She spoke of the whole thing as if it were an ordinary business proposition, as she might speak of work in a cotton-spinning mill, or any other occupation. Did she then fail utterly to sense the degradation of her sorry occupation?
"But what about the men then, these scores and scores of guests, caressing you, fondling you——?"
"Oh, of course, that is unpleasant, but then I don't think of them. Shikataganai, it can't be helped. I don't give my heart to them; and then in a few years I shall go home, with lots of money, and I shall marry a nice man, and I shall have only him and love him. And then I shall have babies, real babies, instead of dolls."
He was glad that she was like that, that the sordidness and shame passed by her unnoticed, not thought of. Here was surely a "lotus in the mud," as the proverb had it about these women, who, oddly innocent, mind apparently untouched by the grime and depravity of her surroundings, contrived to keep her spirit untouched, apart from it all. But then, she was only a simple peasant girl, ignorant of moral codes, undisturbed by considerations above physical comfort. But there must be others, more imaginative, more complex, with minds sensitive to the constant insult offered by sensuous leer, sake-fraught breaths in their faces, the compulsion of offering love, or the semblance thereof, for a consideration of money, to a succession of unknown men, unsympathetic, contemptuous, careless of their womanhood. As the thought came to him that here, within the space of a few squares of houses, were thousands of these women, many of them surely with delicately adjusted girl souls, enslaved by circumstance to sacrifice what would have been pure, sweet love aspirations, in this vast market place of meretricious caresses, he could understand the indignation of the reformer whom he had heretofore regarded, superciliously, as a well-meaning meddler.
He was relieved at the arrival of Kittrick. His girl was with him. She and Kent's companion whispered together animatedly. Kittrick yawned. "Well, what about it?"
"I'm glad you came. In fact, I was just wondering how I might manage to slip out of this."
"All right, why not? We can make some excuse surely." Kittrick turned to the girls. "It's getting late, and my friend has just got a bride, a new one, and it's foreign fashion always to come home before midnight during the first six weeks after marriage. My friend always does that with all his brides."
"Really?" Had he told them that Kent has as many wives as Solomon they would have believed it. The customs of foreigners were peculiar; they might do anything. "How many has he?"
Kent counted his fingers. "Six, yes, six or maybe seven. So you see it's time to go home."
"Bad man, that's not good to have so many wives; one, and possibly a mekake, concubine, but one only is better." The small doll face was very serious, a little shocked. So she had a code of morals, after all. "But you're not angry?" The tone was solicitous, frightened. "Have I not pleased you?"