He then suggested that Kano should apply for the position of house servant of the barbarian physician, while he, Inouye, would try to secure work at Yokohama. But Kano would not hear of this. “No!” he said. “This physician seems to be a good man; you must go there, and I shall mingle with those rude people at Yokohama. But on ichi-roku nichi[50] we must meet here at eight o’clock, and communicate each other’s experiences. But what shall we do with our swords? They would betray us at once?”
“That, certainly, is a difficulty, but not a serious one. Let us think it over, we are sure to find some way out of it.”
The two samurai then returned to their inn and retired.
After eating their breakfast at an early hour on the following morning, Inouye went down stairs in search of the landlord. He found him sitting at his desk, as if he had not left it since their last conversation. He called for the bill, and gave such a generous tip that the landlord was highly pleased, and showed it by his repeated and humble bows. Inouye made a suitable reply, and then said:
“Landlord, I have spoken with my elder brother about what you told me yesterday. The Go rojiu is anxious that some of our young men should learn the barbarian language, and we came here to look for the best ways and means, for it was decided in our family that I should try. It seems to me that the easiest way would be to live with them, and after what you have told me about the physician, I think I would like to serve him, and my brother agrees with me. Now, it does not matter who we are, but I am no good-for-nothing, and shall do my duty. For the present my name is Tomori, and I ask you if you will direct me to this physician?”
“I shall do better than that,” replied the landlord. He clapped his hands, and when a servant appeared, he told him to bring OKichi[51] San. Soon after the Honorable Master Kichi appeared. “Honorable Master Kichi,” said his father to the eight year old urchin, “take this gentleman to the house of the American physician.” Kichi bowed, and leading the way, brought Inouye to a private house, off the Tokaido and near the causeway leading to Yokohama. There was a small but well kept garden in front. It was a house which had evidently been built for a well-to-do samurai, but Inouye noticed that the sho ji, instead of being of paper, were of a transparent substance, probably glass.