I was speedily rowed ashore in a state of great exaltation. The
sudden change in my expectations was bewilderingly Eastern in its
completeness. The astonishingly intimate companionship of this
buoyant, effervescent girl had affected me as did the bottle of
champagne earlier in the day. I was well aware that many of my former
acquaintances would have raised their hands in horror at the thought of
a girl wandering about an Eastern city with me, entirely unchaperoned;
but I had been so long down on my luck, and the experiences I had
encountered with so-called fashionable friends had been so bitter,
that the little finicky rules of society seemed of small account when
compared with the realities of life. The girl was perfectly untrained
and impulsive, but that she was a true-hearted woman I had not the
slightest doubt. Was I in love with her? I asked myself, and at that
moment my brain was in too great a whirl to be able to answer the
question satisfactorily to myself. My short ten weeks in America had
given me no such acquaintance as this, although the two months and a
half had cost me fifty thousand dollars a week, certainly the most
expensive living that any man is likely to encounter. I had met a
few American women, but they all seemed as cold and indifferent as
our own, while here was a veritable child of nature, as untrammelled
by the little rules of society as could well be imagined. After all,
were these rules so important as I had hitherto supposed them to be?
Certainly not, I replied to myself, as I stepped ashore.
I climbed the steep hill to my former residence with my head in the air
in every sense of the word. Many a weary journey I had taken up that
forlorn path, and it had often been the up-hill road of discouragement;
but to-night Japan was indeed the land of enchantment which so many
romantic writers have depicted it. I thought of the girl and thought
of her father, wondering what my new duties were to be. If to-day were
a sample of them then truly was Paradise regained, as the poet has it.
I had told Mr. Hemster that I needed time to purchase necessary things
for the voyage, but this would take me to very few shops. I had in
store in Nagasaki a large trunk filled with various suits of clothing,
a trunk of that comprehensive kind which one buys in America. This was
really in pawn. I had delivered it to a shopkeeper who had given me a
line of credit now long since ended, but I knew I should find my goods
and chattels safe when I came with the money, as indeed proved to be
the case.
It was a great pleasure to meet Yansan once more, bowing as lowly as if
I were in truth a millionaire. I had often wondered what would happen
if I had been compelled to tell the grimacing old fellow I had no money
to pay him. Would his excessive politeness have stood the strain?
Perhaps so, but luckily his good nature was not to be put to the test.
I could scarcely refrain from grasping his two hands, as Miss Hemster
had grasped mine, and dancing with him around the bare habitation which
he owned and which had so long been my shelter. However, I said calmly
to him:
“Yansan, my ship has come in, as I told you this morning; and now, if
you will bring me that bill, errors and all, I will pay you three times
its amount.”
Speechless, the old man dropped on his knees and beat his forehead
against the floor.
“Excellency has always been too good to me!” he exclaimed.
I tried to induce good old Yansan to share supper with me; but he was
too much impressed with my greatness and could do nothing but bow and
bow and serve me.
After the repast I went down into the town again, redeemed my trunk and
its contents, bought what I needed, and ordered everything forwarded
to the yacht before seven o’clock next morning. Then I went to a
tea-house, and drank tea, and thought over the wonderful events of the
day, after which I climbed the hill again for a night’s rest.
I was very sorry to bid farewell to old Yansan next morning, and I
believe he was very sorry to part with his lodger. Once more at the
waterside I hailed my sampan-boy, who was now all eagerness to serve
me, and he took me out to the yacht, which was evidently ready for an
early departure. Her whole crew was now aboard, and most of them had
had a day’s leave in Nagasaki yesterday. The captain was pacing up and
down the bridge, and smoke was lazily trailing from the funnel.
Arrived on deck I found Mr. Hemster in his former position in the
cane chair, with his back still toward Nagasaki, which town I believe
he never glanced at all the time his yacht was in harbor. I learned
afterward that he thought it compared very unfavorably with Chicago.
His unlighted cigar was describing circles in the air, and all in all
I might have imagined he had not changed from the position I left him
in the day before if I had not seen him leaning over the rail when I
escorted his daughter back to the yacht. He gave me no further greeting
than a nod, which did not err on the side of effusiveness.
I inquired of the Japanese boy, who stood ready to receive me with
all the courtesy of his race, whether my luggage had come aboard, and
he informed me that it had. I approached Mr. Hemster, bidding him
good-morning, but he gave a side nod of his head toward the Japanese
boy and said, “He’ll show you to your cabin,” so I followed the youth
down the companion-way to my quarters. The yacht, as I have said, was
very big. The main saloon extended from side to side, and was nearly
as large as the dining-room of an ocean liner. Two servants with caps
and aprons, exactly like English housemaids, were dusting and putting
things to rights as I passed through.
