But a peace has come upon me, a peace that I have never known.--I seem to be on wings--afloat in the sky.--Stars and suns swing gently by--and cool clouds brush my brow.--Five hells lie before me.--Can it be, in each I shall find peace like this?--(_He falls on his knees_) Now a fire rages deep in me--a pain--I'm torn.--Oh, Obaa-San, I die--I die.--Come to me--touch me--let me feel your gentle hands.--So! So!--I have never known such gentleness.--Oh, I am cold--cold! Hold me-- [_He rises--sways--and falls. It is full day. The Gaki rises wonderfully._ Obaa-San--I see--I see.--The hells were made by some man afraid of the joy of life.--It was too beautiful for his belief.--Riki--Aoyagi, there is the mountain gleaming in the morning light.--Go--see your footprints side by side.--A Gaki's feet trod upon them, but left no mark--and they are there side by side.--O-Sode-San, I look across the River of Heaven;--there stands your lover waiting for you--an empty boat is here to bear you to him.--O-Katsu-San,--the messenger of the other world bears your little one upon his broad, warm back.--They are smiling, O-Katsu-San--Obaa-San-- [_He points to Riki and Aoyagi. Obaa-San goes to them and lays her hands upon them._ OBAA-SAN My little girl!--my little boy!--Today the sun is very bright. _The Curtains Close._ THE VERY NAKED BOY AN INTERLUDE BEFORE THE CURTAIN CHARACTERS SHE HE BROTHER _The scene is half way to a proposal._ _A hallway with a heavily-curtained doorway in the centre. Right of this are two chairs with a tabouret between them. Right and Left are curtained arches._ _She enters quickly, crossing to the chairs._ HE (_following breathlessly and almost colliding with her as she stops_) Genevieve! SHE (_with a calmness strangely at variance with her entrance_) Well? HE Why did you-- SHE I didn't. HE I beg your pardon, you may not have known it, but you did. SHE I didn't. HE If you'll only say you didn't mean it. SHE I didn't _do_ it. HE Now, Genevieve, you know-- SHE I didn't. HE Well, why did you--? SHE _I didn't do it!_ HE (_meltingly but without humor or subtlety_) Well, if you didn't do it, _dear_-- [_She is adamant._ Why did you run away the moment I came up to you? SHE I didn't run away-- [_He looks at her quizzically._ I just _came_ out here. HE (_hoping it isn't true_) But you seemed to be trying to avoid me. SHE (_with sphinx-like indifference_) Why should I avoid you? HE Genevieve! You make it impossible for me to talk to you.... I'll apologise if it will help. SHE Why should you apologise? HE Perhaps I've misconstrued your meaning. SHE I didn't mean _anything_-- [_He smiles pleasantly with more hope than discretion._ --because I didn't do it. HE Now, Genevieve, I saw you do it. SHE You'll have to excuse me, Mr. Gordon, from further discussion. [_She seats herself, fully prepared for all the discussion she can force from him._ HE But, Genevieve--