ABSTRACT
Half a year has passed since I parted last autumn from the Young Lady. Thanks to the protecting good fortune of my forebears, I have passed at the first attempt in the examination. I am now awaiting the final approval of the Imperial Pen. Being afraid that the Young Lady may be in a state of anxious expectation, I have written a special letter, which I will order my Lute-bearer to take to her, so that Madam and the Young Lady may know that I have passed and thus be relieved of their anxiety. The letter is ready, but where is the Lute-bearer?
