impossible; and that is my one cause of distress."

"It's no use being in such a hurry. If you only have patience, we
shall be able to marry, sure enough. What you have got to look out for
now is, that Jiuyemon does not find out what we are about. I suppose
there is no chance of his coming home to-night, is there?"

"Oh dear, no! You need not be afraid. He is gone to Kajiki's house to
play checkers; so he is sure to spend the night there."

And so the guilty couple went on gossiping, with their minds at ease,
until at last they dropped off asleep.

In the meanwhile Jiuyemon, in the middle of his game at checkers, was
seized with a sudden pain in his stomach, and said to Kajiki Tonoshin,
"Young sir, I feel an unaccountable pain in my stomach. I think I had
better go home, before it gets worse."

"That is a bad job. Wait a little, and I will give you some physic;
but, at any rate, you had better spend the night here."

"Many thanks for your kindness," replied Jiuyemon; "but I had rather
go home."

So he took his leave, and went off to his own house, bearing the pain
as best he might. When he arrived in front of his own door, he tried
to open it; but the lock was fastened, and he could not get in, so he
rapped violently at the shutters to try and awaken his wife. When O
Hiyaku heard the noise, she woke with a start, and roused the
wrestler, saying to him in a whisper--

"Get up! get up! Jiuyemon has come back. You must hide as fast as
possible."

"Oh dear! oh dear!" said the wrestler, in a great fright; "here's a
pretty mess! Where on earth shall I hide myself?" and he stumbled
about in every direction looking for a hiding-place, but found none.

Jiuyemon, seeing that his wife did not come to open the door, got
impatient at last, and forced it open by unfixing the sliding shutter
and, entering the house, found himself face to face with his wife and
her lover, who were both in such confusion that they did not know what
to do. Jiuyemon, however, took no notice of them, but lit his pipe and
sat smoking and watching them in silence. At last the wrestler,
Takasegawa, broke the silence by saying--

"I thought, sir, that I should be sure to have the pleasure of finding
you at home this evening, so I came out to call upon you. When I got
here, the Lady O Hiyaku was so kind as to offer me some wine; and I
drank a little more than was good for me, so that it got into my head,
and I fell asleep. I must really apologize