ne of the
mother's ladies, whose name was Clandestrie, and taken to her sister's
house, where they lived freely and happily for some years till they were
old enough to be brought to the convent where the princess Briane still
remained, and taught the duties of pages. Rosiclair was always good and
quiet, but his brother gave his teachers a great deal of trouble, though
that did not prevent their loving him dearly. He was so tall and strong
and high-spirited, that it was difficult to remember he was only a child
after all, and the moment he was left alone he was always seeking some
adventure.

One day, while Rosiclair was learning from his mother to play on the
lute, the Knight of the Sun--for so they called him--had gone with his
nurse to the banks of the broad river, and was amusing himself with
scrambling in and out of a boat that lay moored to the side. There were
no mirrors in the convent, and the boy jumped hastily back with dismay
when he saw some one dressed like himself looking at him from out of the
water.

He grew red with rage and struck out with his fist, and the arm in the
water struck out too. Then the prince sprang forward, but, as he did so,
he began to perceive that it was nothing but his own image that was
looking at him and imitating his movements. 'How could I be such a
baby!' he said to himself, and turned to leave the boat, when, to his
dismay, he found that the rope had got loose and he was gently floating
down the stream.

At this sight his courage began to fail him; he called loudly to his
nurse, who had been talking to some friends and had not noticed the
child's danger. At his cries she rushed into the river a little lower
down, hoping to catch the boat as it danced by, but the current swept
her off her feet, and she would certainly have been drowned had not a
wood-cutter, who had watched her from above, held out a long stick which
she was able to reach.

Very soon the little boat was a mere speck in the distance, and, now
that there was nothing to be done, the boy took heart again and thought
of all he would have to tell Rosiclair when he came back--for come back
he would some day, he was sure of that.

By-and-by the grass and the trees, and even the big mountains, vanished,
and all around him was the blue sea, with not even a sail to look at.
How long he remained in that boat he never knew, but one day, just
before sunrise, when the air is clearest and you can see farthest, he
was rous