| The Broom Tree |  |
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(This is the story when Genji is 17 years old. He spent little time with his bride. He stayed most of the time in the court and seldom visited her. But with his brother-in-law, To-no-Chujo, he was on particularly good terms)
The summer rains came, the court was in retreat. It had been raining all day. Genji was back in his own palace quarters. To-no-Chujo was also there.
Genji pulled a lamp near and sought to while away the time with his books. Numerous pieces of colored paper, obviously letters, lay on a shelf. To-no-Chujo made no attempt to hide his curiosity.
It was not likely that very sensitive letters would be left scattered on a shelf, and it may be assumed that the papers treated so carelessly were the less important ones.
To-no-Chujo was reading the correspondence through piece by piece. This will be from her, and this will be from her, he would say. Sometimes he guessed correctly and sometimes he was far afield.
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