IN THE STATE OF DENMARK 131 



side of a seemingly boundless kitchen garden. Quaint 

 windows peered l)etween the laden boughs of fruit 

 trees, many-coloured pigeons wheeled and stooped over 

 the low roof, and the clanking of horses' hoofs on the 

 pavement of the courtyards on the farther side had 

 a mediaeval sound that harmonised well with the 

 old-world beauty of the garden. Rathlousdahl is a 

 typical Danish house of the old regime. Great in 

 extent, as architecturally simple as a farmhouse, its 

 innocence of fortifications or defences speaks of an 

 unruffled and fearless past, and tells of the mutual 

 confidence that some years ago found practical ex- 

 pression in the regiment of volunteers that follow^ed 

 the late Hofjagermester against the Germans. 



Dinner at seven o'clock felt sinfully fashionable after 

 the homely 4.30 to which we had become accustomed. 

 The daylight had faded out by six o'clock, and the 

 crushed contents of our Gladstone bag renewed their 

 youth in the merciful couleur de rose of shaded lamps. 

 Some twenty guests were assembled in the central 

 salon, a large, delightful room, full of half-seen beauties 

 of carved oak, painting, and rare china. There was no 

 calculated disorder of arrangement, such as distresses 

 the honest furniture of many a drawing-room ; every- 

 thing was placed with full appreciation of its merit 

 and a due appreciation of the comfortable. On a 

 table at my elbow a collection of old silver vinaigrettes 

 glittered in manifold twists and knobs ; most of them 

 had belonged to former ladies of Rathlousdahl, and 

 had a coronet for a lid ; some carried a lock of hair 

 set in their ornamentation. Romance of a forgotten 

 age was among them, faint and quaint as their own 

 fragrance. It was broken in upon by the presentation 

 of a tall and youthful Dane, with a face sunburned 

 pink, and evening clothes of the English kind. From 

 his left arm already depended a dinner-partner. He 



