stice
and right ruled throughout the land, his child was left alone.

But now that Hynde Horn and his companions had come, the king
knew that the Princess Jean would no longer be dull while he was
away.

She, too, in the early days after the prince came to the palace,
would ride to hunt and hawk, Hynde Horn by her side. And later
she would listen as he talked to her of his beautiful home under
the eastern sky, of his dear lost mother, Godylt, and his father,
King Allof, who was slain by the cruel Mury.

She would listen, her eyes dim with tears, for she knew how well
he had loved his home in the far-off East.

But her eyes would flash as he told of the cruel King Mury, and
of how one day he would go back to his kingdom and win it from
the hand of the evil king.

Her eyes would flash and her heart would beat, yet when she was
alone she would weep. For what would she do if Hynde Horn went
away to the far East and she was left alone? To the Princess Jean
it seemed that the palace would be empty were Prince Horn no
longer dwelling there.

Well, the years rolled on and Hynde Horn was no longer a boy,
Princess Jean no longer a girl. They both had changed in many
ways, but in one way both were still as they had been when they
were boy and girl together. They had loved each other then, they
loved each other now. So well did they love one another that they
went to King Alymer and told him that they wished to marry, and
that without delay.

Now the king was well pleased that Hynde Horn should marry his
beautiful daughter the Princess Jean, but he was not willing that
the wedding should be at once.

'Thou must wait, my daughter,' said the king; 'thou must wait to
wed Hynde Horn until he has journeyed to the far East and won
back the kingdom Mury so unjustly wrested from him. Then, when he
has shown himself as brave as he is courteous, then shall the
wedding be without delay.'

Thus it was that a few days later Hynde Horn and Princess Jean
stood together to say farewell one to another. Hynde Horn was
going away to win his spurs, to show himself worthy of the lady
whom he loved.

Before he left her, he gave her a beautiful silver wand, and on
the wand were perched seven living larks. They would warble to
the Princess Jean when Hynde Horn was no longer near to sing to
her, as had been his wont, in his soft sweet voice.

And the Princess Jean drew from her own finger a ring, and seven
diamonds shone therein. She plac