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184 him, as he would a chicken. The poor Princess, who heard the cracking of the bones of the unfortunate creature he was eating, was faint and dying with fear that it might be her lover; and the Prince, for his part, who was much nearer, was a prey to all the terrors consequent on such a situation. Morning relieved the Princess of her terrible anxiety; she quickly sought for the Prince, and by her signs, made him sufficiently understand her fears, and her impatience to see him safe from the murderous teeth of these monsters. She spoke kindly to him, and he would have uttered a thousand kinder words to her, but for the arrival of the Ogress, who came to look at her children. She perceived the cavern filled with blood, and missed her youngest Ogre. She uttered horrible shrieks. Ravagio soon found out what he had done—but the evil could not be remedied. He whispered to her, that being hungry, he had chosen the wrong, for he thought he had eaten the fresh meat.

Tourmentine pretended to be pacified, for Ravagio was cruel, and if she had not taken his apology in good part, he very likely would have devoured her. But, alas! how much the beautiful Princess suffered from anxiety! She was always thinking by what means she could save the Prince; and he could only think of the frightful place this amiable girl was living in. He could not make up his mind to go away so long as she was there—death would have been preferable to a separation. He made her understand this by repeated signs;—she implored him to fly, and save his own life; they shed tears, pressed each other's hands, and in their respective languages, vowed to each other reciprocal faith and everlasting love. She could not resist showing him the clothes she had on when Tourmentine found her, and also the cradle she was in. The Prince recognised the arms and device of the King of the Happy Island. At this sight he was in raptures; the Princess remarked his transports of joy, which led her to believe that he had learned something of importance from the sight of this cradle. She was dying to know what it meant—but how could he make her aware whose daughter she was, and how nearly they were related? All she could make out was, that she had great reason to rejoice. The hour for retiring was come, and they went to their beds as on the preceding night. The Princess, a prey to the same misgivings,