able purpose. I
must discover that purpose. Without a quiver I boldly walked in.

I came on them without any sense of emotion, although nothing could
have been so novel--a number of groups of young Manchu women, some
clothed in beautiful robes, some in an undress which was hardly
maidenly. They were sitting and standing scattered round a large
courtyard, and hidden somewhere above them in the yellow tiled roofs
were more of those cooing doves with that strong accent of Marseilles:
"_Roucoulement, roucoulement, roucoulement_," they said very gently
this time, yet without ever ceasing. Their soft voices made beautiful
music.... For some reason none of the harem were surprised. Two or
three of the younger women ran back a step or two, and clasped the
hands of the others with broken ejaculations. Then they all sought my
eyes, and somehow we began smiling at one another. All women are the
same; these knew somehow that I would not hurt them. Yet in spite of
this fact I stood there embarrassed, knowing not what to say or do. I
had supposed myself inured by now to all the most impossible
situations--yet it seemed so absurd that I should be here, alone,
absolutely alone, among dozens of young women who were the Emperor's
most inviolate property--virgins selected from among the highest and
most comely in the land; forbidden fruit, which had not even been
tasted because of the Emperor's lack of masculinity.... I thought
rapidly of the various classes into which these women are divided
according to immemorial custom: of the concubines of the first rank,
of the second, of the third, and even of the fourth, who are merely
favoured hand-maidens of the Biblical type. Then I wondered whether it
was true that when the former Emperor Hsien Feng had suddenly died,
and the Empress Dowager had selected the child Kuang-shu to succeed
him, she had caused the child to be mutilated, so that the question of
the next heir should remain in her own hands.... The women would know.

And yet even Imperial concubines must have opportunities which no one
suspects, for I was suddenly relieved of the necessity of breaking the
ice by their breaking it for me. Without embarrassment they suddenly
began plying me with questions, and not waiting for replies, they
asked what was going on outside; what was going to happen; who was I;
why had I come; why was I not a soldier?... The questions came so
fast and thick that before I had realised it I had forgotten my