als dove-tailed
admirably. A long silence followed. With exultation at heart Cho[u]bei
saw her rise. She put out the fire, gathered together the few personal
articles she still possessed. On seeing her struggle with the heavy rain
doors he came to her aid. "For the time being accept the hospitality of
Cho[u]bei's poor quarters. These wounds are to be healed." With full
heart O'Iwa gratefully accepted. She took his hand as if to kiss it.
Cho[u]bei hastily snatched it away. In his sleeve, the ink not
twenty-four hours old, was the paper of the sale of O'Iwa to Cho[u]bei;
her passing over to his guardianship, to dispose of as a street harlot,
a night-hawk. The consideration? Five _ryo[u]_: payment duly
acknowledged, and of course nominal. The paper of transfer was in
thoroughly correct form. Cho[u]bei had drawn it himself.

CHAPTER XIII

THE YO[U]TAKA (NIGHT-HAWKS) OF HONJO[U]

O'Iwa's stay of nearly seven days at Cho[u]bei's house was one of the
golden periods of her life. O'Taki received the Ojo[u]san with humble
joy. Iemon could not drop Cho[u]bei out of his life of prosperity. O'Iwa
was soon brought in contact with the humble pair in adversity. Hers was
a generous heart, and O'Taki could not look around her house without
some indication of this kindness. Her sympathy with the wronged wife was
great. A husband--thriftless, a gambler, inconsiderate--of such a one
she had some experience. By the same means this lady was brought to her
present pass. It roused her indignation. As to brutality; that was
another matter. She squared her stout shoulders and looked derisively at
the loose angularity of Cho[u]bei, his rickety physique. But the storm
would pass. Ito[u] Sama, Kondo[u] Sama, Myo[u]zen Osho[u], all these
were agreed. The Ojo[u]san now out of his reach, without a home to go
to, and only hostile faces met with in the ward, Iemon Sama would soon
come to terms. Would the Ojo[u]san deign to honour their humble home as
long as she liked. She at once suppressed O'Iwa's rather futile attempts
to aid in her rough household work. It had been the lady's part to
direct her maids in their more repugnant tasks, and now brought right
under her hand in this plebeian household. O'Iwa never had undergone the
harsher lot of her mother O'Mino.

Cho[u]bei in his way was as kind as his wife. At once he devoted
himself to the repair of his property. When O'Iwa produced the paste and
lotion of Suian Sensei, as sovereign for the