Thus, though he himself
has laid by the heels, he confirmed and extended his party in
the State.
At last, after many lesser transferences, he was given over
from the prisons of the Shogun to those of his own superior,
the Daimio of Choshu. I conceive it possible that he may
then have served out his time for the attempt to leave Japan,
and was now resigned to the provincial Government on a lesser
count, as a Ronyin or feudal rebel. But, however that may
be, the change was of great importance to Yoshida; for by the
influence of his admirers in the Daimio's council, he was
allowed the privilege, underhand, of dwelling in his own
house. And there, as well to keep up communication with his
fellow-reformers as to pursue his work of education, he
received boys to teach. It must not be supposed that he was
free; he was too marked a man for that; he was probably
assigned to some small circle, and lived, as we should say,
under police surveillance; but to him, who had done so much
from under lock and key, this would seem a large and
profitable liberty.
It was at this period that Mr. Masaki was brought into
personal contact with Yoshida; and hence, through the eyes of
a boy of thirteen, we get one good look at the character and
habits of the hero. He was ugly and laughably disfigured
with the smallpox; and while nature had been so niggardly
with him from the first, his personal habits were even
sluttish.
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