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DAUGHTERS OF NIJO
[Illustration: Publisher’s Logo]
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[Illustration: “She did not speak to the attendant while she dined, but
continued to stare before her through the open shoji”]
DAUGHTERS OF NIJO
A ROMANCE OF JAPAN
BY
ONOTO WATANNA
AUTHOR OF “A JAPANESE NIGHTINGALE,” “THE WOOING OF WISTARIA,” “THE HEART
OF HYACINTH,” ETC.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND DECORATIONS
BY KIYOKICHI SANO
New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
LONDON: MACMILLAN & Co., LTD.
1904
All rights reserved
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COPYRIGHT, 1904,
BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.
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Set up, electrotyped, and published April, 1904. Reprinted April, 1904.
Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing & Co.—Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood. Mass., U.S.A.
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Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
Before the Story’s Action 13
I. The Child of the Sun 25
II. An Emperor’s Promise 41
III. Masago 53
IV. A Betrothal 67
V. Gossip of the Court 77
VI. The Princess Sado-ko 87
VII. The Picture by the Artist-man 101
VIII. A Sentimental Princess 113
IX. Moon Tryst 127
X. Cousin Komatzu 147
XI. A Mirror and a Photograph 163
XII. Mists of Kamakura 175
XIII. Daughters of Nijo 189
XIV. Solution of the Gods 199
XV. The Change 211
XVI. A Family Council 229
XVII. The New Masago 243
XVIII. A Mother Blind 255
XIX. Within the Palace Nijo 267
XX. An Evil Omen 281
XXI. “You are not Sado-ko!” 295
XXII. The Coming Home of Junzo 309
XXIII. The Convalescent 321
XXIV. A Royal Proclamation 335
XXV. The Eve of a Wedding 347
XXVI. Masago’s Return 359
XXVII. A Gracious Princess at Last 377
XXVIII “THE GODS KNEW BEST!” 389
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Illustrations
“She did not speak to the attendant Frontispiece
while she dined, but continued to
stare before her through the open
shoji”
“A score of ripe cherries descended upon 35
her head”
“‘Look,’ cried Sado-ko, clutching his 143
sleeve”
Mists of Kamakura 183
“Then up and down the room in the long, 217
trailing robe of Princess Sado-ko,
walked, peacock-like, the maiden
Masago”
“Then soft alighted on a cherry tree, 223
and filled the air with its sweet
song”
“She met his eyes, then flushed and 331
trembled”
“Between the parted shoji, she stood 365
like one uncertain”
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DAUGHTERS OF NIJO
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[Illustration]
Daughters of Nijo
BEFORE THE STORY’S ACTION
IN the early part of the year of the Restoration there lived within the
Province of Echizen a young farmer named Yamada Kwacho. Although he
belonged only to the agricultural class, he was known and honored
throughout the entire province, for at one time he had saved the life of
the Daimio of the province, the powerful Lord of Echizen, premier to the
shogunate.
In spite of the favor of the Daimio of the province, Yamada Kwacho made
no effort to rise above the class to which he had been born. Satisfied
with his estate, he was proud of his simple and honest calling. So the
Lord of Echizen, having no opportunity of repaying the young farmer for
his service, contented himself perforce with a promise that if at any
time Yamada Kwacho should require his aid, he would not fail him.
Kwacho, therefore, lived happily in the knowledge of his prince’s favor;
and since he possessed an excellent little farm which yielded him a
comfortable living, he had few cares.
He had reached the age of twenty-five years before he began to cast
about him for a wife. Because of his renown in the province, Kwacho
might have chosen a maiden of much higher rank than his own; but, being
of a sensible mind and nature, he sought a bride within his own class.
He found her in the person of little Ohano, the daughter of a
neighboring farmer. She was as plump, rosy, and pretty as is possible
for a Japanese maiden. Moreover, she was docile and gentle by
temperament, and had all the admirable domestic virtues attractive to
the eye of a youth of the character of Yamada Kwacho.
Though their courtship was brief, their wedding was splendid, for the
Prince of Echizen himself bestowed upon them gifts with all good wishes
and congratulations. Life seemed to bear a more joyous aspect to Kwacho.
