8

Oigimi too was asking herself what had happened. Supposing his anger now included her sister—what were they to do? And how awful to have all these women with their wise airs, not one of them in fact under-standing the slightest part of her confusion. The thoughts were still whirling through her head when a letter came from Kaoru. Surprisingly, she was pleased, more pleased, indeed, than usual. As if he did not know the season, he had attached a leafy branch only one sprig of which had turned crimson. Folded in an envelope, the note was quiet and laconic, and showed little trace of resentment.

“My mountain ladies have dyed it colors twain.

And which of the twain, please tell me, is the deeper?”

He apparently meant to pretend that nothing of moment had oc-curred. Uncertainty clutched at her once more; and here were these noisy women trying to goad her into a reply. She would have left it to her sister but for a fear that the poor girl was already at the limits of endurance. Finally, after many false starts, she sent back a verse:

“Whatever the'ladies' meant, the answer is clear:

The newer of these hues is far the deeper.” *

It had been jotted down with an appearance of unconcern, and it pleased him. He decided that his resentment was after all finite.

Two ladies with but a single heart, Bennokimi had told him—there had been more than one hint that Oigimi meant him to have her sister in her place. His refusal to take the hint, it now came to him, accounted for last night's behavior. He had been unkind. A wave of pity came over him. If he had caused her to think him unfeeling, then his hopes would come to nothing. And no doubt Bennokimi, who had been so good about passing his messages on, was beginning to think him untrustworthy. Well, he had let himself be trapped, the mistake had been his own. If people chose to laugh at him as the sort that is constantly forsaking the world, he could only let them laugh. It was worse than they knew. He was a laughable little boat indeed, paddling out only to come back time and time again!+

So he fretted the night away. There was a bright moon in the dawn sky as he went to call on Niou.