oper curiosity.
When you came to the house, I thought that I knew your face; and
I asked your name only to clear away all doubt, before speaking of
other matters. I have some thing of moment to tell you. You often
pass through this village, and our young Him['e]gimi-Sama[73] happened
one morning to see you going by; and ever since that moment she has
been thinking about you, day and night. Indeed, she thought so much
that she became ill; and we have been very uneasy about her. For that
reason I took means to find out your name and residence; and I was on
the point of sending you a letter when--so unexpectedly!--you came to
our gate with the little attendant. Now, to say how happy I am to see
you is not possible; it seems almost too fortunate a happening to be
true! Really I think that this meeting must have been brought about by
the favor of Enmusubi-no-Kami,--that great God of Izumo who ties the
knots of fortunate union. And now that so lucky a destiny has led you
hither, perhaps you will not refuse--if there be no obstacle in the
way of such a union--to make happy the heart of our Him['e]gimi-Sama?"

[Footnote 73: A scarcely translatable honorific title compounded
of the word _him['e]_ (princess) and _kimi_ (sovereign, master or
mistress, lord or lady, etc.).]

For the moment It[=o] did not know how to reply. If the old woman had
spoken the truth, an extraordinary chance was being offered to him.
Only a great passion could impel the daughter of a noble house to
seek, of her own will, the affection of an obscure and masterless
samurai, possessing neither wealth nor any sort of prospects. On the
other hand, it was not in the honorable nature of the man to further
his own interests by taking advantage of a feminine weakness.
Moreover, the circumstances were disquietingly mysterious. Yet how to
decline the proposal, so unexpectedly made, troubled him not a little.
After a short silence, he replied:--

"There would be no obstacle, as I have no wife, and no betrothed, and
no relation with any woman. Until now I have lived with my parents;
and the matter of my marriage was never discussed by them. You must
know that I am a poor samurai, without any patron among persons of
rank; and I did not wish to marry until I could find some chance
to improve my condition. As to the proposal which you have done me
the very great honor to make, I can only say that I know myself yet
unworthy of the notice of any noble maiden."

The ol