o-Chiujio's office hereupon entered,
carrying a packet in which the missing sleeve was wrapped, and a
message advising Genji to get it mended before all things. "Fancy if I
had not got this sash?" thought Genji, as he made the boy take it back
to his master in return.

In the morning they were in attendance at Court. They were both
serious and solemn in demeanor, as it happened to be a day when there
was more official business than on other days; To-no-Chiujio (who
being chief of the Kurand, which office has to receive and despatch
official documents) was especially much occupied. Nevertheless they
were amused themselves at seeing each other's solemn gravity.

In an interval, when free from duty, To-no-Chiujio came up to Genji
and said, with envious eyes, "Have you not been a little scared in
your private expedition?" when Genji replied, "No, why so? there was
nothing serious in it; but I do sympathize with one who took so much
useless trouble."

They then cautioned each other to be discreet about the matter, which
became afterwards a subject for laughter between them.

Now even some Royal Princes would give way to Genji, on account of his
father's favor towards him, but To-no-Chiujio, on the contrary, was
always prepared to dispute with him on any subject, and did not yield
to him in any way. He was the only brother of the Lady Aoi by the same
Royal mother, with an influential State personage for their father,
and in his eyes there did not seem to be much difference between
himself and Genji.

The incidents of the rivalry between them, therefore, were often very
amusing, though we cannot relate them all.

In the month of July the Princess Wistaria was proclaimed Empress.
This was done because the Emperor had a notion of abdication in favor
of the Heir-apparent and of making the son of the Princess Wistaria
the Heir-apparent to the new Emperor, but there was no appropriate
guardian or supporter, and all relations on the mother's side were of
the Royal blood, and thereby disqualified from taking any active part
in political affairs.

For this reason the Emperor wished to make the position of the mother
firmer.

The mother of the Heir-apparent, whom this arrangement left still a
simple Niogo, was naturally hurt and uneasy at another being
proclaimed Empress. Indeed she was the mother of the Heir-apparent,
and had been so for more than twenty years. And the public remarked
that it was a severe trial for her to b