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gentlemen?”
    Zenta stared intently at the old woman. Suddenly he threw back his head and started to laugh. “Everything was nice, except that I felt a draft behind my back. It seemed that one of the windows in the washing room was not securely fastened.”
    For an instant Ume’s wrinkled face showed grudging respect. “How careless of me!” she exclaimed. “I shall see that it doesn’t happen again. And now we must help you to finish your bath before you get chilled. Your dinner is already prepared and will be brought to your room shortly.”
    â€œThat will not be necessary,” said the voice of Jihei. “My master requests the company of these two gentlemen at dinner tonight.”
    In spite of his size, he had moved very quietly and they had not heard his approach. If he saw anything strange about the two ronin standing naked in the cold night air, he kept his thoughts to himself. He turned to the women and said curtly, “You are not needed here. Take yourselves off immediately.”
    As the three men walked back to the entrance of the bathhouse, Jihei said, “When I returned to your room, I discovered that you had already left for the bathhouse. That meddling old hag certainly lost no time trying to recruit you. What did she offer?”
    â€œOffer?” asked Zenta innocently. “Why, she offered us a bath.”
    Jihei looked sourly for a moment at the ronin without speaking. Then he turned abruptly and walked down the path. “You will have to hurry if you don’t want to be late for the dinner,” he said over his shoulder.

Chapter 6
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    The two ronin were in time to join the last of the dinner guests assembled and waiting to file into the dining hall. They were surprised to learn that they would be dining with the envoy and some of his men. It was an unexpected honor for the two ronin.
    Zenta was usually very careless of his appearance, and Matsuzo was relieved that for this occasion he had taken the trouble to look almost presentable. The two men were wearing the kimonos brought by the little maid, and as Matsuzo settled the sleeves of his, he could still smell the faint perfume of the storehouse incense.
    At first glance Matsuzo found the huge dining hall rather austere. The wooden floor was bare and polished to a mirror smoothness. Seating for the guests consisted of flat round cushions of braided rice straw. But Matsuzo soon detected signs of elegance. The tall candlesticks were of beautifully chased bronze, and one wall of the room was almost completely covered by a painting of a pine tree. The picture dominated the room with its vivid green and gold. Matsuzo knew enough about art to tell that the painting was the work of a master. He suspected the influence of Lord Okudaira’s second wife in the furnishings. A lady from the capital city, used to elegance and sophistication, would want to soften the austerity of a feudal lord’s castle.
    The diners sat down along three sides of the room, with the daimyo’s envoy at the place of honor in front of the painting. By the somber richness of his kimono, the envoy made the chamberlain’s bright colors look cheap. Even for this social occasion, the envoy’s face did not relax from its rigid hauteur. Three of his retainers were at the dinner, and they behaved with equal aloofness.
    An individual tray of food was set on the floor in front of each diner, and the first course began. Servants scurried around diligently filling saké cups, but in spite of their efforts, the party showed no signs of becoming a success.
    Looking over the dinner guests, Matsuzo thought that they formed a rather ill-assorted company. He glanced from the aristocratic envoy to the fawning chamberlain, who was seated next to the guest of honor. Below him was Jihei, holding a ridiculously delicate china wine cup in his huge, powerful hands.
    Sitting beside Jihei was the envoy’s chief retainer, a