私が何とも云はずに席を立ち掛けると、奥さんは急に改たまつた調子になつて、私に何う思ふかと聞くのです。その聞き方は何をどう思ふのかと反問しなければ解らない程不意でした。それが御孃さんを早く片付けた方が得策だらうかといふ意味だと判然した時、私は成るべく緩くらな方が可いだらうと答へました。奥さんは自分もさう思ふと云ひました。
translation
When I sat down without saying a word, Okusan suddenly changed her tone and asked me what I thought. The way he listened was so unexpected that I had to ask him what he thought. When I realized that it would be better to get rid of the daughter early, I replied that it would be better to be as loose as possible. Okusan said she thought so too.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 席: seat (せき), location (of a gathering, etc.), place, position, post | 掛: credit (かけ), money owed on an account, bill, hanger, holder |
| 急: sudden (きゅう), abrupt, unexpected, urgent, pressing | 改: revision (かい) | 調子: tune (ちょうし), tone, key, pitch, time | 方: direction (かた), way, person, lady, gentleman |
| 解: solution (of an equation, inequality, etc.) (かい), root (e.g. of a polynomial), solution (to a given problem), answer, explanation | 不意: sudden (ふい), abrupt, unexpected, unforeseen | 早: already (はや), now, by this time, quick, early | 得策: good policy (とくさく), wise policy, best plan |
| 判然: clear (はんぜん), distinct, evident, definite | 可: acceptable (か), satisfactory, allowed, permitted, approval | 答: answer (こたえ), reply, response, answer, solution | 自分: myself (じぶん), yourself, oneself, himself, herself |