In a large room, unfurnished save for a few kakemono pictures, they found Kubota and half a dozen Foreign Office men, with six or seven correspondents, talking, smoking. Butterfield of the Times and Templeton of the Express were old hands, with many years in Japan behind them. Most of the others were far more recent arrivals. Some of them showed by the self-conscious lack of ease of the white man when he first finds himself, socially, in stocking feet, that they were still new in Japan. Kent was introduced. The conversation flowed on, in groups. Tea and cigarettes were served.
A maid slid aside some of the partitions and they looked into a large room with small, individual lacquered tables set in three sides of a square, each with a cushion on the matting. "Please take your seats, gentlemen," Kubota waved them in. "Take your places where you please."
They squatted2 on the cushions. Kent was pleased to have on one side young Kikuchi. He had taken an instinctive3 liking4 to him. On the other side was Jones, a dumpy, solemn-faced man, fidgety, ill at ease.[Pg 31] Beyond him was Kittrick. Farther along, on both sides, sat the rest, Japanese and foreigners mingled5. Conversation flowed easily, mostly in English.
Soup was brought in lacquered, covered bowls, and a cloud of geisha appeared, a score or more, brightly clad in shimmering6 silks, with huge brocade obi scarfs fashioned in elaborate bow-like arrangements. The curious whitening of the faces, with the black, delicately arched eyebrows7, almond eyes, crimson8 lips, fantastically high headdress, tastefully contrived9 contrasts of color, all served to provide an exotic air, to produce the impression that, after all, this was Japan, a unique country, different from all others. The deadening effect of trite10 modernism produced by the modern garb11 of the Japanese hosts, their perfect foreign polish, faded into the background. The geisha scattered12 among the tables, seating themselves with the guests, smiling to them, attending to their needs. As he looked across the table into the pretty face opposite him, Kent experienced a sense of grateful relief. Thank God, the bloom and charm of old fairy-tale-like Japan had not all faded away yet.
He fumbled13 with his chopsticks. He had almost forgotten the art of using them. The geisha gently took them from him, smiled engagingly, showed him how to use them. "So desho."
He thanked her in Japanese. Her finely formed hands, small like a child's, came up in surprise. "But you can't use chopsticks; you are new in Japan; and still you speak Japanese. Bikuri shimashita. I am surprised."
The spirit of the thing swept over him. He felt as if he had played with geisha all his life. "It is true. I have just come. But I looked into your bright eyes, and see, the words have come to me. It is a gift."
"I think you lie." She eyed him dubiously14. Japanese girls are disposed to take literally15 even the unbelievable. "Kikuchi-san, he lies, doesn't he?"
But Kikuchi smilingly upheld him. "It is true. He has just come. You know, these foreigners are truly wonderful people."
"It is wonderful." She clapped her hands delightedly, called over other girls that they might share in the marvel16. They twittered like birds. Kent suddenly found himself the center of attention, enjoyed the exhilaration of flashing jeu de mots, though he found that his childhood's vocabulary served only haltingly in the bright thrust and parry repartée with the geisha.
"I didn't know you could speak Japanese. What are they saying?" It was the querulous voice of Jones. Kent felt a quick pang17 of sympathy for him; he had been forgotten, neglected even by the geisha in the excitement.
"Oh, I lived here as a child, and I remember a little, but I told that girl that I was learning the language from her eyes; such is the gay foolishness with geisha, irresponsibility, laughter, that is the charm." But he could not draw Jones in. "I see," was his only reply, and he turned to the food before him.
More food was brought, course after course, daintily served, strange dishes, often puzzling as to how they must be eaten. The geisha fluttered about, changing from table to table, staying a few minutes with this guest, a bit longer with this other, charmingly gay, beautiful creatures, woman bodies in butterfly raiment, and with the radiant spontaneous happiness of children. And with all their laughing familiarity, intimacy18 almost, they were constantly watchful19, alert to attend the men, with bewildering skill picking the bones from the trout20, which were served whole, leaf-garlanded, on richly ornamented22 porcelain23. Sake was brought in, hot, in small stone bottles. Guests and geisha lifted steaming little cups, laughed, drank, the girls constantly refilling the tiny bowls. The atmosphere titillated24 with laughter and talk. The men stretched themselves more easily on their cushions. Some rose and went visiting at other tables. The room was electric with gayety, staccato Japanese and guttural English words mingling25, accompanied, set off by the rippling26 laughter of the geisha.
