Yet　between　these　two　men；　so　different　in　all　externals；　there　was　the　strongest　sympathy；　although　they　met　but　seldom。
  〃So　we　are　to　lose　you　soon；　Prince；〃　the　Baron　was　saying。
  〃Very　soon　indeed；〃　Prince　Maiyo　answered。　〃Next　week　I　go　down　to　Devenham。　I　understand　that　the　Prime　Minister　and　Sir　Edward　Bransome　will　be　there。　If　so；　that；　I　think；　will　be　practically　my　leave…taking。　There　is　no　object　in　my　staying　any　longer　over　here。〃
  The　Baron　blinked　his　eyes　meditatively。
  〃I　have　seen　very　little　of　you；　Maiyo；〃　he　said；　〃since　your　last　visit　to　the　Continent。　I　take　it　that　your　views　are　unchanged？〃
  The　Prince　assented。
  〃Unchanged　indeed；〃　he　answered；〃unchangeable；　I　think　almost　that　I　might　now　say。　They　have　been　wonderful　months；　these　last　months；　Baron；〃　he　continued。　〃I　have　seen　some　of　those　things　which　we　in　Japan　have　heard　about　and　wondered　about　all　our　lives。　I　have　seen　the　German　army　at　manoeuvres。　I　have　talked　to　their　officers。　Where　I　could；　I　have　talked　to　the　men。　I　have　been　to　some　of　their　great　socialist　meetings。　I　have　heard　them　talk　about　their　country　and　their　Emperor；　and　what　would　happen　to　their　officers　if　war　should　come。　I　have　seen　the　French　artillery。　I　have　been　the　guest　of　the　President。　I　have　tried　to　understand　the　peculiar　attitude　which　that　country　has　always　adopted　toward　us。　I　have　been；　unrecognized；　in　St。　Petersburg。　I　have　tried　to　understand　a　little　the　resources　of　that　marvellous　country。　I　came　back　here　in　time　for　the　great　review　in　the　Solent。　I　have　seen　the　most　magnificent　ships　and　the　most　splendid　naval　discipline　the　world　has　ever　known。　Then　I　have　explored　the　interior　of　this　island　as　few　of　our　race　have　explored　it　before；　not　for　the　purpose　of　studying　the　manufactures；　the　trades；　the　immense　shipbuilding　industries；simply　to　study　the　people　themselves。〃
  The　Baron　nodded　gravely。
  〃I　ask　no　questions；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　the　Emperor's　desire；　I　know；　that　you　go　straight　to　him。　I　take　it　that　your　mind　is　made　up；you　have　arrived　at　definite　conclusions？〃
  〃Absolutely〃　Prince　Maiyo　answered。　〃I　shall　make　no　great　secret　of　them。　You　already；　my　dear　Baron；　know；　I　think；　whither　they　lead。　I　shall　be　unpopular　for　a　time；　I　suppose；　and　your　own　position　may　be　made　a　little　difficult。　After　that；　things　will　go　on　pretty　much　the　same。　Of　one　thing；　though；　I　am　assured。　I　see　it　as　clearly　as　the　shepherd　who　has　lain　the　night　upon　the　hillside　sees　the　coming　day。　It　may　be　twelve　months；　it　may　be　two　years；　it　may　even　be　three；　but　before　that　time　has　passed　the　clouds　will　have　gathered；　the　storm　will　have　burst。　Then；　I　think；　Hesho；　our　master　will　be　glad　that　we　are　free。〃
  The　Baron　agreed。
  〃Only　a　few　nights　ago；〃　he　said；　〃Captain　Koki　and　the　other　attaches　spent　an　evening　with　me。　We　have　charts　and　pieces；　and　with　locked　doors　we　played　a　war　game　of　our　own　invention。　It　should　all　be　over　in　three　weeks。〃
  Prince　Maiyo　laughed　softly。
