to make a tour of the invited guests,
but this evening the royal persons stayed on the throne and did not
move during the dances.

King Edward and the Queen supped at the table of the Emperor, and
immediately afterward retired to their rooms and were seen no more.
During the whole evening they had not spoken to a single person.

The next morning their Majesties took their departure from the Lehrter
station. We went to bid them good-by. The Emperor, in speaking to me,
said, "You know, my uncle had such a fright the other night when he
saw the fire, he wanted to leave the theater; it was only when I told
him that the flames were chiffon that I could quiet him."

When King Edward bade me good-by he said, "Please remember me to
Countess Raben," and added, laughingly, "I mean the daughter."

Saint-Saens and Massenet came to Berlin to assist at a sort of
_Congres de musique_. Massenet was invited to lead the orchestra in
"Manon," and Saint-Saens that of "Samson and Delilah." They accepted
an invitation to lunch at our house, and I was delighted to see them
again. They had come, they said, with prejudices on fire. They were
sure that they would dislike everything German; but, having been
begged to visit the Kaiser in his _loge_ after the performance, they
came away from the interview burning with enthusiasm. How charming the
Emperor was! How full of interest! So natural! etc., etc. They could
not find words for their admiration. That is the way with the Emperor.
He charms every one.

The first of my articles about Compiegne appeared in _Harper's
Magazine_ in the summer. At the ball at court in the following January
the Kaiser came to speak to me, his face beaming with the kindest of
smiles.

"I can't tell you how I have enjoyed your articles, I read them to
myself and read them out loud to the Empress."

"How," said I "did your Majesty discover them?"

"I have always taken _Harper's Magazine_, ever since I was a little
boy. You may imagine how astonished I was when I saw something from
your pen. Your description of Napoleon the Third is quite historical.
You gave me a new idea of him. In many ways I always regret that I
never saw him. I could have once, when I was quite small. I was with
my parents at Nice, and the Emperor came there, but I did not see
him."

BERLIN, _May 1912_.

Dear L.,--On the 14th we had just returned from a long motor trip,
arriving late in the evening. How fortunate that we did not arrive