“Is what I heard about Mr. Impey true?” the former asked Phil in a low voice amid the loud hum of conversation about them. “Has he intentionally misrepresented the condition of affairs to father?”
Phil nodded. “Worse than that,” the lad whispered impressively. “He is responsible for all those articles in the ‘Shimbunshi’ slandering Americans. He has fooled both the Japanese and ourselves, and has brought the two countries precious near to a war.
“You wouldn’t think it by looking about this table, would you?” he added in grim humor.
The entire Japanese cabinet and the highest of its naval and military officers, with the officers of the “Alaska,” were seated there in friendly conversation, as if no thought of the horrors that might come had entered their minds. Within a week, if Impey’s plans were successful, these same people might be pitted against each other in a terrible naval battle.
“Does father know this?” the girl asked anxiously. “I thought of telling him what I had overheard at that unfortunate affair between you and Lieutenant Takishima, but I was afraid I had not heard aright, and I was too much agitated afterward to ask you to explain.”
“I shall tell him to-night,” Phil replied, “unless Captain Rodgers does. I have told our captain everything except——” Phil stopped abruptly while Helen raised her eyes to his face in inquiry.
“Except what?” she asked quickly.
“EXCEPT WHAT” SHE ASKED
“Oh, nothing,” Phil began, and then after a second’s thought he changed his mind. Why should he not tell? Every one near them was busy talking and no one could possibly overhear. “Impey said that he had an order signed by the Wai-Wu-Pu, to turn over the Chinese squadron to the Americans, and wanted me to take his yacht, the ‘Sylvia,’ and beat the Japanese ships south. You know that we think they have gone with Captain Inaba to seize the Chinese squadron off Singapore Straits.”