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384 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
Japan, Fujimaro, whose wedding my father attended,
has also passed away."
" And what of his beautiful wife, the Higo bride
you remember, whose betrothal your father arranged,
and who was, as I thought, one of the handsomest
ladies in Japan ? "
" Ah, yes ; I am sorry to say she died a few years
ago.
Her son, who was studying at an English uni-
versity, returned in time to be chief mourner at his
father's funeral. He is very promising, and has his
mother's winning ways."
"
I am sorry to hear of her death. Here, in this
cabinet drawer, is some of her beautiful handiwork
in silk and crpe ; and as for that rare old kakemono,
with the painting on silk of the palace-lady, which
reminds me of her, do you know how I got that?"
" No ; please tell me."
" Well, in those days when I first came to Fukui,
for fear of the foreigner-haters' assassinating the
American teacher, Mr. Honda Jiro's father, by order
of the Prince Fujimaro, used to send two mounted
yakunin
with me when I took a horseback ride
through the country. In clumsily leading his horse
over the boat-bridge at Funabashi, first built by
Shibata Katsuiye", the horse of one of the guards
slipped into the water and was nearly drowned. For
fear I should inform on him to the prince, he in-
sisted on my accepting this rare old bit of art-work
of the fifteenth century. By the way, how is he ? "
" He is dead also, but his son is the pastor of a
Methodist church near Yokohama. He was a bright