hipped the goddess, he sat down with
Good. Then the girl, like Beauty personified, came out of the circle of
light with her friends. "There she is, the lovely creature," said Good,
and the king thought: "He is quite right to love her." But when she saw
the king looking like a god, she wondered who the strange and wonderful
man might be, and entered the shrine to worship the goddess.

But the king took Good and went into the garden to show how little he
cared about her. A moment later the girl came from the shrine; she had
been praying for a good husband. And she said to a girl friend: "My
friend, I wonder where I could see the man who was here. Where is the
great man? You girls must hunt for him and ask him to be good enough to
come and accept our hospitality. For he is a wonderful man, and we must
be polite to him."

So the girl found him in the garden and gave him her mistress' message
very respectfully. But the brave king spoke loftily to her: "Your words
are hospitality enough. Nothing else is necessary."

Now when her mistress had heard what he said, she thought he was a
noble character, better than anybody else. She was attracted by the
courage of the king in refusing a sort of hospitality which was almost
too much to offer a mere man, and thought about the fulfilment of her
prayer for a husband. So she went into the garden herself. She drew
near to the king and lovingly begged him to accept her hospitality.

But the king pointed to Good and said: "My dear girl, he told me of the
goddess here, and I came to see her. And by following the flag-pole I
saw the goddess and her very marvellous temple. It was only afterwards
that I happened to see you."

Then the girl said: "O King, you may be interested in seeing a city
which is the wonder of the three worlds." And the king laughed and
said: "He told me about that, too. I believe there is a pool for
bathing there." And the girl said: "O King, do not say that. I am not a
deceitful girl. Why should I deceive an honourable man, especially as
your noble character has made me feel like a servant? Pray do not
refuse me."

So the king agreed and went with Good and the girl to the edge of the
circle of light. There a door opened and he entered and saw another
heavenly city like a second hill of heaven; for it was built of gems
and gold, and the flowers and fruits of every season grew there at the
same time.

And the princess seated the king on a splendid throne and brou