On the appointed day Genzaburo made his preparations, and went in disguise, without any retainers, to call upon Sazen, who met him at the porch of his house, and said, “This is a great honour!  My lord Genzaburo is indeed welcome.  My house is very mean, but let me invite your lordship to come into an inner chamber.”

“Pray,” replied Genzaburo, “don’t make any ceremony for me.  Don’t put yourself to any trouble on my account.”

And so he passed in, and Sazen called to his wife to prepare wine and condiments; and they began to feast.  At last Genzaburo, looking Sazen in the face, said, “There is a service which I want you to render me—­a very secret service; but as if you were to refuse me, I should be put to shame, before I tell you what that service is, I must know whether you are willing to assist me in anything that I may require of you.”

“Yes; if it is anything that is within my power, I am at your disposal.”

“Well, then,” said Genzaburo, greatly pleased, and drawing ten riyos from his bosom, “this is but a small present to make to you on my first visit, but pray accept it.”

“No, indeed!  I don’t know what your lordship wishes of me; but, at any rate, I cannot receive this money.  I really must beg your lordship to take it back again.”

But Genzaburo pressed it upon him by force, and at last he was obliged to accept the money.  Then Genzaburo told him the whole story of his loves with O Koyo—­how he had first met her and fallen in love with her at the Adzuma Bridge; how Chokichi had introduced her to him at the tea-house at Oji, and then when she fell ill, and he wanted to see her again, instead of bringing her to him, had only given him good advice; and so Genzaburo drew a lamentable picture of his state of despair.

Sazen listened patiently to his story, and, after reflecting for a while, replied, “Well, sir, it’s not a difficult matter to set right:  and yet it will require some little management.  However, if your lordship will do me the honour of coming to see me again the day after to-morrow, I will cast about me in the meanwhile, and will let you know then the result of my deliberations.”

When Genzaburo heard this he felt greatly relieved, and, recommending Sazen to do his best in the matter, took his leave and returned home.  That very night Sazen, after thinking over all that Genzaburo had told him, laid his plans accordingly, and went off to the house of Kihachi, the Eta chief, and told him the commission with which he had been entrusted.

Kihachi was of course greatly astonished, and said, “Some time ago, sir, Chokichi came here and said that my lord Genzaburo, having been rebuked by his family for his profligate behaviour, had determined to break off his connection with my daughter.  Of course I knew that the daughter of an Eta was no fitting match for a nobleman; so when Chokichi came and told me the errand upon which he had been sent,