“When you found the letter was missing what did you do? Have you confided in your classmate Takishima?” The captain’s voice was anxious, but Phil’s silent negative showed him this hope of clearing up the matter was futile. “Then unquestioningly they believe your intention was to hold this document, even though you had not opened it,” he added in severe tones. “Your actions bear out this assumption. The Japanese authorities will know by now that you attacked their agents and took the letter.” Phil stood abashed before his captain. The situation was even more serious than he had supposed. “I am sorry, sir,” he said humbly. “I know that I acted ill advisedly, but how was I to know that the letter would be taken from me?” “There’s no use crying over spilt milk,” Captain Rodgers rejoined more kindly. “What we must think of is how we are to counteract this bad impression.” Phil’s face showed a sudden gleam of happiness. “I am willing to do anything, sir,” the lad said. “What if you should go to your classmate Takishima, and explain to him as you have to me?” Captain Rodgers asked. “I will do so at once, sir, if you believe that is the best way,” Phil replied quickly. He very much disliked the task, for he knew that Takishima would question his honest intentions. He would wonder why he had not immediately returned the letter, and why he had said nothing of it until it had passed beyond his control. “I have an appointment to pay my respects to the Emperor in a few hours,” Captain Rodgers replied anxiously. “If my meeting is a success, I hope all misunderstandings will be over. But if this meeting should be stopped now at the last minute, the effect would be very bad. All eyes in America are turned to this audience. It has been noised abroad that I am the bearer of a personal letter from our President to the Mikado, and the denial of an audience would be taken by our countrymen at large to mean that Japan is unwilling to meet us amicably.” Phil felt that the whole responsibility rested upon his shoulders. His blunder might readily be the cause of the catastrophe outlined by Captain Rodgers. The captain did not deny the existence of such a letter and had intimated that if the audience could be held, all misunderstandings would cease to exist; so undoubtedly there was such a letter. “The ambassador has sent for me, and I am now going to the embassy,” the captain continued. He was dressed in his special full dress uniform, worn only on state occasions when crowned heads and presidents were to be visited. “It must be to talk over the situation. He is much worried. I can’t imagine what has happened to Sago,” he added irritably. “He was to have been here nearly an hour ago with my valises, but the valises arrived and no Sago.”