My cabin proved ample in size, and was even more comfortably equipped
than I expected to find it. My luggage was there, and I took the
opportunity of changing my present costume for one of more nautical
cut, and, placing a yachting-cap on my head, I went on deck again.
I had expected, from all the preparedness I had seen, to hear the
anchor-chain rattle up before I was equipped, and feared for the moment
that I had delayed the sailing of the yacht; but on looking at my watch
as I went on deck I found it was not yet ten o’clock, so I was in ample
time, as had been arranged.
I had seen nothing of Miss Hemster, and began to suspect that she had
gone ashore and that the yacht was awaiting her return; but a glance
showed me that all the yacht’s boats were in place, so if the young
woman had indulged in a supplementary shopping-tour it must have been
in a sampan, which was unlikely.
The old gentleman, as I approached him, eyed my yachting toggery with
what seemed to me critical disapproval.
“Well,” he said, “you’re all fitted out for a cruise, aren’t you? Have
a cigar,”--and he offered me his case.
I took the weed and replied:
“Yes, and you seem ready to begin a cruise. May I ask where you are
going?”
“I don’t know exactly,” he replied carelessly. “I haven’t quite made up
my mind yet. I thought perhaps you might be able to decide the matter.”
“To decide!” I answered in surprise.
“Yes,” he said, sitting up suddenly and throwing the cigar overboard.
“What nonsense were you talking to my daughter yesterday?”
I was so taken aback at this unexpected and gruff inquiry that I fear I
stood there looking rather idiotic, which was evidently the old man’s
own impression of me, for he scowled in a manner that was extremely
disconcerting. I had no wish to adopt the Adam-like expedient of
blaming the woman; but, after all, he had been there when I went off
alone with her, and it was really not my fault that I was the girl’s
sole companion in Nagasaki. All my own early training and later social
prejudices led me to sympathize with Mr. Hemster’s evident ill-humour
regarding our shore excursion, but nevertheless it struck me as a
trifle belated. He should have objected when the proposal was made.
“Really, sir,” I stammered at last, “I’m afraid I must say I don’t
exactly know what you mean.”
“I think I spoke plainly enough,” he answered. “I want you to be
careful what you say, and if you come with me to my office, where we
shall not be interrupted, I’ll give you a straight talking to, so that
we may avoid trouble in the future.”
I was speechless with amazement, and also somewhat indignant. If he
took this tone with me, my place was evidently going to be one of some
difficulty. However, needs must when the devil drives, even if he comes
from Chicago; and although his words were bitter to endure, I was in
a manner helpless and forced to remember my subordinate position,
which, in truth, I had perhaps forgotten during my shopping experiences
with his impulsive daughter. Yet I had myself made her aware of my
situation, and if our conversation at times had been a trifle free and
easy I think the fault----but there--there--there----I’m at the Adam
business again. The woman tempted me, and I did talk. I felt humiliated
that even to myself I placed any blame upon her.
Mr. Hemster rose, nipped off the point of another cigar, and strode
along the deck to the companion-way, I following him like a confessed
culprit. He led me to what he called his office, a room not very much
larger than my own, but without the bunk that took up part of the
space in my cabin; in fact a door led out of it which, I afterward
learned, communicated with his bedroom. The office was fitted up with
an American roll-top desk fastened to the floor, a copying-press, a
typewriter, filing-cases from floor to ceiling, and other paraphernalia
of a completely equipped business establishment. There was a swivelled
armchair before the desk, into which Mr. Hemster dropped and leaned
back, the springs creaking as he did so. There was but one other chair
in the room, and he motioned me into it.
“See here!” he began abruptly. “Did you tell my daughter yesterday that
you were a friend of the Mikado’s?”
“God bless me, no!” I was surprised into replying. “I said nothing of
the sort.”
“Well, you left her under that impression.”
“I cannot see, Mr. Hemster, how such can be the case. I told Miss
Hemster that I had met the Mikado on several occasions, but I explained
to her that these occasions were entirely official, and each time I
merely accompanied a superior officer in the diplomatic service.
Although I have spoken with His Majesty, it was merely because
questions were addressed to me, and because I was the only person
present sufficiently conversant with the Japanese language to make him
a reply in his own tongue.”
“I see, I see,” mused the old gentleman; “but Gertie somehow got it
into her head that you could introduce us personally to the Mikado. I
told her it was not likely that a fellow I had picked up strapped from
the streets of Nagasaki, as one might say, would be able to give us an
introduction that would amount to anything.”
