The White Fox
27
take it’s food from your soft hand.
- The Fox.—Did you love me so much, Kakutaro?
- Kakutaro.—Yes, I did love you very much! The happiest thing in my life was to be able to visit your room. You often played the piano and sang, didn’t you? And I remember once when I called, and walked into your rooms suddenly, you were sitting close to a fat foreigner, who was dressed in a sailor’s uniform. You scolded me severely, and said: ‘Don’t walk into this room without knocking!’ And you frowned at me so much that I was very unhappy!
- The Fox.—Did I? I never meant to be angry with you!
- Kakutaro.—Yes, … the same thing happened twice after that. The second time the man was not a sailor, but was the manager of Kelly & Co., and you were both drinking whiskey. You scolded me very severely that time, and said sharply: ‘Don’t come here, I’ve a visitor! Come again when I ask you to!’ I shall never forget it. I felt very humiliated, and my heart became very sad indeed.
- The Fox.—Forgive me, Kakutaro-san, please forgive me. I am very sorry for you; but, if you knew how I was living, you would understand. I was just like the canary in that cage, and, though I liked you very much, I was compelled to be friendly with that sailor, and the manager from Kelly’s. If I refused their advances, that wicked old woman would have scolded me severely. I was not my
