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A BOY BABTS LIFE. 75
ing over the door looked like an enormous darkcolored
tray or waiter, with three long slits which
let daylight through it, while it seemed inlaid with
gilt birds and flowers. In reality it stood for the
guard of a sword-hilt and was the business sign of
the proprietor. Here lived and worked the famous
metal-worker Hachibe'i, whose ancestors for twelve
generations had made sword-hilts and ornaments. In
the war days long past, Fukui had great renown for
its skillful sword-smiths, spear and arrow makers, and
armorers. The master-workman, who sat behind his
bench, on seeing Mr. Rai approaching pulled off his
huge horn-bowed spectacles, and hastening to step off
the platform to the ground, thrust his feet in sandals.
Then bowing so deeply that his head was on a level
with his hips, and his top-knot pointed to the centre
of the earth, he sucked in his breath most politely,
murmuring,
" Good-day, my honored lord ! Your beggarly
servant hopes that your exalted disposition is
serene."
" Yes ; good-day," answered Mr. Rai.
"
Upon the fact of your having a son born in your
household, let me congratulate you."
" Thank you."
" Will you honor my dirty hut with your brightening
presence ? Come up. Please do."
Mr. Rai stepped out of his clogs and sat upon the
mats, while Hachibe'i clapped hands. "ffei-i-i!"
sounded into the distance and in a few moments his
daughter, named Peach-bloom, herself a sprightly