“This is excellent fish, Ohano,” she said, pleasantly. “Come, taste a morsel while the live flavor is still upon it. Possibly it will remind you of the brevity of life. Now we are here, possessed3 of tempestuous4 passions and emotions—for even a fish, so it is said, has the soul of a murderer. Then just think, one sharp pick of the knife—or sword—and, like the honorable fish, we are—gone! The devils of hatred5, envy, desire, and malice6 can no longer torture us!”
Ohano said nothing. She gave one swift glance at the fish, then turned away, nauseated7.
Lady Saito grunted8 and fell to eating her meal as if hungry. Presently, filled and refreshed, she began again:
“Of course it must be very plain to you, Ohano, that it will be impossible for the Saitos to regain9 possession of my son’s child unless we take into our household the mother also.”
Ohano sat up with a start, and as her mother-in-law continued, the expression of intense fear on her face deepened.
“I know of no law in Japan—and I have been advised in the matter—by which we can forcibly take a child from its mother, in the absence of its father.”
Ohano did not move. She moistened her dry lips, and her eyes moved furtively10. She watched her mother-in-law’s face with a mute expression, half of terror and half of defiance11. In the going of the hated child of the Spider, Ohano had not found the relief she had expected. Nay12, there loomed13 before her now the possibility of a greater menace to her peace of mind. She felt the weight of the older woman’s tyrannical will as never before. She stammered14:
“Pardon my dullness. I do not understand your words.”
“It is better,” counseled the other, sternly, “that you not alone understand my words, but that you study them well! Think awhile, Ohano!”
For a time there was silence between them; then Lady Saito continued:
“It is my wish, it is the wish of the ancestors, that the honorable descendant of the Saitos be housed here in the home of his fathers. If it is impossible to have my son’s son without the legal custodian15 of his body, then we must face the matter gracefully16, and solicit17 her, humbly18 if need be, to come also!”
“That—would be—impossible!” gasped19 Ohano.
“Nay,” protested her mother, coldly, “it is done every day in Japan. The honorable Moonlight will not be the first divorced wife who has been again received in the home of the parents-in-law. You forget that until recently there was even a custom among many families where the wife failed in her duty to supply children to her husband, for an honorable concubine to be chosen in her place duly to serve her lord.”
Ohano tried to smile, but it was a ghastly effort.
“That is an ancient custom. It is no longer tolerated in Japan. It would be a matter of notorious gossip. We could not, with honor, she and I, live under the same roof together.”
“That is true,” admitted Lady Saito, calmly, and now she met Ohano’s eyes firmly.
“I refuse to be ‘returned,’” cried Ohano, shrilly20. “My honorable relatives will not permit you to divorce me for such a cause. It is not possible to treat me in the manner accorded a geisha!”
“That, too, is true,” quietly assented21 her mother-in-law. “We, the Saitos, desire to remain on terms of friendship with your most honorable family. Now, therefore, we look to you, Ohano, for a solution of the problem. You are right. These are not the times when honorable men maintain concubines under the same roofs as their wives. We wish to impress the Western people with our morality! Ha!” she broke off, to laugh bitterly. “We follow the code set by them. Yet what are we to do when confronted by such a condition as exists in our household now? When a wife is childless, it is surely an excellent rule which allows a humble22 one to bear the offspring and put them into the arms of the exalted23 but childless wife. But we can do this no longer. Our war with Russia—our victories, which are proclaimed daily—will make these matters all the more a sensitive point with the nation. We must live according to the code set down by the Westerners, as I have said. They have taught us to fight! Our people desire to imitate their virtues24!” She laughed in hoarse25 derision. Then she continued:
“We bow, then, to this. It cannot be helped. Now, as we cannot take the honorable Lord Taro26 by force from his mother, and we cannot permit two wives of my son to remain under the one roof, we must seek some other solution of our problem. Can you not offer some suggestion?”
“It is possible,” said Ohano, “that the Lord Saito Gonji may not give up his life for Tenshi-sama. Many soldiers return. In that event—” She stammered piteously. “I am young and very healthy. I will bear him children yet!”
“We cannot count upon so unlikely a contingency27, my girl. We Japanese women, when we sacrifice our men to the Emperor’s service, pray that they may not return! It is a pious28, patriotic29 prayer, Ohano. Be worthy30 of it, my girl. Duty and honor to the ancestors are the watchwords of our language.”
“Duty—and honor!” repeated Ohano, slowly.
A long silence fell between them, during which Ohano’s eyes never left the face of her mother-in-law. A sick terror assailed31 her, so that she could not move, but sat there rigidly32, nursing her lame33 arm. What dreadful project, she asked herself, did the stern mother-in-law now meditate34, that she should look at the unhappy Ohano with such a peculiar35, commanding expression?
Finally the older woman said, with quiet force:
“Ohano, you come of illustrious stock. There have been women of your race who have found a solution to problems more tragic36 than yours. I pray you reflect upon the text of the samourai, which, as you know, was as binding37 upon the women as the men: ‘To die with honor, when one can no longer live with honor!’”
She stood up, and leaned heavily upon her staff.
“Let me recommend,” she added, softly, “that you study and emulate—and emulate”—she repeated the last word with deadly emphasis—“the lives of your ancestors!”
Ohano’s mouth had dropped wide open. She came to her feet mechanically, and mechanically she backed from her mother-in-law until she came to the farthest screen; and against this she leaned like one about to faint.
Her mother-in-law’s voice seemed to reach her as from very far away, and also it seemed to Ohano that a smile, jeering38 and cruel, was on the aged39 woman’s face, marking it like a livid scar. It was as if she cried to Ohano:
“I challenge you, as the daughter of a samourai, to do your duty!”
Ohano gasped out something, she knew not what.
“Ho!” cried Lady Saito, fiercely, “it does not matter to the true daughter of a samourai whether the days of suppuku are passed or not. We take refuge too much behind the new rules of life. The spark of heroes is imperishable. If you are a worthy daughter of your ancestors it is still within your insignificant40 body!”
Said Ohano, with chattering41 teeth:
“I—I—will—go—to the go-down (treasure-house), honorable mother-in-law, and study the swords of my ancestors. I pray you ask the gods to give me strength!”
When she was gone, the Lady Saito Ichigo summoned a maid. To her she said curtly42:
“You will bid the Samourai Asado”—it was the first time in years she had referred to this old retainer as “samourai”—“unlock the doors of the honorable go-down. The Lady Saito Gonji would examine the treasure-chests of her ancestors!”
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1
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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4
tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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6
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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7
nauseated
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| adj.作呕的，厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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9
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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10
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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13
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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14
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
custodian
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| n.保管人，监护人；公共建筑看守 | |
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16
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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solicit
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| vi.勾引；乞求；vt.请求，乞求；招揽(生意) | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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20
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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21
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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23
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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24
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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taro
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| n.芋，芋头 | |
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contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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28
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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30
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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32
rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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34
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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35
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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37
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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38
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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39
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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40
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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41
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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42
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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