Renewed prostration before okusama, and murmured greetings in
Japanese.
"But I can't speak Japanese," said Asako laughing. This perplexed the girl, but her curiosity prompted her.
"Danna San (master) Ingiris'?" she asked, looking at Geoffrey.
"Yes," said Asako. "Do many Englishmen have Japanese wives?"
"Yes, very many," was the unexpected answer. "O Fuji San," she continued, indicating one of the other maids, "have Ingiris' danna San very many years ago; very kind danna san; give O Fuji plenty nice kimono; he say, O Fuji very good girl, go to Ingiris' wit him; O Fuji say, No, cannot go, mother very sick; so danna san go away. Give O Fuji San very nice finger ring."
She lapsed into vernacular. The other girl showed with feigned embarrassment a little ring set with glassy sapphires.
"Oh!" said Asako, dimly comprehending.
"All Ingiris' danna san come Nagasaki," the talkative maid went on, "want Japanese girl. Ingiris' danna san kind man, but too plenty drink. Japanese danna san not kind, not good. Ingiris' danna san plenty money, plenty. Nagasaki girl very many foreign danna san. Rashamen wa Nagasaki meibutsu (foreigners' mistresses famous product of Nagasaki). Ingiris' danna san go away all the time. One year, two year—then go away to Ingiris' country."
"Then what does the Japanese girl do?" asked Asako.
"Other danna san come," was the laconic reply. "Ingiris' danna san live in Japan, Japanese girl very nice. Ingiris' danna san go away, no want Japanese girl. Japanese girl no want go away Japan. Japanese girl go to other country, she feel very sick; heart very lonely, very sad!"