were very upset to see that he preferred
Princess Florine. So, when Princess Florine left the company of Prince
Charming, the Queen with impatience waited for her to return to her
room. There were hidden four men with masks over their faces, and they
had orders to take the Princess Florine away on a journey, to await the
pleasure of Prince Charming, so that she would please him better and
would make him a better spouse.

The Queen then went to the Prince and told him that the Princess was a
coquette, and had a bad temper; that she tormented the servants, and did
not know how to behave herself; that she was avaricious, and preferred
to be dressed like a little shepherdess rather than like a Princess.

To all this Prince Charming listened. 'But,' said he, 'it would be
impossible for so beautiful and amiable a girl to be all that you say.
How could that be true of one with such modest grace and beauty? even
though she be dressed in a humble little frock. That is not a thing that
touches me very much. It pains me far more to know that the Queen hurts
her feelings, and you are not a stepmother for nothing; and really,
madam, the Princess Truitonne is so ugly that it would be hard to find
anything uglier amongst God's creatures. The courtiers, too, do not look
at all pleased to hear you speak badly of Florine.'

The Queen spent half of the night questioning him, for she could not
believe that he loved Florine. And the poor Princess Florine was
terrified because the four men with masks had taken her far away.

'I do not doubt that it is for the Queen's advantage that I am taken
away,' said she. And she cried so much that even her enemies were
touched.

The Queen in the meantime gave Prince Charming all the jewels he could
wish for, and lavished her attention on him. The King presented him with
a little book with gold covers and studded with diamonds, and inside it,
he told him, was a photograph of his future wife.

'What!' said Prince Charming, 'the beautiful Princess Florine? Ah! she
thinks of me, and in a most generous manner.'

'Seigneur,' said the King, 'you mistake; we take the part of the amiable
Truitonne. I am cross, seigneur, that you do not accept this great
honour; but, at the same time, a King is merely a King: he is not master
enough to make the engagements that he would like.'

The Prince at last asked for Princess Florine.

'Seigneur,' said the Queen, 'her father desired that she should go away
until m