9

There were promotions, Genji to chancellor and To~ no Chu~jo~ to Minister of the Center. Genji left the everyday conduct of government to his friend, a most honest and straightforward man who had also a bright side to his nature. He was very intelligent and he had studied hard. Though he could not hold his own with Genji in rhyme-guessing contests, he was a gifted administrator. He had more than a half score of sons by several ladies, all of them growing or grown and making names for themselves. It was a good day for his house. He had only one daughter, Kumoinokari, besides the lady who had gone to court. It could not have been said, since her mother came from the royal family, that she was the lesser of the two daughters, but the mother had since married the Lord Inspector and had a large family of her own. Not wishing to leave the girl with her stepfather, To~ no Chu~jo~ had brought her to Sanjo~ and there put her in Princess Omiya's custody. Though he paid a good deal more attention to the other daughter, Kumoinokari wag a pretty and amiable child.