entirely upon how often she sat,
and how long each time. I didn't like to tell her exactly how long it
would take, as I was afraid she might consider it too much bother, so
I said that when the artist arrived I would tell her to get along and
finish the portrait as quickly as possible.

Her Majesty said: "I don't see how I can very well refuse Mrs. Conger's
request. Of course I told her, as you know, that I would have to consult
with my Ministers, just to give me time to think the matter over. If
you know all about this artist lady, and think she is quite all right to
come here to the Palace, of course she may come, and I will tell Prince
Ching to reply to Mrs. Conger to that effect. First of all we must talk
over what we are going to do, for to have a foreign lady staying in the
Palace is out of the question altogether. As a rule I always spend the
summer at my Summer Palace, and it is so far from the city that I
don't think she will be able to go to and from the Palace every day, on
account of the distance. Now, where can we put her? Someone will have
to watch her all the time. This is such a difficult matter that I hardly
know what to decide upon. How would you like to look after her? Do you
think you could manage it in such a way that no one at the Palace will
have a chance to talk with her during the daytime, but who is going to
stay and watch her during the night?" Her Majesty walked up and down the
room thinking it over for quite a while. Finally she smiled and said: "I
have it. We can treat her as a prisoner without her knowing it, but it
will all depend on your mother, your sister and yourself to act for me
in this matter. Each of you will have to play your part very carefully,
and I mine also. I will give orders to have the Palace Garden of Prince
Chung (the Emperor Kwang Hsu's father) fixed up for Miss Carl during her
stay here."

This Palace garden is quite close to Her Majesty's own Palace, about ten
minutes' drive. It is not in the Palace ground, but is quite a separate
Palace outside the Summer Palace.

Continuing, Her Majesty said: "Now, you will have to come with her every
morning and return to stay with her every night. I think this is the
safest way out of the difficulty, but be careful with regard to all
correspondence which she may either receive or send away. The only thing
about it is that it will give you a lot of extra work, but you know
how particular I am over things of this kind, and it wi