ABSTRACT
The chūgen stood over the toilet dealer now coming out of his half-trance condition. The eyes of the two men met and showed mutual astonishment. “Naruhodo! Mobei San! In a quarrel over his wares with the vile women of this district?”— “Kakusuké San! Ah! There is much to tell. O'Iwa San …” The chūgen of Itō Kwaiba was amazed attention. “This Mobei to his ill fortune, met with the lady of Tamiya. Her condition, her ignorance, was too pitiful. Learning all the truth from Mobei she inflicted on him this punishment. May it cease there! Namu Amida Butsu! Namu Amida Butsu! … Heavy the grudge against your master Itō Dono; against Iémon Sama, his wife O'Hana San, all in the plot against the Lady O'Iwa. ‘To seven existences grant this Iwa opportunity to vent her anger. Every one of the perpetrators of this deed shall be seized and put to death’. She invoked all the gods and Buddhas; Nay, the king of Hell—Emma Dai-5 himself. Look to yourself, Kakusuké San. Deign to seek employment elsewhere.” Kakusuké completed his task of raising the battered and scratched toilet dealer to his feet. “Mobei San, you have acted the fool; without doubt. Relate what has happened.” Mobei did so in full detail. Kakusuké was thoughtful. “Much of-this Kakusuké hears for the first time. A servant gets but snatches of the inside of such matters. Just now the mission has been from his master, Ito Dono, to the Inagaki yashiki near Hōonji; matter of transfer involved in the late adoption of Kibei Dono into the House of the Danna Sama…. So that scoundrel Chōbei sold the lady of Tamiya to Toémon for a harlot. Alas! She deserved a better fate. One way or another they would kill her; and Chōbei, his money in hand, abetted the crime. Where is this brothel?”
