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each of them had then put forward. Had life refuted or confirmed them? And so, between tears and laughter, the talk went on, with not a shade of reproach or coolness on either side, till morning was almost come. ‘I have no desire to go away,’ said Genji, rising at last. ‘The things of which we have been speaking happened so long ago that they are already ancient history, and I thought that they no longer much concerned me. But this meeting of ours to-night has brought them back out of the past, and . . .’ Perhaps it was partly because he had been drinking (some special reason there must have been, for it was very seldom indeed that he betrayed his emotion), Genji at this point broke down completely and burst into a flood of tears.

Nor was he the only person in the house to weep that night. For the old Princess, seeing Genji so far increased in dignities and power since the time of Aoi’s death, could not help picturing to herself the impression that the more consequential Genji of to-day would undoubtedly have made upon her fastidious daughter. A year or two longer, a little more experience on either side, and all might have been well.

The matter of Yūgiri and Kumoi had not been so much as mentioned during Tō no Chūjō’s visit. Genji was by no means anxious to start the subject, for he knew that the girl’s family considered that he had been remiss in not putting in a word for her at Court, and he felt no inclination to defend himself; while Chūjō, not venturing to embark upon a topic which Genji seemed deliberately to avoid, gave the impression that upon this point he still harboured a grievance. ‘I shall not escort you to your palace to-night,’ he said to Genji. ‘Our joint cavalcades, suddenly let loose upon the sleeping town, would cause an uncomfortable commotion. But next time we meet here we will let it be known in advance that I am going to escort you. . . .’

It now seemed certain that the old Princess would by