and he said nothing about his strange adventure. In the middle of the
following night the samurai again came for him, and led him to the august
assembly, where he gave another recitation with the same success that had
attended his previous performance. But during this second visit his absence
from the temple was accidentally discovered; and after his return in the
morning he was summoned to the presence of the priest, who said to him, in
a tone of kindly reproach:--


"We have been very anxious about you, friend Hoichi. To go out, blind and
alone, at so late an hour, is dangerous. Why did you go without telling us?
I could have ordered a servant to accompany you. And where have you been?"


Hoichi answered, evasively,--


"Pardon me kind friend! I had to attend to some private business; and I
could not arrange the matter at any other hour."


The priest was surprised, rather than pained, by Hoichi's reticence: he
felt it to be unnatural, and suspected something wrong. He feared that the
blind lad had been bewitched or deluded by some evil spirits. He did not
ask any more questions; but he privately instructed the men-servants of the
temple to keep watch upon Hoichi's movements, and to follow him in case
that he should again leave the temple after dark.