requested to resign and "go over the border" because of the rumors
regarding the Crown Prince (one newspaper even asserted that he
wished to relinquish his right to the succession to the throne in order
to marry the American singer!) were soon thrown into consternation when
one of the royal carriages stopped in front of my door, to bring
official notification from the Kaiser that he had ordered restored to my
mother the privilege of accompanying me at any time behind the scenes at
the Royal Opera.

The envious tongues stopped wagging. Official Berlin society took its
cue. It was understood that I was _not_ to leave Germany.

I determined that since Berlin had been the city first to take me to its
heart, Berlin should be my parent house. From there I might try to reach
out for other worlds to conquer, but Berlin should be my base for an
international career. And so firmly did I adhere to this decision that,
when my first contract with the Royal Opera expired, I renewed it again
and again, with special permission from His Majesty for my European and
subsequent American arrangements.

CHAPTER IX

ON TOUR: MONTE CARLO AND STOCKHOLM

In discussing the plans for my third season at the Berlin Opera, it had
been decided that I should create Massenet's "Manon." I determined to
meet Massenet, if possible, in order to get all possible suggestions for
the role. This was accomplished through the Baroness de
Hegermann-Lindencrone, formerly Lillie Greenough, of Boston, who was the
wife of the Danish Ambassador to Berlin. I went to Paris, and on May 26,
1903, I called on the composer at his suburban home near the French
capital, where I found him in tears. It was the day after the funeral of
Sybil Sanderson, the American singer who had won such success abroad,
and Massenet wept at the loss of such a delightful artist and friend,
who had created so many of his roles. Several days later, when he was
more composed, I saw him again. He was kind and sympathetic, and I
studied with him with enthusiasm. He was most interested in the Berlin
production, and quite amused at the German translation of the French
text which Lilli and I had revised.

[Illustration: "I STUDIED WITH HIM WITH ENTHUSIASM"

PHOTO OF MASSENET, signed:

Je pense a l'admirable Geraldine Farrar

a ses triomphes,

"Manon"!..

Massenet]

During this visit to Paris it was arranged that I should sing for
Gailhard, the Director of the Paris Opera, and at t