Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 09.pdf/397

 302

Yorozu House. So this man was sum moned. Now it happened that the Kohachi already mentioned, the nephew of the mur dered man, had recently spent much money at this tea-house, and was, in fact, the man to whom Magohachi had lent a lantern on the night in question. All of this Mago hachi readily confessed in great trepidation, for he had been surprised at the amount of money the man was spending, and was anx ious to clear himself of all suspicion in connection with the man's conduct. So Kohachi was summoned, and Oka charged him directly with the murder of his uncle, and the robbery of the fifty ryo. But Kohachi stoutly protested his innocence, and laid the charge to the malice of his en emies. Then Oka said to the sedan-bearers, who had been brought in while Kohachi spoke : " Do you know this man? " And they answered, " He is the same drunken sam urai whom we carried on the night of the 3d of April." Then Oka asked Magohachi, the tea-house keeper: "Do you know this man? " And he answered : " This is the man who has caused all the trouble. I lent you a lantern that night, and you never returned it. Sorry I am for the day I first knew you, for this disgraceful affair has brought me and my family into great trouble, and is ruining our business." But Kohachi vehe

mently protested that they were all liars, and that secret malice was the motive of their declarations. Then Oka commanded silence and said : "Kohachi, you have forgotten the meaning of the phrase, ' the eyes of God,' which is, that though darkness is about you, Heaven does not permit your evil deeds to pass unseen. Do not hope to escape the results of your wickedness, for justice never fails to bring the evil man to his just deserts. / know you to be the guilty man, and by a con fession out ofyour own mouth. On that day when this innocent man was arrested, I was passing, and I heard your words when you said, ' I was the one that did the work for this.' Know, then, that when I heard these words, and saw your hypocritical face, I di vined the true robber and murderer. Wit nesses have been brought who have con victed you before all men, but from the be ginning I knew where the guilt lay." Then Kohachi broke down and confessed the story of the crime from beginning to end. The people were loud in their praises of Oka, and none more than the relatives of the deceased, to whom had been revealed with the plainness of day the unwel come truth that the murderer was the unfilial beneficiary of the faithful old re tainer.