🧚 Names of Incense Used., part 3 · page 2

But all at once this stillness was broken by a sound of women’s _geta_[4] approaching—_kara-kon, kara-kon;_—and the sound drew nearer and nearer, quickly, till it reached the live-hedge surrounding the garden.73 Then Shinzaburö, feeling curious, stood on tiptoe, so as to look over the hedge; and he saw two women passing.74 One, who was carrying a beautiful lantern decorated with peony-flowers,[5] appeared to be a servant;—the other was a slender girl of about seventeen, wearing a long-sleeved robe embroidered with designs of autumn-blossoms.75 Almost at the same instant both women turned their faces toward Shinzaburō;—and to his utter astonishment, he recognized O-Tsuyu and her servant O-Yoné.76

[4] _Komageta_ in the original.77 The geta is a wooden sandal, or clog, of which there are many varieties,—some decidedly elegant.78 The _komageta_, or “pony-geta” is so-called because of the sonorous hoof-like echo which it makes on hard ground.79

[5] The sort of lantern here referred to is no longer made; and its shape can best be understood by a glance at the picture accompanying this story.80 It was totally unlike the modern domestic band-lantern, painted with the owner’s crest; but it was not altogether unlike some forms of lanterns still manufactured for the Festival of the Dead, and called _Bon-dōrō_.81 The flowers ornamenting it were not painted: they were artificial flowers of crêpe-silk, and were attached to the top of the lantern.82

They stopped immediately; and the girl cried out,—“Oh, how strange!…83 Hagiwara Sama!”84

Shinzaburō simultaneously called to the maid:—“O-Yoné!85 Ah, you are O-Yoné!—I remember you very well.”86

“Hagiwara Sama!” exclaimed O-Yoné in a tone of supreme amazement.87 “Never could I have believed it possible!…88 Sir, we were told that you had died.”89

“How extraordinary!” cried Shinzaburō.90 “Why, I was told that both of you were dead!”91

“Ah, what a hateful story!” returned O-Yoné.92 “Why repeat such unlucky words?…93 Who told you?”94

“Please to come in,” said Shinzaburō;—“here we can talk better.95 The garden-gate is open.”96

So they entered, and exchanged greeting; and when Shinzaburō had made them comfortable, he said:—97

“I trust that you will pardon my discourtesy in not having called upon you for so long a time.98 But Shijō, the doctor, about a month ago, told me that you had both died.”99

“So it was he who told you?” exclaimed O-Yoné.100 “It was very wicked of him to say such a thing.101 Well, it was also Shijō who told us that _you_ were dead.102 I think that he wanted to deceive you,—which was not a difficult thing to do, because you are so confiding and trustful.103 Possibly my mistress betrayed her liking for you in some words which found their way to her father’s ears; and, in that case, O-Kuni—the new wife—might have planned to make the doctor tell you that we were dead, so as to bring about a separation.104 Anyhow, when my mistress heard that you had died, she wanted to cut off her hair immediately, and to become a nun.105 But I was able to prevent her from cutting off her hair; and I persuaded her at last to become a nun only in her heart.106 Afterwards her father wished her to marry a certain young man; and she refused.107 Then there was a great deal of trouble,—chiefly caused by O-Kuni;—and we went away from the villa, and found a very small house in Yanaka-no-Sasaki.108 There we are now just barely able to live, by doing a little private work….109 My mistress has been constantly repeating the _Nembutsu_ for your sake.110 To-day, being the first day of the Bon, we went to visit the temples; and we were on our way home—thus late—when this strange meeting happened.”111

“Oh, how extraordinary!” cried Shinzaburō.112 “Can it be true?-or is it only a dream?113 Here I, too, have been constantly reciting the _Nembutsu_ before a tablet with her name upon it!114 Look!”115 And he showed them O-Tsuyu’s tablet in its place upon the Shelf of Souls.116

“We are more than grateful for your kind remembrance,” returned O-Yoné, smiling….117 “Now as for my mistress,”—she continued, turning towards O-Tsuyu, who had all the while remained demure and silent, half-hiding her face with her sleeve,—“as for my mistress, she actually says that she would not mind being disowned by her father for the time of seven existences,[6] or even being killed by him, for your sake!118 Come! will you not allow her to stay here to-night?”119

[6] “For the time of seven existences,”—that is to say, for the time of seven successive lives.120 In Japanese drama and romance it is not uncommon to represent a father as disowning his child “for the time of seven lives.”121 Such a disowning is called _shichi-shō madé no mandō_, a disinheritance for seven lives,—signifying that in six future lives after the present the erring son or daughter will continue to feel the parental displeasure.122

Shinzaburō turned pale for joy.123 He answered in a voice trembling with emotion:—124

“Please remain; but do not speak loud—because there is a troublesome fellow living close by,—a _ninsomi_[7] called Hakuōdō Yusai, who tells peoples fortunes by looking at their faces.125 He is inclined to be curious; and it is better that he should not know.”126

[7] The profession is not yet extinct.127 The _ninsomi_ uses a kind of magnifying glass (or magnifying-mirror sometimes), called _tengankyō_ or _ninsomégané_.128

The two women remained that night in the house of the young samurai, and returned to their own home a little before daybreak.129 And after that night they came every nighht for seven nights,—whether the weather were foul or fair,—always at the same hour.130 And Shinzaburō became more and more attached to the girl; and the twain were fettered, each to each, by that bond of illusion which is stronger than bands of iron.131

IV132

Now there was a man called Tomozō, who lived in a small cottage adjoining Shinzaburō’s residence, Tomozō and his wife O-Miné were both employed by Shinzaburō as servants.133 Both seemed to be devoted to their young master; and by his help they were able to live in comparative comfort.134

One night, at a very late hour, Tomozō heard the voice of a woman in his master’s apartment; and this made him uneasy.135 He feared that Shinzaburō, being very gentle and affectionate, might be made the dupe of some cunning wanton,—in which event the domestics would be the first to suffer.136 He therefore resolved to watch; and on the following night he stole on tiptoe to Shinzaburō’s dwelling, and looked through a chink in one of the sliding shutters.137 By the glow of a night-lantern within the sleeping-room, he was able to perceive that his master and a strange woman were talking together under the mosquito-net.138 At first he could not see the woman distinctly.139 Her back was turned to him;—he only observed that she was very slim, and that she appeared to be very young,—judging from the fashion of her dress and hair.140 [8] Putting his ear to the chink, he could hear the conversation plainly.141 The woman said:—142

“And if I should be disowned by my father, would you then let me come and live with you?”143

[8] The color and form of the dress, and the style of wearing the hair, are by Japanese custom regulated according to the age of the woman.144