CHAPTER IX
A RAINY DAY
"Rain, rain, rain," said Mary Lee looking disconsolately out ofthe window a few mornings after the day of the Boy's Festival. "Itcertainly is discouraging. We have seen all the sights within easydistance of Tokyo and even of Yokohama. We have spent all our allowanceon frivolous trinkets at the curio shops and markets, and I, for one,wish we could go somewhere else. I am tired of rainy days in Tokyo."
"Oh, I don't mind in the least," returned Nan cheerfully. "I am ratherglad of a real true rainy day, for then you can be absolutely decidedabout your plans; when it is a question of whether it is going to rainor not it keeps one in a very fretful state of mind."
"But what is there to do but write letters? I have no desire to add tothe number of my correspondents and I have already written to everyone."
"Begin over again. You can't write too often to mother and the girls,nor to Jo."
"You are so annoyingly cheerful about giving advice that I believe youhave some plan for yourself up your sleeve."
Nan laughed. "Well, to tell you the truth, I have." She turned withheightened color from the window.
"Well, out with it. What is your alluring project?"
"I hope, at least I expect, to go to Mrs. Craig's for some music."
"Oh, dear," sighed Mary Lee. "I might have known I would be counted outon this depressing day of all times. It only adds to the grievance tohave Mrs. Craig no longer here at the hotel and to have Eleanor gone,too."
"Why not come along and flock with Nell? Mrs. Craig begs that we shallfeel perfectly at home and says she counts on us to keep Nell in goodspirits."
"But there is Aunt Helen. Shall it be said that we have both desertedher on a hopeless day like this?"
Nan looked sober. "I did promise," she said wistfully.
Mary Lee regarded her with a little smile. "I won't be hard on you, oldgirl," she said. "I know what I can do; I can call up Nell and get herto come over in a 'jinriki,' for at least part of the day, and unlessyou intend to make a day of it yourself we can arrange some otherthing for the afternoon."
"Nice child," returned Nan commendingly. "That is just the ticket. Ofcourse I shall have to find out first at what hour Mr. Harding can getaway, but I think it will be the morning after eleven."
"Oh, Mr. Harding," returned Mary Lee in pretended surprise. "Did youexpect to meet him at his aunt's?"
"Why, why," Nan began blunderingly, "I--we--did plan to have somemusic." Then seeing the mischievous look on Mary Lee's face, she cried,"I have half a mind to box your ears; you knew perfectly well what Imeant."
Mary Lee laughed. "It is fun to get a rise out of you, Nan, once in awhile; I don't often get a chance nowadays. All right, you find outabout when you are going and I will make my arrangements accordingly."
She did not have to wait long, for while they were talking, came amessage that Miss Corner was wanted at the 'phone and after a shortabsence from the room Nan returned to say that she was to be on hand byeleven o'clock, and that she would take a "jinriki" over, and she wouldfind out what Aunt Helen wanted to do. So it was decided that MaryLee should remain on hand. "To keep the lid on Aunt Helen," as sheexpressed it. "Then you go on and let Nell come back in your 'riksha ifshe will."
Nan started off in the pelting rain snugly tucked in and not mindingit in the least. There were always sights to see and she was perfectlysecure from wet, although her coolie was dashing through puddles andthe rain was pouring from his straw cloak and down his legs in a mannerwhich showed the extent of the downpour. He did not seem to mind itin the least, however, and in fact appeared to enjoy it. Mrs. Craighad taken possession of a comfortable house in the European quarter ofthe town and before this the runner stopped short, drawing up closelyenough to the door to allow Nan to alight without getting wet, a paperumbrella held over her head shielding her to the very entrance.
A Japanese servant bowed low to the floor and ushered her inside, butbefore he could announce her, Eleanor came running in. "I knew youwould be here," she said. "Neal has already announced your coming. Hehas been tuning his fiddle and giving us preliminary flourishes for thelast ten minutes. I was left out when they were giving musical talents,you know, and Neal got it all. You may well remember my futile effortsat singing college songs in those halcyon days of yore."
"I do remember well, and so I infer that a concerted performancewill not be so greatly enjoyed by your fair self that you will not bewilling to forego it. Mary Lee is in a state of doldrums and wants youto come over."
"To share the doldrums?"
"To scare them away. She is wearied of the rain, and proposed that youshould return in the rikky I have just left. As near as I could makethe man understand he is to wait."
Eleanor went to the window. "He is still there, so he evidentlyunderstood. I don't want to desert you, but I know perfectly well whentwo musical cranks get together there is no hope for an outsider and soI shall leave you and Neal to your own devices, expecting still to findyou when I get back. Aunt Nora has gone out but she left word that youmust not fail to stay to lunch. She has gone now to get some octapustentacles or some other Japanese horror as a delicacy for you."
