THE CURSE BEGINS TO WORK.
And Sampei, what of him, under the new _regime_, inaugurated so
unexpectedly? Could his mother have delved into his storm-riven soul,
she would have won no comfort by her prayers. Never was luckless
warrior so hedged about with difficulties, which might not be
vanquished with the sword. His influence over No-Kami was proved to be
practically nil, for the latter was unable to comprehend his brother's
character any better than that of his wife. What good then was to be
gained by lingering at Tsu? The question had propounded itself before,
to be set aside. Why shun it now? More than once Sampei determined
that flight is in some cases the truest valour, and on every occasion
the haunting and ever-present face of his early love upbraided him for
selfishness, in that he was her only champion.
It was a fine specimen of bravery, in sooth, to be self-elected "own
true knight," and run away at the first appearance of the enemy. That
the new-comer would prove an enemy there was little room for doubt.
Such a reproach should never be hurled at our young General, he
doughtily determined. The more he saw of the fair O'Kiku, the more
uneasy did he grow. There was no knowing how soon O'Tei might require
protection from her. He might be of use. That was enough. Under the
circumstances, despite his mother's warnings, Sampei resolved to
stay--moth dancing round a candle--and keep an eye upon the geisha.
The proceedings of that winsome fairy, when installed within the
castle, bade fair to set its inmates by the ears. With a vast parade
of prudery she insisted at first upon apartments being provided as
remote as might be from my lord's. A series of pleading messages,
mingled with threats, were required ere she would consent to appear in
the hall and perform graceful measures, or sing and play upon the
samisen. Her performance finished, she would smile, and bow, and kiss
her finger tips, and then flee like the timid hare. When No-Kami, who,
tantalised, grew hourly more amorous, chid his guest for suspicion of
his motives, she shrugged her shoulders, and imperiously demanded her
kago. "I am detained here against my will," she would remark pouting.
"'Tis monstrous dull, and to return to delightful Kamakura is my most
ardent wish." And then with distracting little sighs wrung from a
plump heaving bosom, she would dilate upon the glories of the Shogun's
court,--tell of the tiltings, the hawking parties--constant flow of
jocund gatherings--till the undisciplined Daimio clenched his nails
into his palms with jealousy, and the lady laughed behind her fan.
Before many days had passed, it was announced that O'Kiku had
consented to remain at Tsu, the acknowledged second wife; and the
samurai congratulated one another, looking forward to a period of
liveliness. As for their chatelaine, they thought no more of her; took
no heed of her incomings or outgoings; for she drew the curtains of
her litter close, and rarely went forth at all except on some
charitable errand. Really such mean-spirited conduct in a Hojo's wife
was a distinct besmirching of the name; and the younger and more
unruly of the warriors purposely turned their backs upon her kago, to
avoid saluting its passage.
The Lady O'Tei, as proud as any of them, though they wist it not,
marked their growing insolence, and stored their insults in her
embittered heart; and more than ever loathed her lord, on account of
her false position, as well as his new favourite. From the moment of
the latter's advent O'Tei abandoned for ever any idea of attempting to
exert influence over him. On that last occasion when she bowed her
pride and humbled herself to the very dust before No-Kami, the attempt
was crowned with disaster. It was decreed that she must live, must
breathe the same air as he. What must be must; but she would look on
him in future as little as she might. That he should choose to take a
second wife, the first or legitimate one proving barren, was not
surprising. The latter had neither right nor desire to object; but it
was clearly his duty to see that the introduction of the second spouse
brought no slight upon the first. Instead of demanding her rights, and
boldly grappling at once with a situation that was ominous of evil,
and so defining the geisha's place without more ado, O'Tei made
another mistake. Haughtily she withdrew within herself and brooded
over her wrongs, leaving to the intruder a clear field, of which she
was not slow to take advantage.
Having achieved the position for which she had so cleverly angled,
O'Kiku threw down the mask, shook off her bashful ways. Wherever my
lord could go, the damsel argued, so could she, for was she not young
and active? By his side in the chase she rode, untiring. When he
reviewed his men within the outer moat, she stood beside him, and with
amusing sharpness rated them all soundly for their awkwardness.
