rs, its flowers, its grottos and its red-legged
soldiers.
The park was probably a mile square, and was surrounded by a high wall,
on the top of which were little guard-houses and several masked cannon.
In all their travels the Americans had not seen a more delightful bit of
artifice, and they wandered about with a serene content that would have
appealed to anyone but their voiceless guide. He led them about the
place, allowing them to form their own conclusions, draw their own
inferences and make their own calculations. His only acts were to salute
the guards who passed and to present arms when he had conducted his
charges to the edge of forbidden territory. When they had completed
their tour of inspection their guide rapidly led the way to the wall
that encircled the grounds, reaching it at a point not far from the
castle itself. Here was situated another large gate, through which they
did not pass. Instead, they ascended some steps and came out upon the
high wall. The top of this wall was several feet wide, and walking was
comparatively safe. They soon understood the guide's design. The object
was to walk along this wall until they reached the main gate. Why
this peculiar course was to be taken they could not imagine at first.
Anguish's fertile brain came to the rescue. He saw a number of women in
a distant part of the grounds, and, remembering their guide's haste in
conducting them to the wall, rightly conjectured that it was against
custom for visitors to meet and gaze upon members of the royal
household. The men and women, none of whom could be plainly
distinguished from the far-away wall, were undoubtedly a part of the
castle's family, and were not to be subjected to the curious gaze of
sightseers. Perhaps Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Graustark, was
among them.
They reached the main gate and descended, Anguish securing his camera,
after which they thanked the steward and turned to fee the guide. But he
had disappeared as if the ground had swallowed him.
"Well, it's a fair Versailles," observed Anguish, as they walked down
the street, glancing back at the frowning wall.
"It all goes to make me wonder why in the name of heaven we have never
heard of this land of Graustark," said Lorry, still thinking of the
castle's grandeur.
"My boy, there are lots of things we don't know. We're too busy. Don't
you remember that but one-half the world knows how the other half lives?
I'll wager there are not twenty
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