ladies, to make uncomplimentary remarks about the food, which was
Chinese, and often not very palatable to the foreigner. These
remarks, of course, were not supposed to be understood, though
the Empress Dowager always had her own interpreter at table. One
often felt that some of these ladies, in their efforts to see all
and get all, forgot what was due their own country as well as
their imperial hostess.

"One can understand the enormity of such an offense in a court
the etiquette of which is so exacting that none of her own
subjects ever dared appear in her presence until they had been
properly instructed in court etiquette in the 'Board of Rites,' a
course of instruction which may extend over a period of from a
week to six months. These breaches of politeness on the part of
these foreign ladies may have been overlooked by Her Majesty and
the princesses, but, if so, it was on the old belief that all
outside of China were barbarians.

"All the ladies who attended these audiences, however, were not
of this character. There were those who realized the importance
of those occasions in the opening up of China, and were
scrupulous in their efforts to conform to the most exacting
customs of the court. And who can doubt that the warm friendship
which the Empress Dowager conceived for Mrs. Conger, the wife of
our American minister, who did more than any other person ever
did, or ever can do, towards the opening up of the Chinese court
to the people of the West, was because of her appreciation of the
fact that Mrs. Conger was anxious to show the Empress Dowager the
honour due to her position.