"Ah yes. And I trust that Your Holiness may be similarly enabled. I have very little doubt but that You will be. The favour of the Almighty seems to be with men of our nation in a pre-eminent degree." "Our nation?" "Yes. Surely Your Holiness remembers that, by birth, I am half-English?" "Oh indeed yes. But, Majesty, in England you are thought of as being wholly German." "I am much misunderstood in England." Again the head inclined in silence led the Emperor on. "And also I have been much misunderstood in Germany. The English suspect me of plotting mischief against England; and my empire has been suspecting me of such leanings toward England as to interfere with my proper duty of attending to the interests of Germany!" "And both suspicions are equally gratuitous." "Both. As a matter of duty, I think first of the interests of Germany: but, for the sake of those very interests, I am anxious to cultivate the friendship of England. Personally I have a great appreciation of many English qualities, as my many English friends know. And of course, although she was a somewhat terrible person, I had an immense and genuine admiration for my never-sufficiently-to-be-lauded grandmother, your great Queen Victoria. Now there was a Woman, a Queen----" "In that matter Your Majesty's behaviour was magnificent. We Ourself saw you at her exsequies: We noted the signs of your countenance and your comportment; and We honoured your splendid piety. There only was one feeling in England toward Your Majesty then." The Kaiser was moved: his left arm twitched once or twice. "Your Holiness's words"--he shook his ferocious eyes--"are very grateful to me. But what have I done since--to lose----" "Majesty, in the English mind, you are incarnate Germany." "I am Germany." "It is not Your Majesty whom England distrusts, but the Germans." "But why, but why?" "Englishmen say 'It is all very well to dissemble your love but why did you kick me downstairs?' They don't believe in Your Majesty's friendliness because they commit the common error of confounding the particular with the universal. Your Majesty is the scape-goat. They lay upon you the sins of execrable taste on the part of your journalists and of shady diplomacy on the part of your statesmen; and they drive you out into the wilderness." "Is Your Holiness cognizant of the difficulties which I have to contend with?" "We are perfectly astounded at the inertia, the stolidity, the volatility, the inconstancy of the material which rulers have to direct, to curb, to shape. We entirely sympathize with Your Majesty in the matter of the difficulties which fill your life. Also, to descend to particulars, We know and approve of your masterly method of dealing with demagogues." "I am very glad to hear this. I am pleased to know that there is one point on which I can agree with Your Holiness." "We trust that there are many points on which We cannot agree with Your Majesty."