the Consort’s palace.”
“And if she will not go, Venerable?” the Chief Eunuch inquired.
“How—if she not go?” the Dowager demanded.
“She has refused to go to the Son of Heaven himself,” An Teh-hai reminded her.
The Dowager Mother groaned. “I tell you, I have never seen so fierce a female! Well, then, the Consort is gentle. Suggest to her that Yehonala is ill and should be visited.”
“Yes, Venerable,” the Chief Eunuch said. These were the instructions he wanted and he rose to obey. “Sleep in peace, Venerable,” he said.
“Go away,” the Dowager Mother replied. “I am too old for the troubles of men and women.”
He went softly as she fell asleep, and he went at once to the palace of the Consort and there found Sakota embroidering tiger faces upon a pair of shoes for her child when it should be born.
When he had been announced and presented he exclaimed upon this work.
“Does the Imperial Consort not have many women to embroider for her?” he asked.
“I have,” Sakota replied. “But then I myself have nothing to do. I am not clever like my cousin Yehonala. I do not wish to study books or learn painting.”
“Ah,” he said, standing before her. With a gesture of her little hand she now bade him sit. Upon the middle finger of this hand was her thimble, a ring of gold at the second joint.
“It is about your cousin that I come before you, Lady,” he went on, still standing, “and at the command of the Dowager Mother.”
She lifted her pretty eyes. “Oh?”
The Chief Eunuch coughed. “Your cousin gives us much trouble.”
“Indeed?” Sakota said.
“She will not obey the imperial summons,” he went on.
Sakota’s little head drooped over her embroidery and she blushed as pink as a peach blossom. “Yet I heard—my women told me—”
“She has won the Emperor’s favor,” he agreed, “but she will not return to him.”
The peach-blossom pink deepened. “What has this to do with me?” Sakota asked.
“It is thought that she might listen to you, the Consort,” he suggested.
Sakota pondered this, embroidering slowly and with the utmost delicacy about the yellow eye of the tiny tiger on the shoe. “Is this a proper request to make of me?” she inquired at last.
The Chief Eunuch was blunt. “Indeed, it is not, Lady. Yet must all of us remember that the Son of Heaven is not a common man. He is not to be refused by anyone.”
“He likes her so much!” Sakota murmured.
“Can she be blamed?” he asked in reply.
The little creature sighed and folded her embroidery and put it on the inlaid table near her. Then she put her hands together. “We have always been sisters, she and I,” she said in her sweetly plaintive voice. “If she needs me I will go to her.”
“Thank you, Lady,” the Chief Eunuch said. “I will escort you there myself and wait for your return.”
So it happened that Yehonala, lying on her bed that same day, tearless and in despair, looked up and saw her cousin standing in the doorway. By now she felt she hated all her life and she was sorry that she had chosen greatness for she did not wish such greatness when she knew the price of it.
“Sakota!” she wailed and held out both her arms.
Sakota flew to her at once, melted by such a cry, and the two young women clasped each other and wept mutual tears. Neither dared to speak of what both remembered, and Sakota knew that the memory was as hateful to her as it was to Yehonala.
“Oh, poor Sister,” she wept. “Three nights! I had only one.”
“I will not return to him,” Yehonala whispered. She all but strangled her cousin, so tightly did she hold her by both arms around the neck and Sakota sank down into the bed.
“Oh Sister, but you must!” she cried. “Else what will they do to you, my dear? We are not our own now.”
Then Yehonala, always whispering because of the listening eunuchs, revealed her heart. “Sakota, it is worse for me than you. You love no man, do you? Alas, I
“And if she will not go, Venerable?” the Chief Eunuch inquired.
“How—if she not go?” the Dowager demanded.
“She has refused to go to the Son of Heaven himself,” An Teh-hai reminded her.
The Dowager Mother groaned. “I tell you, I have never seen so fierce a female! Well, then, the Consort is gentle. Suggest to her that Yehonala is ill and should be visited.”
“Yes, Venerable,” the Chief Eunuch said. These were the instructions he wanted and he rose to obey. “Sleep in peace, Venerable,” he said.
“Go away,” the Dowager Mother replied. “I am too old for the troubles of men and women.”
He went softly as she fell asleep, and he went at once to the palace of the Consort and there found Sakota embroidering tiger faces upon a pair of shoes for her child when it should be born.
When he had been announced and presented he exclaimed upon this work.
“Does the Imperial Consort not have many women to embroider for her?” he asked.
“I have,” Sakota replied. “But then I myself have nothing to do. I am not clever like my cousin Yehonala. I do not wish to study books or learn painting.”
“Ah,” he said, standing before her. With a gesture of her little hand she now bade him sit. Upon the middle finger of this hand was her thimble, a ring of gold at the second joint.
“It is about your cousin that I come before you, Lady,” he went on, still standing, “and at the command of the Dowager Mother.”
She lifted her pretty eyes. “Oh?”
The Chief Eunuch coughed. “Your cousin gives us much trouble.”
“Indeed?” Sakota said.
“She will not obey the imperial summons,” he went on.
Sakota’s little head drooped over her embroidery and she blushed as pink as a peach blossom. “Yet I heard—my women told me—”
“She has won the Emperor’s favor,” he agreed, “but she will not return to him.”
The peach-blossom pink deepened. “What has this to do with me?” Sakota asked.
“It is thought that she might listen to you, the Consort,” he suggested.
Sakota pondered this, embroidering slowly and with the utmost delicacy about the yellow eye of the tiny tiger on the shoe. “Is this a proper request to make of me?” she inquired at last.
The Chief Eunuch was blunt. “Indeed, it is not, Lady. Yet must all of us remember that the Son of Heaven is not a common man. He is not to be refused by anyone.”
“He likes her so much!” Sakota murmured.
“Can she be blamed?” he asked in reply.
The little creature sighed and folded her embroidery and put it on the inlaid table near her. Then she put her hands together. “We have always been sisters, she and I,” she said in her sweetly plaintive voice. “If she needs me I will go to her.”
“Thank you, Lady,” the Chief Eunuch said. “I will escort you there myself and wait for your return.”
So it happened that Yehonala, lying on her bed that same day, tearless and in despair, looked up and saw her cousin standing in the doorway. By now she felt she hated all her life and she was sorry that she had chosen greatness for she did not wish such greatness when she knew the price of it.
“Sakota!” she wailed and held out both her arms.
Sakota flew to her at once, melted by such a cry, and the two young women clasped each other and wept mutual tears. Neither dared to speak of what both remembered, and Sakota knew that the memory was as hateful to her as it was to Yehonala.
“Oh, poor Sister,” she wept. “Three nights! I had only one.”
“I will not return to him,” Yehonala whispered. She all but strangled her cousin, so tightly did she hold her by both arms around the neck and Sakota sank down into the bed.
“Oh Sister, but you must!” she cried. “Else what will they do to you, my dear? We are not our own now.”
Then Yehonala, always whispering because of the listening eunuchs, revealed her heart. “Sakota, it is worse for me than you. You love no man, do you? Alas, I
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