantly the imp. "Damned rare, eh!" He snapped his fingers. What was -the difference; the rarer, the more precious. - -So he drifted on, more happily, more at peace with himself; felt that -he might safely, without feeling of guilt or apprehension, continue in -this delightful relation; need not studiously, conscientiously confine -himself to enjoying only the mind, the sympathy of thought with this -woman, but might allow himself, continently, to find pleasure in the -play of light on her hair, in letting his eye rest with satisfied -appreciation on the curve of her cheek, the contour of her svelte -figure. Life was being good to him. Even if an inspiration of a moment -might pounce upon him when least expected, "What if there had been no -Isabel?" He had gotten himself in hand now; his course was set, he had -but to steer watchfully, carefully, but, after all, safely. - -And then, just as he had contrived to reduce his problem to safe and -definite tangibility, the whole thing dissipated, shattered abruptly -into a baffling void as does a glorious, iridescent bubble shimmering -brilliantly in the sunlight suddenly vanish into utter nothingness -without Visible cause or agency. She became elusive. The accustomed -places saw her no more. On rare occasions he might run across her, but -the circumstances were almost inauspicious,--a meeting on the Ginza, -at the Imperial, always with a background of entirely inconsequential -persons irritatingly intruding their irritating presence. Even when -he might manage to attain an occasional moment alone with her, -nothing was gained. She was not cold, not even formal, but without -appearing to wish to avoid him, she contrived to do so. There were -always reasons, each one manifestly valid, why she could not accept -this or that invitation. There were no more rambles together, no -more dances. He marveled at the skill with which she maintained the -appearance of continuance of the old friendliness and yet erected, -with deft sureness, an invisible barrier. He felt like a fly dashing -itself against a clear pane of glass, hopelessly frustrated by the -unsurmountable opposition of the invisible. What the devil could be -the matter? He racked his brain, trying to seek a cause, to recall -whatever incident, some error of omission or commission, careless or -clumsy phrase, but always with the same result. He could think of -nothing; there was nothing. And she was manifestly not capricious, not -a flirt endeavoring to season more highly a man-woman relationship by -the spurious artifices of coquetry. It was disquieting, irritating, -maddening. What a damnable capacity for torment was possessed by -even the best of women! Was that one of the traits of the eternal -feminine, an unescapable remnant of the Old Eve, just as all men must -have in them some trace of the Old Adam? Probably the phenomenon was -nothing very intricate or perplexing to men who knew women, who had -experience in diagnosing such symptoms. He had never envied Karsten; -had rather been inclined to pity him as one who had dulled his -capacity for enjoyment of the best things in female companionship by -over-indulgence; still, for the purposes of this occasion, at least, he -wished that he possessed his facility with women, whatever advantages -his experience might give him for grappling with such problems. - -Then, Karsten came to his aid unexpectedly. They were smoking after -dinner. Nothing much was being said. Karsten was wandering up and down -the floor, chewing the stem of his pipe. Suddenly he blurted out, -apropos of nothing whatever, pipe-stem waving in the direction of Kent: - -"I say, Kent, mind you, I am not trying to intrude on your affairs, -but, I just wonder, have you ever mentioned to Miss Elliott anything -about your wife, anything about your being married?" - -"What? What's that?" He was gaping at him surprised, fish-like. "I say, -old man, what in the devil are you driving at, anyway?" - -He had been thinking of Sylvia just then, forcing his mind to -travel wearily over the same old ground, trying to discover some -tangible foothold from which to gain his way out from the baffling -intangibility, the vagueness of it all. Karsten's question was right -in line with his thoughts, fitted in as a marvelously apposite thing, -as if he had been trying to work out a fretwork puzzle and Karsten -had, by some surprising intuition, dumped before him one of the pieces -for which he had been looking to effect the solution. He shook himself -together. It seemed as if he must know something, have some idea, -anyway, some kind of factor which might aid in puzzling it all out. - -He repeated, "And what are you driving at, anyway?" Absurdly, he felt -his chest contracting, the pulses in his temples swelling. He had no -business to be so excited. - -"Well, I was wondering. I came across the fag end of a bit of gossip -to-day at the Imperial. Old Mrs. Tinker, the chief lady cat, you know, -called me over to her table, at tea. She doesn't usually so favor me, -you know. She's had enough to say about my foibles, what she could -find out and what she could imagine. But she simply couldn't contain -herself. She had just gotten hold of something that was too good to -keep, that she must get off her chest to some one, any one, I fancy, -and then I was your friend. I must have been just like a find. Maybe -the old lady has some kind of rudimentary, perverted sense of the -dramatic--or she may have hoped to get something more in the way of -detail out of me. Anyway, she was full with it right up to the neck. -She couldn't even show a bit of finesse. She just blurted it at me. She -knew, of course, that you were a great friend of mine, and of Sylvia -Elliott's, and that you were a man of honor, a gentleman. She took -pains to repeat that, several times. But she wondered, she said, 'You -know I'm an old woman,' she said, and God knows, she spoke the truth -for once in her life. She wondered, the dear old soul, whether you had -realized that with a young, innocent girl like Sylvia--And then it came -again, like a refrain; she kept saying it, she must have said it a -dozen times, 'I am an old woman, you know,' but she wondered, the foul -old beast, whether you could really perceive the seriousness of it, -the woeful consequences of toying with the affections of an 'innocent -girl.' You know how such an old woman can say it so it becomes almost -an insult. Good God, even the worst of us have a pride in taking the -innocence of such a girl for granted, but such an old cat can contrive -to use the term with the most insidious innuendo. Why the devil do our -absurd rules of conduct prevent one from kicking an old beast like -that. I felt like doing it more than I've ever done it with respect to -any man. But there I must stand, deferentially, with a teacup waving in -my hand, with a show of courtesy, while she meandered on. You know, it -strikes me that such an absolutely useless old woman, an encumbrance on -earth, with no apparent purpose than that of making it a worse place to -live in for all the rest of us, can, while employing apparently all the -ordinary polite phraseology of courteous intercourse, produce more of -an effect of the most vicious foulness than can the most common harlot -or the roughest obscenity of a salt-water second mate. By the gods, it -seems to me----" - -"Yes, and when you get through cussing old lady Tinker, I'd be -obliged to know what the deuce it was all about." Generally Kent -enjoyed Karsten's vivid circumambience, but now it seemed to him -almost irritatingly studied, as if the other were playing him, like -a fish. "Get on with your tale." He felt that the elusive thing, the -explanation which he had been ransacking heaven and earth for, was at -last within hand's reach. - -"Yes, of course, I beg your pardon. Well, the long and the short of it -was that the old girl had been informed that you had not told--that you -had taken pains not to tell, was the way she put it, with that sickly, -kindly, leering smile which she affects--that you were married. Oh, -yes, she had just heard of it. And I was a friend of yours, and didn't -I think that we older people--the smile again--just like that, she and -I in the same category, hand in hand--I'd given a thousand yen for the -privilege of heaving my tea in her face, hot tea--but would it not be -best if you were spoken to about it, given a hint, though--you could -see the satisfaction she got from spitting forth the full load of venom -she had been gathering from the start--she was happy to know that Miss -Elliott had been informed, fully informed, from a reliable source, most -reliable, in fact, from the very source from which she, herself, had -her information. - -"And then she let me go. It must have seemed a good day's work to her, -letting loose that bit of trouble on the world. I can imagine her -sitting at home now, with her cat, or her parrot or whatever she has -got, and turning that bit of mischief over in her mind, cocking her -head on one side and scheming how she may elaborate on it, add a few -details, artistic touches, and where she may carry her tale to-morrow -where it may have the most effect. And, by the way, I wondered at the -time who her source of information might be, and it struck me--she had -just been sitting with that red-headed Wilson girl from the American -Auto Company, the two of them with their heads together thick as -thieves--I was wondering whether she might not be the serpent. Do you -know her?" - -So that was it. For the moment Kent was confused by a clash of -conglomerate emotions; relief that, petty as the whole thing was, he at -least knew now the exact state of affairs, had gained a foothold whence -he might find his way out of the wilderness of uncertainty--and then, -on the other hand, the abominable, spiteful malignity of that girl, -that Wilson individual. Flashed into his mind the incident at the dance -on board the _Tenyo Maru_, and his intuitive premonition that from -the incidentally aroused enmity of this woman would come eventually a -venomous sting of malice. - -Oh, the damned----cat. He felt that he had never so absolutely -detested, utterly contemned a woman. "Yes, I know her. I chanced--she -was such a wantonly malicious beast--to offend her on the _Tenyo_. -Karsten, for what inscrutable reason does Providence create such women -and allow them to cumber the earth?" - -"And why not?" The other shrugged his shoulders. "The question -arises with all kinds of women. Have you not at times, when you have -fortuitously chanced on some woman, some seductive beauty who by the -mere contact of a moment, glance of an eye, soft murmur of a few words, -smashes down whatever defenses you may have laboriously contrived -against being enveloped in the net of the charm of women--and then, -when quietude of mind, the state of being tranquil, at peace, normal, -is, against your will, in spite of all you may do, abruptly shattered, -and when you feel yourself again racked in the nervous tension of -desire, passion, love, whatever you may call it--have you not then, -Kent, found yourself asking God whatever can be His intention in -letting loose upon earth women like that whose sole purpose seems to -be to steal away from men what little chance they may have of being -at peace? And as it is with that kind, I suppose it is with the -others, the plain women, envious, malicious, mischief-making. What -can be the purpose of their existence, unless it is to counterbalance -those others, to add the other ingredient with which it has pleased -Providence to contrive this madhouse of conflicting elements of -humanity which make up this world." - -But Kent was paying no attention. What the deuce could he do? He felt -that now, when he had through fortuitous good fortune obtained the -solution of the riddle, his problem should have been almost solved; -but, incongruously, he seemed to have made no headway whatever. Now, -what should he do? His brain seemed to be void, to be incapable -of functioning. The feeling that Karsten was watching him, was -expecting him to pursue the subject, to carry on with it, made him -feel uncomfortable, irritated him, as if Karsten had been insistently -curious. - -"I wonder what the Cabinet intends to do about the Russian policy -question." The remark escaped him almost involuntarily. He might as -well, he felt, have suggested a query as to what the weather was likely -to be the day after to-morrow, anything, however irrelevant. The fierce -pudicity which causes a man to shrink from having bared before the -eyes of another man the intimate processes of his affections, made him -wish, desperately, to steer Karsten to some other subject. He repeated -it nervously, and even as he was speaking he felt the futility thereof. -"Now, I wonder what the Cabinet will do?" - -"Yes, what will the Cabinet do?" Karsten was leaning back in his chair, -regarding him ironically. "Oh, hell!" He turned and went over to fill -his pipe. - -And, now he had driven Karsten away from the subject, it came to Kent -that that was just what he did not want to do. His own brain was as -inert as mud. Suddenly he was overcome with need for advice, sympathy, -with the desire to discuss the thing, talk it over, to get a helping -hand to swing his mind over the dead-center where it was now hanging. - -"I wish I knew what to do." He blurted it out. Even that--to get the -thing articulated, to place it in form of words--seemed to make an -advance, to make it more concrete. "Now, what can I do to set myself -right with Sylvia?" - -"You love her?" Rather than a question, it seemed like the seeking of -definite confirmation, for the purpose of establishing a postulate for -further logical treatment of the problem. Of course, that wouldn't do. -The uneasy sense of evasion, of making the very beginning with what--he -could not evade it--was not essentially true, irritated him. He snapped -back, "No, of course, not." The harsh abruptness of his tone grated -in his own ears. That was no way to talk to a man who was, after all, -offering sympathy, a friend. He hastened to smooth it over. - -"I like her. I am extremely fond of her. I think more of her than of -any other woman, except----" He had been about to say "my wife," but -he caught himself, disgusted at the facility with which he had almost -slid into smug hypocrisy. "I am fond of her, I say; I place every -possible value on her friendship, yes, platonic friendship, if you -please." He glared at Karsten, ready for fierce rejoinder, anticipating -ironic drawing of the mouth, incredulous gesture. - -But Karsten let it pass. "And what have you yourself thought of doing?" - -"But, hang it, man, that's just it. What the devil can I do? If she -were a sweetheart of mine, if there had been any sort of a love -relation, or even the possibility of the establishment of one, the -potentiality existing when a man who is free, marriageable, has been -on terms of fairly intimate friendship with a woman, then I might -reasonably go to her and make some kind of explanation. But now, what -can I do? I can't go up to her and say, 'Here, my dear, I am sorry if -I've overlooked telling you that I'm married. I'm sorry if I've caused -you to have futile expectations'--or just go up to her and remark, -quite casually, 'Oh, by the way, you know I have a wife.' I fancy that -if I had the wit, the experience that you have, for instance, I might -manage to contrive some subtle means, something to set this thing -straight, for, honestly--you'll have to take my word for it--what I -have said about the whole thing being just friendship is absolutely and -literally true." - -"Just like with a man?" - -"Yes, just like with a man." - -"Then, that's the answer. Treat the affair just as if she were a man. -If gossip had placed you in a false position with a man, you would go -to him, wouldn't you, and have a straight talk with him? Why can't you -give a woman, a woman whom you think so much of, credit for having -as much broadmindedness, intelligence, as a man? You hint about my -experience with women, about subtleties. Listen, if you will take -advice from the depths of my ignorance, I will tell you one thing--and -it is something that I was stupid enough not to discover for years--the -sort of thing that is so obvious that you pass right over it without -seeing it--which is that with women, at least the right sort of women, -the best course, the only sensible course, is to tell them the truth, -the whole truth and nothing but the truth. To some men, those who think -that in dealing with women one requires some specially intricate means, -that would seem the very culmination of subtlety, but it is, I am -earnestly convinced, the one and only way." - -Yes, it sounded easy. He ruminated, turned the suggestion over and -over. The theory seemed all right, but when he came to translate it -into action, when he came to think of how he would approach her, -how he would open the subject, what he would say, it became utterly -impractical, impossible. - -Karsten read his mind. "Yes, I know that it is easy to give advice -in such matters and quite another thing to carry out the suggestion. -But the only thing for you to do is to keep turning the thing over in -your mind, familiarize yourself with the idea. Then, gradually, as the -strangeness thereof wears away, when it no longer stuns your brain -with the impact of something astounding, precipitate, you will find it -becoming more rational to you. Eventually you may find that working out -the thing becomes fairly natural, even relatively easy. What is there -about it that sticks you, anyway?" - -"Blessed if I know; no one particular point, the whole thing more or -less. I know how I myself have always been able to see just what the -other chap should do, how it has irritated me often to see some fellow -pursue an absolutely foolish course with respect to some woman, doing -exactly what he shouldn't do, purblind to the absolutely obvious. I -have felt like taking him by the shoulder and saying, 'Here, Tom, Dick, -or Bill, or whoever you may be, can't you see, you fool, that what this -particular girl wants is this, that, or the other. It is like watching -a chess game. The onlooker sees the approaching mate much sooner than -the man who is playing the game. And in this kind of a thing another -can't possibly see into, or appreciate just what is going on in the -other chap's mind; estimate the infinitely fine manifestations, the -super-delicate emotional vibrations so imperceptible that the man -himself can only barely feel them without being able to analyze them. -And, for one thing, I think just one of the flaws in your theory is -that the premises are not altogether well taken. You say, 'If the -relation is just like that of man with man, then treat it like that.' -And in a way it is; but then again, in another way it isn't. It can't -be. With a man the idea of sex relation is necessarily absent, but with -a woman, even when neither has it in mind at all, it cannot be avoided -altogether, ignored. Take this case. I'm sure that I never thought of -it. In fact, I'm sure that she never thought of it either. The very -circumstance that quite likely I never did mention my wife, that I've -not the slightest recollection whether I ever did so or not, shows, -doesn't it, that my mind was entirely free from the idea. So, with a -man, there would be no problem at all; but with a woman, with Sylvia, -no matter how delicately I approach the matter, the suggestion must -come into evidence that one fears, one thinks, that she must, to some -extent at least, have had in mind the fact that she is a woman and I -a man. It is virtually as if one said, 'Here, I'm afraid that you may -not be quite clear that this is purely a friendly relation, that sex -doesn't enter into it.' Damn it, I can't express the thought without -getting it into phrases that are blunt, clumsy; but you get the idea, -don't you? I'm hanged if I can see how I could do it without becoming -positively insulting. - -"And then there's another thing, something that really hurts me more -than any other phase of it all, and that is, Why should a girl like -Sylvia, clean, sweet-minded, sensible, be affected by a thing like -that? It is almost as if she, in fact, did suspect me of having really -had in the back of my mind all the time some such insidious intention. -And still, I am absolutely sure that she cannot have. By the gods, -Karsten, the ways of women are something absolutely inscrutable to me." - -"Oh, that's simple enough. It takes no mysterious knowledge of sex to -explain that. Use your common sense, man. I'll admit that that struck -me also, for a moment, and I was a bit disappointed in her; but, if -you reason for a moment, it is plain enough. It's not that, not with -Sylvia. It is nothing to her whether you mentioned your wife or not, -whether you have a wife or not. She's not the kind of a girl who looks -upon every male who is fortuitously thrown in her way as a potential -husband, whose entire scheme of existence is bound up in the idea of -ensnaring a provider. And I'm sure that she cannot believe that you had -any philandering in mind. Trust a woman for that, especially one so -delicately constituted as Sylvia. And even the most stupid ones, any -woman, since it is part of the very essence of being a woman, knows -instinctively, by intuition, when the sex element, however subtly, -is hovering about. No, what has affected Sylvia, the reason why she -keeps you at arm's length, is the manner in which the thing has been -presented to her. Can't you imagine the insidious, slimy suggestiveness -of that Wilson individual, coming to her with her, 'You really ought -to know, my dear'; how noisome the mere idea must have been to her -that any one, the Wilson thing, all the rest of the gossips, were -turning this thing over and over on their salacious tongues, this -innocent, patently clean relation existing between her and you. It must -have been immeasurably offensive to her, intolerable. Put yourself -in her place for a moment. Probably she may have been as reluctant -as you are to give up this pleasant friendship. But what could she -do? Being a woman, hedged in by the myriad conventions which tie up a -woman's freedom of action much more than they do a man's, she'd find -herself in an even more difficult position than that which you are in -and which puzzles you so. No, old man, that's all plain enough; and if -you find that you can't bring yourself to take the bull by the horns -and talk it out with her, why, the only thing you can do is to let the -thing rest for the time being. Neither seek her nor evade her. Don't -increase her difficulties by asking her to go about with you; to a -girl so essentially honest and honorable it must be extremely annoying -to be forced to resort to the small lies, the petty prevarications -of convention, to invent excuses--but don't evade her either. Be as -courteous, friendly and frank as ever, and, above all, be natural. As -time passes the gossips will find other victims and eventually you can, -if you are careful, tactful, drift back into the old relation. Yes, -it's rotten, isn't it, that in this world such damnable machinations as -breaking up a clean, beautiful relation as that between you and Sylvia -can be possible, and that it can be carried out triumphantly, in the -name of purity, of virtue. By the gods, I think at times that if the -prudes were less busy, the world might be a much cleaner place to live -in." - -Karsten was right. Kent felt an intense gratitude to him for having -dispelled thus surely, by the incontrovertible logic of plain sense, -the rankling doubt that had assailed him, strive as he might against -it, about Sylvia. It placed the whole situation in a much better light. -Sylvia was all right. The essence of the relation between them had not -been vitiated. All this was but the disturbing echo of something from -outside, annoying, distressing, but in the end surely ineffectual. So -he would follow Karsten's advice. Everything would come out all right. - - -She had brought to the window the tall bamboo cage, had opened the tiny -gate of intricately interwoven strips. All about her stood trunks and -boxes. From the back came the clatter of the carters carrying stuff out -to the cart. She had waited with this to the very last. Now she stood -back, watching the lark as it hopped about on the bottom of the cage, -eyeing curiously the opened door. She had often been disturbed by the -thought that she should not keep this bird a prisoner; but she had been -assured that it had been born in captivity, that it would prefer the -comfortable life, protected behind the slender bamboo bars. Now, it -seemed as if it really did. It was in no hurry to grasp at freedom. - -The bird hopped up into the opening and sat, cocking its head, as if in -doubt, peering into the world before it. Now, what would it do; would -it really be happier in the protection of confinement, or would it have -the courage to grasp the freedom of unknown distances? - -Unknown distances! She felt that she herself was uneasily uncertain, -tremulous at the idea of setting behind her the small world into which -she had fitted herself so agreeably. She was cowardly, like the bird, -then, not venturesome enough to face the unknown. No, it was not -that. She must be frank with herself; her cowardice lay in not daring -to remain; and, moreover, she was not acting honestly to Kent. The -suggestion of the Wilson creature, the mere effrontery of her making -such an insinuation, had dumbfounded her. Of course, she had known -always--so long as she had known him; on board the _Tenyo_--that he -was married. She could not even remember whether he had told her, had -ever mentioned it, or whether she had come to know from an extraneous -source, ship's gossip. It had been a matter of no moment whatever, -utterly inconsequential. And to him it must have been inconsequential -too; a thing which had no bearing whatever on their relation. The -effrontery of this woman, and of the others, all those who, she -had said, were now whispering among themselves about them. She had -smiled at her assurance that she had known, that it was a matter of -no consequence one way or the other, the incredulous smile, updrawn -brows, that was an insult in itself. And then the hard shamelessness -with which she had tried to pursue the matter, to gain more pabulum -for gossip; endeavoring to establish a pretense of intimacy which -was entirely inexistent, she had hoped, she said, meretriciously -solicitous, that she did not really love him, that this would not -hurt her. Sylvia might have taken her by the hair, dragged her forth, -thrown her out, her fierce desire for primitive methods of combat, to -rend this foully insulting female into tatters, had surprised her. The -intense repression, the nervous bewildered casting about for escape, -had left her trembling, white. - -And when she had finally gotten rid of the woman somehow, and had sat -down to compose herself to think, she had been confused, bewildered, -unable to seize upon some starting point from which to develop a line -of thought. Instinctively she wanted to hide, to shelter herself in -some place where all this foulness could not reach her, to escape. It -had always been her intention to wander on beyond Japan, to grapple -with new landscapes, new colors, feathery palm fronds swaying beneath -the stars, the iridescent brilliance of the tropics. She had already -long overstayed the time she had originally decided to devote to Japan. -She had found so much more material than she had expected, and--yes, -of course, if she were to think this thing out, she must be entirely -honest, probe into herself with the dissecting knife no matter how she -might shrink--yes, the truth was that she had not wished to abandon -her friendship with Kent. Yes, friendship. It had been just that, only -that. That, at least, she might say with absolute truth. True, there -had been moments where the thought had come to her that if he had been -free, their relation might have been enhanced, vivified by the rosy -light of romance. She had even--she was going to have this thing out -with herself, go to the very most intimate essence thereof--yes, there -had been a time when she had wondered what was really the relation -between Kent and his wife; was there not a possibility that freedom -might come to him? But she had put the thought behind her, ashamed, -disgusted with herself that she could thus be tempted to contemplate -gaining a love which was the rightful property of another, insidiously -coveting affection which belonged rightfully to that other woman. So, -even though it was evident that the day might come when the barrier -might be removed, she had refused to consider the possibility, as an -unworthy thought. The line between considering the potentiality and -wishing that it might be brought about was too fine. And now that she -had gotten past all that, and their relation had crystallized safely on -a firmly constructed foundation, she was forced to leave it all. But -was it not cowardly thus to concede victory to the mischief makers, to -desert Kent? Would it not be cleaner, more worthy to remain, stick it -out. She wished she were strong enough to stay, to continue, defiantly, -the relation, safe in her knowledge that not the slightest suspicion of -a thought of sex entered into the minds of Kent and herself. And still, -there was no escape from the certainty that the thought could not be -ignored; the gossips had injected it. She must always wonder whether -Kent had heard what they thought. He must wonder whether she had. They -had soiled their friendship with the foulness of their insinuating -suggestion. No matter how she and Kent might try to erase it from their -minds, some faint trace, some ineradicable smudge must remain. - -The bird was hopping about on the window sill, lifting its wings in -little tentative flaps, restless, fluttering in indecision. She stepped -up to it. Why didn't the silly little thing have the initiative to -make the break into freedom, to grasp the alluring promises of the -new, unknown beyond. She watched it. "Oh, we are poor things, you and -I. But, out you go." With her hand she pushed it gently out. It had to -use its wings to save itself. It fluttered; then it stretched them out, -strongly, boldly, circled slowly, then more surely, gained upwards, -rose higher and higher, disappeared in the blue. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -Divorce! - -Kent read the letter over again, carefully, laboriously, for his -thoughts would not concentrate on the sentences. He had to force -himself to bring his mind on them. The letters from Isabel had shown -indifference, every evidence of having been written as a matter of -duty in their painstaking regularity, one a month; they had been cold -even; but he had never for a moment suspected that she would, suddenly, -without leaving room for discussion, thus make the end bluntly, finally. - -She wrote that the petition had been filed in court. The grounds were -desertion. The summons would probably be in the same mail. Desertion. -It struck him as wantonly malicious treachery. He had been careful -always to send her the regular allowance which they had agreed upon -before he left for Japan, and even more. He could certainly show in -court---- Still, what was the use? He would not contest the case. If -she wanted divorce, well, let her have it. A man was a fool who would -try to hold a woman against her desire. And then, after all, why should -he care? His affection for her had long since dissipated. The adage -that absence makes the heart grow fonder--he had more than halfway -believed that it might work out--but it had not in his case, nor, -evidently, in hers either. He had no cause to object. On the contrary, -she was giving him his freedom. It was the logical thing, after all. - -Now, if that had come a year ago, before Sylvia had left Tokyo? Isabel -must even then have considered divorce. She had probably done so even -before he left America. Why could she not have done it then, when he -and Sylvia---- Would she have married him? Plainly, she had liked him, -but this other? Still, there would have been a chance. And now, now -when opportunity had finally come, it was so absurdly futile. He had no -means of reaching Sylvia. She had disappeared utterly, had gone as if -she had vanished into space. No one appeared to know where she might -be. Evidently she had wished to disassociate herself entirely from -Tokyo, to sever every thread that might connect her with Japan. He had -written a couple of times on chance clews. She had been seen by some -one somewhere along the upper Yangtze. A note in the personal column -of a Hongkong paper showed that she had gone from that place to Macao. -Report had it that she had visited Singapore. He had written each time, -but nothing had ever come of it. So he had given up thought of her, -forced himself to blot that chapter out of his life, to consider it a -definitely closed incident. Now, it was too late. Even if he knew where -to find her, what would she say should he gallop up to her the moment -he was free. One could never know how a woman might take things. And -then she would by this time undoubtedly have found new friends, might -be engaged, married, for all he might know. No, even if he might find -her, should she have been placed out of his reach through some other -man, that, he knew, must hurt him like the devil. It would reopen, -grievously lacerate the old wound which seemed now to have all but -healed. After all, he had come to appreciate, enjoy in recent months -his safety from emotional turmoil. One risked too much, paid too -heavily for the raptures of infatuation. He would remain safe. - -So that phase of the situation was disposed of. He would allow himself -to consider it no more. Now for the other phases. - -He lit his pipe and leaned back to think it over, to reason it out. -Logically he should be pleased; but he could not make himself feel so. -It was an ugly word, "desertion"; smacked of being a scoundrel. Still, -of course, divorces were common things, and every one knew that the -law required, for some obscure reason, that the grounds must always be -clothed in terms implying disgrace of some kind. Well, let it go. - -Still, he was oddly dissatisfied. He tried to analyze his feelings. -Gradually, as he smoked, it came to him that what he resented was the -suddenness of entire change in his status of life, the necessity for -making new adjustments. He would now be alone, under a changed moral -code, a different mode of life. Still, he was being made free. What -he lost was, of course, only obligations. To blazes with the entire -business! - -He crumpled the letter and threw it out of the window impulsively. -He would be rid of the whole thing, like that; would write her to go -ahead. It was the end. Undoubtedly he would soon find himself pleased, -as he should be, that a relation had been severed which there could be -no possible reason to continue. - -"Kent-san." - -It was a woman's voice, low, clear. He looked about, startled out -of his thoughts. There she was, across the alley, in her window, -his geisha neighbor. Through the bamboo bars she was holding out -to him something white. He recognized the crumpled letter. What -a perverse grotesquery of fate that his divorce announcement -should, eccentrically, cause his acquaintance with this woman, this -professional in the arts of affection, whom he had heretofore known -only mutely, through her formal courtesy of a smile when she had -happened to meet his eye from her window. - -"It came right in through the window. It frightened me. It hit me right -on the head." She was laughing, but her eyes asked for explanation. Of -course--one did not throw things through windows, even at geisha. - -"Pardon me. I was angry. It was bad news. My wife in America is seeking -divorce." He caught himself. It was stupid to plump it out to an utter -stranger; but the idea had filled his mind, had dominated him so -entirely that the words had slipped without thinking. - -"_O kinodoku sama_, I am so sorry." The smiling face became a mask of -polite regret. "Do you love her?" - -The amazing frankness of the Orient in intimately personal matters in -contrast to its reticence where the West is frank! - -"No, I don't care a bit." As he spoke he felt with surprised -satisfaction that he really did not care, that his resentment was -fading. Evidently it did him good to get this thing out of his system, -to speak out about it, even to this new-found geisha friend. It was -not so incongruous, after all. Was she not supposed to be an expert in -matters of the heart. - -Her serious expression vanished instantly. She laughed. They did really -laugh like "tinkling silver bells," some of these Japanese girls. "Then -you will find another woman. Ah, but here in Japan, what will you do? -Here we have only the _kitanai_ Japanese girls." - -"_Kitanai_," literally "unclean," used in the sense of "unworthy" as -the Japanese always speaks, perfunctorily, of what is his own. The -unjustness of the phrase bewildered him for the moment, as he thought -for words to express indignant refutation, protest that the Japanese -girl was, of course, the very opposite of "_kitanai_." - -He started to answer. The murmur of a voice came to him from the unseen -background of the girl's room. The face of an old woman appeared behind -her. - -"I was just calling at the shaved-ice man," said the girl, over her -shoulder. "But he didn't hear me. He has gone." Evidently the elder -woman, probably a sort of duenna, had asked her what she was doing. He -admired her instant wit. She smiled at him hurriedly, surreptitiously. -He caught the odd charm of the wink of her long almond eye. Then the -_shoji_ closed. - -Well! A bizarre episode. But a charming one. He was in a happy frame of -mind. It was a good augury. Evidently he was not so badly hurt, when a -pretty face could so easily dispel his resentment. Divorce; it was only -proper that his marriage be ended, an unsatisfactory chapter. Let the -thing take its course. - -He decided to place the letter in a drawer where he kept things -which he wished to remain unseen by the unknown one who periodically -ransacked his desk. He had left it open purposely, and at the top he -had placed a layer of old papers, which must have been seen often by -the intruder, and which could no longer tempt his curiosity. Below the -papers he kept the other things, his wife's letters mainly, and then -Kimiko-san's slippers. He had been surprised to receive them in the -mail, a few days after their first dance in Tsurumi. It had amused him -that she had taken him thus literally. It was dangerous to be jocose -with Japanese girls; they were likely to take things to the letter. But -he had been pleased at the possession, at having this dainty, unique -souvenir of a delightful incident of his life in Japan. - -He was surprised to find that the investigator had evidently been -there. The ruse had not worked. The slippers were not in the position -where he had left them. Still, it made little difference. He would take -them home. The trophy would amuse Jun-san. - -Jun-san was intensely interested, pleaded that he tell her from whom he -had obtained them. He always enjoyed seeing her in her gay moods; she -was generally so serious, almost melancholy. He had planned to bring -about this air of gayety, that he might, as had been the case when he -was chatting with his geisha neighbor, forget unpleasant thoughts. -But it failed. The humor dissipated. The serious thoughts recurred -insistently. He could see that Karsten noticed his preoccupation. The -idea came to him to tell Karsten all about it, talk it out with him. -It would do him good; one always reasoned more clearly when one placed -one's thoughts in words to another; and then Karsten had been known in -San Francisco as a man with unusual experience with women, had had the -reputation of being an expert, in those days, in such matters. - -So after dinner, when they were sitting upstairs, as usual, looking -over the blaze of the geisha quarter below, he told him. "It is not so -much that I care," he concluded. "There was no longer such a thing as -affection--on either side. But I can't help feeling a vague sense of -trouble, of unrest. I am fairly commonplace. I don't give much thought -to self-analysis and that sort of thing. I was married; it was a state -of affairs, a condition. I had become used to it. It governed my -relations to women. I followed the traditional moral code of marriage, -gave no thought to such matters. It was plain sailing; I played the -game with my wife; there could be no other women; it was an easy frame -of mind. And now it seems as if suddenly I am at sea without sailing -orders, as if I were captain of a ship in mid-ocean and suddenly find -that I have no compass course, no destination. And, of course, one -must have one, must decide where one is going. You would say that it -makes no difference, that as I have not seen my wife for a year or -more, the thing is essentially the same. But it isn't. I am bewildered -by a feeling that my status is utterly different, cataclysmically -changed. I am like a life prisoner who has without warning been taken -out of a cell where he has lain for years, passively, without need -of thought of what he should do with life, and who is then suddenly -placed in the midst of the sunlit city. He feels he is free, must do -something, wants to do something, but somehow, oddly, misses the quiet -impassivity, the lack of responsibility of his cell. I know that there -is no reason why I shouldn't live to-morrow as I did yesterday, but the -fact is that for some reason it seems impossible. There is the sense of -an entirely new condition of life which overwhelms me, and I want to, I -feel I must respond to it, in some way, but--I know I talk like a fool. -I am hanged if I can explain coherently--but I wish I knew what I want -to do." - -"I think you are doing the best thing just now," said Karsten. "Talk it -out of your system. After all, it is a thing you will eventually decide -for yourself, gradually. You need be in no hurry. I know just how you -feel. You know I was divorced, too. Only in my case another woman, whom -I cared for, threw me over at the same time. I went through the same -thing. I don't pretend to be able to give advice. In such matters a man -must act on his own. But, since we have come to the intimate things in -our lives, I don't mind telling you how I fared. One may profit from -the foolishness of others." - -He smoked silently for a while, evidently gathering his thoughts. "My -marriage turned out just like yours," he began suddenly. "There was -no reason why it shouldn't have turned out well, only it didn't. -We simply grew tired of each other, for the usual reason, too much -intimate daily contact. When one sees every day, morning after morning, -a woman in a dressing gown, with her hair down, going through the -process of elaborating her attractions, careless of one's presence, -it takes the glamor out of the illusion. A man shaving, seen every -morning, can hardly be an inspiring spectacle. Crudely put, that was -about all there was to it. Came the divorce. It was the only reasonable -thing. I felt that I should be pleased, but, just like you, I felt -bewildered, that I had lost my bearings. - -"I drifted for a while, but I was agitated, nervous, febrile; felt that -I should have done with women, but the very fact that I had my liberty, -that I could do as I pleased, kept running in my mind. It gave me no -rest. I had no moral scruples. You know I am a Dane. The family is one -of these old tradition-ridden clans that you find in Europe. Everything -must be governed by precedent set by people who have been dead for -ages. In my tribe the woman element has always been predominant. When -I was still in school my uncles impressed on me the family code--never -touch a friend's wife or his daughter, and never cause a woman regret. -Simple, isn't it? If such things worked, it would probably be as good, -at least for those whom it fitted, as any other, but such things are -not nostrums. - -"Anyway, I felt then that as long as I lived up to that, I was all -right. Then Sanford, of the _San Francisco Herald_, you know, gave me a -piece of advice. He quoted Lawrence Hope's verse recommending to 'love -only lightly,' to pluck the pleasant, superficial flowers of love and -to avoid the thorns by not allowing yourself to become too devoted to -any one woman. I took the advice too seriously. You remember that -during my last years in San Francisco I was just a roué, a libertine, -a swine. Instead of giving me rest, peace of mind, I became worse off -than ever. Then accident brought me to Japan. It did me good. What had -bothered me was, I discovered, not lust for women, but only desire -for excitement; but, of course, as you know, in our well-ordered -civilization a man can get excitement, change, new impressions and -experiences out of few things, politics, sports, gambling, business -perhaps, but, if he is cursed with an imagination, mainly women. When -I came here, all the new life, the new sights, interested me so much -that after awhile I found myself rational again. I played a bit with -the geisha, down there, but temperately, sensibly. Then, finally, -accident brought me a woman, a Japanese woman, for whom I felt real -affection, whom I really cared for. I found that I wanted no others. I -was absolutely faithful to her, not because I had to be, nor because I -felt that I ought to be, but because I wanted to be. That is where the -relation without benefit of clergy works better than the institution -of marriage. It is more likely to last because of the absence of the -feeling that one must be faithful as a matter of obligation. I had come -to the conclusion that monogamy is the only rational, natural thing, -one man for one woman, one woman for one man. I would like to see some -kind of marriage invented that would work effectively. In my case, I -was happier than I had ever been. I had peace, content, I thought I had -solved my life.--Then my--my best friend seduced the woman." - -As he talked, Karsten had been pacing up and down the narrow veranda -which, now the _shoji_ had been removed on account of the heat, formed -part of the room. Now he stopped and stood staring out over the city, -smoking silently. Suddenly he turned, faced Kent. - -"I am afraid that there has not been as much as I thought in all this -for you to draw a moral from. I'll be more specific. What I was trying -to drive at was this: why don't you, in a tentative way, try the 'love -lightly.' That I made a mess of it, at first, in San Francisco, was my -own fault. One may take an overdose of any remedy. But here in Japan it -is somewhat different. First of all, there is no sense in deliberately -going out stalking such adventure. The kind you find that way, picking -up with the first woman who crosses your path, doesn't pan out. But -keep your mind open, ready to seize upon opportunity--it will come. In -fact, I have rather wondered that you have not come to it, in spite of -your principle, though, by the way, I rather admire the fact that you -have stuck to it. But I have been watching you--one can't help watching -a man whom one likes when living together as we do--and I think that -it is with you as with Kipling's Tomlinson--if you will forgive the -paraphrase--that 'the roots of sin are there.' You take too much -interest in the life, and color, and movement that you see all about -you. The unique charm of these Japanese women has gotten its insidious -white fingers on you. That principle of yours was all that held you -back, wasn't it? Now that's gone--_le deluge_! No, maybe not quite -that, but I expect to see you soon studying Japanese life and character -by the only means through which it can be studied with something -resembling complete understanding--through some woman. As a matter of -fact, there is no reason why you shouldn't, and there is every reason -why you should. It is your business as a newspaperman to get inside -the Japanese mind as intimately as you can. You know that it cannot -be done through the men; the bar of nationality, race, is constantly -between you and perfect frankness. But with women sex is bigger than -race. When a woman cares for you, she looks upon you as a man, not as -an alien. She gives you her heart, her innermost mind, without thought -of nationality. You understand me, don't you. I don't mean that you -should deliberately, cold-bloodedly stalk a woman for the purpose of -dissecting her soul and using the results for calculated, mercenary -purposes, just to reduce them to copy. What I mean is that you are now -free to follow when inclination in the form of a woman beckons you; -only be careful that you go into it only as a game, and let the woman -understand that it is only a game. At least part of the old family -code is good--that to the effect that one must not cause a woman to -suffer. So be careful how you play. You have heard, as I have heard a -thousand times, that these women are cold, passionless. It is a lie. I -know it. Their capacity for affection, devotion, sacrifice, is as great -as that of our women; sometimes I think it is even greater. And their -poor little souls are delicate, sensitive. They are like children, who -brood over and magnify sorrows which we might consider fairly trivial. -And then they have their heads still filled with feudal romance. They -read their paper-covered novels seeking with noble sacrifice for love -and all that, _shinju_, double suicide, you know, where the lovers kill -themselves together. We had a case last year right here in the quarter -below, where a geisha and a student threw themselves into the Kegon -waterfall, at Nikko, which is the most fashionable thing. One reads -of cases where friends who get wind of the intention of the lovers -insist on joining the party, and then there is a triple suicide. They -get their heads filled with this kind of romance, picture themselves -as heroes and heroines in the high lights of melodrama, imagine how -the papers will sound their names from one end of Japan to the other. -It may be a bit hard for the practical American mind to understand, -but the Japanese have an odd, introspective, often a bit hysterical -psychology, something like the Russians, I often think, like characters -out of Dostoievsky. - -"So, to sum it all up, I think it will be a good thing for you to leave -the latchstring of your heart hanging out a bit that some little hand -may take a pull at it by chance. It will be good for your present state -of mind, and it will be good for your work. I am not joking. Not only -will it give you insight into Japanese character such as you may get -in no other way, but, if you are at all like me, you may find in some -girl, if not exactly inspiration, whatever that is, at least some kind -of subtle sympathy that helps and pushes you along. I myself, in my -time, under just such circumstances, did some mighty good work, or came -near accomplishing it, but now, damn it!" - -He snapped his fingers, flung out in impatient gesture. The pause was -so sudden it produced, conflictingly, the effect of an abrupt sound, a -trumpet blare in hushed stillness. Kent looked up. Jun-san had noticed -it, too. Squatting on her silk _zabuton_ in the background, her sewing -had dropped to her lap, and she was looking at Karsten wonderingly, -solicitously. She never spoke in English; it was generally accepted -that she did not understand it, but Kent wondered whether she did -not really understand more than they thought, whether she might not -intuitively, from intonation, gesture, aided by such words as she -must have picked up, gain at least some idea of the drift of their -conversation. - -The silence became uncomfortable, exasperating. "But why don't you take -it up again? You are no man to mope about. You are not doing anything, -just killing time reading magazines and novels. How can that satisfy -you in the long run. Why, then, don't you take some of the advice that -you have just given me?" - -"I can't, or at least I won't, on account of---- That is, the woman -is still here, in Tokyo, and I want to show her. It may seem to you -contradictory, absurd, perverse. It doesn't sound logical, except, -possibly, as a sort of heaping of coals on her head, to show her that -I, at least, am faithful. I never told her what I knew, never blamed -her. I think that in this way she is getting punishment far more subtle -than anything I could inflict by abusing her, or by running after other -women. Something must be going on in her mind. Still, who am I that I -should have a right to punish any woman for turning to another man, -after my sort of life? I only got what I deserved, after all. Anyway, -my position happened to be such that I couldn't speak out, couldn't -jump on the man or the woman. That rather governed my course. For, of -course, one doesn't in that way, in such a case, when one is still -agitated, shattered by anger, jealousy, disappointment, in all that -whirl of emotions, just sit down and deliberately shape out a definite -course of procedure, I shall do this, and I shall do that. No, one -stews about, waits to figure it out, to decide what to do when one -has become calmer, and then, if one has done nothing at the moment of -crisis, at the impulse of sudden discovery, consternation, passion, -then one gradually drifts into accepting the course which things -naturally take, the path of least resistance. Yes, that's undoubtedly -it, the path of least resistance." - -He shook out his pipe into a huge brass bowl which was kept in the -room for that purpose; took out his knife, began with over-careful -deliberation to carve out the lava-like incrustations from the bowl. - -"But the work you were doing?" Kent wanted to bring the conversation -into a smoother channel. He was nervous, uncomfortable, with a sense -of something undefinably grievous, tragic, as if it were, hovering, -indefinitely threatening, closing about them from the darkness outside. - -"The work!" Karsten kept scraping at the pipe bowl, methodically -held it to the light, inspected it. "It took the heart out of me, -this revelation, the sudden shock of it. It had been too perfect, -this working away, always in festival spirits, in the atmosphere of -affection, devotion, love, damn it, to use the banal old word. I -thought I had the rest of my life all well ordered, that peace had -come at last. I am too old to start again, and then, anyway, as I told -you, there were other reasons. So the work--I have never looked at it -since. But," he seemed struck by a sudden thought. "Jun-san," he was -still intent with his pipe and did not look up. "Jun-san. Bring out the -_kodomo_." - -"_Kodomo_," child. The word puzzled Kent. What the devil----? - -He looked past Karsten, as he sat there doggedly scraping at his pipe, -to Jun-san. She had risen from her _zabuton_, was looking at the man -with wonder. It grew into consternation; was it apprehension, fear? But -she had turned and was going to the _todana_, wall closet, was drawing -from it papers, loose and in bundles, reaching into the depth of the -recess, pulling out still more. Then she turned and came towards them, -arms filled, held in front of her. She advanced hesitatingly. By God, -she was trembling; her eyes were misty with tears. Kent jumped up, but -she did not look at him. In front of Karsten she stopped, held her -burden towards him, silent, trembling. He laid away his pipe finally, -looked up at her, stretched out his hands. She moved still nearer, as -if to pass the papers over to him. Then her hands fell away, bundles -dropping, loose papers fluttering to the floor, into the brass bowl. -Karsten had risen, patted the woman on the shoulder tenderly, as one -would a child. It was the first time Kent had seen him caress her. -"Oh, you poor little girl, you poor little girl," the man's voice -was hoarse, broken. "Come, you had better go to your house." She was -weeping openly now, shaking. "Forgive me, Jun-san. Come." - -The sliding door closed behind her. Karsten turned to Kent. "I might -as well tell you now, of course. The woman was Jun-san." He turned -abruptly to the papers, began gathering them. "These are nothing much, -after all, Kent. Only notes of various kinds for a great Japanese drama -that I thought I might construct. The Danes have a proverb that every -sow thinks that her own pigs are the best. Probably I did the same." -He carried the papers to the _todana_, put them out of sight. "We have -had a melodramatic evening, haven't we, Kent-san, with your troubles -and mine. It seems as if women must ever be the cause of our sorrows, -yes, and our joys. _Shikataganai._ It can't be helped. Now let us have -a drink and go to bed." - -They had their drink. Karsten went to the adjoining room where he -slept. Kent started downstairs to his room. At the head of the -stairway he noticed something dark, bulky in the half-light, moving a -little; his ear caught a sharp indrawn breath. It was Jun-san. A wave -of intense pity swept over him. He wanted to say something to her, -to comfort her, but what could he say. Undoubtedly she wished to be -undisturbed by such crude, stupid consolation as he might contrive. -He descended slowly and went to bed. But he could not sleep. He lay -tossing, it seemed for hours. What, after all, did love of women, -relations with women, ever bring but regret; swift, passionate, -heart-swelling joy for the moment, even for days or years, but in the -end weariness, sorrow, pangs of tragedy, irreparable, regretful remorse? - -In the stillness of the night he could hear the shrill twitter of the -cicadas in the garden, and faintly, softly, the sobbing, interminable, -unconsolable, of Jun-san. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -It was a dull season for news. From San Francisco they had cabled -him to "hold down." A nation-wide strike in America and one of these -futile European reparations conferences were filling the papers at -home, leaving scant space for Oriental matters. Anyway, nothing was -happening. His idleness irked him. Everything seemed to have slipped -into a dull, wearisome routine. He rebelled at it--anything for a -bit of excitement of some kind, any kind. The thought came to him, -kept recurring insistently, that now was time to look about a little, -to experiment with Karsten's advice. After all, why not? Was he not -missing something, an interesting and pleasing phase of life in the -Orient, one that they all unanimously described as delectable, from -Pierre Loti on. Even the warning contained in the episode between -Karsten and Jun-san was losing its significance. At home matters had -slipped back into the old, daily routine, as if nothing had happened. -Through the day she was always in the main house, watching with -solicitous care to meet Karsten's wants, retiring only when he had -retired, to her own house, the bower which Karsten had had built for -her when their love was young. As he looked back at it, it seemed to -him that probably the whole thing had been just a little melodramatic; -they had been overwrought, excited. Karsten had always been -super-sensitive, too nervously susceptible to his own emotions; the -dramatic instinct, no doubt. And then Jun-san. Well, they were not all -like her. These international adventures were often, generally indeed, -colored by humor rather than by tragedy. - -He recalled the predicament, a few weeks ago, of Carruthers, who had -amused his group of friends with his agitated alarm at his grotesque -predicament. A geisha had unexpectedly, much to his pleased surprise, -sent a note to him. She had summoned him, and he had answered, quickly -enough, in a spirit of curiosity. Later it had developed that she -thought he looked like Douglas Fairbanks, her favorite motion-picture -hero. Prosaic Carruthers, solemnly horse-faced, the practical machinery -salesman from Pittsburgh--they had all been highly amused at the -absurdity. The later developments had given them still more and even -greater delight. - -Carruthers had taken a house in one of the suburbs in preparation for -the arrival of his wife and drove of children. But he had thought -that he might as well make use of the opportunity, his last fling of -freedom. So he had invited her there, and she had come, and she had -stayed, and when the wife was due in but a few days, she had still -stayed, had refused to leave. Carruthers had been frantic. It had -delighted them. Five days more--and she held the fort. Three days only. -He had rushed from one to the other to help him out, give him advice, -take the girl away, steal her from him, anything. "For God's sake, -fellows, this is no joke. Take her off my hands, somebody." It had -tickled them. "But how, Carruthers? Be sensible. We don't look like -Douglas Fairbanks." It had been entrancingly amusing. Despairingly he -had given the details. "The day after to-morrow, and she won't get out. -I've told her my wife is coming, my _wife_. And she says she loves me. -She don't care. If my wife comes, she will stay as my _mekake_, my -concubine. Imagine me introducing: Mrs. Carruthers, my concubine--just -like that! No, by Cæsar, it's gone beyond a joke. You've got to help -me out." By Jove, it had been a scream, till the very last. But on -the last day of grace they had rid him of the lady. It had not been so -easy, either. It had taken all the powers of the accomplished Nishimura -to move her. He was useful, as he claimed. And Carruthers had had to -pay her geisha license for a month. He looked upon it as a joke now; -rather enjoyed telling the story. And the girl, she had taken no hurt, -either. Nishimura said that she had spread the glad tidings all over -Shimbashi. There was only fun, amusement, in an episode like that, -at least if one were single, and then a little excitement. Life was -becoming unbearably humdrum. - -He was gradually becoming better acquainted with his geisha neighbor. -Toshi-san she said her name was, and he was introduced to the duenna, -her "mother" she called her, and to her maid, and to her doll, -Mitsuko-san. In the morning, at about ten o'clock, when she opened the -_shoji_ to look at the weather, they often chatted. She was a pretty, -vivacious little thing, wholly adorable, and they knew how to look -after themselves, these geisha. So why not? - -Sometimes, in the afternoon, before she began her caterwauling samisen -practice, she would play for him a few phonograph pieces, "Rigoletto," -the Dvorák "Humoresque," the things which it seemed all Tokyo was fond -of. He did not understand much about music, still it seemed to him a -pity if this country, these people, who had until now acquired fair -taste through the fortunate absence of trashy, ephemeral rubbish, -should now fall victims to the various "Blues" and "Bells" of fox-trot -repertoires. - -She evidently enjoyed the music; that was not pose. Her face beamed -when she would announce the acquisition of a new record. "I have got -'Ave Malia.' It goes like that." She tried a high note, amusingly -dissonant, in her typical geisha falsetto. "You should see my -phonograph. It is high, like that," she held her hand to the height of -her bosom. - -It seemed a chance. "All right, let me see it. I'd like to. When?" - -But she was horrified. No, certainly not. Of course, he could not come -to her house. The obstacle made him obstinate. - -"All right, then. I'll go to the waiting-house over there and send for -you. Then you'll have to come, won't you?" - -"Yes, maybe; but if I come I'll bring my Mother." She pointed her -tongue at him, just an infinitesimal tip, pink between white teeth, -laughed, and was gone. - -It seemed absurd. The girl was a geisha; it was her business to -entertain guests, dance and sing for them at least, even if she -apparently must reserve the favors of affection for that police -commissioner, whose presence one sensed, obscure in the background, -through the phonograph, the ever multiplying new records, new jewelry, -all evidently offerings from him. - -"I don't quite get it all. Surely she doesn't drag that stage property -mother of hers about wherever she has guests. Can you explain?" he -asked Karsten. - -"Well, first of all, of course, you can't visit a geisha in her own -house; at least, old man, it is not etiquette, it isn't done. You must -meet them in the waiting-houses. If they didn't the waiting-houses -would lose their commissions and would boycott the geisha. And the -geisha guild would cause trouble. It is with that as with everything -else in Japan, as in business where there must always be a half dozen -middlemen between producer and consumer. Of course, you might take her -on a picnic, if she consents, but I wouldn't, if I were you. Japan -is changing. We are getting away from the days of Loti. Be discreet, -anyway. And then it's expensive. You have to pay a tremendous fee even -for just the pleasure of helping her pick flowers, or sea shells, or -whatever it might be, and she will have you buy a cartload of souvenirs -for herself, and the mother, and the maid, and her friends, and the -cat, for all I know. Anyway, remember the police commissioner. She -would probably not dare." - -So the matter did not progress. They chatted almost every day, across -the alley, but she smiled at his invitations, enjoyed teasing him. It -seemed an impasse. - -He had stayed late at the Foreign Office, one afternoon, talking -with young Kikuchi. They decided to dine together, but Kikuchi had -an engagement and left early. Kent did not feel like going home. A -gorgeously brilliant full moon, supernaturally large, was rising -ponderously over the Shiba park trees. It brought out Tokyo to best -advantage. In the shimmering half-light the crude modernisms, the -telephone poles, wires, irritating newfangled architecture, receded -faded away, and one might let the eye see only typical Japan, the -opaquely lighted _shoji_, curved rooftrees. He had had a few cocktails, -felt titillating with effervescent life, adventurous under the glamor -of the moon, anticipatingly ready and eager for something out of the -ordinary, some adventure. It might lurk anywhere, inside _shoji_, in -dark gateways. He strolled through the geisha quarter, hoping that from -some miniature garden, glimpsed through ornate gate, might stretch -towards him white hands, might come some soft seductive voice. He -knew that it was utterly unlikely, that, did he desire adventure, he -must take the initiative. But he did not wish to do that. It would -spoil just that element of chance, casual hazard of fortune, that was -essential. He felt that somehow it was hovering close at hand, would -come to-night, out of the silver-blue. His vagrant, erratic mood, the -moon, the whispering mystery of coyly self-effacive Tokyo, gave him an -odd feeling as if the entire great city were a slily demure courtesan, -enigmatically but encouragingly smiling upon him. - -But it seemed all to be a great, fantastic mockery. Desire, mood, -setting, romantic, inviting adventure, were all there, but as he -passed along, expectantly turning this corner, then the next, ever -anticipatory, hopeful that now it would come--nothing came. The alleys -were almost deserted. A geisha passed him, tripping along with evident -set destination, followed by her little maid clasping long-necked -silk-wrapped samisen, but she was answering the call of some one else, -some male waiting on the _zabuton_ somewhere. Fate was concerned with -others, was busy elsewhere. His walk became disappointing, tedious. Now -he was near his office. He had run out of tobacco. He went upstairs. -It was the first time he had been there at night. His glance strayed -across to Toshi-san's window. It was dark. Where might she be; -entertaining some one, possibly that damned commissioner. - -The moonlight was glorious. He remembered that Nishimura had said that -the flat roof of the house was a fine place for _tsuki-mi_, viewing the -moon, the favorite Japanese pastime which even the most prosaic seemed -to appreciate. Why not take a look; the night was still young. He -climbed up the narrow ladder-like staircase, pushed a sliding cover and -climbed out on the roof. Loose planks had been placed to form a crude -flooring. He squatted on them, and looked about, over the picturesque -tiled roofs, the small platforms built on them for clothes drying and, -more romantically, _tsuki-mi_. - -On the platform just opposite something moved, took shape of a woman. -He bent forward to see more closely. - -"Good-evening, Kent-san. Do you like the moon view?" - -It was Toshi-san, the adventure at last. He would not let it slip from -him. She was entrancing in the moonlight, ethereal as some fantastic -fairy-land picture. From where he sat the moon was almost directly -behind her. An inspiration came to him and he moved a little, bringing -the great, yellow orb directly in line behind her, so that her head was -silhouetted against it, high helmet-like coiffure standing out black, -sharply contoured, the glowing disk against her profile like a luminous -halo--a preposterous image, a geisha with a halo. Surely this was a -night of witchery! - -The opportunity had come. He jumped to his feet, the loose boards -rattling under him. It gave him an idea; he picked up one of them and -placed it as a bridge over the space between the two platforms. She had -risen also, stood looking over to him, hands grasping the low railing. -What on earth was this mad foreigner about to do now? - -He tested the plank with his foot. "O-Toshi-san. I am coming over to -you." - -"You mustn't. _Abunai._ Take care." But as she spoke she held out her -hands towards him, to assist him, receive him. Romance at last. What -would his prosaic San Francisco friends say, could they see him here, -under the full moon, flitting about among the Tokyo housetops, into -the arms of this flower-like Japanese girl, just a few feet away. He -glanced down into the narrow chasm of the alley below, its darkness -riven here and there by shafts of light from the windows. They would -not know, these people down there, no one would know, of this secret -meeting, his and O-Toshi-san's. This was the thing he had sought, -unpremeditated, a casual stroke of good fortune, with the pleasant -sense of venturing into the unknown. - -It was easy. A step, and he had crossed, felt her arms about him -solicitously, as she anxiously sought to drag him to safety. She -indicated the _zabuton_ on which she had been sitting, pale-green with -a great crimson flower design. "Please, sit down." - -"Oh, no, you must sit there. Ladies first; that's foreign style, you -know." - -She laughed delightedly. "Oh, how funny. I had heard that foreigners -did like that to their women; but it is so queer, to have it happen to -me, to oneself. Still, you must sit there. You are an _o-kyaku-san_, a -guest, you know." - -"_Chigaimasen._ It makes no difference." He forced her gently down -on the cushions. "Anyway, I am not just a _kyaku-san_, just like the -others down there. I have come to you out of the night, dropped from -the moon." - -She laughed again, that same clear silver tone; he sensed a musical -enjoyment from it. "It is just like a cinema picture, isn't it, your -coming to me, like that. I am glad it happened to me; you are so -adventurous, you foreigners, so different. I know how you do, from the -cinema, but I always wanted to know for myself. Yes, I am glad you are -not just a guest." - -"_Naze?_ Why?" - -"_Naze-demo_," the equivalent to the white woman's "because." "I won't -tell you now; maybe some day, by-and-by," she smiled mischievously. -"Now tell me about your women. I see them on the Ginza sometimes, big, -strong, beautiful. Tell me, when you can have them, why do foreigners -sometimes love us little, _kitanai_ Japanese girls?" - -That absurd "_kitanai_" again! It was so inapposite, irritated him. -He hastened to explain, to refute, trying to seek the terms which he -thought might best appeal to this slight, fairy-like dream-picture, -whose mode of thought, fashion of reasoning, was unknown, mysterious, -to him. He felt his way, amused at the intricate, curious task. - -"You know, a mountain is beautiful, but so is a flower. You may find -your pleasure in the great, majestic beauty of Fuji-san, and then, -again," he seized her hand, "you may delight in the flower, in this -little hand, delicate, warm, soft," he smoothed the slender fingers, -"embodying in its delightful smallness the entire sum of infinite -perfection." - -She let her hand lie in his. He drew her closer so her slim body -rested lightly against his, and as he did it he wondered, why she was -so passive, offering no resistance, not even making a show of doing -so? Was it because it was all in her day's work, an easy surrender to -careless handling, or mauling by clumsy, lustful paws of carousing -guests? It took the glamor out of the thing, stripped the situation -instantly of its air of light, ephemeral charm. How far did they go, -these girls; at least, how far did this one go? He would soon find out. -He threw both arms about her and drew her close into his clasp; but -now she resisted, set both hands against his face. He was surprised -at the strength of these slender arms. There could be no doubt of the -genuineness of her resistance. She fought desperately to get away. He -released her. She looked at him gravely, without anger, but just a bit -disdainfully. "But you mustn't do that, behave just like a rough guest. -I thought you were quiet. You must promise not to do that again. The -hand, yes, and, if you promise, I will sit quite near you, yes; but no -more." - -He felt quite ashamed; still his curiosity had the better of him. Was -that the usual procedure, the favors usually granted the guests? He -asked her, bluntly. - -"Oh, no." She placed her hand on his arm, looked up at him seriously, -intently. "The hand, it doesn't matter. But I don't sit like that, so -close, with others. You, you were a friend." - -She seemed so ingenuous, the air of innocence was quaint, irresistible. -He would have sworn that she told the truth--but what about the police -commissioner? He felt that it was churlish, an unworthy thing; still he -could not help asking: "But your police friend?" - -She swept her hand outwards impatiently, as would she waft away -something noxious, unpleasant. "So you've heard. But what of it. -_Shikataganai_, it can't be helped. Why should you care; he has bought -me, he gives me many fine things; but he is only an _o-kyaku-san_, -after all--and you are a friend, so why should you care?" - -She noted the surprise on his face, his amazement at this astonishing -reasoning. "But don't you understand, one doesn't care for the man who -is just a guest; it is a matter of business, but one doesn't love the -_o-kyaku-san_, no matter what he gives, money, presents. The man who -pays nothing, the friend, he's the one--the one whom one cares for. -But, of course, you are a foreigner; you may know the hearts of your -own women, but you don't know the hearts of geisha." - -"No, how can I? Tell me. Teach me. Come over here again. I shall be -very quiet." - -"Then promise." She held her hand out to him, the little finger curved -into a diminutive hook, took his hand and curved his finger in the same -fashion, linked it into her own. "That's the way we promise. Now, don't -forget." - -She gave him her hand naïvely and snuggled close to him. "You have been -very rough, but I know that you don't know about Japanese custom. So -now I shall tell you what to do to make the geisha like you. You know -when you act as you did just now, we don't like you. You must be kind, -gentle. We don't like rough men, or restless ones, and the ones who -laugh loudly at everything, or the ones who are over-sweet on first -acquaintance. And we don't like the ones who brag about themselves and -about their money, or who throw it about to show off, or the ones who -are too dandified, or who chatter too much. But we like the man who is -quiet, not too silent, but who talks pleasantly, and who doesn't boast, -and who doesn't brag about experience with geisha. If you want a geisha -to like you, don't be stingy, but don't spend over-much. Be cheerful -and be kind. That's why I like the foreigners in the cinema. And now I -have taught you a lot, and you are very wise, and," she laughed up into -his face, "next time you meet a geisha you know just how to win her." - -He protested. He would use his knowledge only to win her; but she shook -her head. No, it was impossible. And now it was late. She must go. She -rose, bowed ceremoniously. He grasped her hand. Just a moment; would -she not meet him again? She could not tell; yes, she often came up here -for _tsuki-mi_. She bowed again and disappeared down the stairway into -the house. - -After that he met her often, on the roof. As they became intimate, she -told him that she would come whenever she was not engaged; but she was -popular and he was often disappointed. It added to the fascination -of the meetings, the constant uncertainty, enhanced the pleasure of -being with her, listening to her grave, childish wisdom. He felt -that he might easily come to care for her, that she was insinuating -herself into his affection; that she might become the woman whom he -was awaiting to come from somewhere, into his life. But while their -friendship grew, and she talked more freely, confidently, and he felt -himself gaining an intimate insight into this quaint, delicate little -geisha soul, she maintained punctiliously the barrier of the first -evening. Carefully, with the most subtle caution, he endeavored to gain -a little more, to draw her closer, but she was ever alert, baffled him -quietly. - -Usually their talk was gay, and especially when her intuition, -marvelously accurate, warned her of his restlessness, she held it so. -But one evening when the night was dark, with only a few faint stars -futilely scattered in the murk, he fancied that she was troubled. He -could not see her face, but as he sat near her he could notice her -bosom heave uneasily and sensed a trembling, nervous tension of her -body. But she would tell him nothing; said little, pressed close to -him, silently oppressed by her thoughts. What could be going on in -that childishly troubled little geisha mind, behind that clear white -forehead with its finely curved half-moon brows? He placed both arms -about her cautiously, but she did not resist. The poor, dear, little -girl! He wanted to hold her, help her, felt the instinct of protection, -affection. "O-Toshi-san, tell me what it is. I shall help you. Can't -you trust me a little, dearest? Can't you care for me a little?" - -She straightened in his arms, drew her head back, black eyes gazing -deeply into his. Then, suddenly, she threw both arms about him, clung -to him convulsively, gaspingly, pressing her soft cheek against his. He -moved a little so he faced her. "Kiss me, O-Toshi-san." She drew back -her head a little, startled. "Kiss me, in the foreign way. You are a -foreigner's, now." He bent over to her, pressed his lips against her -soft mouth. But it was only a faint response. "I must teach you to -kiss, dear. Come." Again he kissed her, again and again, and gradually -she responded, hot lips clung to his, as she trembled, clinging in his -arms. - -"I left behind a flower yet in bud; it weighs on my mind that it may -blow without me." - -A drunken guest was reeling from a waiting-house down the alley. She -drew herself away. "It is late. I must go." She raised herself on -her toes, framed his face between her hands, kissed him. "Good-by, -Kent-san. Good-by." - -She was gone. - -So it had come at last. The woman had come into his life. A geisha. -Now what would follow? What would be the arrangements? Could he take -her from the geisha house? Where? The thought of the _o-kyaku-san_ -became suddenly intolerable. But just how should he proceed? Confound -his ignorance about such matters. He would ask Karsten for advice, but -first he wanted to see her again, to ask her what she wished to do. -Probably he would see her in her window, in the morning. Anyway, he did -not wish to reason, to fetter his thoughts with commonplace details. -That could be done later. His mind reverted to the events of the hours -just past, the amazingly unexpected good fortune, delight, which had -come to him like a shooting star out of the dark. He let the images of -recollection surge over him, envelop him. Thank God, life would have -some meaning, some of the high light of love venture to brighten the -dimness of dull routine existence. - -He barely noticed, as he entered the office building the next morning, -a couple of hand-carts, piled high with boxes and bundles, moving -from the alley. He ran up the stairs, glanced through the window. The -_shoji_ were open, but there was no sign of her. He seated himself at -his desk to wait, noticed an envelope, a quaint flower-embossed thing, -and opened it curiously. The missive was from Toshi-san, written in -_kata-kana_, the easy phonetic script which she knew he understood. - - - _Tame wo omoute_ - _Hara tate sosete_ - _Muri ni kayeshita_ - _Atode naku._ - - Thinking only of his good, - I made him angry, sent him back - Against our mutual wish, - And then I wept. - - -Made him angry? What? The thought flashed on him, monstrously -appalling. He called Ishii. Had the people opposite moved? Yes, they -had left early that morning. Should he find out where? After a while he -came back. Yes, O-Toshi-san had gone away, no one would tell him where. - -So the adventure had ended, suddenly, as it had begun. Why? What had -been her reason? Probably he would never know. The mysterious Orient, -yes, like an Arabian Nights tale, where the fairy vanished into vapor -at the profaning touch of importunate hands. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -Karsten could give him no help. "Better make up your mind that you -have lost her. She has evidently been taken away to some other -geisha quarter, Yotsuya, Ushigomo, Akasaka, probably Akasaka. They -must have smelt a rat, the geisha master, or the guild. They don't -want you to find her, and the police commissioner's being mixed -up in it complicates the affair, makes it harder. Anyway, you are -the gainer, you have had the experience. Now you know these girls' -insidious--charm. The word is threadbare, but it is the only one that -describes it. And then you have the memory. - -"So make up your mind that she is gone. Presently there will be others; -and you will add to your collection of memories." He smiled. "I don't -know if it has ever struck you that as we plod along in life, with a -few bright spots, vivid pleasures, illuminating the general dullness of -existence, the only treasures really worth while that we gather are the -memories thereof. You know, as I grow older, I find that they become -valuable; they gain with age like wine. One picks them up and reviews -them, as one might old pressed flowers, faded ribbons, the stupid -material mementos. But the ones really worth while are those which -one has stored in one's mind; they don't fade, they never lose their -fragrance. And, do you know, I find that the ones which I treasure, -the ones that come back pleasurably into my thoughts again and again, -are not the recollections of such few good things, or wise things as I -have done--they seem drab, without color, or tone, or life. No, it's -the memories of the foolish things that I have done, madcap adventures, -turbulent love affairs,--these are the things that I find pleasure in -recalling. You have noticed those old fellows whose active life is -behind them, who sit in the sunshine and smoke, and think, and dream. -The daydreams of youth are all in future; but the old men have no -future. Their dreams are of the past. And it has occurred to me that I -know what they are dreaming of, as they sit there so quietly and smile -over their pipes, and it is not the clever things that they did, the -big deals they pulled off; no, it is the foolish pranks of youth, the -fiery, passionate adventures of young manhood,--these are the thoughts -which bring back youth to them, because they are characteristic of it, -as those others are not--these are what enable them to become young -again in their dreams, as they drowse, recalling this affair and that; -this tryst by a pool under a hot summer moon; this girl; that fight, -one after one, as one would tell off beads on a rosary. - -"Even in my most frivolous days I used to have that idea, that however -foolish it all might seem, I was at least gaining memories for my old -age. Life becomes like diving after pearls in the opal, translucent -depths of the sea, which are strung one after the other; all may have a -general resemblance, color, luster, contour, but essentially each is a -little different from the others; each has its individual history. At -least, I have made that provision against my old age; I have a number -of memories to recall, to tell off on my rosary of experiences. Can -you think of anything so horrible as barren old age, the utter poverty -of the old man who has none of the recollections which may bring back -youth to him?" He laughed a little at his own earnestness. "'Tis a pet -theory of mine. You may think it a mad fancy, but possibly you may see -something in it, and if you do, well--go forth and collect your pearls -while yet you may." - -A bizarre idea; just like Karsten. But it carried no great appeal to -Kent. He had no heart to seek love deliberately, even lighter love must -come unsought. He would have enjoyed the company of some of the girls -whom he knew, but the Suzukis had gone to their villa in Oiso for the -summer, and he had not seen Kimiko-san since that night in the tea -house. She had joined a traveling theatrical company and was touring -the "colonies," Korea, Manchuria, Formosa. - -He formed the habit of taking long walks in the evening, enjoying such -scant relief as one might obtain after the sweltering heat of the day. -These rambles took him all over the city and he found vague interest -in book stores, curio shops, odd little drinking places; in talking -with chance-met Japanese, clerks, barmaids, students, feeling that in -an indefinite, tentative way he might get a glimpse of the seething, -vaguely stirring thoughts of this multitude, gropingly, eagerly seeking -the ideas of the new, great world all around them, the uncertainly -fumbling mass mind in flux of transition. - -He had dropped into one of the myriad small beer "halls," with their -pathetic attempts at modernity, which were springing up all over Tokyo. -They were generally much of a pattern, a few tables and chairs, foreign -style, cheap, slatternly maids making their attempt at new fashion by -means of dirty aprons tied over cotton kimonos. It was in Kanda, the -student quarter. Gangling youths, many of them bespectacled, in kimono -or university uniform, but nearly all with the brass-emblemed cap, -came and went, drank their beer, munched the food prepared in what was -supposed to be foreign fashion, joked with the waitresses. He noticed -that many went upstairs. Idly curious, he thought he would go up there, -but a waitress stopped him. He remonstrated; the others could go. No, -she was indefinite in her explanation, but determined. Well, no matter. -He dismissed it from his mind. - -Suddenly some one stood before him, bowing deeply. It was Ishii, his -clerk. - -"Good evening, Mr. Kent." He was evidently pleased to show the others -that he knew this foreign gentleman. Kent invited him to sit down. As -they chatted over their beer, he told him of his rebuff. What was the -reason? - -"Well, you see, it is, in a way, a sort of a private place, kind of a -club." He was oddly evasive, ill at ease. "Just wait a moment, please." - -He scrambled upstairs and disappeared. Presently he returned. "You can -come, if you like. They are my friends upstairs there. We meet here -sometimes. You know," he lowered his voice, "it's politics." - -So that was it. Immediately Kent was eager to go. These were the -hotbeds of the new thought, the "dangerous thoughts," as the police -called them, half-baked Socialism, Communism, Sovietism, fortuitously -mixed with Cubist art, literature after the fashion of Dostoievsky, -crude passion for mass sculpture à la Rodin, anything that was thought -to be ultra-modern or outré, beyond the minds of the _hoi polloi_, -_haikara_, the latest in modern culture. It was an opportunity to learn -for himself what they really thought, these youths, how much of it was -real, and how much only pose; to see how deeply it all went, whether -it was merely the usual ebullience of youth, such as one might see in -the European universities, even in America, which usually spent itself -quite safely with passage into maturer years, or whether this was -really more definite, more likely to have direct, positive influence on -the life of the nation, the development of the government of Japan. - -They were extremely courteous, quite friendly, though a little -self-conscious, ill at ease, evidently diffident as to whether they -had been wise in admitting this stranger. He was invited to sit at the -table with two men older than the others; he was told that they were -professors. Scattered at other tables were some ten or twelve students, -much of a type, the ungainly age of adolescence. It was awkward in the -beginning. He had the uncomfortable feeling that they were taking his -measure, deciding whether he was quite safe. He would like to reassure -them; still, it was probably better to let the situation develop -spontaneously, to let them take the initiative. He drank with the two -professors; he judged them to be about thirty-five or forty, thin, -nervous men with the pale, somewhat ascetic faces of enthusiasts. They -opened with the questions usual in Japan; what was his nationality, how -long had he been in Japan? - -"What are you politically?" - -After that came a long conglomeration of political questions, first -tentative hints, designed to draw out his ideas, to determine his -stand, but soon they launched into their pet topic, the miseries of the -present situation in Japan. - -"But surely you must see that, even if there are things to correct -in other countries, in no place are conditions so terrible as they -are in Japan." The elder professor had risen, swept out his hand, -addressing not only Kent but the whole assembly, the students who -sat gazing at him raptly. "There are only a few hundred thousands in -the privileged class. They are the ones who are gaining everything. -They took advantage of the fact that the people, the sixty millions, -are still thinking as they did in the days of the Tokugawa, looking -to their masters for orders, taking dumbly whatever they might deign -to fling to them. They have been exploiting the people, and they and -the militarists want to exploit the other people, too, in Siberia -and China. You foreigners are always talking about the militarist -rule of Japan; but you don't see that even the militarists are not -all-powerful now. The real governing power of Japan is the little -multi-millionaire class, the Watanabes, the Fukusakis, the Oharas, the -Inouyes, the Yamanakas, the Katos, only about half a dozen enormously -wealthy houses, with their mines, and their steamship companies, their -tremendous business houses, their banks, who buy Diet members and -cabinet ministers, who determine the Government's policy, who keep -prices high by insisting on import tariffs, who wallow in concessions. -Even the militarists bow to them. The plutocrats wanted Siberia, so -we spent hundreds of millions of yen on the Siberia expedition and -our young men were killed by the thousands that the plutocrats might -get fisheries, and mines and oil wells. Japan to-day is a plutocratic -oligarchy, with the militarists as a handy and subservient tool, with -the police throwing into jail any one who tries to wake up the people -to assert their rights. Just look about you. See, right here in Tokyo, -the poor are huddled by thousands in hovels in Fukagawa and Honjo, -where the river washes out their houses every year, and still they must -pay heavy taxes on their miserable mud flats, while the rich with their -parks, stretching over vast spaces in the best and highest parts of the -city, pay taxes only on a valuation as forest lands or fields. These -are the ones who want the people to remain as they were a hundred years -ago, feudal slaves, in order that the rich may grow richer. That's -why the police keep watch over us and the government officials hire -_soshi_, professional ruffians, to break up our meetings. That's why -it is a crime to 'harbor dangerous thoughts.' Property is the curse of -all modern countries. When private property became known the class -struggle began the world over; and nowhere is property as privileged as -it is in Japan. Labor should be the measure of value, undifferentiated -human labor, where all workers should be paid alike, no matter what -might be the manner of their work. Here capital exploits labor, as -capital always does, and only by abolition of capitalism can we abolish -such exploitation." - -The professor flung back a long wisp of wet hair, paused to refresh -himself from his beer glass. The students were all nodding approval. -Evidently this was familiar doctrine to which they heartily subscribed. -Kent remembered the numberless volumes of Karl Marx which might be -seen in every second-hand book stall in the student quarter, along -Jimbo-cho. They swallowed it all, the Marxian dogmas, cramming them -down hastily in their hungry voracity for new thought, ever more. - -Ishii-san insisted on seeing Kent part of the way home, after another -long harangue on capitalism, evidently a popular topic. As they left -the place, a shadow detached itself from the general blackness of the -buildings opposite and followed at a little distance. "A detective," -whispered Ishii, excitedly. "He is following us. Oh, Mr. Kent, I wish I -might be arrested." - -When they parted, Kent was relieved to see that the shadow followed -Ishii. He had no desire to become a victim to the burdensome attentions -of the police. Probably he had been foolish to venture into this queer -gathering. Still, it had been interesting, had given him another -glimpse into the intimate life of Japan, far more vitally important -than the phase which had heretofore intrigued him. - -"What do you make of it?" he asked Kittrick a few days later. "It is up -to us to know all this that's going on all about us. It's widespread. -It's important. It has a vital bearing on the future of Japan, and -still it's so intangible, so oddly impossible to get at. Is it just an -intermittent phase, or is it a growing movement that will slowly but -surely result in fruit of some kind,--revolution or what?" - -"Of course, I've been wanting to follow it, just as you have," said -Kittrick. "But what can one do? If you try to learn from the agitators, -no matter how innocent may be your intentions, the police will soon -make it impossible for you. One may get a little by following the -Japanese papers, watching the straws that show which way the wind -blows. Here you see a big appropriation for special officers to watch -over 'dangerous thoughts'; here's an item about a special force to -guard the persons of cabinet ministers. - -"The point is that Japan is discarding her old beliefs, political, -social, ethical, religious, the whole business, and she is in -a breathless hurry to grab at anything, any kind of belief, or -philosophy, or political creed that comes handy. Of course it's a -mix-up. The political unrest may be dangerous in so far as it leads -excited fanatics to take too literally what they read or hear, so they -prize a knife or a bomb and sally forth to become heroes or martyrs, -but there is no great amount of sound sense or definite program in it. - -"When the people stand up and shout for this thing or the other, -you'll find that the real underlying cause is entirely economic. A -few years ago Japan's industrial system was patriarchal. The boss had -a little shop with half a dozen or a dozen workmen. He fed them, and -clothed them and looked after them, _paterfamilias_ fashion, did their -thinking for them, and they were quite satisfied. That was all they -knew. Now has come the big factory system, where thousands work in -great plants and never see the owner. The personal relation has been -lost. Then they've heard that workmen in other countries have better -conditions. During the war, when workers must be had at any price to -fill the orders from abroad that swamped the factories, they learned to -strike for high pay--and got it. They've learned a lot of other things, -'sabotage,' 'go slow,' unionism, that labor may have a voice in factory -control, all that sort of thing. They see the rich grow richer, and are -learning that they ought to have a share of those profits. Most of them -think that Russia is a little paradise for the workmen. It's not the -political side that interests them, it's better conditions. They have -learned to look upon capitalism collectively and on labor collectively. -Their unions are becoming more and more consolidated. The next thing -you'll see nation-wide strikes. - -"And in the meantime the economic situation grows worse every day. -Japan has lost her foreign markets, so she closes factories. The -capitalists insist on dividends, so, as they can't make money abroad, -they insist on keeping prices high on home products by keeping -production just a bit lower than the demand. That means closing more -factories, discharging more workmen, unemployment. If they kick too -much, they give them discharge allowances, six months' pay, a year's -pay, anything to avoid a row--and, of course, the consumer pays for -it, and prices go higher, while the workmen retire to the country -villages they came from and blow their allowances and then live on -their relatives. The family system of helping relatives is saving the -situation to-day. That's why you don't hear much trouble yet from -unemployment, but as the number increases of idlers whom each worker -must support, the condition grows worse. The end must come some day." - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -The situation grew on Kent's nerves. Every morning when he looked out -from his window, he half expected to see red flags in the streets, to -hear the turmoil of mobs. It was absurd, he told himself. There were -sure to be warnings, minor tumults, evidences of strained unrest. -Still, he felt that he must spare no time in getting inside the facts -as soon as possible, to come to see every side of the comprehensive -picture. - -It would be a good idea to become acquainted with the capitalistic side -of the story. He began a round of calls on the money kings, captains of -industry, the owners of names which recurred constantly in the news of -economic events. For days he wandered about in the lairs of plutocracy, -sent his card in to dozens of men, wasted hours in bleak waiting -rooms with their scant furnishing of variegated chairs and tables, -dusty curtains and innumerable ash trays, smoked idly while hundreds -of clerks ran about, like bees in huge hives, or sat smoking and -drinking tea. But the great men were always out of the city, or sick, -or attending funerals of relatives. There was courtesy everywhere. -Would he not see such and such a secretary or third vice-president -instead? When he insisted, they shook their heads, a bit surprised at -the effrontery of this stranger who thought that he might thus easily -gain speech with the great ones. They were amusingly absurd, these -foreigners, seemed to be their thought. It was as if he had marched -into Buckingham Palace and demanded an interview with King George. -He knew that he could probably make his way into even these hallowed -sanctums, should he obtain letters of introduction from the Foreign -Office, which was always most obliging in such matters. He know that -letters of introduction held an exaggerated value, were regarded as -almost indispensable by the Japanese themselves. But they aroused his -resentment, these haughty, purse-proud plutocrats. Evidently talking to -the press was the last thing they desired. Well, let them go to blazes -then; if they did not want him to have their side of the story. He'd -get it elsewhere. - -But Kent's peregrinations into the labyrinth of Japanese economics were -interrupted by a letter from Hopkinson, his editor, brought by hand -by a tourist friend who happened to pass through Japan. Kent was glad -to be certain that it had not passed through the uncertainties of the -Japanese post office or the more insidious danger of the ever prying -unseen hands. - -"I want you to see what information you can get with respect to Japan's -submarine plans," wrote Hopkinson. "Of course, the old exaggerated -feeling of distrust against Japan in America has, since the Conference, -been replaced by a possibly just as exaggerated feeling of confidence -in her will to disarm. You will get what I am driving at by reading -the Bywater article which I enclose, particularly the part where he -says about Japan: 'With the possible exception of France, she is the -only signatory which has laid the keels of new cruisers, destroyers and -submarines since the limitation program was negotiated, and she is the -only one who is now at work on a large program of these vessels.--The -Japanese submarine flotilla is very much stronger both in numbers and -individual power than is generally known, and no other navy in the -world is building so many sea-going boats.--During the past three years -no coastal submarines have been built in Japan, every boat being laid -down within that period having been designed for long-range cruising.' -Take this in connection with the speech of the Japanese War Minister, -which you recently sent us, in which he declares that 'if a nation has -large wealth, small standing armaments will suffice, for such a nation -will be able to expand fully its armaments in case of emergency. On -the contrary, a poor nation is necessarily compelled to develop its -armaments gradually, for it would be unable to expand them rapidly.' - -"We don't want sensational stuff, as you know, for we intend to carry -on our policy of fostering friendship as long as possible, but we want -you to get as much dope as you can, if for nothing else, at least for -our own guidance and future reference----" - -Damn it! Just as he was getting well started with the economic matter, -he would have to devote his main energies to this distasteful task. -He liked the Japanese and took far more pleasure in his stories which -were to Japan's credit than in those which were not. However, there -was some satisfaction in knowing that the _Chronicle_ would pursue its -usual conservative policy. As he thought the matter over, he became -more interested. Of course, the situation should be covered. Heretofore -he had followed it only in a general way, but had been inclined to -overlook its importance because of his interest in the economic and -social unrest. - -"It's going to be the devil's own job," he said to Karsten, as they -were smoking their pipes after dinner. "If there's one thing the -Japanese keep quiet about, it's their submarines; and, of course, -nothing in the Conference agreement prevents them from building as many -as they like. And, besides, they are the obvious weapon of defense -against America. Japan has an ideal situation with a long barrier of -islands running from Saghalien as far as the Equator, if you include -the Mandate Islands. Yes, I know that under the Mandate terms, she -can't fortify them, but the Germans showed that any little place with -a few barrels of oil on it can make a submarine base. They can place -the oil there in a jiffy, if they expect trouble. Maybe it is already -there; oil can be used for lots of things besides war. There's nothing -to prevent it. With a chain of island supply stations and a great -fleet of submarines Japan can put up a wonderful defense and commerce -destruction. That's all self-evident. The job is going to be to find -out what they are doing in that line and what they intend to do. It's a -regular Oppenheim job. What do you think of it?" - -"You know I don't take much interest in that sort of thing," Karsten -rubbed his chin thoughtfully, stood up and began pacing the floor. -"Still, of course, one hears a lot of talk, and I think that most -foreigners here have about the same idea on the matter. The submarine -is Japan's natural weapon to-day. A few years ago, before America -entered the war, Japan thought she could lick the United States and her -strategy was based on offensive lines. When she found to her bitter -disappointment that America really could fight, she began to revise -her opinion, and when America's program of bigger fortifications in -Hawaii and elsewhere was brewing, she felt that she had no choice but -to continue feverishly with the Eight-and-Eight battle fleet program -which she had originated when the idea was to lick America. But she -could never have kept it up. She couldn't have afforded it. Of course, -the militarists are professionals who don't care about anything but -the army and navy. They would have insisted, even if the country had -been bled white. But even then, even if she had managed to build the -fleet, she couldn't have kept it up. Her war savings are decreasing at -an alarming rate, her national wealth, commerce, industry, the whole -thing is decreasing. The Washington Conference was the biggest bit of -luck that ever happened to Japan. It enabled her to save her face, and -to make a big play to gain international confidence--which I'm glad she -got--and at the same time to save her from the necessity of building a -vast fleet of battleships, which she couldn't afford, and do it with -the assurance that America wouldn't outstrip her in a naval race either. - -"So as Japan had, reluctantly, made up her mind that she must change -to a defensive strategy anyway, she is just as well off with a fleet -of submarines, which won't cost her nearly so much. Then, when I -said that the submarine was Japan's natural weapon, I meant it in a -psychological sense also. Remember, it has always been Japan's cue to -watch wars and take lessons from them. Nothing probably impressed her -quite so much as the fact that Germany almost beat England, in spite of -her great battleships, with her _unterseeboten_. The general horror of -the 'frightfulness' involved never touched Japan. She simply couldn't -see the idea. It was virtually successful--would have been entirely -so had Germany had the advantages that Japan has--and, personally, I -don't believe that the militarists have one ethic to rub on another, -so to speak. They'd cheerfully adopt German frightfulness, with such -improvements as they might devise, and never even be able to see that -it was morally wrong, so long as they thought that it would work and -that they could get away with it. You know that the German methods -never aroused the slightest feeling of disgust or horror in the -people of Japan. They honestly wondered what the devil we were making -such a fuss about. The militarists saw, sadly, that the German war -machine, which they had used as a model, went to smash, that they'd -have to remodel. There was never, with the whole people, any enmity -against Germany. At one time, during the spring of 1917 I think it -was, when some British ship had stopped a Japanese boat to search -for Germans, the feeling against England was far stronger than it -ever was against Germany. At the time of the Paris Conference, when -the rest of the world was yelling to hang the Kaiser, his picture, -mustaches, eagle helmet and all, was offered for sale in windows not a -block from Hibiya--though at reduced prices, it's fair to add. That's -why I say that the submarine is Japan's natural weapon. It suits her -geographically, financially and ethically. Go to it, old man, there's a -story there, all right--but I don't think you'll get it." - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -The more he thought it over, the more the new assignment appealed -to Kent. It required close thinking. He must move with the utmost -caution lest suspicion be aroused which would close up every source of -information instantly. He did not know just where to begin. He must -proceed very indirectly. The difficulty began to fascinate him. - -Finally he made up his mind that he might as well begin with old -Viscount Kikuchi, the father of young Kikuchi of the Foreign Office, -member of the Privy Council, whom he had met through the son and whom -he called on occasionally. The name of the Viscount appeared only -seldom in the papers, but he was considered by those in the know to be -the most brilliant mind in the council, the best informed in respect -to international politics; some even insisted that he was the actual -director of Japan's foreign policy. Kent had a great liking for him, -a gentleman of the old school, who with his marvelously diversified -information with regard to the most intricate ramifications of politics -of Europe, America and Asia, wide reading in several languages, still -chose to preserve the manner and appearance, the admirable traditions -of vanishing Japan. His finely chiseled features and long, white beard -inspired a feeling of respect, almost reverence, lent him the aspect of -a Confucian sage of the old Chinese prints, heightened by the toga-like -simplicity of his black silk kimono, unornamented save for the _go -mon_, the family crest, a white circle with a conventional heraldic -device, white on the field of black on the back below the neck and on -the sleeves. He valued the Viscount highly as a source of information -and had often been pleasantly surprised at the frankness with which -he gave out facts which Kent had not thought it possible to gain, -disdaining the secrecy about petty matters so dear to the lesser minds -of Japanese officialdom. - -Kent had not called for almost a month. It was quite natural to do -so now. The Viscount occupied a vast room on the third floor of an -office building near Hibiya, an odd rookery housing half a dozen of the -euphoniously named societies which have sprung up like mushrooms, in -Japan, and which serve no apparent purpose except that of furnishing -presidencies and vice-presidencies in legion to numerous honorable -gentlemen. As he climbed upward he passed the doors of the Society for -Inculcation of Spiritual Influences Among Workmen, the Foreign Policy -Debating Club, the Bolivian-Japanese Friendship Society, with their -drowsy office boys and idle secretaries smoking over _hibachi_,--a -queer collection of vapid purposelessness serving as a foil for the -activities of the busy brain up above. - -But as Kent climbed up the stairway, he was thinking of the coming -interview, how he would lead off with the economic situation, stressing -the decline of Japan's finances and industries. Gradually he would -creep over to the taxation question, try to bring in the disappointing -lack of tax reduction in spite of the fact that armaments were being -reduced; possibly he might even venture to refer to Bywater, if it -seemed propitious and natural--it would depend on how things developed. -He would have to---- - -Suddenly, as if blotted out by a flash of blinding light, the whole -train of thoughts vanished, was obliterated completely. He found -himself staring at a face looking down at him from the landing -above that smote his senses, dumbfounded them with an overwhelming -realization of having been instantaneously, unexpectedly, brought face -to face with the essence of beauty, flawless, sublime, irradiating its -splendor towards him, as he advanced slowly, hesitatingly, upwards. In -the few moments which it took to mount the half dozen steps a whirl -of thoughts raced through his brain, each one clear-cut enough, like -the rapid succession of minute individual pictures of a cinema film, -yet all melting into one another, unifying into the one idea that here -was the marvel, a revelation--and yet it was not the instantaneous -flash of love, the _coup de foudre_, desire of fulfillment of desire, -possession; but rather the marvelous rapt wonder and delight at -magnificent, brilliant beauty, impersonal almost, as one may be struck -with ecstasy at the unexpected revealment of a splendid landscape -glimpsed suddenly through a rift in fog. In the half-light he was aware -mainly of the eyes, deep, dark, lustrously brilliant against her pale -face, framed by a cloud of black hair. It was as if he were advancing -into their luster, as if it suffused him. - -As he stood in front of the table where she sat facing the stairs, -he felt breathless, confused at the necessity for drab, commonplace -action. He bowed ceremoniously, fished for his card case, conscious of -the wonder in her eyes, pleased at her smile, irritated with the sense -that he must be appearing like a fool, and still sensing delighted -gratification in the feeling of her presence. - -Was the Viscount in? Yes. She took his card, flitted behind a screen -which separated her place from the main part of the great room. Yes, -the Viscount would see him. He noted the whiteness of her teeth as she -smiled. As he found a seat facing the Viscount, he discovered with joy -that he was able to look past the corner of the screen at the profile -of the girl as she sat at her post facing the stairway. - -He tried to pull his thoughts together for the interview. Hang it, -it would be hard to think connectedly; the nicely arranged logic of -his questions had flown from him. He experienced intense relief when -he heard, as if from a distance, the words of the Viscount--he was -extremely sorry; he was glad to see him, but it happened that he had an -important engagement. He must leave in just a few minutes. Would not -Kent come again soon, at almost any time. He should be glad to give him -all the time he might wish. - -What luck! Kent was glad at the heaven-sent granting of grace; he only -hated the necessity of leaving, of tearing himself away from this place -where he might sit and look at that girl, this revelation of beauty -which had come upon him by the wondrously kind offices of fate. - -He shook hands with the Viscount. Safely behind the screen, as he -passed the girl, he bowed to her, with the ceremony as if she were a -great lady of the aristocracy, emphasized it, wishing to convey to -her, in some way, some indication of his desire to pay tribute to -that inexpressible perfection. As he made the turn of the stairway he -glanced back up at her. She was looking at him and smiled again. He -thought he detected a glint of something in her eyes, understanding, -gratification, something, anyway, which he might construe into the -slightest possible spark of a beginning of acquaintance. - -He crossed through Hibiya Park and found a bench where he might sit -and get order into the confusion of his impressions. Love at first -sight? No, that was not it; there was no feeling of covetousness, of -passionate desire to win, conquer, possess; rather an overwhelming -longing to be in her presence, to sense that feeling of being -pleasurably suffused by the irradiation of pure, sheer beauty, as one -might bask in warm, brilliant sunshine. It was an odd, undefinable -sensation, defying logic or analysis. But why bother? He was wholly -overcome with the impression that great good fortune had come upon him. -He wanted to be near her, that was all. There was nothing to ponder -over except the means as to how he might contrive that. - -Of course, he would have a chance to see her when he called on the -Viscount. He would call soon, to-morrow--no, that would be Friday, the -day for meeting of the Privy Council, and the Viscount would not be at -his office--would not be at his office---- In a flash the inspiration -came to him: why, that is just the time you must call, you fool; you'll -have a chance to see her, to talk to her alone, to gain a little -headway in acquaintance. - -Through the day the thought kept recurring constantly, insistingly. -To-morrow. It interfered with other thoughts. Well, let them go. He -would think of her. But what did he want, anyway; what would it lead -to? He knew distinctly that he was not seeking a flirtation, a love -affair. She had not impressed him that way at all. Could one then not -be on terms of just friendship with a girl, enjoying her beauty as one -would that of a picture, a gorgeous temple, or a fine, rich brocade, -only that? Still, the idea kept clamoring, if they became friends, -intimate friends, would not, inevitably, time come when he would want -to hold her hand, gather her, the whole glorious sum of her beauty, -in his arms. He tried to push the thought away. That was not what he -wanted. It was the idea of the delicacy, the purity of relation which -fascinated him; to hold her tenderly, as one might a frail, fragile -flower, a dainty, vivid butterfly, untouched, untainted by touch of -physical possession. Something, cynically suggestive, insisting in -crowding up from the depth of his mind, irritated him, like a mocking -face grinning at him insinuatingly. Hang it all! He must know her, that -was all there was to it. He would see her in the morning. - -The following day, as he looked forward to the time when he might go to -her, new, disturbing thoughts kept cropping up. It seemed so foolish, -this suddenly being smitten by what had seemed to him an apparition -of perfection of beauty. Such could not appear, did not appear in -the persons of typists in Tokyo office buildings. The Japanese term -"_nido-bikuri_" shot into his mind, the laconically descriptive slang -phrase, literally "twice surprised," referring to the delighted wonder -of first sight of what appears to be perfection of beauty--the first -surprise--which is dissipated by the second closer sight thereof, -shattering the illusion--the second surprise. Probably he would find -that she was, after all, but a pretty little typist, dainty, attractive -and all that, but no more; that sober reality would cause this -iridescent bubble of fancy to dissolve instantaneously into its plain -component suds on which he might but stare in foolish disillusionment. - -He made up his mind to banish from his mind all idea of romance, to -look upon her critically. If he had invested this girl with a glamor -of beauty created out of his own imagination, he would know it. He -tried to prepare himself for certain disappointment; of course, he had -been an ass. Still, as he climbed the stairs, his senses were aquiver -with an irrepressible anxiety,--what if she should be real, after all? -He peered eagerly up at her. Again the sense of beauty, the radiant -magnetism of it, swept over him; but he put it off, forced himself -to note that that dim half-light, which her black hair set against -the golden background of the great gilt screen behind her on which -refractions of light from beyond made a delicate shimmer and play of -faint aureate coruscations, might be limning a nimbus which would fade -away in the cold brightness of clear, white daylight. - -Of course, he knew that she would tell him that Viscount Kikuchi was -absent. He had planned for all that. Too bad! Might he not have a -place for a moment where he might write him a note? She led him to -the great desk in the big room. Now would be his chance--but before -he could obtain a satisfactory look at her, she had disappeared. Hang -it! He began to write his note. He had it all in his head, merely a -polite word of regret, an assurance that his coming again so soon did -not indicate that what he had in mind was at all important. He would -call again. But he wrote slowly, hoping that she would come. Still -he did not hear her until she was close beside him, with a tray with -cigarettes and tea. She set it before him and stood facing him, a few -feet distant, courteously at his service. All this would give time. He -sipped slowly from the tiny, bowl-like cup, of the pale green, slightly -aromatic fluid, took a cigarette, lit it. With the feeling of one who -has placed a stake against the chance of a spun coin--he leaned back -and looked at her. - -Thank God, she was pretty, yes, even beautiful, with that great crown -of soft black hair framing features delicately carved, finely-drawn -crescent eyebrows; slender figure, but with the slightest suggestion -of warm, soft curves under the closely clinging texture of the kimono. -But it was the eyes which held him. He had often felt the appeal of -the eyes of Japanese girls, with their appearance of intense blackness -until very close view revealed the dark-brown shade, but in this -girl's eyes was a depth, a liquid sheen of luminous, limpid blackness -which fascinated and held. - -The feeling came to him that she was smiling. The mouth, features -remained calm, unchanged, but it was as if she could convey with these -marvelously expressive eyes alone mirth, amusement, probably also -sorrow, anger, anything. - -"I am sorry to have troubled you." He had to say something, even though -he should have liked just to sit there and fill his eyes with the sight -of her. "I hope I have not disturbed you--er----?" - -"My name is Adachi." She had caught the question which he had meant to -imply. - -"I have not seen you here before, Adachi-san." - -"No, I have been here only a few weeks." - -As he sipped his tea, he employed all his wit to maintain the -conversation, enjoying the clear, soft sound of her voice, its musical -contralto tone reminiscent of the subdued resonance of a great brass -temple bell from a distance. But he wanted principally to build up -ground for more intimate acquaintance, to become established as at -least some one just a little more personal than the ordinary caller. -She was smilingly responsive, gracious. He managed to remain a half -hour, with commonplaces. The weather led to talk of the countryside, -places she had seen, his own stay in Japan, and on to his impressions -of the country, to mutual tastes. - -He came away with a pleasant feeling of success that he had not been -disappointed. Prosaic as their conversation had been, there had -been a subtle, warm undercurrent of understanding, mutual sympathy, -which was leading swiftly, surely, towards friendship. It was one of -Karsten's theories that the feeling of attraction between men and -women was intrinsically governed by an as yet little understood, -undefined element of something like telepathy--that such attraction -as was produced by merely physical features, such as beauty, for -instance, was, if not unessential, at least only an outward, largely -crude feature of the play of the relation between sexes. It could -be explained most closely, said Karsten, in terms of physics, the -response which is established between instruments similarly attuned, -an intangible, invisible condition, which draws humans irresistibly, -apparently irrationally, together in one case, while in another, where -outward circumstances would seem to be more conducive thereto, they -remain untouched, cold. Of course, there was something in it. Kent felt -that some sort of sympathy like that existed between this girl and -himself. Oddly, he was certain that he was not in love with her, and -yet he craved intensely for intimate companionship with her. - -A few days later he called again on the Viscount. He should have liked -to have arranged it again so he would see the girl alone; still, it -was time to get to work, to try somehow to establish a beginning point -whence he might evolve his information. The beginning of the interview -moved smoothly as he had planned, almost too smoothly. They arrived -at the crucial point, the Bywater article, so easily that Kent had an -uneasy sense that this smoothness, this facility, was deceptive, that -the Viscount by some trick of intuition knew what he was after and was -leading him on. The feeling disturbed him; he had to strive to overcome -a sense of diffidence, a suspicion that he was but being played with by -this uncannily clever diplomat, the master mind of the Japanese Empire, -who had for decades gained experience at this game in bouts with the -best trained brains of Europe and America. - -"To come to the point, Mr. Kent, the fact is that it is believed, or -at least suspected, that Japan, while living up to the letter of the -Washington Conference agreement, is, in fact, violating the spirit -thereof; that while she is keeping her battle fleet strictly within -the ratio of six to America's and England's ten, as she agreed to do, -she is trying to make up for the difference in ratio by building up a -great fleet of powerful submarines. I am glad that we may take up this -matter together, for it is important that this misunderstanding be set -right. The fact is, as naval statistics which have already been made -public will show you, that we are merely trying to make our auxiliary -fleet forces catch up to the proper proportion they should bear to the -battle fleet. As you know, Japan is a poor country. In the past the -naval authorities decided to build a great fleet of vessels of the -first class, but to do so they had to give up building the number of -auxiliary craft which is generally considered by the naval experts of -all countries to be the minimum necessary to keep up the proportion -between battleships and auxiliaries. In other words, as we did not have -enough money to have both first-class ships and auxiliaries, we decided -to build the big ships, even though we knew that we should be short -of the smaller ones. Now that the Conference has made it unnecessary -to spend the great sums set aside for battleship construction, we are -using the chance to build smaller craft to the number necessary to make -proper proportion. That's the reason you hear that we are building some -submarines; but remember there's nothing sinister about that. We are -merely rounding out our construction program along the lines recognized -as being proper by all naval authorities. Of course, the mere fact -that we are building is being made use of by the anti-Japanese -propagandists, who seize anything whatever to make out a case against -Japan. It's partly because Japan's liberal diplomacy of recent years -had cut very short the crop of material that may be used as propaganda -against us. We have always kept our word in both letter and spirit. -We gave the Chinese liberal terms in the Shantung settlement, and we -have withdrawn our troops from Shantung. We were liberal in respect to -Yap. We have withdrawn our troops from Siberia. We showed the world at -the Washington Conference that we have no militaristic ambitions. Our -action in all these cases has deprived the anti-Japanese propagandists -of their old weapons, so now they must invent stuff for calumny. All we -want is fair play. I know that you, Mr. Kent, are as interested as I -am in maintaining the friendly spirit now existing between America and -Japan; that you are glad to help combat the mischief-makers. Of course, -you know that I must never be quoted--but I give you my word that -there is not the slightest basis in fact for the belief that Japan is -violating either the letter or the spirit of the Washington agreement, -and the talk about her building an unduly large submarine fleet is pure -buncombe." - -The Viscount spoke earnestly, with a tone which made for conviction -even though Kent had believed that he would talk on just about these -lines. He had been impressed, had leaned forward intent to follow -every word of the old statesman. Now he relaxed a little, leaned back -in his chair, let his eye wander. Suddenly he felt as if some one had -called sharply for his attention; involuntarily, mechanically, he -looked past the screen. She was peering intently into the room, frankly -eavesdropping, and her eyes were fixed on his as if she wished by mere -force of will to compel him to look at her. Apparently that was it, -for immediately the appearance of concentration vanished. She rose, -gathered some envelopes and descended the stairs noiselessly in her -soft _zori_. - -There had been something indefinably impressive about these quite -ordinary actions. Of course, she would probably ordinarily have -called from the hall below one of the innumerable office boys to mail -her letters. That she had chosen to go herself might have some slight -significance; but, even beyond that, the conviction came upon him as -clearly as if she had shouted it to him that she wished to speak to -him. Could it be that she really wanted to see him? The interview was -over. He must go, anyway. He would soon know. - -He thanked the Viscount, feeling the while that, impressed as he had -been while under the direct sway of the old man's magnetism, the -interview would become cold, worth little, when examined in the somber -light of appraisement of its worth as copy. Had he been able to quote -Viscount Kikuchi, it might have had some value. But as it was, he had -gained nothing, not even the slightest clew. They shook hands and he -left. - -Once on the street, he glanced eagerly up and down for the nearest -post-box. Yes, there she was, half hidden by the red, stunted column. -He went up to her eagerly. She made no pretense that she was not -waiting for him. As he came close, he could see that she was excited, -almost breathless. - -He lifted his hat. "Adachi-san." But she was too eager to pay heed to -mere matters of courtesy. "Mr. Kent," for a moment he felt the pressure -of a small hand on his sleeve, "he lied to you." - -He was struck utterly dumb, could but stare at her amazed. His first -reaction was one of disappointment. As he had hastened down to see her, -he had had no conscious thought of what he might expect. His whole mind -had been concentrated on the question as to whether he had really been -right in thinking that she wished to see him clandestinely, out of the -hearing of the Viscount. Now he realized that he must, subconsciously, -have expected something quite different, something in the lines of -furtherance of purely personal intimacy. And here she was evidently not -interested in him at all as an individual, but had some obscure purpose -connected with the political issue. He had to wrench his mind into -adjustment to this entirely new aspect of the matter, as he stood, hat -still in his hand, gaping at her. - -"What? Lied about what? Do tell me----" - -But her eagerness had disappeared, though the excitement remained as -her eyes flickered up and down the street. "No. I can't tell you, -not now. I must hurry back to the office. The Viscount will miss me. -Good-by." - -She ran swiftly from him before he could even try to retain her. - -"Well, I'll be hanged!" - -Again he found the park a handy retreat where he might enter and -ruminate undisturbed over the tangle of events of the last half-hour, -the statement of the Viscount, the inexplicable mystery of this girl's -sudden injection of herself into the game as one of the players where -she should ordinarily have remained even less than a mere pawn; the -bearing that her taking a hand therein might have on the solution of -his problem. - -As he reasoned it out, he decided that, as he had gained nothing from -the interview, he might, by some chance whim of fortune, have made a -still greater gain by the new element added by the girl's appearance -in the play. Apparently she knew something. She might know a great -deal. And evidently she wished to give him information, to put him -straight. Why? It was not because she took any great personal interest -in him; he was sure of that; her manner had shown no trace whatever of -the element of individual attraction. Still, what her reason might be -was, after all, a secondary consideration; it was what she knew, what -she could tell him, evidently wished to tell him, that mattered. He -must follow up this chance-sent opportunity. Of course, he must see -her again. She must expect it. It might be worse. Here he had wished -to enter into some closer relation with her, friendship, intimate -association, and now the chance had come; although from an amazingly -unexpected angle. It even fitted right in with his work--but--as he -thought it over, the keenness of the feeling of good luck faded. It was -too romantic, melodramatic. He looked upon his work in the cold, keen -light of the professional, as a gatherer of facts, of news, prosaic, -practical, disdaining the blatant injection therein of the personal -element of the "trained seals." He might enjoy betimes coloring the -drabness of everyday existence by trying to apply tints of romance--he -had been rather inclined to do so lately; possibly it was the glamor -of newness of a strange land, or a reflection from his association -with Karsten,--but work and romance were inconsistent, conflicting. He -did not want to mix personal relation with this girl with business, -make use of her as a tool for prying into the secrets of Japanese -officialdom. Such use of women might be practical, it had undoubtedly -served in many cases, but it was distasteful to him, repellent. But, -on the other hand, what could he do? The girl herself wished it. He -was not stalking her, treacherously, with cold calculation, trying to -inveigle her into an affair of affections with the intention of making -her serve his purposes. It seemed rather as if she thought that, in -some undiscernible way, he might serve hers. He did not know what to -make of it. At one moment he would be pleased, exultant even, at this -element of intense interest injected into his existence, and the next -he would be mystified, perplexed, impatient at his inability to see -the road before him. - -Women! It seemed as if one must ever become entangled, somehow, in the -insinuating meshes of their ubiquitous activities. