when you were in that little room together. At all events, I saw how she felt towards you; and then I became uneasy,—fearing that her father might come to hear of the matter, and lay the whole blame upon me. So—to be quite frank with you,—I decided that it would be better not to call upon you; and I purposely stayed away for a long time. But, only a few days ago, happening to visit Iijima’s house, I heard, to my great surprise, that his daughter had died, and that her servant O-Yoné had also died. hen, remembering all that had taken place, I knew that the young lady must have died of love for you. . . . [Laughing] Ah, you are really a sinful fellow! Yes, you are! [Laughing] Is n’t it a sin to have been born so handsome that the girls die for love of you?[1] … [Seriously] Well, we must leave the dead to the dead. It is no use to talk further about the matter;—all that you now can do for her is to repeat the Nembutsu[2] … Good-bye.”
