“Maiden, such emotion is unseemly. Speak your mission, if you please.”
“Oh, august princess, her Imperial Majesty—” She fell to weeping again.
Sado-ko leaned forward, and placing her hand on the maid’s shoulder, peered into her face.
“—is dead?” she said in a whisper.
The maid’s head bowed forward mutely. After that there was a long silence. Then Sado-ko arose to her feet, her hands pressed to her face on either side. Her eyes, between her little parted fingers, were staring out in shocked horror. Her strange silence stilled the sobbing maid, who tremulously arose.
“And if it please thee, noble princess,” she said, “his August Majesty is below and commands thy immediate presence.”
Sado-ko did not speak or move. The maid falteringly touched one of the drooping sleeves.
“Nay, do not look so, sweet mistress,” she implored; “the gods will not desert you. His Majesty himself has deigned to adopt thee, and to-morrow thou wilt go to the great capital as his ward.”
Sado-ko’s hands fell from her face. Her voice was not childlike, and quite hoarse.
“Pray thee, lead me below, honorable maid.”