ch dark green foliage
of the fruit trees; and in one corner, to set forth the mystic qualities
of a small Inari shrine relic of a former owner, were five or six
extremely ancient, gnarled, and propped up plum trees, sufficient in
number to cast their delicate perfume through garden and house in the
second month (March).

Such was the home of Matazaemon; later that of O'Iwa San. It was
pretentious enough to make display with a large household. But the
master of Tamiya was as close-fisted and hard and bitter as an unripe
_biwa_ (medlar). His wealth was the large and unprofitable stone which
lay within; the acid pulp, a shallow layer, all he had to give to
society in his narrow minded adherence to official routine; the smooth,
easily peeled skin the outward sign of his pretentions to social status
and easily aroused acidity of temper. With most of his neighbours, and
all his relatives, he had a standing quarrel. Secure in his lord's
favour as an earnest officer, so little did he care for the dislike of
the ward residents that he was ever at drawn swords with the head of his
ward-association, Ito[u] Kwaiba. As for the relatives, they were only
too ready to come to closer intimacy; and Matazaemon knew it.

His household consisted of his wife O'Naka, his daughter O'Mino, and the
man servant Densuke. The garden Matazaemon would allow no one to attend
to but himself. The two women did all the work of the household which
ordinarily would fall to woman-kind, with something more. Densuke
performed the heavier tasks, accompanied his master on his outings, and
represented his contribution to the service of the ward barrier, the
O[u]kido[u], on the great Ko[u]shu[u]-Kaido[u] and just beyond the
O[u]bangumi. The barrier cut off Yotsuya from the Naito[u]-Shinjuku
district, and, as an entrance into Edo, was of considerable importance.
When the time of service came Densuke appeared in full uniform and with
his pike. A handsome young fellow of nineteen years, the women,
especially O'Mino, saw to it that his appearance should be a credit to
the House. His progress up the wide Samoncho[u], up to his disappearance
into the great highway, was watched by O'Mino--and by the neighbours,
who had much sharper eyes and tongues than Matazaemon and his wife. They
marvelled.

With ground for marvel. In the eyes of her parents O'Mino was the most
beautiful creature ever created. Occasionally Matazaemon would venture
on criticism. "Naka, something is