3 182202465 1721 s$J%*mf- m^W Jfe*'^^*^ *'* WWW;: -'W

CHAPTER XXI.
OVER THE TOKAEDO TO YEDO.
ONE evening late in December, Mr. Rai came
home from the government office, where he
had been in consultation with the honored and popular
lord of Echizen.
" My lord has ordered me to Yedo, to seek, if possible,
the release of Honda Jiro," said he to his wife.
" I shall need an early breakfast to start in good sea-
son, and Uh^i will accompany me."
" How long shall you be away, husband ? " asked
Mrs. Rai, who at once began to think of the cloth-
ing and comforts to be packed, and also the purchases
for the family to be made in Yedo. Mr. Rai
liked to take his own favorite brand of tea with
him, and Doctor Sano usually attended to the filling
of his inro, or gold-lacquered pill-box.
" Ah, that I can not tell. I may be greatly delayed
by official opposition, but our prince is a near relative
of the Tokugawa, and has tremendous influence
at court. Besides, he sees the excellent points in
Honda's character, despite his rashness, and secretly
admires his courage and patriotic motives. For his
father's sake, and the young man's, he wants him
not only released, but he actually sends by me an
267