A Fantasy of Far Japan Part 15

--'Maybe,' she answered. 'But I am far from believing in real power of that party. It is, of course, foolish to ignore an existence of such an element. They have, however, never been in office. Suppose they have formed a Government, what do you think will come out of it? At all events, I can never agree with some of their extreme views which, if carried out literally, would mean an abolition of the army and navy, the Government, even the State.'

--'The subject is too intricate for me,' I said; 'I give it up.'

--'At all events,' she replied, 'there being no socialistic party in j.a.pan, as you say, is it not all the more strange that no cordiality seems to exist between j.a.pan and the French Nationalists, whose notions and ideas resemble those of the j.a.panese.'

--'We can have no sympathy, still less concern, with any political aspiration of a section of other people as far as their domestic politics are concerned. But I do not see why the j.a.panese should not be willing to be friendly with the Nationalist section of the French people. Of late, the j.a.panese have not seemed to be _persona gratae_ with your Nationalists, if there be any such section. But it is not our fault. They have shown through their partiality to our opponents much antipathy to j.a.pan. It is another reason why the contrast between the Socialists and other sections of the French people has become, or rather, once became, so manifest as regards their att.i.tude to my country.'

--'But the Nationalists are not enemies of j.a.pan. In fact, it was the Nationalists who disapproved ten years ago the action of the Government, which joined in the combination of the three powers against j.a.pan.'

--'Maybe,' I said, 'but the general tendency of that section, since the outbreak of the present war, has not been so favourable to us as you would have liked.'

--'But you must make some allowance for the fact that France is the ally of the other side.'

--'I do so, but the contrast in tone between different journals is so marked, and the papers which are most bitter against us, at one time were those reputed as the organs of the Nationalists.'

--'That may have been so,' said the d.u.c.h.ess, 'and there have even been some which were rather misleading. I confess I was rather surprised when once asked by a member of a respectable family, "how it was that the j.a.panese were near Moukden, whilst we had been informed by the press all these months that the Russians had been constantly gaining victories."

Probably that family happened to take in some exceptional journal, and perhaps only one. But you cannot read journalistic opinions only and regard them as the real views of the Nationalists. They have, in reality, very little influence over the papers; I wish they had more.

Journals generally go their own way: I cannot and must not explain why.

Besides, the socialist journals also have not been friendly to j.a.pan from the very beginning. They became so only when the contrasts between the belligerents had become somewhat manifest. They were shrewd in the matter: the Nationalists were slow; one had to awake them.'

--'I was not here at that time,' said I, 'so I cannot offer any observation thereon. But, madam, is it too impertinent for me to ask if French interest in Russian bonds are much in the hands of Nationalists?'

--'Oh no,' answered the d.u.c.h.ess. 'I wish they were; but you see our old families are not like those of some other countries. The interest of the Russian bonds mostly concerns petty people who have invested in them their hard-earned savings. It is, therefore, all the more unfortunate that the present war should be protracted.'

--'I envy France,' I said, 'that she has such a saving people: it is in consequence of this that she has, as I am told, some billions of surplus francs every year.'

--'That, I believe, is the case,' said the d.u.c.h.ess.

--'As to the friendly relations between your country and mine, let us hope that a time happier than the present may arrive soon, and the sooner the better.'

--'I hope so, too,' said the d.u.c.h.ess, 'and we must try to make it so.'

VI

The age of the j.a.panese--Ito and Inouye--Intermarriages--Commander Hirose--Some abuse of the j.a.panese nationality--The climate of j.a.pan--Chrysanthemums--j.a.panese rain--The two great currents--How j.a.pan developed--Summer resorts of foreigners--Spring and autumn-- Picnics--Sports--A letter by an American--Pastimes of the j.a.panese gentry--Description of the j.a.panese chess and the game of 'Go'--Description of j.a.panese cards--Poem cards--Flower cards--Pierre Loti--Public baths--An interview on common and military education in j.a.pan--George Washington and Nelson--The cause of Russian defeats according to the wounded

I found myself once more in a group of people, including some ladies.

The group was very incongruous, as is usual in dreamland. The conversation went on merrily and very light-heartedly.

--'Now, baron, it is your turn. You must now tell us something interesting,' said one of those present.

--'I have nothing worth telling,' I answered.

--'But you must: you were in Europe for many years, when quite young, I have heard. You must have had some experiences to interest us.'

--'Well, I can remember only one or two amusing incidents. I once knew a charming young lady, called by her friends "the modest Violet." She lived with her mother and sisters in a country home near London. I was often invited there to take tea and play tennis, or accompany them for a drive. On one occasion, I was walking with her round the garden, when we came to a nook where there was a garden seat. We sat down. But the seat, being old, the part on which I sat gave way all of a sudden, and I found myself flat on the ground, the other part of the seat remaining intact.'

