Tombstone epitaph., 1917-08-19
THE MYSTERIES
OF FRAU kLElST

TIME clever intrigues of Frau
KleiSt were unknown TO any
outside the court circle at Pots
dam. she was indeed a queer
parsonage. "Only less Of a parsonage
than his majesty" as Prince Bulow
declared TO me one day as we sat to-
gether in my room In the Berlin
SchloSs.
Frau Kleist was the court dancing
mistress, whose fastidious judgment
had to be satisfied By any young debu-
tante or officer before they presumed
to dance before royalty at the state
balls. Perhaps she was seventy. Her
real age never knew.
Truly Frau Kieist. with her neat
waist and thin. refined face, was a
very striking figure at the Berlin
court. The intricaCies Of the minUet
and Esyotte, as well as those OF the
old-world dances in which she delight
ed. were taught by the old lady 10
Prince Joachim and Princess Victoria
Luise both of whom always went in
deadly fear OF her caustic tongue and
oyerbearing manner.
The emperor never permitted any
dancing at court which was Tot Up "a
high standard OF excellence, and oil
who sought to dance were compelled
to pass before the critical eye of the
sharII-tongued old lady in her stift
silken gown.
Whence She had come or who had
been responsible for her appointment
nobody knew. One thing was quite
certain. that though at an age when
usually rheumatism prevents agility
yet she was an expert dancer.
The old woman lived in considerable
style in fine house close TO the
GHenicke bridge at Potsdam, beneath
the Bsbelsberg. power to be reckOned
with Ey ell who desired to enter the
court circle.
Regarding her, many strange stories
were afDat. one was that she was an
ex-daurpr. the mother Of the famous
Madarnoisrlle .'Clo-Clo" DurHnd, pre-
micrr dInSeuse Of the Paris opera. and
another was that she hud been mis-
tresS II the ballet at the Imperial
opera in PetrOgrad in the days of the
Emperor Alexander. But so great u
mystery were her antecedents that no.
body knew anything for certain. save
that. ut the age of nearly seventy. she
had access at any hour to the kaiser &
private cabinet. / have often seen her
whisper TO his majesty strange secrets
which she had picked up here and
there-secrets that were often trans
ferrrd to certain confidential quarters
Those at court who secured the be-
nignlut rIailes Of Frau Kleist knew
that tteir future path in life would be
full OF sunshine. bur woe betide those
upon whom she knit her brOws in dis
approval. Frau Kleist kept her pretty
house and her big Mercedes car upon
the secret money payments she re
ceivrd from those who "for value
Segg.d her favors. With many young
officers the payment 10 Frau Kleis'
was 10 open the back door to the EN-
peror's favor.
We In the Neues Palais (New Pal
see) knew IT, But surely IL did not
concern Us, for all of US looked askance
ut those who strove so strenuously and
eagerly for commands" to court func
tons, and really we were secretly glad
n the parvenus OF both sexes were vel
BLEED before they were permitted by
Frau Erna to make their obeisance be
fore royalty.
The palace world at every European
court Is a narrow little world Of IL
own, unknown and unsupported by tn,
pinn in the street. There one sees th'
worst side OF human nature without
any Ieaven Of the best or even noblei
side. The salary-grabber. the miiitnrl
sdventurer. the pinchbeck diplomat
a.. --nme,eial parvenu. and the sciea
ust. together with their jewes-5edecket