noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



final　swirl　and　drew　up　before　the　inn。　　Then　our　shafts　made　their

obeisance　to　the　ground。　



A　warm　welcome　greeted　the　appeal。　　A　crowd　of　servants　came　rushing

to　the　front　of　the　house　with　an　eye　to　business；　and　a　crowd　of

village　folk　with　an　eye　to　pleasure　closed　in　behind。　　Between　the

two　fires　we　stepped　out　and　entered　the　side　court；　to　the

satisfaction　of　the　one　audience　and　the　chagrin　of　the　other。

But　it　is　impossible　to　please　everybody。　



Fortunately　it　was　not　so　hard　to　please　us；　and　certainly　the　inn

people　did　their　best；　for　they　led　the　way　to　what　formerly　were　the

state　apartments；　that　part　of　the　house　where　the　daimyo　of　Kaga　had

been　wont　to　lodge　when　he　stopped　here　over　night　on　his　journey

north。　　Though　it　had　fallen　somewhat　into　disrepair；　it　was　still

the　place　of　honor　in　the　inn；　and　therefore　politely　put　at　the

service　of　one　from　beyond　sea。　　There　I　supped　in　solitary　state；

and　there　I　slept　right　royally　amid　the　relics　of　former　splendor；

doubting　a　little　whether　some　unlaid　ghost　of　bygone　times　might　not

come　to　claim　his　own；　and　oust　me　at　black　midnight　by　the　rats；　his

retinue。　



But　nothing　short　of　the　sun　called　me　back　to　consciousness　and　bade

me　open　to　the　tiny　garden；　where　a　pair　of　ducks　were　preening　their

feathers　after　an　early　bath　in　their　own　little　lake。　　On　the

veranda　my　lake　already　stood　prepared；　a　brass　basin　upon　a　wooden

stand；　according　to　the　custom　of　the　country。　　So　ducks　and　I

dabbled　and　prinked　in　all　innocence　in　the　garden；　which　might　well

have　been　the　garden　of　Eden　for　any　hint　it　gave　of　a　world　beyond。　

It　was　my　fate；　too；　to　leave　it　after　the　same　manner。

For　breakfast　over　we　were　once　more　of　the　road。　



We　had　a　long　day　of　it　before　us；　for　I　purposed　to　cross　the　Etchiu

delta　and　sleep　that　night　on　the　threshold　of　my　hopes。　　The　day；

like　all　days　that　look　long　on　the　map；　proved　still　longer　on　the

march。　　Its　itinerary　diversified　discomfort。　　First　seventeen　miles

in　kuruma；　then　a　ferry；　then　a　tramp　of　twelve　miles　along　the　beach

through　a　series　of　sand　dunes；　then　another　ferry；　and　finally　a

second　walk　of　seven　miles　and　a　half　over　some　foothills　to　top　off

with。　　The　inexpensiveness　of　the　transport　was　the　sole　relieving

feature　of　the　day。　　Not；　I　mean；　because　the　greater　and　worse　half

of　the　journey　was　done　on　our　own　feet；　but　because　of　the　cheap

charges　of　the　chaises　and　even　of　the　porters。　　To　run　at　a　dogtrot；

trundling　another　in　a　baby　carriage；　seventeen　miles　for　twenty

cents　is　not；　I　hold；　an　extortionate　price。　　Certain　details　of　the

tariff；　however；　are　peculiar。　　For　instance；　if　two　men　share　the

work　by　running　tandem；　the　fare　is　more　than　doubled；　a　ratio　in　the

art　of　proportion　surprising　at　first。　　Each　man　would　seem　to　charge

for　being　helped。　　The　fact　is；　the　greater　speed　expected　of　the

pair　more　than　offsets　the　decreased　draft。　



Otherwise；　as　I　say；　the　day　was　depressing。　　It　was　not　merely　the

tramp　through　the　sand　dunes　that　was　regrettable；　though　heaven

knows　I　would　not　willingly　take　it　again。　　The　sand　had　far　too

hospitable　a　trick　of　holding　on　to　you　at　every　step　to　be　to　my

liking。　　Besides；　the　sun；　which　had　come　out　with　summer　insistence；

chose　that　particular　spot　for　its　midday　siesta；　and　lay　there　at

full　length；　while　the　air　was　preternaturally　still。　　It　was　a

stupidly　drowsy　heat　that　gave　no　fillip　to　the　feet。　



But　such　discomfort　was　merely　by　the　way。　　The　real　trouble　began　at

Fushiki；　the　town　on　the　farther　side　of　the　second　ferry。　　In　the

first　place　the　spot　had；　what　is　most　uncommon　in　Japan；　a　very

sorry　look；　which　was　depressing　in　itself。　　Secondly；　its　inhabitants

were　much　too　busy　or　much　too　unemployed；　or　both；　to　be　able　to

attend　to　strangers　at　that　hour　of　the　afternoon。　　Consequently　it

was　almost　impossible　to　get　any　one　to　carry　the　baggage。

