nd innuendo,
had soon restored Asako to health again.

"Little Asa Chan," Count Saito said one day, beckoning his guest to
sit down beside him in the sunlight on the terrace, "you will be happy
to go back to England?"

"Oh yes," said the girl.

"It is a fine country, a noble country; and you will be happy to see
your husband again?"

Asako blushed and held down her head.

"I don't think he is still my husband," she said, "but oh! I do want
to see him so."

"I think he wants to see you," said the Count; "My wife has received
a letter from Lady Everington which says that he would like you very
much to come back to him."

The Count waited for this joyful news to produce its effect, and then
he added,--

"Asa Chan, you are going to be a great English lady; but you will
always remain a Japanese. In England, you will be a kind of ambassador
for Japan. So you must never forget your father's country, and you
must never say bad things about Japan, even if you have suffered here.
Then the English people will like you; and for that reason, they will
like Japan too; and the two counties will stand side by side, as they
ought to, like good friends. The English are a very great people, the
greatest of all; but they know very little about us in the East. They
think that because we are yellow people, therefore we are inferior to
them. Perhaps, when they see a Japanese lady as one of their peers'
wives and a leader in society, they will understand that the Japanese
also are not so inferior; for the English people have a great respect
for peers. Japan is proud to be England's younger brother; but the
elder brother must not take all the inheritance. He must be content to
share. For perhaps he will not always be the strong one. This war will
make England weak and it will make Japan strong. It will make a great
change in the world, and in Asia most of all. Already the people of
Asia are saying, Why should these white men rule over us? They cannot
rule themselves; they fight among themselves like drunkards; their
time is over and past. Then, when the white rulers are pushed out of
Asia, Japan will become very strong indeed. It will be said then that
England, the elder brother, is become _inkyo_ (retired from active
life), and that Japan, the younger brother, is manager of the family.
I think you will live to see these things, Asa Chan. Certainly your
children will see them."

"I could never like Japan," Asako said honestly.

T