263 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Our society — Countess Haake — In Berlin with the Corvins — Anot'fa? 

 audience with the Queen — The King — A queer cousin — Prince SaL-x.- 

 Horstmar — A princely apostle — Housekeeping lessons — Mr. General 

 von S . — Salm's revolt — I try my hand at match-making — Excur- 

 sions — Mr. Moriary — Princess S W and her sons — M^sal- 



- liances — A poetical friend — Coblentz life — Public tea-gardens — The 

 <^ueen in Coblentz — Princess Liegnitz — 'Uncle Herrmann' — The 

 Grand Duchess Dowager of Mecklenburg — in Ems — Their Majesties 

 The Queen as a godmother — Baron Gerolt — Why he resigned — Mr. 

 Bancroft— His meanness — In Ems with his Majesty — My cousin, the 

 Duchess of Osuna — Breakfast with their Majesties at Sayn — Military 

 manoeuvres — Visit to Anholt — Prince and Princess of Weid — A party 

 at her Majesty's — Grand Duchess of Baden and Pi incess William — A 

 ball at her Majesty's — I dance with the Grand Duke of Weimar — 

 Breakfast at her Majesty's- -Dinner at Neuweid — Prince and Princess 

 of Roumania — The Count of Flanders — Departure of the Queen- 

 Christmas in Anholt — A battue — Bitter reflections. 



Had I the talent of writing novels, I should find many inter- 

 esting types of character within the circle of our society in 

 Coblentz ; but not having this talent I shall restrict myself to 

 very hurried sketches. 



Life within the circle of regimental society has its peculiari- 

 ties, originating from a combination of causes. The officers 

 belonging to it though differing in military rank and age, are 

 in reference to society all equals, members of one family. The 

 wife of an officer is no isolated being, who may live as she 

 pleases ; she belongs to a corporation, who claims the right to 

 control her behaviour in a more extended degree than general 

 society, and she has to submit to the customs and laws of this 

 corporation, which are the result of the exceptional position of 

 officers. In everything she does she must consider the interest 

 and feeling of the corps to which she belongs, as the actions oi 



