I went home in utter despair. I had just realised one of my dearest wishes, that of dancing before the Queen. Never had I experienced such dejection. I should have preferred a thousand times that she had not come. I learned afterward at the theatre that a telephone message had come shortly after noon to the effect that the Queen wished to see Loie Fuller, but that she would have to leave at four o’clock. The manager, who had supposed that the Queen was coming to see the Hippodrome, had not attached any importance to the intimation regarding me, and did not even take the trouble to find out whether I was there or not. Next morning all the papers recorded that the Queen of England had come to the Hippodrome, despite her many appointments and engagements made some time earlier, and so forth and so forth. There was not a word about me. However, as I had written to the Queen to ask her to come it seemed to me that I ought to excuse myself for my apparent discourtesy. I wrote to her accordingly, telling her how distressed I was at my failure to appear earlier--a failure that would not have occurred if some one had come to apprise me. I regretted that the message had not been forwarded to me instead of to the manager. That same evening one of my friends came to tell me that she had written the day before to one of the Queen’s maids of honour, whom she knew personally, asking her to come and see me dance at the Hippodrome. [Illustration: THE DANCE OF THE BUTTERFLY _Photo_ _Lafitte_] “That will make your new dances celebrated all over the world,” said my friend. “The Queen will come, I am certain of it, if it is at all possible.” Overcome with surprise, I looked at my friend, and exclaimed: “Well, then, that is why she came this afternoon!” “Has she already come to see you? I should not have expected such promptness.” “She came to the matinee.” And I told my friend the whole story in detail. She still could not understand why the Queen had left so hastily, and enquired into the reason. Presently everything was explained. The Queen had agreed to visit a painter’s studio at half-past three and then, at four o’clock, to call upon M. and Mme. Loubet. Nevertheless she remained at the Hippodrome until ten minutes past four. The King went alone to the studio and the Queen arrived late at the President’s house. After that I fully appreciated her kindness, her patience. I still feel endless gratitude to her for having waited so long, for not having left the theatre without seeing, if it was only for a moment, Loie Fuller and her dances. As for the manager, he is still convinced that the Queen did not come to see Loie Fuller, but the Hippodrome, and only the Hippodrome. XVI OTHER MONARCHS I shall always remember with great pleasure my six hundredth appearance in Paris.