the most tremendous things I have ever experienced.
One is transported. A little man with a tight mouth and an aureole of
fair hair, he is feared by his men, but _how_ he is respected! That
winter he spent almost every night in the train, as he conducted
regularly in Holland, Germany and Russia.

I have always been able to get on with really great musicians, and have
found only the second best _difficile_ and small. The path seems
suddenly smooth when in rehearsal, you feel this wealth of absolute
knowledge and authority supporting, leading and inspiring you. Anxiety
vanishes and one's best pours from one without effort, only with the
sensation of wringing every last drop of beauty from the phrase.

We returned to Sweden to concerts with Stenhammer, and I should have
crossed to Helsingfors to sing _Dalila_, but had to return on account of
engagements in Germany.

Through our forbears, as I have said, we have many relations in Germany;
and in Berlin we enjoyed immensely knowing our cousins the von M---- s.
The General had just been moved back to Berlin to fill an extremely high
military position, and as he was musical we, of course, had much in
common. The daughters were all beautifully brought up; simple girls,
frank and natural as German aristocrats are. They gave a musical, at
which the General and I both sang. Their apartment was very large, but
was so crowded for the concert that I felt as though the Duchess of
Dalibor sat almost in my throat as I sang, and her enormous pearls
distracted me in the "Sapphische Ode." I have never seen such
unbelievably huge pearls. We were asked to stay to _Abendessen_ after
the concert, and it consisted chiefly of the sandwiches and refreshments
left over from the party. This showed us again the absolute simplicity
of the well-born German of irreproachable position.

The girls were very intimate with the Kaiser's only daughter, Princess
Victoria Louise, and when her marriage to the Duke of Brunswick's son,
was celebrated, Irma was one of the bride's-maids. Onkle Geo, as we
called him, told us about the Kaiser, to whom he was devoted. At the
dinner table, he said, His Majesty would usually talk only with the men
present, ignoring completely the ladies who might be present.

When the General made his re-entry into court for the first time after
receiving his high office, all the courtiers present watched to see just
how he would be received by His Majesty, which would then give th