O'Iwa. 'To seven existences grant this Iwa opportunity
to vent her anger. Every one of the perpetrators of this deed shall be
seized and put to death.' She invoked all the gods and Buddhas; Nay, the
king of Hell--Emma Dai-o[u] himself. Look to yourself, Kakusuke San.
Deign to seek employment elsewhere." Kakusuke completed his task of
raising the battered and scratched toilet dealer to his feet. "Mobei
San, you have acted the fool; without doubt. Relate what has happened."
Mobei did so in full detail. Kakusuke was thoughtful. "Much of this
Kakusuke hears for the first time. A servant gets but snatches of the
inside of such matters. Just now the mission has been from his master,
Ito[u] Dono, to the Inagaki _yashiki_ near Ho[u]onji; matter of transfer
involved in the late adoption of Kibei Dono into the House of the Danna
Sama.... So that scoundrel Cho[u]bei sold the lady of Tamiya to Toemon
for a harlot. Alas! She deserved a better fate. One way or another they
would kill her; and Cho[u]bei, his money in hand, abetted the crime.
Where is this brothel?"

Surrounded by his women Toemon was listening to their excited
statements. Takezo was crying with rage and pain, as she examined her
fissured countenance before a toilet stand (_kyo[u]dai_). Ko[u]ta,
brought back to consciousness, lay groaning in a corner. They were
applying cold compresses to her broken jaw. Toemon looked up
suspiciously as Kakusuke entered, supporting the lamed and maimed Mobei.
"Look to this man's wares, scattered in the roadway; and to the man
himself." He spoke roughly, and with authority. Toemon did not dare to
resent his manner. With well feigned solicitude he addressed Mobei--"Ma!
Ma! A terrible punishment. Your face has the blush of the plum blossom
marked upon it.... O'Haru, run to the house of Wakiyama Sensei. Ko[u]ta
is badly hurt; his skill is needed. Stop at the drug store. Here is the
'cash' to bring salve for this good man's wounds. Alas! That a woman of
Toemon's house should so maltreat others. When caught her
punishment...."--"Shut up!" said Kakusuke. He had already taken his line
of conduct in his master's interest. "How comes it that the Lady O'Iwa
is found at the house of Toemon?"--"The Lady O'Iwa!" replied the brothel
keeper in well-feigned surprise. Turning to Mobei--"It is true, then,
what the women report; that Mobei San called the O'Iwa of this house
'Shinzo[u].' Who is this O'Iwa?" Said Kakusuke coldly--"The Lady O'Iwa
is the gra