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -For days he went about in a state of irritating uncertainty. What -should be his next step? There was no good reason for seeking further -speech with the Viscount for the present. Obviously the alternative -was to contrive to meet her on her way to or from the office, but this -method was distasteful to him, savored too much of lying in wait for -her, stalking her, as might a roué bent on philanderous enterprise. On -the other hand, his conscience troubled him. Here it was possible, even -likely that this girl might hold the key to his story, might give him -the starting point which he needed. He owed loyalty to his paper. He -felt that he was caught in a dilemma from which he might not extricate -himself entirely honorably. - -One morning, at the Foreign Office, young Kikuchi dropped a chance -remark that his father had gone to Odawara for a few days. The idea -struck Kent that here lay the way out. Fate seemed deliberately to have -thrown the solution in his way, so he might see her without resorting -to slinking contrivances. He looked at his watch. It was half-past -eleven; this was Saturday and quite likely she would leave at noon. He -hurried to her office. She was evidently about to leave. - -"I am sorry. The Viscount has gone to the country." He thought he -detected a hint of mischief in her eyes. Did she suspect him? - -Would he have some tea? She came to his rescue before he had bethought -himself of the next step. What a blessing that eternal tea-drinking -ceremonial could prove at times. Why, of course, he should like it -very much. - -So again he found himself in one of the Viscount's great chairs, alone -with her. She brought the tray with tea and cigarettes. His success -made him bolder. "Have some with me, please do." - -It startled her a little. "Why, of course not." - -"Why not? It is the custom in foreign countries, and I am a foreigner. -Please?" - -She smiled at his earnestness and gave in. Presently they were sipping -tea together. The scene assumed an air of intimacy. They chatted -pleasantly. The light silk shawl about her shoulders gave him a cue. -"You're about to go out, are you not. I really shouldn't keep you, -but----" - -"No, it's all right. It is Saturday, and I was thinking of going to the -pictures." - -The pictures! So she was another of Japan's millions of movie -worshipers who form their ideas of Western civilization from the -frenzied life of the cinema, Wild West pictures of cowboys rescuing -lovely heroines from Indians and bandits, dainty damsels abducted -in madly racing automobiles, passionate love scenes in lavishly -upholstered abodes of plutocracy, gun-play and murder in city -streets--all the wildly gyrating, delirious melodrama which ingenuous -Japan seriously believes to be representative of life on the other side -of the ocean. The thought of the discomfort of most of the Tokyo movie -theaters, ramshackle fire-traps crowded with squirming, perspiring -humanity, stifling in the afternoon heat, repelled him; still, it would -not matter. - -"I like the pictures very much too," he lied. "I wish you would let me -go with you." - -But she shook her head determinedly. No, a foreigner and a Japanese -girl! It was too unusual. - -"But are you then so old-fashioned?" He noted her quick frown. He had -gained a little. "Are you then one of these Japanese who, like the old -shoguns, want to hold Japan apart from the rest of civilization?" Now -he knew he had the right argument. - -She flashed at him. "I am not old-fashioned." Her tone softened a -little. "But, of course, you know it is a little unusual for a Japanese -girl and a foreign man to go on the street together." - -He sensed that he had won and made no further argument, only rose and -waited while she took away the tray. Together they went down the steps. - -"And now where?" he asked. - -"Why, Uyeno, of course, the art exhibition. I thought you----" - -He hastened to cut her short. "Yes, I know. But it is far. Let us have -tiffin first. Where? What do you prefer, Japanese or foreign food." - -He knew she would prefer the rare experience of a foreign restaurant, -as Japanese girls almost invariably do. They went to one of the best -in Tokyo, a large, airy place thoroughly modern, a hot, wet towel in -a small wicker tray, for wiping the face after the meal, being the -sole concession to Japanese custom. As he sat facing her, he watched -appreciatively the dainty grace with which her slim fingers, long -practiced in agile manipulation of chopsticks, managed easily the -unfamiliar silver. She was enjoying it, flushed a little, happily. He -knew he would gain pleasure from this germinating friendship. - -He wished to call a taxi, but she restrained him. "No, Uyeno is not so -far. We will go by tram." - -But why bother about a crowded tram? Taxis were not such a luxury. - -"But they are a luxury. Why should we spend money needlessly when the -masses of the people must ride in trams or even walk. It is wrong." Her -earnestness amused him. The deep seriousness of her expression lent her -a charm as that of a child artlessly philosophizing. What odd surprises -they held, the minds of these Japanese girls, ideas shaped from -impressions gained God knows where. They compromised on an auto-bus. - -The exhibition was crowded. It had always pleased him to note the -character of the people who thronged such places, art galleries, -concerts, theaters, high and low, rich and poor, a great number, in -fact, persons to whom even the smallest fee must mean sacrifice of -some material need. And here they were, as usual, small merchants, -poorly paid artisans, some even fairly close to the coolie type, -solemnly, seriously viewing the pictures, saying but little, absorbing, -gratifying a natural, spontaneous love of beauty. What would happen to -a New York bricklayer should he suggest to his mate that they go to see -the Metropolitan Art Gallery? The grotesque contrast of the idea amused -him. - -They went through the Japanese art section first. He always enjoyed -this part the best, for while he had small technical knowledge of art, -he sensed a subtle gratification from the consummate perfection which -the artists of Nippon had attained in this field of their own where -century after century of painstakingly striving lovers of beauty had -succeeded in gradually climbing higher and higher towards fashioning -in concrete form the mirages of their vision. The eye rested, filled -itself with the wealth of delicate beauty of pure, surely drawn lines, -marvelously blended symphonies of color, almost imperceptible nuances -of shade and tint, a myriad of infinitely carefully elaborated details -which the makers contrived to weld into perfectly balanced, full-toned -consonance. There were the tremendous six-leafed screen paintings, -incidents from legend or history of feudal Japan, knights in armor -with long two-handed swords, archers with bow and quiver, women in -scintillating kimono and elaborate coiffure, or, of even more ancient -period, in simple flowing robes and with hair falling loose over their -shoulders, reminiscent of the art of China, the original inspiration -whence Japan had worked out that which was now her glorious own. There -were landscapes on screen or scroll, serrated crag and cliff with -gnarled pines overhanging foaming stream or glittering waterfall; -quaint and charming bits of life of old, or still existing but ever -disappearing Japan,--dancers in graceful postures, young girls in -boats, slender lily hands lying languidly in limpid waters, brown old -men, sickle in hand, garnering the rice, each ear of hundreds drawn -with veritable botanical accuracy of detail, still retaining the free, -swaying grace of nature. - -It always cost him an effort to leave this section to enter that -devoted to art after Western fashion, which was constantly, year after -year, encroaching on, elbowing out of the way that fashioned after the -ideals of old Japan. A few years ago there had been only a couple of -these modern rooms; now those of the old and the new were almost even; -soon the latter would predominate entirely. It seemed such a pity; it -irritated him, the relentlessness of this march of progress? Still, it -was in its way more instructive than the other, gave concrete, graphic -illustration of the ideas and ideals of the young generation, what it -was seeking, striving for, more or less uncertainly, but always coming -nearer to the goal ever shimmering before it, mastery of the modern, -the new culture. - -They were improving. Every year the exhibitions showed more certain -mastery of technique, better grasp of the spirit of the French art -which seemed to be the almost universally accepted school. Kent -admitted it to himself grudgingly; every step in advance in this -direction meant defeat of the old. What would it all amount to, after -all? Even if, with their amazing facility for copying, for imitation, -they might produce work which was creditable, which might pass muster -even in Europe, as, in fact, some of the things he saw before him -might, they would probably never climb out beyond the mediocre, would -never attain original achievement. There were some very good portraits, -excellent flower pieces, though, of course, this was but natural, -considering that this subject was a preëminent favorite with the -Japanese schools. Even some of the landscapes were undeniably fine, -though, he noted, this was the case especially where some Oriental -subject had been chosen, great, carved junks with blood-red sails -glaring in the sunlight against a faint blue sky; mountain scenes -following largely the composition of _kakemono_ subjects, the delicacy -of the latter being replaced by the more massive boldness made possible -by the medium of canvas and oils. - -He felt that he was ungenerous; still it irritated him that they -should be making such headway in their apostacy. Only the nudes gave -him an incongruous sense of satisfaction. They were atrocious and the -exhibit was cluttered with them. In the old art of Japan, _kakemono_, -color-print and screen, they were virtually unknown, but during the -last few years the craze for them had swept over the moderns like an -obsession; the very fact that they were utterly new to Japan, the -sense that they were unconventional, modern, outré, was undoubtedly -the reason. So there they were, scores of them, clumsy masses of -female flesh, blatantly brazen, in all sorts of absurd and contorted -attitudes--and all these women were not nude, they were naked. The -conception of the spirit, the idea of their French masters, the verve, -the _élan_, they had missed it all. The paintings were bad, and the -sculpture, with which the rooms were filled, was worse. Evidently these -young enthusiasts had rushed forth fanatically intent to place on -canvas something naked; almost anything would do. The clumsy, paunchy -forms, shapeless limbs, invariably thick ankles, all seemed to indicate -that they had found their models where best they might, among country -wenches and servant maids, bringing forth on canvas or from clay mere -lumps of flesh, utterly soulless reproductions of female kind. - -Did they really wish to convey the idea that Japanese women looked like -that? Did they wish, barbarously, to slaughter the conception of the -_musume_, delicate, graceful, beautiful, and to substitute therefor as -the ideal mere worship of flesh of the flesh? Damn them, it seemed such -stupid, wanton brutality, brutishness even; a grossly sensuous libel -on the womanhood of Japan. He glanced at Adachi-san, slender, dainty, -flower-like. How was such a grotesque misconception possible? - -He felt that she should have resented all this; but she was interested, -far more absorbed in the moderns than she had been in the exhibits -after the ancient mode. This was the section which young Japan enjoyed. -Here the art students thronged, proud of their achievements or those -of their fellows, young men with velvet jackets and baggy trousers, -flowing ties and broad-brimmed, flapping hats. Their coarse, black -hair flowed loosely down to their shoulders; those who could manage it -had painstakingly cultivated little Van Dyke beards. Nearly all wore -enormous, horn-rimmed spectacles. Here they were in their element, -prideful, self-certain in their assurance that they had advanced far -beyond the _hoi polloi_, that they were the leaders. Conspicuously they -would form groups, point out, discuss, criticize or go into raptures. - -Evidently Adachi-san was quite well known here. Young fellows would bow -to her, some would even address a few short remarks. She was plainly -enjoying it all; she tried to communicate some of her enthusiasm to -Kent, called his attention to work which she thought was well done. -She even used some of the technical patter of the students. He wished -he had been better informed in art, that he might have placed in -convincing form the criticism which craved for expression. He was -relieved when they left the exposition and began their return through -Uyeno Park. - -They found a seat at the edge of an abrupt slope where they had a -wide view of the city. "You didn't care for it, Kent-san?" Her voice -conveyed her disappointment. - -"But I did. I like the truly Japanese things immensely; but that's just -it, even though much of the modern stuff is very good--I won't deny -it--it seems to me such a pity that Japan should sacrifice the wondrous -values of her own art merely to trade them for imitations of that of -the West which the other countries can do better than she can; just as -Japan in all other things is throwing away her own which suit her,--her -dress, her architecture, her manners, only to replace them with shoddy -foreign clothes that don't suit Japanese figures; ramshackle hodgepodge -buildings after no style at all; and all the rest. And then these -student fellows. Can't you see that with most of them it is all pose?" - -A couple of the artists passed, bowed courteously. He raised his hat to -them. - -"But it isn't pose, at least with only a few of them. If you only knew -how some of them slave and toil for the ideals they have, you wouldn't -talk like that. They may seem absurd to you, or funny even, but I tell -you, you would have a different idea of them, if you only knew them." - -"Yes, I daresay they must be interesting to know." Throughout the -afternoon he had sensed an indefinite resentment that she seemed to be -so familiar with them. How did she come to know them so well? It was -not jealousy, still, honestly, it might be something fairly close to -that. But the whole thing irritated him. He wanted to get away from it, -to some other subject. "It is getting quite late, Adachi-san. Let us -have dinner somewhere." - -But she would not get away from it. "Thank you very much, Kent-san. -You're too good to me. But if you really think they may be interesting, -why shouldn't we go to one of the places where they eat, right near -here. Kent-san, you are the only foreigner whom I know, and you seem to -be such, such a reactionary, and I want you to see our side of it. You -foreigners ought to be the ones to help us, you know. I want you to, -please." The slim, white hand was on his sleeve. She was looking at him -earnestly, appealingly almost. - -Hang it, the power which these eyes had over him; they could make him -do anything, he felt. Of course, in a way, that was what he wanted, to -allow himself complete abandon, inertly drifting, dreaming under the -spell of that glorious, pervasive beauty, to let himself go under the -hypnotism of her charm. But this was something entirely different; the -injection of the element of intellect spoiled the whole thing. It was -her beauty, not her brain he wished to enjoy, as one might be dreamily -soothed by the spell of a picture, unheeding the mechanics to which -it owed being. That was her function, beauty. Why should she disrupt -the harmony by bringing in thought, this crass, clamorous new thought -that seemed like a plague of fever obsessing the new generation? "Our" -side of it, she said. He wanted her to be Japan of droning temple -bell, slender pagoda, rich, flaunting silks, not the Japan of steam, -electricity and new thought. But her earnestness softened him. He would -make the best of it. To-day, they had fallen into the wrong setting. He -would contrive, next time, one more congruous with the idea which he -had in mind. - -"All right, Adachi-san, you shall be the guide." - -She was radiant. "Kent-san, you are so good. I want you to be pleased, -and I feel that you are not pleased, but I want you to know us too, me -and my friends, and to like us, if you can." - -They passed down the broad stone steps into a vast space of clanging -street cars and jostling crowds. Then down a side street, a few -blocks. She pointed to a sign, a gaudy female, presumably symbolically -representing art or some such abstraction, holding in one hand a palm -leaf and in the other a paintbrush. Over it was the inscription, in -_kata-kana_ characters, "_kafue montomarutoru_"; of course, that meant -"café Montmartre." - -He knew scores of the queer new cafés of Tokyo, but this one was of a -type new to him. There were the same rickety tables and chairs, but -crowding the walls, leaving scarcely an inch of clear space, were vast -oil paintings, tremendous stretches of canvas, all depicting nudes, in -every possible position and surrounding, in bath houses and by mountain -pools, posing in front of mirrors or just standing upright vacantly, -without apparent intention at all; huge figures, clumsy, ill-formed, a -mass of light-brown or pink, indelicate flesh pervading and dominating -the entire room. - -The tables were crowded, the long-haired, bespectacled ones had -evidently here a habitat, a homely Parnassus, where they might worship -that which they conceived to be art, amidst an atmosphere of beer, bad -cooking and the eternal nudes. They found seats at a table with some of -them, who smiled and made room with great politeness. - -It was an odd mess. Still, since he was definitely in for it, he might -as well do his best to draw from the incident whatever he might. But he -could not get over the incongruity of it, Adachi-san, dainty, modest, -with only an inch or two of clear ivory-tint below the throat showing -under the embroidered _eri_ neckband, surrounded by this mob-like -throng of utter nakedness. - -"And do you really like all that?" He swept his hand disparagingly -towards the walls. - -"Ssst," she placed her hand warningly on her lips. "Please don't talk -so loud, Kent-san. He made them, the proprietor over there. He runs the -restaurant for a living, but he paints, too, these things." - -Were they all going crazy; even second-class restaurateurs snatching -moments between steaks and chops to worship fanatically at the new -shrines? He was about to speak, to express to her his wonder at these -ever more astounding revelations, when he became aware that some one -had come up to them, a Japanese of about thirty, less conspicuously -bohemian than the others, still apparently one of the artist tribe. He -bowed with quiet dignity to Kent. "I beg your pardon, but I couldn't -help overhearing, and I should like very much to know what you think." -He turned to the girl. "Please, Adachi-san, won't you introduce me to -your friend." - -She was plainly pleased as she made the introductions. Kent was a -friend, she blushed a little. The newcomer was Sugawa, "a great -artist," she added, "one of our best." - -Sugawa smiled to Kent. "Women exaggerate so," he remarked in perfect -English. Then he fell back to Japanese, evidently for the benefit -of the girl. "I saw you at the exhibition this afternoon, and now -again here, and I am sure that you don't like what we do. You are an -American, are you not? I thought so. And you know we Japanese like -Americans for their frankness, the American frankness. I wish you would -tell me just what you think about it, and, if you care, I'll tell you -just what we think, what we are trying to do." - -"The American frankness." That was the usual prelude, the favorite -gambit for opening a conversation in which Japan drew out skillfully -the thoughts and views of America, but only so seldom gave like return, -remaining unrevealed, unknown, behind that curiously baffling wall of -national reticence. His courtesy had been perfect, disarming; still -what business had he to come breaking in upon them like that! "American -frankness." He probably wouldn't like it when he received it, but since -that was what he asked for, he should have it, in full measure. - -"In the first place, I must tell you that I am no artist and have but -small knowledge of such matters, but I can tell you how I feel, how -probably most of us foreigners feel when we see you lightly abandoning -the immeasurably fine heritage from your forefathers to make mediocre -offerings to foreign idols." He swept on, expressed his feelings just -as he would have spoken to Kittrick or Karsten; it became almost a -tirade. He began referring to pictures he had seen that afternoon, -things he particularly remembered; but as he went on picking into -bits, relentlessly, this and that painting, the clumsy clay images, -the other's face showed no resentment, expressed instead absorbed, -intelligent attention. Kent felt that he had gone a little too far and -wished to tone it down a little. - -"Even if you, some of you, at least, have done surprisingly well, -especially considering the shortness of time, what particular good -will it do? Even if in time you should bring forth a Gauguin or a -Matisse, the others are doing all that; you will have but added to -the cumulative results; whereas in your own field you are unique, -undisputed masters of an art that is valuable and fine, that will -become lost if you fellows don't follow it up. I hope that I have not -offended you, but it seems such a pity." - -The other smiled. "No, of course I'm not offended. I asked for -frankness and got what I asked for. And, you know, it is not new to -me, this feeling of you foreigners that we should continue along the -old line. That's what my teachers were telling me, in America and in -Paris. That's what you Westerners always want, in art, in architecture, -in dress, customs, life, to have us remain the quaint, exotic, strange -country. You are like the people who think it a pity that a pretty -kitten must grow up to be a cat, and who would like to have a child -remain always a child. On one hand you praise the adaptability with -which we have acquired your civilization, and on the other you hate -to see the old, quaint Japan go--to see it change so as to become but -one more of the many countries of the earth which are so much alike. -You feel that the world is becoming too much the same all over, that -London, and New York, and Paris, and now Tokyo will be all the same, -will afford no new, strange sights and sensations; that Japan is being -lost as a charming playground for you. But what about us? In the first -place, we wanted to remain as we were, but the foreigner forced us to -become one with him. No," he smiled, "I don't resent it. I am glad -it happened, but the fact remains. You praise us for adopting your -civilization, and still that doesn't mean only building steamships, -and railroads and all that. That's the least part of it. That's -superficial. What really counts is our emancipation from feudalism, -from the rule of the few masters, attaining expression of the -individuality, and that's the real Western civilization which Japan, -the Japanese people, has just begun to grasp. Then why shouldn't we -follow our own wishes, each his own, each man, for instance, painting -as he pleases, old style, modern style, after Hokusai or after Gauguin. -You say that we are not producing the art of our forefathers, but you -don't see Europe producing any Titians or Tintorettos. Of course, so -far we are only imitating, we are learning, copying, but why shouldn't -we some day do as well as you do, maybe even better? Now we have joined -in the march of progress of common civilization. We can't go backwards, -we can't remain stationary. We must go on. Art is only one phase of the -whole thing, but----" - -But he was interrupted by a jangling of bells, clamor of voices. - -"_Gogai!_" the hoarse shout came in from the street. "_Gogai!_" - -An extra. They were rushing to the windows, the door. "Hey, come here, -in here." - -A little old man ran in, breathless, amid a jingle from a bunch of -small bells clustered from his belt. Under his arm he held a bundle of -small printed sheets, the _gogai_, extras, great news of some kind. -They all crowded around him, tore the papers from him as he gathered in -their coppers. - -Tokyo had been in a fever of excitement for days. The discovery had -been made that a score of carloads of the arms left in the care of the -Japanese army when the Czecho-Slovak troops retired from Siberia, had -disappeared. At the same time Chang Tse-lin, the Manchurian war-lord, -had received, from some mysterious source, a large amount of war -supplies. The newspapers almost unanimously accused the militarists, -the General Staff, of having engineered the transfer, in spite of -Japan's agreement with the other Powers that none of them should -supply the warring factions in China with arms. Dual diplomacy, the -General Staff calmly overriding, for its own sinister purposes, the -international pledges made by the Foreign Office. The accusation which -the Japanese press so resented when made by foreigners was shouted -by all the papers. And the people took it up. Now had finally come -the time when the issue had been fairly made, when the yoke of the -militarists must be overthrown by the rest of the Cabinet. Breathlessly -the nation watched for the struggle.--But the General Staff haughtily -denied the charge. They knew nothing of it all. A major in the army -"confessed" that he was responsible; he had sold the arms to a Russian -faction with which he sympathized. It was all his own, personal doings. -He took all the responsibility. His wife committed suicide; she would -not face the disgrace. The nation cried out. She was one more innocent -victim of the juggernaut of the General Staff. Her husband was another, -a scapegoat, a martyr. Of course, no one believed his story, a palpable -invention to save the skins of his superiors. Now, what would the -Premier, what would the Foreign Office do? - -The _gogai_ brought the answer. The Premier issued a statement, -setting forth in tedious detail the opera bouffe proceedings of the -court-martial. He confirmed the whole thing. - -"The cowards!" - -They did not stamp their feet, or bang fists on tables; repression -was too ingrained. But as they read through the sheets, calling the -attention of one another to this or that paragraph, disappointed, -disgusted, sickened, hissing sharp staccato syllables between clenched -teeth, it was as if the atmosphere had become charged electrically with -waves of resentment, repressed hate, palpable almost as heat waves, -sinister, ominous. The militarists had won again, as usual; but what -of it? They had been brought a step nearer the eventual, inevitable -debacle. It might seem on the face of it Oriental patience, passivity, -but one could feel the tenseness of cumulative, restrained sense of -outrage, injury. It was the constantly mounting head of steam in the -boiler again. - -But Kent had no time to study effects. He looked at his watch; only a -little after nine. He would have time to cable. "Here, quick, call a -taxi. Bring the bill, _hayaku_. Adachi-san, come along, please. I've -got to send this thing right away." - -A small closed car arrived. They climbed in. Immediately Kent set -himself to composing a draft for his message. Sitting thus together, -her warm, lithe body close to his, he sensed unconsciously the pleasure -of her presence, but his mind was intent on his work, confining in the -laconic form of a cable message the gist of the event. He read it over. -Hang it, he should have liked to have seen the official communique -which the Foreign Office must have sent out, but there was no time. He -must take his chance on the _gogai_. - -"Kent-san," she was leaning closer to him. "And now you are going to -send that by the cable over to America. When will the papers there -print it?" - -"To-morrow the news will be all over the United States, all over the -world." - -"It is wonderful. How interesting your work must be. What have you -written?" - -He read it to her, pleased, with a feeling that her interest was -drawing them together, that in some way, as yet undefinable, they were -being brought into that intimacy which he craved. - -She listened intently, a tiny furrow between the black crescent brows, -thinking. "Kent-san," she said suddenly, as if she had arrived at a -decision after careful deliberation. "You can add that the Premier does -not believe the explanation of the General Staff; that he has told them -so. It isn't fear of the fall of the Cabinet only that keeps him from -making deeper investigation. The secret of it all is a question of the -old clans, the Satsuma and the Choshu. The Premier is Satsuma, General -Matsu is Choshu. The General threatened that if he were not backed up -he would make it a clan fight, Choshu against Satsuma, and he would, -too. They stop at nothing, these militarists. And Viscount Kikuchi had -to straighten it out, to show them that if the governing classes fought -among themselves at this time, it would give the people, the masses, he -calls them, a chance. These old rulers know they must stick together, -the old, the iron-hard men, the feudalists, against the people, against -young Japan. Oh, it's so bitter, Kent-san, not only class against -class, but generation against generation, even among the aristocracy; -father against son, even. Some time you should talk to young Kikuchi, -if he'll agree to talk to you about it. That, Kent-san, that's the real -story." - -In an indefinite way he had suspected that something like that was -the case. That enmity existed among the various departments of the -Government was an open secret, but this version, the clan fight, gave a -picturesque, human-interest angle to the story that he rather liked. - -"Yes, that's interesting; but you know I can't send stuff like that -unless I'm sure it's correct. How do you know? I must know that the -source is reliable." - -The car stopped; they had reached the post-office. He jumped out; then -he leaned forward into the car. "Adachi-san, how can I know that it is -true?" - -She stooped towards him. He was looking straight into these lustrous -eyes, brilliant, close. "I am telling you, Kent-san." - -There was no time for debate; the cable office would close in a few -minutes. As he copied his message on to the printed blank, his thoughts -were racing, occupied with the girl's story. Should he take a chance? -He hesitated for a moment. "Persons in position to know"--his pencil -framed the words half mechanically. He felt an odd conviction that she -was right. The clerk reached over for the message; he was in a hurry to -get his work done and get away. Well, let it go. - -He found her standing in the street beside the car. "Step in, -Adachi-san, I'll take you home." - -"No, there is no need for the car now. I shall walk." - -Again that peculiar prejudice against what she ingenuously deemed the -luxuries of the privileged classes. What a potpourri of quaint ideas -stirred in that brain behind those delicately curved brows, those -wonderful eyes, and yet she appeared extraneously so like all those -Japanese girls whom one saw casually, everywhere, thinking idly that -they harbored only thoughts of flower arrangement, tea ceremonial, or -the ordinary dreams and aspirations of girlhood. She had given him but -casual glimpses at her mind, evanescent, baffling flickers, stimulating -curiosity, tempting him to learn, to find out, to intimacy. So far -the day had given no opportunity for confidential talk; mischievous -mischance seemed to have been ever bent, vexatiously, on intervening. -Now the walk might afford better chance. - -She lived near Kanda-bashi, she said. They passed along the crowded -streets, crossed the Ginza and turned down the broad street along -the palace moat. Here there was no one. He took her hand, and, -hand-in-hand, child-like, as do young Japanese couples, they walked on. -But she was in no mood for personal talk. The moon; see how the light -refracted on the green-oxidized copper roofs of the palace buildings, -and the black reflections of the gnarled pines in the silvery water! -She was thoughtful, a little serious. He walked on with her, wholly -happy at the sense of her nearness, the softness of the small hand in -his, languorously content. - -At the Kanda bridge she stopped. "Here I leave you. I live over there." -She indicated a dark mass of houses on the other side of the bridge. -"And thank you, Kent-san, you have been so good to me." - -But he held on to her hand. "But, Adachi-san, first you must tell me -when I may see you again. I must see you, often, like this." - -She smiled a little. "Why?" - -"Of course. We shall be friends, good friends, shan't we?" - -"But I am always so busy, really. I have so little time." - -"Of course, you have time. Say Wednesday." She shook her head. "Well, -then, Saturday afternoon; then I know you have time. I shall wait for -you in Hibiya, at the fountain by the wistaria arbor, at noon, please." - -But again she shook her head. He clung to her hand, insisting. Suddenly -she pulled it free, laughed. "All right then, next Saturday." She -moved away a few steps, then abruptly, impulsively, she plucked from -her hair a rose, held it over to him. "For you, Kent-san. Good-night, -_o-yasumi nasai_." - -He stood holding the flower, watching her as she moved swiftly over the -bridge and disappeared in a narrow lane between the dark buildings. -He found a rickshaw. Despite subconscious realization that the day -had, after all, been drab, commonplace, disappointing, he felt in an -exalted mood. The trotting figure of the rickshaw coolie faded from -his consciousness; it was as if he were alone, with his thoughts, -dreams. What a wonderfully complicated little beauty she was, entirely -different from any girl he had known, had ever imagined; mysterious -with her passionate devotion to the new things, art, the political flux -and ferment, her peculiarly insistent abhorrence at the luxuries of -the rich, and then, finally, that inconsistent flash of coquetry. Now -he must carry on, get the explanation of all this, learn her thoughts, -attain intimacy. She piqued him with her elusiveness, but it added -to his zest. But what did he wish, after all? He enjoyed the sense -of being surrounded, enveloped in her beauty; yet he was not in love -with her--no, he was not--there was no desire of conquest, to embrace -her, to clasp her in his arms in possession. And still he had realized -distinct enjoyment at holding her hand. It was intensely interesting, -her evident acquaintance with the manipulation of the hidden strings -which actuated the secret workings of the government behind the -scenes. Yes, that also caused attraction; yet he had been drawn to -her, irresistibly, with the direct certainty which compels steel to -a magnet, even before he had heard a word from her, by the sheer -compulsion of her beauty. Hang it, it was all very puzzling, this not -being able to define what was really stirring within one's own mind. -Still, he was no psychoanalyst. He gave it up. He would let the thing -take its course, let fate work it out according to its own inscrutable -arrangement. - -He held the rose to his face; yes, he was certain; of all the -incongruous, clashing incidents of the day, this was the one he liked -best. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -The following morning Kittrick dropped in to discuss the news. But -there was little to discuss; all Japan was unanimous in the belief -that the official statement constituted but a very crudely contrived -whitewash. "I think though that the Foreign Office might have summoned -courage to challenge the General Staff had it been able to get -irrefutable proof that it engineered the deal to Chang Tse-lin," said -Kittrick. "But they failed to get it, so they were in fact quite wise -in not making a charge which they could not back up. I think, though, -that the Premier made a mistake in issuing the statement over his -own signature. Now he has tarred himself with the same brush as the -militarists, and if the world loses whatever confidence it gained in -Japan at the Washington Conference, Japan has only herself to blame." - -"I think----" began Kent, but he was interrupted by a noise at the -door, and the Great Nishimura strode in, radiant, flatulent with -self-importance. - -"Hello, Nishimura-san," Kent waved him to a chair. "We were just -talking about the Premier's proclamation. What do you think of it?" - -"Bunk!" He dismissed the matter with a scornful sweep of the hand. -"Gentlemen, congratulate me; I'm going to be a candidate for the House -of Representatives." - -"Good for you; congratulations. What party will it be, Seiyukai or -Kenseikai?" - -"Ah, that's a detail that hasn't been decided yet. We shall find out -first which party seems to be the strongest in my native place where -I'm going to run; we're a little uncertain yet. But the most important -part, the financial arrangement, has all been fixed up, so probably, -gentlemen, a short time from now you shall address me as the Honorable -Nishimura, and, who knows, some day it may be His Excellency Nishimura. -Finally my talents are being recognized by the people that count. I -know the game, and I shall go far--and I shan't forget my friends." He -smiled effusively. "In fact, that's what I came in about, to see if -you two gentlemen would care to join me in a little celebration, just -us three. Now, you know, it is not the common thing for us Japanese -gentlemen to go to the Yoshiwara. It isn't done, at least not openly. -We go to geisha houses when we want relaxation for 'the tired business -man,' as you Americans say. But the fact is, an old client of mine -owns one of the first-class houses in the Yoshiwara, and to tender his -respects to me he has invited me to come with a few friends to his -place--so I thought you might like to come." - -"Why, thanks, Nishimura-san, I think I'd like to go." Kent had never -seen the Yoshiwara. He had meant to see it, just as he had meant to see -the Imperial Museum and the tombs of the Forty-seven Ronin, some day, -ever postponing with the knowledge that he might go at any time. "What -about you, Kittrick?" - -"Sure I'll go. The Yoshiwara isn't what it used to be, is it, -Nishimura-san?" The great man shook his head sadly. "Still we shall -enjoy the excellent hospitality of the coming Premier of Japan." - -"Who knows?" he smiled deprecatingly. "All right, gentlemen, I shall be -here at seven with a car." - -The car he brought must have been one of the largest in Tokyo, an -enormous thing with an interior resplendent with mirrors, cut-glass -flower holders and manifold glittering nickel trimmings. "Not a hired -car, this," explained Nishimura. "It belongs to the Watanabe interests, -my backers, who are now assisting me. Step in." - -They swept through Tokyo, through a dimly lighted section of narrow -streets, emerging presently into a quarter where great buildings, -brilliantly lighted, presented a vivid contrast to the surrounding -squalor. "Here we are," announced Nishimura. "The nightless city of -wine, and song, and beautiful women. You have nothing like that in -America." - -"I'd like to take a look around before we go to your place," said Kent. -"Do you mind?" - -"I shall show you the place, and then you two can walk about a bit. I -shall wait for you. I cannot well be seen in these streets, you know." - -Their destination was an enormous house, three-storied, gorgeous -with elaborate carvings and gilt ornamentation. Kittrick and Kent -set out down the wide street, bright in the blaze thrown out from -the scintillating glare from the great buildings, all spotless, -prosperous looking, glittering with light and tinsel. Along the -front of each house ran a great hall-like space. One entered and -faced a show-window-like arrangement, where rows of large portraits -of women, each bearing a name, appeared, set in variously arranged -backgrounds of gilt screens, vases with flowers, heavy hangings of -brocade, excellently executed silk scroll pictures. At each end of -this was a small box, ludicrously like a pulpit, in which sat men, the -doorkeepers, who drove the bargains with the guests. Some sat silently, -impassively suffering the crowds to flow by, stirred to action only -when inquiries were made of them. Others were busy, after the fashion -of barkers at a fair, praising their wares, calling attention to the -beauties displayed, to the cheap prices. In some houses huge open -gateways allowed glimpses of gardens, meticulously arranged with stone -lanterns, miniature shrines, grotesquely gnarled pine trees throwing -their shadows in the soft light flooding the space from the windows -above, each a delicately contrived, entrancing little fairyland, -inviting, alluring. - -They passed down narrower streets, mere alleys, where the lights were -dim, the houses smaller, some displaying but three or four portraits, -and where the barkers were more insistent. But throughout it all -was noticeable the almost entire absence of women. Here and there, -especially in the smaller places, a painted face might be glimpsed for -an instant between parted curtains, titters might be heard behind drawn -_shoji_, and from above would come the strident whimper of samisen and -high-pitched female voices; but that was all. - -As they progressed, the sameness grew tiring; one became irritated -at the monotony of these rows and rows of stiffly smiling portraits -staring at one, all so curiously alike that soon they gave the -impression of a vast composite picture. - -"I don't see much in it," commented Kent. "It seems to me drab, -tedious. Many of the settings are fine, beautiful even, but so much -of it is sordid, these barkers and the pictures, the gross commercial -hawking of women with as little feeling as if they were meat in a -butcher shop. I can't see the temptation." - -"You came too late," said Kittrick. "You ought to have seen this place -a few years ago, when the women were displayed, when these fronts -faced right up to the street, showing the girls behind gilded bars. -You could look down an entire street, a blaze of light and gorgeous -color. Here would be a dozen girls with high coiffures, whitened faces -and painted lips, all clad alike in costly silks, gold and crimson, -set against a background of heavy brocade and among massive, carved -_hibachi_ and mirrors; here, in the next place, would be a score of -women in purple and silver, shimmering against hangings of soft-toned -velvet; farther on would be another row, in dark blue and white, in the -background marvelous carvings and dwarf pines and flowers, and so on, -as far as eye could see, a kaleidoscope of glittering and glimmering -gilt, and lacquer, and bronze, and constant, restless flittering of -soft textures, blazing colors, riotously bewildering, all decking and -displaying thousands of women for sale,--a truly barbaric phantasy of -the Orient, where, if one could forget the beastly commercialism of -it all, one might at least have a picture, flamingly, prismatically -dazzling eye and imagination. And then came the reformer. He pointed -out, quite rightly, of course, that it was degrading to the great -Japanese nation to have its women displayed, like animals, in cages. So -they put an end to that part of it, the beauty, the splendor, and did -away with the only excuse that the Yoshiwara ever had for existence; -for then, by the gods, you might well have called it one of the Seven -Wonders of the World." - -They returned to the house where Nishimura was awaiting them. A flock -of servants, male and female, attended them. They were evidently -honored guests. In a large room, they found Nishimura and his host. -It was enormous, hall-like almost, with spotless _tatami_ matting, as -usual with only a low table, effulgent in crimson lacquer, some soft -silk _zabuton_, but the few ornaments, an ancient _kakemono_ in the -_tokonoma_ recess and a couple of vases, were evidently antiques of -great price. Nishimura introduced the host, a patriarchal gentleman in -rich, black silks, white-bearded, dignified, incongruously venerable -when one thought of the nature of his commerce. - -"You understand, of course, that our coming here like this to-night is -altogether unusual," explained Nishimura. "Ordinarily guests to come -here must first have gone to the introducing house, to get admission. -This is one of the best houses, and it doesn't take in people just from -the street. But we're friends, and you don't even have to pick your -ladies from the portraits. You shall see them all in the flesh. It's a -great honor." - -The old man smiled benignly, clapped his hands. - -Patter of feet and swish of silks in the corridors beyond. Then -suddenly a sliding partition moved aside and a score of girls tripped -into the room, arranged themselves in a long, curved row about the men, -stood there, like soldiers for inspection, all clad alike in crimson -and gold, some haughtily indifferent, others smiling or tittering, a -flaunting picture of color, crimson lips, white faces, black hairdress, -shimmering wealth of soft undulating textures. - -The old man swept out his hand towards the line of girls. "Please, -gentlemen, select from among these unworthy women the ones whom you -wish to serve you." - -The white men were a bit embarrassed. It was very difficult to choose -in such an array of beauty. They pointed, hesitatingly, almost at -random, to two girls, who left the row slowly, knelt on the mats before -them. One of the older girls was picked by Nishimura. "The oldest are -the best," he advised. - -The other girls moved out, procession-like. "And now, would you care -to see my poor place?" The host rose and they followed him. It was a -vast building through which he led them, tier upon tier of rooms set -in a square about a garden, dark-green foliage refracting the soft -shimmer of light filtering on all sides through the rows of _shoji_; -through the verdure might be glimpsed clumps of flowers, a tiny stream -with a miniature red, high-curved bridge. They walked through a maze of -corridors over dark, brilliantly polished hardwood floors, a labyrinth -of passages and stairways, past score upon score of rooms. Throughout -was noticeable an air of taste, artistically planned arrangement of -pictures, furnishings and ornaments, all spotless. The whole thing -bore an air of refinement, delicately restrained artistry, perfection, -vitiated only by the uneasy thought lurking ever in the background of -the mind, the pity that all this beauty should be devoted to the most -sordid commerce of man. - -They returned to the first room, and immediately a throng of servant -women, soberly clad in dark kimonos, their unpainted faces a relief -after the array of bedizened vendors of beauty, brought the bewildering -multitude of courses which made the banquet. Hot sake was served in -small stone bottles. At the elbow of each man sat the girl of his -selection, watchfully keeping his cup filled. Nishimura's handmaiden -was busy; he expanded in talk. - -As he flowed on unendingly, he became interesting with the intimate -details of his affairs. It was informing; still it struck Kent that, -after all, he was their host, and he must not be allowed to unbosom -himself unwisely. He managed to whisper to him. "Aren't you a bit -frank, Nishimura-san; remember these women may talk." - -Nishimura laughed. "How little you know about the customs of Japan, -Kent-san. Don't you know that we of Japan, we statesmen and business -men, transact our most important business to the pleasant accompaniment -of women, geisha generally, of course, but this is the same. Why, -big business deals are closed the best when the presence of beauty -stimulates the brain and makes more receptive the mind of the man you -deal with. That's why such is no business for striplings who would let -their thoughts wander, but for us maturer and wiser men. Have another -drink, Kent-san, and talk safely, as freely as you please. Or possibly -I have bored you?" - -He hastened to reassure him. "No, not at all; on the contrary, it is -all intensely interesting; only I can't understand just why you're so -eager to get into the political game. You are making money from your -business, and politics must surely interfere." - -"Ah, how little you know of politics. Now I shall instruct you." He -leaned back on his cushion, drew a deep breath, expanded, reminiscent -of the fabled bullfrog. The woman beside him hastened to fill his cup. -He drained it and held it out to her mechanically. She filled it again. - -"You must know, surely, that in all countries business and politics, -economics, go together. That's why it's called political economy." He -had adopted a didactic tone, and frowned as if wrestling with ponderous -problems, pleased with his rôle as the instructor. "That's the way it -is in all civilized countries, only in Japan we have attained somewhat -greater perfection, coördination, yes, coördination." The word pleased -him. "Still even here it was until quite recently even better than it -is to-day. You remember the Manchuria Railway scandal, when such a fuss -was made because what had been gained, outside the rules--but what are -rules--had found its way to the coffers of the Seiyukai party; and the -Kwantung opium affair. Think of it, one official testified that he had -turned six million yen of opium money over to the party funds. That's -how parties may be made great and be able to see to it that trustworthy -men are elected to the Diet. But then the Kenseikai stepped in and -caused trouble, foolishly forgetting that some day they may be in power -themselves--still, possibly they were actuated by some higher motive, I -don't know yet." - -Evidently he had remembered that presently he might find himself a -Kenseikai candidate. The same thought struck Kittrick. - -"But you said that you didn't know whether you'd be a Seiyukai or a -Kenseikai candidate. Now, which party platform conforms the most with -your principles?" He grinned. - -Nishimura waved his hand impatiently. "Oh, platforms! When I was in -the States I heard of that all the time. Platforms!" He snapped his -fingers. "In Japan we do not tie our statesmen's hands with foolish -platforms. We observe the events when they happen and shape our actions -accordingly. Wise men do not cross bridges till they come to them. We -have no party platforms, at least none to speak of." - -"But what do your parties amount to, then?" - -"It's the men that count. Our people vote for the men whom they trust, -whom they know to be wise. It's the men that count." - -"But you haven't explained yet why you're so eager to get into this -game?" broke in Kent. - -The great man sighed and composed himself patiently to further -explanation, as might a man indulgently bear with the inept questions -of children. "Well, of course, you see there is power, and influence, -and also money, a great deal of money, if one knows the game." - -"How much do you get as a member of the Diet?" - -"Three thousand yen a year." - -"And how much do you figure your election will cost you?" - -"At least fifty thousand." - -"Then I don't see it. You are elected for four years, but the Diet may -be dissolved at any time, and then you are out. In other words, you -risk fifty thousand on a chance to gain a maximum of twelve thousand -and possibly only three. And I thought you were a business man." - -The criticism irritated Nishimura, drew him out entirely. With -outstretched hand he warded off further questions. He held out his cup; -the woman filled it, and he drained it, composing himself to the task -of explaining elementals. - -"Of course I don't pay that fifty thousand. That comes from the -Watanabe interests. You know, of course, that the future of Japan -lies in industry and commerce, and that's in the hands of the great -interests, the Watanabes, the Katos, the Oharas and the other big ones -and some smaller ones. These interests are patriotic; they know that -to succeed Japan must have in the Diet men with experience and vision -who will help their industries and make Japan great. So they see to it -that the right men are elected. The Watanabes, for instance, are very -patriotic and always figure on having about ten men in the House, and -the rest all have their own men whom they can depend on. That's why -they are helping me." - -"Still, if you are elected, you only get the three thousand. That's -mighty little to pay for your time and trouble." - -Nishimura was almost at the end of his patience, still he made a last -effort. "But don't you know that there are many others to whom a Diet -member may be useful. Some one wants to help build up Japan's merchant -marine, and he naturally needs a subsidy. So he comes to me, and I look -into the proposition and it seems worthy, and he pays me for my trouble -in examining it, ten, twenty, thirty thousand yen. And another wants -the right to place signs on all the Government telegraph poles, and I -look into that, and I get another ten, twenty thousand yen. It is all -so plain; every one knows it." - -"But it seems to me that comes pretty close to accepting bribes, and -you said just now that that proved unhealthy for the Manchuria and the -Kwantung officials." - -"Oh, hell!" He had to resort to English for emphasis. The host, who had -been sitting by wonderingly, compassionately tendered him a drink with -his own hands. He swallowed it hastily. "That's altogether different. -These are officials under the law, and such are not allowed to take -bribes; but we legislators, we're not officials under that law. Do -you think we could be expected to work for nothing. Of course, nobody -expects that. And then even the officials, nobody cares much. In the -opium scandal, Kata got only six months for accepting a bribe, and -some of the other big men got about that or less--and, of course, in -many cases the sentences were very properly deferred. You must have -read in the papers how it was given out that some of the leaders held -such high orders that they could not be prosecuted, because it would -be a national disgrace to send to jail men holding such honorable -decorations. Ah, some day," he sighed and held out his cup for more -sake, "some day I may be such a high official myself." - -The host had seen that the guest of honor was becoming wearied. He -clapped his hands, the _shoji_ slid aside and six geisha appeared, -with samisen and drums and bustled about, making ready for their -performance. The men stretched themselves out more comfortably. As the -geisha danced, the sake was passed ceaselessly. Nishimura was becoming -sleepy, yawned stentoriously. - -The host took the hint. "And now, Nishimura-san, would you retire?" - -"Yes, I think so. I'm sleepy and a little, just a little drunk." -The host waved his hand and the geisha disappeared. The men arose. -Nishimura was led off, leaning heavily on his woman, arm flung over -her shoulder. In the doorway he looked back, smiling flabbily, -insinuatingly. "Well, so-long, gentlemen. Have a pleasant rest. _O -yasumi nasai._" - -The girl led him off, wobbling dangerously. Kent ran to her assistance, -and between them they managed to convey him precariously down stairways -and through long corridors, to her rooms. The woman sank to her knees, -bowed, her forehead almost touching the mats. "Thank you very much. -I am sorry that I have troubled you." She stepped into the room. The -partition closed behind her. Kent found himself alone. He looked about -for Kittrick, but no one was in sight. It was late. The samisen play -and singing had ceased. As he wandered through the long hallways he -lost his bearings in the vast, labyrinthic house. From the garden below -the soft plash of a fountain came up to him. In the silence the great -gilt carvings, intricately fashioned lanterns hanging from the eaves, -shining surfaces of lacquer refracting lustrously dim light filtering -through paper _shoji_, the air of beauty, still, dream-fraught, brought -the impression of a fairy palace asleep. But as he faltered on, seeking -the room whence he came, past row on row of rooms, closed _shoji_, he -sensed rather than heard a minute quaver of sound, the faint sibilance -of a multitude of whispers, coming from all about him, from behind -frail walls and paper partitions, stirring of unseen men and women, -titillation of restrained giggling, indefinite, intangible, blending -into a vague murmur, a composite, infinitely low, indistinct background -of sound. - -"Oh, there you are. I have looked for you everywhere." He heard a soft -laugh behind him. It was the girl who had sat with him at the feast. -"Come." A soft little hand clasped his. He had been perplexed at his -helplessness, alone in that great house, silent except for the subdued -murmur of bought caresses, purchased kisses, the parody of love played -by these poor, painted houris behind the _shoji_. So he suffered her to -lead him on, uncertain as to what was about to come, still relieved at -having again definite destination. - -"Where is my friend, the other foreigner?" - -Her slim hand indicated vaguely the long row of closed sliding -partitions before them. "There, somewhere. Now, these are my rooms; -please enter." She placed a silk cushion in front of him, sank to the -floor, prostrated herself before him, face held low towards her hands -spread flat on the _tatami_, waiting. - -"Thank you." He squatted on the cushion. She rose. - -"Tea?" - -"Please." With deft fingers she brought out the minute paraphernalia, -doll-like cups and teapot, poured hot water from the kettle simmering -over the glowing charcoal in the _hibachi_. He looked about; speckless -as usual, and dainty, cozy. She had managed to give the room an air -of personality, almost homelike, pathetic, with a doll enthroned on -a little couch of her own contrivance, her small cupboard showing -through glass doors frail china, figurines, temple charms, souvenirs -from little excursions which formed the great events of her life. The -partition to the next room had been slid aside. He glimpsed chests -of fine-grained, unpainted wood where she kept her finery. A pile of -crimson silk _futon_, great wadded quilts, formed a bed on the floor, -almost filling the tiny room. He finished his tea, then she indicated -the room beyond. - -"And now, danna-san, if it pleases you to retire, I shall change my -kimono." - -He looked at her. Through the evening he had hardly noticed her, as -she sat behind him, silent, self-effacive, like a brilliantly colored, -hardly perceived shadow. How young she was, and how expressionless -her face, unlined, untouched by the exactions of her sorry -trade--almost like that of the doll over there, vapidly pretty with -its eternal smile. "No, I think not, not now." He noted the wondering, -half-frightened expression on her face, and hurried on. "What's the -name of your doll?" - -Her face brightened, became alive. "Oh, that's Tamayo-san, tamayo, egg, -you know, because she's so fat. I have two more. Would you like to see -them?" He would. She brought them out. This one had been sent her from -her father, from Kiryu. As she prattled on, he drew from her her little -history. Daughter of a tenant farmer; she had worked at silk spinning. -Then the house had been destroyed by a typhoon, and, like several other -girls in her village, she had gone to the Yoshiwara, snapped up by one -of the agile agents whom news of the disaster had brought to the spot, -alert for business. "They paid fifteen hundred yen for me," she said -proudly. "But then, this is one of the best houses, and then I was only -sixteen. I am eighteen now." - -"Was she unhappy here? Would she not like to go home to her people?" - -"Yes, of course, I'd like to go home. Sometimes it's bad here, when -the honorable guests are drunk and rough; and some of the other girls -are mean and tell lies, and cause trouble. They are jealous of me, and -of Yurike-san, and Ainosuke-san, because we are the most popular and -make the most money. You know, it's fun every month to go down and look -in the big book, for, you know, they must show us our accounts, and -see how much you have saved. For I am saving. I'm not like some of the -girls who spend all their money on clothes and foolish things and are -always in debt. But here the master is pretty good, and in a couple of -years I'll have a thousand yen all my own. In some places the masters -are cruel and bad and keep the girls in debt always, so they can never -get away. No," she cocked her head with a quaint judicious air as if -she were gravely weighing the pros and cons; "it isn't so bad." - -She spoke of the whole thing as if it were an ordinary business -proposition, as she might speak of work in a cotton-spinning mill, -or any other occupation. Did she then fail utterly to sense the -degradation of her sorry occupation? - -"But what about the men then, these scores and scores of guests, -caressing you, fondling you----?" - -"Oh, of course, that _is_ unpleasant, but then I don't think of them. -_Shikataganai_, it can't be helped. I don't give my heart to them; and -then in a few years I shall go home, with lots of money, and I shall -marry a nice man, and I shall have only him and love him. And then I -shall have babies, real babies, instead of dolls." - -He was glad that she was like that, that the sordidness and shame -passed by her unnoticed, not thought of. Here was surely a "lotus -in the mud," as the proverb had it about these women, who, oddly -innocent, mind apparently untouched by the grime and depravity of her -surroundings, contrived to keep her spirit untouched, apart from it -all. But then, she was only a simple peasant girl, ignorant of moral -codes, undisturbed by considerations above physical comfort. But there -must be others, more imaginative, more complex, with minds sensitive -to the constant insult offered by sensuous leer, sake-fraught breaths -in their faces, the compulsion of offering love, or the semblance -thereof, for a consideration of money, to a succession of unknown -men, unsympathetic, contemptuous, careless of their womanhood. As -the thought came to him that here, within the space of a few squares -of houses, were thousands of these women, many of them surely with -delicately adjusted girl souls, enslaved by circumstance to sacrifice -what would have been pure, sweet love aspirations, in this vast market -place of meretricious caresses, he could understand the indignation -of the reformer whom he had heretofore regarded, superciliously, as a -well-meaning meddler. - -He was relieved at the arrival of Kittrick. His girl was with him. She -and Kent's companion whispered together animatedly. Kittrick yawned. -"Well, what about it?" - -"I'm glad you came. In fact, I was just wondering how I might manage to -slip out of this." - -"All right, why not? We can make some excuse surely." Kittrick turned -to the girls. "It's getting late, and my friend has just got a bride, a -new one, and it's foreign fashion always to come home before midnight -during the first six weeks after marriage. My friend always does that -with all his brides." - -"Really?" Had he told them that Kent has as many wives as Solomon they -would have believed it. The customs of foreigners were peculiar; they -might do anything. "How many has he?" - -Kent counted his fingers. "Six, yes, six or maybe seven. So you see -it's time to go home." - -"Bad man, that's not good to have so many wives; one, and possibly a -_mekake_, concubine, but one only is better." The small doll face was -very serious, a little shocked. So she had a code of morals, after -all. "But you're not angry?" The tone was solicitous, frightened. "Have -I not pleased you?" - -"You poor little thing." He fished out a ten yen note, grasped both her -hands and slipped the bill between them. "See, that's for you. Go and -buy another doll, a foreign doll, and when you play with it, you can -think of me. It's a souvenir." - -She came up to him, placed both her arms about his neck, raised herself -on her toes and pressed her warm, whitened cheek against his. "How good -you are. Are all foreigners like that? I wish you were not going. It's -too bad you have so many wives." - -"I expect we had better go and say good-by to Nishimura," remarked -Kittrick. The girls led them to the room, but he was dead to the world, -snoring noisily, sprawling, arms outstretched over the disordered -_futon_, the woman sitting beside him, patiently stirring a fan. The -girls took them to the entrance. The streets were no longer crowded, -but a few stragglers gathered and watched them curiously as they sat -there, in full view, lacing their shoes. Of course, one knew what was -in their minds. The embarrassment of the situation was the finishing -touch. - -"Whew, I'm glad to get out of this." In the silence of the deserted -street, dim now and drab, as the brilliance of the lights had given -way to a faint glimmer, the only sounds were their footsteps and, in a -distance, the clamor of a watchman's clappers. Kent was ill at ease and -wanted to get away from these great, quiet houses, from the sense of -knowledge of the sordidness, of the lives of all these women stirring -fitfully behind these walls. A policeman obligingly found them an -automobile and they started home. - -"Well, what do you think of it, Kent?" - -"I am mainly disgusted, old man, still, I am just now too confused -by clashing impressions to know just what to think. I feel so damned -sorry for these women, and yet, oddly enough, that little girl of mine -was not particularly unhappy. The shame and the hideousness of it all -passed right by her. She might have been far more unhappy in a spinning -mill. In a few years she'll pass out of it, marry, and forget all about -it. But, of course, there must be others, girls who are fine-souled -enough to suffer from the constant degradation that is offered them day -after day, every day. The whole damned thing ought to be abolished." - -"Yes, that's one side of it," said Kittrick. "Sometimes I'm inclined -to agree with you; but then again, at other times I'm not. It's the -old question of regulation or no regulation, and it is still an open -one. At home we have taken the other tack, but I wonder if we're much -better off. You know San Francisco, where you may go out any night -and pick up girls, just like these, not held in such bondage perhaps, -but, on the other hand, furtive, frightened poor devils who are no -better off, who have not even the sense of security that the girls -have here. We hear of Piccadilly and Leicester Square. The trouble is -that as long as men, or at least a great many men, are what they are, -women will be sacrificed. The question is the same here as elsewhere; -there's something to be said on both sides. It's rotten either way. -I've never been able quite to make up my mind which is best, or worst. -But, here in Japan, there is at least one thing in their favor, and -that's the marvelous way in which the Japanese manage to place a veneer -of artistry, of beauty, externally anyway, over this thing. Of course, -we have our opulently gorgeous palaces of sin and all that but they -seem flaunting and garish when compared with Japan, where even in -this they manage to convey a surface of estheticism, delicate beauty, -cleanness, with their spotless rooms, fairy gardens and the rest. It is -reflected even in these girls who seldom show the loose sensuousness, -the brazen, commercial harlotry of our women of that class. And one -thing is certain, these girls here in the case of the lower classes, -and the geisha in that of the more well-to-do, have served to preserve -the purity of the Japanese married woman. It's the existence of the -Yoshiwara and the _machiai_ that turns the Japanese philanderer away -from the other man's wife. And seeing the tangles and triangles of our -cities, the rotten divorce cases, and knowing that the Japanese family, -the unsullied virtue of the matron, is the corner-stone of the Japanese -Empire, I'm hanged if I can't at least understand the reluctance of the -Japanese in tackling this matter, disgusting and tragic as it is." - -It was after midnight when he reached the house, but Jun-san was -waiting for him. She never retired to her own little house in the -garden until the men were safely home. - -"You are late, Kent-san." She smiled, stepped closer, peered at him. -"Ah, so you have found one at last. The other night it was a rose, -and now---- So she is Japanese." The smile left her face. "Kent-san," -she took his hand in her earnestness, "Kent-san, it is so seldom that -happiness comes from this, a foreign man and a Japanese girl, but, if -you must go on, be kind to her, please." - -She slipped away. He shivered a little. Poor girl; it was distressing, -this air of tragedy which always seemed to cling like a shadow to this -beautiful, lovable woman, uncomplaining, with her soft dark eyes. He -could envy Karsten to have the love of a woman like that. He felt -lonely. Life was drab, tedious, selfish. Would he ever gain such love -from some woman. So Jun-san thought he was traveling on that road. The -rose, yes, but what could she have seen to-night? Women were always -like that, even Jun-san, ever imagining. - -He went to his room, began to undress. A glimpse in the mirror made -him look more closely,--a white smudge on his cheek. Ah, that was it, -a smear of _o shiroi_, powder from the cheek of the Yoshiwara girl. -He wiped it away hurriedly. Damn it, if he should enter into love -relations with some Japanese girl, it would not be one like that. The -thought of Adachi-san came to him. Yes, a girl such as she; still, his -mind insisted, this was not the sort of relation he wished to enter -into with her. And if, after all, he did, what would come of it, how -would it end? He thought of Jun-san's words, "so seldom happiness comes -from this." How devilishly complicated life was, a Scylla or Charybdis; -did one steer clear of one rock one banged into the other. He turned -off the light impatiently and climbed into bed, but thoughts would not -leave him, the oppressive, stifling atmosphere of sorrow which lay -broodingly over the household--why could not happiness come from a -relationship like this? - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -With the approach of Saturday Kent became impatient. The feeling of -being alone, that there was in the whole world no one who was really -interested in his affairs, who cared whether he lived or died, took -hold of him and he chafed under a desire for some one who would care, -for the close touch, the intimate relationship which is possible -only between man and woman. That was what he wished from Adachi-san. -He thought it out carefully, made certain that he would eschew all -semblance of dalliance. Jun-san was right, what could such lead to but -sorrow, heartbreak. But he wanted her friendship, a sort of brother and -sister relationship. Even though it was common to scoff at platonic -intimacy, such must be possible, and in this case, with the definite -absence of passion, erotic desire, it surely must be possible if ever. -So it should be thus; he would regard her as a fair flower, attaining -his enjoyment from being near her, allowing himself to be suffused by -the effulgence of her beauty, disdaining to break the charm of purity -and delicacy by soiling contact of too ardent hands. - -As he awaited her, in the wistaria arbor by the fountain, he enjoyed -a feeling of serenity, of having laid out a wise and safe course, -one which would avoid the anguish and regrets of love passion. As he -noticed her at a distance, hurrying towards him, dainty, picturelike -under her brightly hued parasol, he became elated with a feeling of -gratification, pride, that this beautiful, winsome girl, the equal of -whom one did not see in weeks or months, should be thus hastening to -him. - -She was in a gay mood. "You know, Kent-san, it's the first time I ever -had a meeting with a man like this. And still I know that it's right -for a man and a woman to meet thus, if they----" - -"If they what?" - -"Never mind," she laughed, a little confused. "Where do you wish to go, -Kent-san?" - -He left it to her. She decided on Shiba Park. It suited him admirably. -He had hoped that she would select some place like that, typically -Japanese. Somehow the surroundings of the former occasion, the strident -modernity of the new art, the exaggerated imitation of the Quartier -Latin atmosphere by the students, had vitiated the picture which -he wanted to form of her. But here, as they wandered slowly under -the huge, gnarled cryptomeria trees, among the ancient shrines and -sepulchers of the Tokugawa shoguns, with their century-old carvings, -hundreds upon hundreds of great stone and brass lanterns, silent halls -with woodwork wrought into infinitesimally minute details, myriads of -gilt ornaments, fantastic tesselated ceiling squares, one felt oneself -brought back into the age of feudalism, peaceful, reverend in the -brooding calm which lay over this place. Here she blended into, formed -an integral part of the surroundings. The bright colors of her kimono -with its great bow-like obi-girdle arrangement, her clear, refined -Japanese features seeming to supply the last touch of artistry which -infused this gorgeous medieval setting with the vitalizing breath of -life. - -And her thoughts came into harmony with it all. Modernism faded -away; she told him the old histories connected with these shrines, -imaginative, picturesque; quoted the ancient proverbs, bits of softly -cadenced poetry. This was how he wanted her to be; how marvelously she -contrived to translate into living reality the indefinitely glimpsed -dream of his imagination. He became immersed in well-being, absolutely -complete, delicious pleasure. They dined at a Japanese tea house facing -a garden, another perfect composition where nature had been persuaded -rather than compelled to arrange the components, fine traceries of -maple leaves, broad, flat stones in a winding pathway down to a -tranquil bit of water, forming together the perfect picture where no -ill-placed pebble or broken twig might intrude on harmony. - -During the days which followed he enjoyed a sense of elation, triumph -that his dream had at last come true, the ideal attained. This was -perfection, just as he wanted it all, the girl herself to be. With this -he could be fully happy, content. Sitting in his office, smoking idly, -he found pleasure in living over in his mind every incident, every -detail of this delectable adventure. - -"Telephone call for you, Mr. Kent." - -He roused himself, irritated. Hang the telephone and all modern -contrivances which mankind had worked out painfully to plague it. - -"Hello, hello, who's that?" he inquired briskly. - -"Is that you, Kent-san?" By the gods, it was she. He felt as if he must -be trembling visibly in his eagerness. "Yes, yes, this is Kent-san." - -"I thought you might care to come over for some tea." He could hear -her laughter. These prosaic wires had their excellent uses, after all. -"Yes, thank you, of course, I'll come right over." - -As he scrambled up the stairs he noticed that the offices were -deserted; the promoters of Japanese-Bolivian harmony and the rest had -left early, apparently. She received him, smiling mischievously. "I am -so sorry to have disturbed you, but every one goes home so early here, -and I felt a little lonesome. So we shall have tea." - -After that he came often, in the late afternoon, and chatted with her -about the events of the day, the modern music, art, pictures, or, -again, about old Japan, the ancient fables, beliefs, poetry, as her -mood would have it. It seemed as if she possessed two distinct and -complete personalities, one the quaint, conventional, yet emotional -maiden of old Japan, the other the eager, nervous young intellectual, -thirsty for knowledge, for attaining progress. They became very -intimate. He learned that her first name was Sadako, so after that -he called her that only, and she came to call him Hugh,--Heeyu she -pronounced it. They made short trips Sundays, into the country, to -Kamakura, Inagi, up the Sumida River, to temple festivals and street -fairs. Thus it remained. At times he might hold her hand, simply, like -that of a child, but that was as far as it went, as far as he craved -to go. He had attained the fulfillment of his desire for constant -enjoyment of her charm, her beauty, her companionship, intimate, -serene, undisturbed by desire to go further. - -One Sunday they made an early start and went farther afield, to the -Hakone region. At Miyanoshita they left the little electric train, -and lunched Japanese fashion at the Goldfish Inn. Then they wandered -on down, along the road winding between the steeply sloping mountain -sides, drinking in the coolness, enjoying the sweep of green bamboo -and maple trees clinging to the rocky walls above them, the murmur and -gurgle of the stream rushing, foaming, over great bowlders far below. - -At Tonegawa where they went to the station to take the train back to -Tokyo, they found a group of excited people on the platform. They were -talking, gesticulating, children with arms filled with wooden trick -boxes and other souvenirs regarding curiously their agitated elders. -The station master was telling his story over and over again, repeating -it to every new arrival, arguing and explaining. Yes, they might go to -Odawara in the electric train, of course, but there was no way of going -beyond that, to Tokyo. The steam trains were not running. Yes, they had -stopped; they had all stopped. The entire Imperial Railways system had -stopped. It was a strike, a universal strike. No, he knew very well -that that had never happened in Japan before; but it had happened now, -just as it had in America and England. He couldn't help it. They could -go to Odawara for all he cared, but there was scant hotel accommodation -to be had there. They had better stay in Hakone where there were many -hotels. Yes, the trains were not running--he began to explain again to -some newcomers--there was no getting back to Tokyo at present. - -"Well, evidently we are in for it, Sadako-san. The man is right. We -had better find some place here. I have heard there are good hotels in -this village." She had placed her hand on his arm, seemed irresolute, -frightened. "You are not afraid, are you, Sadako-san?" - -"No, I'm not afraid of you. Come, let us go." - -They found an inn in Tonegawa, a huge building with great wings, -many-storied, striving up the hillside, seeming, like the trees, to -cling precariously thereto. The inn people were a little doubtful. Yes, -no. They had only one room left and that was really not a room at all; -it was a banquet hall, not used for sleeping. The other hotels? No, -they were crowded, too, with the unexpected rush of holiday seekers -left stranded here. Yes, he might have the big room. Other refugees -were approaching down the road. Kent made up his mind. "_Shikataganai_, -Sadako-san, we must make the best of it. All right, I'll take it." - -A maid servant led them through long passages, up steps, along a long -passage, up more steps, then through more corridors and stairways, ever -upwards, bewilderingly; it seemed as if they must be mounting into the -clouds. Finally he noticed overhanging eaves; thank God, this must be -the top story; they could mount no higher. The girl led them down a -passage, drew aside _shoji_, ushered them into a vast room occupying -the entire width of the building, showing a great _tokonoma_ recess -with a splendid scroll picture, a bronze statuette of Ebisu, the -fattest and jolliest of the Seven Lucky Gods, grinning them welcome. -There were great gilded screens, several huge mother-of-pearl inlaid -_hibachi_. Quite evidently this was a hall for special feasts. - -The maid brought tea and comfortable kimono. "The bath?" she inquired. -This was a hot-spring hotel, sought by people from all over Japan for -its natural hot mineral water. "I shall get dinner ready while you are -in the bath," she added, evidently with the thought that this foreigner -might not know the common custom. - -"I want to arrange my hair first. There is no mirror here." Sadako was -already in the doorway. "Please excuse me a moment." - -She disappeared. He waited, not knowing just what to do. It was -embarrassing, this bath suggestion. The maid became impatient. "Will -you not take your bath now?" she insisted. Very well, he would solve -the difficulty by going first. He got out of his clothes and into the -kimono. The maid led him down through the maze of corridors, miles it -seemed, to the ground floor, into a hall-like space, with shelves for -clothing, where were standing half a dozen persons, men and women, half -nude or nude, getting ready for or leaving the baths. He turned to the -servant. "Where?" - -"Oh, anywhere," she indicated a row of doors. "There are three baths, -but they are all full. It is no use to wait. There are so many guests -that there will be no empty rooms. Please enter." She was in a hurry, -began to untie his girdle. It was embarrassing. In other inns where he -had been, the rule separating the sexes had been observed. Still, they -all seemed so unconcerned; he must do in Japan as the Japanese do. - -He doffed his kimono and placed it on a shelf. The maid held open a -door. As he started to enter some one from inside was about to pass -out. He stood aside; a young matron, about thirty, and two little -girls, all absolutely nude. He noted curiously that in his surprise -there was no hint of being shocked, they were so natural, without hint -of embarrassment. Came to him instead an odd sense of purity; the -impression was like that of a graceful doe with a couple of fawns, -nothing more. - -The room was spacious; three sides were of finely grained wood, the -fourth wall being the natural hillside with small shrubs growing in the -interstices among the mossy rocks whence jetted the hot spring water, -effervescent, into a rill in the immaculate tile floor leading to the -tank, a huge thing, about three feet deep, filled with crystal-clear -water. The room was so large that there was not even the veil of steam -which usually half obscures the bathers in such places. On the floor -close to him were a couple of Japanese men, rubbing themselves with -towels, preparing to leave. A little farther over were three women, two -very young, rinsing from their bodies the soap which covered them with -a creamy foam; the third, a little older, was having her back rubbed by -the old bath-man. - -Kent took a wooden bucket and dipped water from the tank, poured it -over himself, found a diminutive wooden stool and sat down to soap -himself. The men left and he was alone with the women. They paid no -attention to him, ignored his presence altogether. What a graceful -picture they made, holding high the small buckets whence they poured -streams of the sparkling water over their smooth, slender bodies, -ivory-gleaming, creamy, almost white. The bath-man poured water over -the oldest girl, and all three climbed into the tank. Then he turned to -Kent and began to massage his back. The girls were chatting gayly. He -wished they would have finished before time came for him to enter the -tank. But the bath-man had completed the rubbing; now he was sousing -him with clean water. "Please, danna-san, step in. This water is very -healthful." - -There was nothing for it. He went to the edge. The girls regarded -him disinterestedly. "Please, excuse me." He noted surprise in their -glances; evidently apology had been superfluous, out of the ordinary. -They said nothing. He started to climb in hurriedly, to hide his -embarrassment, but drew back with an exclamation. The water was much -hotter than he had expected. One of the two younger girls tittered, -tried to control herself, but failed. The other became infected by it, -tittered also uncontrollably; from giggles they went into laughter, -grasped each other's hands, bodies shaking, sending ripples scurrying -over the mirror-like surface. - -"Oh, do keep quiet," the older girl managed to repress a smile. -"Please, don't mind them. They're very rude, but they are so young. -Anyway," she added, "you should come into the water quickly; then you -don't feel the heat so much." - -"Thank you very much." He plumped in. It was not so bad, after all. -"It is hotter than any place I have ever been before," he explained, -ashamed at having flinched. - -"Yes, it is hotter here than in most places," said the girl. "So you -live in Japan?" - -One remark led to another. The younger girls joined in. Soon they were -conversing freely, Hakone, the weather, and particularly the news of -the strike, the great event of the day. As they sat there, letting the -heat from the water seep into their bodies, an undercurrent of thought -kept running through his mind, minutely probing analysis into his own -thoughts, his impressions from this astonishing situation. Yes, here -he was, with these three young women, side by side almost, immersed -in this water which offered no more concealment than glass, and yet -his sense of embarrassment was leaving him, had left him; even the -feeling of unconventionality disappeared. He felt no different than -he might have, had he been sitting with them, fully clothed, in a -café. Curiously, there was not even hint of suggestive thought, erotic -inspiration. The utter absence thereof puzzled him a little. Men might -experience such at the fashionable seasides of America where female -beauty chose to adorn itself with wetly clinging textures, boldly -cut garments, designedly piquant, stirring curiosity with artfully -contrived faintness of concealment--while here the very absence of -suggestion, of thought on the part of these women of the man-woman -idea, produced an effect of naturalness, purity even; one would feel -ashamed of harboring fancies of sensuality. And yet these girls--they -were quite evidently gentlewomen--would have blushed in shame should -they, when on the street or any place other than the bath, suffer -accidental exposure of even the slightest bit of bosom; they would -disdain being seen in the daringly cut evening gown of Western fashion. -In the bath this was natural, obvious; one did not bathe in clothes; -this was evidently the idea. - -They climbed out and prepared to leave. He watched them, as they stood -erect or knelt in easy, graceful attitudes, as he might have looked at -a picture. He was pleased that he had grasped the idea, the Japanese -attitude of mind, that a man might look at a woman, unclothed, without -taint of thought of sex. - -"_Sayonara._" The girls smiled to him. An elderly couple came in. -He climbed out, dried himself and passed out into the hall, donned -his kimono and started back for the room. He mounted a flight of -stairs, went down a corridor, climbed more stairs, occupied with his -thought of the incident in the bath. Presently he faced a storeroom -filled with great heaps of quilts. He tried to retrace his steps, but -wandered into another part of the house which was unknown to him. -Lost again, another labyrinth. He would inquire; but he did not even -know the number of his room. The servants were all busy elsewhere. -He asked a couple of young men who passed to show him to the top -floor. They laughed at his predicament and undertook to guide him, -but the floor they finally reached was as unknown to him as the rest -had been. As they wandered along the corridors they could look into -many rooms where withdrawn partitions showed each its separate little -scene, parents with children, young couples, large families, groups of -students, all eating, drinking, discussing the strike or their own more -intimate affairs. Here and there the two young men would make inquiry, -explaining the contretemps. It excited merriment. Others joined the -search, became lost in their turn, pointing out directions, finding -themselves baffled; still more joined the fun. It became a procession -of young fellows and girls, highly amused, laughing, thoroughly -enjoying the childish adventure. How likable they were, lovable in -their ingenuousness; no hint here of racial antipathies. They took -him in as one of themselves in this fine game which had happened so -fortuitously to beguile the time. Kent came to enter into the spirit of -the thing, the infectious spirit of hilarity, with the assurance that -they were laughing with him, not at him; that they were all friends. He -was almost disappointed when a maid who knew where he belonged came to -his rescue and led him back amid laughing calls of "good luck" and "_go -yukkuri nasai_," "don't be in a hurry to leave," from his host of new -friends. - -A few moments later Sadako-san returned to the room. "So you have -bathed too, Kent-san?" - -"Why, yes; and why did you give me the slip like that?" - -"Oh, I knew that it would be like that, with so many people here, -bathing together. Certainly, I did not want to bathe with you." - -"But when you bathed, did you not bathe with men?" - -"Of course, but that--that's different." - -"Because I'm a foreigner?" He was pleased enough that matters had -turned out as they had. Somehow, he felt, with her he should have -experienced a shyness and uneasiness, such as had not occurred with the -girls who were unknown to him; that it would in some odd, intangible -way have vitiated the state of purity of intimacy which he wanted to -maintain with her. But the suggestion that she, Sadako-san, should feel -the race difference, especially when these others had not thought -thereof, irritated him. "Just because I'm a foreigner?" he repeated. - -She came close to him, took his face between her slim, small hands, -looked at him intently, reprovingly. "Hugh-san, you know that between -you and me that doesn't matter. These other men, I didn't know them, -but with you," she blushed furiously, "with you, I couldn't. Can't you -see? It's because you're a man you are so stupid. If you were a woman, -you'd understand." - -In his turn he brought his hands to her cheeks, brought her face close -to his, looked deeply into these great, darkly luminous eyes which had -ever held such a fascination for him. He sensed a thrill pass through -him, delicious, suffusing his entire being. No; he caught himself. -This wouldn't do; he was slipping into dangerous waters. "Sadako-san," -he said, holding control in his voice, "I understand, even if I am a -man, and--you're a dear girl." But still they held each other. He felt -a shivering, gasping tenseness, nervous, electrical, as if the next -instant must bring some new, astounding, overwhelming development. - -Patter of feet in the corridor. They sprang apart, faced each other -embarrassed, in reaction of surprise at the nearness of love to which -their feelings had so unexpectedly brought them. The maid brought -supper. It was necessary to make an effort to appear natural, to get -back to the commonplace. The presence of the servant, unsuspecting, -business-like, arranging the table, helped them. They seated themselves -on their cushions, self-consciousness fell away; soon they were -chatting as if nothing had taken place. - -Darkness had fallen. The lights were lit. The maid brought in huge -bundles of _futon_ and arranged beds, great heaps of wadded quilts on -the floor, side by side. Evidently these two were man and wife, or -sweethearts; it was all the same to her. Sadako-san went out on the -narrow veranda, sat with her back turned to the room. The maid made the -finishing touches. "Good-night, _o yasumi nasai_." She left the room, -closed the _shoji_, the patter of her feet faded away down the hallway. - -Kent went out to Sadako-san. She was squatting on the floor, head -resting against the low rail, staring abstractedly out over the -scattered roofs below, towards the hillside over which was rising a -white crescent moon, faintly silvering the trees along the ridges. -"Sadako-san." She gave no answer. Far down below the stream was -murmuring; cicada violins shrilled a quavering treble serenade. -"Sadako-san," he took her hand, drew her towards him, placed his -arm about her, brought her close, held her tightly. She offered no -resistance, her gaze directed fixedly, dreamily, into the distance, -sadly. The poor, dear, lovely girl. Suddenly all idea of abstaining -from caresses, from love, seemed distant, a thing utterly of the past. -As he felt the pulsating warmth of her body, sensed the beating of her -heart, the heaving of her bosom, the implied consent of her inertness, -that old thought of avoiding love seemed stupid, absurdly futile. She -was beautiful, lovable; they were young, what was life for? He loved -her. He turned her face towards his own. Slowly, looking steadily, -deeply into her eyes, he brought it close. Then he kissed her. They -clung lips to lips. Her arms went about his neck. The murmur of the -stream and the cicada violins faded into an indefinite, soft, distant -obligato. - -"Sadako-san, I love you." - -Slowly she drew her face from his, eyes wide as if in surprise, fear. -Suddenly she threw his hands from her, held out her own against him, -stared at him, lips parted. "Hugh-san, oh, Hugh-san, why did you do -it?" Her hands grasped the rail and she buried her face on her arms. -He could hear her sobbing. With gentle hands he tried to soothe her, -but the mere touch caused her to tremble convulsively, it seemed almost -hysterically. "Sadako-san, Sadako-san." He spoke soothingly as he -might have done to a frightened child. Gradually the sobbing ceased, -the nervous tenseness of her body gave way to passive inertness. He -contrived to place his arm about her. "And now, Sadako-san, little -girl, don't be frightened of me. I shan't hurt you, or kiss you, or do -anything you don't wish me to do. But don't you understand that I love -you? Don't you care for me at all?" - -"Hugh-san, I know you are good. I am not afraid of you. I'd do anything -you want, but--I can't. It's impossible, oh, oh, Hugh-san." He could -see tears tremble on long, black lashes, enhancing the depth, the -luster of these dark eyes, the quality that had so overcome him when -he first saw her. Beautiful, unhappy, wholly adorable. "Sadako-san, of -course, it is not impossible. Dearest, I want to marry you." - -But she shook her head, kept shaking it, rocked her whole body. Again -he soothed her, brought her cheek up against his. "Sadako-san, little -girl, what is the matter? Tell me, dear, only tell me." Presently she -straightened, took his arm from her waist, grasped both his hands, held -them, looked straight at him. "All right, Hugh-san, I shall tell you -all, all about myself. Then you'll understand. - -"While I was still small, my mother died, and my father didn't marry -again; he didn't want me to have a stepmother. Oh, he was a good man, -my father. He was a professor in the Imperial University, in political -economy, and all he lived for was to make me wise and good. I went to -a good school and he taught me much himself, many things that he did -not dare teach his classes, showing me how Japan is being corrupted by -the money evil, the big capitalist houses that are gradually sucking -into themselves all the money, all the treasures, all the happiness -of Japan; and the narikins, the new profiteers, who are like jackals -that take what the lions leave, so there's nothing at all left for -the people. He told me that all that was good, all that was fine and -noble about old Japan was being thrust out of the way by the money -worshipers; the samurai, the Bushido code, the splendid old courtesy -and customs, all were being sacrificed that these people might make -money, by any means, fair or foul, by corrupting the government and by -grinding down the common people. He told me so much about it because -he dared not talk to others. He was afraid he might lose his position -or even go to jail for harboring 'dangerous thoughts.' For himself he -wouldn't have minded that, but he was saving up money for my education, -for he wanted me to go to the big universities in America and Europe, -and every month he went down to Yokohama and put money in the Machi -Bank. I didn't care much about these things then, politics, economics; -I wanted to be a doctor; but later I remembered everything he had said. - -"Then came the big crash in business and Machi failed. We lost all we -had; so did the other poor depositors. No one would do anything for -us; the rich men and the other banks were all sorry for Machi, who had -lost so many millions. But he still has his automobiles and his villa -at Hayama--and we had nothing. My father had been failing for some time -before that. Then he died. I am sure that disappointment killed my -father." - -Her voice died away in a whisper. She fell silent, looked out over the -valley, absorbed in her memories. So she was another of the victims of -the Machi failure. He had reason to remember the incident well. The -Machi Bank had been the first big concern to tumble in the crash, and -in working up the story he had learned his first astounding lesson in -Japanese high finance. Out of his bank's assets of some seventy million -yen, Machi had invested sixty millions in his own silk and menthol -speculations, and had lost it all. The very point made by Sadako-san, -the wave of sympathy for Machi on the part of the rest of the -plutocrats, the absolute unconcern regarding the depositors, had caused -him to wonder. He had interviewed one of Japan's leading financial -authorities, a high official in the Treasury Department, about it. -But it had been very unsatisfactory. Why, hadn't Machi lost all his -capital, millions and millions? Of course, one must be sorry for him. - -"Then Machi is lucky that he's in Japan," Kent had said. "If he had -been in America, he would be in jail now." But the official had refused -to believe it. Why? Had followed a long discussion. Had they then no -laws whereby bankers were prevented from gambling with funds placed in -their care? The official had plainly thought that Kent was childish in -his ignorance of high finance. Did he not understand then that bankers -had to invest the funds entrusted to them; that was the very essence of -banking. But was there then nothing to prevent a Japanese banker from -investing the funds in his charge in a poker game or in roulette, if -he so pleased? No, naturally the Japanese Government did not wish to -limit its financiers in the exercise of their talents. And, anyway, of -course, the bankers did not put the money in poker games? No, possibly -not, but what about Machi? As a gamble, poker became a child's game as -compared with silk and menthol. The great authority had shown signs of -impatience; anyway, poker was gambling and silk was business; every -one knew that, and, of course, there was always a certain element of -chance in business. Kent had tried once more. "But now that you have -the example of the Machi case before you, with more like that almost -certain to come, don't you think it would be well to regulate such -business by law? What do you trust to, anyway?" No, the Japanese laws -were quite satisfactory, quite, and the authority had drawn himself up -with great dignity. "We trust," he had said solemnly, "we trust in the -integrity of our bankers." - -Kent had picked up his hat and had left. What was the use? Could you -beat it? Here Machi had gambled away sixty millions, and still they -babbled inanely about trusting in the integrity of such. At the time he -had felt intense sympathy with the victims, unknown to him, orphans, -widows, old men doubtless,--and now here he saw at first-hand one -of the countless little tragedies left in the wake of Japanese high -finance indiscretion. So she really had good reason for her peculiar -aversion to the plutocracy, poor little girl. He leaned forward, -intercepted her glance. "And then?" - -"Then," she shrugged her shoulders. He hated to see the bitter smile -on these childishly curved lips. "Then I had no father, and I had no -money, all because Mr. Machi had wanted to take a gambler's chance to -increase his millions. But he kept his motor and his villa, and we, -whose money he had used, we kept nothing. Then I remembered what my -father had so often told me, and then I decided that I would do what -I could to help the poor against the rich, to do my share to put an -end to a government which allows such things, that cares only for -the plutocrats. So I got a job in a silk filature. I might have done -better, of course, but I wanted to see first what the life of the -workers was like, and I had no money, anyway, so it made no difference. - -"I thought I would begin cautiously; so I found a position in one of -the Ohara 'model mills.' I thought I was lucky. Of course, I didn't -like the looks of the high board fence that surrounded the whole -place and made it appear like a prison; and it was a prison, too, -I soon found out. They never let us out except on what they called -'excursions' and then there were always guards with us. They made a -great fuss about these excursions, but the fact is that most of us -stayed home to sleep--we could never get enough sleep--and then they -scolded us and said we were lazy and ungrateful. It was the same way -with the flower garden and the tennis courts that they were always -showing visitors--for it was a model factory, you remember. It is true, -we had the right to use them, but we almost never did; we were too -tired, we never had the time. We wanted to sleep, just rest. - -"There were hundreds of girls in the factory, most of them young, who -had come there because they had been shown pictures of these fine -flower gardens and tennis courts and thought they would have a much -nicer time than they had on the farms or in the tenements where they -came from. I worked in a room with over a hundred girls, taking the -silk from the cocoons from the boiling water in great big kettles and -winding it on machines. We couldn't sit down and we couldn't speak or -hear others speak. We couldn't even look up from our task. The boiling -kettles made the heat almost unbearable and the stench from the pupæ -was nauseating. My head ached most of the time, and we had to work from -four in the morning until seven at night. Of course, I always wanted to -sleep, and I was lucky that it was a model factory, for the dormitory -was clean, even though there were sixteen of us in each room; and we -were allowed a full _tatami_, a mat six by three, you know, each. But -even there the _futon_ were thin and hard like boards. There had been -sheets once, some of the older girls said, but some had been stolen by -girls leaving the factory, so they had done away with sheets. - -"I became just like an animal, only thinking of time to rest. I had -heard how in other factories the girls sometimes got better conditions -by banding together or by complaining. In one of the textile mills the -girls composed a song about the hem of the silk crepe shift of Mrs. -Ohara being dyed crimson with blood from working girls' fingers, and I -thought I would like to make up songs like that, do something to bring -the girls together, but I was too weak to think. Sometimes I was afraid -I might get consumption, as so many of the working girls do, but if we -were sick, they only scolded us and said we were shamming. I was sorry -I had come there, but I couldn't get away till my time was up. That's -what the fence was for. The food was poor, but I didn't mind that so -much, for poor food costs very little, and I had decided to save my -money so when I got out I might go to typewriter school." - -Again she paused. She was looking straight at Kent; he could almost -feel her gaze, as were she trying to look into his mind, appraising him. - -"You poor, dear girl," he tried to draw her closer. The thought of that -frail, sweet beauty being cooped up in that steaming hell that she had -depicted incensed him, made him want to take her in his arms and hold -her, protect her, comfort her. But she waved him aside impatiently. - -"Hugh-san, don't caress me. I am going to tell you something I have -never told any one, and then, Hugh-san, you'll understand why you and -I can never be more than this, just friends. Maybe you won't want to -be even that then, but I'm going to tell you." There was an uncanny -high pitch of excitement in her voice. She was becoming overwrought, -possibly a little hysterical. He tried to quiet her. "No, Sadako-san, -don't think of these things. They are all over now. I don't want to -hear any more about all that. I shall take care of you and protect you." - -"But you must hear." He could feel the small hands lying in his clench -tightly as she fought for self-control. She looked straight into his -eyes. "In that factory the Oharas themselves never came, but they had a -banto, a young clerk, who came often to look after the business. Once -when I was so sick that I had not been able to drag myself to work, he -inspected the dormitory and found me alone there. He was very kind. We -talked and we became very friendly. He said he felt sorry for me, that -I was different from the other girls and that he would get me better -work. And he did. I got a job in the office, and gradually things -became better with me. I saw him often then; and, Hugh-san," by an -effort of will she was keeping her gaze straight into his, "I came to -think that I loved him. - -"Then one night, it was fine moonlight, and I walked out into the -garden. My work was not so hard, and I didn't have to think of sleep -always. There had been a little party over at the head overseer's -house, and that man, the man I'm telling you about, came back from -there, through the garden. He saw me. He had been drinking sake, but he -was not drunk, and I was always glad to see him, and I ran up to him. -But he just took me in his arms roughly, and pulled me over into the -shadow and forced me down on the ground, and--oh, Hugh-san----" Her -eyes wavered, fell. She threw herself forward, on his shoulder, voice -half-smothered, sobbing. "And I had really loved him. There in that -horrible factory, he had been good to me, and had helped me, and he was -the only one in the world who cared for me, and--and I think that if he -had only held me gently, and spoken softly to me and loved me,--yes, -Hugh-san, I think I should have done anything he wanted. But now I -hated him, even more than I would have hated any other man, and I shall -always hate him. - -"And that's one more reason why I shall always hate capital and its -men, and that's why I have made friends with those who feel like I do, -the Socialists, the Communists and all those, the young men in Tokyo, -the labor leaders, the anti-militarists. That's why I finally managed -to get into Viscount Kikuchi's office, so I might learn all I could -about what they are doing, the bureaucrats and the plutocrats--and, -Hugh-san, that's the reason that I can't love you." - -"But why, dear girl, why?" He gathered her into his arms. She did not -resist, yet he sensed in her body a sort of stiffness, coldness; the -flood tide of ecstatic emotion had passed. "But, Sadako-san, why should -you waste your future, why place your back on happiness because your -past has been wretched? Don't you care for me at all? Couldn't you love -me just a little if you tried?" - -She raised her head, smiled up to him wistfully. "Yes, I think I could -love you, Hugh-san. But I'm not going to. I won't try. Can't you see -how impossible it is. I'm unclean. I'm soiled. Do you think that I -should want to come to you like that?" - -He started to answer, but she placed a hand over his mouth. "Please, -Hugh-san, don't talk. Just let us sit like this; yes, hold me, just a -little while." She nestled close up to him, like a tired child, and -he held her, wondering at the unexpected and strange perversities of -women in matters of love, the impossibility of foreseeing or refuting -the baffling obliquities of their reasoning. In old Japan such a mishap -might have been looked upon with the merciful eye of tolerance; and in -new Japan, the complaint of teachers in even the highest girl schools -was that the maidens were babbling sophisticatedly of free love and -the like. These young Japanese obtained their ideas from the oddest -corners of Western modes of thought, from chance-bought or borrowed -books, taking for gospel whatever they happened to absorb, be it from -long antiquated volumes picked up in a Kanda second-hand bookshop or -from the misconstrued conceptions of Western philosophy casually heard -from these fanatic professors and students. But where could she have -gotten this absurd idea that she was soiled, that her value, that -wondrous gift of beauty and charm, had been vitiated, rendered utterly -worthless, like that? At last he asked her, "Sadako-san, how did you -get such a foolish idea like that? Of course, you're good, and sweet, -and pure, and beautiful. You must never think of yourself as soiled, -unclean; it's unhealthy, absurd. Of course, you don't believe such -nonsense." - -She answered, a little wearily. "But, of course, I do know, and you -know. I am a Christian." - -He almost shook her. "Of all the foolish things! Who ever taught you -Christianity like that?" He tried to argue with her, became voluble. -He was not familiar with intricacies of doctrine, but surely this was -a ridiculously antiquated interpretation of the spirit of Christianity -of to-day, absurd, monstrous. He became voluble, tried to break down -or persuade. And, anyway, what was really Christianity to her? He knew -very well that many of the Japanese Christians were so merely because -it was _haikara_, modern, placed them a little aside from the mob in -the rôle of independent, advanced thinkers. But why should she be like -the rest of the shallow fools? - -"Yes, I know what you say is true. There are many Christians like that. -Even my father, who first taught me Christianity, was like that. I know -he really had more confidence in _Nichiren_. But, Hugh-san, I am so -tired. I want to rest. Go in and sleep. I shall sleep here." - -The recollection of the two beds in there, side by side, suggestively, -brought his mind to the problem of the moment. "Of course not, dearest. -Go in and rest. I can sleep out here." But she would not have that. -Both grew insistent. It seemed an impasse. Finally he went in and -dragged the two beds apart, one to each end of the long room. Around -hers, designated by the curved wooden headrest designed to support -woman's elaborate coiffure, he built a rampart with the screens. - -"And now, Sadako-san, here is a place for you. Can't you trust me?" - -She came up to him. "Of course, I trust you." She raised herself on -her toes, placed her hands to his head, pressed her cheek against his, -warm, soft. He moved his arms to clasp her, but she slipped away, -disappeared. He could hear the dropping of her garments to the _tatami_ -beyond the barrier of screens. - -When he awoke sunlight was filtering in through the paper _shoji_. He -called, "Sadako-san," but there was no answer. He went over to the -screens which guarded her, knocked, called again, but she had gone. -Evidently she had taken the opportunity to go to the bath. - -He went out on the veranda, seated himself on the rail, back against -a post, reflecting. What a rack of emotional storm and stress had -suddenly swept upon them, engulfing them, unexpectedly, whirling them -about like straws in a typhoon. So that had been the result of his -carefully planned pure, passion-free relationship; how little man might -control such things. And he had asked her to marry him. Jun-san's words -came to him. What if she had consented? He would then have been tied to -her now, for life. For life, with this Japanese girl! Would happiness -have come of it, not merely the swirling high tide of youthful passion -of the first years, but during the long years, decades, when constant -living together would reduce existence to the humdrum of every day. He -tried to imagine the situation a score of years hence, when she would -be over forty, when the glamor of youth, the sparkle of newness, the -exotic charm of kimono and strange ornaments should have passed away, -when her mode of thought would no longer be fresh and original to him, -but when the oddness of her ideas would have become stale, irritating -even. They might at such time be living in San Francisco, or New York, -or London; he did not intend to live the rest of his life in Japan. How -would life in such places be for them, an elderly-aged American and a -middle-aged Japanese woman? Marriage must have a firmer foundation to -build upon than mere attraction of beauty, spell, fascination of exotic -charm; to last it must depend on the ingredient of intelligence, common -growth of mind, ideals. His first marriage came back into his mind -warningly, and even there chances for endurance of the relation had -been so much stronger. And yet he did love this girl. Were it not for -the appalling thought of the possibility of what coming decades might -bring, he would not hesitate. Could he, for instance, be certain that -he would live but three, or five years longer, he would have insisted, -persuaded, won her by sheer impetuosity of wooing. But---- No, Jun-san -was probably right; did he venture to tie himself to this girl for -life, he would be playing a game of chance with fate with the cards -probably stacked against him. And still he wanted her, craved for her, -would probably be able to overcome her misgivings; but what if he did? -Would not come the time when she might recall to him that she had been -right, that he had brought only unhappiness to her? No, he must give -her up. - -"Good-morning, _asenebo-san_, sleepy-head." She had crept up to him -playfully, like a child and stood beside him laughing, radiant, with a -freshness like a flower from the bath. Not a trace of the soul-stirring -emotions of the night before. "Soon we shall have breakfast, and after -lunch we shall go back to Tokyo." - -"You forget that the trains may not be running then. Have they had any -news down below?" - -"Oh, it will be only a twenty-four hour strike. That was decided. Of -course, they don't know anything, the inn people, but I know." She was -enjoying her superiority of knowledge. "That was decided on some time -ago, only I didn't know it would come so soon. Don't you know that -while workers are allowed to organize unions, the Imperial Railways men -are not allowed to form them, because they are Government employees. -That's just why we wanted this strike, the first real nation-wide -strike, to come from them, just to strike fear into these governing -classes, to show them how powerless they really are. So a lot of -the most important railroad men, engineers and conductors, all over -Japan, wherever we could find them, were organized secretly, and we -trusted that when they struck the others would come along, for they -are all resentful since the Government cut the freight rates and cut -their wages for the benefit of the rich people who own the freight. Of -course, the authorities suspected something, but they couldn't find out -just what was going to happen and when it was going to come off. And -they will punish a lot of the leaders, no doubt. But let them put them -in jail; it will only make us stronger. I'm so glad that this really -happened; we thought it would be almost impossible to bring it through." - -How intensely he disliked hearing her talk like this. Who the devil -were these "we"? Why should this beautiful, slender girl be stirring -her white fingers in this mess. These words, the sordid jargon of -class passion and hate, seemed so grotesquely incongruous issuing from -rose-petal child lips that should have been humming the lilting songs -of maidenhood. - -"Sadako-san," he could not keep impatience out of his voice, "what the -deuce are you doing in this mess, anyway? Such things are not for girls -like you. It will bring you only unhappiness. Why don't you drop it?" - -"I have told you. Some one must do this work. I have no one who cares -for me; and there are many other girls in this, just as in your country -where women do their share. Why shouldn't Japanese women be as brave -and strong as yours?" - -Damn this craze after modernity! He wished Japan had never been opened -to the Western civilization, to suffering the pangs of re-birth, the -seething flux of reconstruction that sucked so many lives inexorably -into the maelstrom. - -She noticed his frown. "You are angry with me, Hugh-san. Is it because -I didn't tell you about this before?" - -"No, I want none of your confidences about all that stuff; I don't want -to hear you talk about it." He snapped his fingers impatiently. Hang it -all! - -"Don't be angry, Hugh-san. I was so afraid that this would happen. I -liked you so much. You seemed so honest, and then when I heard the -Viscount lying to you, why, I just couldn't help telling you. I hate -all these militaristic plots, their subtle plans, keeping up to the -letter of their promise, but preparing all the time, in so many ways, -for war, for building up their machine in other ways. And so I told -you. I wanted to do anything to help stopping them, to hurt their -plans. But then, afterwards, I came to think it over. I'm Japanese, and -you're a foreigner. Oh, I trust you, but, after all, had I the right -to go against my own people, my own country? Oh, I thought over it so -long, and sometimes one thing seemed right and sometimes the other, -and I couldn't make up my mind, and I grew afraid; so I decided to say -nothing more till I was sure what was right. Now, don't be angry. I do -trust you, but----" From the floor where she was kneeling she reached -up, grasped his hands, pulled him down towards her. He sensed the -trembling of her tightly clasping fingers, tenseness of her body. She -brought her face close to his, eyes intense, staring into his. - -"Hugh-san, if you say that it is right, I'll tell you all that I know. -Anyway, I am afraid that soon I shall not be able to tell much, for I -think that they are watching me, that they will send me from Kikuchi's -office. But I don't care," her voice broke. "Oh, Hugh-san, don't be -angry with me. I'll tell you everything if only you say that it is -right." - -Her face had become drawn; the eyes staring into his were bright with -luminous tears. It was as if he could feel on himself infection of -quivering approach of hysteria. He shook himself together. By the -gods, he'd have no more of these high-pitched, feverish scenes with -their trembling reactions. He wanted no news at such a cost. The girl, -this poor, fanatical flower-like thing, frantic under her visionary -obsessions, she was the only thing that mattered now. - -He rose, lifted her and carried her high in his arms up and down the -length of the great room. "You dear baby," he rocked her back and forth -soothingly. "You dear pretty little baby. 