He went about his work whistling and singing. All his field-hands and
coolies knew him for the kindest of masters.
The young couple had not been married a month, when a great prince, a
member of the reigning house, visited the Lord of Echizen in his
province. Report had it that this royal prince was in reality an
emissary from the Emperor, for at this time the country was torn with
the dissensions of Imperialist and Bakufu. It was well known that the
Daimio of Echizen owed his office of shogunate premier to the Mikado
himself, and that he was secretly in sympathy with the Imperialists.
Consequently there were great banquets and entertainments given in the
Province of Echizen when a prince of the royal family condescended to
visit the Mikado’s vassal, the Daimio of Echizen. The whole province
wore a gala aspect, and the streets of the principal cities were
constantly enlivened by the passing parades and cortèges of the
retainers of the visiting prince.
Owing to the presence of his august guest, the Lord of Echizen was
obliged to send a courier to Yedo with proper apologies for not
presenting himself before the Shogun at this time. He showed his
confidence in Kwacho by bestowing upon him the honor of this important
mission.
The young farmer, while naturally loath to leave his young bride of a
month, yet, mindful of the great honor, started at once for the Shogun’s
capital. Thus Ohano was left at home alone.
Being but fifteen years old, she was fond of gayety, of music and
dancing, and it was her dearest wish to visit the capital city of the
province, that she might see the gorgeous parade of the nobles. With her
husband gone, however, she was forced to deny herself this pleasure, and
had to remain at home in seclusion under the charge of an elderly but
foolish maid. Ohano became lonely and restless. She wearied of sitting
in the house, thinking of Kwacho; and it was tiresome, too, to wander
about the farm fields and watch the coolies and laborers. Ohano pined
for a little of that excitement so precious to her butterfly heart. Much
thought of the capital gayeties, and much conversation with the foolish
maid, finally wrought a result.
Ohano would put on her prettiest and gayest of gowns to visit the
capital alone, just as though she were a maiden and not a matron who
should have had the company of her husband.
As the city was not a great distance away, they could use a comfortable
kurumma which would hold them both. Four of the field coolies could be
spared as kurumma carriers. In delight the foolish maid dressed her
mistress, by this time all rosy with pleasurable excitement and
anticipation. The adventure pleased them both, though the foolish
mistress assured the foolish maid repeatedly that they would go but to
the edge of the city. Thus they could see the great parade of the royal
prince pass out of the city gates, for this was the day on which the
prince was to leave Echizen and return to Kyoto. All his splendid
retinue would accompany him. It was only once in a lifetime one was
afforded the opportunity of such a sight, Ohano declared.
They started from the farm gleefully. All the way mistress and maid
chatted and laughed in enjoyment. Before they had reached the edge of
the city a countryman told them the royal cortège was even then passing
through the city gates, and that they must leave the road in haste, for
the parade would reach their portion of the highway in a few minutes.
The foolish maid suggested that they alight from the kurumma, that they
might have a still better view of the parade. So after the maid the
rosy-cheeked little bride, with her eyes dancing and shining, her red
lips apart, her childish face all gleaming with pleased curiosity, swung
lightly to the ground also.
They were just in time, for the royal parade had taken the road, and the
outriders were already in view, so that the kurumma carriers were forced
to drag their vehicle aside and fall upon their faces in the dust. The
foolish maid, following their example, hid her face on the ground so
that she lost sight of that she had come far to see. Ohano, however,
less agitated than her servants, instead of prostrating herself at the
side of the road, retired to a little bluff near the roadside. She
thought she was far enough from the highway to be unseen; but as she
happened to be standing on a sloping elevation, and her gay dress made a
bright spot of color against the landscape, she was perfectly visible to
such of the cortège as chanced to look in her direction.
Very slowly and leisurely the train proceeded. Nobles, samurai, vassals,
retainers, attendants, the personal train of each principal samurai,
prancing horses, lacquered litters, norimonos, bearing the wives and
concubines of the princely staff, banners and streamers and glittering
breastplates, all these filed slowly by and dazzled the eyes of the
little rustic Ohano.
