ss!" said the Celestial Sister, "if the Lord of
Heaven took as long with each leaf, there would be few leaves on the
trees, and if-"

The August Aunt immediately commanded silence and retired. On the third
day she seated herself in her chair of carved ebony, while the attendant
placed himself by her feet and prepared to record her words.

"This insignificant person has decided," began her Augustness, looking
round and unscrewing the amber top of her snuff-bottle, "to take an
unintelligent part in these proceedings. An example should be set.
Attendant, write!"

She then dictated as follows: "The Ideal Man is he who now decorates
the Imperial Throne, or he who in all humility ventures to resemble the
incomparable Emperor. Though he may not hope to attain, his endeavor is
his merit. No further description it needed."

With complacence she inhaled the perfumed snuff, as the writer appended
the elegant characters of her Imperial name.

If it is permissible to say that the faces of the beauties lengthened
visibly, it should now be said. For it had been the intention of every
lady to make an illusion to the Celestial Emperor and depict him as the
Ideal Man. Nor had they expected that the August Aunt would take any
part in the matter.

"Oh, but it was the intention of this commonplace and undignified person
to say this very thing!" cried the Lustrous Lady, with tears in the
jewels of her eyes. "I thought no other high-minded and distinguished
lady would for a moment think of it."

"And it was my intention also!" fluttered the little Lady Tortoise,
wringing her hands! "What now shall this most unlucky and unendurable
person do? For three nights has sleep forsaken my unattractive eyelids,
and, tossing and turning on a couch deprived of all comfort, I could
only repeat, 'The Ideal Man is the Divine Dragon Emperor!'"

"May one of entirely contemptible attainments make a suggestion in this
assemblage of scintillating wit and beauty?" inquired the Celestial
Sister. "My superficial opinion is that it would be well to prepare a
single paper to which all names should be appended, stating that His
Majesty in his Dragon Divinity comprises all ideals in his sacred
Person."

"Let those words be recorded," said the August Aunt. "What else should
any lady of discretion and propriety say? In this Palace of Virtuous
Peace, where all is consecrated to the Son of Heaven, though he deigns
not to enter it, what other thought dare be brea