She was a bit below the average height, but she wore shoes, in
the centre of whose soles there were--heels, shall we call
them?--six inches high. These, together with her Manchu garments,
which hang from the shoulders, gave her a tall and stately
appearance and made her seem, as she was, every inch an empress.
Her figure was perfect, her carriage quick and graceful, and she
lacked nothing physically to make her a splendid type of
womanhood and ruler. Her features were more vivacious and
pleasing than they were really beautiful; her complexion was of
an olive tint, and her face illumined by orbs of jet half hidden
by dark lashes, behind which lurked the smiles of favour or the
lightning flashes of anger.

When seated upon the throne she was majesty itself, but the
moment she stepped down from the august seat, and took ones hand
in both of hers, saying with the most amiable of smiles: "What a
kind fate it is that has allowed you to come and see me again. I
hope you are not over-weary with the long journey," one felt that
she was, above all, a woman, a companion, a friend--yet for all
that the mistress of every situation, whether diplomatic,
business, or social.

I wish her mental characteristics could be described as
completely as Japanese and other photographers have given us
pictures of her person. But perhaps if this were possible she
would seem less interesting. And it may be that in the relation
of these few incidents of her career there may have been revealed
something of the patriotism, the statesmanship, the imperious
will, and the ambitions that brought about the reeestablishment