'Rock-a-by baby in the tree -top.' That's how we sing to naughty little babies in my country." She -had struggled a moment when he picked her up, surprised, frightened, -but now she lay quiet; the tremble had left her, the flicker of -overwrought excitation in her eyes had given place to wonder; her body -relaxed, a wistful smile crept over her lips. "But, Hugh-san, I'm not a -baby, don't----" - -"Keep quiet, you're only a baby, my baby, cry-baby. Listen, 'When the -wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the wind blows, the cradle will -fall, and,'" he gave her a great swing, "'down comes baby, cradle and -all.'" - -He tumbled her into the nest of soft silk _futon_. She lay there, -laughing. "Oh, but you are silly, Hugh-san. I had never thought that -you could be like that. And what a funny song. Sing me some more like -that, and tell me what they mean." - -He was overjoyed that the remedy had been so potent. He would have -her all right in a jiffy. Out of his almost forgotten store of Mother -Goose rimes he conjured the Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe, the Ride -a Cock Horse, and others; he remembered the fairy tales which had -delighted Kimiko-san and brought them to bear. But she liked the songs -best, insisted on his singing an odd potpourri of nursery nonsense -transformed into labored Japanese. The maid coming with breakfast found -them in high spirits. - -After the meal, they went for a walk through the village. There they -heard the news; the trains would be running that afternoon. "I told you -so," triumphed Sadako-san, but he turned her attention to a bent-backed -crone who, he insisted, was the living image of the Old Woman in the -Shoe. He wanted no more of the other. At luncheon they had more nursery -entertainment. She was as happy, as eagerly receptive as a young bird -stretching out its beak clamorous for ever more food. It was wholly -delightful. Why could she not always be like that, this entrancing, -absurd girl revolutionist who could be enticed in a moment from Karl -Marx to Mother Goose? - -They left for Tokyo in the afternoon, but the trains were crowded and -there was opportunity for only commonplace talk. From the Tokyo station -they walked towards Kanda-bashi. Seriousness had returned to her; she -said very little. "Kent-san, you have been very, very good to me. I -shall never forget it; and, I shall never forget you. And you won't -forget me, will you, not altogether?" - -"But what are you talking about, Sadako-san? I shall see you again -often, as usual." He took her hand, but she was looking away from him, -over her shoulder. She pulled her hand away quickly. He followed her -gaze. In the shadow of the buildings on the other side of the street -he detected a slinking figure, indefinite, sinister in its stealthy -movement. - -She turned to him. "So you can see yourself now, Hugh-san. It was just -as I thought. That man over there, he has been following me before. -I knew this must come sooner or later. No, come on, walk quietly. It -can't be helped." They reached the bridge. She took his hand, held it -between her slim fingers, gripping it tightly. "Good-by, Hugh-san. You -have been too good to me. How I wish---- I shall never forget how good -you have been. And don't forget me, Hugh-san--dear." - -She pressed his hand again, turned, and disappeared in the shadows -on the other side of the bridge. From the other sidewalk the dark -form of the spy was watching. The swine! What filthy curs they were, -these masters of armies and battleships, to pester and harry a slight, -frail thing like this girl! He started for home and turned down a -side street. Suddenly he wheeled about. Yes, the fellow was following -him, inexpertly, but doggedly. Well, he would show the brute that -shadowing a man, a foreigner, was not such an easy game as badgering -a girl. Abruptly he stepped into the dark shadow of a narrow alley, -waited, fist clenched. What if he were a policeman; of course, trouble -might follow, but he would at least give him the drubbing of his life, -the swine! He waited, bent forward for assault, strangely elated, -expectant. But the minutes passed; he peered out. The fellow was not in -sight. Kent stepped out from the alley. No, he had disappeared. He had -smelt a rat, the damned coward! - -Whew, what a day, and what a night! What a grotesque bedlam this was -becoming to be, this Japan in transition that he had begun to pry into, -this monstrous anamorphosis where the rare quaintness and daintiness -of feudal richness of thought and beauty were anachronistically -intermingled with the crass, clamorous ugliness of riotous, strident -cry, uneasy, hectic pulsing of dissatisfaction, hating mob thought. And -then this girl; she was like a flower ground in the relentless wheels -of some gigantic, pitiless machine--and he couldn't drag her out. What -a price Japan was paying for her modernism, with the fair, sweet souls -of girlhood tattered and wasted as a part of the sacrifice. This, then, -was the end of this relationship that he had hoped so much from. The -premonition was uncanny, overwhelming; he could not ward it off. This, -then, was the end. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -A few days later he went to Viscount Kikuchi's office. A young fellow -occupied the seat at the head of the stairway. "You are new here, -aren't you?" Kent ventured. Yes, he had come here only yesterday. Kent -tried a few more discreet questions, but the lad was uncommunicative. -Still his manner indicated clearly enough that he regarded himself as -a permanency. Kent was glad to learn that the Viscount was absent; he -would have hated to face those piercing old eyes. It was impossible to -tell just how much he might know. - -For days he kept up the search, made occasion to linger about -Kanda-bashi, visited the places where they had been together. He even -had Ishii make inquiries, but beyond ascertaining that she had left her -lodgings at Kanda, he could learn nothing. Again he went for council to -Karsten. He laughed a little. - -"By the gods, but you are the damndest man for losing ladies, for -futile amours. However," he added more seriously, "it's probably as -well that things have turned out as they have. The fact is that you -have not the light, care-free touch to make a successful philanderer. -You're a 'one woman' man. You take your affairs of the heart seriously, -and for that reason it's the more essential that you make no mistake. -As I say, you're a born monogamist. It's an enviable condition; you'll -be happy, serene, content with just one woman, provided you find the -right one. These affairs you have had recently count for nothing. -You've been lonesome, in a susceptible mood. Let it pass. Some day -you'll run into the right one and your problem will be solved for good. -And, one thing more, you're not the sort of a fellow who is cut out for -a Japanese woman. Run along, go to the dances, play with Kimiko-san and -the rest, but don't get involved, for their sake, for they take such -matters seriously and you have no right to cause them heartache; and -for your own sake as well, for you, too, take such matters seriously. -Go to work and forget serious thoughts about women, Sadako-san and the -rest. Heavens knows, there ought to be enough going on in Japan just -now to keep a newspaperman occupied." - -It was true. The atmosphere had become hectic. The railroad strike -had alarmed capitalists and bureaucrats. The police were frantic, -and strike leaders and Socialists, any one thought to be harboring -the detested "dangerous thoughts," were being jailed right and left. -Strikes became frequent. Those who incited them were put away by the -police mercilessly. The method seemed successful, but soon the workers -resorted instead to what they called "sabotage," grasping fondly at the -foreign word, though the movement involved no violence, but consisted -entirely in organized effort to do as little as possible; "going slow" -was a more descriptive phrase for it. The men went to work as usual, -went through the motions of performing their tasks, remained at their -posts during the prescribed number of hours, but production fell to a -minimum. Machinery revolved as busily as usual, but raw material was -fed to it but sparingly; lathe tools moved around, back and forth, but -found no steel to shape, looms whirred hummingly but empty of fabric. -It was especially conspicuous in the case of the tramcar men, who would -run a car a block or so, stop for half an hour while making pretense of -searching for some break, then progress a block or two only to halt -again. Fights were staged in all the big cities between car crews and -irate passengers. The police were helpless; there was no way of making -men work quickly. The capitalists groaned; here were the economists -calling all the time for reduction of production cost in order that -Japanese goods might meet the competition of foreign wares, and yet -their output was becoming absurdly expensive. But the workers were in -high feather. Capital had closed so many factories and had discharged -so many workmen in order to keep the stock of goods in the domestic -market so low that prices would remain high--unable to grasp any theory -except that high prices meant high profits--and now it was compelled to -employ more workers in order to make up for the loss caused by the "go -slow" tactics. - -Labor leaders, Socialists, Communists, Syndicalists, and all the -worshipers of half-understood 'isms found fine fishing in troubled -waters, certain of responsive audiences wherever they might find places -in which to shout their lurid, variegated doctrines. The police were -ubiquitous. By scores, even hundreds, they would attend meetings, -breaking them up and jailing leaders whenever occasion offered. The -Seiyukai party hired bands of _soshi_, professional ruffians, to raise -disturbances at these gatherings, and free fights and broken heads -became commonplace. Still, the various movements gathered force, came -together in common interest as streamlets flow together and form a -river. The many feeble unions joined hands, formed federations. Where -heretofore strikes had been mainly isolated, men in this shop or -factory striking solely in the interests of their own purely personal -concerns, demanding discharge of unpopular foremen, shorter hours, -higher pay, they now amalgamated and struck together, the entire body -of workers of one industry, striking in sympathy with other unions. -The dockyard workers went out because the employers would not pay a -full year's salary to discharged workmen; the seamen threatened to -follow suit unless the demand were granted, and the employers gave in. -Capital became frightened, tried to stave off the evil day by paying -ever greater allowances, hoping desperately to soothe the clamor by -doles of money; but the situation had gone beyond this. The day of the -old feudal relation between master and workman, the personal touch of -a feeling of common interest, had passed. As if born over-night, class -consciousness loomed forth, overshadowed the entire situation. Demands -for higher pay, shorter hours, became subordinated, fell into the -background; now the cry was for a share by the workmen in control of -industries, abolition of capitalism. - -It became almost impossible to segregate fact from fiction. One could -not know what might have happened. It was impracticable to depend on -the reports of the press; one knew that the most important news was -not allowed to see the light of day. Kent tried to get what he could -from original sources. What was capital thinking of all this; what was -it doing about it? He sought bankers and industrial leaders. They all -professed that there was no cause for great worry, brought forth sheafs -of statistics compiled by various government offices and capital-labor -harmony societies, trying to console themselves with patently absurd -figures proving that there was no unemployment, that more men were -given work than lost employment, that all was serene. Ostrich-like they -buried their heads in the convenient mess of figures, insistent on not -seeing the truth. - -"It's only a phase of the depression which we are passing through just -like other countries," they insisted. "Things are no worse here than -they were in America and Europe a few decades ago when your workmen -were in a similar condition. Remember, we have in a few years almost -caught up industrially with the countries which were several centuries -ahead of us. Give us a few years more and conditions here will be the -same. Anyway, the situation here is not as bad as in the United States -and England, for example. Our strikes are insignificant in comparison. -We have never had business held up for weeks and months by nation-wide -strikes. In New York and Chicago you have daylight bank robberies and -hold-ups. In Japan a man may walk safely anywhere with a roll of bank -notes in his hand, even in the poorest quarters. And the industrial -workers are too few in proportion to the total of population to count -for much; only they make lots of noise. The bulk of the people is -agricultural. There's nothing very much to worry about." - -He pointed out that danger lay in the fact that the agricultural -population also had become infected with resentment against capital. -Thousands of unions of tenant farmers, who constitute half of the -agriculturists, had been formed and clamored against the exactions of -rapacious landlords. Some of them had made united demands for rent -reduction, had refused to till the soil when such were not granted, -and had proclaimed that if other tenants were brought in to cultivate -the land, these men would be ostracized; so the fields now lay idle. -What about the formation of the gigantic federation of farmers' unions -and its great convention in Kobe? What about the report that soldiers -who had served their term in the army in Siberia were sowing the seeds -of Bolshevism throughout the peasantry? Did not that show that the -farmers were likely to make common cause with the industrial workers? - -But they remained stubbornly sanguine here also. This, too, was only -a phase. A general of the Siberian expedition had said that this -Bolshevism was only on the surface, like face powder, which would -speedily wash off. So that was that, so to speak. Presently there would -be a big rice crop; there were all indications of a bumper yield, and -then the farmers would be happy again, and quiet. Anyway, capital was -doing what it could. A horde of scholars and statisticians was studying -the situation, and obviously it would be unwise to move in the dark, -until these experts had reported. And the Government had appointed a -commission for studying the problem of universal suffrage, which would -report some day. It was a grave question whether the masses were ripe -for the vote. It would not do to be over-hasty. - -The task of obtaining reliable data with respect to the other side of -the situation was equally baffling. A woman Socialist had sprung into -fame through her articles in various magazines advocating the cause of -the masses; partly, also, from the fact that her husband, a university -professor, had been placed in jail. Kent went to see her in her small -house crammed from floor to ceiling with books and pamphlets, the -inevitable Karl Marx tomes looming forth with glorious prominence. -She hailed him with joy, chanted a tirade of almost unbelievable -accusations; the capitalists were holding the workers--men, women, and -even children--in slavery. Many of them were kept far underground in -mines and were not allowed to see light of day for months; they tried -purposely to kill them by means of unwholesome food and unsanitary -quarters in order to prevent them from going back to the country -districts and spreading the cause of Socialism. It was easy to get -young men and girls to replace them, owing to the general unemployment. -But he wanted something more definite, data, figures. Certainly, he -should have them. She would send him such in a few days. She sent him -a vast bundle of papers, a mass of laboriously contrived compilations -of figures, going back into the early days of Japanese industrialism, -showing by minutely detailed statistics that one-half of the factory -work women died from consumption within two years of employment in -the great textile mills. It seemed almost incredible, and as he went -into the matter he found that figures had been given for periods -before the time when vital statistics of any kind had been kept by -the Government or any one else; still closer examination showed that -the tables did not check, were wildly contradictory in many cases. -Evidently the author had drawn her data, enthusiastically, from her -inner consciousness. He went back to her, told her that her information -must be more consistent, more reliable. She tore the bundle from his -hands. A few days later one of the vernacular papers published a lurid -account from her, mentioning him by name as a capitalist spy who had -been frustrated by the famous lady Socialist. - -He called on Ikeda, the head of the federation of labor, a rotund, -pleasant-faced man with humorous eyes beaming from behind great -round spectacles. "Yes, it is getting worse all the time," said the -leader. "Of course, all this helps to bring the unions together, -but it is difficult to keep them in hand. We all want abolition of -capitalism, but while some of us want it accomplished peacefully, by -evolution, many of the workers, most of the smaller unions especially, -want nothing short of revolution. They are Sovietists, Communists, -Syndicalists, Anarchists, all kinds. They are getting more and more out -of hand." - -"Would universal suffrage content them any?" asked Kent. "I should -think if you centered on the suffrage movement, gave them that to think -about, you might maintain control. Anyway, it seems to me that labor -must remain powerless as long as it is voiceless and has no control in -the government. I take it that you people will back up the universal -suffrage agitation at the next session of the Diet?" - -The eyes behind the great lenses became serious. "No, we're going to -leave it alone. In fact, we dare not take it up. The workmen look upon -that as futile, a mere sop, a process that's altogether too slow to -suit them. We're afraid that if we took up suffrage as an organized -movement, the unions would get out of hand; it would set them thinking -of more revolutionary measures; they would insist on them and would -sweep aside us who are trying to lead them along a constructive line -of action. Anyway, the masses are hardly ripe for suffrage yet. They -must be educated first; that's what we are trying to do now, to educate -them." - -So here, too, was temporizing. Labor leaders, like capitalist leaders, -were trying to play for time, to avoid facing the music, while the -steam in the kettle kept becoming denser and stronger, with ever more -insistent force striving against the walls of repression. But how -much was there really behind all this clamor of labor? He came to -wonder to what extent these complaints were justified. It was true, -what the capitalists said, that conditions in Japan were no worse, or -not much worse, than they had been in America and Europe not so many -decades ago. Of course, the unrest was due to the fact that workers and -farmers, heretofore satisfied with feudal conditions not knowing that -they could be otherwise, had suddenly been shown by the Socialists, the -soldiers coming back from Siberia, the radical press, that workmen -in other countries lived in what seemed to frugal Japanese eyes the -luxury of millionaires, and now they wanted similar privileges, yes, -rights. But capital was right in its contention that workers who -could individually bring forth only one-fifth the result produced by -the white workmen could be paid wages only in proportion to their -output capacity--otherwise Japanese production cost would rise to the -point where Japanese goods would be helpless in world competition and -industry must cease. The point seemed to be whether capital was holding -down labor to unduly harsh conditions. - -He took to rambling about in the poorer quarters of Tokyo, but could -learn but little. The houses were frail, of thin boards and paper, -but so were those of the wealthier classes; it was the form of -construction adopted by a hardy people. Even if these buildings were -dirtier, dingier, the population showed no sign of abject poverty, -of misery. Children played merrily in the streets; men and women -moved about or sat chatting in the open stores. A Japanese might have -learned something, might have penetrated more intimately into their -lives, might have entered their dwellings, have drawn from them their -confidential thoughts, but as a foreigner he felt himself baffled -by an invisible veil of reserve. They were courteous, friendly, but -impenetrable. Only occasionally might he detect a hostile, wondering -glance--what might this foreigner be doing in such places--or he might -hear childish voices behind his back uplifted in song to the effect -that the foreigner's father was a cat. One night a couple of fellows -mellowed by sake wanted to take him to their bosom, tried to embrace -him, overcome by all-enfolding love of mankind generally, insisted on -his joining them in their festive circumambulations. It was annoying. -They were harder to deal with than if they had been unpleasant. He -was trying to hold them off, irritated at the laughing crowd that had -gathered, to escape, in some way. Suddenly the ranks of the onlookers -parted and a Japanese in foreign clothes strode through, a middle-aged -man, muscular, authoritative. "Here, you fellows, run along; can't -you see that this foreigner wishes to pass?" The men stood back -shamefacedly, murmured some apology. "All right, now run along." He -cleared a way through the crowd. "They mean well enough," he explained -to Kent, "but probably you had better let me go with you for a moment." - -"Oh, I'm all right. Still, I want to thank you for your help." He began -to explain why he had come; it was only due this unknown rescuer, and -then the man had spoken in English, and evidently held some authority -that the people here recognized. Who might he be, anyway? - -"So you come to see poverty," the man laughed. "Well, if you really -want to see it, the real thing, I think you may find no better man -to guide you. That's my specialty, you see." He went on to explain. -He was an official, it appeared, had charge of a government home for -unemployed, where men might sleep for fifteen sen a night and board -for forty sen a day. "But there are too few of these places," he -complained. "We can take care of less than one tenth of the thousands -who need it. There are no free sleeping places, no free food. The -Capital-Harmony Society has provided a few reading rooms, playgrounds -and all that; every now and then some rich man gives a small park; but -they all give a few hundred thousands where they ought to be giving in -millions. They can't see that if they don't give now, freely, these -people will come some day and take it from them by force. If you care -to come along, I'll show you how these people live." - -He led Kent through a maze of narrow alleys, into the Fukagawa quarter, -through dark lanes illumined only by faint light from open doorways. -They must walk warily over rotten boards covering the slimy gutters -which served as sewers, to avoid the deepest of the universal mud. -Presently they came to a collection of buildings more squalid than the -rest,--long, barn-like houses of filthy, rotting wood. - -"Here you are," said the guide. "These are the 'Nagaya Tunnels'; they -are famous for being the worst place in the city." - -They entered. Through the length of the building ran a narrow passage, -faced on both sides by cubicles of three mats each, spaces of six -by nine feet, each housing a family, several adults and swarms of -children. In the passageway all cooking and washing was done. It was -cluttered with _hibachi_, firewood, cooking utensils, buckets for -water brought from a pump outside, heterogeneous implements. Women -were busy cooking, and acrid smoke ascended idly against the roof, -escaping through a large hole and numerous cracks and crevices. As -they passed down this corridor they could look into the minute rooms, -packed with goods, ragged _futon_, tattered clothing, poor belongings -of every kind, leaving only a scant space in the middle where humans -sat huddled together or lay asleep. Some of the rooms, particularly -those where a few men maintained slovenly bachelor housekeeping, -were ill-kept, with paper hanging in streamers from broken _shoji_ -ribs, and goods scattered about haphazardly. Others formed striking -contrast with desperate attempts at cleanliness, where woman hands -had tried pathetically to create some kind of home atmosphere in the -box-like spaces allotted them in this turmoil of poverty. Kent caught -a glimpse of a family seated about a low Japanese table, father, -mother and a couple of children, sitting decorously, with the same -display of graceful manners as might be seen in the abodes of the rich, -daintily picking with their chopsticks fish and vegetables from cheap -earthenware. A tiny glass globe with a couple of goldfish was suspended -from the window frame. The little tableau was like a ray of light in -the mass of grime and poverty all about it, a pitiable insistence -on maintenance of the spirit of family life, of decency despite the -squalor hemming it in on all sides. - -As they fumbled on, some of the inhabitants recognized the guide, -crowded up to him with tales of their troubles. These were men only; -the women eyed them curiously, dully, but remained apathetic. From -the shadows unkempt wretches emerged. An old fellow with only one eye -insisted on removing his bandage. He had lost his eye in an accident -while working for the municipal electric light works; but they had -given him nothing. Now, he had been trying to peddle small fish, but -they had stopped him because he had no license. Where could he get -money for a license? He had nothing to eat; others could find no -employment. They wanted assistance, money, jobs. - -But, oddly, try as he might, Kent could not draw even from the -all-surrounding evidences of abject poverty an impression of suffering, -of heart-rending misery. It was revolting that here several hundreds -of humans were forced to find shelter in these miserable hovels, -collections of rotten wood worth probably less than a thousand yen as -kindling and fit for nothing else. But while presence of Americans or -Europeans in such quarters would have caused him indignation, intense -sympathy, here these people, inured to hardship by generation after -generation of Spartan frugality, possessed a happy faculty of making -the best of these wretched circumstances, of accepting them stoically. -Mingled with the complaints, the stories of distress, had been laughter -of children, the glimpse of the family at table, triumphantly wringing -content from even such mean material. He was annoyed that he should -feel like this, essentially unsympathetic, unable to register the -distress which the plight of these people should produce; but the fact -was that there seemed to be no anguish, no grinding, torturing grief. - -He mentioned it to his companion. "It seems strange to me; here is -poverty, and squalor and even want, and yet most of these people do not -seem to be altogether unhappy; some even seem fairly well satisfied." - -"Yes, that's true, but, as a matter of fact, you've come at the wrong -time. Yesterday was the first of the month, and those of them who had -jobs got their pay, and even those without jobs benefit from that. -Those who have money share with the rest. But you ought to have been -here last month, during the rains. I was down here trying to help, -and the water came up to my armpits, tide and rain water mixed. The -whole district was flooded, and the houses. In the single-story ones -like the Tunnels the water stood several feet over the floors and the -people had to construct makeshift shelves for themselves and their -belongings. There they sat for several days, wet, hungry, cold. I've -heard the cry of little children for food and their mothers trying to -hush them, explaining that the father could not work during the flood. -And that sort of thing is not unusual; it happens several times a -year, as often as half a dozen times, whenever there is a heavy rain. -This entire quarter is not fit for human habitation, but the factories -have been built here because the location is convenient and the land -comparatively cheap; and the workers must live near the factories. -The whole district should be filled, but these people have no voice -in the government. Only the rich can vote for city councilmen, and -the government funds are spent for the benefit of the rich, in wide -avenues in the fine residence districts, by hundreds of thousands for -celebrations--but there is no money for rescuing the poor from the -floods. - -"And do you know that the odd thing is that it's these very same poor -people who are carrying the burden of maintaining the city. Tokyo -collects less than four million yen a year from land and house taxes, -and yet she is the sixth largest city in the world. The revenue is -collected by indirect taxation, by the huge profits of the car system, -by the imposts and stamp duties and licenses for every conceivable -thing. The proportion of business tax paid by the magnates is -infinitesimally small when compared with that wrung from the peddlers -and small shopkeepers. So you see, the poor wretches who must cling -to their walls like bats while the flood waters sweep over their -floors, are at the same time paying for the boulevards and improving -the property whose owners contribute almost nothing. Until a few years -ago they did not think of that; they didn't know that things could -be different. But now they're being taught, and they're beginning to -figure things out. This is the kind of a place that breeds 'dangerous -thoughts,' and, I tell you, when I am down here during flood time, I -come pretty close to having 'dangerous thoughts' myself." - -A few days later Kent was telling of this experience to a group of -friends, Japanese and foreign, chance-met at the Imperial Hotel bar. -"It's damnable. Of course, in every country we have rich rolling in -luxury and poor ones groaning in misery, but in no place is the gulf -between the classes so great, and nowhere else are the plutocrats -so utterly unfeeling, so heartless; in no place are the poor ground -so hard to make such absurdly high profits, your sixty and seventy -per cent. dividends, your constant subsidies to giant companies and -industries, your tariffs for protection of profiteers. I tell you, when -I was mucking about down there in Fukagawa and heard of what it was -like during the rains, and what it will continue to be like, I felt -that I should like to meet these people, the Watanabes, the Inouyes, -the Yamanakas, the Oharas, the lady with the blood-dyed silken shift of -the song, you know, and I should like to kick the whole damned outfit, -yes, the lady, too, by the gods." - -"Look out, Kent, you're getting 'dangerous thoughts.'" They laughed and -dismissed the subject, but one of them, Hata, leaned across the table -to Kent. - -"You know, Kent-san, I don't think you'd want to kick them at all, if -you met them. In fact, you'd like them. I'll bet you a tiffin on it." - -"All right, you're on," he replied thoughtlessly. The others had taken -up the question of the Chinese demand for the return of the Liaotung -peninsula, and he was interested. - -A few days later Hata appeared at his office. "I have an invitation for -you, you and your friend, Mr. Karsten, to have luncheon with Baron and -Baroness Ohara, almost any day that would suit you. Would next Friday -do? You know," he had noted the surprise on Kent's face, "you said -you'd like to meet them." - -Could ever such an absurd situation occur outside of Japan? How the -devil could he accept the hospitality of people whom he had said he -would like to kick, the Baroness at that? And still he was greatly -tempted to grasp this opportunity to see at first hand, in their -intimate home surroundings, these people, these heartless plutocrats -who ground down the poor that they might amass wealth in a measure far -greater than they could possibly use by even the most extravagant -luxury. He hesitated. - -"Did you by any chance say anything to the Oharas about my desire to -kick them, Hata-san? Of course, you see that----" - -"No, of course, not," he interrupted eagerly. "You know, I'm fairly -close to Baron Ohara, and I really wanted you to meet him and the -Baroness. They are charming people; you'll revise your opinion. I've -told them of your investigation of the conditions of the poor in Tokyo, -and they are much interested and really want you to tell them about it -all. Anyway, do you think it would be fair for you to see only one side -and then condemn the other? How about Friday?" - -Kent accepted. What an odd proposition. Of course, Hata was right -enough; he must seek both sides before passing judgment; but what the -devil interest might Hata have in this? He did not know much about him, -a suave, frock-coated gentleman, highly intelligent, fluent in English -and French, ubiquitous in all places where Japanese and foreigners -intermingled. He was known to be more or less definitely connected with -the big interests--some even claimed that he was obscurely identified -with the Foreign Office--but he was clever, an excellent companion, -always ready to be of service in giving information or obtaining it -for the foreigners. They accepted him as a sort of unofficial liaison -officer maintained by the Japanese for the purpose of keeping them -informed as to what the foreigners thought; also, in some measure, to -elucidate the Japanese point of view. He was a bit of a mystery, but a -pleasant one. - -On the appointed day Hata came to escort them in one of the Baron's -automobiles. "Here we are; this is the place," he pointed with almost -proprietary pride to a long brick wall rising well above the height -of a tall man's head, hiding from view whatever might be enclosed -within. "How do you like that gate?" Liveried commissionaires held -open the massive iron-grille work, flanked on each side by tower-like -buttresses. "The Baron had it brought from France; it's an exact copy -of that of some château somewhere there." - -"Frankly, I'd rather have seen in its place one of those great wooden, -brass-studded gates of old Japan," said Karsten. "Wouldn't you, Kent?" -But Kent did not answer. He recalled a picture he had seen in the -Japanese papers, some months ago, of this very gate, closed, with -a score of women clamoring, gesticulating through its ornate bars, -workers who had vainly tried to bring their complaints direct to the -owner of the factories in which they were employed. Eventually they had -been hustled away by the police. - -The automobile swept round a miniature mountain cleverly built up from -carefully placed rocks. Trees had been planted amongst them; vines -sprang from the interstices; skillful hands had laboriously contrived -to reproduce a picture of untouched, untrammeled nature, an atmosphere -of the free and restful mountainous country that made it difficult to -realize that the grimy tangles of the city were but a hundred yards -behind. - -More liveried servants met them at the door of the mansion, a large -modern thing, but well planned, with the quiet air of great wealth -which disdainfully avoided garishness. The Baron met them in the hall, -a young man--Kent judged him to be about thirty-five--slim, seeming -tall with his trim athletic figure, almost like some young French -aristocrat as is a type which recent years has brought forth among -the wealthy classes of Japan. He was graceful, pleasantly placing -them at ease. Harvard, then Cambridge, had obliterated the stamp of -race; it did not enter one's thought; one felt exactly as if he might -have been a young Frenchman, Italian, Spaniard. He led them into an -immense living room, high-ceilinged, with French windows giving on -to an Italian garden which had been laid out behind the house. This -also was entirely modern, with the same atmosphere of wealth carefully -restrained by unfailing taste, excellently chosen furnishings, each -thing of value and elegance, but harmonious, with an air of comfort, of -a delightful living place. Possibly a hint of excess, over-crowding, -might be conveyed by the superabundance of paintings which covered -the walls everywhere. At first glance the display seemed too lavish, -garish even, but this soon wore away as one came to look more closely, -appreciating the beauty of each individual piece. Here was a gallery -of modern art with here and there an almost priceless thing by some -old master, and one sensed that this profusion was due, not merely to -a desire for display, but to a genuine affection for these pictures, a -real wish to have them ever before the eye. - -Karsten became enthusiastic immediately, could not keep away from the -paintings. In a moment he and the Baron had become as if they were old -friends, passing from one thing to the other, appraising, commenting, -sharing enthusiasm. Even Kent became absorbed. A discreet clearing of -the throat from Hata recalled them. "Baroness Ohara." - -In this atmosphere of modern Europe she seemed almost out of place as -she came up slowly, with tripping gait in her soft _zori_, absolutely -Japanese in her garb of soft, neutral-hued kimono silks and great obi -band; only the coiffure showed some concession to the modern, the hair, -free from the oil of conventional hairdressing, being arranged in its -natural softness into a wavy crown hiding part of the forehead and -protruding over the ears. - -The Baron made the introductions and she bowed deeply, gravely, -extending her welcome to the guests in the polished refinement of -Japanese phrase. - -"It's a good thing you speak Japanese," commented the Baron to Karsten -and Kent. "My wife speaks only Japanese. She has never been abroad." -So for a moment the commonplaces were exchanged in Japanese, but soon -he and Karsten were back at the pictures again. Two other guests, -Japanese, joined them. One of these spoke French as his only foreign -language. The conversation became polyglot, as they conversed in -English or French about the pictures, or in Japanese with the Baroness. -Kent was asked to take her in to luncheon. - -At table, also, everything was in European style. It was with -difficulty that Kent could compel himself to realize that here he was -really in Japan; he could succeed only by glancing at the pretty, -dainty figure at his side, listening to her soft, melodious Japanese. -At the beginning the talk concerned itself about the poor quarters. -Kent tried to describe what he had seen. They were all interested, -receptive; but somehow he felt that he was not speaking well, that he -was failing entirely to convey the picture, the sensations which he had -felt; he could not drive himself into the vein in these surroundings. -He tried to conjure before his mind the miserable realities of the -"Tunnels," to revive the sense of indignation caused by contrast of -the misery there and the luxury here, at the unfeelingness of these -plutocrats whose most trifling bit of ornament was worth many times the -value of the Tunnel shacks and all they contained. But he could not -make himself despise these people, or hate them. He caught a glance -from Hata. Was he thinking of his expressed wish to kick them, this -graceful, petite incarnation of charm who was sitting right next to -him, eyes wide with interest as if he were telling of matters of a -distant country, things which were far from her, which had not the -least direct concern with her. The thought confused him. He felt with -irritation that his talk was unconvincing, featureless, lame. He was -glad when the interest of Karsten in the pictures brought the main -drift of the conversation to that subject. The talk became general, -the Baron and Karsten leading. When they left the table, they returned -to examination of the pictures, followed them down along the walls, -Karsten and the Japanese, into the hallway beyond. Presently Kent found -himself alone with the Baroness. - -"Tell me some more about these poor people," she asked. "You know, they -came here once, a lot of poor women, and wanted to talk to my husband. -But he was not here. I crept outside and hid in the shrubbery so I -could watch them. They were standing there by the gate and stretching -their arms in through the iron grilles. I felt so sorry for them. I -wanted to go and talk to them, to have them come in here and talk to -me; but I was afraid. I know nothing about business. They might not -have liked it, the men in charge of the business. I was afraid of them, -these grave, old men who are in charge of the factories and the mines -and all that. I was more afraid of them than of my husband. He knows so -little of the business, too, you know." - -So this was the lady whose silken shift was dyed crimson with blood -from working girls' fingers. He wondered if she knew the song; probably -not; she lived as if she were thousands of miles removed from the grim -sordidness whence was evolved almost miraculously all this wealth of -beauty and art. But as he began to tell her about it, it seemed so -futile, so incongruous, like trying to contaminate the frail fairness -of a hothouse orchid with thought of the grimy coal mines which -furnished fuel for the heat which gave it life. He could understand how -it was possible for these people, the plutocrats, to be innocent of -realization of the meanness of the sources of their wealth. Again he -wanted to get away from the subject. - -"This is a wonderful garden," he stepped up to a window. "I admire the -artistry with which it has been fashioned. Here you can see but a bit -of Italy. You would never know that Tokyo is right beyond." - -"I'm so glad you like it. That is my great interest, the gardens," -she was quite radiant. "And beyond that, below the terrace, we have a -typical Japanese garden, just like real, old Japan. You must see it -some time. I'm often quite lonesome, you know. Some day, when you are -not too busy, you must come and have tea with me, and I will show you -all the gardens." - -She went on, telling of the plans for an artificial waterfall, run by -an invisible electric pump, which she was having constructed; about the -chrysanthemums which she was nurturing carefully for exhibition at the -great November show at Hibiya. He enjoyed her, just like that, with -her natural, ingenuous concern with beauty of flowers, the congruous -interest of a gentlewoman of Japan. And as she went on, with bright -eyes and soft voice, and the picture flashed into his mind of the -women, hard-voiced, stridently storming at the gate, the conviction -came to him that should this occur while he was here, were they to -come this moment, he would do what he could to keep this dainty, pure, -flower-like little woman away, removed from the grim realities which -must not be suffered to enter disturbingly into the serenity of her -existence. - -"Well, you didn't kick the Baroness while we weren't looking, did you?" -chaffed Karsten, as they were on their way home. - -"Oh, shut up, Karsten," it irritated gratingly. "I know well enough -when I've made a fool of myself. You needn't rub it in." They went on -a while in silence. "Still, you know, Karsten, I can't help feeling -that I might have made better use of my opportunity to do something -for those poor devils out in Fukagawa. I feel sure that had I been -able to be more convincing, to make them feel as I felt when I was -there, as I feel now, as a matter of fact, I might have contrived to do -something to help. These people, the Oharas, are decent enough, kind -enough, would surely give gladly from their wealth. Here they spend -on a picture more than a hundred of what those poor devils earn in a -year. It isn't right. Of course, it's because they don't know; but they -_should_ know, at least Ohara should. It's an obligation of wealth; -only he doesn't think of it." - -"But he does, in a fashion, at least," Karsten interrupted him. "He -was talking to me about it, out there in the hall. He wants to do -something; he would like to give, but he doesn't know how to go about -it. He tells me that he has spoken to his directors, but they tell -him that he must not interfere with business, that his ill-advised -attempts would do more harm than good, and the constant attempts at -blackmail to which he is exposed, like the rest of the millionaires, -do not particularly encourage him to inject himself into the whirl -of business. And, you know, if I were in his place, I think I should -do exactly as he does, spend my time collecting pictures, building -gardens, adding to the beauty of the city, with shooting and golf as -side issues. I should be content, as he is, to leave my business in -the hands of those who have far better qualifications to conduct it, -technical training and all that. Anyway, Ohara has the satisfaction -of knowing that his concerns are leading the way for improvement. You -know, some of them are spoken of as 'model' factories." - -Kent did not answer, only shrugged his shoulders. Yes, "model -factories"! - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - -Gradually life became smoothed into the old routine existence. News -seemed to occur sporadically in cycles, like the apexes and depressions -of a chart; at times the vernacular press would be filled with accounts -of disturbing events, strikes, mass meetings of workmen, of Socialists -demanding this or that, establishment of shop committees in factories, -recognition of the Soviet government; reports of arrests and police -dispersing gatherings; and this would be followed by hiatus-like -intervals when it seemed almost as if all these things had been -forgotten, as if the excitement had outworn itself. Kent found himself -going often to the dances at Tsurumi; there was little else to do. He -began to find Tokyo dull. - -He was sitting with Karsten one evening in the study upstairs, talking -idly of this and that. It was late; the brilliant glitter of the -_machiai_ below was gradually fading. Some one in the entrance hall -was talking with Jun-san; they could hear the faint murmur of voices. -Suddenly Jun-san appeared. - -"Kent-san," wide-open eyes showed surprise, bewildered wonder. "A young -lady has come to see you, Suzuki Kimiko-san. She says she must see you. -What shall I do?" - -"Well, I'll be hanged! Just wait a moment, Jun-san." He turned to -Karsten, met only his ironic smile as he blew great smoke clouds -luxuriously against the ceiling. "Damn it, Karsten, don't sit there -like an ass. I haven't the slightest idea what that girl has come -here for. I have been with her often at Tsurumi and at hotel dances, -you know, but, by the gods, there isn't the slightest reason why she -should come here, a girl of her class, at this time of the night, a -_go-fujin_, a lady. Why it's even more serious in Japan than it would -be at home." - -"Seems to me the only thing you can do is to ask her up here. You can't -in decency let her stand there in the hall. Ask Suzuki-san to come up, -Jun-san. Kent, you've got to find out what is the trouble, anyway. By -Cæsar, for a man of your continent tastes, you seem to have more than -your share of exciting episodes with women." - -They could hear the exchange of the usual ritual of polite phrases -between the women as they were mounting the stairs. "Please enter." -Jun-san drew the partition aside. - -Kimiko stood in the doorway, hands nervously clenched, quivering a -little, lips trembling as she spoke, words issuing haltingly in short -breaths. "Kent-san. I've come to you. I've run away." - -"You've run away." He had risen to meet her; stood dumbly gazing at her -as if she had suddenly dropped from the ceiling. She had run away! It -seemed as if his brain could grapple with just that one idea, that he -could not get beyond it. - -"Sit down please, Suzuki-san," Karsten came to the rescue. "Jun-san, -will you please have some tea brought. Get to your senses, Kent. We -must do what we can to assist this young lady. Here, let me take your -wraps, Suzuki-san," he took them, pressed her gently into a chair, -bustled about to give Kent time to collect himself. - -But Kent was still bewildered. "So you have run away. Why?" - -"Oh, it's a long story. I'll tell you presently, to-morrow; only find -some place for me here to-night." She was fighting hard for control of -her voice, hands clenched tightly to the chair arms. "Only let me stay -here to-night." - -"But what about your family? You must go home, Kimiko-san, or you'll -have all kinds of trouble. I'll see you home, little girl, and then -to-morrow you can come and tell me all about your troubles. Can't you -see that that will be better," he spoke soothingly. "I'll see you home." - -"I can't go home. There's no one there. They have all gone to the -country. They don't know yet that I have run away." - -That, at least, was some relief. She explained that the family had -left Tokyo a few days before, while she stayed with friends, expecting -her to join them later. "But then I heard, oh, then I heard----" she -glanced at Karsten. He looked to Kent. Jun-san and the servants entered -with the tea things. The matter-of-fact mechanics of having tea brought -the situation down to a more natural level. "I wonder, Suzuki-san, -whether it would not be better to wait until to-morrow," suggested -Karsten. "Then you'll be less excited. We'll take care of you. What do -you think?" She nodded eagerly. In the reaction of the commonplace she -wished only to gain postponement. It was arranged that she should stay -the night in Jun-san's cottage. - -After breakfast, Kent found himself alone with Kimiko. Karsten -and Jun-san had contrived to withdraw inconspicuously. "And now, -Kimiko-san," he drew his chair close to hers. "Tell me all about it." - -She brought both hands up to her hair, smoothed it back slowly. "I -ran away," she spoke evenly, measuredly--evidently she had rehearsed -carefully what she intended to say--"I ran away because I heard that -they wanted me to marry Kikuchi-san." - -During the night he had puzzled the matter over and had come to the -conclusion that it must be something like that, that the family, -after the old Japanese fashion, must have decided that now that she -had reached the age when girls must marry, arrangements must be made -for contracting a suitable alliance. He had even thought that young -Kikuchi might be the one; the families were close, and the Suzuki money -might fit in well with the noble but not over-wealthy Kikuchi house. -It seemed natural enough; Kikuchi had shown that he liked the girl. He -had wondered whether this young Japanese might not resent the evident -intimacy of a foreigner with this bright, young beauty, though he had -never given sign thereof. And now, why the deuce had she come to him? -That, too, had puzzled him. Could it be that----? No, of course, not. -Still, the thought had insisted. What if she wanted him to marry her? -The idea had had allurement. He liked her very much, could almost -contrive to believe that he might love her. But he held out against the -thought; the family would be sure to set itself against it; and even if -they should marry first and confront it with the accomplished fact, the -papers would be sure to revel in the incident, as they always did where -daughters of the aristocracy followed the unconventional. They would -make her out a decadent, wantonly abandoning the decent traditions, -would harry her into unhappiness with their hue and cry. And then he -himself; he had made up his mind that Karsten had been right, that in -spite of its allurement, marriage with a Japanese girl would not work -out in his case. He had reasoned it all out that time at Hakone. But -was that why she had come to him? - -She seemed to read his thought. "I came to you, Kent-san, because I -could go to no Japanese. They would have been shocked, would have sent -me home. And I wanted to talk to some one, to get away from the family -where I was. I knew that the go-between would be coming in a few days, -and I wanted to get advice first. I didn't know what to do. - -"But why don't you want to marry Kikuchi-san? Don't you like him?" he -was sparring, trying to elicit from her something that might give a -clew. - -"Yes, I like him, but I would never marry a Japanese like him, to be -just like these other old-fashioned Japanese married women, always -obedient, always compelled to serve him, to have to regard whatever he -might do as right, even if he had geisha sweethearts; never to have a -right to have a personality of my own." - -"But surely Kikuchi-san is modern. I know him. Sometimes I think he's -almost radical. He takes after foreign ideas in everything. It seems to -me----" - -"Oh, yes, of course, he's modern. He goes to the dances, and dresses -after the _haikara_ fashions, and plays golf, and talks very advanced -politics, and all that. And in all that he is really modern, advanced, -like so many of our young men; but when it comes to marriage, to the -matter of the standing of women, he's like the rest of them, too. They -want modernism and liberalism, but only for the men. In regard to us -women their view is different; there they want to stick entirely to the -old, hidebound rules. They want the modern freedom of thought and of -action--but only for the men. - -"But we women, we want the right to think too, to live our own lives -just as your women do. We are no more stupid, no more old-fashioned -than the men. But they are all against us, all the men. See how often -the _Fujin Koraon_, the Public Opinion of Women paper, is suppressed -by the police. But still we learn and we know. Women are going into -business and into politics; there are even many women Socialists, and -the police are afraid of them. And in the matter of marriage; we want -now to have a right to say whom we want to marry, to have a right to -marry--for love." She looked him straight in the eye, compelling her -glance to meet his, blushing a little, but only finger tips rubbing -restlessly against one another betraying her nervousness. "Even in -school we talked about love, yes, even free love. It is right if people -love each other, if there's no other way. _Shikataganai._ It can't -be helped then. And the principal called in Shinto priests, and had -them perform, right in the school, the 'soul-quieting ceremony,' and -eighteen of us had to assist them, all dressed in white. And we laughed -at it all. It was so silly. - -"That is the reason why you hear about the Clover Leaf Club, which -receives letters from men and women who want to marry, and the officers -sort them out and bring together the couples which they think are well -matched. That's why you see sometimes in the newspapers advertisements -for husbands, occasionally even for foreign husbands," she laughed -demurely. "Oh, that's silly, I know, but still it all shows how we -feel. And that's how I feel. I don't want to marry, at least, not now; -but if I ever do, I shall want to make my own choice, and I shall -surely choose a man who believes as I do. - -"That's the trouble in Japan, if a girl grows a few years older than -twenty, the family consider that it is a disgrace if she doesn't marry. -That is why they are beginning to worry about me, especially as they -have had to give it up about my sister; but then they think that in -her case it is the fault of the schooling she received abroad. So now -they are doubly anxious on my account; they don't want two old maids -well over twenty in the family. But now that I have run away, that -would be an even worse scandal. The papers would play it up as they did -the countess who tried to commit double suicide with a chauffeur, or -as they did with Akiko-san, the millionaire's wife who ran away with -a poet. You know, I have been in the papers once already. That was -when they were making such a fuss about Japanese girls dancing foreign -fashion, and some of them even published the names of girls who went to -dances. One of them mentioned my name, and my parents were so angry. -Now, if they don't leave me alone, I won't go home, and the papers -will learn about my having run away, and that will be worse than ever, -especially because I have run away to a foreigner." - -She leaned back, crossed one knee over the other, looked at him -expectantly. She had gained her composure entirely, even enjoyed the -situation, now that the difficult part, the telling, was done with. -She evidently anticipated approval from him, praise of her cleverness. -But the revelation of her motive in coming to him was like a douche -of cold water. Of course, he ought to be pleased. What he had taken -to be the unfolding of a melodrama, tragedy possibly, developing -slowly, ominously, towards an inescapable woeful climax, had suddenly -grotesquely become transformed into a droll burlesque, fantastic but -harmless. But the suddenness of the metamorphosis irritated him, the -sense of finding himself taking a rôle in farce where he had, gravely, -been preparing himself for pathos. So all his vain imaginings that she -might have sought him out because of affection on her part, because -of her having greater confidence in him, was mere fancy. The little -minx was using him merely as a convenient lay figure where a moment -before he had thought himself to be cast in a principal rôle. What an -anti-climax! - -"And now that you have planned it all out so well, what do you propose -to do now? What do you expect me to do?" - -She caught the irony in his voice. "Now, please, Kent-san, don't be -angry. I thought you would be pleased when I got it all arranged so -nicely. I thought it all out last night. You wouldn't really want me to -run away to you, with you, would you now?" - -Was she in earnest? Was the serious note that had crept into her -voice, the appeal vaguely to be sensed therein, something more than -mere anxiety to dispel his displeasure with her stratagem? How much -did she think of him, or how little? It seemed as if he might detect -the faintest undertone of earnestness under the words rippling from -her lips, a hint of dark shadow deep in her eyes. For a moment the -temptation to grasp her hands, to draw her to him, to learn just what -was passing in her mind, gripped him; but instantly came the other -thought,--what if she should be in earnest? He shook himself together; -he had been on the brink of taking a chance which might have been -replete with fateful potentialities. Steady! - -"No such luck, of course." Purposely he spoke lightly, banteringly. The -moment had passed safely; still, curiosity piqued him and he knew it -would continue to do so--now that he would never know. - -"You know, I think the very best thing would be to have a talk with -your sister." The only thing for him to do now was to get this tangle -straightened as soon and as neatly as possible. "She could fix it up -for you with your parents. Do you think you can get her here to-day if -you send a telegram?" - -"Oh, yes; it's only a couple of hours by train." She adopted the -suggestion easily, seemed almost to have lost interest. It was arranged -that Kent should return to the house that afternoon that council might -be held between him and the sisters. The entire episode was becoming -flat and prosaic. - -On his way to the office he wondered whether he had better look up -Kikuchi. They were intimate; had he been an American he should surely -have sought a frank discussion of the whole affair. He was sure that -Kikuchi would be able to give the advice which he felt he needed as -he stumbled fumblingly into this maze of Oriental convention and -custom, prescriptive usages governed by modes of thought crystallized -by centuries of observance, at which he might but conjecture vaguely. -But as he thought of how he might venture to approach the subject, -it seemed too amazingly difficult, too delicate a matter to attack -hampered by uncertainty as to the reactions which might be caused in -the Oriental mind. - -So he gave it up, decided to give the whole affair no more thought -until the afternoon, and flung open the door to the office determined -to devote himself entirely to whatever routine the day might bring. -There was Kikuchi, sitting lazily, feet against a table. It was almost -uncanny, as if by mere thought, summoned by a wish, he had materialized -like a genii of some kind. - -"Well, I'll be hanged. You know, I had just been thinking of you, -Kikuchi-san. By Jove, you're just the man I wanted to see." Now, that -was just what he should not have said; in his surprise the words had -slipped from him. Well, anyway, now he would wait and see what the -other might have to say. - -"I thought so; so you see, I'm here." He advanced, hand outstretched, -smiling. "No use beating about the bush, is there? It's about your -charming little visitor, Kimiko-san, is it not?" - -Confound him, how did he know? Of course, it was generally accepted -that the authorities kept themselves fairly well informed as to the -doings of foreigners, especially correspondents and such, but this was -just a little too surprising, too damnably efficient. - -"Never mind," Kikuchi had caught his thought. "I found out about it -quite accidentally. It's all right. There will be no scandal; it won't -get out. But I had an idea that I might be concerned in this, you know, -so I just came to see you to find out; that is, if you will tell me?" - -Well, why not? He had hesitated about seeing Kikuchi, but here fate -had solved the question for him. He filled his pipe deliberately, -spoke slowly, felt his way, gave but a bare outline. Kimiko had run -away because she feared a marriage was being arranged for her. She did -not want to marry at all. He emphasized the unimportance of his own -appearance in the drama, as a mere incidental figure, convenient as a -basis for the threat of potential scandal which formed the kernel of -Kimiko's scheme. - -"You don't flatter yourself, do you," Kikuchi laughed. "Well, neither -do I, for, of course, you needn't have been so studiously delicate in -leaving out the fact that I am the unwelcome bridegroom--for I take -it that she told you. But it all suits me splendidly. I don't want to -marry her any more than she wants to marry me, and her scheme should -work out fine for both of us. But we'll have to move quickly lest -there be a scandal in earnest. That sort of thing won't remain secret -forever." - -He leaned back, fingers drumming a rat-tat-tat on the chair arm, -evidently entirely content. "Why so serious, Kent-san. What are you -thinking? Here, out with it." - -"Well, since you yourself invite it, I don't mind telling you that you -puzzle me, you two, you and Kimiko-san." He was glad that the other had -given him the opportunity. "You seem to me made for each other, both -young, having the same tastes, liberal thoughts, modern mode of living; -and you seem to like each other, quite evidently so; and yet, when it -comes to marriage, you both fight shy. You know, to me, to the foreign -point of view, the whole thing is, to tell the truth, mighty puzzling." - -"Of course it is," Kikuchi laughed. "You've missed the main point -entirely; but she didn't, Kimiko-san. She knew well enough. Kent-san, -old man, you're quite right about my liking Kimiko-san. In fact, it's -more than probable that I like her far more than I shall care for -whatever girl I eventually marry. But the point is that I don't want -a modern wife, after modern style, with love, woman's rights, modern -female thoughts and all that. Will you let me be entirely frank, -Kent-san. All right; then I'll tell you just how I and many others -look at it. The point is that Japan has attained great gains from -Western civilization, electricity, steamships, railroads, and thousands -of other things that make life more pleasant and convenient; but, -honestly now, can you show me where we have gained much culturally, -or spiritually, or morally? Of course, some foreigners point to -Christianity, but you know as well as I do that much of that is -entirely on the surface. The better classes become Christians because -it is modern, just as they might learn fox-trotting or playing the -piano; and the poorer ones take it up because it is a cheap way to -learn English or any other of the matters of instruction that the -missionaries hold out as bait. What else have we gotten morally or -culturally from you that was better than our own? We are losing -our art, manners, morals, and getting instead your freak futurism, -your jazz and your cocktail-drinking, leg-displaying flapper. Now, -I'm willing to admit that all that amuses me. I enjoy the dancing, -the freedom with these girls. I have a better time with them than I -possibly shall have with the girl of the type whom I shall marry; -but, heavens, I don't marry a wife for entertainment, because she's -a good fellow. I marry a girl whom I can respect as a mother to my -children. Mind you, I don't want to seem to criticize your system. -It may suit you entirely, be just the thing for you; but it is -entirely inapplicable to us. Your country is run on the theory of the -development and the rights of the individual. In Japan the basis of our -entire social system and body politic is the family. In America, where -each individual must look after the expression of his own personality, -it is plain that marriage must be by personal selection, though I admit -it astounded me,--what I saw in America. A young man and a girl meet, -dance. 'Here, your step just fits in with mine. Let's get married.' -You know, it's almost as bad as that; and then, when you have let -themselves tie themselves up thus unthinkingly, you make it almost -impossible for them to remedy it if it's a mistake. Divorce must be due -to some disgraceful reason,--adultery, desertion, failure to provide; -one must either continue to drag out life in a marriage which is a -curse to the parties thereto and which does no good to the community, -or prove oneself some kind of a beast. In Japan we make marriage a -serious matter, try to give it the best possible chance for permanency -for the sake of the community and of the State; but incidentally the -parties themselves benefit. When you read the papers of America and -those of Japan--and ours are, if anything, more sensational than -yours--you'll find that on the whole we have far fewer marriage messes -than you have. - -"That's why I shall marry a girl who will place her duty to her -family above everything else, who will be content with her home, -flower arrangement, ceremonial tea, looking after her children and -her husband. There won't be much excitement in it, or fun, but then, -if I want that, I can find it elsewhere. I don't marry for fun or for -excitement. I marry to form a family. - -"So there is one thing where you may call me reactionary, if you like, -and that's in respect to women. When I saw in America your eternally -jazzing, slangy, impertinent flapper, the girl who bobs her hair and -'rolls them below the knee,' I was told is the phrase, and when I -saw the inroads which this phenomenon, this freakish caricature of -womanhood, was beginning to make in Japan, with some of our girls who -want to be modern, by talking woman's rights, and personal expression, -and free love and all that, then I said to myself, yes, Japan owes much -to Western civilization, and we may yet gain much from it; but when it -comes to the women, the family relations, let us keep out the Western -system as we would a plague." - -"Thanks, I understand," Kent spoke drily. "I see your point; still it -seems to me a bit rough on the women, especially those like the Suzuki -girls. You've surprised me, Kikuchi-san. I thought you were among the -foremost of the moderns." - -"And why am I not?" He snapped out the retort. "Simply because I -don't want to see Japan adopt a system which has resulted in a riot -of divorce scandals, married women running loose, the family system a -mockery? And yet, Kent-san you know that we young men in Japan cannot -justly be accused of being reactionary, and you know that we are likely -to have on our hands problems so pressing that we won't have time to -dabble with drawing-room sex questions. Can you find it illustrated -any better than it is in the case of us younger men in the Foreign -Office? We know jolly well that the General Staff is still running -the country; we see our diplomats humiliated continually when, after -they have bound Japan to some international agreement, the militarists -cynically walk right through it and leave us to wipe up the mess as -best we can, leaving us a laughing stock and placing Japan in the -position of a nation whose word is worth nothing. - -"Do you know that all we are waiting for is a chance to get rid of the -older men, these pussyfoot, over-careful old men who now run affairs, -and to fight it out with the militarists. We shall have the people -with us. We must have a government for the people and not for the army -and navy. It's bound to come. The government is rotten as it is, with -the General Staff doing as it pleases without being responsible to the -Cabinet; with the officials nothing but politicians, many of them in -the pay of this or that of the big interests. That's why they call them -geisha politicians, because, like geisha, they are being kept by rich -men. What can you expect where the Premier gets six thousand dollars -and the Cabinet Ministers four thousand dollars a year and their -underlings in proportion? That's what we have got to do away with, that -and favoritism because of money or title. You know, I'm not going to -accept the title when my father dies. Peerages should last only one -generation; should go only to the men who earn them. And I'm not the -only one of my class who feels like this. There are many of us. Evil -days have come on Japan; the country is being run for the benefit of -the few, a rotten, corrupt bureaucracy in the service of plutocracy; -or by the militarists, who may be patriotic enough, according to their -lights, but who have become anachronistic--so they must go, too. -Remember, Kent-san, no matter how badly things may look on the surface -that you see, the great bulk of the Japanese people remains as it -was, patriotic, frugal, hard-working, eager to learn. They will give -Japan its great future, these masses, and that task is what interests -me, not chattering over sex sentimentalities with flappers. Girls like -Kimiko-san, dancing, jazz and the rest, are all very well as a pastime -in one's leisure, just as are geisha, but when it comes to the serious -affairs of life, pah!" he waved his hand, snapping the fingers. "You -get me, Kent-san?" - -Kimiko's sister brought the news, that afternoon, that the parents -were ready to surrender. They had already called off the go-between. -Kimiko-san would never again be exposed to marriage without being -consulted first. They all had tea. It should have been a gay occasion; -Karsten tried desperately to bring about an atmosphere of high spirits; -but the feeling of uneasiness, high-strung quiver of excitement, -would not away. The women were ever together, the girls and Jun-san, -whispering, fluttery. For some reason it was a failure. It was almost -with a sense of relief that they saw the girls to the gate. - -"Poor little things." Kent was looking down at them as they tripped -down the stone stairway, hand in hand, a pretty, entrancing picture, -one in the fashion of the West, chic turban, high-heeled shoes, narrow -waist; the other dainty, richly colored, brilliant, with her gorgeous -obi, widely drooping kimono sleeves. At the foot of the stairs they -stopped, waved; then they climbed into the waiting automobile. - -"Yes, I'm sorry for them," said Karsten. "They are so eager to adopt -our civilization, our modernism; they try so hard; and the better they -succeed the worse it will probably be for them. They're ahead of their -day, victims of the transition period, poor little butterflies broken -on the wheel." - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - -Sylvia was in Tokyo. - -He tried to beat down the wave-crest of emotion, happiness, that surged -over him, gripped him and shook him. He wanted none of it, wished -desperately to fight against it. It was all right for him to be pleased -to see her again, to be with her, but this titillating on the verge -of transports of joy--he would simply have to keep a tight hold on -himself. The situation held too many potentialities of complications, -uncertainties, distress. Even the way in which the news of her coming -had reached him had illustrated, oddly, the curious blend of the bitter -and the sweet which the situation held. It had been the Tinker hag -again. She had caught him at tea, had seized upon him and led him to -a secluded corner that she might enjoy in every detail, undisturbed, -his reaction to the dénouement. Probably she had overcome a desire -to fare forth and shout out the news in the market place, had kept -it for him, so that she might be the first to communicate it. It was -her hobby, probably the only interest which kept her alive, this -interest in living, this contriving complicated situations among her -acquaintances in order that she might satisfy a morbidly curious and -perverted taste for the dramatic by gloating over their display of the -more unusual emotions, their unguarded laying bare before her avid -eye the reactions usually painstakingly held in check. He had been -irritatedly aware of the greedy glare of this old woman; it was almost -indecent; as she watched him rapaciously solicitous lest she fail to -catch the slightest indication of face or voice which might betray his -feelings. He did not think she could have gotten much out of it. He -thought he had played up well. Still, one could never know. Anyway, it -was disquieting, disgusting, that the return of Sylvia, after all this -time, should immediately revive the watchfulness of the idle women, -should so wantonly render complicated, almost impossible, intimate -relation with this girl. - -And, now, what about Sylvia? Did she know that he had become free? How -long had she known it? Had she just heard of it and returned forthwith? -No; he dismissed that thought. But might she not have heard some -time ago and simply allowed a decent interval to elapse in order to -avoid giving the gossips grist for their mills? But he caught himself -up sharply. What an ass he was to imagine, vaingloriously, that he -had entered into her considerations at all. Presumably she had been -governed by entirely different motives, something not even remotely -connected with him. What grounds had he to imagine that his presence -was of the slightest moment to her. Of course, it did seem as if she -must have left Tokyo on account of the gossip connecting him with her; -but, after all, that proved nothing, could certainly not by even the -most fanciful contortion of imagination be construed into an indication -of feeling related to affection. No, he was an ass. - -The only thing he could do would be to sit tight and suffer matters to -occur as they might. He was curious to meet her--he sternly insisted to -himself that that was all--and yet he rather dreaded it, wondered what -he should say, how he should act. He would leave it to her to take the -lead. Women did these things better than men, had finer perceptions, -possessed an instinctive sureness with which they could handle deftly -such delicate situations. - -So when he met her, he was not much surprised that the incident seemed -almost commonplace. Luckily, there were others at the time whom she -met also for the first time since her return. She treated him exactly -like these, included him with those others with the usual drab, -conventional commonplaces. It almost irritated him that the meeting -had been so trivial. Was she then not interested? It piqued him. Well, -why shouldn't he find out. He was free now, and if he did care for -her--there was no denying that she interested him immensely, that -she still had that old charm for him, yes, hang it, that he did care -for, that he might easily come to love her. And why not? Came back to -his mind the charm of the days when he and she had been close, when -he had been afraid to dally with the thought of her in the place of -Isabel. He need not fear that now. He had the right to. And if it had -been pleasant then, why not now, why not allow himself the felicity -of dreaming that dream. He warmed to the thought, a glow of sheer -pleasure and happiness suffused him. Of course. He would be careful to -be tactful. She was tremendously sensitive and he must take care not -to spoil everything by being too precipitate, but he would watch his -chance. - -It took time, still, as he felt his way slowly, with anxious care, -holding himself in check, carefully consolidating such little gains as -he made before venturing an infinitely small step forward, he felt that -they were gradually approaching something like the old relation. He -had even come to the point where they had made a few small excursions -together. But they were few and separated by intervals that seemed -infinitely long, and he fretted under the necessity of keeping himself -in hand. Now that he was allowing himself to consider, at least as a -remote potentiality, the idea of love, the situation became ever so -much more complicated, was more difficult to manage. He must not allow -himself to think of this too much. In the back of his mind remained -the uneasy thought that he had loved Isabel, had ardently desired to -marry her--and then his marriage had been a failure, anyway. If one -failed once, one might do so twice. After all, love was often mainly -something contrived by oneself. One took love of an image conjured -up by one's imagination for love of the woman; it might be a sort of -auto-intoxication. He must be sure of himself. He must force himself to -be rational, to refrain from letting fancy take charge of what should -be the function of the brain. Anyway, there was plenty of work to do. -He would use work as a counterirritant. - -Japan had suddenly launched into one of its periods of frantic -excitement. First came news from Manchuria, where Chang Tso-lin -was moving a great expedition to drive the Soviet troops out of -Mongolia. Conservative papers registered perfunctory surprise at the -completeness of his equipment, motor transport, field artillery, even -airplanes; but most of the papers, the people generally, sneered -contemptuously, shrugged shoulders. It was an old story. Of course, -the Manchurian war-lord could have obtained them from only one source, -the militarists. The War Office issued its usual denial, which no -one believed. Presently came news of attacks by Chinese bandits on -settlements in the South Manchuria Railway territory, massacres -of Japanese colonists, clashes with Japanese police, burning of a -consulate or two. From high official sources, unnamed, but generously -quoted in the press, were given out alarming statements. It was the -Bolshevik menace, irresponsible hordes of Manchuria, malcontent -Koreans, being goaded on by mysterious machinations from Moscow. It -would be necessary to move troops into Manchuria to protect the railway -region, especially now that Chang Tso-lin was engaged in Mongolia and -could not protect neighboring territory. The divisions in Korea were -moved inland. It would be necessary to send fresh troops to Korea. Of -course, it would be impossible to consider the proposition to reduce -the army at the session of the Diet which was just about to meet. - -The people murmured; again the feeling became prevalent that a great -militaristic scheme was being carried out, cleverly hidden by the -uniformed old men up there in the copper-roofed building towering -on the hill beyond the Foreign Office. Opinions were divided. Some -insisted that Japanese lives must be avenged, colonists protected, -the dignity of the Empire upheld; others cried out bitterly that the -entire turmoil was but part of a great plot ingeniously hatched out by -the General Staff. Some papers claimed to have proof that this was but -another attempt to carry out the favorite old military plan, to have -a buffer state created by Chang Tso-lin and remnants of White Russian -factions; that the bandits were backed by Chang, that the very rifles -which had dealt out death to Japanese had been furnished in mysterious -roundabout ways by the War Office. It was hinted that the massacres -were, in fact, quite welcome to the General Staff, that they were a -part of the whole scheme. - -It was a busy period for Kent. News was breaking constantly, here -and there, in unexpected quarters. It was intensely interesting at -first, sending story upon story over the wire, each one conveying -the tingling feeling of anticipation that each day was bringing -nearer some great event, some cataclysm, indefinite but gradually -assuming certainty, something overwhelming, big news. But events were -happening too quickly,--the staccato hammering of situation after -situation, the Manchurian affair, army bill, rice scandal, Diet fights, -police charges, rumors and revelations, farmer revolts and riots in -the cities, all became a conglomerate chaos of excitement, a whirl -of incidents flickering by with dizzily shifting changes, making -concentration on any one of them almost impossible. Like the nation in -general, Kent found himself unable to maintain the high key of excited -absorption; one became overwhelmed as if by a succession of great -waves, one following so closely after the other that the mind, battered -and bewildered, failing to register complete, clear impression of each -one, became in reaction dulled, exhausted, almost apathetic. After -all, this ubiquitous clamor, this constantly flickering and flashing -of new heterogeneous pictures, produced finally but an impression -of a stupendous blur; one became exhausted by the repetition of -explosions of excitement, causing one to hold one's breath, nervously, -in expectancy of some prodigious dénouement, a political deluge, that -constantly impended but which always seemed to fall just short, to -evaporate harmlessly as each happening became overshadowed by the -occurrence of some new and astounding development. - -It became necessary to remain almost constantly near the center of -affairs, to be in readiness to snap up the news events which flashed -forth with explosive suddenness, like lightning from a hovering -thunder cloud. It became his custom to spend much of his time at the -Imperial Hotel. It was close to the Diet building, the Foreign Office, -the central police station, and when things were quiet, when there -was nothing to do but wait, he enjoyed the atmosphere, the feeling -of remoteness from the humdrum surroundings of everyday modernity, -which was conveyed to him by this enormous structure of fantastic -masonry where genius had contrived to work out in permanencies of -stone and bronze the delicate and ephemeral fancies of an opulent -dream image. Resting in a remote corner among the myriad corniced -recesses which gave on the spacious vestibule, his eye found constant -delight in the intricacy of detail, embroidery-like stone pillar, -fretwork and balustrades, gilded mortar binding together complicated -interlacing designs; the flood of colors of rugs and cushions--browns, -ocher, terracotta and maroon, and blues, ultra-marine, lapis lazuli, -indigo--in a riot of shadings and combinations, and all of it, colors -and contours, blended into a great harmonious whole, impressive, -inspiring, so it seemed almost a sacrilege that this mirage-like -brilliance should be profaned by the comings and goings of mere hotel -guests and townsfolk bent on prosaic concerns of business. - -In the afternoon, at tea time, it was especially pleasant, when the -Russian orchestra played. Flicker of color of butterfly-winged kimonos -would animate the scene with a glimmer of exotic rich life. They really -fitted into the picture, these young girls of the Japanese aristocracy, -with their undulating, polychromatic textures, and when the music lent -itself to the forming of a picture, some symphony or bit of opera, one -might dream oneself surrounded by an Arabian Nights setting, or a scene -from "Aïda." - -Here one might meet every one who counted at all in the ultra-modern -life of Tokyo, foreigners and Japanese, business men, newspapermen, -young fellows from the embassies, in the bar; and, upstairs, in the -lobby or in Peacock Alley, the women at tea. Kent often saw the Suzuki -girls there. Kimiko seemed happy enough, showed no trace of the -incident which had brought her to him. But he came principally for the -chance that it afforded him to see Sylvia. - -It had been a strenuous afternoon, but a disappointing one. A stormy -scene had been expected in the Diet. He had sat in the gallery for -hours, listening to dreary debate, hoping that momentarily something -would happen; had made the rounds of the Foreign Office, newspaper -offices, even the lair of old Viscount Kikuchi--but nothing out of the -ordinary had occurred. Now the Diet had adjourned until the following -morning; the crowds had dispersed. He was glad to see Sylvia alone at -one of the tables overlooking the inner court. - -"You're just the one I want to see. It's been a maddening day; lots of -work and no results. May I sit with you?" - -"Of course, but I'm afraid I cannot be with you long, although, as a -matter of fact, I'm trying to make a sort of a meal here. I'm off on an -expedition of my own, and I shall have no dinner until late, midnight -maybe." - -An expedition. He urged her not to be mysterious. She soon gave in. -After all, it was entirely professional. She intended to go to the -great Nichiren temple at Ikegami, a few miles from Tokyo. It would -be full moon and she had always had an idea that there might be a -picture there for her, some fantastic harmonious blending of contour of -gnarled pines, curved temple roofs, which might be enhanced, softened, -etherealized by moonbeam glamor. - -"I'm not at all sure that there will be a picture there, at least not -for me. I may not be able to get enough color out of it; but I want -the experience, anyway, the eeriness of the hundreds of old graves in -the cryptomeria shadows. I have been wanting to go for a long time; so -to-night I'm going." - -The idea appealed to him instantly. "I wish you'd let me come with -you." - -"I'm afraid it might be rather unconventional, would it not?" she -hesitated. - -"It would be still more unconventional if you went alone. You should -have an escort. I shan't disturb you. I promise you that I shall be as -dumb and unobtrusive as your walking-stick; but, really, I do wish you -would let me come along." - -She looked at him reflectively. He wondered what thoughts were forming -behind these fine, black eyes; the desire to go with her, which had -been only an inspirational whim, took deeper hold. She must let him -come. He leaned forward earnestly. She smiled. "Very well, then. I -suppose you might as well come; but remember, I shall be at work; I -shall want to think, to absorb. You must be as you promised, just -inanimate, a block of wood." - -He promised hastily, curiously noting in himself a feeling of trembling -pleasure. They finished their tea and took the electric train to Omori. - -Twilight was falling when they reached the village. They walked through -narrow winding lanes, past tall bamboo fences enclosing spacious -gardens, came to the open country, rice fields, scattered groups of -houses clustered on tree-clad hills. In the gathering shadows crickets -were tuning up for their serenades; the moon, rising from behind the -pine groves on the Ikegami ridge, bathed the landscape with soft -luminosity. - -As they climbed the long broad stone stairway leading up to the temple -heights, they heard the monotonous euphony of a chant. At a minor -shrine close to the entrance a priest was engaged in some ceremonial. -As they stood by the stone foxes guarding the entrance to the small -court fronting it, they could see his vestmented figure, kneeling, -facing the dimly illuminated gorgeousness of gilt, and brocade, and -lacquer, a glimpse of resplendent Oriental opulence devoted to -mysterious, age-old rites. - -They passed on. The rest of the temple grounds lay in darkness, -illuminated sparingly by a few faint electric lights, irritatingly -modern amidst all the ancient buildings, lofty cryptomerias, crumbling -tombs. They passed along the broad stone-paved path, smoothed by wear -of feet of generations of worshipers, under the massive, towering -crimson gateway leading into the inner court. Here was a plateau -on the hilltop, whence ran on all sides corrugations of ridges and -valleys, set with hundreds of graves, carved stone monuments, lichened -sepulchers, broodingly silent in the shadows of fantastically gnarled -pine limbs. - -The main temple buildings were closed. The wide court was bathed -in moonlight, brilliant, white, setting out in strong relief every -detail of contour of curved roof, carved pillars, bronze figures -anachronistically finding in their midst a battered rapid-fire gun, -trophy from the Russian War. But it was all too brightly visible, too -plainly seen; the eeriness, the nebulous awe of obscure mystery, lay -beyond, all about them, among the graves in the shadows of the pines. - -From the right of the courtyard, near the gateway, a pathway ran, -straight as a sword, penetrating into the heart of the pine grove, a -chasm of opalescent light, a shimmery gorge of white brilliance in -abrupt contrast to the almost solid walls of blackness, leading like a -fantastically contrived magic road to a pagoda, which closed it, with -intricately carved roof set upon roof, rising with slender elegance -towards the dark sapphire heavens. It formed a picture, but strange, -eccentrically unusual, without color--pale, shimmery, pearly--set -against ebony blackness. It seemed to him that it would be impossible -to express it through the ordinary media of the brush; as if it might -be worked out only by some odd special process, mother-of-pearl and -teak; but even then it would lose the peculiar scintillating brilliance -which seemed to make even the blackness luminous. - -He looked at the girl, wondering what she was getting out of it. She -was entirely absorbed, eyes intent, frowning in thought, perplexity. -She shook her head. "No. Come." - -They crossed the courtyard, found a path leading behind one of the main -buildings and an old, crumbling edifice, rotting, giving forth moldy -odor of decay. It led down into a lower stratum of ridges and gullies, -slippery flags laid between mounds and hillsides, twisting and turning, -with stone stairways, leading upwards, downwards, among thousands of -ancient burial plots. Over it all lay the murky shadows of cryptomeria, -slashed here and there by bright streaks of pale moonlight. The -silence seemed uncannily brooding, ominously oppressive, riven only by -spasmodic droning booms from a great brass bell, somewhere deep in the -shadows behind them, reverberating shiveringly through the shadows. - -It was as if they were enveloped in an atmosphere of the supernatural, -as if they had willfully intruded into a realm of ghosts and specters, -a scene set for mysterious _danse macabre_-like rites, rash beings -possessed of the ephemeral spark of life of the moment interfering with -their puny inconsequential presence in this, the realm of those who had -held sway here for centuries. - -She had taken his arm; now she was clinging to him closely. He could -feel her shivering nervously. The feeling was infectious, crept over -him irritatingly. He brought himself together. "Come, you are getting -nervous. Let us rest for a moment before going on." - -He led her up a stairway leading to the top of a small eminence, an -enclosure surrounded by a low stone balustrade, evidently the private -burial place of some family of the nobility of remote medieval days. In -the open space surrounded on all sides by blackness the illumination -seemed almost dazzling, brilliantly white, with a spotlight effect, -enhancing the sense of unearthliness, remoteness from the world of -material things. - -They found a fallen stone pillar and seated themselves. She remained -silent, staring out into this spectral ghost world, the fantastic -eccentricities of shapes and contours, where everything was black and -white only, like a gigantic etching. He, watching her, became absorbed -in turn. He was pleased that she fitted into the scene, even into the -Oriental setting, a filmy silk shawl lending a kimono-like effect, her -great pile of raven hair suggestive of the high Japanese coiffure. -Whimsically, out of nowhere, came the idea to him: thank providence, -she was not a blonde! It would have spoiled the effect which she was -now producing--fine, clear profile, pale features, black hair blending -into the picture formed by mass-grown monuments, great carved lanterns, -outlined sharply in the suffusion of moonlight. - -The whole thing seemed unreal, as if they had found themselves suddenly -in a world centuries removed from that in which they usually moved, as -if they had become participants in an elfin play, were on the brink of -the enacting of something supernatural, some midsummer night's dream -fancy, or a dance of specters; as if they might expect momentarily to -hear some unseen goblin orchestra strike into an overture of tinkling -bluebells, insect violins, bumblebee bassoons, murmur of night wind, -leading them, this girl and himself, into some scene of dreamlike -phantasy in which they had fortuitously become the main characters. - -What a setting for romance! These surroundings, this girl, this wonder -of pure, harmonious perfection! Somehow, he felt that it would be -impossible to create again this same effect, that it could not be -consciously contrived merely by coming to this place any moonlight -night with the determination, purposely, of summoning the spell. -There came to him a feeling that this could be attained only once in -a lifetime, that he was impassively, fatuously failing to seize the -immeasurably rare opportunity---- - -Opportunity for what? He shook himself together. He was becoming -moonstruck. After all, this girl---- She did not notice his gaze. It -was fascinating to watch her, the infinitely fine play of light in -her eyes, her impatient frown in concentration of thoughts which were -almost palpable, visible. And yet, what did she think? It occurred that -in the same manner he had speculated as to the thoughts which might -lurk behind the white brows of Kimiko-san, Sadako-san and the rest. How -different they must be; fine, dreamlike, exotic, quaint as might be -the ideas of those girls, would not the glamor thereof, the ephemeral -delicacy, fade as one became familiar with them, become commonplace, -irritatingly trite after wear of years of association? Here, on the -other hand, was a brain capable of absorbing the most subtle and -evasive expressions of life, existence in its varied manifestations, of -shaping them into concrete, lasting form, creative, a mind like one's -own, or even more capable, which would grow, develop like an unfolding -blossom, presenting ever new beauties and richness in years of life -together. - -Without conscious thought, acting entirely on impulse, he leaned -towards her. She looked at him, awakened suddenly from her reverie. "I -must be poor company," she smiled. "But then, you know, I told you -beforehand. It is all so bewildering, puzzling to me. I can see the -pictures here, the dazzlingly wonderful potentialities which lie right -here before me, about me; and yet I can't get hold of it. It eludes me -entirely. It is the lack of color, I think, the predominance of light -and shadow effects, black and white. It is not for me, I'm afraid. -This is a subject for some great etcher, for some kind of a Klinger or -Boeklin composition; and yet one would have to get in these elusive -opalescent tints, these evasive iridescences. It is very disappointing, -to feel it all so far beyond one's capabilities; and yet I have enjoyed -it so much. I have let it get away with me. But now it must be late. -Come," she took his hand simply, confidently. "We must be going home. -You must forgive me if I have let the moonlight run away with my -thoughts. But didn't you feel something like that too? Did you not feel -coming to you dreams, visions that, even though they must fade away and -lose their evanescence, will still continue to live in some form, to -take shape in one's life." - -He did not answer. The dream was already beginning to concentrate, to -solidify into definite form of thought, purpose. He wondered whether it -were possible that she might divine, by some subtle woman's intuition, -the inspiration which was now growing into tangible form of a wish, -deliberate pursuance of desire, that now finally he was sure that she -was the woman whom he had been awaiting, that he had come to the end of -his seeking. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - -"Thank God, that's over," said Butterfield. "If there's anything much -more deadly than the banquets of the Nippon-Columbia Society, I don't -want to see it." - -They had come down from the banquet hall in the Imperial Hotel, a group -of correspondents, Kittrick, Kent, Butterfield and Templeton, with -Roberts, just arrived from New York to gather material for a series of -magazine articles; Sands, an engineer who had something to do with the -new subway, and one or two others. At one end of Peacock Alley they -found a table where they might observe the crowd, the men coming down -here to meet the women who had dined below in the main dining room, -Japanese and foreigners mingling, concentrating in little groups about -the guests of honor, an eminent engineer from America, a Cabinet member -from Washington, and a couple of Congressmen of whom no one in Tokyo -had heard until they arrived in Japan, unofficially, of course, it was -given out, but as "Ambassadors of Friendship," as the newspapers called -them. - -Butterfield was still grouching. "Here I've been to dozens of these -affairs, and I wonder if I'll ever come away from one without a bad -taste in my mouth. It makes me sick, all this fulsomeness. Take -to-night, Barry talking as if the Japanese were the only engineers -in the world, as if they had invented the steam engine, electricity, -telephones, radio and all that. Here Japan is suffering so badly from -swelled head that the best service one may do her is to tell her the -truth, for her own good, and still whenever we have distinguished -visitors here, they always insist on making asses of themselves. Barry -is a pleasant enough, kindly old ass, but, heavens, the only way I -could stand his speech to-night was by watching Matthews. He has in -one way or another been behind half the things that Barry was lauding -our Japanese friends for. Did you see his face? It was the only fun I -got out of it all, seeing Matthews' face getting redder and redder. I -thought he'd have a fit. But all the rest of it honestly gets my goat; -the main table, with old Count Ibara sitting through the speeches -waiting for the time when he'll have a chance to spring his eternal -story about his college days with President Wilson. I can stand on -my head and write a complete report of these meetings as they were -ten years ago, as they will be ten years from now; old Baron Nishida -leads off with "Perry's Black Ships" and everlasting love for America. -Eminent American stands up and talks of Bushido--I have lived here ten -years, and I've yet to hear Bushido mentioned by a Japanese; it's as -dead as the rules of knighthood with us--more Eminent Americans tell -the Japanese how wonderful they are. Why the devil is it that when an -American comes here, he must almost invariably make a fool of himself? -Of course, the trouble is often that they are generally mediocrities -who become all puffed up at the attentions they get here; and then we -do send out such asses. Do you remember the Congressional Party some -years ago? The men acted like clodhoppers, and their women were worse. -That's where the Japanese are wiser than we are. When they let any one -represent them, officially or semi-officially, abroad, they hand-pick -them, send only the best they have, and our people at home get a -wonderful idea of the advanced stage of Japan. That's how half the -good spirit towards Japan was built up at the Washington Conference; -they sent their best men in the entourage of the delegation, who -chummed with our newspapermen and writers; the best kind of advertising. - -"But we let loose third-rate Congressmen, ebullient business men, who -let Japanese hospitality get to their heads and proceed to slobber all -over the landscape. I wouldn't mind if it were not for the fact that -just as we in America judge the Japanese people from the Japanese who -make a splash there, thus the Japanese judge us Americans from the kind -of specimens who come over here and spill their foolishness as these -fellows did to-night. We Americans ought to have a censorship here to -prevent visiting notables from making speeches which have not been -carefully edited." - -"But what do you come here for then, if you dislike it so?" It was -Roberts, the magazine man. "Why do you belong to the Society at all if -you think it does no good?" - -"But I don't say that. I admit it does good. Anything does that brings -Americans and Japanese together in a friendly way. But what I object -to is the effervescence of our visitors. I think it is proper that we -should be courteous, cordial, friendly towards the Japanese, but what's -the use of telling them that we think they love us, when we know darned -well they don't. That old chap at the left of Barry tried some time -ago in the Privy Council to have the _Japan American_ suppressed for -no reason except that it had translated some embarrassing editorials -from a Japanese paper. The business premises of Americans are ransacked -by the police and accusations are constantly being made that 'a -certain nation' is cramming this country with spies; some of our most -prominent engineering firms are having their business seriously -interfered with because of constant 'spy' charges. They have no use -for us, and they have no use for England. They think we euchred them -at the Washington Conference. They feel that when we called off on -militarism, we did away with the one chance which Japan had to be a -great nation. They have no use for us big nations who, they feel, are -constantly interfering with the development of the policies they would -like to pursue in Asia. Mind you, I believe in being friendly--it's -indefensible to stir up needless trouble between America and Japan--but -I don't believe in slopping over, and I think it is right to let them -know that we know jolly well how they feel about us. The funny thing -is, Roberts, and every man who has lived here any time will tell you -the same, that just as sentiment in America towards Japan has become -more and more friendly since the Washington Conference, in the same -ratio Japanese sentiment is becoming unfriendly towards America. It may -be largely the doings of the militarists. Possibly they're the ones who -are egging the police on with these eternal spy scares. It may be part -of their plans to counteract the general agitation for army reduction; -to justify an army, there must be a potential enemy, and America is -the most obvious one. So put it down to the militarists, if you like. -They're the official goat, anyway." - -"Yes, that's the popular game to-day, cussing the militarists," cut -in Kent. "Still, you know, I can see their point of view even if, God -knows, I condemn their methods. Look here, there's no use denying that -just one thing made Japan great, her army and navy. Take them away, -and the other Powers would put her in the class of, say, Spain. Now we -have decreed that hereafter we will measure nations by industrial and -commercial greatness, and the Japanese see that they're being left way -behind. The militarists see that Japan can remain great only in the -same way as she became great, by the sword. Now, it's probably sure -enough that they have given up the old idea of an offensive outside of -Asia; but what I think they are working up to is establishing a line of -defense to the eastward, and once that's complete, they will be ready -to do as they please in Asia; probably they feel that we won't easily -be led into war against them, anyway. - -"And it seems plain that they must go into the continent of Asia. -That's where they must get raw materials for their industries which -they haven't at home. That's the only place to which we'll let them -emigrate----" - -"Oh, hell, don't spring that worn-out theory of Japan's overflowing," -interrupted Templeton. "As Japan industrializes, she'll take care of -her population; and there's still room in Japan for lots of additional -people. Premier Hara himself told me once that there was room for -millions in Hokkaido alone." - -"Sure," Kent flashed back. "Just as there's lots of room in America for -the Americans. We don't have to emigrate, and still we would resent -it, wouldn't we, if we were told that we couldn't go where we pleased. -Here Japan sees her friends, America and Great Britain, possessing -enormous tracts that lie idle for want of settlers--take Australia, for -instance, where they are yelling for immigrants, and still they won't -let the Japanese in--and while the Japanese would like to go there, and -would develop these lands highly, as we all know, we tell them no, stay -home in icy Hokkaido. You talk about worn-out theories, Templeton; what -about that old stuff about Japanese driving out the whites wherever -they enter. How is a nation of less than sixty millions going to -swarm all over America and Australia and the rest of the earth. They -may breed like rabbits, but they would have to breed like herrings to -do that. And, anyway, even if we must keep them from immigrating into -America in masses--as we ought to keep out the hordes of low class -Latins and Slavs, people a sight lower than the Japanese, whom we have -let overrun our country--we might be less offensive about it. We all -know that what makes Japan sore is not the fact that she can't send -her surplus over to America; the Japanese Government wants them to go -west, not east, in fact; but it's the insult to her race pride, the -circumstance that a Doctor Takamine, a Doctor Kitisato, people who rank -among the best brains in the world, can't become American citizens, -should they wish to do so; but under our laws we can give citizenship -to Kaffirs and Hottentots, anything that's black and comes out of -Africa. - -"You're looking into conditions in the Far East, Roberts. Take a look -at that angle of the question. We, the Anglo-Saxons, insist on holding -the Oriental down. We say that's not because we think he's lower than -we are, but what are mere words? We're judged by our actions. Now, -you notice how the Japanese papers every now and then break out with -Pan-Asia propaganda, calling for a combination of the peoples of China, -of India, of all Asia, to stand together against the White, under -Japan's 'hegemony,' as they put it. If you'd been here at the time -Kemal Pasha was telling England to go to Hades, you would have noticed -how the Japanese press applauded him; here, they boasted joyfully, was -finally an Asiatic defying the Anglo-Saxon, the Christian, and getting -away with it. We're bringing it upon ourselves. Japan has lost lots of -chances in the past to become the leader of Asia, but she may become -so yet; and that's what I think may be the militarist policy; either -they aspire to hold Japan in readiness to lead the rest of Asia, or -they may simply be preparing for the next time Europe and America are -too busy elsewhere to watch Asia, and then take what they want in -Manchuria and Mongolia. When you look upon all these things in the -light that the Japanese militarist looks upon them, you can, at least, -understand what he's driving at. I'm not a jingo. War between Japan -and America would be the most silly, the most damnable thing you can -think of; but I don't think we are using the best methods to avoid -it. Instead of going so strong on the brotherhood stuff, hands across -the seas and empty words, we should try to understand Japan a little -better. As it is, I'm sure that the nation at large, the Government as -represented by the Foreign Office, for instance, wants only friendship; -but you must remember that the General Staff is still running things to -a large extent, and is there any one of you who doesn't think they do -not expect war with us sometime, sooner or later?" - -"Suppose they do," Sands, the engineer, leaned forward. "What hope can -they have of success? The next war will be fought in the air, they say, -and there Japan is helpless. We run regular air-mail services from -the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Japanese have not as yet been able -to stage a mail flight between Tokyo and Osaka, a few hundred miles, -without having participants dropping to earth. The Japanese have no -machine sense; they can run an engine when it's running smoothly, but -they're at sea in an emergency. That's why they're always tumbling -down with their airplanes. And modern war depends on industrial -organization, ability to work up and maintain tremendous outputs of -material. Japan simply hasn't the ability to do that. She'd be beaten -on that point alone." - -"You may be right, Sands," Kittrick took up the argument. "But it is -not a question of war just now or for some years to come, thank God. -The next point of difference, I take it, will be the racial equality -question that has been smoldering ever since the Paris Conference. And -that's just where the world has been treating Japan wrong, granting -national equality, but not racial. It should be just the opposite. -I'm willing to grant any moment that racially the Japanese is as good -as we are and a sight better than lots of the white scum we admit to -citizenship, but nationally, no, sir; as long as Japan is run as she -is at present, with militarists capable of and quite willing to break -the nation's international pledges, no matter how sincere the diplomats -may or may not be in making them, just so long do I object to national -equality. The individual Japanese may be quite as good intrinsically as -we are, but the present system is not bringing out his capabilities, -and to contend that Japan is as great a nation as America or England is -plain rot." - -"So you would want to admit Japanese to American citizenship?" asked -Roberts. - -"Only after they had assimilated American training and ideals; but that -is just the point; as they are here in Japan I don't think they're -fit for citizenship of any country, any more than are the low-class -Europeans we import; but I contend that they are just as capable of -assimilation as are any other nationals. There's a bird here in Tokyo -who used to be in charge of the school system in Hawaii where forty per -cent. of the school children are Japanese, and he tells me that these -kiddies, under American training, are becoming as capable, as honest -and as loyal Americans as are any children under the flag, white, black -or brown. The American-trained Japanese is as efficient as we are; -the Japanese-trained Japanese is ineffective; it takes four or five -of them to do the work that a white man can do. It all shows that the -fault lies with the government here, the whole system. There's nothing -the matter with the Japanese; he's the same, mentally and morally as -the rest of us, with a few virtues such as cleanliness and industry -thrown in, but you have to take him away from the atmosphere here, of -incapacity, deceit, graft, the spirit that is exemplified by their -proverb: '_Uso wa Nihon no takara_.'" - -"What's that, what's that?" Roberts had been taking it all in anxiously. - -"Oh, it's simply a proverb to the effect that lies, deceit, craft, -whatever you may choose to call it, is the treasure of Japan. It's a -fine sentiment for a proverb, isn't it? Still it's fairly typical of -the situation. In fact, I think that that point, the fact that Japan -regards falsehood, deceit, in a light far more lenient than we do, -accounts more than anything else for the feeling of racial difference -between us. The average Japanese does not greatly mind being caught -in a lie; it conveys no distinct sense of shame to him; it's simply -a difference in ethical viewpoint, just as the Japanese look with -abhorrence on some of our ethical shortcomings, our comparatively scant -respect for old age, and all that--but it's the variant in Japanese -character which we find it the hardest to understand." - -"You claim then that all Japanese are liars, to put it tersely?" -insisted Roberts. - -"Not by a long sight. I know Japanese whose word is as good to me as -that of any white man. Of some of the big men and big firms you might -even say that their word is better than their bond; they'd rather be -generous than merely just, and the Japanese is far from being a piker. -There are lots of absolutely truthful Japanese just as there are lots -of whites who are thorough-going liars. But you might say that whereas -with the white man we take it for granted that he tells the truth until -we find out that he's a liar, with the Japanese one's inclined to take -it for granted that he's a liar until one learns the contrary. It may -be a blunt way of putting it, but it's the best I can do; and I think -that once the Japanese come to adopt our ethical point of view in this -respect, the same as they have adopted so many material things from us, -the greatest bar between the races will be removed. - -"I should like to see it removed. I like the Japanese, and even if -I do realize that they don't like us, I can't greatly blame them. I -feel that we must appear arrogant to them, even when we are trying to -produce the feeling of quality--possibly even more so then--and so many -whites, especially among our own newcomers here, are beastly trying. -When I see our drummers and flappers, just off the ships, sitting -in trains, pointing at and commenting about Japanese men and women, -careless of the fact or not knowing that many of these people speak -foreign languages, I feel resentment myself, and I can understand what -the Japanese must feel. They have their faults and their scandals, but -are they worse on the whole than are ours? They treat us better here -than we treat them in America. I rave and rant at them as much as do -the rest of you; and yet, when it comes right down to the point, I like -them, and I wish them well, at least the people, the great masses, the -real nation, and I am sorry when I see the country shooting down-grade, -power going, wealth, industry, commerce, all going, I feel it is a -great pity. I want to see some great man come and lead them out of this -wilderness, some one like the great Meiji--but, where is he?" - -"But what about the Prince Regent, then?" Roberts was using his -opportunity for copy. "He----" - -Kittrick leaned forward to him, outstretched arm upsetting the liquor -glass before him. "So sorry, old man. Here, boy-san, quick, wipe up -this mess and get another glass for Mr. Roberts." He waited until the -boy had left them. "Really, Roberts, it seemed a rude thing to do, but -you simply must not talk about the Imperial House in front of these -boys, who like as not are in the pay of the Foreign Office or the -police. Possibly what you were going to say might have been all right, -but I was afraid to take the chance. Remember this is in many respects -the Land of the Free far more than our own United States. We can drink -what we please and have far more personal liberty in thousands of ways. -You can even cuss the government quite freely as long as you don't -preach Communism, or Sovietism, or that kind of rot; but, when it comes -to mention of the Imperial House, they stand for no nonsense. It's the -law of the land. It's safest to keep quiet." - -The crowd in Peacock Alley was passing away, up the stairways to the -ballroom. The rest of the men followed; Kittrick and Roberts were alone -for the moment. "But just tell me this," the magazine man was noted -for his insistence. "What do you, from what you hear, think about it? -What are the chances, in your opinion, of the Prince Regent becoming a -second Meiji?" - -"My dear man, I have no more idea about it than if I lived in Lima. -The pitifully few points we do know are hopeful. When he returned from -England, the police, according to the old rule, forbade cheering; but -the crowd cheered, anyway, for the first time in history, and it was -quite plain that the Prince Regent liked it. Then, a little later, when -the crowd at Kyoto broke through the cordons and came closer than had -been ordained, he remained with it longer than the set time. The mayor -resigned, "took the responsibility" as they call it; but the point is -that the Prince Regent was immensely pleased. - -"That's about all I know that's of significance. Pitifully meager, -isn't it? But the fact is that we know less of what is really going -on inside Tokyo palace walls than we do about the holy of holies -in Lhassa. What are the influences surrounding the ruler of Japan, -modern or reactionary, sixteenth century or twentieth century? It is -possible that the entire future of Japan, of the Far East, depends on -just that one thing--and yet we don't know a blessed thing about it, -I, the rest of the correspondents, any one, in fact. No one knows, -except the infinitely narrow and secretive circle of the highest -officials. The Prince Regent is seen at official functions, he sees -foreigners, entirely formally, quite occasionally, but outside of the -scant official announcements which give no real information at all, the -world knows nothing. When you think of our present-day news facilities, -cables, wireless, and the rest, it seems impossible, incredible, that -we shouldn't know a little, have some slight idea; but it remains, to -my mind at least, the biggest and the most fascinating mystery in the -world. If any country ever stood at the crossroads, if any country ever -needed a great man to lead it, that's Japan to-day. Will the Prince -Regent be a second Meiji?" He threw his hands wide. "Go and find out, -and you'll have one of the biggest stories of the year." - -Kent came over to them. "I say, aren't you chaps coming upstairs?" They -went up together, to the ballroom where dancing had already begun, and -stood near the entrance watching the dancers. - -"An odd scene, isn't it, this combination of East and West," commented -Roberts. "They actually do seem graceful with their wonderful, -fanciful kimonos. Look at this girl just passing us. Can they really -dance?" - -"Can a duck swim? That young lady is Miss Kimiko Suzuki, a special -friend of Kent's." Kittrick turned towards Kent. "Roberts is just -admiring your friend, Miss Kimiko----" But Kent was not listening. He -had noticed Sylvia coming towards them and stepped forward to meet her. -"I was hoping to see you here. You know, I haven't seen you since that -night at Ikegami." - -"I am just on my way to find some cool place." He followed her as she -went towards the stairway. "There's such a crush in here, and I am -rather tired, anyway." - -They found a nook, balcony-like, discreetly tucked away in the -labyrinth of porticoes and passages, overhanging a court with a long -stone-set pool, whose jet-black, surface, lacquer-like, gave back -glimmering reflection of the stars. A few commonplaces; then they fell -silent. He reflected how odd it was that with this girl he obtained -complete satisfaction, the delicious feeling of absolute content, -superlative well-being, by merely being in her presence. Strains of -a waltz air came down to them, softened, etherealized by distance, -intertwined with the sound from a fountain plashing into the pool, -monotonous, hypnotic. She was leaning forward, cheek pillowed on one -hand, the other lying on the balustrade. He took it between his, held -it, without definite forethought, intention; somehow, it seemed just -the natural thing to do--and apparently it seemed so to her, too; she -let it rest there; merely looked at him softly, dreamily, hardly even -questioning. He knew that he would make love to her, would ask her to -marry him; ideas, words began to stir about, moving as if in a jumble -in his mind, trying to form themselves into phrases; but they refused -to shape themselves into tangible, definite sentences, and he felt -as if they were hardly necessary. They were in the perfect accord, -attunement, that rendered words superfluous. Of course, he must say -them some time, later in the evening, in a few minutes, perhaps, but -now, just now, he wished merely to sit like this, enjoying the sense -of their coming together, fusion, love, brought about perfectly, -disdainful of the crude medium of words. - -But a mumble of voices could be heard among the pillars behind them. A -group passed, unseen, chattering, below. Hurried footsteps rang along -the tiles. He roused himself. "Sylvia----" - -The footsteps had come right up to them. "Here, Kent." It was Karsten; -of all men one would have thought that he at least would have had more -tact. But he rushed right up to them heedlessly, blunderingly. "Kent, -I've been hunting high and low for you. Kikuchi is waiting for you in -his auto at the side entrance to take you to the cable office. Big -news. Beat it. Don't bother about your hat or stick. I don't know what -it is, but it's big news. For God's sake, hurry," he was propelling -him down the hallway now. "I'll look after Miss Elliott for you in the -meanwhile; only move." - -As he peered into the automobile standing at the side entrance, hands -seized him and dragged him in. "Kyubashi post-office, quick." It was -Kikuchi's voice giving directions to the chauffeur. "Kent, old man, I'm -giving you the beat of the year. Mito, the Premier, was assassinated -less than half an hour ago. I happened to be at my father's house when -they notified him. The cable office closes in fifteen minutes. The news -isn't out yet. You have a chance to beat the world. You did me a favor -with Kimiko-san, though probably you may not have realized it. I'm -trying to pay you back now." - -"Mito, assassinated!" By the gods, the biggest story out of Japan since -the stabbing of Premier Hara. "But what are the details, Kikuchi? For -God's sake, tell me all you know." - -"Nothing much is known yet, though it seems more sinister than the -Hara case. Mito was shot at the entrance of his official residence. A -volley, not a single shot, was fired through the board fence opposite. -They had made loopholes in it. They claim that there must have been -half a dozen of them, at least. No, no one has been caught. Yes, he's -dead as a doornail. That's all I know. Well, here we are. I'll wait for -you. Be quick." - -His hand almost shook as he drafted his message, sending it at -urgent rates, by both wireless and cable to America, and by cable to -the London office, for luck. As he filed his stuff, he noted with -satisfaction that the clerks were getting ready to leave. His would be -the last message to get through that night. He had beaten the world. - -He reëntered the hotel with the feeling of a conqueror, that he must -succeed in whatever he undertook. He would see Sylvia again presently, -just as soon as he had had a look in the ballroom, at the other -correspondents, to make sure that they were still in ignorance. He -sauntered up to Kittrick. He and Templeton were chatting idly. He -joined them. So far the news was not out. But as they stood there, he -noticed Butterfield in eager conversation with some Japanese. Now he -glanced about, left the hall hurriedly. Now the Japanese was talking to -Carew, editor of the _Japan American_, and Carew also suddenly became -active, febrile, as if he had received an electric shock. - -"Hallo, Carew, what's the rush?" Kent caught him as he was hastening -past them. The editor glanced at his wrist-watch. "Past cable time, I -see. I might as well tell you. The Premier was assassinated less than -an hour ago. No, I have no details. I've got to hurry over to the shop. -I'm going to look after this make-up myself." - -Safe, by George! Still he said nothing to the others. They would find -out soon enough that he had beaten them. But he wanted to bring his -triumph to her, Sylvia, a conqueror with the spoils of victory. But on -his way through Peacock Alley he met Karsten alone. - -"Sorry, old man; I did the best I could to hold the lady, but I must -be getting old, losing my grip, or what? Anyway, she did not seem -to take to me as a substitute for you at all, acted sort of dumb, -moonstruck--you acted in a sort of a dazed way, too, for that matter," -he whistled provokingly. "What do you intend to do now, anyway; the -night's still young." - -"If you don't mind, I think I'll go home. Did you hear what the news -was, about the assassination of Mito? Well, I scored a clean beat, as -you may know. I want to get home and gloat comfortably, to enjoy my -thoughts of my luck." - -"Oh, what absolute liars newspapermen are." Karsten placed an arm -affectionately about his shoulders. "I can't let you insult my -intelligence by letting you think that I believe that. Kent, looking -at you, I have wondered whether when, in my sinful past, I have been -in love, I have looked so damned silly as that? It's wonderful; and -whether you deny it or not, I'm going to open a bottle of Cliquot with -you when we come home." - - - - -CHAPTER XX - - -"And now," Karsten was laughing across his glass, "I take it that I'm -not premature----" - -"But you are." Realization had suddenly flashed upon Kent that he had -nothing to celebrate; he had accomplished nothing, had been brought -no nearer a decision in his relationship with this girl. All this -feeling of certainty, this sense of having won her, was entirely -self-created, elation of auto-intoxication based on nothing tangible. -He became instantly irritated. "Drop this horse-play, Karsten. I don't -mind telling you I wish there were something to celebrate; but you -spoiled it all, rushing in as you did. If you hadn't, I might now have -known----" - -"Fiddlesticks, there's not a shadow of a doubt. Of course, I realized -it the moment I rushed in upon you two, just what was about to pass; -and after that, when I was alone with her after you had left, it -was plain enough. I used to think I knew something about women; I'm -certainly not mistaken now. And, Kent, old man, while I shall be -sorry to lose you, I'm glad this has come about. I'm getting to be -an old man. I have come to enjoy my sensations in respect to women -vicariously, by watching others, men and women whom I like, and you -won't mind my telling you that I've had not a little such vicarious -pleasure through you, enjoying, at second hand, your experiences, -what little you told me and what I might deduce and add thereto, with -these Japanese girls; and, old man, I'm honestly glad that you are now -finally coming to the end, and that it is not a Japanese girl." - -"What!" He had not entirely liked Karsten's confession, had sensed a -trace of annoyance that the other should thus have been watching him -critically, as if he were some one more or less impersonal, detached, -performing on a stage for his edification. But he forgot all this in -his astonishment at this last pronouncement--coming from Karsten of all -men. Why not a Japanese girl? "Why," he asked him the question. "Why -not a Japanese? I thought you liked the Japanese?" - -"For myself, yes; for you, no," Karsten laughed, filled his pipe, lit -it. "You know there's a tremendous lot of talk and argument on the -question of mixed marriages. People say this and they say that, and -yet essentially I think the matter resolves itself into the question -of what a man seeks in marriage, what he expects in the woman he -joins himself with for life. It depends on whether a man loves with -his intellect or whether he loves with his senses. You and I furnish -good examples. You love essentially with your brain. Of course, you -enjoy brilliance and color, beauty, charm, and all that; you saw them -in these Japanese girls, and they fascinated you, entranced you. And -that was what I was a little afraid of, that you might succumb to it, -that you might suffer yourself to be overcome by this scintillating, -ephemeral fascination of the exotic; for it would have been fatal -for you; the newness is bound to wear off; and what you look for in -marriage, the thing in a woman which can hold you, is intellect. You -want beauty, charm, of course, but for you the great essential thing -is brains, a woman who can be a companion, a comrade, who can have all -your interests in common with you. That's the only kind of a relation -that may be lasting in your case. - -"Now take my own. I love essentially with my senses. Of course, -I want a woman with sense, intelligence; a fool would irritate me -immeasurably; I have no patience with fools; but I would be just as -intolerant with what we may call the 'trained intellect' in a woman -who was my constant companion. I enjoy that, greatly even, when I -chance across it in other women; but in the case of my own woman, the -one with me always, I want no arguments, no discussions in respect -to my own essential intellectual pursuits and interests. Bluntly, I -want to supply all the brains for the household. It's intolerant, of -course, but that's how I am. What I want is not a woman who'll discuss -politics, or Freud, or Relativity with me. I want one whom I may -enjoy as I do a picture, music, fragrance. Of course, you see that I -don't mean mere physical enjoyment--the man who marries for that is -obviously a fool--but what I'm trying to drive at is that I enjoy woman -companionship through esthetic impressions, through the visions and -dreams that her presence, her loveliness, her charm, her womanliness, -bring to me, not through ideas or debates. And that's why in my case I -felt that I might find happiness best with a Japanese, who might be all -of these things to me, playmate, doll, companion, picture--everything -but an encyclopedia or text-book on philosophy. And I had it, Kent. I -had all that with Jun-san--I have told you. My God, those were years -of happiness. But it was too perfect. I thought I had life all solved -for me, that I had finally gained serenity, peace; that I was about to -accomplish something worth while--and then," he picked up his glass, -smashed it deliberately into the brass bowl for pipe litter, "then to -have it all smashed, like that--and by my own son!" - -"Your son," Kent leaned forward, hands gripping chair arms. "Your son! -You don't mean Mortimer?" - -"He's the only son I have, isn't he?" Karsten had been pacing the -floor; now he turned, facing Kent, glaring. "I didn't mean to tell you; -but now you know it. Of course, I mean Mortimer." - -"But it's impossible, it's absurd, it's preposterous, Karsten, man; -you don't mean to say that you've been wrecking your life over such an -insane fever fancy as that?" - -"Fancy, hell! It's good enough in you, Kent, to stick up for the boy, -to believe it impossible; but, hang it, man, I saw it with my own eyes." - -"By the gods, Karsten, you lie." He had jumped up, flung the challenge -into his face, eyes flashing, lips parted. - -"I don't take that from any man, Kent." Karsten's fist flung backwards -in swing for attack. Kent faced him, left arm on guard. For a moment -they stood facing each other, glaring, then Karsten's fist dropped, he -relaxed, flung wide his hands. "Oh, what's the use, Kent. I'm sorry. It -is good of you to stick up for the boy; but, I tell you, I know. Let us -drop this, old man. Finish. Let us have a drink and say no more about -it." - -"No, hold on." Kent had dropped into his chair and sat there, chin -resting in cupped hand, the other stretched towards Karsten in a -gesture warding off interruption. "Karsten, you know I'm not trying -to probe into this just out of idle curiosity; but I have an idea. I -wonder---- Now I want you to tell me exactly, in every detail, just -what you did see, the whole thing." - -"But what good can it do? Do you think I enjoy this? Oh, very well, -then," he shrugged his shoulders. "Since you seem so curiously set on -it, I'll tell you. - -"It happened when Mortimer came to Japan to visit me for a few months -when he was through college, before he went to Europe. Of course, I -was living with Jun-san then, but he didn't know it. She was living -in her cottage, just as she is now. I'm sure he suspected nothing. Of -course, I couldn't have him suspect. It was easy enough. Then one night -I came home late, and sat in the garden for a while, and then I saw it. -They were both in her cottage. I could see their shadows against the -paper of the _shoji_, sharply cut, silhouetted as in a shadow play; -there was no room for doubt; and then I saw him advance and place his -arm about her neck, and the two heads melted into one. My God, wasn't -that enough! Do you think I would want to wait and see more, to stand -passively and contemplate a love scene between her, my woman, who was -as much wife to me as if we had gone through a thousand ceremonials, -and my son, my own son? No, I ran out there into the temple grounds. -I sat down and I thought; and I walked up and down, and thoughts, and -ideas, and every sort of inspiration of madness passed in and out of -my mind. One moment I wanted to rush in and confront them, tear them -apart, throw them out, humiliate them, kill her. I learned that night -what it was to be mad, crazy, insane. I wanted to do a thousand things, -and at the same time I felt utterly helpless, that there was nothing -I could do. In my imagination I could see them, Jun-san and Mortimer, -my love and my son, in each other's arms, kissing, embracing. But -what could I do? Surely I couldn't rush in and say, 'Here, Mortimer, -that's my woman you have stolen.' The whole thing was impossible, a -sardonically grotesque masque contrived for my utter humiliation by -some demoniacal, superbly malicious fate. I even worked myself up -to believing, or at least half believing, that this was a sort of -retribution, punishment for my irregularities, for my fool play with -women in the past, just as our Puritan forefathers might have done. -Yes, I was on the verge of being crazy, actually, pathologically -insane, that night. But I came finally to a conclusion, the only -logical conclusion--there was nothing for me to say or do; it simply -marked the end with me for women in my life. So in the early morning -I sneaked to my room; and a few weeks later Mortimer sailed for San -Francisco; and I never said a word to him, or to Jun-san. So there you -are. You see how it is. As our Japanese friends say, _shikataganai_; it -can't be helped." - -"And that was all you ever saw?" Kent's voice had become calmly cold, -inquisitorial. "So that was all?" - -"My God, wasn't that enough!" Karsten flung it at him irritatedly. -"What more could you want? Did you expect me to play the rôle of spy -on my son and my----? Honestly, now, you seem to have become absurdly -dense." - -But Kent had come up to him and was shaking him, laughing nervously -after the fashion of one who has passed into the trembling relief of -reaction after excitation of nervous strain. "Oh, Karsten-san, you big -damn fool, with your pride of intellect and finesse of reasoning and -all that; how much better it would have been for you if you had only -reacted as would have a sailor, or a butcher, or a coal-heaver, if you -had jumped in and had had it out on the spot. Now listen. I have the -whole explanation. I can show you what an absurd, blundering fool you -have been all these years--and I myself, here I've been going about -with the key to the whole story, and I have seen how it was between -Jun-san and you, and still I've never had the sense to tell you. What -fools we are, all of us. Now listen---- - -"On that night, the night all this happened, Mortimer had been to a -cinema show, had he not?" - -"I suppose so. As a matter of fact, he had; but what of that?" -Karsten had caught the infection of excitement, suspense at impending -revealment. His fingers were drumming on the table. "Don't sit there -as if you were about to drag a rabbit out of a hat. Get down to -essentials." - -"Easy. That is essential. It all hinges on that. Mortimer had been to -see one of those American films that had been censored by the police. -He told me about it, after he had returned to San Francisco and was -telling me about Japan. He thought it amusing, that just as the picture -reached the climax, the point where the heroine, whoever she may have -been, fell into the arms of the hero, there came a blur, and, presto, -they were again six feet apart. The censor had cut out the kissing -scene. As I say, he thought it intensely funny, the idea of an entire -nation being kept from knowledge of kissing by a censor. And it worked, -he told me. 