ou stole from me the Muramasa blade
which had been confided to my care by my lord, I became a disgraced
and ruined man. Give me back that sword, that I may lay it before my
lord, and I will spare your life. I seek to slay no man needlessly."

"Sir Sanza, I thank you for your mercy. At this moment I have not the
sword by me, but if you will go into yonder tea-house and wait awhile,
I will fetch it and deliver it into your hands."

Sanza having consented to this, the two men entered the tea-house,
where Banzayemon's two companions were waiting for them. But
Banzayemon, ashamed of his own evil deed, still pretended that Sanza
was a stranger, and introduced him as such, saying--

"Come Sir Samurai, since we have the honour of your company, let me
offer you a wine-cup."

Banzayemon and the two men pressed the wine-cup upon Sanza so often
that the fumes gradually got into his head and he fell asleep; the two
wardsmen, seeing this, went out for a walk, and Banzayemon, left alone
with the sleeping man, began to revolve fresh plots against him in his
mind. On a sudden, a thought struck him. Noiselessly seizing Sanza's
sword, which he had laid aside on entering the room, he stole softly
downstairs with it, and, carrying it into the back yard, pounded and
blunted its edge with a stone, and having made it useless as a weapon,
he replaced it in its scabbard, and running upstairs again laid it in
its place without disturbing Sanza, who, little suspecting treachery,
lay sleeping off the effects of the wine. At last, however, he awoke,
and, ashamed at having been overcome by drink, he said to Banzayemon--

"Come, Banzayemon, we have dallied too long; give me the Muramasa
sword, and let me go."

"Of course," replied the other, sneeringly, "I am longing to give it
back to you; but unfortunately, in my poverty, I have been obliged to
pawn it for fifty ounces of silver. If you have so much money about
you, give it to me and I will return the sword to you."

"Wretch!" cried Sanza, seeing that Banzayemon was trying to fool him,
"have I not had enough of your vile tricks? At any rate, if I cannot
get back the sword, your head shall be laid before my lord in its
place. Come," added he, stamping his foot impatiently, "defend
yourself."

"With all my heart. But not here in this tea-house. Let us go to the
Mound, and fight it out."

"Agreed! There is no need for us to bring trouble on the landlord.
Come to the Mound of the Yoshiwara."