"Only till to-morrow; that is but one day; to-morrow, lord—lord of my soul!"
"Oh!" said Arisuga again, and, at once entirely willing, dismissed his 'rik'sha.
The next day he took her to the Forbidden City and showed her the tragic, broken wonders of it, while he puzzled out that scene of the day before. There were times when he had to help her up on broken walls and over fallen sculptures. And more and more as he possessed her thus for one day he wanted to possess her indefinitely. For the hands were very soft, the eyes luminous, the small body where it touched his exquisite.
He found it hard to believe—that, like a courtezan, she would beg him to stay. Yet, it was for but one day! No woman of joy would stop there! At last he spoke:—
"Were you educated in Japan—or China, angel of my earth-heaven?" he asked of her.
"In China, lord, such things as a girl learns after three years, but in the Japanese way entirely."
There was little enlightenment in that.
"And have you known many men?"
"Yes," she answered at once, thinking that was what he wished.
"No!" cried Isonna.