ight of the Stockholm season I sang "Traviata" before a
packed and enthusiastic house. His Majesty was present as usual. He
never missed a performance while I sang in Stockholm. During the
performance the Intendant notified me that His Majesty desired to
receive me at the Palace after the performance at a special audience.
Wondering and surprised, my mother and I drove to the Palace in
obedience to the royal command. We were ushered into a small audience
chamber, where perhaps two dozen members of the Court were already in
waiting.

Presently His Majesty entered and, with a few words, decorated me with
the gold cross of the Order of Merit, which he personally pinned upon my
gown. He explained at the time that only two other singers had
previously received this honor--Melba and Nilsson.

After that there was a real Swedish celebration of farewell which lasted
until long past midnight--only, as the nights were almost as bright as
day in that far northern country, it was difficult to tell the time. I
remember that after supper I suddenly recalled that Caruso had written,
asking me to secure him a complete set of Swedish stamps, as he was a
postage-stamp fiend. When I told His Majesty of this, the King sent out
and secured a complete set of stamps, which I forwarded to Enrico with
the compliments of the King of Sweden.

As I was leaving and saying farewell, for we were to go on the morrow,
His Majesty said: "Next year, Mademoiselle Farrar, you must sing again
in Stockholm."

"I shall be delighted, Your Majesty," I replied.

"Meanwhile, you sing only in Berlin?"

"Oh, no," I answered, "I have been offered a reengagement for Monte
Carlo next March."

"Monte Carlo, eh?" And His Majesty laughed. "My dear Mademoiselle
Farrar, my physician has been urging me to visit Monte Carlo. I shall
time my trip so that I shall be sure to hear you sing there."

What a perfect darling old King Oscar was!

CHAPTER X

MY FOURTH SEASON

The month of June found me in Paris, where I sang at a charity concert,
and in August I went to Bayreuth for the first time and was greatly
moved by "Parsifal." On August 12 my diary says: "To-day I placed a
laurel wreath on the grave of Liszt."

In October, 1904, before the opening of the regular season in Berlin, I
went to fulfill a special engagement in Warsaw. An incident
characteristic of the impetuous Poles occurred on the train, which
resulted in more than a year's annoyance of rath