The late General von Möllendorff having been mentioned, the Minister related the following anecdote: “I remember after the March rising, when the King and the troops were at Potsdam, I went there too. A council was being held as to what was to be done. Möllendorff was present, and sat not far from me. He seemed to be in pain, and could scarcely sit down for the beating he had received. All kinds of suggestions were made, but no one knew exactly what was to be done. I sat near the piano and said nothing, but played a few bars” (he hummed the opening of the infantry march for the charge). “Old Möllendorff suddenly stood up, his face beaming with pleasure, and, hobbling over, threw his arms round my neck, and said: ‘That’s right. I know what you mean. March on Berlin!’ There was nothing to be done with the King, however, and the others had not the pluck.” After a while the Chancellor asked Werder: “How much does each visit to the Tsar cost you?” I do not know what Werder’s answer was, but the Chief went on: “It was always a rather costly business for me--particularly in Zarskoje. There I had always to pay from 15 to 20 and sometimes 25 roubles, according as I drove out to see the Emperor with or without an invitation. It was always more expensive in the former case. I had to fee the coachman and footman who brought me, the majordomo who received me--he wore a sword when I came on invitation, and then the running footman who conducted me through the whole length of the castle--it must be about a thousand yards--to the Emperor’s apartments. Well, he really earned his five roubles. And one never got the same coachman twice. I could never recover these expenses. We Prussians were altogether badly paid. Twenty-five thousand thalers salary and 8,000 thalers for rent. For that sum I certainly had a house as large and fine as any palace in Berlin. But all the furniture was old, shabby, and faded, and when I had paid for repairs and other odds and ends it cost me 9,000 a year. I found, however, that I was not obliged to spend more than my salary, and so I helped myself out of the difficulty by not entertaining. The French Minister had 300,000 francs, and was in addition allowed to charge his Government with the expense of any receptions which he chose to look upon as official.” “But you had at least free firing,” said Werder, “and at St. Petersburg that amounts to something considerable in the course of the year.”