un smooth, and all too soon was their joy turned into
sorrow.

One morning Clarissa woke to find the sun already high in the heavens;
so, running in to Blanchefleur, she bade her too arise, as it was late,
and full time that both were in attendance on their Lord.

'Go on before,' said Blanchefleur, half-waking and half-dreaming, and I
will follow;' and she came not, but fell asleep again. So when Clarissa,
returning from the spring with her golden bowl, again knocked, and this
time got no answer, she hasted to the Admiral, thinking to find
Blanchefleur gone on before to him, but she found her not.

'Why tarries Blanchefleur?' asked the Admiral, wondering that Clarissa
came alone.

'Sire,' said Clarissa, 'all through the night, Blanchefleur was reading
in her psalter and praying long life for you, and towards the morning
she fell asleep and slumbers still.'

'That,' said the Admiral, well pleased, 'was a good work, and as reward
for it Blanchefleur shall be my bride.'

Next morning the same thing happened. Again Clarissa overslept herself,
and on waking found the sun already high in the heavens; again she
called to Blanchefleur to make ready while she filled her golden bowl
with water at the spring, and again Blanchefleur, half-waking and
half-dreaming, replied, 'I come,' and came not, but fell back in
slumber, so that Clarissa on hasting to their Lord found no Blanchefleur
there.

'Where,' again asked the Admiral, 'is Blanchefleur?'

'Sire,' said Clarissa, 'I called in passing at her door ere filling my
golden bowl with water at the spring, and Blanchefleur said she would be
here before me.'

In some surprise the Admiral then bade a chamberlain go see why
Blanchefleur tarried: so the chamberlain hasted to Blanchefleur's
chamber, which was all ablaze with precious stones, and there, locked in
each other's arms, found Fleur and Blanchefleur, and, taking Fleur in
his tender beauty to be Clarissa, the chamberlain had not the heart to
wake the two, but hasted back to tell his Lord how sweetly Blanchefleur
and Clarissa slept, and, lo! Clarissa stood before him.

As for the Admiral, he turned white with fury.

_Chapter VIII_

[Illustration]

'Give me my sword,' cried the Admiral, 'and with it I will soon find who
is this feigned Clarissa, for here the true one stands before me.' So
saying, the furious Lord went with the chamberlain to Blanchefleur's
chamber, and when the thick silken curtains were draw