"Hoichi San! -- Hoichi San! -- come home with us at once!"


Reprovingly he spoke to them:--


"To interrupt me in such a manner, before this august assembly, will not
be tolerated."


Whereat, in spite of the weirdness of the thing, the servants could not
help laughing. Sure that he had been bewitched, they now seized him, and
pulled him up on his feet, and by main force hurried him back to the
temple,-- where he was immediately relieved of his wet clothes, by order of
the priest. Then the priest insisted upon a full explanation of his
friend's astonishing behavior.


Hoichi long hesitated to speak. But at last, finding that his conduct had
really alarmed and angered the good priest, he decided to abandon his
reserve; and he related everything that had happened from the time of first
visit of the samurai.


The priest said:--


"Hoichi, my poor friend, you are now in great danger! How unfortunate that
you did not tell me all this before! Your wonderful skill in music has
indeed brought you into strange trouble. By this time you must be aware