2 Shadowings 



once spoke to you, will come to this street : then 

 you can call him into your house, and ask him 

 to become the husband of your daughter. He 

 is a good young man ; and later in life he will 

 obtain a much higher rank than he now holds.' 

 Then Benten-Sama told me your name, your 

 age, your birthplace, and described your features 

 and dress so exactly that my servant found no 

 difficulty in recognizing you by the indications 

 which 1 was able to give him." 



This explanation bewildered Baishu instead of 

 reassuring him ; and his only reply was a formal 

 return of thanks for the honor which the master 

 of the house had spoken of doing him. But 

 when the host invited him to another room, for 

 the purpose of presenting him to the young 

 lady, his embarrassment became extreme. Yet 

 he could not reasonably decline the introduc- 

 tion. He could not bring himself, under such 

 extraordinary circumstances, to announce that he 

 already had a wife, a wife given to him by 

 the Goddess Benten herself ; a wife from whom 

 he could not even think of separating. So, in 

 silence and trepidation, he followed his host to 

 the apartment indicated. 



