Authors: Natsume Soseki
Mr. Beauchamp drains his cup of tea, now quite cold, in one quick gulp and with some formality remarks, “As a matter-of-fact I’ve come today to ask a favor from you.”
“Yes? And what can I do for you?” My master, too, assumes a formal face.
“As you know, I am a devotee of literature and art. . .”
“That’s a good thing,” replies my master quite encouragingly.
“Since a little while back, I and a few like-minded friends have got together and organized a reading group. The idea is to meet once a month for the purpose of continued studying in this field. In fact, we’ve already had the first meeting at the end of last year.”
“May I ask you a question? When you say, like that, a reading group, it suggests that you engage in reading poetry and prose in a singsong tone. But in what sort of manner do you, in fact, proceed?”
“Well, we are beginning with ancient works but we intend to consider the works of our fellow members.”
“When you speak of ancient works, do you mean something like Po Chu-i’s
Lute Song
?”
“No.”
“Perhaps things like Buson’s mixture of
haiku
and Chinese verse?”
“No.”
“What kinds of thing do you then do?”
“The other day, we did one of Chikamatsu’s lovers’ suicides.”
“Chikamatsu? You mean the Chikamatsu who wrote
jōruri
plays?”
There are not two Chikamatsus. When one says Chikamatsu, one does indeed mean Chikamatsu the playwright and could mean nobody else. I thought my master really stupid to ask so fool a question. However, oblivious to my natural reactions, he gently strokes my head. I calmly let him go on stroking me, justifying my compliance with the reflection that so small a weakness is permissible when there are those in the world who admit to thinking themselves under loving observation by persons who merely happen to be cross-eyed.
Beauchamp answers, “Yes,” and tries to read the reaction on my master’s face.
“Then is it one person who reads or do you allot parts among you?”
“We allot parts and each reads out the appropriate dialogue. The idea is to empathize with the characters in the play and, above all, to bring out their individual personalities. We do gestures as well. The main thing is to catch the essential character of the era of the play. Accordingly, the lines are read out as if spoken by each character, which may perhaps be a young lady or possibly an errand-boy.”
“In that case it must be like a play.”
“Yes, almost the only things missing are the costumes and the scenery.”
“May I ask if your reading was a success?”
“For a first attempt, I think one might claim that it was, if anything, a success.”
“And which lovers’ suicide play did you perform on the last occasion?”
“We did a scene in which a boatman takes a fare to the red light quarter of Yoshiwara.”
“You certainly picked on a most irregular incident, didn’t you?” My master, being a teacher, tilts his head a little sideways as if regarding something slightly doubtful. The cigarette smoke drifting from his nose passes up by his ear and along the side of his head.
“No, it isn’t that irregular. The characters are a passenger, a boatman, a high-class prostitute, a serving-girl, an ancient crone of a brothel-attendant, and, of course, a geisha-registrar. But that’s all.” Beauchamp seems utterly unperturbed. My master, on hearing the words “a high-class prostitute,” winces slightly but probably only because he’s not well up in the meanings of such technical terms as
nakai, yarite,
and
kemban
.
He seeks to clear the ground with a question. “Does not
nakai
signify something like a maid-servant in a brothel?”
“Though I have not yet given the matter my full attention, I believe that
nakai
signifies a serving-girl in a teahouse and that
yarite
is some sort of an assistant in the women’s quarters.” Although Beauchamp recently claimed that his group seeks to impersonate the actual voices of the characters in the plays, he does not seem to have fully grasped the real nature of
yarite
and
nakai
.
“I see,
nakai
belong to a teahouse while
yarite
live in a brothel. Next, are
kemban
human beings or is it the name of a place? If human, are they men or women?”
“
Kemban
, I rather think, is a male human being.”
“What is his function?”
“I’ve not yet studied that far. But I’ll make inquiries, one of these days.”
Thinking, in the light of these revelations, that the play-readings must be affairs extraordinarily ill-conducted, I glance up at my master’s face.
Surprisingly, I find him looking serious. “Apart from yourself, who were the other readers taking part?”
“A wide variety of people. Mr. K, a Bachelor of Law, played the high-class prostitute, but his delivery of that woman’s sugary dialogue through his very male mustache did, I confess, create a slightly queer impression. And then there was a scene in which this
oiran
was seized with spasms. . .”
“Do your readers extend their reading activities to the simulation of spasms?” asked my master anxiously.
“Yes indeed; for expression is, after all, important.” Beauchamp clearly considers himself a literary artist à l’outrance.
“Did he manage to have his spasms nicely?” My master has made a witty remark.
“The spasms were perhaps the only thing beyond our capability at such a first endeavor.” Beauchamp, too, is capable of wit.
“By the way,” asks my master, “what part did you take?”
“I was the boatman.”
“Really? You, the boatman!” My master’s tone was such as to suggest that, if Beauchamp could be a boatman, he himself could be a geisha-registrar. Switching his tone to one of simple candor, he then asks: “Was the role of the boatman too much for you?”
Beauchamp does not seem particularly offended. Maintaining the same calm voice, he replies, “As a matter of fact, it was because of this boatman that our precious gathering, though it went up like a rocket, came down like a stick. It so happened that four or five girl students are living in the boarding house next door to our meeting hall. I don’t know how, but they found out when our reading was to take place. Anyway, it appears that they came and listened to us under the window of the hall.
