was not a monarch of the old pattern. The talk was not
conventional; he was evidently fond of discoursing upon
architecture, sculpture, and music, but not less gifted in
discussing current political questions, and in various
conversations afterward this fact was observable. Conventional
talk was reduced to a minimum; the slightest hint was enough to
start a line of remark worth listening to.

Opportunities for conversation were many. Besides the usual
"functions" of various sorts, there were interviews by special
appointment, and in these the young monarch was neither backward
in presenting his ideas nor slow in developing them. The range of
subjects which interested him seemed unlimited, but there were
some which he evidently preferred: of these were all things
relating to ships and shipping, and one of the first subjects
which came up in conversations between us was the books of
Captain Mahan, which he discussed very intelligently, awarding
great praise to their author, and saying that he required all his
naval officers to read them.

Another subject in order was art in all its developments. During
the first years of my stay he was erecting the thirty-two
historical groups on the Avenue of Victory in the Thiergarten,
near my house. My walks took me frequently by them, and they
interested me, not merely by their execution, but by their
historical purpose, commemorating as they do the services of his
predecessors, and of the strongest men who made their reigns
significant during nearly a thousand years. He was always ready
to discuss these works at length, whether from the artistic,
historical, or educational point of view. Not only to me, but to