“I pray you, look at me a space.”
Their eyes met fully now, and then he saw that despite the smile within them, hers were shining with undropped tears. In an agony of feeling he turned from her. He heard her tremulous voice, thrilling now with that strange laughing quality but accentuating the pleading underneath.
“Do not even the birds chatter? Permit my ladies the same pastime.”
“It is of you I think,” he said huskily.
“That is all very well. I—I would not have you think of—of another,” she replied.
“Princess, the gossip of the ladies does injury to your sweet name.”
“If that were so,” she said, “there would be no such name as Sado-ko left in the world. Do you not know that I am the most unpopular princess in Japan?”
“But this late matter, princess, is not merely female resentment at your refusal to accept the Western mode of life within your household. But this new slan—”
“Do not speak the word,” she said quietly.
She took her fan from Natsu-no, and arising crossed the room until she stood before the easel. Pensively she looked at the covered canvas. Junzo had followed her and now stood by her side. There was deep emotion in his voice:—