"Did you look?"
"I did not look actually, but—"
"You're a fool!" said the inspector.
The weary questioning continued for quite two hours, until Asako had told her story of the murder at least three times. The unfamiliar language confused her, and the reiterated refrain:
"You, now confess; you killed the man!"
Asako was chilled to the bone. Her head was aching; her eyes were aching; her legs were aching with the ordeal of standing. She felt that they must soon give way altogether.
At last, the inspector closed his questionnaire.
"Sa!" he ejaculated, "it is past midnight. Even I must sleep sometimes. Take her away to the court, and lock her in the 'sty,' To-morrow the procurator will examine at nine o'clock. She is pretending to be silly and not understanding; so she is probably guilty."
Again the handcuffs and the degrading rope were fastened upon her. She felt that she had already been condemned.
"May I send word to my friends?" she asked. Surely even the Fujinami would not abandon her to her fate.