planning.
The Prince answered at random, and presently asked if he was not to have
the pleasure of seeing the Princess Fiordelisa.

'Sire,' answered the Queen haughtily, 'her father has ordered that she
shall not leave her own apartments until my daughter is married.'

'What can be the reason for keeping that lovely Princess a prisoner?'
cried the King in great indignation.

'That I do not know,' answered the Queen; 'and even if I did, I might
not feel bound to tell you.'

The King was terribly angry at being thwarted like this. He felt certain
that Turritella was to blame for it, so casting a furious glance at her
he abruptly took leave of the Queen, and returned to his own apartments.
There he said to a young squire whom he had brought with him: 'I would
give all I have in the world to gain the good will of one of the
Princess's waiting-women, and obtain a moment's speech with Fiordelisa.'

'Nothing could be easier,' said the young squire; and he very soon made
friends with one of the ladies, who told him that in the evening
Fiordelisa would be at a little window which looked into the garden,
where he could come and talk to her. Only, she said, he must take very
great care not to be seen, as it would be as much as her place was worth
to be caught helping King Charming to see the Princess. The squire was
delighted, and promised all she asked; but the moment he had run off to
announce his success to the King, the false waiting-woman went and told
the Queen all that had passed. She at once determined that her own
daughter should be at the little window; and she taught her so well all
she was to say and do, that even the stupid Turritella could make no
mistake.

The night was so dark that the King had not a chance of finding out the
trick that was being played upon him, so he approached the window with
the greatest delight, and said everything that he had been longing to
say to Fiordelisa to persuade her of his love for her. Turritella
answered as she had been taught, that she was very unhappy, and that
there was no chance of her being better treated by the Queen until her
daughter was married. And then the King entreated her to marry him; and
thereupon he drew his ring from his finger and put it upon Turritella's,
and she answered him as well as she could. The King could not help
thinking that she did not say exactly what he would have expected from
his darling Fiordelisa, but he persuaded himself that the fear of