ake a difficulty, as usual," rejoined Genji.

"This is from the Princess," she said, taking a letter from her pocket
and presenting it.

"Is this a thing of all others that you ought to conceal," cried
Genji, taking the letter and opening it. It was written on thick and
coarse paper of Michinok manufacture. The verse it contained ran as
follows:--

"Like this, my sleeves are worn away,
By weeping at your long delay."

These words puzzled Genji. Inclining his head in a contemplative way,
he glanced from the paper to Tayu, and from Tayu to the paper. Then
she drew forth a substantial case of antique pattern, saying, "I
cannot produce such a thing without shame, but the Princess expressly
sent this for your New Year. I could not return it to her nor keep it
myself; I hope you will just look at it."

"Oh, certainly," replied Genji. "It is very kind of her," at the same
time thinking, "What a pitiful verse! This may really be her own
composition. No doubt Kojijiu has been absent, besides she seems to
have had no master to improve her penmanship. This must have been
written with great effort. We ought to be grateful for it, as they
say." Here a smile rose on Genji's cheeks, and a blush upon Tayu's.
The case was opened, and a Naoshi (a kind of gown), of scarlet, shabby
and old-fashioned, of the same color on both sides, was found inside.
The sight was almost too much for Genji from its very absurdity. He
stretched out the paper on which the verse had been written, and began
to write on one side, as if he was merely playing with the pen. Tayu,
glancing slyly, found that he had written:--

This color pleases not mine eye,
Too fiery bright its gaudy hue,
And when the saffron flower was nigh,
The same pink tinge was plain to view.

He then erased what he had written, but Tayu quickly understood what
he really meant by "saffron flower," referring to the pinkness of its
flower, so she remarked:--

"Although the dress too bright in hue,
And scarlet tints may please you not,
At least to her, who sends, be true,
Soon will Naoshi be forgot."

While they were thus prattling on the matter, people were entering the
room to see him, so Genji hastily put the things aside, and Tayu
retired.

A few days after, Genji one morning looked into the Daihan-sho (large
parlor), where he found Tayu, and threw a letter to her, saying,
"Tayu, here is the answer. It has cost me some pains," a