Accustomed to a disdainful mistress who interested herself not at all
in their doings, the warriors were surprised and enchanted. She would
even condescend to come down sometimes, looking so fresh and bright
and cheery, into the outer hall, where the soldiery lounged, yawning,
and administer reviving draughts. The throat of the soldier, she would
laughingly observe, is curiously parched, always yearning for
sake,--quite a serious disease, and catching too; one which was common
in the army. And then she would familiarly take their swords from
them--the swords which are the souls of the samurai--and closely
examining the blades, demand the genealogy of each.
No-Kami was flattered when he observed what a favourite his choice was
becoming with high and low alike. The men, one and all, adored her,
some of them declaring that she was a sunbeam detached miraculously
from the orb of life to illumine the darkness of their fortress.
At this moment the ambition of O'Kiku should have been satisfied, for
she could wind my lord and all his men around her finger, ruling them
as she listed. She held in supremest contempt the real chatelaine, as
an enemy not worthy of her steel--usurping her position and her
duties; taking pleasure in exposing her to ridicule. Low born as she
was herself--sprung from the gutter--there was something particularly
delightful in insulting the heiress of Nara; but the sharp, tiny pins
did not seem to rankle. This was annoying. Egged on little by little,
piqued by O'Tei's attitude of scornful indifference, the concubine
went dangerously far. She gathered around her a bevy of maidens more
numerous and more splendidly attired than those of her superior; she
exacted from the soldiery special homage which was due to the
legitimate chatelaine alone; even presumed, after a time--culminating
impertinence--to take unto herself the best litter, the one emblazoned
with the Hojo badge upon gold lacquer and the gilded poles and
brocaded curtains, declaring that since O'Tei chose to go only into
the low purlieus of the town, a less resplendent equipage was better
suited to her degraded taste.
O'Kiku should have been quite happy. But when is a vulgar-minded,
low-born woman happy who is consumed in the ratio of pampering by
ambition and greed and caprice? Having attained the summit of present
desire as planned on her arrival, she set herself to gratify her fancy
in another way. At first sight she had been smitten with Sampei; but,
on discovering that, though the elder, he held the second place, had
prudently postponed his conquest until a more convenient period. That
moment was now come. She had abundant leisure for the task. Sure a
warrior should be a willing slave of beauty. Yet when she warily
reconnoitred the ground, she marvelled at his coldness. Every inch a
splendid young soldier, he should have been less chill. She made
purring advances, favoured him with a few of the arrows under which
his brother had succumbed; and these shafts fell so short that she
guessed at once, with quick jealousy, that she had a rival. His heart
was not his to give. How provoking! for she had so cleverly arranged
that the two--he and she--were to become such friends!
On his side, Sampei (an adept in such matters) was not slow to read
her purpose, and, horrified at her calculating treachery, boldly
reviled her with rough words. She smarted and winced under the whip,
and wished for him all the more. It was idle to feign, and her speech
was as plain as his. She did not love her husband--O'Tei herself did
not gauge his low worth more clearly--she loved him, Sampei, and
gloried in it. See! For a caress she would be his slave, and fawn at
his feet like a dog. No Eta could be more abject than she, if he would
but look on her with love. A little--a very little--and she would be
so grateful, since, on her side, there was enough for both. Wreathing
her white arms about him, while his body quivered with disgust, she
cooed and prayed and worshipped, and uttered a sharp cry of pain as,
unable to endure the ordeal, he flung her rudely on the ground. _She_
prate of love! he cried. How dared she defile the holy word with such
foul lips as hers?
Furious--burning with shame at her repulse--she scoffed at him.
"_You_ talk big of virtue," she sneered, with cruel lines about her
mouth, "not knowing that I can read your secret. Treachery? What is my
treachery to yours? I am but a concubine. You love your brother's
wife--the mawkish doll of wax!--and she, as guilty as yourself, has
doubtless fallen an easy prey, since 'tis plain that she hates my
lord."
