r know that I love him," chided the mistress, at an
opportune moment. "If he had thought that I gave up twenty lovers the
moment he came--"

The maid had not seen the value of creating such a situation. Hoshiko
practised tremendous wisdom. She repeated to Isonna, in the intervals
of the day, the very things Isonna had taught her with great pains.

"A man will think nothing of you unless he knows that others do. If one
has two lovers, one can easily have twenty. If one has one and is
truthful--that is all one will ever have. If one has none, how is one to
get even one unless she pretends to have many? For if no man cares for
you, no man will. If many men care for you, many more will. If a man
loves one and he sees that no one else does, he persuades himself that
he does not. For he thinks that if no one else loves one, one is not
worth loving. But if many love one, he persuades himself that he does,
because if many love one it must be right and proper for him to do it.
Now, you little beast, you must help, after putting him further off, to
bring him nearer by making him think that he loves and desires me more
than any of the twenty."

These philosophies of her own teaching, changed and informed with the
aroma of Hoshiko, went far to convince Isonna.

"Sweet mistress," said the repentant servant, "the gods pardon me--and
you--you also pardon me--if I have done wrong. But this--this I will
do--and swear it on the tablet of my father: If he should offer you
marriage, I will go with you to some place where he can never know. I
will keep your secret forever. Such things have happened. In another
country the gods will not follow. Even to the country of some barbarian
people, like America, I will go. What gods are there? Certainly none of
our gods--such as know you and him. But I will _not_ say that you have
been the creature of twenty lovers!"

"But only to make him understand that he loves me--now--here--to-day? We
have given him doubt! The rest does not matter."

Isonna was repentant but not helpful.

"Well--study--think--you little beast! And be more careful next
time--then whisper it to me. How to make him understand!"

But there was no further communication from the maid.

In the evening Arisuga said:--

"If what I have been thinking all day--since the events of last
night--is correct, and also meets your approval, I will take you."

And the little Lady Hoshi, shocked and stunned and shivering at her
heart, a