20
Eminent Authors of Japan
- were disappointed in me, and learnt to dislike me. I was even denied by your father, and more than that, people admired you, because you were clever enough to cast aside a good-for-nothing fellow, selecting Iori as your husband. No one pitied me. I was intolerably lonely, and realising my weakness and unhappiness, I could not bear him to share your happiness, so I killed him.
- Gohei.—And did you think that by such a deed you should be any happier or that you would gain anything by such a foul act?
- Tomo.—No, madam disliked me not because she gained the love of Iori, but because I was bad. I knew it very well. But I hated Iori, and I hated all the people of our castle who admired and loved Iori. He was a great and good samurai in every way, and I was an unfortunate man hated by all. It was not only because of my wrath at my rival, but I killed him out of indignation with the people who admired him and hated me. You say that I was treacherous to have killed him under cover of darkness, but what could such a weak fellow do? Such a coward as I had to stoop to such a mean and cowardly act!
- Gohei.—It wastes our time to hear such foolish excuses. We wish to listen to you no longer—see, the day is wearing away. Ikeda, you must now prepare yourself, for you cannot escape this time. Fight as bravely as you can, so that we may tell our people that Tomonojo did his best, and died nobly,