--'Does she still remember you, or rather, have you seen her since your arrival in Europe this time?' asked another.

--'Yes! I have seen her, and I noticed when I visited her she was still using on her table a silver trinket, of which I made her a present years ago, on the occasion of her wedding.'

--'That is one--and another.'

--'Well, I was at Brighton one summer, and met there a young lady with whom I was acquainted. We went for a walk together on the Parade one bright afternoon and then went down to the beach. She sat on a small rock and leaned against the stone wall. She had a book of select poems in her hand and read a good many of them while I reclined on the sand by her side. When she rose from her seat, I noticed that the back of her white summer dress was stained green by the moss on the stone against which she had leaned, and she was obliged to go home with her sunshade open over her back.'

--'Let me again ask if you have met her since?'

--'No, I have lost trace of her altogether. She was the daughter of an astronomer. If she is still living, she will remember me when she sees my _Summer Dream_.'

--'What?'

--'I don't know.'

--'But I have heard you utter those words once or twice. Surely they must have a meaning.'

--'No! I think not. You must know that I was formerly a Deputy of the j.a.panese Diet.'

--'What has that to do with the subject?'

--'Well! Deputies often talk about things which they know nothing about. Just observe the deputies who talk most in the chamber. They are sure to be those who have never read through the doc.u.ments they hold in their hands.'

--'What a pleasantry! However, we have had the second tale. What next?'

--'No more amusing ones. But I remember another which was somewhat chivalrous. In a large town in the north of France, there was a group of rich manufacturers belonging to the same family, originally English, though some of the younger members had been born in France. A bosom friend of mine, and another compatriot, were staying there, and they were both on intimate terms with all the members of the family. I spent several summer days in that town, and also in Dunkirk and Ostend, with my friends and most of the people I am referring to. They were all very cordial, and it goes without saying that I spent a very jolly time.

There was a young lady belonging to one branch of the family, who in age, to say the least of it, was past the first bloom of youth. I noticed that she and the members of another branch of the family never spoke together, which aroused my curiosity, and as a result of discreet inquiry, I found that some discord existed between them, the cause of which was she had not married the man of her choice on account of the interference of an uncle, who was the head of the other branch of the family. I felt rather sorry about the matter, for it was the only rift in the family lute, otherwise most happy and harmonious. A strong desire came over me to bring about a reconciliation. One day at Dunkirk, I accompanied the young lady to the sea-coast, where, after a long persuasion, I obtained her consent to be reconciled. The chief individual having been won over, I had no great difficulty in persuading the others; and peace was proclaimed then and there at Dunkirk.'

--'But you were only a young man, then.'

--'Certainly I was younger than I am now, but I am not quite so young as you may imagine. The j.a.panese, as a rule, appear to European eyes many years younger than they are in reality. Thus, for instance, when Marquis Ito and Count Inouye came over to England as students for the first time, they were both "over twenty," and Count Inouye was older than the Marquis Ito by some years.'

--'Their relative ages, however, must have remained the same always,'

said one jestingly.

--'That is so: but that is not my point. They were then considered as young students of seventeen or eighteen. When, therefore, they told their teacher that they would return to j.a.pan and counsel their Prince to change his anti-foreign policy into a pro-foreign policy, he laughed at them, saying, "You boys, what can you do?" And Ito and Inouye only succeeded, after great perseverance, to obtain the necessary consent.

However that may be, I am glad to have heard since that the lady in question was happily married.'

--'Allow me to ask a very delicate question. Have you never fallen in love, or something like it, with any European lady during your long stay in Europe?'

--'Well, I have always preferred to keep my heart well in hand, so as not to be hampered in the more serious duties of life; and, moreover, I do not believe in the desirability of intermarriage between foreigners.

There have, of course, been many intermarriages between the j.a.panese and the occidental races, and the results of some of them have been apparently very good, but there have also been many failures, and I do not think, in general, happiness can be secured in intermarriages of this kind, so much as those between people who have greater resemblance in customs and manners and everything else to each other. Even if the couple are happy, it often happens that it is not so between them and their relations. You know, perhaps, that the late Commander Hirose was a bachelor. He was a man of stoical character. There is, however, a rumour about him that while he was staying over here he met a young European lady whom he liked very much. He did not propose to her but for one reason, and that was because he was afraid she might feel unhappy when taken to j.a.pan for the reason I have just mentioned, in addition to the fact that he was a naval officer, in consequence of which he would have to leave her to herself more than ordinary married women--and that in a country to which she was a stranger in many things!'

--'But your success in the war will make your countrymen very popular among young ladies,' interposed another laughingly.

--'I have no fear. Western young ladies are cautious enough. But, nevertheless, there is a slight danger of the name of j.a.pan being taken advantage of. I heard a story only the other day that in California some Chinese cut off their plaits and dressed in European costumes while they were staying at an hotel, and were pa.s.sing themselves off as j.a.panese.