'They really don't know what kissing is,' he said. For the -idea had intrigued him. He had wondered; and when he came home and he -happened to be telling about it to a pretty servant--that's what threw -me off, his speaking of Jun-san as a servant; though, of course, I see -now that that's how he must naturally have looked upon her----" - -"For the good Lord's sake, man, don't babble so," the rat-tat-tat of -Karsten's fingers seemed to crackle and snap like electricity. "Get to -the point." - -"I am. Keep quiet. Let me think, won't you? So it occurred to him that -here was a chance where he might find out for himself, experiment. -Nothing to get excited about, Karsten. We've both done as much. So -he kept coming closer to her; just mischief, you know. It was plain -she suspected nothing of the kind, he told me. He got his arm about -her neck. She didn't move. She was utterly astounded, struck aghast, -transfixed in surprise. And then, when she did move, as he brought his -lips close to her mouth, she didn't struggle, she didn't cuff his ears -after Western fashion. She just placed her hands on his wrists and -looked at him. It must have been impressive. He told me that he felt a -greater sense of rebuff, of being ashamed of himself, than if she had -struck him. And that's how he left her. That was all that happened. And -here you've let that woman suffer for years, Karsten, and I never had -the sense to----" - -But Karsten had strode past him, was not listening. He flung open the -sliding door at the head of the stairway. "Jun-san," he was calling -down into the dimness below. "Jun-san, come, come here right away." - -In her haste even the softness of her _zori_ made a clatter on the -stairs. She entered, breathless, wide-eyed in anxiety at the sudden -call, stood astounded, staring at Karsten who was standing--arms -stretched towards her. - -Kent edged towards the door. They paid no attention to him. She was -still standing there, trembling, lips parted, unable to believe. Now -he had almost gained the door. It seemed unreal, like a theatrical -situation, these two, in their trembling intensity. - -"Erik-san, oh, Erik-san!" She was in Karsten's arms now, high -hair-dress against his shoulder. As he slid the partition shut, Kent -caught a glimpse of the man's head bending down towards her. It was -dramatic, affecting. He caught his breath sharply, blinked his eyes, -and at the same time the thought came to him, frivolously erratic--it -was just like the cinema film; he had cut the picture at the very most -intense moment. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - - -He sat up in bed in bewildered wonder whether it had been an actual -sound, an explosion, that had awakened him, or whether it had been some -particularly realistic bit of dream. Still, there was a peculiarly -dry, rattling clatter, something like hail--and yet the sun was -shining--just as he was trying to shake himself thoroughly awake, the -sound ceased abruptly. - -As he swung himself out of bed, Karsten hurried in. "Hallo, time to get -busy, Kent. It has broken loose, the revolution, riot, or whatever it -is, shooting, burning. That was machine-gun fire we just heard, from -the Aoyama barracks, I take it. Breakfast will be ready for you when -you have dressed. You had better make a meal before you start; you're -likely to have a strenuous day." - -It was difficult to take time for eating, but Karsten insisted. "Won't -you come along?" asked Kent. "You should see the excitement." But -Karsten shook his head, laughed. "No, to-day, I'm staying home, even if -they burn down all of Tokyo." He smiled to Jun-san. She came over to -him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Happiness, radiated over these -two, made them look younger, an odd appearance of newness, as if they -had been refurbished, brightened. A flash of envious admiration came to -Kent; after all, though modern life smiled at romance, it was the thing -that mattered, woman, affection between the sexes, the one ingredient -that could vitalize humdrum existence with the color, the play and -sparkle of joy of living. From a distance came the reverberation of -a dull boom; from somewhere near the center of the city a great smoke -cloud shot skywards, mushroomed in the still air, dissipated slowly -into a thin pall of bluish haze. - -He ran into the street. It seemed like a holiday, with the absence of -the usual bustle of business. Here and there groups of people, mostly -women, chattered excitedly, with a frightened and yet fascinated look -on their faces. It reminded him of the aspect the neighborhood took on -when there was a fire in the quarter. The street cars were not running. -A detachment of police passed him, about a hundred of them, running -with their peculiar stiff trot, each with a gloved hand clamped on his -short sword, in a long double file. - -As he came near the square at Toranomon, he ran into a line of -infantrymen, resting stolidly on their rifles, keeping clear the wide -space behind them, the quarter containing the Diet building, Foreign -Office, the Kasumigaseki Palace and, farther back, the General Staff -headquarters. He made his way along a side street hurriedly, avoiding -the crowds which had gathered here and there, wherever temple grounds -or square afforded a convenient space. There was not so much excitement -as he had expected, rather an air of expectancy; they did not appear -like people who were engaged at this moment in overthrowing their -overlords; rather they seemed eager for the staging of some event which -they knew was about to happen, as if they were waiting for a show of -daylight fireworks. Still, here and there might be seen small groups -of men who seemed to have a definite objective, who were intent on -some certain purpose, on going somewhere. It was significant that they -all, even the more stolid ones, ran, or walked, or drifted in the same -general direction,--towards the government building quarter stretching -from the central police station at Hibiya to the War Office in a long -curve following the outer palace moat and centering on the wide street -running from the palace gate at Sakuradamon, near which lay the nerve -centers of the Government, the Navy, War and Judiciary buildings, the -Diet quarters, and the rest. - -The whole movement was too vast, too intangible, covered too much -ground to make it possible to handle the story single-handed. They -would know more at the _Japan American_ Office. He found Carew there, -tired-eyed, helping himself to hot, black coffee from a thermos bottle. - -"Hallo, Kent," he stretched himself. "Hell, isn't it? Here it is, the -big story, the outbreak that we have all been expecting and waiting -for for years, the demolishment of the last stronghold in the world of -militarism in its old form, perhaps; and here I am, almost idle. There -is news popping every minute, big stuff, and there isn't a thing to -do with it. The boys are out covering the story as best they can, but -what's the use? We can't get out a paper. There is no power for the -machines, and, anyway, I have no linotype men, no press crew. You might -as well take it easy, too. Tokyo is isolated as far as messages are -concerned. The wires are down everywhere. They say the bridges are down -on all sides of the city. Even if they weren't, they would not take -cable messages, of course. I tried to send one of the boys to Yokohama, -hoping he might get a message out by wireless from some steamer, but -he just came back. The Kawasaki bridge has been blown up, one span at -least, and the military are guarding it and won't let any one pass. Go -out and enjoy yourself looking about, but you won't get any news out of -here to-day, anyway." - -"But what do you make of it?" Carew's stoicism irritated him. "What do -you know about it? Is it The Revolution?" - -"I don't know." Carew shrugged his shoulders. "Call it anything you -please, revolution, riot, overthrow. It is the simultaneous uprising -of all the lower classes, the poorer classes, the working classes. -It is the explosion of the discontent that has been accumulating for -years. It reminds me of a drift of snow that has been growing bigger -and bigger, overhanging some steep slope, waiting but for some impetus -to start it off. The Mito assassination started it; it is on the way, -gathering force every minute, an avalanche that gains growth from -the snow that is waiting to add its volume as it rushes onwards. The -question now is merely whether the Government can hold it; if the -troops will stick by it. That'll tell the whole story." - -"Have you any idea how far this is a concerted movement, a planned -general movement? Have you gotten anything from the outside?" - -"Sure it is part of a general plan to some extent." Carew handed him -a sheaf of Nippon Dempo news service flimsies. "These kept coming in -until early this morning when everything suddenly stopped. You see how, -the moment the news of the Mito assassination came out, hell broke -loose in various places. Peasants from one end of Japan to the other, -tenant farmers, who have been clamoring at the landlords on account -of exorbitant rents, have been burning village offices and landlords' -houses. At the same time came strikes, rioting, violence in all the -industrial centers,--Osaka, Kobe, Nogoya. At first, when the news began -to trickle in last night, I thought it was just like the rice riots -in 1918, with breaking of some windows and wrecking of some office -buildings and warehouses. But it's bigger. It's a sight bigger. I -fancy no one knows how big it will grow before it stops, or where it -will stop. Go take a look about town, and you'll see they've done a lot -of damage already. - -"We had a small riot right here a couple of hours ago. I've known right -along that one of the linotype men is a Socialist leader of sorts; -at least, the police have always come and locked him up whenever the -suffrage bill or anything like that came up in the Diet. But when they -came early this morning as per usual, some three or four of them, -they set upon them, all the printers. They beat the devil out of the -policemen and then they beat it. I fancy that's characteristic of the -whole situation all over Japan. The worm is turning." - -Kent went on to his office a few blocks away. Ishii was there, restless -with excitement. "I've been waiting for you, Kent-san. I have a message -for you. She came about an hour ago, Adachi-san. She says that if you -want to see the best part of the excitement, come to Sakuradamon. -She'll probably be there." - -Adachi-san! It was like a shock to have her suddenly injected into -his life again after all these months. A short time ago, when she had -vanished, this news would have caused his heart to beat high with -excitement, would have sent him flying to find her--but now, even -though he did feel expectancy at seeing her again, curiosity to learn -why she had disappeared, where she had been, the predominant feeling -was one of uneasiness. That incident, that bit of romance, had been -delightful, pungently sweet when thought of as just that, a delectable, -charming interlude in the humdrum course of existence; but that was -just its main charm, what gave it the subtle flavor of a fanciful -dream, its evanescence, the very fact that it had never crystallized -into a more lasting, definite relationship. It had faded out of his -life now; what he could treasure as a memory, a whimsical recollection, -might be but vitiated, rendered drab and prosaic, should he allow its -reality to inject itself, intrudingly, into his life. And then, of -course, over and above it all, there was Sylvia. - -"We had better go right now." Ishii was nervously eager. "You had -better wear your police badge where it can be seen, so we can get -through the lines." - -"All right, I'm coming." He fastened his police badge, a disk of wood -bearing the magic formula which allowed him to pass police cordons, on -a string about his neck. Of course, he must see her. After all, it was -pathetic, her thinking of him in the midst of all this excitement. He -wondered how much she really had to do with it all. - -As they approached Hibiya Park the crowds became more dense. He -had to display his badge repeatedly to get past lines of police. -Excitement was more evident now, and yet the city seemed oddly quiet. -He realized that it was the absence of the usual noise of traffic, roar -of elevated trains, clatter of street cars. The entire voice of the -city had changed; the volume of sound from hundreds of thousands of -humans, shuffling along in clacking _geta_, talking, shouting, making -an entirely new sound, live, electric, ominous as contrasted with the -usual mechanical rattle. - -Just in front of the park the police lines were the most solid, -thousands of officers backed by mounted gendarmes. They would not let -him pass, shrugged shoulders as he tried to argue with them, showing -his pass. He worked his way along the line towards the main entrance, -hoping to find some opening. He found a young official, pleasantly -courteous, who seemed inclined to listen. Suddenly, as he argued, a -dull roar sounded behind him, to his right; a gust of wind, as if a -giant had blown a gigantic breath over him and the rest of the crowd. -The masses behind him surged forward irresistibly. He noted that the -mouth of the young officer had opened, eyes popping, staring as if some -astounding, incredible sight had just appeared. As the crowd pushed -on, carrying him and the police line before it, he managed to turn -and look over the heads of the frantic people milling all about him. -As he was borne on, through the entrance into the park, he caught a -glimpse of the great central police station to the right behind him. -The entire corner was gone, leaving exposed, doll-house rooms in the -interior beyond. The usually meticulous bronze figure of some noted -police official had been knocked askew by the débris into an absurdly -incongruous drunken attitude. Fine dust from the explosion began to -settle over them. The crowds, frantically insistent on getting away, -had broken through the police lines on all sides, along the broad -road between Hibiya Park and the outer moat, and, beyond that, across -Babasakimon bridge, into the great space between the inner and outer -palace moats, surging towards Sakuradamon. But here in Hibiya Park the -police were getting the crowd in hand again, assisted by gendarmes and -soldiers who had come from the other side of the square. The mounted -men rode their horses right into the crowds; sabers were used freely. -The soldiers seemed unenthusiastic, apathetic. Kent noticed that they -belonged to some infantry regiment up in the fifties; probably they -were country recruits, more in sympathy with the mob than against it. -But the others, the police and the gendarmes, were laboring under -hysterical excitement. They had always seemed absurd to him, these -tiny-looking swords, but quite evidently they were dangerous weapons, -viciously sharpened. Some of the superior officers particularly -appeared to have become entirely beside themselves, eyes bloodshot, -mouths foaming, literally crazed for the moment, maniacs insane with -blood lust. - -Kent managed to avoid them by taking the smaller paths leading through -shrubbery. The police were all busy raging at the mob, and the -soldiers, seeing his police emblem, shrugged shoulders and let him -pass. As he worked over towards the other side of the park, in the -direction of the navy wireless tower, he became aware of a feeling -of emptiness, as if the space, the atmosphere rather, had in some -strange way changed, as if it were lighter, more spacious. There was a -peculiar acrid tang in the air; he sniffed; yes, that was smoke rising -there over the trees. He climbed a low knoll, usually a favorite place -for lovers, with a summerhouse surrounded by azaleas. Ah, that was -it; where the Diet building had stood, a barn-like, wood and stucco -structure, was now no building at all; only smoldering heaps of débris. -He obtained a moment's amusement by noticing that the cordons of police -and soldiers which had been guarding the Diet all these months were -still there, on all four sides of the great block, solemnly guarding -the smoking ashes. - -He swerved to the right, managed to get to the street alongside the -outer moat just ahead of the crowd which had broken through the police -lines down by the central station. Here, inside the space containing -the most important government buildings, were scattered only small -detachments of police and soldiers, who did not attempt to face the -mob; but beyond, up on the high ground by the War Office and the -General Staff headquarters, were sounding bugle calls. Evidently troops -were being summoned to form new cordons to take the places of those -which had been broken. - -By this time he was almost running. He must get as far as possible -into this inner area before new lines were formed. Evidently the same -thought possessed the mobs racing behind him. They were surprisingly -silent; the predominating sound was the vast volume of clatter made by -tens of thousands of wooden _geta_. Just as he was about to pass into -the square facing, on its right, the Sakuradamon palace entrance and to -the left a great empty lot above which rose the General Staff building, -he heard his name being called. "Here, Kent-san. Here I am." - -There she was, Sadako-san, with a small group of others, at a vantage -point formed by the small space surrounding the pedestal of a statue of -a frock-coated gentleman in bronze, set in a corner of the Judiciary -building grounds. There were two or three other girls and about a dozen -men. He noticed the professor who had been in jail on account of his -writings about Kropotkin. - -She had been right in picking this point as the center of events. -Already they were beginning to concentrate on this spot from all sides, -the crowd coming along the Hibiya Park road and that flowing across -the space from Babasakimon reinforced by the student contingent from -Kanda and the laborers from Asakusa and Uyeno, and even from across the -Sumida River, from Honjo and Fukagawa. And apparently they were trying -to come on from the other side of the city, too. Up on the higher -ground, in the direction of the Sanno-dai Temple grounds, a hilly park -often used for demonstrations, came sound of musketry, volley firing. -Bugles still sounded about the General Staff headquarters grounds -and, behind that, on the hill crowned by the War Office. Bugles also -began to sound from across the moat, inside the inner palace grounds. -Still, oddly, there was no sight of soldiers or police; the crowds -continued to surge on into the square, gradually filling it. On the -other side the multitude was evidently being kept in check by some -cordon which they could not see, at Toranomon probably. A few small -groups, individual figures here and there, evidently Foreign Office -officials or men from the Italian or Russian embassies close by, were -moving along rapidly, evidently to see the excitement. Presently Kent -saw Kikuchi. He shouted to him, managed to attract his attention. As -he joined their group, Kent noticed a stir among the others, frowns, -whispers, then shoulder shrugs; but no protest was made. - -But he wanted to see Sadako-san, to have a few words with her, at -least. He managed to draw her aside a little, sheltered against the -pedestal of the statue. "Sadako-san, where have you been? That wasn't -the right thing to do, to run away from me like that. You know, -I've----" - -"Oh, Kent-san, you must not think that that was what I asked you to -come here for, to talk nonsense, on a day like this--no, not nonsense, -forgive me. I didn't mean that. We'll talk about--about these other -things some other time--yes, I promise--but to-day; don't you see, this -is the day we have all been waiting for so long, the day marking the -birth of a new Japan, when the people of Japan shall break down the -rule of the tyrants, of the wicked, old anachronists over there," she -pointed across the square to the gray, copper-roofed building of the -General Staff. "That's why I asked you to come here, to this spot; for -this is where history is to be made to-day." - -It flashed on him that she made a picture as she stood there, exquisite -in her soft-tinted kimono, eyes flashing, cheeks flushed. She seemed -as if she might be emblematic, a figure representative of the new -Japanese idealism, standing side by side with this bronze frock-coated -individual, a nice old respectable bureaucrat no doubt, whoever he -might be; the two, the breathing, pulsating girl and the cold, stiff -bronze man, symbolic of Japan of to-day, the contrast. Still, why did -she insist on taking part in this mad medley of mob passion? How much -happier she would be---- Recollection came to him of some of their -excursions together. But, of course, that could be no longer. The -thought came to him suddenly--it was fortunate that she had refused to -discuss personal topics. That was just like him, saying things without -thinking. He had not intended to recall their affair, matters of -affection; still, of course, he could see now how it must have seemed -to her that he was trying to do so. - -The crowd kept surging into the square, which was gradually filling. -It began to become monotonous; nothing happened; it did not look as if -anything was even about to happen; one became impatient, disappointed -with the sense of constantly baffled expectation. Evidently the -"revolution" was about to fizzle and splutter into extinction without -dramatic dénouement. Did it have any intention whatever, this mob? What -was the idea of the whole thing? "What is going to happen, Sadako-san? -What are you people going to do? Is all this disturbance throughout -Japan a planned, concerted movement, or is it just accidental, -spontaneous outbreaks caused by the death of the Premier?" - -"Both, in a way." She showed her pleasure at being able to instruct -him. "We have been waiting for many months for this to happen, we -radicals, thousands of us, scattered through all of Japan. Everywhere -where there was dissatisfaction, among the tenant farmers in all the -country districts, among the industrial laborers and all the other poor -people in the cities, in fact, everywhere in Japan we had our leaders, -a few here and a few there; only a few were needed in each place; -conditions have made the people, the whole nation almost, ready to -strike if only some one gave a start. They all knew, we all knew, that -some day the great event would occur which would be the signal for our -men to lead revolts throughout Japan. We all knew that it would happen -some day, to-morrow, in a month, in a year, but when we didn't know, or -possibly only the very few leaders. The police knew, too, that it would -happen sometime; but that was just what baffled them; what prevented -them from making an end to the business, the utter uncertainty of it -all. They could not keep all of us, the thousands and thousands on -their suspect lists, locked up all the time. So we all waited, we and -the police, for the event that would be the signal, and when they -killed that poor fool Mito, we all knew that the time had come. But the -police could not move fast enough. Do you know that all bridges and -wires are down all about Tokyo? They have had to send their best troops -to Korea and Manchuria for their schemes there. They couldn't depend -on most of the army for imperialist schemes, ever since the Siberian -scandal. So now there is in Tokyo only the First Regiment, the Imperial -Guards, who'll be loyal to the General Staff. And do you think that -they can stop us?" She stretched her hand out towards the crowding -thousands in the square before them. "Do you think one regiment can -stop them?" - -"But what is it that you are going to do? Why are all these people -coming here? What's the big purpose?" - -"Why, overthrow, of course." She almost shouted in her impatience. -"We shall turn them out, the General Staff, the bureaucrats; then we -shall--anyway, we shall overthrow the Government." - -He shrugged his shoulders wearily. Always, in beer hall, or public -square, or radical magazine, these students, professors, theorists, -revolutionists, always ranting about the "overthrow" without an -idea of what must follow. Impatience overcame him. It all seemed so -futile, silly, even the big events, the assassination of the Premier, -the burning of the Diet building and the rest, purposeless, childish -destruction, leading nowhere. - -"Well, suppose you do overthrow it all, what then? Do you want to be -like Russia?" - -"What's the matter with Russia then?" The voice, masculine, faintly -familiar, came from right behind him. He turned resentfully. Who the -devil could this be, eavesdropping? It was Lüttich. He had seen the -Russian only a few times since the days when they were fellow-travelers -on the _Tenyo Maru_. He had supposed that he was teaching the -violin, dancing, French and other polite accomplishments to the -aristocracy. What was he doing here, evidently hand in glove with the -revolutionists? And what the devil business had he to butt in on them? - -"The last time I talked politics with you, Lüttich," he spoke with -studied sarcasm, that the others might hear, "you seemed to have lots -to say against the present government of Russia." - -"Of course," the other laughed scornfully. "What chance do you think a -Russian would have living in Japan unless he sang just that tune? But, -good Lord, man, did you really think that I'd content myself with that, -with being a dancing master, and in these times. These are the times to -live in, Kent. Think of it, a few years ago, Petrograd, and now here, -to-day, Tokyo! And to have a hand in it all! Did you see the police -station, Kent-san? What did you think of it?" - -"I'll tell you what I think of----" - -"Look, listen," she had gripped his arm. Across the square, on the hill -of the General Staff building, something was in motion. The Kropotkin -professor had a field glass which was being passed round. Kent, in -his turn, caught a glimpse of the scene in front of the building, a -solitary figure in the middle, and lower down, in front of it, files of -soldiers. He passed the glass on to Kikuchi. - -"My God, Kent-san," Kikuchi handed it back to him. "Take another look. -Don't you see, it's him, the Devil himself, General Matsu, chief of the -General Staff." - -From the top of the hill the bugle sounded again. A roar, explosions -from all sides, flashes from the other side of the moat, from the -ramparts of the palace grounds, from the top of the hill. Then, -abruptly, a moment of silence, of bewilderment, sudden occurrence and -sudden cessation of the sound having a theatrical effect, as if a -pianist had finished a rather tedious composition with a sudden sweep -of hand crashing across the full stretch of bass octaves. It stunned -them, and the crowd stood dumb, numbed, unbelieving. Then it was as if -at precisely the same instant the full meaning of what had happened -came to all, a revelation of despair; they were surrounded, troops -on all sides, hemmed them in, tens of thousands. From all sides they -crowded, milling against the center, seeking escape. Kent pushed the -girl before him, up towards the top of the pedestal, he and the rest -climbing up its terraced sides to avoid the sea of humanity surging -frantically about them. Whimsically, there came to his mind a picture -from the Doré Bible, a picture of the flood, a group of humans and -animals seeking on an isolated rocky peak escape from the rising waters. - -"Damn them, they have some sense yet, these militarists," there was a -note of admiration in the voice of the Russian. "Here they have managed -to trap the best part of the country's radical leaders, half of them at -least. I wonder if----" - -From the hill top came the notes of the bugle, clear, unfaltering, like -a maneuver call. Immediately another crash of rifles, just one volley. -They were shooting more accurately this time, or the officers were -compelling the men to do so. All along the edges of the mob they were -falling, men and women, children even, rolling down the steep slopes -into the moat, or falling under the feet of the mass, milling about, -stampeded, driven in upon itself from all sides. Now the multitude had -found its voice, but it was inarticulate, shrieks, cries and groans -mingling into a vast volume of sound, meaningless, inhuman. - -Another half minute. Again the bugle, followed by a single volley. -Another half minute, another volley. The crowd was like insane -creatures, those at the edges fighting their way in, those in the -middle struggling frantically to escape, and, every thirty seconds, the -bugle call, and the single sharp volley, with military precision, from -all sides. - -"I didn't think they had it in them, that they had that much -imagination," there was open admiration in the Russian's tone now. -"Don't you see it, Kent-san, the devilish cleverness of it all. It's -not the shooting that's the worst; it's the suspense, the waiting, the -bugle call and the knowledge of the death that comes with it. That's -what they will remember to their dying day, all those who escape, if -they let any one escape. That'll take the heart out of them. Such is -life, the life of a revolutionist, Kent-san. They're setting us back -ten years to-day, damn them, but we'll get them in the end." - -Time had come for the next bugle call. It seemed overdue, a longer -interval than before. They almost wanted it to come, to have it over -with. Surely the interval was long. They began to glance about, at one -another. Was it possible? Face peered anxiously into face, each seeking -to read confirmation of his own hope. Had the killing really ceased, or -was this but another refinement of cruelty? - -"No, it's over; they've finished; the soldiers are retiring." It was -the professor with the field glass. At the same time there came from -in front of them, like a ripple of sound passing rapidly, quaveringly, -through the mob, a whisper, then the rumor spoken aloud but in the -doubting tone of unbelief; finally in shouts: "The Prince Regent, the -Prince Regent. He stopped it. He told the militarists that he would not -have them kill His people. His people. The Prince Regent!" - -The emotions of the crowds were still too conflicting to allow definite -united form of expression, joy, sorrow, relief. The cries of the dying -and wounded became audible now to the individuals, who until this had -been concerned only with their own frantic fears, listening for the -death-signaling bugle. Evidently the cordons about Hibiya had been -withdrawn, for the crowd became suddenly augmented. New arrivals who -had not been set trembling by suspense of expectation of death, saw the -dead, raised their hands in wrath. Shouts for vengeance, cries from the -wounded, trembling hysteria of those who had escaped the debacle all -mingled in a chaos of confusion of sound, of movement, of minds. - -"Now's the time, you fools," Kent heard the Russian's hoarse whisper to -those about him. "In this moment you win or lose the revolution. All -that's needed now is a leader. Come on, lead them, demolish the General -Staff. Here, take some of these." Kent caught a glimpse of dark -lemon-shaped objects, with crisscross furrows, as they passed from hand -to hand. "I don't suppose you want one," he grinned to Kent. "You don't -know how much history there may be crammed into one of these little -things. Anyway, come along." - -The others had already started, making their way through the mob. The -professors and the rest, Sadako-san, Ishii, even Kikuchi. He caught the -young diplomat's arm. "What the devil are you doing in this, Kikuchi? -You had better get back to the Foreign Office where you belong." - -"Don't be a fool, Kent, don't be a fool," the young fellow's face -was ecstatic, eyes brilliantly flashing. "Don't you see it, Kent? He -is with us, the Prince Regent, with the people. He must be at the -Kasumigaseki Palace, right across the way from the General Staff -building. He must have seen with his own eyes almost, and he stopped -them. He is with us, the people; what in hell does it matter whether we -be Foreign Office mannikins or proletariat; we all are the people of -Japan, the nation, and we all want just that one thing, the overthrow -of the militarists and of the bureaucrats." - -They had reached the edge of the mob at the foot of the wide driveway -leading to the General Staff building. Most of the soldiers had -disappeared; only a thin cordon guarded the approach. Behind them, -scattered in the throng, they could hear voices of leaders shouting. -"To the General Staff; this way; throw them out; to the General Staff!" -The cry was taken up; it became a roar; again the mob took common -direction. Presently they found themselves in the front rank, pressed -steadily forwards by the urge of the multitude behind them. Kent was -pushed upwards with the rest of the group, Sadako-san, Kikuchi, Ishii, -Lüttich and the others, closer and closer to the line of soldiers, -being driven steadily nearer the extended bayonet points. The officer -in charge, a captain, Prussian-mustached, scowling at the advancing -crowd, was directly in front of them. They could see him biting -his lips, finger nervously playing about his automatic, suspense, -indecision, plainly written on his face. A stone thrown by some one in -the crowd whizzed past him. Kent heard him bark out something, some -order; instantly the rifles of the soldiers had leaped into position at -their shoulders. By the gods, they were about to fire! - -Those in the front rank of the mob tried to push backwards, but were -held fast by those behind. Instinctively Kent placed his arm about -Sadako, glaring up at the soldiers. Another gruff military order was -barked out, hoarse, unintelligible. The rifles came to rest. The -soldiers began to retreat slowly. "That was Matsu himself gave that -order." Kent heard the excited whisper of Kikuchi right in his ear. -"That's one thing about these militarists, at least. They obey orders. -Look, there he is." - -He had come forward, an old man in field uniform with a single great -silver decoration, almost as large as a saucer, below his breast. He -was waving back, impatiently, other officers who evidently wished to -stay with him, barked out some command to them imperiously. Then he -turned, facing the mob, white-haired head erect, hand on sword hilt, -silent, proud, impressive. - -"By the gods, they are no cowards, anyway, these militarists," Kent -flung the words back over his shoulder to Kikuchi. "One man against a -nation." - -"He accepts the responsibility. What else can he do?" The old Japanese -formula, the gentleman's creed. - -Those in the front rank tried to hold back, impressed, awed at this -solitary old man, glaring at them defiantly through steel-rimmed -spectacles. But those behind pressed on. Stones began to fly; suddenly -a shot sounded from the right. The general slumped into a heap; he -tried to raise one hand, collapsed, was quiet. - -The captain of the cordon swung about, facing the crowd, face -twitching, teeth bared like a snarling beast. Eyes popping, he waved -his heavy automatic at those in front, yelling at them maniacally. -"Cowards, scum, animals." He was plainly entirely mad. "Yes, and women -too; take that!" - -The gun spat directly at Sadako, within a couple of feet of her breast. -Kent felt her become limp suddenly in his arm. As he clung to her, he -sensed something hard worming itself in from behind between him and the -girl. Damn it! He struggled for room in the mob. A dull roar of sound, -powerful, stunned him as if an impact had suddenly pressed against his -side. Dazedly, as through a blur, he saw the figure of the captain reel -backwards, pistol sagging, then tumbling into a heap. A roar went up -from the mob behind them. The surge forward became insistent. A few -of them, Kent, Kikuchi, Ishii, managed to hold up the girl, as the -multitude rushed on past them. - -"Here, to the left." Kikuchi was breaking a way. "Let us bring her to -my office. We can take her in through the side gate just across the -way." - -They battled their way through the mob slowly, desperately. From above -came the roar of sound, clamor of the crowd, explosions. Just as they -were about to reach the side gate, Lüttich appeared, hatless, wild-eyed. - -"Here, there's not time for this." He caught the shoulder of one of the -Japanese, a burly labor leader. "They have fired the General Staff -building; now is the time for a clean sweep. Come on, help lead them to -the palace, the Emperor's palace." - -"The palace!" The man stared at the Russian, mouth open, dumbfounded. -"The Emperor!" Then, as realization suddenly dawned on him, he crashed -his fist into the other's face. "Fool, beast!" - -The Russian stepped back, bumped into Kent. In his astonishment he did -not seem to notice the physical pain. "And that's the crowd I've been -making bombs for; can you----" - -He was swept away by the throng. They managed to gain the Foreign -Office grounds, carried the girl to Kikuchi's office and placed her on -a lounge. Kent pulled away the _eri_ neckband and the upper part of -the kimono. There it was, in the left breast, blue-black against the -whiteness, a small spot, a few drops of blood. She seemed unconscious, -groaned but a little. - -"Here, Ishii." Kikuchi took charge. "There should be a doctor at the -American Embassy on a day like this. Get out through the entrance on -the other side, across the tennis court and through Sannencho Lane. If -any one stops you, show them this Foreign Office seal on the envelope. -Here," he turned to Kent. "Sign this. I'm asking them to send a doctor -over here." - -Apparently all the Foreign Office people had gathered in the main -building. In this wing it was quiet, but with a roaring background of -sound, as of surf pounding on rocks, the clamor of the mob outside. The -girl stirred, opened her eyes. "Hugh-san," her hand faltered towards -him. "It's good you're here, Hugh-san." - -"What's that; so she's a friend of yours, Kent." But Kikuchi received -no answer. He looked at the other, who had thrown himself in front of -the couch, leaning over the girl; then he tiptoed out of the room. - -The girl had fallen into a stupor again. From outside a roaring crackle -became louder and louder. The windows crimsoned with vitreous red -glitter. - -"Hugh-san," she was trying to raise her head, the voice faint, dreamy. -"See, sunrise over the mountains again; but I want to sleep some more, -I'm tired." Poor little girl, evidently her mind was back in Hakone. -"Hugh-san, sing some more," her hand falteringly sought his. "Sing the -'rock-a-by baby' song again." - -"Yes, yes, go to sleep, dear. You'll be all right presently; but now -you must just sleep." He smoothed her hair. - -"Yes, I'll sleep; but you must sing to me, Hugh-san." The weak voice -was insistent. - -Sing! Must this damned grotesque inspiration pursue him even into -the shadow of death! It was monstrous, impossible, this necessity of -drooling nursery nonsense in the very shadow of racking tragedy. He -cleared his voice, contrived a croaking sound, choked, tried again, -managed it. Leaning forward over her, he intoned his miserable ditty. -"Rock-a-by, baby----" he began even to find a sort of comfort in it, -the monotonous repetition of the meaningless stanzas; kept droning -them mechanically, endlessly,--"when the wind blows the cradle will -rock----" The impression of a large, white hand on the girl's breast -just before him took form in his mind. He looked up. It was the new -doctor from St. Luke's. - -"Unless you are singing for your own edification, Mr. Kent, you might -as well stop." The voice was cold, registered the young man's intense -disapproval. "This girl is dead, stone dead." - -He stared. It was, of course, what he had expected; still the -announcement, the definite irrevocableness thereof stunned him. A -new figure, a woman's, came into the field of his vision. Sylvia. He -stretched out his hand to her. - -They stood there, hand in hand, he and Sylvia, gazing at the dead girl. -"The poor, dear little thing." There were tears in the girl's voice. -"How beautiful she is." - -"Beautiful." The thought came to him of the peculiarly luminous -radiance of her eyes. "That's just what makes me so sick of this -whole thing, Sylvia, the wanton waste and destruction of the process -of compelling the grace and beauty of Japan into the cramping forms -of our civilization: that it is these women, these girls who must -suffer. What do I care for the men, even the young boys, who have been -slaughtered to-day! That's part of the game, man's price for that which -we call progress of civilization. That's all right. But these girls, -these infinitely delicate and beautiful beings, made for sunlight, and -fragrance, and flowers; but they are drawn, attracted into the whirl -and whirr of the wheels of our civilization, and they hurt them, tear -and mangle them, in mind, in spirit, or in body, and cast them forth." -He stared misty-eyed at the figure before them, with its bright crimson -_obi_ band, delicately tinted kimono sleeve drooping outspread towards -the floor. "Like that, dead, crushed--broken butterflies." - -Outside, the tumult and clamor of the mob was increasing. All were -facing the palace gate at Sakuradamon. "_Banzai._" The cry came from -those on the bridge. "_Banzai._ Long live the Emperor. Long live -Japan. _Banzai._" The roar was taken up by the other thousands, rose -heavenwards, about the rumble and crackle from the flaming furnace of -the General Staff building. - -Kikuchi slammed open the window. "Come on," he turned to Kent, -ecstatic, strident-voiced. "We have won. The tyrants are finished. -Now we shall build up Japan, make it a great nation, the Emperor and -the people together. _Banzai._" He threw his arm around the shoulder -of Ishii. Together they leaned far out of the window, aristocrat and -office boy, their voices blending with the thunderous pæan of the -multitude: - -"_Banzai, banzai._" - -END - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BROKEN BUTTERFLIES *** - -***** This file should be named 63625-0.txt or 63625-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/6/2/63625/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this ebook. - -Title: Broken Butterflies - -Author: Henry Walsworth Kinney - -Release Date: November 04, 2020 [EBook #63625] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian - Libraries) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BROKEN BUTTERFLIES *** -</pre> -<div class="mynote"><p class="center">Transcriber's Note:<br /><br /> -A Table of Contents has been added.<br /><br /> -Obvious typographic errors have been corrected.<br /></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/front.jpg" alt="front" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<h1>BROKEN BUTTERFLIES</h1> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/books.jpg" alt="frontbook list" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="title page" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p class="bold2">BROKEN <br />BUTTERFLIES</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">BY<br />HENRY WALSWORTH KINNEY</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">TORONTO<br />THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY<br /><span class="smcap">Limited</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="center"><i>Copyright, 1924</i>,<br /> -<span class="smcap">By Little, Brown, and Company</span>.<br /> -——<br /><i>All rights reserved</i></p> - -<p class="center">Published February, 1924</p> - -<p class="center space-above"><span class="smcap">Printed in the United States of America</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">BROKEN BUTTERFLIES </p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CONTENTS</span></h2> - -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER I</td> - <td><a href="#Page_3">3</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER II</td> - <td><a href="#Page_16">16</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER III</td> - <td><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER IV</td> - <td><a href="#Page_30">30</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER V</td> - <td><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER VI</td> - <td><a href="#Page_51">51</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER VII</td> - <td><a href="#Page_72">72</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER VIII</td> - <td><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER IX</td> - <td><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER X</td> - <td><a href="#Page_124">124</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XI</td> - <td><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XII</td> - <td><a href="#Page_139">139</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XIII</td> - <td><a href="#Page_154">154</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XIV</td> - <td><a href="#Page_175">175</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XV</td> - <td><a href="#Page_195">195</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XVI</td> - <td><a href="#Page_225">225</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XVII</td> - <td><a href="#Page_248">248</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XVIII</td> - <td><a href="#Page_263">263</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XIX</td> - <td><a href="#Page_277">277</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XX</td> - <td><a href="#Page_293">293</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XXI</td> - <td><a href="#Page_301">301</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">CHAPTER XXII</td> - <td><a href="#Page_301">301</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">BROKEN BUTTERFLIES</p> - -<h2>CHAPTER I</h2> - -<p>The black bow of the <i>Tenyo Maru</i> cut into the broad ribbon of -moonlight stretching, interminably, straight into the vast spaces -of the opalescent night. Somewhere ahead, bathed in that same pale -illumination, invisible, lay Japan.</p> - -<p>Arms folded over the rail, Hugh Kent looked forward into the opaque -dimness. From the main deck below the plaint of a bamboo flute came -softly up to him. The following wind brought stray bits of the dance -music from astern where the cabin passengers were enjoying their last -night at sea. Ahead the Orient, dim, mysterious, indefinitely veiled as -the flute notes—behind him the virile, strident, restless clamor of -the West; ever approaching, the two, East and West, seeking to blend, -even partly blending, yet each as yet too strongly individual, mutually -strange, to combine in full harmony.</p> - -<p>The vastness of space, vagueness of translucent darkness, shimmer of -niveous sparkle of foam cascaded before the tall prow and glimmer of -phosphorescence flickering in the dark water below, all induced to -introspection, reflection, vague wonder as to what lay before him, what -new revelations would life in Japan bring to him.</p> - -<p>It had surely changed vastly in the score of years which had passed -since he had left it, at fifteen. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> would find much that he knew -though, would enjoy recapturing fluency in the speech which he had -prattled expertly as a toddler in amah's care and as a boy in the -streets and gardens of Kyoto. It would be a new, a more sophisticated -Japan that he would see, spoiled without doubt; still how he had longed -for years to return, to rediscover.</p> - -<p>A shadow fell over his thoughts. How he had cherished that dream, a -few years ago, during the first years of their marriage, to go there -with Isabel. How they had both looked forward to it, to the time when -he should attain a post as correspondent at Tokyo for one of the great -dailies, to which his knowledge of the language gave him good reason -to aspire. Even after the first years of marriage had passed, when in -time they had gradually drifted apart, had become almost indifferent, -he had hoped that when Japan should provide a new scene for their -lives, it might be possible to revive interest, to make a new start. -He had felt that it contained some vague potentiality of that sort, -and when the offer came from the <i>San Francisco Herald</i> to be its -Tokyo correspondent, he had felt certain that the opportunity had come -for them, that she would appreciate it as well as he. For that reason -he had said nothing to her about it until every arrangement had been -made, the contract signed, that he might carry the glad tidings to her, -complete, that the realization of all that this meant to them might -sweep her off her feet and envelop her, as it had him. And then the -shock of her absolute coldness, when he had brought his surprise to -her; her absolute refusal to go to Japan. It had thrown him off his -feet, confused him, so that when she reproached him with secrecy, with -having taken this important step without even consulting her, trying to -learn her wishes, he had been able to explain only confusedly how with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> -the very best intentions he had meant to give her a splendid surprise; -how, in fact, he had had to restrain himself from telling her when the -first inkling of the great news came, just in order that he might make -the marvel of the revelation more complete. As he had tried to justify -himself, to explain, to convince her, her indifference had baffled -him—surely, commonplace and torpid as their relations had become, he -had never felt towards her the indifference which she apparently felt -towards him. And this had been followed by her absolute refusal to go -with him, accompanied by her statement that she did not object to his -going, that, in fact, she could understand that he must not lose the -great opportunity, that it really might be for the best for both of -them to live apart for some time, for some years—she had veiled her -speech in obscure indefiniteness, giving him, suddenly, the impression -that she expected that they would never come together again.</p> - -<p>It had been borne in on him that in her heart she welcomed this as an -opportunity to end, through propitious circumstance, a relationship -which had become apathetic, a marriage which had failed. He could -understand her feeling—the thought was not unfamiliar to him—but -she had evidently progressed much farther than had he on the road of -indifference. Further conversations had brought the same result. She -had resolutely refused to place credence in his belief that life in a -new country might revive affection. She was not romantic, she had said, -and it was plain that separation would cause neither of them to suffer. -He had felt that had she given him but a little encouragement, the -slightest sympathy, he might ardently have swept her over to his belief -that here lay a chance for renewal of the affection of the first years; -but her indifference had chilled him. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> - -<p>So they had parted, phlegmatically. Now he felt certain that this -episode had come to an end. He had tried marriage, and it had been a -failure. And such a stupid failure. There had been no other woman, and, -he felt sure, no other man. It had failed simply through inanition. -Still, it might have been worse. At least, there was no heartbreak, -no anguish. He had tried the marriage experiment. Probably he would -never have been content until he had tried it. Now, he had found that -it did not work; yet he was not much the worse. He enjoyed the company -of women only in the manner of a mild stimulant. Thus he would live -henceforth. He would have his new work to occupy him, and curiosity to -lift the curtain veiling the mystery of marriage would not affect him. -Like men who regard lack of desire for liquor as an asset, thus he felt -that his freedom from relation to, from craving for woman would be an -advantage. It would make for a peaceful and well-ordered life.</p> - -<p>His thoughts lost themselves in indefiniteness, a pleasant Nirvana -of emptiness which resented the sound of footsteps approaching along -the deck behind him. He turned, annoyed. Still, it was not so bad. He -would rather have it be Lüttich than any of the others. The Russian had -a fortunate faculty of sympathetic adjustment, of ever being able to -attune himself to one's mood of the moment, serious, gay, reflective. -And he admired his talents, the facility with which he spoke French, -German, English, even Japanese, his easy mastery of the violin, and, -above all, his unobtrusive friendliness. He felt for him, also, -sympathy for his misfortunes and admiration for the careless manner -in which he had adapted himself to new circumstances. Hardships as an -officer during the war, imprisonment, escape through Siberia, and, -finally, adjustment to a fairly precarious existence as a teacher<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> -of languages and the violin to Japanese, had caused no bitterness. -"You never know what it is to be free from care until you have lost -everything," he had explained to Hugh. "<i>Nichivo!</i>"</p> - -<p>Lüttich pointed out into the night before them. "To-morrow, Japan. What -will it bring?"</p> - -<p>Hugh smiled. "Something like that. One dreams, reflects, speculates at -the future."</p> - -<p>The Russian snapped his fingers. "Unprofitable. If the dreams are -pleasant, disappointment and disillusionment follow. If they are -unpleasant, why, they are not worth having. The true philosophy lies -in gathering the fullest measure of the pleasures of the moment. This -is the last night on board, remember. They are short of men, as usual. -Come on. Join the dance, and have a drink with me, <i>auf wiedersehen</i> in -Japan."</p> - -<p>They walked aft together, where the ship's orchestra played to the -couples dancing in the obscure half-light of the moon and the Japanese -lanterns strung crisscross in wavy lines. Along the wall of the -deckhouse tables and chairs had been set close together so as to give -room for the dancers. They sat down and had their drink. Hugh was -still half immersed in reverie, but the Russian was active, febrile. -Presently he joined the dancers. Hugh watched the scene languidly. -He could always find enjoyment, food for idle speculation in the -odd assortment of passengers, international, Americans and Japanese -predominating; some falling into easily defined classes, missionaries, -business men, tourists; others more definitely characteristic, -individualistic; some particularly interesting in their baffling of -curiosity, about whom ship's gossip had contrived fanciful fables.</p> - -<p>At the table next to him sat Baron Saiki, returning after years of -service at the Japanese Embassy at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> Washington, man of the world, -polyglot, marvelously well informed in international politics, a -striking contrast to his wife, who spoke little and who appeared -to have retained, in spite of years of residence abroad, the -self-effacement of Japanese women. Another contrast, again, was young -Miss Suzuki, who sat with them, college educated in America, stylish, -with even a French-like chic, in her fashionable gown and cleverly -arranged hair. Farther over was Miss Wilson, an American stenographer -returning to Yokohama, after a vacation in California, with Miss -Elliott, who had lived long in Japan where she was beginning to make a -success with her painting, water colors following largely the manner of -the Japanese color prints, but combining therewith a hint of Maxfield -Parrish, with intense blues and deft arrangement of light and shadow -contrast, which she cleverly contrived to work out into a style quite -peculiarly her own. She was one of the passengers whom Hugh hoped he -would meet again in his life in Japan.</p> - -<p>Still farther over was a group of tourists, guidebooks on the table -before them, arranging the itinerary for a breathless chase through the -most conspicuous marvels of Japan. Then a table with a couple of girls -with bobbed hair, and a youth on his way to Shanghai. Farther over were -others whose faces were half effaced in the shadows. The approach to -land caused general animation. The dancers swung and gyrated to the -rhythm of jazz. Good-bys were said and promises to meet in Japan made -as drinks more numerous than usual marked the last night at sea.</p> - -<p>"Are you glad to come back to Japan?"</p> - -<p>It was Miss Suzuki who had turned to him. She spoke in Japanese. He -had often practiced speaking the language with her, rejoicing at the -facility with which he was regaining the once familiar tongue. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Of course, though to me it will be like a new country," he answered. -"But I know that you must certainly be happy to return."</p> - -<p>He was surprised to see the wistful expression which came over her -face. "I don't know." She spoke in English. He had noticed that she -found greater facility therein than in Japanese. "I don't know. I was -only eight when I left Japan. I am afraid I have become too foreign in -my ways and my mind, and my parents are such old-fashioned Japanese. It -may be very difficult; I am really quite afraid."</p> - -<p>The orchestra crashed into a new dance. From the dimness beyond the -lanterns the ship's Adonis strode into the light, a young fellow on his -way to Tokyo as a student interpreter. He walked towards Miss Wilson. -Hugh saw her straighten expectantly, eyes meeting the boy. But Adonis' -roving eye had perceived Miss Kanae, a Japanese girl who with her -parents had joined the ship at Honolulu. He changed direction, bowed, -smiled, and the two glided in among the dancing couples.</p> - -<p>Miss Wilson flushed angrily. Her glance swept away, encountered his for -a moment, took in his companion with obvious disapproval.</p> - -<p>"I don't see how a white man can bring himself to dance with one of -these."</p> - -<p>It was said loudly enough to carry across the tables. Evidently -intentionally, with a desire to wound. Hugh saw the Baron wince almost -imperceptibly. He knew that the girl at his side must have heard. The -orchestra fiddled on to a crashing finish. The dancers called for an -encore. The violins struck up again. Hugh turned to her.</p> - -<p>"I wish you would let me have this dance, Miss Suzuki?"</p> - -<p>He saw her flush. "I think I would rather not. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> did not think you -danced. I have not seen you dance at all."</p> - -<p>"I have not." He did not care greatly for dancing. "But this is the -last night, you know. Surely you will not deny me this one dance at -parting."</p> - -<p>She hesitated. He bowed ceremoniously. She arose slowly, and he led her -out among the dancers. He was pleased to find how lightly she danced, -elfin-like fine and graceful movements following his. The glare of -Miss Wilson's eyes directly into his as they passed her gave him grim -satisfaction. He knew that she knew what was in his mind. She would be -implacable. How easy it was to make enemies in this world. He danced -mechanically. The thought spoiled his enjoyment. Then his mind reverted -to his partner. She was smiling up to him. What a shame it was to wound -wantonly such a dainty child, for, after all, that was all she was.</p> - -<p>"We shall dance often like this, in Japan, shall we not?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know." Her smile became a little dubious. "I hope so. We shall -see."</p> - -<p>He made up his mind that he must try to come into touch with her in -Tokyo. The music ceased. He led her back to her seat. The Baron smiled. -"You will have a drink with me before we go below, Mr. Kent. It is -getting late, but we shall have our nightcap." They drank slowly. "I -hope to see you in Tokyo," said the Baron. "Your business will take you -to the Foreign Office very often, I know. I expect to be in Japan for a -while. Look me up there. I may be of some use to you. Good night."</p> - -<p>After all, how easy it was to make friends, also.</p> - -<p>They arose. The Baroness bowed to him silently. The girl gave him her -hand. "Good night. <i>Arigato de gozaimazu.</i>" She smiled to him and -followed the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> others before he could collect himself to reply. She was -a charming child. He hoped that he would come to know her better, in -Japan.</p> - -<p>The Russian came up to him. "Good boy." He patted him on the shoulder. -So others had noticed. He looked over for the Wilson girl, but she had -disappeared. Miss Elliott caught his glance, beckoned him over.</p> - -<p>"You throw yourself into the battle quickly, even before you have -reached Japan," she smiled. "You have chosen your side early. It may -not be entirely wise, but I liked it. Thank you."</p> - -<p>It embarrassed him. "But surely it was the only thing to do, you know. -She heard it. It was so unexpected, so utterly undeserved."</p> - -<p>"I know. Still, you will see much of just that kind of thing in Japan. -I feel sorry for that poor girl. She will have a hard time, and she -suspects it. You know, she went to America when she was only eight -years old, was adopted by her uncle and aunt. They sent her to college. -She has been thoroughly foreignized. Now they have both died and she -is going back to her own family. I know of them. Her brothers have -both been abroad and have the foreign manner, but they are Japanese. -She is nothing, neither Japanese nor foreign, or, rather, she is -both, Japanese body and foreign mind. And her parents are typically -old-fashioned Japanese. She has learned to expect the courtesy, the -deference paid our women, the 'ladies first' of our world. Now she -will be forced into the strait-jacket of Japanese women. She will be -beautifully dressed and will have motor cars and all that, but she will -learn that her freedom is gone, her personality is gone, and that it -is 'men first' always in Japan. That is the way it will be with her -with the Japanese, and then, if she goes with the foreigners, if she -is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> allowed to mingle with them well—you saw what happened to-night. -It is fortunate for her that she will not live in Yokohama. In Tokyo -it is better. There the foreigners are scattered, and they mingle more -sympathetically, generally, with the Japanese; but in Yokohama, where -all the foreigners live together in the Settlement, with their little -cliques, and coteries, and constant gossip and observing what every one -does, there a girl like she is much held at arm's length. It is the -women mainly who cause it. They make the men feel that they must not -show too much interest, or they suffer their displeasure."</p> - -<p>"But a girl like that; why she's a mere child!"</p> - -<p>"A mere child." She laughed. "I have so often wondered, when the men -always say that about these girls, whether they really are so dense. -Is it possible that the mere smallness and quaintness really blind -them. Can't they see that they are as much women as we are, with the -same thoughts, with passions as intense as those of all other women. Of -course, many of the men must know better, must have learned——" She -seemed to seek for words, gave it up, laughed. "You know, I am becoming -involved in a delicate subject. After all, you must see for yourself -and form your own conclusions."</p> - -<p>The Russian was coming towards them. She rose. "It is late, and we must -be up early if we are to see Fuji. If you want more information, ask -Mr. Lüttich. Men can explain such things better. Good night."</p> - -<p>"Lüttich," Kent turned to the Russian. "Miss Elliott was just hinting -that the lot of the foreign-educated Japanese girl in Japan is not a -very happy one. What do you know about it? It interests me."</p> - -<p>Lüttich shrugged his shoulders. "One of the pangs of the transition -that Japan is going through. It is the whole keynote to Japan -to-day. The nation is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> trying to squeeze a feudal chain and mail -outfit in under the white shirt front of modernity, and the process -causes difficulties. The point is that, with all her modern veneer, -railroads, electric lights, factories, street cars and all that, Japan -is still feudal entirely in thought. Take your friend, Baron Saiki, -for instance; as polished a diplomat as you can find in Washington or -London. To-morrow, back in Japan, his mind will be as feudal as was -that of his ancestors three hundred years ago. In fact, it has always -remained so, but the Japanese have learned to put on a foreign suit of -thought, just as they put on a foreign suit of clothes, and, under it -all, the old feudal thought remains unchanged, just like their skins.</p> - -<p>"In that way you see these well-bred men and women of Japan attending -social functions, dressed like us, acting like us, following our codes -and manners, and that is about all you see of their lives, the modern, -the outward part. But the everyday life, that which goes on behind -the walls and <i>shoji</i>, which you seldom get even a glimpse of, that -has not changed. There the old feudal era is persisting. The wife is -subservient to her husband, the daughters must obey and serve their -brothers. And after all, it works well; in fact, apparently better -than our system. They have practically no marital scandals. The Empire -is built on the foundation of the family and it seems to wear well; -it would be foolish to tamper with it, to try to replace it with -something, our system, for instance, which is hardly a success. And it -is my firm belief that generally the Japanese women are happy, every -bit as happy as those of America or Europe. That system is what they -have always known. It may be the bliss which is born of ignorance, but -as long as the ignorance remains they are happy.</p> - -<p>"Now that is where the point comes in about girls<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> like Miss Suzuki. -She has become accustomed to our ways, our point of view. She expects -to take the usual precedence, to receive the usual courtesies from -men, to be waited on by them. And now, in her home, the men will walk -in advance and she will follow. If she drops something she will pick -it up herself, but if her brothers drop it, she will have to scramble -after it, and if a servant is not handy, they will order her about like -one. Now, if she had never seen anything else all her life, that would -be natural; she would never give it a thought. But she has grown up -under our conventions. She cannot help but long for the courtesy, the -deference, which she has become used to, which she craves for. But, -first of all, she does not go out much, as do our girls, for Japanese -women don't attend, generally, social functions where both sexes are -present, except garden parties, receptions and other boresome affairs. -But even if she does go out, say to teas, hotel dances and such things, -and even if she receives there from the modernized young Japanese the -outward show of courtesy which is part of modern social usage, she -knows that it is all for the moment only. Her brother who picks up her -fan at the Imperial Hotel will send her scurrying for his slippers at -home. If she marries the young blood who obsequiously leads her to -her seat in the ballroom, she will jolly well walk behind him if she -marries him.</p> - -<p>"That, I think, is the tragedy of the modernized Japanese girl, that -she has had a glimpse of ideals which she will probably never attain. -Of course, there may be some heart-burning at the attitude of some of -the foreign lady cats, who would prevent white men from associating -with the Japanese girls. It is natural that they resent the charm which -these girls have for many of the young men who should be the exclusive -property of the women of their own race; but that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> obtains mainly in -Yokohama, and very little in Tokyo, where the foreigners are scattered -and where the biggest guns in the social world are undeniably Japanese. -And outside of some isolated incidents like that to-night, I don't -think that point counts much. The fact is that while the Japanese -girl who has had some contact with foreigners undoubtedly wishes that -our manner of treating our women might be extended to them, you will -find that marriages of ladies of the aristocracy with foreigners are -extremely rare. The man who thinks he is regarded as a prize simply -because he is white is a fool. Among the lower and middle classes -it is probably different. To many of these girls the courtesy and -consideration shown by foreign men to their women must contrast sharply -with the prospect of a life of constant obedience, subservience and -drudgery, first to her brothers and then to her husband. They say that -once a Japanese girl has had relations with a foreigner, at least a -decent foreigner, she almost never wishes to take up with men of her -own people. I've seen a lot of cases which make me believe that this -is true. But girls of the class of Miss Suzuki are practically never -allowed to marry foreigners, and foreigners of their class hardly ever -marry Japanese. So they must be unhappy, poor dears. They despise the -trammels of Japanese married life, and that which they have learned -to wish for they can't attain. The lives of these girls, the pioneers -of their sex in attainment of western culture, is one of the many -tragedies of Japan in transition."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER II</h2> - -<p>They arrived too late in the morning to see Fuji-san. Clouds lay over -the mountain ranges and smoky haze obscured the land, only the nearest -foreshore appearing, gray, formless, without detail. It might have been -the California coast, any coast line, in fact. Only the sampans which -passed them, standing out to sea, with their characteristic square -sails, high galleon-like poops, indicated the Orient. They passed -quarantine. A launch came up smartly to the ship's ladder. A tall man -in pongee waved his big white sun-helmet up to Kent.</p> - -<p>It was Erik Karsten. Kent had expected to see him. They had been -friends, when Karsten was dramatic and art critic on the <i>Herald</i>, -before he had gone to Japan some years ago. They had corresponded and -Kent had looked after his son, young Mortimer Karsten, until the boy -had graduated from the university and had gone to Europe for further -study. Karsten had written him, when he had heard that he was coming to -Japan, that he must make his home with him, at least until he decided -to make other arrangements. It made it particularly pleasant. They were -warm friends.</p> - -<p>They climbed up the ladder, police officials, steamship agents, Karsten -and the rest. The friends shook hands.</p> - -<p>"By Cæsar, but it is good to see you," said Karsten. "I have been -feeling a bit lonesome these last few years. I am glad you will stay -with me, at least for a while. Here, give your trunk keys to Martin. -He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> will see your stuff through the customs. It will be too late to get -to Tokyo for tiffin, so we will eat at the Grand. Then you can take a -turn about Yokohama, and we'll be in Tokyo in time for dinner."</p> - -<p>He went through the usual form of police examination. The steamer -crept up to the wharf. Yokohama was as he had expected, the foreign -settlement drab and tedious as of old; the typically Japanese section -had receded a bit farther into the background; there were a few more -red-brick official buildings. The return brought no thrill. Even the -rickshaw seemed commonplace after he had ridden in it a few minutes. -He felt as if he had been away from Japan only a score of weeks rather -than a score of years.</p> - -<p>Though he had halfway expected this, he was disappointed. Karsten read -his thought.</p> - -<p>"Yokohama always disappoints, doesn't it? I shall never forget my shock -when I first came to the Fabled Orient and found this nondescript -changeling of a city. Tokyo is becoming spoiled, too. They are covering -it with electric poles, tangles of wires, atrocious buildings, all -the dreariness of civilization, which they have a positive genius for -making as obtrusive as possible. It seems almost that when they copy -our civilization they make a point of making the worst parts thereof -the most conspicuous. They can endow them with a hideousness which you -don't find in any other place in the world. Still, Tokyo is not as bad -as Yokohama. You may still find large quarters which are Japan. I have -found such a place. I hope you will like it."</p> - -<p>They arrived at Karsten's house late in the afternoon. Hugh felt -his hopes rise as they left the prosy, noisy main streets and their -rickshaws began a tortuous journey through narrow alleys, through a -typically Japanese quarter, with clean wooden houses, latticed paper -windows, grilled entrances, bamboo fences, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> daintily contrived -roofed gates through which might be glimpsed miniature gardens, with -dwarfed pines, stone lanterns, curved paths of broad gray stones.</p> - -<p>A steep stone stairway, winding erratically up the hillside against -which nestled the quarter below, brought them to Karsten's house. Thank -God, here was a place such as he would wish to live in, which was in -harmony with his dreams of the spirit of Japan. Japanese in every -detail, set in a cool garden overlooking the cluster of houses through -which they had passed. In the rear lay a great temple, set in extensive -grounds, a cool, calm space shadowed by old trees conveying a feeling -of vast, eternal peace.</p> - -<p>"You see, I am almost literally between the devil and the deep sea." -Karsten swept his hand before him. "These houses below are a geisha -quarter, as you might know by the immaculate trimness and careful -detail. It is more characteristic at night, when the lights are -lit. You'll see. There, behind us, in the temple grounds, you may -always find peace, rest. Can it be a sort of telepathic influence? I -don't know; but it seems almost as if centuries of calm meditation, -projection of their minds into the infinite by generations of priests, -the devout prayers of hundreds of thousands of worshipers, from cradle -to grave, have permeated the whole space with an atmosphere, an aura -of infinite peace. I am absolutely pagan. I have no creed or religious -philosophy whatever. Still, sitting alone in this place, letting my -thoughts go, I come nearer the idea that there is something, some one, -some force, above, beyond, eternal, dominant, controlling the universe. -Buddha, God, call it by whatever name you like, but some vast, hidden, -mysterious force. Anyway, if I am troubled, agitated, here I may always -find peace."</p> - -<p>They entered the house. A tall, handsome Japanese<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> woman met them, -bowed deeply, gracefully. "<i>O hairi nasai.</i> Please enter."</p> - -<p>The soft, deep ring of her voice, its musical modulation; the richness -of her silks in spite of their somber shades; the every evidence that -here was a woman of refinement, a gentlewoman, startled Kent. Plainly -this was no servant. Could it be that Karsten had contracted one of -these indefinite Loti'esque temporary arrangements which are fairly -common in Japan? Still, then he would have said something about it. He -wondered.</p> - -<p>But Karsten gave no explanation.</p> - -<p>"Jun-san, this is Kent-san. Kent, Jun-san has been looking forward to -your coming. She is pleased that you speak Japanese. She speaks no -English."</p> - -<p>She clapped her hands. A servant came, took their hats. They entered a -large, cool room, upstairs, whence they had a full view of the clusters -of geisha houses below. Jun-san followed, brought tea. He noticed that -she drank also. Evidently not a servant; probably an "<i>oku-san</i>," after -all? Still, in such case it was odd that Karsten had not mentioned -it. Well, time would tell soon enough. He liked her presence there, -sitting gracefully, Japanese-fashion, on a silk cushion, ever watchful, -attentive to anticipate their wants. Her mere being there lent an air -of rich, but delicate, exotic Oriental beauty to the room, as though -she were some infinitely wonderful, gorgeous ornament, contrived to -harmonize with, to add grace to the surroundings. He liked the soft, -slow smile when she answered him in her grave contralto voice; but -he noticed that when she was not speaking, when he and Karsten were -conversing in English, when she took no part, she was ever watching -Karsten, with an expression of sadness, it seemed to him, a hint of -wistfulness. It oppressed him a little with its indefinite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> mystery. He -tried to put the thought away, as he went on talking with Karsten, but -he could not free himself from the sense of an oppression of sadness, -vaguely permeating the house as might a breath of heavy incense. He -felt himself seized, unaccountably, knowing no definite reason, with a -feeling of compassion, of sympathy, for Jun-san.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER III</h2> - -<p>Kent's office was in the rear of a building in the Shimbashi section, a -corner room facing two sides on narrow alleys, neither more than four -feet wide. His landlord, Nishimura, whose International Agency occupied -the front, was holding forth volubly. He would talk inexhaustibly about -his life, his affairs and, principally, about his manifold abilities, -in English, for he had lived for years in the United States.</p> - -<p>As he talked, Kittrick came in. Kent had known him years ago, in the -San Francisco Press Club, before he had gone to Japan for the Universal -Syndicate. He hoped that his arrival would put an end to Nishimura's -talk, but the Japanese only waved a greeting to Kittrick—evidently he -knew him. He bubbled on.</p> - -<p>"I am very pleased that I can always help you, in anything, everything. -If you want anything, ask Nishimura. I can get you access to all the -big men, the ministers of state, the politicians, the big business men, -everybody. I can get you anything, an interview, a clerk, invitations -to the official functions, a streetcar pass, a sweetheart," he leered -suggestively. "You have a unique advantage of situation, Mr. Kent, -between knowledge," he pointed towards the region of the International -Agency, "and pleasure," he waved his hand generally in the direction -of the walls and paper-covered <i>shoji</i> appearing, familiarly close, -through the office windows.</p> - -<p>"It is a select neighborhood, Mr. Kent. The heart of the most refined -geisha quarter, hidden, so discreetly, don't you think, behind our -respectability, yours<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> and mine. There, you see, is the Akebono -<i>machiai</i>, one of the most famous waiting houses, where you may feast -with geisha." He pointed across one of the alleys where the <i>shojis</i> -had been drawn aside, the wide window opening displaying a large, -immaculately clean room, furnished with the constraint usual in Japan, -with only a low table and some silk cushions, a <i>kakemono</i>, hanging -silk scroll picture, in the <i>tokonoma</i> recess. "A very quiet place -usually in the day," he explained. "But at night, ah, what scenes of -revelry, with happy guests disporting themselves with sake wine and -the pretty geisha." He sighed and threw wide his arms, as would he, -ravished, press to his breast one of the beauties of his imagination. -"You shall see, Mr. Kent, even here," now he was pointing through -the window in the other wall to a smaller house. The closed, opaque -paper <i>shoji</i>, bamboo barred, were almost within arm's length. From -beyond it came the strident whimper of samisen strings. "That is -O-Toshi-san," he explained confidentially, impressively, "the famous -O-Toshi-san. You shall see her often, there in her window; but, Mr. -Kent, do not lose your heart there. No, don't," he became even more -confidential, suggestively smiling. "She belongs to Mr. Kato, the -police commissioner. He paid big <i>makura-kin</i>, pillow-money, oh, so -big, I hear——"</p> - -<p>A clerk entered and whispered to Nishimura. "I am so sorry," said the -landlord. "My affairs. I must go, but I shall come and see you often. -Good morning."</p> - -<p>It was a relief. His chatter had filled the room, monopolized the -situation. "I have certainly fallen into a queer neighborhood," said -Kent. "I shall apparently have a liberal and inexpensive education in -geisha matters. What did he mean by pillow-money, anyway?" </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> - -<p>"That's so; you left Japan too young to know about such things," said -Kittrick. "Well, the institution differs considerably, according to -locality, I think, but it means ordinarily a sum paid to a geisha who -then becomes, so far as love favors are concerned, the exclusive jewel -of the man who pays it. She may, of course, continue to entertain -other guests as a singer or dancer and so forth, but that man is, or -is supposed to be, her only lover. In fact, you know, you are not -as queerly situated as you think you are. The geisha quarters are -scattered in various parts of the city; you find them rubbing up -against business and office quarters in lots of places. They are not -bad neighbors at all. You may come to like these girls. For while -some of them are just common women, many are quite exclusive, as, for -instance, your neighbor lady appears to be, with just one lover; and -not a few are absolutely clean morally, virginal, even though they -make their living by singing, and playing, and entertaining men in -their idle hours. For the Japanese they are institutional. In many -cases important business deals are closed only in the <i>machiai</i>, with -geisha adding grace to the occasion. Statesmen discuss their affairs -in their presence. The Japanese tired business man, when he wants a -change from the formality of family life, finds relaxation in a few -hours with them, drinking, chatting, listening to their singing, -enjoying their bright wit; often, as a rule, I think, that is all, -though, of course, it frequently goes further. I myself have come to -appreciate very much the Japanese point of view. There is so little to -do in Tokyo, no theaters or concerts to speak of; only the cinemas. -So occasionally, when time hangs on my hands, I go to some clean -little tea house, call a geisha or two, lie about comfortably, lazily, -enjoy their chatter—they are such merry, charming children.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> You get -complete relaxation. It is easy to understand how the Japanese men, -whose wives, as gentlewomen, could not and would not think of unbending -to the gay fripperies of such talk and play, find their amusement with -these girls. Of course, many of the men have sweethearts, mistresses, -<i>mekakes</i>, concubines, as they commonly are called, but these things -are not as greatly different from similar phenomena in America and -Europe as you might think, and I am under the impression that the -characteristically Japanese concubine system, if there is such a thing, -is gradually dying out.</p> - -<p>"However, I didn't come here to talk geisha. If you want me to show you -the ropes as a newspaperman, I'm going now to the Foreign Office, and -you had better come along."</p> - -<p>The first glimpse of the Foreign Office attracted Kent—the great -wall, with white mortar forming big lozenges, the only glimpse of -typical Japan in the vicinity where great red brick buildings, the Navy -Department, the courts, and, gray and forbidding, imposing even while -its walls were crumbling, the Russian Embassy, formed the nucleus of -official Japan. But once inside the iron grilled gate, the Foreign -Office buildings were unimpressive, tediously modern. They did not -even go to the main structure, but went to the right into a long, drab -edifice.</p> - -<p>"This will be one of your main points in your work," said Kittrick, as -they waited while the solemn old commissionaire shuffled upstairs to -announce them. "This is the information bureau of the Foreign Office, -the main function of which is to see that foreign correspondents are -kept satisfied with as little information as possible. We are now about -to see the head oracle, Mr. Kubota. He was in London and Washington for -years, and Japanese officialdom speaks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> highly of his abilities. He has -to be quite a diplomat, you know, to answer a great many questions and -still give out next to no information, anyway."</p> - -<p>The commissionaire appeared and ushered them into Kubota's office, -a large, simply furnished room. A middle-aged, pleasant-faced man, -immaculate in frock coat, rose to greet them. His English was perfect. -He was courteously cordial. One liked him instinctively. They chatted -awhile about Kent's plans, how he liked Japan, the usual trivialities. -"I hope you will come here often. We shall all be glad to be of every -service possible to you, I and my assistants."</p> - -<p>He called over a young man who had been sitting in the background. "My -chief assistant, Mr. Kikuchi," he introduced. Kikuchi, more interesting -at first sight than his chief, was a typical young aristocrat, in rich -silk kimono, with long, sensitive fingers, urbanely smiling. Kent -learned later on that he was regarded as one of the rising men in the -Foreign Office, a man with brains as well as prestige. His father, -Viscount Kikuchi, was considered, in the most intimately informed -circles, to be the leading mind of the Privy Council.</p> - -<p>"We have heard of you already from Baron Saiki," said Kikuchi, shaking -Kent's hand firmly. "We shall be glad to become your good friends, if -we may. In fact——" he glanced towards his chief.</p> - -<p>The older man smiled. "Yes, Mr. Kittrick, we had, in fact, thought -of having one of our little tea parties as a welcome to Mr. Kent and -for Mr. Jones, you know, who came a few weeks ago for the <i>New York -Chronicle</i>. To get them acquainted, just a few of us from the office -here and the newspapermen. We have these little informal, friendly -gatherings now and then, Mr. Kent. Do you think you should like to -come?" </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> - -<p>Kent thanked him. They chatted for a while. Kent was introduced to a -few more officials, all pleasant, extremely urbane, fluent in English. -Then they came away.</p> - -<p>"It should be pleasant to come here," commented Kent. "They seem -intelligent and friendly. I like them."</p> - -<p>"They are pleasant," replied Kittrick. "And clever too, though, queerly -enough, it is the common thing for the Japanese to regard the Foreign -Office as a pretty stupid institution. Although it has done mighty -well, it seems to me, disentangling the foreign policy mess left by -Terauchi and his ilk, cleaning up the Yap, Shantung, Chinese and -Siberian questions, the Japanese people and press seem to think that -they are a pretty poor lot. Of course, they have had a fairly hard time -of it with the War Office, the General Staff. Many people think that -they are unduly under the thumb of the militarists, but the very fact -that the army and navy Ministers are not responsible to the Cabinet -makes running the foreign policy harder, as the militarists have had -the habit of letting the Foreign Office propose, and then doing the -disposing themselves, and that seems to me to make what our diplomatic -friends have done the more praiseworthy.</p> - -<p>"Yes, you will find the Foreign Office crowd pleasant," he continued. -"But as a source of information you'll find them disappointing. Like -all the rest of the officials, they are obsessed with the national -mania for secrecy. All the officials seem to think that they may get -into all kinds of trouble by telling the press something; that they -can never get into trouble when they tell nothing. The great cry of -the Japanese is constantly that they are misunderstood by the rest -of the world, and still when we fellows who honestly want to bring -about understanding try<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> to help them along, they won't help us or -themselves. Say, for instance, that some fool report against Japan -crops up in Washington, or London, or Paris, and you come here to get -the thing straightened out, to get Japan's side; you will, as a rule, -find it is like pulling teeth, and often, when you do get the story, -they won't let you quote the Foreign Minister, or even the Foreign -Office generally. They want you to cable that 'it is reported,' or 'it -is said' or 'there are indications that,' taking all the value out -of the statement. Then, if you want to see one of the Ministers or -some other big gun, they will probably arrange that you see him—they -are tremendously obliging, I admit—but it will take a week or more -before the interview can be arranged, and in the meantime the harm -has been done abroad. Your story, Japan's version, has become old as -Genesis, it has gone cold. And then they sit up and wail that the -world misunderstands them. All this talk you hear about the infernally -clever, insidious Japanese propaganda is plain rot. If there is one -thing they don't know a thing about, it is propaganda. They have their -propaganda newspapers, it is true, particularly in China, but everybody -knows them, and they don't count. This talk about the Foreign Office -handing out huge sums to writers and others is funny. The War Office -people have the funds, and I daresay they spend them where they think -it will do good. The General Staff, that is the secret force in the -Japanese Government, and you and I never hear what goes on in there. -See its headquarters, that old, gray building with the green copper -roof; that's the last remaining stronghold of militarism, in its good -old form, on this earth; and General Matsu, the chief, is the proper -high priest, the simon-pure militarist, with ethics as primitive -as those of a cave man. They are giving in now. They have to, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> -Japanese public opinion about spending great sums on armies is the same -as it is in the rest of the world, but they are clever. They feel—it -is probably their sincere idea of patriotism—that Japan can be great -only by militarism, and where they reduce the army by two soldiers, -they probably buy one machine gun, making up in strength in one way -what they lose in the other. They probably feel that if they can't -preserve Japan's strength openly on account of public opinion, they -must do it quietly, for Japan's good. But there, under that green roof, -lie the forces of old Japan, and there, on the other side of the city, -in the students' quarter in Kanda, in the laborers' quarters of Honjo -and Fukagawa, the forces of new thought are stirring and fermenting. -It is medieval feudalism as opposed to modern industrialism, with a -lot of more 'isms thrown in, Socialism, Communism, Sovietism even, new -ideas, half understood, misunderstood, but grasped at with passionate -eagerness, the young generation and the workers seeking such morsels -of new thought, often the worse thought, that they can find, and -swallowing them, half digested, or not digested at all.</p> - -<p>"There is danger in all this. There is a turbulence of too precipitate -transition. It needs wise handling. There is good in it all, this -passionate desire for making Japan modern, but all these young, -restless forces should be directed, led along wholesome paths, and -all that the powers-that-be—the militarists, the capitalists, the -police—seem to know is repression. I can see lots of good in both -sides, the cautious conservatism of the old generation which clings -desperately to the ancient virtues which it sees spurned; and which -sees all that is bad, unwholesome, in the new movement; and the young -generation which wants to create a new Japan in a day, which wants to -walk before it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> has learned to crawl, which is prone to discard the -virtues and values of old Japan before it has learned to understand and -use modern, Western civilization. It is a game for high stakes which is -going on here under our eyes, where immeasurably precious values of an -old civilization, unique, irreplaceable, are likely to be lost, to be -thrown ruthlessly aside; and, on the other hand, there is loss every -day that the intentness, the eagerness of the younger generation, of -the masses in the cities where they have acquired zest for modernism, -is suffered to waste itself in futile groping after lots of unwholesome -stuff, which they think must be good fruit mainly because it is -forbidden; especially when all this eagerness to learn, this ambitious -energy might, with a little sympathy, a bit of understanding wisdom, be -made into a tremendous power for constructive good. The longer you live -here, Kent, the more you will come to see that what Japan needs to-day, -what she must have, is another Meiji, some strong, wise directing -force, a truly big man—but there is no such man to-day."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2> - -<p>A row of shoes in the entrance of the tea house told them that most of -the others had already arrived. A flock of maidservants met them, took -their hats and canes, waiting while Kent and Kittrick took off their -shoes. Kikuchi appeared. "We are nearly all of us here," he smiled. -"Come in. Make yourself at home, Mr. Kent, Kittrick-san will tell you -that we don't stand on ceremony."</p> - -<p>In a large room, unfurnished save for a few <i>kakemono</i> pictures, they -found Kubota and half a dozen Foreign Office men, with six or seven -correspondents, talking, smoking. Butterfield of the <i>Times</i> and -Templeton of the <i>Express</i> were old hands, with many years in Japan -behind them. Most of the others were far more recent arrivals. Some of -them showed by the self-conscious lack of ease of the white man when -he first finds himself, socially, in stocking feet, that they were -still new in Japan. Kent was introduced. The conversation flowed on, in -groups. Tea and cigarettes were served.</p> - -<p>A maid slid aside some of the partitions and they looked into a large -room with small, individual lacquered tables set in three sides of a -square, each with a cushion on the matting. "Please take your seats, -gentlemen," Kubota waved them in. "Take your places where you please."</p> - -<p>They squatted on the cushions. Kent was pleased to have on one side -young Kikuchi. He had taken an instinctive liking to him. On the other -side was Jones, a dumpy, solemn-faced man, fidgety, ill at ease.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> -Beyond him was Kittrick. Farther along, on both sides, sat the rest, -Japanese and foreigners mingled. Conversation flowed easily, mostly in -English.</p> - -<p>Soup was brought in lacquered, covered bowls, and a cloud of geisha -appeared, a score or more, brightly clad in shimmering silks, with -huge brocade obi scarfs fashioned in elaborate bow-like arrangements. -The curious whitening of the faces, with the black, delicately arched -eyebrows, almond eyes, crimson lips, fantastically high headdress, -tastefully contrived contrasts of color, all served to provide an -exotic air, to produce the impression that, after all, this was Japan, -a unique country, different from all others. The deadening effect of -trite modernism produced by the modern garb of the Japanese hosts, -their perfect foreign polish, faded into the background. The geisha -scattered among the tables, seating themselves with the guests, smiling -to them, attending to their needs. As he looked across the table into -the pretty face opposite him, Kent experienced a sense of grateful -relief. Thank God, the bloom and charm of old fairy-tale-like Japan had -not all faded away yet.</p> - -<p>He fumbled with his chopsticks. He had almost forgotten the art of -using them. The geisha gently took them from him, smiled engagingly, -showed him how to use them. "<i>So desho.</i>"</p> - -<p>He thanked her in Japanese. Her finely formed hands, small like a -child's, came up in surprise. "But you can't use chopsticks; you are -new in Japan; and still you speak Japanese. <i>Bikuri shimashita.</i> I am -surprised."</p> - -<p>The spirit of the thing swept over him. He felt as if he had played -with geisha all his life. "It is true. I have just come. But I looked -into your bright eyes, and see, the words have come to me. It is a -gift." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I think you lie." She eyed him dubiously. Japanese girls are disposed -to take literally even the unbelievable. "Kikuchi-san, he lies, doesn't -he?"</p> - -<p>But Kikuchi smilingly upheld him. "It is true. He has just come. You -know, these foreigners are truly wonderful people."</p> - -<p>"It is wonderful." She clapped her hands delightedly, called over -other girls that they might share in the marvel. They twittered like -birds. Kent suddenly found himself the center of attention, enjoyed -the exhilaration of flashing <i>jeu de mots</i>, though he found that his -childhood's vocabulary served only haltingly in the bright thrust and -parry repartée with the geisha.</p> - -<p>"I didn't know you could speak Japanese. What are they saying?" It -was the querulous voice of Jones. Kent felt a quick pang of sympathy -for him; he had been forgotten, neglected even by the geisha in the -excitement.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I lived here as a child, and I remember a little, but I told -that girl that I was learning the language from her eyes; such is the -gay foolishness with geisha, irresponsibility, laughter, that is the -charm." But he could not draw Jones in. "I see," was his only reply, -and he turned to the food before him.</p> - -<p>More food was brought, course after course, daintily served, strange -dishes, often puzzling as to how they must be eaten. The geisha -fluttered about, changing from table to table, staying a few minutes -with this guest, a bit longer with this other, charmingly gay, -beautiful creatures, woman bodies in butterfly raiment, and with the -radiant spontaneous happiness of children. And with all their laughing -familiarity, intimacy almost, they were constantly watchful, alert to -attend the men, with bewildering skill picking the bones from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> the -trout, which were served whole, leaf-garlanded, on richly ornamented -porcelain. Sake was brought in, hot, in small stone bottles. Guests -and geisha lifted steaming little cups, laughed, drank, the girls -constantly refilling the tiny bowls. The atmosphere titillated with -laughter and talk. The men stretched themselves more easily on their -cushions. Some rose and went visiting at other tables. The room was -electric with gayety, staccato Japanese and guttural English words -mingling, accompanied, set off by the rippling laughter of the geisha.</p> - -<p>Kubota had begun the journey which is the function of the host. From -table to table he proceeded, offering a cup of sake to each guest. The -guests drank; each rinsed the cup in the bowl of water on the table -before him, the ones who were old in Japan doing it expertly, immersing -the bowl and withdrawing it suddenly so that the water was sucked in by -the vacuum with a gurgling cluck. Then the guest would hold the bowl -out towards the geisha. She filled it, and he handed it to Kubota, who -drank ceremoniously, said a few words of polite greeting, and passed on -to the next guest. He passed his cup to Kent. "I am glad to greet you -here as a new friend," he said. "I hope we may often enjoy ourselves -together." They drank.</p> - -<p>Kubota passed on to Jones' table, held out his cup, but Jones waved it -away. "Thanks, but I disapprove of liquor." A look of blank surprise -crept over Kubota's face. The hand with the cup remained outstretched. -It took him a moment to adjust himself to the surprising situation. -Then he smiled engagingly. But Jones remained solemn, impassive. -Kittrick came to the rescue. "Are you not going to drink with me, Mr. -Kubota?" The incident passed, but Kent felt his sympathy for Jones -turning to disgust. He turned impatiently to the geisha. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> - -<p>But there was a stir among the girls. A number of them were running -towards the space where there were no tables. Samisens were brought in. -Three of the girls seated themselves, began tuning the instruments. -Three others ranged themselves in line and stood waiting. Suddenly -ivory plectra smote taut strings. In a loud treble, almost stridently, -the voices of the singers rose over the noisy clamor of the music. -The dancers postured for a moment, each with a fan, closed, held -straight before her. A chord was struck. Instantly the three fans -were snapped open, simultaneously, with a graceful, wide sweep of -arms, deep, fluttering sleeves following the undulating movements of -small, bejeweled hands. The guests leaned back, watching the brilliant -picture, the three girls, faces set in conventional expressionless -masks, rich, gorgeous silks waving and sweeping in rhythmic movement, -synchronizing with the bizarre cadences of the samisens and the voices, -a picture of graceful lines, swaying and changing harmoniously, -waves of radiant, flaming colors and shimmering, indefinite tints. -The real Orient finally, gorgeous, rare, exotic. A wave of pleasure, -satisfaction, swept over Kent. Impulsively he turned to Jones.</p> - -<p>"Barbaric." The cold, hard tone cut in like a discord. Kent stared -at him. Great heavens, what a point of view! He was about to turn -impatiently towards the dancers, but Jones cut in quickly. It was as -if anger, resentment, disgust, had been accumulating in him, from one -phase of the entertainment to another, had been pent up, gathering -volume until he must free himself of his thoughts. He seemed to clamor -for Kent's attention, to demand it, speaking nervously, jerkily, finger -tips drumming on the table top in emphasis.</p> - -<p>"I wish I hadn't come. It is a shock to me to see<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> these men, high -officials of the Government, publicly, brazenly disporting themselves -with these women, common women, singers, dancers. And, I really can't -help saying it, to see white men, Americans, entering into this -degradation. Look at it," he swept his hand towards the dancers, -swaying in soft, seductive movement before his irritated eyes. A small -<i>hangyoku</i>, geisha apprentice, sitting close by, saw his outstretched -hand. She glanced at him, puzzled, eager to be of service, and hastily -handed him a cup of sake. He swept it aside, and she gazed at him, -wondering, black child's eyes large with surprise against the white -powder of her face, quaint doll features contrasting oddly against the -high coiffure.</p> - -<p>Jones went on urgently, as if in competition with the whimper and cry -of the samisens, the strident voices. "It seems to me that we white -men should set them an example, that we have a duty to perform, that -even as we are newspapermen, we should assist the missionaries, act as -missionaries here——"</p> - -<p>Kittrick's attention had been attracted. He cut in. "If you will -pardon me, Mr. Jones, I think we have too many missionaries here -already. Japan has far less misery and crime than there is in our -big cities, New York, Chicago, San Francisco. Why don't they clean -up at home first, where they are needed, maybe, before they come out -here. You take my word for it, Mr. Jones, Japan can get along quite -nicely without them, and so can the rest of us. But what is the use of -talking. If you can't enjoy the hospitality you have accepted, at least -have the decency not to criticize it. Here, little beauty," he turned -to the <i>hangyoku</i>. "Fill the cups, please. Have a drink with me, Kent."</p> - -<p>An uproarious twang of the samisens marked the end of the dance. -The guests clapped. The dancers sank to the floor, bowed in deep -salutation, ran down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> among the guests. The men rose from their places, -new groups formed. Kent was glad to escape. He went up to Kubota, -expressed his pleasure. He felt as if he must make some atonement for -Jones, wondered whether the Japanese had noticed him. He sensed a -soft pressure on his arm. It was the geisha who had first waited on -him at table. She had plucked from her hair an ornament, a cluster of -artificial flowers, curiously and intricately wrought, with little -polished metal bits faintly tinkling and glittering among the red -and purple petals. She offered it to him. "You are a nice stranger," -she smiled up to him. "I want you to have this. It is a <i>katami</i>, a -souvenir." He glanced to Kubota, a little at a loss. The diplomat -laughed. "It is all right. Take it. It is an omen that Japan likes you. -I hope that you may like Japan."</p> - -<p>It was getting late. The foreigners began to leave. The Japanese -remained behind. "They always do," commented Kittrick. "I have an idea -that now the real fun begins. But we never see it. Almost always only -the surface, here in Japan."</p> - -<p>"He came near spoiling the evening, that man Jones," he remarked, as -they walked from the tea house. "Of course, he has a right to his point -of view, but why drag in the missionary question on such an occasion. -It made me angry. In fact, he made me say more about the missionaries -than I really meant."</p> - -<p>Kent laughed. "It seems an odd thing how it crops up in all sorts of -incongruous places, isn't it; in steamer smoking rooms, in hotel bars. -Do you people really dislike them so?"</p> - -<p>"It is a big jump from geisha to missionaries," said Kittrick. "Still, -since you ask, I should say that on the whole I don't. In some ways -the missionaries<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> do a lot of good for the standing of the white man -in the Orient, men like Doctor Wheelwright, for instance, men of -broad education and culture, who in a way serve as demonstrations to -the Japanese that the West, our race, has culture and high ideals, -something beyond mere lust for gain and pleasure. You know otherwise -the rest of us—most of us, at least—might easily give the Orientals -the idea that we are entirely materialists, that we stand a poor -comparison with their own scholars and men of culture. But then there -is the other class of missionaries, the fellows with little minds, who -can't see beyond the narrow vision they gained at their seminaries, -who are forever deploring what they call the evil example set by the -worldly white man, you and me, finding fault with our conduct, ever -criticizing us, and, for business reasons, taking the side of the -Japanese if we happen to criticize Japan. I feel as if the good done by -the one class is about evened up by the nuisance caused by the other. -I am thankful that I have friends among the first class; the others I -carefully avoid. As for the good they do among the Japanese, I don't -know. They undoubtedly do some good, but, on the other hand, personally -I can't help being a bit suspicious of the native Christian. So many -of them go in for Christianity on account of material advantages. It -is an easy way to learn English, for one thing, and then, undoubtedly, -many of them, the class of Japanese who want to be modern, who grasp -at any modern movement, be it French art, opera music, Communism, or -jazz, take up Christianity with sort of an idea that it is up-to-date, -<i>haikara</i> they call it. It is only fair to say, though, that all the -smoking-room talk you hear about the missionaries living at ease on -the fat of the land is largely rot. Most of them have to live modestly -enough, on mighty small salaries. I am willing to give<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> them credit, -most of them, of being sincere enough. I am neutral. I am willing to -let them alone, if they will leave me alone. There is the missionary -question in the Orient in a nutshell. Well, here I take my car. Give my -regards to Karsten—and to Jun-san. Good night."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER V</h2> - -<p>Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily. His Japanese -clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and -translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles -which Kent called for. He had made friends with several Japanese -newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment -on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift -of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot -news. Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, -War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative -procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting -formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite -blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the -world. The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule -be interviewed only by submission of written questions. It seemed as if -the human element, the touch of man to man, was constantly deliberately -shrouded in an impenetrable veil of bureaucratic formalism. Was it -instinctive passion for secrecy, suspicion of the foreigner in general, -or merely the deadening influence of worship of official form? He could -not make up his mind, but he wished it were possible to talk frankly -and openly, with return in openness and frankness, and not always under -the peculiar feeling of restraint, of necessity of being constantly <i>en -guard</i>, as if one were fencing with an adversary in the dark. They were -always talking about frankness, about their desire for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> it, and yet he -felt that it was always one-sided, that all the frankness came from -the foreigner, but that for him there could be no penetrating through -an impalpable wall of instinctive reserve, into the real, innermost -thought of the Japanese.</p> - -<p>Still, it was after all a pleasant life and, generally, an easy one. He -concluded that Japanese reserve was racial, rather than consciously, -deliberatively individual. And still there were times when they would -be surprisingly frank, almost incredibly outspoken. Even about such a -subject as the Imperial House they would sometimes, even officials, -like young Kikuchi, speak in terms entirely democratic, as would an -American, expressing carelessly ideas which he knew were well within -the "dangerous thought" category of the police. It amazed Kent, left -him a little at a loss as to how to reply, careful as he felt that -he must be in such matters. At first he thought that the opinions -were merely thrown out as bait, to draw him out, sound his views, -but he soon concluded that this was not the case, that the spread of -liberalism had extended far beyond the masses and was finding converts -among the young aristocracy, even among some of its older men. Some of -it was pose, he felt, the constant desire to show the foreigner that -Japanese were as advanced in modern thought as was he, but at the same -time he became convinced that substantially, generally, these men spoke -truthfully, just what they thought.</p> - -<p>He was speaking about it one morning at his office, to Kittrick, -when the door opened noiselessly, and Terada appeared, drifted in, -floated in rather, as if without movement. He had introduced himself -a few weeks after Kent's arrival as an official of the police -department, whose business it was to keep a watchful eye on foreigners, -particularly correspondents. Since then he had come at intervals of -a few weeks. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> door would open, and he would enter, soundlessly, -almost apologetically. In his gray kimono, gray felt hat, he seemed -like a sort of genii out of Arabian Nights; it was almost as if -he materialized, a smoky, indefinite figure, mysteriously growing -out of the empty space of the room. It was his habit to make some -commonplace observation and then sit smoking, for ten minutes often, -before he would make his next remark, also quite commonplace, about -the weather, the cherry blossoms, anything. Thus he would sit for an -hour at a time, a courteous, self-effacing gentleman, saying something -entirely inconsequential; then smoking silently, thinking up his next -triviality. But out of the dozen or score of remarks would always be -one which Kent felt was the one that counted, the question which he -evidently hoped would pass unnoticed among all the others. Who was -going to be the new correspondent for the <i>Post</i>, what did he think of -the action of the Cabinet on such and such a matter? There would come -some more camouflage remarks, polite leave-taking, and he would vanish, -dissolve, fade away, leaving Kent to wonder whether he had really -managed to get any information that he had come for.</p> - -<p>He made his usual remarks. Everything seemed to stop, while they waited -for him to frame the next one. It became a bore. Kittrick's patience -gave out.</p> - -<p>"Do you really know so much about us foreigners, Terada-san?" he asked -banteringly. "What do you really find out about us?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, we know. You were at Ringo-san's tea house last Monday night, with -Sato-san, but you only stayed till ten," he smiled sourly. "You got -a new cook yesterday. Mr. Kent is to dine at Baron Saiki's to-morrow -night."</p> - -<p>He smoked for a while silently. Then he faded away. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> - -<p>"He's a queer bird," said Kent, as Terada disappeared. "I'm sure I -don't see what he gets out of coming to me? His questions are too -transparent, with the main one so carefully sandwiched in among all the -rot that he so laboriously contrives. What does he do with it all, the -back-door gossip that he gathers so painstakingly?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, it all goes down in reports, I daresay, good, bad and -indifferent," said Kittrick. "It is all stored away somewhere. It is -all a part of their marvelously ramified secret service system, which -they copied from Germany. It is a good system. On the whole, it is -a good idea for the authorities to keep track of every one, foreign -and Japanese, and I don't see why any one should object. The bad ones -should be watched. The innocent ones shouldn't mind; in fact, they get -protection from the others in that way. I know that some foreigners -object to the detectives, but the police are usually polite. Old-timers -who have detectives following them often make friends with them—you -know they don't hide the fact that they are trailing you—and use them -to buy railroad tickets, to help with the luggage; they are willing -enough to act as kind of free couriers. Of course, there are some -damned stupid officials who look on every foreigner as a potential -spy, but much of the talk of newcomers about their being followed by -detectives is buncombe. They like to think they are being shadowed. It -gives them a sense of importance."</p> - -<p>"Ishii-san, run out and get me a package of Golden Bats, please." Kent -waited until the clerk had left the room. "I wanted to get him out of -the way," he explained to Kittrick. "The fact is that I know positively -that my desk is being systematically examined. I lock it; still I find -things disarranged. I keep nothing of consequence in it, but it annoys -me to have some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> one constantly going through my private letters, and I -don't know who it can be."</p> - -<p>"I don't think it is Ishii," said Kittrick. "I have reason to believe -that he is a young man inclined to have 'dangerous thoughts.' That is -one reason why I picked him out for you; so he wouldn't be a spy. It -is far more likely to be your good landlord. I'm pretty certain that -he is in Foreign Office pay. I have had several indications. Tokyo is -full of them, people who get information for the Foreign Office, the -Home Office, the police, the militarists. They are clerks, rickshaw -men, business men, high and low, all kinds. You see, they not only -copied the system, but they tried to elaborate on it. But all they -got, as usual, was the form, but not the intelligence. They go through -the motions of a secret service, but the whole thing is ramified in -numberless useless ways. They dovetail and overlap and get all kinds of -stupid information. I often wonder at what they do with all they get, -all the stuff about my being at a tea house and getting a new cook and -the like; but I think that it all goes down in reports, that many of -them don't care much what they get, as long as they get something they -can put in their reports, any old thing to fill the pages. And still, -you know, from all the trash they must undoubtedly get something worth -their while every now and then. At times you find evidences of really -skillful and clever work. And after all, why should you or I care? -They are discreet enough. Nothing comes out of what little foibles -they may learn about. Probably they don't care. Remember that, as far -as personal freedom is concerned, this is truly The Land of the Free, -where no one gives a hang if you have a drink or kiss a pretty geisha -behind the <i>shoji</i>."</p> - -<p>"But how are they in business?" asked Kent. "Do they watch the stuff we -send out?" </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I wish I knew. I think every correspondent wishes he knew," said -Kittrick. "Sometimes I think a copy of every cable we send goes to the -Foreign Office. There is no reason why it shouldn't; in fact, I can -see no great objection. Still, I never knew them to interfere with our -cables. I have sent stuff that I thought would be stopped; but it went -through. At the time of the so-called 'serious affair,' when old Prince -Yamagata tried to interfere with the engagement of the Crown Prince, -and the whole nation was whispering about it, and the censors were -working overtime to keep the thing quiet, I cabled the whole thing. -Now, if they ever interfere, they would have done it then; but the -cable went. I know most of us feel a bit suspicious, and once or twice -old Kubota has quoted almost word by word cables which I had sent the -day before. It may have been coincidence, but it is funny. It makes you -wonder. In fact, you will find that most of the fellows send mail stuff -that they want to be sure of, through friends who are going across to -the States, but, frankly, I don't actually know how far we are being -watched."</p> - -<p>"By the way, I heard that you were going to dinner at the Saiki's," he -added. "If he is a friend of yours, you will find him a good one."