y sorry to leave Paris. She said: "I think we
have everything in China, only the life is different. What is dancing?
Someone told me that two people hold hands and jump all over the room.
If that is the case I don't see any pleasure in it at all. Do you have
to jump up and down with men? They told me that old women, with white
hair, dance, too." I explained to her about the balls given by the
President, and all the private dances, and also all about the masquerade
balls, etc. Her Majesty said: "I don't like this masquerade ball because
you don't know whom you are dancing with if they are wearing a mask." I
explained to her how carefully the people issued their invitations, and
that anyone who behaved badly could never enter into high society.
Her Majesty said: "I would like to see how you jump, can you show me a
little?" I went in search of my sister, and found her busy talking to
the Young Empress. I told her that Her Majesty wished to see how people
dance, and that we must show her. The Young Empress and all the Court
ladies heard this, and all said that they also wished to see. My sister
said that she had noticed a large gramophone in Her Majesty's bedroom,
and that perhaps we could find some music. I thought that was a good
idea, and went to ask her for the gramophone. She said: "Oh, must you
jump with music?" I almost laughed when she said that, and told her it
was much nicer with music, as otherwise one could not keep in time.
She ordered the eunuchs to have the gramophone brought to the hall,
and said: "You jump while I take my dinner." We looked over a lot of
records, but they were all Chinese songs, but at last we found a waltz,
so we started to dance. We could see that a lot of people were looking
at us, who perhaps thought that we were crazy. When we had finished we
found Her Majesty laughing at us. She said: "I could never do that. Are
you not dizzy turning round and round? I suppose your legs must be
very tired also. It is very pretty, and just like the girls used to do
centuries ago in China. I know that it is difficult and one ought to
have any amount of grace to do it, but I don't think it would look nice
to see a man dancing with a girl like that. I object to the hand around
the girl's waist; I like to see the girls dance together. It would never
do for China for a girl to get too close to a man. I know the foreigners
don't seem to think about that at all. It shows that they are broader
minded than us. Is