made it very difficult to marry her off again; but worse still was the
half-breed child she had brought with her, a daughter of about
seventeen. This girl, whose name was Zura, I soon found was the sore
spot in Kishimoto San's grievance, the center around which his storm of
trouble brewed.

It was like pouring oil on flames when I asked particularly about the
girl.

Though he could speak English that was quite understandable, he broke
loose in Japanese hardly translatable. "She is a wild, untamed
barbarian. She has neither manners nor modesty, and not only dares
openly to scorn the customs of my country and religion, but defies my
commands, my authority."

Knowing him as I did, I thought it must indeed be a free, wild spirit to
meet the blow of Kishimoto San's will and not be crushed by the impact.
My interest in the girl increased in proportion to his vehemence. I
ventured to ask for details. They came in a torrent.

"It is not our custom for young girls to go on the street unattended. I
forbade her going. Deaf to my orders, she strays about the streets alone
and dares to sail her own sampan. She handles it as deftly as a common
fisherman. She goes to out-of-the-way places and there remains till it
suits her impudence to return to my house. In the hours of the night she
disturbs my meditations by sobbing for her home and her father. She
romps on the highways with street children, who follow her as they would
a performing monkey."

"But surely," I mildly interposed, "it is no great breach of custom to