r a lantern fete upon the lake restore her to
any composure. "This circumstance will cause my flight on the Dragon
(death)," she said to herself, "unless I succeed in unveiling the
mystery. What therefore should be my next proceeding?"

And so, deeply reflecting, she caused the Chief of the Eunuchs to summon
the Princess of Feminine Propriety, the White Jade Concubine and all the
other exalted beauties of the Heavenly Palace.

In due course of time these ladies arrived, paying suitable respect and
obeisance to the Mother of his Divine Majesty. They were resplendent in
king-fisher ornaments, in jewels of jade, crystal and coral, in robes
of silk and gauze, and still more resplendent in charms that not
the Celestial Empire itself could equal, setting aside entirely all
countries of the foreign barbarians. And in grace and elegance of
manners, in skill in the arts of poetry and the lute, what could surpass
them?

Like a parterre of flowers they surrounded her Majesty, and awaited her
pleasure with perfect decorum, when, having saluted them with affability
she thus addressed them--"Lovely ones--ladies distinguished by the
particular attention of your sovereign and mine, I have sent for you
to resolve a doubt and a difficulty. On questioning our sovereign as to
whom he regarded as the loveliest of his garden of beauty he benignantly
replied: "The Lady A-Kuei is incomparable," and though this may well be,
he further graciously added that he had never seen her. Nor, on pursuing
the subject, could I learn the Imperial reason. The artist Lo Cheng
follows in his Master's footsteps, he also never having seen the favored
lady, and he and she reply to me that this is an Imperial secret.
Declare to me therefore if your perspicacity and the feminine interest
which every lady property takes in the other can unravel this mystery,
for my liver is tormented with anxiety beyond measure."

As soon as the Pearl Empress had spoken she realized that she had
committed a great indiscretion. A babel of voices, of cries, questions
and contradictions instantly arose. Decorum was abandoned. The Lady of
Chen swooned, nor could she be revived for an hour, and the Princess of
Feminine Propriety and the White Jade Concubine could be dragged apart
only by the united efforts of six of the Palace matrons, so great was
their fury the one with the other, each accusing each of encouragement
to the Lady A-Kuei's pretensions. So also with the remaining ladie