Saint-Saëns and Massenet came to Berlin to assist at a sort of _Congrès de musique_. Massenet was invited to lead the orchestra in "Manon," and Saint-Saëns that of "Samson and Delilah." They accepted an invitation to lunch at our house, and I was delighted to see them again. They had come, they said, with prejudices on fire. They were sure that they would dislike everything German; but, having been begged to visit the Kaiser in his _loge_ after the performance, they came away from the interview burning with enthusiasm. How charming the Emperor was! How full of interest! So natural! etc., etc. They could not find words for their admiration. That is the way with the Emperor. He charms every one. The first of my articles about Compiègne appeared in _Harper's Magazine_ in the summer. At the ball at court in the following January the Kaiser came to speak to me, his face beaming with the kindest of smiles. "I can't tell you how I have enjoyed your articles, I read them to myself and read them out loud to the Empress." "How," said I "did your Majesty discover them?" "I have always taken _Harper's Magazine_, ever since I was a little boy. You may imagine how astonished I was when I saw something from your pen. Your description of Napoleon the Third is quite historical. You gave me a new idea of him. In many ways I always regret that I never saw him. I could have once, when I was quite small. I was with my parents at Nice, and the Emperor came there, but I did not see him." BERLIN, _May 1912_. Dear L.,--On the 14th we had just returned from a long motor trip, arriving late in the evening. How fortunate that we did not arrive a day later! The next morning Johan was called on the telephone. The message was from Hamburg, to say that our King (Frederick VIII) had died there, suddenly in the night. Johan, of course, took the first train for Hamburg. This was dreadful news. The King was traveling with the Queen, Princess Thyra, Prince Gustave, and the usual suite. His Majesty had bade them good-night and retired--alas! not to his room, for he wished to take a stroll through the streets of the town. It was only at two o'clock that the valet noticed that the King had not been in his room. Then he alarmed the _Hof-Marshale_, who, with the other gentlemen, commenced a search. At five o'clock they found his Majesty in the _Krankenhaus_. He had fainted in the street and had been put into a cab, in which he died. Johan stayed all the next day in Hamburg, accompanying the Queen on board the _Daneborg_ (the royal yacht), which had been sent to take the King's body back to Denmark. [Illustration: THE EMPEROR IN 1905 From an autographed photograph given to Madame de Hegermann-Lindencrone.] The Queen was overwhelmed with grief, but showed the greatest self-control.