Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/324

252 As we have seen, Miyuki had, some time before, met her nurse, Asaka, but her joy at this meeting was but a fleeting happiness, for Asaka's wound proved mortal, and soon carried her off. Thus Miyuki again became a solitary wanderer.

In prompt obedience to Jirōzayémon's order, the blind girl came, an old koto on her shoulder, feeling her way into the garden with her cane.

"Is it the gentleman of this room that has called me," she asked with a respectful bow. "May I have the honour of playing for you a tune on the koto?"

Jirōzayémon, at a single glance, recognized his sweetheart, greatly changed though she was. What a pitiful transformation! At sight of it he wept inwardly. But Takita, quite unaware of this, roared out:

"What a disgusting spectacle! I say, you beggar, you can't wait upon us in such a plight. Take yourself off!"

"Don't speak so cruelly, Takita," said Jirōzayémon, his heart big with grief and compassion. "She is here because I have sent for her—it ill beseems a samurai to chide a woman. Come, girl,