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expressions of sympathy and admiration for the two deceased retainers. “True faithful warriors! Magnificent deaths!”—their eulogies even included phrases of this kind. But, as for the cause of these two noble deaths, there was no one who thought of this as anything but a heaven-sent mischance, a visitation of ineluctable fate.

Now that these two were dead the attention of the whole household was concentrated upon the solitary injured husband who lived on, a man called Asamizu Yojirō. There were many who bewailed the cowardice of a fellow whose wife had been stolen and who yet hesitated to plunge a dagger into his stomach.

Four or five days later the man himself appeared abruptly at the castle and informed the reception official that he desired an audience with Lord Tadanao. The official did his best to dissuade him.

“Whatever has happened, the other party is your lord. If you were to see him now it could only result in your attempting revenge. His lordship has behaved most improperly, and we all of us realize that. But, whatever he has done, he remains your lord.”

But Yojirō was insistent.

“That is as it may be,” he flashed back, “but I request an audience. I must see Lord Tadanao, whatever the consequences. Please forward my application.”

The official, left with no choice, passed on the request to a councillor who was then conducting some business in the ante-room.

“This Yojirō fellow seems to have lost his wits,” muttered the old councillor when he had heard the official’s explanation. “His lordship has used him badly, but in a case like this the proper thing for a retainer to do is to register his protest by a formal suicide. The other two understood that perfectly, but this losing his wife seems to have completely deranged Yojirō’s mind. I had thought better of him.”

Still grumbling away to himself the councillor summoned