Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/45

 dwelt palace ladies, important Government Officials, the Prime Minister, the Grand Eunuch, and officers whom His Majesty wished signally to honor. Besides the elaborate castles, there were many smaller houses for court functionaries and for the use of envoys from far distances to the noblest Court in all the world. From Japan, from India, from Persia, from Arabia, from Byzantium and from Greece they came to kowtow in awe before the Emperor of China. They brought rich gifts, but His Majesty was not deceived. He who is able to grind his own axe, does not give away gold.

Yuhan was thankful when at last they reached the small building that had been assigned to her by Prince Shou.

"His quarters are only a step away," whispered the oldest handmaiden. "And now we will leave you so that you may become accustomed to your new home."

Yuhan bade them good-bye, smiling, but the still small voice of her heart, unnoticed, was pleading with them not to depart. However, she forced herself to smile. Then she turned and with a curiosity that she attempted to stifle with ill success, she entered her sleeping room. It was decorated to appear like unto a garden, with pink-tinted walls of a tone to suggest the sky at morning upon which were painted trees and flowers. The floor was carpeted by grass green rugs as soft as moss. The ceiling was pink and yellow intermingled, blending into wistaria purple, then blue. A moon-bridge painted so realistically that Yuhan would