f Matazaemon to the truth. Great has been the favour in
disregarding this plainness and taking her to wife. Everything is in the
hands of Iemon San. Consider her happiness and deign to use her well.
Abstain if possible from taking a concubine. At all events conceal the
fact from Iwa, if it be deigned to keep such company. Plainness and
jealousy go together. Faithful and upright, such a disposition as hers
is not to be strained on that point. She would be very unhappy. Better
the light women of Shinjuku Nakacho[u], than one who takes the place of
the wife. Condescend to remember this last request of Tamiya
Matazaemon." He clasped the hand of Iemon, and tears were in his eyes as
he spoke. Iemon, too, was affected. It almost frightened him to be left
alone with O'Iwa. "Deign not to consider such unlikely contingency. The
amiability of O'Iwa is compensation for the greatest beauty. Who could
think of injuring her in any way? Perhaps a child soon will be the
issue. With this in mind condescend to put aside all gloomy thoughts.
Concentrate the honoured will on life, and complete recovery to health
will follow. Such, indeed, is the daily prayer of this Iemon at the
Myo[u]gyo[u]ji."

Matazaemon smiled faintly--with gratification or grimness? Perhaps
death unseals the vision. Often indeed did Iemon present himself at the
family temple; he the substitute for the Master of Tamiya. But as often
did his feet return by the diametrically opposite direction, running the
gauntlet of the charms of the frail beauties of Nakacho[u]. Iemon held
on to the hand of Matazaemon, swearing and forswearing himself with the
greatest earnestness and the best of intentions. Suddenly he raised his
head. The emotion aroused by the interview had been too much for the old
man's fluttering heart. His head had slipped down sideways on the
pillow. A little stream of dark bitter refuse flowed from the mouth and
choked him. He was dead.

Great was the grief of wife and grandchild; great was the importance of
Iemon, now in very fact Master of Tamiya. Whether or not he followed the
advice of Cho[u]bei, and gave the old woman _tokage_ (lizard); whether
her constant small journeys to the houses of neighbours, reciting a
litany of praise of this wondrous son-in-law; whether the loss of the
companion of so many years wore out the feeble frame; it is fact that
O'Naka followed her lord before the maple leaf turned red. Again the
Tamiya was the scene of the funereal c