he says Uncle has
given her some beautiful clothes and is so good to her. I dare
say. He has taken her to see a lovely old castle and wonderful
temple. The streets are all pictures and the scenery is glorious!
That is true, but the girl cannot live off scenery any more than a
nightingale can thrive on the scent of roses. What is coming when
the glamour of the scenery wears off and Uncle puts on the pressure
of his will?

I have not dared to give her any suggestion of warning. She is
deadly sure of her duty, so enthralled is she with the thought of
service to her mother's people. If I am to help her, the shock of
disillusionment must come from some other direction. The
_disillusioner_ is seldom forgiven. I do not know what plans are
being worked out behind Uncle's lowered eyelids. But I _do_ know
his idea of duty does not include keeping such a valuable asset as
a bright and beautiful niece hid away for his solitary joy. In
fact, he would consider himself a neglectful and altogether unkind
relative if he did not marry Sada off to the very best advantage to
himself. In the name of all the Orient, what else is there to do
with a _girl_, and especially one whose blood is tainted with that
of the West?

Well, Mate, my thoughts grew so thick on the subject I nearly
suffocated. I went for a walk and ran right into a cavalcade of
donkeys, jinrickshas and chairs, headed by the Seeker and Dolly,
who has also annexed the little Maharajah.

They had been up to Chuzenji--and Chuzenji I would have you know is
lovely enough, with its emerald lake and rainbow mists, to start a
man's tongue to love-making whether he will or not. And so surely
as it is raining, something has happened. Dolly was as gay as a
day-old butterfly and smiled as if a curly-headed Cupid had tickled
her with a wing-feather. The Seeker was deadly solemn. Possibly
the aftermath of his impetuosity.

Oh, well! there is no telling what wonders can be worked by
incurable youthfulness and treasures laid up in a trust company.

The little Prince, with every pocket and his handkerchief full of
small images of Buddha which he was collecting, asked at once for
Sada. His heart was in his eyes, but there is no use tampering
with a to-be-incarnation by encouraging worldly thoughts. So I
said I had not seen her since we landed. They were due on board
the _Siberia_ in Yokohama to-night on their way to China. I waved
them good wishes and went on, amused