"Oh, I wonder--indeed I'm not; you have no right to be shogun, and what isn't right isn't; there now! I shall take my orders from Hideyori: perhaps marry him, if Takiyama, Goto, Sanada, and all the rest worth while--" "You have a husband." "So have you a wife; and, what is more, my husband is willing; and, I am sure, you can't say as much; and, better still, Esyo wants her daughter to marry Kyogoku--don't you think you could use him; he is as good as forty women, at that?" "Kyogoku! Perhaps--he may know more about them than I do," sighed the shogun, hopelessly entangled, undoing the riddle she had unwound for his special edification. "I'll let you off, however; though, I ought to send you as company for Takiyama." "Send me? I'd like to see you do it; banish me, if you dare!" "I'll harness the whole of you, if you don't mind your p's and q's. And to convince you that I mean just what I say I am this very day going to send the infant daughter of Hidetada, together with a retinue, to Ozaka. No doubt you yourself will have advised Hideyori--whom I have had appointed Nai-dai-jin--in advance something of my expectations so that he may be prepared to take my granddaughter as wife upon arrival. I shall, out of consideration for you, forego any more forceful intelligence." "He shall do nothing of the kind, is not a nai-dai-jin, nor will Yodogima harbor your spies--not if I can prevent it. Neither do I care to be bored with your concern for me." "Oh, ho--there are worse lovers." "None as inane, whom I know." "Tut, tut--louder and more of it." "You haven't begun to hear from me." "No?" "N-o-o-?--I'm off." The shogun had not misjudged Jokoin, in the least, yet did not wish at all to enforce any kind of restraint. Unable to fathom Esyo, there was danger of estranging Hidetada himself--for the wife had quite dominated and held him verily subject to her own stronger will--while Hideyasu, not yet wholly without some influence, still refused to become entirely reconciled to his naturally unexpected displacement. There were, also, rumors around that certain of the captains and daimyos who had sided with him as against Ishida were growing nervous about his attitude toward the taiko's heir. Whether it were because of their own jealousies, or due to Yodogima's influence, he could not satisfactorily determine, as indited; he had rewarded them all, liberally, for their services, if deserving, while the princess had estranged some by her friendliness to Harunaga; whatever the case the breach must be held over till his forces had been raised and insured to the likelihood of Yodogima's. His contention about the Christians had enthused the populace, but open hostilities against Hideyori, so soon after, would certainly lose him the advantage at first gained. Diplomacy were his most available instrument, just then, however drastic the conclusive threshing.