I was doing the boatman’s voice, and, just when I had warmed up nicely and was really getting into the swing of it—perhaps my gestures were a little over-exaggerated—the girl students, all of whom had managed to control their feelings up to that point, thereupon burst out into simultaneous cachinnations. I was of course surprised, and I was of course embarrassed: indeed, thus dampened, I could not find it in me to continue. So our meeting came to an end.”
If this were considered a success, even for a first meeting, what would failure have been like? I could not help laughing. Involuntarily, my Adam’s apple made a rumbling noise. My master, who likes what he takes to be purring, strokes my head ever more and more gently. I’m thankful to be loved just because I laugh at someone, but at the same time I feel a bit uneasy.
“What very bad luck!” My master offers condolences despite the fact that we are still in the congratulatory season of the New Year.
“As for our second meeting, we intend to make a great advance and manage things in the grand style. That, in fact, is the very reason for my call today: we’d like you to join our group and help us.”
“I can’t possibly have spasms.” My negative-minded master is already poised to refuse.
“No, you don’t have to have spasms or anything like that. Here’s a list of the patron members.” So saying, Beauchamp very carefully produced a small notebook from a purple-colour carrying-wrapper. He opened the notebook and placed it in front of my master’s knees. “Will you please sign and make your seal-mark here?” I see that the book contains the names of distinguished Doctors of Literature and Bachelors of Arts of this present day, all neatly mustered in full force.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I object to becoming a supporter, but what sort of obligations would I have to meet?” My oyster-like master displays his apprehensions. . .
“There’s hardly any obligation. We ask nothing from you except a signature expressing your approval.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll join.” As he realizes that there is no real obligation involved, he suddenly becomes lighthearted. His face assumes the expression of one who would sign even a secret commitment to engage in rebellion, provided it was clear that the signature carried no binding obligation. Besides, it is understandable that he should assent so eagerly: for to be included, even by name only, among so many names of celebrated scholars is a supreme honor for one who has never before had such an opportunity. “Excuse me,” and my master goes off to the study to fetch his seal. I am tipped to fall unceremoniously onto the matting.
Beauchamp helps himself to a slice of sponge cake from the cake-bowl and crams it into his mouth. For a while he seems to be in pain, mumbling. Just for a second I am reminded of my morning experience with the rice-cake. My master reappears with his seal just as the sponge cake settles down in Beauchamp’s bowels. My master does not seem to notice that a piece of sponge cake is missing from the cake-bowl. If he does, I shall be the first to be suspected.
Mr. Beauchamp having taken his departure, my master reenters the study where he finds on his desk a letter from friend Waverhouse.
“I wish you a very happy New Year. . .”
My master considers the letter to have started with an unusual seriousness. Letters from Waverhouse are seldom serious. The other day, for instance, he wrote: “Of late, as I am not in love with any woman, I receive no love letters from anywhere. As I am more or less alive, please set your mind at ease.” Compared with which, this New Year’s letter is exceptionally matter-of-fact:
I would like to come and see you, but I am so very extremely busy every day because, contrary to your negativism, I am planning to greet this New Year, a year unprecedented in all history, with as positive an attitude as is possible. Hoping you will understand. . .
My master quite understands, thinking that Waverhouse, being Waverhouse, must be busy having fun during the New Year season.
Yesterday, finding a minute to spare, I sought to treat Mr. Beauchamp to a dish of moat-bells. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of their ingredients, I could not carry out my intention. It was most regrettable. . .
My master smiles, thinking that the letter is falling more into the usual pattern.
Tomorrow there will be a card party at a certain Baron’s house; the day after tomorrow a New Year’s banquet at the Society of Aesthetes; and the day after that, a welcoming party for Professor Toribe; and on the day thereafter. . .
My master, finding it rather a bore, skips a few lines.
So you see, because of these incessant parties—
nō
song parties,
haiku
parties,
tanka
parties, even parties for New Style Poetry, and so on and so on, I am perpetually occupied for quite some time. And that is why I am obliged to send you this New Year’s letter instead of calling on you in person. I pray you will forgive me. . .
“Of course you do not have to call on me.” My master voices his answer to the letter.
Next time that you are kind enough to visit me, I would like you to stay and dine. Though there is no special delicacy in my poor larder, at least I hope to be able to offer you some moat-bells, and I am indeed looking forward to that pleasure. . .
“He’s still brandishing his moat-bells,” muttered my master, who, thinking the invitation an insult, begins to feel indignant.
However, because the ingredients necessary for the preparation of moat-bells are currently in rather short supply, it may not be possible to arrange it. In which case, I will offer you some peacocks’ tongues. . .
“Aha! So he’s got two strings to his bow,” thinks my master and cannot resist reading the rest of the letter.
As you know, the tongue meat per peacock amounts to less than half the bulk of the small finger. Therefore, in order to satisfy your gluttonous stomach. . .
“What a pack of lies,” remarks my master in a tone of resignation.
I think one needs to catch at least twenty or thirty peacocks. However, though one sees an occasional peacock, maybe two, at the zoo or at the Asakusa Amusement Center, there are none to be found at my poulterer’s, which is occasioning me pain, great pain. . .
“You’re having that pain of your own free will.” My master shows no evidence of gratitude.