Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/479

Rh for my discourteous words. I have longed for this moment for many years. I was left a motherless orphan here in China, and was filled with grief when I heard that you had gone to Japan. When I heard that Japan was far away in the East, I used to worship the rising sun, as symbolical of you, every morning. How often have I unrolled my map of the world, and have examined the countries of China and Japan! Japan seemed on the map to be very near, but I was astonished to hear that it was three thousand miles away. Thus I despaired of ever meeting you in this life, so you can imagine how delighted I am to see you, after an interval of more than twenty years. My heart is filled with joy and gratitude, my dearest father!"

So saying, Kinshō burst into tears of joy, and Tei Shiryō was also filled with emotion. The tears of the father and daughter seemed to mingle with the moonbeams, which became dim, as with a shower of rain.

Now Kinshō greatly wished to admit the three visitors immediately. But this was impossible, because, as the war was not yet quite over, General Kanki had been strictly ordered by the King of