as far back as my sixth year. I have no distinct
recollection of anything that happened before that time. We lived in a
city on the Rhine,--I believe it is called Mayence. There are two sorts
of soldiers there--Prussians and Austrians. The Austrians have white
coats, like the cousin who once visited us with Baron Arven. Under the
small golden mirror in my mother's room on the opposite wall, there was
quite a large glass that reached from the ceiling to the floor there
was a portrait of a handsome officer, whom I believe I have already
seen. My mother always addressed him as 'Prince,' and he laughed when
she did so. His eyes were of a light blue; I cannot recall any of his
other features. My mother would often say to me, while she pointed to
the picture, 'Martella, do not forget, this is your father. He has
great love for me, and for you too.' It was a long while before I knew
how my mother gained her living. She would sleep until near mid-day,
and would often stand on her toes, or walk on them around the room.
Then she would suddenly let herself fall to the ground, spring up again
and take long steps. Then she would place herself before the mirror,
and bow and kiss her hands to herself. Once she looked so lovely, with
a thin gauze-like robe about her body, and various kinds of gauze over
that. She looked just like a beautiful bird, and almost like the
peacock down in the garden. And I was prettily dressed also. I had
wings on my shoulders, and they had two mirrors for me, so that I might
see how I looked in front, and in the back. And I had golden shoes on,
and had to learn how to spread out my hands and then bring them
together quite slowly. With a girdle around my waist--it was golden,
and studded with diamonds--I floated in the air, and could hear the
people screaming with delight and clapping their hands; but I could not
see where I was, or how many people were there. We rode home in a
carriage--I can recollect that, but cannot remember what happened for
some time afterward. One day, my mother showed me a man who wore a
green dressing-gown and had curled hair; then she said to me: 'My
child, this is your father now--you must say "father" to him.'

"He spoke to me, but I could not understand what he said; and mother
said, 'The child is worth ten thousand florins, and can earn a great
deal of money.'

"About that time, I often heard the word 'America,' and, as I was told
to call everybody 'uncle,' I once inquired whe