NUMÈ BREAKS DOWN.
A few days later Orito returned to Tokyo. His father's house was
strangely sad and gloomy. On his return home from America it had been
thrown open, as if to catch every bright ray of light and happiness. Now
it was darkened. Sachi no longer sat in the little garden, but he and
Omi were indoors trying to pass the time playing a game which resembled
checkers.
Neither of them greeted Orito otherwise than sadly, both of them letting
him see in every way that he had wounded them deeply, although Omi was a
trifle hopeful and often told Sachi that he had great hopes that Orito
would change his mind, that something would turn up to help them. Sachi,
on the other hand, was inconsolable. Moreover, he was growing quite old
and feeble, and this last disappointment seemed to have stooped his
shoulders and whitened his hair even more.
Orito tried to cheer them up, telling them of some clever business deal
he had made in Yokohama, by which he had sold a large tract of land for
a good round sum.
[Illustration: "NUMÈ BREAKS DOWN." PAGE 167.]
"How is Numè?" he asked.
The old man shook his head sadly.
"Quite sick," he said. "She grew very sad and lonely for a time, and
about a week ago she broke down when out with her maid, and was carried
to Mrs. Davis' house, where she has been ever since."
"I'll go right over and see her," Orito said, with concern.
He found Numè looking very thin and wan. She was lying on an English
sofa. Koto was beside her, singing very softly as she played on her
samisen. Orito paused on the threshold, listening to the last weird,
thrilling notes of the beautiful song, "Sayonara" (Farewell).
"It is indeed very sad to find you sick, Numè," he said, gently, as he
sat down beside her.
She smiled faintly.
"I am afraid you have kept too much in seclusion, Numè. You ought to go
out more into the open air."
Still the girl smiled silently--a pitiful, trembling, patient smile.
Mrs. Davis came into the room and welcomed Orito, trying to cheer the
girl up at the same time. "Now we will get better soon," she said,
pinching the girl's chin--"now that Orito has come home."
"Ess," the girl answered, vaguely. "Numè will be bedder now."
Koto laid her face against the sick girl's, caressing her little head
with her hand.
"Your voice is so weak, Numè-san," she said.
A look of genuine sympathy and affection passed between mistress and
maid. Koto understood her, if no one else did. Koto loved her and would
stand by her through thick and thin.
Orito expressed himself to Mrs. Davis as being very shocked to find
Numè so weak and thin. He had not heard of her illness. How long had it
been?
"Only a few days," Mrs. Davis told him. It had been very sudden. She
would improve soon, now that Orito had returned.
Her persistency in dwelling on the fact that it depended on him--the
restoration of Numè's health--irritated Orito. He knew Numè better than
Mrs. Davis imagined; and knew, also, that she did not love him so that
for the sake of it she would suddenly break down and become as white and
frail as a lily beaten by a brutal wind.
Koto talked to him rapidly in Japanese. She wanted them to return home
soon. Neither she nor Numè were comfortable. "Numè wanted to be all
alone with Koto, where no one--not even the kind Americans--could
intrude until she should be better again."
"I will carry her across the fields now," Orito said, and told Mrs.
Davis of his intention of doing so. That lady seemed very anxious that
the girl should not be removed for several days. But Numè settled the
question by rising up from the couch and saying she was perfectly
strong, and wanted to return home; that she would always be grateful for
the kindness Mrs. Davis had shown her, but would Orito _please_ take her
home?
The American lady was in tears. She kissed the girl repeatedly before
letting her go, but Numè was too listless to be responsive.
Ever since that day when she had fainted in the jinrikisha and had
awakened in a high fever, Numè had been sick--ill with no particular
malady, save perhaps the strain and shock.
Mrs. Davis had been very kind to her, waiting on her with her own hands,
once staying up all night with her. In fact, she and Koto had vied with
each other in serving and doing everything to please her, but Numè
seemed to have lost interest in everything. The only thing that soothed
her was for Koto to sing and play very gently to her, and this the
little maid did constantly.