the Yoshiwara. The ugly fellow was madly in love with the
beauty. On her he had poured out the treasures of the Ito[u] House
during the six months which preceded the illness of Kwaiba. During his
prolonged absence from her the letters of the Kashiku had inundated the
writing table of Kibei. Had he deserted her? Was all affection gone?
Where now were the promises of ransom, the blood-sealed vow to become
husband and wife, to assume the relation which endures for two worlds?
Kibei sullenly read these lines; cursing Kwaiba and cursing himself.
Ransom! With strict living for the next five years _he_ might set
matters straight and free the Tayu; and any day _she_ might be bought by
some rich country _samurai_ or _go[u]shi_ (gentleman farmer), or be
carried off to ornament the _besso[u]_ of some _hatamoto_. Kibei wiped
the bitter saliva from his lips.[32]

The domestic difficulties were accompaniment to these more important
matters. In the large mansion Kibei was now alone. The tenth day had
witnessed the flight of the last of the servants. The women had departed
with the funeral, through fear, sacrificing wages and even such clothing
as could not surreptitiously be removed. What woman--or man--could
remain in a house which was the nightly scene of such fearful sounds of
combat. Shrieks, wails, groans, came from the quarters once occupied by
the dead Kwaiba. As to this there was no difference of opinion. The more
venturesome had been favoured with actual sight of the scenes enacted.
They had seen the old man as he was in death, pursued from room to room
by two frightful hags, as gaunt, blear, sightless as himself. Dreadful
were the cries of the dead man as the harpies fastened upon him,
descending from above like two huge bats. These scenes took place
usually at the eighth hour (1 A.M.), not to cease until dawn. As for the
men servants, they took their leave in the days following, asking formal
dismissal (_itoma_) with recommendation to another House. They scented
the approaching ruin of their present employer.

One day Kakusuke presented himself. Kibei looked up. He understood at
once that the man had come in his turn to take leave. Kakusuke alone had
remained with him. He was _chu[u]gen_, stable boy, cook, maid; and did
the work of all four without complaint. The change in his master was too
marked. Kibei, in his turn, had become irritable, timorous as a girl,
subject to outbreaks of almost insane rage. To Kakusuke the you