132 ST NICOTINE 



seems to hang a drowsy luxurious atmosphere, quite in 

 keeping with the old-world ease and courtly manners of 

 their truly polite hostess. Meanwhile female servants 

 have noiselessly placed before them the tabako bon, upon 

 which rests a gold-dotted lacquered case, delicately made of 

 leather-paper ; it is about eighteen inches long, and twelve 

 broad, and stands the height of three fingers. On the 

 removal of the lid the first things which strike the eye are 

 three chased little tobacco-pipes, each enclosed in a silk 

 lined case, which in form so nearly resembles the calausilia 

 that it is called the kiseru-gai — pipe snail. The bowl of 

 the pipe is a fairy-like thing of the size and shape of an 

 acorn-cup, and is of finely wrought silver ; the stem, about 

 six inches long, is of thin lacquered bamboo, and the 

 mouthpiece is of brightly polished metal. The pouch 

 holding the tobacco is also of stamped leather, and is 

 finely decorated with lacquer and silver work. But the 

 tobacco is something wonderful ; though an exotic of the 

 genus nicotina-tohacum of America, it has cast off its native 

 characteristics and become a light-coloured delicate weed, 

 which lissome fingers have cut into flossy shreds as fine as 

 gossamer and as soft as cocoon silk. As the usages of 

 polite society in Japan require that the visitors should 

 smoke while chatting, the hostess taking a few shreds of the 

 weed between her fingers and rolling them up into pellets 

 to fit the tiny bowls urges her guests to join in the grateful 

 pastime. One of the ladies, however, declines the proffered 

 pipe, saying, ' Arigato, tabako-o nomimasen,' (thank you, 

 I don't drink tobacco) at which the hostess with wonder- 

 ing eyes asks if she is under a vow ! She thinks that ladies 

 everywhere smoke ; that to do so is a binding rule of the 

 unwritten law of social intercourse. But on the other 

 guest accepting a pipe, saying, ' tabako-o nomimas,' (I 



