"Now," said the Kaiser, fixing me with an eagle glance, "be good enough to explain your proceedings."

I met his look with a steadfast one in return.

"I have carried out your majesty's orders scrupulously. I have taken out the submarine torpedo boat, engaged a crew, proceeded to the Dogger Bank, and drawn the fire of the Baltic Fleet on the fishing-boats from Hull. I have not seen a newspaper since, but I a.s.sume that the British Navy has already arrested Admiral Rojestvensky and his squadron, and that the two Powers are at war."

The Kaiser gnawed his moustache.

"Things have not gone quite so well as you pretend, M. Petrovitch.

"The Russian cannonade ceased after a few minutes," the Emperor resumed. "You did not remain on the surface after the first shot; you did not launch your torpedo, neither did you permit the other submarine to do so. In fact you sunk her."

"I had no orders with respect to another submarine, sire. I was ent.i.tled to treat it as an enemy."

"Nonsense, you know that it had left Kiel before you, on the same errand."

"On the contrary, sire, I could not possibly know anything of the kind."

"Why, you saw it had disappeared from the dock. You inquired after it along the Ca.n.a.l. When you got out to the Dogger you were searching for it the whole time."

"And when I found it, sire, it was leading the Russian squadron, of which it appeared to form part. I had every right to a.s.sume that it was a Russian man-of-war."

"A German boat!" thundered the Kaiser.

"A boat not flying any flag must be presumed to belong to the country of those who are in control of it. I found this submarine under the control of a Russian subject."

"The Princess was my agent."

"Your majesty had not told me so. On the contrary, I understood that you wished my own boat to be considered a Russian vessel, in case of any question. I shipped a Russian crew therefore."

Wilhelm II. frowned angrily.

"Do not play with me, M. Petrovitch. I know all about your crew.

Explain why you, a Russian subject, should have attacked what you are pleased to pretend was a Russian ship."

"I regret to have to say that your majesty is laboring under a mistake. I am not a Russian subject."

This time the Kaiser was fairly taken aback.

"What subject are you?"

"A j.a.panese."

Wilhelm looked thunderstruck.

"j.a.panese!" was all he could say.

"If your majesty pleases. That being so, as soon as I took possession of the submarine, with your permission, of course it became a j.a.panese ship."

"What you tell me is monstrous--ridiculous. Your name is Russian, your face is at least European."

"My name, sire, is Matsukata. I received it in Tokio at the commencement of the war, on being adopted into a j.a.panese family.

"If your majesty doubts my statement, I ask to be confronted with the j.a.panese Amba.s.sador in Berlin."

The Kaiser looked as if he would have liked to doubt it, but found himself unable to do so.

"Then on your own showing you are a j.a.panese spy," he p.r.o.nounced slowly. "As such I am ent.i.tled to have you shot."

"Pardon me again, sire. In Petersburg I admit, that was my character.

In Germany I have been your majesty's agent, and have literally fulfilled your commands."

"You are a very acute quibbler, I see," was the retort, "but quibbles will not save you. You have stolen one of my ships to sink another with, and at the very least you deserve to be hanged as a pirate."

"I demand to be tried," I said boldly, knowing that this was the one step to which the Emperor, for his own sake, could not consent.

As I expected, he frowned uneasily.

"In this case I must exercise my right of refusing a civil trial, in the interest of the State. I will give you a court-martial with closed doors."

"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 j.a.pan."

The German monarch sat still, unable to parry this unexpected blow.

"The j.a.panese Amba.s.sador--" 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 e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed----

"I believed there was only one man in the two hemispheres who could do things like this!"