Part 38 (1/2)

He wrote to Asako a long letter with much about the lake and Yae Smith, promising to return within forty-eight hours.

At daybreak next morning Yae was hammering at Geoffrey's door.

”Wake up, old sleepy captain,” she cried.

Geoffrey got the boat ready; and Yae prepared a picnic breakfast to be eaten on the way. Poor Reggie, of course, had work at the Emba.s.sy; he could not come.

It was an ideal excursion. They reached Senju, the wood-cutter's village at the end of the lake. They ascended the forest path as far as the upper lake, a mere pond of reeds and sedges, which the bears are supposed to haunt.

Geoffrey and Yae, however, saw nothing more alarming than the village curs.

”Returned in safety from the land of danger!” cried the girl, as she sprang ash.o.r.e at the steps of the villa.

The air and exercise had wearied Geoffrey. After lunch he changed into a kimono of Reggie's. Then he lay down on his bed and was soon fast asleep.

How long he slept he could not say; but he awoke slowly out of confusing dreams. Somebody was in his room. Somebody was near his bed.

Was it Asako? Was it a dream?

No, it was his comrade of the morning's voyage. It was Yae Smith. She was sitting on the bed beside him. She was gazing into his face with her soft, still, cat-like eyes. What was she doing that for? She was stroking his arm. Her touch was soft. He did not stop her.

Her hair was let down to below her waist, long black hair, more silky in texture and more wavy than that of a pure j.a.panese woman. Her kimono was wide open at the throat. A sweet fragrance exhaled from her body.

”Big captain, may I?” she pleaded.

”What?” said Geoffrey, still half asleep.

”Just lie by your side--just once,--just for the last time,” she cooed.

Geoffrey was for going to sleep again, well pleased with his dream.

But Yae slipped an arm across his chest, and caught his shoulder in her hand. She nestled closer to him.

”Geoffrey,” she murmured, ”I love you so much. You are so strong and so big, Geoffrey. I want to stay like this always, always, holding on to you till I make you love me. Love me just a little, Geoffrey.

n.o.body will ever know. Geoffrey, it must be nice to have me near you.

Geoffrey, you must, you must want to love me.”

She was hugging his body now in an embrace astonis.h.i.+ngly powerful for so small a creature. It was this pressure which finally awoke Geoffrey. Gently he disengaged her arms and sat up in the bed.

She was clinging to his neck now, wild-eyed like a Maenad. He felt pitifully ridiculous. The role of Joseph is so thankless and humiliating. A month ago he would have ordered her sternly to get out of the room and behave herself. But the hot month in Tokyo had relaxed his firmness of mind; and familiarity with Reggie's bohemian morality has sapped his fortress of Good Form.

”Don't be so naughty, Yae,” he said feebly. ”Reggie may be coming. For G.o.d's sake, control yourself.”

Her voice was terrible now.

Geoffrey had lost the first moment when he might have been stern with her. Clumsily he tried to loosen her embrace. But for the first time in his life he was in the grip of an elemental natural force, a thing foreign to his experience of women in marriage or out of it.

”Yae, don't,” he gasped, pus.h.i.+ng the girl away. ”I can't; I'm married.”