astute Asaka was aware of this and stepped ashore with the other maid, giving as a pretext her desire to stroll along the bank awhile.
Asojirō and Miyuki were thus left alone, sitting face to face. The girl drew forth a beautiful fan, adorned with a design of morning-glories painted on a golden ground. She desired the young samurai to write some words beside the picture as a souvenir of this happy meeting. Asojirō replied that his writing would only deface the beautiful fan, but that he could not find it in his heart to refuse her earnest request. Thereupon he wrote the following poem, and restored the fan to her.
"The morning-glories are fresh and sheen,
Embossed with drops of sparkling dew;
But well-a-day! the sunlight keen
Bids fair to blight their lovely hue.
Oh, how I wish a kindly shower
Would fall, to save the charming flower!"
"Oh! it is a lovely song! lovely indeed!" cried Miyuki, in an excess of delight. "I will keep this fan about me all my life, as an amulet, I will, indeed!" And with that she wrote in turn upon
