And yet the desire to believe only what was agreeable and to put from him anything disagreeable was very strong in the Emperor Charles, and neither criticism nor blame made any lasting impression on him.

But in his case, too, the atmosphere that surrounded him rendered it impossible to convince him of the brutal realities prevailing.

On one occasion, when I returned from the front, I had a long conversation with him.

I reproached him for some act of administration and asserted that not only on me but on the whole Monarchy his action had made a most unfavourable impression.

I told him in the course of the conversation that he must remember how, when he came to the throne, the whole Monarchy had looked to him with great hopes, but that now he had already lost 80 per cent.