e was issued by Ito[u] Dono. Within the
month O'Hana San left the shelter of the house of Kondo[u] Sama to enter
the Tamiya as bride. Deign to look. Here is a jewelled comb reserved by
Iemon Sama as present for O'Hana San his wife. Here is gift of Ito[u]
Dono to Myo[u]zen Osho[u] for his efforts 'in the cause.'"

O'Iwa stood as one frozen. With Mobei's words the light was flooding
into mind and soul. Step by step she now followed clearly the stages of
this infamous conspiracy against her peace and honour. She had been
fooled, cheated, degraded--and by Ito[u] Kwaiba, the enemy of
Matazaemon; by Iemon, son of the hereditary foe Takahashi Daihachiro[u].
Mobei remained huddled at her feet, watching with fright the sudden and
awful change in her face. The words came in a whisper. At first she
brought out her speech with difficulty, then to rise to torrent
force--"Cheated, gulled by the hereditary foe! And this Iwa lies bound
and helpless! 'Tis understood! The end is at hand--Ah! The poison! The
poison! Now it, too, rises; flowing upward to heart and head of Iwa.
Accursed man! Accursed woman; who would play the rival and destroy the
wife! The time is short; the crisis is at hand. Cho[u]bei's dark words
become light. Hana would poison Iwa through this treacherous leech.
Iemon would kill her by the foul life of this brothel--Gods of Nippon!
Buddhas of the Universe! All powerful Amida, the Protector! Kwannon, the
Lady Merciful! Deign to hearken to the prayer of this Iwa. Emma
Dai-o[u], king of Hell, summon not the daughter of Tamiya before the
dreaded throne for judgment--through the course of seven
existences--until the vengeance of Iwa be sated with the miserable end
of these her persecutors. May the sacred characters of the Daimoku,
written on the heart of Iwa for her future salvation, be seared out as
with hot iron. On Ito[u] Kwaiba, Iemon, Akiyama Cho[u]zaemon, Cho[u]bei,
all and every one engaged in this vile plot, rests the death curse of
Iwa. Against these; against Natsume, Imaizumi, Yoemon of Tamiya, lies
the grudge of Iwa of Tamiya. Gods and Buddhas--grant this prayer!"

A violent hand was laid on the bosom of Mobei's robe. He screamed in
terror at the fearful face bent over him. A broad round dead white
swollen face, too sharp gleaming malignant dots darting flashes as from
a sword between the puffed and swollen lids, froze him into a passive
object. One of these lids drooped horribly down upon the cheek of the
appar