“I believe more than twenty days have elapsed since your arrival here,” said he; “how have you been employing yourself in the interval?”

“In religious meditation and in composing poems,” I replied.

“What is your court rank and what office do you hold in Japan?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I answered.

But he continued: “Don’t try to make a secret of those things; do you think we can form no idea of our own about you? It will be better for you to tell me all.”

“Sir, I am a Bu??hist priest, and I possess no rank, nor order, nor any office under the Japanese or any other Government for that matter.”

“Oh! come, Mr. Kawaguchi; how do you happen to visit Tibet and Nepal, in spite of the great expense involved?”

“I am absolutely free from all official connexions: I went to Tibet and came to your country with the one sole object of completing my Bu??hist study.”

Next he asked “What route did you take in entering Tibet?”

“By way of Manasarovara,” answered I.

At this he evinced signs of suppressed excitement, and asked quickly: “And what was the route you took in reaching Manasarovara?”

“Sir,” I replied, “I cannot answer that question, except in the presence of the King.”

“Why?”

“Because I do not wish to bring trouble on innocent parties.”

The other officers then took turns in catechising me as to the manners and customs, national characteristics, and military organisation of Tibet and of Japan. I heard them say in Nepalese that I must be an emissary of the Japanese Government.

Presently we were told to proceed to the court of audience, whither the rest of the assembly were now hurrying. I proceeded as far as a portal, where I observed a large number of the provincial dignitaries of Nepal (as I subsequently found them to be) salaaming in the most respectful manner. I also noticed one man in the crowd who appeared greatly astonished to see me there: he was the chief of the district of Tukje, in whose house I stayed when on my way to Tibet, and when I went to him in no better capacity than a begging Chinese Lama.

The Prime-Minister King had finished examining the horses sent in as a tribute and sat down on a sofa, and I advanced to his presence. He asked me:

“What can I do for you now?”

“My first appeal to Your Highness is the forwarding of my petition to the Dalai Lama of Tibet, and the second is about Your Highness’s promise as to the Samsk?? text of the Bu??hist Scriptures.”

“We will talk about those things afterwards,” said he. “I understand that you were in this country four years ago; is that true?”

“Yes, your Highness, I was most certainly here four years ago.”

He straightened himself up and said in a changed tone of voice—“Ha! How was it that you did not tell me so when you saw me at Beelganji? Do you not think that it was in the order of things that you should have told me about your former visit to this country then?”

“I do not deny that, your Highness; let me say, however, that much as I wished to do so then, I abstained from doing so owing to a certain fear I entertained.”

“Might I know what you were afraid of?”

“Certainly, your Highness. In the first place I thought then, that should I open my mouth carelessly, I might invite your anger and consequent punishment on the officers of your challenge gates and many other people of this country. I should have felt unbearable sorrow of mind, had my thoughtless divulgence of the fact at the time involved my friends and acquaintances in Nepal in the troubles and afflictions now being undergone by those in Tibet. I most earnestly beseech Your Highness that you will punish none of your subjects because of my having passed through this country once before, or else I pray your Highness to allow me to retract all that I have said about my former visit.”

“I grant your request; you may rest assured that I will not punish any of our people on your account.”

“Your Highness has greatly relieved me; I thank your Highness for your magnanimity.”

When truth speaks, it touches the heart; and I was gratified to notice that the King seemed to believe my words. But when it came to the question of the motive of my Tibetan and Nepal journey, it was another thing—as the King appeared to say, for he next asked me:

“Who sent you to our country and Tibet—was it your Minister of Foreign Affairs, or your Chief Marshal? Tell me the truth.”

I was thunder-struck—I could see that even the King was laboring under the suspicion that I was a political emissary of Japan. Never did I feel more disgusted with what they call politics and diplomacy than on that occasion; especially as I had always had a higher opinion of Nepalese than of Tibetans. Absorbed in these thoughts I kept silence for a while. The silence was misunderstood, for the King said:

“So you cannot disclose your secret?”

“Your Highness, there is no secret about me! I will tell your Highness all the truth there is: it was my own self that sent me here.”

The Minister laughed, and exclaimed:

“Good; but you must know that one cannot travel abroad for six years, unless he is well provided with money; and then you have given to me, as well as to our Commander-in-Chief, presents which must have cost you no small amount of money. Altogether the amount of money involved cannot be such as is likely to be found in the pocket of a mere Bu??hist priest with no worldly possessions. Then you seem to be a man of scholarly attainments, besides being well informed of the affairs of the world. You are now before me, and there is no necessity for you to adhere to your secret. If however, you must keep your secret, I will grant you a special audience the day after to-morrow, when you may see me alone and tell me all. Should you still insist on being reserved, then, I may withdraw all my promises to you; nor will I grant you any protection.”

“I have long since vowed my vow to our Lord Bu??ha, and I tell no falsehood. If your Highness refuses to believe me, I can only rest contented with the fact that I have always adhered to the truth, and beyond that I shall have no means, for the present at least, to prove the truth of what I say. I can only hope that a day will come when your Highness will be convinced of the truth of what I say.”

“If you tell the truth,” replied the Minister, “nobody will suspect you. I shall grant you another interview at half past ten on the morning of the day after to-morrow, and I hope you will think well about telling the truth in the meantime. I bid you good afternoon.”