  〃You　are　right；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　gone　over　the　ground　myself。　It　could　be　done　in　even　less　time。　You　should　ask　a　few　of　our　friends　to　that　war　game；　Baron。　How　they　would　smile！　You　read　the　newspapers　of　the　country？〃
  〃Invariably；〃　the　Ambassador　answered。
  〃There　is　an　undercurrent　of　feeling　somewhere；〃　the　Prince　continued；〃one　of　the　cheaper　organs　is　shrieking　all　the　time　a　brazen　warning。　Patriotism；　as　you　and　I　understand　it；　dear　friend；　is　long　since　dead；　but　if　one　strikes　hard　enough　at　the　flint；　some　fire　may　come。　Hesho；　how　short　our　life　is！　How　little　we　can　understand！　We　have　only　the　written　words　of　those　who　have　gone　before；　to　show　us　the　cities　and　the　empires　that　have　been；　to　teach　us　the　reasons　why　they　decayed　and　crumbled　away。　We　have　only　our　own　imagination　to　help　us　to　look　forward　into　the　future　and　see　the　empires　that　may　rise；　the　kingdoms　that　shall　stand；　the　kingdoms　that　shall　fall。　Amongst　them　all；　Hesho；　there　is　but　this　much　of　truth。　It　is　our　own　dear　country　and　our　one　great　rival　across　the　Pacific　who；　in　the　years　to　come；　must　fight　for　the　supremacy　of　the　world。〃
  〃It　will　be　no　fight；　that；〃　the　Ambassador　answered　slowly；〃no　fight　unless　a　new　prophet　is　born　to　them。　The　money…poison　is　sucking　the　very　blood　from　their　body。　The　country　is　slowly　but　surely　becoming　honey…combed　with　corruption。　The　voices　of　its　children　are　like　the　voices　from　the　tower　of　Babel。　If　their　strong　man　should　arise；　then　the　fight　will　be　the　fiercest　the　world　has　ever　known。　Even　then　the　end　is　not　doubtful。　The　victor　will　be　ours。　When　the　universe　is　left　for　them　and　for　us；　it　will　be　our　sons　who　shall　rule。　Listen；　Maiyo。〃
  〃I　listen；〃　the　Prince　answered。
  The　Baron　Hesho　had　laid　aside　his　spectacles。　He　leaned　a　little　towards　his　companion。　His　voice　had　fallen　to　a　whisper；　his　hand　fell　almost　caressingly　upon　his　friend's　shoulder。
  〃I　would　speak　of　something　else；〃　he　continued。　〃Soon　you　go　to　the　Duke's　house。　You　will　meet　there　the　people　who　are　in　authority　over　this　country。　When　you　leave　it；　everything　is　finished。　Tell　me；　is　the　way　homeward　safe　for　you？〃
  〃Wonderful　person！〃　Prince　Maiyo　said；　smiling。
  〃No；　I　am　not　wonderful；〃　the　Ambassador　declared。　〃All　the　time　I　have　had　my　fears。　Why　not？　A　month　ago　I　sought　your　aid。　I　knew　from　our　friends　in　New　York　that　a　man　was　on　his　way　to　England　with　letters　which　made　clear；　beyond　a　doubt；　the　purpose　of　this　world　journey　of　the　American　fleet。　I　sent　for　you。　We　both　agreed　that　it　was　an　absolute　necessity　for　us　to　know　the　contents　of　those　letters。〃
  〃We　discovered　them；〃　the　Prince　answered。　〃It　was　well　that　we　did。〃
  〃You　discovered　them；〃　the　Ambassador　interrupted。　〃I　have　taken　no　credit　for　it。　The　credit　is　yours。　But　in　this　land　there　are　so　many　things　which　one　may　not　do。　The　bowstring　and　the　knife　are　unrecognized。　Civilization　has　set　an　unwholesome　value　upon　human　life。　It　is　the　maudlin　sentiment　which　creeps　like　corruption　through　the　body　of　a　dying　country。〃
  〃I　know　it；〃　the　Prince　declared；　sighing。　〃I　know　it　very　well　indeed。〃
