Page:Tayama Katai and His Novel Entitled Futon (Reece).pdf/285

 "In that case, I'm willing to be buried in my home town!"

"No, I' go home," Yoshiko said tearfully in a quivering voice, "I'm...a woman. If only Tanaka succeeds in his future plans, I'm quite ready to be buried in the country. I will return home."

Dead silence again prevailed in the room.

After a while, Tokio said, changing his tone, "Let that be as it may, why can't you return to Kyoto? You can go back to Dōshisha after explaining about the situation to your benefectorbenefactor [sic] in Kobe, apologizing to him for your past misbehavior. There's no logical reason for you to try to become a literary man, just because Yoshiko-san is hoping to become a writer. You could once more become a religious man, a theologian, a minister."

"I've no claim to become a religious man. I'm quite unfit to preach....Besides, what make me have regrets is that at last after three months of suffering, with the help of my friend, I have found a means of living....I can't bear to be buried in my home town."

The three talked on. At last their talk, for the present, came to a halt. Tanaka left saying he was going to consult that night with his friend, and would give them a definite answer the next day or the day after that. It was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon, the winter day was coming to a close, and the sunlight which had been shining into a corner of the room had already disappeared.

Mr. Yokoyama and Tokio were left alone in the room.

"Tanaka seems to be an indecisive character, doesn't he?" The old man insinuated to Tokio.

"He's unduly formal and his talk is too vague. I do wish he would speak a little more frankly with us...."