t was too loose for me. The length was quite all right and so were the
sleeves. Her Majesty told one of the eunuch writers to write down my
measurements in order to have a gown made for me, and said she was sure
it would fit me. She did the same thing for my mother and sister, and
ordered our gowns to be made at once. I knew she was pleased, as she
told me what color would suit me the best. She said that I should always
wear pink and pale blue, for they suited, and were her favorite colors,
too. She also talked about our headdress, and ordered some made the same
as worn by the other Court ladies. She said to me: "I know you can
wear my shoes, for I tried yours on the first day you came, don't you
remember? I must select a lucky day for you to become a Manchu once
more," she said this with a smile, "and no more foreign clothes after
that." She took her special book for lucky days and hours, and studied
it a little while, then she said the eighteenth of that month was the
best. Li Lien Ying, the head eunuch knew how to please Her Majesty, and
said he would give orders to have everything ready for us at that time.
Her Majesty told us the way we must have our hair dressed, and what kind
of flowers we should wear, in fact she was very happy arranging to make
us into Manchus. A short while after she dismissed us for the day. It
rained for three days without stopping. The last day the Emperor came
back, and all ceremonies ceased. Her Majesty never liked to stay in the
Forbidden City, and I was not a bit surprised, as I hated the place.
We had to use candles to dress by, in the morning, as the rooms were in
absolute darkness even in the middle of the afternoon. It rained so much
that finally Her Majesty said she would return to the Summer Palace the
next day, whether it was raining or not, and we were all very glad to
go.

We returned to the Summer Palace on the seventh. It was a dull day, but
no rain. We packed everything in just the same way we had done when
we came, and stopped at Wan Shou Si and had our luncheon. That day we
commenced to eat meat again. I noticed that Her Majesty enjoyed her meal
very much. She asked me if I liked the food without meat, and I told her
that everything was nicely done and that I enjoyed the food very much,
although without meat. She told me that she could not eat that kind of
food and enjoy it, and that if it were not necessary to make sacrifice
she would not have abstained.

The first garde