CHAPTER VIII.
THE CASTLE OF OWARI.
On the shores of the Pacific Ocean, at the top of a rocky cliff,stands the fortress of the Princes of Owari. Its walls, pierced withloopholes, are so constructed as to follow the lay of the land. Theyare masked here and there by groups of trees and shrubs, whose freshverdure is in happy contrast with the ragged walls of rust-colored rock.
From the summit of the fortress the view is very fine. A little bayrounds to the foot of the hill, and affords safe shelter for the junksand barks which skim the clear water in all directions; farther awaythe blue waves of the Pacific trace a darker line against the sky. Onthe land-ward side rises a chain of mountains, cultivated in patches totheir very tops. Between the mountains lie valleys, where we may seevillages nestling in a grove, near a brook; then the valleys end in theheart of more hills.
A broad and well-kept road winds along the undulating ground to thefoot of the castle of Owari. This road, known as the Tokaido, was builtby Taiko-Sama; it intersects the entire kingdom, traversing the domainsof the Daimios, and is under the sole jurisdiction of the Shogun.
The Prince who ruled over the province of Owari was at this time livingin his castle.
About the third hour after noon on the day that Hieyas fled from Osaka,the sentinel posted on the loftiest tower of the palace of Owari criedout that he saw a troop of horsemen galloping along the Tokaido. ThePrince was at the moment in one of the courts of the castle, crouchedupon his heels, his hands resting on his thighs. He was attending alesson in hara-kiri taken by his young son.
The child, seated on a mat in the centre of the court, held in bothhands a short, blunt sword, and raised his pretty artless face, alreadyserious in its cast, towards his instructor, seated opposite him. Womenwere looking on from a gallery above; and their dresses made brightspots of color against the delicate tints of the carved wood-work.Enormous butterflies, birds, flowers, or variegated balls wereembroidered on their robes; every head was bristling with big yellowtortoise-shell pins. They chattered together with a thousand bewitchingairs and graces.
In the court, leaning against the upright post of a bronze lantern, ayoung girl in a closely fitting dress of sky-blue crape, with all thefolds drawn to the front, fixed an absent gaze upon the little lord; inher hand she held a screen, upon which was painted a humming-bird.
"Hold the sword firmly," said the teacher; "apply it by the point,below the left ribs; be careful that the edge of the blade is turnedto the right. Now grasp the hilt in your hand, and bear on with allyour strength; then quickly, without moderating your pressure, moveyour weapon horizontally towards your right side. In this way you willcleave your body in twain according to strict rule."
The child went through the motions with such violence that he tore hisrobe.
"Good! good!" exclaimed the Prince of Owari, striking his thighs withhis open hands. "The little fellow has plenty of courage!"
At the same time he raised his eyes to the women leaning from thebalcony, and imparted his impression to them by a sign of the head.
"He will be brave and intrepid as his father," said one of them.
It was just then that news was brought to the Prince of the appearanceof a band of horsemen on the royal road.
"Doubtless a neighboring lord coming to visit me incognito," said thePrince; "or else these horsemen are merely passing travellers. At anyrate, there is no reason to interrupt the lesson."
The teacher then made his pupil repeat the list of incidents whichoblige a man of noble race to rip himself open; namely, to incur thedispleasure of the Shogun, or receive from him a public reprimand;to disgrace himself; to avenge an insult by slaying its originator;voluntarily or involuntarily to permit the escape of prisonersintrusted to one's care; and innumerable other nice cases.
"Add," said the Prince of Owari, "to be wanting in respect to one'sfather. In my opinion, a son who insults his parents can only expiatethat crime by performing hara-kiri."
At the same time he cast another look at the women, which meant: "It iswell to inspire children with a dread of paternal authority."
At this moment a loud noise of horses pawing the pavement was heard inan adjoining court-yard, and an imperious voice called out: "Lift thedrawbridge! Close the gates!"
The Prince of Owari sprang to his feet.
