The Sympathy of Benfen $} 



Then what was his amazement to discover, 

 when presented to the daughter of the house, 

 that she was the very same person whom he 

 had already taken to wife! 



The same, yet not the same. 



She to whom he had been introduced by the 

 Old-Man-under-the-Moon, was only the soul of 

 the beloved. 



She to whom he was now to be wedded, in 

 her father's house, was the body. 



Benten had wrought this miracle for the sake 

 of her worshippers. 



* 

 * * 



The original story breaks off suddenly at this 

 point, leaving several matters unexplained. The 

 ending is rather unsatisfactory. One would like 

 to know something about the mental experi 

 ences of the real maiden during the married life 

 of her phantom. One would also like to know 

 what became of the phantom, whether it 

 continued to lead an independent existence ; 

 whether it waited patiently for the return of 

 its husband ; whether it paid a visit to the real 

 bride. And the book says nothing about these 



