A stranger!--a stranger!--Oh, why--why--why do the eyes of love grow blind because a stranger speaks? You, Aoyagi, did not see the lady bound for Ishiyama. You did not hear her song--and yet upon the ears and eyes of a stranger you would shatter your love.--I saw the lady.--She was singing.--She was not fair.--If she had been--Oh, my little child--Riki is Riki, your august lord, the lord of your life. When he comes back, go to him and speak from your heart. AOYAGI What shall I say? OBAA-SAN I need not tell your heart.--It is only your head that can not learn to speak unprompted.--Do you love Riki? AOYAGI Ay--so dearly! [_The voice of Riki is heard._ RIKI Aoyagi! AOYAGI He is coming! [_Obaa-San, unnoticed, goes into the house. Riki enters._ RIKI Aoyagi! [_When he sees she is safe, he drops suddenly. She goes to him._ AOYAGI Riki, my august lord, listen to my heart.--Forget my anger.--Tell me once again that you love me.--I'll believe. RIKI You know--I have always loved you.--When you were a song in my heart, I loved you so! And now-- AOYAGI Oh, Riki, can we ever forget the blow I struck? RIKI That was yesterday--see, this is today: the dawn has spread across the sky. What shall we do? Look back upon the bitterness of yesterday, or try to see the fears of tomorrow, or live in the gladness of today? AOYAGI The Gaki of Kokoru is here at the tree. He will not let us live in happiness. He let me go with you because he meant to feed upon the misery of poor Obaa-San. RIKI He has not come upon us yet. We are struggling against tomorrow. This is the dawning of today. AOYAGI Then shall we live--today. [_Obaa-San enters from the house._ OBAA-SAN Come, Aoyagi; come, Riki. We have found happiness at our door. Within there is rice and tea. Come. [_They go into the house. The Gaki enters._ [Illustration: THE LADY OF THE WEEPING WILLOW TREE ACT III.] THE GAKI There is love!--Now what shall I do for misery? Old Obaa-San remembers happiness. She has taught O-Katsu and O-Sode to remember happiness. The lovers are reunited;--now they understand.--And I--I, ah, I must die in this dread shape and stay in this hell through all the eternities unless I bring new misery to them. What can I do? (_He turns to see the tree_) Ah--I shall kill the tree--slowly--slowly--and I'll feed upon them all. Aoyagi is bound to the tree as one is bound to his body in a dream.--I'll kill the tree. [_He draws his short sword and smites the tree. There is a cry from the house and Aoyagi enters quickly, followed by Riki, Obaa-San, O-Katsu-San, and O-Sode-San. Aoyagi holds her heart._ RIKI Aoyagi! (_She droops in his arms. Obaa-San lays her hand upon her dear child's head. O-Katsu-San understands. The Gaki in triumph smiles again. Aoyagi cries out and shudders as she clings to Riki_) Oh, whatever power gave strength to me and led me to my love, give me the chance to save my love. AOYAGI The tree!--The tree! [_The Gaki smites again._ RIKI