panel he listened.
"Myo[u]zen Sama! Osho[u] Sama! Condescend to open; deign to give
entrance! The storm nearly throws one to the ground. News! News for the
Osho[u]! A request to make!" Myo[u]zen held his ground against this
outer temptation. "Who are you, out at this hour of the night and in
such weather? To-night Myo[u]zen does not open. Go away; return in
daylight."--"But the honoured Osho[u] Sama is needed. His presence is
requested. Deign to open; at least to hear the message. The priest aids
the afflicted." There was something in the voice he recognized, despite
its terror. Regaining some courage he parleyed. The priest was for the
consolation of the unfortunate. O'Iwa had been, was unfortunate. He
could not open. "Who are you? Unless the name be given this Myo[u]zen
holds no further talk. To-night he is unwell, positively ill. Come at
dawn and Myo[u]zen will receive you."--"Who? Does not the voice answer
for the person? This is Tomobei, from the house of Kondo[u]
Rokuro[u]bei. Deign to open. The master needs and calls for the aid of
the Osho[u] Sama."

Voice and speech, the importance of Kondo[u] in the life of Myo[u]zen,
broke down his hesitation. Slowly he removed the bars. Tomobei entered,
dripping with wet. He cast down his straw coat at the entrance. The
man's eyes and manner were wild. He kept casting frightened looks into
the wild welter of storm outside. When the priest would withdraw into
the room he held him by the skirt. "What has happened?" commanded
Myo[u]zen briefly. Replied Tomobei--"A terrible thing! To-day the master
was ready to attend the funeral of Ito[u] Inkyo[u]. The wife was engaged
in putting the house _kimono_ in the closet. O'Tama was playing on the
upper _ro[u]ka_. She is but seven years old. Leaning far over to see her
father leave, she lost her balance. Down she fell, to be impaled on the
knife-like points of the _shinobi-gaeshi_. The sharp-pointed bamboo,
protection against thieves, have robbed the Danna of his greatest
treasure (_tama_). Deep into throat and chest ran the cruel spikes, to
appear through the back. The sight inspired fear, so horrible was it. He
could but call out--'Tomobei! Tomobei!' All effort to detach the child,
to saw off the points, did but make matters worse. It was necessary to
fetch a ladder. When taken down she was dead. Alas! Alas! The Okusama is
nearly crazed. The Danna Sama in his cruel distress does but rage
through the house. 'Myo[u]zen Osho[u], he love