Then, at length, the hero of the "Blue Main Waves" made his appearance, to the delight of the suddenly startled spectators, from the midst of a knoll in the grounds, covered with maple leaves. The twigs of maple which crowned his head, became thinned as he danced, and a Sadaishio, plucking a bunch of chrysanthemums from in front of the Royal stand, replaced the lessened maple leaves. The sun was by this time descending, and the sky had become less glaring, while the face of Nature seemed as if it were smiling on the scene. Genji danced with unusual skill and energy. All the pages and attendants, who were severally stationed here under the side of the rock, there under the shade of the foliage, were quite impressed with the effects of the performance. After Genji, a little prince, the child of the Niogo of Jiokio-den, danced the "Autumn Gales," with a success next to that of Genji. Then, the principal interest of the day being over, as these dances were finished, the _fete_ ended. This very evening Genji was invested with the title of Shosammi, and To-no-Chiujio with that of Shoshii. Many other persons also received promotion in rank according to their merits. It was after this _fete_ that the young Violet was taken into the mansion of Genji at Nijio, and she lived with him. The more care he took of her the more amiable she became, while nothing pleased him more than teaching her to read and write. The full extent of her mourning for her grandmother was three months, as it is for the maternal side; and on the last day of December her dress was changed. As she, however, had been always brought up under the care of her grandmother, her indebtedness to the latter was not to be held lightly; consequently any bright colors were not advisable for her, so she wore plain scarlet, mauve, and light yellow, without trimmings or ornament on them. The dawn ushered in the New Year's day. Genji was about to leave his mansion to attend the New Year's _levee_. Just before starting, he came into Violet's room to see her. "How are you? Are you becoming less childish now?" said he, with a smile to the girl who was playing with her Hina (toys). "I am trying to mend this. Inuki damaged it when he was playing what he called 'driving out devils,'"[72] replied the girl. "What carelessness! I will soon get it mended for you. Don't cry this day, please," said Genji, and he went off, the maidens who attended on Violet accompanying him to the door. This example was also followed by Violet herself. She went back again to her toys, and presented a toy prince, whom she called Genji, at the Court of her toy house. Shionagon was beside her. She said:-- "You might really be a little more womanly, as the Prince told you. How very childish! a girl older than ten always playing with toys!" Violet said nothing; but she seemed, for the first time, to have become aware that she was expected to be a woman in the course of time.