9

      “I don't care whether he has money or not. I can smother him in money. Do you think I'd leave him short? It's true I might die on him, but I've decided to leave everything, land and warehouses and everything, to my Himegimi. No one can say anything about her right to them. I have all sorts of children, but she's far and away my favorite. Just let him be good to her, and I'll see him all the way, I'll make a minister of him. He won't have to ask for a thing, even if I have to borrow money while I'm getting things done. Why, anyone that close to His Majesty doesn't have to worry about whether he can depend on _me_ or not. What a match for the both of them, him and my girl, maybe, if you know what I mean.” *

He spoke as if arrangements were complete. Overjoyed, the inter-mediary did not bother to tell his sister what had happened, or to call on the governor's wife. He went directly to the lieutenant. Everything was in order, he said, describing the interview. The lieutenant was not at all unhappy, though he thought it somewhat provincial to talk of buying a ministry.

“And have you spoken to his wife? She's been dead set on marrying me to the other girl. People will say I have bad manners. They may even say I'm not honest.” He was having brief doubts.

“Come, now. This Himegimi is her _real_ favorite. It's only that she thought the oldest daughter should marry first, and so she aimed her in your direction. You were a good solution to her problem.”

It seemed a little odd to the lieutenant that the younger daughter should suddenly have replaced Ukifune as the favorite. But it was better to take the long view, even at a risk of having to endure the displeasure of the mother and the reproaches of the world for a time. He was a practical young man, and he quickly made up his mind. On the evening of the very day that had been selected for his marriage to Ukifune he went to the second daughter.