The political branch
concerns itself with the supervision of meetings between potentates,
cabinet ministers and so forth. The Personal branch, under the direct
control of the Privy Councilor, is used by the Emperor for his own
special purposes and service in this branch is the _sine qua non_ of
the service.
The Personal consists of all classes of men and women. Princes and
counts, lawyers and doctors, actors and actresses, mondaines of the
great world, demi-mondaines of the half world, waiters and porters,
all are made use of as occasion arises. It may well happen that your
interesting acquaintance in the salon of an express steamer or your
charming companion in the tearoom of the Ritz is the paid agent of
some government. Great singers, dancers and artists, especially of
Russian and Austrian origin, are often spies. Notably Anna Pavlowa,
famous for light feet and nimble wit, said wit being retained by the
Russian government at 50,000 rubles per annum. When Mlle. Pavlowa
travels in Germany, she has the honor of a very unostentatious
bodyguard, the government being anxious that nothing should happen to
_them_. Perhaps Mademoiselle may remember a little incident at the
Palais de Dance in Berlin--Anna _vs._ He of Lichtenstein.
Or perhaps Mademoiselle will recall a little episode in the Eis Arena
in Berlin during a certain New Year's Eve carnival when the
restoration--not the loss--of her magnificent gold chatelaine bag
caused her much embarrassment.
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