362 SOCIAL POSITION. 



mitted to be present at these great court gatherings, 

 which faithfully reflect Berlin society and clearly illus- 

 trate the immense revolution which Prussia, and all 

 Germany with it, has undergone during that time. 

 At these assemblies I have frequently had the oppor- 

 tunity of becoming personally acquainted with the 

 members of the Royal Family. 



As previously mentioned, I had already had 

 occasion at an earlier period of my life to be grateful 

 to the Prince of Prussia for his kindness in liberating 

 me at St. Petersburg from a painful position. I have 

 ever retained this feeling of gratitude, but unfortunately 

 in consequence of my political views was constrained 

 to incur the anger of the monarch by voting in the 

 Diet according to my convictions against the reorgani- 

 zation of the army. When the declaration of war 

 against Austria had actually taken place, and the 

 brilliant victories of the reorganized Prussian army had 

 clearly proved the wisdom of the strengthening of the 

 army by this reorganization, I took indeed pains to 

 help to remove the injurious consequences of the 

 parliamentary resistance to the reorganization, and 

 successfully struggled for the grant of the indemnity 

 so magnanimously asked for by the victorious ruler, 

 but hardly thought I could ever hope to regain the 

 former favour of the sovereign. I was therefore all 

 the more agreeably surprised when at the close of the 

 Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, at the same time 

 as the French croix d'honneur, the Prussian Order of 

 the Crown was conferred upon me. 



