“Lord,” she said, as simply as a child, “lord, do you love me?”
And he answered her in a moment, “I love you more than many lives, O Lady of the South Wind.”
“Lord,” she said, “will you come with me then?”
He answered her, “Even to the land of Yomi,” and took her hand.
Forth they went into the night, and they took the road together. By river-side they went, and over plains of flowers; they went by rocky ways, or through the whispering pines, and when they had wandered far enough, of the green bamboos they built them a little house to dwell in. And they were there for a year of happy days and nights.
Now upon a morning of the third month Konojo beheld men with _kago_ come swinging through the bamboo grove. And he said:
“What have they to do with us, these men and their _kago_?”
“Lord,” said Aiyamé, “they come to bear us to my father’s house.”
He cried, “What is this foolishness? We will not go.”
“Go you, then,” said Konojo; “as for me, I stay here where I am happy.”
“Ah, lord,” she said, “ah, my dear, do you then love me less, who vowed to go with me, even to the Land of Yomi?”
Then he did all that she would. And he broke a blossoming bough from a tree that grew near by and laid it upon the roof of her _kago_.
Swiftly, swiftly they were borne, and the _kago_ men sang as they went, a song to make labour light.
“I go to the house of the Beloved, Her plum tree stands by the eaves; It is full of blossom. The dew lies in the heart of the flowers, So they are the drinking-cups of the sparrows. How do you go to your love’s house? Even upon the wings of the night wind. Which road leads to your love’s house? All the roads in the world.”
About nightfall they came to the house of Hasunuma the _samurai_.
“Go you in, my dear lord,” said the Lady of the South Wind. “I will wait without; if my father is very wroth with you, only show him the golden comb.” And with that she took it from her hair and gave it him. Smooth and warm it lay in his hand. Then Konojo went into the house.
“Welcome, welcome home, Konojo, son of Saito!” cried Hasunuma. “How has it fared with your knightly adventure?”
“Knightly adventure!” said Konojo, and blushed.
“It is a year since your sudden departure, and we supposed that you had gone upon a quest, or in the expiation of some vow laid upon your soul.”