"Did I strangled her in my sleep?" He went, almost crawled, back to the other room and looked at the girl.
"Is something wrong?" the woman of the house came in.
"She's dead." his teeth were chattering.
The woman rubbed her eyes and looked calmly down at the girl. "Dead? There is no reason that she should be."
"She's dead. She's nothing breathing and there's no pulse."
Her expression changing, the woman knelt beside the dark girl.
"Dead, isn't she?"
The woman rolled back the bedding and inspected the girl.
"Did you do anything to her?"
"Not a thing."
"She's not dead." said the woman with forced coolness. "You needn't worry."
"She's dead. Call a doctor."
The woman did not answer.
"What did you give to her? maybe she was allergic."
"Don't be alarmed. We won't cause you any trouble. We won't tell your name."
"She's dead."
"I think not."
"What time is it?"
"After four."
She staggered as she lifted the dark, naked body.
"Let me help you."
"Don't bother. There's a man downstairs."
"She's heavy."
"Please. You needn't bother. Go back to sleep, There is the other girl."
There was another girl… no remark had ever struck him more sharply. There was of course the fair skinned girl still asleep in the next room.
"Do you expect me to sleep after this?" His voice was angry, but there was also fear in it. "I'm going home."
"Please don't. It wouldn't do to be noticed at this hour."
"I can't possibly go back to sleep."
"I'll bring you more medicine."
He heard her dragging the dark girl downstairs. Standing in his night kimono, he for the first time felt the cold press upon him. The woman came back with two white tablets.
"Here you are. Sleep late tomorrow."
"Oh!" He opened the door to the next room. The covers ere as they had been, thrown back in confusion, and the naked form of the fair girl in shining beauty.
He gazed at her.
He heard an automobile pulling away, probably with the dark girl's body. Was she being taken to the dubious inn to which old Fukura had been taken?