Nicholas II. looked at me distrustfully.
“Let us leave the name of the Princess on one side,” he said in a tone of rebuke. “I have every reason to feel satisfied with her loyalty and zeal.”
I bowed, and remained silent.
“You failed to get through, I suppose,” the Czar continued, after waiting in vain for me to speak.
“I beg pardon, sire, I safely delivered to the Emperor of Japan your majesty’s autograph on the cigarette paper. I was robbed of the more formal letter in the house of M. Petrovitch, before starting.”
Nicholas frowned.
“Petrovitch again! Another of the few men whom I know to be my real friends.” He fidgeted impatiently.
“Well, what did the Mikado say?”
I had intended to soften the reply of the Japanese Emperor, but now, being irritated, I gave it bluntly:
“His majesty professed to disbelieve in your power to control your people. He declared that he could not treat a letter from you seriously unless you were able to send it openly, without your messengers being robbed or murdered on the way across your own dominions.”