Chapter I: Foreword

It has been my happy fortune to have made the acquaintance of the gifted author of this book. From time to time she was kind enough to confide to me its progress. When the manuscript was completed I was privileged to go over it, and the hours so spent were of unbroken interest and pleasure.

What especially touched and concerned me was, of course, the Japanese characters depicted, the motives of these actors in their respective roles, and other Japanese incidents connected with the story. I am most agreeably impressed with the remarkable insight into, and the just appreciation of, the Japanese spirit displayed by the author.

While the story itself is her creation, the local coloring, the moral atmosphere called in to weave the thread of the tale, are matters belonging to the domain of facts, and constitute an amount of useful and authentic information. Indeed, she has taken unusual pains to be correctly informed about the people of the country and their customs, and in this she has succeeded to a very eminent degree.

I may mention one or two of the striking characteristics of the work. The sacrifice of the girl Haru may seem unreal, but such is the dominant idea of duty and sacrifice with the Japanese, that in certain emergencies it is not at all unlikely that we should behold her real prototype in life. The description of the Imperial Review at Tokyo and its patriotic significance vividly recalls my own impression of this spectacle.

It gives me great satisfaction to know that by perusing these pages, the vast reading public, who, after all, have the decisive voice in the national government of the greatest republic of the world, and whose good will and friendship we Japanese prize in no uncommon degree, should be correctly informed about ourselves, as far as the scope of this book goes. We attach great importance to a thorough mutual understanding of two foremost peoples on the Pacific, in whose direction and coöperation the future of the East must largely depend. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us all to do our utmost to cultivate such good understanding, not only for those immediately concerned, but for the welfare of the whole human race.

In the chapters of this novel the author seems always to have had such high ideals before her, and the result is that, besides being an exciting and agreeable reading, the book contains elements of serious and instructive consideration, which can not but contribute toward establishing better and healthier knowledge between the East and West of the Pacific.

N. MAKINO.

Sendagaya, Tokyo, 9th of August, 1909.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I WHERE THE DAY BEGINS 1

II "THE ROOST" 13

III THE LAND OF THE GODS 27

IV UNDER THE RED SUNSET 42

V THE MAKER OF BUDDHAS 52

VI THE BAYING OF THE WOLF-HOUND 62

VII DOCTOR BERSONIN 72

VIII "SALLY IN OUR ALLEY" 78

IX THE WEB OF THE SPIDER 86

X IN A GARDEN OF DREAMS 92

XI ISHIKICHI 101

XII IN THE STREET-OF-PRAYER-TO-THE-GODS 107

XIII THE WHORLS OF YELLOW DUST 113

XIV WHEN BARBARA AWOKE 119

XV A FACE IN THE CROWD 125

XVI "BANZAI NIPPON!" 133

XVII A SILENT UNDERSTANDING 142

XVIII IN THE BAMBOO LANE 149

XIX THE BISHOP ASKS A QUESTION 154

XX THE TRESPASSER 160

XXI THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD 169

XXII THE DANCE OF THE CAPITAL 181

XXIII THE DEVIL PIPES TO HIS OWN 194

XXIV A MAN NAMED WARE 198

XXV AT THE SHRINE OF THE FOX-GOD 206

XXVI THE NIGHTLESS CITY 213

XXVII LIKE THE WHISPER OF A BAT'S WINGS 224

XXVIII THE FORGOTTEN MAN 233

XXIX DAUNT LISTENS TO A SONG 244

XXX THE ISLAND OF ENCHANTMENT 252

XXXI THE COMING OF AUSTEN WARE 266

XXXII THE WOMAN OF SOREK 276

XXXIII THE FLIGHT 284

XXXIV ON THE KNEES OF DELILAH 288

XXXV WHEN A WOMAN DREAMS 292

XXXVI BEHIND THE SHIKIRI 297

XXXVII [Japanese: Donto] 303

XXXVIII THE LADY OF THE MANY-COLORED FIRES 308

XXXIX THE HEART OF BARBARA 320

XL THE SHADOW OF A TO-MORROW 326

XLI UNFORGOT 334

XLII PHIL MAKES AN APPEAL 338

XLIII THE SECRET THE RIVER KEPT 345

XLIV THE LAYING OF THE MINE 353

XLV THE BISHOP ANSWERS A SUMMONS 360

XLVI THE GOLDEN CRUCIFIX 366

XLVII "IF THIS BE FORGETTING" 371

XLVIII WHILE THE CITY SLEPT 379

XLIX THE ALARM 389

L WHOM THE GODS DESTROY 396

LI THE LAUGH 401

LII THE VOICE IN THE DARK 409

LIII A RACE WITH DAWN 414

LIV INTO THE SUNLIGHT 425

LV KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS 428

THE KINGDOM OF
SLENDER SWORDS

THE KINGDOM OF
SLENDER SWORDS