The King's spy, the Tisch, constituted herself post-office of Villa Loschwitz--a duty appertaining to her rank--and I wager she works the "_Black Cabinet_" to perfection. Of course, I am now careful in all I write and advise my friends to be, but I sometimes get letters from Unknowns, people that sympathize with me or have fallen in love with me. All women in high station have lovers among the lowly. I recall the Cardinal Dubois' yarn about Salvatico, envoy of the Prince of Modena, my kinsman of yore. The Italian was sent to Paris to conduct home his master's lovely intended, _Mademoiselle_ de Valois, daughter of the Regent. It happened that the emissary was introduced to _Mademoiselle's_ room an hour before the time set, when she was lying on a lounge "with one leg, almost naked, hanging down." Salvatico fell in love with the leg and exhausted himself in so many "Ah, ah's" of admiration and other love-sick stunts that the Duke of Richelieu, having older rights, said to him: "Rogue, if you had your deserts I would cut off your two ears!" No man, except my husband, has seen my legs, which is a pity, perhaps, but the extreme _decollete_ demanded at certain court functions, especially in Berlin, gained me many epistolary lovers, whose homage I accept gracefully, but in silence, of course. Still, a malicious thing like the Tisch, if one gives her enough rope, might arrange, on paper at least, to get me with child by a Lothario a hundred miles off, even as the children of Madame de Montespan and Louis XIV were credited to the Marquis, her husband, residing a hundred leagues away, at Guienne. Let me find her red-handed and she will fare even worse than Schoenstein. CHAPTER XXIV MORE TYRANNY OF A TITLED SERVANT My daily papers seized, and only milk-and-water clippings are submitted--"King's orders"--Grand Mistress's veracity doubted--My threats of suspension cow her. LOSCHWITZ, _September 10, 1894_. This morning there were no newspapers at the usual hour. Instead, the Tisch furnished a heap of clippings carefully pasted up--the veriest milk-and-water slush "ever." Instanter I sent for my tormentor. "What's this?" I demanded. "Today's papers, Your Imperial Highness." "You made these clippings?" "At Your Imperial Highness's commands." "And you think me ninny enough to be satisfied with reading no more than what you consider proper for me to see?" The Tisch wavered not a bit. "His Majesty the King is served the same fashion." "No matter. I want my papers whole, and don't you dare to mutilate them." By way of letting her down easier I added: "Don't give yourself the trouble." "No trouble, I assure your Imperial Highness. With your permission, then, I will continue to clip for Your Imperial Highness." I rose and, measuring her from head to toe with flaming eyes, I said: "You will do nothing of the kind, do you understand?" The impertinent cat insisted: "But I think it proper----"