That shaft, at least, went home, for Sampei turned pale. Was it
written so plainly on his face that all who ran might read? A useful
champion--a true knight--whose faithful service it would be to guide
his mistress to her ruin. He must go away--far away--since his
tell-tale features could not keep the secret. And yet--to leave her
here at the mercy of this wicked woman!
O'Kiku perceived what was passing in his mind, and was for the moment
satisfied. She held revenge within her palm whenever she should choose
to use it. Sampei had spurned her. Well, she could afford to wait; for
what he had been powerless to deny might prove an invaluable
discovery. Sampei and O'Tei loved each other. Judging others from her
own standpoint, she had no doubt of their guilt. Perchance he would
soon tire of such an icicle, and she might woo and win him after all.
If not, she could use her discovery to avenge the slight, and free
herself of the inconvenient presence of both wife and paramour. It
would be so easy to open the eyes of the unsuspecting Daimio, and goad
him deftly on until the two brothers were at open enmity.
For a time she must abandon her designs upon the General, and lull the
pangs of disappointment and injured vanity by drowning thought in
excitement. Since she had bared her spotted heart to him, there was no
use in assuming a mask. On the contrary, her recklessness would sting
him like a serpent's bite since, knowing what she knew, he dared not
betray her to No-Kami. It pleased O'Kiku, therefore, to abandon
prudence, and cast shame aside. Secure of unlimited sway over the
infatuated despot, who would gladly accept such explanations as she
vouchsafed, she selected lovers from among the soldiery as they struck
her wanton fancy, disdaining to cloak her proceedings from the shocked
Sampei, who hourly grew more troubled and uneasy.
On which side lay his duty? How should he act? Were he to denounce the
geisha to his brother in the matter of her declaration to himself, she
would swear it was spitefully conceived, and No-Kami would refuse to
be convinced. 'Twas fortunate that O'Tei dwelt in such strict
seclusion, enveloped in the armour of purity, innocent of guile. But
what was to be the upshot of it all? As the falling stone increases in
velocity, so would the insolence of the concubine unchecked in
shamelessness. The tempest growled on the horizon, and grew apace; the
cloudlet was spreading over the heavens. Awe-stricken by the sinister
turn which, so rapidly, events were taking, the martyr's anathema rung
in Sampei's ears. The house of Hojo was to fall. Already, in his
mind's eye, could he see it reel, hear the crash of its disruption.
For a long time past the conduct of the head of the clan had been
indefensible. Buddha, awakened by clamour, was angry--and no wonder!
In his perplexity and indignation an ensanguined mist passed across
the vision of Sampei. The hint thrown out by Nara some time since
festered within his breast. The history of Japan teems with the enmity
of brothers, he had said. Was it indeed written that the last of the
Hojos was to perish by a fraternal hand? For the honour of the name
which they both bore, must the cord of an unworthy career be severed,
and by him? It would be well for the suffering land that No-Kami's
catalogue of misdeeds should be closed, but not by the hand of a
brother. Not murder! The honest soul of Sampei recoiled before the
insidious vision. It was vain to seek counsel of the Abbess, since she
confessed herself as perplexed as he. _Wait_ was all she could advise.
If the curse of Koshiu was to be accomplished, it would be
accomplished, whatever the efforts of the doomed. If his was decreed
to be the avenging sword, was he not a helpless infant in the grip of
destiny? The will of Heaven would be pronounced more clearly soon.
Meanwhile, there was nothing for it but to wait. Peering sadly into
the dark-lined future, Sampei waited in suspense, gloomy on the
threshold of despair.
Tidings reached Masago in her dim retreat of what was passing, and she
sighed. The finger of an outraged God was on them, that was becoming
certain. The fate of Hojo was to be a warning lesson to generations
yet unborn. By-and-by a rumour came, she could not tell from whence,
that the Daimio was going mad. In sooth, he was never sane, and could
scarce be held accountable for his growing pile of crimes. In
accordance with the rearing which befitted his rank and station, he
had scoffed with ribald laughter at a peasant's prophecy, treating
with levity the wild words of one who had deservedly been punished.
