THE USURPER Episode in Japanese History BY JUDITH GAUTIER TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY ABBY LANGDON ALGER BOSTON ROBERTS BROTHERS 1884 CONTENTS. I. THE LEMON GROVE II. NAGATO'S WOUND III. FEAST OF THE SEA-GOD IV. THE SISTER OF THE SUN V. THE KNIGHTS OF HEAVEN VI. THE FRATERNITY of BLIND MEN VII. PERJURY VIII. THE CASTLE OF OWARI IX. THE TEA-HOUSE X. THE TRYST XI. THE WARRIOR-QUAILS XII. THE WESTERN ORCHARD XIII. THE MIKADO'S THIRTY-THREE DINNERS XIV. THE HAWKING-PARTY XV. THE USURPER XVI. THE FISHERMEN OF OSAKA BAY XVII. DRAGON-FLY ISLAND XVIII. THE PRINCIPALITY OF NAGATO XIX. A TOMB XX. THE MESSENGERS XXI. THE KISAKI XXII. THE MIKADO XXIII. FATKOURA XXIV. THE TREATY OF PEACE XXV. CONFIDENCES XXVI. THE GREAT THEATRE OF OSAKA XXVII. OMITI XXVIII. HENCEFORTH MY HOUSE SHALL BE AT PEACE XXIX. THE HIGH-PRIESTESS OF THE SUN XXX. BATTLES XXXI. THE FUNERAL PILE THE USURPER. AN EPISODE IN JAPANESE HISTORY. (1615.) CHAPTER I. THE LEMON GROVE. Night was nearly gone. All slept in the beautiful bright city of Osaka. The harsh cry of the sentinels, calling one to another on the ramparts, broke the silence, unruffled otherwise save for the distant murmur of the sea as it swept into the bay. Above the great dark mass formed by the palace and gardens of the Shogun[1] a star was fading slowly. Dawn trembled in the air, and the tree-tops were more plainly outlined against the sky, which grew bluer every moment. Soon a pale glimmer touched the highest branches, slipped between the boughs and their leaves, and filtered downward to the ground. Then, in the gardens of the Prince, alleys thick with brambles displayed their dim perspective; the grass resumed its emerald hue; a tuft of poppies renewed the splendor of its sumptuous flowers, and a snowy flight of steps was faintly visible through the mist, down a distant avenue. At last, suddenly, the sky grew purple; arrows of light athwart the bushes made every drop of water on the leaves sparkle. A pheasant alighted heavily; a crane shook her white wings, and with a long cry flew slowly upwards; while the earth smoked like a caldron, and the birds loudly hailed the rising sun. As soon as the divine luminary rose from the horizon, the sound of a gong was heard. It was struck with a monotonous rhythm of overpowering melancholy,--four heavy strokes, four light strokes; four heavy strokes, and so on. It was the salute to the coming day, and the call to morning prayers.