“Certainly,” said O Hiyaku, coming to her lover’s support, “Master Takasegawa is not at all to blame.  It was I who invited him to drink wine; so I hope you will excuse him.”

Jiuyemon sat pondering the matter over in his mind for a moment, and then said to the wrestler, “You say that you are innocent; but, of course, that is a lie.  It’s no use trying to conceal your fault.  However, next year I shall, in all probability, return to my own country, and then you may take O Hiyaku and do what you will with her:  far be it from me to care what becomes of a woman with such a stinking heart.”

When the wrestler and O Hiyaku heard Jiuyemon say this quite quietly, they could not speak, but held their peace for very shame.

“Here, you Takasegawa,” pursued he; “you may stop here to-night, if you like it, and go home to-morrow.”

“Thank you, sir,” replied the wrestler, “I am much obliged to you; but the fact is, that I have some pressing business in another part of the town, so, with your permission, I will take my leave;” and so he went out, covered with confusion.

As for the faithless wife, O Hiyaku, she was in great agitation, expecting to be severely reprimanded at least; but Jiuyemon took no notice of her, and showed no anger; only from that day forth, although she remained in his house as his wife, he separated himself from her entirely.

Matters went on in this way for some time, until at last, one fine day, O Hiyaku, looking out of doors, saw the wrestler Takasegawa passing in the street, so she called out to him—­

“Dear me, Master Takasegawa, can that be you!  What a long time it is since we have met!  Pray come in, and have a chat.”

“Thank you, I am much obliged to you; but as I do not like the sort of scene we had the other day, I think I had rather not accept your invitation.”

“Pray do not talk in such a cowardly manner.  Next year, when Jiuyemon goes back to his own country, he is sure to give me this house, and then you and I can marry and live as happily as possible.”

“I don’t like being in too great a hurry to accept fair offers."[43]

[Footnote 43:  The original is a proverbial expression like “Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.”]

“Nonsense!  There’s no need for showing such delicacy about accepting what is given you.”

And as she spoke, she caught the wrestler by the hand and led him into the house.  After they had talked together for some time, she said:—­

“Listen to me, Master Takasegawa.  I have been thinking over all this for some time, and I see no help for it but to kill Jiuyemon and make an end of him.”

“What do you want to do that for?”

“As long as he is alive, we cannot be married.  What I propose is that you should buy some poison, and I will put it secretly into his food.  When he is dead, we can be happy to our hearts’ content.”

At first Takasegawa was startled and bewildered by the audacity of their scheme; but forgetting the gratitude which he owed to Jiuyemon for sparing his life on the previous occasion, he replied:—­