We　dispatched　emissaries；　however。　　By　good　luck　we　secured　some　beer；

and　then　argued　ourselves　dry　again　on　the　luggage　question。

The　emissaries　were　at　work；　we　were　assured；　and　at　last　some　one

who　had　been　sent　for　was　said　to　be　coming。　　Still　time　dragged　on；

until　finally　the　burden　bearers　turned　up；　and　turned　out　to

bewomen。　



At　this　I　rebelled。　　The　situation　was　not　new；　but　it　was　none　the

less　impossible。　　In　out…of…the…way　districts　I　had　refused　offers　of

the　kind　before。　　For　Japanese　beasts　of　burden　run　in　a　decreasing

scale　as　follows；　according　to　the　poverty　of　the　place：　jinrikisha；

horses；　bulls；　men；　women。　　I　draw　my　line　at　the　last。　　I　am　well

aware　how　absurd　the　objects　themselves　regard　such　a　protective

policy；　but　I　cling　to　my　prejudices。　　To　the　present　proffer　I　was

adamant。　　To　step　jauntily　along　in　airy　unencumberedness　myself；

while　a　string　of　women　trudged　wearily　after；　loaded　with　my　heavy

personal　effects；　was　more　than　an　Anglo…Saxon　attitude　towards　the

sex　could　stand。　　I　would　none　of　them；　to　the　surprise　and　dismay　of

the　inn　landlord；　and　to　the　no　slight　wonder　of　the　women。

The　discarding　was　not　an　easy　piece　of　work。　　The　fair　ones　were

present　at　it；　and　I　have　no　doubt　misinterpreted　the　motive。

For　women　have　a　weakness　for　a　touch　of　the　slave…master　in　a　man。　

Beside；　〃hell　hath　no　fury　like　a　woman　scorned；〃　though　it　be　only

in　the　capacity　of　a　porter。　　There　was　nothing　for　it；　however；　but

to　let　it　go　at　that。　　For　to　have　explained　with　more　insistence

would　infallibly　have　deepened　their　suspicions　of　wounded　vanity。　

But　it　did　seem　hard　to　be　obliged　to　feel　a　brute　for　refusing　to　be

one。　



The　landlord；　thanks　to　my　importunities；　managed　after　some　further

delay　to　secure　a　couple　of　lusty　lads；　relatives；　I　suspect；　of　the

discarded　fair　ones；　and　with　them　we　eventually　set　out。　　We　had　not

gone　far；　when　I　came　to　consider；　unjustly；　no　doubt；　that　they

journeyed　too　slow。　　I　might　have　thought　differently　had　I　carried

the　chattels　and　they　the　purse。　　I　shuddered　to　think　what　the

situation　would　have　been　with　women；　for　then　even　the　poor　solace

of　remonstrance　would　have　been　denied。　　As　it　was；　I　spent　much

breath　in　trying　to　hurry　them；　and　it　is　pleasanter　now　than　it　was

then　to　reflect　how　futilely。　　For　I　rated　them　roundly；　while　they

accepted　my　verbal　goadings　with　the　trained　stolidity　of　folk　who

were　used　to　it。　



When　at　last　we　approached　the　village　of　our　destination；　which　bore

the　name　of　Himi；　it　was　already　dusk；　and　this　with　the　long　May

twilight　meant　a　late　hour　before　we　should　be　comfortably　housed。　

Indeed；　I　had　been　quartered　in　anticipation　for　the　last　few　miles；

and　was　only　awaiting　arrival　to　enter　into　instant　possession　of　my

fancied　estate。　　Not　content　even　with　pure　insubstantiality；　I　had

interviewed　various　people　through　Yejiro　on　the　subject。　　First；　the

porters　had　been　exhaustively　catechized；　and　then　what　wayfarers　we

chanced　to　meet　had　been　buttonholed　beside；　with　the　result　of　much

contradictory　information。　　There　seemed　to　be　an　inn　which　was；

I　will　not　say　good；　but　the　best；　but　no　two　informants　could　agree

in　calling　it　by　name。　　One　thought　he　remembered　that　the　North　Inn

was　the　place　to　go　to；　another　that　he　had　heard　the　Wistaria　House

specially　commended。　



All　doubts；　however；　were　set　at　rest　when　we　reached　the　town。

For　without　the　slightest　hesitation；　every　one　of　the　houses　in

question　refused　to　take　us　in。　　The　unanimity　was　wonderful

considering　the　lack　of　collusion。　　Yejiro　and　I　made　as　many

unsuccessful　applications　together　as　I　could　stand。　　Then　I　went

and　sat　down　on　the　sill　of　the　first　teahouse　for　a　base　of

operationsI　cannot　say　for　my　headquarters；　because　that　is　just

what　we　could　not　getand　gave　myself　up　to　melancholy。　　Meanwhile

Yejiro　ransacked　the　town；　from　which　excursions　he　returned　every

few　minutes　with　a