Nan would not promise to stay, but as the sounds of a violin came froman inner room, she followed Eleanor to where her friend declared herbrother was waiting impatiently.
The young man came forward, his violin tucked under his arm and thebow in his hand. "So glad you could come," he said. "I have broughtsome music, but I shall expect a solo first to pay me for waiting tenminutes."
"I have heard Nan Corner play too many times for it to be a rarityto me," declared Eleanor, "so I shall go and get ready for my ride.Perhaps you'd better explain to the man, Neal. He is waiting outside,and may refuse to take back a different person from the one hebrought." She hurried off while her brother went out to make the matterclear to the coolie.
When he returned Nan was sitting at the piano softly and caressinglytrying a little nocturne. It seemed good to touch the keys again andfor a few moments she was lost to all but the music she had in mind,but after a while she stopped and began to sound only a few chords. Asoft clapping made her turn to see Mr. Harding standing behind her.
"I heard you play that once before," he said.
"You heard me? Where?"
"At Bettersley in your freshman year."
"But how did it come about? I am sure I never saw you."
"No, for you had hardly made my sister's acquaintance then. I had runup to see her and she took me to one of your club-houses. You were atthe piano playing."
"And you never told me in all this time."
"No, for you see I did not meet you on that occasion and at first Idid not associate you with the dark-haired girl who was playing Chopinat Bettersley four years ago."
Nan arose. "Now since I have finished the solo you demanded, let uslook over your music."
"Oh, but you didn't play that expressly for me."
"For whom then?"
"For yourself, didn't you? I exact the fulfilment of my claim. Pleaseplay something else."
Nan hesitated, but she was not one of those who required persistenturging so she sat down again and played a dainty little shadow dance."That seems to express Japan better than anything else I know," shesaid when she had finished.
"I think you have responded to its call," said her companion. "Thankyou, Miss Nan. Now then what shall we do?"
They looked over the music together, finally settling down to a sonataand giving themselves up entirely to its requirements. An hour passed,then another hour and still they played on while the rain beat outsideand those within the house came and went all unheeded. At last a voiceinterrupted a discussion they were having over a certain passage.
"Well," said Mrs. Craig, "aren't you two pretty nearly ready to drop?But no, I needn't ask. I have lived with musicians before and I knowhow indefatigable they can be. I have just had a 'phone message fromEleanor who says she will stay to lunch with Mary Lee unless yo
u arecoming back, which of course you will not think of doing. Tiffin isready."
"Dear me, is it so late?" said Nan springing up. "We have had such agood time. I had no idea how long we had been at it. Thank you, Mrs.Craig; if Eleanor is going to stay with Mary Lee I will accept yourvery kind invitation. You do not know how good it seems to get hold ofa piano again."
"I had to have mine brought out, for we can't tell how long we may behere, and I like to drum a little myself."
"Aunt Nora plays well," Mr. Harding declared.
"But not near so well as you do, Nan. You are a real artist. I havebeen listening to you with the greatest interest; it was such adelightful entertainment for a rainy day."
"It certainly was for me," returned Nan simply, as she followed herhostess to the dining-room where the colonel presently joined them, andwhere they made merry over their meal.
It was a temptation to remain and to continue the music, but Mr.Harding said regretfully that he must return to his office while Nandeclared that she was imposing on Mary Lee by staying away all day, soshe called up Eleanor to know if Mary Lee wanted to return with her.The reply was that Mary Lee did not intend to go out, and that Nan hadbetter return as soon as she could, as Eleanor was about leaving. Itwas Mary Lee herself who did the talking. There was something a littleagitated and mysterious in the way she spoke and she urged Nan's returnso decidedly as to cause some apprehension on Nan's part.
However, she said nothing of this to Mrs. Craig but started off as soonas she could, feeling a little worried at what might have happened inher absence. She hoped Miss Helen was not ill, or that there had beenno bad news from home. She hurried to her room as soon as possibleafter arriving at the hotel. Mary Lee met her at the door. She lookedexcited but not worried. "What is the matter?" asked Nan anxiously.
"Matter? What should be the matter?"
"I thought maybe something might have happened while I was away. Thereis no bad news, is there?"
"Why should you think that?"
"I don't know, only that you made such a point of my coming soon. AuntHelen is not ill, is she?"
"No indeed, but as soon as you take off your things you'd better go inand see her."
