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MR. RAI TALKS POLITICS. 85
Koba, he will accompany the daimio of Higo as far
as the barrier near Lake Biwa, and then come to
Fukui."
"I am very glad, honored husband," said Mrs.
Rai. "My father and Professor Koba were well
acquainted, and I hope our Fukui people will give
both him and the young princess a warm welcome.
It seems only yesterday that I saw her in Yedo.
She is the daughter of the lord of Kumamoto, who
has that lordly castle, the grandest I have seen in
my
limited travels."
" Honored mother, is the lord of Higo obliged to
go to Yedo every year just as our daimio is ? " asked
Taro of his mother, but looking also at his father.
" That question," said Mr. Rai, " will lead to many
others, and as I have a good opportunity to give you
that talk on politics which I promised you, let the
little folks go to bed."
The mother and maid at this point led away the
younger children, one of whom, Kozo, in spite of
his one question, was sound asleep. When father
and eldest son were alone, Mr. Rai continued :
" Yes, indeed ; all the daimios must divide their
time between Yedo and their own provinces. Those
who live far away to the south, in Satsuma, or to
the north, in Yezo, because this is so great a distance,
need not come to the camp-city so often as others.
Every time the procession of a daimio passes a bar-
rier gate the number of men is counted and even
the women must prove themselves such, so that the
exact force of each train of men is recorded; for the
Yedo government knows all about every one."