ingly
engage in one. He don't like you...." He stopped. Kwaiba was speaking
sharply. He had just taken the fresh bottle. "Cold as a stone! How
careless you are."--"Not so," said O'Hana in some surprise. "It has just
come off the stove." Kwaiba put the bottle in her hand, to her
confusion. "O'Hana must have been asleep; or much engaged, not to note
the difference." For the first time he looked sharply at her, then at
Iemon. O'Hana often executed great freedom with him--"Asleep! Just so;
and no wonder. Without guests the evening has been stupid enough. If
Tamiya Sama had brought his wife with him it would have been complete."
Kwaiba, Kibei, Kondo[u] smiled at the sally. Iemon took the cue, and
chose to resent the words. He said coldly--"O'Iwa certainly brings spice
into everything she engages in. Her intelligence is unusual." O'Hana
looked at him; then smiled a little, reassured. Passing behind him she
stumbled. "Forgotten"--Iemon felt a letter thrust into his hand, which
he passed quickly to his sleeve. Then he and Kondo[u] rose to take their
leave. The usual salutations followed. As if to compensate for the
failure of the entertainment all joined in seeing them depart. Kwaiba
was still grumbling and half quarrelling with O'Hana. O'Moto was engaged
with Kondo[u] Rokuro[u]bei. Kibei insisted on aiding Iemon; and Iemon
did not dare to refuse his services in donning the _haori_. As he
adjusted the awkward efforts of Kibei on one side, this amateur valet
made a mess of it on the other. Besides, neither of them was any too
steady on his feet. Then Kondo[u] and Iemon set out in the rain.
"_Sayonara! Sayonara!_"

CHAPTER X

THE PLOT AGAINST O'IWA

The following morning Iemon sat brooding, mind and tongue clouded by
the drinking bout of the previous night. O'Iwa silently busied herself
with his renovation. Rokuro[u]bei had delivered him over to her,
decidedly the worse for wine and wear. He was somewhat astonished at the
young man's easy discomfiture. Middle age with the Nipponese usually
means the seasoned and steady toper. Regarding the matter as partly due
to her own fault, and reassured by Kondo[u] as to the events of the
evening, O'Iwa heated the _sake_ with all the greater care, serving it
herself, chatting on the indifferent gossip of the neighbourhood. She
spoke of the talk current as to Ito[u] Kwaiba's adoption of an heir.
"This man Kibei, his disposition appears to be as ugly as his face."
With a little smi