I felt myself getting red behind the ears as Mr. Hemster put my
situation with, what seemed to me, such unnecessary brutality. Yet,
after all, what he had said was the exact truth, and I had no right to
complain of it, for if there was money in my pocket at that moment it
was because he had placed it there; and then I saw intuitively that
he meant no offence, but was merely repeating what he had said to his
daughter, placing the case in a way that would be convincing to a man,
whatever effect it might have on a woman’s mind.
“I am afraid,” I said, “that I must have expressed myself clumsily to
Miss Hemster. I think I told her,--but I make the statement subject
to correction,--that I had so long since severed my connection with
diplomatic service in Tokio that even the slight power I then possessed
no longer exists. If I still retained my former position I should
scarcely be more helpless than I am now, so far as what you require is
concerned.”
“That’s exactly what I told her,” growled the old man. “I suppose you
haven’t any suggestion to make that would help me out at all?”
“The only suggestion I can make is this, and indeed I think the way
seems perfectly clear. You no doubt know your own Ambassador,--perhaps
have letters of introduction to him,--and he may very easily arrange
for you to have an audience with His Majesty the Mikado.”
“Oh! our Ambassador!” growled Mr. Hemster in tones of great contempt;
“he’s nothing but a one-horse politician.”
“Nevertheless,” said I, “his position is such that by merely exercising
the prerogatives of his office he could get you what you wanted.”
“No, he can’t,” maintained the old gentleman stoutly. “Still, I
shouldn’t say anything against him; he’s all right. He did his best
for us, and if we could have waited long enough at Yokohama perhaps he
might have fixed up an audience with the Mikado. But I’d had enough of
hanging on around there, and so I sailed away. Now, my son, I said I
was going to give you a talking to, and I am. I’ll tell you just how
the land lies, so you can be of some help to me and not a drawback. I
want you to be careful of what you say to Gertie about such people as
the Mikado, because it excites her and makes her think certain things
are easy when they’re not.”
“I am very sorry if I have said anything that led to a misapprehension.
I certainly did not intend to.”
“No, no! I understand that. I am not blaming you a bit. I just want
you to catch on to the situation, that’s all. Gertie likes you first
rate; she told me so, and I’m ever so much obliged to you for the
trouble you took yesterday afternoon in entertaining her. She told
me everything you said and did, and it was all right. Now Gertie has
always been accustomed to moving in the very highest society. She
doesn’t care for anything else, and she took to you from the very
first. I was glad of that, because I should have consulted her before I
hired you. Nevertheless, I knew the moment you spoke that you were the
man I wanted, and so I took the risk. I never cared for high society
myself; my intercourse has been with business men. I understand them,
and I like them; but I don’t cut any figure in high society, and I
don’t care to, either. Now, with Gertie it’s different. She’s been
educated at the finest schools, and I’ve taken her all over Europe,
where we stayed at the very best hotels and met the very best people in
both Europe and America. Why, we’ve met more Sirs and Lords and Barons
and High Mightinesses than you can shake a stick at. Gertie, she’s
right at home among those kind of people, and, if I do say it myself,
she’s quite capable of taking her place among the best of them, and she
knows it. There never was a time we came in to the best table d’hôte in
Europe that every eye wasn’t turned toward her, and she’s been the life
of the most noted hotels that exist, no matter where they are, and no
matter what their price is.”
I ventured to remark that I could well believe this to have been the
case.
“Yes, and you don’t need to take my word for it,” continued the old
man with quite perceptible pride; “you may ask any one that was there.
Whether it was a British Lord, or a French Count, or a German Baron,
or an Italian Prince, it was just the same. I admit that it seemed to
me that some of those nobles didn’t amount to much. But that’s neither
here nor there; as I told you before, I’m no judge. I suppose they have
their usefulness in creation, even though I’m not able to see it. But
the result of it all was that Gertie got tired of them, and, as she is
an ambitious girl and a real lady, she determined to strike higher, and
so, when we bought this yacht and came abroad again, she determined to
go in for Kings, so I’ve been on a King hunt ever since, and to tell
the truth it has cost me a lot of money and I don’t like it. Not that
I mind the money if it resulted in anything, but it hasn’t resulted in
anything; that is, it hasn’t amounted to much. Gertie doesn’t care for
the ordinary presentation at Court, for nearly anybody can have that.
What she wants is to get a King or an Emperor right here on board this
yacht at lunch or tea, or whatever he wants, and enjoy an intimate
conversation with him, just like she’s had with them no-account
Princes. Then she wants a column or two account of that written up for
the Paris edition of the “New York Herald,” and she wants to have it
cabled over to America. Now she’s the only chick or child I’ve got.