And yet there were moments when, though he fought against the
illusion, he was haunted by the dying face,--when those glazing eyes
that reflected the sunset shone out of the dark like glowing coals, to
wither and scorch his soul. In the night he would wake, seeming to
hear again louder than temple bell the words of evil omen, and then he
would hug so fiercely the form of the slumbering O'Kiku upon the mat
beside him, that she would turn on him with peevish reproach.
The visions and the voices increased, till he was afraid to be left
alone. His brutish nature became yet more vindictive and morose, and
the geisha, vowing that as a companion, after his paroxysms of
unreasoning fear, he grew intolerable, freely dosed him with sake, to
subdue his importunate tremors. In his chamber she would leave him
chained by drunken stupor, while she, with the favourite of the hour,
caroused below. This proved so convenient an arrangement, that to
obtain for herself a liberty of action yet more complete, she tempted
her lord to increased potations, till there arrived at length a period
when he was scarcely ever sober.
But then constant inebriety has its intermittent moments of recoil,
when the stomach sickens at the drink, yet craves for it, and at such
dismal times the smile would fade even from the brazen visage of the
baleful enchantress, for my lord would then pass without warning from
the extreme of grovelling anguish to the fury of mania; and O'Kiku
wondered, with blanched cheek, whether, perhaps, some day in one of
these mad fits the Daimio would rise and slay her.
One evening he woke with chattering teeth, and finding himself alone
in the quickly-gathering shadows, stumbled upon his feet, with curses
on the concubine in that she deserted him in his extremity. Did she
not know how much he feared the darkness, and how necessary it was on
many counts to conceal his condition from his warriors? Had he not
raised her up to be partner of his bed, giving her all she desired,
gratifying her every whim? And yet what recked the selfish creature of
his wishes, of his terrors, his requirements? Naught! Regardless of
his agony, she could quietly go away and amuse herself, leaving her
lord and benefactor a prey to goblins. Shivering, with swimming brain,
he groped his way in search of her; and somehow found himself, ere he
was aware, upon the drawbridge that led beyond the moat.
A chill wind was blowing from the river that lapped the frowning
walls--a singing murmur seemed to whisper "Come!" Shuddering, obedient
to a spell against which his will was powerless, he stumbled on. How
dismal dark it was! From the windows of the hall came a ruddy line of
light which served to intensify the black. There was a faint sound of
brawling within, a clash of steel, a din of bandied threats, followed
by the long rippling laugh of the geisha, and then the twang of her
samisen. "Always in that hall among the soldiers," No-Kami querulously
muttered. "She loves me less and less--cares nothing for my trouble."
Since her arrival, he reflected, there had been a gradual and grievous
decrease of discipline among the samurai,--a growing tendency to
quarrel and snarl in open disrespect of _him_. Had she betrayed his
secret? Had she divulged the nameless horror, and the cowardice which
unnerved his arm, unsettled his reason, and undermined his strength?
Impulse bade him turn and stride into the hall, and there assert
himself; and then the breeze, like clammy fingers, stroked his cheek
and murmured, "Come!" Whither was he to proceed? Was it the water that
summoned him? No! had not the farmer said that the river should ebb
away? Folly! why, what was this? Was he, the head of the Hojos, as
infatuated as others? Did he believe in the threats of the martyr?
On--on, away to the left--whither? To the dim belt of grim grey trees
that reared gnarled arms aloft, groaning and swaying in the wind. The
accursed trees--home of malevolent ghosts! The trees that chanted ever
their loving call to ignominious death.
With beads of sweat upon his brow No-Kami listened, and, not knowing
what he did, unwound his long silk sash. Then out of the dark shone
forth, like glowing coals, the eyes he knew too well, and then there
pealed upon the night a mocking shout. Hist! what was that? The voice
of Futen, the wind imp? or Raiden, king of thunder, beating upon his
drums? What was he doing with that sash?--he, the proud No-Kami?
Horror! he, the head of the Hojos, was about to hang himself--to
disgrace his line for ever!
