, I have come, with your gracious permission, to take leave of
you; I am about to return to Clarides."

"Fair youth," the queen replied smiling, "I cannot grant you the leave
you ask, for I guard you in my crystal palace, to make of you my lover."

"Madam," he replied, "I am not worthy of so great an honour."

"That is but your courtesy. What gallant cavalier ever believes that he
has sufficiently deserved his lady's favour. Besides you are still too
young to know your own worth. Let me tell you, fair youth, that we do
but desire your welfare; obey your lady and her alone."

"Madam, I love Honey-Bee of Clarides. I will have no other lady but
her."

"A mortal maid!" the queen cried, turning pale, but more beautiful
still, "a coarse daughter of men, this Honey-Bee! How can you love such
a thing?"

"I do not know, but I know that I love her."

"Never mind. It will pass."

And she still held the young man captive by means of the allurements of
her crystal abode.

He did not comprehend the devious thing called a woman; he was more
like Achilles among the daughters of Lycomedes than Tannhauser in the
enchanted castle. And that is why he wandered sadly along the walls of
the mighty palace searching for an outlet through which to escape; but
he only saw the splendid and silent empire of the waves sealing his
shining prison. Through the transparent walls he watched the blooming
sea anemones and the spreading coral, while over the delicate streams of
the madrepores and the sparkling shells, purple, blue, and gold fishes
made a glitter of stars with a stroke of their tails. These marvels he
left unheeded, for, lulled by the delicious songs of the nixies, he
felt little by little his will broken and his soul grow weak. He was all
indolence and indifference when one day he found by chance in a gallery
of the palace, an ancient well-worn book bound in pigskin and studded
with great copper nail-heads. The book, saved from some wreck in
mid-ocean, treated of chivalry and fair ladies, and related at great
length the adventures of heroes who went about the world redressing
wrongs, protecting widows and succouring orphans for the love of justice
and in honour of beauty. George flushed and paled with wonder, shame,
and anger as he read these tales of splendid adventures. He could not
contain himself.

"I also," he cried, "will be a gallant knight. I also will go about the
world punishing the wicked and succouring the unfortunat