"Your passport is worthless, I tell you!" he cried. "There, that's how much it is worth to me!" And snatching it up he tore it in half and tossed the pieces of blue paper in my face. My blood was up at this insult, yet I bit my lips and remained quite calm. "Perhaps you will kindly tell me who you are?" I asked in as quiet a voice as I could command. "With pleasure. I am Michael Boranski, Chief of Police of the Province of Abo-Biornebourg." "Ah! Well, Michael Boranski, I shall trouble you to pick up my passport, stick it together again, and apologize to me." "Apologize! Me apologize!" And the fellow laughed aloud, while the police officers on either side of me grinned from ear to ear. "You refuse?" "Refuse? Certainly I do!" "Very well, then," I said, re-opening my pocket-book and taking out an open letter. "Perhaps you will kindly glance at that. It is in Russian, so you can read it." He snatched it from me with ill-grace, but not without curiosity. And then, as he read the lines, his face changed and he went paler. Raising his head, he stood staring at me open-mouthed in amazement. "I apologize to your Excellency!" he gasped, blanched to the lips. "I most humbly apologize. I--I did not know. You told me nothing!" "Perhaps you will kindly mend my passport, and give it a proper visé." In an instant he was up from his chair, and having gathered the torn paper from the floor, proceeded to paste it together. On the back he endorsed that it had been torn by accident, and then gave it the proper visé, affixing the stamps. "I trust, Excellency," he said, bowing low as he handed it to me, "I trust that this affair will not trouble you further. I assure you I had no intention of insulting you." "Yes, you had!" I said. "You insulted me merely because I am English. But recollect in future that the man who insults an Englishman generally pays for it, and I do not intend to let this pass. There is a higher power in Finland than even the Governor-General." "But, Excellency," whined the fellow who only ten minutes ago had been such an insulting bully, "I shall lose my position. I have a wife and six children--my wife is delicate, and my pay here is not a large one. You will forgive, won't you, Excellency? I have apologized--I most humbly apologize." And he took up the letter I had given him, holding it gingerly with trembling fingers. And well he might, for the document was headed: "MINISTER OF THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD, PALACE OF PETERHOF. "The bearer of this is one Gordon Francis Gregg, British subject, whom it is Our will and command that he shall be Our guest during his journey through our dominion. And we hereby command all Governors of Provinces and minor officials to afford him all the facilities he requires and privileges and immunities as Our guest."