Kubota had begun the journey which is the function of the host. From table to table he proceeded, offering a cup of sake to each guest. The guests drank; each rinsed27 the cup in the bowl of water on the table before him, the ones who were old in Japan doing it expertly, immersing the bowl and withdrawing it suddenly so that the water was sucked in by the vacuum with a gurgling cluck. Then the guest would hold the bowl out towards the geisha. She filled it, and he handed it to Kubota, who drank ceremoniously, said a few words of polite greeting, and passed on to the next guest. He passed his cup to Kent. "I am glad to greet you here as a new friend," he said. "I hope we may often enjoy ourselves together." They drank.
Kubota passed on to Jones' table, held out his cup, but Jones waved it away. "Thanks, but I disapprove28 of liquor." A look of blank surprise crept over Kubota's face. The hand with the cup remained outstretched. It took him a moment to adjust himself to the surprising situation. Then he smiled engagingly. But Jones remained solemn, impassive. Kittrick came to the rescue. "Are you not going to drink with me, Mr. Kubota?" The incident passed, but Kent felt his sympathy for Jones turning to disgust. He turned impatiently to the geisha.
But there was a stir among the girls. A number of them were running towards the space where there were no tables. Samisens were brought in. Three of the girls seated themselves, began tuning30 the instruments. Three others ranged themselves in line and stood waiting. Suddenly ivory plectra smote31 taut32 strings33. In a loud treble, almost stridently, the voices of the singers rose over the noisy clamor of the music. The dancers postured34 for a moment, each with a fan, closed, held straight before her. A chord was struck. Instantly the three fans were snapped open, simultaneously35, with a graceful36, wide sweep of arms, deep, fluttering sleeves following the undulating movements of small, bejeweled hands. The guests leaned back, watching the brilliant picture, the three girls, faces set in conventional expressionless masks, rich, gorgeous silks waving and sweeping37 in rhythmic38 movement, synchronizing39 with the bizarre cadences40 of the samisens and the voices, a picture of graceful lines, swaying and changing harmoniously41, waves of radiant, flaming colors and shimmering, indefinite tints42. The real Orient finally, gorgeous, rare, exotic. A wave of pleasure, satisfaction, swept over Kent. Impulsively43 he turned to Jones.
"Barbaric." The cold, hard tone cut in like a discord44. Kent stared at him. Great heavens, what a point of view! He was about to turn impatiently towards the dancers, but Jones cut in quickly. It was as if anger, resentment45, disgust, had been accumulating in him, from one phase of the entertainment to another, had been pent up, gathering46 volume until he must free himself of his thoughts. He seemed to clamor for Kent's attention, to demand it, speaking nervously47, jerkily, finger tips drumming on the table top in emphasis.
"I wish I hadn't come. It is a shock to me to see[Pg 35] these men, high officials of the Government, publicly, brazenly48 disporting49 themselves with these women, common women, singers, dancers. And, I really can't help saying it, to see white men, Americans, entering into this degradation50. Look at it," he swept his hand towards the dancers, swaying in soft, seductive movement before his irritated eyes. A small hangyoku, geisha apprentice51, sitting close by, saw his outstretched hand. She glanced at him, puzzled, eager to be of service, and hastily handed him a cup of sake. He swept it aside, and she gazed at him, wondering, black child's eyes large with surprise against the white powder of her face, quaint52 doll features contrasting oddly against the high coiffure.
Jones went on urgently, as if in competition with the whimper and cry of the samisens, the strident voices. "It seems to me that we white men should set them an example, that we have a duty to perform, that even as we are newspapermen, we should assist the missionaries53, act as missionaries here——"
Kittrick's attention had been attracted. He cut in. "If you will pardon me, Mr. Jones, I think we have too many missionaries here already. Japan has far less misery54 and crime than there is in our big cities, New York, Chicago, San Francisco. Why don't they clean up at home first, where they are needed, maybe, before they come out here. You take my word for it, Mr. Jones, Japan can get along quite nicely without them, and so can the rest of us. But what is the use of talking. If you can't enjoy the hospitality you have accepted, at least have the decency55 not to criticize it. Here, little beauty," he turned to the hangyoku. "Fill the cups, please. Have a drink with me, Kent."