</p> - -<p class="space-above">Kent had hoped that the dinner at the Saiki's would be given in -Japanese style, that he might thus have an opportunity to get a glimpse -of the more intimate life in an aristocratic Japanese household, but -the moment he and Karsten drove into the grounds, it was plain that he -would be disappointed in this. The house was a large hybrid affair, -with a foreign style section and another part purely native, weird -and ungainly combinations which are becoming common in Tokyo and -which do their share in degrading the architecture of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> the city. The -Japanese part lay in semi-darkness, but the other wing was brilliantly -lighted. Servants in foreign livery took their things, and they were -ushered into a large drawing-room, furnished punctiliously in French -fashion, almost too correct. One suspected immediately the hand of the -professional decorator behind it all. There was even less to indicate -Japan than is usual in foreign homes in Tokyo. The pictures, the -bric-a-brac, all was European. A splendid cloisonné vase in a corner -was the only bit characteristic of Japan; but then such a thing might -be found in any drawing-room in Paris or London. At table it was the -same,—a cocktail, then French courses, wines, decorations, served by -servants in black and gold livery. The kimonos of some of the women, -the high helmet-like coiffures of a few, served only to accentuate -the European atmosphere: and then some of the younger women, even -though they wore kimonos, dressed their hair in the foreign mode which -was becoming fashionable in Tokyo, the hair arranged, in its natural -softness, without the usual oily dressing, in soft rolls hiding the -ears.</p> - -<p>Kent found himself seated between Baroness Saiki and Miss Suzuki. -Farther on sat young Kikuchi, then another Miss Suzuki, then Karsten, -with Kikuchi's sister at his right. Among the others were Templeton -of the <i>Express</i> and Butterfield of the <i>Times</i>. The rest were all -Japanese officials and their wives.</p> - -<p>Conversation was carried on in English and Japanese. The men were -all fluent in English. The women, even when they spoke it, smiled -much, charmingly, but said little, seemed to be a peculiarly happily -contrived background rather than a material element of the affair. -Kent found himself absurdly ill at ease when Baroness Saiki insisted -on speaking Japanese. He knew that only few foreigners attain the -perfection<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> where they may venture with safety to attempt the language -of the aristocracy, with its honorifics and a vocabulary containing -many words and idioms entirely different from those of the common -tongue. He felt as might a Frenchman who had learned his English on the -Bowery and who suddenly finds himself under necessity to speak with -a <i>grande dame</i> of ancient Boston lineage. He tried it, hesitantly, -fearing momentarily that he would make a <i>faux pas</i>; then he made a -clean breast of his trouble to her. She was amused, encouraged him to -go on; but even then it was irritatingly difficult to devise subjects -which might interest her. Books, the opera, mutual friends, all the -usual topics were useless. It was almost like trying to interest a -woman who had come forth, suddenly, from the seclusion of a seraglio. -Fortunately she had been abroad. He grasped at the usual banalities: -how did she find Japan after Washington and Paris. She answered -quietly, always smiling, charming, gracious; but she would reply in -only a sentence or two. Then he must find something new. She had -always, when he knew her on the steamer, been very quiet, discreetly -non-assertive, but even with that it seemed as if she had changed, -become even more retiring, self-effacing since she had come to Japan. -He had to think hard to devise pabulum for conversation and began to -get a little desperate. It was a relief when Kubota addressed her and -she turned to him.</p> - -<p>It gave Kent an opportunity to speak to Miss Suzuki. He had been -relieved to see that she still wore foreign dress. Evidently her -family had not Japanized her to the extent of insisting on her wearing -kimono, as did her sister, an extremely pretty girl, in gorgeous silks, -with, however, her hair dressed in the modern mode. Kent was extremely -pleased to meet Miss Suzuki again; he had thought of her often and -had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> wondered how he might manage to see her, but it had seemed oddly -impossible; there had seemed to be no way of contriving to meet her. -But she did not seem as spontaneously gay as she had been on the -<i>Tenyo</i>. Momentarily a hint of her American animation would appear -like a glint of heat lightning, a vivacious bit of high spirits, but -it flashed out, subdued into a vague, intangible quietness, smiling -gentleness, suggesting a sense of restraint, an almost imperceptibly -subtle change in manner and mind.</p> - -<p>Baron Saiki addressed him from across the table, a matter of current -politics. Templeton and Kubota came into the discussion. Gradually -the conversation became general among the men, the presence of the -women being sensed, rather than forming an equal part, as a lovely and -delicately enchanting obligato beside the dominating pervasion of the -men.</p> - -<p>Later, in the drawing-room, he found chance to meet the Suzuki -girls again. They formed a striking contrast, Kimiko, the younger, -resplendent in brilliant silks, gracefully drooping, wide kimono -sleeves, stiff brocade obi, recalling a picture of imagination, a -fanciful Oriental fairyland vision, picturesque, fantastic almost, -against the modestly cut pink evening gown of the sister. Here, removed -from the immediate presence of the others, she proved a lively, -capricious little damsel. She extended her hand frankly when the elder -girl introduced her to Kent.</p> - -<p>"Don't you think that I am not modern, just because I speak no -English and have always lived in Japan," she flashed at him. "<i>Nous -sommes moderne, nous autres Japonnaises, n'est-ce-pas</i>, Kikuchi-san?" -It suited her. French harmonized better with her air of being a -resplendent illusion of whimsical imagination.</p> - -<p>Kikuchi came over. "Of course, we are modern, <i>le dernier cri</i>. We -must show Kent. Now, how would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> it be if we all went to Tsurumi, to -Kagetsuen. We will show him how Japan and jazz mix. I am sure my sister -can fix it so you girls can go. Would you like it, Kent? I'm sure you -would. All right, I'll let you know the day later."</p> - -<p>The girls were radiant. "You must not think, Mr. Kent, that because -we wear the kimono, we can't dance," bubbled Kimiko, protestingly. "I -have been dancing for two years now, even at some of the public places, -like Kagetsuen. But they are beginning to make a fuss about it, the -newspapers and the old fogeys. I hope they don't stop it. My sister has -never even been to Tsurumi. We'll have—what is it you say in English, -Tsuyuko, oh, yes, a hellu off a time."</p> - -<p>"Oh, be careful," the sister glanced about hastily. "Kimiko is so crazy -to be modern that she wants to learn English phrases, and she likes the -swear words best, I'm sorry I taught her. She won't be careful. She is -irresponsible. Please pardon her. I wonder what Baroness Saiki would -say."</p> - -<p>Karsten came over, but even his rather grave manner could not daunt -Kimiko-san. It seemed as if she wished to startle the sister, to -impress her with the fact that she, at least, was not old-fashioned. -"You look so grave, Mr. Karsten, so dignified, just like our -old-fashioned Japanese men. You should be a Japanese, and have a -Japanese wife, old-fashioned, of course. Would you like to have one?" -She was laughing up at him, like a pretty, mischievous child enjoying -its naughtiness.</p> - -<p>Karsten laughed. "But I am so stupid about women. Now, if I do, will -you find me one, a pretty one? Will you be my <i>nakodo</i>, my go-between?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly. Of course, an old-fashioned man like you must have a -marriage by arrangement, through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> a <i>nakodo</i>; but Tsuyuko and I, -when we marry, we are modern, we shall marry for love, <i>l'amour, -n'est-ce-pas?</i> We shall——"</p> - -<p>"Ssst." Kikuchi made a quick warning gesture. Baroness Saiki came over -to them. There was no perceptible hush, but the bright sparkle of the -manner of the girls changed. They were still smiling, conversing, but -it was the gentle, quaint loveliness of the Orient. The moment of -glitter had gone. It was nothing as definite as palpable restraint -which had come over them; still there seemed to be an indefinite -barrier.</p> - -<p>The groups broke up, changed, reformed. Every one left early. Kent -saw the girls again only when they took leave. He thought he sensed a -barely perceptible, still almost definite pressure of Kimiko's hand, as -she said good-by, the slightest hint of a glint in the dark brilliancy -of her eyes. But he could not be sure; he wondered.</p> - -<p>The Saiki mansion was close to the Karsten house, and they walked home -in the moonlight, through the streets of the geisha quarter with the -opaquely lighted <i>shoji</i> contrasting, brilliantly white, against the -dark walls, tinkle of samisen and ripples of women's laughter coming -out to them in the night.</p> - -<p>"Well, back in Japan again," said Kent. "For what we saw to-night -wasn't really Japan, was it? Still, it wasn't America or Europe either. -What do you think?"</p> - -<p>"It is hard to say," said Karsten. "Even if what we saw to-night is not -Japan now, it is certain to become more and more so, while this——" he -pointed to a <i>machiai</i> just ahead. The <i>shoji</i> had been drawn aside, -and they could see a geisha, resplendent in gold and crimson, languidly -posturing, fan slowly sweeping before her in obedience to the rhythm -of an <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span>unseen samisen in the background. "This is not the real Japan, -either. The other was Japan to-morrow. This is Japan yesterday. It is -difficult to say what is Japan to-day."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2> - -<p>Even as they made their way up the hill, among the booths, animal -cages, swinging bridges and slides of the amusement park which formed -an adjunct of the Kagetsuen, the crash and cry of the jazz orchestra -came down to them. Dancing began early and a number of couples filled -the floor of the large hall. The musicians, some fifteen of them, were -all Japanese, but they had mastered their peculiar art, the latest -phase of the modernity invading Japan. Emphasis seemed to have been -laid on modernity. With the exception of a few Japanese lanterns, -some characteristic masks, the arrangements were entirely in foreign -style. Wicker tables and chairs lined two sides of the hall, where tea -was served, English fashion. For a moment this modern air struck Kent -as disappointing. Then he looked about at the people, the dancers, -those sitting at the tables, and the feeling vanished. A glitter of -color shimmered and moved inside this tedious frame, brilliant kimono, -gorgeous obi, rich silk, blazing reds, radiant blues, color in all -shades and tints scintillating in motion. The colorless space, the -commonplace garb of the men, seemed rather to heighten the effect of -the exotic radiance of the women.</p> - -<p>Kipling's "For East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall -meet" came to his mind. It might be true, but the scene before him -seemed to belie it. Was there ever such a melting-pot, raiment of a -civilization thousands of years old, substantially unchanged, absorbed -in the arms of extreme <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>modernism, the unimaginative West and the -evanescent romance of the Orient moving and mingling in the rhythm of -jazz. It was bizarre, discordant, but it made a picture odd, almost -incongruously anachronistic, but interesting, strikingly illustrative -of New Japan.</p> - -<p>They found a table and sat down to tea, Kikuchi, his sister, the -Suzuki sisters and Kent. They made up programs, but Kent reserved only -a few dances. He wished to have opportunity to watch, to study this -heterogeneous potpourri of humanity.</p> - -<p>Japanese predominated, the men all in European clothing, most of the -women in kimonos, though many wore foreign dress, generally simple, -but well tailored, becomingly worn. There were many Europeans and -Americans, nearly all men. It was difficult to determine their status; -they were so much alike, most of them in pongee. Of the women many were -apparently business girls, stenographers from Yokohama probably, though -here and there might be seen one a bit indeterminable, who caused the -mind to hesitate for a moment, in question.</p> - -<p>Then there were the Eurasians, slim young men, inclined to be a shade -dandified, smooth, graceful dancers; the girls slim also, but with -a svelte luxuriance of body, a starry-eyed, almost tropical hint -of potentialities of fiery passion slumbering lightly behind their -sinuous grace. But, after all, his eyes would revert constantly to the -kimonos. They made the high light and luster of the scene, stirring -the imagination to wonder who were they, what were they, what were the -thoughts, the ambitions, the desires and passions, in these faintly -contoured breasts held tightly under silken folds above the stiff -brocade sashes? Difficult as it was to determine the character of the -others, Europeans and Eurasians, he felt <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>himself utterly baffled -by the Japanese women. Any one of them might be a daughter of the -aristocracy, or she might be a geisha, for all he could know. All the -usual minute signs, the hints conveyed by dress, speech and gesture -familiar in white women, the indescribable, subtle nuances, which -made it possible at home to distinguish between the gentlewoman and -the demimonde, were unknown to him here. It added to the fascination, -the bewildering sense of not being able to know, to determine, even -to guess with reasonable certainty, as if one were hesitatingly, -cautiously venturing into a marvelously fascinating, strange, -unexplored country.</p> - -<p>A hundred questions clamored for explanations. Who was this one; what -could that one be? But his companions gave him little information. They -did not know these people, they said. Their tone conveyed to him that -he must restrain his curiosity. It was plain that they insisted on -being exclusive. They showed acquaintance with only one or two other -groups, a party, much like their own, in which young Watanabe, son of -the shipping magnate, was the leader; another composed of the sons -and daughters of wealthy silk merchants from Yokohama. These, quite -evidently, formed a set aside, remote from the gay throng about them.</p> - -<p>He had indicated a girl who had passed them in the dance, rather -full-figured, Eurasian apparently, with large, languid eyes, who moved -with a slow swaying grace before them. It was the sense of dreamlike -voluptuousness that had attracted him.</p> - -<p>"Eurasian. I hear she is a moving-picture actress," answered Kikuchi. -"It is democratic, you see. There are all kinds here, girls of gentle -birth and geishas, stenographers and actresses. It is queer to have -that kind of thing here in Japan, don't you think? Our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> girls couldn't -come into such mixed company abroad, you know. But we must dance, and -there are only these places, this and a few smaller ones in Tokyo; and -the management is strict; in fact, I believe they pretend to keep out -the geisha element, though I'm sure they wink at their coming so long -as they behave themselves. It is really entirely respectable, and our -girls are quite all right here so long as we keep to ourselves."</p> - -<p>Kent took the hint. He would have liked to have mingled at close range -with the others, to venture into the tangle of dazzling, mysterious -femininity where your partner of chance might turn out to be a -demoiselle of ancient samurai lineage or a motion-picture queen, a -stenographer or a geisha. Still, he enjoyed his growing intimacy with -the girls in his own party. The fact that they were confined mainly to -their own circle brought them together, made it necessary to dance more -often with his companions than would otherwise have been the case. He -found special pleasure in Kimiko-san. It was his first experience in -dancing with a girl in kimono. He enjoyed the strange sense of grasping -about the thick, stiff obi; it was something new. He was surprised at -her agile vivacity. The orchestra was playing an amazing adaptation -of "Zigeunerweisen," stolen almost bodily by the enterprising -pseudo-composer, retaining the gipsy fire and sparkle of the original, -and she seemed to radiate the electric tingle, the flushing abandon -thereof, confusing with the sense of odd contrast of hot, pulsing -passion contained within the feudal conventionality of her gorgeous -costume.</p> - -<p>They sat out the next dance. They were alone at their table. "Do you -like to dance with me? Can I dance?" Her eyes flashed at him.</p> - -<p>"It is marvelous. It seems so impossible that you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> can be so wonderful. -And in <i>zori</i>; how do you do it?"</p> - -<p>She laughed, delighted, looked about. Then she slipped from her small -foot, clad in <i>tabi</i>, the mitten-like white silk covering which takes -the place of a stocking, a <i>zori</i>, sandal-like flat footgear, held in -place by cross bands. She passed it to him in the shadow of the table. -"See, it is slit. We have them made especially for dancing."</p> - -<p>It seemed almost impossible that this might be such a prosaic thing as -a shoe, this dainty, small object in his hand, surfaced with figured -crimson and gold brocade, like a precious work of art, with its red -silk cross bands.</p> - -<p>"It simply adds to the illusion," he told her. "Out of the mysterious -Orient has come to me a gorgeous Cinderella slipper."</p> - -<p>"Who is Cinderella?"</p> - -<p>He explained, tritely and mechanically at first, restrained by the -oddness of bringing forth such a puerility. But she was interested, -leaned towards him intently. He warmed to the telling. How was it -possible that she might be so interested in such a simple thing? A -moment ago she had been a woman, palpitating, warm, in his arms. Now -she was a child, listening with eager wonder to a fairy tale. What was -she; what were they, anyway, these girls,—children or women, or both? -He enjoyed her intentness; tried to apply in the telling all the skill -and artistry that he could contrive.</p> - -<p>"Oh, what a lovely story! I didn't know you could tell stories. You -must tell me many more. I love it." She was radiantly delighted. It -pleased him immeasurably. It would be a novel thing, a new experience -in life, to recall to memory the half-forgotten childhood tales and to -dress them up for her, in terms suitable to fanciful Oriental setting, -enjoying the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> tremulous reactions which he might thus cause in this -beautiful creature with the clear, innocent mind of a child, clothed in -the budding curves of the body of a woman.</p> - -<p>They were silent for a moment, then she placed her hand on his arm. -"But you still have my <i>zori</i>."</p> - -<p>He had forgotten it. It lay in his hand, absurdly small and elegant. -"If it were not really necessary for you to have it, I should like to -keep it, as a souvenir, a reward for my story."</p> - -<p>"But I can't give it to you now, you know," she was smiling, with -just a shade of seriousness. "But you shall have your reward, if you -really want such a trifling thing as this, for I wish to have many more -stories from you. You must see me often and tell me many just like -Cinderella."</p> - -<p>After that telling stories to Kimiko-san became a regular part of -their evenings at Tsurumi. They came often, and he fell into the habit -of thinking up his tales in advance, finding his themes among the -rich treasures of the West, from mythology and history, folk tale and -medieval romance, even from the Old Testament. It amused him to take -the essential dramatic values, coloring the action so as to render it -understandable to the Japanese mind, dressing the material in Oriental -form. Samson became a valiant samurai and Delilah a perfidious geisha. -Hercules performed his prodigies in the atmosphere of the legendary -<i>Momotaro</i>. He became interested as the thought began to take definite -form that here was an idea that he might some day work out into more -concrete shape, and in the meantime he enjoyed the breathless interest, -the childishly intent response which he always awakened in the girl.</p> - -<p>It brought them closer together. Their intimacy became recognized -gradually by tacit understanding in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> their little group. He became her -acknowledged cavalier. He wondered at times why this girl had become so -much more attractive to him than the elder sister. He was still fond -of Tsuyuko-san, but the feeling remained the same, neither increasing -nor decreasing, while he sensed that Kimiko-san and he were coming -constantly nearer to each other, more intimately parts of each other's -thoughts. Could it be that what attracted was in its intrinsic essence -the glamor of the East, the charm of the seductive, unknown Orient? -The question would come to his mind—were they drifting towards a more -definite relation; might not the love element already be germinating, -unconsciously developing? He recalled the words of Miss Elliott that -these girls were not children, that they were moved and driven by the -same passions as those which dominate the more sophisticated women of -the West. But he put the thought from him. His moral code was a simple -and rigid one. He was married, and he must keep the faith. Even though -marriage had been a failure, as long as the bond existed he would play -the game. He, at least, would keep his record clean, and while the -relation remained there would be no dalliance for him with other women. -So in the case of Kimiko-san, as with other women, there could be no -question of love relations. There were times when a lingering of her -hand, a sidelong glance from dark almond eyes would cause a nervous -titillation of agreeable unrest, would quicken his blood, give a -flashing hint of something pleasantly, subtly dangerous, but sweet; but -it was so evanescent, so intangible. The next moment she would be the -gay, virginal child.</p> - -<p>He felt that it was rather stupid, an absurd exaggeration of caution; -still he had made opportunity to tell her of his wife, in California; -but she had not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> been interested. "Oh, she is far away," had been her -only comment, carelessly laughing, with no accentuation of meaning; -and she had turned instantly to light chatter of the moment. Quite -apparently it meant nothing to her. So the play kept on. He allowed -himself to take pleasure from her radiant presence, her beauty, to -rest his eye on her flower-like features, dark eyes, to enjoy the -slenderness of her fingers, sense the palpitating magnetism of her -lithe body and inhale the perfume of her hair, as he held her, swaying, -in the rhythm of the dance. He felt pleasure in the thought that he -might enjoy all this rich beauty, as one might that of a flower, a -butterfly, unvitiated by sordid taint of sex interest.</p> - -<p>But his delight in the charm of Kimiko-san did not dull his interest -in the others, the great throng of women, shimmering about him in -their glimmering silks, unknown, mysterious to him. They piqued his -curiosity. He wanted to know who they were, what they were, what were -their lives, their thoughts, to come to know them as intimately as did -these care-free youths who held them in the dance, chattered gayly -with them at the tables. He felt as if he were being withheld from the -familiarity of the charmed circle, resented a little the restraint -which he was under when he was with Kimiko-san and her sister. Finally -he decided that he would come alone. Lüttich seemed to be there -always. Through him he would contrive himself to become a part of this -marvelously fascinating butterfly whirl of strangely unknown femininity.</p> - -<p>So he came alone, one afternoon, and sought out Lüttich.</p> - -<p>"I shall be glad to show you about," said the Russian, "but the fact is -that I have little time. I am busy. You see, I am here professionally. -For the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> moment, at least, dancing has taken the upper hand over music -with young Japan, so I have become a dancing teacher. I have more -than I can do. I dance from morning till night, giving lessons. It is -not bad. They learn more easily than you would think. Then, when they -become a bit proficient, I take them out here; but I must dance with -them myself, at first, to give them confidence. A lot of these girls, -and men, too, for that matter, are my pupils. So you see I am busy as a -matter of duty. <i>N'importe.</i> It pays, and one must live.</p> - -<p>"However, let us sit down for a moment. Have a drink." He called a -boy. "You want to know who they are. Well, they are a mixed crowd. -All kinds; that's part of the charm, is it not? See that pretty young -woman over there, just passing the pillar. She is the wife of the -Buddhist priest of the big temple on the other side of the hill. -The young fellow with her is an American boy in some company in -Yokohama. Priestess and office clerk. Odd, isn't it? Bizarre. Still, I -daresay mighty few of them realize it, or give it a thought. See that -cadaverous Eurasian with his Japanese wife? They are pupils of mine. -They dance well, don't they? Well, two years ago they had never danced -a step. Now that is all they do; it is their whole life interest, a new -step, the latest fox-trot. You can still see when she walks that she -has not gotten over the duck-walk that they get from Japanese <i>geta</i>; -but you don't see it when she dances. These two have reduced life to -terms of fox-trot. That has become their sole standard of measurement; -they regard people as good or bad, according to how well they dance."</p> - -<p>It was interesting. "Tell me about more of them," said Kent. "I have an -absolutely insatiable curiosity."</p> - -<p>"I'll do what I can, when I get the chance, but,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> as I told you——" He -caught by the arm a young chap who was passing. "Here, Dick, I want you -to look after my friend, Kent. He wants to know some of the girls. Show -him about." He turned to Kent. "Dick here can do the honors better than -I can. He knows nearly all of them. Duty calls, I am off. Be good."</p> - -<p>Dick grinned pleasantly. Kent had noticed him often, a slim, vivacious -man of about thirty, always laughing behind his small mustache, -radiating effervescent vitality, infectiously bubbling over with joy of -life.</p> - -<p>"First of all you must know Madame Hirano," he said. "She's the boss. -It pays to be on the good side of her. She rules with a hand of iron -in a velvet glove, not so much velvet, either, if she should catch -you here with a girl too much on the off side. Then she'd give you -the quick bounce. She's done it often enough. But she's a good fellow -really. Come along over and I'll introduce you."</p> - -<p>They went over to a corner where the tyrant had a place of vantage, -whence she might survey the entire hall. She was an elderly woman, -handsomely dressed. As she sat there, surrounded by a small court of -girls from the neighborhood, attached in an indefinite way to the -establishment, with her sharp, black eyes constantly roving among -the dancers, it was easy to see that here was one of these rather -exceptional Japanese women with will power and executive ability; that -she was, as Dick had said, the "boss."</p> - -<p>She acknowledged the introduction graciously, with the slightest hint -of condescension, consciousness of her power. It was evidently in -Kent's favor that he was a newspaperman. She told him, annoyedly, of -the inimical attitude towards foreign dancing of the Japanese press. -They were so stupid, she complained,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> so old-fashioned. He began to ask -her questions about the dancers. She looked at him sharply, as if a bit -suspicious. He explained his motive—curiosity—how all these types -which were familiar to her were strange to him. He wanted to become -acquainted with the new woman of Japan. For instance, he should like -to meet some of the motion-picture actresses, a type which seemed so -characteristic of the most modern tendencies of the country.</p> - -<p>Yes, some of them came here, she acknowledged, but she let it go at -that, and gave him no information. He tried to press the subject. A -slight, vivacious girl, in a splendid kimono in the black and white -checkerboard-like pattern which was fashionable that year, fox-trotted -nimbly past them. He had often noticed the passionate pleasure which -she took in the dance, the cat-like grace with which she swung her body -in intoxicated undulations, clinging to her partner, smiling up to him, -teeth flashing in an alluring smile—a Japanese Theda Bara, it seemed -to him. There now, he ventured, was undoubtedly a lady of the screen.</p> - -<p>"But no," she was shocked, with quick intake of breath. "What a -mistake. That is a <i>go-fujin</i>, a lady of good, oh, extremely fine -family. Certainly not."</p> - -<p>Kent saw he had made a <i>faux pas</i>. He was glad when the cadaverous -dance-mad Eurasian led her off into the dance.</p> - -<p>Dick was laughing. "You certainly got off on the wrong foot, Kent. I'd -better do the honors. I know most of them. I ought to. I have lived -here all my life. So, fire away."</p> - -<p>It was fascinatingly interesting. He was a complete "Who's Who," able -to sketch in a few sentences the entire curriculum <i>vitæ</i> of most of -the dancers, <i>go-fujin</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> actresses, stenographers, married women, rich -men's daughters, geisha, girl students, who they were, whence they -came, approachable or otherwise. Before them, past them, moved the -dancing couples, unconscious of the fact that their lives were being -laid bare, their characters stripped, good-naturedly, laughingly, but -with a sure, quick touch.</p> - -<p>"That girl in pink foreign dress, with pink slippers, that's one of the -Thompson girls, Eurasians; father is in silk. They live in Honmoku. -There are three of them, but one's married. That one, in red, the one -with the pink beads, that's a stenographer with the Standard Oil in -Yokohama. Now, that one, with the big, gold obi, I am not quite sure, -but I think she is geisha. They say she's from Shimbashi. It is odd, -you know, most of the fuss in the Japanese papers has been stirred -up by the geisha guilds. They are afraid that if the men get used to -foreign dancing, it will raise the devil with the geisha business, that -they will come to these dances instead of spending fifty or a hundred -yen an evening on geisha. And still the geisha themselves can't keep -away from the dance places. The lure has got them, too."</p> - -<p>He went on. One after one these elusive, dazzling women, who had so -baffled Kent's ventures at guessing, were singled out for brief, -concise description, as if they were picked out individually, suddenly, -by a searchlight, moving hither and yon in the throng, illuminating -each one in intense glare for a moment, then allowing her to slip back -into the background of the crowd, as the beam shifted to, rested on, -stripped the mystery from another kimono-clad enigma; then moved on to -still another.</p> - -<p>"Now, there are the Kincaids," he went on. Kent had been curious to -know who they were, a middle-aged, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>quiet American, and a young woman, -whose kimono, with its marvelously delicate texture, glorious though -subdued luxuriance, was noticeable even in that dazzling kaleidoscope -of rich Oriental stuffs. He had taken the man to be some wealthy -foreigner, "import and export" man probably, who took pleasure in -showering his wealth on this slight, fairy-like beauty, to indulge his -fancy by arraying her in constantly changing ornate frames for her -enchanting loveliness.</p> - -<p>"Kincaid is a teacher in one of the most exclusive girls' schools in -Tokyo," Dick was going on. "She was a pupil there, comes from an old -samurai family, blood blue as indigo, but family estates, riches, -glory, the whole business gone, all but pride, tenacious grasp on -the old traditions. She's a beauty, isn't she? Exquisite. Kincaid -was smitten. How he ever managed to see her alone is a mystery. It -was romance. Imagine yourself, in this day of wireless and gasoline, -conducting a courtship after the fashion of feudalism, the infinitely -obscure and meaningless <i>minutiæ</i> of the days of the Shogunate. It -can't have been anything else. The family must have insisted on it. -Kincaid is a deep Oriental scholar. He could do it if any one could. -He may even have enjoyed it, taken it as a sort of top examination, a -supreme test, if he thought of it in that light. I don't know. Nobody -knows just what he went through. But he had the devil's own time. -Luckily, he had influential Japanese friends, blue-blooded, too, but -modern, and they helped him out. And then the girl was infatuated with -him, crazy after him. You know they get all kinds of new ideas, these -girls, Socialism, free love, careers of their own, art, literature, -foreign husbands, it may be one fad or another, anything. Hers -evidently was a foreign husband, or, at least, Kincaid.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> So at last the -family gave in; but that was only half the game. Then came the wedding. -It had to be Japanese style, most formal ritual, <i>san san kudo</i>, three -times three cups of sake drunk by bride and groom and all that. That -didn't bother Kincaid. Probably he liked it. But the expense! You know -these high-class Japanese weddings sometimes run up to hundreds of -thousands of yen. There are all kinds of expensive gowns for the bride, -kimonos, obi, ornaments, God knows what. Then the banquet, hordes of -guests, at fifteen, twenty, thirty yen a plate, something like that. -And then, finally, the presents. You know in Japan the wedded folk -must give return presents, usually about twice the value of those they -get. You get married. I give you something utterly useless, a vase, a -<i>kakemono</i>, and then you must come back with something quite as useless -but worth twice the price. They say it cost Kincaid thirty thousand -yen, which wasn't so bad under the circumstances. He spent every yen -he had. That was over two years ago, and they are still saving, paying -off their wedding debts, living in a couple of rooms. She does most -of the housework, but they are both happy. You can see it. He gets -his pleasure taking her here and there, his prize, in her wonderful -kimonos, the trousseau, intensely proud of her; and she adores him. -Look at her. Her eyes are always on him. She has realized her dream; he -has his. No room for regret, no thought of it. Romance, the new, modern -West and the age-old East, they have become one. So it works sometimes."</p> - -<p>The orchestra blared into a new dance. Dick went off for a partner -somewhere in the other end of the hall. Kent leaned back, summarizing, -trying to classify his new knowledge. In a way the glib explanations, -the reduction into terms of commonplace<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> of these people, these women, -dimmed the picture a little, detracted from its attraction of being -unknown; still, he had had but a glimpse behind the veil. What he had -learned would but serve to initiate him further, to penetrate more -deeply, to insinuate himself more intimately into this attractive, -strange world of utterly foreign thoughts, fashions, modes of life.</p> - -<p>Behind him, in the garden outside, staring through the open windows, a -fringe of Japanese, the ordinary folk who found their pleasures in the -slides, and swings and other marvels of the park, were discovering rare -entertainment in watching the dancers, the strange new foreign custom -of women, gentlewomen at that, dancing together with, in the arms of, -men. Abstractedly he listened to their churlish comment.</p> - -<p>"They have the luck, these chaps," a burly fellow of the rickshaw man -type nudged his friend. "For two yen they can put their arms about -these girls, pretty girls, ladies. It's cheaper and better fun than -playing with geisha."</p> - -<p>The voice of a woman cut in; her hair, dressed high, with a great, -heavily oiled knot, proclaimed that she was married. "I don't like it. -It's dirty."</p> - -<p>A girl sitting next to Kent laughed. She had noticed that he had caught -the remark. "Funny, isn't it?" she remarked to him. He aroused himself -from his thoughts. He had not noticed her. It was the priestess. She -chatted on. He had not been introduced, but, would she dance? Why, -certainly; he was a friend of Dick's. So he found himself in the -midst of the whirl, enjoying the thought that he, himself, had now -become part of this bewildering inconsistency, fox-trotting with a -Buddhist priestess, absurd, amusing, but delectable. She danced with -full-bodied enjoyment, chatting vivaciously, with a nimble, flash-like -wit. When they had returned to their seats, he led<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> her to tell him -about the others. She knew them well, as did Dick, but he enjoyed her -characterizations, the Japanese point of view.</p> - -<p>The full-figured Eurasian girl, whose dreamy voluptuosity had attracted -his attention the first night, when he had been with the Suzuki -girls, passed in the dance, nodded over her partner's shoulder to the -priestess.</p> - -<p>"Do you know that girl? I hear she is a motion-picture actress?"</p> - -<p>"<i>Naruhodo</i>," she was noncommittal. "Yes, I see her often here. I have -spoken to her."</p> - -<p>"Then introduce me, please. I know so few people here."</p> - -<p>She hesitated for a moment, overcame her doubts. "All right, come."</p> - -<p>The dance had finished. The girl was sitting at one of the large -tables, with two or three other girls and some young foreigners. He -hesitated in his turn. It was a bit awkward. Still, the die had been -cast. He must see it through. The priestess laid her hand on his -sleeve. "This is Mr. Kent. He wants to meet you."</p> - -<p>The girl nodded to him slightly, looking at him, her big eyes wide in -surprise. The others at the table stared. Utter silence. He wished he -were a hundred miles away. But he was in for it. "Please, Miss ——" -Hang it, the priestess had not even given her name. He slid over it. "I -am quite strange here. I wonder if you would be kind enough to give me -a dance?"</p> - -<p>"I am sorry. My dances are all taken." The others still stared. He -bowed. The priestess was already in retreat. He trailed after her, to -the corner of the lady tyrant. Damn it. He bit his lip in resentment. -Who was she, this Eurasian, to hold <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span>herself too high, too precious, -as if he were not good enough for her? Still, of course, the girl was -right. What a fool he was immediately to think of race, when he had -always insisted, did, in fact, maintain that he had no race prejudice. -Good for her, whoever she might be. But he had been an ass. He had made -a bad beginning.</p> - -<p>Dick appeared. Kent told him. He laughed. "By Jove, but that's funny. -You do need a guardian. The moment I leave you, you start adventuring -on your own. That's a very respectable girl, a stenographer in Tokyo, -nice parents, you know. She's no motion-picture lady. You can't do like -that. If you are so anxious to meet the motion-picture folk, why didn't -you tell me. The fact is that there are a couple right here. I had sort -of a halfway date with them. Come on. We'll take them to dinner down in -one of the tea houses below in the park. You eat Japanese chow, don't -you?"</p> - -<p>The two girls were at a table at the farther end of the hall. He had -noticed them often. One of them, the elder, he had guessed to be -professional of some sort, theatrical, because of her kimono, a bit -too bright, and especially her unusual coiffure, after some eccentric -foreign fashion, in a mode which he had never seen, a sort of high, -long cone, reminiscent of an Assyrian helmet, which showed to advantage -her luxuriant hair, black with a faint tinge of chestnut, effective, -but odd. The other was one of the girls who had eluded classification. -She had puzzled him, with her large, voluptuous mouth, slow smile -showing teeth which might really be described as pearly, but with her -quiet manner, almost diffident, giving the lie to those sensuous lips.</p> - -<p>"O-Tsuru-san. Kin-chan." There was no trouble over these introductions. -The girls laughed, made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> room at the table. "No," said Dick. "It's time -to eat. Let us go below."</p> - -<p>The tea house was typically Japanese. They slipped off their shoes -and squatted down at a low table, on <i>zabuton</i>. The girls were at -ease, friendly. He felt as if he had known them for years. Kin-Chan, -the elder, evidently lived for excitement. She drank continuously. -"Dick-san," she complained, "we should have had a koku-tail before we -came down here, but, never mind, we'll have some by-and-by."</p> - -<p>She chattered incessantly, flitting from subject to subject, light -gossip of Tokyo, dancing, acting, kimono styles, fashions in rings—she -let it be known that she was fond of rubies set in platinum—places -to go to, hot spring resorts, how she liked foreigners, the wiles of -geisha. It amused him to listen to her. As they went back to the dance -hall, up the hill, she leaned on his arm confidentially. The perfume -from her hair came to him pleasantly. He inhaled it, enjoying it, and -her warm, close presence, the bewildering chatter affording flash-like -glimpses of the mind of an engaging phase of modern feminine japan.</p> - -<p>As they danced, she chattered on, touched on this subject and that, -one thought crowding away the other before it had been more than half -expressed, giving him a sense as were he surrounded, enveloped, in -an aura of bright, strange, girlish musings, a glimmering of myriad -fragmentary ideas, oddly, entrancingly interesting. He was beginning to -learn what lay inside these budding breasts under the tensely tightened -kimono silks—at last.</p> - -<p>The other girl said little, smiled, with glimmer of white teeth behind -her full, soft lips, but she seemed to absorb her pleasure by feeling -it, through the senses, silently. Little by little he tried to induce -her to tell about herself. Was she, too, a motion-picture actress?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> Oh, -no! She went to higher school. She lived with her parents.</p> - -<p>He mentioned it to Dick, in English. It was delightfully safe, even -right in front of the girls.</p> - -<p>"She's a liar," said Dick bluntly. "She's an actorine of some sort at -the Imperial. Probably a minor one. I don't know. But in a way she's my -girl, for the present. She probably wants to throw you off, to hold you -off. They have more guile than you think, these girls, behind all their -childishness."</p> - -<p>So Kin-chan, Little-Gold, fell to Kent, and he saw the girls home, to -Tokyo, as Dick lived in Yokohama. He enjoyed Kin-chan, arranged with -her to come to Tsurumi again. After that, when the Suzukis could not -come, she was often his companion.</p> - -<p>He found constant pleasure in studying her thoughts, in seeing Japan, -Japanese life, through Japanese eyes; learned that in her he might -experience a frankness which could never be obtained from the men. -It was evident that she liked him. At times she even quite openly -encouraged him, as if she were impatient with his slowness in response. -As they became more intimate, she told, without reserve, of her life. -Impatience at the drudgery and bonds of a lower middle-class family. -Then she had begun to go to foreign motion-picture shows. At first it -had been the pictures of foreign children which had taken her fancy. -<i>Kawaii</i>; they were so dear! So she had run away, to Yokohama, where -there were many foreigners. She had wanted to take care of children. -Then, after a while, she had become an actress.</p> - -<p>Gradually, as their friendship became older, she gave more detail. -He was amazed at the frankness with which she displayed to him her -intimate life. At last, one evening when they were alone in a discreet -little tea house in Tokyo to which she had taken him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>—she had become -his wondrously efficient guide into the innermost mazes of the great -rambling metropolis—she threw an arm about his neck, as they were -sitting at a window, looking out over the roofs and told him about -herself.</p> - -<p>It was a girl friend who had persuaded her to come to Yokohama, and she -had taken her to a house, a bad house, where foreigners came. She had -been frightened, she had cried. She had wanted to return home; but she -was afraid of the parents. And it had been a nice class of foreigners -who had come there. They had treated her courteously, been kind to her, -kinder than the Japanese men had been at home. So—<i>shikataganai</i>, it -couldn't be helped. But she had hated it. She had stayed only a few -months. She had learned to be independent. And then luck had come her -way. One of the foreigners, who was in Japan selling American films, -had obtained employment for her with a Japanese company which made -pictures. Oh, that wasn't the end; she smiled bitterly. The Japanese -men were just like the rest, one must let them have their way if one -would succeed. "But now I have succeeded, and I can be independent of -them. And I am. There are only half a dozen real Japanese stars, and -I am one of them. Pictures of me go abroad. I get two hundred yen a -month."</p> - -<p>It surprised him, the wage, so infinitesimally small as compared with -the fortunes harvested by the Pickfords, the Chaplins, in the United -States. Why?</p> - -<p>"Oh, it is these Japanese men. They never want to give us women a -chance. They won't advertise our names. They won't feature us, as -they do in America. They are afraid that then we should get popular -and ask for more money." But she was impatient at the interruption. -This phase of the matter was not what she wanted to dwell on. "I don't -like<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> Japanese men. They don't treat us nicely, courteously, as do you -foreigners. If they do, it is only in the beginning. In the end, very -soon, they are all the same. I like foreigners. I am not a bad girl any -more. I never wanted to be. But, sometimes I feel that I should like a -sweetheart, a foreign sweetheart, who would love me, as foreigners do, -and be good to me——" The clasp of the arm about his neck tightened. -The fragrance from her hair, the subtle, evanescent perfume which he -delighted in, which had become to him characteristic of her, became -overpoweringly sweet. She would be his. She was his now, if he cared -to take her. They were tempting, these Japanese girls, with their -quaint, childlike ways, unsophisticated, even though this one had -passed through the mud. The charm of the Japanese women! Kimiko-san -flashed into his mind. It was difficult to hold out against their -seductiveness. Still, he had made up his mind to play the game with his -wife. And yet? He felt that he was hovering. How deliciously soft she -was as she clung to him, closer.</p> - -<p>The sliding door behind them clattered. A maid came in. The tenseness -dissipated. It was like a shock in its suddenness. Trite common sense -came back to him, over him, like a shower of cold water, irritating, -but dominatingly. By Cæsar, it had been a close call.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> - -<p>The return to Tokyo of Sylvia Elliott at this very time seemed an -especially kind dispensation of Providence. Kent had seen practically -nothing of her since his arrival in Japan. In his eagerness to immerse -himself in the Japanese life, to steep himself therein, he had felt -as if he had no time for intermingling with the foreign element, had -almost resented its intrusion where he had not been able to avoid -it. The whites, Americans, British, French and the rest were, after -all, commonplace, incapable of affording the stimulus of the new, the -attraction of the unknown, the piquancy of the constant zest to peek -and penetrate beyond the mysteries behind the <i>shoji</i>. He had known -people like that all his life; now, in Japan, he wanted to be with the -Japanese; in that way only was it possible to attain to the full the -charm of living in a foreign country, strange, picturesque, exotic, to -taste with the critical appreciation with which a connoisseur sips a -rare vintage, in slow sips, the impressions and sensations derivable -from the colorful life stirring all about him.</p> - -<p>And then she had been in the country most of the time, on sketching -tours in the mountain regions about Nikko, Chuzenji, Ikao. He had -noted with half-attentive curiosity that in spite of his instinctive -avoidance of the foreign element he was pleased to see her again, that -she formed an exception. As he came to see her more often, he was -surprised, delighted, that instead of intruding as a discordant note -in the symphony of life which he was trying to compose by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> blending -his life in tune to his surroundings, she fitted herself into it, even -enhanced his pleasure therein. She had the capacity for enjoyment, the -appreciative understanding of the essential soul of Japan, which is so -rare with foreign women, who, though their eye for beauty admits and -even admires the charm of carved temple gate, or picturesquely gnarled -pine projecting from rocky crag, stop short with the externals, refuse -to extend sympathetic understanding to the people themselves, the -Japanese, blinded by the instinctive resentment of the white woman at -the competitive charm of womankind of another race. She had none of -that. As he did, so she chose to overlook the blots that they might not -disturb her enjoyment of the colors. Possibly it was that the artist in -her was stronger than the woman. He concluded that it must be so—but -what was the difference! He found that when he was with her, delight in -the discovery of beauty, of landscape, a bit of garden, the harmonious -blending of color in a woman's dress, or even a beautiful face, became -heightened, keener, as if concentrated, more clearly defined, through -the doubled capacity for appreciation of two minds which functioned -harmoniously as one.</p> - -<p>For a while they saw much of each other, were constantly together on -expeditions into the surrounding country, or, oftener, on haphazard -rambles through remote quarters of the great, labyrinthic capital, -voyages of discovery in unknown streets where every turn of the road -might lead to new adventure, or bizarre incident which might be added -to the treasures in their common storehouse of memories. They delighted -to lose themselves entirely in some section unfrequented by foreigners, -where one might wander about through the whole day without seeing a -white face, and then to exercise their ingenuity in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> finding their way -precariously through the maze to some guiding landmark.</p> - -<p>"My God, if my wife had only been like that," or rather, he hastened -to amend the thought, if only Isabel had been with him and he might -have taught her, guided her to become like this. But instantly his -intelligence interrupted disturbingly; Isabel couldn't. She would be -like the majority of the women, instinctively antagonistic, magnifying -the stupidity of a cook, the petty rascality of a peddler to the point -where they warped her entire view of all Japan. It persisted as a voice -clamoring at him, and he forced himself to try to think otherwise, as -if he might, by forced violence of the voice of his will, over-shout, -drown utterly the insistent sardonic irony of his intelligence.</p> - -<p>So he came to compel himself to resist the thought, to think of other -matters, politics, money, even to work out in his head mathematical -problems. But it was difficult at times. After a day with Sylvia, -permeated with her presence, returning through winding lanes, past -bamboo fences, when the thrill of cicadas mingled with the whimper -of unseen samisen, and the moonlight transformed the world into a -glamorous black-and-white tracery of silhouetted branches, sharply -drawn roof-tree contours standing out against a translucent sky, his -entire being would be singing within him, and he would step lightly, -head thrown back, whistling, enamored with the world, with life.</p> - -<p>And then like a pang, sharply, suddenly, like a stitch in the side, -would snap into his brain the inspiration of the devil: "Why all this -gayety?" It was as if the damnable thought took shape, personified -itself into a hideous, leering, grinning imp, with an insidious -wink. "You fool, of course, you are in——" But he was used to it, -was on guard, too quick for the imp; would fling him a mental kick, -indignantly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> "Shut up, of course, I am not, you beast." But again, "It -is no use. You can't deceive me. You can't even deceive yourself. You -know damned well that you are in——" Would come again violation of his -thoughts to calculation of algebra, enumeration of bills due at the end -of the month, any beastly thing. He had even tried to think tenderly -of Isabel, to recall the high lights of courtship, red-letter days of -early marriage, to try to conjure a reluctant hope, to compel himself -to wish that she might come back to him, make another attempt to blow -into flame the ashes of dead love.</p> - -<p>For, of course, he did not love Sylvia. He snapped his defiance back -into the teeth of the grinning satyr-face popping forth, irritatingly, -from the corners of his mind. He did not love her—with thought of her -came weakness, softness—at least, he could not love her, would not. -It was impossible; not to be thought of. So long as he was married to -Isabel, he would play the game, keep his side of the slate clean, not -place himself in the wrong. Popped into his mind an incident of a few -days before. He had been dancing with Sylvia at a tea dance at the -Imperial Hotel. The orchestra leader, slim, debonair, one of these men -who seem capable of radiating vitality, joy of life, had been singing, -eyes flashing across the length of his fiddle, leaning forward towards -the couples swaying to his rhythm before him, infusing them with his -flame. It had been a trivial thing, one of the myriad of new fox-trots -which spring forth like lush weeds, the words utterly banal. As Hugh -was passing, he had glanced up, his eyes had met those of the happy -fiddler for the flash of a moment, and as he sang the words, the silly, -inane stuff, "When you play the game of love, are you playing fair," -he had laughed to him. It seemed almost as if there had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> the -slightest suggestion of a knowing wink, conveying the suggestion that -he, the fiddler, was sharer of a secret between the two, and as if he -had, friendlily insinuating, tilted his head toward Sylvia. Even at the -moment, Kent had been certain that it was all a play of imagination, -a trumpery pleasantry sardonically contrived by his accursed imp -familiar, but the thing had stuck in his mind with absurdly exaggerated -force.</p> - -<p>Confound it! It was exactly the opposite thing. He was playing -fair. There was not even suggestion of a game of love, of love at -all. Platonic love, then? It was almost as if the suggestion had -been shouted at him; he could even perceive the ring of sarcastic -intonation, the incredulous sneer with which the world usually -accompanies the phrase. It made him angry. Why that stupid sneer? -Why, after all, should not platonic love be possible? To swine no, of -course not. But he did not expect to be a swine, was not one, in fact. -If the majority, the ruck of humanity, were too gross to conceive of -the possibility, the worse for them. That was none of his affair. He -could be, he was capable of intimate association with a beautiful woman -unblemished by thought, suggestion, even hint of sex.</p> - -<p>The idea came to please him. It seemed capable of placing at an end the -indefinite suggestiveness of his thoughts, reduced the whole matter -to a concrete basis, the definitiveness of something recognized as -an existing phenomenon. His mind became easier. Might flash before -him a glimpse of what Karsten, for instance, would say should he have -divined his conclusion. He saw in his mind's eye the friendly irony of -his indulgent smile. Karsten was not unimaginative, just the contrary: -still he had dulled fineness of perception by over-indulgence in -affairs of love. History<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> had examples of it, Dante and Beatrice, and -Petrarch and Laura, and—— For the moment he could think of no others. -Instantly the imp. "Damned rare, eh!" He snapped his fingers. What was -the difference; the rarer, the more precious.</p> - -<p>So he drifted on, more happily, more at peace with himself; felt that -he might safely, without feeling of guilt or apprehension, continue in -this delightful relation; need not studiously, conscientiously confine -himself to enjoying only the mind, the sympathy of thought with this -woman, but might allow himself, continently, to find pleasure in the -play of light on her hair, in letting his eye rest with satisfied -appreciation on the curve of her cheek, the contour of her svelte -figure. Life was being good to him. Even if an inspiration of a moment -might pounce upon him when least expected, "What if there had been no -Isabel?" He had gotten himself in hand now; his course was set, he had -but to steer watchfully, carefully, but, after all, safely.</p> - -<p>And then, just as he had contrived to reduce his problem to safe and -definite tangibility, the whole thing dissipated, shattered abruptly -into a baffling void as does a glorious, iridescent bubble shimmering -brilliantly in the sunlight suddenly vanish into utter nothingness -without Visible cause or agency. She became elusive. The accustomed -places saw her no more. On rare occasions he might run across her, but -the circumstances were almost inauspicious,—a meeting on the Ginza, -at the Imperial, always with a background of entirely inconsequential -persons irritatingly intruding their irritating presence. Even when -he might manage to attain an occasional moment alone with her, -nothing was gained. She was not cold, not even formal, but without -appearing to wish to avoid him, she contrived to do so. There were -always reasons,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> each one manifestly valid, why she could not accept -this or that invitation. There were no more rambles together, no -more dances. He marveled at the skill with which she maintained the -appearance of continuance of the old friendliness and yet erected, -with deft sureness, an invisible barrier. He felt like a fly dashing -itself against a clear pane of glass, hopelessly frustrated by the -unsurmountable opposition of the invisible. What the devil could be -the matter? He racked his brain, trying to seek a cause, to recall -whatever incident, some error of omission or commission, careless or -clumsy phrase, but always with the same result. He could think of -nothing; there was nothing. And she was manifestly not capricious, not -a flirt endeavoring to season more highly a man-woman relationship by -the spurious artifices of coquetry. It was disquieting, irritating, -maddening. What a damnable capacity for torment was possessed by -even the best of women! Was that one of the traits of the eternal -feminine, an unescapable remnant of the Old Eve, just as all men must -have in them some trace of the Old Adam? Probably the phenomenon was -nothing very intricate or perplexing to men who knew women, who had -experience in diagnosing such symptoms. He had never envied Karsten; -had rather been inclined to pity him as one who had dulled his -capacity for enjoyment of the best things in female companionship by -over-indulgence; still, for the purposes of this occasion, at least, he -wished that he possessed his facility with women, whatever advantages -his experience might give him for grappling with such problems.</p> - -<p>Then, Karsten came to his aid unexpectedly. They were smoking after -dinner. Nothing much was being said. Karsten was wandering up and down -the floor, chewing the stem of his pipe. Suddenly he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> blurted out, -apropos of nothing whatever, pipe-stem waving in the direction of Kent:</p> - -<p>"I say, Kent, mind you, I am not trying to intrude on your affairs, -but, I just wonder, have you ever mentioned to Miss Elliott anything -about your wife, anything about your being married?"</p> - -<p>"What? What's that?" He was gaping at him surprised, fish-like. "I say, -old man, what in the devil are you driving at, anyway?"</p> - -<p>He had been thinking of Sylvia just then, forcing his mind to -travel wearily over the same old ground, trying to discover some -tangible foothold from which to gain his way out from the baffling -intangibility, the vagueness of it all. Karsten's question was right -in line with his thoughts, fitted in as a marvelously apposite thing, -as if he had been trying to work out a fretwork puzzle and Karsten -had, by some surprising intuition, dumped before him one of the pieces -for which he had been looking to effect the solution. He shook himself -together. It seemed as if he must know something, have some idea, -anyway, some kind of factor which might aid in puzzling it all out.</p> - -<p>He repeated, "And what are you driving at, anyway?" Absurdly, he felt -his chest contracting, the pulses in his temples swelling. He had no -business to be so excited.</p> - -<p>"Well, I was wondering. I came across the fag end of a bit of gossip -to-day at the Imperial. Old Mrs. Tinker, the chief lady cat, you know, -called me over to her table, at tea. She doesn't usually so favor me, -you know. She's had enough to say about my foibles, what she could -find out and what she could imagine. But she simply couldn't contain -herself. She had just gotten hold of something that was too good to -keep, that she must get off her chest to some one, any one, I fancy, -and then I was your friend. I must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> have been just like a find. Maybe -the old lady has some kind of rudimentary, perverted sense of the -dramatic—or she may have hoped to get something more in the way of -detail out of me. Anyway, she was full with it right up to the neck. -She couldn't even show a bit of finesse. She just blurted it at me. She -knew, of course, that you were a great friend of mine, and of Sylvia -Elliott's, and that you were a man of honor, a gentleman. She took -pains to repeat that, several times. But she wondered, she said, 'You -know I'm an old woman,' she said, and God knows, she spoke the truth -for once in her life. She wondered, the dear old soul, whether you had -realized that with a young, innocent girl like Sylvia—And then it came -again, like a refrain; she kept saying it, she must have said it a -dozen times, 'I am an old woman, you know,' but she wondered, the foul -old beast, whether you could really perceive the seriousness of it, -the woeful consequences of toying with the affections of an 'innocent -girl.' You know how such an old woman can say it so it becomes almost -an insult. Good God, even the worst of us have a pride in taking the -innocence of such a girl for granted, but such an old cat can contrive -to use the term with the most insidious innuendo. Why the devil do our -absurd rules of conduct prevent one from kicking an old beast like -that. I felt like doing it more than I've ever done it with respect to -any man. But there I must stand, deferentially, with a teacup waving in -my hand, with a show of courtesy, while she meandered on. You know, it -strikes me that such an absolutely useless old woman, an encumbrance on -earth, with no apparent purpose than that of making it a worse place to -live in for all the rest of us, can, while employing apparently all the -ordinary polite phraseology of courteous intercourse, produce more of -an <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>effect of the most vicious foulness than can the most common harlot -or the roughest obscenity of a salt-water second mate. By the gods, it -seems to me——"</p> - -<p>"Yes, and when you get through cussing old lady Tinker, I'd be -obliged to know what the deuce it was all about." Generally Kent -enjoyed Karsten's vivid circumambience, but now it seemed to him -almost irritatingly studied, as if the other were playing him, like -a fish. "Get on with your tale." He felt that the elusive thing, the -explanation which he had been ransacking heaven and earth for, was at -last within hand's reach.</p> - -<p>"Yes, of course, I beg your pardon. Well, the long and the short of it -was that the old girl had been informed that you had not told—that you -had taken pains not to tell, was the way she put it, with that sickly, -kindly, leering smile which she affects—that you were married. Oh, -yes, she had just heard of it. And I was a friend of yours, and didn't -I think that we older people—the smile again—just like that, she and -I in the same category, hand in hand—I'd given a thousand yen for the -privilege of heaving my tea in her face, hot tea—but would it not be -best if you were spoken to about it, given a hint, though—you could -see the satisfaction she got from spitting forth the full load of venom -she had been gathering from the start—she was happy to know that Miss -Elliott had been informed, fully informed, from a reliable source, most -reliable, in fact, from the very source from which she, herself, had -her information.</p> - -<p>"And then she let me go. It must have seemed a good day's work to her, -letting loose that bit of trouble on the world. I can imagine her -sitting at home now, with her cat, or her parrot or whatever she has -got, and turning that bit of mischief over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> in her mind, cocking her -head on one side and scheming how she may elaborate on it, add a few -details, artistic touches, and where she may carry her tale to-morrow -where it may have the most effect. And, by the way, I wondered at the -time who her source of information might be, and it struck me—she had -just been sitting with that red-headed Wilson girl from the American -Auto Company, the two of them with their heads together thick as -thieves—I was wondering whether she might not be the serpent. Do you -know her?"</p> - -<p>So that was it. For the moment Kent was confused by a clash of -conglomerate emotions; relief that, petty as the whole thing was, he at -least knew now the exact state of affairs, had gained a foothold whence -he might find his way out of the wilderness of uncertainty—and then, -on the other hand, the abominable, spiteful malignity of that girl, -that Wilson individual. Flashed into his mind the incident at the dance -on board the <i>Tenyo Maru</i>, and his intuitive premonition that from -the incidentally aroused enmity of this woman would come eventually a -venomous sting of malice.</p> - -<p>Oh, the damned——cat. He felt that he had never so absolutely -detested, utterly contemned a woman. "Yes, I know her. I chanced—she -was such a wantonly malicious beast—to offend her on the <i>Tenyo</i>. -Karsten, for what inscrutable reason does Providence create such women -and allow them to cumber the earth?"</p> - -<p>"And why not?" The other shrugged his shoulders. "The question -arises with all kinds of women. Have you not at times, when you have -fortuitously chanced on some woman, some seductive beauty who by the -mere contact of a moment, glance of an eye, soft murmur of a few words, -smashes down <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>whatever defenses you may have laboriously contrived -against being enveloped in the net of the charm of women—and then, -when quietude of mind, the state of being tranquil, at peace, normal, -is, against your will, in spite of all you may do, abruptly shattered, -and when you feel yourself again racked in the nervous tension of -desire, passion, love, whatever you may call it—have you not then, -Kent, found yourself asking God whatever can be His intention in -letting loose upon earth women like that whose sole purpose seems to -be to steal away from men what little chance they may have of being -at peace? And as it is with that kind, I suppose it is with the -others, the plain women, envious, malicious, mischief-making. What -can be the purpose of their existence, unless it is to counterbalance -those others, to add the other ingredient with which it has pleased -Providence to contrive this madhouse of conflicting elements of -humanity which make up this world."</p> - -<p>But Kent was paying no attention. What the deuce could he do? He felt -that now, when he had through fortuitous good fortune obtained the -solution of the riddle, his problem should have been almost solved; -but, incongruously, he seemed to have made no headway whatever. Now, -what should he do? His brain seemed to be void, to be incapable -of functioning. The feeling that Karsten was watching him, was -expecting him to pursue the subject, to carry on with it, made him -feel uncomfortable, irritated him, as if Karsten had been insistently -curious.</p> - -<p>"I wonder what the Cabinet intends to do about the Russian policy -question." The remark escaped him almost involuntarily. He might as -well, he felt, have suggested a query as to what the weather was likely -to be the day after to-morrow, anything, however irrelevant. The fierce -pudicity which causes a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> man to shrink from having bared before the -eyes of another man the intimate processes of his affections, made him -wish, desperately, to steer Karsten to some other subject. He repeated -it nervously, and even as he was speaking he felt the futility thereof. -"Now, I wonder what the Cabinet will do?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, what will the Cabinet do?" Karsten was leaning back in his chair, -regarding him ironically. "Oh, hell!" He turned and went over to fill -his pipe.</p> - -<p>And, now he had driven Karsten away from the subject, it came to Kent -that that was just what he did not want to do. His own brain was as -inert as mud. Suddenly he was overcome with need for advice, sympathy, -with the desire to discuss the thing, talk it over, to get a helping -hand to swing his mind over the dead-center where it was now hanging.</p> - -<p>"I wish I knew what to do." He blurted it out. Even that—to get the -thing articulated, to place it in form of words—seemed to make an -advance, to make it more concrete. "Now, what can I do to set myself -right with Sylvia?"</p> - -<p>"You love her?" Rather than a question, it seemed like the seeking of -definite confirmation, for the purpose of establishing a postulate for -further logical treatment of the problem. Of course, that wouldn't do. -The uneasy sense of evasion, of making the very beginning with what—he -could not evade it—was not essentially true, irritated him. He snapped -back, "No, of course, not." The harsh abruptness of his tone grated -in his own ears. That was no way to talk to a man who was, after all, -offering sympathy, a friend. He hastened to smooth it over.</p> - -<p>"I like her. I am extremely fond of her. I think more of her than of -any other woman, except——" He had been about to say "my wife," but -he caught himself, disgusted at the facility with which he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> almost -slid into smug hypocrisy. "I am fond of her, I say; I place every -possible value on her friendship, yes, platonic friendship, if you -please." He glared at Karsten, ready for fierce rejoinder, anticipating -ironic drawing of the mouth, incredulous gesture.</p> - -<p>But Karsten let it pass. "And what have you yourself thought of doing?"</p> - -<p>"But, hang it, man, that's just it. What the devil can I do? If she -were a sweetheart of mine, if there had been any sort of a love -relation, or even the possibility of the establishment of one, the -potentiality existing when a man who is free, marriageable, has been -on terms of fairly intimate friendship with a woman, then I might -reasonably go to her and make some kind of explanation. But now, what -can I do? I can't go up to her and say, 'Here, my dear, I am sorry if -I've overlooked telling you that I'm married. I'm sorry if I've caused -you to have futile expectations'—or just go up to her and remark, -quite casually, 'Oh, by the way, you know I have a wife.' I fancy that -if I had the wit, the experience that you have, for instance, I might -manage to contrive some subtle means, something to set this thing -straight, for, honestly—you'll have to take my word for it—what I -have said about the whole thing being just friendship is absolutely and -literally true."</p> - -<p>"Just like with a man?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, just like with a man."</p> - -<p>"Then, that's the answer. Treat the affair just as if she were a man. -If gossip had placed you in a false position with a man, you would go -to him, wouldn't you, and have a straight talk with him? Why can't you -give a woman, a woman whom you think so much of, credit for having -as much broadmindedness, intelligence, as a man? You hint about my -experience with women, about subtleties. Listen, if you will take -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>advice from the depths of my ignorance, I will tell you one thing—and -it is something that I was stupid enough not to discover for years—the -sort of thing that is so obvious that you pass right over it without -seeing it—which is that with women, at least the right sort of women, -the best course, the only sensible course, is to tell them the truth, -the whole truth and nothing but the truth. To some men, those who think -that in dealing with women one requires some specially intricate means, -that would seem the very culmination of subtlety, but it is, I am -earnestly convinced, the one and only way."</p> - -<p>Yes, it sounded easy. He ruminated, turned the suggestion over and -over. The theory seemed all right, but when he came to translate it -into action, when he came to think of how he would approach her, -how he would open the subject, what he would say, it became utterly -impractical, impossible.</p> - -<p>Karsten read his mind. "Yes, I know that it is easy to give advice -in such matters and quite another thing to carry out the suggestion. -But the only thing for you to do is to keep turning the thing over in -your mind, familiarize yourself with the idea. Then, gradually, as the -strangeness thereof wears away, when it no longer stuns your brain -with the impact of something astounding, precipitate, you will find it -becoming more rational to you. Eventually you may find that working out -the thing becomes fairly natural, even relatively easy. What is there -about it that sticks you, anyway?"</p> - -<p>"Blessed if I know; no one particular point, the whole thing more or -less. I know how I myself have always been able to see just what the -other chap should do, how it has irritated me often to see some fellow -pursue an absolutely foolish course with respect to some woman, doing -exactly what he shouldn't do, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>purblind to the absolutely obvious. I -have felt like taking him by the shoulder and saying, 'Here, Tom, Dick, -or Bill, or whoever you may be, can't you see, you fool, that what this -particular girl wants is this, that, or the other. It is like watching -a chess game. The onlooker sees the approaching mate much sooner than -the man who is playing the game. And in this kind of a thing another -can't possibly see into, or appreciate just what is going on in the -other chap's mind; estimate the infinitely fine manifestations, the -super-delicate emotional vibrations so imperceptible that the man -himself can only barely feel them without being able to analyze them. -And, for one thing, I think just one of the flaws in your theory is -that the premises are not altogether well taken. You say, 'If the -relation is just like that of man with man, then treat it like that.' -And in a way it is; but then again, in another way it isn't. It can't -be. With a man the idea of sex relation is necessarily absent, but with -a woman, even when neither has it in mind at all, it cannot be avoided -altogether, ignored. Take this case. I'm sure that I never thought of -it. In fact, I'm sure that she never thought of it either. The very -circumstance that quite likely I never did mention my wife, that I've -not the slightest recollection whether I ever did so or not, shows, -doesn't it, that my mind was entirely free from the idea. So, with a -man, there would be no problem at all; but with a woman, with Sylvia, -no matter how delicately I approach the matter, the suggestion must -come into evidence that one fears, one thinks, that she must, to some -extent at least, have had in mind the fact that she is a woman and I -a man. It is virtually as if one said, 'Here, I'm afraid that you may -not be quite clear that this is purely a friendly relation, that sex -doesn't enter into it.' Damn it, I can't express the thought without -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>getting it into phrases that are blunt, clumsy; but you get the idea, -don't you? I'm hanged if I can see how I could do it without becoming -positively insulting.</p> - -<p>"And then there's another thing, something that really hurts me more -than any other phase of it all, and that is, Why should a girl like -Sylvia, clean, sweet-minded, sensible, be affected by a thing like -that? It is almost as if she, in fact, did suspect me of having really -had in the back of my mind all the time some such insidious intention. -And still, I am absolutely sure that she cannot have. By the gods, -Karsten, the ways of women are something absolutely inscrutable to me."</p> - -<p>"Oh, that's simple enough. It takes no mysterious knowledge of sex to -explain that. Use your common sense, man. I'll admit that that struck -me also, for a moment, and I was a bit disappointed in her; but, if -you reason for a moment, it is plain enough. It's not that, not with -Sylvia. It is nothing to her whether you mentioned your wife or not, -whether you have a wife or not. She's not the kind of a girl who looks -upon every male who is fortuitously thrown in her way as a potential -husband, whose entire scheme of existence is bound up in the idea of -ensnaring a provider. And I'm sure that she cannot believe that you had -any philandering in mind. Trust a woman for that, especially one so -delicately constituted as Sylvia. And even the most stupid ones, any -woman, since it is part of the very essence of being a woman, knows -instinctively, by intuition, when the sex element, however subtly, -is hovering about. No, what has affected Sylvia, the reason why she -keeps you at arm's length, is the manner in which the thing has been -presented to her. Can't you imagine the insidious, slimy suggestiveness -of that Wilson individual, coming to her with her, 'You really ought -to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> know, my dear'; how noisome the mere idea must have been to her -that any one, the Wilson thing, all the rest of the gossips, were -turning this thing over and over on their salacious tongues, this -innocent, patently clean relation existing between her and you. It must -have been immeasurably offensive to her, intolerable. Put yourself -in her place for a moment. Probably she may have been as reluctant -as you are to give up this pleasant friendship. But what could she -do? Being a woman, hedged in by the myriad conventions which tie up a -woman's freedom of action much more than they do a man's, she'd find -herself in an even more difficult position than that which you are in -and which puzzles you so. No, old man, that's all plain enough; and if -you find that you can't bring yourself to take the bull by the horns -and talk it out with her, why, the only thing you can do is to let the -thing rest for the time being. Neither seek her nor evade her. Don't -increase her difficulties by asking her to go about with you; to a -girl so essentially honest and honorable it must be extremely annoying -to be forced to resort to the small lies, the petty prevarications -of convention, to invent excuses—but don't evade her either. Be as -courteous, friendly and frank as ever, and, above all, be natural. As -time passes the gossips will find other victims and eventually you can, -if you are careful, tactful, drift back into the old relation. Yes, -it's rotten, isn't it, that in this world such damnable machinations as -breaking up a clean, beautiful relation as that between you and Sylvia -can be possible, and that it can be carried out triumphantly, in the -name of purity, of virtue. By the gods, I think at times that if the -prudes were less busy, the world might be a much cleaner place to live -in."</p> - -<p>Karsten was right. Kent felt an intense gratitude<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> to him for having -dispelled thus surely, by the incontrovertible logic of plain sense, -the rankling doubt that had assailed him, strive as he might against -it, about Sylvia. It placed the whole situation in a much better light. -Sylvia was all right. The essence of the relation between them had not -been vitiated. All this was but the disturbing echo of something from -outside, annoying, distressing, but in the end surely ineffectual. So -he would follow Karsten's advice. Everything would come out all right.</p> - -<p class="space-above">She had brought to the window the tall bamboo cage, had opened the tiny -gate of intricately interwoven strips. All about her stood trunks and -boxes. From the back came the clatter of the carters carrying stuff out -to the cart. She had waited with this to the very last. Now she stood -back, watching the lark as it hopped about on the bottom of the cage, -eyeing curiously the opened door. She had often been disturbed by the -thought that she should not keep this bird a prisoner; but she had been -assured that it had been born in captivity, that it would prefer the -comfortable life, protected behind the slender bamboo bars. Now, it -seemed as if it really did. It was in no hurry to grasp at freedom.</p> - -<p>The bird hopped up into the opening and sat, cocking its head, as if in -doubt, peering into the world before it. Now, what would it do; would -it really be happier in the protection of confinement, or would it have -the courage to grasp the freedom of unknown distances?</p> - -<p>Unknown distances! She felt that she herself was uneasily uncertain, -tremulous at the idea of setting behind her the small world into which -she had fitted herself so agreeably. She was cowardly, like the bird, -then, not venturesome enough to face the unknown.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> No, it was not -that. She must be frank with herself; her cowardice lay in not daring -to remain; and, moreover, she was not acting honestly to Kent. The -suggestion of the Wilson creature, the mere effrontery of her making -such an insinuation, had dumbfounded her. Of course, she had known -always—so long as she had known him; on board the <i>Tenyo</i>—that he -was married. She could not even remember whether he had told her, had -ever mentioned it, or whether she had come to know from an extraneous -source, ship's gossip. It had been a matter of no moment whatever, -utterly inconsequential. And to him it must have been inconsequential -too; a thing which had no bearing whatever on their relation. The -effrontery of this woman, and of the others, all those who, she -had said, were now whispering among themselves about them. She had -smiled at her assurance that she had known, that it was a matter of -no consequence one way or the other, the incredulous smile, updrawn -brows, that was an insult in itself. And then the hard shamelessness -with which she had tried to pursue the matter, to gain more pabulum -for gossip; endeavoring to establish a pretense of intimacy which -was entirely inexistent, she had hoped, she said, meretriciously -solicitous, that she did not really love him, that this would not -hurt her. Sylvia might have taken her by the hair, dragged her forth, -thrown her out, her fierce desire for primitive methods of combat, to -rend this foully insulting female into tatters, had surprised her. The -intense repression, the nervous bewildered casting about for escape, -had left her trembling, white.</p> - -<p>And when she had finally gotten rid of the woman somehow, and had sat -down to compose herself to think, she had been confused, bewildered, -unable to seize upon some starting point from which to develop a line -of thought. Instinctively she wanted to hide, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> shelter herself in -some place where all this foulness could not reach her, to escape. It -had always been her intention to wander on beyond Japan, to grapple -with new landscapes, new colors, feathery palm fronds swaying beneath -the stars, the iridescent brilliance of the tropics. She had already -long overstayed the time she had originally decided to devote to Japan. -She had found so much more material than she had expected, and—yes, -of course, if she were to think this thing out, she must be entirely -honest, probe into herself with the dissecting knife no matter how she -might shrink—yes, the truth was that she had not wished to abandon -her friendship with Kent. Yes, friendship. It had been just that, only -that. That, at least, she might say with absolute truth. True, there -had been moments where the thought had come to her that if he had been -free, their relation might have been enhanced, vivified by the rosy -light of romance. She had even—she was going to have this thing out -with herself, go to the very most intimate essence thereof—yes, there -had been a time when she had wondered what was really the relation -between Kent and his wife; was there not a possibility that freedom -might come to him? But she had put the thought behind her, ashamed, -disgusted with herself that she could thus be tempted to contemplate -gaining a love which was the rightful property of another, insidiously -coveting affection which belonged rightfully to that other woman. So, -even though it was evident that the day might come when the barrier -might be removed, she had refused to consider the possibility, as an -unworthy thought. The line between considering the potentiality and -wishing that it might be brought about was too fine. And now that she -had gotten past all that, and their relation had crystallized safely on -a firmly constructed foundation, she was forced to leave it all. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> -was it not cowardly thus to concede victory to the mischief makers, to -desert Kent? Would it not be cleaner, more worthy to remain, stick it -out. She wished she were strong enough to stay, to continue, defiantly, -the relation, safe in her knowledge that not the slightest suspicion of -a thought of sex entered into the minds of Kent and herself. And still, -there was no escape from the certainty that the thought could not be -ignored; the gossips had injected it. She must always wonder whether -Kent had heard what they thought. He must wonder whether she had. They -had soiled their friendship with the foulness of their insinuating -suggestion. No matter how she and Kent might try to erase it from their -minds, some faint trace, some ineradicable smudge must remain.</p> - -<p>The bird was hopping about on the window sill, lifting its wings in -little tentative flaps, restless, fluttering in indecision. She stepped -up to it. Why didn't the silly little thing have the initiative to -make the break into freedom, to grasp the alluring promises of the -new, unknown beyond. She watched it. "Oh, we are poor things, you and -I. But, out you go." With her hand she pushed it gently out. It had to -use its wings to save itself. It fluttered; then it stretched them out, -strongly, boldly, circled slowly, then more surely, gained upwards, -rose higher and higher, disappeared in the blue.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2> - -<p>Divorce!</p> - -<p>Kent read the letter over again, carefully, laboriously, for his -thoughts would not concentrate on the sentences. He had to force -himself to bring his mind on them. The letters from Isabel had shown -indifference, every evidence of having been written as a matter of -duty in their painstaking regularity, one a month; they had been cold -even; but he had never for a moment suspected that she would, suddenly, -without leaving room for discussion, thus make the end bluntly, finally.</p> - -<p>She wrote that the petition had been filed in court. The grounds were -desertion. The summons would probably be in the same mail. Desertion. -It struck him as wantonly malicious treachery. He had been careful -always to send her the regular allowance which they had agreed upon -before he left for Japan, and even more. He could certainly show in -court—— Still, what was the use? He would not contest the case. If -she wanted divorce, well, let her have it. A man was a fool who would -try to hold a woman against her desire. And then, after all, why should -he care? His affection for her had long since dissipated. The adage -that absence makes the heart grow fonder—he had more than halfway -believed that it might work out—but it had not in his case, nor, -evidently, in hers either. He had no cause to object. On the contrary, -she was giving him his freedom. It was the logical thing, after all.</p> - -<p>Now, if that had come a year ago, before Sylvia<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> had left Tokyo? Isabel -must even then have considered divorce. She had probably done so even -before he left America. Why could she not have done it then, when he -and Sylvia—— Would she have married him? Plainly, she had liked him, -but this other? Still, there would have been a chance. And now, now -when opportunity had finally come, it was so absurdly futile. He had no -means of reaching Sylvia. She had disappeared utterly, had gone as if -she had vanished into space. No one appeared to know where she might -be. Evidently she had wished to disassociate herself entirely from -Tokyo, to sever every thread that might connect her with Japan. He had -written a couple of times on chance clews. She had been seen by some -one somewhere along the upper Yangtze. A note in the personal column -of a Hongkong paper showed that she had gone from that place to Macao. -Report had it that she had visited Singapore. He had written each time, -but nothing had ever come of it. So he had given up thought of her, -forced himself to blot that chapter out of his life, to consider it a -definitely closed incident. Now, it was too late. Even if he knew where -to find her, what would she say should he gallop up to her the moment -he was free. One could never know how a woman might take things. And -then she would by this time undoubtedly have found new friends, might -be engaged, married, for all he might know. No, even if he might find -her, should she have been placed out of his reach through some other -man, that, he knew, must hurt him like the devil. It would reopen, -grievously lacerate the old wound which seemed now to have all but -healed. After all, he had come to appreciate, enjoy in recent months -his safety from emotional turmoil. One risked too much, paid too -heavily for the raptures of infatuation. He would remain safe. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> - -<p>So that phase of the situation was disposed of. He would allow himself -to consider it no more. Now for the other phases.</p> - -<p>He lit his pipe and leaned back to think it over, to reason it out. -Logically he should be pleased; but he could not make himself feel so. -It was an ugly word, "desertion"; smacked of being a scoundrel. Still, -of course, divorces were common things, and every one knew that the -law required, for some obscure reason, that the grounds must always be -clothed in terms implying disgrace of some kind. Well, let it go.</p> - -<p>Still, he was oddly dissatisfied. He tried to analyze his feelings. -Gradually, as he smoked, it came to him that what he resented was the -suddenness of entire change in his status of life, the necessity for -making new adjustments. He would now be alone, under a changed moral -code, a different mode of life. Still, he was being made free. What -he lost was, of course, only obligations. To blazes with the entire -business!</p> - -<p>He crumpled the letter and threw it out of the window impulsively. -He would be rid of the whole thing, like that; would write her to go -ahead. It was the end. Undoubtedly he would soon find himself pleased, -as he should be, that a relation had been severed which there could be -no possible reason to continue.</p> - -<p>"Kent-san."</p> - -<p>It was a woman's voice, low, clear. He looked about, startled out -of his thoughts. There she was, across the alley, in her window, -his geisha neighbor. Through the bamboo bars she was holding out -to him something white. He recognized the crumpled letter. What -a perverse grotesquery of fate that his divorce announcement -should, eccentrically, cause his acquaintance with this woman, this -professional in the arts of affection, whom he had heretofore known -only mutely,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> through her formal courtesy of a smile when she had -happened to meet his eye from her window.</p> - -<p>"It came right in through the window. It frightened me. It hit me right -on the head." She was laughing, but her eyes asked for explanation. Of -course—one did not throw things through windows, even at geisha.</p> - -<p>"Pardon me. I was angry. It was bad news. My wife in America is seeking -divorce." He caught himself. It was stupid to plump it out to an utter -stranger; but the idea had filled his mind, had dominated him so -entirely that the words had slipped without thinking.</p> - -<p>"<i>O kinodoku sama</i>, I am so sorry." The smiling face became a mask of -polite regret. "Do you love her?"</p> - -<p>The amazing frankness of the Orient in intimately personal matters in -contrast to its reticence where the West is frank!</p> - -<p>"No, I don't care a bit." As he spoke he felt with surprised -satisfaction that he really did not care, that his resentment was -fading. Evidently it did him good to get this thing out of his system, -to speak out about it, even to this new-found geisha friend. It was -not so incongruous, after all. Was she not supposed to be an expert in -matters of the heart.</p> - -<p>Her serious expression vanished instantly. She laughed. They did really -laugh like "tinkling silver bells," some of these Japanese girls. "Then -you will find another woman. Ah, but here in Japan, what will you do? -Here we have only the <i>kitanai</i> Japanese girls."</p> - -<p>"<i>Kitanai</i>," literally "unclean," used in the sense of "unworthy" as -the Japanese always speaks, perfunctorily, of what is his own. The -unjustness of the phrase bewildered him for the moment, as he thought -for words to express indignant refutation, protest that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> the Japanese -girl was, of course, the very opposite of "<i>kitanai</i>."</p> - -<p>He started to answer. The murmur of a voice came to him from the unseen -background of the girl's room. The face of an old woman appeared behind -her.</p> - -<p>"I was just calling at the shaved-ice man," said the girl, over her -shoulder. "But he didn't hear me. He has gone." Evidently the elder -woman, probably a sort of duenna, had asked her what she was doing. He -admired her instant wit. She smiled at him hurriedly, surreptitiously. -He caught the odd charm of the wink of her long almond eye. Then the -<i>shoji</i> closed.</p> - -<p>Well! A bizarre episode. But a charming one. He was in a happy frame of -mind. It was a good augury. Evidently he was not so badly hurt, when a -pretty face could so easily dispel his resentment. Divorce; it was only -proper that his marriage be ended, an unsatisfactory chapter. Let the -thing take its course.</p> - -<p>He decided to place the letter in a drawer where he kept things -which he wished to remain unseen by the unknown one who periodically -ransacked his desk. He had left it open purposely, and at the top he -had placed a layer of old papers, which must have been seen often by -the intruder, and which could no longer tempt his curiosity. Below the -papers he kept the other things, his wife's letters mainly, and then -Kimiko-san's slippers. He had been surprised to receive them in the -mail, a few days after their first dance in Tsurumi. It had amused him -that she had taken him thus literally. It was dangerous to be jocose -with Japanese girls; they were likely to take things to the letter. But -he had been pleased at the possession, at having this dainty, unique -souvenir of a delightful incident of his life in Japan.</p> - -<p>He was surprised to find that the investigator had evidently been -there. The ruse had not worked. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> slippers were not in the position -where he had left them. Still, it made little difference. He would take -them home. The trophy would amuse Jun-san.</p> - -<p>Jun-san was intensely interested, pleaded that he tell her from whom he -had obtained them. He always enjoyed seeing her in her gay moods; she -was generally so serious, almost melancholy. He had planned to bring -about this air of gayety, that he might, as had been the case when he -was chatting with his geisha neighbor, forget unpleasant thoughts. -But it failed. The humor dissipated. The serious thoughts recurred -insistently. He could see that Karsten noticed his preoccupation. The -idea came to him to tell Karsten all about it, talk it out with him. -It would do him good; one always reasoned more clearly when one placed -one's thoughts in words to another; and then Karsten had been known in -San Francisco as a man with unusual experience with women, had had the -reputation of being an expert, in those days, in such matters.</p> - -<p>So after dinner, when they were sitting upstairs, as usual, looking -over the blaze of the geisha quarter below, he told him. "It is not so -much that I care," he concluded. "There was no longer such a thing as -affection—on either side. But I can't help feeling a vague sense of -trouble, of unrest. I am fairly commonplace. I don't give much thought -to self-analysis and that sort of thing. I was married; it was a state -of affairs, a condition. I had become used to it. It governed my -relations to women. I followed the traditional moral code of marriage, -gave no thought to such matters. It was plain sailing; I played the -game with my wife; there could be no other women; it was an easy frame -of mind. And now it seems as if suddenly I am at sea without sailing -orders, as if I were captain of a ship in mid-ocean and suddenly find -that I have no compass course, no destination. And,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> of course, one -must have one, must decide where one is going. You would say that it -makes no difference, that as I have not seen my wife for a year or -more, the thing is essentially the same. But it isn't. I am bewildered -by a feeling that my status is utterly different, cataclysmically -changed. I am like a life prisoner who has without warning been taken -out of a cell where he has lain for years, passively, without need -of thought of what he should do with life, and who is then suddenly -placed in the midst of the sunlit city. He feels he is free, must do -something, wants to do something, but somehow, oddly, misses the quiet -impassivity, the lack of responsibility of his cell. I know that there -is no reason why I shouldn't live to-morrow as I did yesterday, but the -fact is that for some reason it seems impossible. There is the sense of -an entirely new condition of life which overwhelms me, and I want to, I -feel I must respond to it, in some way, but—I know I talk like a fool. -I am hanged if I can explain coherently—but I wish I knew what I want -to do."</p> - -<p>"I think you are doing the best thing just now," said Karsten. "Talk it -out of your system. After all, it is a thing you will eventually decide -for yourself, gradually. You need be in no hurry. I know just how you -feel. You know I was divorced, too. Only in my case another woman, whom -I cared for, threw me over at the same time. I went through the same -thing. I don't pretend to be able to give advice. In such matters a man -must act on his own. But, since we have come to the intimate things in -our lives, I don't mind telling you how I fared. One may profit from -the foolishness of others."</p> - -<p>He smoked silently for a while, evidently gathering his thoughts. "My -marriage turned out just like yours," he began suddenly. "There was -no reason<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> why it shouldn't have turned out well, only it didn't. -We simply grew tired of each other, for the usual reason, too much -intimate daily contact. When one sees every day, morning after morning, -a woman in a dressing gown, with her hair down, going through the -process of elaborating her attractions, careless of one's presence, -it takes the glamor out of the illusion. A man shaving, seen every -morning, can hardly be an inspiring spectacle. Crudely put, that was -about all there was to it. Came the divorce. It was the only reasonable -thing. I felt that I should be pleased, but, just like you, I felt -bewildered, that I had lost my bearings.</p> - -<p>"I drifted for a while, but I was agitated, nervous, febrile; felt that -I should have done with women, but the very fact that I had my liberty, -that I could do as I pleased, kept running in my mind. It gave me no -rest. I had no moral scruples. You know I am a Dane. The family is one -of these old tradition-ridden clans that you find in Europe. Everything -must be governed by precedent set by people who have been dead for -ages. In my tribe the woman element has always been predominant. When -I was still in school my uncles impressed on me the family code—never -touch a friend's wife or his daughter, and never cause a woman regret. -Simple, isn't it? If such things worked, it would probably be as good, -at least for those whom it fitted, as any other, but such things are -not nostrums.</p> - -<p>"Anyway, I felt then that as long as I lived up to that, I was all -right. Then Sanford, of the <i>San Francisco Herald</i>, you know, gave me a -piece of advice. He quoted Lawrence Hope's verse recommending to 'love -only lightly,' to pluck the pleasant, superficial flowers of love and -to avoid the thorns by not allowing yourself to become too devoted to -any one woman. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> took the advice too seriously. You remember that -during my last years in San Francisco I was just a roué, a libertine, -a swine. Instead of giving me rest, peace of mind, I became worse off -than ever. Then accident brought me to Japan. It did me good. What had -bothered me was, I discovered, not lust for women, but only desire -for excitement; but, of course, as you know, in our well-ordered -civilization a man can get excitement, change, new impressions and -experiences out of few things, politics, sports, gambling, business -perhaps, but, if he is cursed with an imagination, mainly women. When -I came here, all the new life, the new sights, interested me so much -that after awhile I found myself rational again. I played a bit with -the geisha, down there, but temperately, sensibly. Then, finally, -accident brought me a woman, a Japanese woman, for whom I felt real -affection, whom I really cared for. I found that I wanted no others. I -was absolutely faithful to her, not because I had to be, nor because I -felt that I ought to be, but because I wanted to be. That is where the -relation without benefit of clergy works better than the institution -of marriage. It is more likely to last because of the absence of the -feeling that one must be faithful as a matter of obligation. I had come -to the conclusion that monogamy is the only rational, natural thing, -one man for one woman, one woman for one man. I would like to see some -kind of marriage invented that would work effectively. In my case, I -was happier than I had ever been. I had peace, content, I thought I had -solved my life.—Then my—my best friend seduced the woman."</p> - -<p>As he talked, Karsten had been pacing up and down the narrow veranda -which, now the <i>shoji</i> had been removed on account of the heat, formed -part of the room. Now he stopped and stood staring out over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> the city, -smoking silently. Suddenly he turned, faced Kent.</p> - -<p>"I am afraid that there has not been as much as I thought in all this -for you to draw a moral from. I'll be more specific. What I was trying -to drive at was this: why don't you, in a tentative way, try the 'love -lightly.' That I made a mess of it, at first, in San Francisco, was my -own fault. One may take an overdose of any remedy. But here in Japan it -is somewhat different. First of all, there is no sense in deliberately -going out stalking such adventure. The kind you find that way, picking -up with the first woman who crosses your path, doesn't pan out. But -keep your mind open, ready to seize upon opportunity—it will come. In -fact, I have rather wondered that you have not come to it, in spite of -your principle, though, by the way, I rather admire the fact that you -have stuck to it. But I have been watching you—one can't help watching -a man whom one likes when living together as we do—and I think that -it is with you as with Kipling's Tomlinson—if you will forgive the -paraphrase—that 'the roots of sin are there.' You take too much -interest in the life, and color, and movement that you see all about -you. The unique charm of these Japanese women has gotten its insidious -white fingers on you. That principle of yours was all that held you -back, wasn't it? Now that's gone—<i>le deluge</i>! No, maybe not quite -that, but I expect to see you soon studying Japanese life and character -by the only means through which it can be studied with something -resembling complete understanding—through some woman. As a matter of -fact, there is no reason why you shouldn't, and there is every reason -why you should. It is your business as a newspaperman to get inside -the Japanese mind as intimately as you can. You know that it cannot -be done through the men; the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> bar of nationality, race, is constantly -between you and perfect frankness. But with women sex is bigger than -race. When a woman cares for you, she looks upon you as a man, not as -an alien. She gives you her heart, her innermost mind, without thought -of nationality. You understand me, don't you. I don't mean that you -should deliberately, cold-bloodedly stalk a woman for the purpose of -dissecting her soul and using the results for calculated, mercenary -purposes, just to reduce them to copy. What I mean is that you are now -free to follow when inclination in the form of a woman beckons you; -only be careful that you go into it only as a game, and let the woman -understand that it is only a game. At least part of the old family -code is good—that to the effect that one must not cause a woman to -suffer. So be careful how you play. You have heard, as I have heard a -thousand times, that these women are cold, passionless. It is a lie. I -know it. Their capacity for affection, devotion, sacrifice, is as great -as that of our women; sometimes I think it is even greater. And their -poor little souls are delicate, sensitive. They are like children, who -brood over and magnify sorrows which we might consider fairly trivial. -And then they have their heads still filled with feudal romance. They -read their paper-covered novels seeking with noble sacrifice for love -and all that, <i>shinju</i>, double suicide, you know, where the lovers kill -themselves together. We had a case last year right here in the quarter -below, where a geisha and a student threw themselves into the Kegon -waterfall, at Nikko, which is the most fashionable thing. One reads -of cases where friends who get wind of the intention of the lovers -insist on joining the party, and then there is a triple suicide. They -get their heads filled with this kind of romance, picture themselves -as heroes and heroines in the high lights of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> melodrama, imagine how -the papers will sound their names from one end of Japan to the other. -It may be a bit hard for the practical American mind to understand, -but the Japanese have an odd, introspective, often a bit hysterical -psychology, something like the Russians, I often think, like characters -out of Dostoievsky.</p> - -<p>"So, to sum it all up, I think it will be a good thing for you to leave -the latchstring of your heart hanging out a bit that some little hand -may take a pull at it by chance. It will be good for your present state -of mind, and it will be good for your work. I am not joking. Not only -will it give you insight into Japanese character such as you may get -in no other way, but, if you are at all like me, you may find in some -girl, if not exactly inspiration, whatever that is, at least some kind -of subtle sympathy that helps and pushes you along. I myself, in my -time, under just such circumstances, did some mighty good work, or came -near accomplishing it, but now, damn it!"</p> - -<p>He snapped his fingers, flung out in impatient gesture. The pause was -so sudden it produced, conflictingly, the effect of an abrupt sound, a -trumpet blare in hushed stillness. Kent looked up. Jun-san had noticed -it, too. Squatting on her silk <i>zabuton</i> in the background, her sewing -had dropped to her lap, and she was looking at Karsten wonderingly, -solicitously. She never spoke in English; it was generally accepted -that she did not understand it, but Kent wondered whether she did -not really understand more than they thought, whether she might not -intuitively, from intonation, gesture, aided by such words as she -must have picked up, gain at least some idea of the drift of their -conversation.</p> - -<p>The silence became uncomfortable, exasperating. "But why don't you take -it up again? You are no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> man to mope about. You are not doing anything, -just killing time reading magazines and novels. How can that satisfy -you in the long run. Why, then, don't you take some of the advice that -you have just given me?"</p> - -<p>"I can't, or at least I won't, on account of—— That is, the woman -is still here, in Tokyo, and I want to show her. It may seem to you -contradictory, absurd, perverse. It doesn't sound logical, except, -possibly, as a sort of heaping of coals on her head, to show her that -I, at least, am faithful. I never told her what I knew, never blamed -her. I think that in this way she is getting punishment far more subtle -than anything I could inflict by abusing her, or by running after other -women. Something must be going on in her mind. Still, who am I that I -should have a right to punish any woman for turning to another man, -after my sort of life? I only got what I deserved, after all. Anyway, -my position happened to be such that I couldn't speak out, couldn't -jump on the man or the woman. That rather governed my course. For, of -course, one doesn't in that way, in such a case, when one is still -agitated, shattered by anger, jealousy, disappointment, in all that -whirl of emotions, just sit down and deliberately shape out a definite -course of procedure, I shall do this, and I shall do that. No, one -stews about, waits to figure it out, to decide what to do when one -has become calmer, and then, if one has done nothing at the moment of -crisis, at the impulse of sudden discovery, consternation, passion, -then one gradually drifts into accepting the course which things -naturally take, the path of least resistance. Yes, that's undoubtedly -it, the path of least resistance."</p> - -<p>He shook out his pipe into a huge brass bowl which was kept in the -room for that purpose; took out his knife, began with over-careful -deliberation to carve out the lava-like incrustations from the bowl. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span></p> - -<p>"But the work you were doing?" Kent wanted to bring the conversation -into a smoother channel. He was nervous, uncomfortable, with a sense -of something undefinably grievous, tragic, as if it were, hovering, -indefinitely threatening, closing about them from the darkness outside.</p> - -<p>"The work!" Karsten kept scraping at the pipe bowl, methodically -held it to the light, inspected it. "It took the heart out of me, -this revelation, the sudden shock of it. It had been too perfect, -this working away, always in festival spirits, in the atmosphere of -affection, devotion, love, damn it, to use the banal old word. I -thought I had the rest of my life all well ordered, that peace had -come at last. I am too old to start again, and then, anyway, as I told -you, there were other reasons. So the work—I have never looked at it -since. But," he seemed struck by a sudden thought. "Jun-san," he was -still intent with his pipe and did not look up. "Jun-san. Bring out the -<i>kodomo</i>."</p> - -<p>"<i>Kodomo</i>," child. The word puzzled Kent. What the devil——?</p> - -<p>He looked past Karsten, as he sat there doggedly scraping at his pipe, -to Jun-san. She had risen from her <i>zabuton</i>, was looking at the man -with wonder. It grew into consternation; was it apprehension, fear? But -she had turned and was going to the <i>todana</i>, wall closet, was drawing -from it papers, loose and in bundles, reaching into the depth of the -recess, pulling out still more. Then she turned and came towards them, -arms filled, held in front of her. She advanced hesitatingly. By God, -she was trembling; her eyes were misty with tears. Kent jumped up, but -she did not look at him. In front of Karsten she stopped, held her -burden towards him, silent, trembling. He laid away his pipe finally, -looked up at her, stretched<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> out his hands. She moved still nearer, as -if to pass the papers over to him. Then her hands fell away, bundles -dropping, loose papers fluttering to the floor, into the brass bowl. -Karsten had risen, patted the woman on the shoulder tenderly, as one -would a child. It was the first time Kent had seen him caress her. -"Oh, you poor little girl, you poor little girl," the man's voice -was hoarse, broken. "Come, you had better go to your house." She was -weeping openly now, shaking. "Forgive me, Jun-san. Come."</p> - -<p>The sliding door closed behind her. Karsten turned to Kent. "I might -as well tell you now, of course. The woman was Jun-san." He turned -abruptly to the papers, began gathering them. "These are nothing much, -after all, Kent. Only notes of various kinds for a great Japanese drama -that I thought I might construct. The Danes have a proverb that every -sow thinks that her own pigs are the best. Probably I did the same." -He carried the papers to the <i>todana</i>, put them out of sight. "We have -had a melodramatic evening, haven't we, Kent-san, with your troubles -and mine. It seems as if women must ever be the cause of our sorrows, -yes, and our joys. <i>Shikataganai.</i> It can't be helped. Now let us have -a drink and go to bed."</p> - -<p>They had their drink. Karsten went to the adjoining room where he -slept. Kent started downstairs to his room. At the head of the -stairway he noticed something dark, bulky in the half-light, moving a -little; his ear caught a sharp indrawn breath. It was Jun-san. A wave -of intense pity swept over him. He wanted to say something to her, -to comfort her, but what could he say. Undoubtedly she wished to be -undisturbed by such crude, stupid consolation as he might contrive. -He descended slowly and went to bed. But he could not sleep. He lay -tossing, it seemed for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> hours. What, after all, did love of women, -relations with women, ever bring but regret; swift, passionate, -heart-swelling joy for the moment, even for days or years, but in the -end weariness, sorrow, pangs of tragedy, irreparable, regretful remorse?</p> - -<p>In the stillness of the night he could hear the shrill twitter of the -cicadas in the garden, and faintly, softly, the sobbing, interminable, -unconsolable, of Jun-san.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2> - -<p>It was a dull season for news. From San Francisco they had cabled -him to "hold down." A nation-wide strike in America and one of these -futile European reparations conferences were filling the papers at -home, leaving scant space for Oriental matters. Anyway, nothing was -happening. His idleness irked him. Everything seemed to have slipped -into a dull, wearisome routine. He rebelled at it—anything for a -bit of excitement of some kind, any kind. The thought came to him, -kept recurring insistently, that now was time to look about a little, -to experiment with Karsten's advice. After all, why not? Was he not -missing something, an interesting and pleasing phase of life in the -Orient, one that they all unanimously described as delectable, from -Pierre Loti on. Even the warning contained in the episode between -Karsten and Jun-san was losing its significance. At home matters had -slipped back into the old, daily routine, as if nothing had happened. -Through the day she was always in the main house, watching with -solicitous care to meet Karsten's wants, retiring only when he had -retired, to her own house, the bower which Karsten had had built for -her when their love was young. As he looked back at it, it seemed to -him that probably the whole thing had been just a little melodramatic; -they had been overwrought, excited. Karsten had always been -super-sensitive, too nervously susceptible to his own emotions; the -dramatic instinct, no doubt. And then Jun-san. Well, they were not all -like her. These international adventures were often, generally indeed, -colored by humor rather than by tragedy. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> - -<p>He recalled the predicament, a few weeks ago, of Carruthers, who had -amused his group of friends with his agitated alarm at his grotesque -predicament. A geisha had unexpectedly, much to his pleased surprise, -sent a note to him. She had summoned him, and he had answered, quickly -enough, in a spirit of curiosity. Later it had developed that she -thought he looked like Douglas Fairbanks, her favorite motion-picture -hero. Prosaic Carruthers, solemnly horse-faced, the practical machinery -salesman from Pittsburgh—they had all been highly amused at the -absurdity. The later developments had given them still more and even -greater delight.</p> - -<p>Carruthers had taken a house in one of the suburbs in preparation for -the arrival of his wife and drove of children. But he had thought -that he might as well make use of the opportunity, his last fling of -freedom. So he had invited her there, and she had come, and she had -stayed, and when the wife was due in but a few days, she had still -stayed, had refused to leave. Carruthers had been frantic. It had -delighted them. Five days more—and she held the fort. Three days only. -He had rushed from one to the other to help him out, give him advice, -take the girl away, steal her from him, anything. "For God's sake, -fellows, this is no joke. Take her off my hands, somebody." It had -tickled them. "But how, Carruthers? Be sensible. We don't look like -Douglas Fairbanks." It had been entrancingly amusing. Despairingly he -had given the details. "The day after to-morrow, and she won't get out. -I've told her my wife is coming, my <i>wife</i>. And she says she loves me. -She don't care. If my wife comes, she will stay as my <i>mekake</i>, my -concubine. Imagine me introducing: Mrs. Carruthers, my concubine—just -like that! No, by Cæsar, it's gone beyond a joke. You've got to help -me out." By Jove, it had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> been a scream, till the very last. But on -the last day of grace they had rid him of the lady. It had not been so -easy, either. It had taken all the powers of the accomplished Nishimura -to move her. He was useful, as he claimed. And Carruthers had had to -pay her geisha license for a month. He looked upon it as a joke now; -rather enjoyed telling the story. And the girl, she had taken no hurt, -either. Nishimura said that she had spread the glad tidings all over -Shimbashi. There was only fun, amusement, in an episode like that, -at least if one were single, and then a little excitement. Life was -becoming unbearably humdrum.</p> - -<p>He was gradually becoming better acquainted with his geisha neighbor. -Toshi-san she said her name was, and he was introduced to the duenna, -her "mother" she called her, and to her maid, and to her doll, -Mitsuko-san. In the morning, at about ten o'clock, when she opened the -<i>shoji</i> to look at the weather, they often chatted. She was a pretty, -vivacious little thing, wholly adorable, and they knew how to look -after themselves, these geisha. So why not?</p> - -<p>Sometimes, in the afternoon, before she began her caterwauling samisen -practice, she would play for him a few phonograph pieces, "Rigoletto," -the Dvořák "Humoresque," the things which it seemed all Tokyo was -fond of. He did not understand much about music, still it seemed to -him a pity if this country, these people, who had until now acquired -fair taste through the fortunate absence of trashy, ephemeral rubbish, -should now fall victims to the various "Blues" and "Bells" of fox-trot -repertoires.</p> - -<p>She evidently enjoyed the music; that was not pose. Her face beamed -when she would announce the acquisition of a new record. "I have got -'Ave Malia.' It goes like that." She tried a high note, amusingly -dissonant, in her typical geisha falsetto. "You should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> see my -phonograph. It is high, like that," she held her hand to the height of -her bosom.</p> - -<p>It seemed a chance. "All right, let me see it. I'd like to. When?"</p> - -<p>But she was horrified. No, certainly not. Of course, he could not come -to her house. The obstacle made him obstinate.</p> - -<p>"All right, then. I'll go to the waiting-house over there and send for -you. Then you'll have to come, won't you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, maybe; but if I come I'll bring my Mother." She pointed her -tongue at him, just an infinitesimal tip, pink between white teeth, -laughed, and was gone.</p> - -<p>It seemed absurd. The girl was a geisha; it was her business to -entertain guests, dance and sing for them at least, even if she -apparently must reserve the favors of affection for that police -commissioner, whose presence one sensed, obscure in the background, -through the phonograph, the ever multiplying new records, new jewelry, -all evidently offerings from him.</p> - -<p>"I don't quite get it all. Surely she doesn't drag that stage property -mother of hers about wherever she has guests. Can you explain?" he -asked Karsten.</p> - -<p>"Well, first of all, of course, you can't visit a geisha in her own -house; at least, old man, it is not etiquette, it isn't done. You must -meet them in the waiting-houses. If they didn't the waiting-houses -would lose their commissions and would boycott the geisha. And the -geisha guild would cause trouble. It is with that as with everything -else in Japan, as in business where there must always be a half dozen -middlemen between producer and consumer. Of course, you might take her -on a picnic, if she consents, but I wouldn't, if I were you. Japan -is changing. We are getting away from the days of Loti. Be discreet, -anyway. And then it's expensive. You have to pay a tremendous fee<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> even -for just the pleasure of helping her pick flowers, or sea shells, or -whatever it might be, and she will have you buy a cartload of souvenirs -for herself, and the mother, and the maid, and her friends, and the -cat, for all I know. Anyway, remember the police commissioner. She -would probably not dare."</p> - -<p>So the matter did not progress. They chatted almost every day, across -the alley, but she smiled at his invitations, enjoyed teasing him. It -seemed an impasse.</p> - -<p>He had stayed late at the Foreign Office, one afternoon, talking -with young Kikuchi. They decided to dine together, but Kikuchi had -an engagement and left early. Kent did not feel like going home. A -gorgeously brilliant full moon, supernaturally large, was rising -ponderously over the Shiba park trees. It brought out Tokyo to best -advantage. In the shimmering half-light the crude modernisms, the -telephone poles, wires, irritating newfangled architecture, receded -faded away, and one might let the eye see only typical Japan, the -opaquely lighted <i>shoji</i>, curved rooftrees. He had had a few cocktails, -felt titillating with effervescent life, adventurous under the glamor -of the moon, anticipatingly ready and eager for something out of the -ordinary, some adventure. It might lurk anywhere, inside <i>shoji</i>, in -dark gateways. He strolled through the geisha quarter, hoping that from -some miniature garden, glimpsed through ornate gate, might stretch -towards him white hands, might come some soft seductive voice. He -knew that it was utterly unlikely, that, did he desire adventure, he -must take the initiative. But he did not wish to do that. It would -spoil just that element of chance, casual hazard of fortune, that was -essential. He felt that somehow it was hovering close at hand, would -come to-night, out of the silver-blue. His vagrant, erratic mood, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> -moon, the whispering mystery of coyly self-effacive Tokyo, gave him an -odd feeling as if the entire great city were a slily demure courtesan, -enigmatically but encouragingly smiling upon him.