It has been said that she was an irreconcilable enemy of
Germany. In a certain sense this was true, but there was
no preconceived hatred in her feelings. She detested Germans
because she had seen them trampling her unfortunate country
under their feet, because she had owed to them some of the
bitterest hours she had had to go through in her life. Yet
she had no aversion to German culture, and could recognise
the great qualities of the German race, qualities which, per-
haps, gave her even more reasons to detest it. She was
above everything else just. Her character had too much
real greatness about it ever to give way to any mean or
petty feeling, even where an enemy was concerned.
When I lived in Paris I used to see her daily. She was
then at the height of her beauty and fame, and political men
of all shades used to crowd to her receptions, and to bow
down before her splendid grace and proud demeanour. She
was considered as the real Queen of the Third Republic, and
no important political measure was undertaken by any member
of the government of that day without her having been con-
sulted about its opportuneness. No one ever regretted having
asked her advice or trusted to the clearness of her judgments ;
nor could any say that she had revealed the slightest fraction
of all the secrets of state which had been confided to her.
