NUMÈ.
The American lady with whom Numè was staying was the Mrs. Davis of whom
Cleo Ballard had spoken. She had rented one of the houses that eight
years before the foreigners had lived in. They had at that time filled
the house with American furniture, so that when Mrs. Davis came to look
at it, it had presented so familiar and homelike an appearance that she
had rented it at once. She had lived there for some months now. In fact,
as she was popular and always the centre of gay parties of foreigners,
quite a small colony of Americans and English people had settled in that
vicinity, which was within easy reach of Tokyo, and, indeed, only a
day's journey from Kyoto. They had rented houses and land from Omi and
Sachi, who cultivated them constantly because of their son. Mrs. Davis'
husband was a large silk merchant in Tokyo, and they had practically
made their home in Japan, though they often took trips to America and
Europe.
Ever since Orito had left Japan Numè had lived a retired, reserved life.
Although but a child at the time, she was of a peculiarly staunch and
intense nature, and for many years after Orito had been gone, she clung
to the memory of the happy days she had spent with him, and looked
forward constantly to his return. With the usual unquestioning content
of a Japanese girl, she was ready to marry whoever her father chose for
her, so long as he was not repugnant to her; and as they had already
decided on Orito, the girl took it as a matter of course that she would
some day be his wife. As she had only pleasant memories of him, her
marriage was looked forward to almost with delight, and until the day
before Orito's return there had not been a pang of fear or regret. She
had not been thrown into the society of young men, and knew very little
of them. Orito's letters to her, although formal in tone, always were
tender and kind, and spoke of the happy days they had spent together,
and which he said would be renewed when he was once more in Japan.
When the Americans had settled so near her home, the girl had gone out
curiously among them, studying their strange manners and customs,
learning to speak their language, and often even dressing in their
costume, to the amusement of her father, Sachi, and the Americans. They
had sought her out in the beginning because of her extraordinary beauty;
for, living on her father's land, they naturally often came across her
either with her father or roaming alone with her maid in the fields. At
first the child was inclined to resent any overtures on their part,
because of an unaccountable jealousy she cherished toward them ever
since Orito had gone to America. But after a time her better sense had
triumphed, and soon she became a familiar figure in their midst.
It is true that most of these foreigners stayed only a short time
there, and moved around constantly, but as fast as they went others
came, and the girl soon got used to them. Although she had received the
best education possible for a girl in Japan, yet she had traveled very
little, her father taking her once in a while on a flying trip to Kyoto
and Tokyo. But her knowledge of the outside world was gained entirely
through her acquaintance with the Americans, and often she sighed for a
larger life than the one she had known. She would ask her father
constantly to permit her to go away on trips with the Americans, but
though he encouraged her always to cultivate them, yet he never would
permit her to go away with them, even on a short trip to Yokohama.
Omi was perhaps a trifle more limited and narrow than Sachi, and more
regarded the etiquette of his class. Sachi had always been inclined to
take the lead in most things, and Omi was always willing to be guided by
him. Thus it happened that Omi had perhaps as much love for Orito as his
father had, and even thought more of him than he did of Numè, who was
only a girl.
Orito and Numè were the only children either of the old men had had,
and, moreover, both of their mothers had died many years ago.
When Mrs. Davis had settled there about six months before, she had
brought letters with her from Takashima Orito, whom she had met in
America, commending her to the hospitality of his father and Omi. With
her quick, gay manners, her beautiful and odd dresses, her frank
good-nature, she dazzled and was a puzzle always to the old men and to
Numè. Moreover, she was a wealthy woman, and had rented the most
exquisite of all the houses owned by Sachi. She took a great liking to
Numè almost at once, and the girl returned it. She would walk into Omi's
house in the most insinuating manner in the world, captivate the old man
with her wit and grace, and carry off Numè right under his nose, even
though he had told her of his resolve to keep his daughter in seclusion
until her marriage. She would say to him "Well, now, you know, Mr.
Watanabe, I am different. I knew dear Mr. Takashima so well in America,
and I am sure he would like Numè and me to be good friends, eh, Numè?"
And when she was alone with the girl and out of sight of the old man,
she would say, with a confident shake of her head: "Just wait, my dear;
soon I'll have things so that you can come and go as you like."
She did not speak vainly. Soon she had taken the two old men by storm,
so that she could have twisted them round her own shrewd little finger.