With a growl of fear No-Kami sped away, his fingers in his ears, back
toward the light--and the saucy geisha, seeing a crouching shadow
pass, complained of some unclean animal. With stealthy speed, born of
terror and shame, the Daimio crept away, nor stopped to draw breath
till, safe in the sanctuary of his chamber, he fell panting, prostrate
on the mat. Another instant, and, unconscious of what he did, he would
have swung on the fateful tree. Strange that it should have been the
warning voice of Koshiu that had averted supreme disgrace. Why? Was he
reserved for something yet more infamous? Better now, at once, to make
an end of it--perish as a Daimio should when driven to bay by his own
well-tempered steel. Groping with aspen hands for the sword-rack, he
took his dirk, and unsheathing it, passed a finger on its edge. A
blade of Sanjo's, a masterpiece. Yes. Here in the dark, alone, he
would perform the rites of harakiri, and join with unsmirched brow the
line of haughty ancestors.
Footsteps, a yellow glimmer through the paper of the sliding doors.
O'Kiku's tardy feet? No, the heavier footfall of a man. A panel was
pushed aside. Sampei, shading with his hand the flickering flame of a
candle. The latter peered in, and uttered a cry. The dirk, the body
bared, the kneeling posture. The intention of the Daimio was evident,
though rising with a fierce curse he strove to conceal his purpose.
"I am glad I was in time," Sampei remarked, with cold composure.
"Would the chief of our clan commit harakiri without a second? Where
is he? I see no kaishaku. Pah! When all is lost 'tis time to think of
dying. If you wish it, and have courage, things are not yet past
remedy."
"What do you want?" snarled the Daimio, as with a scowl he retreated
into a corner.
"My lord of Nara has arrived, and is now closeted with his daughter.
Though you seem to have abdicated your dignities, it is right that you
should be informed of it.
"Sent for by her?" inquired No-Kami.
"No!" replied Sampei bitterly. "With all your arrogant parade, she is
more proud than you, and would never stoop to complain of your many
cruelties."
"Sent for more like by _him!_--snake in the grass!" gibed a voice
behind, and the two brothers, turning, beheld the geisha, a frown
puckering her brow, a red spot of annoyance on either cheek bone.
"Yes, snake in the grass!" repeated she, lashed to imprudence by
resentment. "He does well to play the part of the lady O'Tei's
interpreter--he who knows her so much better than others!"
Sampei was silent, while the suspicious gaze of the Daimio was turned
to his brother from the concubine.
"O fool!" she laughed. "To be fooled by women is the lot of the
haughtiest among ye! I vow I pity such blindness. Know that the crust
of a proud woman's nature often conceals a furnace. The lady O'Tei has
kindled a fire on the altar of her heart in honour--well, not of you!"
"You lie!" cried the General, kindling, yet striving still to control
himself for _her_ sake. "It was an evil day for the house of Hojo when
this strumpet came among us!"
"We are not all so blind as my lord," gibed O'Kiku. "When my lady goes
forth, in what direction do the bearers carry her? To the temple of
the vixen Masago, to offer up prayers, of course. A curious
coincidence! My lord Sampei, returning from the chase, pays dutiful
visits to his mother. A pattern son. There, there! be hoodwinked no
more. Stupid mole that you are, he loves O'Tei and she loves him. Look
in his face, man; is it not eloquent enough?"
The soul of No-Kami, already torn, writhed and quivered. Could it be
true, this dreadful thing? Mine already ruined, a mere pretty peasant,
a passing fancy, suitable toy enough--and now O'Tei! Had the lawless
libertine dared to aspire to the legitimate wife of his lord? The dirk
was still in the Daimio's grasp. Tottering forward a step, with
heaving breast and distracted features, he narrowly scrutinised his
brother.
"If I thought this was true," he slowly growled between his teeth, "I
would have speedy and ample vengeance. Sampei, why do you look
confused? Yonder, on the rack, is a sword!"
Again the mist of blood passed across the vision of the General. It
was decreed. No-Kami rushed upon his fate. He himself pointed out the
blade, lying so ready to the hand. A pass or two, and O'Tei, the
long-suffering, would be freed from her grinding bondage.
Involuntarily he stretched forth his arm, while No-Kami stood waiting.
He touched the sword; his hand recoiled, his arm dropped by his side
inert, for beyond the taunting visage of the geisha he seemed to
behold, tearless and pale, the shadowy figure of O'Tei. No, this was a
trap deliberately set by that wicked woman for her undoing and his.
