“It is said to be a very long time back, and ... it is between you and I, Danna-san.”
“What?”
“Every generation has had its mad one born in that Shiota family.”
“Oh?”
“A curse must be on that house. They are all saying that the present Jo-sama is getting queer of late.”
“Ha, ha, ha, ha. That seems improbable.”
“You don’t think so? But let me tell you that her mother had a touch of it, too.”
“Is the old lady there?”
“No, she died last year.”
“Hum,” I said, looking at a thin cord of smoke rising from live tobacco ashes, Gembey emptied on the ground, and then closed my mouth. The man went away with the faggots on his back.