rooms inlaid with precious marbles. Outside was a perfect
paradise of a garden, filled with lovely flowers, and trees laden with
fruit or blossom. Birds were singing everywhere, such rare birds, too!
Some were all blue and gold, others a bright scarlet, then again others
shone like silver or steel. There were large lakes full of gold and
silver fish, and marble fountains throwing jets of water high into the
air. Here and there were dainty bowers covered with roses, and filled
within with soft moss carpets and luxurious couches. Walking about
everywhere in this lovely place were scores of little ladies and
gentlemen, dressed in rich silks and velvets, and with precious stones
sparkling and flashing from their fingers, their hair, their shoes, indeed
they seemed to sparkle all over, like flowers covered with dewdrops.
Some strolled along the walks, others reclined in the bowers, some floated
in little scarlet or ivory boats on the lakes, others sat under the
blossoming trees. There seemed, indeed, no end to them, and to Anne's
great astonishment, neither they nor her six companions seemed small now,
also, to her great delight, she was dressed as beautifully as any of them,
and wore as beautiful jewels. Though she did not know it, she had shrunk
to their size, and a very lovely little fairy she made.

Her gown was of white silk, with a long train bordered all round with
trails of green ivy, and over her shoulders she wore a long green silk
cloak with a little scarlet hood. Her hair looked as though it had been
dressed by a Court hairdresser, and amidst the puffs and curls sparkled
emeralds and diamonds, like trembling stars. Her little green slippers
had silver heels, and diamond buckles on the toes, round her waist hung a
diamond girdle, on her neck, too, and fingers gems sparkled and flashed
with every movement.

Oh, how proud and delighted Anne did feel, and how eagerly she hoped that
she might always live like this! Instead of having one cavalier as most
of the ladies had, she had six, but the one with the red feather was her
favourite, and hour by hour he and Anne grew more deeply in love with one
another.

Unfortunately, though, the other five began to grow very jealous, and they
kept such a watch on Anne and her friend, that the poor lovers had no
chance to get away and talk by themselves, or exchange even a look, or a
kiss, or a handclasp.

However, when people are determined they usually succeed in th