The Prince greeted us with the greatest cordiality, seated
himself, without the slightest affectation, and motioned
to us, with indescribable bonhomie, his permission to
remain standing.
"Well," said the Prince, "what is it?"
We need hardly say that the Prince, who is a consummate
master of ten languages, speaks English quite as fluently
as he does Chinese. Indeed, for a moment, we could scarcely
tell which he was talking.
"What are your impressions of the United States?" we
asked as we took out our notebook.
"I am afraid," answered the Prince, with the delightful
smile which is characteristic of him, and which we noticed
again and again during the interview, "that I must scarcely
tell you that."
We realized immediately that we were in the presence not
only of a soldier but of one of the most consummate
diplomats of the present day.
"May we ask then," we resumed, correcting our obvious
blunder, "what are your impressions, Prince, of the
Atlantic Ocean?"
"Ah," said the Prince, with that peculiar thoughtfulness
which is so noticeable in him and which we observed not
once but several times, "the Atlantic!"
Volumes could not have expressed his thought better.
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