"Still, Emperor," I said, at last, "England has been very good to you.
She has furnished you with all the coal your ships needed to steam into
Chinese waters. Surely that was the act of a grandmother. You wouldn't
fight her after that?"
"We will, if she'll lend us ammunition for our guns," said the Emperor,
gloomily. "If she won't do that, then of course there will be no war.
But, Princess, let us talk of other things. Have you heard our latest
musical composition?"
[Illustration: THE IMPERIAL BAND]
I frankly confessed that I had not, and the imperial band was called up
and ordered to play the Emperor's new march. It was very moving and made
me somewhat homesick; for, after all, with all due respect to William's
originality, it was nothing more than a slightly Prussianized rendering
of "All Coons Look Alike to Me." However, I praised the work, and added
that I had heard nothing like it in Wagner, which seemed to please the
Emperor very much. I have since heard that as a composer he resents
Wagner, and attributes the success of the latter merely to that accident
of birth which brought the composer into the world a half-century before
William had his chance.
[Illustration: "'WE ARE HAVING OUR PORTRAITS PAINTED'"]
"And now, Princess," he observed, as the music ceased, "your audience is
over. We are to have our portrait painted at mid-day, and the hour has
come. Assure your people of our undying regard. You may kiss our little
finger."
"And will not your Majesty honor me with his autograph?" I asked,
holding out my book, after I had kissed his little finger.
"With pleasure," said he, taking the book and complying with my request
as follows:
"Faithfully your War Lord and Master,
"ME."
Wasn't it characteristic!