't want the people over there to imagine that half of my face is
white and half black." I didn't like to tell her the truth, that her
portrait would in all probability be painted the same as mine, so I
promised Her Majesty that I would tell the artist exactly how she wished
to be painted. She then asked me if I knew when the artist proposed
commencing the portrait. I told her that the artist was still in
Shanghai, but that Mrs. Conger had already written to her to come up to
Peking, to make the necessary preparations. One week later I received a
letter from Miss Carl informing me that she proposed coming up to Peking
at once, and that she would be delighted if Her Majesty would allow
her to paint this portrait. I translated the letter to Her Majesty, who
said: "I am very glad that you know this lady personally. It will make
it much easier for me. You know there may be some things which I may
want to tell Miss Carl, but which I don't want Mrs. Conger to know. I
mean that there might be certain things which I shall have to say to
Miss Carl, which, if Mrs. Conger heard of them, would give her the
impression that I was very difficult to please. You understand what I
mean. As this lady is a friend of yours, you will of course be able to
tell her things in such a manner as not to offend her, and I may tell
you again that if it were not that she is a personal friend of your
own I would not have her here at all, as it is quite contrary to our
custom."

On the third day of the second-fifth moon Prince Ching informed Her
Majesty that the artist had arrived at Peking and was staying with Mrs.
Conger and wished to know Her Majesty's pleasure in regard to commencing
the portrait. Now I must explain that the Chinese year varies as to the
number of moons it contains. For example, one year contains the ordinary
twelve months or moons. The following year may contain thirteen moons.
Then the two years following that may contain twelve moons only, and
thirteen moons the next year, and so on. At the time of the proposed
visit of the artist the Chinese year contained thirteen moons, there
being two fifth moons in that year. When Prince Ching asked Her Majesty
to name the day on which Miss Carl should commence her work, she
replied: "I will give her my answer to-morrow. I must first consult my
book, as I don't want to start this portrait on an unlucky day." So the
next day, after her usual morning audience Her Majesty consulted this
book for