hanging in his study.”
“Is that your revenge for me?” said Otoko quietly.
“The beginning of your revenge?”
“Yes.”
“He was only an infant, he didn’t know anything about me and his father. What hurt me was later, hearing about the birth of his little sister. Now that I look back on it, I’m sure that’s how I felt. I suppose she’s married by now.”
“Shall I break up her marriage?”
“Really, Keiko! You’re much too vain, even joking like that. You’ll get into trouble. It’s not just a piece of harmless mischief.”
“As long as I have you I’m not afraid. How do you suppose I’d paint if I lost you? Maybe I’d give up my painting—and my life.”
“Don’t say such an awful thing!”
“I wonder if you couldn’t have broken up Mr. Oki’s marriage.”
“But I was only a schoolgirl … and they had a child.”
“I’d have done it.”
“You don’t know how strong a family can be.”
“Stronger than art?”
“Well …” Otoko tilted her head, looking a little sad. “In those days I didn’t think about art.”
“Otoko.” Keiko turned to her, holding her gently by the wrist. “Why did you have me go to meet Mr. Oki, and see him off?”
“Because you’re young and pretty, of course! Because I’m proud of you.”
“I hate your hiding things from me. And I was watching you carefully—with my jealous eyes.”
“Were you?” Otoko looked into Keiko’s eyes, sparkling in the moonlight. “It’s not that I wanted to hide anything from you. But I was only sixteen when we were separated, and now I’m middle-aged, beginning to thicken around the waist. The truth is, I didn’t feel much like meeting him. I was afraid he’d be disillusioned.”
“Shouldn’t he have been the one to worry? I admire you more than anyone I’ve ever known, so I was disillusioned by him. Since coming to live with you I find young men a bore, but I thought Mr. Oki would be more impressive. As soon as I saw him I was utterly disillusioned. Your memories gave me the impression of a much finer person.”
“You can’t tell on such short acquaintance.”
“I certainly can.”
“How can you?”
“I’d have no trouble seducing Mr. Oki
or
his son.”
“You frighten me!” exclaimed Otoko, blanching.“Keiko, that kind of conceitedness is dangerous.”
“Not in the least,” said Keiko, quite unperturbed.
“It
is
,” Otoko insisted. “And aren’t you being terribly predatory? No matter how young and beautiful you are.”
“I suppose most women are what you call predatory.”
“Indeed. And is that why you took your favorite pictures to Mr. Oki?”
“No. I don’t need pictures to seduce him.”
Otoko seemed appalled.
“It’s just that I’m your pupil, so I wanted him to see my best work.”
“I’m grateful. But you say you only exchanged a few words with him at the station. Was that any reason to give away your pictures?”
“I promised. Besides, I wondered how he would react to them, and I needed a pretext for going to meet his family.”
“It’s a good thing he was out!”
“I imagine he saw the pictures later, but he probably didn’t understand them.”
“You’re being unfair to him.”
“Even in his novels he never wrote anything better than
A Girl of Sixteen.
”
“That’s not true. You’re fond of it because he idealized me in it. A youthful novel like that appeals to young people. I can see why you wouldn’t care for his later works.”
“Anyway, if he died today it’s the only novel he’d be remembered for.”
“Stop talking like that!” Otoko’s voice was stern. Shedrew her wrist out of Keiko’s grasp and edged away.
“Are you still so attached to him?” Keiko’s voice was also harsh. “Even though I said I’d get revenge for you?”
“It’s not attachment.”
“Is it … love?”
“Perhaps.”
Abruptly Otoko got up and went inside. Keiko stayed out on the moonlit veranda, sitting with her face buried in her
“Is that your revenge for me?” said Otoko quietly.
“The beginning of your revenge?”
“Yes.”
“He was only an infant, he didn’t know anything about me and his father. What hurt me was later, hearing about the birth of his little sister. Now that I look back on it, I’m sure that’s how I felt. I suppose she’s married by now.”
“Shall I break up her marriage?”
“Really, Keiko! You’re much too vain, even joking like that. You’ll get into trouble. It’s not just a piece of harmless mischief.”
“As long as I have you I’m not afraid. How do you suppose I’d paint if I lost you? Maybe I’d give up my painting—and my life.”
“Don’t say such an awful thing!”
“I wonder if you couldn’t have broken up Mr. Oki’s marriage.”
“But I was only a schoolgirl … and they had a child.”
“I’d have done it.”
“You don’t know how strong a family can be.”
“Stronger than art?”
“Well …” Otoko tilted her head, looking a little sad. “In those days I didn’t think about art.”
“Otoko.” Keiko turned to her, holding her gently by the wrist. “Why did you have me go to meet Mr. Oki, and see him off?”
“Because you’re young and pretty, of course! Because I’m proud of you.”
“I hate your hiding things from me. And I was watching you carefully—with my jealous eyes.”
“Were you?” Otoko looked into Keiko’s eyes, sparkling in the moonlight. “It’s not that I wanted to hide anything from you. But I was only sixteen when we were separated, and now I’m middle-aged, beginning to thicken around the waist. The truth is, I didn’t feel much like meeting him. I was afraid he’d be disillusioned.”
“Shouldn’t he have been the one to worry? I admire you more than anyone I’ve ever known, so I was disillusioned by him. Since coming to live with you I find young men a bore, but I thought Mr. Oki would be more impressive. As soon as I saw him I was utterly disillusioned. Your memories gave me the impression of a much finer person.”
“You can’t tell on such short acquaintance.”
“I certainly can.”
“How can you?”
“I’d have no trouble seducing Mr. Oki
or
his son.”
“You frighten me!” exclaimed Otoko, blanching.“Keiko, that kind of conceitedness is dangerous.”
“Not in the least,” said Keiko, quite unperturbed.
“It
is
,” Otoko insisted. “And aren’t you being terribly predatory? No matter how young and beautiful you are.”
“I suppose most women are what you call predatory.”
“Indeed. And is that why you took your favorite pictures to Mr. Oki?”
“No. I don’t need pictures to seduce him.”
Otoko seemed appalled.
“It’s just that I’m your pupil, so I wanted him to see my best work.”
“I’m grateful. But you say you only exchanged a few words with him at the station. Was that any reason to give away your pictures?”
“I promised. Besides, I wondered how he would react to them, and I needed a pretext for going to meet his family.”
“It’s a good thing he was out!”
“I imagine he saw the pictures later, but he probably didn’t understand them.”
“You’re being unfair to him.”
“Even in his novels he never wrote anything better than
A Girl of Sixteen.
”
“That’s not true. You’re fond of it because he idealized me in it. A youthful novel like that appeals to young people. I can see why you wouldn’t care for his later works.”
“Anyway, if he died today it’s the only novel he’d be remembered for.”
“Stop talking like that!” Otoko’s voice was stern. Shedrew her wrist out of Keiko’s grasp and edged away.
“Are you still so attached to him?” Keiko’s voice was also harsh. “Even though I said I’d get revenge for you?”
“It’s not attachment.”
“Is it … love?”
“Perhaps.”
Abruptly Otoko got up and went inside. Keiko stayed out on the moonlit veranda, sitting with her face buried in her
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