130 STRAY-AWAYS 



Rathlousdahl arched gateway in a manner that did 

 credit to the official witli the moustache. Two or 

 three chmging seconds in the tunnel of the archway 

 brought us into a large square courtyard, with a 

 fountain in the middle of it, and buildings of mellow 

 brick all round. The carriage drew up at a flight 

 of steps, and a most splendid person, with a long black 

 beard and glittering buttons, let down the step and 

 tendered an obsequious arm. 



We were presently in a long, low hall, poising our- 

 selves with infinite caution on a mirror-like parquet, 

 while our hostess, the Hofjagermesterinde — which 

 signifies Chief Court Huntress — welcomed us to Rath- 

 lousdahl in English as fluent as our own. Through an 

 uncertain number of darkly picturesque reception- 

 rooms we went forth to the gardens, where, in a space 

 among immense trees, was a lawn-tennis ground, a 

 sight that we in our ignorance had expected as little 

 as a snipe-bog. A game was going on, and the Tower 

 of Babel sensation was again uppermost as the English 

 terms " Sairve," " A-Lett," " H'out ! " came to us like 

 rays of light out of the weltering chaos of Danish. 

 We took our turn, and cannot confidently feel that we 

 upheld the athletic reputation of our country, even 

 though one opponent was a gentleman in jack-boots, 

 and the general tendency was to sink all party feeling 

 in order to keep the ball going as long as possible. 

 Later we walked in the park among the great beech and 

 horse-chestnut trees, and noted the cunning of the 

 Danish landscape gardening in every wooded rise and 

 sequestered pool. A quiet pleasure-ground in the 

 shelter of a hill was guarded by two bronze dogs, 

 modelled with astonishing vigour by the great Polish 

 sculptor Jerichau, father of our hostess, the Hofjager- 

 mesterinde. The rich red brick and thatched roof of 

 the servants' wing of Rathlousdahl bounded one long 