</p> - -<p>But it seemed all to be a great, fantastic mockery. Desire, mood, -setting, romantic, inviting adventure, were all there, but as he -passed along, expectantly turning this corner, then the next, ever -anticipatory, hopeful that now it would come—nothing came. The alleys -were almost deserted. A geisha passed him, tripping along with evident -set destination, followed by her little maid clasping long-necked -silk-wrapped samisen, but she was answering the call of some one else, -some male waiting on the <i>zabuton</i> somewhere. Fate was concerned with -others, was busy elsewhere. His walk became disappointing, tedious. Now -he was near his office. He had run out of tobacco. He went upstairs. -It was the first time he had been there at night. His glance strayed -across to Toshi-san's window. It was dark. Where might she be; -entertaining some one, possibly that damned commissioner.</p> - -<p>The moonlight was glorious. He remembered that Nishimura had said that -the flat roof of the house was a fine place for <i>tsuki-mi</i>, viewing the -moon, the favorite Japanese pastime which even the most prosaic seemed -to appreciate. Why not take a look; the night was still young. He -climbed up the narrow ladder-like staircase, pushed a sliding cover and -climbed out on the roof. Loose planks had been placed to form a crude -flooring. He squatted on them, and looked about, over the picturesque -tiled roofs, the small platforms built on them for clothes drying and, -more romantically, <i>tsuki-mi</i>.</p> - -<p>On the platform just opposite something moved, took shape of a woman. -He bent forward to see more closely. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Good-evening, Kent-san. Do you like the moon view?"</p> - -<p>It was Toshi-san, the adventure at last. He would not let it slip from -him. She was entrancing in the moonlight, ethereal as some fantastic -fairy-land picture. From where he sat the moon was almost directly -behind her. An inspiration came to him and he moved a little, bringing -the great, yellow orb directly in line behind her, so that her head was -silhouetted against it, high helmet-like coiffure standing out black, -sharply contoured, the glowing disk against her profile like a luminous -halo—a preposterous image, a geisha with a halo. Surely this was a -night of witchery!</p> - -<p>The opportunity had come. He jumped to his feet, the loose boards -rattling under him. It gave him an idea; he picked up one of them and -placed it as a bridge over the space between the two platforms. She had -risen also, stood looking over to him, hands grasping the low railing. -What on earth was this mad foreigner about to do now?</p> - -<p>He tested the plank with his foot. "O-Toshi-san. I am coming over to -you."</p> - -<p>"You mustn't. <i>Abunai.</i> Take care." But as she spoke she held out her -hands towards him, to assist him, receive him. Romance at last. What -would his prosaic San Francisco friends say, could they see him here, -under the full moon, flitting about among the Tokyo housetops, into -the arms of this flower-like Japanese girl, just a few feet away. He -glanced down into the narrow chasm of the alley below, its darkness -riven here and there by shafts of light from the windows. They would -not know, these people down there, no one would know, of this secret -meeting, his and O-Toshi-san's. This was the thing he had sought, -unpremeditated, a casual stroke of good fortune, with the pleasant -sense of venturing into the unknown. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was easy. A step, and he had crossed, felt her arms about him -solicitously, as she anxiously sought to drag him to safety. She -indicated the <i>zabuton</i> on which she had been sitting, pale-green with -a great crimson flower design. "Please, sit down."</p> - -<p>"Oh, no, you must sit there. Ladies first; that's foreign style, you -know."</p> - -<p>She laughed delightedly. "Oh, how funny. I had heard that foreigners -did like that to their women; but it is so queer, to have it happen to -me, to oneself. Still, you must sit there. You are an <i>o-kyaku-san</i>, a -guest, you know."</p> - -<p>"<i>Chigaimasen.</i> It makes no difference." He forced her gently down -on the cushions. "Anyway, I am not just a <i>kyaku-san</i>, just like the -others down there. I have come to you out of the night, dropped from -the moon."</p> - -<p>She laughed again, that same clear silver tone; he sensed a musical -enjoyment from it. "It is just like a cinema picture, isn't it, your -coming to me, like that. I am glad it happened to me; you are so -adventurous, you foreigners, so different. I know how you do, from the -cinema, but I always wanted to know for myself. Yes, I am glad you are -not just a guest."</p> - -<p>"<i>Naze?</i> Why?"</p> - -<p>"<i>Naze-demo</i>," the equivalent to the white woman's "because." "I won't -tell you now; maybe some day, by-and-by," she smiled mischievously. -"Now tell me about your women. I see them on the Ginza sometimes, big, -strong, beautiful. Tell me, when you can have them, why do foreigners -sometimes love us little, <i>kitanai</i> Japanese girls?"</p> - -<p>That absurd "<i>kitanai</i>" again! It was so inapposite, irritated him. -He hastened to explain, to refute, trying to seek the terms which he -thought might best appeal to this slight, fairy-like dream-picture, -whose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> mode of thought, fashion of reasoning, was unknown, mysterious, -to him. He felt his way, amused at the intricate, curious task.</p> - -<p>"You know, a mountain is beautiful, but so is a flower. You may find -your pleasure in the great, majestic beauty of Fuji-san, and then, -again," he seized her hand, "you may delight in the flower, in this -little hand, delicate, warm, soft," he smoothed the slender fingers, -"embodying in its delightful smallness the entire sum of infinite -perfection."</p> - -<p>She let her hand lie in his. He drew her closer so her slim body -rested lightly against his, and as he did it he wondered, why she was -so passive, offering no resistance, not even making a show of doing -so? Was it because it was all in her day's work, an easy surrender to -careless handling, or mauling by clumsy, lustful paws of carousing -guests? It took the glamor out of the thing, stripped the situation -instantly of its air of light, ephemeral charm. How far did they go, -these girls; at least, how far did this one go? He would soon find out. -He threw both arms about her and drew her close into his clasp; but -now she resisted, set both hands against his face. He was surprised -at the strength of these slender arms. There could be no doubt of the -genuineness of her resistance. She fought desperately to get away. He -released her. She looked at him gravely, without anger, but just a bit -disdainfully. "But you mustn't do that, behave just like a rough guest. -I thought you were quiet. You must promise not to do that again. The -hand, yes, and, if you promise, I will sit quite near you, yes; but no -more."</p> - -<p>He felt quite ashamed; still his curiosity had the better of him. Was -that the usual procedure, the favors usually granted the guests? He -asked her, bluntly. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Oh, no." She placed her hand on his arm, looked up at him seriously, -intently. "The hand, it doesn't matter. But I don't sit like that, so -close, with others. You, you were a friend."</p> - -<p>She seemed so ingenuous, the air of innocence was quaint, irresistible. -He would have sworn that she told the truth—but what about the police -commissioner? He felt that it was churlish, an unworthy thing; still he -could not help asking: "But your police friend?"</p> - -<p>She swept her hand outwards impatiently, as would she waft away -something noxious, unpleasant. "So you've heard. But what of it. -<i>Shikataganai</i>, it can't be helped. Why should you care; he has bought -me, he gives me many fine things; but he is only an <i>o-kyaku-san</i>, -after all—and you are a friend, so why should you care?"</p> - -<p>She noted the surprise on his face, his amazement at this astonishing -reasoning. "But don't you understand, one doesn't care for the man who -is just a guest; it is a matter of business, but one doesn't love the -<i>o-kyaku-san</i>, no matter what he gives, money, presents. The man who -pays nothing, the friend, he's the one—the one whom one cares for. -But, of course, you are a foreigner; you may know the hearts of your -own women, but you don't know the hearts of geisha."</p> - -<p>"No, how can I? Tell me. Teach me. Come over here again. I shall be -very quiet."</p> - -<p>"Then promise." She held her hand out to him, the little finger curved -into a diminutive hook, took his hand and curved his finger in the same -fashion, linked it into her own. "That's the way we promise. Now, don't -forget."</p> - -<p>She gave him her hand naïvely and snuggled close to him. "You have been -very rough, but I know that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> you don't know about Japanese custom. So -now I shall tell you what to do to make the geisha like you. You know -when you act as you did just now, we don't like you. You must be kind, -gentle. We don't like rough men, or restless ones, and the ones who -laugh loudly at everything, or the ones who are over-sweet on first -acquaintance. And we don't like the ones who brag about themselves and -about their money, or who throw it about to show off, or the ones who -are too dandified, or who chatter too much. But we like the man who is -quiet, not too silent, but who talks pleasantly, and who doesn't boast, -and who doesn't brag about experience with geisha. If you want a geisha -to like you, don't be stingy, but don't spend over-much. Be cheerful -and be kind. That's why I like the foreigners in the cinema. And now I -have taught you a lot, and you are very wise, and," she laughed up into -his face, "next time you meet a geisha you know just how to win her."</p> - -<p>He protested. He would use his knowledge only to win her; but she shook -her head. No, it was impossible. And now it was late. She must go. She -rose, bowed ceremoniously. He grasped her hand. Just a moment; would -she not meet him again? She could not tell; yes, she often came up here -for <i>tsuki-mi</i>. She bowed again and disappeared down the stairway into -the house.</p> - -<p>After that he met her often, on the roof. As they became intimate, she -told him that she would come whenever she was not engaged; but she was -popular and he was often disappointed. It added to the fascination -of the meetings, the constant uncertainty, enhanced the pleasure of -being with her, listening to her grave, childish wisdom. He felt -that he might easily come to care for her, that she was insinuating -herself into his affection; that she might become the woman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> whom he -was awaiting to come from somewhere, into his life. But while their -friendship grew, and she talked more freely, confidently, and he felt -himself gaining an intimate insight into this quaint, delicate little -geisha soul, she maintained punctiliously the barrier of the first -evening. Carefully, with the most subtle caution, he endeavored to gain -a little more, to draw her closer, but she was ever alert, baffled him -quietly.</p> - -<p>Usually their talk was gay, and especially when her intuition, -marvelously accurate, warned her of his restlessness, she held it so. -But one evening when the night was dark, with only a few faint stars -futilely scattered in the murk, he fancied that she was troubled. He -could not see her face, but as he sat near her he could notice her -bosom heave uneasily and sensed a trembling, nervous tension of her -body. But she would tell him nothing; said little, pressed close to -him, silently oppressed by her thoughts. What could be going on in -that childishly troubled little geisha mind, behind that clear white -forehead with its finely curved half-moon brows? He placed both arms -about her cautiously, but she did not resist. The poor, dear, little -girl! He wanted to hold her, help her, felt the instinct of protection, -affection. "O-Toshi-san, tell me what it is. I shall help you. Can't -you trust me a little, dearest? Can't you care for me a little?"</p> - -<p>She straightened in his arms, drew her head back, black eyes gazing -deeply into his. Then, suddenly, she threw both arms about him, clung -to him convulsively, gaspingly, pressing her soft cheek against his. He -moved a little so he faced her. "Kiss me, O-Toshi-san." She drew back -her head a little, startled. "Kiss me, in the foreign way. You are a -foreigner's, now." He bent over to her, pressed his lips against her -soft mouth. But it was only a faint response. "I must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> teach you to -kiss, dear. Come." Again he kissed her, again and again, and gradually -she responded, hot lips clung to his, as she trembled, clinging in his -arms.</p> - -<p>"I left behind a flower yet in bud; it weighs on my mind that it may -blow without me."</p> - -<p>A drunken guest was reeling from a waiting-house down the alley. She -drew herself away. "It is late. I must go." She raised herself on -her toes, framed his face between her hands, kissed him. "Good-by, -Kent-san. Good-by."</p> - -<p>She was gone.</p> - -<p>So it had come at last. The woman had come into his life. A geisha. -Now what would follow? What would be the arrangements? Could he take -her from the geisha house? Where? The thought of the <i>o-kyaku-san</i> -became suddenly intolerable. But just how should he proceed? Confound -his ignorance about such matters. He would ask Karsten for advice, but -first he wanted to see her again, to ask her what she wished to do. -Probably he would see her in her window, in the morning. Anyway, he did -not wish to reason, to fetter his thoughts with commonplace details. -That could be done later. His mind reverted to the events of the hours -just past, the amazingly unexpected good fortune, delight, which had -come to him like a shooting star out of the dark. He let the images of -recollection surge over him, envelop him. Thank God, life would have -some meaning, some of the high light of love venture to brighten the -dimness of dull routine existence.</p> - -<p>He barely noticed, as he entered the office building the next morning, -a couple of hand-carts, piled high with boxes and bundles, moving -from the alley. He ran up the stairs, glanced through the window. The -<i>shoji</i> were open, but there was no sign of her. He seated himself at -his desk to wait, noticed an envelope,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> a quaint flower-embossed thing, -and opened it curiously. The missive was from Toshi-san, written in -<i>kata-kana</i>, the easy phonetic script which she knew he understood.</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div><i>Tame wo omoute</i></div> -<div><i>Hara tate sosete</i></div> -<div><i>Muri ni kayeshita</i></div> -<div><i>Atode naku.</i></div></div></div></div> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>Thinking only of his good,</div> -<div>I made him angry, sent him back</div> -<div>Against our mutual wish,</div> -<div>And then I wept.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>Made him angry? What? The thought flashed on him, monstrously -appalling. He called Ishii. Had the people opposite moved? Yes, they -had left early that morning. Should he find out where? After a while he -came back. Yes, O-Toshi-san had gone away, no one would tell him where.</p> - -<p>So the adventure had ended, suddenly, as it had begun. Why? What had -been her reason? Probably he would never know. The mysterious Orient, -yes, like an Arabian Nights tale, where the fairy vanished into vapor -at the profaning touch of importunate hands.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER X</h2> - -<p>Karsten could give him no help. "Better make up your mind that you -have lost her. She has evidently been taken away to some other -geisha quarter, Yotsuya, Ushigomo, Akasaka, probably Akasaka. They -must have smelt a rat, the geisha master, or the guild. They don't -want you to find her, and the police commissioner's being mixed -up in it complicates the affair, makes it harder. Anyway, you are -the gainer, you have had the experience. Now you know these girls' -insidious—charm. The word is threadbare, but it is the only one that -describes it. And then you have the memory.</p> - -<p>"So make up your mind that she is gone. Presently there will be others; -and you will add to your collection of memories." He smiled. "I don't -know if it has ever struck you that as we plod along in life, with a -few bright spots, vivid pleasures, illuminating the general dullness of -existence, the only treasures really worth while that we gather are the -memories thereof. You know, as I grow older, I find that they become -valuable; they gain with age like wine. One picks them up and reviews -them, as one might old pressed flowers, faded ribbons, the stupid -material mementos. But the ones really worth while are those which -one has stored in one's mind; they don't fade, they never lose their -fragrance. And, do you know, I find that the ones which I treasure, -the ones that come back pleasurably into my thoughts again and again, -are not the recollections of such few good things, or wise things as I -have done—they seem drab, without color,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> or tone, or life. No, it's -the memories of the foolish things that I have done, madcap adventures, -turbulent love affairs,—these are the things that I find pleasure in -recalling. You have noticed those old fellows whose active life is -behind them, who sit in the sunshine and smoke, and think, and dream. -The daydreams of youth are all in future; but the old men have no -future. Their dreams are of the past. And it has occurred to me that I -know what they are dreaming of, as they sit there so quietly and smile -over their pipes, and it is not the clever things that they did, the -big deals they pulled off; no, it is the foolish pranks of youth, the -fiery, passionate adventures of young manhood,—these are the thoughts -which bring back youth to them, because they are characteristic of it, -as those others are not—these are what enable them to become young -again in their dreams, as they drowse, recalling this affair and that; -this tryst by a pool under a hot summer moon; this girl; that fight, -one after one, as one would tell off beads on a rosary.</p> - -<p>"Even in my most frivolous days I used to have that idea, that however -foolish it all might seem, I was at least gaining memories for my old -age. Life becomes like diving after pearls in the opal, translucent -depths of the sea, which are strung one after the other; all may have a -general resemblance, color, luster, contour, but essentially each is a -little different from the others; each has its individual history. At -least, I have made that provision against my old age; I have a number -of memories to recall, to tell off on my rosary of experiences. Can -you think of anything so horrible as barren old age, the utter poverty -of the old man who has none of the recollections which may bring back -youth to him?" He laughed a little at his own earnestness. "'Tis a pet -theory of mine. You may think it a mad fancy, but possibly you may see -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span>something in it, and if you do, well—go forth and collect your pearls -while yet you may."</p> - -<p>A bizarre idea; just like Karsten. But it carried no great appeal to -Kent. He had no heart to seek love deliberately, even lighter love must -come unsought. He would have enjoyed the company of some of the girls -whom he knew, but the Suzukis had gone to their villa in Oiso for the -summer, and he had not seen Kimiko-san since that night in the tea -house. She had joined a traveling theatrical company and was touring -the "colonies," Korea, Manchuria, Formosa.</p> - -<p>He formed the habit of taking long walks in the evening, enjoying such -scant relief as one might obtain after the sweltering heat of the day. -These rambles took him all over the city and he found vague interest -in book stores, curio shops, odd little drinking places; in talking -with chance-met Japanese, clerks, barmaids, students, feeling that in -an indefinite, tentative way he might get a glimpse of the seething, -vaguely stirring thoughts of this multitude, gropingly, eagerly seeking -the ideas of the new, great world all around them, the uncertainly -fumbling mass mind in flux of transition.</p> - -<p>He had dropped into one of the myriad small beer "halls," with their -pathetic attempts at modernity, which were springing up all over Tokyo. -They were generally much of a pattern, a few tables and chairs, foreign -style, cheap, slatternly maids making their attempt at new fashion by -means of dirty aprons tied over cotton kimonos. It was in Kanda, the -student quarter. Gangling youths, many of them bespectacled, in kimono -or university uniform, but nearly all with the brass-emblemed cap, -came and went, drank their beer, munched the food prepared in what was -supposed to be foreign fashion, joked with the waitresses. He noticed -that many went upstairs. Idly curious, he thought he would go up there, -but a waitress stopped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> him. He remonstrated; the others could go. No, -she was indefinite in her explanation, but determined. Well, no matter. -He dismissed it from his mind.</p> - -<p>Suddenly some one stood before him, bowing deeply. It was Ishii, his -clerk.</p> - -<p>"Good evening, Mr. Kent." He was evidently pleased to show the others -that he knew this foreign gentleman. Kent invited him to sit down. As -they chatted over their beer, he told him of his rebuff. What was the -reason?</p> - -<p>"Well, you see, it is, in a way, a sort of a private place, kind of a -club." He was oddly evasive, ill at ease. "Just wait a moment, please."</p> - -<p>He scrambled upstairs and disappeared. Presently he returned. "You can -come, if you like. They are my friends upstairs there. We meet here -sometimes. You know," he lowered his voice, "it's politics."</p> - -<p>So that was it. Immediately Kent was eager to go. These were the -hotbeds of the new thought, the "dangerous thoughts," as the police -called them, half-baked Socialism, Communism, Sovietism, fortuitously -mixed with Cubist art, literature after the fashion of Dostoievsky, -crude passion for mass sculpture à la Rodin, anything that was thought -to be ultra-modern or outré, beyond the minds of the <i>hoi polloi</i>, -<i>haikara</i>, the latest in modern culture. It was an opportunity to learn -for himself what they really thought, these youths, how much of it was -real, and how much only pose; to see how deeply it all went, whether -it was merely the usual ebullience of youth, such as one might see in -the European universities, even in America, which usually spent itself -quite safely with passage into maturer years, or whether this was -really more definite, more likely to have direct, positive influence on -the life of the nation, the development of the government of Japan.</p> - -<p>They were extremely courteous, quite friendly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> though a little -self-conscious, ill at ease, evidently diffident as to whether they -had been wise in admitting this stranger. He was invited to sit at the -table with two men older than the others; he was told that they were -professors. Scattered at other tables were some ten or twelve students, -much of a type, the ungainly age of adolescence. It was awkward in the -beginning. He had the uncomfortable feeling that they were taking his -measure, deciding whether he was quite safe. He would like to reassure -them; still, it was probably better to let the situation develop -spontaneously, to let them take the initiative. He drank with the two -professors; he judged them to be about thirty-five or forty, thin, -nervous men with the pale, somewhat ascetic faces of enthusiasts. They -opened with the questions usual in Japan; what was his nationality, how -long had he been in Japan?</p> - -<p>"What are you politically?"</p> - -<p>After that came a long conglomeration of political questions, first -tentative hints, designed to draw out his ideas, to determine his -stand, but soon they launched into their pet topic, the miseries of the -present situation in Japan.</p> - -<p>"But surely you must see that, even if there are things to correct -in other countries, in no place are conditions so terrible as they -are in Japan." The elder professor had risen, swept out his hand, -addressing not only Kent but the whole assembly, the students who -sat gazing at him raptly. "There are only a few hundred thousands in -the privileged class. They are the ones who are gaining everything. -They took advantage of the fact that the people, the sixty millions, -are still thinking as they did in the days of the Tokugawa, looking -to their masters for orders, taking dumbly whatever they might deign -to fling to them. They have been exploiting the people, and they and -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> militarists want to exploit the other people, too, in Siberia -and China. You foreigners are always talking about the militarist -rule of Japan; but you don't see that even the militarists are not -all-powerful now. The real governing power of Japan is the little -multi-millionaire class, the Watanabes, the Fukusakis, the Oharas, the -Inouyes, the Yamanakas, the Katos, only about half a dozen enormously -wealthy houses, with their mines, and their steamship companies, their -tremendous business houses, their banks, who buy Diet members and -cabinet ministers, who determine the Government's policy, who keep -prices high by insisting on import tariffs, who wallow in concessions. -Even the militarists bow to them. The plutocrats wanted Siberia, so -we spent hundreds of millions of yen on the Siberia expedition and -our young men were killed by the thousands that the plutocrats might -get fisheries, and mines and oil wells. Japan to-day is a plutocratic -oligarchy, with the militarists as a handy and subservient tool, with -the police throwing into jail any one who tries to wake up the people -to assert their rights. Just look about you. See, right here in Tokyo, -the poor are huddled by thousands in hovels in Fukagawa and Honjo, -where the river washes out their houses every year, and still they must -pay heavy taxes on their miserable mud flats, while the rich with their -parks, stretching over vast spaces in the best and highest parts of the -city, pay taxes only on a valuation as forest lands or fields. These -are the ones who want the people to remain as they were a hundred years -ago, feudal slaves, in order that the rich may grow richer. That's -why the police keep watch over us and the government officials hire -<i>soshi</i>, professional ruffians, to break up our meetings. That's why -it is a crime to 'harbor dangerous thoughts.' Property is the curse of -all modern countries. When private property <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span>became known the class -struggle began the world over; and nowhere is property as privileged as -it is in Japan. Labor should be the measure of value, undifferentiated -human labor, where all workers should be paid alike, no matter what -might be the manner of their work. Here capital exploits labor, as -capital always does, and only by abolition of capitalism can we abolish -such exploitation."</p> - -<p>The professor flung back a long wisp of wet hair, paused to refresh -himself from his beer glass. The students were all nodding approval. -Evidently this was familiar doctrine to which they heartily subscribed. -Kent remembered the numberless volumes of Karl Marx which might be -seen in every second-hand book stall in the student quarter, along -Jimbo-cho. They swallowed it all, the Marxian dogmas, cramming them -down hastily in their hungry voracity for new thought, ever more.</p> - -<p>Ishii-san insisted on seeing Kent part of the way home, after another -long harangue on capitalism, evidently a popular topic. As they left -the place, a shadow detached itself from the general blackness of the -buildings opposite and followed at a little distance. "A detective," -whispered Ishii, excitedly. "He is following us. Oh, Mr. Kent, I wish I -might be arrested."</p> - -<p>When they parted, Kent was relieved to see that the shadow followed -Ishii. He had no desire to become a victim to the burdensome attentions -of the police. Probably he had been foolish to venture into this queer -gathering. Still, it had been interesting, had given him another -glimpse into the intimate life of Japan, far more vitally important -than the phase which had heretofore intrigued him.</p> - -<p>"What do you make of it?" he asked Kittrick a few days later. "It is up -to us to know all this that's going on all about us. It's widespread. -It's important.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> It has a vital bearing on the future of Japan, and -still it's so intangible, so oddly impossible to get at. Is it just an -intermittent phase, or is it a growing movement that will slowly but -surely result in fruit of some kind,—revolution or what?"</p> - -<p>"Of course, I've been wanting to follow it, just as you have," said -Kittrick. "But what can one do? If you try to learn from the agitators, -no matter how innocent may be your intentions, the police will soon -make it impossible for you. One may get a little by following the -Japanese papers, watching the straws that show which way the wind -blows. Here you see a big appropriation for special officers to watch -over 'dangerous thoughts'; here's an item about a special force to -guard the persons of cabinet ministers.</p> - -<p>"The point is that Japan is discarding her old beliefs, political, -social, ethical, religious, the whole business, and she is in -a breathless hurry to grab at anything, any kind of belief, or -philosophy, or political creed that comes handy. Of course it's a -mix-up. The political unrest may be dangerous in so far as it leads -excited fanatics to take too literally what they read or hear, so they -prize a knife or a bomb and sally forth to become heroes or martyrs, -but there is no great amount of sound sense or definite program in it.</p> - -<p>"When the people stand up and shout for this thing or the other, -you'll find that the real underlying cause is entirely economic. A -few years ago Japan's industrial system was patriarchal. The boss had -a little shop with half a dozen or a dozen workmen. He fed them, and -clothed them and looked after them, <i>paterfamilias</i> fashion, did their -thinking for them, and they were quite satisfied. That was all they -knew. Now has come the big factory system, where thousands work in -great plants and never see the owner. The personal relation has been -lost. Then they've heard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> that workmen in other countries have better -conditions. During the war, when workers must be had at any price to -fill the orders from abroad that swamped the factories, they learned to -strike for high pay—and got it. They've learned a lot of other things, -'sabotage,' 'go slow,' unionism, that labor may have a voice in factory -control, all that sort of thing. They see the rich grow richer, and are -learning that they ought to have a share of those profits. Most of them -think that Russia is a little paradise for the workmen. It's not the -political side that interests them, it's better conditions. They have -learned to look upon capitalism collectively and on labor collectively. -Their unions are becoming more and more consolidated. The next thing -you'll see nation-wide strikes.</p> - -<p>"And in the meantime the economic situation grows worse every day. -Japan has lost her foreign markets, so she closes factories. The -capitalists insist on dividends, so, as they can't make money abroad, -they insist on keeping prices high on home products by keeping -production just a bit lower than the demand. That means closing more -factories, discharging more workmen, unemployment. If they kick too -much, they give them discharge allowances, six months' pay, a year's -pay, anything to avoid a row—and, of course, the consumer pays for -it, and prices go higher, while the workmen retire to the country -villages they came from and blow their allowances and then live on -their relatives. The family system of helping relatives is saving the -situation to-day. That's why you don't hear much trouble yet from -unemployment, but as the number increases of idlers whom each worker -must support, the condition grows worse. The end must come some day."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2> - -<p>The situation grew on Kent's nerves. Every morning when he looked out -from his window, he half expected to see red flags in the streets, to -hear the turmoil of mobs. It was absurd, he told himself. There were -sure to be warnings, minor tumults, evidences of strained unrest. -Still, he felt that he must spare no time in getting inside the facts -as soon as possible, to come to see every side of the comprehensive -picture.</p> - -<p>It would be a good idea to become acquainted with the capitalistic side -of the story. He began a round of calls on the money kings, captains of -industry, the owners of names which recurred constantly in the news of -economic events. For days he wandered about in the lairs of plutocracy, -sent his card in to dozens of men, wasted hours in bleak waiting -rooms with their scant furnishing of variegated chairs and tables, -dusty curtains and innumerable ash trays, smoked idly while hundreds -of clerks ran about, like bees in huge hives, or sat smoking and -drinking tea. But the great men were always out of the city, or sick, -or attending funerals of relatives. There was courtesy everywhere. -Would he not see such and such a secretary or third vice-president -instead? When he insisted, they shook their heads, a bit surprised at -the effrontery of this stranger who thought that he might thus easily -gain speech with the great ones. They were amusingly absurd, these -foreigners, seemed to be their thought. It was as if he had marched -into Buckingham Palace and demanded an interview with King George. -He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> knew that he could probably make his way into even these hallowed -sanctums, should he obtain letters of introduction from the Foreign -Office, which was always most obliging in such matters. He know that -letters of introduction held an exaggerated value, were regarded as -almost indispensable by the Japanese themselves. But they aroused his -resentment, these haughty, purse-proud plutocrats. Evidently talking to -the press was the last thing they desired. Well, let them go to blazes -then; if they did not want him to have their side of the story. He'd -get it elsewhere.</p> - -<p>But Kent's peregrinations into the labyrinth of Japanese economics were -interrupted by a letter from Hopkinson, his editor, brought by hand -by a tourist friend who happened to pass through Japan. Kent was glad -to be certain that it had not passed through the uncertainties of the -Japanese post office or the more insidious danger of the ever prying -unseen hands.</p> - -<p>"I want you to see what information you can get with respect to Japan's -submarine plans," wrote Hopkinson. "Of course, the old exaggerated -feeling of distrust against Japan in America has, since the Conference, -been replaced by a possibly just as exaggerated feeling of confidence -in her will to disarm. You will get what I am driving at by reading -the Bywater article which I enclose, particularly the part where he -says about Japan: 'With the possible exception of France, she is the -only signatory which has laid the keels of new cruisers, destroyers and -submarines since the limitation program was negotiated, and she is the -only one who is now at work on a large program of these vessels.—The -Japanese submarine flotilla is very much stronger both in numbers and -individual power than is generally known, and no other navy in the -world is building so many sea-going boats.—During the past three years -no coastal submarines have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> built in Japan, every boat being laid -down within that period having been designed for long-range cruising.' -Take this in connection with the speech of the Japanese War Minister, -which you recently sent us, in which he declares that 'if a nation has -large wealth, small standing armaments will suffice, for such a nation -will be able to expand fully its armaments in case of emergency. On -the contrary, a poor nation is necessarily compelled to develop its -armaments gradually, for it would be unable to expand them rapidly.'</p> - -<p>"We don't want sensational stuff, as you know, for we intend to carry -on our policy of fostering friendship as long as possible, but we want -you to get as much dope as you can, if for nothing else, at least for -our own guidance and future reference——"</p> - -<p>Damn it! Just as he was getting well started with the economic matter, -he would have to devote his main energies to this distasteful task. -He liked the Japanese and took far more pleasure in his stories which -were to Japan's credit than in those which were not. However, there -was some satisfaction in knowing that the <i>Chronicle</i> would pursue its -usual conservative policy. As he thought the matter over, he became -more interested. Of course, the situation should be covered. Heretofore -he had followed it only in a general way, but had been inclined to -overlook its importance because of his interest in the economic and -social unrest.</p> - -<p>"It's going to be the devil's own job," he said to Karsten, as they -were smoking their pipes after dinner. "If there's one thing the -Japanese keep quiet about, it's their submarines; and, of course, -nothing in the Conference agreement prevents them from building as many -as they like. And, besides, they are the obvious weapon of defense -against America. Japan has an ideal situation with a long barrier of -islands running from Saghalien as far as the Equator, if you include<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> -the Mandate Islands. Yes, I know that under the Mandate terms, she -can't fortify them, but the Germans showed that any little place with -a few barrels of oil on it can make a submarine base. They can place -the oil there in a jiffy, if they expect trouble. Maybe it is already -there; oil can be used for lots of things besides war. There's nothing -to prevent it. With a chain of island supply stations and a great -fleet of submarines Japan can put up a wonderful defense and commerce -destruction. That's all self-evident. The job is going to be to find -out what they are doing in that line and what they intend to do. It's a -regular Oppenheim job. What do you think of it?"</p> - -<p>"You know I don't take much interest in that sort of thing," Karsten -rubbed his chin thoughtfully, stood up and began pacing the floor. -"Still, of course, one hears a lot of talk, and I think that most -foreigners here have about the same idea on the matter. The submarine -is Japan's natural weapon to-day. A few years ago, before America -entered the war, Japan thought she could lick the United States and her -strategy was based on offensive lines. When she found to her bitter -disappointment that America really could fight, she began to revise -her opinion, and when America's program of bigger fortifications in -Hawaii and elsewhere was brewing, she felt that she had no choice but -to continue feverishly with the Eight-and-Eight battle fleet program -which she had originated when the idea was to lick America. But she -could never have kept it up. She couldn't have afforded it. Of course, -the militarists are professionals who don't care about anything but -the army and navy. They would have insisted, even if the country had -been bled white. But even then, even if she had managed to build the -fleet, she couldn't have kept it up. Her war savings are decreasing at -an alarming rate, her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> national wealth, commerce, industry, the whole -thing is decreasing. The Washington Conference was the biggest bit of -luck that ever happened to Japan. It enabled her to save her face, and -to make a big play to gain international confidence—which I'm glad she -got—and at the same time to save her from the necessity of building a -vast fleet of battleships, which she couldn't afford, and do it with -the assurance that America wouldn't outstrip her in a naval race either.</p> - -<p>"So as Japan had, reluctantly, made up her mind that she must change -to a defensive strategy anyway, she is just as well off with a fleet -of submarines, which won't cost her nearly so much. Then, when I -said that the submarine was Japan's natural weapon, I meant it in a -psychological sense also. Remember, it has always been Japan's cue to -watch wars and take lessons from them. Nothing probably impressed her -quite so much as the fact that Germany almost beat England, in spite of -her great battleships, with her <i>unterseeboten</i>. The general horror of -the 'frightfulness' involved never touched Japan. She simply couldn't -see the idea. It was virtually successful—would have been entirely -so had Germany had the advantages that Japan has—and, personally, I -don't believe that the militarists have one ethic to rub on another, -so to speak. They'd cheerfully adopt German frightfulness, with such -improvements as they might devise, and never even be able to see that -it was morally wrong, so long as they thought that it would work and -that they could get away with it. You know that the German methods -never aroused the slightest feeling of disgust or horror in the -people of Japan. They honestly wondered what the devil we were making -such a fuss about. The militarists saw, sadly, that the German war -machine, which they had used as a model, went to smash, that they'd -have to remodel. There was never, with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> whole people, any enmity -against Germany. At one time, during the spring of 1917 I think it -was, when some British ship had stopped a Japanese boat to search -for Germans, the feeling against England was far stronger than it -ever was against Germany. At the time of the Paris Conference, when -the rest of the world was yelling to hang the Kaiser, his picture, -mustaches, eagle helmet and all, was offered for sale in windows not a -block from Hibiya—though at reduced prices, it's fair to add. That's -why I say that the submarine is Japan's natural weapon. It suits her -geographically, financially and ethically. Go to it, old man, there's a -story there, all right—but I don't think you'll get it."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2> - -<p>The more he thought it over, the more the new assignment appealed -to Kent. It required close thinking. He must move with the utmost -caution lest suspicion be aroused which would close up every source of -information instantly. He did not know just where to begin. He must -proceed very indirectly. The difficulty began to fascinate him.</p> - -<p>Finally he made up his mind that he might as well begin with old -Viscount Kikuchi, the father of young Kikuchi of the Foreign Office, -member of the Privy Council, whom he had met through the son and whom -he called on occasionally. The name of the Viscount appeared only -seldom in the papers, but he was considered by those in the know to be -the most brilliant mind in the council, the best informed in respect -to international politics; some even insisted that he was the actual -director of Japan's foreign policy. Kent had a great liking for him, -a gentleman of the old school, who with his marvelously diversified -information with regard to the most intricate ramifications of politics -of Europe, America and Asia, wide reading in several languages, still -chose to preserve the manner and appearance, the admirable traditions -of vanishing Japan. His finely chiseled features and long, white beard -inspired a feeling of respect, almost reverence, lent him the aspect of -a Confucian sage of the old Chinese prints, heightened by the toga-like -simplicity of his black silk kimono, unornamented save for the <i>go -mon</i>, the family crest, a white circle with a conventional heraldic -device, white on the field of black<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> on the back below the neck and on -the sleeves. He valued the Viscount highly as a source of information -and had often been pleasantly surprised at the frankness with which -he gave out facts which Kent had not thought it possible to gain, -disdaining the secrecy about petty matters so dear to the lesser minds -of Japanese officialdom.</p> - -<p>Kent had not called for almost a month. It was quite natural to do -so now. The Viscount occupied a vast room on the third floor of an -office building near Hibiya, an odd rookery housing half a dozen of the -euphoniously named societies which have sprung up like mushrooms, in -Japan, and which serve no apparent purpose except that of furnishing -presidencies and vice-presidencies in legion to numerous honorable -gentlemen. As he climbed upward he passed the doors of the Society for -Inculcation of Spiritual Influences Among Workmen, the Foreign Policy -Debating Club, the Bolivian-Japanese Friendship Society, with their -drowsy office boys and idle secretaries smoking over <i>hibachi</i>,—a -queer collection of vapid purposelessness serving as a foil for the -activities of the busy brain up above.</p> - -<p>But as Kent climbed up the stairway, he was thinking of the coming -interview, how he would lead off with the economic situation, stressing -the decline of Japan's finances and industries. Gradually he would -creep over to the taxation question, try to bring in the disappointing -lack of tax reduction in spite of the fact that armaments were being -reduced; possibly he might even venture to refer to Bywater, if it -seemed propitious and natural—it would depend on how things developed. -He would have to——</p> - -<p>Suddenly, as if blotted out by a flash of blinding light, the whole -train of thoughts vanished, was obliterated completely. He found -himself staring at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> a face looking down at him from the landing -above that smote his senses, dumbfounded them with an overwhelming -realization of having been instantaneously, unexpectedly, brought face -to face with the essence of beauty, flawless, sublime, irradiating its -splendor towards him, as he advanced slowly, hesitatingly, upwards. In -the few moments which it took to mount the half dozen steps a whirl -of thoughts raced through his brain, each one clear-cut enough, like -the rapid succession of minute individual pictures of a cinema film, -yet all melting into one another, unifying into the one idea that here -was the marvel, a revelation—and yet it was not the instantaneous -flash of love, the <i>coup de foudre</i>, desire of fulfillment of desire, -possession; but rather the marvelous rapt wonder and delight at -magnificent, brilliant beauty, impersonal almost, as one may be struck -with ecstasy at the unexpected revealment of a splendid landscape -glimpsed suddenly through a rift in fog. In the half-light he was aware -mainly of the eyes, deep, dark, lustrously brilliant against her pale -face, framed by a cloud of black hair. It was as if he were advancing -into their luster, as if it suffused him.</p> - -<p>As he stood in front of the table where she sat facing the stairs, -he felt breathless, confused at the necessity for drab, commonplace -action. He bowed ceremoniously, fished for his card case, conscious of -the wonder in her eyes, pleased at her smile, irritated with the sense -that he must be appearing like a fool, and still sensing delighted -gratification in the feeling of her presence.</p> - -<p>Was the Viscount in? Yes. She took his card, flitted behind a screen -which separated her place from the main part of the great room. Yes, -the Viscount would see him. He noted the whiteness of her teeth as she -smiled. As he found a seat facing the Viscount,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> he discovered with joy -that he was able to look past the corner of the screen at the profile -of the girl as she sat at her post facing the stairway.</p> - -<p>He tried to pull his thoughts together for the interview. Hang it, -it would be hard to think connectedly; the nicely arranged logic of -his questions had flown from him. He experienced intense relief when -he heard, as if from a distance, the words of the Viscount—he was -extremely sorry; he was glad to see him, but it happened that he had an -important engagement. He must leave in just a few minutes. Would not -Kent come again soon, at almost any time. He should be glad to give him -all the time he might wish.</p> - -<p>What luck! Kent was glad at the heaven-sent granting of grace; he only -hated the necessity of leaving, of tearing himself away from this place -where he might sit and look at that girl, this revelation of beauty -which had come upon him by the wondrously kind offices of fate.</p> - -<p>He shook hands with the Viscount. Safely behind the screen, as he -passed the girl, he bowed to her, with the ceremony as if she were a -great lady of the aristocracy, emphasized it, wishing to convey to -her, in some way, some indication of his desire to pay tribute to -that inexpressible perfection. As he made the turn of the stairway he -glanced back up at her. She was looking at him and smiled again. He -thought he detected a glint of something in her eyes, understanding, -gratification, something, anyway, which he might construe into the -slightest possible spark of a beginning of acquaintance.</p> - -<p>He crossed through Hibiya Park and found a bench where he might sit -and get order into the confusion of his impressions. Love at first -sight? No, that was not it; there was no feeling of covetousness, of -passionate desire to win, conquer, possess; rather an <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>overwhelming -longing to be in her presence, to sense that feeling of being -pleasurably suffused by the irradiation of pure, sheer beauty, as one -might bask in warm, brilliant sunshine. It was an odd, undefinable -sensation, defying logic or analysis. But why bother? He was wholly -overcome with the impression that great good fortune had come upon him. -He wanted to be near her, that was all. There was nothing to ponder -over except the means as to how he might contrive that.</p> - -<p>Of course, he would have a chance to see her when he called on the -Viscount. He would call soon, to-morrow—no, that would be Friday, the -day for meeting of the Privy Council, and the Viscount would not be at -his office—would not be at his office—— In a flash the inspiration -came to him: why, that is just the time you must call, you fool; you'll -have a chance to see her, to talk to her alone, to gain a little -headway in acquaintance.</p> - -<p>Through the day the thought kept recurring constantly, insistingly. -To-morrow. It interfered with other thoughts. Well, let them go. He -would think of her. But what did he want, anyway; what would it lead -to? He knew distinctly that he was not seeking a flirtation, a love -affair. She had not impressed him that way at all. Could one then not -be on terms of just friendship with a girl, enjoying her beauty as one -would that of a picture, a gorgeous temple, or a fine, rich brocade, -only that? Still, the idea kept clamoring, if they became friends, -intimate friends, would not, inevitably, time come when he would want -to hold her hand, gather her, the whole glorious sum of her beauty, -in his arms. He tried to push the thought away. That was not what he -wanted. It was the idea of the delicacy, the purity of relation which -fascinated him; to hold her tenderly, as one might a frail, fragile<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> -flower, a dainty, vivid butterfly, untouched, untainted by touch of -physical possession. Something, cynically suggestive, insisting in -crowding up from the depth of his mind, irritated him, like a mocking -face grinning at him insinuatingly. Hang it all! He must know her, that -was all there was to it. He would see her in the morning.</p> - -<p>The following day, as he looked forward to the time when he might go to -her, new, disturbing thoughts kept cropping up. It seemed so foolish, -this suddenly being smitten by what had seemed to him an apparition -of perfection of beauty. Such could not appear, did not appear in -the persons of typists in Tokyo office buildings. The Japanese term -"<i>nido-bikuri</i>" shot into his mind, the laconically descriptive slang -phrase, literally "twice surprised," referring to the delighted wonder -of first sight of what appears to be perfection of beauty—the first -surprise—which is dissipated by the second closer sight thereof, -shattering the illusion—the second surprise. Probably he would find -that she was, after all, but a pretty little typist, dainty, attractive -and all that, but no more; that sober reality would cause this -iridescent bubble of fancy to dissolve instantaneously into its plain -component suds on which he might but stare in foolish disillusionment.</p> - -<p>He made up his mind to banish from his mind all idea of romance, to -look upon her critically. If he had invested this girl with a glamor -of beauty created out of his own imagination, he would know it. He -tried to prepare himself for certain disappointment; of course, he had -been an ass. Still, as he climbed the stairs, his senses were aquiver -with an irrepressible anxiety,—what if she should be real, after all? -He peered eagerly up at her. Again the sense of beauty, the radiant -magnetism of it, swept over him; but he put it off, forced himself -to note that that dim half-light, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span>which her black hair set against -the golden background of the great gilt screen behind her on which -refractions of light from beyond made a delicate shimmer and play of -faint aureate coruscations, might be limning a nimbus which would fade -away in the cold brightness of clear, white daylight.</p> - -<p>Of course, he knew that she would tell him that Viscount Kikuchi was -absent. He had planned for all that. Too bad! Might he not have a -place for a moment where he might write him a note? She led him to -the great desk in the big room. Now would be his chance—but before -he could obtain a satisfactory look at her, she had disappeared. Hang -it! He began to write his note. He had it all in his head, merely a -polite word of regret, an assurance that his coming again so soon did -not indicate that what he had in mind was at all important. He would -call again. But he wrote slowly, hoping that she would come. Still -he did not hear her until she was close beside him, with a tray with -cigarettes and tea. She set it before him and stood facing him, a few -feet distant, courteously at his service. All this would give time. He -sipped slowly from the tiny, bowl-like cup, of the pale green, slightly -aromatic fluid, took a cigarette, lit it. With the feeling of one who -has placed a stake against the chance of a spun coin—he leaned back -and looked at her.</p> - -<p>Thank God, she was pretty, yes, even beautiful, with that great crown -of soft black hair framing features delicately carved, finely-drawn -crescent eyebrows; slender figure, but with the slightest suggestion -of warm, soft curves under the closely clinging texture of the kimono. -But it was the eyes which held him. He had often felt the appeal of -the eyes of Japanese girls, with their appearance of intense blackness -until very close view revealed the dark-brown shade, but in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> this -girl's eyes was a depth, a liquid sheen of luminous, limpid blackness -which fascinated and held.</p> - -<p>The feeling came to him that she was smiling. The mouth, features -remained calm, unchanged, but it was as if she could convey with these -marvelously expressive eyes alone mirth, amusement, probably also -sorrow, anger, anything.</p> - -<p>"I am sorry to have troubled you." He had to say something, even though -he should have liked just to sit there and fill his eyes with the sight -of her. "I hope I have not disturbed you—er——?"</p> - -<p>"My name is Adachi." She had caught the question which he had meant to -imply.</p> - -<p>"I have not seen you here before, Adachi-san."</p> - -<p>"No, I have been here only a few weeks."</p> - -<p>As he sipped his tea, he employed all his wit to maintain the -conversation, enjoying the clear, soft sound of her voice, its musical -contralto tone reminiscent of the subdued resonance of a great brass -temple bell from a distance. But he wanted principally to build up -ground for more intimate acquaintance, to become established as at -least some one just a little more personal than the ordinary caller. -She was smilingly responsive, gracious. He managed to remain a half -hour, with commonplaces. The weather led to talk of the countryside, -places she had seen, his own stay in Japan, and on to his impressions -of the country, to mutual tastes.</p> - -<p>He came away with a pleasant feeling of success that he had not been -disappointed. Prosaic as their conversation had been, there had -been a subtle, warm undercurrent of understanding, mutual sympathy, -which was leading swiftly, surely, towards friendship. It was one of -Karsten's theories that the feeling of attraction between men and -women was intrinsically governed by an as yet little understood, -undefined element of something like telepathy—that such <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span>attraction -as was produced by merely physical features, such as beauty, for -instance, was, if not unessential, at least only an outward, largely -crude feature of the play of the relation between sexes. It could -be explained most closely, said Karsten, in terms of physics, the -response which is established between instruments similarly attuned, -an intangible, invisible condition, which draws humans irresistibly, -apparently irrationally, together in one case, while in another, where -outward circumstances would seem to be more conducive thereto, they -remain untouched, cold. Of course, there was something in it. Kent felt -that some sort of sympathy like that existed between this girl and -himself. Oddly, he was certain that he was not in love with her, and -yet he craved intensely for intimate companionship with her.</p> - -<p>A few days later he called again on the Viscount. He should have liked -to have arranged it again so he would see the girl alone; still, it -was time to get to work, to try somehow to establish a beginning point -whence he might evolve his information. The beginning of the interview -moved smoothly as he had planned, almost too smoothly. They arrived -at the crucial point, the Bywater article, so easily that Kent had an -uneasy sense that this smoothness, this facility, was deceptive, that -the Viscount by some trick of intuition knew what he was after and was -leading him on. The feeling disturbed him; he had to strive to overcome -a sense of diffidence, a suspicion that he was but being played with by -this uncannily clever diplomat, the master mind of the Japanese Empire, -who had for decades gained experience at this game in bouts with the -best trained brains of Europe and America.</p> - -<p>"To come to the point, Mr. Kent, the fact is that it is believed, or -at least suspected, that Japan, while living up to the letter of the -Washington Conference<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> agreement, is, in fact, violating the spirit -thereof; that while she is keeping her battle fleet strictly within -the ratio of six to America's and England's ten, as she agreed to do, -she is trying to make up for the difference in ratio by building up a -great fleet of powerful submarines. I am glad that we may take up this -matter together, for it is important that this misunderstanding be set -right. The fact is, as naval statistics which have already been made -public will show you, that we are merely trying to make our auxiliary -fleet forces catch up to the proper proportion they should bear to the -battle fleet. As you know, Japan is a poor country. In the past the -naval authorities decided to build a great fleet of vessels of the -first class, but to do so they had to give up building the number of -auxiliary craft which is generally considered by the naval experts of -all countries to be the minimum necessary to keep up the proportion -between battleships and auxiliaries. In other words, as we did not have -enough money to have both first-class ships and auxiliaries, we decided -to build the big ships, even though we knew that we should be short -of the smaller ones. Now that the Conference has made it unnecessary -to spend the great sums set aside for battleship construction, we are -using the chance to build smaller craft to the number necessary to make -proper proportion. That's the reason you hear that we are building some -submarines; but remember there's nothing sinister about that. We are -merely rounding out our construction program along the lines recognized -as being proper by all naval authorities. Of course, the mere fact -that we are building is being made use of by the anti-Japanese -propagandists, who seize anything whatever to make out a case against -Japan. It's partly because Japan's liberal diplomacy of recent years -had cut very short the crop of material that may be used as propaganda<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> -against us. We have always kept our word in both letter and spirit. -We gave the Chinese liberal terms in the Shantung settlement, and we -have withdrawn our troops from Shantung. We were liberal in respect to -Yap. We have withdrawn our troops from Siberia. We showed the world at -the Washington Conference that we have no militaristic ambitions. Our -action in all these cases has deprived the anti-Japanese propagandists -of their old weapons, so now they must invent stuff for calumny. All we -want is fair play. I know that you, Mr. Kent, are as interested as I -am in maintaining the friendly spirit now existing between America and -Japan; that you are glad to help combat the mischief-makers. Of course, -you know that I must never be quoted—but I give you my word that -there is not the slightest basis in fact for the belief that Japan is -violating either the letter or the spirit of the Washington agreement, -and the talk about her building an unduly large submarine fleet is pure -buncombe."</p> - -<p>The Viscount spoke earnestly, with a tone which made for conviction -even though Kent had believed that he would talk on just about these -lines. He had been impressed, had leaned forward intent to follow -every word of the old statesman. Now he relaxed a little, leaned back -in his chair, let his eye wander. Suddenly he felt as if some one had -called sharply for his attention; involuntarily, mechanically, he -looked past the screen. She was peering intently into the room, frankly -eavesdropping, and her eyes were fixed on his as if she wished by mere -force of will to compel him to look at her. Apparently that was it, -for immediately the appearance of concentration vanished. She rose, -gathered some envelopes and descended the stairs noiselessly in her -soft <i>zori</i>.</p> - -<p>There had been something indefinably impressive about these quite -ordinary actions. Of course, she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> would probably ordinarily have -called from the hall below one of the innumerable office boys to mail -her letters. That she had chosen to go herself might have some slight -significance; but, even beyond that, the conviction came upon him as -clearly as if she had shouted it to him that she wished to speak to -him. Could it be that she really wanted to see him? The interview was -over. He must go, anyway. He would soon know.</p> - -<p>He thanked the Viscount, feeling the while that, impressed as he had -been while under the direct sway of the old man's magnetism, the -interview would become cold, worth little, when examined in the somber -light of appraisement of its worth as copy. Had he been able to quote -Viscount Kikuchi, it might have had some value. But as it was, he had -gained nothing, not even the slightest clew. They shook hands and he -left.</p> - -<p>Once on the street, he glanced eagerly up and down for the nearest -post-box. Yes, there she was, half hidden by the red, stunted column. -He went up to her eagerly. She made no pretense that she was not -waiting for him. As he came close, he could see that she was excited, -almost breathless.</p> - -<p>He lifted his hat. "Adachi-san." But she was too eager to pay heed to -mere matters of courtesy. "Mr. Kent," for a moment he felt the pressure -of a small hand on his sleeve, "he lied to you."</p> - -<p>He was struck utterly dumb, could but stare at her amazed. His first -reaction was one of disappointment. As he had hastened down to see her, -he had had no conscious thought of what he might expect. His whole mind -had been concentrated on the question as to whether he had really been -right in thinking that she wished to see him clandestinely, out of the -hearing of the Viscount. Now he realized that he must, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span>subconsciously, -have expected something quite different, something in the lines of -furtherance of purely personal intimacy. And here she was evidently not -interested in him at all as an individual, but had some obscure purpose -connected with the political issue. He had to wrench his mind into -adjustment to this entirely new aspect of the matter, as he stood, hat -still in his hand, gaping at her.</p> - -<p>"What? Lied about what? Do tell me——"</p> - -<p>But her eagerness had disappeared, though the excitement remained as -her eyes flickered up and down the street. "No. I can't tell you, -not now. I must hurry back to the office. The Viscount will miss me. -Good-by."</p> - -<p>She ran swiftly from him before he could even try to retain her.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll be hanged!"</p> - -<p>Again he found the park a handy retreat where he might enter and -ruminate undisturbed over the tangle of events of the last half-hour, -the statement of the Viscount, the inexplicable mystery of this girl's -sudden injection of herself into the game as one of the players where -she should ordinarily have remained even less than a mere pawn; the -bearing that her taking a hand therein might have on the solution of -his problem.</p> - -<p>As he reasoned it out, he decided that, as he had gained nothing from -the interview, he might, by some chance whim of fortune, have made a -still greater gain by the new element added by the girl's appearance -in the play. Apparently she knew something. She might know a great -deal. And evidently she wished to give him information, to put him -straight. Why? It was not because she took any great personal interest -in him; he was sure of that; her manner had shown no trace whatever of -the element of individual attraction. Still,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> what her reason might be -was, after all, a secondary consideration; it was what she knew, what -she could tell him, evidently wished to tell him, that mattered. He -must follow up this chance-sent opportunity. Of course, he must see -her again. She must expect it. It might be worse. Here he had wished -to enter into some closer relation with her, friendship, intimate -association, and now the chance had come; although from an amazingly -unexpected angle. It even fitted right in with his work—but—as he -thought it over, the keenness of the feeling of good luck faded. It was -too romantic, melodramatic. He looked upon his work in the cold, keen -light of the professional, as a gatherer of facts, of news, prosaic, -practical, disdaining the blatant injection therein of the personal -element of the "trained seals." He might enjoy betimes coloring the -drabness of everyday existence by trying to apply tints of romance—he -had been rather inclined to do so lately; possibly it was the glamor -of newness of a strange land, or a reflection from his association -with Karsten,—but work and romance were inconsistent, conflicting. He -did not want to mix personal relation with this girl with business, -make use of her as a tool for prying into the secrets of Japanese -officialdom. Such use of women might be practical, it had undoubtedly -served in many cases, but it was distasteful to him, repellent. But, -on the other hand, what could he do? The girl herself wished it. He -was not stalking her, treacherously, with cold calculation, trying to -inveigle her into an affair of affections with the intention of making -her serve his purposes. It seemed rather as if she thought that, in -some undiscernible way, he might serve hers. He did not know what to -make of it. At one moment he would be pleased, exultant even, at this -element of intense interest injected into his existence, and the next -he would be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> mystified, perplexed, impatient at his inability to see -the road before him.</p> - -<p>Women! It seemed as if one must ever become entangled, somehow, in the -insinuating meshes of their ubiquitous activities.</p> - - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2> - - -<p>For days he went about in a state of irritating uncertainty. What -should be his next step? There was no good reason for seeking further -speech with the Viscount for the present. Obviously the alternative -was to contrive to meet her on her way to or from the office, but this -method was distasteful to him, savored too much of lying in wait for -her, stalking her, as might a roué bent on philanderous enterprise. On -the other hand, his conscience troubled him. Here it was possible, even -likely that this girl might hold the key to his story, might give him -the starting point which he needed. He owed loyalty to his paper. He -felt that he was caught in a dilemma from which he might not extricate -himself entirely honorably.</p> - -<p>One morning, at the Foreign Office, young Kikuchi dropped a chance -remark that his father had gone to Odawara for a few days. The idea -struck Kent that here lay the way out. Fate seemed deliberately to have -thrown the solution in his way, so he might see her without resorting -to slinking contrivances. He looked at his watch. It was half-past -eleven; this was Saturday and quite likely she would leave at noon. He -hurried to her office. She was evidently about to leave.</p> - -<p>"I am sorry. The Viscount has gone to the country." He thought he -detected a hint of mischief in her eyes. Did she suspect him?</p> - -<p>Would he have some tea? She came to his rescue before he had bethought -himself of the next step. What a blessing that eternal tea-drinking -ceremonial<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> could prove at times. Why, of course, he should like it -very much.</p> - -<p>So again he found himself in one of the Viscount's great chairs, alone -with her. She brought the tray with tea and cigarettes. His success -made him bolder. "Have some with me, please do."</p> - -<p>It startled her a little. "Why, of course not."</p> - -<p>"Why not? It is the custom in foreign countries, and I am a foreigner. -Please?"</p> - -<p>She smiled at his earnestness and gave in. Presently they were sipping -tea together. The scene assumed an air of intimacy. They chatted -pleasantly. The light silk shawl about her shoulders gave him a cue. -"You're about to go out, are you not. I really shouldn't keep you, -but——"</p> - -<p>"No, it's all right. It is Saturday, and I was thinking of going to the -pictures."</p> - -<p>The pictures! So she was another of Japan's millions of movie -worshipers who form their ideas of Western civilization from the -frenzied life of the cinema, Wild West pictures of cowboys rescuing -lovely heroines from Indians and bandits, dainty damsels abducted -in madly racing automobiles, passionate love scenes in lavishly -upholstered abodes of plutocracy, gun-play and murder in city -streets—all the wildly gyrating, delirious melodrama which ingenuous -Japan seriously believes to be representative of life on the other side -of the ocean. The thought of the discomfort of most of the Tokyo movie -theaters, ramshackle fire-traps crowded with squirming, perspiring -humanity, stifling in the afternoon heat, repelled him; still, it would -not matter.</p> - -<p>"I like the pictures very much too," he lied. "I wish you would let me -go with you."</p> - -<p>But she shook her head determinedly. No, a foreigner and a Japanese -girl! It was too unusual. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p> - -<p>"But are you then so old-fashioned?" He noted her quick frown. He had -gained a little. "Are you then one of these Japanese who, like the old -shoguns, want to hold Japan apart from the rest of civilization?" Now -he knew he had the right argument.</p> - -<p>She flashed at him. "I am not old-fashioned." Her tone softened a -little. "But, of course, you know it is a little unusual for a Japanese -girl and a foreign man to go on the street together."</p> - -<p>He sensed that he had won and made no further argument, only rose and -waited while she took away the tray. Together they went down the steps.</p> - -<p>"And now where?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Why, Uyeno, of course, the art exhibition. I thought you——"</p> - -<p>He hastened to cut her short. "Yes, I know. But it is far. Let us have -tiffin first. Where? What do you prefer, Japanese or foreign food."</p> - -<p>He knew she would prefer the rare experience of a foreign restaurant, -as Japanese girls almost invariably do. They went to one of the best -in Tokyo, a large, airy place thoroughly modern, a hot, wet towel in -a small wicker tray, for wiping the face after the meal, being the -sole concession to Japanese custom. As he sat facing her, he watched -appreciatively the dainty grace with which her slim fingers, long -practiced in agile manipulation of chopsticks, managed easily the -unfamiliar silver. She was enjoying it, flushed a little, happily. He -knew he would gain pleasure from this germinating friendship.</p> - -<p>He wished to call a taxi, but she restrained him. "No, Uyeno is not so -far. We will go by tram."</p> - -<p>But why bother about a crowded tram? Taxis were not such a luxury.</p> - -<p>"But they are a luxury. Why should we spend<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> money needlessly when the -masses of the people must ride in trams or even walk. It is wrong." Her -earnestness amused him. The deep seriousness of her expression lent her -a charm as that of a child artlessly philosophizing. What odd surprises -they held, the minds of these Japanese girls, ideas shaped from -impressions gained God knows where. They compromised on an auto-bus.</p> - -<p>The exhibition was crowded. It had always pleased him to note the -character of the people who thronged such places, art galleries, -concerts, theaters, high and low, rich and poor, a great number, in -fact, persons to whom even the smallest fee must mean sacrifice of -some material need. And here they were, as usual, small merchants, -poorly paid artisans, some even fairly close to the coolie type, -solemnly, seriously viewing the pictures, saying but little, absorbing, -gratifying a natural, spontaneous love of beauty. What would happen to -a New York bricklayer should he suggest to his mate that they go to see -the Metropolitan Art Gallery? The grotesque contrast of the idea amused -him.</p> - -<p>They went through the Japanese art section first. He always enjoyed -this part the best, for while he had small technical knowledge of art, -he sensed a subtle gratification from the consummate perfection which -the artists of Nippon had attained in this field of their own where -century after century of painstakingly striving lovers of beauty had -succeeded in gradually climbing higher and higher towards fashioning -in concrete form the mirages of their vision. The eye rested, filled -itself with the wealth of delicate beauty of pure, surely drawn lines, -marvelously blended symphonies of color, almost imperceptible nuances -of shade and tint, a myriad of infinitely carefully elaborated details -which the makers contrived to weld into perfectly <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span>balanced, full-toned -consonance. There were the tremendous six-leafed screen paintings, -incidents from legend or history of feudal Japan, knights in armor -with long two-handed swords, archers with bow and quiver, women in -scintillating kimono and elaborate coiffure, or, of even more ancient -period, in simple flowing robes and with hair falling loose over their -shoulders, reminiscent of the art of China, the original inspiration -whence Japan had worked out that which was now her glorious own. There -were landscapes on screen or scroll, serrated crag and cliff with -gnarled pines overhanging foaming stream or glittering waterfall; -quaint and charming bits of life of old, or still existing but ever -disappearing Japan,—dancers in graceful postures, young girls in -boats, slender lily hands lying languidly in limpid waters, brown old -men, sickle in hand, garnering the rice, each ear of hundreds drawn -with veritable botanical accuracy of detail, still retaining the free, -swaying grace of nature.</p> - -<p>It always cost him an effort to leave this section to enter that -devoted to art after Western fashion, which was constantly, year after -year, encroaching on, elbowing out of the way that fashioned after the -ideals of old Japan. A few years ago there had been only a couple of -these modern rooms; now those of the old and the new were almost even; -soon the latter would predominate entirely. It seemed such a pity; it -irritated him, the relentlessness of this march of progress? Still, it -was in its way more instructive than the other, gave concrete, graphic -illustration of the ideas and ideals of the young generation, what it -was seeking, striving for, more or less uncertainly, but always coming -nearer to the goal ever shimmering before it, mastery of the modern, -the new culture.</p> - -<p>They were improving. Every year the exhibitions showed more certain -mastery of technique, better grasp<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> of the spirit of the French art -which seemed to be the almost universally accepted school. Kent -admitted it to himself grudgingly; every step in advance in this -direction meant defeat of the old. What would it all amount to, after -all? Even if, with their amazing facility for copying, for imitation, -they might produce work which was creditable, which might pass muster -even in Europe, as, in fact, some of the things he saw before him -might, they would probably never climb out beyond the mediocre, would -never attain original achievement. There were some very good portraits, -excellent flower pieces, though, of course, this was but natural, -considering that this subject was a preëminent favorite with the -Japanese schools. Even some of the landscapes were undeniably fine, -though, he noted, this was the case especially where some Oriental -subject had been chosen, great, carved junks with blood-red sails -glaring in the sunlight against a faint blue sky; mountain scenes -following largely the composition of <i>kakemono</i> subjects, the delicacy -of the latter being replaced by the more massive boldness made possible -by the medium of canvas and oils.</p> - -<p>He felt that he was ungenerous; still it irritated him that they -should be making such headway in their apostacy. Only the nudes gave -him an incongruous sense of satisfaction. They were atrocious and the -exhibit was cluttered with them. In the old art of Japan, <i>kakemono</i>, -color-print and screen, they were virtually unknown, but during the -last few years the craze for them had swept over the moderns like an -obsession; the very fact that they were utterly new to Japan, the -sense that they were unconventional, modern, outré, was undoubtedly -the reason. So there they were, scores of them, clumsy masses of -female flesh, blatantly brazen, in all sorts of absurd and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> contorted -attitudes—and all these women were not nude, they were naked. The -conception of the spirit, the idea of their French masters, the verve, -the <i>élan</i>, they had missed it all. The paintings were bad, and the -sculpture, with which the rooms were filled, was worse. Evidently these -young enthusiasts had rushed forth fanatically intent to place on -canvas something naked; almost anything would do. The clumsy, paunchy -forms, shapeless limbs, invariably thick ankles, all seemed to indicate -that they had found their models where best they might, among country -wenches and servant maids, bringing forth on canvas or from clay mere -lumps of flesh, utterly soulless reproductions of female kind.</p> - -<p>Did they really wish to convey the idea that Japanese women looked like -that? Did they wish, barbarously, to slaughter the conception of the -<i>musume</i>, delicate, graceful, beautiful, and to substitute therefor as -the ideal mere worship of flesh of the flesh? Damn them, it seemed such -stupid, wanton brutality, brutishness even; a grossly sensuous libel -on the womanhood of Japan. He glanced at Adachi-san, slender, dainty, -flower-like. How was such a grotesque misconception possible?</p> - -<p>He felt that she should have resented all this; but she was interested, -far more absorbed in the moderns than she had been in the exhibits -after the ancient mode. This was the section which young Japan enjoyed. -Here the art students thronged, proud of their achievements or those -of their fellows, young men with velvet jackets and baggy trousers, -flowing ties and broad-brimmed, flapping hats. Their coarse, black -hair flowed loosely down to their shoulders; those who could manage it -had painstakingly cultivated little Van Dyke beards. Nearly all wore -enormous, horn-rimmed spectacles. Here they were in their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> element, -prideful, self-certain in their assurance that they had advanced far -beyond the <i>hoi polloi</i>, that they were the leaders. Conspicuously they -would form groups, point out, discuss, criticize or go into raptures.</p> - -<p>Evidently Adachi-san was quite well known here. Young fellows would bow -to her, some would even address a few short remarks. She was plainly -enjoying it all; she tried to communicate some of her enthusiasm to -Kent, called his attention to work which she thought was well done. -She even used some of the technical patter of the students. He wished -he had been better informed in art, that he might have placed in -convincing form the criticism which craved for expression. He was -relieved when they left the exposition and began their return through -Uyeno Park.</p> - -<p>They found a seat at the edge of an abrupt slope where they had a -wide view of the city. "You didn't care for it, Kent-san?" Her voice -conveyed her disappointment.</p> - -<p>"But I did. I like the truly Japanese things immensely; but that's just -it, even though much of the modern stuff is very good—I won't deny -it—it seems to me such a pity that Japan should sacrifice the wondrous -values of her own art merely to trade them for imitations of that of -the West which the other countries can do better than she can; just as -Japan in all other things is throwing away her own which suit her,—her -dress, her architecture, her manners, only to replace them with shoddy -foreign clothes that don't suit Japanese figures; ramshackle hodgepodge -buildings after no style at all; and all the rest. And then these -student fellows. Can't you see that with most of them it is all pose?"</p> - -<p>A couple of the artists passed, bowed courteously. He raised his hat to -them.</p> - -<p>"But it isn't pose, at least with only a few of them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> If you only knew -how some of them slave and toil for the ideals they have, you wouldn't -talk like that. They may seem absurd to you, or funny even, but I tell -you, you would have a different idea of them, if you only knew them."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I daresay they must be interesting to know." Throughout the -afternoon he had sensed an indefinite resentment that she seemed to be -so familiar with them. How did she come to know them so well? It was -not jealousy, still, honestly, it might be something fairly close to -that. But the whole thing irritated him. He wanted to get away from it, -to some other subject. "It is getting quite late, Adachi-san. Let us -have dinner somewhere."</p> - -<p>But she would not get away from it. "Thank you very much, Kent-san. -You're too good to me. But if you really think they may be interesting, -why shouldn't we go to one of the places where they eat, right near -here. Kent-san, you are the only foreigner whom I know, and you seem to -be such, such a reactionary, and I want you to see our side of it. You -foreigners ought to be the ones to help us, you know. I want you to, -please." The slim, white hand was on his sleeve. She was looking at him -earnestly, appealingly almost.</p> - -<p>Hang it, the power which these eyes had over him; they could make him -do anything, he felt. Of course, in a way, that was what he wanted, to -allow himself complete abandon, inertly drifting, dreaming under the -spell of that glorious, pervasive beauty, to let himself go under the -hypnotism of her charm. But this was something entirely different; the -injection of the element of intellect spoiled the whole thing. It was -her beauty, not her brain he wished to enjoy, as one might be dreamily -soothed by the spell of a picture, unheeding the mechanics to which -it owed being. That<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> was her function, beauty. Why should she disrupt -the harmony by bringing in thought, this crass, clamorous new thought -that seemed like a plague of fever obsessing the new generation? "Our" -side of it, she said. He wanted her to be Japan of droning temple -bell, slender pagoda, rich, flaunting silks, not the Japan of steam, -electricity and new thought. But her earnestness softened him. He would -make the best of it. To-day, they had fallen into the wrong setting. He -would contrive, next time, one more congruous with the idea which he -had in mind.</p> - -<p>"All right, Adachi-san, you shall be the guide."</p> - -<p>She was radiant. "Kent-san, you are so good. I want you to be pleased, -and I feel that you are not pleased, but I want you to know us too, me -and my friends, and to like us, if you can."</p> - -<p>They passed down the broad stone steps into a vast space of clanging -street cars and jostling crowds. Then down a side street, a few -blocks. She pointed to a sign, a gaudy female, presumably symbolically -representing art or some such abstraction, holding in one hand a palm -leaf and in the other a paintbrush. Over it was the inscription, in -<i>kata-kana</i> characters, "<i>kafue montomarutoru</i>"; of course, that meant -"café Montmartre."</p> - -<p>He knew scores of the queer new cafés of Tokyo, but this one was of a -type new to him. There were the same rickety tables and chairs, but -crowding the walls, leaving scarcely an inch of clear space, were vast -oil paintings, tremendous stretches of canvas, all depicting nudes, in -every possible position and surrounding, in bath houses and by mountain -pools, posing in front of mirrors or just standing upright vacantly, -without apparent intention at all; huge figures, clumsy, ill-formed, a -mass of light-brown or pink, indelicate flesh pervading and dominating -the entire room. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p> - -<p>The tables were crowded, the long-haired, bespectacled ones had -evidently here a habitat, a homely Parnassus, where they might worship -that which they conceived to be art, amidst an atmosphere of beer, bad -cooking and the eternal nudes. They found seats at a table with some of -them, who smiled and made room with great politeness.</p> - -<p>It was an odd mess. Still, since he was definitely in for it, he might -as well do his best to draw from the incident whatever he might. But he -could not get over the incongruity of it, Adachi-san, dainty, modest, -with only an inch or two of clear ivory-tint below the throat showing -under the embroidered <i>eri</i> neckband, surrounded by this mob-like -throng of utter nakedness.</p> - -<p>"And do you really like all that?" He swept his hand disparagingly -towards the walls.</p> - -<p>"Ssst," she placed her hand warningly on her lips. "Please don't talk -so loud, Kent-san. He made them, the proprietor over there. He runs the -restaurant for a living, but he paints, too, these things."</p> - -<p>Were they all going crazy; even second-class restaurateurs snatching -moments between steaks and chops to worship fanatically at the new -shrines? He was about to speak, to express to her his wonder at these -ever more astounding revelations, when he became aware that some one -had come up to them, a Japanese of about thirty, less conspicuously -bohemian than the others, still apparently one of the artist tribe. He -bowed with quiet dignity to Kent. "I beg your pardon, but I couldn't -help overhearing, and I should like very much to know what you think." -He turned to the girl. "Please, Adachi-san, won't you introduce me to -your friend."</p> - -<p>She was plainly pleased as she made the introductions. Kent was a -friend, she blushed a little. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> newcomer was Sugawa, "a great -artist," she added, "one of our best."</p> - -<p>Sugawa smiled to Kent. "Women exaggerate so," he remarked in perfect -English. Then he fell back to Japanese, evidently for the benefit -of the girl. "I saw you at the exhibition this afternoon, and now -again here, and I am sure that you don't like what we do. You are an -American, are you not? I thought so. And you know we Japanese like -Americans for their frankness, the American frankness. I wish you would -tell me just what you think about it, and, if you care, I'll tell you -just what we think, what we are trying to do."</p> - -<p>"The American frankness." That was the usual prelude, the favorite -gambit for opening a conversation in which Japan drew out skillfully -the thoughts and views of America, but only so seldom gave like return, -remaining unrevealed, unknown, behind that curiously baffling wall of -national reticence. His courtesy had been perfect, disarming; still -what business had he to come breaking in upon them like that! "American -frankness." He probably wouldn't like it when he received it, but since -that was what he asked for, he should have it, in full measure.</p> - -<p>"In the first place, I must tell you that I am no artist and have but -small knowledge of such matters, but I can tell you how I feel, how -probably most of us foreigners feel when we see you lightly abandoning -the immeasurably fine heritage from your forefathers to make mediocre -offerings to foreign idols." He swept on, expressed his feelings just -as he would have spoken to Kittrick or Karsten; it became almost a -tirade. He began referring to pictures he had seen that afternoon, -things he particularly remembered; but as he went on picking into -bits, relentlessly, this and that painting, the clumsy clay images, -the other's face<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> showed no resentment, expressed instead absorbed, -intelligent attention. Kent felt that he had gone a little too far and -wished to tone it down a little.</p> - -<p>"Even if you, some of you, at least, have done surprisingly well, -especially considering the shortness of time, what particular good -will it do? Even if in time you should bring forth a Gauguin or a -Matisse, the others are doing all that; you will have but added to -the cumulative results; whereas in your own field you are unique, -undisputed masters of an art that is valuable and fine, that will -become lost if you fellows don't follow it up. I hope that I have not -offended you, but it seems such a pity."</p> - -<p>The other smiled. "No, of course I'm not offended. I asked for -frankness and got what I asked for. And, you know, it is not new to -me, this feeling of you foreigners that we should continue along the -old line. That's what my teachers were telling me, in America and in -Paris. That's what you Westerners always want, in art, in architecture, -in dress, customs, life, to have us remain the quaint, exotic, strange -country. You are like the people who think it a pity that a pretty -kitten must grow up to be a cat, and who would like to have a child -remain always a child. On one hand you praise the adaptability with -which we have acquired your civilization, and on the other you hate -to see the old, quaint Japan go—to see it change so as to become but -one more of the many countries of the earth which are so much alike. -You feel that the world is becoming too much the same all over, that -London, and New York, and Paris, and now Tokyo will be all the same, -will afford no new, strange sights and sensations; that Japan is being -lost as a charming playground for you. But what about us? In the first -place, we wanted to remain as we were, but the foreigner forced us to -become one with him. No,"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> he smiled, "I don't resent it. I am glad -it happened, but the fact remains. You praise us for adopting your -civilization, and still that doesn't mean only building steamships, -and railroads and all that. That's the least part of it. That's -superficial. What really counts is our emancipation from feudalism, -from the rule of the few masters, attaining expression of the -individuality, and that's the real Western civilization which Japan, -the Japanese people, has just begun to grasp. Then why shouldn't we -follow our own wishes, each his own, each man, for instance, painting -as he pleases, old style, modern style, after Hokusai or after Gauguin. -You say that we are not producing the art of our forefathers, but you -don't see Europe producing any Titians or Tintorettos. Of course, so -far we are only imitating, we are learning, copying, but why shouldn't -we some day do as well as you do, maybe even better? Now we have joined -in the march of progress of common civilization. We can't go backwards, -we can't remain stationary. We must go on. Art is only one phase of the -whole thing, but——"</p> - -<p>But he was interrupted by a jangling of bells, clamor of voices.</p> - -<p>"<i>Gogai!</i>" the hoarse shout came in from the street. "<i>Gogai!</i>"</p> - -<p>An extra. They were rushing to the windows, the door. "Hey, come here, -in here."</p> - -<p>A little old man ran in, breathless, amid a jingle from a bunch of -small bells clustered from his belt. Under his arm he held a bundle of -small printed sheets, the <i>gogai</i>, extras, great news of some kind. -They all crowded around him, tore the papers from him as he gathered in -their coppers.</p> - -<p>Tokyo had been in a fever of excitement for days. The discovery had -been made that a score of carloads of the arms left in the care of the -Japanese army when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> the Czecho-Slovak troops retired from Siberia, had -disappeared. At the same time Chang Tse-lin, the Manchurian war-lord, -had received, from some mysterious source, a large amount of war -supplies. The newspapers almost unanimously accused the militarists, -the General Staff, of having engineered the transfer, in spite of -Japan's agreement with the other Powers that none of them should -supply the warring factions in China with arms. Dual diplomacy, the -General Staff calmly overriding, for its own sinister purposes, the -international pledges made by the Foreign Office. The accusation which -the Japanese press so resented when made by foreigners was shouted -by all the papers. And the people took it up. Now had finally come -the time when the issue had been fairly made, when the yoke of the -militarists must be overthrown by the rest of the Cabinet. Breathlessly -the nation watched for the struggle.—But the General Staff haughtily -denied the charge. They knew nothing of it all. A major in the army -"confessed" that he was responsible; he had sold the arms to a Russian -faction with which he sympathized. It was all his own, personal doings. -He took all the responsibility. His wife committed suicide; she would -not face the disgrace. The nation cried out. She was one more innocent -victim of the juggernaut of the General Staff. Her husband was another, -a scapegoat, a martyr. Of course, no one believed his story, a palpable -invention to save the skins of his superiors. Now, what would the -Premier, what would the Foreign Office do?</p> - -<p>The <i>gogai</i> brought the answer. The Premier issued a statement, -setting forth in tedious detail the opera bouffe proceedings of the -court-martial. He confirmed the whole thing.</p> - -<p>"The cowards!"</p> - -<p>They did not stamp their feet, or bang fists on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> tables; repression -was too ingrained. But as they read through the sheets, calling the -attention of one another to this or that paragraph, disappointed, -disgusted, sickened, hissing sharp staccato syllables between clenched -teeth, it was as if the atmosphere had become charged electrically with -waves of resentment, repressed hate, palpable almost as heat waves, -sinister, ominous. The militarists had won again, as usual; but what -of it? They had been brought a step nearer the eventual, inevitable -debacle. It might seem on the face of it Oriental patience, passivity, -but one could feel the tenseness of cumulative, restrained sense of -outrage, injury. It was the constantly mounting head of steam in the -boiler again.</p> - -<p>But Kent had no time to study effects. He looked at his watch; only a -little after nine. He would have time to cable. "Here, quick, call a -taxi. Bring the bill, <i>hayaku</i>. Adachi-san, come along, please. I've -got to send this thing right away."</p> - -<p>A small closed car arrived. They climbed in. Immediately Kent set -himself to composing a draft for his message. Sitting thus together, -her warm, lithe body close to his, he sensed unconsciously the pleasure -of her presence, but his mind was intent on his work, confining in the -laconic form of a cable message the gist of the event. He read it over. -Hang it, he should have liked to have seen the official communique -which the Foreign Office must have sent out, but there was no time. He -must take his chance on the <i>gogai</i>.</p> - -<p>"Kent-san," she was leaning closer to him. "And now you are going to -send that by the cable over to America. When will the papers there -print it?"</p> - -<p>"To-morrow the news will be all over the United States, all over the -world."</p> - -<p>"It is wonderful. How interesting your work must be. What have you -written?" </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span></p> - -<p>He read it to her, pleased, with a feeling that her interest was -drawing them together, that in some way, as yet undefinable, they were -being brought into that intimacy which he craved.</p> - -<p>She listened intently, a tiny furrow between the black crescent brows, -thinking. "Kent-san," she said suddenly, as if she had arrived at a -decision after careful deliberation. "You can add that the Premier does -not believe the explanation of the General Staff; that he has told them -so. It isn't fear of the fall of the Cabinet only that keeps him from -making deeper investigation. The secret of it all is a question of the -old clans, the Satsuma and the Choshu. The Premier is Satsuma, General -Matsu is Choshu. The General threatened that if he were not backed up -he would make it a clan fight, Choshu against Satsuma, and he would, -too. They stop at nothing, these militarists. And Viscount Kikuchi had -to straighten it out, to show them that if the governing classes fought -among themselves at this time, it would give the people, the masses, he -calls them, a chance. These old rulers know they must stick together, -the old, the iron-hard men, the feudalists, against the people, against -young Japan. Oh, it's so bitter, Kent-san, not only class against -class, but generation against generation, even among the aristocracy; -father against son, even. Some time you should talk to young Kikuchi, -if he'll agree to talk to you about it. That, Kent-san, that's the real -story."</p> - -<p>In an indefinite way he had suspected that something like that was -the case. That enmity existed among the various departments of the -Government was an open secret, but this version, the clan fight, gave a -picturesque, human-interest angle to the story that he rather liked.</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's interesting; but you know I can't send<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> stuff like that -unless I'm sure it's correct. How do you know? I must know that the -source is reliable."</p> - -<p>The car stopped; they had reached the post-office. He jumped out; then -he leaned forward into the car. "Adachi-san, how can I know that it is -true?"</p> - -<p>She stooped towards him. He was looking straight into these lustrous -eyes, brilliant, close. "I am telling you, Kent-san."</p> - -<p>There was no time for debate; the cable office would close in a few -minutes. As he copied his message on to the printed blank, his thoughts -were racing, occupied with the girl's story. Should he take a chance? -He hesitated for a moment. "Persons in position to know"—his pencil -framed the words half mechanically. He felt an odd conviction that she -was right. The clerk reached over for the message; he was in a hurry to -get his work done and get away. Well, let it go.</p> - -<p>He found her standing in the street beside the car. "Step in, -Adachi-san, I'll take you home."</p> - -<p>"No, there is no need for the car now. I shall walk."</p> - -<p>Again that peculiar prejudice against what she ingenuously deemed the -luxuries of the privileged classes. What a potpourri of quaint ideas -stirred in that brain behind those delicately curved brows, those -wonderful eyes, and yet she appeared extraneously so like all those -Japanese girls whom one saw casually, everywhere, thinking idly that -they harbored only thoughts of flower arrangement, tea ceremonial, or -the ordinary dreams and aspirations of girlhood. She had given him but -casual glimpses at her mind, evanescent, baffling flickers, stimulating -curiosity, tempting him to learn, to find out, to intimacy. So far -the day had given no opportunity for confidential talk; mischievous -mischance seemed to have been ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> bent, vexatiously, on intervening. -Now the walk might afford better chance.</p> - -<p>She lived near Kanda-bashi, she said. They passed along the crowded -streets, crossed the Ginza and turned down the broad street along -the palace moat. Here there was no one. He took her hand, and, -hand-in-hand, child-like, as do young Japanese couples, they walked on. -But she was in no mood for personal talk. The moon; see how the light -refracted on the green-oxidized copper roofs of the palace buildings, -and the black reflections of the gnarled pines in the silvery water! -She was thoughtful, a little serious. He walked on with her, wholly -happy at the sense of her nearness, the softness of the small hand in -his, languorously content.</p> - -<p>At the Kanda bridge she stopped. "Here I leave you. I live over there." -She indicated a dark mass of houses on the other side of the bridge. -"And thank you, Kent-san, you have been so good to me."</p> - -<p>But he held on to her hand. "But, Adachi-san, first you must tell me -when I may see you again. I must see you, often, like this."</p> - -<p>She smiled a little. "Why?"</p> - -<p>"Of course. We shall be friends, good friends, shan't we?"</p> - -<p>"But I am always so busy, really. I have so little time."</p> - -<p>"Of course, you have time. Say Wednesday." She shook her head. "Well, -then, Saturday afternoon; then I know you have time. I shall wait for -you in Hibiya, at the fountain by the wistaria arbor, at noon, please."</p> - -<p>But again she shook her head. He clung to her hand, insisting. Suddenly -she pulled it free, laughed. "All right then, next Saturday." She -moved away a few steps, then abruptly, impulsively, she plucked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> from -her hair a rose, held it over to him. "For you, Kent-san. Good-night, -<i>o-yasumi nasai</i>."</p> - -<p>He stood holding the flower, watching her as she moved swiftly over the -bridge and disappeared in a narrow lane between the dark buildings. -He found a rickshaw. Despite subconscious realization that the day -had, after all, been drab, commonplace, disappointing, he felt in an -exalted mood. The trotting figure of the rickshaw coolie faded from -his consciousness; it was as if he were alone, with his thoughts, -dreams. What a wonderfully complicated little beauty she was, entirely -different from any girl he had known, had ever imagined; mysterious -with her passionate devotion to the new things, art, the political flux -and ferment, her peculiarly insistent abhorrence at the luxuries of -the rich, and then, finally, that inconsistent flash of coquetry. Now -he must carry on, get the explanation of all this, learn her thoughts, -attain intimacy. She piqued him with her elusiveness, but it added -to his zest. But what did he wish, after all? He enjoyed the sense -of being surrounded, enveloped in her beauty; yet he was not in love -with her—no, he was not—there was no desire of conquest, to embrace -her, to clasp her in his arms in possession. And still he had realized -distinct enjoyment at holding her hand. It was intensely interesting, -her evident acquaintance with the manipulation of the hidden strings -which actuated the secret workings of the government behind the -scenes. Yes, that also caused attraction; yet he had been drawn to -her, irresistibly, with the direct certainty which compels steel to -a magnet, even before he had heard a word from her, by the sheer -compulsion of her beauty. Hang it, it was all very puzzling, this not -being able to define what was really stirring within one's own mind. -Still, he was no psychoanalyst. He gave it up. He would let<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> the thing -take its course, let fate work it out according to its own inscrutable -arrangement.</p> - -<p>He held the rose to his face; yes, he was certain; of all the -incongruous, clashing incidents of the day, this was the one he liked best.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIV</h2> - -<p>The following morning Kittrick dropped in to discuss the news. But -there was little to discuss; all Japan was unanimous in the belief -that the official statement constituted but a very crudely contrived -whitewash. "I think though that the Foreign Office might have summoned -courage to challenge the General Staff had it been able to get -irrefutable proof that it engineered the deal to Chang Tse-lin," said -Kittrick. "But they failed to get it, so they were in fact quite wise -in not making a charge which they could not back up. I think, though, -that the Premier made a mistake in issuing the statement over his -own signature. Now he has tarred himself with the same brush as the -militarists, and if the world loses whatever confidence it gained in -Japan at the Washington Conference, Japan has only herself to blame."</p> - -<p>"I think——" began Kent, but he was interrupted by a noise at the -door, and the Great Nishimura strode in, radiant, flatulent with -self-importance.</p> - -<p>"Hello, Nishimura-san," Kent waved him to a chair. "We were just -talking about the Premier's proclamation. What do you think of it?"</p> - -<p>"Bunk!" He dismissed the matter with a scornful sweep of the hand. -"Gentlemen, congratulate me; I'm going to be a candidate for the House -of Representatives."</p> - -<p>"Good for you; congratulations. What party will it be, Seiyukai or -Kenseikai?"</p> - -<p>"Ah, that's a detail that hasn't been decided yet. We shall find out -first which party seems to be the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> strongest in my native place where -I'm going to run; we're a little uncertain yet. But the most important -part, the financial arrangement, has all been fixed up, so probably, -gentlemen, a short time from now you shall address me as the Honorable -Nishimura, and, who knows, some day it may be His Excellency Nishimura. -Finally my talents are being recognized by the people that count. I -know the game, and I shall go far—and I shan't forget my friends." He -smiled effusively. "In fact, that's what I came in about, to see if -you two gentlemen would care to join me in a little celebration, just -us three. Now, you know, it is not the common thing for us Japanese -gentlemen to go to the Yoshiwara. It isn't done, at least not openly. -We go to geisha houses when we want relaxation for 'the tired business -man,' as you Americans say. But the fact is, an old client of mine -owns one of the first-class houses in the Yoshiwara, and to tender his -respects to me he has invited me to come with a few friends to his -place—so I thought you might like to come."</p> - -<p>"Why, thanks, Nishimura-san, I think I'd like to go." Kent had never -seen the Yoshiwara. He had meant to see it, just as he had meant to see -the Imperial Museum and the tombs of the Forty-seven Ronin, some day, -ever postponing with the knowledge that he might go at any time. "What -about you, Kittrick?"</p> - -<p>"Sure I'll go. The Yoshiwara isn't what it used to be, is it, -Nishimura-san?" The great man shook his head sadly. "Still we shall -enjoy the excellent hospitality of the coming Premier of Japan."</p> - -<p>"Who knows?" he smiled deprecatingly. "All right, gentlemen, I shall be -here at seven with a car."</p> - -<p>The car he brought must have been one of the largest in Tokyo, an -enormous thing with an interior <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>resplendent with mirrors, cut-glass -flower holders and manifold glittering nickel trimmings. "Not a hired -car, this," explained Nishimura. "It belongs to the Watanabe interests, -my backers, who are now assisting me. Step in."</p> - -<p>They swept through Tokyo, through a dimly lighted section of narrow -streets, emerging presently into a quarter where great buildings, -brilliantly lighted, presented a vivid contrast to the surrounding -squalor. "Here we are," announced Nishimura. "The nightless city of -wine, and song, and beautiful women. You have nothing like that in -America."</p> - -<p>"I'd like to take a look around before we go to your place," said Kent. -"Do you mind?"</p> - -<p>"I shall show you the place, and then you two can walk about a bit. I -shall wait for you. I cannot well be seen in these streets, you know."</p> - -<p>Their destination was an enormous house, three-storied, gorgeous -with elaborate carvings and gilt ornamentation. Kittrick and Kent -set out down the wide street, bright in the blaze thrown out from -the scintillating glare from the great buildings, all spotless, -prosperous looking, glittering with light and tinsel. Along the -front of each house ran a great hall-like space. One entered and -faced a show-window-like arrangement, where rows of large portraits -of women, each bearing a name, appeared, set in variously arranged -backgrounds of gilt screens, vases with flowers, heavy hangings of -brocade, excellently executed silk scroll pictures. At each end of -this was a small box, ludicrously like a pulpit, in which sat men, the -doorkeepers, who drove the bargains with the guests. Some sat silently, -impassively suffering the crowds to flow by, stirred to action only -when inquiries were made of them. Others were busy, after the fashion -of barkers at a fair, praising their wares, calling attention<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> to the -beauties displayed, to the cheap prices. In some houses huge open -gateways allowed glimpses of gardens, meticulously arranged with stone -lanterns, miniature shrines, grotesquely gnarled pine trees throwing -their shadows in the soft light flooding the space from the windows -above, each a delicately contrived, entrancing little fairyland, -inviting, alluring.</p> - -<p>They passed down narrower streets, mere alleys, where the lights were -dim, the houses smaller, some displaying but three or four portraits, -and where the barkers were more insistent. But throughout it all -was noticeable the almost entire absence of women. Here and there, -especially in the smaller places, a painted face might be glimpsed for -an instant between parted curtains, titters might be heard behind drawn -<i>shoji</i>, and from above would come the strident whimper of samisen and -high-pitched female voices; but that was all.</p> - -<p>As they progressed, the sameness grew tiring; one became irritated -at the monotony of these rows and rows of stiffly smiling portraits -staring at one, all so curiously alike that soon they gave the -impression of a vast composite picture.</p> - -<p>"I don't see much in it," commented Kent. "It seems to me drab, -tedious. Many of the settings are fine, beautiful even, but so much -of it is sordid, these barkers and the pictures, the gross commercial -hawking of women with as little feeling as if they were meat in a -butcher shop. I can't see the temptation."</p> - -<p>"You came too late," said Kittrick. "You ought to have seen this place -a few years ago, when the women were displayed, when these fronts -faced right up to the street, showing the girls behind gilded bars. -You could look down an entire street, a blaze of light and gorgeous -color. Here would be a dozen girls with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> high coiffures, whitened faces -and painted lips, all clad alike in costly silks, gold and crimson, -set against a background of heavy brocade and among massive, carved -<i>hibachi</i> and mirrors; here, in the next place, would be a score of -women in purple and silver, shimmering against hangings of soft-toned -velvet; farther on would be another row, in dark blue and white, in the -background marvelous carvings and dwarf pines and flowers, and so on, -as far as eye could see, a kaleidoscope of glittering and glimmering -gilt, and lacquer, and bronze, and constant, restless flittering of -soft textures, blazing colors, riotously bewildering, all decking and -displaying thousands of women for sale,—a truly barbaric phantasy of -the Orient, where, if one could forget the beastly commercialism of -it all, one might at least have a picture, flamingly, prismatically -dazzling eye and imagination. And then came the reformer. He pointed -out, quite rightly, of course, that it was degrading to the great -Japanese nation to have its women displayed, like animals, in cages. So -they put an end to that part of it, the beauty, the splendor, and did -away with the only excuse that the Yoshiwara ever had for existence; -for then, by the gods, you might well have called it one of the Seven -Wonders of the World."</p> - -<p>They returned to the house where Nishimura was awaiting them. A flock -of servants, male and female, attended them. They were evidently -honored guests. In a large room, they found Nishimura and his host. -It was enormous, hall-like almost, with spotless <i>tatami</i> matting, as -usual with only a low table, effulgent in crimson lacquer, some soft -silk <i>zabuton</i>, but the few ornaments, an ancient <i>kakemono</i> in the -<i>tokonoma</i> recess and a couple of vases, were evidently antiques of -great price. Nishimura introduced the host, a patriarchal gentleman in -rich, black silks, white-bearded,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> dignified, incongruously venerable -when one thought of the nature of his commerce.</p> - -<p>"You understand, of course, that our coming here like this to-night is -altogether unusual," explained Nishimura. "Ordinarily guests to come -here must first have gone to the introducing house, to get admission. -This is one of the best houses, and it doesn't take in people just from -the street. But we're friends, and you don't even have to pick your -ladies from the portraits. You shall see them all in the flesh. It's a -great honor."</p> - -<p>The old man smiled benignly, clapped his hands.</p> - -<p>Patter of feet and swish of silks in the corridors beyond. Then -suddenly a sliding partition moved aside and a score of girls tripped -into the room, arranged themselves in a long, curved row about the men, -stood there, like soldiers for inspection, all clad alike in crimson -and gold, some haughtily indifferent, others smiling or tittering, a -flaunting picture of color, crimson lips, white faces, black hairdress, -shimmering wealth of soft undulating textures.</p> - -<p>The old man swept out his hand towards the line of girls. "Please, -gentlemen, select from among these unworthy women the ones whom you -wish to serve you."</p> - -<p>The white men were a bit embarrassed. It was very difficult to choose -in such an array of beauty. They pointed, hesitatingly, almost at -random, to two girls, who left the row slowly, knelt on the mats before -them. One of the older girls was picked by Nishimura. "The oldest are -the best," he advised.</p> - -<p>The other girls moved out, procession-like. "And now, would you care -to see my poor place?" The host rose and they followed him. It was a -vast building through which he led them, tier upon tier of rooms set -in a square about a garden, dark-green foliage <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>refracting the soft -shimmer of light filtering on all sides through the rows of <i>shoji</i>; -through the verdure might be glimpsed clumps of flowers, a tiny stream -with a miniature red, high-curved bridge. They walked through a maze of -corridors over dark, brilliantly polished hardwood floors, a labyrinth -of passages and stairways, past score upon score of rooms. Throughout -was noticeable an air of taste, artistically planned arrangement of -pictures, furnishings and ornaments, all spotless. The whole thing -bore an air of refinement, delicately restrained artistry, perfection, -vitiated only by the uneasy thought lurking ever in the background of -the mind, the pity that all this beauty should be devoted to the most -sordid commerce of man.</p> - -<p>They returned to the first room, and immediately a throng of servant -women, soberly clad in dark kimonos, their unpainted faces a relief -after the array of bedizened vendors of beauty, brought the bewildering -multitude of courses which made the banquet. Hot sake was served in -small stone bottles. At the elbow of each man sat the girl of his -selection, watchfully keeping his cup filled. Nishimura's handmaiden -was busy; he expanded in talk.</p> - -<p>As he flowed on unendingly, he became interesting with the intimate -details of his affairs. It was informing; still it struck Kent that, -after all, he was their host, and he must not be allowed to unbosom -himself unwisely. He managed to whisper to him. "Aren't you a bit -frank, Nishimura-san; remember these women may talk."</p> - -<p>Nishimura laughed. "How little you know about the customs of Japan, -Kent-san. Don't you know that we of Japan, we statesmen and business -men, transact our most important business to the pleasant accompaniment -of women, geisha generally, of course, but this is the same. Why, -big business deals are closed the best<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> when the presence of beauty -stimulates the brain and makes more receptive the mind of the man you -deal with. That's why such is no business for striplings who would let -their thoughts wander, but for us maturer and wiser men. Have another -drink, Kent-san, and talk safely, as freely as you please. Or possibly -I have bored you?"</p> - -<p>He hastened to reassure him. "No, not at all; on the contrary, it is -all intensely interesting; only I can't understand just why you're so -eager to get into the political game. You are making money from your -business, and politics must surely interfere."</p> - -<p>"Ah, how little you know of politics. Now I shall instruct you." He -leaned back on his cushion, drew a deep breath, expanded, reminiscent -of the fabled bullfrog. The woman beside him hastened to fill his cup. -He drained it and held it out to her mechanically. She filled it again.</p> - -<p>"You must know, surely, that in all countries business and politics, -economics, go together. That's why it's called political economy." He -had adopted a didactic tone, and frowned as if wrestling with ponderous -problems, pleased with his rôle as the instructor. "That's the way it -is in all civilized countries, only in Japan we have attained somewhat -greater perfection, coördination, yes, coördination." The word pleased -him. "Still even here it was until quite recently even better than it -is to-day. You remember the Manchuria Railway scandal, when such a fuss -was made because what had been gained, outside the rules—but what are -rules—had found its way to the coffers of the Seiyukai party; and the -Kwantung opium affair. Think of it, one official testified that he had -turned six million yen of opium money over to the party funds. That's -how parties may be made great and be able to see to it that trustworthy -men are elected to the Diet.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> But then the Kenseikai stepped in and -caused trouble, foolishly forgetting that some day they may be in power -themselves—still, possibly they were actuated by some higher motive, I -don't know yet."</p> - -<p>Evidently he had remembered that presently he might find himself a -Kenseikai candidate. The same thought struck Kittrick.</p> - -<p>"But you said that you didn't know whether you'd be a Seiyukai or a -Kenseikai candidate. Now, which party platform conforms the most with -your principles?" He grinned.</p> - -<p>Nishimura waved his hand impatiently. "Oh, platforms! When I was in -the States I heard of that all the time. Platforms!" He snapped his -fingers. "In Japan we do not tie our statesmen's hands with foolish -platforms. We observe the events when they happen and shape our actions -accordingly. Wise men do not cross bridges till they come to them. We -have no party platforms, at least none to speak of."</p> - -<p>"But what do your parties amount to, then?"</p> - -<p>"It's the men that count. Our people vote for the men whom they trust, -whom they know to be wise. It's the men that count."</p> - -<p>"But you haven't explained yet why you're so eager to get into this -game?" broke in Kent.</p> - -<p>The great man sighed and composed himself patiently to further -explanation, as might a man indulgently bear with the inept questions -of children. "Well, of course, you see there is power, and influence, -and also money, a great deal of money, if one knows the game."</p> - -<p>"How much do you get as a member of the Diet?"</p> - -<p>"Three thousand yen a year."</p> - -<p>"And how much do you figure your election will cost you?"</p> - -<p>"At least fifty thousand." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Then I don't see it. You are elected for four years, but the Diet may -be dissolved at any time, and then you are out. In other words, you -risk fifty thousand on a chance to gain a maximum of twelve thousand -and possibly only three. And I thought you were a business man."</p> - -<p>The criticism irritated Nishimura, drew him out entirely. With -outstretched hand he warded off further questions. He held out his cup; -the woman filled it, and he drained it, composing himself to the task -of explaining elementals.</p> - -<p>"Of course I don't pay that fifty thousand. That comes from the -Watanabe interests. You know, of course, that the future of Japan -lies in industry and commerce, and that's in the hands of the great -interests, the Watanabes, the Katos, the Oharas and the other big ones -and some smaller ones. These interests are patriotic; they know that -to succeed Japan must have in the Diet men with experience and vision -who will help their industries and make Japan great. So they see to it -that the right men are elected. The Watanabes, for instance, are very -patriotic and always figure on having about ten men in the House, and -the rest all have their own men whom they can depend on. That's why -they are helping me."</p> - -<p>"Still, if you are elected, you only get the three thousand. That's -mighty little to pay for your time and trouble."</p> - -<p>Nishimura was almost at the end of his patience, still he made a last -effort. "But don't you know that there are many others to whom a Diet -member may be useful. Some one wants to help build up Japan's merchant -marine, and he naturally needs a subsidy. So he comes to me, and I look -into the proposition and it seems worthy, and he pays me for my trouble -in examining it, ten, twenty, thirty thousand yen. And <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span>another wants -the right to place signs on all the Government telegraph poles, and I -look into that, and I get another ten, twenty thousand yen. It is all -so plain; every one knows it."</p> - -<p>"But it seems to me that comes pretty close to accepting bribes, and -you said just now that that proved unhealthy for the Manchuria and the -Kwantung officials."</p> - -<p>"Oh, hell!" He had to resort to English for emphasis. The host, who had -been sitting by wonderingly, compassionately tendered him a drink with -his own hands. He swallowed it hastily. "That's altogether different. -These are officials under the law, and such are not allowed to take -bribes; but we legislators, we're not officials under that law. Do -you think we could be expected to work for nothing. Of course, nobody -expects that. And then even the officials, nobody cares much. In the -opium scandal, Kata got only six months for accepting a bribe, and -some of the other big men got about that or less—and, of course, in -many cases the sentences were very properly deferred. You must have -read in the papers how it was given out that some of the leaders held -such high orders that they could not be prosecuted, because it would -be a national disgrace to send to jail men holding such honorable -decorations. Ah, some day," he sighed and held out his cup for more -sake, "some day I may be such a high official myself."</p> - -<p>The host had seen that the guest of honor was becoming wearied. He -clapped his hands, the <i>shoji</i> slid aside and six geisha appeared, -with samisen and drums and bustled about, making ready for their -performance. The men stretched themselves out more comfortably. As the -geisha danced, the sake was passed ceaselessly. Nishimura was becoming -sleepy, yawned stentoriously. