Page:Tayama Katai and His Novel Entitled Futon (Reece).pdf/279

 The old man constantly tried to dissuade him from his plan.

"You say that it's no use for you to return to Kyoto, and I think you may be right. But I'm saying you could make a sacrifice for my daughter. You say you're unable to return to Kyoto, but you can go back to your home town in the country, can't you? You claim if you leave Tokyo, you'll not be able to carry out your plans, but I'm asking you about that point. I'm saying that you could make a sacrifice on this point."

Tanaka, hanging his head, kept silent. He did not appear to be ready to yield to the old man's arguments.

Tokio, who had been silently listening for some time, suddenly raised his voice, as Tanaka seemed to be too stubborn, and said, "Look, I've been listening for some time, but can't you understand even when he has gone into such great detail to explain his point of view to you? He's not accusing you. He is saying that regardless of your sins and your shameless behavior if things work out that way in the future, he won't forbid your marriage. You're too young; Yoshiko-san is also still in the midst of her studies. Can't you get it through your head that for these reasons he wants you to leave unresolved, for the time being, the problem of marriage, and wait and see how the future turns out? Under the present conditions, you and Yoshiko can't stay together in the same town. One of you must leave Tokyo. With regard to leaving Tokyo, it's proper that you should do so first. The reason being that you followed Yoshiko to Tokyo."

"I understand very well," Tanaka answered.