Page:Madame Butterfly; Purple eyes; A gentleman of Japan and a lady; Kito; Glory (1904).djvu/194

 Sun-Goddess for his return. Him? Her husband, and the father of the child. But he was dead—in the trench at Jokoji. What luck for an undeserving fool! Did he know that he was dead? Did he believe it? There was no doubt of that to her, though there had been a whisper of doubt as to his end. Perhaps she had gone to Jokoji. Perhaps she had heard that whisper.

He was quite sure, upon the instant, that they had gone to Jokoji! Possibly he had just missed them. He hastened back again to the battle-field. He was very sure. Sometimes, on the way, he sang. The ghastly trench was green now. There was nothing to remind one of its horrors. They were not there. They had not been there, it seemed. No one had seen them. In the time he spent at Jokoji he wondered sometimes whether he were not indeed beneath the green of that trench. Was this himself or another who was so bereft? He had been very happy at Jokoji. But now it seemed eternities since then. And should he ever be happy again? There was terror in the doubt.

Then on to Isé, with a little less hope—because the woman had suggested that.