She answered:

“Do you promise?”

He said:

“I do.”

Then the storm broke afresh upon them; her face brightened, and she leaped over the side of the ship and into the angry sea; and as she sank beneath the foam-tossed waves she smiled sweetly, and he felt and knew her message to be a token of peace.

As she disappeared from sight Shibusawa rushed to the ship’s rail, and calling loudly to those about him threw off his garment and would have leaped after her had they not seized hold and implored him not to let them die while he saved only a woman. He threw them from him and turned to make the leap; but instead started back and stared in front, for there arose before him out of the waters a vision of beauty, a goddess of truth.

Her beautiful form seemed wound round with a mist, and her upturned face looked toward the heavens. The storm ceased and the waters calmed. The dark clouds parted and a sunburst shone through, enshrouding her; she soared upward, disappearing within the sun’s circle; the clouds closed after her, and she was seen no more; Shibusawa alone knew the haven of her rest.

Thence they sailed away toward Hakone, the intended port of landing. The typhoon which had passed them did no great damage to the fleet—only destroying some of the smaller craft and a few thousand men—and the repairs were soon made, while they progressed without further interruption.

After the weather had settled and they were again under full sail Shibusawa retired to his cabin, and there pondered deeply the strange scene he had witnessed. He knew that he had always acted in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience, and felt that he could not hold himself accountable for the sad misfortunes of fate. Yet he remained conscious of Takara’s new love, and, after having again brushed aside all trace of returning mysticism, felt a deep sorrow overspreading his life.

She, too, had passed through this same consciousness, and had grown to love Shibusawa better than he knew; and when the time had come for him to set sail a great fear had taken hold of her, and she could not bear to see him go beyond her reach. She had reasoned well that his duty called him hence and that at his post there was no place for a woman. Yet she longed to be near him, to share his sorrows and comfort his distress.