364 SOCIAL POSITION. 



himself felt something of the same sort, I should there- 

 fore ask for some other favour when he addressed me. 

 This unfortunately I could not do. A title more in 

 accordance with my position did not exist in Prussia 

 for non-officials and I could not possibly follow the 

 advice of the president to request a higher order, 

 since, as I said to him, one gratefully accepts such 

 when offered, but does not solicit it. This refusal 

 gave offence to the president, and as the Emperor 

 soon after passed without addressing me, I imagined 

 I had again incurred his displeasure. All the more 

 delighted, nay almost abashed was I, when the presi- 

 dent of police communicated to me, he had told the 

 Emperor that I knew of nothing to ask from him, and 

 that he had thereupon replied "well then, present 

 him to my wife". 



In consequence of a mistake in persons this pre- 

 sentation did not take place then, and I also after- 

 wards omitted to be presented to the Empress in the 

 usual way, as it was repugnant to me to force myself 

 into the presence of royalty, as is so often done. 

 That this did not pass unnoticed I afterwards learnt 

 from the Empress herself. During the Vienna Ex- 

 hibition of 1873 the latter requested the German 

 jurors to be presented to her, I being one of them. 

 After the presentation was over, she sent for me 

 specially and said : "I have a bone to pick with you, 

 Herr Siemens, you try to give us the slip, but in 

 future you will not find that so easy". Indeed the 

 august lady often afterwards gave me proofs of her 



