When Margaretha Mac Leod, later known as Mata Hari, returned to Holland from the Dutch East Indies with her family in the year of 1905, she was certain of one thing; she could no longer put up with her husband's bullying. She had long since fallen out of love with him. His jealousy, his womanizing, and physical abuse were a contradiction to humanity but, since she had never worked and had no means of support, it seemed during her marriage that there was no way out. In contrast to her own unhappy existence, Europe, mainly Paris, seemed to be overflowing with artistic activity; Margaretha dreamed of unknown adventures.

Life with John Mac Leod consisted mainly of long faces, daily squabbles, and threats of bodily harm. When her would repent and promise Margaretha to change, their infrequent public outings often ended in disastrous accusations of Margaretha's flirting or some such things. Many witnesses said she always remained composed during these diatribes. Author Sam Waagenaar records in biography of Mata Hari: "Margaretha, writing to her father, accused her husband of maltreating her, and used such words as "stingy", "adultery", "brute", "cruelty"summing it up in one big scene in which she claimed John threatened her with a gun." Out of necessity and wanting to economize, they had moved in with John Mac Leod's sister, the two women had not gotten along in the past and before long the situation again became unbearable. Shortly after taking an apartment of their own the marriage collapsed. Margaretha came home one afternoon and found the apartment empty. John had left and taken their four-and-a-half year old daughter Non, with him. Following a brief reconciliation, and exhausted from squabbling over child custody, Margaretha went back to live with her Uncle Taconis in the Hague. John MacLeod was an unloving husband but a loving father and he never gave his daughter up again. How could Margaretha fight him? She had no money and no means of support. In light of this harsh reality, she again turned to the world of her fantasy, Paris. There was nothing to keep her in Holland.

Margaretha Mac Leod arrived in France hopeful, romantic, confused, and penniless. She registered in a hotel in a poor section of the city of Paris which was frequented by artists. Someone suggested she work as a model. Reluctant at first, her sense of the theatrical and her desperation to survive gave her the courage to apply. She wanted to pose for head drawings alone but was told that such requests were rare. What was in demand were paintings and novelty photographs of nudes. She was shocked at first but soon realized that her only alternative was to go back to Holland. Return to what? There was no going back! She disrobed for the painter, Jean Guillaumet who thought she was pretty and had a good body except for her breasts which, after two children and breast-feeding, were somewhat pendulous. Since she was strikingly beautiful and statuesque, he devised a costume which bared all except her bosom. Several fables, a few of them perpetuated by Mata Hari herself, described her as the victim of a jealous husband who sought to disfigure her by biting off one of her nipples. In French bars the word was that she covered her breasts because they looked like tobacco pouches. Later on her prison doctor Leon Brizard in his own book "Souveniers D'un Medicin" said, "The truth was much more simple: Mata Hari had small breasts with highly discolored overdeveloped nipples, and she was not interested at all to show them. As if to support this theory, her trademark in every photograph was her bejeweled bra, her constant companion in the dance.

Since her beauty was all that she had to capitalize on. Margaretha was determined to make the most of it. But what to do? She had no one to help her. Her modeling was barely paying the bills. She tried performing in horse shows, a skill she had acquired from childhood, but the future looked bleak until an M. Molier suggested that with a body like hers, she might have more success with dancing than with horses. Dancing? She did not consider herself a dancer, yet she felt a challenge, a daring to be creative, innovative, and yes, a little bit shocking. With the Parisians in a pleasure of seeking a new mood she began to find herself in the center of a new world. Margaretha made her debut as an Oriental dancer at the salon of Mme. Kireevsky, a singer who was active in Paris society. Her success was instantaneous. It was at this performance that M. Guimet, a wealthy industrialist and collector of oriental art, proposed to present her in a lavish production in his private museum. This was to become the turning point in her life, the point at which she would leave behind the dreary past as Margaretha Mac Leod, and take on the life of the exotic mysterious Mata Hari. When M. Guimet suggested that she change her name she was ready, since she had used the name Mata Hari when she danced for the officers club in Java.

Mata Hari was supposed to be a dancer from India. Yet, when she danced she discarded her costume, piece by piece, until she was left wearing only her jeweled bra, armbands, and headpiece. Years later she would confide to the Dutch painter Piet Van Der Hem, "I never could dance well, people came to see me because I was the first who dared to show myself naked to the public.

The uninhibitedness she had acquired from posing as a nude model, taking off her clothes for artists and photographers, led quite easily to her dancing in a state of near nudity like the statues and paintings of the holy asparas in the Hindu scriptures. Mata Hari dared to disrobe in an era when women were corseted and covered from head to toe. As innocent a display as female ankles was considered erotic and provocative. To disrobe in public was unheard of. The public was fascinated. She acquired the admiration of the most famous people among Paris society and was now making money, lots of money. She also had scores of wealthy and famous admirers, many of whom became her lovers. Mata Hari was aware of the eroticism of her dances and her critics were fascinated by her daring. Yet she was not a simple vaudeville dancer to be dismissed after the dance. Hers was an upper class upbringing and, after her performance, she could easily mingle with the guests since she had the knowledge of how to behave in highly civilized society. She capitalized on her past, exaggerating it somewhat by asserting that she was related to royalty in the distant past and calling herself Lady Mac Leod. Mata Hari had an innate knowledge of the importance of publicity. A reporter described what her observed in her dance, embellishing her descent and dance origins, she took their fantasies and added myth to whatever stories they had concocted, never telling the same story twice. She dwelled on sensuous descriptions of secret religious rituals which she had supposedly participated in as a temple dancer. Her admirers multiplied as her fame began to spread. Several articles began appearing about "Lady" Mac Leod in the Dutch press.

At first Mata Hari appeared at soirees and private parties exclusively, dancing for an upper class, usually intimate and very select audience. Very soon she aspired to greater things, taking the advice of Maitre Clunet, who introduced her to the great impresario Gabriel Astruc. Her first greater public appearance was at the Olympia Theater on the Boulevard Des Capucines. She was to be the star attraction, presented amidst the best-known international variety acts.

Among them were Fred Karno, the great mime and mentor to the future genius, Charlie Chaplin, a juggler, "Leo and his infernal violin", some acrobats, and Arabian dancers. Mata Hari may have picked up some technique from these performers. For her first appearance, she was paid the enormous salary of ten thousand francs.

The audience was astounded. The press was ecstatic. In "Le Journal", one of the most influential morning papers, the review enthusiastically described, "Mata Hari personifies all the poetry of India, its mysticism, its voluptuousness, its languor, its hypnotizing charm. To see Mata Hari in a rhythm and with attitudes that are poems of wild voluptuous grace is an unforgettable spectacle. A really paradise-like dream."

Following the success at the Olympia Theater, Gabriel Astruc secured contracts for Mata Hari in Spain and Monte Carlo where she danced to the music of Massenet in the opera "Le Roi De Lahore." Puccini, who was in the audience, was completely won over by her.

It was the year 1906. While achieving triumph after triumph, the much sought after dancer became the mistress of a wealthy German landowner, Herr Kiepert. It was an alliance which retired her from the stage for almost a year during which time she was installed in an apartment in West Berlin. This was one of the many friendships which were to contribute to her downfall when she was accused of being a spy.