sound of Blanchefleur's name Clarissa ran and opened wide the door; but without telling the porters of their error, she suffered them to bring their flowery burden in and then depart. When they were gone, Clarissa came and took from the basket a flower that pleased her, whereupon Fleur, thinking she was Blanchefleur, sprang out, and so startled the maiden that she cried in fright: 'Oh! what is that? Oh! what can that be?' And at her cry the other maidens came running in to know

   what had affrighted Clarissa, their companion, but Fleur they marked not, because he had laid him down again beneath the blossoms, and, being clothed in rosy red, was not distinguished from the roses which were his bed; then Clarissa, calling to mind how often she had heard Blanchefleur speak of a youth in Spain of form and face resembling her own, bethought her that this May-Day offering might be the Spanish love of Blanchefleur; so with a laugh she dismissed the maidens who were her fellows, saying that a hornet springing out from amid the flowers had frighted her. Reader, picture to yourself the terror of Fleur on finding he was discovered! But fortune was kind, for Clarissa, the captive daughter of a Duke of Alemannia, was the bosom

   friend of lovely Blanchefleur, and often had the two together bemoaned their lot in being the pair appointed to wait morning and evening on the Admiral with the linen hand-towel and water in the golden bowl.

   Now as the chambers of these two maidens adjoined, and a door led from the one into the other, Clarissa with care closed her outer door and passed through the inner one into the chamber of Blanchefleur, whom she found sitting all woebegone and rapt in thought of her absent love.

   'Blanchefleur!' cried Clarissa, 'come with me and I will show you flowers such as you never saw before.'

   'Alas! Clarissa,' replied the mournful, drooping Blanchefleur,

   'my heart is too heavy to be cheered by flowers, seeing that I am so far from my love and he from me.'

   'Cease your wailing,' cried Clarissa, 'and dear as your love may be, yet come and see the lovely flowers!'

   So Blanchefleur slowly rising came to see the flowers, whereupon Fleur, who heard the voice and knew his love was near, sprang from among the blossoms, all clad like the roses in rosy red, and Blanchefleur knew him, and he knew her, and they gazed speechless with love and joy face to face upon each 

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