  〃Dear　Maiyo；〃　the　Ambassador　asked；　〃how　well　do　you　know　it？〃
  〃My　friend；〃　the　Prince　answered；　〃it　were　better　for　you　not　to　ask　that　question。〃
  〃Here　under　this　roof；〃　the　Baron　continued；　〃is　sanctuary；　but　in　the　streets　and　squares　beyond；　it　seems　to　meand　I　have　thought　this　over　many　times；it　seems　to　me　that　even　the　person　of　the　great　Prince；　cousin　of　the　Emperor；　holy　son　of　Japan；　would　not　be　safe。〃
  Prince　Maiyo　shrugged　his　shoulders。　There　was　gravity　in　his　face；　but　it　was　the　gravity　of　a　man　who　has　learnt　to　look　upon　serious　things　with　a　light　heart。
  〃I；　also；〃　he　said；　〃have　weighed　this　matter　very　carefully　in　my　mind。　What　I　did　was　well　done；　and　if　the　bill　is　thrust　into　my　face；　I　must　pay。　First　of　all；　Baron；　I　promise　you　that　I　shall　finish　my　work。　After　that；　what　does　it　matter？　You　and　I　know　better　than　this　nation　of　life…loving　shopkeepers。　A　week；　a　year；　a　span　of　years；of　what　account　are　they　to　us　who　have　sipped　ever　so　lightly　at　the　great　cup？　If　we　died　tomorrow　for　the　glory　of　our　country；　should　we　not　say　to　one　another；　you　and　I；　that　it　was　well？〃
  The　Baron　rose　to　his　feet　and　bowed。　Into　his　voice　there　had　crept　a　note　almost　of　reverence。
  〃Prince；〃　he　said；　〃almost　you　take　me　back　to　the　one　mother　country。　Almost　your　words　persuade　me　that　the　strangeness　of　these　Western　lands　is　a　passing　thing。　We　wonder；　and　as　we　wonder　they　shall　crumble　away。　The　sun　rises　in　the　East。〃
  The　Prince　also　rose。　Servants　came　silently　forward；　bearing　his　hat　and　gloves。
  〃Perhaps；〃　the　Prince　smiled；　as　he　made　his　adieux
  〃Perhaps；〃　the　Ambassador　echoed。　〃Who　can　tell？〃
  The　Prince　sent　away　his　carriage　and　walked　homeward；　greeting　every　now　and　then　an　acquaintance。　He　walked　cheerfully　and　with　a　smile　upon　his　face。　There　was　nothing　in　his　appearance　which　could　possibly　have　indicated　to　the　closest　observer　that　this　was　a　man　who　had　taken　death　by　the　hand。　At　the　corner　of　Regent　Street　and　Pall　Mall　he　overtook　Inspector　Jacks。　He　leaned　forward　at　once　and　touched　the　detective　on　the　shoulder。
  〃Mr。　Jacks；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　pleasant　to　see　you　once　more。　I　was　afraid　that　I　should　have　to　leave　without　bidding　you　farewell。〃
  The　Inspector　started。　The　Prince　laughed　to　himself　as　he　watched　that　gesture。　Indeed；　a　man　who　showed　his　feelings　so　easily　would　be　very　much　at　a　loss　in　Tokio！
  〃You　are　going　away；　Prince？〃　the　Inspector　asked　quickly。　〃When？〃
  〃The　exact　day　is　not　fixed；〃　the　Prince　replied；　〃but　it　is　true　that　I　am　going　home。　I　have　finished　my　work；　and；　you　see；　there　is　nothing　to　keep　me　over　here　any　longer。　Tell　me；　have　you　had　any　fortune　yet？　I　read　the　papers　every　day；　hoping　to　see　that　you　have　cleared　up　those　two　terrible　affairs。〃
  Inspector　Jacks　shook　his　head。
  〃Not　yet；　Prince；〃　he　said。
  〃Not　yet；〃　the　Prince　echoed。　〃Dear　me；　that　is　very　unfortunate！〃
  Inspector　Jacks　watched　the　people　who　were　passing；　for　a　moment；　with　a　fixed；　unseeing　gaze。
  〃I　am　afraid；〃　he　said