CHAPTER XIX 



THE GREAT PARK OF THE EASTERN TOMBS 



The sunshine of an early spring day was flooding the 

 flower-filled courtyards of Duke Tsai Tse's palace in 

 Peking when Dr. G. D. Wilder, Everett Smith, and I 

 alighted from our car at the huge brass-bound gate. 

 We came by motor instead of rickshaw, for we were on 

 an official visit which had been arranged by the Ameri- 

 can Minister. We would have suffered much loss of 

 "face" had we come in any lesser vehicle than an auto- 

 mobile, for we were to be received by a "Royal High- 

 ness," an Imperial Duke and a man in whose veins 

 flowed the bluest of Manchu blood. Although living in 

 retirement, Duke Tsai Tse is still a powerful and a re- 

 spected man. 



We were ushered through court after court into a 

 large reception hall furnished in semi-foreign style but 

 in excellent taste. A few moments later the duke en- 

 tered, dressed in a simple gown of dark blue silk. Had 

 I met him casually on the street I should have known 

 he was a "personality." His high-bred features were 

 those of a maker of history, of a man who has faced the 

 ruin of his own ambitions; who has seen his emperor 

 deposed and his dynasty shattered ; but who has lost not 

 one whit of his poise or self-esteem. He carried himself- 



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