During that whole night his friends sat by the body, moaning and chanting in a low voice some kind of “Shinto” songs or verse.
It was only on the morrow that Frederick and Nina were made acquainted with all the particulars of the tragedy of the previous evening. The doctor happening to arrive shortly afterward, and being informed of the terrible incident, immediately impressed upon them the necessity of leaving the spot at once, and even recommended them to quit Japan as soon as possible. At any rate, he urged that they should drive back with him to Yokohama and take up their residence temporarily at the Grand Hotel, within the boundaries of the foreign settlement. He explained to them that since their major-domo had committed hari-kari in consequence of his deeming himself mortally insulted by Frederick, it had become the bounden and solemn duty of the nearest relative of the dead man to avenge his honor.
Nina, whose nerves had already received a terrible shock on hearing of her major-domo's tragical end—a shock which in her feeble condition of health she was scarcely in a position to bear—now became terribly alarmed, and insisted on acting on the doctor's advice. Frederick, knowing how small are the chances of a European against the deadly swords of the Samurai, which cut through flesh and bone, readily consented, and, having hastily gathered together their money, jewelry, papers, and other portable valuables, they drove to Yokohama in the doctor's carriage.
Nina, however, even when comfortably established in the handsome apartments on the first floor of the Grand Hotel, was in a constant state of dread and terror. She was convinced that every native whom she saw passing along the wharf was intent on murdering her beloved Frederick, and the idea of remaining any longer in Japan was intolerable to her. Having become aware that a steamer was about to leave two days later for San Francisco, she prevailed upon Frederick to secure passages, and accordingly at the hour appointed for sailing she was carried on board in an exceedingly feeble condition.
Before taking leave of them their friend, the doctor, who had attended to the removal of all their property from the villa, solemnly informed Frederick that he considered his wife's case almost hopeless; that he believed her to be suffering from decomposition of the blood, and that her only chance of recovery lay in a radical change of climate and a sea voyage.
CHAPTER XV.
DEAD.