5

The Second Princess having put away her robes of mourning, there was no longer a need for reticence in the matter of her marriage.

“The indications are,” someone said to Kaoru,” that the emperor would not be unfriendly to a proposal.”

Kaoru could have feigned ignorance, but he was quite well enough known already for eccentricity and brusqueness. Summoning up his re-solve, he found occasion from time to time to hint that he was interested. The emperor of course had no reason to reject these overtures, and presently Kaoru was informed, again through intermediaries, that a date had been set. Though he was altogether in sympathy with the troubled emperor, his life was still haunted by a sense of emptiness, and he still found it impossible to accept the fact that so apparently strong a bond should in the end have snapped like a thread. He knew that he would be drawn to a girl, even a girl of humble birth, who resembled Oigimi. If only he could, like that Chinese emperor,* have a glimpse through magic incense of his lost love! He was in no great rush to wed this royal lady.