"Why can I not be always here?" cried Nagato, with such an accent of truth that the young woman felt all her fears vanish, and a flash of joy illumined her countenance. Perhaps, however, she mistook the meaning of the Prince's words.
"Come closer," she said, "and rest upon these mats. Tika will serve us with tea and a few delicacies."
"Could I not first send the Kisaki a secret petition of the utmost importance?" asked Nagato. "I seized upon the pretext of this precious missive in order to get away from Osaka," he added, seeing a shadow on Fatkoura's brow.
"The sovereign has been vexed with me since your last appearance; I dare not approach her, or send any of my servants to her."
"And yet this note must be in her hands with the briefest possible delay," said Nagato, with a slight frown.
"What shall we do?" said Fatkoura, whom this trifling mark of distress had not escaped. "Will you come with me to one of my illustrious friends, the noble Iza-Farou No-Kami? She is in favor just now; perhaps she will help us."
"Let us go to her at once," said the Prince.
"Let us go," said Fatkoura with a sigh.
The young woman called Tika, who had remained in the next room, and signed to her to draw a sliding-panel, which opened upon a gallery encircling the pavilion.
"Are you going out, mistress?" said Tika. "Shall I summon your suite?"