city had injured him, the city must bring him up. He was sent to the poorhouse, and afterward to the stone-quarries. It was a most piteous sight."
Cho-Cho-San bent again to the ear of the old man. There was a tremor in her voice now.
"Had he eyes of purple?" asked the nakodo.
"He was beautiful of face; but surely eyes of purple are not desirable?" Yamadori brought his own down from the ceiling and leveled them at Cho-Cho-San. She still smiled, but there was a bright-red spot in each cheek now. " But he was misshapen, and he was never known to laugh. I saw many such. I saw a child whose father had deserted it, and the mother—"
Madame Butterfly clapped her hands again. The maid appeared promptly; she had expected the summons.
"Suzuki—good Suzuki, the excellent gentlemen—the august" she swept a royal gesture toward them—"who have done us the honor to call, they wish to go hurriedly. Their shoes will you not hasten them?"
With a final brilliant smile she turned her back upon them and left the room.
