Page:China Under the Empress Dowager - ed. Backhouse and Bland - 1914.pdf/306

 time superintended by the Grand Council. But as the work was enough to last for several hours, it was not long before, Iced by jung Lu, they entered their chairs and left for the City, It was noticed that Jung Lu seemed very infirm, and was supporicd as he walked by two attendants of almost gigantic stature.

Within a week or so of the Court’s return, the represen- tatives of the foreign Powers were duly received in audience under the conditions named in the Peace Protocol. It was observed that the Old Buddha assumed, as of old, the highest seat on the Throne dais, the Emperor occupying a lower and almost insignificant position. At the sub- sequent reception of the Minister’s wives, in the Pavilion of Tranquil Longevity, the wife of the doyen of the Diplo- matic Corps presented an address to “welcome Her Imperial Majesty back to her beautiful capital.” The document was most cordially, almost effusively, worded, and showed that the astute and carefully pre-arranged measures taken by the Empress to conciliate the foreign Powers by adroit flattery and “‘allurements” had already attained their desired effect. Already ihe horrors of the siege, the insults and the arrogance of 1900, were forgotten ; already the representatives of the Powers were prepared, as of old, to vie with cach other in attempts to purchase Chinese favour by working each against the other.

In receiving the address of the ladies of the Diplomatic Body, Her Majesty created a marked impression by the emotion with which she referred to her affectionate regard for Uuropeans in general and her visitors in particular. With every evidence of complete sincerity she explained that a “revolution in the palace” had compelled her to flee from Peking; she deeply regretted the inconvenience and hardships to which her good friends of the Foreign Legations had been so unfortunately subjected, and she hoped for a renewal of the old cordial relations. The foreign ladies left the audience highly satisfied with the Impress Dowager for her condescension, and with them- selves at being placed in a position to display such magnanimity. ‘his audience was the first of many similar