“That would be illegal, sire.”
“You dare to tell me so!”
“Your majesty will find I am right. The case falls within the Hohenzollern Family Statute.”
The Kaiser appeared stupefied.
“The Family Statute?” he repeated slowly, as if unable to believe his ears. “What has the Statute to do with you?”
“It is provided in the Statute, if I recollect rightly, sire, that a member of the Imperial Family can be tried only by his peers, that is to say, by a court composed of members of your majesty’s House.”
“Well, and what then?”
“By another clause in the Statute – I regret that the number has escaped my memory – the privileges of a Hohenzollern in that respect are extended to members of other reigning Houses.”
“What are you going to tell me?” Wilhelm II. demanded in amazement.
“Only that I have the honor to be the adopted son of his imperial highness Prince Yorimo, cousin to his majesty the Emperor of Japan.”
The German monarch sat still, unable to parry this unexpected blow.
“The Japanese Ambassador – ” he began to mutter.
“Will confirm my statement, sire. I have already asked to be confronted with him. Before going to Kiel, I sent him information of my plans, so that he is already expecting to hear from me, I have no doubt.”
Wilhelm II. saw that he had come to the end of his tether. Lying back in his chair, he ejaculated —
“I believed there was only one man in the two hemispheres who could do things like this!”
“I am flattered to think you may be right, sire,” I responded in my natural voice, with a smile.
The Emperor bounded from his seat.
“You – are – Monsieur V – !” he fairly gasped out.
“I was, sire. Permit me to repeat that I am now called Prince Matsukata of Japan.”
Wilhelm II. made an effort, and came out of it with his best manner.
“Then, in that case, you will stay and lunch with the Empress and myself, my dear Prince.”
As soon as the handcuffs had been removed, I told the whole story to the Kaiser, who was immensely interested, and decidedly touched by the part which related to the drowned Princess.
Before leaving the Palace, I asked permission of my imperial host to make use of his private wire for a message to London, in the interest of peace.
Wilhelm II., who began to see that he had been betrayed into going a little farther than was altogether desirable, consented in the friendliest spirit, merely stipulating that he should be allowed to see the message.
He was rather surprised when he found it was addressed to Lord Bedale at Buckingham Palace, and comprised a single word, “Elsinore.”
And so, although some of the newspapers in the two capitals of England and Russia continued to breathe war for some days longer, I felt no more anxiety after reading the paragraph which stated that the British Prime Minister, at the close of the decisive Cabinet Council, had driven to the Palace to be received in private audience by her majesty Queen Alexandra.
EPILOGUE
As I write these lines the war which has cost so many brave lives, and carried so much desolation through the fields and cities of Manchuria is still raging.
The great fleet of Admiral Rojestvensky, from which the stains of the innocent fisherman’s blood have not yet been washed, is plowing its way to meet a terrible retribution at the hands of the victorious Togo.3 A curse is on that fleet, and it may be that the British Government foresaw that they could punish the crime of the Dogger Bank more terribly by letting it proceed, than by bringing it into Portsmouth to await the result of the international trial.
In the great affairs of nations it is not always wise to exact strict justice, or to expose the actual truth.
I, too, am a lover of peace. Not of that hysterical, sentimental horror of bloodshed which would place a great civilized nation at the mercy of more barbarous powers, which would stay the wheels of progress, and be indistinguishable from cowardice in the face of wrong.
But I am a friend of the peace which is the natural result of a better understanding between peoples, of respect for one another’s character and aims, of a wise recognition of facts, and an honorable determination not to play the part of the aggressor.
It is in the hope of promoting such a peace on earth, and such good-will toward men, that I have allowed myself to publish the foregoing narrative.
In order to soften the character of this revelation I have endeavored to impart to it a character of romance.
So far as my abilities extend, I have sought to give the reader the impression that he has been reading an allegory rather than a dry, business record. I have tried to cover certain incidents with a discreet veil. I have as much as possible refrained from using real names.
I trust that my narration will be accepted in the spirit in which it has been written and that no reader will allow his feelings of curiosity to lead him into going further, or raising questions which it might be indiscreet on my part to answer.
But there is one part of the story to which the foregoing remarks do not apply.
Whatever else be mythical, there is nothing mythical about the bright figure whose portrait has accompanied me through so many perils. There is a home for me in far-off Tokio, and when the blood-begrimed battalions of Asia sheathe their swords, I shall go thither to claim my reward.
THE END1
The author desires to state that this history should be read as a work of imagination simply, and not as authentic.
2
A silver mark is about twenty cents of our money.
3
These words, which have been proven prophetic, were written last March, when Admiral Rojestvensky’s fleet was still a very formidable fact to be reckoned with. – Editor.
