nine
o'clock
Two days later , however , I received a telegram from Kuroda , requesting me to call upon him at the earliest possible moment . It came while we were sitting down to dinner , and Lady Gordon expressed the opinion that if I made my call on the following morning it would be early enough , and Sir Robert was rather inclined to agree with her . But the receipt of the telegram seemed to suggest that something unexpected had happened , and I therefore determined to obey the summons that night . I accordingly scribbled a reply saying that I would present myself at nine o'clock ; and within ten minutes of that hour I was once more in the Ambassador 's house . His Excellency was out ; but Mr Kuroda was in and waiting for me ; and he expressed his gratification at my prompt response to his summons . He then proceeded to inform me that certain news had arrived -- he did not state the nature of it -- which rendered it highly desirable that I should expedite my departure for Japan , instead of awaiting the issue of the negotiations for the purchase of the Argentine cruisers , and inquired when I could be ready to start . My reply that I could start on the morrow , if necessary , pleased him greatly , but he intimated that the earliest date upon which it would be possible to dispatch me would be the 8th of the month -- it was then the 5th -- and requested me to make my arrangements accordingly , and to call upon him again on the morning of the 7th , when he would give me my final instructions and hand me my credentials , with railway and steamer tickets , etcetera .