“At that time the talk was of Sada San; this time the talk is of Asa San.”

A flash of inspiration struck Mr. Fujinami Gentaro, and a gush of relief.  By giving her to Ito, he might be able to side-track Asako, and leave the highway to inheritance free for his own daughter.  But Ito had grown too powerful to be altogether trusted.

“It must be clearly understood,” said the master, “that it is the husband of our Sada who will be the Fujinami yoshi.”

Ito bowed.

“Thanks to the master,” he said, “there is money in plenty.  There is no desire to speak of such matters.  The request is for Asa San only.  Truly, the heart is speaking.  That girl is a beautiful child, and altogether a haikara person.  My wife is old and barren and of low class.  I wish to have a wife who is worthy of my position in the house of Fujinami San.”

The head of the family cackled with sudden laughter; he was much relieved.

“Ha!  Ha!  Ito Kun!  So it is love, is it?  You are in love like a school student.  Well, indeed, love is a good thing.  What you have said shall be well considered.”

So the lawyer was dismissed.

Accordingly, at the next family council Mr. Fujinami put forward the proposal that Asako should be married forthwith to the family factotum, who should be given a lump sum down in consideration for a surrender of all further claim in his own name or his wife’s to any share in the family capital.

“Ito Kun,” he concluded, “is the brain of our business.  He is the family karo (prime minister).  I think it would be well to give this Asa to him.”

To his surprise, the proposal met with unanimous opposition.  The rest of the family envied and disliked Ito, who was regarded as Mr. Fujinami’s pampered favourite.

Grandfather Gennosuke was especially indignant.

“What?” he exploded in one of those fits of rage common to old men in Japan; “give the daughter of the elder branch to a butler, to a man whose father ran between rickshaw shafts.  If the spirit of Katsundo has not heard this foolish talk it would be a good thing for us.  Already there is a bad inge.  By doing such a thing it will become worse and worse, until the whole house of Fujinami is ruined.  This Ito is a rascal, a thief, a good-for-nothing, a——­”

The old gentleman collapsed.

Again the council separated, still undecided except for one thing that the claim of Mr. Ito to the hand of Asako was quite inadmissible.

When the “family prime minister” next pressed his master on the subject, Mr. Fujinami had to confess that the proposal had been rejected.

Then Ito unmasked his batteries, and his patron had to realize that the servant was a servant no longer.

Ito said that it was necessary for him to have Asa San and that before the end of the year.  He was in love with this girl.  Passion was an overwhelming thing.