strating to me how very easy it was to entrap a
rich man into buying one's goods. Inchie also told me the following
story of how two big-pockety men once fared at the hands of a very
subtle merchant. He was a Tokio merchant, and directly he heard of their
probable arrival he sent experienced guides to almost every port in
Japan to waylay these arrivals. They were eventually caught at Kobe, and
were led all over Japan by a remarkably efficient guide, in due course
reaching Tokio. After visiting many curio stores they were safely landed
at the store of the master exactor. Then the trickery developed. The
merchant began to flatter and compliment the richer of the two, and
knowing that they were anxious to buy gold lacquer he said: "You are a
great connoisseur on gold lacquer, I believe. They tell me that you have
a quick eye for fine work, and I have heard much of your appreciation of
Japanese art." The big-pockety man was thus won over into a limp and
restful condition, for no one can flatter to such good advantage as the
Japanese.

[Illustration: A CANAL IN OSAKA]

Meantime the guide was walking about the shop with his mouth wide open
and looking silly. He was there to protect the two men, and the keenest
observer could never have guessed that he was in reality the agent of
this merchant. "I want your guide to take you round to all the gold
lacquer shops you can, for I know that that is what you appreciate and
love so much. After you have seen all that the merchants can show you,
come back to me and see what you think of my specimens." All this time
he was toying with a little insignificant-looking gold lacquer tray,
turning it about under the rich man's very nose in such a way that he
was bound to notice it. "We Japanese are so clever, you know, and we are
such good imitators of lacquer that even I, a Japanese, am liable at
times to be misled by some of the deceptions. But," continued the
merchant in an off-hand manner, "there is one sure test of real gold
lacquer, and that is the fire test." So saying he carelessly lit a match
and allowed it to play all over the gold lacquer tray; then quietly and
without any demonstration he handed it to the rich man and begged him to
observe that it was not harmed in any way, taking it for granted that
he, the rich man, naturally knew of the fire test.

The big-pocket man puckered his fat brow critically--he really knew
nothing about it--and rubbed his greasy palm over the surface