this
far-away place, by inviting us and our guest to dine with her and her
guests. I am inclined to think that this may have been a shrewd move on
the part of the dear friend, so she could have Hang to assist her
own cook at her dinner. It was a fine arrangement, at all events, and
pleased me most of all. I made the salad and arranged the table for her.
Judging from what I saw and heard, Hang was having a glorious time. He
had evidently frightened the old colored cook into complete idiocy, and
was ordering her about in a way that only a Chinaman knows.

The dinner was long, but delicious and enjoyable in every way. Lord
Bagot, the Rev. Dr. MacGregor, Captain Chater, and others of the
governor general's staff were there--sixteen of us in all. Captain
Percival sat at my right, of course, and the amount he ate was simply
appalling! And the appetites of Lord Bagot and the others were equally
fine. Course after course disappeared from their plates--not a scrap
left on them--until one wondered how it was managed. Soon after dinner
everyone went to Colonel Knight's quarters, where Lord Lome was holding
a little reception. He is a charming man, very simple in his manner, and
one could hardly believe that he is the son-in-law of a great queen and
heir to a splendid dukedom.

He had announced that he would start at ten o'clock the next morning,
so I ordered breakfast at nine. A mounted escort from the post was to
go with him to Dillon in command of Faye. It has always seemed so absurd
and really unkind for Americans to put aside our own ways and
customs when entertaining foreigners, and bore them with wretched
representations of things of their own country, thereby preventing them
from seeing life as it is here. So I decided to give our English captain
an out and out American breakfast--not long, or elaborate, but dainty
and nicely served. And I invited Miss Mills to meet him, to give it a
little life.

Well, nine o'clock came, so did Miss Mills, so did half after nine come,
and then, finally ten o'clock, but Captain Percival did not come! I was
becoming very cross--for half an hour before I had sent Hang up to call
him, knowing that he and Faye also, were obliged to be ready to start
at ten o'clock. I was worried, too, fearing that Faye would have to go
without any breakfast at all. Of course the nice little breakfast was
ruined! Soon after ten, however, our guest came down and apologized very
nicely--said that the bed was s