oroughly sensible of the great
deliverance she had lately experienced. But yet there appeared in her
countenance an uneasiness, which the queen wishing to remove, asked her
the cause of.

'It is, dear madam,' answered the princess, 'because I have not yet had
it in my power to convince you of my repentance, which (though I know it
to be sincere) you have had no proof of, but in words only; and, indeed,
my heart longs for an occasion to show you, that I am now able to resist
any allurement which would tempt me from my duty; and I cannot be easy
till you have given me an opportunity of showing you the firmness of
my resolution; and if you will give me leave to take a walk in the
wood alone, this evening, I shall return to you with pleasure, and will
promise not to exceed any bounds that you shall prescribe.'

The queen was not much pleased with this request; but the princess was
so earnest with her to grant it, that she could not well refuse, without
seeming to suspect her sincerity; which she did not, but only feared for
her safety, and, giving her a strict charge, not to stir a step out of
the wood, or to speak to the false Rozella, if she came in her way, she
reluctantly gave her consent.

The princess walked through all the flowery labyrinths, in which she had
so often strayed with Rozella; but she was so shocked with the thoughts
of her wickedness, that she hardly gave a sigh for the loss of a
companion once so dear to her; and as a proof that her repentance
was sincere, though she heard Rozella singing in an arbour (purposely
perhaps to decoy her) she turned away without the least emotion, and
went quite to the other side of the wood; where looking into the meadow,
in which she first beheld that false friend, she saw a girl about her
own age, leaning against a tree, and crying most bitterly. But the
moment she came in sight, the young shepherdess (for such by her dress
she appeared to be) cried out, 'O help, dear young lady, help me; for I
am tied here to this tree, by the spiteful contrivance of a wicked young
shepherdess called Rozella: my hands too, you see, are bound behind me,
so that I cannot myself unloose the knot; and if I am not released, here
must I lie all night and my wretched parents will break their hearts,
for fear some sad accident should have befallen their only child, their
poor unhappy Florimel!'

The Princess, hearing her speak of Rozella in that manner, had no
suspicion of her being one of