ainly
done for. Was it 'three years,' she said? Her face was frightful. This
Rokuro[u]bei has no more to do with the affair. He goes no more to
Samoncho[u]. Alas! He will never sleep again. Oh! Oh! To be haunted in
the next existence by such a rotten O'Bake." Said Kwaiba--"Did Iemon
really beat her? He says he did." Answered Kondo[u]--"She could barely
move a limb. Of love for Iemon not a spark is left; but she clings to
the honour of Tamiya, to the wife's duty to the House. There is no
moving her. Rokuro[u]bei is suspect, as not doing his duty as
_nako[u]do_. Look to yourselves. If she ever gets suspicious of the real
facts, has an inkling of the truth--look out for yourselves."

Kwaiba was thoughtful; Iemon was indifferent. None of them could think
of aught but the venture already engaged in. A week, ten days, passed.
In that time every effort was made to move O'Iwa to consent to a
divorce. As _Kumi-gashira_, Kwaiba summoned her to his house. Before his
kindly sympathy O'Iwa melted into tears. The scandalous treatment of
Iemon had reached his ears. Why had he not heard of it before it reached
such extremes? He looked indignation at his messenger, the one who had
brought O'Iwa to his presence, Akiyama Cho[u]zaemon the neighbour of
Tamiya, living not far off near the Ten-o[u]. Said the ward
head--"Kwaiba always took this Iemon, or Kazuma, for a scoundrel. A
stranger, why bring him into the ward? But now he is master of Tamiya.
In the place of the excellent, if obstinate, Matazaemon. Alas! The
pension of the House is said to be hypothecated for five years. And the
household goods; and separate properties of Tamiya--all gone?" O'Iwa
nodded assent, and Kwaiba threw up his hands at such wickedness. At all
events he counselled her to consider matters, to accept his aid. He
would place her somewhere; in the country and far off from the ward in
which Iemon as master of Tamiya in its degradation would always be an
unpleasant sight and influence in her life; at least until Iemon could
be expelled. With the fellow's past career doubtless this would happen
before long. Meanwhile O'Iwa was to pass into one of the wretched,
overworked, exhausted drudges on one of Kwaiba's Shimosa farms. From his
chief's expressed views Cho[u]zaemon dissented. This was the one man
O'Iwa distrusted. He had always shown dislike to her. In defense of her
conduct Cho[u]zaemon was too clever to show any warmth. He was the
subordinate making exact report t