"Beautiful ladies, our Lord, who is unknown to us all, has issued
an august command. It cannot be disputed, for the whisper of
disobedience is heard as thunder in the Imperial Presence. Should
we not aid each other? If any lady has formed a dream in her soul
of the Ideal Man, might not such a picture aid us all? Let us not
be `say-nothing-do-nothing,' but act!"
They hung their heads and smiled, but none would allow that she
had formed such an image. The little Lady Tortoise, laughing
behind her fan of sandalwood, said roguishly: "The Ideal Man
should be handsome, liberal in giving, and assuredly he should
appreciate the beauty of his wives. But this we cannot say to the
Divine Emperor."
A sigh rustled through the Pepper Chamber. The Celestial Sister
looked angrily at the speaker.
"This is the talk of children," she said. "Does no one remember
Kung-fu-tse's [Confucius] description of the Superior Man?"
Unfortunately none did - not even the Celestial Sister herself.
"Is it not probable," said the Round-Faced Beauty, "that the
Divine Emperor remembers it him- self and wishes-"
But the Celestial Sister, yawning audibly, summoned the
attendants to bring rose-leaves in honey, and would hear no more.
Pages:
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330