Page:Eminent Authors of Contemporary Japan.pdf/36

24 ''down at him. She speaks in rather broken Japanese, imitating the accent of a foreigner.'') Yes, I am Rosa … I am Rosa. Who are you?
 * Kakutaro.—I? … Of course I am the messenger-boy who was once employed by Nakamura, the tailor, in Kobe.
 * The Fox.—Oh, yes. You worked once in Nakamura’s shop?
 * Kakutaro.—Yes, I once served there … for about three years. I remember very well often coming up to your place with messages and parcels. You had a great variety of dressing-gowns, hadn’t you? Do you remember when I used to go up to your room which was at the comer of the second storey? It was there that I saw your chest of drawers with a great looking-glass on it … it was next to your bed, and I remember it was full of dresses, wasn’t it? … Oh, Rosa-san, I remember everything, quite well.
 * The Fox.—Oh, do you? … And your name, what is it?
 * Kakutaro.—I’m named Kakutaro.
 * The Fox.—Oh, yes, Kakutaro … I know you now. I remember you as the messenger-boy at that tine. (Saying this, she comes back again across the bridge, and standing close to him, looks into his face.)
 * Kakutaro.—You were very kind to me then. Whenever you saw me you used to stroke my head, and call me Kakutaro-san, Kakutaro-san. Then you used to give me lovely chocolates wrapped in