[Here, in the Japanese original, there is a queer break in the natural
course of the narration, which therefrom remains curiously inconsistent.
Nothing further is said about the mother of Tomotada, or about the parents
of Aoyagi, or about the daimyo of Noto. Evidently the writer wearied of his
work at this point, and hurried the story, very carelessly, to its
startling end. I am not able to supply his omissions, or to repair his
faults of construction; but I must venture to put in a few explanatory
details, without which the rest of the tale would not hold together... It
appears that Tomotada rashly took Aoyagi with him to Kyoto, and so got into
trouble; but we are not informed as to where the couple lived afterwards.]



...Now a samurai was not allowed to marry without the consent of his lord;
and Tomotada could not expect to obtain this sanction before his mission
had been accomplished. He had reason, under such circumstances, to fear
that the beauty of Aoyagi might attract dangerous attention, and that means
might be devised of taking her away from him. In Kyoto he therefore tried
to keep her hidden from curious eyes. But a retainer of Lord Hosokawa one
day caught sight of Aoyagi, discovered her relation to Tomotada, and
reported the matter to the daimyo. Thereupon the daimyo -- a young prince,
and fond of pretty faces -- gave orders that the girl should be brought to
the place; and she was taken thither at once, without ceremony.



Tomotada sorrowed unspeakably; but he knew himself powerless. He was only
an humble messenger in the service of a far-off daimyo; and for the time
being he was at the mercy of a much more powerful daimyo, whose wishes were