was
fruitless. The two men had expressed the intention of spending the night
at the Kwaiba wake. Neither had as yet returned. Grumbled Kibei--"The
filthy fellows! With this excuse to their wives they seek new pastures
at Nakacho[u] (Shinjuku), to spend the night in dissipation. 'Tis
Natsume who is the lecher. Gladly would he wean Imaizumi from his barely
wed wife."--"Or wean the wife from Imaizumi Sama! Wakadono, nothing can
be done now. The dawn should be awaited." With these sage comments the
_chu[u]gen_ squatted at respectful distance from his master. From time
to time one or other arose, to look sceptically into the empty tub in
which once had reposed the Inkyo[u]'s body. Finally both nodded off into
sleep. At dawn--don, don, don, don, came a loud knocking on the outer
gate. Kakusuke went out, to return with astonished face and portentous
news. The dead bodies of Natsume Kyuzo[u] and Imaizumi Jinzaemon had
been found at the foot of the _bake-icho[u]_, a huge tree close by the
guardhouse. Finger tip to finger tip three men could not girdle this
tree. With the bodies of the men lay that of a woman. Two corpses, man
and woman, were stark naked. Kibei's presence, as the successor to
Kwaiba's office, was required.

He prepared at once to start for the Okido[u]. The tale was in time
learned from the prolix Kamimura Goemon, who had witnessed part at least
of the scene. As he was knocking at his door on the Shinjuku road,
having just returned late from the watch at Kwaiba's house, rapid steps
were heard in the street. A man, recognized as Kyuzo[u], passed, running
at top speed. He dragged along by the hand a woman, the wife of
Imaizumi. The two were nearly naked. Close in the rear pursued Imaizumi
Jinzaemon, his drawn sword in his hand. They sped up the wide road.
Goemon stepped out, to follow at a distance this flight and pursuit. At
the _icho[u]_ tree the fugitives were overtaken. The woman was the first
to be cut down. Kyuzo[u] turned to grapple with the assailant. Unarmed
his fate soon overtook him. He fell severed from shoulder to pap. Having
finished his victims Imaizumi seated himself at the foot of the tree,
and cut open his belly. "Long had such outcome been expected," intoned
the long-nosed man. The case needed no explanation. Others echoed the
opinion of Goemon, who was merely many fathoms deeper in the scandal of
the neighbourhood than most of them. It was agreed to hush the matter
up. Reporting his own experien