Herr Boschen said he had sung it once before the German Emperor, and he (the German Emperor) had sobbed like a little child. He (Herr Boschen) said that this song was considered one of the most tragic in the German language.
It was a very difficult situation for us - very difficult. There seemed to be no answer. We looked round for the two young men who had done this thing, but they had left the house very quietly at the end of the song.
That was the end of that party. I never saw a party end so quietly, with so little fuss. We never said goodnight to one another. We came downstairs one at a time, walking softly, and keeping in the dark. We asked the servant for our hats and coats in whispers, and opened the door for ourselves, went out quietly, and went around the corner of the street quickly, avoiding each other as much as possible.
I have never taken much interest in German songs since then.
