Chapter 20, "The Morning Glory"
And I'm back to the text.
Chapter 20, "The Morning Glory: (online): In which Genji skanks after Asagao, to Murasaki's distress.
Asagao was introduced a while ago and was most important in chapter 10, when Genji was sleeping with the lady of the misty moons (Oborozukiyo) and writing Asagao (then a high priestess) in improper ways, which contributed to his exile in chapter 12. Her father died in chapter 19. At the start of this chapter, we're told that she resigned as priestess when her father dies. (I think this ties into what's talked about in those two articles, that women mostly get influence through the positions of their fathers.)
The main thread of this chapter is Genji skanking after Asagao, who is having none of it. A lot of this embodies the Heian conventions described in the articles of the prior post: on the one hand, men finding "hard to get" appealing, and on the other, women not really refusing someone as perfect as Genji:
It is not to be imagined that Genji had quite lost his heart to the princess. It was rather that her coldness put him on his mettle. He did not wish to admit defeat. He was extremely careful these days about his behavior, which left no room for criticism. . . . Yet rejected suitors did look rather ridiculous.
His pursuit and Asagao's steadfast refusal are wound through with two threads. The first is visiting the Fifth Princess, his aunt, who is elderly and indeed falls asleep snoring during one conversation of old times. This is a bit farcical-and more so is the subsequent appearance of Naishi, the very elderly women he had a brief affair with back in chapter 7 and is still, now, flirting with him. However, the theme is the passage of time, and not for the better; there's a rusting gate, and thoughts of how unfair it is that Fujitsubo should have had such a short life when she was so much better than Naishi, and so forth. (And, of course, some G = P on the Fifth Princess's part.)
The other thread is Murasaki's reaction; her concern with Asagao as a highly-ranked rival also makes more sense to me in light of Tyler's essay:
The rumor presently reached Murasaki, who at first told herself that he would not dream of keeping such a secret from her. Then, watching him closely, she could not dismiss the evidences which she found of restlessness. So he was serious about something which he had treated as a joke. She and Asagao were both granddaughters of emperors, but somehow the other lady had cut the grander figure. If Genji's intentions proved serious Murasaki would be in a very unhappy position indeed.
Genji eventually notices, and is both passive-aggressive and truthful in response:
"I wonder if you might possibly have misconstrued the little notes I have sent to the high priestess of Kamo. If so, then you are very far from the mark. You will see for yourself one of these days. She has always been such a cold one. I have sought to intimidate her with what might be taken for love notes. Life is dull for her, it would seem, and sometimes she has answered. Why should I come crying to you with the answers when they mean so little to me? I must assure you once more that you have nothing to worry about."
Then there's snow-someone remind me what snow signifies?-and Genji and Murasaki have a rather frank conversation about his past lovers. He mentions Fujitsubo first, remembering servants making a snow mountain for her, and I'm not sure if Murasaki knows or is meant to understand that Genji had sex with her aunt. The transition makes me wonder:
"I doubt that we will see anyone quite like [Fujitsubo] again. . . . You of course wear the same colors, but I do sometimes find that I must tax you with a certain willfulness.
"The Kamo priestess is another matter. With time on our hands and no real business, we have exchanged notes. I should say that she is the one who puts me to the test these days."
[Murasaki:] "But the most elegant and accomplished one of them all, I should think, is Lady Oborozukiyo. She seemed like caution incarnate and yet those strange things did happen."
"If you are naming the beautiful and interesting ones, she must be among them. . . . Then there is the [Akashi?] lady off in the hills of whom you have such a low opinion. She is more sensitive and accomplished than one might expect from her rank. . . . I have never taken charge of a lady who has had nothing at all to recommend her. Yet the really outstanding ones are rare indeed."
He then compliments Murasaki and they pass the night together. Except that Genji dreams of Fujitsubo, who is angry that their child's parentage is known. He is sad, Murasaki is frightened, and the chapter ends with Genji wishing he might find Fujitsubo again in death (or reincarnation, I'm not sure which).
Two thoughts: First, this is a fairly coherent chapter. Second, somehow I think Fujitsubo is too refined to come back as a vengeful ghost who goes "BLEAAAHHHH!", which is almost too bad.
(I have thus far managed to resist doing a big character concordance/index, Wikipedia being disappointing in this regard. I hope to keep resisting, because what a time sink that would be.)