Excerpt from Reminiscences of a Diplomatist's Wife: Further Reminiscences of a Diplomatist's Wife in Many Lands Since the following is a book of reminiscences, I think I am justified in opening it with one from a side of my life for which no place has been found either in this or the preceding volumes. Some years ago I was honored by an invitation to lecture before a certain distinguished Literary Society comprising among its members many old friends of my own. The pleasure I felt in being about to address these dear people on a subject rather close to their hearts caused me to forget the etiquette usually practised on such occasions. When the final notes of the overture died away, I skipped lightly up the steps to the stage; but a strong hand pulled me down, and the Presidents stern whisper sounded in my ear, "Hold on, hold on! I must introduce you!" Feeling very small, I shrank back among the palms and azaleas, while the kind President sounded my praises to the audience, in terms so far beyond my merits that when he drew me forth from my hiding place I was overcome with confusion. For a minute or two I could not find my voice, and I had something like an attack of stage-fright. But I had been introduced! It seems that this book must go through the same ceremony. It came back to me from the Publishers with the curt intimation, "Introduction required." What shall I say of it? Only this, that it was asked for by the readers of its predecessors and that I hope they will be as kind to it as they were to them. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.