Ancient Tales and Folk-Lore of Japan | Page 8

in this breach of etiquette. He had not asked permission; but his manner was so gentle and sympathetic that they could say nothing.
The stranger examined O Shing?? carefully, keeping silence. Having finished, he took out of his pocket a little case of medicine, and, putting some white powder from this into a paper, said:
'I am a doctor from a neighbouring village, and I have just been to see a patient at the end of the valley. By good fortune I returned this way, and am able to help you and save your mistress's life. Give her this medicine, while I hunt for and kill the snake.'
O Matsu San forced the medicine, along with a little water, into her mistress's mouth, and in a few minutes she began to recover.
Shortly after this the doctor returned, carrying the dead snake on a stick.
'Is this the snake you saw lying by your young mistress?' he asked.
'Yes, yes,' they cried: 'that is the horrible thing.'
'Then,' said the doctor, 'it is lucky I came, for it is very poisonous, and I fear your mistress would soon have died had I not arrived and been able to give her the medicine. Ah! I see that it is already doing the beautiful young lady good.'
On hearing the young man's voice O Shing?? San sat up.
'Pray, sir, may I ask to whom I am indebted for bringing me thus back to life?' she asked.
The doctor did not answer, but in a proud and manly way contented himself by smiling, and bowing low and respectfully after the Japanese fashion; and departed as quietly and unassumingly as he had arrived, disappearing in the sleepy mist which always appears in the afternoons of spring time in the Shimizu Valley.
The four girls helped their mistress home; but indeed she wanted little assistance, for the medicine had done her much good, and she felt quite recovered. O Shing??'s father and mother were very grateful for their daughter's recovery; but the name of the handsome young doctor remained a secret to all except the servant girl Matsu.
For four days O Shing?? remained quite well; but on the fifth day, for some cause or another, she took to her bed, saying she was sick. She did not sleep, and did not wish to talk, but only to think, and think, and think. Neither father nor mother could make out what her illness was. There was no fever.
Doctors were sent for, one after another; but none of them could say what was the matter. All they saw was that she daily became weaker. Asano Zembei, Shing??'s father, was heartbroken, and so was his wife. They had tried everything and failed to do the slightest good to poor O Shing??.
One day O Matsu San craved an interview with Asano Zembei--who, by the by, was the head of all his family, a Daimio and great grandee. Zembei was not accustomed to listen to servants' opinions; but, knowing that O Matsu was faithful to his daughter and loved her very nearly as much as he did himself, he consented to hear her, and O Matsu was .ushered into his presence.
'Oh, master,' said the servant, 'if you will let me find a doctor for my young mistress, I can promise to find one who will cure her.'
'Where on earth will you find such a doctor? Have we not had all the best doctors in the province and some even from the capital? Where do you propose to look for one?'
O Matsu answered:
'Ah, master, my mistress is not suffering from an illness which can be cured by medicines--not even if they be given by the quart. Nor are doctors of much use. There is, however, one that I know of who could cure her. My mistress's illness is of the heart. The doctor I know of can cure her. It is for love of him that her heart suffers; it has suffered so from the day when he saved her life from the snake-bite.'
Then O Matsu told particulars of the adventure at the picnic which had not been told before,--for O Shing?? had asked her servants to say as little as possible, fearing they would not be allowed to go to the Valley of the Violet Well again.
'What is the name of this doctor?' asked Asano Zembei, 'and who is he?'
'Sir,' answered O Matsu, 'he is Doctor Yoshisawa, a very handsome young man, of most courtly manners; but he is of low birth, being only of the eta.??1 Please think, master, of my young mistress's burning heart, full of love for the man who saved her life--and no wonder, for he is very handsome and has the manners of a proud samurai. The only cure for your daughter, sir, is to be allowed to marry her lover.'
O Shing??'s mother felt very