uffs, and among other things an ornament made expressly in
honour of the approaching wedding. It was a heart cut out of one huge
ruby, and was surrounded by several diamond arrows, and pierced by one.
A golden true-lover's knot above the heart bore the motto, 'But one can
wound me,' and the whole jewel was hung upon a chain of immense pearls.
Never, since the world has been a world, had such a thing been made,
and the King was quite amazed when it was presented to him. The page who
brought it begged him to accept it from the Princess, who chose him to
be her knight.

'What!' cried he, 'does the lovely Princess Fiordelisa deign to think of
me in this amiable and encouraging way?'

'You confuse the names, Sire,' said the page hastily. 'I come on behalf
of the Princess Turritella.'

'Oh, it is Turritella who wishes me to be her knight,' said the King
coldly. 'I am sorry that I cannot accept the honour.' And he sent the
splendid gifts back to the Queen and Turritella, who were furiously
angry at the contempt with which they were treated. As soon as he
possibly could, King Charming went to see the King and Queen, and as he
entered the hall he looked for Fiordelisa, and every time anyone came
in he started round to see who it was, and was altogether so uneasy and
dissatisfied that the Queen saw it plainly. But she would not take any
notice, and talked of nothing but the entertainments she was 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
F