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> - -<p>The host took the hint. "And now, Nishimura-san, would you retire?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I think so. I'm sleepy and a little, just a little drunk." -The host waved his hand and the geisha disappeared. The men arose. -Nishimura was led off, leaning heavily on his woman, arm flung over -her shoulder. In the doorway he looked back, smiling flabbily, -insinuatingly. "Well, so-long, gentlemen. Have a pleasant rest. <i>O -yasumi nasai.</i>"</p> - -<p>The girl led him off, wobbling dangerously. Kent ran to her assistance, -and between them they managed to convey him precariously down stairways -and through long corridors, to her rooms. The woman sank to her knees, -bowed, her forehead almost touching the mats. "Thank you very much. -I am sorry that I have troubled you." She stepped into the room. The -partition closed behind her. Kent found himself alone. He looked about -for Kittrick, but no one was in sight. It was late. The samisen play -and singing had ceased. As he wandered through the long hallways he -lost his bearings in the vast, labyrinthic house. From the garden below -the soft plash of a fountain came up to him. In the silence the great -gilt carvings, intricately fashioned lanterns hanging from the eaves, -shining surfaces of lacquer refracting lustrously dim light filtering -through paper <i>shoji</i>, the air of beauty, still, dream-fraught, brought -the impression of a fairy palace asleep. But as he faltered on, seeking -the room whence he came, past row on row of rooms, closed <i>shoji</i>, he -sensed rather than heard a minute quaver of sound, the faint sibilance -of a multitude of whispers, coming from all about him, from behind -frail walls and paper partitions, stirring of unseen men and women, -titillation of restrained giggling, indefinite, intangible, blending -into a vague murmur, a composite, infinitely low, indistinct background -of sound. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Oh, there you are. I have looked for you everywhere." He heard a soft -laugh behind him. It was the girl who had sat with him at the feast. -"Come." A soft little hand clasped his. He had been perplexed at his -helplessness, alone in that great house, silent except for the subdued -murmur of bought caresses, purchased kisses, the parody of love played -by these poor, painted houris behind the <i>shoji</i>. So he suffered her to -lead him on, uncertain as to what was about to come, still relieved at -having again definite destination.</p> - -<p>"Where is my friend, the other foreigner?"</p> - -<p>Her slim hand indicated vaguely the long row of closed sliding -partitions before them. "There, somewhere. Now, these are my rooms; -please enter." She placed a silk cushion in front of him, sank to the -floor, prostrated herself before him, face held low towards her hands -spread flat on the <i>tatami</i>, waiting.</p> - -<p>"Thank you." He squatted on the cushion. She rose.</p> - -<p>"Tea?"</p> - -<p>"Please." With deft fingers she brought out the minute paraphernalia, -doll-like cups and teapot, poured hot water from the kettle simmering -over the glowing charcoal in the <i>hibachi</i>. He looked about; speckless -as usual, and dainty, cozy. She had managed to give the room an air -of personality, almost homelike, pathetic, with a doll enthroned on -a little couch of her own contrivance, her small cupboard showing -through glass doors frail china, figurines, temple charms, souvenirs -from little excursions which formed the great events of her life. The -partition to the next room had been slid aside. He glimpsed chests -of fine-grained, unpainted wood where she kept her finery. A pile of -crimson silk <i>futon</i>, great wadded quilts, formed a bed on the floor, -almost filling the tiny room.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> He finished his tea, then she indicated -the room beyond.</p> - -<p>"And now, danna-san, if it pleases you to retire, I shall change my -kimono."</p> - -<p>He looked at her. Through the evening he had hardly noticed her, as -she sat behind him, silent, self-effacive, like a brilliantly colored, -hardly perceived shadow. How young she was, and how expressionless -her face, unlined, untouched by the exactions of her sorry -trade—almost like that of the doll over there, vapidly pretty with -its eternal smile. "No, I think not, not now." He noted the wondering, -half-frightened expression on her face, and hurried on. "What's the -name of your doll?"</p> - -<p>Her face brightened, became alive. "Oh, that's Tamayo-san, tamayo, egg, -you know, because she's so fat. I have two more. Would you like to see -them?" He would. She brought them out. This one had been sent her from -her father, from Kiryu. As she prattled on, he drew from her her little -history. Daughter of a tenant farmer; she had worked at silk spinning. -Then the house had been destroyed by a typhoon, and, like several other -girls in her village, she had gone to the Yoshiwara, snapped up by one -of the agile agents whom news of the disaster had brought to the spot, -alert for business. "They paid fifteen hundred yen for me," she said -proudly. "But then, this is one of the best houses, and then I was only -sixteen. I am eighteen now."</p> - -<p>"Was she unhappy here? Would she not like to go home to her people?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, of course, I'd like to go home. Sometimes it's bad here, when -the honorable guests are drunk and rough; and some of the other girls -are mean and tell lies, and cause trouble. They are jealous of me, and -of Yurike-san, and Ainosuke-san, because we are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> the most popular and -make the most money. You know, it's fun every month to go down and look -in the big book, for, you know, they must show us our accounts, and -see how much you have saved. For I am saving. I'm not like some of the -girls who spend all their money on clothes and foolish things and are -always in debt. But here the master is pretty good, and in a couple of -years I'll have a thousand yen all my own. In some places the masters -are cruel and bad and keep the girls in debt always, so they can never -get away. No," she cocked her head with a quaint judicious air as if -she were gravely weighing the pros and cons; "it isn't so bad."</p> - -<p>She spoke of the whole thing as if it were an ordinary business -proposition, as she might speak of work in a cotton-spinning mill, -or any other occupation. Did she then fail utterly to sense the -degradation of her sorry occupation?</p> - -<p>"But what about the men then, these scores and scores of guests, -caressing you, fondling you——?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, of course, that <i>is</i> unpleasant, but then I don't think of them. -<i>Shikataganai</i>, it can't be helped. I don't give my heart to them; and -then in a few years I shall go home, with lots of money, and I shall -marry a nice man, and I shall have only him and love him. And then I -shall have babies, real babies, instead of dolls."</p> - -<p>He was glad that she was like that, that the sordidness and shame -passed by her unnoticed, not thought of. Here was surely a "lotus -in the mud," as the proverb had it about these women, who, oddly -innocent, mind apparently untouched by the grime and depravity of her -surroundings, contrived to keep her spirit untouched, apart from it -all. But then, she was only a simple peasant girl, ignorant of moral -codes, undisturbed by considerations above physical comfort.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> But there -must be others, more imaginative, more complex, with minds sensitive -to the constant insult offered by sensuous leer, sake-fraught breaths -in their faces, the compulsion of offering love, or the semblance -thereof, for a consideration of money, to a succession of unknown -men, unsympathetic, contemptuous, careless of their womanhood. As -the thought came to him that here, within the space of a few squares -of houses, were thousands of these women, many of them surely with -delicately adjusted girl souls, enslaved by circumstance to sacrifice -what would have been pure, sweet love aspirations, in this vast market -place of meretricious caresses, he could understand the indignation -of the reformer whom he had heretofore regarded, superciliously, as a -well-meaning meddler.</p> - -<p>He was relieved at the arrival of Kittrick. His girl was with him. She -and Kent's companion whispered together animatedly. Kittrick yawned. -"Well, what about it?"</p> - -<p>"I'm glad you came. In fact, I was just wondering how I might manage to -slip out of this."</p> - -<p>"All right, why not? We can make some excuse surely." Kittrick turned -to the girls. "It's getting late, and my friend has just got a bride, a -new one, and it's foreign fashion always to come home before midnight -during the first six weeks after marriage. My friend always does that -with all his brides."</p> - -<p>"Really?" Had he told them that Kent has as many wives as Solomon they -would have believed it. The customs of foreigners were peculiar; they -might do anything. "How many has he?"</p> - -<p>Kent counted his fingers. "Six, yes, six or maybe seven. So you see -it's time to go home."</p> - -<p>"Bad man, that's not good to have so many wives; one, and possibly a -<i>mekake</i>, concubine, but one only is better." The small doll face was -very serious, a little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> shocked. So she had a code of morals, after -all. "But you're not angry?" The tone was solicitous, frightened. "Have -I not pleased you?"</p> - -<p>"You poor little thing." He fished out a ten yen note, grasped both her -hands and slipped the bill between them. "See, that's for you. Go and -buy another doll, a foreign doll, and when you play with it, you can -think of me. It's a souvenir."</p> - -<p>She came up to him, placed both her arms about his neck, raised herself -on her toes and pressed her warm, whitened cheek against his. "How good -you are. Are all foreigners like that? I wish you were not going. It's -too bad you have so many wives."</p> - -<p>"I expect we had better go and say good-by to Nishimura," remarked -Kittrick. The girls led them to the room, but he was dead to the world, -snoring noisily, sprawling, arms outstretched over the disordered -<i>futon</i>, the woman sitting beside him, patiently stirring a fan. The -girls took them to the entrance. The streets were no longer crowded, -but a few stragglers gathered and watched them curiously as they sat -there, in full view, lacing their shoes. Of course, one knew what was -in their minds. The embarrassment of the situation was the finishing -touch.</p> - -<p>"Whew, I'm glad to get out of this." In the silence of the deserted -street, dim now and drab, as the brilliance of the lights had given -way to a faint glimmer, the only sounds were their footsteps and, in a -distance, the clamor of a watchman's clappers. Kent was ill at ease and -wanted to get away from these great, quiet houses, from the sense of -knowledge of the sordidness, of the lives of all these women stirring -fitfully behind these walls. A policeman obligingly found them an -automobile and they started home.</p> - -<p>"Well, what do you think of it, Kent?" </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I am mainly disgusted, old man, still, I am just now too confused -by clashing impressions to know just what to think. I feel so damned -sorry for these women, and yet, oddly enough, that little girl of mine -was not particularly unhappy. The shame and the hideousness of it all -passed right by her. She might have been far more unhappy in a spinning -mill. In a few years she'll pass out of it, marry, and forget all about -it. But, of course, there must be others, girls who are fine-souled -enough to suffer from the constant degradation that is offered them day -after day, every day. The whole damned thing ought to be abolished."</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's one side of it," said Kittrick. "Sometimes I'm inclined -to agree with you; but then again, at other times I'm not. It's the -old question of regulation or no regulation, and it is still an open -one. At home we have taken the other tack, but I wonder if we're much -better off. You know San Francisco, where you may go out any night -and pick up girls, just like these, not held in such bondage perhaps, -but, on the other hand, furtive, frightened poor devils who are no -better off, who have not even the sense of security that the girls -have here. We hear of Piccadilly and Leicester Square. The trouble is -that as long as men, or at least a great many men, are what they are, -women will be sacrificed. The question is the same here as elsewhere; -there's something to be said on both sides. It's rotten either way. -I've never been able quite to make up my mind which is best, or worst. -But, here in Japan, there is at least one thing in their favor, and -that's the marvelous way in which the Japanese manage to place a veneer -of artistry, of beauty, externally anyway, over this thing. Of course, -we have our opulently gorgeous palaces of sin and all that but they -seem flaunting and garish when compared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> with Japan, where even in -this they manage to convey a surface of estheticism, delicate beauty, -cleanness, with their spotless rooms, fairy gardens and the rest. It is -reflected even in these girls who seldom show the loose sensuousness, -the brazen, commercial harlotry of our women of that class. And one -thing is certain, these girls here in the case of the lower classes, -and the geisha in that of the more well-to-do, have served to preserve -the purity of the Japanese married woman. It's the existence of the -Yoshiwara and the <i>machiai</i> that turns the Japanese philanderer away -from the other man's wife. And seeing the tangles and triangles of our -cities, the rotten divorce cases, and knowing that the Japanese family, -the unsullied virtue of the matron, is the corner-stone of the Japanese -Empire, I'm hanged if I can't at least understand the reluctance of the -Japanese in tackling this matter, disgusting and tragic as it is."</p> - -<p>It was after midnight when he reached the house, but Jun-san was -waiting for him. She never retired to her own little house in the -garden until the men were safely home.</p> - -<p>"You are late, Kent-san." She smiled, stepped closer, peered at him. -"Ah, so you have found one at last. The other night it was a rose, -and now—— So she is Japanese." The smile left her face. "Kent-san," -she took his hand in her earnestness, "Kent-san, it is so seldom that -happiness comes from this, a foreign man and a Japanese girl, but, if -you must go on, be kind to her, please."</p> - -<p>She slipped away. He shivered a little. Poor girl; it was distressing, -this air of tragedy which always seemed to cling like a shadow to this -beautiful, lovable woman, uncomplaining, with her soft dark eyes. He -could envy Karsten to have the love of a woman like that. He felt -lonely. Life was drab, tedious, selfish.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> Would he ever gain such love -from some woman. So Jun-san thought he was traveling on that road. The -rose, yes, but what could she have seen to-night? Women were always -like that, even Jun-san, ever imagining.</p> - -<p>He went to his room, began to undress. A glimpse in the mirror made -him look more closely,—a white smudge on his cheek. Ah, that was it, -a smear of <i>o shiroi</i>, powder from the cheek of the Yoshiwara girl. -He wiped it away hurriedly. Damn it, if he should enter into love -relations with some Japanese girl, it would not be one like that. The -thought of Adachi-san came to him. Yes, a girl such as she; still, his -mind insisted, this was not the sort of relation he wished to enter -into with her. And if, after all, he did, what would come of it, how -would it end? He thought of Jun-san's words, "so seldom happiness comes -from this." How devilishly complicated life was, a Scylla or Charybdis; -did one steer clear of one rock one banged into the other. He turned -off the light impatiently and climbed into bed, but thoughts would not -leave him, the oppressive, stifling atmosphere of sorrow which lay -broodingly over the household—why could not happiness come from a -relationship like this?</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XV</h2> - -<p>With the approach of Saturday Kent became impatient. The feeling of -being alone, that there was in the whole world no one who was really -interested in his affairs, who cared whether he lived or died, took -hold of him and he chafed under a desire for some one who would care, -for the close touch, the intimate relationship which is possible -only between man and woman. That was what he wished from Adachi-san. -He thought it out carefully, made certain that he would eschew all -semblance of dalliance. Jun-san was right, what could such lead to but -sorrow, heartbreak. But he wanted her friendship, a sort of brother and -sister relationship. Even though it was common to scoff at platonic -intimacy, such must be possible, and in this case, with the definite -absence of passion, erotic desire, it surely must be possible if ever. -So it should be thus; he would regard her as a fair flower, attaining -his enjoyment from being near her, allowing himself to be suffused by -the effulgence of her beauty, disdaining to break the charm of purity -and delicacy by soiling contact of too ardent hands.</p> - -<p>As he awaited her, in the wistaria arbor by the fountain, he enjoyed -a feeling of serenity, of having laid out a wise and safe course, -one which would avoid the anguish and regrets of love passion. As he -noticed her at a distance, hurrying towards him, dainty, picturelike -under her brightly hued parasol, he became elated with a feeling of -gratification, pride, that this beautiful, winsome girl, the equal of -whom one did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> not see in weeks or months, should be thus hastening to -him.</p> - -<p>She was in a gay mood. "You know, Kent-san, it's the first time I ever -had a meeting with a man like this. And still I know that it's right -for a man and a woman to meet thus, if they——"</p> - -<p>"If they what?"</p> - -<p>"Never mind," she laughed, a little confused. "Where do you wish to go, -Kent-san?"</p> - -<p>He left it to her. She decided on Shiba Park. It suited him admirably. -He had hoped that she would select some place like that, typically -Japanese. Somehow the surroundings of the former occasion, the strident -modernity of the new art, the exaggerated imitation of the Quartier -Latin atmosphere by the students, had vitiated the picture which -he wanted to form of her. But here, as they wandered slowly under -the huge, gnarled cryptomeria trees, among the ancient shrines and -sepulchers of the Tokugawa shoguns, with their century-old carvings, -hundreds upon hundreds of great stone and brass lanterns, silent halls -with woodwork wrought into infinitesimally minute details, myriads of -gilt ornaments, fantastic tesselated ceiling squares, one felt oneself -brought back into the age of feudalism, peaceful, reverend in the -brooding calm which lay over this place. Here she blended into, formed -an integral part of the surroundings. The bright colors of her kimono -with its great bow-like obi-girdle arrangement, her clear, refined -Japanese features seeming to supply the last touch of artistry which -infused this gorgeous medieval setting with the vitalizing breath of -life.</p> - -<p>And her thoughts came into harmony with it all. Modernism faded -away; she told him the old histories connected with these shrines, -imaginative, picturesque; quoted the ancient proverbs, bits of softly -cadenced<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> poetry. This was how he wanted her to be; how marvelously she -contrived to translate into living reality the indefinitely glimpsed -dream of his imagination. He became immersed in well-being, absolutely -complete, delicious pleasure. They dined at a Japanese tea house facing -a garden, another perfect composition where nature had been persuaded -rather than compelled to arrange the components, fine traceries of -maple leaves, broad, flat stones in a winding pathway down to a -tranquil bit of water, forming together the perfect picture where no -ill-placed pebble or broken twig might intrude on harmony.</p> - -<p>During the days which followed he enjoyed a sense of elation, triumph -that his dream had at last come true, the ideal attained. This was -perfection, just as he wanted it all, the girl herself to be. With this -he could be fully happy, content. Sitting in his office, smoking idly, -he found pleasure in living over in his mind every incident, every -detail of this delectable adventure.</p> - -<p>"Telephone call for you, Mr. Kent."</p> - -<p>He roused himself, irritated. Hang the telephone and all modern -contrivances which mankind had worked out painfully to plague it.</p> - -<p>"Hello, hello, who's that?" he inquired briskly.</p> - -<p>"Is that you, Kent-san?" By the gods, it was she. He felt as if he must -be trembling visibly in his eagerness. "Yes, yes, this is Kent-san."</p> - -<p>"I thought you might care to come over for some tea." He could hear -her laughter. These prosaic wires had their excellent uses, after all. -"Yes, thank you, of course, I'll come right over."</p> - -<p>As he scrambled up the stairs he noticed that the offices were -deserted; the promoters of Japanese-Bolivian harmony and the rest had -left early, apparently. She received him, smiling mischievously. "I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> am -so sorry to have disturbed you, but every one goes home so early here, -and I felt a little lonesome. So we shall have tea."</p> - -<p>After that he came often, in the late afternoon, and chatted with her -about the events of the day, the modern music, art, pictures, or, -again, about old Japan, the ancient fables, beliefs, poetry, as her -mood would have it. It seemed as if she possessed two distinct and -complete personalities, one the quaint, conventional, yet emotional -maiden of old Japan, the other the eager, nervous young intellectual, -thirsty for knowledge, for attaining progress. They became very -intimate. He learned that her first name was Sadako, so after that -he called her that only, and she came to call him Hugh,—Heeyu she -pronounced it. They made short trips Sundays, into the country, to -Kamakura, Inagi, up the Sumida River, to temple festivals and street -fairs. Thus it remained. At times he might hold her hand, simply, like -that of a child, but that was as far as it went, as far as he craved -to go. He had attained the fulfillment of his desire for constant -enjoyment of her charm, her beauty, her companionship, intimate, -serene, undisturbed by desire to go further.</p> - -<p>One Sunday they made an early start and went farther afield, to the -Hakone region. At Miyanoshita they left the little electric train, -and lunched Japanese fashion at the Goldfish Inn. Then they wandered -on down, along the road winding between the steeply sloping mountain -sides, drinking in the coolness, enjoying the sweep of green bamboo -and maple trees clinging to the rocky walls above them, the murmur and -gurgle of the stream rushing, foaming, over great bowlders far below.</p> - -<p>At Tonegawa where they went to the station to take the train back to -Tokyo, they found a group of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span>excited people on the platform. They were -talking, gesticulating, children with arms filled with wooden trick -boxes and other souvenirs regarding curiously their agitated elders. -The station master was telling his story over and over again, repeating -it to every new arrival, arguing and explaining. Yes, they might go to -Odawara in the electric train, of course, but there was no way of going -beyond that, to Tokyo. The steam trains were not running. Yes, they had -stopped; they had all stopped. The entire Imperial Railways system had -stopped. It was a strike, a universal strike. No, he knew very well -that that had never happened in Japan before; but it had happened now, -just as it had in America and England. He couldn't help it. They could -go to Odawara for all he cared, but there was scant hotel accommodation -to be had there. They had better stay in Hakone where there were many -hotels. Yes, the trains were not running—he began to explain again to -some newcomers—there was no getting back to Tokyo at present.</p> - -<p>"Well, evidently we are in for it, Sadako-san. The man is right. We -had better find some place here. I have heard there are good hotels in -this village." She had placed her hand on his arm, seemed irresolute, -frightened. "You are not afraid, are you, Sadako-san?"</p> - -<p>"No, I'm not afraid of you. Come, let us go."</p> - -<p>They found an inn in Tonegawa, a huge building with great wings, -many-storied, striving up the hillside, seeming, like the trees, to -cling precariously thereto. The inn people were a little doubtful. Yes, -no. They had only one room left and that was really not a room at all; -it was a banquet hall, not used for sleeping. The other hotels? No, -they were crowded, too, with the unexpected rush of holiday seekers -left stranded here. Yes, he might have the big room.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> Other refugees -were approaching down the road. Kent made up his mind. "<i>Shikataganai</i>, -Sadako-san, we must make the best of it. All right, I'll take it."</p> - -<p>A maid servant led them through long passages, up steps, along a long -passage, up more steps, then through more corridors and stairways, ever -upwards, bewilderingly; it seemed as if they must be mounting into the -clouds. Finally he noticed overhanging eaves; thank God, this must be -the top story; they could mount no higher. The girl led them down a -passage, drew aside <i>shoji</i>, ushered them into a vast room occupying -the entire width of the building, showing a great <i>tokonoma</i> recess -with a splendid scroll picture, a bronze statuette of Ebisu, the -fattest and jolliest of the Seven Lucky Gods, grinning them welcome. -There were great gilded screens, several huge mother-of-pearl inlaid -<i>hibachi</i>. Quite evidently this was a hall for special feasts.</p> - -<p>The maid brought tea and comfortable kimono. "The bath?" she inquired. -This was a hot-spring hotel, sought by people from all over Japan for -its natural hot mineral water. "I shall get dinner ready while you are -in the bath," she added, evidently with the thought that this foreigner -might not know the common custom.</p> - -<p>"I want to arrange my hair first. There is no mirror here." Sadako was -already in the doorway. "Please excuse me a moment."</p> - -<p>She disappeared. He waited, not knowing just what to do. It was -embarrassing, this bath suggestion. The maid became impatient. "Will -you not take your bath now?" she insisted. Very well, he would solve -the difficulty by going first. He got out of his clothes and into the -kimono. The maid led him down through the maze of corridors, miles it -seemed, to the ground floor, into a hall-like space, with shelves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> for -clothing, where were standing half a dozen persons, men and women, half -nude or nude, getting ready for or leaving the baths. He turned to the -servant. "Where?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, anywhere," she indicated a row of doors. "There are three baths, -but they are all full. It is no use to wait. There are so many guests -that there will be no empty rooms. Please enter." She was in a hurry, -began to untie his girdle. It was embarrassing. In other inns where he -had been, the rule separating the sexes had been observed. Still, they -all seemed so unconcerned; he must do in Japan as the Japanese do.</p> - -<p>He doffed his kimono and placed it on a shelf. The maid held open a -door. As he started to enter some one from inside was about to pass -out. He stood aside; a young matron, about thirty, and two little -girls, all absolutely nude. He noted curiously that in his surprise -there was no hint of being shocked, they were so natural, without hint -of embarrassment. Came to him instead an odd sense of purity; the -impression was like that of a graceful doe with a couple of fawns, -nothing more.</p> - -<p>The room was spacious; three sides were of finely grained wood, the -fourth wall being the natural hillside with small shrubs growing in the -interstices among the mossy rocks whence jetted the hot spring water, -effervescent, into a rill in the immaculate tile floor leading to the -tank, a huge thing, about three feet deep, filled with crystal-clear -water. The room was so large that there was not even the veil of steam -which usually half obscures the bathers in such places. On the floor -close to him were a couple of Japanese men, rubbing themselves with -towels, preparing to leave. A little farther over were three women, two -very young, rinsing from their bodies the soap which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> covered them with -a creamy foam; the third, a little older, was having her back rubbed by -the old bath-man.</p> - -<p>Kent took a wooden bucket and dipped water from the tank, poured it -over himself, found a diminutive wooden stool and sat down to soap -himself. The men left and he was alone with the women. They paid no -attention to him, ignored his presence altogether. What a graceful -picture they made, holding high the small buckets whence they poured -streams of the sparkling water over their smooth, slender bodies, -ivory-gleaming, creamy, almost white. The bath-man poured water over -the oldest girl, and all three climbed into the tank. Then he turned to -Kent and began to massage his back. The girls were chatting gayly. He -wished they would have finished before time came for him to enter the -tank. But the bath-man had completed the rubbing; now he was sousing -him with clean water. "Please, danna-san, step in. This water is very -healthful."</p> - -<p>There was nothing for it. He went to the edge. The girls regarded -him disinterestedly. "Please, excuse me." He noted surprise in their -glances; evidently apology had been superfluous, out of the ordinary. -They said nothing. He started to climb in hurriedly, to hide his -embarrassment, but drew back with an exclamation. The water was much -hotter than he had expected. One of the two younger girls tittered, -tried to control herself, but failed. The other became infected by it, -tittered also uncontrollably; from giggles they went into laughter, -grasped each other's hands, bodies shaking, sending ripples scurrying -over the mirror-like surface.</p> - -<p>"Oh, do keep quiet," the older girl managed to repress a smile. -"Please, don't mind them. They're very rude, but they are so young. -Anyway," she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> added, "you should come into the water quickly; then you -don't feel the heat so much."</p> - -<p>"Thank you very much." He plumped in. It was not so bad, after all. -"It is hotter than any place I have ever been before," he explained, -ashamed at having flinched.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it is hotter here than in most places," said the girl. "So you -live in Japan?"</p> - -<p>One remark led to another. The younger girls joined in. Soon they were -conversing freely, Hakone, the weather, and particularly the news of -the strike, the great event of the day. As they sat there, letting the -heat from the water seep into their bodies, an undercurrent of thought -kept running through his mind, minutely probing analysis into his own -thoughts, his impressions from this astonishing situation. Yes, here -he was, with these three young women, side by side almost, immersed -in this water which offered no more concealment than glass, and yet -his sense of embarrassment was leaving him, had left him; even the -feeling of unconventionality disappeared. He felt no different than -he might have, had he been sitting with them, fully clothed, in a -café. Curiously, there was not even hint of suggestive thought, erotic -inspiration. The utter absence thereof puzzled him a little. Men might -experience such at the fashionable seasides of America where female -beauty chose to adorn itself with wetly clinging textures, boldly -cut garments, designedly piquant, stirring curiosity with artfully -contrived faintness of concealment—while here the very absence of -suggestion, of thought on the part of these women of the man-woman -idea, produced an effect of naturalness, purity even; one would feel -ashamed of harboring fancies of sensuality. And yet these girls—they -were quite evidently gentlewomen—would have blushed in shame should -they, when on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> the street or any place other than the bath, suffer -accidental exposure of even the slightest bit of bosom; they would -disdain being seen in the daringly cut evening gown of Western fashion. -In the bath this was natural, obvious; one did not bathe in clothes; -this was evidently the idea.</p> - -<p>They climbed out and prepared to leave. He watched them, as they stood -erect or knelt in easy, graceful attitudes, as he might have looked at -a picture. He was pleased that he had grasped the idea, the Japanese -attitude of mind, that a man might look at a woman, unclothed, without -taint of thought of sex.</p> - -<p>"<i>Sayonara.</i>" The girls smiled to him. An elderly couple came in. -He climbed out, dried himself and passed out into the hall, donned -his kimono and started back for the room. He mounted a flight of -stairs, went down a corridor, climbed more stairs, occupied with his -thought of the incident in the bath. Presently he faced a storeroom -filled with great heaps of quilts. He tried to retrace his steps, but -wandered into another part of the house which was unknown to him. -Lost again, another labyrinth. He would inquire; but he did not even -know the number of his room. The servants were all busy elsewhere. -He asked a couple of young men who passed to show him to the top -floor. They laughed at his predicament and undertook to guide him, -but the floor they finally reached was as unknown to him as the rest -had been. As they wandered along the corridors they could look into -many rooms where withdrawn partitions showed each its separate little -scene, parents with children, young couples, large families, groups of -students, all eating, drinking, discussing the strike or their own more -intimate affairs. Here and there the two young men would make inquiry, -explaining the contretemps. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> excited merriment. Others joined the -search, became lost in their turn, pointing out directions, finding -themselves baffled; still more joined the fun. It became a procession -of young fellows and girls, highly amused, laughing, thoroughly -enjoying the childish adventure. How likable they were, lovable in -their ingenuousness; no hint here of racial antipathies. They took -him in as one of themselves in this fine game which had happened so -fortuitously to beguile the time. Kent came to enter into the spirit of -the thing, the infectious spirit of hilarity, with the assurance that -they were laughing with him, not at him; that they were all friends. He -was almost disappointed when a maid who knew where he belonged came to -his rescue and led him back amid laughing calls of "good luck" and "<i>go -yukkuri nasai</i>," "don't be in a hurry to leave," from his host of new -friends.</p> - -<p>A few moments later Sadako-san returned to the room. "So you have -bathed too, Kent-san?"</p> - -<p>"Why, yes; and why did you give me the slip like that?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I knew that it would be like that, with so many people here, -bathing together. Certainly, I did not want to bathe with you."</p> - -<p>"But when you bathed, did you not bathe with men?"</p> - -<p>"Of course, but that—that's different."</p> - -<p>"Because I'm a foreigner?" He was pleased enough that matters had -turned out as they had. Somehow, he felt, with her he should have -experienced a shyness and uneasiness, such as had not occurred with the -girls who were unknown to him; that it would in some odd, intangible -way have vitiated the state of purity of intimacy which he wanted to -maintain with her. But the suggestion that she, Sadako-san, should feel -the race difference, especially when these others<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> had not thought -thereof, irritated him. "Just because I'm a foreigner?" he repeated.</p> - -<p>She came close to him, took his face between her slim, small hands, -looked at him intently, reprovingly. "Hugh-san, you know that between -you and me that doesn't matter. These other men, I didn't know them, -but with you," she blushed furiously, "with you, I couldn't. Can't you -see? It's because you're a man you are so stupid. If you were a woman, -you'd understand."</p> - -<p>In his turn he brought his hands to her cheeks, brought her face close -to his, looked deeply into these great, darkly luminous eyes which had -ever held such a fascination for him. He sensed a thrill pass through -him, delicious, suffusing his entire being. No; he caught himself. -This wouldn't do; he was slipping into dangerous waters. "Sadako-san," -he said, holding control in his voice, "I understand, even if I am a -man, and—you're a dear girl." But still they held each other. He felt -a shivering, gasping tenseness, nervous, electrical, as if the next -instant must bring some new, astounding, overwhelming development.</p> - -<p>Patter of feet in the corridor. They sprang apart, faced each other -embarrassed, in reaction of surprise at the nearness of love to which -their feelings had so unexpectedly brought them. The maid brought -supper. It was necessary to make an effort to appear natural, to get -back to the commonplace. The presence of the servant, unsuspecting, -business-like, arranging the table, helped them. They seated themselves -on their cushions, self-consciousness fell away; soon they were -chatting as if nothing had taken place.</p> - -<p>Darkness had fallen. The lights were lit. The maid brought in huge -bundles of <i>futon</i> and arranged beds, great heaps of wadded quilts on -the floor, side by side. Evidently these two were man and wife, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> -sweethearts; it was all the same to her. Sadako-san went out on the -narrow veranda, sat with her back turned to the room. The maid made the -finishing touches. "Good-night, <i>o yasumi nasai</i>." She left the room, -closed the <i>shoji</i>, the patter of her feet faded away down the hallway.</p> - -<p>Kent went out to Sadako-san. She was squatting on the floor, head -resting against the low rail, staring abstractedly out over the -scattered roofs below, towards the hillside over which was rising a -white crescent moon, faintly silvering the trees along the ridges. -"Sadako-san." She gave no answer. Far down below the stream was -murmuring; cicada violins shrilled a quavering treble serenade. -"Sadako-san," he took her hand, drew her towards him, placed his -arm about her, brought her close, held her tightly. She offered no -resistance, her gaze directed fixedly, dreamily, into the distance, -sadly. The poor, dear, lovely girl. Suddenly all idea of abstaining -from caresses, from love, seemed distant, a thing utterly of the past. -As he felt the pulsating warmth of her body, sensed the beating of her -heart, the heaving of her bosom, the implied consent of her inertness, -that old thought of avoiding love seemed stupid, absurdly futile. She -was beautiful, lovable; they were young, what was life for? He loved -her. He turned her face towards his own. Slowly, looking steadily, -deeply into her eyes, he brought it close. Then he kissed her. They -clung lips to lips. Her arms went about his neck. The murmur of the -stream and the cicada violins faded into an indefinite, soft, distant -obligato.</p> - -<p>"Sadako-san, I love you."</p> - -<p>Slowly she drew her face from his, eyes wide as if in surprise, fear. -Suddenly she threw his hands from her, held out her own against him, -stared at him, lips parted. "Hugh-san, oh, Hugh-san, why did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> you do -it?" Her hands grasped the rail and she buried her face on her arms. -He could hear her sobbing. With gentle hands he tried to soothe her, -but the mere touch caused her to tremble convulsively, it seemed almost -hysterically. "Sadako-san, Sadako-san." He spoke soothingly as he -might have done to a frightened child. Gradually the sobbing ceased, -the nervous tenseness of her body gave way to passive inertness. He -contrived to place his arm about her. "And now, Sadako-san, little -girl, don't be frightened of me. I shan't hurt you, or kiss you, or do -anything you don't wish me to do. But don't you understand that I love -you? Don't you care for me at all?"</p> - -<p>"Hugh-san, I know you are good. I am not afraid of you. I'd do anything -you want, but—I can't. It's impossible, oh, oh, Hugh-san." He could -see tears tremble on long, black lashes, enhancing the depth, the -luster of these dark eyes, the quality that had so overcome him when -he first saw her. Beautiful, unhappy, wholly adorable. "Sadako-san, of -course, it is not impossible. Dearest, I want to marry you."</p> - -<p>But she shook her head, kept shaking it, rocked her whole body. Again -he soothed her, brought her cheek up against his. "Sadako-san, little -girl, what is the matter? Tell me, dear, only tell me." Presently she -straightened, took his arm from her waist, grasped both his hands, held -them, looked straight at him. "All right, Hugh-san, I shall tell you -all, all about myself. Then you'll understand.</p> - -<p>"While I was still small, my mother died, and my father didn't marry -again; he didn't want me to have a stepmother. Oh, he was a good man, -my father. He was a professor in the Imperial University, in political -economy, and all he lived for was to make me wise and good. I went to -a good school and he taught me much himself, many things that he did -not dare<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> teach his classes, showing me how Japan is being corrupted by -the money evil, the big capitalist houses that are gradually sucking -into themselves all the money, all the treasures, all the happiness -of Japan; and the narikins, the new profiteers, who are like jackals -that take what the lions leave, so there's nothing at all left for -the people. He told me that all that was good, all that was fine and -noble about old Japan was being thrust out of the way by the money -worshipers; the samurai, the Bushido code, the splendid old courtesy -and customs, all were being sacrificed that these people might make -money, by any means, fair or foul, by corrupting the government and by -grinding down the common people. He told me so much about it because -he dared not talk to others. He was afraid he might lose his position -or even go to jail for harboring 'dangerous thoughts.' For himself he -wouldn't have minded that, but he was saving up money for my education, -for he wanted me to go to the big universities in America and Europe, -and every month he went down to Yokohama and put money in the Machi -Bank. I didn't care much about these things then, politics, economics; -I wanted to be a doctor; but later I remembered everything he had said.</p> - -<p>"Then came the big crash in business and Machi failed. We lost all we -had; so did the other poor depositors. No one would do anything for -us; the rich men and the other banks were all sorry for Machi, who had -lost so many millions. But he still has his automobiles and his villa -at Hayama—and we had nothing. My father had been failing for some time -before that. Then he died. I am sure that disappointment killed my -father."</p> - -<p>Her voice died away in a whisper. She fell silent, looked out over the -valley, absorbed in her memories. So she was another of the victims of -the Machi failure.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> He had reason to remember the incident well. The -Machi Bank had been the first big concern to tumble in the crash, and -in working up the story he had learned his first astounding lesson in -Japanese high finance. Out of his bank's assets of some seventy million -yen, Machi had invested sixty millions in his own silk and menthol -speculations, and had lost it all. The very point made by Sadako-san, -the wave of sympathy for Machi on the part of the rest of the -plutocrats, the absolute unconcern regarding the depositors, had caused -him to wonder. He had interviewed one of Japan's leading financial -authorities, a high official in the Treasury Department, about it. -But it had been very unsatisfactory. Why, hadn't Machi lost all his -capital, millions and millions? Of course, one must be sorry for him.</p> - -<p>"Then Machi is lucky that he's in Japan," Kent had said. "If he had -been in America, he would be in jail now." But the official had refused -to believe it. Why? Had followed a long discussion. Had they then no -laws whereby bankers were prevented from gambling with funds placed in -their care? The official had plainly thought that Kent was childish in -his ignorance of high finance. Did he not understand then that bankers -had to invest the funds entrusted to them; that was the very essence of -banking. But was there then nothing to prevent a Japanese banker from -investing the funds in his charge in a poker game or in roulette, if -he so pleased? No, naturally the Japanese Government did not wish to -limit its financiers in the exercise of their talents. And, anyway, of -course, the bankers did not put the money in poker games? No, possibly -not, but what about Machi? As a gamble, poker became a child's game as -compared with silk and menthol. The great authority had shown signs of -impatience; anyway, poker was gambling and silk<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> was business; every -one knew that, and, of course, there was always a certain element of -chance in business. Kent had tried once more. "But now that you have -the example of the Machi case before you, with more like that almost -certain to come, don't you think it would be well to regulate such -business by law? What do you trust to, anyway?" No, the Japanese laws -were quite satisfactory, quite, and the authority had drawn himself up -with great dignity. "We trust," he had said solemnly, "we trust in the -integrity of our bankers."</p> - -<p>Kent had picked up his hat and had left. What was the use? Could you -beat it? Here Machi had gambled away sixty millions, and still they -babbled inanely about trusting in the integrity of such. At the time he -had felt intense sympathy with the victims, unknown to him, orphans, -widows, old men doubtless,—and now here he saw at first-hand one -of the countless little tragedies left in the wake of Japanese high -finance indiscretion. So she really had good reason for her peculiar -aversion to the plutocracy, poor little girl. He leaned forward, -intercepted her glance. "And then?"</p> - -<p>"Then," she shrugged her shoulders. He hated to see the bitter smile -on these childishly curved lips. "Then I had no father, and I had no -money, all because Mr. Machi had wanted to take a gambler's chance to -increase his millions. But he kept his motor and his villa, and we, -whose money he had used, we kept nothing. Then I remembered what my -father had so often told me, and then I decided that I would do what -I could to help the poor against the rich, to do my share to put an -end to a government which allows such things, that cares only for -the plutocrats. So I got a job in a silk filature. I might have done -better, of course, but I wanted to see first what the life of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> the -workers was like, and I had no money, anyway, so it made no difference.</p> - -<p>"I thought I would begin cautiously; so I found a position in one of -the Ohara 'model mills.' I thought I was lucky. Of course, I didn't -like the looks of the high board fence that surrounded the whole -place and made it appear like a prison; and it was a prison, too, -I soon found out. They never let us out except on what they called -'excursions' and then there were always guards with us. They made a -great fuss about these excursions, but the fact is that most of us -stayed home to sleep—we could never get enough sleep—and then they -scolded us and said we were lazy and ungrateful. It was the same way -with the flower garden and the tennis courts that they were always -showing visitors—for it was a model factory, you remember. It is true, -we had the right to use them, but we almost never did; we were too -tired, we never had the time. We wanted to sleep, just rest.</p> - -<p>"There were hundreds of girls in the factory, most of them young, who -had come there because they had been shown pictures of these fine -flower gardens and tennis courts and thought they would have a much -nicer time than they had on the farms or in the tenements where they -came from. I worked in a room with over a hundred girls, taking the -silk from the cocoons from the boiling water in great big kettles and -winding it on machines. We couldn't sit down and we couldn't speak or -hear others speak. We couldn't even look up from our task. The boiling -kettles made the heat almost unbearable and the stench from the pupæ -was nauseating. My head ached most of the time, and we had to work from -four in the morning until seven at night. Of course, I always wanted to -sleep, and I was lucky that it was a model factory, for the dormitory -was clean, even though there were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> sixteen of us in each room; and we -were allowed a full <i>tatami</i>, a mat six by three, you know, each. But -even there the <i>futon</i> were thin and hard like boards. There had been -sheets once, some of the older girls said, but some had been stolen by -girls leaving the factory, so they had done away with sheets.</p> - -<p>"I became just like an animal, only thinking of time to rest. I had -heard how in other factories the girls sometimes got better conditions -by banding together or by complaining. In one of the textile mills the -girls composed a song about the hem of the silk crepe shift of Mrs. -Ohara being dyed crimson with blood from working girls' fingers, and I -thought I would like to make up songs like that, do something to bring -the girls together, but I was too weak to think. Sometimes I was afraid -I might get consumption, as so many of the working girls do, but if we -were sick, they only scolded us and said we were shamming. I was sorry -I had come there, but I couldn't get away till my time was up. That's -what the fence was for. The food was poor, but I didn't mind that so -much, for poor food costs very little, and I had decided to save my -money so when I got out I might go to typewriter school."</p> - -<p>Again she paused. She was looking straight at Kent; he could almost -feel her gaze, as were she trying to look into his mind, appraising him.</p> - -<p>"You poor, dear girl," he tried to draw her closer. The thought of that -frail, sweet beauty being cooped up in that steaming hell that she had -depicted incensed him, made him want to take her in his arms and hold -her, protect her, comfort her. But she waved him aside impatiently.</p> - -<p>"Hugh-san, don't caress me. I am going to tell you something I have -never told any one, and then, Hugh-san, you'll understand why you and -I can never<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> be more than this, just friends. Maybe you won't want to -be even that then, but I'm going to tell you." There was an uncanny -high pitch of excitement in her voice. She was becoming overwrought, -possibly a little hysterical. He tried to quiet her. "No, Sadako-san, -don't think of these things. They are all over now. I don't want to -hear any more about all that. I shall take care of you and protect you."</p> - -<p>"But you must hear." He could feel the small hands lying in his clench -tightly as she fought for self-control. She looked straight into his -eyes. "In that factory the Oharas themselves never came, but they had a -banto, a young clerk, who came often to look after the business. Once -when I was so sick that I had not been able to drag myself to work, he -inspected the dormitory and found me alone there. He was very kind. We -talked and we became very friendly. He said he felt sorry for me, that -I was different from the other girls and that he would get me better -work. And he did. I got a job in the office, and gradually things -became better with me. I saw him often then; and, Hugh-san," by an -effort of will she was keeping her gaze straight into his, "I came to -think that I loved him.</p> - -<p>"Then one night, it was fine moonlight, and I walked out into the -garden. My work was not so hard, and I didn't have to think of sleep -always. There had been a little party over at the head overseer's -house, and that man, the man I'm telling you about, came back from -there, through the garden. He saw me. He had been drinking sake, but he -was not drunk, and I was always glad to see him, and I ran up to him. -But he just took me in his arms roughly, and pulled me over into the -shadow and forced me down on the ground, and—oh, Hugh-san——" Her -eyes wavered, fell. She threw herself forward, on his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> shoulder, voice -half-smothered, sobbing. "And I had really loved him. There in that -horrible factory, he had been good to me, and had helped me, and he was -the only one in the world who cared for me, and—and I think that if he -had only held me gently, and spoken softly to me and loved me,—yes, -Hugh-san, I think I should have done anything he wanted. But now I -hated him, even more than I would have hated any other man, and I shall -always hate him.</p> - -<p>"And that's one more reason why I shall always hate capital and its -men, and that's why I have made friends with those who feel like I do, -the Socialists, the Communists and all those, the young men in Tokyo, -the labor leaders, the anti-militarists. That's why I finally managed -to get into Viscount Kikuchi's office, so I might learn all I could -about what they are doing, the bureaucrats and the plutocrats—and, -Hugh-san, that's the reason that I can't love you."</p> - -<p>"But why, dear girl, why?" He gathered her into his arms. She did not -resist, yet he sensed in her body a sort of stiffness, coldness; the -flood tide of ecstatic emotion had passed. "But, Sadako-san, why should -you waste your future, why place your back on happiness because your -past has been wretched? Don't you care for me at all? Couldn't you love -me just a little if you tried?"</p> - -<p>She raised her head, smiled up to him wistfully. "Yes, I think I could -love you, Hugh-san. But I'm not going to. I won't try. Can't you see -how impossible it is. I'm unclean. I'm soiled. Do you think that I -should want to come to you like that?"</p> - -<p>He started to answer, but she placed a hand over his mouth. "Please, -Hugh-san, don't talk. Just let us sit like this; yes, hold me, just a -little while." She nestled close up to him, like a tired child, and -he held her, wondering at the unexpected and strange <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>perversities of -women in matters of love, the impossibility of foreseeing or refuting -the baffling obliquities of their reasoning. In old Japan such a mishap -might have been looked upon with the merciful eye of tolerance; and in -new Japan, the complaint of teachers in even the highest girl schools -was that the maidens were babbling sophisticatedly of free love and -the like. These young Japanese obtained their ideas from the oddest -corners of Western modes of thought, from chance-bought or borrowed -books, taking for gospel whatever they happened to absorb, be it from -long antiquated volumes picked up in a Kanda second-hand bookshop or -from the misconstrued conceptions of Western philosophy casually heard -from these fanatic professors and students. But where could she have -gotten this absurd idea that she was soiled, that her value, that -wondrous gift of beauty and charm, had been vitiated, rendered utterly -worthless, like that? At last he asked her, "Sadako-san, how did you -get such a foolish idea like that? Of course, you're good, and sweet, -and pure, and beautiful. You must never think of yourself as soiled, -unclean; it's unhealthy, absurd. Of course, you don't believe such -nonsense."</p> - -<p>She answered, a little wearily. "But, of course, I do know, and you -know. I am a Christian."</p> - -<p>He almost shook her. "Of all the foolish things! Who ever taught you -Christianity like that?" He tried to argue with her, became voluble. -He was not familiar with intricacies of doctrine, but surely this was -a ridiculously antiquated interpretation of the spirit of Christianity -of to-day, absurd, monstrous. He became voluble, tried to break down -or persuade. And, anyway, what was really Christianity to her? He knew -very well that many of the Japanese Christians were so merely because -it was <i>haikara</i>, modern, placed them a little aside from the mob in -the rôle of independent,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> advanced thinkers. But why should she be like -the rest of the shallow fools?</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know what you say is true. There are many Christians like that. -Even my father, who first taught me Christianity, was like that. I know -he really had more confidence in <i>Nichiren</i>. But, Hugh-san, I am so -tired. I want to rest. Go in and sleep. I shall sleep here."</p> - -<p>The recollection of the two beds in there, side by side, suggestively, -brought his mind to the problem of the moment. "Of course not, dearest. -Go in and rest. I can sleep out here." But she would not have that. -Both grew insistent. It seemed an impasse. Finally he went in and -dragged the two beds apart, one to each end of the long room. Around -hers, designated by the curved wooden headrest designed to support -woman's elaborate coiffure, he built a rampart with the screens.</p> - -<p>"And now, Sadako-san, here is a place for you. Can't you trust me?"</p> - -<p>She came up to him. "Of course, I trust you." She raised herself on -her toes, placed her hands to his head, pressed her cheek against his, -warm, soft. He moved his arms to clasp her, but she slipped away, -disappeared. He could hear the dropping of her garments to the <i>tatami</i> -beyond the barrier of screens.</p> - -<p>When he awoke sunlight was filtering in through the paper <i>shoji</i>. He -called, "Sadako-san," but there was no answer. He went over to the -screens which guarded her, knocked, called again, but she had gone. -Evidently she had taken the opportunity to go to the bath.</p> - -<p>He went out on the veranda, seated himself on the rail, back against -a post, reflecting. What a rack of emotional storm and stress had -suddenly swept upon them, engulfing them, unexpectedly, whirling them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> -about like straws in a typhoon. So that had been the result of his -carefully planned pure, passion-free relationship; how little man might -control such things. And he had asked her to marry him. Jun-san's words -came to him. What if she had consented? He would then have been tied to -her now, for life. For life, with this Japanese girl! Would happiness -have come of it, not merely the swirling high tide of youthful passion -of the first years, but during the long years, decades, when constant -living together would reduce existence to the humdrum of every day. He -tried to imagine the situation a score of years hence, when she would -be over forty, when the glamor of youth, the sparkle of newness, the -exotic charm of kimono and strange ornaments should have passed away, -when her mode of thought would no longer be fresh and original to him, -but when the oddness of her ideas would have become stale, irritating -even. They might at such time be living in San Francisco, or New York, -or London; he did not intend to live the rest of his life in Japan. How -would life in such places be for them, an elderly-aged American and a -middle-aged Japanese woman? Marriage must have a firmer foundation to -build upon than mere attraction of beauty, spell, fascination of exotic -charm; to last it must depend on the ingredient of intelligence, common -growth of mind, ideals. His first marriage came back into his mind -warningly, and even there chances for endurance of the relation had -been so much stronger. And yet he did love this girl. Were it not for -the appalling thought of the possibility of what coming decades might -bring, he would not hesitate. Could he, for instance, be certain that -he would live but three, or five years longer, he would have insisted, -persuaded, won her by sheer impetuosity of wooing. But—— No, Jun-san -was probably right; did he venture to tie himself to this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> girl for -life, he would be playing a game of chance with fate with the cards -probably stacked against him. And still he wanted her, craved for her, -would probably be able to overcome her misgivings; but what if he did? -Would not come the time when she might recall to him that she had been -right, that he had brought only unhappiness to her? No, he must give -her up.</p> - -<p>"Good-morning, <i>asenebo-san</i>, sleepy-head." She had crept up to him -playfully, like a child and stood beside him laughing, radiant, with a -freshness like a flower from the bath. Not a trace of the soul-stirring -emotions of the night before. "Soon we shall have breakfast, and after -lunch we shall go back to Tokyo."</p> - -<p>"You forget that the trains may not be running then. Have they had any -news down below?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, it will be only a twenty-four hour strike. That was decided. Of -course, they don't know anything, the inn people, but I know." She was -enjoying her superiority of knowledge. "That was decided on some time -ago, only I didn't know it would come so soon. Don't you know that -while workers are allowed to organize unions, the Imperial Railways men -are not allowed to form them, because they are Government employees. -That's just why we wanted this strike, the first real nation-wide -strike, to come from them, just to strike fear into these governing -classes, to show them how powerless they really are. So a lot of -the most important railroad men, engineers and conductors, all over -Japan, wherever we could find them, were organized secretly, and we -trusted that when they struck the others would come along, for they -are all resentful since the Government cut the freight rates and cut -their wages for the benefit of the rich people who own the freight. Of -course, the authorities suspected something, but they couldn't find out -just what was going to happen and when it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> going to come off. And -they will punish a lot of the leaders, no doubt. But let them put them -in jail; it will only make us stronger. I'm so glad that this really -happened; we thought it would be almost impossible to bring it through."</p> - -<p>How intensely he disliked hearing her talk like this. Who the devil -were these "we"? Why should this beautiful, slender girl be stirring -her white fingers in this mess. These words, the sordid jargon of -class passion and hate, seemed so grotesquely incongruous issuing from -rose-petal child lips that should have been humming the lilting songs -of maidenhood.</p> - -<p>"Sadako-san," he could not keep impatience out of his voice, "what the -deuce are you doing in this mess, anyway? Such things are not for girls -like you. It will bring you only unhappiness. Why don't you drop it?"</p> - -<p>"I have told you. Some one must do this work. I have no one who cares -for me; and there are many other girls in this, just as in your country -where women do their share. Why shouldn't Japanese women be as brave -and strong as yours?"</p> - -<p>Damn this craze after modernity! He wished Japan had never been opened -to the Western civilization, to suffering the pangs of re-birth, the -seething flux of reconstruction that sucked so many lives inexorably -into the maelstrom.</p> - -<p>She noticed his frown. "You are angry with me, Hugh-san. Is it because -I didn't tell you about this before?"</p> - -<p>"No, I want none of your confidences about all that stuff; I don't want -to hear you talk about it." He snapped his fingers impatiently. Hang it -all!</p> - -<p>"Don't be angry, Hugh-san. I was so afraid that this would happen. I -liked you so much. You seemed so honest, and then when I heard the -Viscount lying<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> to you, why, I just couldn't help telling you. I hate -all these militaristic plots, their subtle plans, keeping up to the -letter of their promise, but preparing all the time, in so many ways, -for war, for building up their machine in other ways. And so I told -you. I wanted to do anything to help stopping them, to hurt their -plans. But then, afterwards, I came to think it over. I'm Japanese, and -you're a foreigner. Oh, I trust you, but, after all, had I the right -to go against my own people, my own country? Oh, I thought over it so -long, and sometimes one thing seemed right and sometimes the other, -and I couldn't make up my mind, and I grew afraid; so I decided to say -nothing more till I was sure what was right. Now, don't be angry. I do -trust you, but——" From the floor where she was kneeling she reached -up, grasped his hands, pulled him down towards her. He sensed the -trembling of her tightly clasping fingers, tenseness of her body. She -brought her face close to his, eyes intense, staring into his.</p> - -<p>"Hugh-san, if you say that it is right, I'll tell you all that I know. -Anyway, I am afraid that soon I shall not be able to tell much, for I -think that they are watching me, that they will send me from Kikuchi's -office. But I don't care," her voice broke. "Oh, Hugh-san, don't be -angry with me. I'll tell you everything if only you say that it is -right."</p> - -<p>Her face had become drawn; the eyes staring into his were bright with -luminous tears. It was as if he could feel on himself infection of -quivering approach of hysteria. He shook himself together. By the -gods, he'd have no more of these high-pitched, feverish scenes with -their trembling reactions. He wanted no news at such a cost. The girl, -this poor, fanatical flower-like thing, frantic under her visionary -obsessions, she was the only thing that mattered now. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span></p> - -<p>He rose, lifted her and carried her high in his arms up and down the -length of the great room. "You dear baby," he rocked her back and forth -soothingly. "You dear pretty little baby. 'Rock-a-by baby in the tree -top.' That's how we sing to naughty little babies in my country." She -had struggled a moment when he picked her up, surprised, frightened, -but now she lay quiet; the tremble had left her, the flicker of -overwrought excitation in her eyes had given place to wonder; her body -relaxed, a wistful smile crept over her lips. "But, Hugh-san, I'm not a -baby, don't——"</p> - -<p>"Keep quiet, you're only a baby, my baby, cry-baby. Listen, 'When the -wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the wind blows, the cradle will -fall, and,'" he gave her a great swing, "'down comes baby, cradle and -all.'"</p> - -<p>He tumbled her into the nest of soft silk <i>futon</i>. She lay there, -laughing. "Oh, but you are silly, Hugh-san. I had never thought that -you could be like that. And what a funny song. Sing me some more like -that, and tell me what they mean."</p> - -<p>He was overjoyed that the remedy had been so potent. He would have -her all right in a jiffy. Out of his almost forgotten store of Mother -Goose rimes he conjured the Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe, the Ride -a Cock Horse, and others; he remembered the fairy tales which had -delighted Kimiko-san and brought them to bear. But she liked the songs -best, insisted on his singing an odd potpourri of nursery nonsense -transformed into labored Japanese. The maid coming with breakfast found -them in high spirits.</p> - -<p>After the meal, they went for a walk through the village. There they -heard the news; the trains would be running that afternoon. "I told you -so," triumphed Sadako-san, but he turned her attention to a bent-backed -crone who, he insisted, was the living image of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> the Old Woman in the -Shoe. He wanted no more of the other. At luncheon they had more nursery -entertainment. She was as happy, as eagerly receptive as a young bird -stretching out its beak clamorous for ever more food. It was wholly -delightful. Why could she not always be like that, this entrancing, -absurd girl revolutionist who could be enticed in a moment from Karl -Marx to Mother Goose?</p> - -<p>They left for Tokyo in the afternoon, but the trains were crowded and -there was opportunity for only commonplace talk. From the Tokyo station -they walked towards Kanda-bashi. Seriousness had returned to her; she -said very little. "Kent-san, you have been very, very good to me. I -shall never forget it; and, I shall never forget you. And you won't -forget me, will you, not altogether?"</p> - -<p>"But what are you talking about, Sadako-san? I shall see you again -often, as usual." He took her hand, but she was looking away from him, -over her shoulder. She pulled her hand away quickly. He followed her -gaze. In the shadow of the buildings on the other side of the street -he detected a slinking figure, indefinite, sinister in its stealthy -movement.</p> - -<p>She turned to him. "So you can see yourself now, Hugh-san. It was just -as I thought. That man over there, he has been following me before. -I knew this must come sooner or later. No, come on, walk quietly. It -can't be helped." They reached the bridge. She took his hand, held it -between her slim fingers, gripping it tightly. "Good-by, Hugh-san. You -have been too good to me. How I wish—— I shall never forget how good -you have been. And don't forget me, Hugh-san—dear."</p> - -<p>She pressed his hand again, turned, and disappeared in the shadows -on the other side of the bridge. From the other sidewalk the dark -form of the spy was <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span>watching. The swine! What filthy curs they were, -these masters of armies and battleships, to pester and harry a slight, -frail thing like this girl! He started for home and turned down a -side street. Suddenly he wheeled about. Yes, the fellow was following -him, inexpertly, but doggedly. Well, he would show the brute that -shadowing a man, a foreigner, was not such an easy game as badgering -a girl. Abruptly he stepped into the dark shadow of a narrow alley, -waited, fist clenched. What if he were a policeman; of course, trouble -might follow, but he would at least give him the drubbing of his life, -the swine! He waited, bent forward for assault, strangely elated, -expectant. But the minutes passed; he peered out. The fellow was not in -sight. Kent stepped out from the alley. No, he had disappeared. He had -smelt a rat, the damned coward!</p> - -<p>Whew, what a day, and what a night! What a grotesque bedlam this was -becoming to be, this Japan in transition that he had begun to pry into, -this monstrous anamorphosis where the rare quaintness and daintiness -of feudal richness of thought and beauty were anachronistically -intermingled with the crass, clamorous ugliness of riotous, strident -cry, uneasy, hectic pulsing of dissatisfaction, hating mob thought. And -then this girl; she was like a flower ground in the relentless wheels -of some gigantic, pitiless machine—and he couldn't drag her out. What -a price Japan was paying for her modernism, with the fair, sweet souls -of girlhood tattered and wasted as a part of the sacrifice. This, then, -was the end of this relationship that he had hoped so much from. The -premonition was uncanny, overwhelming; he could not ward it off. This, -then, was the end.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVI</h2> - -<p>A few days later he went to Viscount Kikuchi's office. A young fellow -occupied the seat at the head of the stairway. "You are new here, -aren't you?" Kent ventured. Yes, he had come here only yesterday. Kent -tried a few more discreet questions, but the lad was uncommunicative. -Still his manner indicated clearly enough that he regarded himself as -a permanency. Kent was glad to learn that the Viscount was absent; he -would have hated to face those piercing old eyes. It was impossible to -tell just how much he might know.</p> - -<p>For days he kept up the search, made occasion to linger about -Kanda-bashi, visited the places where they had been together. He even -had Ishii make inquiries, but beyond ascertaining that she had left her -lodgings at Kanda, he could learn nothing. Again he went for council to -Karsten. He laughed a little.</p> - -<p>"By the gods, but you are the damndest man for losing ladies, for -futile amours. However," he added more seriously, "it's probably as -well that things have turned out as they have. The fact is that you -have not the light, care-free touch to make a successful philanderer. -You're a 'one woman' man. You take your affairs of the heart seriously, -and for that reason it's the more essential that you make no mistake. -As I say, you're a born monogamist. It's an enviable condition; you'll -be happy, serene, content with just one woman, provided you find the -right one. These affairs you have had recently count for nothing. -You've been lonesome, in a susceptible mood. Let it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> pass. Some day -you'll run into the right one and your problem will be solved for good. -And, one thing more, you're not the sort of a fellow who is cut out for -a Japanese woman. Run along, go to the dances, play with Kimiko-san and -the rest, but don't get involved, for their sake, for they take such -matters seriously and you have no right to cause them heartache; and -for your own sake as well, for you, too, take such matters seriously. -Go to work and forget serious thoughts about women, Sadako-san and the -rest. Heavens knows, there ought to be enough going on in Japan just -now to keep a newspaperman occupied."</p> - -<p>It was true. The atmosphere had become hectic. The railroad strike -had alarmed capitalists and bureaucrats. The police were frantic, -and strike leaders and Socialists, any one thought to be harboring -the detested "dangerous thoughts," were being jailed right and left. -Strikes became frequent. Those who incited them were put away by the -police mercilessly. The method seemed successful, but soon the workers -resorted instead to what they called "sabotage," grasping fondly at the -foreign word, though the movement involved no violence, but consisted -entirely in organized effort to do as little as possible; "going slow" -was a more descriptive phrase for it. The men went to work as usual, -went through the motions of performing their tasks, remained at their -posts during the prescribed number of hours, but production fell to a -minimum. Machinery revolved as busily as usual, but raw material was -fed to it but sparingly; lathe tools moved around, back and forth, but -found no steel to shape, looms whirred hummingly but empty of fabric. -It was especially conspicuous in the case of the tramcar men, who would -run a car a block or so, stop for half an hour while making pretense of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span>searching for some break, then progress a block or two only to halt -again. Fights were staged in all the big cities between car crews and -irate passengers. The police were helpless; there was no way of making -men work quickly. The capitalists groaned; here were the economists -calling all the time for reduction of production cost in order that -Japanese goods might meet the competition of foreign wares, and yet -their output was becoming absurdly expensive. But the workers were in -high feather. Capital had closed so many factories and had discharged -so many workmen in order to keep the stock of goods in the domestic -market so low that prices would remain high—unable to grasp any theory -except that high prices meant high profits—and now it was compelled to -employ more workers in order to make up for the loss caused by the "go -slow" tactics.</p> - -<p>Labor leaders, Socialists, Communists, Syndicalists, and all the -worshipers of half-understood 'isms found fine fishing in troubled -waters, certain of responsive audiences wherever they might find places -in which to shout their lurid, variegated doctrines. The police were -ubiquitous. By scores, even hundreds, they would attend meetings, -breaking them up and jailing leaders whenever occasion offered. The -Seiyukai party hired bands of <i>soshi</i>, professional ruffians, to raise -disturbances at these gatherings, and free fights and broken heads -became commonplace. Still, the various movements gathered force, came -together in common interest as streamlets flow together and form a -river. The many feeble unions joined hands, formed federations. Where -heretofore strikes had been mainly isolated, men in this shop or -factory striking solely in the interests of their own purely personal -concerns, demanding discharge of unpopular foremen, shorter hours, -higher pay, they now amalgamated and struck<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> together, the entire body -of workers of one industry, striking in sympathy with other unions. -The dockyard workers went out because the employers would not pay a -full year's salary to discharged workmen; the seamen threatened to -follow suit unless the demand were granted, and the employers gave in. -Capital became frightened, tried to stave off the evil day by paying -ever greater allowances, hoping desperately to soothe the clamor by -doles of money; but the situation had gone beyond this. The day of the -old feudal relation between master and workman, the personal touch of -a feeling of common interest, had passed. As if born over-night, class -consciousness loomed forth, overshadowed the entire situation. Demands -for higher pay, shorter hours, became subordinated, fell into the -background; now the cry was for a share by the workmen in control of -industries, abolition of capitalism.</p> - -<p>It became almost impossible to segregate fact from fiction. One could -not know what might have happened. It was impracticable to depend on -the reports of the press; one knew that the most important news was -not allowed to see the light of day. Kent tried to get what he could -from original sources. What was capital thinking of all this; what was -it doing about it? He sought bankers and industrial leaders. They all -professed that there was no cause for great worry, brought forth sheafs -of statistics compiled by various government offices and capital-labor -harmony societies, trying to console themselves with patently absurd -figures proving that there was no unemployment, that more men were -given work than lost employment, that all was serene. Ostrich-like they -buried their heads in the convenient mess of figures, insistent on not -seeing the truth.</p> - -<p>"It's only a phase of the depression which we are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> passing through just -like other countries," they insisted. "Things are no worse here than -they were in America and Europe a few decades ago when your workmen -were in a similar condition. Remember, we have in a few years almost -caught up industrially with the countries which were several centuries -ahead of us. Give us a few years more and conditions here will be the -same. Anyway, the situation here is not as bad as in the United States -and England, for example. Our strikes are insignificant in comparison. -We have never had business held up for weeks and months by nation-wide -strikes. In New York and Chicago you have daylight bank robberies and -hold-ups. In Japan a man may walk safely anywhere with a roll of bank -notes in his hand, even in the poorest quarters. And the industrial -workers are too few in proportion to the total of population to count -for much; only they make lots of noise. The bulk of the people is -agricultural. There's nothing very much to worry about."</p> - -<p>He pointed out that danger lay in the fact that the agricultural -population also had become infected with resentment against capital. -Thousands of unions of tenant farmers, who constitute half of the -agriculturists, had been formed and clamored against the exactions of -rapacious landlords. Some of them had made united demands for rent -reduction, had refused to till the soil when such were not granted, -and had proclaimed that if other tenants were brought in to cultivate -the land, these men would be ostracized; so the fields now lay idle. -What about the formation of the gigantic federation of farmers' unions -and its great convention in Kobe? What about the report that soldiers -who had served their term in the army in Siberia were sowing the seeds -of Bolshevism throughout the peasantry? Did not that show that the -farmers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> were likely to make common cause with the industrial workers?</p> - -<p>But they remained stubbornly sanguine here also. This, too, was only -a phase. A general of the Siberian expedition had said that this -Bolshevism was only on the surface, like face powder, which would -speedily wash off. So that was that, so to speak. Presently there would -be a big rice crop; there were all indications of a bumper yield, and -then the farmers would be happy again, and quiet. Anyway, capital was -doing what it could. A horde of scholars and statisticians was studying -the situation, and obviously it would be unwise to move in the dark, -until these experts had reported. And the Government had appointed a -commission for studying the problem of universal suffrage, which would -report some day. It was a grave question whether the masses were ripe -for the vote. It would not do to be over-hasty.</p> - -<p>The task of obtaining reliable data with respect to the other side of -the situation was equally baffling. A woman Socialist had sprung into -fame through her articles in various magazines advocating the cause of -the masses; partly, also, from the fact that her husband, a university -professor, had been placed in jail. Kent went to see her in her small -house crammed from floor to ceiling with books and pamphlets, the -inevitable Karl Marx tomes looming forth with glorious prominence. -She hailed him with joy, chanted a tirade of almost unbelievable -accusations; the capitalists were holding the workers—men, women, and -even children—in slavery. Many of them were kept far underground in -mines and were not allowed to see light of day for months; they tried -purposely to kill them by means of unwholesome food and unsanitary -quarters in order to prevent them from going back to the country -districts and spreading the cause of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> Socialism. It was easy to get -young men and girls to replace them, owing to the general unemployment. -But he wanted something more definite, data, figures. Certainly, he -should have them. She would send him such in a few days. She sent him -a vast bundle of papers, a mass of laboriously contrived compilations -of figures, going back into the early days of Japanese industrialism, -showing by minutely detailed statistics that one-half of the factory -work women died from consumption within two years of employment in -the great textile mills. It seemed almost incredible, and as he went -into the matter he found that figures had been given for periods -before the time when vital statistics of any kind had been kept by -the Government or any one else; still closer examination showed that -the tables did not check, were wildly contradictory in many cases. -Evidently the author had drawn her data, enthusiastically, from her -inner consciousness. He went back to her, told her that her information -must be more consistent, more reliable. She tore the bundle from his -hands. A few days later one of the vernacular papers published a lurid -account from her, mentioning him by name as a capitalist spy who had -been frustrated by the famous lady Socialist.</p> - -<p>He called on Ikeda, the head of the federation of labor, a rotund, -pleasant-faced man with humorous eyes beaming from behind great -round spectacles. "Yes, it is getting worse all the time," said the -leader. "Of course, all this helps to bring the unions together, -but it is difficult to keep them in hand. We all want abolition of -capitalism, but while some of us want it accomplished peacefully, by -evolution, many of the workers, most of the smaller unions especially, -want nothing short of revolution. They are Sovietists, Communists, -Syndicalists, Anarchists, all kinds. They are getting more and more out -of hand." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Would universal suffrage content them any?" asked Kent. "I should -think if you centered on the suffrage movement, gave them that to think -about, you might maintain control. Anyway, it seems to me that labor -must remain powerless as long as it is voiceless and has no control in -the government. I take it that you people will back up the universal -suffrage agitation at the next session of the Diet?"</p> - -<p>The eyes behind the great lenses became serious. "No, we're going to -leave it alone. In fact, we dare not take it up. The workmen look upon -that as futile, a mere sop, a process that's altogether too slow to -suit them. We're afraid that if we took up suffrage as an organized -movement, the unions would get out of hand; it would set them thinking -of more revolutionary measures; they would insist on them and would -sweep aside us who are trying to lead them along a constructive line -of action. Anyway, the masses are hardly ripe for suffrage yet. They -must be educated first; that's what we are trying to do now, to educate -them."</p> - -<p>So here, too, was temporizing. Labor leaders, like capitalist leaders, -were trying to play for time, to avoid facing the music, while the -steam in the kettle kept becoming denser and stronger, with ever more -insistent force striving against the walls of repression. But how -much was there really behind all this clamor of labor? He came to -wonder to what extent these complaints were justified. It was true, -what the capitalists said, that conditions in Japan were no worse, or -not much worse, than they had been in America and Europe not so many -decades ago. Of course, the unrest was due to the fact that workers and -farmers, heretofore satisfied with feudal conditions not knowing that -they could be otherwise, had suddenly been shown by the Socialists, the -soldiers coming back from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> Siberia, the radical press, that workmen -in other countries lived in what seemed to frugal Japanese eyes the -luxury of millionaires, and now they wanted similar privileges, yes, -rights. But capital was right in its contention that workers who -could individually bring forth only one-fifth the result produced by -the white workmen could be paid wages only in proportion to their -output capacity—otherwise Japanese production cost would rise to the -point where Japanese goods would be helpless in world competition and -industry must cease. The point seemed to be whether capital was holding -down labor to unduly harsh conditions.</p> - -<p>He took to rambling about in the poorer quarters of Tokyo, but could -learn but little. The houses were frail, of thin boards and paper, -but so were those of the wealthier classes; it was the form of -construction adopted by a hardy people. Even if these buildings were -dirtier, dingier, the population showed no sign of abject poverty, -of misery. Children played merrily in the streets; men and women -moved about or sat chatting in the open stores. A Japanese might have -learned something, might have penetrated more intimately into their -lives, might have entered their dwellings, have drawn from them their -confidential thoughts, but as a foreigner he felt himself baffled -by an invisible veil of reserve. They were courteous, friendly, but -impenetrable. Only occasionally might he detect a hostile, wondering -glance—what might this foreigner be doing in such places—or he might -hear childish voices behind his back uplifted in song to the effect -that the foreigner's father was a cat. One night a couple of fellows -mellowed by sake wanted to take him to their bosom, tried to embrace -him, overcome by all-enfolding love of mankind generally, insisted on -his joining them in their festive circumambulations. It was annoying. -They were harder to deal with than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> if they had been unpleasant. He -was trying to hold them off, irritated at the laughing crowd that had -gathered, to escape, in some way. Suddenly the ranks of the onlookers -parted and a Japanese in foreign clothes strode through, a middle-aged -man, muscular, authoritative. "Here, you fellows, run along; can't -you see that this foreigner wishes to pass?" The men stood back -shamefacedly, murmured some apology. "All right, now run along." He -cleared a way through the crowd. "They mean well enough," he explained -to Kent, "but probably you had better let me go with you for a moment."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I'm all right. Still, I want to thank you for your help." He began -to explain why he had come; it was only due this unknown rescuer, and -then the man had spoken in English, and evidently held some authority -that the people here recognized. Who might he be, anyway?</p> - -<p>"So you come to see poverty," the man laughed. "Well, if you really -want to see it, the real thing, I think you may find no better man -to guide you. That's my specialty, you see." He went on to explain. -He was an official, it appeared, had charge of a government home for -unemployed, where men might sleep for fifteen sen a night and board -for forty sen a day. "But there are too few of these places," he -complained. "We can take care of less than one tenth of the thousands -who need it. There are no free sleeping places, no free food. The -Capital-Harmony Society has provided a few reading rooms, playgrounds -and all that; every now and then some rich man gives a small park; but -they all give a few hundred thousands where they ought to be giving in -millions. They can't see that if they don't give now, freely, these -people will come some day and take it from them by force. If you care -to come along, I'll show you how these people live." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p> - -<p>He led Kent through a maze of narrow alleys, into the Fukagawa quarter, -through dark lanes illumined only by faint light from open doorways. -They must walk warily over rotten boards covering the slimy gutters -which served as sewers, to avoid the deepest of the universal mud. -Presently they came to a collection of buildings more squalid than the -rest,—long, barn-like houses of filthy, rotting wood.</p> - -<p>"Here you are," said the guide. "These are the 'Nagaya Tunnels'; they -are famous for being the worst place in the city."</p> - -<p>They entered. Through the length of the building ran a narrow passage, -faced on both sides by cubicles of three mats each, spaces of six -by nine feet, each housing a family, several adults and swarms of -children. In the passageway all cooking and washing was done. It was -cluttered with <i>hibachi</i>, firewood, cooking utensils, buckets for -water brought from a pump outside, heterogeneous implements. Women -were busy cooking, and acrid smoke ascended idly against the roof, -escaping through a large hole and numerous cracks and crevices. As -they passed down this corridor they could look into the minute rooms, -packed with goods, ragged <i>futon</i>, tattered clothing, poor belongings -of every kind, leaving only a scant space in the middle where humans -sat huddled together or lay asleep. Some of the rooms, particularly -those where a few men maintained slovenly bachelor housekeeping, -were ill-kept, with paper hanging in streamers from broken <i>shoji</i> -ribs, and goods scattered about haphazardly. Others formed striking -contrast with desperate attempts at cleanliness, where woman hands -had tried pathetically to create some kind of home atmosphere in the -box-like spaces allotted them in this turmoil of poverty. Kent caught -a glimpse of a family seated about a low Japanese table, father, -mother and a couple<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> of children, sitting decorously, with the same -display of graceful manners as might be seen in the abodes of the rich, -daintily picking with their chopsticks fish and vegetables from cheap -earthenware. A tiny glass globe with a couple of goldfish was suspended -from the window frame. The little tableau was like a ray of light in -the mass of grime and poverty all about it, a pitiable insistence -on maintenance of the spirit of family life, of decency despite the -squalor hemming it in on all sides.</p> - -<p>As they fumbled on, some of the inhabitants recognized the guide, -crowded up to him with tales of their troubles. These were men only; -the women eyed them curiously, dully, but remained apathetic. From -the shadows unkempt wretches emerged. An old fellow with only one eye -insisted on removing his bandage. He had lost his eye in an accident -while working for the municipal electric light works; but they had -given him nothing. Now, he had been trying to peddle small fish, but -they had stopped him because he had no license. Where could he get -money for a license? He had nothing to eat; others could find no -employment. They wanted assistance, money, jobs.</p> - -<p>But, oddly, try as he might, Kent could not draw even from the -all-surrounding evidences of abject poverty an impression of suffering, -of heart-rending misery. It was revolting that here several hundreds -of humans were forced to find shelter in these miserable hovels, -collections of rotten wood worth probably less than a thousand yen as -kindling and fit for nothing else. But while presence of Americans or -Europeans in such quarters would have caused him indignation, intense -sympathy, here these people, inured to hardship by generation after -generation of Spartan frugality, possessed a happy faculty of making -the best of these wretched circumstances, of accepting them stoically.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> -Mingled with the complaints, the stories of distress, had been laughter -of children, the glimpse of the family at table, triumphantly wringing -content from even such mean material. He was annoyed that he should -feel like this, essentially unsympathetic, unable to register the -distress which the plight of these people should produce; but the fact -was that there seemed to be no anguish, no grinding, torturing grief.</p> - -<p>He mentioned it to his companion. "It seems strange to me; here is -poverty, and squalor and even want, and yet most of these people do not -seem to be altogether unhappy; some even seem fairly well satisfied."</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's true, but, as a matter of fact, you've come at the wrong -time. Yesterday was the first of the month, and those of them who had -jobs got their pay, and even those without jobs benefit from that. -Those who have money share with the rest. But you ought to have been -here last month, during the rains. I was down here trying to help, -and the water came up to my armpits, tide and rain water mixed. The -whole district was flooded, and the houses. In the single-story ones -like the Tunnels the water stood several feet over the floors and the -people had to construct makeshift shelves for themselves and their -belongings. There they sat for several days, wet, hungry, cold. I've -heard the cry of little children for food and their mothers trying to -hush them, explaining that the father could not work during the flood. -And that sort of thing is not unusual; it happens several times a -year, as often as half a dozen times, whenever there is a heavy rain. -This entire quarter is not fit for human habitation, but the factories -have been built here because the location is convenient and the land -comparatively cheap; and the workers must live near the factories. -The whole district should be filled, but these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> people have no voice -in the government. Only the rich can vote for city councilmen, and -the government funds are spent for the benefit of the rich, in wide -avenues in the fine residence districts, by hundreds of thousands for -celebrations—but there is no money for rescuing the poor from the -floods.</p> - -<p>"And do you know that the odd thing is that it's these very same poor -people who are carrying the burden of maintaining the city. Tokyo -collects less than four million yen a year from land and house taxes, -and yet she is the sixth largest city in the world. The revenue is -collected by indirect taxation, by the huge profits of the car system, -by the imposts and stamp duties and licenses for every conceivable -thing. The proportion of business tax paid by the magnates is -infinitesimally small when compared with that wrung from the peddlers -and small shopkeepers. So you see, the poor wretches who must cling -to their walls like bats while the flood waters sweep over their -floors, are at the same time paying for the boulevards and improving -the property whose owners contribute almost nothing. Until a few years -ago they did not think of that; they didn't know that things could -be different. But now they're being taught, and they're beginning to -figure things out. This is the kind of a place that breeds 'dangerous -thoughts,' and, I tell you, when I am down here during flood time, I -come pretty close to having 'dangerous thoughts' myself."</p> - -<p>A few days later Kent was telling of this experience to a group of -friends, Japanese and foreign, chance-met at the Imperial Hotel bar. -"It's damnable. Of course, in every country we have rich rolling in -luxury and poor ones groaning in misery, but in no place is the gulf -between the classes so great, and nowhere else are the plutocrats -so utterly unfeeling, so heartless; in no place are the poor ground -so hard to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> such absurdly high profits, your sixty and seventy -per cent. dividends, your constant subsidies to giant companies and -industries, your tariffs for protection of profiteers. I tell you, when -I was mucking about down there in Fukagawa and heard of what it was -like during the rains, and what it will continue to be like, I felt -that I should like to meet these people, the Watanabes, the Inouyes, -the Yamanakas, the Oharas, the lady with the blood-dyed silken shift of -the song, you know, and I should like to kick the whole damned outfit, -yes, the lady, too, by the gods."</p> - -<p>"Look out, Kent, you're getting 'dangerous thoughts.'" They laughed and -dismissed the subject, but one of them, Hata, leaned across the table -to Kent.</p> - -<p>"You know, Kent-san, I don't think you'd want to kick them at all, if -you met them. In fact, you'd like them. I'll bet you a tiffin on it."</p> - -<p>"All right, you're on," he replied thoughtlessly. The others had taken -up the question of the Chinese demand for the return of the Liaotung -peninsula, and he was interested.</p> - -<p>A few days later Hata appeared at his office. "I have an invitation for -you, you and your friend, Mr. Karsten, to have luncheon with Baron and -Baroness Ohara, almost any day that would suit you. Would next Friday -do? You know," he had noted the surprise on Kent's face, "you said -you'd like to meet them."</p> - -<p>Could ever such an absurd situation occur outside of Japan? How the -devil could he accept the hospitality of people whom he had said he -would like to kick, the Baroness at that? And still he was greatly -tempted to grasp this opportunity to see at first hand, in their -intimate home surroundings, these people, these heartless plutocrats -who ground down the poor that they might amass wealth in a measure far -greater<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> than they could possibly use by even the most extravagant -luxury. He hesitated.</p> - -<p>"Did you by any chance say anything to the Oharas about my desire to -kick them, Hata-san? Of course, you see that——"</p> - -<p>"No, of course, not," he interrupted eagerly. "You know, I'm fairly -close to Baron Ohara, and I really wanted you to meet him and the -Baroness. They are charming people; you'll revise your opinion. I've -told them of your investigation of the conditions of the poor in Tokyo, -and they are much interested and really want you to tell them about it -all. Anyway, do you think it would be fair for you to see only one side -and then condemn the other? How about Friday?"</p> - -<p>Kent accepted. What an odd proposition. Of course, Hata was right -enough; he must seek both sides before passing judgment; but what the -devil interest might Hata have in this? He did not know much about him, -a suave, frock-coated gentleman, highly intelligent, fluent in English -and French, ubiquitous in all places where Japanese and foreigners -intermingled. He was known to be more or less definitely connected with -the big interests—some even claimed that he was obscurely identified -with the Foreign Office—but he was clever, an excellent companion, -always ready to be of service in giving information or obtaining it -for the foreigners. They accepted him as a sort of unofficial liaison -officer maintained by the Japanese for the purpose of keeping them -informed as to what the foreigners thought; also, in some measure, to -elucidate the Japanese point of view. He was a bit of a mystery, but a -pleasant one.</p> - -<p>On the appointed day Hata came to escort them in one of the Baron's -automobiles. "Here we are; this is the place," he pointed with almost -proprietary pride to a long brick wall rising well above the height -of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> tall man's head, hiding from view whatever might be enclosed -within. "How do you like that gate?" Liveried commissionaires held -open the massive iron-grille work, flanked on each side by tower-like -buttresses. "The Baron had it brought from France; it's an exact copy -of that of some château somewhere there."</p> - -<p>"Frankly, I'd rather have seen in its place one of those great wooden, -brass-studded gates of old Japan," said Karsten. "Wouldn't you, Kent?" -But Kent did not answer. He recalled a picture he had seen in the -Japanese papers, some months ago, of this very gate, closed, with -a score of women clamoring, gesticulating through its ornate bars, -workers who had vainly tried to bring their complaints direct to the -owner of the factories in which they were employed. Eventually they had -been hustled away by the police.</p> - -<p>The automobile swept round a miniature mountain cleverly built up from -carefully placed rocks. Trees had been planted amongst them; vines -sprang from the interstices; skillful hands had laboriously contrived -to reproduce a picture of untouched, untrammeled nature, an atmosphere -of the free and restful mountainous country that made it difficult to -realize that the grimy tangles of the city were but a hundred yards -behind.</p> - -<p>More liveried servants met them at the door of the mansion, a large -modern thing, but well planned, with the quiet air of great wealth -which disdainfully avoided garishness. The Baron met them in the hall, -a young man—Kent judged him to be about thirty-five—slim, seeming -tall with his trim athletic figure, almost like some young French -aristocrat as is a type which recent years has brought forth among -the wealthy classes of Japan. He was graceful, pleasantly placing -them at ease. Harvard, then Cambridge, had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> obliterated the stamp of -race; it did not enter one's thought; one felt exactly as if he might -have been a young Frenchman, Italian, Spaniard. He led them into an -immense living room, high-ceilinged, with French windows giving on -to an Italian garden which had been laid out behind the house. This -also was entirely modern, with the same atmosphere of wealth carefully -restrained by unfailing taste, excellently chosen furnishings, each -thing of value and elegance, but harmonious, with an air of comfort, of -a delightful living place. Possibly a hint of excess, over-crowding, -might be conveyed by the superabundance of paintings which covered -the walls everywhere. At first glance the display seemed too lavish, -garish even, but this soon wore away as one came to look more closely, -appreciating the beauty of each individual piece. Here was a gallery -of modern art with here and there an almost priceless thing by some -old master, and one sensed that this profusion was due, not merely to -a desire for display, but to a genuine affection for these pictures, a -real wish to have them ever before the eye.</p> - -<p>Karsten became enthusiastic immediately, could not keep away from the -paintings. In a moment he and the Baron had become as if they were old -friends, passing from one thing to the other, appraising, commenting, -sharing enthusiasm. Even Kent became absorbed. A discreet clearing of -the throat from Hata recalled them. "Baroness Ohara."</p> - -<p>In this atmosphere of modern Europe she seemed almost out of place as -she came up slowly, with tripping gait in her soft <i>zori</i>, absolutely -Japanese in her garb of soft, neutral-hued kimono silks and great obi -band; only the coiffure showed some concession to the modern, the hair, -free from the oil of conventional hairdressing, being arranged in its -natural softness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> into a wavy crown hiding part of the forehead and -protruding over the ears.</p> - -<p>The Baron made the introductions and she bowed deeply, gravely, -extending her welcome to the guests in the polished refinement of -Japanese phrase.</p> - -<p>"It's a good thing you speak Japanese," commented the Baron to Karsten -and Kent. "My wife speaks only Japanese. She has never been abroad." -So for a moment the commonplaces were exchanged in Japanese, but soon -he and Karsten were back at the pictures again. Two other guests, -Japanese, joined them. One of these spoke French as his only foreign -language. The conversation became polyglot, as they conversed in -English or French about the pictures, or in Japanese with the Baroness. -Kent was asked to take her in to luncheon.</p> - -<p>At table, also, everything was in European style. It was with -difficulty that Kent could compel himself to realize that here he was -really in Japan; he could succeed only by glancing at the pretty, -dainty figure at his side, listening to her soft, melodious Japanese. -At the beginning the talk concerned itself about the poor quarters. -Kent tried to describe what he had seen. They were all interested, -receptive; but somehow he felt that he was not speaking well, that he -was failing entirely to convey the picture, the sensations which he had -felt; he could not drive himself into the vein in these surroundings. -He tried to conjure before his mind the miserable realities of the -"Tunnels," to revive the sense of indignation caused by contrast of -the misery there and the luxury here, at the unfeelingness of these -plutocrats whose most trifling bit of ornament was worth many times the -value of the Tunnel shacks and all they contained. But he could not -make himself despise these people, or hate them. He caught a glance -from Hata. Was he thinking of his expressed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> wish to kick them, this -graceful, petite incarnation of charm who was sitting right next to -him, eyes wide with interest as if he were telling of matters of a -distant country, things which were far from her, which had not the -least direct concern with her. The thought confused him. He felt with -irritation that his talk was unconvincing, featureless, lame. He was -glad when the interest of Karsten in the pictures brought the main -drift of the conversation to that subject. The talk became general, -the Baron and Karsten leading. When they left the table, they returned -to examination of the pictures, followed them down along the walls, -Karsten and the Japanese, into the hallway beyond. Presently Kent found -himself alone with the Baroness.</p> - -<p>"Tell me some more about these poor people," she asked. "You know, they -came here once, a lot of poor women, and wanted to talk to my husband. -But he was not here. I crept outside and hid in the shrubbery so I -could watch them. They were standing there by the gate and stretching -their arms in through the iron grilles. I felt so sorry for them. I -wanted to go and talk to them, to have them come in here and talk to -me; but I was afraid. I know nothing about business. They might not -have liked it, the men in charge of the business. I was afraid of them, -these grave, old men who are in charge of the factories and the mines -and all that. I was more afraid of them than of my husband. He knows so -little of the business, too, you know."</p> - -<p>So this was the lady whose silken shift was dyed crimson with blood -from working girls' fingers. He wondered if she knew the song; probably -not; she lived as if she were thousands of miles removed from the grim -sordidness whence was evolved almost miraculously all this wealth of -beauty and art. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> as he began to tell her about it, it seemed so -futile, so incongruous, like trying to contaminate the frail fairness -of a hothouse orchid with thought of the grimy coal mines which -furnished fuel for the heat which gave it life. He could understand how -it was possible for these people, the plutocrats, to be innocent of -realization of the meanness of the sources of their wealth. Again he -wanted to get away from the subject.</p> - -<p>"This is a wonderful garden," he stepped up to a window. "I admire the -artistry with which it has been fashioned. Here you can see but a bit -of Italy. You would never know that Tokyo is right beyond."</p> - -<p>"I'm so glad you like it. That is my great interest, the gardens," -she was quite radiant. "And beyond that, below the terrace, we have a -typical Japanese garden, just like real, old Japan. You must see it -some time. I'm often quite lonesome, you know. Some day, when you are -not too busy, you must come and have tea with me, and I will show you -all the gardens."</p> - -<p>She went on, telling of the plans for an artificial waterfall, run by -an invisible electric pump, which she was having constructed; about the -chrysanthemums which she was nurturing carefully for exhibition at the -great November show at Hibiya. He enjoyed her, just like that, with -her natural, ingenuous concern with beauty of flowers, the congruous -interest of a gentlewoman of Japan. And as she went on, with bright -eyes and soft voice, and the picture flashed into his mind of the -women, hard-voiced, stridently storming at the gate, the conviction -came to him that should this occur while he was here, were they to -come this moment, he would do what he could to keep this dainty, pure, -flower-like little woman away, removed from the grim realities which -must not be suffered to enter disturbingly into the serenity of her -existence. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Well, you didn't kick the Baroness while we weren't looking, did you?" -chaffed Karsten, as they were on their way home.</p> - -<p>"Oh, shut up, Karsten," it irritated gratingly. "I know well enough -when I've made a fool of myself. You needn't rub it in." They went on -a while in silence. "Still, you know, Karsten, I can't help feeling -that I might have made better use of my opportunity to do something -for those poor devils out in Fukagawa. I feel sure that had I been -able to be more convincing, to make them feel as I felt when I was -there, as I feel now, as a matter of fact, I might have contrived to do -something to help. These people, the Oharas, are decent enough, kind -enough, would surely give gladly from their wealth. Here they spend -on a picture more than a hundred of what those poor devils earn in a -year. It isn't right. Of course, it's because they don't know; but they -<i>should</i> know, at least Ohara should. It's an obligation of wealth; -only he doesn't think of it."</p> - -<p>"But he does, in a fashion, at least," Karsten interrupted him. "He -was talking to me about it, out there in the hall. He wants to do -something; he would like to give, but he doesn't know how to go about -it. He tells me that he has spoken to his directors, but they tell -him that he must not interfere with business, that his ill-advised -attempts would do more harm than good, and the constant attempts at -blackmail to which he is exposed, like the rest of the millionaires, -do not particularly encourage him to inject himself into the whirl -of business. And, you know, if I were in his place, I think I should -do exactly as he does, spend my time collecting pictures, building -gardens, adding to the beauty of the city, with shooting and golf as -side issues. I should be content, as he is, to leave my business in -the hands of those who have far better<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> qualifications to conduct it, -technical training and all that. Anyway, Ohara has the satisfaction -of knowing that his concerns are leading the way for improvement. You -know, some of them are spoken of as 'model' factories."</p> - -<p>Kent did not answer, only shrugged his shoulders. Yes, "model -factories"!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2> - -<p>Gradually life became smoothed into the old routine existence. News -seemed to occur sporadically in cycles, like the apexes and depressions -of a chart; at times the vernacular press would be filled with accounts -of disturbing events, strikes, mass meetings of workmen, of Socialists -demanding this or that, establishment of shop committees in factories, -recognition of the Soviet government; reports of arrests and police -dispersing gatherings; and this would be followed by hiatus-like -intervals when it seemed almost as if all these things had been -forgotten, as if the excitement had outworn itself. Kent found himself -going often to the dances at Tsurumi; there was little else to do. He -began to find Tokyo dull.</p> - -<p>He was sitting with Karsten one evening in the study upstairs, talking -idly of this and that. It was late; the brilliant glitter of the -<i>machiai</i> below was gradually fading. Some one in the entrance hall -was talking with Jun-san; they could hear the faint murmur of voices. -Suddenly Jun-san appeared.</p> - -<p>"Kent-san," wide-open eyes showed surprise, bewildered wonder. "A young -lady has come to see you, Suzuki Kimiko-san. She says she must see you. -What shall I do?"</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll be hanged! Just wait a moment, Jun-san." He turned to -Karsten, met only his ironic smile as he blew great smoke clouds -luxuriously against the ceiling. "Damn it, Karsten, don't sit there -like an ass. I haven't the slightest idea what that girl has come -here for. I have been with her often at Tsurumi and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> at hotel dances, -you know, but, by the gods, there isn't the slightest reason why she -should come here, a girl of her class, at this time of the night, a -<i>go-fujin</i>, a lady. Why it's even more serious in Japan than it would -be at home."</p> - -<p>"Seems to me the only thing you can do is to ask her up here. You can't -in decency let her stand there in the hall. Ask Suzuki-san to come up, -Jun-san. Kent, you've got to find out what is the trouble, anyway. By -Cæsar, for a man of your continent tastes, you seem to have more than -your share of exciting episodes with women."</p> - -<p>They could hear the exchange of the usual ritual of polite phrases -between the women as they were mounting the stairs. "Please enter." -Jun-san drew the partition aside.</p> - -<p>Kimiko stood in the doorway, hands nervously clenched, quivering a -little, lips trembling as she spoke, words issuing haltingly in short -breaths. "Kent-san. I've come to you. I've run away."</p> - -<p>"You've run away." He had risen to meet her; stood dumbly gazing at her -as if she had suddenly dropped from the ceiling. She had run away! It -seemed as if his brain could grapple with just that one idea, that he -could not get beyond it.</p> - -<p>"Sit down please, Suzuki-san," Karsten came to the rescue. "Jun-san, -will you please have some tea brought. Get to your senses, Kent. We -must do what we can to assist this young lady. Here, let me take your -wraps, Suzuki-san," he took them, pressed her gently into a chair, -bustled about to give Kent time to collect himself.</p> - -<p>But Kent was still bewildered. "So you have run away. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's a long story. I'll tell you presently, to-morrow; only find -some place for me here to-night."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> She was fighting hard for control of -her voice, hands clenched tightly to the chair arms. "Only let me stay -here to-night."</p> - -<p>"But what about your family? You must go home, Kimiko-san, or you'll -have all kinds of trouble. I'll see you home, little girl, and then -to-morrow you can come and tell me all about your troubles. Can't you -see that that will be better," he spoke soothingly. "I'll see you home."</p> - -<p>"I can't go home. There's no one there. They have all gone to the -country. They don't know yet that I have run away."</p> - -<p>That, at least, was some relief. She explained that the family had -left Tokyo a few days before, while she stayed with friends, expecting -her to join them later. "But then I heard, oh, then I heard——" she -glanced at Karsten. He looked to Kent. Jun-san and the servants entered -with the tea things. The matter-of-fact mechanics of having tea brought -the situation down to a more natural level. "I wonder, Suzuki-san, -whether it would not be better to wait until to-morrow," suggested -Karsten. "Then you'll be less excited. We'll take care of you. What do -you think?" She nodded eagerly. In the reaction of the commonplace she -wished only to gain postponement. It was arranged that she should stay -the night in Jun-san's cottage.</p> - -<p>After breakfast, Kent found himself alone with Kimiko. Karsten -and Jun-san had contrived to withdraw inconspicuously. "And now, -Kimiko-san," he drew his chair close to hers. "Tell me all about it."</p> - -<p>She brought both hands up to her hair, smoothed it back slowly. "I -ran away," she spoke evenly, measuredly—evidently she had rehearsed -carefully what she intended to say—"I ran away because I heard that -they wanted me to marry Kikuchi-san." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span></p> - -<p>During the night he had puzzled the matter over and had come to the -conclusion that it must be something like that, that the family, -after the old Japanese fashion, must have decided that now that she -had reached the age when girls must marry, arrangements must be made -for contracting a suitable alliance. He had even thought that young -Kikuchi might be the one; the families were close, and the Suzuki money -might fit in well with the noble but not over-wealthy Kikuchi house. -It seemed natural enough; Kikuchi had shown that he liked the girl. He -had wondered whether this young Japanese might not resent the evident -intimacy of a foreigner with this bright, young beauty, though he had -never given sign thereof. And now, why the deuce had she come to him? -That, too, had puzzled him. Could it be that——? No, of course, not. -Still, the thought had insisted. What if she wanted him to marry her? -The idea had had allurement. He liked her very much, could almost -contrive to believe that he might love her. But he held out against the -thought; the family would be sure to set itself against it; and even if -they should marry first and confront it with the accomplished fact, the -papers would be sure to revel in the incident, as they always did where -daughters of the aristocracy followed the unconventional. They would -make her out a decadent, wantonly abandoning the decent traditions, -would harry her into unhappiness with their hue and cry. And then he -himself; he had made up his mind that Karsten had been right, that in -spite of its allurement, marriage with a Japanese girl would not work -out in his case. He had reasoned it all out that time at Hakone. But -was that why she had come to him?</p> - -<p>She seemed to read his thought. "I came to you, Kent-san, because I -could go to no Japanese. They would have been shocked, would have sent -me home.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> And I wanted to talk to some one, to get away from the family -where I was. I knew that the go-between would be coming in a few days, -and I wanted to get advice first. I didn't know what to do.</p> - -<p>"But why don't you want to marry Kikuchi-san? Don't you like him?" he -was sparring, trying to elicit from her something that might give a -clew.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I like him, but I would never marry a Japanese like him, to be -just like these other old-fashioned Japanese married women, always -obedient, always compelled to serve him, to have to regard whatever he -might do as right, even if he had geisha sweethearts; never to have a -right to have a personality of my own."</p> - -<p>"But surely Kikuchi-san is modern. I know him. Sometimes I think he's -almost radical. He takes after foreign ideas in everything. It seems to -me——"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, of course, he's modern. He goes to the dances, and dresses -after the <i>haikara</i> fashions, and plays golf, and talks very advanced -politics, and all that. And in all that he is really modern, advanced, -like so many of our young men; but when it comes to marriage, to the -matter of the standing of women, he's like the rest of them, too. They -want modernism and liberalism, but only for the men. In regard to us -women their view is different; there they want to stick entirely to the -old, hidebound rules. They want the modern freedom of thought and of -action—but only for the men.</p> - -<p>"But we women, we want the right to think too, to live our own lives -just as your women do. We are no more stupid, no more old-fashioned -than the men. But they are all against us, all the men. See how often -the <i>Fujin Koraon</i>, the Public Opinion of Women paper, is suppressed -by the police. But still we learn and we know. Women are going into -business and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> into politics; there are even many women Socialists, and -the police are afraid of them. And in the matter of marriage; we want -now to have a right to say whom we want to marry, to have a right to -marry—for love." She looked him straight in the eye, compelling her -glance to meet his, blushing a little, but only finger tips rubbing -restlessly against one another betraying her nervousness. "Even in -school we talked about love, yes, even free love. It is right if people -love each other, if there's no other way. <i>Shikataganai.</i> It can't -be helped then. And the principal called in Shinto priests, and had -them perform, right in the school, the 'soul-quieting ceremony,' and -eighteen of us had to assist them, all dressed in white. And we laughed -at it all. It was so silly.</p> - -<p>"That is the reason why you hear about the Clover Leaf Club, which -receives letters from men and women who want to marry, and the officers -sort them out and bring together the couples which they think are well -matched. That's why you see sometimes in the newspapers advertisements -for husbands, occasionally even for foreign husbands," she laughed -demurely. "Oh, that's silly, I know, but still it all shows how we -feel. And that's how I feel. I don't want to marry, at least, not now; -but if I ever do, I shall want to make my own choice, and I shall -surely choose a man who believes as I do.</p> - -<p>"That's the trouble in Japan, if a girl grows a few years older than -twenty, the family consider that it is a disgrace if she doesn't marry. -That is why they are beginning to worry about me, especially as they -have had to give it up about my sister; but then they think that in -her case it is the fault of the schooling she received abroad. So now -they are doubly anxious on my account; they don't want two old maids -well over twenty in the family. But now that I have run away,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> that -would be an even worse scandal. The papers would play it up as they did -the countess who tried to commit double suicide with a chauffeur, or -as they did with Akiko-san, the millionaire's wife who ran away with -a poet. You know, I have been in the papers once already. That was -when they were making such a fuss about Japanese girls dancing foreign -fashion, and some of them even published the names of girls who went to -dances. One of them mentioned my name, and my parents were so angry. -Now, if they don't leave me alone, I won't go home, and the papers -will learn about my having run away, and that will be worse than ever, -especially because I have run away to a foreigner."</p> - -<p>She leaned back, crossed one knee over the other, looked at him -expectantly. She had gained her composure entirely, even enjoyed the -situation, now that the difficult part, the telling, was done with. -She evidently anticipated approval from him, praise of her cleverness. -But the revelation of her motive in coming to him was like a douche -of cold water. Of course, he ought to be pleased. What he had taken -to be the unfolding of a melodrama, tragedy possibly, developing -slowly, ominously, towards an inescapable woeful climax, had suddenly -grotesquely become transformed into a droll burlesque, fantastic but -harmless. But the suddenness of the metamorphosis irritated him, the -sense of finding himself taking a rôle in farce where he had, gravely, -been preparing himself for pathos. So all his vain imaginings that she -might have sought him out because of affection on her part, because -of her having greater confidence in him, was mere fancy. The little -minx was using him merely as a convenient lay figure where a moment -before he had thought himself to be cast in a principal rôle. What an -anti-climax! </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span></p> - -<p>"And now that you have planned it all out so well, what do you propose -to do now? What do you expect me to do?"