the illustrious prince-第41节

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〃Not　yet；〃　the　Prince　echoed。　〃Dear　me；　that　is　very　unfortunate！〃

Inspector　Jacks　watched　the　people　who　were　passing；　for　a　moment；　with　a　fixed；　unseeing　gaze。

〃I　am　afraid；〃　he　said；　〃that　we　must　seem　to　you　very　slow　and　very　stupid。　Very　likely　we　are。　And　yet；　yet　in　time　we　generally　reach　our　goal。　Sometimes　we　go　a　long　way　round。　Sometimes　we　wait　almost　over　long；　but　sooner　or　later　we　strike。〃

The　Prince　nodded　sympathetically。

〃The　best　of　fortune　to　you；　Mr。　Jacks！〃　he　said。　〃I　wish　you　could　have　cleared　these　matters　up　before　I　left　for　home。　It　is　pure　selfishness；　of　course；　but　I　have　always　felt　a　great　interest　in　your　work。〃

〃If　we　do　not　clear　them　up　before　you　leave　the　country；　Prince；〃　the　Inspector　answered；　〃I　fear　that　we　shall　never　clear　them　up　at　all。〃

The　Prince　passed　on　smiling。　A　conversation　with　Inspector　Jacks　seemed　always　to　inspire　him。　It　was　a　fine　afternoon　and　Pall　Mall　was　crowded。　In　a　few　moments　he　came　face　to　face　with　Somerfield；　who　greeted　him　a　little　gloomily。

〃Sir　Charles；〃　the　Prince　said；　〃I　hope　that　I　shall　have　the　pleasure　of　meeting　you　at　Devenham？〃

〃I　am　not　sure；〃　Somerfield　answered。　〃I　have　been　asked；　but　I　promised　some　time　ago　to　go　up　to　Scotland。　I　have　a　third　share　in　a　river　there；　and　the　season　for　salmon　is　getting　on。〃

〃I　am　sorry；〃　the　Prince　declared。　〃I　have　no　doubt；　however；　but　that　Miss　Morse　will　induce　you　to　change　your　mind。　I　should　regret　your　absence　the　more；〃　he　continued；　〃because　this；　I　fear；　is　the　last　visit　which　I　shall　be　paying　in　this　country。〃

Somerfield　was　genuinely　interested。

〃You　are　really　going　home？〃　he　asked　eagerly。

〃Almost　at　once；〃　the　Prince　answered。

〃Only　for　a　time；　I　suppose？〃　Somerfield　continued。

The　Prince　shook　his　head。

〃On　the　contrary；〃　he　said；　〃I　imagine　that　this　will　be　a　long　goodbye。　I　think　I　can　promise　you　that　if　ever　I　reach　Japan　I　shall　remain　there。　My　work　in　this　hemisphere　will　be　accomplished。〃

Somerfield　looked　at　him　with　the　puzzled　air　of　a　man　who　is　face　to　face　with　a　problem　which　he　cannot　solve。

〃You'll　forgive　my　putting　it　so　plainly；　Prince；〃　he　remarked；　〃but　do　you　mean　to　say　that　after　having　lived　over　here　you　could　possibly　settle　down　again　in　Japan？〃

The　Prince　returned　for　a　moment　his　companion's　perplexed　gaze。　Then　his　lips　parted；　his　eyes　shone。　He　laughed　softly；　gracefully；　with　genuine　mirth。

〃Sir　Charles；〃　he　said；　〃I　shall　not　forget　that　question。　I　think　that　of　all　the　Englishmen　whom　I　have　met　you　are　the　most　English　of　all。　When　I　think　of　your　great　country；　as　I　often　shall　do；　of　her　sons　and　her　daughters；　I　will　promise　you　that　to　me　you　shall　always　represent　the　typical　man　of　your　race　and　fortune。〃

The　Prince　left　his　companion　loitering　along　Pall　Mall；　still　a　little　puzzled。　He　called　a　taxi　and　drove　to　Devenham　House。　The　great　drawing　rooms　were　almost　empty。　Lady　Grace　was　just　saying　goodbye　to　some　parting　guests。　She　welcomed　the　Prince　with　a　little　flush　of　pleasure。

