The same,—yet not the same.
She to whom he had been introduced by the Old-Man-under-the-Moon, was only the soul of the beloved.
She to whom he was now to be wedded, in her father's house, was the body.
Benten had wrought this miracle for the sake of her worshippers.
The original story breaks off suddenly at this point, leaving several matters unexplained. The ending is rather unsatisfactory. One would like to know something about the mental experiences of the real maiden during the married life of her phantom. One would also like to know what became of the phantom,—whether it continued to lead an independent existence; whether it waited patiently for the return of its husband; whether it paid a visit to the real bride. And the book says nothing about these things. But a Japanese friend explains the miracle thus:—
"The spirit-bride was really formed out of the tanzaku. So it is possible that the real girl did not know anything about the meeting at the temple of Benten. When she wrote those beautiful characters upon the tanzaku, something of her spirit passed into them. Therefore it was possible to evoke from the writing the double of the writer."
The Gratitude of the Samébito[21]
