I knew this to be an accurate presentation of the case.
“What, then, can I do for you?” I asked.
He lowered his voice, his little eyes glittering.
“There is but one thing to do, and that is to get the white woman on board this ship.”
“To kidnap her? That is impossible; you cannot do it here in Japan, and you could not do it even if the ship were lying in Chemulpo roadstead. It is a dream of foolishness, and if your Emperor had any sense he would know it could not be done.”
“Then,” wailed Hun Woe, “my line is extinguished, and the deaths of myself and of my relatives lie at your door, who brought the accursed white woman to Seoul.”
His lamentations disturbed me deeply, because, for a wonder, he spoke the truth.
“I’ll tell you what I will do, Hun Woe, which will be far more effective than your ridiculous project of kidnapping the young lady. Has not your Emperor the sense to see, or have you not the courage to tell him, that if you succeeded in getting Miss Hemster to Seoul you would bring down on yourselves the whole force of America, and probably of England as well? Either country could blot Seoul, Palace and all, off the face of the earth within half an hour of surrounding it, and they would do it, too, if needs be. You know I speak the truth; why did you not explain this to the Emperor?”
“His Majesty would not believe me; his Majesty cares for nothing but the white woman; so any other plan but that of getting her is useless.”
“No, it isn’t. So far as you are concerned, Hun Woe, it would be useless for me to appeal to either the English or the American authorities. They will never interfere unless one of their own citizens is in jeopardy, but I can trust the Japanese. I am sure Mr. Hemster will lend me his yacht, and I will take a party of fearless Japanese with me to the capital and to the Palace. There will be no trouble. I shall return with your family and your kinsmen, escort them down to Chemulpo, and I shall deliver them to you here in Nagasaki. So long as you remain in Nagasaki you are safe.”