〃I　find　you　alone？〃　he　remarked。

〃My　mother　is　opening　a　bazaar　somewhere；〃　Lady　Grace　said。　〃She　will　be　home　very　soon。　Do　let　me　give　you　some　tea。〃

〃It　is　my　excuse　for　coming；〃　the　Prince　admitted。

She　called　back　the　footman　who　had　shown　him　in。

〃China　tea；　very　weak；　in　a　china　teapot　with　lemon　and　no　sugar。　Isn't　that　it？〃　she　asked；　smiling。

〃Lady　Grace；〃　he　declared；　〃you　spoil　me。　Perhaps　it　is　because　I　am　going　away。　Every　one　is　kind　to　the　people　who　go　away。〃

She　looked　at　him　anxiously。

〃Going　away！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃When？　Do　you　mean　back　to　Japan？〃

〃Back　to　my　own　country；〃　he　answered。　〃Perhaps　in　two　weeks；　perhaps　threewho　can　tell？〃

〃But　you　are　coming　to　Devenham　first？〃　she　asked　eagerly。

〃I　am　coming　to　Devenham　first；〃　he　assented。　〃I　called　this　afternoon　to　let　your　father　know　the　date　on　which　I　could　come。　I　promised　that　he　should　hear　from　me　today。　He　was　good　enough　to　say　either　Thursday　or　Friday。　Thursday；　I　find；　will　suit　me　admirably。〃

She　drew　a　little　sigh。

〃So　you　are　going　back；〃　she　said　softly。　〃I　wonder　why　so　many　people　seem　to　have　taken　it　for　granted　that　you　would　settle　down　here。　Even　I　had　begun　to　hope　so。〃

He　smiled。

〃Lady　Grace；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　not　what　you　call　a　cosmopolitan。　To　live　over　here　in　any　of　these　Western　countries　would　seem　to　denote　that　one　may　change　one's　dwelling　place　as　easily　as　one　changes　one's　clothes。　The　further　east　you　go；　the　more　reluctant　one　is；　I　think；　to　leave　the　shadow　of　one's　own　trees。　The　man　who　leaves　my　country　leaves　it　to　go　into　exile。　The　man　who　returns；　returns　home。〃

She　was　a　little　perplexed。

〃I　should　have　imagined；〃　she　said；　〃that　the　people　who　leave　your　country　as　emigrants　to　settle　in　American　or　even　over　here　might　have　felt　like　that。　But　you　of　the　educated　classes　I　should　have　thought　would　have　found　more　over　here　to　attract　you；　more　to　induce　you　to　choose　a　new　home。〃

He　shook　his　head。

〃Lady　Grace；〃　he　said；　〃believe　me　that　is　not　so。　The　traditions　of　our　racethe　call　of　the　blood；　as　you　put　it　over　hereis　as　powerful　a　thing　with　our　aristocratics　as　with　our　peasants。　We　find　much　here　to　wonder　at　and　admire；　much　that；　however　unwillingly；　we　are　forced　to　take　back　and　adopt　in　our　own　country；　but　it　is　a　strange　atmosphere　for　us；　this。　For　my　country…people　there　is　but　one　real　home；　but　one　motherland。〃

〃Yet　you　have　seemed　so　contented　over　here；〃　she　remarked。　〃You　have　entered　so　easily　into　all　our　ways。〃

He　set　down　his　teacup　and　smiled　at　her　for　a　moment　gravely。

〃I　came　with　a　purpose；〃　he　said。　〃I　came　in　order　to　observe　and　to　study　certain　features　of　your　life；　but；　believe　me；　I　have　felt　the　strainI　have　felt　it　sometimes　very　badly。　These　countries；　yours　especially；　are　like　what　one　of　your　great　poets　called　the　Lotus…Lands　for　us。　Much　of　your　life　here　is　given　to　pursuits　which　we　do　not　understand；　to　sports　and　games；　to　various　forms　of　what　we　should　call　idleness。　In　my　country　we　know　little　of　that。　In　one　way　or　another；　from　the　Emperor　to　the　poor　runner　in　the　streets；　we　work。〃

