MURDER OF THE REGENT. 
Chap. V. 
and round the foremost norimon, while a troop 
of inferior office-bearers follow, grooms with led 
horses, extra norimon-bearers, baggage-porters 
— for no officer, much less a Daimio, ever leaves 
his house without a train of baggage — empty or 
full, they are essential to his dignity. Then 
there are umbrella-bearers— the servants of the 
servants — along the line. The cortege slowly 
wound its way down the hill, for the roads were 
wet and muddy even on the high ground, while 
the bearers were blinded by the drifting sleet, 
carefully excluded only from the noromons by 
closed screens. Thus suspended in a sort of 
cage, just large enough to permit a man to sit 
cross-legged, the principal personage proceeded 
on his way to the palace. Little, it would seem, 
did either he or his men dream of possible 
danger. How should they, indeed, on such a 
spot, and for so exalted a personage ? No augur 
or soothsayer gave warning to beware of the 
‘ Ides of March.’ .... The edge of the 
moat is gained. A still larger cortege of the 
Prince of Kiu-siu, one of the royal brothers, was 
already on the bridge, and passing through the 
gate on the opposite side, while, coming up from 
the causeway, at a few paces distant, was the 
retinue of the second of these brothers, the 
Prince of Owari. The Gotiro was thus between 
them at the foot of the bridge, on the open 
space formed by the making of a broad street, 
which debouches on the bridge. A few strag- 
