10

It was just at this moment. Koremitsu was wandering about seeking traces of human occupancy. He found none. He had passed the house on earlier occasions and looked in. It had seemed quite deserted. The moon burst forth brightly as he turned to leave. He saw that a pair of shutters was raised and a blind was moving slightly. Though this first sign of life was a little frightening, he approached and cleared his throat to announce his presence.

After a cough, a fearfully aged voice replied: “Who is that out there? Who are you?”

Koremitsu identified himself. “I would like to speak to Jiju~, please, if I may.

“Jiju~'s gone away and left us. But there's someone here you might call just the same as Jiju~.” The voice was a very, very ancient one. He thought he had heard it before.

Suddenly, without warning, from nowhere, a gentleman in travel dress, to all appearances courteous and civil. No longer accustomed to receiving visitors, the old woman wondered if it might be a fox or some equally perverse and mischievous creature.

He came nearer. “I must beg to be told exactly how things are with you. If your lady has not changed, then my lord's wishes to call upon her have not changed either. He found that he could not pass you by, and had his carriage stopped outside. What shall I tell him? You have nothing to be afraid of.”

There was uncertain laughter, and a woman answered haltingly: “Do you think that if she had changed she would not have moved away from this jungle? Please imagine for yourself, sir, the situation of which you inquire, and report it to your lord. We who should be used to it by now think it most extraordinary. We ask ourselves how many other examples there can possibly be in the whole world.”

“I see. I will tell him.” Fearing he might have a longer answer than he wished, Koremitsu returned to Genji's carriage.

“You took your time,” said Genji. “And what did you find? You must have had to cut away a great deal of underbrush to find anything.”

Koremitsu described the search that had taken him so long. “I spoke to Jiju~'s aunt, the old lady called Sho~sho~. I would have recognized her voiceanywhere.”