r Majesty was walking up and down. She said to us: "My
legs are so stiff, riding in the chair. I must walk a little before we
leave here. Are you all tired?" We told her that we were not tired, so
she ordered us to walk with her. It looked very funny to see us walking
round and round, Her Majesty in front, and we following her. Her Majesty
turned and smiled at us, and said: "We are just like horses taking their
rounds at a stable." It reminded me of a circus. Li Lien Ying came and
knelt down, and said that it was time for Her Majesty to depart, in
order to reach the Forbidden City at the lucky hour she had selected, so
we left Wan Shou Si. All the chairs went very fast, and after an hour's
ride we came near the Palace Gate. We followed the Emperor's chair,
taking a shorter route, and noticed the gate was wide open. His Majesty,
the Emperor, and the Young Empress' chairs went in, but we had to alight
and walk in. There were small chairs waiting for us. (As I explained
before these little chairs were carried by eunuchs, with a rope across
their shoulders.) We came to the courtyard of the Audience Hall where
the Emperor and the Empress were waiting for us. As usual His Majesty
knelt in front. Behind him was the Young Empress, and we knelt in a row
behind her, waiting to welcome Her Majesty to her Palace. She went to
her room where the eunuchs had placed everything in order long before
her arrival. We held the ceremony that afternoon and evening. After Her
Majesty had retired we came back to our rooms and found that everything
was in order, our eunuchs had made up our beds already. It was very nice
to have them, for we could not do our own work at all. I was so tired
and my limbs were stiff. I immediately went to sleep and did not realize
how long I had slept until I heard someone knocking at my window. I got
up and pulled the blind away. I noticed that the sky looked dull and
thought it was clouded. I felt happy, and thought it might rain, and
so relieve Her Majesty. I got dressed in great haste, but much to my
disappointment I saw the sunshine on the opposite windows.

The Palace in the Forbidden City was so old, and built in such a queer
way. The courtyards were small, and the verandas very broad. All the
rooms were dark. No electric light. We had to use candle light. One
could not see the sky except by going into the courtyard and looking
up. I found that I had risen before the sun was up, and I was not quite
awake yet,