must admit that his ability may be only partial."

After this conversation Genji left. On his way he came across a nephew
of the Empress-mother, who seems to have been a person of rather
arrogant and rough character. As he crossed Genji's path he stopped
for a minute, and loudly reciting,

"The white rainbow crossed the sun,
And the Prince was frightened,"[97]

passed on. Genji at once understood what it was intended for, but
prudently proceeded on his way homeward without taking any notice of
it.

Let us now proceed to the Princess Wistaria. Since she had been
bereaved of the late Emperor she retired to her private residence. She
fully participated in all those inglorious mortifications to which
Genji and his father-in-law were subjected. She was convinced she
would never suffer such cruel treatment as that which Seki-Foojin[98]
did at the hands of her rival, but she was also convinced that some
sort of misfortune was inevitable. These thoughts at last led her to
determine to give up the world. The fortune of her child, however, had
been long a subject of anxiety to her; and though she had determined
to do so, the thought of him had affected her mind still more keenly.
She had hitherto rarely visited the Court, where he was residing; for
her visits might be unpleasing to the feelings of her rival, the other
ex-Empress, and prejudicial to his interests.

However, she now went there unceremoniously, in order to see him
before she carried out her intention to retire. In the course of her
chatting with him, she said, "Suppose, that while I do not see you for
some time, my features become changed, what would you think?"

The little Prince, who watched her face, replied, "Like
Shikib?[99]--no--that can't be." The Princess smiled a little, and
said, "No, that is not so; Shikib's is changed by age, but suppose
mine were different from hers, and my hair became shorter than hers,
and I wore a black dress like a chaplain-in-waiting, and I could not
see you often, any longer." And she became a little sad, which made
the Prince also a little downcast.

Serene was his face, and finely pencilled were his eyebrows. He was
growing up fast, and his teeth were a little decayed and
blackened,[100] which gave a peculiar beauty to his smile, and the
prettiness of his appearance only served to increase her regret; and
with a profound pensiveness she returned to her residence.

In the middle of December she performed Mihakk