Tales of Old Japan - Maybe You Like It

him, and begged him to wait patiently until she should send to tell him
of her recovery. Genzaburô, never suspecting the story to be false,
waited for thirty days, and still Chokichi brought him no tidings of O
Koyo. At last he met Chokichi, and besought him to arrange a meeting
for him with O Koyo.
"Sir," replied Chokichi, "she is not yet recovered; so it would be difficult
to bring her to see your honour. But I have been thinking much
about this affair, sir. If it becomes public, your honour's family will be
plunged in ruin. I pray you, sir, to forget all about O Koyo."
"It's all very well for you to give me advice," answered Genzaburô,
surprised; "but, having once bound myself to O Koyo, it would be a pitiful
thing to desert her; I therefore implore you once more to arrange that
I may meet her."
However, he would not consent upon any account; so Genzaburô returned
home, and, from that time forth, daily entreated Chokichi to
bring O Koyo to him, and, receiving nothing but advice from him in return,
was very sad and lonely.
One day Genzaburô, intent on ridding himself of the grief he felt at his
separation from O Koyo, went to the Yoshiwara, and, going into a house
of entertainment, ordered a feast to be prepared, but, in the midst of
gaiety, his heart yearned all the while for his lost love, and his merriment
was but mourning in disguise. At last the night wore on; and as he was
retiring along the corridor, he saw a man of about forty years of age,
with long hair, coming towards him, who, when he saw Genzaburô,
cried out, "Dear me! why this must be my young lord Genzaburô who
has come out to enjoy himself."
Genzaburô thought this rather strange; but, looking at the man attentively,
recognized him as a retainer whom he had had in his employ the
year before, and said—
"This is a curious meeting: pray, what have you been about since you
left my service? At any rate, I may congratulate you on being well and
strong. Where are you living now?"
"Well, sir, since I parted from you I have been earning a living as a
fortune-teller at Kanda, and have changed my name to Kaji Sazen. I am
living in a poor and humble house; but if your lordship, at your leisure,
would honour me with a visit—"
"Well, it's a lucky chance that has brought us together, and I certainly
will go and see you; besides, I want you to do something for me. Shall
you be at home the day after to-morrow?"
"Certainly, sir, I shall make a point of being at home."
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