</p> - -<p>She caught the irony in his voice. "Now, please, Kent-san, don't be -angry. I thought you would be pleased when I got it all arranged so -nicely. I thought it all out last night. You wouldn't really want me to -run away to you, with you, would you now?"</p> - -<p>Was she in earnest? Was the serious note that had crept into her -voice, the appeal vaguely to be sensed therein, something more than -mere anxiety to dispel his displeasure with her stratagem? How much -did she think of him, or how little? It seemed as if he might detect -the faintest undertone of earnestness under the words rippling from -her lips, a hint of dark shadow deep in her eyes. For a moment the -temptation to grasp her hands, to draw her to him, to learn just what -was passing in her mind, gripped him; but instantly came the other -thought,—what if she should be in earnest? He shook himself together; -he had been on the brink of taking a chance which might have been -replete with fateful potentialities. Steady!</p> - -<p>"No such luck, of course." Purposely he spoke lightly, banteringly. The -moment had passed safely; still, curiosity piqued him and he knew it -would continue to do so—now that he would never know.</p> - -<p>"You know, I think the very best thing would be to have a talk with -your sister." The only thing for him to do now was to get this tangle -straightened as soon and as neatly as possible. "She could fix it up -for you with your parents. Do you think you can get her here to-day if -you send a telegram?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes; it's only a couple of hours by train." She adopted the -suggestion easily, seemed almost to have lost interest. It was arranged -that Kent should return to the house that afternoon that council might<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> -be held between him and the sisters. The entire episode was becoming -flat and prosaic.</p> - -<p>On his way to the office he wondered whether he had better look up -Kikuchi. They were intimate; had he been an American he should surely -have sought a frank discussion of the whole affair. He was sure that -Kikuchi would be able to give the advice which he felt he needed as -he stumbled fumblingly into this maze of Oriental convention and -custom, prescriptive usages governed by modes of thought crystallized -by centuries of observance, at which he might but conjecture vaguely. -But as he thought of how he might venture to approach the subject, -it seemed too amazingly difficult, too delicate a matter to attack -hampered by uncertainty as to the reactions which might be caused in -the Oriental mind.</p> - -<p>So he gave it up, decided to give the whole affair no more thought -until the afternoon, and flung open the door to the office determined -to devote himself entirely to whatever routine the day might bring. -There was Kikuchi, sitting lazily, feet against a table. It was almost -uncanny, as if by mere thought, summoned by a wish, he had materialized -like a genii of some kind.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll be hanged. You know, I had just been thinking of you, -Kikuchi-san. By Jove, you're just the man I wanted to see." Now, that -was just what he should not have said; in his surprise the words had -slipped from him. Well, anyway, now he would wait and see what the -other might have to say.</p> - -<p>"I thought so; so you see, I'm here." He advanced, hand outstretched, -smiling. "No use beating about the bush, is there? It's about your -charming little visitor, Kimiko-san, is it not?"</p> - -<p>Confound him, how did he know? Of course, it was generally accepted -that the authorities kept <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span>themselves fairly well informed as to the -doings of foreigners, especially correspondents and such, but this was -just a little too surprising, too damnably efficient.</p> - -<p>"Never mind," Kikuchi had caught his thought. "I found out about it -quite accidentally. It's all right. There will be no scandal; it won't -get out. But I had an idea that I might be concerned in this, you know, -so I just came to see you to find out; that is, if you will tell me?"</p> - -<p>Well, why not? He had hesitated about seeing Kikuchi, but here fate -had solved the question for him. He filled his pipe deliberately, -spoke slowly, felt his way, gave but a bare outline. Kimiko had run -away because she feared a marriage was being arranged for her. She did -not want to marry at all. He emphasized the unimportance of his own -appearance in the drama, as a mere incidental figure, convenient as a -basis for the threat of potential scandal which formed the kernel of -Kimiko's scheme.</p> - -<p>"You don't flatter yourself, do you," Kikuchi laughed. "Well, neither -do I, for, of course, you needn't have been so studiously delicate in -leaving out the fact that I am the unwelcome bridegroom—for I take -it that she told you. But it all suits me splendidly. I don't want to -marry her any more than she wants to marry me, and her scheme should -work out fine for both of us. But we'll have to move quickly lest -there be a scandal in earnest. That sort of thing won't remain secret -forever."</p> - -<p>He leaned back, fingers drumming a rat-tat-tat on the chair arm, -evidently entirely content. "Why so serious, Kent-san. What are you -thinking? Here, out with it."</p> - -<p>"Well, since you yourself invite it, I don't mind telling you that you -puzzle me, you two, you and Kimiko-san." He was glad that the other had -given<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> him the opportunity. "You seem to me made for each other, both -young, having the same tastes, liberal thoughts, modern mode of living; -and you seem to like each other, quite evidently so; and yet, when it -comes to marriage, you both fight shy. You know, to me, to the foreign -point of view, the whole thing is, to tell the truth, mighty puzzling."</p> - -<p>"Of course it is," Kikuchi laughed. "You've missed the main point -entirely; but she didn't, Kimiko-san. She knew well enough. Kent-san, -old man, you're quite right about my liking Kimiko-san. In fact, it's -more than probable that I like her far more than I shall care for -whatever girl I eventually marry. But the point is that I don't want -a modern wife, after modern style, with love, woman's rights, modern -female thoughts and all that. Will you let me be entirely frank, -Kent-san. All right; then I'll tell you just how I and many others -look at it. The point is that Japan has attained great gains from -Western civilization, electricity, steamships, railroads, and thousands -of other things that make life more pleasant and convenient; but, -honestly now, can you show me where we have gained much culturally, -or spiritually, or morally? Of course, some foreigners point to -Christianity, but you know as well as I do that much of that is -entirely on the surface. The better classes become Christians because -it is modern, just as they might learn fox-trotting or playing the -piano; and the poorer ones take it up because it is a cheap way to -learn English or any other of the matters of instruction that the -missionaries hold out as bait. What else have we gotten morally or -culturally from you that was better than our own? We are losing -our art, manners, morals, and getting instead your freak futurism, -your jazz and your cocktail-drinking, leg-displaying flapper. Now, -I'm willing to admit that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> all that amuses me. I enjoy the dancing, -the freedom with these girls. I have a better time with them than I -possibly shall have with the girl of the type whom I shall marry; -but, heavens, I don't marry a wife for entertainment, because she's -a good fellow. I marry a girl whom I can respect as a mother to my -children. Mind you, I don't want to seem to criticize your system. -It may suit you entirely, be just the thing for you; but it is -entirely inapplicable to us. Your country is run on the theory of the -development and the rights of the individual. In Japan the basis of our -entire social system and body politic is the family. In America, where -each individual must look after the expression of his own personality, -it is plain that marriage must be by personal selection, though I admit -it astounded me,—what I saw in America. A young man and a girl meet, -dance. 'Here, your step just fits in with mine. Let's get married.' -You know, it's almost as bad as that; and then, when you have let -themselves tie themselves up thus unthinkingly, you make it almost -impossible for them to remedy it if it's a mistake. Divorce must be due -to some disgraceful reason,—adultery, desertion, failure to provide; -one must either continue to drag out life in a marriage which is a -curse to the parties thereto and which does no good to the community, -or prove oneself some kind of a beast. In Japan we make marriage a -serious matter, try to give it the best possible chance for permanency -for the sake of the community and of the State; but incidentally the -parties themselves benefit. When you read the papers of America and -those of Japan—and ours are, if anything, more sensational than -yours—you'll find that on the whole we have far fewer marriage messes -than you have.</p> - -<p>"That's why I shall marry a girl who will place her duty to her -family above everything else, who will be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> content with her home, -flower arrangement, ceremonial tea, looking after her children and -her husband. There won't be much excitement in it, or fun, but then, -if I want that, I can find it elsewhere. I don't marry for fun or for -excitement. I marry to form a family.</p> - -<p>"So there is one thing where you may call me reactionary, if you like, -and that's in respect to women. When I saw in America your eternally -jazzing, slangy, impertinent flapper, the girl who bobs her hair and -'rolls them below the knee,' I was told is the phrase, and when I -saw the inroads which this phenomenon, this freakish caricature of -womanhood, was beginning to make in Japan, with some of our girls who -want to be modern, by talking woman's rights, and personal expression, -and free love and all that, then I said to myself, yes, Japan owes much -to Western civilization, and we may yet gain much from it; but when it -comes to the women, the family relations, let us keep out the Western -system as we would a plague."</p> - -<p>"Thanks, I understand," Kent spoke drily. "I see your point; still it -seems to me a bit rough on the women, especially those like the Suzuki -girls. You've surprised me, Kikuchi-san. I thought you were among the -foremost of the moderns."</p> - -<p>"And why am I not?" He snapped out the retort. "Simply because I -don't want to see Japan adopt a system which has resulted in a riot -of divorce scandals, married women running loose, the family system a -mockery? And yet, Kent-san you know that we young men in Japan cannot -justly be accused of being reactionary, and you know that we are likely -to have on our hands problems so pressing that we won't have time to -dabble with drawing-room sex questions. Can you find it illustrated -any better than it is in the case of us younger men in the Foreign -Office? We know<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> jolly well that the General Staff is still running -the country; we see our diplomats humiliated continually when, after -they have bound Japan to some international agreement, the militarists -cynically walk right through it and leave us to wipe up the mess as -best we can, leaving us a laughing stock and placing Japan in the -position of a nation whose word is worth nothing.</p> - -<p>"Do you know that all we are waiting for is a chance to get rid of the -older men, these pussyfoot, over-careful old men who now run affairs, -and to fight it out with the militarists. We shall have the people -with us. We must have a government for the people and not for the army -and navy. It's bound to come. The government is rotten as it is, with -the General Staff doing as it pleases without being responsible to the -Cabinet; with the officials nothing but politicians, many of them in -the pay of this or that of the big interests. That's why they call them -geisha politicians, because, like geisha, they are being kept by rich -men. What can you expect where the Premier gets six thousand dollars -and the Cabinet Ministers four thousand dollars a year and their -underlings in proportion? That's what we have got to do away with, that -and favoritism because of money or title. You know, I'm not going to -accept the title when my father dies. Peerages should last only one -generation; should go only to the men who earn them. And I'm not the -only one of my class who feels like this. There are many of us. Evil -days have come on Japan; the country is being run for the benefit of -the few, a rotten, corrupt bureaucracy in the service of plutocracy; -or by the militarists, who may be patriotic enough, according to their -lights, but who have become anachronistic—so they must go, too. -Remember, Kent-san, no matter how badly things may look on the surface -that you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> see, the great bulk of the Japanese people remains as it -was, patriotic, frugal, hard-working, eager to learn. They will give -Japan its great future, these masses, and that task is what interests -me, not chattering over sex sentimentalities with flappers. Girls like -Kimiko-san, dancing, jazz and the rest, are all very well as a pastime -in one's leisure, just as are geisha, but when it comes to the serious -affairs of life, pah!" he waved his hand, snapping the fingers. "You -get me, Kent-san?"</p> - -<p>Kimiko's sister brought the news, that afternoon, that the parents -were ready to surrender. They had already called off the go-between. -Kimiko-san would never again be exposed to marriage without being -consulted first. They all had tea. It should have been a gay occasion; -Karsten tried desperately to bring about an atmosphere of high spirits; -but the feeling of uneasiness, high-strung quiver of excitement, -would not away. The women were ever together, the girls and Jun-san, -whispering, fluttery. For some reason it was a failure. It was almost -with a sense of relief that they saw the girls to the gate.</p> - -<p>"Poor little things." Kent was looking down at them as they tripped -down the stone stairway, hand in hand, a pretty, entrancing picture, -one in the fashion of the West, chic turban, high-heeled shoes, narrow -waist; the other dainty, richly colored, brilliant, with her gorgeous -obi, widely drooping kimono sleeves. At the foot of the stairs they -stopped, waved; then they climbed into the waiting automobile.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'm sorry for them," said Karsten. "They are so eager to adopt -our civilization, our modernism; they try so hard; and the better they -succeed the worse it will probably be for them. They're ahead of their -day, victims of the transition period, poor little butterflies broken -on the wheel."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVIII</h2> - -<p>Sylvia was in Tokyo.</p> - -<p>He tried to beat down the wave-crest of emotion, happiness, that surged -over him, gripped him and shook him. He wanted none of it, wished -desperately to fight against it. It was all right for him to be pleased -to see her again, to be with her, but this titillating on the verge -of transports of joy—he would simply have to keep a tight hold on -himself. The situation held too many potentialities of complications, -uncertainties, distress. Even the way in which the news of her coming -had reached him had illustrated, oddly, the curious blend of the bitter -and the sweet which the situation held. It had been the Tinker hag -again. She had caught him at tea, had seized upon him and led him to -a secluded corner that she might enjoy in every detail, undisturbed, -his reaction to the dénouement. Probably she had overcome a desire -to fare forth and shout out the news in the market place, had kept -it for him, so that she might be the first to communicate it. It was -her hobby, probably the only interest which kept her alive, this -interest in living, this contriving complicated situations among her -acquaintances in order that she might satisfy a morbidly curious and -perverted taste for the dramatic by gloating over their display of the -more unusual emotions, their unguarded laying bare before her avid -eye the reactions usually painstakingly held in check. He had been -irritatedly aware of the greedy glare of this old woman; it was almost -indecent; as she watched him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> rapaciously solicitous lest she fail to -catch the slightest indication of face or voice which might betray his -feelings. He did not think she could have gotten much out of it. He -thought he had played up well. Still, one could never know. Anyway, it -was disquieting, disgusting, that the return of Sylvia, after all this -time, should immediately revive the watchfulness of the idle women, -should so wantonly render complicated, almost impossible, intimate -relation with this girl.</p> - -<p>And, now, what about Sylvia? Did she know that he had become free? How -long had she known it? Had she just heard of it and returned forthwith? -No; he dismissed that thought. But might she not have heard some -time ago and simply allowed a decent interval to elapse in order to -avoid giving the gossips grist for their mills? But he caught himself -up sharply. What an ass he was to imagine, vaingloriously, that he -had entered into her considerations at all. Presumably she had been -governed by entirely different motives, something not even remotely -connected with him. What grounds had he to imagine that his presence -was of the slightest moment to her. Of course, it did seem as if she -must have left Tokyo on account of the gossip connecting him with her; -but, after all, that proved nothing, could certainly not by even the -most fanciful contortion of imagination be construed into an indication -of feeling related to affection. No, he was an ass.</p> - -<p>The only thing he could do would be to sit tight and suffer matters to -occur as they might. He was curious to meet her—he sternly insisted to -himself that that was all—and yet he rather dreaded it, wondered what -he should say, how he should act. He would leave it to her to take the -lead. Women did these things better than men, had finer perceptions, -possessed an <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span>instinctive sureness with which they could handle deftly -such delicate situations.</p> - -<p>So when he met her, he was not much surprised that the incident seemed -almost commonplace. Luckily, there were others at the time whom she -met also for the first time since her return. She treated him exactly -like these, included him with those others with the usual drab, -conventional commonplaces. It almost irritated him that the meeting -had been so trivial. Was she then not interested? It piqued him. Well, -why shouldn't he find out. He was free now, and if he did care for -her—there was no denying that she interested him immensely, that -she still had that old charm for him, yes, hang it, that he did care -for, that he might easily come to love her. And why not? Came back to -his mind the charm of the days when he and she had been close, when -he had been afraid to dally with the thought of her in the place of -Isabel. He need not fear that now. He had the right to. And if it had -been pleasant then, why not now, why not allow himself the felicity -of dreaming that dream. He warmed to the thought, a glow of sheer -pleasure and happiness suffused him. Of course. He would be careful to -be tactful. She was tremendously sensitive and he must take care not -to spoil everything by being too precipitate, but he would watch his -chance.</p> - -<p>It took time, still, as he felt his way slowly, with anxious care, -holding himself in check, carefully consolidating such little gains as -he made before venturing an infinitely small step forward, he felt that -they were gradually approaching something like the old relation. He -had even come to the point where they had made a few small excursions -together. But they were few and separated by intervals that seemed -infinitely long, and he fretted under the necessity of keeping himself -in hand. Now that he was allowing himself to consider,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> at least as a -remote potentiality, the idea of love, the situation became ever so -much more complicated, was more difficult to manage. He must not allow -himself to think of this too much. In the back of his mind remained -the uneasy thought that he had loved Isabel, had ardently desired to -marry her—and then his marriage had been a failure, anyway. If one -failed once, one might do so twice. After all, love was often mainly -something contrived by oneself. One took love of an image conjured -up by one's imagination for love of the woman; it might be a sort of -auto-intoxication. He must be sure of himself. He must force himself to -be rational, to refrain from letting fancy take charge of what should -be the function of the brain. Anyway, there was plenty of work to do. -He would use work as a counterirritant.</p> - -<p>Japan had suddenly launched into one of its periods of frantic -excitement. First came news from Manchuria, where Chang Tso-lin -was moving a great expedition to drive the Soviet troops out of -Mongolia. Conservative papers registered perfunctory surprise at the -completeness of his equipment, motor transport, field artillery, even -airplanes; but most of the papers, the people generally, sneered -contemptuously, shrugged shoulders. It was an old story. Of course, -the Manchurian war-lord could have obtained them from only one source, -the militarists. The War Office issued its usual denial, which no -one believed. Presently came news of attacks by Chinese bandits on -settlements in the South Manchuria Railway territory, massacres -of Japanese colonists, clashes with Japanese police, burning of a -consulate or two. From high official sources, unnamed, but generously -quoted in the press, were given out alarming statements. It was the -Bolshevik menace, irresponsible hordes of Manchuria, malcontent -Koreans, being goaded on by mysterious machinations<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> from Moscow. It -would be necessary to move troops into Manchuria to protect the railway -region, especially now that Chang Tso-lin was engaged in Mongolia and -could not protect neighboring territory. The divisions in Korea were -moved inland. It would be necessary to send fresh troops to Korea. Of -course, it would be impossible to consider the proposition to reduce -the army at the session of the Diet which was just about to meet.</p> - -<p>The people murmured; again the feeling became prevalent that a great -militaristic scheme was being carried out, cleverly hidden by the -uniformed old men up there in the copper-roofed building towering -on the hill beyond the Foreign Office. Opinions were divided. Some -insisted that Japanese lives must be avenged, colonists protected, -the dignity of the Empire upheld; others cried out bitterly that the -entire turmoil was but part of a great plot ingeniously hatched out by -the General Staff. Some papers claimed to have proof that this was but -another attempt to carry out the favorite old military plan, to have -a buffer state created by Chang Tso-lin and remnants of White Russian -factions; that the bandits were backed by Chang, that the very rifles -which had dealt out death to Japanese had been furnished in mysterious -roundabout ways by the War Office. It was hinted that the massacres -were, in fact, quite welcome to the General Staff, that they were a -part of the whole scheme.</p> - -<p>It was a busy period for Kent. News was breaking constantly, here -and there, in unexpected quarters. It was intensely interesting at -first, sending story upon story over the wire, each one conveying -the tingling feeling of anticipation that each day was bringing -nearer some great event, some cataclysm, indefinite but gradually -assuming certainty, something overwhelming, big news. But events were -happening too quickly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span>—the staccato hammering of situation after -situation, the Manchurian affair, army bill, rice scandal, Diet fights, -police charges, rumors and revelations, farmer revolts and riots in -the cities, all became a conglomerate chaos of excitement, a whirl -of incidents flickering by with dizzily shifting changes, making -concentration on any one of them almost impossible. Like the nation in -general, Kent found himself unable to maintain the high key of excited -absorption; one became overwhelmed as if by a succession of great -waves, one following so closely after the other that the mind, battered -and bewildered, failing to register complete, clear impression of each -one, became in reaction dulled, exhausted, almost apathetic. After -all, this ubiquitous clamor, this constantly flickering and flashing -of new heterogeneous pictures, produced finally but an impression -of a stupendous blur; one became exhausted by the repetition of -explosions of excitement, causing one to hold one's breath, nervously, -in expectancy of some prodigious dénouement, a political deluge, that -constantly impended but which always seemed to fall just short, to -evaporate harmlessly as each happening became overshadowed by the -occurrence of some new and astounding development.</p> - -<p>It became necessary to remain almost constantly near the center of -affairs, to be in readiness to snap up the news events which flashed -forth with explosive suddenness, like lightning from a hovering -thunder cloud. It became his custom to spend much of his time at the -Imperial Hotel. It was close to the Diet building, the Foreign Office, -the central police station, and when things were quiet, when there -was nothing to do but wait, he enjoyed the atmosphere, the feeling -of remoteness from the humdrum surroundings of everyday modernity, -which was conveyed to him by this enormous structure of fantastic -masonry where genius had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> contrived to work out in permanencies of -stone and bronze the delicate and ephemeral fancies of an opulent -dream image. Resting in a remote corner among the myriad corniced -recesses which gave on the spacious vestibule, his eye found constant -delight in the intricacy of detail, embroidery-like stone pillar, -fretwork and balustrades, gilded mortar binding together complicated -interlacing designs; the flood of colors of rugs and cushions—browns, -ocher, terracotta and maroon, and blues, ultra-marine, lapis lazuli, -indigo—in a riot of shadings and combinations, and all of it, colors -and contours, blended into a great harmonious whole, impressive, -inspiring, so it seemed almost a sacrilege that this mirage-like -brilliance should be profaned by the comings and goings of mere hotel -guests and townsfolk bent on prosaic concerns of business.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon, at tea time, it was especially pleasant, when the -Russian orchestra played. Flicker of color of butterfly-winged kimonos -would animate the scene with a glimmer of exotic rich life. They really -fitted into the picture, these young girls of the Japanese aristocracy, -with their undulating, polychromatic textures, and when the music lent -itself to the forming of a picture, some symphony or bit of opera, one -might dream oneself surrounded by an Arabian Nights setting, or a scene -from "Aïda."</p> - -<p>Here one might meet every one who counted at all in the ultra-modern -life of Tokyo, foreigners and Japanese, business men, newspapermen, -young fellows from the embassies, in the bar; and, upstairs, in the -lobby or in Peacock Alley, the women at tea. Kent often saw the Suzuki -girls there. Kimiko seemed happy enough, showed no trace of the -incident which had brought her to him. But he came principally for the -chance that it afforded him to see Sylvia. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span></p> - -<p>It had been a strenuous afternoon, but a disappointing one. A stormy -scene had been expected in the Diet. He had sat in the gallery for -hours, listening to dreary debate, hoping that momentarily something -would happen; had made the rounds of the Foreign Office, newspaper -offices, even the lair of old Viscount Kikuchi—but nothing out of the -ordinary had occurred. Now the Diet had adjourned until the following -morning; the crowds had dispersed. He was glad to see Sylvia alone at -one of the tables overlooking the inner court.</p> - -<p>"You're just the one I want to see. It's been a maddening day; lots of -work and no results. May I sit with you?"</p> - -<p>"Of course, but I'm afraid I cannot be with you long, although, as a -matter of fact, I'm trying to make a sort of a meal here. I'm off on an -expedition of my own, and I shall have no dinner until late, midnight -maybe."</p> - -<p>An expedition. He urged her not to be mysterious. She soon gave in. -After all, it was entirely professional. She intended to go to the -great Nichiren temple at Ikegami, a few miles from Tokyo. It would -be full moon and she had always had an idea that there might be a -picture there for her, some fantastic harmonious blending of contour of -gnarled pines, curved temple roofs, which might be enhanced, softened, -etherealized by moonbeam glamor.</p> - -<p>"I'm not at all sure that there will be a picture there, at least not -for me. I may not be able to get enough color out of it; but I want -the experience, anyway, the eeriness of the hundreds of old graves in -the cryptomeria shadows. I have been wanting to go for a long time; so -to-night I'm going."</p> - -<p>The idea appealed to him instantly. "I wish you'd let me come with -you." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I'm afraid it might be rather unconventional, would it not?" she -hesitated.</p> - -<p>"It would be still more unconventional if you went alone. You should -have an escort. I shan't disturb you. I promise you that I shall be as -dumb and unobtrusive as your walking-stick; but, really, I do wish you -would let me come along."</p> - -<p>She looked at him reflectively. He wondered what thoughts were forming -behind these fine, black eyes; the desire to go with her, which had -been only an inspirational whim, took deeper hold. She must let him -come. He leaned forward earnestly. She smiled. "Very well, then. I -suppose you might as well come; but remember, I shall be at work; I -shall want to think, to absorb. You must be as you promised, just -inanimate, a block of wood."</p> - -<p>He promised hastily, curiously noting in himself a feeling of trembling -pleasure. They finished their tea and took the electric train to Omori.</p> - -<p>Twilight was falling when they reached the village. They walked through -narrow winding lanes, past tall bamboo fences enclosing spacious -gardens, came to the open country, rice fields, scattered groups of -houses clustered on tree-clad hills. In the gathering shadows crickets -were tuning up for their serenades; the moon, rising from behind the -pine groves on the Ikegami ridge, bathed the landscape with soft -luminosity.</p> - -<p>As they climbed the long broad stone stairway leading up to the temple -heights, they heard the monotonous euphony of a chant. At a minor -shrine close to the entrance a priest was engaged in some ceremonial. -As they stood by the stone foxes guarding the entrance to the small -court fronting it, they could see his vestmented figure, kneeling, -facing the dimly illuminated gorgeousness of gilt, and brocade, and -lacquer, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> glimpse of resplendent Oriental opulence devoted to -mysterious, age-old rites.</p> - -<p>They passed on. The rest of the temple grounds lay in darkness, -illuminated sparingly by a few faint electric lights, irritatingly -modern amidst all the ancient buildings, lofty cryptomerias, crumbling -tombs. They passed along the broad stone-paved path, smoothed by wear -of feet of generations of worshipers, under the massive, towering -crimson gateway leading into the inner court. Here was a plateau -on the hilltop, whence ran on all sides corrugations of ridges and -valleys, set with hundreds of graves, carved stone monuments, lichened -sepulchers, broodingly silent in the shadows of fantastically gnarled -pine limbs.</p> - -<p>The main temple buildings were closed. The wide court was bathed -in moonlight, brilliant, white, setting out in strong relief every -detail of contour of curved roof, carved pillars, bronze figures -anachronistically finding in their midst a battered rapid-fire gun, -trophy from the Russian War. But it was all too brightly visible, too -plainly seen; the eeriness, the nebulous awe of obscure mystery, lay -beyond, all about them, among the graves in the shadows of the pines.</p> - -<p>From the right of the courtyard, near the gateway, a pathway ran, -straight as a sword, penetrating into the heart of the pine grove, a -chasm of opalescent light, a shimmery gorge of white brilliance in -abrupt contrast to the almost solid walls of blackness, leading like a -fantastically contrived magic road to a pagoda, which closed it, with -intricately carved roof set upon roof, rising with slender elegance -towards the dark sapphire heavens. It formed a picture, but strange, -eccentrically unusual, without color—pale, shimmery, pearly—set -against ebony blackness. It seemed to him that it would be impossible -to express it through the ordinary media of the brush; as if it might -be worked out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> only by some odd special process, mother-of-pearl and -teak; but even then it would lose the peculiar scintillating brilliance -which seemed to make even the blackness luminous.</p> - -<p>He looked at the girl, wondering what she was getting out of it. She -was entirely absorbed, eyes intent, frowning in thought, perplexity. -She shook her head. "No. Come."</p> - -<p>They crossed the courtyard, found a path leading behind one of the main -buildings and an old, crumbling edifice, rotting, giving forth moldy -odor of decay. It led down into a lower stratum of ridges and gullies, -slippery flags laid between mounds and hillsides, twisting and turning, -with stone stairways, leading upwards, downwards, among thousands of -ancient burial plots. Over it all lay the murky shadows of cryptomeria, -slashed here and there by bright streaks of pale moonlight. The -silence seemed uncannily brooding, ominously oppressive, riven only by -spasmodic droning booms from a great brass bell, somewhere deep in the -shadows behind them, reverberating shiveringly through the shadows.</p> - -<p>It was as if they were enveloped in an atmosphere of the supernatural, -as if they had willfully intruded into a realm of ghosts and specters, -a scene set for mysterious <i>danse macabre</i>-like rites, rash beings -possessed of the ephemeral spark of life of the moment interfering with -their puny inconsequential presence in this, the realm of those who had -held sway here for centuries.</p> - -<p>She had taken his arm; now she was clinging to him closely. He could -feel her shivering nervously. The feeling was infectious, crept over -him irritatingly. He brought himself together. "Come, you are getting -nervous. Let us rest for a moment before going on."</p> - -<p>He led her up a stairway leading to the top of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> small eminence, an -enclosure surrounded by a low stone balustrade, evidently the private -burial place of some family of the nobility of remote medieval days. In -the open space surrounded on all sides by blackness the illumination -seemed almost dazzling, brilliantly white, with a spotlight effect, -enhancing the sense of unearthliness, remoteness from the world of -material things.</p> - -<p>They found a fallen stone pillar and seated themselves. She remained -silent, staring out into this spectral ghost world, the fantastic -eccentricities of shapes and contours, where everything was black and -white only, like a gigantic etching. He, watching her, became absorbed -in turn. He was pleased that she fitted into the scene, even into the -Oriental setting, a filmy silk shawl lending a kimono-like effect, her -great pile of raven hair suggestive of the high Japanese coiffure. -Whimsically, out of nowhere, came the idea to him: thank providence, -she was not a blonde! It would have spoiled the effect which she was -now producing—fine, clear profile, pale features, black hair blending -into the picture formed by mass-grown monuments, great carved lanterns, -outlined sharply in the suffusion of moonlight.</p> - -<p>The whole thing seemed unreal, as if they had found themselves suddenly -in a world centuries removed from that in which they usually moved, as -if they had become participants in an elfin play, were on the brink of -the enacting of something supernatural, some midsummer night's dream -fancy, or a dance of specters; as if they might expect momentarily to -hear some unseen goblin orchestra strike into an overture of tinkling -bluebells, insect violins, bumblebee bassoons, murmur of night wind, -leading them, this girl and himself, into some scene of dreamlike -phantasy in which they had fortuitously become the main characters. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span></p> - -<p>What a setting for romance! These surroundings, this girl, this wonder -of pure, harmonious perfection! Somehow, he felt that it would be -impossible to create again this same effect, that it could not be -consciously contrived merely by coming to this place any moonlight -night with the determination, purposely, of summoning the spell. -There came to him a feeling that this could be attained only once in -a lifetime, that he was impassively, fatuously failing to seize the -immeasurably rare opportunity——</p> - -<p>Opportunity for what? He shook himself together. He was becoming -moonstruck. After all, this girl—— She did not notice his gaze. It -was fascinating to watch her, the infinitely fine play of light in -her eyes, her impatient frown in concentration of thoughts which were -almost palpable, visible. And yet, what did she think? It occurred that -in the same manner he had speculated as to the thoughts which might -lurk behind the white brows of Kimiko-san, Sadako-san and the rest. How -different they must be; fine, dreamlike, exotic, quaint as might be -the ideas of those girls, would not the glamor thereof, the ephemeral -delicacy, fade as one became familiar with them, become commonplace, -irritatingly trite after wear of years of association? Here, on the -other hand, was a brain capable of absorbing the most subtle and -evasive expressions of life, existence in its varied manifestations, of -shaping them into concrete, lasting form, creative, a mind like one's -own, or even more capable, which would grow, develop like an unfolding -blossom, presenting ever new beauties and richness in years of life -together.</p> - -<p>Without conscious thought, acting entirely on impulse, he leaned -towards her. She looked at him, awakened suddenly from her reverie. "I -must be poor company," she smiled. "But then, you know, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> told you -beforehand. It is all so bewildering, puzzling to me. I can see the -pictures here, the dazzlingly wonderful potentialities which lie right -here before me, about me; and yet I can't get hold of it. It eludes me -entirely. It is the lack of color, I think, the predominance of light -and shadow effects, black and white. It is not for me, I'm afraid. -This is a subject for some great etcher, for some kind of a Klinger or -Boeklin composition; and yet one would have to get in these elusive -opalescent tints, these evasive iridescences. It is very disappointing, -to feel it all so far beyond one's capabilities; and yet I have enjoyed -it so much. I have let it get away with me. But now it must be late. -Come," she took his hand simply, confidently. "We must be going home. -You must forgive me if I have let the moonlight run away with my -thoughts. But didn't you feel something like that too? Did you not feel -coming to you dreams, visions that, even though they must fade away and -lose their evanescence, will still continue to live in some form, to -take shape in one's life."</p> - -<p>He did not answer. The dream was already beginning to concentrate, to -solidify into definite form of thought, purpose. He wondered whether it -were possible that she might divine, by some subtle woman's intuition, -the inspiration which was now growing into tangible form of a wish, -deliberate pursuance of desire, that now finally he was sure that she -was the woman whom he had been awaiting, that he had come to the end of -his seeking.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIX</h2> - -<p>"Thank God, that's over," said Butterfield. "If there's anything much -more deadly than the banquets of the Nippon-Columbia Society, I don't -want to see it."</p> - -<p>They had come down from the banquet hall in the Imperial Hotel, a group -of correspondents, Kittrick, Kent, Butterfield and Templeton, with -Roberts, just arrived from New York to gather material for a series of -magazine articles; Sands, an engineer who had something to do with the -new subway, and one or two others. At one end of Peacock Alley they -found a table where they might observe the crowd, the men coming down -here to meet the women who had dined below in the main dining room, -Japanese and foreigners mingling, concentrating in little groups about -the guests of honor, an eminent engineer from America, a Cabinet member -from Washington, and a couple of Congressmen of whom no one in Tokyo -had heard until they arrived in Japan, unofficially, of course, it was -given out, but as "Ambassadors of Friendship," as the newspapers called -them.</p> - -<p>Butterfield was still grouching. "Here I've been to dozens of these -affairs, and I wonder if I'll ever come away from one without a bad -taste in my mouth. It makes me sick, all this fulsomeness. Take -to-night, Barry talking as if the Japanese were the only engineers -in the world, as if they had invented the steam engine, electricity, -telephones, radio and all that. Here Japan is suffering so badly from -swelled head that the best service one may do her is to tell her the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> -truth, for her own good, and still whenever we have distinguished -visitors here, they always insist on making asses of themselves. Barry -is a pleasant enough, kindly old ass, but, heavens, the only way I -could stand his speech to-night was by watching Matthews. He has in -one way or another been behind half the things that Barry was lauding -our Japanese friends for. Did you see his face? It was the only fun I -got out of it all, seeing Matthews' face getting redder and redder. I -thought he'd have a fit. But all the rest of it honestly gets my goat; -the main table, with old Count Ibara sitting through the speeches -waiting for the time when he'll have a chance to spring his eternal -story about his college days with President Wilson. I can stand on -my head and write a complete report of these meetings as they were -ten years ago, as they will be ten years from now; old Baron Nishida -leads off with "Perry's Black Ships" and everlasting love for America. -Eminent American stands up and talks of Bushido—I have lived here ten -years, and I've yet to hear Bushido mentioned by a Japanese; it's as -dead as the rules of knighthood with us—more Eminent Americans tell -the Japanese how wonderful they are. Why the devil is it that when an -American comes here, he must almost invariably make a fool of himself? -Of course, the trouble is often that they are generally mediocrities -who become all puffed up at the attentions they get here; and then we -do send out such asses. Do you remember the Congressional Party some -years ago? The men acted like clodhoppers, and their women were worse. -That's where the Japanese are wiser than we are. When they let any one -represent them, officially or semi-officially, abroad, they hand-pick -them, send only the best they have, and our people at home get a -wonderful idea of the advanced stage of Japan. That's how half the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> -good spirit towards Japan was built up at the Washington Conference; -they sent their best men in the entourage of the delegation, who -chummed with our newspapermen and writers; the best kind of advertising.</p> - -<p>"But we let loose third-rate Congressmen, ebullient business men, who -let Japanese hospitality get to their heads and proceed to slobber all -over the landscape. I wouldn't mind if it were not for the fact that -just as we in America judge the Japanese people from the Japanese who -make a splash there, thus the Japanese judge us Americans from the kind -of specimens who come over here and spill their foolishness as these -fellows did to-night. We Americans ought to have a censorship here to -prevent visiting notables from making speeches which have not been -carefully edited."</p> - -<p>"But what do you come here for then, if you dislike it so?" It was -Roberts, the magazine man. "Why do you belong to the Society at all if -you think it does no good?"</p> - -<p>"But I don't say that. I admit it does good. Anything does that brings -Americans and Japanese together in a friendly way. But what I object -to is the effervescence of our visitors. I think it is proper that we -should be courteous, cordial, friendly towards the Japanese, but what's -the use of telling them that we think they love us, when we know darned -well they don't. That old chap at the left of Barry tried some time -ago in the Privy Council to have the <i>Japan American</i> suppressed for -no reason except that it had translated some embarrassing editorials -from a Japanese paper. The business premises of Americans are ransacked -by the police and accusations are constantly being made that 'a -certain nation' is cramming this country with spies; some of our most -prominent <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span>engineering firms are having their business seriously -interfered with because of constant 'spy' charges. They have no use -for us, and they have no use for England. They think we euchred them -at the Washington Conference. They feel that when we called off on -militarism, we did away with the one chance which Japan had to be a -great nation. They have no use for us big nations who, they feel, are -constantly interfering with the development of the policies they would -like to pursue in Asia. Mind you, I believe in being friendly—it's -indefensible to stir up needless trouble between America and Japan—but -I don't believe in slopping over, and I think it is right to let them -know that we know jolly well how they feel about us. The funny thing -is, Roberts, and every man who has lived here any time will tell you -the same, that just as sentiment in America towards Japan has become -more and more friendly since the Washington Conference, in the same -ratio Japanese sentiment is becoming unfriendly towards America. It may -be largely the doings of the militarists. Possibly they're the ones who -are egging the police on with these eternal spy scares. It may be part -of their plans to counteract the general agitation for army reduction; -to justify an army, there must be a potential enemy, and America is -the most obvious one. So put it down to the militarists, if you like. -They're the official goat, anyway."</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's the popular game to-day, cussing the militarists," cut -in Kent. "Still, you know, I can see their point of view even if, God -knows, I condemn their methods. Look here, there's no use denying that -just one thing made Japan great, her army and navy. Take them away, -and the other Powers would put her in the class of, say, Spain. Now we -have decreed that hereafter we will measure nations by industrial<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> and -commercial greatness, and the Japanese see that they're being left way -behind. The militarists see that Japan can remain great only in the -same way as she became great, by the sword. Now, it's probably sure -enough that they have given up the old idea of an offensive outside of -Asia; but what I think they are working up to is establishing a line of -defense to the eastward, and once that's complete, they will be ready -to do as they please in Asia; probably they feel that we won't easily -be led into war against them, anyway.</p> - -<p>"And it seems plain that they must go into the continent of Asia. -That's where they must get raw materials for their industries which -they haven't at home. That's the only place to which we'll let them -emigrate——"</p> - -<p>"Oh, hell, don't spring that worn-out theory of Japan's overflowing," -interrupted Templeton. "As Japan industrializes, she'll take care of -her population; and there's still room in Japan for lots of additional -people. Premier Hara himself told me once that there was room for -millions in Hokkaido alone."</p> - -<p>"Sure," Kent flashed back. "Just as there's lots of room in America for -the Americans. We don't have to emigrate, and still we would resent -it, wouldn't we, if we were told that we couldn't go where we pleased. -Here Japan sees her friends, America and Great Britain, possessing -enormous tracts that lie idle for want of settlers—take Australia, for -instance, where they are yelling for immigrants, and still they won't -let the Japanese in—and while the Japanese would like to go there, and -would develop these lands highly, as we all know, we tell them no, stay -home in icy Hokkaido. You talk about worn-out theories, Templeton; what -about that old stuff about Japanese driving out the whites wherever -they enter.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> How is a nation of less than sixty millions going to -swarm all over America and Australia and the rest of the earth. They -may breed like rabbits, but they would have to breed like herrings to -do that. And, anyway, even if we must keep them from immigrating into -America in masses—as we ought to keep out the hordes of low class -Latins and Slavs, people a sight lower than the Japanese, whom we have -let overrun our country—we might be less offensive about it. We all -know that what makes Japan sore is not the fact that she can't send -her surplus over to America; the Japanese Government wants them to go -west, not east, in fact; but it's the insult to her race pride, the -circumstance that a Doctor Takamine, a Doctor Kitisato, people who rank -among the best brains in the world, can't become American citizens, -should they wish to do so; but under our laws we can give citizenship -to Kaffirs and Hottentots, anything that's black and comes out of -Africa.</p> - -<p>"You're looking into conditions in the Far East, Roberts. Take a look -at that angle of the question. We, the Anglo-Saxons, insist on holding -the Oriental down. We say that's not because we think he's lower than -we are, but what are mere words? We're judged by our actions. Now, -you notice how the Japanese papers every now and then break out with -Pan-Asia propaganda, calling for a combination of the peoples of China, -of India, of all Asia, to stand together against the White, under -Japan's 'hegemony,' as they put it. If you'd been here at the time -Kemal Pasha was telling England to go to Hades, you would have noticed -how the Japanese press applauded him; here, they boasted joyfully, was -finally an Asiatic defying the Anglo-Saxon, the Christian, and getting -away with it. We're bringing it upon ourselves. Japan has lost lots of -chances in the past to become the leader of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> Asia, but she may become -so yet; and that's what I think may be the militarist policy; either -they aspire to hold Japan in readiness to lead the rest of Asia, or -they may simply be preparing for the next time Europe and America are -too busy elsewhere to watch Asia, and then take what they want in -Manchuria and Mongolia. When you look upon all these things in the -light that the Japanese militarist looks upon them, you can, at least, -understand what he's driving at. I'm not a jingo. War between Japan -and America would be the most silly, the most damnable thing you can -think of; but I don't think we are using the best methods to avoid -it. Instead of going so strong on the brotherhood stuff, hands across -the seas and empty words, we should try to understand Japan a little -better. As it is, I'm sure that the nation at large, the Government as -represented by the Foreign Office, for instance, wants only friendship; -but you must remember that the General Staff is still running things to -a large extent, and is there any one of you who doesn't think they do -not expect war with us sometime, sooner or later?"</p> - -<p>"Suppose they do," Sands, the engineer, leaned forward. "What hope can -they have of success? The next war will be fought in the air, they say, -and there Japan is helpless. We run regular air-mail services from -the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Japanese have not as yet been able -to stage a mail flight between Tokyo and Osaka, a few hundred miles, -without having participants dropping to earth. The Japanese have no -machine sense; they can run an engine when it's running smoothly, but -they're at sea in an emergency. That's why they're always tumbling -down with their airplanes. And modern war depends on industrial -organization, ability to work up and maintain tremendous outputs of -material. Japan simply hasn't the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> ability to do that. She'd be beaten -on that point alone."</p> - -<p>"You may be right, Sands," Kittrick took up the argument. "But it is -not a question of war just now or for some years to come, thank God. -The next point of difference, I take it, will be the racial equality -question that has been smoldering ever since the Paris Conference. And -that's just where the world has been treating Japan wrong, granting -national equality, but not racial. It should be just the opposite. -I'm willing to grant any moment that racially the Japanese is as good -as we are and a sight better than lots of the white scum we admit to -citizenship, but nationally, no, sir; as long as Japan is run as she -is at present, with militarists capable of and quite willing to break -the nation's international pledges, no matter how sincere the diplomats -may or may not be in making them, just so long do I object to national -equality. The individual Japanese may be quite as good intrinsically as -we are, but the present system is not bringing out his capabilities, -and to contend that Japan is as great a nation as America or England is -plain rot."</p> - -<p>"So you would want to admit Japanese to American citizenship?" asked -Roberts.</p> - -<p>"Only after they had assimilated American training and ideals; but that -is just the point; as they are here in Japan I don't think they're -fit for citizenship of any country, any more than are the low-class -Europeans we import; but I contend that they are just as capable of -assimilation as are any other nationals. There's a bird here in Tokyo -who used to be in charge of the school system in Hawaii where forty per -cent. of the school children are Japanese, and he tells me that these -kiddies, under American training, are becoming as capable, as honest -and as loyal Americans as are any children under the flag, white, black -or brown.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> The American-trained Japanese is as efficient as we are; -the Japanese-trained Japanese is ineffective; it takes four or five -of them to do the work that a white man can do. It all shows that the -fault lies with the government here, the whole system. There's nothing -the matter with the Japanese; he's the same, mentally and morally as -the rest of us, with a few virtues such as cleanliness and industry -thrown in, but you have to take him away from the atmosphere here, of -incapacity, deceit, graft, the spirit that is exemplified by their -proverb: '<i>Uso wa Nihon no takara</i>.'"</p> - -<p>"What's that, what's that?" Roberts had been taking it all in anxiously.</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's simply a proverb to the effect that lies, deceit, craft, -whatever you may choose to call it, is the treasure of Japan. It's a -fine sentiment for a proverb, isn't it? Still it's fairly typical of -the situation. In fact, I think that that point, the fact that Japan -regards falsehood, deceit, in a light far more lenient than we do, -accounts more than anything else for the feeling of racial difference -between us. The average Japanese does not greatly mind being caught -in a lie; it conveys no distinct sense of shame to him; it's simply -a difference in ethical viewpoint, just as the Japanese look with -abhorrence on some of our ethical shortcomings, our comparatively scant -respect for old age, and all that—but it's the variant in Japanese -character which we find it the hardest to understand."</p> - -<p>"You claim then that all Japanese are liars, to put it tersely?" -insisted Roberts.</p> - -<p>"Not by a long sight. I know Japanese whose word is as good to me as -that of any white man. Of some of the big men and big firms you might -even say that their word is better than their bond; they'd rather be -generous than merely just, and the Japanese is far from being a piker. -There are lots of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span>absolutely truthful Japanese just as there are lots -of whites who are thorough-going liars. But you might say that whereas -with the white man we take it for granted that he tells the truth until -we find out that he's a liar, with the Japanese one's inclined to take -it for granted that he's a liar until one learns the contrary. It may -be a blunt way of putting it, but it's the best I can do; and I think -that once the Japanese come to adopt our ethical point of view in this -respect, the same as they have adopted so many material things from us, -the greatest bar between the races will be removed.</p> - -<p>"I should like to see it removed. I like the Japanese, and even if -I do realize that they don't like us, I can't greatly blame them. I -feel that we must appear arrogant to them, even when we are trying to -produce the feeling of quality—possibly even more so then—and so many -whites, especially among our own newcomers here, are beastly trying. -When I see our drummers and flappers, just off the ships, sitting -in trains, pointing at and commenting about Japanese men and women, -careless of the fact or not knowing that many of these people speak -foreign languages, I feel resentment myself, and I can understand what -the Japanese must feel. They have their faults and their scandals, but -are they worse on the whole than are ours? They treat us better here -than we treat them in America. I rave and rant at them as much as do -the rest of you; and yet, when it comes right down to the point, I like -them, and I wish them well, at least the people, the great masses, the -real nation, and I am sorry when I see the country shooting down-grade, -power going, wealth, industry, commerce, all going, I feel it is a -great pity. I want to see some great man come and lead them out of this -wilderness, some one like the great Meiji—but, where is he?"</p> - -<p>"But what about the Prince Regent, then?" <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span>Roberts was using his -opportunity for copy. "He——"</p> - -<p>Kittrick leaned forward to him, outstretched arm upsetting the liquor -glass before him. "So sorry, old man. Here, boy-san, quick, wipe up -this mess and get another glass for Mr. Roberts." He waited until the -boy had left them. "Really, Roberts, it seemed a rude thing to do, but -you simply must not talk about the Imperial House in front of these -boys, who like as not are in the pay of the Foreign Office or the -police. Possibly what you were going to say might have been all right, -but I was afraid to take the chance. Remember this is in many respects -the Land of the Free far more than our own United States. We can drink -what we please and have far more personal liberty in thousands of ways. -You can even cuss the government quite freely as long as you don't -preach Communism, or Sovietism, or that kind of rot; but, when it comes -to mention of the Imperial House, they stand for no nonsense. It's the -law of the land. It's safest to keep quiet."</p> - -<p>The crowd in Peacock Alley was passing away, up the stairways to the -ballroom. The rest of the men followed; Kittrick and Roberts were alone -for the moment. "But just tell me this," the magazine man was noted -for his insistence. "What do you, from what you hear, think about it? -What are the chances, in your opinion, of the Prince Regent becoming a -second Meiji?"</p> - -<p>"My dear man, I have no more idea about it than if I lived in Lima. -The pitifully few points we do know are hopeful. When he returned from -England, the police, according to the old rule, forbade cheering; but -the crowd cheered, anyway, for the first time in history, and it was -quite plain that the Prince Regent liked it. Then, a little later, when -the crowd at Kyoto broke through the cordons and came closer than had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> -been ordained, he remained with it longer than the set time. The mayor -resigned, "took the responsibility" as they call it; but the point is -that the Prince Regent was immensely pleased.</p> - -<p>"That's about all I know that's of significance. Pitifully meager, -isn't it? But the fact is that we know less of what is really going -on inside Tokyo palace walls than we do about the holy of holies -in Lhassa. What are the influences surrounding the ruler of Japan, -modern or reactionary, sixteenth century or twentieth century? It is -possible that the entire future of Japan, of the Far East, depends on -just that one thing—and yet we don't know a blessed thing about it, -I, the rest of the correspondents, any one, in fact. No one knows, -except the infinitely narrow and secretive circle of the highest -officials. The Prince Regent is seen at official functions, he sees -foreigners, entirely formally, quite occasionally, but outside of the -scant official announcements which give no real information at all, the -world knows nothing. When you think of our present-day news facilities, -cables, wireless, and the rest, it seems impossible, incredible, that -we shouldn't know a little, have some slight idea; but it remains, to -my mind at least, the biggest and the most fascinating mystery in the -world. If any country ever stood at the crossroads, if any country ever -needed a great man to lead it, that's Japan to-day. Will the Prince -Regent be a second Meiji?" He threw his hands wide. "Go and find out, -and you'll have one of the biggest stories of the year."</p> - -<p>Kent came over to them. "I say, aren't you chaps coming upstairs?" They -went up together, to the ballroom where dancing had already begun, and -stood near the entrance watching the dancers.</p> - -<p>"An odd scene, isn't it, this combination of East and West," commented -Roberts. "They actually<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> do seem graceful with their wonderful, -fanciful kimonos. Look at this girl just passing us. Can they really -dance?"</p> - -<p>"Can a duck swim? That young lady is Miss Kimiko Suzuki, a special -friend of Kent's." Kittrick turned towards Kent. "Roberts is just -admiring your friend, Miss Kimiko——" But Kent was not listening. He -had noticed Sylvia coming towards them and stepped forward to meet her. -"I was hoping to see you here. You know, I haven't seen you since that -night at Ikegami."</p> - -<p>"I am just on my way to find some cool place." He followed her as she -went towards the stairway. "There's such a crush in here, and I am -rather tired, anyway."</p> - -<p>They found a nook, balcony-like, discreetly tucked away in the -labyrinth of porticoes and passages, overhanging a court with a long -stone-set pool, whose jet-black, surface, lacquer-like, gave back -glimmering reflection of the stars. A few commonplaces; then they fell -silent. He reflected how odd it was that with this girl he obtained -complete satisfaction, the delicious feeling of absolute content, -superlative well-being, by merely being in her presence. Strains of -a waltz air came down to them, softened, etherealized by distance, -intertwined with the sound from a fountain plashing into the pool, -monotonous, hypnotic. She was leaning forward, cheek pillowed on one -hand, the other lying on the balustrade. He took it between his, held -it, without definite forethought, intention; somehow, it seemed just -the natural thing to do—and apparently it seemed so to her, too; she -let it rest there; merely looked at him softly, dreamily, hardly even -questioning. He knew that he would make love to her, would ask her to -marry him; ideas, words began to stir about, moving as if in a jumble<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> -in his mind, trying to form themselves into phrases; but they refused -to shape themselves into tangible, definite sentences, and he felt -as if they were hardly necessary. They were in the perfect accord, -attunement, that rendered words superfluous. Of course, he must say -them some time, later in the evening, in a few minutes, perhaps, but -now, just now, he wished merely to sit like this, enjoying the sense -of their coming together, fusion, love, brought about perfectly, -disdainful of the crude medium of words.</p> - -<p>But a mumble of voices could be heard among the pillars behind them. A -group passed, unseen, chattering, below. Hurried footsteps rang along -the tiles. He roused himself. "Sylvia——"</p> - -<p>The footsteps had come right up to them. "Here, Kent." It was Karsten; -of all men one would have thought that he at least would have had more -tact. But he rushed right up to them heedlessly, blunderingly. "Kent, -I've been hunting high and low for you. Kikuchi is waiting for you in -his auto at the side entrance to take you to the cable office. Big -news. Beat it. Don't bother about your hat or stick. I don't know what -it is, but it's big news. For God's sake, hurry," he was propelling -him down the hallway now. "I'll look after Miss Elliott for you in the -meanwhile; only move."</p> - -<p>As he peered into the automobile standing at the side entrance, hands -seized him and dragged him in. "Kyubashi post-office, quick." It was -Kikuchi's voice giving directions to the chauffeur. "Kent, old man, I'm -giving you the beat of the year. Mito, the Premier, was assassinated -less than half an hour ago. I happened to be at my father's house when -they notified him. The cable office closes in fifteen minutes. The news -isn't out yet. You have a chance to beat the world. You did me a favor -with Kimiko-san, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span>though probably you may not have realized it. I'm -trying to pay you back now."</p> - -<p>"Mito, assassinated!" By the gods, the biggest story out of Japan since -the stabbing of Premier Hara. "But what are the details, Kikuchi? For -God's sake, tell me all you know."</p> - -<p>"Nothing much is known yet, though it seems more sinister than the -Hara case. Mito was shot at the entrance of his official residence. A -volley, not a single shot, was fired through the board fence opposite. -They had made loopholes in it. They claim that there must have been -half a dozen of them, at least. No, no one has been caught. Yes, he's -dead as a doornail. That's all I know. Well, here we are. I'll wait for -you. Be quick."</p> - -<p>His hand almost shook as he drafted his message, sending it at -urgent rates, by both wireless and cable to America, and by cable to -the London office, for luck. As he filed his stuff, he noted with -satisfaction that the clerks were getting ready to leave. His would be -the last message to get through that night. He had beaten the world.</p> - -<p>He reëntered the hotel with the feeling of a conqueror, that he must -succeed in whatever he undertook. He would see Sylvia again presently, -just as soon as he had had a look in the ballroom, at the other -correspondents, to make sure that they were still in ignorance. He -sauntered up to Kittrick. He and Templeton were chatting idly. He -joined them. So far the news was not out. But as they stood there, he -noticed Butterfield in eager conversation with some Japanese. Now he -glanced about, left the hall hurriedly. Now the Japanese was talking to -Carew, editor of the <i>Japan American</i>, and Carew also suddenly became -active, febrile, as if he had received an electric shock. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Hallo, Carew, what's the rush?" Kent caught him as he was hastening -past them. The editor glanced at his wrist-watch. "Past cable time, I -see. I might as well tell you. The Premier was assassinated less than -an hour ago. No, I have no details. I've got to hurry over to the shop. -I'm going to look after this make-up myself."</p> - -<p>Safe, by George! Still he said nothing to the others. They would find -out soon enough that he had beaten them. But he wanted to bring his -triumph to her, Sylvia, a conqueror with the spoils of victory. But on -his way through Peacock Alley he met Karsten alone.</p> - -<p>"Sorry, old man; I did the best I could to hold the lady, but I must -be getting old, losing my grip, or what? Anyway, she did not seem -to take to me as a substitute for you at all, acted sort of dumb, -moonstruck—you acted in a sort of a dazed way, too, for that matter," -he whistled provokingly. "What do you intend to do now, anyway; the -night's still young."</p> - -<p>"If you don't mind, I think I'll go home. Did you hear what the news -was, about the assassination of Mito? Well, I scored a clean beat, as -you may know. I want to get home and gloat comfortably, to enjoy my -thoughts of my luck."</p> - -<p>"Oh, what absolute liars newspapermen are." Karsten placed an arm -affectionately about his shoulders. "I can't let you insult my -intelligence by letting you think that I believe that. Kent, looking -at you, I have wondered whether when, in my sinful past, I have been -in love, I have looked so damned silly as that? It's wonderful; and -whether you deny it or not, I'm going to open a bottle of Cliquot with -you when we come home."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XX</h2> - -<p>"And now," Karsten was laughing across his glass, "I take it that I'm -not premature——"</p> - -<p>"But you are." Realization had suddenly flashed upon Kent that he had -nothing to celebrate; he had accomplished nothing, had been brought -no nearer a decision in his relationship with this girl. All this -feeling of certainty, this sense of having won her, was entirely -self-created, elation of auto-intoxication based on nothing tangible. -He became instantly irritated. "Drop this horse-play, Karsten. I don't -mind telling you I wish there were something to celebrate; but you -spoiled it all, rushing in as you did. If you hadn't, I might now have -known——"</p> - -<p>"Fiddlesticks, there's not a shadow of a doubt. Of course, I realized -it the moment I rushed in upon you two, just what was about to pass; -and after that, when I was alone with her after you had left, it -was plain enough. I used to think I knew something about women; I'm -certainly not mistaken now. And, Kent, old man, while I shall be -sorry to lose you, I'm glad this has come about. I'm getting to be -an old man. I have come to enjoy my sensations in respect to women -vicariously, by watching others, men and women whom I like, and you -won't mind my telling you that I've had not a little such vicarious -pleasure through you, enjoying, at second hand, your experiences, -what little you told me and what I might deduce and add thereto, with -these Japanese girls; and, old man, I'm honestly glad that you are now -finally coming to the end, and that it is not a Japanese girl." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span></p> - -<p>"What!" He had not entirely liked Karsten's confession, had sensed a -trace of annoyance that the other should thus have been watching him -critically, as if he were some one more or less impersonal, detached, -performing on a stage for his edification. But he forgot all this in -his astonishment at this last pronouncement—coming from Karsten of all -men. Why not a Japanese girl? "Why," he asked him the question. "Why -not a Japanese? I thought you liked the Japanese?"</p> - -<p>"For myself, yes; for you, no," Karsten laughed, filled his pipe, lit -it. "You know there's a tremendous lot of talk and argument on the -question of mixed marriages. People say this and they say that, and -yet essentially I think the matter resolves itself into the question -of what a man seeks in marriage, what he expects in the woman he -joins himself with for life. It depends on whether a man loves with -his intellect or whether he loves with his senses. You and I furnish -good examples. You love essentially with your brain. Of course, you -enjoy brilliance and color, beauty, charm, and all that; you saw them -in these Japanese girls, and they fascinated you, entranced you. And -that was what I was a little afraid of, that you might succumb to it, -that you might suffer yourself to be overcome by this scintillating, -ephemeral fascination of the exotic; for it would have been fatal -for you; the newness is bound to wear off; and what you look for in -marriage, the thing in a woman which can hold you, is intellect. You -want beauty, charm, of course, but for you the great essential thing -is brains, a woman who can be a companion, a comrade, who can have all -your interests in common with you. That's the only kind of a relation -that may be lasting in your case.</p> - -<p>"Now take my own. I love essentially with my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> senses. Of course, -I want a woman with sense, intelligence; a fool would irritate me -immeasurably; I have no patience with fools; but I would be just as -intolerant with what we may call the 'trained intellect' in a woman -who was my constant companion. I enjoy that, greatly even, when I -chance across it in other women; but in the case of my own woman, the -one with me always, I want no arguments, no discussions in respect -to my own essential intellectual pursuits and interests. Bluntly, I -want to supply all the brains for the household. It's intolerant, of -course, but that's how I am. What I want is not a woman who'll discuss -politics, or Freud, or Relativity with me. I want one whom I may -enjoy as I do a picture, music, fragrance. Of course, you see that I -don't mean mere physical enjoyment—the man who marries for that is -obviously a fool—but what I'm trying to drive at is that I enjoy woman -companionship through esthetic impressions, through the visions and -dreams that her presence, her loveliness, her charm, her womanliness, -bring to me, not through ideas or debates. And that's why in my case I -felt that I might find happiness best with a Japanese, who might be all -of these things to me, playmate, doll, companion, picture—everything -but an encyclopedia or text-book on philosophy. And I had it, Kent. I -had all that with Jun-san—I have told you. My God, those were years -of happiness. But it was too perfect. I thought I had life all solved -for me, that I had finally gained serenity, peace; that I was about to -accomplish something worth while—and then," he picked up his glass, -smashed it deliberately into the brass bowl for pipe litter, "then to -have it all smashed, like that—and by my own son!"</p> - -<p>"Your son," Kent leaned forward, hands gripping chair arms. "Your son! -You don't mean Mortimer?" </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span></p> - -<p>"He's the only son I have, isn't he?" Karsten had been pacing the -floor; now he turned, facing Kent, glaring. "I didn't mean to tell you; -but now you know it. Of course, I mean Mortimer."</p> - -<p>"But it's impossible, it's absurd, it's preposterous, Karsten, man; -you don't mean to say that you've been wrecking your life over such an -insane fever fancy as that?"</p> - -<p>"Fancy, hell! It's good enough in you, Kent, to stick up for the boy, -to believe it impossible; but, hang it, man, I saw it with my own eyes."</p> - -<p>"By the gods, Karsten, you lie." He had jumped up, flung the challenge -into his face, eyes flashing, lips parted.</p> - -<p>"I don't take that from any man, Kent." Karsten's fist flung backwards -in swing for attack. Kent faced him, left arm on guard. For a moment -they stood facing each other, glaring, then Karsten's fist dropped, he -relaxed, flung wide his hands. "Oh, what's the use, Kent. I'm sorry. It -is good of you to stick up for the boy; but, I tell you, I know. Let us -drop this, old man. Finish. Let us have a drink and say no more about -it."</p> - -<p>"No, hold on." Kent had dropped into his chair and sat there, chin -resting in cupped hand, the other stretched towards Karsten in a -gesture warding off interruption. "Karsten, you know I'm not trying -to probe into this just out of idle curiosity; but I have an idea. I -wonder—— Now I want you to tell me exactly, in every detail, just -what you did see, the whole thing."</p> - -<p>"But what good can it do? Do you think I enjoy this? Oh, very well, -then," he shrugged his shoulders. "Since you seem so curiously set on -it, I'll tell you.</p> - -<p>"It happened when Mortimer came to Japan to visit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> me for a few months -when he was through college, before he went to Europe. Of course, I -was living with Jun-san then, but he didn't know it. She was living -in her cottage, just as she is now. I'm sure he suspected nothing. Of -course, I couldn't have him suspect. It was easy enough. Then one night -I came home late, and sat in the garden for a while, and then I saw it. -They were both in her cottage. I could see their shadows against the -paper of the <i>shoji</i>, sharply cut, silhouetted as in a shadow play; -there was no room for doubt; and then I saw him advance and place his -arm about her neck, and the two heads melted into one. My God, wasn't -that enough! Do you think I would want to wait and see more, to stand -passively and contemplate a love scene between her, my woman, who was -as much wife to me as if we had gone through a thousand ceremonials, -and my son, my own son? No, I ran out there into the temple grounds. -I sat down and I thought; and I walked up and down, and thoughts, and -ideas, and every sort of inspiration of madness passed in and out of -my mind. One moment I wanted to rush in and confront them, tear them -apart, throw them out, humiliate them, kill her. I learned that night -what it was to be mad, crazy, insane. I wanted to do a thousand things, -and at the same time I felt utterly helpless, that there was nothing -I could do. In my imagination I could see them, Jun-san and Mortimer, -my love and my son, in each other's arms, kissing, embracing. But -what could I do? Surely I couldn't rush in and say, 'Here, Mortimer, -that's my woman you have stolen.' The whole thing was impossible, a -sardonically grotesque masque contrived for my utter humiliation by -some demoniacal, superbly malicious fate. I even worked myself up -to believing, or at least half believing, that this was a sort of -retribution, punishment for my irregularities,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> for my fool play with -women in the past, just as our Puritan forefathers might have done. -Yes, I was on the verge of being crazy, actually, pathologically -insane, that night. But I came finally to a conclusion, the only -logical conclusion—there was nothing for me to say or do; it simply -marked the end with me for women in my life. So in the early morning -I sneaked to my room; and a few weeks later Mortimer sailed for San -Francisco; and I never said a word to him, or to Jun-san. So there you -are. You see how it is. As our Japanese friends say, <i>shikataganai</i>; it -can't be helped."</p> - -<p>"And that was all you ever saw?" Kent's voice had become calmly cold, -inquisitorial. "So that was all?"</p> - -<p>"My God, wasn't that enough!" Karsten flung it at him irritatedly. -"What more could you want? Did you expect me to play the rôle of spy -on my son and my——? Honestly, now, you seem to have become absurdly -dense."</p> - -<p>But Kent had come up to him and was shaking him, laughing nervously -after the fashion of one who has passed into the trembling relief of -reaction after excitation of nervous strain. "Oh, Karsten-san, you big -damn fool, with your pride of intellect and finesse of reasoning and -all that; how much better it would have been for you if you had only -reacted as would have a sailor, or a butcher, or a coal-heaver, if you -had jumped in and had had it out on the spot. Now listen. I have the -whole explanation. I can show you what an absurd, blundering fool you -have been all these years—and I myself, here I've been going about -with the key to the whole story, and I have seen how it was between -Jun-san and you, and still I've never had the sense to tell you. What -fools we are, all of us. Now listen—— </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span></p> - -<p>"On that night, the night all this happened, Mortimer had been to a -cinema show, had he not?"</p> - -<p>"I suppose so. As a matter of fact, he had; but what of that?" -Karsten had caught the infection of excitement, suspense at impending -revealment. His fingers were drumming on the table. "Don't sit there -as if you were about to drag a rabbit out of a hat. Get down to -essentials."</p> - -<p>"Easy. That is essential. It all hinges on that. Mortimer had been to -see one of those American films that had been censored by the police. -He told me about it, after he had returned to San Francisco and was -telling me about Japan. He thought it amusing, that just as the picture -reached the climax, the point where the heroine, whoever she may have -been, fell into the arms of the hero, there came a blur, and, presto, -they were again six feet apart. The censor had cut out the kissing -scene. As I say, he thought it intensely funny, the idea of an entire -nation being kept from knowledge of kissing by a censor. And it worked, -he told me. 'They really don't know what kissing is,' he said. For the -idea had intrigued him. He had wondered; and when he came home and he -happened to be telling about it to a pretty servant—that's what threw -me off, his speaking of Jun-san as a servant; though, of course, I see -now that that's how he must naturally have looked upon her——"</p> - -<p>"For the good Lord's sake, man, don't babble so," the rat-tat-tat of -Karsten's fingers seemed to crackle and snap like electricity. "Get to -the point."</p> - -<p>"I am. Keep quiet. Let me think, won't you? So it occurred to him that -here was a chance where he might find out for himself, experiment. -Nothing to get excited about, Karsten. We've both done as much. So -he kept coming closer to her; just mischief, you know. It was plain -she suspected nothing of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> kind, he told me. He got his arm about -her neck. She didn't move. She was utterly astounded, struck aghast, -transfixed in surprise. And then, when she did move, as he brought his -lips close to her mouth, she didn't struggle, she didn't cuff his ears -after Western fashion. She just placed her hands on his wrists and -looked at him. It must have been impressive. He told me that he felt a -greater sense of rebuff, of being ashamed of himself, than if she had -struck him. And that's how he left her. That was all that happened. And -here you've let that woman suffer for years, Karsten, and I never had -the sense to——"</p> - -<p>But Karsten had strode past him, was not listening. He flung open the -sliding door at the head of the stairway. "Jun-san," he was calling -down into the dimness below. "Jun-san, come, come here right away."</p> - -<p>In her haste even the softness of her <i>zori</i> made a clatter on the -stairs. She entered, breathless, wide-eyed in anxiety at the sudden -call, stood astounded, staring at Karsten who was standing—arms -stretched towards her.</p> - -<p>Kent edged towards the door. They paid no attention to him. She was -still standing there, trembling, lips parted, unable to believe. Now -he had almost gained the door. It seemed unreal, like a theatrical -situation, these two, in their trembling intensity.</p> - -<p>"Erik-san, oh, Erik-san!" She was in Karsten's arms now, high -hair-dress against his shoulder. As he slid the partition shut, Kent -caught a glimpse of the man's head bending down towards her. It was -dramatic, affecting. He caught his breath sharply, blinked his eyes, -and at the same time the thought came to him, frivolously erratic—it -was just like the cinema film; he had cut the picture at the very most -intense moment.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXI</h2> - -<p>He sat up in bed in bewildered wonder whether it had been an actual -sound, an explosion, that had awakened him, or whether it had been some -particularly realistic bit of dream. Still, there was a peculiarly -dry, rattling clatter, something like hail—and yet the sun was -shining—just as he was trying to shake himself thoroughly awake, the -sound ceased abruptly.</p> - -<p>As he swung himself out of bed, Karsten hurried in. "Hallo, time to get -busy, Kent. It has broken loose, the revolution, riot, or whatever it -is, shooting, burning. That was machine-gun fire we just heard, from -the Aoyama barracks, I take it. Breakfast will be ready for you when -you have dressed. You had better make a meal before you start; you're -likely to have a strenuous day."</p> - -<p>It was difficult to take time for eating, but Karsten insisted. "Won't -you come along?" asked Kent. "You should see the excitement." But -Karsten shook his head, laughed. "No, to-day, I'm staying home, even if -they burn down all of Tokyo." He smiled to Jun-san. She came over to -him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Happiness, radiated over these -two, made them look younger, an odd appearance of newness, as if they -had been refurbished, brightened. A flash of envious admiration came to -Kent; after all, though modern life smiled at romance, it was the thing -that mattered, woman, affection between the sexes, the one ingredient -that could vitalize humdrum existence with the color, the play and -sparkle of joy of living. From a distance came the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span>reverberation of -a dull boom; from somewhere near the center of the city a great smoke -cloud shot skywards, mushroomed in the still air, dissipated slowly -into a thin pall of bluish haze.</p> - -<p>He ran into the street. It seemed like a holiday, with the absence of -the usual bustle of business. Here and there groups of people, mostly -women, chattered excitedly, with a frightened and yet fascinated look -on their faces. It reminded him of the aspect the neighborhood took on -when there was a fire in the quarter. The street cars were not running. -A detachment of police passed him, about a hundred of them, running -with their peculiar stiff trot, each with a gloved hand clamped on his -short sword, in a long double file.</p> - -<p>As he came near the square at Toranomon, he ran into a line of -infantrymen, resting stolidly on their rifles, keeping clear the wide -space behind them, the quarter containing the Diet building, Foreign -Office, the Kasumigaseki Palace and, farther back, the General Staff -headquarters. He made his way along a side street hurriedly, avoiding -the crowds which had gathered here and there, wherever temple grounds -or square afforded a convenient space. There was not so much excitement -as he had expected, rather an air of expectancy; they did not appear -like people who were engaged at this moment in overthrowing their -overlords; rather they seemed eager for the staging of some event which -they knew was about to happen, as if they were waiting for a show of -daylight fireworks. Still, here and there might be seen small groups -of men who seemed to have a definite objective, who were intent on -some certain purpose, on going somewhere. It was significant that they -all, even the more stolid ones, ran, or walked, or drifted in the same -general direction,—towards the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span>government building quarter stretching -from the central police station at Hibiya to the War Office in a long -curve following the outer palace moat and centering on the wide street -running from the palace gate at Sakuradamon, near which lay the nerve -centers of the Government, the Navy, War and Judiciary buildings, the -Diet quarters, and the rest.</p> - -<p>The whole movement was too vast, too intangible, covered too much -ground to make it possible to handle the story single-handed. They -would know more at the <i>Japan American</i> Office. He found Carew there, -tired-eyed, helping himself to hot, black coffee from a thermos bottle.</p> - -<p>"Hallo, Kent," he stretched himself. "Hell, isn't it? Here it is, the -big story, the outbreak that we have all been expecting and waiting -for for years, the demolishment of the last stronghold in the world of -militarism in its old form, perhaps; and here I am, almost idle. There -is news popping every minute, big stuff, and there isn't a thing to -do with it. The boys are out covering the story as best they can, but -what's the use? We can't get out a paper. There is no power for the -machines, and, anyway, I have no linotype men, no press crew. You might -as well take it easy, too. Tokyo is isolated as far as messages are -concerned. The wires are down everywhere. They say the bridges are down -on all sides of the city. Even if they weren't, they would not take -cable messages, of course. I tried to send one of the boys to Yokohama, -hoping he might get a message out by wireless from some steamer, but -he just came back. The Kawasaki bridge has been blown up, one span at -least, and the military are guarding it and won't let any one pass. Go -out and enjoy yourself looking about, but you won't get any news out of -here to-day, anyway." </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span></p> - -<p>"But what do you make of it?" Carew's stoicism irritated him. "What do -you know about it? Is it The Revolution?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know." Carew shrugged his shoulders. "Call it anything you -please, revolution, riot, overthrow. It is the simultaneous uprising -of all the lower classes, the poorer classes, the working classes. -It is the explosion of the discontent that has been accumulating for -years. It reminds me of a drift of snow that has been growing bigger -and bigger, overhanging some steep slope, waiting but for some impetus -to start it off. The Mito assassination started it; it is on the way, -gathering force every minute, an avalanche that gains growth from -the snow that is waiting to add its volume as it rushes onwards. The -question now is merely whether the Government can hold it; if the -troops will stick by it. That'll tell the whole story."</p> - -<p>"Have you any idea how far this is a concerted movement, a planned -general movement? Have you gotten anything from the outside?"</p> - -<p>"Sure it is part of a general plan to some extent." Carew handed him -a sheaf of Nippon Dempo news service flimsies. "These kept coming in -until early this morning when everything suddenly stopped. You see how, -the moment the news of the Mito assassination came out, hell broke -loose in various places. Peasants from one end of Japan to the other, -tenant farmers, who have been clamoring at the landlords on account -of exorbitant rents, have been burning village offices and landlords' -houses. At the same time came strikes, rioting, violence in all the -industrial centers,—Osaka, Kobe, Nogoya. At first, when the news began -to trickle in last night, I thought it was just like the rice riots -in 1918, with breaking of some windows and wrecking of some office -buildings and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span>warehouses. But it's bigger. It's a sight bigger. I -fancy no one knows how big it will grow before it stops, or where it -will stop. Go take a look about town, and you'll see they've done a lot -of damage already.</p> - -<p>"We had a small riot right here a couple of hours ago. I've known right -along that one of the linotype men is a Socialist leader of sorts; -at least, the police have always come and locked him up whenever the -suffrage bill or anything like that came up in the Diet. But when they -came early this morning as per usual, some three or four of them, -they set upon them, all the printers. They beat the devil out of the -policemen and then they beat it. I fancy that's characteristic of the -whole situation all over Japan. The worm is turning."</p> - -<p>Kent went on to his office a few blocks away. Ishii was there, restless -with excitement. "I've been waiting for you, Kent-san. I have a message -for you. She came about an hour ago, Adachi-san. She says that if you -want to see the best part of the excitement, come to Sakuradamon. -She'll probably be there."</p> - -<p>Adachi-san! It was like a shock to have her suddenly injected into -his life again after all these months. A short time ago, when she had -vanished, this news would have caused his heart to beat high with -excitement, would have sent him flying to find her—but now, even -though he did feel expectancy at seeing her again, curiosity to learn -why she had disappeared, where she had been, the predominant feeling -was one of uneasiness. That incident, that bit of romance, had been -delightful, pungently sweet when thought of as just that, a delectable, -charming interlude in the humdrum course of existence; but that was -just its main charm, what gave it the subtle flavor of a fanciful -dream, its evanescence, the very fact that it had never crystallized -into a more lasting, definite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> relationship. It had faded out of his -life now; what he could treasure as a memory, a whimsical recollection, -might be but vitiated, rendered drab and prosaic, should he allow its -reality to inject itself, intrudingly, into his life. And then, of -course, over and above it all, there was Sylvia.</p> - -<p>"We had better go right now." Ishii was nervously eager. "You had -better wear your police badge where it can be seen, so we can get -through the lines."</p> - -<p>"All right, I'm coming." He fastened his police badge, a disk of wood -bearing the magic formula which allowed him to pass police cordons, on -a string about his neck. Of course, he must see her. After all, it was -pathetic, her thinking of him in the midst of all this excitement. He -wondered how much she really had to do with it all.</p> - -<p>As they approached Hibiya Park the crowds became more dense. He -had to display his badge repeatedly to get past lines of police. -Excitement was more evident now, and yet the city seemed oddly quiet. -He realized that it was the absence of the usual noise of traffic, roar -of elevated trains, clatter of street cars. The entire voice of the -city had changed; the volume of sound from hundreds of thousands of -humans, shuffling along in clacking <i>geta</i>, talking, shouting, making -an entirely new sound, live, electric, ominous as contrasted with the -usual mechanical rattle.</p> - -<p>Just in front of the park the police lines were the most solid, -thousands of officers backed by mounted gendarmes. They would not let -him pass, shrugged shoulders as he tried to argue with them, showing -his pass. He worked his way along the line towards the main entrance, -hoping to find some opening. He found a young official, pleasantly -courteous, who seemed inclined to listen. Suddenly, as he argued, a -dull roar sounded behind him, to his right; a gust<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> of wind, as if a -giant had blown a gigantic breath over him and the rest of the crowd. -The masses behind him surged forward irresistibly. He noted that the -mouth of the young officer had opened, eyes popping, staring as if some -astounding, incredible sight had just appeared. As the crowd pushed -on, carrying him and the police line before it, he managed to turn -and look over the heads of the frantic people milling all about him. -As he was borne on, through the entrance into the park, he caught a -glimpse of the great central police station to the right behind him. -The entire corner was gone, leaving exposed, doll-house rooms in the -interior beyond. The usually meticulous bronze figure of some noted -police official had been knocked askew by the débris into an absurdly -incongruous drunken attitude. Fine dust from the explosion began to -settle over them. The crowds, frantically insistent on getting away, -had broken through the police lines on all sides, along the broad -road between Hibiya Park and the outer moat, and, beyond that, across -Babasakimon bridge, into the great space between the inner and outer -palace moats, surging towards Sakuradamon. But here in Hibiya Park the -police were getting the crowd in hand again, assisted by gendarmes and -soldiers who had come from the other side of the square. The mounted -men rode their horses right into the crowds; sabers were used freely. -The soldiers seemed unenthusiastic, apathetic. Kent noticed that they -belonged to some infantry regiment up in the fifties; probably they -were country recruits, more in sympathy with the mob than against it. -But the others, the police and the gendarmes, were laboring under -hysterical excitement. They had always seemed absurd to him, these -tiny-looking swords, but quite evidently they were dangerous weapons, -viciously sharpened. Some of the superior officers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> particularly -appeared to have become entirely beside themselves, eyes bloodshot, -mouths foaming, literally crazed for the moment, maniacs insane with -blood lust.</p> - -<p>Kent managed to avoid them by taking the smaller paths leading through -shrubbery. The police were all busy raging at the mob, and the -soldiers, seeing his police emblem, shrugged shoulders and let him -pass. As he worked over towards the other side of the park, in the -direction of the navy wireless tower, he became aware of a feeling -of emptiness, as if the space, the atmosphere rather, had in some -strange way changed, as if it were lighter, more spacious. There was a -peculiar acrid tang in the air; he sniffed; yes, that was smoke rising -there over the trees. He climbed a low knoll, usually a favorite place -for lovers, with a summerhouse surrounded by azaleas. Ah, that was -it; where the Diet building had stood, a barn-like, wood and stucco -structure, was now no building at all; only smoldering heaps of débris. -He obtained a moment's amusement by noticing that the cordons of police -and soldiers which had been guarding the Diet all these months were -still there, on all four sides of the great block, solemnly guarding -the smoking ashes.</p> - -<p>He swerved to the right, managed to get to the street alongside the -outer moat just ahead of the crowd which had broken through the police -lines down by the central station. Here, inside the space containing -the most important government buildings, were scattered only small -detachments of police and soldiers, who did not attempt to face the -mob; but beyond, up on the high ground by the War Office and the -General Staff headquarters, were sounding bugle calls. Evidently troops -were being summoned to form new cordons to take the places of those -which had been broken.</p> - -<p>By this time he was almost running. He must get<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> as far as possible -into this inner area before new lines were formed. Evidently the same -thought possessed the mobs racing behind him. They were surprisingly -silent; the predominating sound was the vast volume of clatter made by -tens of thousands of wooden <i>geta</i>. Just as he was about to pass into -the square facing, on its right, the Sakuradamon palace entrance and to -the left a great empty lot above which rose the General Staff building, -he heard his name being called. "Here, Kent-san. Here I am."</p> - -<p>There she was, Sadako-san, with a small group of others, at a vantage -point formed by the small space surrounding the pedestal of a statue of -a frock-coated gentleman in bronze, set in a corner of the Judiciary -building grounds. There were two or three other girls and about a dozen -men. He noticed the professor who had been in jail on account of his -writings about Kropotkin.</p> - -<p>She had been right in picking this point as the center of events. -Already they were beginning to concentrate on this spot from all sides, -the crowd coming along the Hibiya Park road and that flowing across -the space from Babasakimon reinforced by the student contingent from -Kanda and the laborers from Asakusa and Uyeno, and even from across the -Sumida River, from Honjo and Fukagawa. And apparently they were trying -to come on from the other side of the city, too. Up on the higher -ground, in the direction of the Sanno-dai Temple grounds, a hilly park -often used for demonstrations, came sound of musketry, volley firing. -Bugles still sounded about the General Staff headquarters grounds -and, behind that, on the hill crowned by the War Office. Bugles also -began to sound from across the moat, inside the inner palace grounds. -Still, oddly, there was no sight of soldiers or police; the crowds -continued to surge on into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> square, gradually filling it. On the -other side the multitude was evidently being kept in check by some -cordon which they could not see, at Toranomon probably. A few small -groups, individual figures here and there, evidently Foreign Office -officials or men from the Italian or Russian embassies close by, were -moving along rapidly, evidently to see the excitement. Presently Kent -saw Kikuchi. He shouted to him, managed to attract his attention. As -he joined their group, Kent noticed a stir among the others, frowns, -whispers, then shoulder shrugs; but no protest was made.</p> - -<p>But he wanted to see Sadako-san, to have a few words with her, at -least. He managed to draw her aside a little, sheltered against the -pedestal of the statue. "Sadako-san, where have you been? That wasn't -the right thing to do, to run away from me like that. You know, -I've——"</p> - -<p>"Oh, Kent-san, you must not think that that was what I asked you to -come here for, to talk nonsense, on a day like this—no, not nonsense, -forgive me. I didn't mean that. We'll talk about—about these other -things some other time—yes, I promise—but to-day; don't you see, this -is the day we have all been waiting for so long, the day marking the -birth of a new Japan, when the people of Japan shall break down the -rule of the tyrants, of the wicked, old anachronists over there," she -pointed across the square to the gray, copper-roofed building of the -General Staff. "That's why I asked you to come here, to this spot; for -this is where history is to be made to-day."</p> - -<p>It flashed on him that she made a picture as she stood there, exquisite -in her soft-tinted kimono, eyes flashing, cheeks flushed. She seemed -as if she might be emblematic, a figure representative of the new -Japanese idealism, standing side by side with this bronze frock-coated -individual, a nice old respectable <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span>bureaucrat no doubt, whoever he -might be; the two, the breathing, pulsating girl and the cold, stiff -bronze man, symbolic of Japan of to-day, the contrast. Still, why did -she insist on taking part in this mad medley of mob passion? How much -happier she would be—— Recollection came to him of some of their -excursions together. But, of course, that could be no longer. The -thought came to him suddenly—it was fortunate that she had refused to -discuss personal topics. That was just like him, saying things without -thinking. He had not intended to recall their affair, matters of -affection; still, of course, he could see now how it must have seemed -to her that he was trying to do so.</p> - -<p>The crowd kept surging into the square, which was gradually filling. -It began to become monotonous; nothing happened; it did not look as if -anything was even about to happen; one became impatient, disappointed -with the sense of constantly baffled expectation. Evidently the -"revolution" was about to fizzle and splutter into extinction without -dramatic dénouement. Did it have any intention whatever, this mob? What -was the idea of the whole thing? "What is going to happen, Sadako-san? -What are you people going to do? Is all this disturbance throughout -Japan a planned, concerted movement, or is it just accidental, -spontaneous outbreaks caused by the death of the Premier?"</p> - -<p>"Both, in a way." She showed her pleasure at being able to instruct -him. "We have been waiting for many months for this to happen, we -radicals, thousands of us, scattered through all of Japan. Everywhere -where there was dissatisfaction, among the tenant farmers in all the -country districts, among the industrial laborers and all the other poor -people in the cities, in fact, everywhere in Japan we had our leaders, -a few here and a few there; only a few were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> needed in each place; -conditions have made the people, the whole nation almost, ready to -strike if only some one gave a start. They all knew, we all knew, that -some day the great event would occur which would be the signal for our -men to lead revolts throughout Japan. We all knew that it would happen -some day, to-morrow, in a month, in a year, but when we didn't know, or -possibly only the very few leaders. The police knew, too, that it would -happen sometime; but that was just what baffled them; what prevented -them from making an end to the business, the utter uncertainty of it -all. They could not keep all of us, the thousands and thousands on -their suspect lists, locked up all the time. So we all waited, we and -the police, for the event that would be the signal, and when they -killed that poor fool Mito, we all knew that the time had come. But the -police could not move fast enough. Do you know that all bridges and -wires are down all about Tokyo? They have had to send their best troops -to Korea and Manchuria for their schemes there. They couldn't depend -on most of the army for imperialist schemes, ever since the Siberian -scandal. So now there is in Tokyo only the First Regiment, the Imperial -Guards, who'll be loyal to the General Staff. And do you think that -they can stop us?" She stretched her hand out towards the crowding -thousands in the square before them. "Do you think one regiment can -stop them?"</p> - -<p>"But what is it that you are going to do? Why are all these people -coming here? What's the big purpose?"</p> - -<p>"Why, overthrow, of course." She almost shouted in her impatience. -"We shall turn them out, the General Staff, the bureaucrats; then we -shall—anyway, we shall overthrow the Government."</p> - -<p>He shrugged his shoulders wearily. Always, in beer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> hall, or public -square, or radical magazine, these students, professors, theorists, -revolutionists, always ranting about the "overthrow" without an -idea of what must follow. Impatience overcame him. It all seemed so -futile, silly, even the big events, the assassination of the Premier, -the burning of the Diet building and the rest, purposeless, childish -destruction, leading nowhere.</p> - -<p>"Well, suppose you do overthrow it all, what then? Do you want to be -like Russia?"</p> - -<p>"What's the matter with Russia then?" The voice, masculine, faintly -familiar, came from right behind him. He turned resentfully. Who the -devil could this be, eavesdropping? It was Lüttich. He had seen the -Russian only a few times since the days when they were fellow-travelers -on the <i>Tenyo Maru</i>. He had supposed that he was teaching the -violin, dancing, French and other polite accomplishments to the -aristocracy. What was he doing here, evidently hand in glove with the -revolutionists? And what the devil business had he to butt in on them?</p> - -<p>"The last time I talked politics with you, Lüttich," he spoke with -studied sarcasm, that the others might hear, "you seemed to have lots -to say against the present government of Russia."</p> - -<p>"Of course," the other laughed scornfully. "What chance do you think a -Russian would have living in Japan unless he sang just that tune? But, -good Lord, man, did you really think that I'd content myself with that, -with being a dancing master, and in these times. These are the times to -live in, Kent. Think of it, a few years ago, Petrograd, and now here, -to-day, Tokyo! And to have a hand in it all! Did you see the police -station, Kent-san? What did you think of it?"</p> - -<p>"I'll tell you what I think of——" </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Look, listen," she had gripped his arm. Across the square, on the hill -of the General Staff building, something was in motion. The Kropotkin -professor had a field glass which was being passed round. Kent, in -his turn, caught a glimpse of the scene in front of the building, a -solitary figure in the middle, and lower down, in front of it, files of -soldiers. He passed the glass on to Kikuchi.</p> - -<p>"My God, Kent-san," Kikuchi handed it back to him. "Take another look. -Don't you see, it's him, the Devil himself, General Matsu, chief of the -General Staff."</p> - -<p>From the top of the hill the bugle sounded again. A roar, explosions -from all sides, flashes from the other side of the moat, from the -ramparts of the palace grounds, from the top of the hill. Then, -abruptly, a moment of silence, of bewilderment, sudden occurrence and -sudden cessation of the sound having a theatrical effect, as if a -pianist had finished a rather tedious composition with a sudden sweep -of hand crashing across the full stretch of bass octaves. It stunned -them, and the crowd stood dumb, numbed, unbelieving. Then it was as if -at precisely the same instant the full meaning of what had happened -came to all, a revelation of despair; they were surrounded, troops -on all sides, hemmed them in, tens of thousands. From all sides they -crowded, milling against the center, seeking escape. Kent pushed the -girl before him, up towards the top of the pedestal, he and the rest -climbing up its terraced sides to avoid the sea of humanity surging -frantically about them. Whimsically, there came to his mind a picture -from the Doré Bible, a picture of the flood, a group of humans and -animals seeking on an isolated rocky peak escape from the rising waters.</p> - -<p>"Damn them, they have some sense yet, these <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span>militarists," there was a -note of admiration in the voice of the Russian. "Here they have managed -to trap the best part of the country's radical leaders, half of them at -least. I wonder if——"</p> - -<p>From the hill top came the notes of the bugle, clear, unfaltering, like -a maneuver call. Immediately another crash of rifles, just one volley. -They were shooting more accurately this time, or the officers were -compelling the men to do so. All along the edges of the mob they were -falling, men and women, children even, rolling down the steep slopes -into the moat, or falling under the feet of the mass, milling about, -stampeded, driven in upon itself from all sides. Now the multitude had -found its voice, but it was inarticulate, shrieks, cries and groans -mingling into a vast volume of sound, meaningless, inhuman.</p> - -<p>Another half minute. Again the bugle, followed by a single volley. -Another half minute, another volley. The crowd was like insane -creatures, those at the edges fighting their way in, those in the -middle struggling frantically to escape, and, every thirty seconds, the -bugle call, and the single sharp volley, with military precision, from -all sides.</p> - -<p>"I didn't think they had it in them, that they had that much -imagination," there was open admiration in the Russian's tone now. -"Don't you see it, Kent-san, the devilish cleverness of it all. It's -not the shooting that's the worst; it's the suspense, the waiting, the -bugle call and the knowledge of the death that comes with it. That's -what they will remember to their dying day, all those who escape, if -they let any one escape. That'll take the heart out of them. Such is -life, the life of a revolutionist, Kent-san. They're setting us back -ten years to-day, damn them, but we'll get them in the end."</p> - -<p>Time had come for the next bugle call. It seemed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> overdue, a longer -interval than before. They almost wanted it to come, to have it over -with. Surely the interval was long. They began to glance about, at one -another. Was it possible? Face peered anxiously into face, each seeking -to read confirmation of his own hope. Had the killing really ceased, or -was this but another refinement of cruelty?</p> - -<p>"No, it's over; they've finished; the soldiers are retiring." It was -the professor with the field glass. At the same time there came from -in front of them, like a ripple of sound passing rapidly, quaveringly, -through the mob, a whisper, then the rumor spoken aloud but in the -doubting tone of unbelief; finally in shouts: "The Prince Regent, the -Prince Regent. He stopped it. He told the militarists that he would not -have them kill His people. His people. The Prince Regent!"</p> - -<p>The emotions of the crowds were still too conflicting to allow definite -united form of expression, joy, sorrow, relief. The cries of the dying -and wounded became audible now to the individuals, who until this had -been concerned only with their own frantic fears, listening for the -death-signaling bugle. Evidently the cordons about Hibiya had been -withdrawn, for the crowd became suddenly augmented. New arrivals who -had not been set trembling by suspense of expectation of death, saw the -dead, raised their hands in wrath. Shouts for vengeance, cries from the -wounded, trembling hysteria of those who had escaped the debacle all -mingled in a chaos of confusion of sound, of movement, of minds.</p> - -<p>"Now's the time, you fools," Kent heard the Russian's hoarse whisper to -those about him. "In this moment you win or lose the revolution. All -that's needed now is a leader. Come on, lead them, demolish the General -Staff. Here, take some of these." Kent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> caught a glimpse of dark -lemon-shaped objects, with crisscross furrows, as they passed from hand -to hand. "I don't suppose you want one," he grinned to Kent. "You don't -know how much history there may be crammed into one of these little -things. Anyway, come along."</p> - -<p>The others had already started, making their way through the mob. The -professors and the rest, Sadako-san, Ishii, even Kikuchi. He caught the -young diplomat's arm. "What the devil are you doing in this, Kikuchi? -You had better get back to the Foreign Office where you belong."</p> - -<p>"Don't be a fool, Kent, don't be a fool," the young fellow's face -was ecstatic, eyes brilliantly flashing. "Don't you see it, Kent? He -is with us, the Prince Regent, with the people. He must be at the -Kasumigaseki Palace, right across the way from the General Staff -building. He must have seen with his own eyes almost, and he stopped -them. He is with us, the people; what in hell does it matter whether we -be Foreign Office mannikins or proletariat; we all are the people of -Japan, the nation, and we all want just that one thing, the overthrow -of the militarists and of the bureaucrats."</p> - -<p>They had reached the edge of the mob at the foot of the wide driveway -leading to the General Staff building. Most of the soldiers had -disappeared; only a thin cordon guarded the approach. Behind them, -scattered in the throng, they could hear voices of leaders shouting. -"To the General Staff; this way; throw them out; to the General Staff!" -The cry was taken up; it became a roar; again the mob took common -direction. Presently they found themselves in the front rank, pressed -steadily forwards by the urge of the multitude behind them. Kent was -pushed upwards with the rest of the group, Sadako-san,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> Kikuchi, Ishii, -Lüttich and the others, closer and closer to the line of soldiers, -being driven steadily nearer the extended bayonet points. The officer -in charge, a captain, Prussian-mustached, scowling at the advancing -crowd, was directly in front of them. They could see him biting -his lips, finger nervously playing about his automatic, suspense, -indecision, plainly written on his face. A stone thrown by some one in -the crowd whizzed past him. Kent heard him bark out something, some -order; instantly the rifles of the soldiers had leaped into position at -their shoulders. By the gods, they were about to fire!</p> - -<p>Those in the front rank of the mob tried to push backwards, but were -held fast by those behind. Instinctively Kent placed his arm about -Sadako, glaring up at the soldiers. Another gruff military order was -barked out, hoarse, unintelligible. The rifles came to rest. The -soldiers began to retreat slowly. "That was Matsu himself gave that -order." Kent heard the excited whisper of Kikuchi right in his ear. -"That's one thing about these militarists, at least. They obey orders. -Look, there he is."</p> - -<p>He had come forward, an old man in field uniform with a single great -silver decoration, almost as large as a saucer, below his breast. He -was waving back, impatiently, other officers who evidently wished to -stay with him, barked out some command to them imperiously. Then he -turned, facing the mob, white-haired head erect, hand on sword hilt, -silent, proud, impressive.</p> - -<p>"By the gods, they are no cowards, anyway, these militarists," Kent -flung the words back over his shoulder to Kikuchi. "One man against a -nation."</p> - -<p>"He accepts the responsibility. What else can he do?" The old Japanese -formula, the gentleman's creed. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span></p> - -<p>Those in the front rank tried to hold back, impressed, awed at this -solitary old man, glaring at them defiantly through steel-rimmed -spectacles. But those behind pressed on. Stones began to fly; suddenly -a shot sounded from the right. The general slumped into a heap; he -tried to raise one hand, collapsed, was quiet.</p> - -<p>The captain of the cordon swung about, facing the crowd, face -twitching, teeth bared like a snarling beast. Eyes popping, he waved -his heavy automatic at those in front, yelling at them maniacally. -"Cowards, scum, animals." He was plainly entirely mad. "Yes, and women -too; take that!"</p> - -<p>The gun spat directly at Sadako, within a couple of feet of her breast. -Kent felt her become limp suddenly in his arm. As he clung to her, he -sensed something hard worming itself in from behind between him and the -girl. Damn it! He struggled for room in the mob. A dull roar of sound, -powerful, stunned him as if an impact had suddenly pressed against his -side. Dazedly, as through a blur, he saw the figure of the captain reel -backwards, pistol sagging, then tumbling into a heap. A roar went up -from the mob behind them. The surge forward became insistent. A few -of them, Kent, Kikuchi, Ishii, managed to hold up the girl, as the -multitude rushed on past them.</p> - -<p>"Here, to the left." Kikuchi was breaking a way. "Let us bring her to -my office. We can take her in through the side gate just across the -way."</p> - -<p>They battled their way through the mob slowly, desperately. From above -came the roar of sound, clamor of the crowd, explosions. Just as they -were about to reach the side gate, Lüttich appeared, hatless, wild-eyed.</p> - -<p>"Here, there's not time for this." He caught the shoulder of one of the -Japanese, a burly labor leader.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span> "They have fired the General Staff -building; now is the time for a clean sweep. Come on, help lead them to -the palace, the Emperor's palace."</p> - -<p>"The palace!" The man stared at the Russian, mouth open, dumbfounded. -"The Emperor!" Then, as realization suddenly dawned on him, he crashed -his fist into the other's face. "Fool, beast!"</p> - -<p>The Russian stepped back, bumped into Kent. In his astonishment he did -not seem to notice the physical pain. "And that's the crowd I've been -making bombs for; can you——"</p> - -<p>He was swept away by the throng. They managed to gain the Foreign -Office grounds, carried the girl to Kikuchi's office and placed her on -a lounge. Kent pulled away the <i>eri</i> neckband and the upper part of -the kimono. There it was, in the left breast, blue-black against the -whiteness, a small spot, a few drops of blood. She seemed unconscious, -groaned but a little.</p> - -<p>"Here, Ishii." Kikuchi took charge. "There should be a doctor at the -American Embassy on a day like this. Get out through the entrance on -the other side, across the tennis court and through Sannencho Lane. If -any one stops you, show them this Foreign Office seal on the envelope. -Here," he turned to Kent. "Sign this. I'm asking them to send a doctor -over here."</p> - -<p>Apparently all the Foreign Office people had gathered in the main -building. In this wing it was quiet, but with a roaring background of -sound, as of surf pounding on rocks, the clamor of the mob outside. The -girl stirred, opened her eyes. "Hugh-san," her hand faltered towards -him. "It's good you're here, Hugh-san."</p> - -<p>"What's that; so she's a friend of yours, Kent." But Kikuchi received -no answer. He looked at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> other, who had thrown himself in front of -the couch, leaning over the girl; then he tiptoed out of the room.</p> - -<p>The girl had fallen into a stupor again. From outside a roaring crackle -became louder and louder. The windows crimsoned with vitreous red -glitter.</p> - -<p>"Hugh-san," she was trying to raise her head, the voice faint, dreamy. -"See, sunrise over the mountains again; but I want to sleep some more, -I'm tired." Poor little girl, evidently her mind was back in Hakone. -"Hugh-san, sing some more," her hand falteringly sought his. "Sing the -'rock-a-by baby' song again."</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes, go to sleep, dear. You'll be all right presently; but now -you must just sleep." He smoothed her hair.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'll sleep; but you must sing to me, Hugh-san." The weak voice -was insistent.</p> - -<p>Sing! Must this damned grotesque inspiration pursue him even into -the shadow of death! It was monstrous, impossible, this necessity of -drooling nursery nonsense in the very shadow of racking tragedy. He -cleared his voice, contrived a croaking sound, choked, tried again, -managed it. Leaning forward over her, he intoned his miserable ditty. -"Rock-a-by, baby——" he began even to find a sort of comfort in it, -the monotonous repetition of the meaningless stanzas; kept droning -them mechanically, endlessly,—"when the wind blows the cradle will -rock——" The impression of a large, white hand on the girl's breast -just before him took form in his mind. He looked up. It was the new -doctor from St. Luke's.</p> - -<p>"Unless you are singing for your own edification, Mr. Kent, you might -as well stop." The voice was cold, registered the young man's intense -disapproval. "This girl is dead, stone dead."</p> - -<p>He stared. It was, of course, what he had expected;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> still the -announcement, the definite irrevocableness thereof stunned him. A -new figure, a woman's, came into the field of his vision. Sylvia. He -stretched out his hand to her.</p> - -<p>They stood there, hand in hand, he and Sylvia, gazing at the dead girl. -"The poor, dear little thing." There were tears in the girl's voice. -"How beautiful she is."</p> - -<p>"Beautiful." The thought came to him of the peculiarly luminous -radiance of her eyes. "That's just what makes me so sick of this -whole thing, Sylvia, the wanton waste and destruction of the process -of compelling the grace and beauty of Japan into the cramping forms -of our civilization: that it is these women, these girls who must -suffer. What do I care for the men, even the young boys, who have been -slaughtered to-day! That's part of the game, man's price for that which -we call progress of civilization. That's all right. But these girls, -these infinitely delicate and beautiful beings, made for sunlight, and -fragrance, and flowers; but they are drawn, attracted into the whirl -and whirr of the wheels of our civilization, and they hurt them, tear -and mangle them, in mind, in spirit, or in body, and cast them forth." -He stared misty-eyed at the figure before them, with its bright crimson -<i>obi</i> band, delicately tinted kimono sleeve drooping outspread towards -the floor. "Like that, dead, crushed—broken butterflies."</p> - -<p>Outside, the tumult and clamor of the mob was increasing. All were -facing the palace gate at Sakuradamon. "<i>Banzai.</i>" The cry came from -those on the bridge. "<i>Banzai.</i> Long live the Emperor. Long live -Japan. <i>Banzai.</i>" The roar was taken up by the other thousands, rose -heavenwards, about the rumble and crackle from the flaming furnace of -the General Staff building. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span></p> - -<p>Kikuchi slammed open the window. "Come on," he turned to Kent, -ecstatic, strident-voiced. "We have won. The tyrants are finished. -Now we shall build up Japan, make it a great nation, the Emperor and -the people together. <i>Banzai.</i>" He threw his arm around the shoulder -of Ishii. Together they leaned far out of the window, aristocrat and -office boy, their voices blending with the thunderous pæan of the multitude:</p> - -<p>"<i>Banzai, banzai.</i>"</p> - -<p class="center space-above"><span class="smcap">End</span></p> - -<pre style='margin-top:6em'> -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BROKEN BUTTERFLIES *** - -This file should be named 63625-h.htm or 63625-h.zip - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/6/2/63625/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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