EntranceintotheHouseofLordsgivesamansomethingtodo，withnewfriendsandpleasingrelations。Astothename，Iwouldgladlyhaveretainedmyown，buthadnochoice;infact，whenLordJohnRussellwasmadeanearl，hisinsistingonretaininghisnamewasnotespeciallyliked。VariousplacesontheRussellestatesweresubmittedtomeformychoice，andItookAmpthill。’’
Alas！hisplanscametonothing。HediedathispostbeforehisretirementtoEngland。
AmongthosethenconnectedwiththeBritishEmbassyatBerlin，oneofthemostinterestingwasColonel（nowGeneral）LordMethuen，who，afewyearssince，tooksohonorableapartintheSouthAfricanWar。Hewasatthattimeatall，awkwardman，kindly，genial，whoalwaysremindedmeofThackeray’s``MajorSugarplums。’’
Hehadrecentlylosthiswife，andwasevidentlyindeepsorrow。Onemorningtherecameacuriousbitofnewsregardinghim。Afewdaysbefore，walkinginsomeremotepartoftheThiergarten，hesawaworking—manthrowhimselfintotheriver，andinstantlyjumpedintotheicystreamafterhim，grappledhim，pulledhimout，laidhimonthebank，andrapidlywalkedoff。Whennewsofitgotout，hewastaxedwithitbyvariousmembersofthediplomaticcorps;butheawkwardlyandblushinglypooh—poohedthewholematter。
Oneevening，notlongafterward，Iwitnessedaverypleasantsceneconnectedwiththisrescue。AswewereallassembledatsomeminorfestivityintheprivatepalaceontheLinden，theoldEmperorsentforthecolonel，andonhiscomingup，hisMajestytookfromhisowncoatamedalofhonorforlife—savingandattachedittothebreastofMethuen，whoreceiveditinaveryawkwardyetmanlyfashion。
TheFrenchambassadorwastheCountdeSt。Vallier，oneofthemostagreeablemenIhaveevermet，whodeservedallthemorecreditforhisamiablequalitiesbecauseheconstantlyexercisedthemdespitethemostwretchedhealth。DuringhissplendiddinnersattheFrenchEmbassy，hesimplytoyedwithabitofbread，notdaringtoeatanything。
Wewerefirstthrownespeciallytogetherbyarepresentationinfavorofthedoublestandardofvalue，which，underinstructionsfromourgovernments，wejointlymadetotheGermanForeignOffice，andafterthatourrelationsbecameveryfriendly。WhenevertheFourthofJulyorWashington’sBirthdaycameround，hewassuretorememberitandmakeafriendlycall。
Mylikingforhimoncebroughtuponmeoneofthemostembarrassingmishapsofmylife。ItwasatNice，andatthetabled’hteofagreathotelonthePromenadedesAnglais，whereIwasseatednextaFrenchcountesswho，thoughshehadcertainlypassedherthreescoreyearsandten，wasstillmostagreeable。Dayafterdaywechattedtogether，andallwentwell;butoneevening，onourmeetingattableasusual，shesaid，``IamtoldthatyouaretheAmericanministeratBerlin。’’Ianswered，``Yes，madam。’’Shethensaid，``WhenIwasayoungwoman，IwaswellacquaintedwiththemotherofthepresentFrenchambassadorthere。’’AtthisIlaunchedoutintopraisesofCountSt。Vallier，aswellImight;
speakingofthehighregardfeltforhimatBerlin，thehonorshehadreceivedfromtheGermanGovernment，andthelikingforhimamonghiscolleagues。Thecountesslistenedinsilence，andwhenIhadfinishedturnedseverelyuponme，saying，``Monsieur，uptothismomentIhavebelievedyouanhonestman;butnowIreallydon’tknowwhattothinkofyou。’’OfcourseIwasdumfounded，butpresentlythereasonfortheremarkoccurredtome，andIsaid，``Madam，M。deSt。VallierservesFrance。Whateverhisprivateopinionsmaybe，henodoubtfeelsithisdutytocontinueintheserviceofhiscountry。Itwouldcertainlybeagreatpityif，ateverychangeofgovernmentinFrance，everyofficerwhodidnotagreewiththenewrgimeshouldleavethediplomaticserviceorthemilitaryserviceorthenavalservice，thusinjuringtheinterestsofFranceperhapsmostseriously。
