kindly sharpen his razor by this evening? I shall call later on to get it.”
“Well, madam, how about tomorrow morning? We are awfully busy today,” said Kane-ko. The girl seemed rather put out by the assistant’s reply, but after a moment of hesitation she answered, “Then be sure to have it ready by then.” As she left she shut the glass door behind her, but opening it again suddenly she added, “Excuse me for bothering you again, but will you be so kind as to ask your master to do it himself. My master prefers to have it sharpened by him?”
“I’m sorry, but my master is sick,” replied Kane-ko. Yoshisaburo heard this from his room, and quickly called out, “I will do it, Kane-ko!” His words were sharp and hoarse. Without answering his master, Kane-ko said quietly to the girl, “All right, madam, we will see that it is done.” The girl closed the door again and went away.
“Confound it!” said Yoshisaburo to himself, and stretching out his feverish arm from the bed, he gazed at it vacantly for a while. His arm was very hot, and felt as heavy as if it had been earthenware. Then he gazed absent-mindedly at the papier-maché dog which sat upon the shelf, and on which a number of flies were resting.
Unconsciously he heard the talking that was going on in his shop. A few soldiers who were there were passing comments on some of the small restaurants in that neighborhood, and were abusing the bad food given them in the barracks, declaring
