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Rh warnings and injunctions. The curiosity of the young nurses knew no bounds; but it remained wholly unsatisfied; for hard though they strained their ears, they could not catch a word.

Yūgiri was now tired of waiting and made his way to his grandmother’s house. He found her quietly pursuing her devotions, surrounded by gentlewomen not all of whom were either old or ill-looking. But in dress and bearing they formed a strange contrast to the chattering, frivolous young creatures from whom he had just parted. The nuns too, who had come to take part in the service, were by no means decrepit or disagreeable in person, a fact which gave an additional pathos to their assumption of this sombre and unbecoming guise.

Later in the day Tō no Chūjō called, and when the great lamp had been brought in, he and the old Princess had a long, quiet talk. At last she screwed up her courage to say: ‘It is a very long time since I saw Kumoi…’ and she burst into tears. ‘I was just going to suggest sending her round here in a day or two,’ said Tō no Chūjō. ‘I am not very happy about her. She is certainly thinner than she used to be, and there is sometimes a peculiar expression in her face…. It is almost as though she had something on her mind. I do not understand how it is that, while I have never had a moment’s anxiety over my boys, with these daughters of mine something goes wrong at every turn. And never through any fault of mine….’ He said this with an intonation that clearly showed he had not entirely forgiven her. She was sorely wounded by this obstinate injustice, but did not attempt to defend herself.

‘Talking of daughters,’ he went on, ‘you have probably heard that I have lately made a very unsuccessful addition to my household. You have no idea what worries I am