"Who gives orders in my house?" said he.
"I!" answered the same voice.
And at the same time a group of men entered the second court.
"The Regent!" cried the Prince of Owari, falling prostrate.
"Rise, friend!" said Hieyas, with a bitter smile; "I have no longerany right to the honors that you render me; I am, for the moment, yourequal."
"What has happened?" anxiously inquired the Prince.
"Dismiss your women," said Hieyas.
Owari made a sign; the women disappeared.
"Take your brother away, Omiti," said he to the young girl, who hadturned terribly pale at the entrance of Hieyas.
"Is your daughter's name Omiti?" exclaimed the latter, his face growingsuddenly purple.
"Yes, master. Why do you ask?"
"Call her back, I beg."
Owari obeyed. The young girl returned, trembling, and with downcasteyes.
Hieyas looked at her fixedly with an expression on his face which wouldhave alarmed any one who knew the man. The maiden, however, raised herhead, and an undaunted spirit was apparent in her eyes,--a sort ofself-renunciation.
"It was you who betrayed us," said Hieyas in a dull, heavy voice.
"Yes," said she.
"What does this mean?" cried the Prince of Owari with a start.
"It means that the plot so carefully contrived within these castlewalls, so mysteriously concealed from all, was surprised and revealedby her."
"Wretch!" cried the Prince raising his clenched fist against hisdaughter.
"A woman,--a child,--to ruin a political conspiracy!" continued Hieyas."A vile pebble, to make you stumble, and hurl you headlong to theground! It is a mockery!"
"I will kill you!" yelled Owari.
"Kill me! what will it matter?" said the girl. "I have saved the King.Is not his life worth mine? I have long awaited your vengeance."
"You shall wait no longer!" said the Prince, seizing her by the throat.
"No; do not kill her!" said Hieyas. "I will take her punishment into myown hands."
"So be it!" said Owari; "I abandon her to you."
"It is well!" said Hieyas, signing to Faxibo not to lose sight ofthe young girl. "But let us leave what is past and gone; let us looktowards the future. Are you still devoted to me?"
"Can you doubt it, master? And must I not now struggle to repair thewrong done you by one of my family without my knowledge?"
"Listen, then. A conspiracy has suddenly wrested the power from myhands. I contrived to escape the death that threatened me, and fled inthe direction of my principality of Mikawa. Your domains lie betweenOsaka and my province. Your fortress overlooks the sea, and can barthe passage of soldiers coming from Osaka; that is why I stopped here,to bid you collect your troops as quickly as possible and put yourcountry in a state of defence. Guard your castle well. I will stayhere, where I am safe from sudden attack, while my faithful comrade,Ino-Kamo-No-Kami" (Hieyas pointed to a nobleman in his escort, whobowed low to the Prince of Owari, the latter returning his salute),"proceeds to the castle of Mikawa, fortifies the whole province, andgives the alarm to all the princes my allies."
"I am your slave, master; dispose of me."
"Give orders to your soldiers at once."
The Prince of Owari left the courtyard. Servants ushered theirmaster's guests into cool, airy apartments, and served them with tea,sweetmeats, and a light meal.
Soon Ino-Kamo-No-Kami took leave of Hieyas, who gave him his finalinstructions; and taking with him two of the lords who had accompaniedthem thither, he remounted his horse and left the castle.
Hieyas then called Faxibo.
The latt
er was engaged in devouring a honey-cake, never taking his eyesfrom Omiti, as she sat in a corner of the room.
"Can you disguise yourself so that none shall know you?" he asked him.
"So that you yourself would not know me," said Faxibo.
"Good! To-morrow morning you will return to Osaka and arrange to learnall that goes on in the palace. Moreover, you will travel with a woman."
Hieyas leaned towards the ex-groom and whispered in his ear.
An evil smile hovered upon Faxibo's lips.
"Good, good!" he said; "to-morrow at dawn I will be ready to start."