doyenne_ (Madame Sjoegeny) to the _grande
maitresse_ (Countess Brockdorf) on one of her reception-days _before_
the _Schleppenkur_. I found her very charming. My audience with the
Empress was fixed for a date a week later, and the Swedish and the
Peruvian Ministers' wives were to be received at the same time.

We met in the _salon_ of Countess Brockdorf on the day appointed, and,
preceded by her, went together to the _salon_ of the Empress, where we
found Her Highness already waiting. We sat about in a circle. The
Empress talked French with us and was most gracious. She has a
wonderful figure; her white hair and youthful face and her lovely,
kind smile make her very beautiful. She said that the Emperor
remembered me from Rome and Prince Henry (her brother-in-law)
recollected having met me at Monza.

I went in company with these same two ladies at an audience to the
Princess Henry, who lives in the pretty pavilion on the left of the
palace, overlooking the canal. She only comes to Berlin when there are
_fetes_ at court, otherwise she and the Prince live at Kiel.

Our next visit was to Princess Friedric-Leopold, the Empress's sister.
She lives in a palace in Wilhelm-strasse when in Berlin. She is very
lively, talkative, and extremely natural in conversation. She has a
beautiful country place near Potsdam.

The _Schleppenkur_ is a great event in Berlin. It takes place before
the birthday of the Emperor. I had never seen anything like this
ceremony, and it interested me very much. Perhaps it will you. It
takes place at a very early hour in the evening--eight o'clock. This
makes it necessary for one to begin to dress at six. Naturally, you go
without any dinner--a cup of bouillon is considered sufficient to keep
you alive.

It is the custom for diplomats to engage for the evening a
_Schutzmann_--a heavy mounted policeman. Our particular one was
waiting for us before our house and rode by the side of our carriage
until we arrived at the entrance of the _Schloss_. He looked very
important, but I do not think he was of much use. However, it seems
that a _Schutzmann_ comes under the chapter of _Noblesse oblige_, and
we took him. He did a great deal of horsemanship, but never dared to
disobey the chief policeman's orders, and when we arrived at Portal 4
we had to wait for the file like other people. He did not call up our
carriage at the end, but had to be called up himself by the police
force; then he appeared, bristling w