world, and that all foreign nations were inhabited by peoples who were ignorant, foolish, and perfidious.

[27]

[28]

After two miles between garden-like farms, Grafton found himself at the entrance to what seemed a wilderness. There were two huge stone pillars, each capped with a grand-ducal crown. There were two great bronze gates with a large C under a crown in the centre of each. The gates were open, and between the pillars went the military road, clean, smooth, perfect, to plunge into the wilderness. Beside the entrance was an ivy-covered lodge, in front of it a soldier in the blue and white uniform of the Grand Duke’s Household Guards. He was marching up and down,[29] his rifle at shoulder arms. As Grafton advanced he halted and shifted his rifle to a challenge.

[29]

“Show your passport,” he commanded, in a queer dialect of German.

“I have no passport,” replied Grafton.

The soldier looked at him stupidly. “But every foreigner has a passport,” he said.

“I have none.”

“Ah; very well.” The soldier shrugged his shoulders and resumed his march.

Grafton stood where he had halted. “May I go on?” he asked.

“Yes; why not?” said the soldier.

“But why did you ask for my passport?”

“It’s in the rules. Pass on or you may get into trouble. You know perfectly well that all are admitted to the park at this season.”

[30]“Then there is a closed season?”

[30]

“I don’t know,” said the soldier, crossly. “I never heard of one. It’s in the rules to admit every one from April until December. No one comes the rest of the year. But I don’t suppose he could be shut out if he did. There’s no rule which says so.”

“Then why these rules?”

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