and
that was to give the eunuchs a present or tip, and we had to give each
of the eunuchs ten taels for their trouble. We afterwards found out that
when eunuchs went anywhere to take presents for Her Majesty, they were
required to report to her when they returned how the recipient had
thanked her and what had been given them, which she allowed them to
keep. She also asked them numerous questions about our house, whether we
were pleased with her, etc. These people are extremely fond of talking
and after we had returned to the Palace again, they told us what Her
Majesty had said about us the first day we were there.

My mother felt very much worried to go to the Palace and leave my father
all alone owing to his being in poor health, but we could not disobey
Her Majesty's order, so we returned to the Palace three days later.

Our first day there was a busy one for us. When we first arrived we went
and thanked Her Majesty for the present that she had sent us. She told
us that she was very busy to-day, as she was going to receive a Russian
lady, Madame Plancon, wife of the Russian Minister to China, who was
bringing a miniature portrait of the Czar and Czarina and family as a
present from the Czar to her, the Empress Dowager. She asked me if I
could speak Russian. I told her that I could not, but that most Russians
spoke French, which seemed to satisfy her. She, however, said: "Why
don't you tell me you speak Russian, I won't know or be able to find
out," and at the same time was looking at one of the Court ladies. I
concluded that someone must be fooling her, for she seemed to appreciate
the fact that I had told her the truth. This afterwards proved to be
true and one of the Court ladies was dismissed for pretending she could
talk foreign languages when she could not speak a word.

Besides this audience there was the theatre and the engagement ceremony
of Her Majesty's nephew, Ter Ju. The engagement ceremony, according to
the Manchu custom, is performed by two of the Princesses of the Royal
family going to the house of the prospective bride, who sits on her bed
cross-legged, her eyes closed and awaits their coming. When they arrive
at the house, they go to her bedroom and place a symbol called Ru Yee,
made of pure jade about one and a half feet long, in her lap and suspend
two small bags made of silk and beautifully embroidered, each containing
a gold coin, from the buttons of her gown, and place two gold rings on
her fi