In twelve chambers the ladies, decked for the day, Peer afar for their lord from their Fairy-View Lodge; The golden toad guards the lock on the door-chain, And the bronze-dragon water-clock drips through the morning Till one of them, tilting a mirror, combs her cloud of hair And chooses new scent and a change of silk raiment; For she sees, between screen-panels, deep in the palace, Eunuchs in court-dress preparing a bed.