attendance would stand beside
Her Majesty and pass the time making fancy tassels for Her Majesty's
cushions, in fact doing anything so long as we did not idle.

It was during the Spring that Yuan Shih Kai paid another visit to the
Palace, and among other subjects discussed was the Russo-Japan war. He
told Her Majesty that it was developing into a very serious affair and
that he feared China would be the principal sufferer in the long run.
Her Majesty was very much upset by this news, and mentioned that she had
been advised by one of the censors to make a present to the Japanese of
a large quantity of rice, but had decided to take no action whatever in
the matter, which resolve Yuan Shih Kai strongly supported.

I was still working each day translating the various newspaper reports
and telegrams relating to the war and one morning, seeing a paragraph to
the effect that Kang Yu Wei (Leader of the Reform Movement in China in
1898) had arrived at Singapore from Batavia, I thought it might interest
Her Majesty and so translated it along with the rest. Her Majesty
immediately became very much excited which made me feel frightened as I
did not know what could be the matter. However, she explained to me that
this man had caused all kinds of trouble in China, that before meeting
Kang Yu Wei the Emperor had been a zealous adherent to the traditions of
his ancestors but since then had plainly shown his desire to introduce
reforms and even Christianity into the country. "On one occasion,"
continued Her Majesty, "he caused the Emperor to issue instructions for
the Summer Palace to be surrounded by soldiers so as to keep me
prisoner until these reforms could be put into effect, but through the
faithfulness of Yung Lu, a member of the Grand Council, and Yuan Shill
Kai, Viceroy of Chihli, I was able to frustrate the plot. I immediately
proceeded to the Forbidden City, where the Emperor was then staying and
after discussing the question with him he replied that he realized his
mistake and asked me to take over the reins of government and act in his
stead."

(The result of this was, of course, the Edict of 1898
appointing the Empress Dowager as Regent of China.)

Her Majesty had immediately ordered the capture of Kang Yu Wei and his
followers, but he had managed to effect his escape and she had heard
nothing further about him until I translated this report in the
newspaper. She seemed relieved, however, to know where he was,