Her mother’s been dead these fifteen years, and Gertie is all I have
in the world, so I’m willing to do anything she wants done, no matter
whether I like it or not. But I don’t want to engage in anything that
doesn’t succeed. Success is the one thing that amounts to anything. The
man who is a failure cuts no ice. And so it rather grinds me to confess
that I’ve been a failure in this King business. Now I don’t know much
about Kings, but it strikes me they’re just like other things in this
world. If you want to get along with them, you must study them. It’s
like climbing a stair; if you want to get to the top you must begin at
the lowest step. If you try to take one stride up to the top landing,
why you’re apt to come down on your head. I told Gertie it was no use
beginning with the German Emperor, for we’d have to get accustomed to
the low-down Kings and gradually work up. She believes in aiming high.
That’s all right ordinarily, but it isn’t a practical proposition.
Still, I let her have her way and did the best I could, but it was no
use. I paid a German Baron a certain sum for getting the Emperor on
board my yacht, but he didn’t deliver the goods. So I said to Gertie:
‘My girl, we’d better go to India, or some place where Kings are
cheap, and practise on them first.’ She hated to give in, but she’s a
reasonable young woman if you take her the right way. Well, the long
and the short of it was that we sent the yacht around to Marseilles,
and went down from Paris to meet her there, and sailed to Egypt, and,
just as I said, we had no difficulty at all in raking in the Khedive.
But that wasn’t very satisfactory when all’s said and done. Gertie
claimed he wasn’t a real king, and I say he’s not a real gentleman.
We had a little unpleasantness there, and he became altogether too
friendly, so we sailed off down through the Canal a hunting Kings,
till at last we got here to Japan. Now we’re up against it once more,
and I suppose this here Mikado has hobnobbed so much with real Emperors
and that sort of thing that he thinks himself a white man like the
rest. So I says to Gertie, ‘There’s a genuine Emperor in Corea, good
enough to begin on, and we’ll go there,’ and that’s how we came round
from Yokohama to Nagasaki, and dropped in here to get a few things we
might not be able to obtain in Corea. The moment I saw you and learned
that you knew a good deal about the East, it struck me that if I took
you on as private secretary you would be able to give me a few points,
and perhaps take charge of this business altogether. Do you think you’d
be able to do that?”
“Well,” I said hesitatingly, “I’m not sure, but if I can be of any use
to you on such a quest it will be in Corea. I’ve been there on two or
three occasions, and each time had an audience with the King.”
“Why do you call him the King? Isn’t he an Emperor?”
“Well, I’ve always called him the King, but I’ve heard people term him
the Emperor.”
“The American papers always call him an Emperor. So you think you could
manage it, eh?”
“I don’t know that there would be any difficulty about the matter. Of
course you are aware he is merely a savage.”
“Well, they’re all savages out here, aren’t they? I don’t suppose he’s
any worse or any better than the Mikado.”
“Oh, the Mikado belongs to one of the most ancient civilizations in the
world. I don’t think the two potentates are at all on a par.”
“Well, that’s all right. That just bears out what I was saying, that
it’s the correct thing to begin with the lowest of them. You see I hate
to admit I’m too old to learn anything, and I think I can learn this
King business if I stick long enough at it. But I don’t believe in a
man trying to make a grand piano before he knows how to handle a saw.
So you see, Mr. Tremorne, the position is just this. I want to sail
for Corea, and Gertie, she wants to go back to Yokohama and tackle the
Mikado again, thinking you can pull it off this time.”
“I dislike very much to disagree with a lady,” I said, “but I think
your plan is the more feasible of the two. I do not think it would be
possible to get the Mikado to come aboard this yacht, but it might be
that the King of Corea would accept your invitation.”
“What’s the name of the capital of that place?” asked Mr. Hemster.
“It is spelled S-e-o-u-l, and is pronounced ‘Sool.’”
“How far is it from here?”
“I don’t know exactly, but it must be something like four hundred
miles, perhaps a little more.”
“It is on the sea?”
“No. It lies some twenty-six miles inland by road, and more than double
that distance by the winding river Han.”
“Can I steam up that river with this yacht to the capital?”
“No, I don’t think you could. You could go part way, perhaps, but I
imagine your better plan would be to moor at the port of Chemulpo and
go to Seoul by road, although the road is none of the best.”
“I’ve got a little naphtha launch on board. I suppose the river is big
enough for us to go up to the capital in that?”
“Yes, I suppose you could do it in a small launch, but the river is so
crooked that I doubt if you would gain much time, although you might
gain in comfort.”
“Very well, we’ll make for that port, whatever you call it,” said
Hemster, rising. “Now, if you’ll just take an armchair on deck, and
smoke, I’ll give instructions to the captain.”