Page:Tayama Katai and His Novel Entitled Futon (Reece).pdf/265



On the tenth, Tokio returned to Tokyo.

The next day, he received a reply from Bitchū informing him that Yoshiko's father would leave for Tokyo within a couple of days.

Yoshiko and Tanaka seemed to be expecting her father's arrival in Tokyo, and did not show any visible surprise at this news.

Yoshiko's father, on arriving in Tokyo, reserved a room in Kyōbashi; it was at eleven in the morning of the 16th when he paid a visit to Tokio's house in Ushigome.

Fortunately it was Sunday; Tokio was at home. Yoshiko's father was wearing a frockcoat and a medium-high hat, and he appeared to be tired after the long trip.

On that day, Yoshiko had gone to a doctor. About three days earlier she had caught a cold and had a little fever. She had been complaining that she had a headache. After a while she returned home. When she was by chance entering through a back door Tokio's wife said to her, "Yoshiko-san, Yoshiko-san, guess what? Your father is here."

"My father?" replied Yoshiko taken aback.

She went directly upstairs and remained there.

"Where is Yoshiko?" A voice was heard calling out from an inner room. Tokio's wife called her downstairs, but there was no reply. On going upstairs, she found Yoshiko with her face on her arms on the desk.

"Yoshiko-san!" No reply came from Yoshiko. When Tokio's wife came close to her, and again called her name, Yoshiko raised a pale face.