swered the mistress, wiping
away her tears. "As fact the girl is a wretched wench, disregardless of
the parents. The little fool fell madly in love with the figure of the
eldest son of the dye-shop. It seems that daily she made pilgrimage and
prayer to the Ushi no Gozen, to the Gentoku Inari. What more malign
influence could be invoked! One day Minosuke came on a mission to the
shop. She followed him to the street, and for hours her whereabouts was
unknown, until this return in disgrace. Accompanying him to Asakusa,
there she exchanged vows and pillows with him at a convenient
assignation house. Alas! On the return he was taken with a fit in the
street. The prior of the Kido-ku-In, the great priest of the Shu[u]genja
(Yamabushi), was passing. His aid invoked, at once he recognized the
rascal's disguise. Under the charms recited by the priest the true
appearance was assumed, and a huge fox with a long tail darted away from
the gathered crowd. No reputation has the girl gained by consorting with
such a mate."

The nurse listened with amazed horror, turning first to the mother,
then intently regarding the damasked face of O'Some, dyed red at the
story of her shame. "Oya! Oya! Possessed by a fox! Alas! Truly it is
almost irreparable. If it were mere defloration by the young master of
Iwakuniya, that could be endured. But a fox mixed up in the matter....
Truly it would be well to take her off somewhere, to some hot spring in
Idzu. There the influence can be removed, and O'Some San at least
restored in mind." With this advice and gossip, with whispered
consolation and laughing cheer--"'Tis no great matter after all; in the
country--will be found girls a'plenty, quite as lucky or otherwise"--the
kind and jovial dame took her leave.

The advice as to the hot spring seemed so good that preparations were
under way in all haste. The straw baskets with their convenient deep
covers to fit the larger or smaller needs of travel (_ko[u]ri_), the
_furoshiki_ or large square wrapping cloths, lay in the middle of the
room, amid the pile of wraps and clothing for daily and more formal use.
Skilled hands of maids and youths (_wakashu[u]-kozo[u]_) employed in the
house were fast packing these latter into convenient parcels. Then to
the hustle and bustle within the house was added the more unusual murmur
of voices and tread of many feet without. The house owner (_ienushi_),
accompanied by the head of the house block (_gumigashira_), entered