al
favors to anyone she liked, or to anyone who had done something for her,
and had been useful to her. She could promote anyone at any time, but
on these occasions it was something special. The Young Empress
congratulated us, and said that Her Majesty was looking for a young
Prince to marry me. She was also very fond of teasing. I wrote to my
father about all the favors that had been given to me. He wrote me he
hoped that I deserved them all, and that I must do all I could to be
useful and loyal to Her Majesty as long as she lived.

I was very happy. Life was perfectly lovely at the Palace. Her Majesty
was always nice and kind. I noticed the difference in the way she had
treated us since (as she said) we had become Manchus once more. One day
Her Majesty asked me while we were sailing on the lake in the moonlight,
if I wanted to go to Europe any more. It was a superb night, and several
boats were sailing behind us. In one boat several eunuchs were playing
a kind of sweet music on the flute and an instrument very much like the
mandolin, called Yeuh Chin (small harp, like the shape of the moon),
with Her Majesty singing very softly to herself. I told her I was
satisfied to be with her, and did not wish to go anywhere at all. She
said that I must learn to sing poetry and that she would teach me every
day. I told her that my father had made me study all kinds of poetry and
I had composed some myself. She looked surprised and said: "Why didn't
you tell me that before? I love poems. You must read to me sometimes.
I have many books here containing poems of different dynasties." I told
her that my knowledge of Chinese literature was very limited, and I
dared not let her see how little I knew. I had only studied eight years.
Her Majesty told me that the Young Empress and herself were the only
ones who were familiar with Chinese literature at the Court. She told
me that she tried to teach the Court ladies to read and write some time
ago, but having found them so lazy she gave them up. My father told me
to be very careful not to show them what I could do until I was asked,
so I kept it to myself. After they found this out, some of the Court
ladies were very disagreeable to me, and this went on day after day.

Except for this unpleasantness the fourth moon passed very agreeably.
The first day of the fifth moon was a busy day for us all, as from the
first to the fifth of the fifth moon was the festival of five poisonous
insects, wh