to him surpassingly charming. At last he began to think of seeking for some other maiden who might resemble her in these qualities. True, his thoughts had

s an official in the War Department. Her mother, however, had been married again to the Governor of the province of Chikzen, and had gone there with her husband; so Tay? made her father's house her home, and went from there backwards and forwards to the palace. She was an intimate acquainta

ell me all

and is seldom seen in society. Perhaps, some favorable evening, you might see her from a hid

the other two, one is not always a good friend." And he added, "Well, you may manage some time to let me hear her kot

t so good as you imagine," r

i, nibbling at the bait. "One of these evenings

the Princess, when she had leave of absence from the Court, chiefly because she did not like being at home with her stepmother. F

e palace, and proceeded to the mansion of the Princess, attracted more by the beauty of the evening than by the

ime," said she. "This is not the sort of

I may hear her voice. I cannot

rry to make you wait, but you must have a little patience." She proceeded to another part of the palace occupied by

How sweet at such an hour is the music of the koto! My official going to and fro to the palace p

but, if you wish it, I will play one tune." And she ordered the koto to be brought, and began to strike it. Her skill wa

mpatient. I must have more of this pleasure some other time; at present I must go and see him." Thus she caused the Princess to cease playing, and went to Genji, who exclaimed, when she returned, "Her music seems pretty good; but I had better not have heard it at all. How can

e, as if he had some other affairs on his hands. Tay? observed, with a knowing smile, "The Emperor, your father, always thinks of you as quite guileles

If these trifling amusements were thought so imp

s he sauntered along, he came to a thick hedge, in which there was a dark bower, and here wished to stop awhile. He stepped cautiously into it, when he suddenly perceived a tall ma

unperceived. When he saw Genji enter the mansion of the Princess, he wished to see how the business would end; so he waited in the garden, in order that he might witness Genji's departure, listening, at the same time, to the koto of the Prin

wo wandering

r vast imp

on our r

re you were

d, being somewhat amused at his pertinacit

re the moon

unknown t

mountains

far-off hom

n true propriety in your position, you ought always to have trustworthy attendants; and I am sure, by so doing, you will meet w

enji; "but he little knows about his Nade

ir flutes. Entering the mansion, they went to a small apartment, where they changed their dresses, and commenced playing the flutes in such a manner as if they had come from the Palace. The Sadaijin, hearing

their present quarters. T?-no-Chi?ji?'s idea about her took something of this shape: "If girls who, from a modest propriety, keep themselves aloof for years from our society, were at last to be subdued by our attentions, our affection for them would becom

to dare a little rivalry in that quarter; for, it would appear, that after this day amatory letter

from one, too, who possesses such a secluded life. True, her birth is high; but that cannot be the o

ther any question without reserve. From this circumstance T?-no-Chi?ji? one day boldly inquired of Genji: "I dare say you have received some repli

and he replied very vaguely, "I am not particularly concerned whether I get

t T?-no-Chi?ji?; "perhaps h

most attentions. I must not allow him to excel me in that." And Genji determined to achieve what he intended to do, and with this object still enlisted the aid of Tay?. He told her that the Princess's treating his letter with such indifference was an act of great cruelty. "Perhaps she does this," said he, "because she suspects I

detailed many more particulars about her. This enabled Genji to fully picture the general bearing of the Princess's character; and he thought, "Perhaps her mind is not one of brilliant activity, but she may be modest, and of a quiet nature, worthy of attention." And so

ed his thoughts recurred to past times, and even the sound of the fuller's hammer, which he had listened to in the home of Y?gao, came back to his ment

rincess were far from coming up to Genji's standard. She thought, however, that it would matter very little if he did not care for her, but if, on the other hand, he did so, h

the contrast of her present circumstances with those of her father's time. "This is a good opportunity," thought Tay?, and she sent, it seems, a message to Genji, who soon hastened to the mansion with his usual alacrity. At the moment when he arrived on the scene the long-looked-for moon had just made her appearance over the tops of a distant mountai

m to you. I have often told him that you do not particularly like it, and therefore I cannot think what makes him come here. I had better see him and send him away, but what shall I say.

r that, for the bashfulness of young ladies who are under the care of their parents may sometimes be even desirable, but how then

the Princess, "perhaps I will; but don't ex

e experiencing much nervousness, and as she did not know exactly how to manage, she left everything to Tay?, and was led by her to the room to rec

reserving the trait of high birth, but her d

ced to talk with her, and to explain how passionately he had desired to see her. She, however, lis

