CHINESE PRINCES AND OFFICIALS
One day while the head eunuch from the palace of one of the leading princes in Peking was sitting in my study he said:
"It is drawing near to the New Year. Do you celebrate the New Year in your honourable country?"
"Yes," I replied, "though not quite the same as you do here."
"Do you fire off crackers?"
"Yes, in the matter of firecrackers, we celebrate very much the same as you do."
"And do you settle up all your debts as we do here?"
"I am afraid we do not. That is not a part of our New Year celebration."
"Our Prince is going to take on two more concubines this New Year," he volunteered.
"Ah, indeed, I thought he had three concubines already."