"But who could listen to that young scamp without blushing and losing her temper?"
"Blush as much as you like," said the child; "that won't make any noise."
"Come, Loo, be quiet!" said the servant.
Loo shrugged his shoulders and made a face, then went on listlessly rubbing his mirror.
At this instant a man entered the room.
"I must speak to Iwakura, Prince of Nagato," he cried aloud.
All the servants made violent signs to impose silence on the new-comer. Loo rushed towards him and stopped his mouth with the rag with which he was polishing the mirror; but the man pushed him roughly away.
"What does all this mean?" he said. "Are you crazy? I want to speak to the lord whom you serve, the very illustrious daimio who rules over the province of Nagato. Go and tell him, and stop your monkey tricks."
"He is asleep," whispered a servant.
"We cannot wake him," said another.