Bakemono Yashiki, page 49 by James S. de Benneville
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an infallible guide in all minutiae of the palace service and intrigue; his knowledge gained by a long experience in attendance on the great Doi House. Here he had risen from chu[u]gen to kyu[u]nin (house officer). When he came to the yashiki of Shu[u]zen he soon replaced the karo[u] (minister) of the fief in his lord's intimacy, and the latter official found honourable banishment in continued occupation and residence at the fief in Ko[u]shu[u], where Shu[u]zen played the rôle of a castle lord (jo[u]shu[u]), a fudai daimyo[u], a subordinate and spy on his greater neighbours. The new comer was source of congratulation to her ladyship. As O'Saku--and perhaps O'Hagi Dono intended, revenge was sought on Shu[u]zen by promptly throwing the mistress into the arms of Nishioka. Behind the impenetrable shield of the inner apartments--a place that Shu[u]zen only sought to avoid--they could live as husband and wife. Other arrangement now was met by the cold reception meted out to her lord by the lady of the House. Any compunction Shu[u]zen might feel as to what he thought to be the enforced sterility of O'Hagi thus was salved.
Merry almost to madness was the progress of the wine feast. Her ladyship went beyond the bonds even of a decent veil of sobriety. Her loving attitude to Nishioka found more open expression than usual in the presence of the others. Her abandonment was undisguised. All rejoiced with her; congratulated the strong man on his ready energy. Only the girl O'Han showed some lack of spirit, which she attributed to headache. In kindness her ladyship forbade further concern with the service of the wine, with the aggravation of its fumes; but she had too little consideration for those about her to relieve the suffering girl from attendance. Then the hour came to retire. According to the decent formula in practice, Nishioka, notified of the fact, rose to take his leave--to the next chamber. Here the O'Kagé Sama did his disrobing. The girl O'