"Oh, not at all; please don't worry," he responded, plumping down his
napkin, "but I've just had a message from Mrs. Jinks. She's a man short
and she wants me to come over to luncheon. So long. Awfully sorry!"
"What did that mean, please?" Okura inquired, as we hurried back to see
Kumagae play.
"Do you mean, democratically?"
"Yes."
"I give it up," I retorted.
"But Mr. Owen said you would want to interpret everything democratic to
me," Okura ventured on, "and is there not some secret here hidden from
me? I fear I am very stupid."
Democratically, I repeated dully, I could not explain.
"But," pressed Okura, "'the world has been made safe for democracy.' I
want so much to understand it. I fear I do not yet understand Newport."
And he looked at me with his innocent eyes.