SupposetheComtedeChambordshouldbecalledtothethroneofFrance，whatwouldyouthinkofOrleanistsandrepublicanswhoshouldimmediatelyresigntheirplacesinthearmy，navy，anddiplomaticservice，thusembarrassing，perhapsfatally，themonarchyandthecountry？’’Atthis，tomyhorror，theladywentintohysterics，andbeganscreaming。Shecriedout，``Oui，monsieur，ilreviendra，HenriCinq;ilreviendra。Dieuestaveclui;ilreviendramalgrtout，’’etc。，etc。，andfinallyshejumpedupandrushedoutoftheroom。Theeyesofthewholetablewereturneduponus，andIfullyexpectedthatsomegallantFrenchmanwouldcomeupandchallengemeforinsultingalady;butnoonemoved，andpresentlyallwentonwiththeirdinners。Thenextdaythecountessagainappearedatmyside，amiableasever，butduringtheremainderofmystayIkeptfarfromeverypossibleallusiontopolitics。
TheTurkishambassador，SadoullahBey，wasakindlygentlemanwhowanderedabout，astheFrenchexpressivelysay，``likeadamndsoul。’’Somethingseemedtoweighuponhimheavilyandsteadily。AmoremelancholyhumanbeingIhaveneverseen，anditdidnotsurpriseme，afewyearslater，tobetoldthat，afteroneofthepalacerevolutionsatConstantinople，hehadbeenexecutedforplottingtheassassinationoftheSultan。
TheRussianambassador，M。deSabouroff，wasaveryagreeableman，andhisroomsweremadeattractivebythewonderfulcollectionofTanagrastatuetteswhichhehadbroughtfromGreece，wherehehadformerlybeenminister。Inonematterhewasespeciallyhelpfultome。
OnedayIreceivedfromWashingtonacipherdespatchinstructingmetoexertallmyinfluencetosecurethereleaseofMadame————，who，thoughmarriedtoaformerRussiansecretaryoflegation，wasthedaughterofanAmericaneminentinpoliticsanddiplomacy。Thecasewasveryserious。TheRussianwhohadmarriedthisestimableladyhadbeenconcernedinvariousshadytransactions，and，havinglefthiswifeandlittlechildreninParis，hadgonetoMunichinthehopeofcoveringupsomedoubtfulmatterswhichwerecomingtolight。
Whileonthiserrandhewasseizedandthrownintojailwhereuponhetelegraphedhiswifetocometohim。Hisidea，evidently，wasthatwhenshearrivedshealsowouldbeimprisoned，andthatherfamilywouldthenfeelforcedtointervenewiththemoneynecessarytogetthembothout。Thefirstpartoftheprogrammewentashehadexpected。Hiswife，onarrivinginMunich，wasatoncethrownintoprison，andbeganthencesendingtotheSecretaryofStateandtomethemostdistressinglettersandtelegrams。ShehadleftherlittlechildreninParis，andwasinagonyaboutthem。WiththeaidoftheRussianambassador，whoacknowledgedthathiscompatriotwasoneoftheworstwretchesinexistence，Iobtainedthereleaseoftheladyfromprisonafterlongnegotiations。
Unfortunately，Iwasobligedtosecurethatofherhusbandatthesametime;butashediednotlongafterward，hehadnoopportunitytodomuchmoreharm。
Oftheministersplenipotentiary，thechiefwasBaronNothombofBelgium，notedasthe``Belgianfatherofconstitutionalliberty。’’Hewasamostinterestingoldman，especiallydevotedtothememoryofmypredecessor，Bancroft，andthereforeverykindtome。Amongthereminiscenceswhichheseemedtoenjoygivingmeathisdinner—tableweremanyregardingTalleyrand，whomhehadpersonallyknown。
