ss.' And so he took his leave.

In a few days the carriage commanded by the princess was ready. It was
of green velvet, scattered over with large golden thistles, and lined
inside with silver brocade embroidered with pink roses. It had no
windows, of course; but the fairy Tulip, whose counsel had been asked,
had managed to light it up with a soft glow that came no one knew
whither.

It was carried straight up into the great hall of the tower, and the
princess stepped into it, followed by her faithful maid of honour,
Eglantine, and by her lady in waiting Cerisette, who also had fallen
in love with the prince's portrait and was bitterly jealous of her
mistress. The fourth place in the carriage was filled by Cerisette's
mother, who had been sent by the queen to look after the three young
people.

Now the Fairy of the Fountain was the godmother of the princess Nera,
to whom the prince had been betrothed before the picture of Desiree
had made him faithless. She was very angry at the slight put upon her
godchild, and from that moment kept careful watch on the princess. In
this journey she saw her chance, and it was she who, invisible, sat
by Cerisette, and put bad thoughts into the minds of both her and her
mother.

The way to the city where the prince lived ran for the most part through
a thick forest, and every night when there was no moon, and not a single
star could be seen through the trees, the guards who travelled with
the princess opened the carriage to give it an airing. This went on for
several days, till only twelve hours journey lay between them and the
palace. The Cerisette persuaded her mother to cut a great hole in the
side of the carriage with a sharp knife which she herself had brought
for the purpose. In the forest the darkness was so intense that no one
perceived what she had done, but when they left the last trees behind
them, and emerged into the open country, the sun was up, and for the
first time since her babyhood, Desiree found herself in the light of
day.

She looked up in surprise at the dazzling brilliance that streamed
through the hole; then gave a sigh which seemed to come from her heart.
The carriage door swung back, as if by magic, and a white doe sprang
out, and in a moment was lost to sight in the forest. But, quick as she
was, Eglantine, her maid of honour, had time to see where she went, and
jumped from the carriage in pursuit of her, followed at a distance by
the guards.

Cerisett