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TWO BAST BOYS. 59
This he did in precise and elegant sentences, carefully
studied. Another officer of lower rank, a page,
in fact, reported the weather in well-chosen language,
and from such a post he had graduated. Sir Goro
was now an officer of the upper grade of the fifth
rank, his salary being two thousand bags of rice annually.
Being a trusted officer of his prince, he had
been sent to the province of Higo to arrange for the
betrothal and subsequent marriage of a son of his
lord to the beautiful Kiku-hime", daughter of the
southern prince, and reckoned as one of the fairest
ladies in the land. Having been ten days on the
" great blue plain of the sea," his first
voyage beyond
tide-water, uninformed as to public affairs, he was
anxious to reach home for reasons soon to be made
evident.
Accordingly no further stop was made in Tsuruga
than sufficed for breakfast and a call from the mayor
of the city. Then with a slight change of costume
as befitted pedestrians, they moved through the
streets until they
city
struck the road to Fukui and stood
under the* mammoth granite portal of a Shinto
temple. Both travelers stopped, bowed their heads
reverently, clapped their hands three times, touching
them to their foreheads, worshiped, and then set
out afresh.
" Uhe'i," said the master, pulling out his tiny
tobacco-pipe and case, "you know what gods are
worshiped at the shrine, and what Tsuruga
is
famous for, hey?
"
"
Why, yes," answered the servant, who was busy