ie!" said Kwaiba coldly. "Furthermore 'tis a matter
not passing the period of last night. But that is not to the point.
Against Matazaemon this Kwaiba has a grudge--as yet unsatisfied. Through
O'Iwa San this shall be paid. With Iemon no harsh measures are adopted.
Nay; Kwaiba comes to his aid. You, too, Kibei, shall assist.... Ah! For
the ready consent, thanks. Ma! A delicious revenge is that gathered by
Kwaiba. O'Hana the harlot takes the place of the Ojo[u]san. And she
loves Iemon! In our feasts Natsume and Imaizumi get the skin of the
omelet; Iemon the centre. Then O'Iwa is to be driven out. To that Tamiya
cannot object. He substitutes honey for garlic;[23] O'Hana the flower
for the ugly toad O'Iwa. Splendid! Splendid! But how? Ah! Here's
Kondo[u], just in the nick of time. Rokuro[u]bei, aid us with your
experience and influence. Aid us with Iemon, who would cleave to the
O'Bake."

Put in possession of the facts Kondo[u] was aghast. He had come to the
parting of the ways; and under conditions which assured his
participation in the plot. At first he turned on Iemon with bitter
recrimination. "Oh! A virtuous fellow, who would drink a man's wine, lie
with his woman, and then preach morality to a household! But the
mischief is done. If not the paramour of O'Hana San, everybody believes
it to be so...." Kwaiba held up his hands in well-simulated anger. Kibei
and Rokuro[u]bei interfered. Iemon's last resistance was broken down. To
talk? That is the business of a priest. Soon he was as eagerly engaged
in the plot as if he had left the house in Samoncho[u] for that purpose.
Said Rokuro[u]bei--"What difficulty does the matter present? Set on
Watanabe Goro[u] to tempt and make love to O'Iwa. He is badly in debt.
The handsome man of the ward everyone would suspect her fall. Surprised
by Iemon, O'Iwa is driven out as unchaste. This Kondo[u] stipulates that
matters go no further. After all O'Iwa is innocent of offence. The
husband's full rights are not to be excused. Neither she, nor Watanabe
is to suffer injury."

Kibei laughed outright at the idea of a drawn sword in Iemon's hand.
Iemon turned the contempt on to Kondo[u]. Sneering, he replied--"The
plan is worthless. O'Iwa is chastity itself. In the absence of this
Iemon no man is allowed entrance to the house." Kwaiba knitted his
brows--"Kakusuke! Kakusuke!" As the _chu[u]gen_ appeared--"Go yonder to
the house of Akiyama Cho[u]zaemon San. Say that the Kumi-gashira would
spea