you can imagine how the cordon fitted him. Chira said, "I reached
up to about the King's waist, and when the King put the cordon on me it
trailed on the ground, and I kept tripping over it when I left the
room. It is most awkward," he added, laughing, "and I must wear it
to-night at the big dinner at court which the King gives me."

"Leave it with me, and I will have a tuck made in it and send it to you
before dinner." This he did. We measured off how much of a tuck should
be made, and sent it to him in time. He came the next day to thank me
and bid us good-by. He said, "I looked splendid last night _in my
cordon_."

In June and July it is never really dark in these latitudes. The sun
shines till eleven o'clock, the birds sing and bustle about during the
so-called night, and the cocks begin to crow at absurd hours. They must
be perplexed as to what they are doing all these months. The early bird
has to be very early to get off with the worm.

BAYREUTH, _August, 1893_.

Dear L.,--At last my dream of dreams has become a reality--under what
enchanting conditions! Mrs. L., my beloved friend, invited me to stay
three weeks with her in the apartment which she has taken, 28
Opernstrasse, which was the habitation of Wagner's special doctor. Mrs.
L.'s other guests were her sister, her niece, and Mr. and Mrs. Brimmer
from Boston. Johan promised to join us later. Mrs. L, had her own cook
and servants, and we lived like princes of the blood. A walk about the
streets in the morning, then a sumptuous lunch, and then a little
_siesta_ to fit us for the rest (or rather fatigue) of the day.

At a little before four the carriages were at the door and we drove up
the hill to the Shrine, passing the foot-sore and weary pilgrims
toiling on their way. The servant took our hats and coats, for no one
must wear a hat in the audience, and no one needed a coat in this awful
heat.

[Illustration:
THE RIKSDAG OF SWEDEN
From a photograph showing the opening of the Riksdag at Stockholm,
January, 1897. The De Hegermann-Lindencrones were _doyen_ and _doyenne_
of the diplomatic corps; he stands in the gallery on the left, fourth
from end.]

The signal to enter the auditorium is given by a blast of trumpets,
generally the four bars of the most well-known melody in the
to-be-given opera. The only boxes in the theater are in the rear, and
Madame Wagner sits with her family in the middle one. After the people
have taken their seats the house bec