Shortly after this Pauline confided to me her great desire to see something of Japanese life in the interior, far away from Treaty-port towns and European hotels. Naturally, I also became seized with a similar desire, so, after much persuasion and many entreaties, our parents gave their consent to our making a ten days’ tour, accompanied by a highly-recommended and most respectable guide and interpreter, by name Idaka. He was a most superior person, with a fair knowledge of the English language, and quite deliciously ugly. I liked that guide; he told me I was a most intelligent walker, and had a noble foot. Pauline insisted on calling him a fool--of course not to his face, as ‘bacha,’ Japanese for fool, is a terrible term to apply to anyone in Japan--but even she admitted he certainly was useful.
During our absence Pauline’s father decided to remain quietly at Yokohama, whilst mine had still much important business to do in Tokio.
CHAPTER IV
A JAPANESE HARROGATE
A trip to the Japanese Harrogate--A curious travelling companion--A Japanese inn--A mountain ride--At the sulphur springs--A sulphur bath--A night in a tea-house--Sad news.
As our passports seemed to permit us to go anywhere we liked, except to a fire on horseback, we decided, after much consultation with Idaka, to go by train to Karuizawa, and from there to visit the hot sulphur baths at Kusatzu, a place not generally known to globe-trotters, where we were told we should see much to interest us.
Accordingly the next morning we bade an affectionate farewell to our parents and also to the kind little manager of the Grand Hotel at Yokohama, and started for Kodzu in the quaint little train, which goes at the rate of, at least, ten miles an hour. Oh what a hot, steamy, journey it was! and we anything but looked forward to the five hours’ journey which lay before us. However, we rejoiced in having the carriage to ourselves, which was something to be thankful for. Idaka, very busy and important, travelled third class in charge of the luggage, clad in a marvellous costume, consisting of a scarlet and white blazer, thick homespun shooting stockings, patent-leather shoes rather the worse for wear, and a deer-stalking cap, all evidently ‘cast-offs’ of former employers. We quite regretted that we had nothing to give him to add to the collection.
Just, however, as the train was starting, much to our annoyance a stout little Japanese jumped into the carriage and took his seat at the opposite end of the compartment to where we were sitting. He was a pale-faced little man, dressed in a black frock-coat, dark trousers and a top-hat. He appeared very much oppressed with the heat, but that was not unnatural with a temperature of about 90° in the shade.
WE START FOR KODZU (p. 33.)