The cleverest amongst us has been Louis de S----. Having formerly
inhabited Japan, and made a marriage Japan fashion there, he is now
satisfied to remain the friend of our wives, of whom he has become the
_Komodachi taksan takaï, the very tall friend_ (as they say on account
of his excessive height and slenderness). Talking Japanese more freely
than we can, he is their confidential adviser, disturbs or reconciles
at will our households, and has infinite amusement at our expense.

This _very tall friend_ of our wives enjoys all the fun that these
little creatures can give him, without any of the worries of domestic
life. With brother Yves, and little Oyouki (the daughter of Madame
Prune, my landlady,) he makes up our incongruous party.




XIV.


M. Sucre and Madame Prune,[D] my landlord and wife, two perfectly
unique personages but recently escaped from the panel of some screen,
live below us on the ground floor; and very old they seem to have this
daughter of fifteen, Oyouki, who is Chrysanthème's inseparable friend.

[Footnote D: In Japanese: _Sato-san_ and _Oumé-San_.]

Both of them are entirely absorbed in the practices of Shintoist
devotion: perpetually on their knees before their family altar,
perpetually occupied in murmuring their lengthy orisons to the
Spirits, and clapping their hands from time to time to recall around