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292 he walked quietly in, enjoying the delicious fragrance of the flowers as he pushed aside the thick vegetation which obstructed his way. After traversing a winding path fenced in by balustrades, Ch'en reached a second enclosure, wherein were a quantity of tall willow-trees which swept the red eaves of the buildings with their branches. The note of some bird would set the petals of the flowers flut- tering in the air, and the least wind would bring the seed- vessels down from the elm-trees above ; and the effect upon the eye and heart of the beholder was something quite unknown in the world of mortals. Passing through a small kiosque, Ch'en and his servant came upon a swing which seemed as though suspended from the clouds, while the ropes hung idly down in the utter stillness that l^revailed.^ Thinking by this that they were approaching the ladies* apartments,® Ch'en would have turned back, but at that moment he heard sounds of horses* feet at the door, and what seemed to be the laughter of a bevy of girls. So he and his servant hid themselves in a bush; and by-and-by, as the sounds came nearer, he heard one of the young ladies say, "We've had but poor sport to-day;" whereupon another cried out, "If the princess hadn't shot that wild goose, we should have taken all this trouble for nothing." Shortly after this, a number of girls dressed in red came in escorting a young lady, who went and sat down under the kiosque. She wore a hunting costume with tight sleeves, and was about fourteen or fifteen years old. Her hair looked like a cloud of. mist at the back of her head, and her waist seemed as though a breath of wind might snap it^ — ^incomparable for beauty, even


 * Literally, in the utter absence of anybody.

^ In passing near to the women's quarters in a friend's house, it is etiquette to cough slightly, that inmates may be warned and withdraw from the doors or windows in time to escape observation. Over and over again at interviews with mandarins of all grades I have heard the rustling of the ladies' dresses from some coign of vantage, whence every movement of mine was being watched by an inquisitive crowd ; and on one occasion I actually saw an eye peering through a small hole in the partition behind me.

^ Small waists are much admired in China, but any such artificial aids as stays and tight lacing are quite unknown. A certain Prince Wei adpaitted none l?ut the possessors of small waists into his