I  am  really   glad  to  hear  your  reasons  for  vis;;
him,  but  you  need   rot  have  been  so  cross  ahout
my  a  .1  vice.  in  your  interest  and  that  is

an  old  ii'a'i's  pri\ib:r,c  and   his   <!u'y.      Hut   an   old
[280]


olD  mait'S.
man  is  dislik  (1  <-  vey  where.     You  don't  like  old
men  cither  do  you  ?  "

lie  twisted  his  red  moustiche  and  glanced  at
her  stealthily.
"Old  men  are  very  nice,  but  it  is  only  natural
that    a  youni;'  p  rson  prefers  the  society  of  another
young    person.     They    are  better   suited  to  each
other."
"Isn't  Mr.  Akagashi    an  old  man?"

"  Yes  he  is,  and  so  captious  that  I  can  hardly
bear  h  m."

"  It  he  were  not  cipt:ous  and  disagreeable  ho.v
would  you  like  him."

"  I  shouldn't  like  him  at  all  !  "

"  Really  now  !  Do  you  dislike  him  as  much
as  all.  that  ?  "

Mitsue  paid  no  heed  to  this  question.  Instead
•she  remarked  :

"  You  can't  say  it  is  a  general  rule  that  one
dislikes  some  one  because  he  is  old,  or  likes
another  because  he  is  young.  It  is  no  good  liking
anyone  if  they  are  not  going  to  like  you."

"  Aha  !  I  am  certain  that  if  you  purposed  to
like  anyone,  you  would  never  be  met  by  anything
resembling  dislike  !  "

"  What  nonsense  you  talk  ?    I    know    nothing
'l  281  '


Tflf  WolD  Innon.
about  it  — I  have  had  no  experience."  At  this
would  be  innocence  Tadayuki  flung  himself  back
in  his  chair  and  laughed  till  the  room  fairly  shook.
