hen explained to Frobisher that, the arrival of the _San-chau_
having been observed, and his own presence on board disclosed by the
fact of his flag flying from the fore-topmast head, the Council, then
sitting in debate at the Navy Buildings, had sent to say that they would
be glad to see him on a matter of importance as soon as he could make it
convenient to come ashore.

"Further developments in Korea, I suspect," observed the admiral,
frowning. "I pray that no open rupture between ourselves and Japan may
occur just yet; for we are utterly unprepared. We must put off the evil
day as long as possible, even if we have to humble ourselves before them
for a month or two; for it would be absolutely suicidal for us to engage
in a war with Japan at the present moment. Our ships are good; our men
are excellent fighters; and to the outsider it would naturally appear
that all the advantages are on our side: but alas! men, however brave
they may be, cannot fight to win under the command of inefficient
officers, and with arms, ammunition, and stores that may fail them at
any moment. Ah me! ah me!"

"You feel, then," said Frobisher, "that war is inevitable?"

"I am sure of it," replied the admiral. "Perhaps not to-day, or
to-morrow; but war there certainly will be before many months are past.
I only wish I could bring the realisation of this fact home to some of
those officials who are content to wait and wait, spending the country's
money, if not on themselves personally, at any rate upon things on which
it ought not to be spent; until the time comes, all too suddenly, when
they will awake to the fact that they have procrastinated too long, and
that their country is at the mercy of the enemy."

"Let us hope, sir," replied Frobisher, cheerfully--for he had begun to
have quite a strong liking for the cultured and patriotic Chinese
gentleman and sailor, and was sorry to find him taking so pessimistic a
view of the situation--"that matters are not so bad as you imagine, and
that China will issue from the coming struggle more powerful than
before."

"We will, indeed, hope so," said Wong-lih, rising. "But I greatly fear
that our hope will be unfulfilled. However, an end to these dismal
forebodings of mine, Mr Frobisher! I am growing old, and am on that
account more liable, perhaps, to look on the dark side of things. Let
us go ashore now, and see what it is that the Council wishes to talk
about. I will seize the opportun