Page:Eminent Authors of Contemporary Japan, volume 2.pdf/128

108 downward again.

That night the Naigu slept well, and as soon as he woke next morning, he felt his nose. It was still short. So from that time onward the Naigu felt in a placid and calm state of mind. Such a feeling had been absent from his heart for a very long time indeed. He now had the feeling of one who had been putting all his efforts into copying “Hokekyo” (the Book of Hokke, in the Buddhist Scriptures) neatly into handwriting, and had come to the end of his task satisfactorily.

After two or three days had elapsed, however, the Naigu had an unexpected experience. A certain samurai happened to pay a visit to the Temple of Ikeno-o, and while talking with him, he noticed that the former was pulling a funny face as he looked at him. Something seemed to be diverting the samurai’s attention from their conversation. Something seemed to be amusing him very much, and instead of listening to what was being said, he only stared hard at the Naigu’s nose.

Not only did this worry him, but outside the lecture-hall of the temple, when he met the same chudoji who had once so carelessly let the Naigu’s nose fall into his porridge-bowl, he dropped his head as he passed, as if he was trying to suppress some amusement, and, being unable to control his feelings properly, burst loudly into laughter. Also the “gehoshi” (a [sic] lower priests), when they were in the presence of the Naigu, listened meekly to his orders, but would giggle