on San had shut her up, as one gone mad." The woman smirked with
satisfied air--"Kondo[u] Rokuro[u]bei is seer as well as murderer. This
Kame was bound and imprisoned; nay, almost divorced. Myo[u]zen, just
dead at Kondo[u]'s hands, to-morrow was to pronounce the divorce. For so
much, thanks to Kondo[u] Dono. But O'Tama has died. Kame would condole
with Kondo[u] San; burn a stick of incense for O'Tama. Condescend to
grant entrance." Said Rokuro[u]bei abruptly--"How knows O'Kame of the
death of Myo[u]zen; who told her of the fate of O'Tama?" She laughed
wildly--"Who? O'Iwa; O'Iwa is the friend of Kame. It was she who loosed
the bonds. 'O'Tama of Kondo[u]'s house is dead. O'Kame should condole
with the wife, the friend of this Iwa. Get you hence, for Kondo[u] has
murdered the priest.' ... So here we are; O'Iwa accompanies Kame. Here
she is." She waved a hand into the storm and darkness. "Deign to give
passage to the chamber where lies O'Tama. O'Iwa and Kame would burn
incense to the darling's memory, to the little Jewel." With a roar
Kondo[u] seized the breast of her robe--"Vile old trot, off with you!"
He gave her a violent push which sent her on her buttocks. The woman
remained seated in the mud, laughing noisily. She held out two skinny
arms to him. With a slam he shut the door.

He knelt by the priest's body, truly grieved--"Ah! O'Iwa is abroad. How
has this mad woman knowledge of this deed? What was the offence of
Myo[u]zen thus to deserve the hatred of Tamiya O'Iwa?" O'Kame had seen
the priest enter, had stood in the wet listening to the wild talk of
Kondo[u], had seen the bloody sword in his hand. Her mad brain had put
riot and death together. The talk as to O'Tama she had overheard from
her closet. Kondo[u] thought of neither explanation. He was at odds with
Akiyama, and had sent no message to his house. As he speculated and
thought how best to compound matters with the temple, now grieved at the
rash blow fallen on a friend, now aghast at the certain and heavy
indemnification which would be exacted by the enraged clerics, an uproar
arose outside. There were wild cries and a scream of pain. Then came a
loud triumphant shout--"Heads out! Heads out! O'Iwa is slain! This
Akiyama has killed the O'Bake. The incubus of the ward is lifted. Help!"
Kondo[u] sprang up and out of the house. Were the words true? Had
another succeeded where he had failed? His lantern, the lanterns of many
others, threw light on the place where A