"Your grandmother will have a task to teach you what is proper, Yuki San," he said.
At last the breakfast of rice, tea and raw fish was over. The little lacquer trays were all taken out of the room, and the father was ready to go to his silk shop.
His jinrikisha was waiting at the garden gate. In their place on the flat stone at the house entrance stood his wooden clogs, and all the family gathered at the door to bid him "Sayonara."
CHAPTER II
UMÉ'S BIRTHDAY
Umé stood still, looking after her father until his jinrikisha was out of sight.
Down in her heart there was an uneasy feeling that she was going to do wrong. She had resolved to omit her koto practice, and having made such a resolve it seemed to her as binding as a promise. But now was the time she had always given to her practice; now, when her mother was busy with household cares.
"I will go first to cousin Tei's," she said to herself, and ran to her grandmother's room to find her mother.