Despite this occurrence, Josephine Schefzky continued to be in his favour, and was singled out for this by his Majesty more often than any other artiste. At his country residences she was received and entertained almost like a royal guest. Ludwig directed that some especially delectable viand or wine, from his kitchens or cellar, should go back with her every time she returned to Munich from Hohenschwangau or Berg. The servants, who saw that their master esteemed her, were at great trouble to curry favour with her in their own behalf. The royal carriage which took her away was invariably stuffed with hams, delicate sausages and patés, with champagne and Rhine wine, so that people at the railway station might have supposed that the departing lady was about to journey to a place where there was a famine. On one occasion the royal carriage even broke down under the weight of the gifts. Josephine Schefzky was permitted to give the King presents on his birthday. He received them with evident pleasure, but only on the condition that the sum she had expended on them should be refunded to her out of the privy purse. On an occasion of the kind she had asked to be allowed the honour of giving him a tablecloth. The permission was granted. Ludwig expressed in appreciative words his admiration of the singer's good taste, and sent her an amiable letter of thanks. There had been at this time a change in the personnel administering the privy purse. At the head of it there was now a near relative of the shopkeeper where Fräulein Schefzky had purchased her tablecloth; he had by chance heard how much she had paid for it. The lady made her appearance some days later, and demanded a larger sum than the gift had cost her. The official greatly wished his master to become aware of her avarice, and after some circumlocution informed Ludwig how the artiste had enriched herself by means of his present. Generous as he was the King would probably have forgiven the deception, but he was angered when he heard that Fräulein Schefzky was in the habit of asking for money from the privy purse in the following words: "I have spoken to him about it!" His vanity and self-esteem could not bear his person being spoken of without due respect. This him, with which in her broad South-German accent she denoted his Majesty, sealed her fall. In an autograph letter her protector of many years informed her that she was dismissed from the court opera of Munich, and that her salary for the unexpired time of her engagement would be paid to her at once. The title "Royal Bavarian Court Singer," was taken away from her. Herewith the connection was severed. Several years later, however, she was permitted to enter once more into correspondence with Ludwig. CHAPTER XIV Prince Hohenlohe--Political Frictions