“I am mightily glad you have thus exchanged the wine-cups of betrothal!
Ha, ha! You have my hearty congratulations!”
The young lovers prostrated themselves in acknowledgment of his favour,
but even as they did so the loud clang, clang of the alarm-bell broke
the stillness of the night and caused them all to start up to listen.
“What can it be?” exclaimed Hachiya, opening the _shōji_ to look out.
No need to ask that question; the lurid sky, the quickly rising flames
and showers of falling sparks proclaimed all too surely a house on fire!
“A fire, my lord! And not more than five _chō_ beyond the pine-trees on
the bank of the moat. I must go at once!”
“No doubt as to its being a fire,” said Nobuyuki looking out also. “Is
it not in your direction?”
“Allow me to leave your presence; I fear it is as you say!”
“Then lose no time! I will give the necessary instructions to the
Fire-Commissioner myself.”
With a hurried word of thanks and apology to his lord and Katsuno,
Hachiya left the apartment and ran home at the top of his speed. A
fierce wind had arisen and whistled through the branches of the tall
old pine-trees; louder and louder clanged the iron-throated bell.
His fears were all too surely realised: he reached his home only to
find it wrapped in flames! A detached room where he had been wont to
study was already reduced to ashes and the fire had caught on to the
main building. The trees in the garden were also burning and as the
wind shook the branches they let fall a shower of sparks. A number of
samurai and firemen were doing their utmost with squirts and rakes
to get the fire under, but against the fierce flames fanned to
fury by the strong wind their efforts were of little avail. Hachiya
involuntarily heaved a deep sigh of despair, but there was no time
to delay. It was imperative that he should venture into the burning
building and save, if possible, important documents and ancestral
treasures, as well as some highly valued gifts he had received from his
lord.
As he rushed through the front gate a dark form sprang from the shade
of a great pine-tree and plunged a sword into his side. Before Hachiya
could draw his own weapon the assassin gave him another thrust through
the heart, and the young Councillor fell lifeless to the ground.
The charred body of the hapless samurai was found in the ashes of his
ruined home.