“Who sent you to our country and Tibet—was it your Minister of Foreign Affairs, or your Chief Marshal? Tell me the truth.”
I was thunder-struck—I could see that even the King was laboring under the suspicion that I was a political emissary of Japan. Never did I feel more disgusted with what they call politics and diplomacy than on that occasion; especially as I had always had a higher opinion of Nepālese than of Tibetans. Absorbed in these thoughts I kept silence for a while. The silence was misunderstood, for the King said:
“So you cannot disclose your secret?”
“Your Highness, there is no secret about me! I will tell your Highness all the truth there is: it was my own self that sent me here.”
The Minister laughed, and exclaimed:
“Good; but you must know that one cannot travel abroad for six years, unless he is well provided with money; and then you have given to me, as well as to our Commander-in-Chief, presents which must have cost you no small amount of money. Altogether the amount of money involved cannot be such as is likely to be found in the pocket of a mere Buḍḍhist priest with no worldly possessions. Then you seem to be a man of scholarly attainments, besides being well informed of the affairs of the world. You are now before me, and there is no necessity for you to adhere to your secret. If however, you must keep your secret, I will grant you a special audience the day after to-morrow, when you may see me alone and tell me all. Should you still insist on being reserved, then, I may withdraw all my promises to you; nor will I grant you any protection.”
“I have long since vowed my vow to our Lord Buḍḍha, and I tell no falsehood. If your Highness refuses to believe me, I can only rest contented with the fact that I have always adhered to the truth, and beyond that I shall have no means, for the present at least, to prove the truth of what I say. I can only hope that a day will come when your Highness will be convinced of the truth of what I say.”
“If you tell the truth,” replied the Minister, “nobody will suspect you. I shall grant you another interview at half past ten on the morning of the day after to-morrow, and I hope you will think well about telling the truth in the meantime. I bid you good afternoon.”