n had caused
to be gathered from the gardens of Babylon, as May-Day offering to
Blanchefleur.

'Sir,' said the watchman, 'here lay you down within the basket and stir
not.'

So when Fleur was laid down flat and still, within the basket, the
watchman put a hat of red upon his head, and, this done, covered him all
over with piles of flowers. This done, he called two strong porters and
said, 'Carry up this basket of flowers as my May-Day offering to the
maiden Blanchefleur, and when you have presented it, tarry not, but come
again to me.'

So the porters, obedient to their officer, took up the basket and began
to ascend the stairs; but ere they were half-way up, they began to halt
and curse, vowing that never in all their days had they carried such
heavy flowers; and when at length the top was reached, they mistook the
chamber, for they knocked at Clarissa's door, shouting, 'Here, open! to
receive the watchman's May-Day offering to the maiden Blanchefleur.'

[Illustration]

And at the 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.

[Illustration]

N