Page:Madame Butterfly; Purple eyes; A gentleman of Japan and a lady; Kito; Glory (1904).djvu/224

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GLORY

rice. Also, I am quite clean. I am shivering with cleanness. Therefore grant that there may be honorable—war!"

Madame Pine-Tree pushed the fusuma noisily aside. Glory put her hands upon the floor and her forehead on them, and saluted her husband's mother as became her. But—if you will know the truth—in this safe posture she smiled.

"Perhaps you are insane!" her mother-in-law said, with haughty asperity.

Glory smiled again.

"Why do you pray for war? Speak!"

"That Ji-Saburo may come."

Glory sat up defiantly.

"A nation for a barbarian who has forsaken his country and his gods!"

"Yes," said Glory, valiantly.

"And what, pray, do you wish of him?"

"To fight—and—and—die."

The elder laughed harshly.

"He knows not the name—no, by Ojin Tenno!"

"He is as brave as any of his ancestors—and they were all samurai—by Benten!" insisted the girl, doggedly.

"Bah! He has the unlaughing face of an American woman. He is a Mister!"