Koyo's hand, and, pulling her by force into the
room, made her sit down by Genzaburo.

When Genzaburo saw how modest she was, he reassured her, saying--

"Come, what is there to be so shy about? Come a little nearer to me,
pray."

"Thank you, sir. How could I, who am such a vile thing, pollute your
nobility by sitting by your side?" And, as she spoke, the blushes
mantled over her face; and the more Genzaburo looked at her, the more
beautiful she appeared in his eyes, and the more deeply he became
enamoured of her charms. In the meanwhile he called for wine and fish,
and all four together made a feast of it. When Chokichi and O Kuma
saw how the land lay, they retired discreetly into another chamber,
and Genzaburo and O Koyo were left alone together, looking at one
another.

"Come," said Genzaburo, smiling, "hadn't you better sit a little
closer to me?"

"Thank you, sir; really I'm afraid."

But Genzaburo, laughing at her for her idle fears, said--

"Don't behave as if you hated me."

"Oh, dear! I'm sure I don't hate you, sir. That would be very rude;
and, indeed, it's not the case. I loved you when I first saw you at
the Adzuma Bridge, and longed for you with all my heart; but I knew
what a despised race I belonged to, and that I was no fitting match
for you, and so I tried to be resigned. But I am very young and
inexperienced, and so I could not help thinking of you, and you alone;
and then Chokichi came, and when I heard what you had said about me, I
thought, in the joy of my heart, that it must be a dream of
happiness."

And as she spoke these words, blushing timidly, Genzaburo was dazzled
with her beauty, and said---

"Well, you're a clever child. I'm sure, now, you must have some
handsome young lover of your own, and that is why you don't care to
come and drink wine and sit by me. Am I not right, eh?"

"Ah, sir, a nobleman like you is sure to have a beautiful wife at
home; and then you are so handsome that, of course, all the pretty
young ladies are in love with you."

"Nonsense! Why, how clever you are at flattering and paying
compliments! A pretty little creature like you was just made to turn
all the men's heads--a little witch."

"Ah! those are hard things to say of a poor girl! Who could think of
falling in love with such a wretch as I am? Now, pray tell me all
about your own sweetheart: I do so long to hear about her."

"Silly child! I'm not the sort of man to put thoughts into the heads
o