An uproarious twang of the samisens marked the end of the dance. The guests clapped. The dancers sank to the floor, bowed in deep salutation, ran down[Pg 36] among the guests. The men rose from their places, new groups formed. Kent was glad to escape. He went up to Kubota, expressed his pleasure. He felt as if he must make some atonement for Jones, wondered whether the Japanese had noticed him. He sensed a soft pressure on his arm. It was the geisha who had first waited on him at table. She had plucked from her hair an ornament21, a cluster of artificial flowers, curiously57 and intricately wrought58, with little polished metal bits faintly tinkling59 and glittering among the red and purple petals60. She offered it to him. "You are a nice stranger," she smiled up to him. "I want you to have this. It is a katami, a souvenir." He glanced to Kubota, a little at a loss. The diplomat61 laughed. "It is all right. Take it. It is an omen29 that Japan likes you. I hope that you may like Japan."
It was getting late. The foreigners began to leave. The Japanese remained behind. "They always do," commented Kittrick. "I have an idea that now the real fun begins. But we never see it. Almost always only the surface, here in Japan."
"He came near spoiling the evening, that man Jones," he remarked, as they walked from the tea house. "Of course, he has a right to his point of view, but why drag in the missionary62 question on such an occasion. It made me angry. In fact, he made me say more about the missionaries than I really meant."
Kent laughed. "It seems an odd thing how it crops up in all sorts of incongruous places, isn't it; in steamer smoking rooms, in hotel bars. Do you people really dislike them so?"
"It is a big jump from geisha to missionaries," said Kittrick. "Still, since you ask, I should say that on the whole I don't. In some ways the missionaries[Pg 37] do a lot of good for the standing63 of the white man in the Orient, men like Doctor Wheelwright, for instance, men of broad education and culture, who in a way serve as demonstrations64 to the Japanese that the West, our race, has culture and high ideals, something beyond mere65 lust56 for gain and pleasure. You know otherwise the rest of us—most of us, at least—might easily give the Orientals the idea that we are entirely66 materialists, that we stand a poor comparison with their own scholars and men of culture. But then there is the other class of missionaries, the fellows with little minds, who can't see beyond the narrow vision they gained at their seminaries, who are forever deploring67 what they call the evil example set by the worldly white man, you and me, finding fault with our conduct, ever criticizing us, and, for business reasons, taking the side of the Japanese if we happen to criticize Japan. I feel as if the good done by the one class is about evened up by the nuisance caused by the other. I am thankful that I have friends among the first class; the others I carefully avoid. As for the good they do among the Japanese, I don't know. They undoubtedly68 do some good, but, on the other hand, personally I can't help being a bit suspicious of the native Christian69. So many of them go in for Christianity on account of material advantages. It is an easy way to learn English, for one thing, and then, undoubtedly, many of them, the class of Japanese who want to be modern, who grasp at any modern movement, be it French art, opera music, Communism, or jazz, take up Christianity with sort of an idea that it is up-to-date, haikara they call it. It is only fair to say, though, that all the smoking-room talk you hear about the missionaries living at ease on the fat of the land is largely rot. Most of them have to live modestly enough, on mighty70 small salaries. I am willing to give them credit, most of them, of being sincere enough. I am neutral. I am willing to let them alone, if they will leave me alone. There is the missionary question in the Orient in a nutshell. Well, here I take my car. Give my regards to Karsten—and to Jun-san. Good night."
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1
canes
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| n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖 | |
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2
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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3
instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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5
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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7
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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8
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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trite
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| adj.陈腐的 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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13
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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14
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
porcelain
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| n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的 | |
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24
titillated
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| v.使觉得痒( titillate的过去式和过去分词 )；逗引；激发；使高兴 | |
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25
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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26
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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rinsed
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| v.漂洗( rinse的过去式和过去分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉 | |
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28
disapprove
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| v.不赞成，不同意，不批准 | |
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29
omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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30
tuning
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| n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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31
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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postured
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| 做出某种姿势( posture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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38
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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synchronizing
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| v.同步，整步adj.同步的 | |
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40
cadences
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| n.（声音的）抑扬顿挫( cadence的名词复数 )；节奏；韵律；调子 | |
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41
harmoniously
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| 和谐地，调和地 | |
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42
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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43
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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44
discord
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| n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐 | |
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45
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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46
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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47
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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48
brazenly
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| adv.厚颜无耻地；厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地 | |
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49
disporting
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| v.嬉戏，玩乐，自娱( disport的现在分词 ) | |
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50
degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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51
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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52
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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53
missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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54
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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55
decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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56
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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57
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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58
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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59
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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61
diplomat
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| n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人 | |
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62
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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63
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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64
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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65
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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66
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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67
deploring
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的现在分词 ) | |
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68
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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69
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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70
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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