So, talking about Lehndorff's One Who Got Away made me check volume 1 and 2 of the Chamberlain years for Katte mentions again, just in case I missed anything, which I didn't, but I have to give you a day in the life because it's so very Lehndorffian. May 1757:
„I participate in a dinner at the Queen’s. At first, it proceeds smoothly. But when supper is finished, her majesty approaches Count Wartensleben in order to tell him that she’ll take a couple of additional pages into her household. Wartensleben explains to her that this is impossible since he doesn’t have the budget to support them. The queen replies heatedly. Wartensleben gets even noisier, and thus a complete spectacle proceeds. The queen hits him with her fan, her fan breaks into a hundred pieces, she throws them into his face and stalks off angrily. He calls after her that he can’t hold any marshal’s staff without having any wine. (?) In short, the scandal is complete. As far as I’m concerned: I’m playing the amazed spectator, withdraw into a corner with the honored and highly esteemed Countess Camas and talk to her about a new book which has just been published under the title of „Candide“ and supposedly was written by Voltaire. In it, he makes fun oft he people who claim we live in the best of all possible worlds, lists the many sufferings which oppress us, but does so in such a funny and unexpected way that one has to laugh heartily about it. I throw a ball for the Wreech family on the occasion of one of their daughters to Herr v. Schack. The amiable Frau v. Katt attends. She seems in despair about her marriage which forces her to withdraw to the countryside. Every time I meet this woman, mournful thoughts about our destiny plague me. We would have been happy together. Bad people have torn us apart, after the impossibility of our marriage became clear. We keep meeting and sense clearly we have been meant for each other. This, too, proves we don’t live in the best of all possible worlds! (…) We bring poor Katt to her carriage which will bring her to Wust and her despicable husband, and return to Berlin, sad about losing the company of this charming woman. On my way back, I have a funny encounter. On the bridge leading to my apartment, I meet my mother. I immediately tell my driver to stop, and so does she. I address her with an innocent face, but then she becomes furious, tells me that she won’t be at home today, despite the fact she had invited me to dinner, and tells her driver to drive. I am thunderstruck and return home slowly, and tell myself that one has to approach the weaknesses of one’s parents with respect. Doubtlessly, she is angry because I socialize with the Wreech family despite them being in extreme disfavour with her because the Dönhoff mentioned her age the other day. That same evening, I attend the Queen where the ladies V. Morien and v. Bredow sing an aria of a wonderful opera.
Re: The Lehndorff Report: 1776
„I participate in a dinner at the Queen’s. At first, it proceeds smoothly. But when supper is finished, her majesty approaches Count Wartensleben in order to tell him that she’ll take a couple of additional pages into her household. Wartensleben explains to her that this is impossible since he doesn’t have the budget to support them. The queen replies heatedly. Wartensleben gets even noisier, and thus a complete spectacle proceeds. The queen hits him with her fan, her fan breaks into a hundred pieces, she throws them into his face and stalks off angrily. He calls after her that he can’t hold any marshal’s staff without having any wine. (?) In short, the scandal is complete. As far as I’m concerned: I’m playing the amazed spectator, withdraw into a corner with the honored and highly esteemed Countess Camas and talk to her about a new book which has just been published under the title of „Candide“ and supposedly was written by Voltaire. In it, he makes fun oft he people who claim we live in the best of all possible worlds, lists the many sufferings which oppress us, but does so in such a funny and unexpected way that one has to laugh heartily about it.
I throw a ball for the Wreech family on the occasion of one of their daughters to Herr v. Schack. The amiable Frau v. Katt attends. She seems in despair about her marriage which forces her to withdraw to the countryside. Every time I meet this woman, mournful thoughts about our destiny plague me. We would have been happy together. Bad people have torn us apart, after the impossibility of our marriage became clear. We keep meeting and sense clearly we have been meant for each other. This, too, proves we don’t live in the best of all possible worlds! (…)
We bring poor Katt to her carriage which will bring her to Wust and her despicable husband, and return to Berlin, sad about losing the company of this charming woman. On my way back, I have a funny encounter. On the bridge leading to my apartment, I meet my mother. I immediately tell my driver to stop, and so does she. I address her with an innocent face, but then she becomes furious, tells me that she won’t be at home today, despite the fact she had invited me to dinner, and tells her driver to drive. I am thunderstruck and return home slowly, and tell myself that one has to approach the weaknesses of one’s parents with respect. Doubtlessly, she is angry because I socialize with the Wreech family despite them being in extreme disfavour with her because the Dönhoff mentioned her age the other day. That same evening, I attend the Queen where the ladies V. Morien and v. Bredow sing an aria of a wonderful opera.