[Illustration:
QUEEN LOUISE OF DENMARK
From a photograph taken in 1878. She was the wife of King Christian
IX., and the mother of Queen Alexandra of England, Empress Dagmar of
Russia, King George of Greece, and various royalties.]
"I do not need a lift; I can still run down the stairs." Which he did
in a surprising manner.
The King left that evening; and as he begged me not to come to the
station, J. went without me.
_February, 1903._
As Johan is accredited to the Court of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, we were
invited to a great court ball which was to be given. We arrived at
Schwerin at twelve o'clock, and found the _maréchal de la cour_, the
court servants and carriages at the station awaiting us. We were not
installed in the castle, but at the Grand Duchess Marie's palace in
the town itself. The _maréchal_ who met us informed us that we were
expected to luncheon at one o'clock. We just had time to change our
dresses and drive to the castle. The lady of honor and the _maréchal
de la cour_ received us in the hall on the ground floor, and the
elevator took us up to the _salon_ where the Grand Duke and the Grand
Duchess were awaiting us.
The Grand Duchess is very charming and very handsome. She is the
daughter of the Duchess of Cumberland, granddaughter of King
Christian. We had luncheon in one corner of the vaulted hall--a
luncheon of twenty people. I sat on the right of the Grand Duke, who
was most amiable. After luncheon the Grand Duchess took me into her
boudoir and showed me all her souvenirs--photographs of Bernstorff, a
screen painted by the Queen of Denmark, and aquarelles of Gmunden, her
home. She has all the charm of her dear mother and her beloved
grandmother.
At four o'clock we left and drove about Schwerin, making the
obligatory visits. A court carriage with a lackey was put at our
service during our stay. I rested, having rushed about since eight
o'clock in the morning.
Our apartment in this palace looked as if the mistress had just left
it. The drawing-room is filled with knick-knacks, a piano with music
on it, and tables with writing-materials. At seven o'clock we dined
with the grand master of ceremonies and his wife at their palace. A
dinner where you know none of the guests and no one knows you must
naturally be uninteresting, and this one did not prove the contrary.
At half past nine we went again to the _château_ to attend the ball. A
chamberlain met us at the antechamber and preceded us into the
ballroom. The grand-ducal pair came toward us, and I was led to my
place on a raised dais. I danced the _quadrille d'honneur_ with the
Grand Duke. Very nearly every one in the room was presented to me, and
I found among them many people I had known before--therefore we had
some subjects of conversation, for which I was thankful.
The _château_ is a _bijou_. It has a winding staircase which is worthy
of Blois. We mounted this to go to the supper-room. The supper was
served at small tables, and was excellent. Frederikke danced the
cotillion, and we stayed until the end. It had indeed been a long day
for me. The next day we drove to the _château_ and bid their
Highnesses good-by.