“Oh certainly,” laughed Bismarck, “one of my best is, that my wife comes in to call me away on some pretext or other. Of course the caller can’t remain after that.”
These words were hardly uttered, when the Princess entered, and said in the most harmless way: “Otto, it is time to take your medicine; do not forget it.”
Lord Russell broke into a ringing laugh and took his leave at once.
A Monotonous Diet
The following humorous story was first published in the Leipsic Tageblatt. One day, during the siege of Paris, Count Lehndorff, the Aide-de-Camp, visited Captain von Strantz, at Ville d’Avray, an outpost near Paris. In reply to the Count’s question, how he was getting on, the Captain said: “Oh quite well; I have just been dining for the sixty-seventh time off roast mutton.” The Count laughed and rode on. Next day an orderly called on the Captain with the following message: “It having come to the ears of Count Bismarck, Chancellor of the Confederation, that Captain von Strantz would doubtless be dining off his sixty-eighth joint of mutton to-day, his Excellency sends him herewith four ducks as a change of diet.”
They Danced to His Music
In May, 1891, a curious circumstance which, having occurred just before Bismarck’s fall, might have indicated to him how slippery was the ground on which he trod. He went one day to see the Emperor, who was busy, and who sent word that he would see the Chancellor presently. Ere long the royal children came in, and insisted upon his dancing with them. “No,” said Bismarck, “I am too old to dance with you.” “Then you must play,” they said. He accordingly sat down to the piano. Pretty soon the Emperor came in, and, finding him thus engaged said: “So, here is the fourth generation of the Hohenzollerns, which has to dance to your playing.”