nia for governing the world at large, William II would
seem to be possessed of the evil eye, and to bring misfortune to all whom
he honours with his friendship for any length of time.

February 10, 1891.

It looks as if poor Bismarck were about to be treated just as he treated
Count von Arnim. Can it be that everything must be paid for in this
world, and that a splendid retributive justice rules the destiny even of
super-men and punishes them for committing base actions? It is rumoured
that the Duke of Lauenbourg (Bismarck) is threatened with prosecution on
a charge of _lese majeste_, which the lawyers of the Crown will not have
very much trouble in proving against him. That any one should dare to
criticise the Emperor's policy, even though it be Bismarck, or that any
one, even be it Count Waldersee, should express a personal opinion in his
presence, is more than William II will tolerate.

The "sympathetic Emperor" has a cruel way of doing things. Before
striking his victims it is his wont to give them some public mark of his
esteem and good-will. Small and great, they pass before him, sacrificed
each in his turn, so soon as they have come to believe themselves for a
moment in the enjoyment of his favour. Thus Colonel Kaissel,
aide-de-camp to the Emperor, is about to be shelved. Lieutenant von
Chelin has been removed from the Court, General von Wittich has already
lost his fleeting favour, and the moderating influence of Major de Huene,
erected on the ruins of that of Von Falkenstein, proves to be equally
short-lived. Three generals in command of army corps are now
threatened--that is, of course, unless a fortnight hence they should
prove to have reached the highest pinnacle of favour.

Three months ago Von Moltke declared that he and Bismarck would live long
enough to be able to say "Farewell to the Empire."

On the other hand, Von Puttkamer seems to be regaining something of
favour, and Prince Battenberg has been welcomed to the old Castle;
strange plans concerning him are being hatched in the brain of William II.

Prince Henry has been brought back, ostensibly to take part in the
Councils of the Government, but in reality that he may be watched the
more closely. He also has received a letter in which he is publicly
thanked for the services he has rendered. If I were in his place I
should be very uneasy, seeing the kind of brother that he was, the most
changeable the most jealous, and the most suspi