Free The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd

Monsieur and Madame de Chamonpierre. According to Mrs Harding he is really Le Vicomte deChamonpierre but does not use the title since his country is now a republic, and he is not in favour of inherited rank. Mrs Harding suggested that this was an affectation, but now that I have met Monsieur and Madame I do not think so. Though we were introduced at Sir Claude’s reception I did not really get a chance to talk to them, but I noticed Madame’s dress, which was of stiff silk, very plain, only striking in cut and colour, a deep cerise which made her stand out in the room. She is very dark, not beautiful, rather a big nose, but it is her eyes you notice which on first meeting seem to be searching at once to see what you are made of. I cannot guess what she discovered I was made of, but it is flattering to find her giving me the kind of attention which she does not give Mrs Harding. Perhaps there is something still in the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland? It may, of course, be only kindness because she sees me as young and helpless in a new place, but I think not. Towards Richard she is slightly teasing in a way I’m surprised he accepts so easily. He didn’t seem at all embarrassed when Madame said she hoped I realised what a responsibility I was taking on, marrying the most beautiful man in Peking. I cannot imagine Richard allowing an Englishwoman to call him beautiful , but perhaps he excuses such expressions from her because that is the way she speaks English, as though every word was directly translated from the French.
    The important guest at dinner was Sir Robert Hart, whom Richard says is the most respected Englishman in China and who could have received Sir Claude’s position as British Minister if he had wanted it, but did not, for he regards being Controller of Chinese Customs as much more important. It would seem he does not often go to dinner-parties at the level of Legation Secretaries, but makes an exception in the case of the de Chamonpierres, something that I can see irritates Mrs Harding very much. I did not exchange a word with Sir Robert all evening, partly because I was at the other end of the table at dinner, but later in the drawing-room he never came near my chair, as though military attachés’ fiancées did not exist for him. I had been warned by Mrs Harding that for this evening I would probably be seated next to our host, but that I must not regard this as anything more than an exception to the usual rules ofentertaining in which a Second Secretary’s wife takes precedence over the wife of the military attaché. I do not think that Mrs Harding much cares for the de Chamonpierres’ informality and she said afterwards that she did not enjoy the spectacle of the hostess totally controlling the conversation at dinner and after.
    Madame did not control the conversation in that way, but what she did do was join in what Mrs Harding would regard as men’s talk and make that the talk of the table. After the tea-parties I liked this very much, though I did not say so to Mrs H. Madame does not care for the Russians and was quite vehement about them. She says that if they are not stopped they will not only take over Manchuria, where their influence is very strong already, but the whole of North China and probably Korea as well. She says the Czar is a useless puppet under the control of scoundrelly Ministers, and that it will be quite shocking if the European powers with interests in China allow Japan to go to war by itself to stop the advance of Russian Imperialism. At this point Richard said that if Japan took on the Russian giant she would be committing suicide but Madame wouldn’t have that, claiming that one Japanese soldier was worth three Russians. She added that a Captain Kurihama had told her it would be an honour to die in so worthy a cause as fighting the Russians. Everyone except me seemed to know who Captain Kurihama was, and I noticed Richard frowning, as though the name disturbed him