There were but two of my friends at
whose places I could do exactly as I wished, where man and beast knew
me. One, whose place was in the Pushta, Hungary, was probably away on
a hunting trip and Hungary was too remote. The other, a schoolmate of
mine, lived near Furstenwalde, about fifty-eight kilometers from
Berlin. Furstenwalde, I decided, was an ideal spot, near Berlin, yet
isolated enough and in the heart of one of the largest of the
well-cared-for Prussian domain forests. So Ehrenkrug, the seat of the
_Koenigliche Ober Forsterei_ and the family seat of the Freiherren von
Ehrenkrug, was the place I selected.
I had enjoyed three weeks of rest and quietness, doing some desultory
fishing and shooting but spending most of my time in a hammock slung
under some of the giant Fichten, when my sylvan idyl was disturbed by
the red-faced, stub-nosed post boy of the Forsterei.
He brought me a letter from Graf Wedel, an astonishing missive.
_Dear Graves:_
I hope your health has improved sufficiently for you to attend to this
matter. Be pleased to understand that this is by no means an official
command. However, I need not point out to you the advantages,
accruing to you through your assistance in the case. The matter
briefly is this. I have been approached by the Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg-Schwerein to assist him in the solving of a rather
delicate private affair.
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