Punished for objecting to familiarities--Awful names I was called--Locked in the room with wicked teacher--Defend myself with burning lamp--My brother nearly kills my would-be a.s.sailant 23
CHAPTER VII
PRINCES AND PRINCESSES DANCE TO THE TUNE OF THE WHIP
The result shows in the character of rulers--Why English kings and princes are superior to the Continental kind--Leopold"s awful revenge--Mother acts the tigress--Her mailed fist--"I forbid Your Imperial Highness to see that dog" 27
CHAPTER VIII
PLANNING TO GET A HUSBAND FOR ME
Dissecting possible wooers at Vienna--Royalty after money, not character--"He is a Cohen, not a Coburg"--Prince who looked like a Jew counter-jumper in his Sunday best--Balkan princes tabooed by Francis Joseph--A good time for the girls--Army men commanded to attend us 35
CHAPTER IX
LOVE-MAKING
The fascinating Baron--The man"s audacity--Putting the question boldly--Real love-making--_Risque_ stories for royalty 41
CHAPTER X
MY POPULARITY RENDERS GEORGE DYSPEPTIC
The Cudgel-Majesty--Prince George"s intrigues--No four-horse coach for Princess--Popular demonstration in my favor--"All-highest" displeasure 45
CHAPTER XI
SCOLDED FOR BEING POPULAR
Entourage spied upon by George"s minions--My husband proves a weakling--I disavow the personal compliment--No more intelligent than a king should be 53
CHAPTER XII
ROYAL DISGRACE--LIGHTNING AND SHADOWS
Ordered around by the Queen--Give thanks to a bully--Jealous of the "mob"s" applause--"The old monkey after "_Hochs_""--Criticizing the "old man"--Royalty"s plea for popularity--Proposed punishments for people refusing to love royalty 57
CHAPTER XIII
UNSPEAKABLE LITTLENESSES OF PETTY COURTS
Another quarrel with my husband--Personal attendant to a corpse--Killing by pin p.r.i.c.ks--The mythical three "_How art thou"s?_"--Unwanted sympathy from my inferiors--Pride of the decapitated Queen of France is in me--Lovers not impossible--Court to blame for them--My husband acts cowardly--Brutalizes my household--I lock myself in 63
CHAPTER XIV
IMPERIAL RUSSIAN ETHICS TRANSFERRED TO DRESDEN
My husband"s reported escapade--Did he give diamonds to a dancing girl?--His foolish excuses--"I am your pal"--A restaurant scene in St. Petersburg--The birthday suit 71
CHAPTER XV
ROYALTY NOT PRETTY, AND WHY
Fecundity royal women"s greatest charm--How to have beautiful children 77
CHAPTER XVI
MORE JEALOUSIES OF THE GREAT
Men and women caress me with their eyes--Some disrespectful sayings and doings of mine--First decided quarrel with Frederick Augustus--I go to the theatre in spite of him 81
CHAPTER XVII
THE ROYAL PRINCE, WHO BEHAVES LIKE A DRUNKEN BRICKLAYER
I face the music, but my husband runs away--Prince George can"t look me in the eye--He roars and bellows--Advocates wife-beating--I defy him--German cla.s.sics--"Jew literature" _Auto da fe_ ordered 85
CHAPTER XVIII
I DEFY THEM
Laughter and pleasant faces for me--Frederick Augustus refuses to back me, but I don"t care--We quarrel about my reading--He professes to gross ignorance 91
CHAPTER XIX
ATTEMPTED VIOLENCE DEFEATED BY FIRMNESS
Frederick Augustus seeks to carry out his father"s brutal threats--Orders and threats before servants--I positively refuse to be ordered about--Frederick Augustus plays Mrs. Lot--Enjoying myself at the theatre 95
CHAPTER XX
t.i.tLED SERVANTS LOW AND CUNNING
George tries to rob me of my confidante--Enter the King"s spy, Baroness Tisch in her true character--Punishment of one royal spy 99
CHAPTER XXI
BANISHMENT
I am ordered to repair to a country house with the hated spy as my Grand Mistress--My first impulse to go home, but afraid parents won"t have me 103
CHAPTER XXII
"POOR RELATIONS" IN ROYAL HOUSES
Myself and Frederick Augustus quarrel and pound table--The Countess Cosel"s golden vessel--Off to Brighton--Threat of a beating--I provoke shadows of divorce--King threatens force--More defiance on my part--I humble the King and am allowed to invite my brother Leopold 105
CHAPTER XXIII