Nan wondered a little at this and hastened to take the hint. Sheknocked at her aunt's door, received the customary answer, "Come in,"and entered the room to see a familiar figure sitting there. She couldscarcely believe her eyes, but in another second she had rushed acrossthe floor crying, "Oh, mother, mother, you dear, dear mother!" and inanother instant was clasped in her mother's arms.
"How did you get here? When did you come? How did you leave thetwinnies?" the questions came thick and fast.
But before they were answered, a little suppressed giggle soundedfrom some mysterious corner and Nan sprang to her feet. "That soundedexactly like Jack," she exclaimed. "I do believe she is here," andthen from behind a screen, out rushed Jack to be hugged and kissed andexclaimed over.
Hardly was this excitement over and the questioning begun again, beforethe screen was pushed aside and out walked Jean, as demure as youplease, and then there was more exclaiming and wondering and querying.
"You don't happen to have any one else back there, do you?" inquiredNan, going over to examine the space behind the screen. "I feel as ifthis were something like a sleight-of-hand performance when they letdoves out of little boxes and rabbits from pockets. Do sit down andtell me all about it."
"Well, it is just this way," said her mother. "There were some cases ofscarlet fever in the dormitory where the girls were, and as Jean wasnot well I was afraid she might fall a victim in case of an epidemic,and so I took the two girls away, for I wanted to run no risk. It wasso near the end of the term that I think they can make up the losttime next year, and as I thought it over it seemed to me they mightprofit as much by a trip to Japan as by keeping on with their collegework, so we talked it over and I concluded to start right off to joinyou. I must confess that a very large longing to see my other two hadsomething to do with the decision. Japan seemed such a very long wayoff and it seemed to me it would work greatly to my content to knowthat we were all together. We reached Yokohama early this morning anddid not waste much time in getting here."
"And have you been here long?"
"No, we came just before luncheon. We wanted to give you a surprise, sowe prevailed upon Eleanor to stay and thus put you off the track."
"But I did suspect something," Nan told her, "for Mary Lee could notkeep the excitement out of her voice. Oh, me, but it is good to seeyou. You came through California, of course. Did you stop to see theRobertses?"
"They came up to San Francisco to see us off," her mother told her.
"Carter, too?"
"Yes, Carter, too. They gave us a great send-off."
"Did you stop at Honolulu?"
"Only so long as the steamer was there. We saw a little of it, but wewere too anxious to get on to tarry there over a sailing."
Nan sat on the floor hugging her knees and looking from one to anotherwith a beaming smile. "Isn't it larks?" she said rocking back andforth, then making a grab for Jack she rolled her over and beganhugging her anew. "You dear old sinner, it is good to behold youagain," she declared, and Jack, nothing loth, snuggled up to her andchattered away. Thus the rainy day passed in a more exciting mannerthan many a sunshiny one had done.
It was not till they were preparing for bed that Mary Lee thought toask Nan about her morning's pleasure. "Did you have a good time, anddid Mr. Harding come?" she asked.
"Oh, yes, and it was all so delightful that I didn't know how the timewas going," Nan replied.
"Does he play well?"
"Very sympathetically."
"As well as your one time friend, Mr. Wells?"
"He has not such execution but I think he plays with more feeling," Nananswered after a pause. "He is more modest about his playing, too."
"So, take it all in all, it appeals to you more strongly."
Nan smiled reminiscently. How long ago that early summer madnessappeared in the light of later experiences. "What a callow creature Iwas," she said.
"And I suppose in five years you will be saying the same about thispresent little affair."
Nan did not reply to this but instead asked, "Did Jack say anythingabout Carter?"
"Not one word. I am afraid she is a heartless youngster."
"Poor old Cart," returned Nan. "However, Mary Lee, Jack may be allright at heart; she generally is, though she is so thoughtless. I shalltalk to her and see if she has any confidences to give. She is mightyyoung yet and we can scarcely expect her to be anything but a flyaway.She looks well."
"And so does Jean. I think mother was wise to bring them away frompossible danger."
"Dear old mother, she always does just the right thing."
"Of course," returned Mary Lee as if that were a question no one coulddoubt. "I suppose now that Jack has arrived we may look for livelytimes, Nan," a prophecy which was not without fulfilment as was laterseen.
"Well, you were wishing for excitement this morning," returned Nan,"but we certainly did not expect it to be furnished by Jack. Isn't itjust the climax of our pleasure here, Mary Lee, to have mother and thegirls? We shall have to stay in Tokyo for a while anyway to let themsee the sights."
"And I suppose," said Mary Lee slyly, "you are not sorry for theexcuse."
Nan pretended not to understand this thrust, and went on discussingplans while Mary Lee had her own thoughts about Nan's satisfaction inthe prolonged stay in Tokyo.
CHAPTER XA SACRED ISLE]