t us leave the name of the Princess on one side," he said in a
tone of rebuke. "I have every reason to feel satisfied with her
loyalty and zeal."

I bowed, and remained silent.

"You failed to get through, I suppose," the Czar continued, after
waiting in vain for me to speak.

"I beg pardon, sire, I safely delivered to the Emperor of Japan your
majesty's autograph on the cigarette paper. I was robbed of the more
formal letter in the house of M. Petrovitch, before starting."

Nicholas frowned.

"Petrovitch again! Another of the few men whom I know to be my real
friends." He fidgeted impatiently.

"Well, what did the Mikado say?"

I had intended to soften the reply of the Japanese Emperor, but now,
being irritated, I gave it bluntly:

"His majesty professed to disbelieve in your power to control your
people. He declared that he could not treat a letter from you
seriously unless you were able to send it openly, without your
messengers being robbed or murdered on the way across your own
dominions."

The young Emperor flushed darkly.

"Insolent barbarian!" he cried hotly. "The next letter I send him
shall be delivered by the commander of my army on the soil of Japan."

I was secretly pleased by this flash of spirit, which raised my
respect for the Russian monarch.

A recollection seemed to strike him.

"I hear that you were blown up in attempting to bring some coal into
Port Arthur," he said in a more friendly tone. "I thank you, Monsieur
V----."

I bowed low.

"Some of my admirals seem to have been caught napping," Nicholas II.
added. "I have here a very serious report about Admiral Stark at
Vladivostok."

"You surprise me, sire," I observed incautiously. "Out in Manchuria I
heard the Admiral praised on all hands for his carefulness and good
conduct."

"Carefulness! It is possible to be too careful," the Czar complained.
"Admiral Stark is too much afraid of responsibility. We have
information that the English are taking all kinds of contraband into
the Japanese ports, and he does nothing to stop them, for fear of
committing some breach of international law."

I began to see what was coming. The Emperor, who seemed anxious to
justify himself, proceeded:

"The rights of neutrals have never been regarded by the British navy,
when they were at war. However, I have not been satisfied with taking
the opinion of our own jurists. I have here an opinion from Professor
Heldenberg of Berlin, who of course r