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142 off his hanten-coat.

The young man was looking from the wife to the husband, and after a short pause he said, “You aren’t sick, I hope?” And he winked his small narrow eyes propitiatingly.

“Yes, sir. I’ve taken a slight cold.”

“Well, you must take great care of yourself, because a rather bad kind of influenza is prevalent at the present time.”

“Thanks,” murmured Yoshisaburo in his throat.

When a piece of white linen had been placed over the youth’s neck and chest by the barber, the youth said again, “Just pass the razor over my face, for I’m in rather a hurry.” And he smiled faintly at the barber. Yoshisaburo was silent and did not seem to notice his remark. He was softening the blade of the razor which he had just been whetting, against the inner side of his left elbow.” [sic]

“Between half past ten and eleven I shall be able to get there,” murmured the young man to himself. He was evidently expecting to receive an answer of some kind from the barber.

Yoshisaburo at once began to recollect a rather strange girl who was employed in a certain house of ill-fame not far away. She had a curious voice, a mixture of male and female in tone. He was thinking that this vulgar little man might be going to visit her, and in his weak and nervous brain, he pictured one