This memory roused Asako one day with a wish to see how her own house was progressing.  This wish was the first positive thought which had stirred her mind since her husband had left her; and it marked a stage in her convalescence.

“If the house is ready,” she thought “I will go there soon.  The Fujinamis will not want me to live here permanently.”

This showed how little she understood as yet the Japanese family system, whereby relatives remain as permanent guests for years on end.

“Tanaka” she said one morning, in what was almost her old manner, “I think I will have the motor car to-day.”

Tanaka had become her body servant as in the old days.  At first she had resented the man’s reappearance, which awakened such cruel memories.  She had protested against him to Sadako, who had smiled and promised.  But Tanaka continued his ministrations; and Asako had not the strength to go on protesting.  As a matter of fact, he was specially employed by Mr. Fujinami Gentaro to spy on Asako’s movements, an easy task hitherto, since she had not moved from her room.

“Where is the motor car, Tanaka?” she asked again.

He grinned, as Japanese always do when embarrassed.

“Very sorry for you,” he answered; “motor car has gone away.”

“Has Captain Barrington—?” Asako began instinctively; then, remembering that Geoffrey was now many thousands of miles from Japan, she turned her face to the wall and began to cry.

“Young Fujinami San,” said Tanaka, “has taken motor car.  He go away to mountains with geisha girl.  Very bad, young Fujinami San, very roue.”

Asako thought that it was rather impertinent to borrow her own motor car without asking permission, even if she was their guest.  She did not yet understand that she and all her possessions belonged from henceforth to her family—­to her male relatives, that is to say; for she was only a woman.

“Old Mr. Fujinami San,” Tanaka went on, happy to find his mistress, to whom he was attached in a queer Japanese sort of way, interested and responsive at last, “old Mr. Fujinami San, he also go to mountain with geisha girl, but different mountain.  Japanese people all very roue.  All Japanese people like to go away in summer season with geisha girl.  Very bad custom.  Old Mr. Fujinami San, not so very bad, keep same geisha girl very long time.  Perhaps Ladyship see one little girl, very nice little girl, come sometimes with Miss Sadako and bring meal-time things.  That little girl is geisha girl’s daughter.  Perhaps old Mr. Fujinami San’s daughter also, I think:  very bastard:  I don’t know!”

So he rambled on in the fashion of servants all the world over, until Asako knew all the ramifications of her relatives, legitimate and illegitimate.

She gathered that the men had all left Tokyo during the hot season, and that only the women were left in the house.  This encouraged her to descend from her eyrie, and to endeavour to take up her position in her family, which was beginning to appear the less reassuring the more she learned about its history.