I arrived two weeks after this. The custom here is for a Minister's wife to be presented by the _doyenne_ (Madame Sjögeny) to the _grande maîtresse_ (Countess Brockdorf) on one of her reception-days _before_ the _Schleppenkur_. I found her very charming. My audience with the Empress was fixed for a date a week later, and the Swedish and the Peruvian Ministers' wives were to be received at the same time. We met in the _salon_ of Countess Brockdorf on the day appointed, and, preceded by her, went together to the _salon_ of the Empress, where we found Her Highness already waiting. We sat about in a circle. The Empress talked French with us and was most gracious. She has a wonderful figure; her white hair and youthful face and her lovely, kind smile make her very beautiful. She said that the Emperor remembered me from Rome and Prince Henry (her brother-in-law) recollected having met me at Monza. I went in company with these same two ladies at an audience to the Princess Henry, who lives in the pretty pavilion on the left of the palace, overlooking the canal. She only comes to Berlin when there are _fêtes_ at court, otherwise she and the Prince live at Kiel. Our next visit was to Princess Friedric-Leopold, the Empress's sister. She lives in a palace in Wilhelm-strasse when in Berlin. She is very lively, talkative, and extremely natural in conversation. She has a beautiful country place near Potsdam. The _Schleppenkur_ is a great event in Berlin. It takes place before the birthday of the Emperor. I had never seen anything like this ceremony, and it interested me very much. Perhaps it will you. It takes place at a very early hour in the evening--eight o'clock. This makes it necessary for one to begin to dress at six. Naturally, you go without any dinner--a cup of bouillon is considered sufficient to keep you alive.