“Why don’t you tell that to father?” she asked.
“Impey assured us that your father already knew of this letter from the Wai-Wu-Pu,” Phil returned.
Before the girl could answer, her neighbor on the other side claimed her attention, much to Phil’s chagrin, and he unconsciously frowned in the direction of Lieutenant Winston, the intruder.
“Our friend Impey has been watching you very closely, Perry,” Takishima said in a low voice as Phil turned away from Helen’s averted face.
“Watching us both, I imagine,” he replied. “A much colored account of our little misunderstanding this afternoon will probably figure prominently in the ‘Shimbunshi’ to-morrow,” he added in concern.
“I’ve seen to that,” Takishima assured him. “The ‘Shimbunshi’ has been suppressed by the prime minister’s order. And all cablegrams from the country are being censored, and nothing can be sent in cipher.”
“I wish you could persuade your minister to recall Captain Inaba,” Phil urged earnestly. “Captain Rodgers believes that if he seizes the ships a war may still be the outcome.”
After the dinner was over Phil and Sydney maneuvered to have a quiet talk with Takishima. A bold plan, the seed of which had been sown in Phil’s mind by Impey’s proposal to use the yacht, had occurred to the midshipman. Phil was not sure the “Sylvia” would be allowed to leave Yokohama harbor, but a word from the Japanese lieutenant would be enough.
Helen was taken into the conspiracy, and with the three classmates quietly stole away to a sun parlor in the back of the legation.
“No one will find us here,” Helen whispered breathlessly, her face showing keen excitement.