The White Fox
21
holds on to the window-ledges with all his might.) I can see the moon shining into the bath so clearly now, that the water looks as transparent as crystal … Miss Rosa’s body is all shining with something like white snow…. It’s not snow, no, it shines like new silver … oh, now she is combing her hair and … oh, just look now! Miss Rosa’s hair is like gold. Through the steam I can see it floating on the surface of the clear water. Her hair is very beautiful, and I tell you it is the hair of a woman!
- Osayo.—(Goes near the window again as if to look, but stops.) You are mad! It seems like that to you, but there is no sense in what you say!
- Kakutaro.—Oh, she has already undone her hair, and it is hanging down over her shoulders. Now she is washing her arm. Oh, look how Miss Rosa touches the sore on her arm. Rosa, Rosa, when you put your arm in such hot water, doesn’t it hurt you? … what a beautiful colour that sore is! It is reflected in the water like a glittering ruby on a surface of white velvet. But, see! She has other ones too, … one on her leg, and there is another on her shoulder! Perhaps after all they are not sores, perhaps they are rubies. They glitter like … Oh, Osayo-chan, look and see how wonder fully white her neck is! I tell you it is the skin of a human being! (Osayo, after a little heitation, at last takes hold of the window-ledge. She seems very frightened, but Kakutaro keeps tempting her to