If, in the combat, it was his lot to fall, her fair fame would be for
ever blasted. It would be skilfully bruited abroad by O'Kiku that the
Daimio had avenged his honour. Forcing himself to calmness by strength
of will, aided by an all-absorbing love, Sampei crossed his arms upon
his labouring chest, and sadly shook his head.
"You are insane," he sighed,--"beguiled to frenzy by the glamour of
this sorceress. You know, if you have power to think, that the dawn is
no purer than your wife. What madness is it that has so mastered you
that you would rather believe this harlot--for she is a harlot, and a
shameless one, as every one in the castle knows except yourself? Rave
as you will, I shall not gratify her spleen by fighting with you.
Should the necessity be forced on me, I will summon the samurai to
bind you, for your own protection. Cudgel your distempered brain,
my brother, and see the snare. Your father was mine before
you--unhappily--were born. The honour of our name is mine as well as
yours, and for me it shall remain untarnished. Alas, we are under a
ban, indeed! I can surety trace the finger of the Eternal; this
harlot, the instrument of ruin."
Foiled spite and impotent rage leapt up and invaded the calculating
spirit of the geisha. That he, so hot and careless usually, should be
able to school himself to prudence. How he must adore that pale-face!
It was humiliating to one who justly prided herself on cunning, to be
outwitted by truth and manhood. No doubt it was satisfactory to mark
how firm was her hold upon No-Kami. He had hearkened to her accusation
of his wife and brother, but the countercharge brought by the latter
against herself had remained unnoticed. And yet Sampei had had the
best of it. She was obliged to confess with self-upbraiding that,
exasperated by the appearance of Nara, whose unexpected arrival seemed
like to mar her plots and upset her calculations, she had been
precipitate--led into a foolish error.
The moment chosen was curiously ill-timed for bringing about a
quarrel. Not that she would have permitted blood to flow. Not so silly
as that. At the first onset she would have rushed out with clamour and
shrill cries to summon the sleepy attendants,--have sworn that Sampei
had attacked his feudal lord,--have created such a coil as would
have led to the former's banishment. But, devoted to the paleface, he
had for her sake curbed his heat. Noble and severe in bearing, his
dark brow seamed by battle scars, he was just the man to master a
turbulent plebeian woman of strong passions. As he stood, erect and
self-possessed, O'Kiku adored yet hated him. His scathing antipathy to
her he did not care to mask, and who should know as well as she how
well it was deserved. A man such as this might have wrought a miracle
upon her nature. She could have hugged her gyves, glorying in his
tyranny. Could have! He had repulsed her,--shrunk with loathing
undisguised as from a reptile, and all for love of the pale-face. The
dregs of her low nature bubbled to the surface in a rising surge of
abhorrence. At this moment, as she contemplated his still dignity, she
could have stabbed him to the heart with joy.
As schemes and combinations passed swiftly through her brain, the
geisha hotly blamed herself. A short-sighted novice! An awkward
bungler! The merest tyro could have warned her of the imprudence of
airing family feuds before outsiders. What a moment this, when the
powerful and astute noble of Nara was on the spot, to suggest charges
against his heiress. Well, well, it was for the best that Sampei had
kept his temper. The seed, dropped into the mind of No-Kami, would
swell and burst and blossom by-and-by--the grain of suspicion which at
a fitting season was to make of these brothers enemies. For the
present it was best to drop the subject, to turn it off with a jest;
then to make much of the illustrious visitor, and get rid of him as
soon as possible.
O'Kiku, therefore, suddenly changed her tactics. With a careless laugh
and a wave of shapely arms she swept aside the dangerous topic, and
remarked: "Perhaps I was wrong,--too prone to believe evil. Your
brother was before me with the news. The Daimio of Nara is here, and
must be made welcome. If you will do him honour, I will see to the
bestowing of his retinue. As you are her friend, Sampei--if really
nothing more--I trust you will beg his daughter to refrain from
telling lies of us." With this, awaiting no reply, she vanished, and,
resuming the demureness of the past and assuming a meek and gracious
air that befitted the position of the concubine, proceeded to charm
the retainers of Nara as she had already conquered Hojo's.
