fellow
to ruin the House. He will dispose of the pension."--"The goods, the
House, Iwa, all belong to Iemon; to do with as he pleases. Iwa is the
wife. She must submit.... Ah! You refuse. Kondo[u] Sama is no longer the
friend of Iwa, to act as _nako[u]do_." What had come into the soul of
this gentle woman? Kondo[u] in fright shrank back from the look she gave
him--"A very demon! The mother, O'Mino, has returned to life. Oni! Oni!
You are not human. Kondo[u] assuredly will have nothing to do with
O'Iwa, or O'Iwa's affairs." He left her helpless in the middle of her
fit. Forgetting in his fright even his clogs, barefooted, he fled from
the house in Samoncho[u].

CHAPTER XII

KWAIBA'S REVENGE

Kondo[u] Rokuro[u]bei went direct to the council of the conspirators. He
found them assembled in the house of Ito[u]. Kwaiba, Iemon, O'Hana,
Cho[u]zaemon, Kibei, were drinking _sake_. Kwaiba as usual was bragging
over his prowess in youth extended into age. O'Hana was laughing at him
behind his back. Kibei was surly; yet his share of income was assured.
Kwaiba roundly berated Iemon for lack of energy. "O'Iwa has been allowed
to get the upper hand. Iemon is far too soft to deal with a woman who
has been spoiled all her life." Iemon listened in silence, with a rather
doubtful smile of acquiescence or contempt. In fact, knowing O'Iwa as he
did, he had little confidence in Kwaiba or Cho[u]zaemon, or the methods
they proposed. His own plan was maturing. Meanwhile in part it ran
parallel. On this assembly burst the discomfited Rokuro[u]bei--"Ah! What
an experience! The woman is a very fiend. A new pair of _geta_, bought
but yesterday, and left at your house, Iemon Uji." Iemon looked at
Kondo[u]'s frightened face and bare feet. Then he burst into a roar of
laughter. Kwaiba was indignant. "Is the fright of Kondo[u] San any
license to bring his dirty feet on the _tatami_. Deign, good sir, to
accept water for the cleansing. O'Hana San now is inmate of the house of
Kondo[u]; yet condescend for the moment to act the mistress here." This
was part of the arrangement. With the goods of O'Iwa the person of
O'Hana had been transferred to the charge of the honest Rokuro[u]bei.
There Iemon had easy and decent access to the use of both.

Said Iemon--"What happened after this Iemon left Samoncho[u]? Kondo[u]
Dono has been frightened." Kondo[u] puffed and fumed as he cleansed his
feet at the mounting step. He groaned--"Iemon Dono, you are cert