good-bye and the guests were then conducted to their
chairs and took their departure.

As usual, we reported to Her Majesty everything that had taken place and
how the guests had enjoyed themselves. She said: "How is it that these
foreign ladies have such large feet? Their shoes are like boats and
the funny way they walk I cannot say I admire. I haven't yet seen one
foreigner with pretty hands. Although they have white skins, their faces
are covered with white hair. Do you think they are beautiful?" I replied
that I had seen some American beauties when I was abroad. Her Majesty
said: "No matter how beautiful they are they have ugly eyes. I can't
bear that blue color, they remind me of a cat." After a few more
remarks, she ordered us to retire, saying that we must be tired. We
were rather used up and glad of an opportunity to rest, so made our
courtesies and retired.

We had been at the Palace more than two months, and I had had no
opportunity to see my father at all, who was quite ill at that time.
We did not know whether we could ask leave of absence from the Court. I
received letters from my father every day, telling me to have courage,
and to do my duty. My mother asked the Young Empress if it would be
correct to ask Her Majesty for permission to go home for a day or two.
The Young Empress told us that it would be quite all right to do that,
but she thought it would be better if we could wait until after the
eighth, for there would be a feast on that day. The eighth day of the
fourth moon every year is the ceremony of eating green peas. According
to the Buddhist religion there is a hereafter which divides or grades,
according to the life that is lived on earth, that is to say, those who
live good lives go to Heaven when they die and those who are bad go to a
bad place to suffer. On this occasion Her Majesty sent to the people she
liked, each a plate containing eight peas, and we had to eat them. The
Young Empress told me that if I presented a plate of peas to Her Majesty
it would please her, which I did. This meant: "May we meet in the
hereafter" (Chi Yuen Dou). Her Majesty was very happy that day. We went
to the west side of the lake and had our luncheon there. Her Majesty
talked to us about the first day we came to the Court, and then said to
mother: "I wonder if Yu Keng is any better. When will he be able to come
to the Court? I haven't seen him since he returned from France." (My
father had asked three months le