One day the head eunuch from the palace of the Princess Shun called at our home to ask Mrs. Headland to go and see the Princess. While sitting in my study and looking at the Chinese paintings hanging on the wall, two of which were from the brush of Her Majesty, he remarked: "You are fond of Chinese art?" "I am indeed fond of it," I answered. "I notice you have some pictures painted by the Old Buddha," he continued, referring to the Empress Dowager by a name by which she is popularly known in Peking. "Yes, I have seven pictures from her brush," I answered. "Do you happen to have any from the brush of the Lady Miao, her painting teacher?" he inquired. "I am sorry to say I have not," I replied. "I have tried repeatedly to secure one, but thus far have failed. I have inquired at all the best stores on Liu Li Chang, the great curio street, but they have none, and cannot tell me where I can find one." "No, you cannot get them in the stores; she does not paint for the trade," he explained. "I am sorry," I continued, "for I should like very much to get one. I am told she is a very good artist." "Oh, yes, she paints very well," he went on in a careless way. "She lives over near our palace. We have a good many of her paintings. They are very easily gotten." "It may be easy for you to get them," I replied, "but it is no small task for me." "If you want some," he volunteered, "I'll get some for you." "That would be very kind of you," I answered, "but how would you undertake to get them?" "Oh, I would just steal a few and bring them over to you." It is hardly necessary to assure my readers as I did him that I could not approve of this method of obtaining paintings from the Lady Miao's brush. However he must have told the Princess of my desire, for the next time Mrs. Headland called at the palace the Princess entertained her by showing her a number of paintings by the Lady Miao, together with others from the brush of the Empress Dowager. "And these are really the work of Her Majesty?" said Mrs. Headland with a rising inflection. "Yes, indeed," replied the Princess. "I watched her at work on them. They are genuine." It was some weeks thereafter that Mrs. Headland was again invited to call and see the Princess, and to her surprise she was introduced to the Lady Miao, with whom and the Princess she spent a very pleasant social hour or two. When she was about to leave, the Princess, who is the youngest sister of the Empress Yehonala, brought out a picture of a cock about to catch a beetle, which she said she had asked Lady Miao to paint, and which she begged Mrs. Headland to receive as a present from the artist and herself. During the conversation Mrs. Headland remarked that the Empress Dowager must have begun her study of art many years ago.