StillanotherfriendamongtheministerswasM。deRudhardt，whorepresentedBavaria。Heandhiswifewerecharming，andtheylittledreamedofthecatastropheawaitingthemwhenheshouldcrossBismarck’spath。
ThestoryofthisIshallrecountelsewhere。[15]
[15]SeechapteronBismarck。
YetanothergoodfriendwasHerrvonNostitz—Wallwitz，representativeofSaxony，whowasable，ononeoccasion，torenderarealservicetoAmericaneducation。
Twoorthreeyoungladies，oneofwhomisnowtheadmiredheadofoneoftheforemostAmericancollegesforwomen，werestudyingattheUniversityofLeipsic。I
hadgiventhemletterstosundryprofessorsthere，andnothingcouldbebetterthanthereportswhichreachedmeregardingtheirstudies，conduct，andsocialstanding。
Butonedaycameverydistressingtelegramsandletters，and，presently，theladiesthemselves。Acatastrophehadcome。AdecreehadgoneforthfromtheSaxonGovernmentatDresdenexpellingallwomenstudentsfromtheuniversity，andthesecountrywomenofminebeggedmetodowhatIcouldforthem。RememberingthatmySaxoncolleaguewasthebrotheroftheprimeministerofSaxony，Iatoncewenttohim。Onmypresentingthecase，heatfirstexpressedamazementattheideaofwomenbeingadmittedtothelecture—roomsofaGermanuniversity;butasIshowedhimsundryletters，especiallythosefromProfessorsGeorgCurtiusandEbers，regardingthesefairstudents，hisconservatismmeltedawayandhepresentlyenteredheartilyintomyview，theresultbeingthatthedecreewasmodifiedsothatallladystudentsthenintheuniversitywereallowedtoremainuntilthecloseoftheirstudies，butnonewonesweretobeadmittedafterward。Happily，allthishasbeenchanged，andtothat，astonearlyallotherGermanuniversities，womenarenowfreelyadmitted。
Veryamusingattimeswereexhibitionsofgentlesarcasmonthepartofsundryolddiplomatists。Theyhadlivedlong，hadseentheseamysideofpublicaffairs，andhadlosttheirillusions。Oneevening，ataballgivenbythevice—chancelloroftheempirewhichwasextremelysplendidandnolesstedious，myattentionwasdrawntotwoofthem。TherehadbeensomekindofabsurddemonstrationthatdayinoneoftheprincipalEuropeanparliaments，andcominguponmytwocolleagues，I
alludedtoit。
``Yes，’’saidBaronJauruofBrazil，``thatcomesofthegreatestlieprevalentinourtime——thetheorythatthemajorityofmankindareWISE;nowitisanabsolutefactwhichallhistoryteaches，andto—dayevenmorethanever，thatallmankindareFOOLS。’’``Whatyousayistrue，’’
repliedM。deQuade，theDanishminister，``butitisnottheWHOLEtruth:constitutionalgovernmentalsogoesonthetheorythatallmankindareGOOD;nowitisanabsolutefactthatallmankindarebad，utterlyBAD。’’``Yes，’’
saidJauru，``Iacceptyouramendment;mankindarefoolsandknaves。’’TothisIdemurredsomewhat，andquotedMr。Lincoln’sremark，``Youcanfoolsomeofthepeopleallthetime，andallofthepeoplesomeofthetime;
butyoucan’tfoolallthepeopleallthetime。’’
Thisrestoredtheirgoodhumor，andIleftthemsmilinglyponderingoverthisnuggetofWesternwisdom。
InterestingtomewasthecontrastbetweenmytwocolleaguesfromtheextremeOrient。ThenandsinceatBerlinIhaveknowntheJapaneseMinisterAoki。LikeallotherJapanesediplomaticrepresentativesIhavemet，whetherthereorelsewhere，hewasanexceedinglyaccomplishedman:atthefirstdinnergivenmeaftermyarrivalinBerlinhemadeanadmirablespeechinGerman，andcouldhavespokenjustasfluentlyandaccuratelyinFrenchorEnglish。
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