Then suddenly she felt her knees become weak, hands trembled, while a
great flame rushed to her giddy little head. She became conscious of the
fact that the train had suddenly halted, and that the bamboo hangings of
a gilded norimon had parted. As the curtains of the norimon were slowly
lifted, the six stout-legged retainers carrying the vehicle came to a
standstill, while one of them, apparently receiving an order, deftly
drew the hangings from side to side, revealing the personage within. The
norimon’s occupant had raised himself lazily on his elbow and turned
about sidewise in his carriage. His eyes were languorous and sleepy,
slow and sensuous in their glance. They looked out now over the heads of
the retainers, upward toward the small bluff upon which stood Ohano.
For some reason, perhaps because she saw something warmer than menace in
the eyes of this indolent individual, Ohano smiled half unconsciously.
Her little white teeth gleamed between her rosy lips. She appeared very
bewitching as she stood there in her flowered gown in the sunlight.
A moment later something extraordinary happened to Ohano. She knew that
stout arms had seized her, that her eyes were suddenly bound with linen,
and then that she was lifted from her feet. Her giddy senses reeled to a
dizzy unconsciousness.
When next she opened her eyes, she found that all was darkness about
her. Consciousness came to her very slowly. She knew from the swaying
movement of what seemed the soft couch upon which she lay that she was
being carried somewhere. Ohano put out a fearful little hand, and it
touched—a face! At that she sat up crying out in fright. Then the person
who lay beside her stretched out hands toward her, and she was suddenly
drawn down into his arms. He whispered in her ear, and his voice was
like that of one speaking to her in a dream.
“Fear nothing, little dove. You are safe with me in my norimon. But to
see you was to desire you. Do not tremble so. You will appreciate the
honor I have done you, when you realize it. You shall be the favorite
concubine of the Prince of Nijo, and never a wish of your heart or eyes
shall be denied by me.”
She could not stir, so close he held her.
“It is so dark,” she cried breathlessly, “and I am afraid. O-O-most
h-h-honorable prince.”
“It is night, pretty dove; but if I part the curtains of my norimon, the
august moon will lend us joyful light. Will you then cease to tremble
and to fear me?”
She began to sob weakly, and through her childish brain just then
filtered the vague thought of Kwacho. She was like one enmeshed in a
dream nightmare. He who lay beside her laughed softly, and sought to
wipe away her tears with his sensuous lips.
“Tears are for the sad and homely. Never for the Jewel of Nijo! Well,
with his own august lips he wipes them away from the pretty dove’s face.
So and so!”
Yamada Kwacho returned to Echizen one week later. As became a
bridegroom, the young husband had gone first to his home, intending to
report to his prince immediately afterward. He entered the little
farm-house with a joyous step and an eager, expectant face. He left the
house like one shot from a cannon, on a mad run for the city. His brain
whirled. He could not see. He could not think. He had a dim memory of
having rushed upon the foolish maid like one demented, of listening with
gaping mouth to the tale she told; then of thrusting her from him with
such force that she fell to the floor in a heap.
Forgetting the respect due his lordship, the young farmer burst into the
Daimio of Echizen’s presence. He had none of the samurai calm, and his
whole form fairly shook and swayed with the strength of his emotions.
The Lord of Echizen thrust forward a startled face.
“News from the shogunate, Yamada Kwacho?” he cried, fearing from the
aspect of the youth that some treachery had been done his political
party. In disjointed sentences, words coming through his teeth with
effort because of his heavy breathing, the young farmer told his lord of
the kidnapping of his bride, and recalled to him that promise of aid
when necessity should demand it.
The young husband pleaded not in vain. Grieved, insulted, and incensed,
the Daimio of Echizen journeyed in person to the Mikado’s city of Kyoto,
and straight to his August Majesty himself went the story of the farmer
of Echizen. After this there was a great search made through the palaces
and harems of the Prince of Nijo. Five months later Ohano was found and
returned to her husband, Yamada Kwacho.
Three months had scarcely passed before the bells of the Imperial City
rang out a joyous chime. The consort of the Prince of Nijo had given
birth to a royal princess. On that same day, in the little farm-house of
Yamada Kwacho, one more female citizen was added to the Province of
Echizen, and Ohano became a mother.
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CHAPTER I
THE CHILD OF THE SUN
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[Illustration]