“And,” Dulcie went on, “I was dying to tell Doctor Trigg and Doctor Sims and David about my visit to the palace, but I wouldn’t until you were here.” “Amazing abnegation,” said Doctor Sims. “Well, if abnegation means being perfectly crazy to tell, and waiting patiently for hours and hours till my own father can hear it first, why, that’s it,” said Dulcie. “Go on and eat, you two, and I’ll tell about it. “The two princesses came for me. Dad, you should have seen them. Paris frocks, tricky hats, wonderful shoes. Absolutely the latest things in sport clothes. They both speak perfect English, even up-to-date slang. And they said, ‘What a dear you are to come! We have been dying to meet you, but we have been down at the summer palace, and only got home late last night!’ And it seems they are ladies-in-waiting to the Empress and had to get permission to leave for a few hours. “When we reached the palace, they said to come up to their rooms while they dressed, and I could tell them all about dear old Vassar, and how awful it was about the last Army and Navy game. We went through an Aladdin’s palace to reach their rooms, where a couple of maids appeared by magic, and the girls simply dashed out of their frocks and were put into layers of Japanese robes, crusted stiff with gold embroidery. It seems the princess, their mother, does not allow them to wear foreign dress in the home. She is old-school. I asked what about me, but they said I was all right. “The last big sash was just tied on when the princess sent for us, and we went down to the audience room. I was scared to death. I followed them into the room, and there was the princess sitting in a carved chair on a little platform, with a group of attendants behind her. The girls went up and bowed very low, and spoke to their mother in sweet-sounding Japanese. The old princess held up her tiny little old hand in a gesture of greeting, and I made a deep, deep curtsey, nearly to the floor. When I looked up she was smiling at me, and her little face looked so kind and plain under its jeweled headdress that I curtsied again. “She said something to the princesses that they didn’t translate, but they told me later that she was very much pleased with me. Wasn’t that lucky? I did so want to be a credit to you! “Then we stood and talked, and sipped tea, and the princess asked me questions which the girls translated. She sent all sorts of felicitations to you on your flight. Presently she gave a signal, and I said good-bye, and sort of backed out, leaving her there in the middle of that enormous room full of wonders, looking for all the world like an old ivory figurine.