〃Is　there　nothing　which　you　will　regret？〃　she　asked。

〃I　shall　regret　the　friends　I　have　made；the　very　dear　friends；〃　he　repeated；　〃who　have　been　so　very　much　kinder　to　me　than　I　have　deserved。　Life　is　a　sad　pilgrimage　sometimes；　because　one　may　not　linger　for　a　moment　at　any　one　spot；　nor　may　one　ever　look　back。　But　I　know　quite　well　that　when　I　leave　here　there　will　be　many　whom　I　would　gladly　see　again。〃

〃There　will　be　many；　Prince；〃　she　said　softly；　〃who　will　be　sorry　to　see　you　go。〃

The　Prince　rose　to　his　feet。　Another　little　stream　of　callers　had　come　into　the　room。　Presently　he　drank　his　tea　and　departed。　When　he　reached　St。　James'　Square；　his　majordomo　came　hurrying　up　and　whispered　something　in　his　own　language。

The　Prince　smiled。

〃I　go　to　see　him；〃　he　said。　〃I　will　go　at　once。〃



CHAPTER　XXVII。　A　PRISONER

Dr。　Spencer　Whiles　was　sitting　in　a　very　comfortable　easy　chair；　smoking　a　particularly　good　cigar；　with　a　pile　of　newspapers　by　his　side。　His　appearance　certainly　showed　no　signs　of　hardship。　His　linen；　and　the　details　of　his　toilet　generally；　supplied　from　some　mysterious　source　into　which　he　had　not　inquired；　were　much　improved。　Notwithstanding　his　increased　comfort；　however；　he　was　looking　perplexed；　even　a　little　worried；　and　the　cause　of　it　was　there　in　front　of　him；　in　the　advertisement　sheets　of　the　various　newspapers　which　had　been　duly　laid　upon　his　table。

The　Prince　came　in　quietly　and　closed　the　door　behind　him。

〃Good　afternoon；　my　friend！〃　he　said。　〃I　understood　that　you　wished　to　see　me。〃

The　doctor　had　made　up　his　mind　to　adopt　a　firm　attitude。　Nevertheless　the　genial　courtesy　of　the　Prince's　tone　and　manner　had　the　same　effect　upon　him　as　it　had　upon　most　people。　He　half　rose　to　his　feet　and　became　at　once　apologetic。

〃I　hope　that　I　have　not　disturbed　you；　Prince；〃　he　said。　〃I　thought　that　I　should　like　to　have　a　word　or　two　with　you　concerning　something　which　I　have　come　across　in　these　journals。〃


He　tapped　them　with　his　forefinger；　and　the　Prince　nodded　thoughtfully。

〃Your　wonderful　Press！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃How　much　it　is　responsible　for！　Well；　Dr。　Whiles；　what　have　the　newspapers　to　say　to　you？〃

The　doctor　handed　across　a　carefully　folded　journal　and　pointed　to　a　certain　paragraph。

〃Will　you　kindly　read　this？〃　he　begged。

The　Prince　accepted　the　sheet　and　read　the　paragraph　aloud：

〃FIFTY　POUNDS　REWARD！　Disappeared　from　his　home　in　Long　Whatton　on　Wednesday　morning　last；　Herbert　Spencer　Whiles；　Surgeon。　The　above　reward　will　be　paid　to　any　one　giving　information　which　will　lead　to　the　discovery　of　his　present　whereabouts。　Was　last　seen　in　a　motor　car；　Limousine　body；　painted　dark　green；　leaving　Long　Whatton　in　the　direction　of　London。〃

The　Prince　laid　down　the　paper；　smiling。

〃Well？〃　he　asked。　〃That　seems　clear　enough。　　Some　one　is　willing　to　give　fifty　pounds　to　know　where　you　are。〃

The　doctor　tapped　the　advertisement　with　his　forefinger　impressively。

〃Fifty　pounds！〃　he　repeated。　〃The