Here we said good-bye to Sir Harry Parkes, and returned across the
town by another route to our hotel to lunch, after which we made
another expedition to one or two more temples, and then to a
pawnbroker's shop, in the heart of the city, which had been strongly
recommended to us. The exterior did not look promising; the shop
itself was small and dirty; and they had to take some very filthy
garments out of the way before we could enter. Once inside, however,
it was a very different story. They showed us splendid old
embroideries, and quantities of second-hand court dresses, embroidered
in gold, silver, and colours, with exquisite designs. The Empress has
thirteen ladies of honour, who wear their best dresses only twice, and
then sell them: hence the pawnbrokers abundant stock.
Wherever we went a large but perfectly civil crowd followed us, and
people ran on before to tell others to come to their doors and look at
us, though we were under the charge of an officer and two men. It was
now getting dark, and we were very tired; so we at last turned back,
and once more climbed those weary steps to our hotel. To-night there
is some _fete_ going on in this suburb, and the whole place is alive
with lights, dancing, music, and tum-tums.
After dinner all our purchases arrived, each accompanied by at least
four or five men.
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