His Majesty, opposite whom I sat, was good enough to raise his
glass and invite me to drink with him. After he had done so with Mr.
Tower, our Ambassador, who sat at his right, he asked across the
table--heard by those near--whether I had told Prince von Buelow, next
whom I sat, that his (the Emperor's) hero, Bruce, rested in my native
town of Dunfermline, and his ancestor's tower in Pittencrieff Glen,
was in my possession.
"No," I replied; "with Your Majesty I am led into such frivolities,
but my intercourse with your Lord High Chancellor, I assure you, will
always be of a serious import."
We dined with Mrs. Goelet upon her yacht, one evening, and His Majesty
being present, I told him President Roosevelt had said recently to me
that he wished custom permitted him to leave the country so he could
run over and see him (the Emperor). He thought a substantial talk
would result in something good being accomplished. I believed that
also. The Emperor agreed and said he wished greatly to see him and
hoped he would some day come to Germany. I suggested that he (the
Emperor) was free from constitutional barriers and could sail over
and see the President.
"Ah, but my country needs me here! How can I leave?"
I replied:
"Before leaving home one year, when I went to our mills to bid the
officials good-bye and expressed regret at leaving them all hard at
work, sweltering in the hot sun, but that I found I had now every year
to rest and yet no matter how tired I might be one half-hour on the
bow of the steamer, cutting the Atlantic waves, gave me perfect
relief, my clever manager, Captain Jones, retorted: 'And, oh, Lord!
think of the relief we all get.
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