HEIYEMON. Oh, do not act rashly. As I should like, by your leave, to say a few words, pray, wait a while. Master Yuranosuke, I am Teraoka Heiyemon. It gives me great joy to see Your Honour in such excellent health. YURANOSUKE. Humph, Teraoka Heiyemon? Ah, yes. You are the light-footed _ashigaru_[3], who was sent on an errand to the North? HEIYEMON. The same, sir. When I heard in the North of our lord’s death, I was amazed and hurried home on wings; but on the way I was told that his domain had been confiscated and his retainers dispersed, and great was my indignation. Though I am but an _ashigaru_, I am bound no less than others in gratitude to our lord. I went to Kamakura to cut down at a stroke his enemy Moronao; for three months I disguised myself as an outcast and prowled after him; but he was so well guarded that I could not approach him. I felt I could only disembowel myself; but I thought of my parents in my country home and thither I trudged in deep dejection. And then—surely it was Heaven that told me—I heard that you gentlemen had signed a covenant for the league. How glad, how thankful I was! Leaving everything behind me, I ran to these gentlemen’s inn and begged them to intercede for me. They called me a brave fellow, a fine fellow, and promised to plead for me to the Chief. And relying upon their words, I have followed them to-day. Moronao’s mansion....... YURANOSUKE. Ah, wait, wait. Why, you are not light of foot, but very, very light of tongue. Why do you not become a jester? Well, I did feel indignant in a slight degree and form a league of forty or fifty men. But what of that? I pondered upon it. If we fail, off our heads will go; and if we succeed, we must cut our bellies. Either way there was but death for us; it was like taking a decoction and then hanging ourselves. As for you, you are an _ashigaru_ with a salary of five _ryo_ and three men’s rations. Now do not be angry. For you who received no more than a dole we might give to a begging priest, to throw away your life for vengeance upon our enemy, why, you might as well give a grand dancing performance in return for a present of a few seaweeds. My stipend was fifteen hundred _koku_; and compared with you, I might take the enemy’s heads by the bushel and yet not be on a level with you. And so we gave it up. Do you see? Such is the way of the world. And when I hear music going _tsutsuten, tsutsuten, tsutsuten,_ I can hardly contain myself.