ed, after crossing Battersea Bridge, and the two
cars drew alongside. They had arranged to separate here, but, curiously
enough, no one seemed to care to start the leave taking.

"You see the time!" the Prince exclaimed. "It is barely eleven o'clock.
I want you all, if you will, to come with me for ten minutes only to my
house. Tomorrow it will be dismantled. Today I want you each to choose
a keepsake from amongst my treasures. There are so many ornaments over
here, engravings and bronzes which are called Japanese and which are
really only imitations. I want you to have something, if you will, to
remember me by, all of you, something which is really the handicraft of
my country people."

The Duke looked for a moment doubtful.

"It wants an hour to midday," the Prince said, softly. "There is time."

They reached St. James' Square in a few minutes. There were no signs
of disturbance. The door flew open at their approach. The same
solemn-faced, quietly moving butler admitted them. The Prince led the
way into the room upon the ground floor which he called his library.

"It is a fancy of mine," he said, smiling, "to say goodbye to you all
here. You see that there is nothing in this room which is not really the
product of Japan. Here I feel, indeed, as though I had crossed the seas
and were back under the shadow of my own mountains. Here I feel, indeed,
your host, especially as I am going to distribute my treasures."

He took a picture from the wall and turned with it to the Duke.

"Duke," he said, "this engraving is a rude thing, but the hand which
guided the steel has been withered for two hundred years, and no other
example remains of its cunning. Mr. Haviland," he added, stepping to his
writing table, "this lacquered shrine, with its pagoda roof, has been
attributed to Kobo-Daishi, and has stood upon the writing table of seven
emperors. Sir Edward, this sword, notwithstanding its strange shape and
gilded chasing, was wielded with marvellous effect, if history tells the
truth, a hundred and thirty years ago by my great-grandfather when
he fought his way to the throne. Sir Charles, you are to go into
Parliament. Some day you will become a diplomat. Some day, perhaps, you
will understand our language. Just now I am afraid," he concluded, "this
will seem to you but a bundle of purple velvet and vellum, but it is
really a manuscript of great curiosity which comes from the oldest
monastery in Asia, the Monastery of Koya-S