“One day there came along a bonroji....”
“Bonroji? You mean that begging minstrel that used to come round of old, playing his ‘shakuhachi’ pipe?”
“Yes, that ‘shakuhachi’ bonroji. While this bonroji was stopping at Squire Shiota’s house, the beautiful Jo-sama took a fancy to him. Would you call it fate or what? Anyhow, she said she must have him, and cried.”
“Cried? You don’t say!”
“But the Squire would not have a bonroji for his son-in-law, and drove away the party.”
“Drove away the bonroji?”
“Yes. The Jo-sama ran out of the house after him, and coming here, she threw herself into the water from where that yonder pine tree is standing. The whole place went into an awful excitement then. It is said that the young Jo-sama had, at the time, a mirror with her, and the pond has since come to be called Kagamiga Ike. We still call this the Mirror Pond.”
“Oh, the pond has made a grave, already, at least for one person?”
“A very scandalous affair, indeed.”
“This was about how many Squires back, do you know?”