ent was closed.

"How is it the casement is closed?" he demanded of the servants. They
told him "That the Lady of the West (Ki-no-Kami's sister, so called by
the domestics from her living to the westward of the house) was there
on a visit since noon, and was playing Go with his sister." The door
by which the boy had entered the room was not entirely closed. Genji
softly came up to it, and the whole interior of the apartment was
visible. He stood facing the west. On one side of the room was a
folding screen, one end of which was pushed back, and there was
nothing besides to obstruct his view. His first glance fell on the
fair figure of her of whom he had so fondly dreamt, sitting by a lamp
near a central pillar. She wore a dress of dark purple, and a kind of
scarf thrown over her shoulders; her figure was slight and delicate,
and her face was partly turned aside, as if she did not like to expose
it even to her companions. Her hands were prettily shaped and tiny,
and she used them with a gentle reserve, half covering them. Another
lady, younger than herself, sat facing the east--that is, just
opposite Genji--and was, therefore, entirely visible to him. She was
dressed in a thin white silk, with a Ko-uchiki (outer vestment),
worked with red and blue flowers, thrown loosely over it, and a
crimson sash round her waist. Her bosom was partly revealed; her
complexion very fair; her figure rather stout and tall; the head and
neck in good proportions, and the lips and eyelids lovely. The hair
was not very long, but reached in wavy lines to her shoulders.

"If a man had such a daughter, he might be satisfied," thought Genji.
"But perhaps she may be a little deficient in quietness. No matter how
this may be, she has sufficient attractions."

The game was drawing to a close, and they paid very little attention
to Kokimi on his entrance. The principal interest in it was over; they
were hurrying to finish it. One was looking quietly at the board, and
said, "Let me see, that point must be Ji. Let me play the Koh[51] of
this spot." The other saying, "I am beaten; let me calculate," began
to count on her fingers the number of spaces at each corner, at the
same time saying "Ten! twenty! thirty! forty!" When Genji came in this
way to see them together, he perceived that his idol, in the matter of
personal beauty, was somewhat inferior to her friend. He was not,
indeed, able to behold the full face of the former; yet, when he
shifted his