The great room was aghast. The women were startled, and pressed toward
one another as for safety. The _ki-sang_ released the cunies and shrank
away giggling apprehensively. Only the Lady Om made no sign nor motion
but continued to gaze wide-eyed into my eyes which had returned to hers.

Then fell a great silence, as if all waited some word of doom. A
multitude of eyes timidly stole back and forth from the Emperor to me and
from me to the Emperor. And I had wit to keep the silence and to stand
there, arms folded, haughty and remote.

"He speaks our language," quoth the Emperor at the last; and I swear
there was such a relinquishment of held breaths that the whole room was
one vast sigh.

"I was born with this language," I replied, my cuny wits running rashly
to the first madness that prompted. "I spoke it at my mother's breast. I
was the marvel of my land. Wise men journeyed far to see me and to hear.
But no man knew the words I spoke. In the many years since I have
forgotten much, but now, in Cho-Sen, the words come back like long-lost
friends."

An impression I certainly made. The Emperor swallowed and his lips
twitched ere he asked:

"How explain you this?"

"I am an accident," I answered, following the wayward lead my wit had
opened. "The gods of birth were careless, and I was mislaid in a far
land and nursed by an alien people. I am Korean, and now, at last, I
have come to my home."

What an excited whispering and conferring took place. The Emperor
himself interrogated Kim.

"He was always thus, our speech in his mouth, from the time he came out
of the sea," Kim lied like the good fellow he was.

"Bring me _yang-ban's_ garments as befits me," I interrupted, "and you
shall see." As I was led away in compliance, I turned on the _ki-sang_.
"And leave my slaves alone. They have journeyed far and are weary. They
are my faithful slaves."

In another room Kim helped me change, sending the lackeys away; and quick
and to the point was the dress-rehearsal he gave me. He knew no more
toward what I drove than did I, but he was a good fellow.

The funny thing, once back in the crowd and spouting Korean which I
claimed was rusty from long disuse, was that Hendrik Hamel and the rest,
too stubborn-tongued to learn new speech, did not know a word I uttered.

"I am of the blood of the house of Koryu," I told the Emperor, "that
ruled at Songdo many a long year agone when my house arose on the ruins
of S