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258 HONDA THE SAMURAI. " The matter was in this way. Miss Asai Hoshi's father is one of the wealthy merchants of our city, and, as such, is much honored by the gentry and even by our prince. For years, despite our severe rules of etiquette which encourage affection after, Honda and Hoshi have rather than before, marriage, seen much of each other and, it is believed, were secretly betrothed. But when Honda became a fanatical student, he gave himself up entirely to the aims of the Mikado-reverencers, and neglected her. She could not understand it, and he would not ex- plain. When the news of the Americans coming to Japan was told him, Honda avoided meeting her, never wrote her a word, and for months she has heard nothing of or from him. She believes he loves some other woman, and only thus can she ex- plain his conduct. By accident my serving-maid overheard her this morning at the temple praying and saying to ' herself, To-night, to-night, at Fudo's shrine ; no candles, no fire and bamboo, no light but moonlight, and revenge ! revenge ! ' She seemed to be in great excitement." "Then you think we are likely to see the rare sight of a woman crossed in love taking vengeance on her lover by straw proxy, do you ? " " I do," answered Mrs. Sano, pouring out another cup of tea for the speaker, Mr. Rai. The lady clapped her hands, and after the echo " from the kitchen, in stepped the rosy- of a " Hai ! cheeked maid again. " Get the gentlemen's rain-coats," said the lady.
THE HOUR OF THE OX. 259 Three cloaks made of dried grass and lined within with a netting of green cord were produced, and the gentlemen, putting these on to keep off the dew and chill, left the house, and proceeded down River Street and stopped upon the wooden bridge east of the O-hashi, or Great Bridge. " Look out, doctor, that you don't run against any of the headless horsemen who gallop over the planks at night about this time." " Is this another local reference, or a joke ? " in- quired Mr. Koba. " Ah ! you have n't heard ? You remember nearly three hundred years ago the great Taiko Sanaa surrounded this castle at Fukui, and that Shibata Kat- suiye" and all his men, unable to defend it against overwhelming odds, committed hara-kiri and cut each others' heads off?" " Yes ; I have read it." " Well, the country people in this neighborhood say that on certain nights the ghost of Shibata and all his men, without their heads, ride over the bridge and knock people into the river as they pass." " Ha, ha ! a good story ; but when will superstition cease ? Curious too is such an idea : for Shi- bata was a great civilizer, builder of bridges and roads. He lessened the farmers' taxes, and devel- oped civilization in Echizen." Reaching the opposite side of the river, they moved through a street, passed one block of houses, turned to the right, crossed a small stream, and then walked up a path until, at the top of the hill, they stopped for breath.
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258 HONDA THE SAMURAI.<br />
" The matter was in this way. Miss Asai Hoshi's<br />
father is one of the wealthy merchants of our city,<br />
and, as such, is much honored by the gentry and<br />
even by our prince. For years, despite our severe<br />
rules of etiquette which encourage affection after,<br />
Honda and Hoshi have<br />
rather than before, marriage,<br />
seen much of each other and, it is believed, were<br />
secretly betrothed. But when Honda became a<br />
fanatical student, he gave himself up entirely to the<br />
aims of the Mikado-reverencers, and neglected her.<br />
She could not understand it, and he would not ex-<br />
plain. When the news of the Americans coming to<br />
Japan was told him, Honda avoided meeting her,<br />
never wrote her a word, and for months she has<br />
heard nothing of or from him. She believes he<br />
loves some other woman, and only thus can she ex-<br />
plain his conduct. By accident my serving-maid<br />
overheard her this morning at the temple praying<br />
and saying to<br />
'<br />
herself, To-night, to-night, at Fudo's<br />
shrine ; no candles, no fire and bamboo, no light but<br />
moonlight, and revenge ! revenge !<br />
'<br />
She seemed to<br />
be in great excitement."<br />
"Then you think we are likely to see the rare<br />
sight of a woman crossed in love taking vengeance<br />
on her lover by straw proxy, do you ? "<br />
"<br />
I do," answered Mrs. Sano, pouring out another<br />
cup of tea for the speaker, Mr. Rai.<br />
The lady clapped her hands, and after the echo<br />
"<br />
from the kitchen, in stepped the rosy-<br />
of a " Hai !<br />
cheeked maid again.<br />
" Get the gentlemen's rain-coats," said the lady.