father; but on Densuke, on the _samurai's_ attendant or _chu[u]gen_, it
fell. All manner of little services were rendered to him; even such as
would appropriately fall within his own performance. At first O'Mino
sought out little missions for him to perform, out of the line of his
usual duties, and well rewarded in coin. This was at his first
appearance in the house. Then she grew bolder. Densuke found his
clothing undergoing mysterious repairs and replacement. His washing,
even down to the loin cloths, was undertaken by the Ojo[u]san. Densuke
did not dare to question or thwart her. Any trifling fault O'Mino took
on herself, as due to her meddling. She became bolder and bolder, and
sought his assistance in her own duties, until finally they were as man
and maid employed in the same house. Matazaemon noted little increases
in the house expenses. O'Mino took these as due to her own extravagance.
The father grunted a little at these unusual expenditures. "What goes
out at one end must be cut off at the other end. Densuke, oil is very
expensive. At night a light is not needed. Be sure, therefore, on going
to bed to extinguish the light." Densuke at once obeyed his master's
order; and that very night, for the first time, O'Mino boldly sought his
couch. Confused, frightened, overpowered by a passionate woman, Densuke
sinned against his lord, with his master's daughter as accomplice.

Henceforth Densuke had what O'Mino was willing to give him. On
Matazaemon's going forth to his duties, O'Mino, and O'Naka under her
orders, did all his household work. The only return required was
submission to the exigencies of the Ojo[u]san. This was no slight
obligation. Densuke at times thought of escape, to his home at To[u]gane
village in Kazusa, to his uncle Kyu[u]bei in the Kanda quarter of Edo.
O'Mino seemed to divine his thoughts. She would overload him with
favors; or openly express her purpose of following wherever he went in
life. Kanda? Kyu[u]bei was a well-known hanger-on at the Tamiya.
Matazaemon entered him up in his expense book at so much a year.
To[u]gane? He could not get there except through Kyu[u]bei. Matazaemon
had farms there, and the _nanushi_ or village bailiff was his servant.
Besides, he would be a runaway. Matazaemon surely would come down on
Kyu[u]bei as the security. So the months passed, and matters were
allowed to drift. Perhaps it was some gossip of the quarter which
reached the deaf ears of Matazaemon. As he wa