Her voice quavered. “I pray to Kwannon to aid me! If so great a trial comes upon me, I fear I must fail in the one great virtue; I must oppose the will of my father!”
“You will refuse Keiki, and wait for me, Azai?”
“I will wait for you in the life beyond—”
“Not that!” I exclaimed in dismay, “not that, Azai! Wait for me here, in this life!”
“I will try, my lord. Look! Setsu waves her lantern. We can pass in safety. But first—if my lord desires to press his lips upon mine, I—I will not seek to escape.”
Half a minute later she sought to release my embrace with her gentle fingers.
“My lord,” she whispered tremulously, “I never knew that it was so delightful to love! It is very wicked to speak so foolishly, yet I wish that I might stand forever with my lord as we stand now. But Setsu turns back. We must go.”