e music of the insects humming outside, in the
quiet air of the warm and golden twilight. First she plays slowly, a
confused medley of fragments which she does not seem to remember
perfectly, of which one waits for the finish and waits in vain; while the
other girls giggle, inattentive, and regretful of their interrupted
dance. She herself is absent, sulky, as if she were only performing a
duty.

Then by degrees, little by little, the music becomes more animated, and
the mousmes begin to listen. Now, tremblingly, it grows into a feverish
rapidity, and her gaze has no longer the vacant stare of a doll. Then the
music changes again; in it there is the sighing of the wind, the hideous
laughter of ghouls; tears, heartrending plaints, and her dilated pupils
seem to be directed inwardly in settled gaze on some indescribable
Japanesery within her own soul.

I listen, lying there with eyes half shut, looking out between my
drooping eyelids, which are gradually lowering, in involuntary heaviness,
upon the enormous red sun dying away over Nagasaki. I have a somewhat
melancholy feeling that my past life and all other places in the world
are receding from my view and fading away. At this moment of nightfall I
feel almost at home in this corner of Japan, amidst the gardens of this
suburb. I never have had such an impression before.

CHAPTER L

A DOLLS' DUET

September 16th.

Seven o'clock in the evening. We shall not go down into Nagasaki tonight;
but, like good Japanese citizens, remain in our lofty suburb.

In undress uniform we shall go, Yves and I, in a neighborly way, as far
as the fencing-gallery, which is only two steps away, just above our
villa, and almost abutting on our fresh and scented garden.

The gallery is closed already, and a little mousko, seated at the door,
explains, with many low bows, that we come too late, all the amateurs are
gone; we must come again tomorrow.

The evening is so mild and fine that we remain out of doors, following,
without any definite purpose, the pathway which rises ever higher and
higher, and loses itself at length in the solitary regions of the
mountain among the upper peaks.

For an hour at least we wander on--an unintended walk--and finally find
ourselves at a great height commanding an endless perspective lighted by
the last gleams of daylight; we are in a desolate and mournful spot, in
the midst of the little Buddhist cemeteries, which are scattered over the
countr