Page:Tayama Katai and His Novel Entitled Futon (Reece).pdf/185

 being excluded from fortune, but people regarded him as a righteous and trustworthy man. After three days of torture, he knew which way the wind blew. The relationship between Yoshiko and him was finished. From now on, as her teacher, what remained was for him to plan Yoshiko and Tanaka's happy marriage. This was quite unbearable, but such was life! Thinking along these lines, he arrived home.

On opening his gate Tokio's wife came out to greet him. The lingering heat was still unbearable, his underwear was soaked. He changed into a starched plain summer kimono, and sat in front of the hibachi in the living room, when his wife, as if by chance, suddenly remembered taking a letter off the wardrobe and said, "A letter from Yoshiko-san." She gave him the letter.

Hurriedly he opened the letter. Judging from the thickness of the roll, he thought that this must be something to do with her recent affair. Tokio read it carefully to its end without pausing.

The letter was skillfully written in colloquial style.

Dear Sensei,

To be frank with you, I had intended to discuss this with you, but since it was so urgent I took the matter into my own hands.

I hope you understand how shocked I was when I received a telegram from Tanaka at four o'clock yesterday of his arrival at six o'clock at Shimbashi Station.

As I had trusted that he was not such a thoughtless person who would pay me a visit for no valid reason, I was all the more worried. Sensei, please forgive me. I went