OISHI. When our Lord Enya Hangwan, having a grudge against Kono Moronao, struck him with his sword in the Palace of Kamakura, it was solely because your husband Kakogawa Honzo who was present caught him from behind and stopped him that he was unable to accomplish his object and his enemy escaped with a slight wound while he himself was compelled to commit _seppuku_. Though he said nothing at the time, great was his mortification and how must he have hated Master Honzo for his interference! If you think that Rikiya, his servant, is such a man that he will calmly take to wife the daughter of this Kakogawa, I will permit the exchange of the wedding-cups when I have seen on this stand Master Honzo’s hoary head, or if you refuse, place on it any two other heads for the ceremony. Now, do you consent, or do you not? RECITATIVE. To these sharp words of reason the mother and daughter bow their heads and know not what to do. A VOICE OUTSIDE. I will give you Kakogawa Honzo’s head. Receive it. RECITATIVE. The _komuso_ who has been standing outside, takes off his hat and throws it down; and slowly he comes within. [Illustration: Honzo standing] KONAMI. What, you are my father? TONASE. Master Honzo, how did you come here? And in this guise? I cannot understand. How is this? HONZO. Come, it is unbecoming to be so noisy. I have heard it all. I will tell you later how I came here without letting you know. Be silent for the present. And you are Mistress Oishi, the wife of Master Yuranosuke? I thought it would turn out thus to-day and came without my wife and daughter’s knowledge to find out for myself. And, as I expected, you wish to have my head as my son-in-law’s wedding present! Ha, ha, ha! That is what a samurai should say. Yuranosuke, who has no intention of avenging his lord’s death, given to pleasures, a debauchee whose spirit is disordered with excessive drinking, the greatest mirror of folly in all Japan! A frog’s offspring can but become a frog; and Rikiya is a great idiot no less than his father, a cowardly, good-for-nothing samurai. Such a fellow cannot cut off this head of mine. No more of such foolishness! RECITATIVE. He tramples upon the stand and breaks it to pieces. HONZO. It is I who will not have him for my son-in-law. You shallow-hearted woman! OISHI. That is too much, Master Honzo. I will show you if this rusty sword of a _ronin_ has an edge or not. Unworthy as I am, I am Yuranosuke’s wife; and you are such an enemy as I desire. Come, let us fight it out; let us appeal to arms. RECITATIVE. She tucks up her skirt, and taking down a spear from the wall, prepares to attack him. TONASE AND KONAMI. You are too hasty. Please, wait. [Illustration: Oishi holding a spear]