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. He is not inclined to small
talk, but when among men of his own rank, he does not hesitate to
indulge in bits of humour.
This was rather amusingly illustrated at a dinner given by the
late Major Conger, American minister to China. Major and Mrs.
Conger introduced many innovations into the social life of
Peking, and none more important than the dinners and luncheons
given to the princes and high officials, and also to the
princesses and ladies of the court. In 1904, I was invited to
dine with Major Conger and help entertain Prince Chun, Prince Pu
Lun, Prince Ching, Governor Hu, Na T'ung, and a number of other
princes and officials of high rank. I sat between Prince Chun and
Governor Hu. Having met them both on several former occasions, I
was not a stranger to either of them, and as they were well
acquainted with each other, though one was a Manchu prince and
the other a Chinese official, conversation was easy and natural.
We talked, of course, in Chinese only, of the improvements and
advantages that railroads bring to a country, for Governor Hu,
among other things, was the superintendent of the Imperial
Railways of north China. This led us to speak of the relative
comforts of travel by land and by sea, for Prince Chun had gone
half round the world and back. We listened to the American
minister toasting the young Emperor of China, his princes, and
his subjects; and then to Prince Ching toasting the young
President of the United States, his officials, and his people, in
a most dignified and eloquent manner
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