I sought s

ive one woul

card me, s

to trouble

embarrassment of the lady, she advanced to her side, and made the following reply in such a well-timed

e ringing

s we wish

she has no

ing much

k me that my mouth is almost

ing is a w

are some

letely clos

e, gives

ll hopes of agreeable responsiveness on the lady's part being vain

n at Niji?. The next morning T?-no-

d, in a peculiar tone. "Were

t myself, that is all; nothing to disturb me. But have you

ns for the fête in Suzak-in are to be nominated to-day. I came from the palace to

id Genji, "but let us br

im. Genji complied, and they drove off. Going along T?-no-Chi?ji? observed with an envious tone in his voice, "You look very sleepy;" to which Genji returned an indifferent reply. From

actised dancing, others music, the sound of which echoed everywhere around. A large hichiriki and a shakuhachi (two

mind of revisiting the Princess Hitachi. Tay? certainly came now and then, and strove to induce hi

there. He did not, however, announce his intention openly, but went there in st

were still left to hang in the once pretty and decorated chamber. There were a few domestic maidens there partakin

uliar white dress rather faded in appearance, and an awkward-looking comb in her hair, after the old-fashioned st

f the maids happened to say, "This poor cold place! when one's life is too long, such fate comes to

ng or another connected with t

heard all this, so he slyly withdrew some distance, and then

mo),[66] and often spent some time with her. On this occasion she happened to be visiting her, a circumstance which was not very convenient for the Princess. The dilapidated state of the mansion was just as novel to Genji as that which he had seen in the lodge of Y?gao, but the grea

the garden. The ground was covered with a sheet of pure whiteness; no footstep had left its trace, betraying the fact that few persons came to the mansion. He was about to tak

re was very tall, the upper part of her figure being out of proportion to the lower, then one thing which startled him most was her nose. It reminded him of the elephant of Fugen. It was high and long; while i

ess of the personages is very often more minutely described than anything else; so I must, I suppose, do the same. Her vest and skirt dress were double, and were of light green silk, a little worn, over which was a robe of dark color. Over all this she wore a mantle of sable of good quality, only a little too antique in fashion. To all these things, therefore, he felt no strong objection; but the two things he could not pass unnoticed were her nose, and h

hangs at th

when the s

r heart not

to my mel

ncess, but they seemed too stiff to rep

en of by Sama-no-Kami might be such as this," he thought. "If one can find a real beauty of elevated character and obtain her, how delightful would it not be! The spot answers the description, but the girl does not quite equa

f snow like a wave. The gate through which he had to drive out was not yet opened. The gatekeeper was summoned to open it. Thereupon an aged man came forth from his lodge. A miserable-looking girl with a pinched

ate, she came forward and helped him. And the scene was quite droll.

Genji

n the time-ben

the gath

tears of gr

hat youth ca

tiable image of one with a tinged flower[68] on her face pr

would he not have to say?" thought he,

on and circumstances he had witnessed more than for any other reason. He also sent her rolls of silk, which might replace the old-

is might make a blush, but the Princess did not take it in such a ser

one morning Tay? came in. She was very useful to him in small services, such as

ou, but it is somewhat trying for m

ere can be nothing

for my hesitation to r

iculty, as usual

she said, taking a letter fro

, taking the letter and opening it. It was written on thick and coarse

my sleeves a

at your l

per. Then she drew forth a substantial case of antique pattern, saying, "I cannot produce such a thing without shame, but the Pr

een written with great effort. We ought to be grateful for it, as they say." Here a smile rose on Genji's cheeks, and a blush upon Tay?'s. The case was opened, and a Naoshi (a kind of gown), of scarlet, shabby and old-fashioned, of the same color on both sides, was

pleases n

bright its

saffron flo

k tinge was

nderstood what he really meant by "saffron flower," re

e dress too

tints may pl

her, who sen

Naoshi b

ople were entering the room to see him, so Genji

he found Tay?, and threw a letter to her, saying, "Tay?, here is the answer. It has c

scarlet-t

he has seen some one reddened by the frost." Another said, "What an absurdity! There is no one among us of

assembled all her attendants round her, and they all

visits yo

the me

not often,

m tired

r of the purple grape, another of the Kerria japonica color, and others. All these were handed to the Princess by Tay?. It should be observed that these presents were made by Genji to the Princess chiefly on account of her reduced circumstances. Her att

arks, wrote down her verse in her

te Festival, on the seventh day, he betook himself there in the evening, after he had left the Emperor's presence, having made a pretence of retiring to his own private apartments. On this occasion the appearance of the lady happened to be a little more attractive, and Genji was pleased, thinking there might be a time when she would improve still

was amused at the sight of these articles, which were doubtless a legacy from her parents. The dress of the Princess was in every way nicer. It had been made out of the silk of Genji's present. He recognized i

, when numerou

g cherry-colored dress of plain silk. She had not yet blackened her teeth,[69] but he now made her do so, which gave a pleasant contrast to her eyebrows. He played at their usual games at toys with her, trying in every way to please her. She drew pictures and painted them, so did he also. H

in this way what shall I

ity. Do wipe it off, it

"Need I wipe it off any more? Sup

d it for him. "Don't put any more color," cr

l but the lovely white plum blossoms which were still visible amidst the gloom. At the front of the porch, al

ed flower' is

eyes delig

plum which b

f lovelin

ome of all th

TNO

the palace in turns, to attend to

princesses, were sent-one to the Shint? temple at Ise, the other to th

hail fly white around. Youth with its body uncovered, and the aged w

d "hana," which means a

ed, or even betrothed, is to blacken their teeth

hich he kept in his bottle for mixing ink, in order to deceive her. She discovered this ruse; so one day she put ink into it secretly. He dampe