16

The New Year came, and there was caroling. Numbers of young courtiers had fine voices, and from this select group only the best received the royal appointment as carolers. Kaoru was named master of one of the two choruses and Yu~giri's son the lieutenant was among the musicians. There was a bright, cloudless moon, almost at full, as they left the main palace for the Reizei Palace. Tamakazura's sister and daughter were both in the main hall, where a retinue of princes and high courtiers surrounded the Reizei emperor. Looking them over, one was tempted to conclude that only Yu~giri and Higekuro had succeeded in producing really fine sons. The carolers seemed to feel that the Reizei Palace was even more of a challenge than the main palace. The lieutenant was very tense and fidgety at the thought that his lady was in the audience. The test on such occasions is the verve with which a young man wears the rather ordinary rosette in his cap. They all looked very dashing and they sang most commendably. As the lieutenant stepped ceremoniously to the royal staircase and sang “Bamboo River,” he was so assailed by memories that he was perilously near choking and losing his place. The Reizei emperor went with them to Akikonomu's apartments. As the night wore on, the moon was immodestly bright, brighter, it almost seemed, than the noonday sun. A too keen awareness of his audience was making the lieutenant feel somewhat unsteady on his feet. He wished that the wine cups would not come quite so unfailingly in his direction.

Exhausted from the night of caroling, which had taken him back and forth across the city, Kaoru was resting when a summons came from the Reizei Palace.

“Sleep is not permitted? ” But though he grumbled he set off once more.

The Reizei emperor wanted to know how the carolers had been re-ceived at the main palace.

“Isn't it fine that you were chosen over all the old men to lead one of the choruses.”

He was humming “The Delight of Ten Thousand Springs” * as he started for his new lady's apartments. Kaoru went with him. Her relatives had come in large numbers to enjoy the caroling and everything was very bright and modish.

Kaoru was engaged in conversation at a gallery door.

“The moon was dazzling last night,” he said, “but I doubt that moons and laurels+ account entirely for an appearance of giddiness on the lieutenant's part. It is just as bright up in the clouds where His Majesty lives, but the palace does not seem to have that effect on him at all.”

The women were feeling sorry for the lieutenant. “The darkness was completely defeated,” # said one of them. “We thought the moonlight did better by you than by him.”

A bit of paper was pushed from under the curtains.

“'Bamboo River,' not my favorite song,* *

But somewhat striking, its effect last night.”

The tears that mounted to Kaoru's eyes may have seemed an exag-gerated response to a rather ordinary poem, but they served to demonstrate that he had been fond of the lady.

“I looked to the bamboo river. It has run dry

And left an arid, barren world behind it.”

This appearance of forlornness, they thought, only made him hand-somer. He did not, like the lieutenant, indulge in a frenzy of grief, but he attracted sympathy.

“I shall leave you. I have said too much.”

He did not want to go, but the Reizei emperor was calling him.

“Yu~giri has told me that when your father was alive the music in the ladies' quarters went on all through the morning, long after the carolers had left. No one is up to that sort of thing any more. What an extraordinary range of talent he did bring together at Rokujo~. The least little gathering there must have been better than anything anywhere else.”

As if hoping to bring the good Rokujo~ days back, the emperor sent for instruments, a Chinese koto for his new lady, a lute for Kaoru, a Japanese koto for himself. He immediately struck up “This House.” * The new lady had been an uncertain musician, but he had been diligent with his lessons and she had proved eminently teachable. She had a good touch both as soloist and as accompanist, and indeed Kaoru thought her a lady with whom it would be difficult to find fault. He knew of course that she was very beautiful.

There were other such occasions. He managed without seeming querulous or familiar to let her know how she had disappointed him. I have not heard how she replied.