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SCENES AT A HEBO'S SHEINE. 163
into a new channel through a special mediator. Still
again, it had even the effect of precipitating a crisis
in a matter of the heart, in which a certain maiden
was de'eply interested, as we shall see.
The item of news which Mr. Rai had heard from
the Dutch was that the Americans were coming with
soldiers and men-of-war to Japan to compel the
making of a treaty. Instantly to Honda's eyes rose
the horrible picture of the " hairy barbarians " defil-
ing the sacred soil of the Holy Country and possibly
insulting the Mikado, the descendant of the gods
who created Japan and of the goddess who daily
blazed in the sky and whose rays filled the earth.
A polished and courtly gentleman as Honda was,
cultured in the fine art of being a samurai, his ignorance
of foreign people and of their literature, man-
ners, religion,
as well as of modern business or of
political economy, was as dense as that of " the well-
frog that knows not the great ocean." A gentleman
and a fanatic were combined in him. In practical
acquaintance with the world outside of Dai Nippon
the Japanese of his day were as little children.
On the night of the same day that Mr. Rai informed
him that the American squadron had sailed,
he hastened to the shrine. He recalled from history
that on the eve of his capture of Kamakura, when
he flung his sword into the sea as a tribute to the
god, Nitta had sought the aid of Kompira, the sailors'
patron deity, the god of the sea and of vengeance.
On this night, instead of the prayer, " O
Thou who art enthroned in the highest heaven," or