Something bound to the woman’s neck and back seemed to crush her almost double beneath its weight, and she clung weakly to the stumps5 of tree and bush as she made her way along.
It seemed almost, to the geishas sitting in the cool shade of the pavilion, that she dragged herself along on her hands and knees.
One ceased strumming upon the samisen, and a dancer, idly illustrating6 a few new gestures to the admiring apprentices7, stopped in the middle of a movement.
Omi suddenly screeched8 and caught at the sleeve of the dancer. No one moved or spoke9. They stood dumbfounded, staring with unbelieving eyes at the Spider, as she crept up the last height and dropped in silent exhaustion10 in their midst. There, with the glowing sun beating mercilessly down upon her, entangled11 in her glimmering12 gown, she lay like a great dead butterfly.
There was a stir among the geishas. Eyes met eyes in meaning, shocked glances; but still, from custom, they were voiceless.
Suddenly the little Omi began to run about like one bereft13 of her senses. One moment she knelt by her former mistress; the next she sought to awaken14 the chaperon, shaking and pounding that enormously stout15 and somnolent16 lady. Several maids now joined her, and they ran about in panic-stricken circles, uncertain what to do. Matsuda was absent. The poor, mindless Okusama was indoors, playing and talking with her countless17 dolls, quite oblivious18 of all about her. Should they go to her? Would she understand?
Omi finally darted19 into the house, and, dragging the Okusama from her dolls, drew her out into the sunlight. For a moment the demented creature stared with a puzzled, troubled look at the form upon the ground. Then she began to utter strange little inarticulate cries and threw herself upon the body of the Spider.
She seemed suddenly to regain20 all of her lost senses. She felt the geisha’s hands, listened to her heart, screamed for water, and tore at the object upon the Spider’s back, drawing it warmly to her own bosom21.
One maiden22 brought water, another a parasol, another a fan, while Omi supported Moonlight’s head upon her lap. One vied with the other in performing some service for the one they all had loved.
Presently the heavy eyes of the Spider opened, and, dazedly23, she appeared to recognize the faces of those about her. A faint smile crept to her white lips. But the smile quickly faded, and a piteous look of commingled24 fear and pain stole over her wan25 little face. She put back her hands to her neck and started up, moaning. Loving arms were about her. They reassured26 her that all about her were friends, and showed her her baby, where, safe and sweet, it rested in the bosom of the Okusama. Then for a long time she lay with her eyes closed, a look of peace, such as comes after a long, exhausting race, upon her face.
Later, when, refreshed and stronger, she rested among the geishas in the pavilion, she weakly and somewhat incoherently told them the story of her wanderings.
At first she had found employment under another name in a tea-house of the city of Tokio; but it was not in the capacity of geisha, for she knew the agents of her husband sought among all the houses of the two cities for a geisha answering her description. Moreover, she had not the heart nor the strength to follow her old employment. So she had worked in the humble27 capacity of seamstress to a geisha-house in Tokio, near by the very barracks where her husband daily went. Every day she had seen him, unseen by him. She had even heard his inquiries28 of the master of the house for one answering her description. But no one had thought of the pale and shrinking little sewing woman, who so humbly29 served the geishas, as the famous one they sought.
Then the war had caused business stagnation30 everywhere in Tokio, and the first to suffer were the geishas. Patrons now were few, confined mostly to members of the departing regiments31.
Moonlight’s strength at this time had begun to fail her. Her work was unsatisfactory. She was dismissed. Now, at this time, when it was too late to please the Lord Saito Gonji and all his august ancestors, she had made the astonishing discovery, which she had not known when with him: that she was to become a mother!
Unable, even had she so desired, to return to the house of the Saitos, scorning to accept even the smallest help from the family which had divorced her, turned away from every place where she sought employment because of her condition, she had been reduced to the direst necessity. Indeed she, the once celebrated32 Spider, the wife of the noble Lord Saito Gonji, had become a miserable33 mendicant34, hovering35 on the outskirts36 of the temples and the tea-houses, seeking, in the garb3 of her late calling, now worn and tattered37, as they saw, for pity and charity. After long and tortuous wanderings, she had at last managed to return to Kioto. She wandered out into the hills in search of the House of Slender Pines.
In a secluded39 and quiet little corner of a seemingly deserted40 and unexplored hill she had found at last a refuge in a diminutive41 temple, where a lonely priestess expiated42 the sins of her youth by a life of absolute solitude43 and piety44. Here Moonlight’s child was born. Here she might still have been, but the aged38 nun45 had finished her last penance46 and had gone to join the ones the gods loved in Nirvana. The geisha had set out again, in search of her former home, and now she bore her baby on her back. Without funds to pay for a jinrikisha, she had traveled entirely47 on foot. The journey had been long, the sun never so hot, but, ah! the gods had guided her feet unerringly, and here at last she was in their midst!
She looked at the Okusama, whispering to the little head against her lips; at Omi, holding her hands in a strangling grasp and making violent contortions48 of her face in an effort to keep back the tears; at the geishas and maidens49, with their pretty faces running over with tears. Then she sighed and smiled.
The Okusama seemed to remember something of a sudden. She started upon her knees, clapping her hands violently.
“Hurry, maidens!” she cried, shrilly50. “The most honorable Spider requires new apparel! Wait upon her quickly and excellently!”
Omi whirled around in a dizzy circle, and she danced every step of the way to the house. Inside they heard her singing, and a moment later berating51 and scolding the maid who was to wait upon her mistress.
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1
tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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garbed
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| v.（尤指某类人穿的特定）服装，衣服，制服( garb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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6
illustrating
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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7
apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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8
screeched
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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9
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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10
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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11
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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13
bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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somnolent
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| adj.想睡的，催眠的；adv.瞌睡地；昏昏欲睡地；使人瞌睡地 | |
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17
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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19
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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21
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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22
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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23
dazedly
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| 头昏眼花地，眼花缭乱地，茫然地 | |
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24
commingled
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| v.混合，掺和，合并( commingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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26
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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27
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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28
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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29
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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30
stagnation
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| n. 停滞 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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32
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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33
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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34
mendicant
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| n.乞丐；adj.行乞的 | |
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35
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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36
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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37
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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38
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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39
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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40
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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41
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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42
expiated
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| v.为（所犯罪过）接受惩罚，赎（罪）( expiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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44
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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45
nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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46
penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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47
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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48
contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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49
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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50
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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51
berating
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| v.严厉责备，痛斥( berate的现在分词 ) | |
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