r
twenty _ryo[u]_. Kwaiba's enmity to Matazaemon was well known. He liked
Iemon no better, and would pursue him to the end, force him to cut
belly, and accomplish the official degradation and extinction of the
Tamiya House (_kaieki_). "What is to be done?" He turned squarely to
O'Iwa. She said--"Ito[u] Dono has been kind to O'Iwa. Perhaps if request
be made...." Cho[u]bei laughed. "Ito[u] Kwaiba is always kind to a
woman. It is not O'Iwa San whom he hates. But this is an affair between
men. He secures vengeance on Matazaemon through Iemon and this official
extinction of Tamiya. It is too tempting. He is not to be trusted. No
hint of the deed must reach him. Is there no money at the command of
O'Iwa San? The sum is but twenty _ryo[u]_. Iemon brought this news to
Cho[u]bei last night. He leaves Edo, to go in hiding, after ... after
... punishing the ... Well! Well! He is a wicked man. Cho[u]bei never
suspected such wickedness. But Iemon is not the issue. He represents and
can disgrace the Tamiya. There lies the issue. Has O'Iwa San no means,
nothing in coin?"--"Less than a _bu_, sixty _mon_." She held out the
coppers to Cho[u]bei.

Said Cho[u]bei with decision--"There is one resource left. There is
the person of O'Iwa San. Deign to go into service at the pleasure
quarter. Cho[u]bei is skilful. In seven days these wounds can be healed.
Twenty _ryo[u]_ secured, the paper is taken up, the robbery of the seal
is never discovered. We can laugh at Kwaiba's anger. All is for the
Tamiya." He noted that O'Iwa was hesitating--"It is but as a pledge. The
money is advanced on the person of O'Iwa San. A week, ten days, and
other sources of loan will be discovered. This is the only measure
Cho[u]bei can suggest. He has no means of his own to meet this debt." He
smiled as at a thought--"Perhaps Kwaiba himself will pay his own debt!"
He chuckled at the idea. "Why not make appeal at once?" repeated O'Iwa,
grasping at any straw of safety from this resource, so horrible to the
_samurai_ woman. Said Cho[u]bei promptly--"Ito[u] Sama knows perfectly
well the state of Samoncho[u]. Asakusa, Honjo[u], are far removed. An
appeal for twenty _ryo[u]_ as surety money in applying for a situation
would appeal to him; the other would not. Besides, thus far away he
could not investigate closely, if he would. He could but say 'yes' or
'no.'" O'Iwa remembered what Kwaiba had said--the necessity of removing
to a distance. The words and actions of these rasc