The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata, Edward G. Seidensticker Page A

he said, handing his umbrella to Eiko.
    She cocked her head inquiringly. ‘You’re off on a business trip?’
    ‘Yes.’
    Putting down his bag, Shuichi took a seat by Shingo’s desk.
    Eiko’s eye followed him. ‘Take care of yourself. It will probably be cold.’
    ‘Oh, yes.’ Shuichi spoke to Shingo, though he was looking at Eiko. ‘I was supposed to go dancing with the young lady this evening.’
    ‘Oh?’
    ‘Get the old man to take you.’
    Eiko flushed.
    Shingo did not feel inclined to comment.
    Eiko picked up the bag as if she were going to see Shuichi off.
    ‘Please. That’s not for a lady to do.’ He snatched the bag and disappeared through the door.
    Eiko made an unobtrusive little motion toward the door, and returned disconsolately to her desk. Shingo could not tell whether the gesture had been from confusion or calculation; but it had had in it a touch of the feminine that pleased him.
    ‘What a shame, when he promised you.’
    ‘I don’t put much stock in his promises these days.’
    ‘Shall I be a substitute?’
    ‘If you like.’
    ‘Are there complications?’
    ‘What?’ She looked up, startled.
    ‘Does Shuichi’s woman come to the dance hall?’
    ‘No!’
    Shingo had learned from Eiko that the woman’s husky voice was erotic. He had not asked for further details.
    It was not perhaps remarkable that his secretary should be acquainted with the woman when his own family was not; but he found that fact hard to accept.
    It was particularly hard to accept when he had Eiko here before him.
    One knew that she was a person of no consequence, and yet on such occasions she seemed to hang heavily before him, like the curtain of life itself. He could not guess what was passing through her mind.
    ‘Did you meet her when he took you dancing?’ he asked lightly.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Many times?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Did he introduce you?’
    ‘It wasn’t an introduction, really.’
    ‘I don’t understand. He took you to meet her – he wanted to make her jealous?’
    ‘I’m no one to be jealous of.’ Eiko shrugged her shoulders very slightly.
    Shingo could see that she was drawn to Shuichi, and that she was jealous.
    ‘Then be someone to be jealous of.’
    ‘Really!’ She looked down and laughed. ‘There were two of them too.’
    ‘What? She had a man with her?’
    ‘Not a man. A woman.’
    ‘I was worried.’
    ‘Worried?’ She looked at him. ‘The woman she lives with.’
    ‘They have a room together?’
    ‘A house. It’s small, but very nice.’
    ‘You mean you’ve been to the house?’
    ‘Yes.’ Eiko half swallowed the word.
    Once more Shingo was surprised. ‘Where is it?’ he asked, somewhat abruptly.
    ‘I shouldn’t tell you,’ she said softly, a shadow crossing her face.
    Shingo fell silent.
    ‘In Hongo, near the University.’
    ‘Oh?’
    She continued as if the pressure had been relieved, ‘It’s up a dark narrow lane, but the house itself is nice. And the other lady is beautiful. I’m very fond of her.’
    ‘You mean the one that’s not Shuichi’s?’
    ‘Yes. She’s a very pleasant person.’
    ‘Oh? And what do they do? Are they both single?’
    ‘Yes – I don’t know, really.’
    ‘Two women living together.’
    Eiko nodded. ‘I’ve never known a pleasanter person. I’d like to see her every day.’ There was a certain coyness in her manner. She spoke as if the pleasantness of the woman made it possible for her to be forgiven something in herself.
    All very strange, thought Shingo.
    It did occur to him that, in praising the other woman, she might be indirectly reprimanding Shuichi’s woman; but he had trouble guessing her real intentions.
    Eiko looked out of the window. ‘It’s clearing.’
    ‘Suppose you open it a little.’
    ‘I was a little worried when he left his umbrella. It’s nice that he has good weather for his trip.’
    She stood for a time with her hand at the open window. Her skirt was askew, higher on one side than the other. Her