What was he here for, this inconvenient guest? What could his object
be in swooping down on Tsu? The question buzzed in her head as she
moved hither and thither, on hospitality intent. He must know that he,
was little welcome. Had the chatelaine been goaded at last out of her
silence? Did the tiny pins at last lacerate her skin? Had she summoned
her father to rescue her from a position that was unbearable?
What then? Would Nara, interfering on his child's behalf, insist upon
the prompt suppression of the second wife? And if he did, would his
mandate be obeyed, or was No-Kami still strong enough to do battle for
his siren? The prestige of Japan's despot had not paled as yet, for
the secret of his peculiar mental condition was well kept. Such
precautions had been taken that, though many knew the Daimio to be
ill, none but O'Kiku and Sampei were aware of his critical state. Had
Sampei, pursuing a tortuous game of his own, summoned Nara to council?
The traitor! And what a simpleton she not to have foreseen and parried
such a stroke. Nara present and siding with Sampei--made aware of
No-Kami's weakness--what easier for the twain than to seize the reins
and fling forth the offending concubine? Again was O'Kiku compelled to
admit with tingling cheeks how unskilfully she had developed plans
which at the start had seemed so promising. By pandering to his fears,
and plying my lord with drink, she gained no doubt a measure of extra
liberty, but purchased at what a cost! At a time when every man's hand
was at his neighbour's throat, to lose your nerve was to lose respect
and be toppled over in the fray. Execrated as she knew my lord to be,
with myriad and lynx eyes watching for a cranny in his armour, why had
she not foreseen that there would be traitors in the camp? O'Kiku had
been so careless because she reckoned on her rival's unpopularity. Not
a swaggerer among the samurai--as she had long since learned--but
looked on his liege mistress with uncomprehending pity. To think that
bluff, single-minded Sampei--so skilful in the field, so blundering at
home--should have had the inspiration to summon Nara! But had he? Sure
his surprise on the arrival of the cavalcade was not feigned? If it
were, then was he a dangerous enemy indeed--concealing consummate
craft under an appearance of simplicity.
The more O'Kiku pondered and considered, the more nebulous grew the
result of her meditations, and on the morrow she was brought to the
highest stage of bewilderment by the departure of the Daimio of Nara
as abruptly as he had arrived, and in a friendly manner too. Gazing
through the hole made by a wetted finger in her paper-covered
casement, she had striven to read on the faces of those concerned the
result of their interview: and her jaw dropped in sheer amazement. Was
the lady O'Tei even more mean-spirited and craven than her rival had
supposed? Fearful of retribution and ill-usage in the future, had she
masked her wounds from her parent, vowing she was well and happy, when
her very looks should betray the truth? In that case, neither she nor
her paramour had summoned Nara. Why then was he come? Could it have
been of his own accord, so speedily to go away, with no result from
his advent? The more she considered, the more knotty did the problem
grow--one that her low instincts could never fathom. She wist not that
a proud nature, instead of crying out with shrill uproar, will conceal
stabs dealt in private by her legitimate lord from the scrutiny even
of a father; the more when her parent bears only the name, since he
has never won her love.
How surprised would the geisha have been could she have read the
riddle aright. It was Masago, the Abbess, who had given the hint. She,
who was but too well aware of the position of her favourite, could see
that she was dying slowly of a breaking heart, for each time that she
visited the temple O'Tei was more frail and wan, more spiritual in
aspect; her step more slow and feeble. Moreover, over and above
personal affection for her, was it not the duty of the Abbess to give
warning to the lady's natural protector, lest her own dear boy Sampei
should be goaded to leap into the breach? Knowing all she knew, it was
a subject for marvel that Sampei should have refrained till now.
School himself as he would, he could not conceal from a mother's
anxious gaze the canker that gnawed his entrails. So far as he was
concerned, the arrows of O'Kiku had not missed their mark. He pined
with sympathy,--was wrung with anguish at the drawn expression of the
wistful face, the dimmed eyes that were once so bright, in which hope
was quite extinguished.